The CBI on Friday arrested BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in connection with the alleged rape of a 17-year-old girl in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao district last year and the custodial death of her father earlier this week. Sources said, “The central agency decided to arrest the MLA when he failed to satisfactorily reply to questions during interrogation. He was giving conflicting versions during questioning and remained uncooperative,” Sengar will be produced before a designated court on Monday. Earlier...

If Congress president Rahul Gandhi has to counter the Narendra Modi juggernaut in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, he will have to revitalise the party from scratch. That’s the indication UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi gave on Friday. Referring to party’s Steering Committee meeting, she said, “Certainly, Rahul always wanted new and younger people in the party. It’s very valid that without them, how could a party grow? (sic) But he also said that older leaders who, worked for years (in Congress), can’t...

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party declared victory on Thursday in the northeastern state of Assam, an election boost that will help his right-wing nationalist government rebuild some momentum after poll losses last year.Grabbing power in Assam, one of five states electing new assemblies, would be a first for the Bharatiya Janata Party in India's volatile northeast, a sign its political influence is expanding beyond its traditional northern and western belt.The BJP led in the races...

Optics, symbolism and body language are crucially important in diplomacy. If one goes by that, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made a powerful statement in Sri Lanka already. He came here with folded hands, and then stretched out his arms with an open mind. In bitter contrast, the last time an Indian Prime Minister visited Colombo – Rajiv Gandhi on 30 July, 1987 – he was famously hit by a soldier’s rifle butt when he was inspecting a guard of honour. If Rajiv Gandhi had not been alert and ducked,...

Breaking his silence, Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said his former party colleague Jayanthi Natarajan had been pitted against him by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he had been fighting for the poor and other weaker sections of the society. "Ek din maine Modiji ke baare mein kuch kaha, agle din unhone Natrajan ko khada kiya (One day, I said something about Modi, the very next day, he put up Natarajan)," the Congress Vice President said at a rally here. This was his first reaction to Natarajan's allegation...

India Wednesday created space history by becoming the first country in the world to enter Mars' orbit in its debut attempt. A beaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi, wearing a red jacket symbolic of the Red Planet, described it as "achieving the near impossible", congratulated the feat of Indian scientists and called for challenging the next frontier. India's Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) traversed over 650 million km through deep space for over nine months to successfully reach the planet's orbit....

Bangalore, Aug 19: Sending a serious warning to the neighbouring country, Narendra Modi government on Monday, Aug 19 announced that India would not continue bilateral talks with Pakistan. Here's why Indian government took this decision.  Pakistan ignored India's previous warnings:  Foreign Secretaries of both India and Pakistan were scheduled to meet on August 25 in Islamabad. Meanwhile, Abdul Basit, Pakistani High Commissioner, invited Kashmiri separatists to meet with him in Delhi. Pakistan's...

Reminding the Narendra Modi government that cleaning of Ganga was on its poll manifesto, the Supreme Court today asked why urgent steps are not being taken on it and set a two-week timeline for it to come up with a road map for making the 2500 km long river pollution free. A bench headed by Justice T S Thakur said the issue of cleaning Ganga is very important and it has to be put on the front burner. "Are you saving river Ganga? It was also there in your manifesto. Why don't you act on it?,"...

As an election campaigner, Narendra Modi promised sweeping market reforms to revive India's economy and put the country to work. As prime minister, he has dismayed admirers, apparently reverting to the script of the hapless government he defeated. Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves to supporters during a public rally in Kargil. (AFP Photo) To some of the economists and business leaders who as his campaign cheerleaders dared to dream of a Thatcherite revolution, he seems not to be listening. Three...

A cutout outside Taj Tashi hotel in Thimpu, where Narendra Modi will stay during his two-day Bhutan visit on Sunday and Monday, read, "Welcome to our close friend, India's prime minister Narendra Modi." It is a welcoming step, shows Modi ji wants to open a new chapter in strengthening foreign policy, says Sudhanshu Trivedi (BJP) on PM's Bhutan visi Embarking on his first foreign visit since taking over, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Bhutan on Sunday to cement India's "unique and special...

