11:08 Bijapur: Naxal gunned down in encounter with STF ahead of polls:
A Maoist was gunned down in an encounter with security forces in Chhattigsarh’s Bijapur district on Sunday morning, a day ahead of polling in the region for the state assembly polls.
The exchange of fire took place at a forest in Bedre area when a team of the Special Task Force was out on an anti-Naxal operation, a senior police official told PTI.
As per the ground report, a body of a Naxal clad in ‘uniform’ and a rifle were recovered from the spot, located around 450 km from here, he said.
Further details are awaited as the search operation was still underway, he added.
Security has been heightened in seven districts of Bastar division and Rajnandgaon district which go to polls in the first phase on Monday. — PTI
10:43 Maoists trigger 6 IED blasts in poll-bound Chhattisgarh; ASI injured:
JUST IN: An assistant sub-inspector of Border Security Force was injured in an improvised explosive device blast in Kanker’s Koyali beda in Chhattisgarh.
A set of 6 IEDs were planted in a series and were set off in one go between village Gome and Gattakal in Koyali beda.
The state is set to go to polls tomorrow.
More details awaited. — ANI
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10:08 Trump cancels visit to WW1 military cemetery because of poor weather:
United States President Donald Trump on the last minute canceled plans to attend the commemoration ceremony of the soldiers killed in World War 1.
Quoting sources, Washington Post reported that the incessant rain in the French capital made it difficult to arrange transport for the US President.
Meanwhile, the last minute cancellation of the plan by the Trumps, especially amid the presence of other dignitaries at the memorial site, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, prompted different speculations and criticisms from some foreign policy analysts that the US President might not be up for it.
The US President was scheduled to visit the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in Belleau, located about 85 kilometers (50 miles) east of Paris, with his wife Melania, Washington Post reported.
The cemetery has a total number of 2,288 gravesites honouring those who died in the WW1, including many Americans soldiers and mariners.
The names of 1,060 more Americans who went missing and whose bodies were not recovered are also engraved on the walls of the cemetery.
Earlier on Saturday, after arriving at Paris, Trump held a bilateral meeting with French President Macron.
Both the leaders discussed the Iran Nuclear Deal; while the French President was in favor of maintaining the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action treaty, the US President was ‘sticking to his guns’.
Trump wanted a 100 per cent secure plan that could ensure the termination of nuclear projects in Iran, CNN reported. — ANI
09:29 23 dead so far in ‘the most destructive wildfire in California’s history’:
Rescue workers recovered the bodies of 14 people on Saturday who were killed by ‘the most destructive wildfire’ in California’s history, bringing the total death toll to 23, the local sheriff said.
“Today 14 additional bodies were located, which brings our total number to 23,” the sheriff told journalists. — Agencies
08:57 BJP should bring ordinance for Ram Temple: Amar Singh:
Rajya Sabha member Amar Singh said on Saturday that the Bharatiya Janata Party has enough numbers in Parliament and it should bring an ordinance to facilitate the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
The BJP has a majority and the government should bring an ordinance for the construction of Ram Temple if the court does not deliver a verdict in time, he told reporters at a programme in Udaipur.
Singh also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should not respond to allegations and statements made by Congress president Rahul Gandhi.
He praised the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, saying the organisation has worked for the betterment of the mankind. — PTI
08:35 No RSS ‘shakhas’ in govt buildings if Cong comes to power in MP: Manifesto:
Congress in its manifesto in Madhya Pradesh has said if the party comes to power then Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ‘shakhas‘ would not be allowed in government buildings and premises.
Also, an earlier order to allow government employees to attend RSS ‘shakhas‘ will be revoked. — ANI
08:24 Anti-BJP parties to hold mega meet on Nov 22:
All the non-National Democratic Alliance parties are likely to meet on November 22 to decide on future course of action under a slogan of save democracy and save the nation.
As part of the anti-Bharatiya Janata Party campaign, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday met Congress party national general secretary and former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot at his residence and discussed the future course of action.
Naidu said that efforts are on to bring together all non-BJP parties and that he had met Congress president Rahul Gandhi to discuss measures on protecting democracy.
Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Naidu said that the former is responsible for the present state of affairs in Central Bureau of Investigation and the Reserve Bank of India.
“The country’s economy is in doldrums with the interfering of the central government on regulating authorities like CBI and RBI. RBI is a regulating authority and independently regulate the economy,” he said while adding that the BJP government has been resorting to I-T raids on opposition leaders for political gains.
Referring to demonetisation, Naidu said that even after two years there is no result.
The BJP government claimed that demonetisation would help to bring the black money back but it turned as a futile exercise, he added.
“Country’s economy is in the doldrums. There was a fall in rupee value, increase in prices of essential commodities, unemployment increased, intolerance among SC, STs and minorities, secular fabric damaged and unrest prevailed in the country.
“The central government is resorting to conduct raids on those questioning including media, politicians to frighten them,” the chief minister said.
Speaking on the occasion, Ashok Gehlot said that Naidu met Rahul Gandhi and discussed how to save democracy. He underlined that no one is happy with the Modi-led government including farmers, youth, women, poor and petty traders.
Gehlot said that the BJP government claimed to utilise demonetisation to end terrorism but failed.
“The Centre has been destroying Judiciary, CBI, Election Commission, I-T for the first time after independence.
“The present situation is an undeclared emergency in the country,” Gehlot said.
“It is a time for an important role to play. We will gather all together on November 22 to finalise the future course of action. We will move forward with Rahul Gandhi’s agenda,” he added.
To establish anti-BJP platform, Naidu till date has met Congress party president Rahul Gandhi, National Congress chief Farooq Abdullah, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, veteran leader Sharad Yadav, former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha, Samjadwati party leaders Mulayam Singh and Akhilesh Yadav.
The chief minister said that it is time to take a decision on the country’s future.
“I have no personal interest. We have to protect the country, democracy’, constitutional rights should be protected. We are strong in technology, Youths are more.
“Narendra Modi’s negative attitude and unilateral decisions along with Amit Shah leading to problems in the country. The Modi-Shah duo is destroying the systems in the country and giving priority to their own man,” he said. — ANI
Source: Rediff