Headlines from today’s papers.
Congress organises 12-km roadshow in Varanasi
The last day of campaigning before the final phase of the general elections, to be held on May 12, came to an end on Saturday with the three major political parties rallying in the hotbed of Varanasi. Among the candidates contesting from the constituency are Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal. However, it was the Congress that stole the thunder, with party vice-president Rahul Gandhi participating in a 12-km roadshow along with candidate Ajay Rai and other leaders. The move was seen as a riposte to Modi, who had broken the unwritten code by campaigning in the Congress bastion of Amethi before polling there. The AAP also conducted a roadshow in Varanasi, albeit on a smaller scale than the Congress and without its candidate, Arvind Kejriwal. Meanwhile, the BJP, sans Modi, sent state-level leaders out on an intensive door-to-door campaign in the city.
One dead, several injured in Meerut riots
One person was declared brain-dead and several others were reported injured, some with gunshot wounds, after communal riots broke out in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, on Saturday following a dispute over an ancient well. According to reports, the violence started after the caretaker of a mosque broke status quo and began constructing a fence around an ancient well, which is the subject of a court case. The district magistrate later held a press conference in which it was confirmed that four people were injured. However, media reports estimated the number at a dozen.
Rahul Gandhi not guilty of violating voting secrecy: EC
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi was given the clean chit by the Election Commission on Saturday after he was photographed entering a polling booth and inspecting an Electronic Voting Machine enclosure in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, during the eighth phase of the elections on Wednesday. In a statement to the press, Chief Election Commissioner V Sampath said that Gandhi did not violate the secrecy of voting as he was merely inspecting a defective EVM and left before voting began. However, there was no explanation as to how Gandhi had entered the enclosure without obtaining permission from the presiding officer. A report in the Times of India also refuted the EC’s findings, suggesting that Gandhi was indeed present in the EVM enclosure during the time of voting.
Two militants killed, one army official injured in Kashmir's Poonch
The Indian Army reportedly foiled an infiltration bid in Kashmir's Poonch area near the Line of Control on Saturday, leading to the death of two militants, while one Indian soldier was injured. According to a defence spokesperson, members of the armed forces noticed a group of militants moving in the area at 2.30 am, after which an exchange of fire took place between the two groups. According to reports, Pakistani troops have repeatedly violated the bilateral ceasefire agreement on the Line of Control in the district three times in the last 10 days.
DU students protest against arrest of professor
A day after the Maharashtra Police arrested Delhi University professor GN Saibaba for his alleged links with the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), the professor's students staged a protest in New Delhi demanding his immediate release. A group of more than 50 students protested outside the Maharashtra Sadan in the capital and presented a memorandum to the Resident Commissioner, addressed to Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan. The memorandum condemned the professor’s “illegal detention” and claimed that he had been framed.
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Congress organises 12-km roadshow in Varanasi
The last day of campaigning before the final phase of the general elections, to be held on May 12, came to an end on Saturday with the three major political parties rallying in the hotbed of Varanasi. Among the candidates contesting from the constituency are Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal. However, it was the Congress that stole the thunder, with party vice-president Rahul Gandhi participating in a 12-km roadshow along with candidate Ajay Rai and other leaders. The move was seen as a riposte to Modi, who had broken the unwritten code by campaigning in the Congress bastion of Amethi before polling there. The AAP also conducted a roadshow in Varanasi, albeit on a smaller scale than the Congress and without its candidate, Arvind Kejriwal. Meanwhile, the BJP, sans Modi, sent state-level leaders out on an intensive door-to-door campaign in the city.
One dead, several injured in Meerut riots
One person was declared brain-dead and several others were reported injured, some with gunshot wounds, after communal riots broke out in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, on Saturday following a dispute over an ancient well. According to reports, the violence started after the caretaker of a mosque broke status quo and began constructing a fence around an ancient well, which is the subject of a court case. The district magistrate later held a press conference in which it was confirmed that four people were injured. However, media reports estimated the number at a dozen.
Rahul Gandhi not guilty of violating voting secrecy: EC
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi was given the clean chit by the Election Commission on Saturday after he was photographed entering a polling booth and inspecting an Electronic Voting Machine enclosure in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, during the eighth phase of the elections on Wednesday. In a statement to the press, Chief Election Commissioner V Sampath said that Gandhi did not violate the secrecy of voting as he was merely inspecting a defective EVM and left before voting began. However, there was no explanation as to how Gandhi had entered the enclosure without obtaining permission from the presiding officer. A report in the Times of India also refuted the EC’s findings, suggesting that Gandhi was indeed present in the EVM enclosure during the time of voting.
Two militants killed, one army official injured in Kashmir's Poonch
The Indian Army reportedly foiled an infiltration bid in Kashmir's Poonch area near the Line of Control on Saturday, leading to the death of two militants, while one Indian soldier was injured. According to a defence spokesperson, members of the armed forces noticed a group of militants moving in the area at 2.30 am, after which an exchange of fire took place between the two groups. According to reports, Pakistani troops have repeatedly violated the bilateral ceasefire agreement on the Line of Control in the district three times in the last 10 days.
DU students protest against arrest of professor
A day after the Maharashtra Police arrested Delhi University professor GN Saibaba for his alleged links with the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), the professor's students staged a protest in New Delhi demanding his immediate release. A group of more than 50 students protested outside the Maharashtra Sadan in the capital and presented a memorandum to the Resident Commissioner, addressed to Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan. The memorandum condemned the professor’s “illegal detention” and claimed that he had been framed.