Indian Sub-continent

Mumbai, Dec 4 (PTI) The NCP has accused the BJP of allowing criminals into its fold leading to law and order problems in Maharashtra, a charge dismissed by the ruling party as "baseless".

Nationalist Congress Party's (NCP) national spokesperson Nawab Malik claimed that members of underworld don Chhota Rajan's gang have become office-bearers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Pune, Dec 4 (PTI) Protection and encouragement to fringe elements was emboldening them to lynch even a police officer, Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi Tuesday said with regard to the flare-up in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr over a reported cow slaughter incident.

Violence broke out Monday in the UP city after villagers found some body parts of cows in a jungle in Mahaw village.

The animal parts were then taken to the local police station by members of various Hindu groups and villagers demanding action.

Muzaffarnagar (UP), Dec 5 (PTI) A week after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath triggered a row by calling Lord Hanuman a Dalit, a group of Dalits  (untouchables) offered prayers at a Hanuman temple here Tuesday, police said.

Police said they removed the group, led by Dalit Kranti Dal president Deepak Gambhir.

They had also put up a banner of 'Dalit Hanuman Mandir, Hanuman Chowk, Muzaffarnagar' in front of the temple, the officer said.

Rameswaram (TN), Dec 4 (PTI) Over 4,000 Tamil Nadu fishermen were allegedly chased away by Sri Lankan Navy while they were fishing near Katchatheevu, a fishermen association leader said here Tuesday.

The fishermen from this island town who put out to sea in over 500 boats last night were poaching fish near Katchatheevu when the Lankan navy personnel came to the spot and drove them away, Rameswaram Fishermen Association President P Sesuraja said.

He also charged the island nation's navy men with snapping the fishing nets of 10 boats.

Bhopal, Dec 4 (PTI) Union minister Uma Bharti Tuesday said she won't contest the next Lok Sabha elections.

The senior BJP leader's announcement came days after her cabinet colleague Sushma Swaraj said she won't contest the next LS polls.

Bharti said she will instead concentrate on the issues of Ram temple in Ayodhya and cleanliness of the River Ganga for the next one-and-a half years.

Bharti said she would "embark on a pilgrimage to devote time for Ganga river and Lord Ram by leaving power".

New Delhi, Dec 4 (PTI) Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland chopper deal, is being extradited to India from the UAE, official sources said Tuesday night.

They said he was scheduled to be brought back tonight from Dubai.

Michel, a British national, is wanted in India in connection with the AgustaWestland VVIP choppers scam.

Ahmedabad, Dec 4 (PTI) Gujarat police Tuesday arrested four persons in connection with the leak of a constable recruitment exam paper, a senior police official said.

A written exam for the recruitment of Gujarat police constables was Sunday cancelled hours before it was scheduled to commence after authorities learnt that the paper had got leaked.

As many as 8.75 lakh candidates were to appear for the exam, for 9,700 posts, which was to start at 3pm Sunday in 2,440 centres across Gujarat.

New Delhi, Dec 4 (PTI) A Jodhpur-bound SpiceJet plane, carrying 60 passengers, made an emergency landing at the airport here Tuesday, reportedly after smoke was detected in the baggage compartment, a source said.

The airline was operating a Q-400 aircraft.

According to the source, Air Traffic Controller announced full emergency for the flight SG-2695 at around 1500 hours.

The source said that reportedly smoke was detected in the baggage compartment and that there were around 60 passengers on board.

Bulandshahr (UP), Dec 4 (PTI) Police arrested four people on Tuesday and were hunting for a Bajrang Dal activist in connection with mob violence in Bulandshahr that left an inspector and a passerby dead, as angry families demanded action amid criticism of the UP chief minister and suggestions of conspiracies

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Washington’s special envoy tasked with finding a negotiated end to Afghanistan’s bloody 17-year-old war met Tuesday with Pakistani officials, and a Taliban official said four members from the group’s political office in the Middle Eastern state of Qatar were also in the Pakistani capital.

But the visit by the Taliban leaders, which included a former Taliban ambassador and a former governor who is also on a United Nations sanctions list, is “private,” the official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.