Ahead of monetary policy review on Tuesday, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Raghuram Rajan on Sunday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is likely to have discussed the macro-economic situation and issues related to price rise. The RBI’s bi-monthly policy review on 3 June will be the first after Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office on 26 May. Last week, Rajan also met the newly appointed finance minister Arun Jaitley and had said fighting price increase is a priority, stressing...

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday sought to put a stop to the race among Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled States to include a chapter on his life in school text-books by articulating his reservations about the move on Twitter which he uses regularly to connect with people. ``Am reading that some states want to include Narendra Modi’s life struggles as part of their school curriculum. I firmly believe that the life story of living individuals should not be included as a part of the school...

An emotionally charged Narendra Modi on Tuesday said people have voted for "new hope and aspiration" and he would try his best to live up to their expectations after he was unanimously elected the leader of the BJP parliamentary party. BJP leader and the NDA prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi receives a bouquet from newly-elected BJP Members of Parliament as he arrives at the Parliament building in New Delhi. (AFP ... BJP president Rajnath Singh arrives in Parliament in New Delhi. (AFP...

CONGRESS president Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel Friday refuted Narendra Modi’s claims that they shared a warm friendship. “This is a political stunt to create confusion and create a cloud of doubt in the midst of elections. How can Modi be able to make friendship with me when he has never been able to strike friendship within his own party?”, Patel said, reacting to Modi’s claims in an interview to the Doordarshan, which were edited out by the broadcaster. He said Modi’s claims...

 BJP president Rajnath Singh has indicated that he will not be part of the government if his party comes to power after the Lok Sabha election. BJP president Rajnath Singh has indicated that he will not be part of the government if his party comes to power after the Lok Sabha election. "My responsibilities are already decided and I think, in the BJP, I have many colleagues who are capable who should be given a chance in the government," he added. Rajnath Singh categorically said Narendra...

Narendra Modi may contest the Lok Sabha elections from Gujarat as well as Uttar Pradesh. This follows a fresh assessment by BJP strategists who feel that that their prime ministerial nominee's candidature from two states may boost local cadre, improve prospects of other candidates and help the BJP in its quest for 272-plus seats in the Lok Sabha. The assessment comes as Modi completed the first phase of his election campaign in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar with rallies in Lucknow on Sunday and Muzzafarpur...

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on Sunday blamed the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre for lack of development in mineral-rich Jharkhand. BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is garlanded along with party president Rajnath Singh at the Vijay Sankalp rally in Ranchi. (PTI Photo) Addressing a rally in state capital Ranchi, the Gujarat chief minister highlighted Jharkhand’s unemployment problem and said the central government had done nothing...

2:50 pm Modi concludes his rally by ensuring that the BJP will usher in a better and brighter future for Jharkhand. And the people (Congress) who just believe in doing 'Aakashwani', will be of no use. 2:50 pm This is a historic rally. When I was watching it from the chopper, I could see a sea of humanity queued up for this rally. 2:48 pm The country need development, and not division. People need employment and not political chaos. The elders need support and not struggle. 2:47 pm The Congress...

 BJP today downplayed its own stand on Article 370 giving special status to Jammu and Kashmir, saying it should be debated whether the constitutional provision has been beneficial for the state and even hinted that it may give up its demand for abrogation if such a view emerges. Addressing his first rally here after being named the BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi said his party wanted a discussion on various aspects of the issue. He echoed views expressed by BJP President...

The "lackadaisical attitude" of Bihar Police in handling the security at Narendra Modi's Patna rally, which was hit by multiple blasts, has peeved the Home Ministry as, even three days after the explosions, live bombs were found at the venue. "Live bombs were found at the venue after the serial blasts. Live bombs were found a day after the blasts. Live bombs were found two days after the blasts and live bombs were found three days after the blasts," a Home Ministry official said, expressing frustration...