News Highlights: Delhi BJP to hold 'referendum' on new liquor policy; MP says policy can 'encourage women to drink'

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Delhi BJP to hold 'referendum' on new liquor policy; MP says policy can 'encourage women to drink'

The Delhi BJP will hold a "referendum" on March 4 seeking 10 lakh people's opinion on the Arvind Kejriwal government's new excise policy, its president Adesh Gupta said on Monday.

The party's Delhi MP said the 'pink liquor shops' opened under the new policy could "encourage women to drink and pass out on drains and streets".

"Will it look good if women get liquor from pink shops, get drunk and pass out on drains and streets," posed the Lok Sabha member from North West Delhi.

Gehlot urges defence minister to organise Army recruitment drives in Rajasthan

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday wrote to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, urging him to organise army recruitment drives in the state.

Gehlot said due to the Covid-19 pandemic, rallies for recruitment in the Army could not be organised regularly for the past two years.

J'khand CM announces Rs 4 lakh ex gratia to families of those killed in boat capsize in Barakar river

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday announced an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh each to the next of kin of those who lost their lives in a recent boat capsize in the Barakar river in Jamtara district. Several people had gone missing after the boat capsized in the river on February 24, and eight bodies have so far been recovered.

PoK resident held along LoC in J&K's Poonch

A resident of Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) was apprehended on Monday by the Army along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district, officials said.

Fast-track court to hear Rupesh murder case: Soren

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday said that a fast-track court will hear the Rupesh Pandey murder case and any decision on handing over the case to CBI would be taken after consultation.

Seeking justice for Rupesh, the parents of the teenager met the chief minister and demanded a CBI inquiry into his killing.

Karnataka: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari laid the foundation stones for 5 National Highway projects worth Rs 3,972 Cr in Belagavi

The ceremony took place in the presence of Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai and Union Minister Pralhad Joshi.

BJP's Bengal bandh call evokes mixed response; party workers clash with police

BJP workers clashed with the police in various parts of West Bengal during their 12-hour state-wide bandh on Monday against "widespread rigging and violence" in civic elections on the previous day.

The 6 AM to 6 PM shutdown call evoked a mixed response as the state government engaged its entire machinery to ensure that normal life remained unaffected.

Transportation was normal and most of the commercial establishments remained open in South Bengal even as BJP workers staged blockades of railway tracks and roads in some areas.

Cong padayatra continues, Karnataka CM calls it 'politically motivated'

As Congress' 'padayatra' (foot march), demanding implementation of the Mekedatu project across the Cauvery river, continued on Monday, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai called it 'politically motivated' and questioned the grand old party's contribution for the project. After temporarily halting it in January due to Covid-19 concerns, the Congress had resumed the padayatra under the leadership of its state president D K Shivakumar and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Siddaramaiah on Sunday, and had covered a distance of 15 km from Ramanagara to Bidadi.

Suspected Islamist militants kill 20 civilians in eastern Congo

Suspected Islamist militants killed at least 20 civilians in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo overnight, according to a local resident and an activist who criticised the failure of Congolese and Ugandan forces to stop the repeated massacres.

Senior-most IPS officer Sanjay Pandey to be new Mumbai police chief

Having served as state DGP earlier, Pandey will replace Hemant Nagrale who will head the Maharashtra State Security Corporation

Myanmar troops accused of holding children hostage during clashes

Myanmar soldiers took a group of civilians, including at least 80 children, hostage for two days during clashes with rebels before releasing most of them on Monday, according to media reports, a rebel group and a shadow government statement.

The incident happened in the Sagaing region in Myanmar, which has been the scene of fierce fighting between militia groups opposed to the military coup.

Supertech's twin towers will be demolished by May 22: Supreme Court

North East Delhi Violence: HC issues notice to prominent politicians, others over alleged hate speech

Student activist Anis Khan's body exhumed for second autopsy

The body of student activist Anis Khan was exhumed on Monday in the presence of the district judge in Howrah's Amta on Monday for a second post-mortem examination.

PM Modi to address webinar on ‘technology-enabled development’ on Wednesday

The webinar will be held to chart out action points for implementation of provisions made for the sector in Union Budget.

Kidnapper killed, hostage rescued in Kabul

At least one kidnapper was killed and four arrested after intelligence personnel of the Afghan caretaker government busted a group of criminals on the western outskirts of Kabul, the government confirmed on Monday.

