India

New Delhi, Sep 25 (PTI) Political parties and candidates can hold rallies as part of their campaigning for the Bihar assembly polls and the grounds where such meetings will be held will have white circles to ensure distancing norms.

Addressing a press conference to announce the schedule for Bihar assembly elections, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said he wants to dispel doubts that there will only be virtual campaigning in the state. The "propganda" that only virtual meets will take place during campaigning is way off the mark, he said.

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Some of Bollywood’s biggest actors are being questioned in a widening drug probe by federal agencies that has sent shockwaves through India’s beleaguered film industry and dominated prime time news headlines.

Officials from the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) have been investigating alleged drug use in Bollywood for the last month in connection with the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, a popular actor who was found dead at his residence in June.

Srinagar, 25 Sep 2020: Two Kashmiris were killed on Friday by Indian security forces in Sirhama area of Anantnag district of the Indian Administered Kashmir, Indian officials said.

Fatehpur (UP), Sep 24 (PTI) Upset over not being able to "repay" his loan, a farmer allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree in Uttar Pradesh's Fatehpur, police said on Thursday.

The incident took place at Naraini village in the Kishanpur area.

The farmer, identified as Mahendra Savita (37), was found hanging from a tree around 9.30 am, Kishanpur SHO Pandhari Saroj said, adding that he had left his home in the morning to go to his fields.

Kondagaon, Sep 24 (PTI) Tension prevailed in five villages in Chhattisgarh's Kondagaon district after a mob of locals allegedly vandalised the houses of some Christian families.

While the police said on Thursday that the situation was under control, the Chhattisgarh Christian Forum (CCF) demanded a high-level probe.

A police force has been deployed to prevent any untoward incident in Kakdabeda, Singanpur, Tiliyabeda, Silati and Jondrabeda villages under Kondagaon police station limits, Inspector General of Police (Bastar range) Sundarraj P said.

Kolkata, Sep 24 (PTI) Facing flak from BJP for alleged minority appeasement, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday doubled the annual financial assistance to Durga Puja organisers across the state to Rs 50,000.

She also announced a 50 per cent waiver in charges for consumption of electricity by the Puja committees in the state, who consume substantial power for the grand illumination during the five-day festival.

Chandigarh, Sep 24 (PTI) Haryana BJP leaders Parminder Singh Dhull and Rampal Majra on Thursday dubbed the Centre's farm bills "anti-farmer", claiming that the apprehensions about the minimum support price were not unfounded.

The two former legislators said many farmer outfits were protesting against the Centre's farm reforms and their voices should be heard.

New Delhi, Sep 25 (PTI) The Election Commission is set to announce the schedule for Bihar assembly elections on Friday.

The EC has convened a press conference in this regard at 12.30 pm on Friday.

The term of the 243-member Bihar legislative assembly comes to an end on November 29.

The Commission is likely to announce the schedule for the by-election to one Lok Sabha and 64 assembly seats spread across 15 states.

The bypoll to the Valmiki Nagar Lok Sabha seat in Bihar has been pending.

Muzaffarnagar (UP), Sep 25 (PTI) A man was arrested for allegedly raping a 16-year-old girl in a village in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district a week ago, police said on Friday.

The girl was allegedly raped last Friday in the village under the Bhopa police station limits.

The accused, who had gone absconding after the incident, was arrested on Thursday, police said.

Bengaluru, Sept 25 (PTI) Farmers in Karnataka staged demonstrations across the state on Friday as part of a 'bandh' call given to protest the 'anti-farmer' policies of the central and state governments.

A large number of ryots from various parts of the state flocked to the state capital to take part in the demonstrations to register their protest against the amendments to the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee Act and the Karnataka Land Reforms Act.