India

Lucknow, Aug 26: VHP leader Ashok Singhal was on Monday released along with 957 fellow cadres, a day after nearly 2,500 activists were arrested in a massive crackdown by Uttar Pradesh authorities to foil its yatra, which also led to protests by its workers. Another arrested VHP leader Pravin Togadia, however, remained in custody and was shifted by the district administration from Faizabad to Etah

New Delhi, Aug 26: Declaring Congress' goal to "wipe out hunger and malnutrition", Sonia Gandhi today asked all political parties to set aside differences and support the Food Security Bill so that a "big message" could be sent out about India's capabilities. Opening the Congress innings on the debate in Lok Sabha on Food Bill, she rejected questions over whether the country had resources to

New Delhi, Aug 26: Lok Sabha today witnessed outrage over the gangrape of a young photo-journalist in Mumbai with many members demanding death for the culprits, as Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde assured them of expeditious action against the accused. His assurance came after Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj asked whether any time-frame has been set for prosecuting those found guilty of the

New Delhi, Aug 26: VHP's controversial Ayodhya yatra and subsequent developments paralysed Parliament on Monday with BJP and SP members creating uproar leading to adjournment of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha twice before noon. The Parliament was again adjourned till 2 pm after uproar over VHP yatra and protests by Samajwadi Party members against attack on their office in Delhi. Immediately after

New Delhi, Aug 26: The Supreme Court today dismissed a plea for initiating contempt proceedings against the UP government and its Chief Minister for suspending IAS officer Durga Sakthi Nagpal, who had cracked down on the sand mafia in Gautam Budh Nagar. The petition filed by an advocate had contended that the officer had only complied with the orders of this court in demolishing the illegal

New Delhi, Aug 26: With the Food Security Bill pending in Parliament, government on Monday reached out to various political parties hoping for a smooth functioning of both the houses. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath told reporters at the sidelines of a conference here that he had spoken to representatives of various political parties on important issues. "Let us see if Parliament

Ayodhya, Aug 26: Even as Vishwa Hindu Parishad president Praveen Togadia was arrested here on Sunday for defying prohibitory orders against the 84 Kosi Parikrama, his appearance from a temple remained a mystery in view of the tight security arrangements by the State government. Speculation is rife that he might have entered the town days before the administration sealed the borders of Faizabad

New Delhi, Aug 26: A city court has observed that consensual sex with a girl aged below 18 years does not constitute an offence under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The court said the provisions of POCSO Act suggest that where a physical relationship — which is not in the nature of an assault — takes place with the minor girl's consent and where the consent has not

Vijayawada, Aug 25: YSR Congress party chief Jaganmohan Reddy will go on indefinite fast from Sunday opposing proposed bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. Jagan's mother and YSR Congress honorary president Y S Vijayamma on Saturday had called off her indefinite fast after she was forcibly shifted to a hospital in Guntur in the wee hours. Vijayamma, who began indefinite hunger strike at Guntur on August

Mumbai/New Delhi, Aug 25: The Mumbai crime branch on Sunday arrested the fifth accused in photojournalist gang-rape case. With this, all the five accused in the case have been arrested. The fifth accused was arrested from Delhi, according to the police. Earlier on Sunday, the Mumbai Police announced the arrest of the fourth accused in the gang-rape case. The accused, Kasim Bangali, was the oldest