Dalit activist beaten up, forced to drink urine in MP

A 33-year-old Dalit Right to Information (RTI) activist was allegedly beaten up and forced to drink urine by seven people after he sought information related to a village panchayat in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior district, police said on Monday. After initial treatment in a hospital here, the severely injured victim, Shashikant Jatav, was shifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, for further treatment, an official said. Two of the accused have been arrested following the incident, which took place on February 23, the police said.

Madhabi Puri Buch to replace Ajay Tyagi as new chief of capital market regulator Sebi

Minister & NCP leader Nawab Malik brought back to ED office after getting discharged from JJ hospital in Mumbai.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee writes to PM Modi to "accept her unconditional support during the ongoing international crisis and to consider to hold an all-party meeting"

Noida authorities tell Supreme Court that Supertech's twin 40-storey towers in its Emerald Court project will be demolished by May 22

Jharkhand BJP MLAs protests outside Assembly demanding leader of opposition status to its MLA and former CM Babulal Marandi

Supreme Court to hear Cyrus Mistry - Tata Group chairman case in 10 days

India extends suspension of international commercial flights

PM GatiShakti will also help our exports and make our MSMEs globally competitive: PM Narendra Modi on PM Gati Shakti webinar

Technology will play a major role in PM Gati Shakti. We have to find ways to construct quality infrastructure that are not only cost-effective but also disaster resilient. PM Gati Shakti Masterplan has more than 400 layers of data plan: PM Narendra Modi on PM Gati Shakti webinar

To strengthen cooperative federalism, the Government has decided to help state governments with the allocation of Rs 1 lakh crore. State governments can use this to develop multimodal infrastructure: PM Narendra Modi on PM Gati Shakti webinar

A new scheme, PM’s Development Initiative for North- East, PM-DevINE, will fund infrastructure, in spirit of PM Gati Shakti & social development projects based on the needs of North-East. The scope of PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan will further reduce compliance burden: PM

Infrastructure is the biggest multiplier effect of investment. This also boosts the economic productivity of all other sectors. Today, our country is accelerating infrastructural development which will increase economic activities and job creation in the country: PM Narendra Modi

PM Gati Shakti will make infrastructural planning, implementation and monitoring work in a coordinated manner: PM Modi

The scale on which our govt is working on infrastructure development, PM Gati Shakti will be playing a vital role in this. The govt has increased investments in the development of national highways, railways, airways, waterways and renewable energy: PM

Usually, we develop infrastructure according to our requirements. Whether it is a work of rail or road, there are conflicts between the two. This is because different departments don't have details of all development projects: PM Narendra Modi

PM Gati Shakti - National Master Plan to play a big role in improving infrastructure: Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Nawab Malik to get discharged from hospital today and will be taken back to ED office at 10 am

Schools and colleges reopen in Shivamogga city after one week

The educational institutions were closed for a week following the murder of Bajrang Dal activist Harsha. Shivamogga district administrationhas extended the prohibitory orders under Sec 144 CrPC here, till March 4th

India's daily coronavirus infections fall below 10,000

With 8,013 new infections, India's daily coronavirus cases dropped below 10,000 on Monday with 119 more fatalities, Union Health Ministry data showed.

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BJP workers protest on the railway track at Hooghly railway station

PM Narendra Modi pays homage to former PM Morarji Desai

Bengal Guv asks state election commissioner to brief him over incidents of violence during civic polls

Amid reports of sporadic incidents of violence at different places during Sunday's elections to 107 municipalities across West Bengal, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar has asked State Election Commissioner Saurab Das to brief him on the situation by 10 am on Monday.

Das should be “fully updated” on developments in the election process held on Sunday, which "prima facie indicates failure of democracy," a Raj Bhavan release said.

Taliban staging massive house-to-house sweep across Kabul

The Taliban are conducting a massive security sweep of Kabul and other Afghan cities, their spokesman said Sunday, going house-to-house in search of weapons and criminals blamed for a recent spate of robberies and kidnappings.

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Airtel shareholders approve Google investment, Rs 1.17 lakh crore biz deals with group firms

Bharti Airtel shareholders have approved the issue of preferential shares to Google for its about Rs 7,500 crore investment in the company to buy 1.28 per cent stake.

A special resolution to approve Google's investment was approved by over 99 per cent of the shareholders, according to the voting result of an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) filed by Airtel on Sunday.

The EGM of the company was held on February 26.

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