Indian Sub-continent

Chandigarh, Feb 3 (PTI) With the Congress likely to announce its CM face for the Punjab Assembly polls on February 6, state party president Navjot Singh Sidhu's wife on Thursday said it doesn't matter who becomes the CM, her husband will remain a hero.

Whoever the CM may be, it does not matter, Navjot Kaur Sidhu said.

Navjot Singh Sidhu is a hero and he will remain a hero, she said while talking to reporters in Amritsar.

New Delhi, Feb 3 (PTI) At least two Lok Sabha members lauded Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's remarks on centralisation of power under the BJP government, contending that he had accurately reflected the pulse of the people of the country.

Dehradun, Feb 4 (PTI) The BJP has expelled six rebels from the party in Uttarakhand, who had entered the fray as independents against its official nominees, for six years.

Those expelled include Rudrapur MLA Rajkumar Thukral, Tika Prasad Maikhuri, Mahaveer Singh Rangad, Jitendra Negi, Dhirendra Chauhan and Manoj Shah, Pradesh BJP media in-charge Manveer Singh Chauhan said.

Their expulsion follows the failure of the BJP leadership to persuade them to withdraw from the fray in favour of the party's official nominees.

Gorakhpur, Feb 4 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday filed nomination from the Gorakhpur Urban assembly seat in presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

After a rally, Shah and Adityanath went to the collectorate office for submission of papers for the election.

Adityanath is fighting the assembly election for the first time. He had represented the Gorakhpur Lok Sabha seat for five times in the past.

Gorakhpur Urban seat will go to vote in the sixth phase on March 3.

New Delhi, Feb 4 (PTI) India has offered a one-year training programme for around 80 Afghan cadets following completion of their courses in various Indian military academies.

The Afghan embassy in India welcomed the offer considering the uncertain future facing the young cadets in view of the prevailing situation in Afghanistan.

The Afghan cadets will be given training under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC) of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

Kota, Feb 4 (PTI) Alleging torture by his wife with a threat to frame false cases against him and his family members, a 24-year-old man has allegedly committed suicide in his house in the Udhyog Nagar area here, police said.

Anil Singh also recorded a video message on his mobile phone before hanging himself from a ceiling fan in his house in Prem Nagar-I locality on late Thursday night, when he was alone as his family members had gone to a marriage function.

Agra (UP), Feb 4 (PTI) Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday took a swipe at the ruling BJP asking if anyone saw criminals fleeing the state as the party has been claiming.

He said the SP will ensure a historic defeat to BJP and will send Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath back to Uttarakhand.

Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar gave us the Constitution on which the country is run and this election is also about safeguarding the Constitution.

Hyderabad, Feb 4 (PTI) The ruling TRS and Congress leaders in Telangana on Friday condemned the firing at AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi's vehicle in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.

Some shopkeepers in the old city of Hyderabad voluntarily kept their shops closed after the incident, police sources said.

However, Friday prayers passed off peacefully in the old city, they said.

Meanwhile, the ruling TRS working president and Telangana Municipal Administration Minister K T Rama Rao condemned the firing.

Noida, Feb 4 (PTI) The Hapur police on Friday said it has arrested a second suspect involved in the firing on AIMIM chief and Lok Sabha MP Asaduddin Owaisi's car.

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief's vehicle came under attack in Hapur while he was returning to Delhi after attending election-related events in western Uttar Pradesh on Thursday evening, a week before assembly polls begin in the state.

No one was injured in the incident.

Bhopal, Feb 4 (PTI) Welcoming the decision to rename Hoshngabad district as Narmadapuram, Madhya Pradesh medical education minister Vishwas Sarang on Friday demanded that the state capital Bhopal be rechristened as Bhojpal in honour of Raja Bhoj, an 11th century ruler.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that the central government has given its approval to rename Hoshangabad district in the state as Narmadapuram.