Congress to announce candidate for Varanasi today

April 8, 2014

Candidate_for_VaranasiNew Delhi, Apr 8: The Congress is likely to announce its candidate for Varanasi Lok Sabha seat on Tuesday, amid strong indications that Ajay Rai may get the party nod to take on Narendra Modi.

Rai is Congress MLA from Pindra near Varanasi and belongs to Bhumihar community. Former party MP from Varanasi, Rajesh Mishra, is the second name on the second name on what the party circles called the "final" short list.

The decision on the legislator shows that the party has not found any big name to cross sword with the BJP's prime ministerial candidate who seems the favourite in the eastern UP seat.

The constituency is thus set for a contest between Modi, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal and Rai besides the nominees of the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party.

Varanasi, a seat of Hindu pilgrimage and nerve centre of the volatile eastern UP politics, has become the focus of elections because of Modi's decision to contest here as his second constituency besides Vadodara in Gujarat. He reckons that his presence here would shore up BJP's chances in eastern UP region that has 32 Lok Sabha seats on offer.

While Kejriwal latched on Modi's announcement to stake his claim there, Congress has been hamstrung by the absence of a personality to take on the formidable saffron rival. It is after long brainstorming that the Congress has finalized its local candidate who was anyway the front-runner in its ranks to take on Modi.

While there has been a lot of talk about a common candidate of the "secular" front being fielded in Varanasi, it has not materialised because none of the parties would want to be seen as ceding space against Modi and instead would want to present itself as the principal voice against the Hindutva mascot.

This would end the biggest mystery in the Varanasi battle. The Congress delay in announcing the candidate had triggered speculation that the party could be looking for a "big" name like Karan Singh who was sent to contest against Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Lucknow.

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Agencies
February 23,2020

Rajghat, Feb 23: The maternal uncle of Dr Kafeel Khan, who was recently arrested for allegedly making inflammatory statements during anti-CAA protests, was shot dead in front of his house at Bankatichak in Rajghat area, police said on Sunday.

Dr Nusratullah Warsi aka Dada (55), a property dealer, was shot dead on Saturday night at about 10:45 pm and an FIR against two people was filed in this connection on a written complaint of his family members.

According to police, it appears to be a case of murder due to monetary and property dispute and they are searching for both the accused.

Dr Kafeel Khan, suspended doctor of Gorakhpur BRD Medical College, was last month arrested under charges of giving a provocative speech during a protest against the CAA and NRC at Aligarh Muslim University and was later charged with the National Security Act.

Warsi on Saturday evening had gone to his lawyer Siraj Tariq's house, a few metres away from his own house, and was returning home on foot when a man shot him in his head, killing him on the spot.

"On the written complaint of family members, case of murder against one Imammuddin and Anil Sonkar has been registered and police has initiated probe and is searching for both the accused. Police met the women in their house and is interrogating them," Circle Officer VP Singh said.

Prima facie it appears to be a case of property and money dispute, he said, adding, three teams have been constituted to investigate the case and soon the accused will be caught.

Dr Kafeel Khan had last month raised apprehension in a Mumbai court about being killed in an "encounter" by the Uttar Pradesh police after claiming that he had been "falsely" implicated in the case by them.

The paediatrician had come to the limelight in 2017 when a controversy broke out after the death of over 60 children in less than a week at the BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, where he was posted.

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Agencies
February 14,2020

Kochi, Feb 14: A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Friday extended the remand of Thalassery-based students Allan Shuhaib and Thaha Fasal till March 13.

They were arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in Kozhikode in November 2019.

Meanwhile, Alan Shuhaib has approached the High Court seeking permission to appear for the LLB 2nd semester exam scheduled on February 18.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on February 6 wrote to Home Minister Amit Shah, urging him to transfer the case of the two students, who were arrested for alleged links with Maoists, from the NIA to state police.

Allan and Thaha, students of law and journalism respectively of Kannur University, were taken into custody by the police from Pantheerankavu in Kozhikode on November 1 last year for alleged links with the Naxals.

The duo was charged under Sections 20 (punishment for being a member of terrorist gang or organisation), 38 (offence relating to membership of a terrorist organisation) and 39 (offence relating to support given to a terrorist organisation) of the UAPA.

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News Network
April 6,2020

New Delhi, Apr 6: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said India's efforts to combat coronavirus have set an example and it is among countries which understood the pandemic's seriousness and took various timely decisions to combat the virus.

Addressing BJP workers to mark the 40th foundation day of the party, he also appreciated the maturity shown by people during the lockdown, describing it as  unprecedented.

"We got to see our collective strength on Sunday evening," he said referring to the countrywide exercise to switch off lights and illuminate diyas for nine minutes to show India's collective strength to fight the deadly virus.

He also urged BJP workers to follow a five-point agenda, including working to ensure that no poor goes hungry.

He asked them to follow the guidelines issued by party president J P Nadda.

Fight against coronavirus is no less than war, Modi said, asking BJP workers to donate and encourage others to contribute to the PM-CARES fund.

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