Women's reservation bill signed into law by President of India

Mandya: A 21-year-old man died after he allegedly blew himself up with a gelatin stick in front of the house of a girl he was in love with after her family rejected him, police said on Monday.

The incident occurred at Kalenahalli village of Mandya district on early Sunday morning, they said.

According to police, Ramachandra was in a relationship with a minor girl. Last year, he was booked under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act after he eloped with the girl. He was arrested in the case and spent three months in jail as an under-trial.

After getting released from jail, he entered into a compromise with the girl's family and the case was refuted in the court. But later, he started calling the girl and continued to maintain his relationship with her, police said.

Apparently, the girl's family was planning to get the girl married to someone else once she attained the legal age, a senior police officer said.

Ramachandra, a resident of a neighbouring village in Nagamangala taluk was allegedly upset with the girl's family for rejecting him. Suddenly on Sunday, he reached in front of the minor girl's house and detonated the gelatin stick he carried with him and the explosion claimed his life on the spot, the officer added.

Based on the complaint from the deceased person's family, calling it suspicious death, a case has been registered, police said. His family was in quarrying business and that's how he got access to gelatin stick, police said.

New Delhi: The mortal remains of former prime minister Manmohan Singh were consigned to flames at the Nigambodh Ghat here on Saturday amid the chanting of religious hymns.

The funeral pyre was lit by his eldest daughter Upinder Singh. Sikh priests, family members of former PM Manmohan Singh recite verses from Gurbani before his last rites.

The last rites were performed in the presence of President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, among other top leaders and foreign dignitaries.

Top leaders, including foreign dignitaries, on Saturday paid their last respects to former prime minister Manmohan Singh at Delhi's Nigambodh Ghat.

King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Mauritius Foreign Minister Dhananjay Ramful were among the foreign dignitaries to paid tributes to Singh.

Besides President Murmu and Prime Minister Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, and Leaders of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi were among the top leaders who paid their last tributes to the former prime minister at the crematorium.

Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, and the three services chiefs also paid their last respects to Singh.

Draped in the Tricolour, the flower-bedecked casket was placed at a raised platform, where leaders cutting across party lines laid wreaths on Singh's mortal remains.

India's relations with several key countries, including Bhutan and Mauritius, saw a significant upswing during Singh's prime ministership.

President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several Union ministers also paid their last respects to Singh at Nigambodh Ghat.funeral of ex-PM Manmohan Singh.

Earlier, the final journey of Singh began from the AICC headquarters on Saturday morning after Congress leaders paid homage to their departed leader.

The flower-bedecked vehicle carrying the mortal remains of Singh left the Congress headquarters in a procession amid chants of "Manmohan Singh amar rahe".

A large number of Congress workers and leaders along with hundreds of Singh's well-wishers walked along as "Jab tak suraj chand rahega, tab tak tera naam rahega" slogans rent the air.

Former Congress chief and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, also accompanied the procession alongside Singh's relatives.

Singh's mortal remains were taken to the AICC headquarters from his residence on 3, Motilal Nehru Road a little before 9 AM.

The mortal remains were kept inside the AICC headquarters for about an hour, with several top leaders of the Congress, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, paying their last respects, among others.

Singh's wife Gursharan Kaur and one of his daughters also laid a wreath on his body and paid their last respects.

Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and several ex-Union ministers were among those who paid tributes to the former PM.

Congress general secretaries K C Venugopal and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar, and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu were also there.

Meanwhile, the funeral preparations were given final touches at the Nigambodh Ghat where the last rites of former the prime minister would be performed at 11.45 am with full state honours.

In light of the state funeral, traffic officials have issued advisory implementing key diversions and restrictions in place from 7 am to 3 pm across the city.

Singh passed away on Thursday night at Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences due to age-related medical complications. He was 92.

Considered the architect of India's economic reforms, Singh served as the prime minister for 10 years between 2004 and 2014.

A seven-day national mourning is being observed throughout the country as a mark of respect to the former prime minister during which the national flag will be flown at half-mast across the nation, the Union Home Ministry has announced.

From shocking sex scandals to high-profile scams and intense factional power struggles, Karnataka's political landscape in 2024 played out like a gripping thriller. The state's three dominant parties—Congress, BJP, and JD(S)—found themselves entangled in controversies, scandals, and unexpected alliances, keeping the political stage turbulent throughout the year.

Shocking Hassan Sex Scandal Hits JD(S)
The JD(S) faced a monumental crisis with the Hassan sex scandal involving its MP Prajwal Revanna. Allegations of sexual exploitation surfaced through pen drives containing incriminating videos, sending shockwaves across the nation. Revanna fled the country but was arrested on May 31 upon his return. The scandal not only embarrassed the JD(S) but also led to the party losing its stronghold in Hassan, a seat it had held since 1999.

Congress' Struggles with Scams and Infighting
The Congress, riding high after its 2023 Assembly poll victory, faced a series of setbacks. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s reputation as “Mr. Clean” was tarnished by allegations in the MUDA site-allotment scam, for which he is under court-ordered investigation. The Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Limited scam also led to the resignation and arrest of Minister B Nagendra.

Adding to the Congress' woes, the BJP spotlighted a controversial marking of farmers' lands as Waqf properties, further intensifying the political storm. However, the Congress bounced back by sweeping three critical by-elections in Channapatna, Shiggaon, and Sandur, silencing critics and bolstering support for its flagship guarantee schemes.

BJP-JD(S) Alliance: A Rocky Path
The BJP and JD(S), forced into an alliance after 16 years, saw relative success in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. While the BJP won 17 of the 25 seats it contested, the JD(S) secured two seats, enabling its state president H D Kumaraswamy to join the Modi 3.0 Cabinet.

However, the BJP faced its own internal strife, with factional tensions erupting after the appointment of B Y Vijayendra, son of B S Yediyurappa, as the state party president. MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal openly criticized Vijayendra’s leadership, earning a show-cause notice. Adding to the BJP’s troubles were sexual assault allegations against Yediyurappa and MLA Munirathna, which tarnished the party's image.

Power Tussle within Congress
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar’s ambitions for the top post grabbed headlines after a controversial interview where he hinted at an "agreement" for chief ministership. While Chief Minister Siddaramaiah denied such an arrangement, Shivakumar’s comments reignited debates about factionalism within the Congress.

Legislative Drama and Bitter Exchanges
The year ended with heated debates in the Belagavi session. The BJP cornered the Congress on the Waqf land issue, while Congress countered with statistical defenses. Tensions flared when Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar accused BJP leader C T Ravi of using derogatory language against her, leading to Ravi's arrest and subsequent bail.

Karnataka in 2024 was a year of intense political drama, marked by scandals, power struggles, and shifting alliances—offering a preview of the state's evolving political dynamics in the years to come.