I want Rahul to be next PM: Jitan Manjhi

Agencies
March 13, 2019

Patna, Mar 13: Former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Wednesday said he was in favour of Congress president Rahul Gandhi becoming the next prime minister in the event of opposition "Mahagathbandhan" coming to power after the Lok Sabha polls.

Before leaving for New Delhi, where he is scheduled to take part in deliberations on seat-sharing among the constituents of Bihar Grand Alliance, the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) president dismissed reports that his party was likely to get only "one or two" seats in the state, which has 40 Lok Sabha constituencies.

"The NDA has made it clear that it would contest the polls with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as its face. The Mahagathbandhan or the UPA, call it by whatever name, made no such announcement since there is a general consensus that it should be decided after polls.

"This has not been without precedence. Elections are often fought without parties or alliances projecting a face. But if you ask me about my personal opinion, I feel that Rahul Gandhi should take the top job," Manjhi told reporters here.

His statement could be seen as a move to placate the Congress, after having ruffled many feathers in the party with his recent claim that his four-year-old outfit had a following greater than that of the national party and, as such, deserved to get a share in the Lok Sabha polls.

The former Bihar chief minister, however, dismissed reports which have suggested that his party was unlikely to get more than two seats, saying "all top leaders of the Mahagathbandhan are yet to sit across the table. Speculations at this stage are no better than a wild guess".

"This is the first time when we will discuss our requirements before the top leadership of the Congress. I do not know whether Rahul Gandhi will be present at any of the meetings. Maybe he will. If not, AICC in-charge Shaktisinh Gohil will certainly be there," Manjhi said.

Talking about his party's stand if offered a share that was less than expected, he replied, "We will work out a compromise formula."

Asked about his possibility of contesting a Lok Sabha seat, he evaded the question, maintaining that "once it becomes clear which of the seats the respective parties are going to get, the decision on candidates will follow".

Speculations have been rife that Manjhi was keen on contesting the Gaya Lok Sabha seat, from where he had fought as a candidate of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) in 2014, but finished third.

There have also been reports that he was being persuaded to contest from Jamui, another reserved seat, which is at present held by Lok Janshakti Party's heir apparent Chirag Paswan.

Polling for the general elections will be held in Bihar in seven phases, starting from April 11 to May 19.

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Agencies
January 25,2020

Jammu, Jan 25: People in Jammu and Kashmir expressed happiness over the restoration of mobile data services and internet access through fixed-line across the Union Territory on Saturday.

Speaking to ANI Jitendra Sharma, a resident of Jammu said, "The government has taken a good decision. People had been facing hardship for a long period and I think it will improve further."

"It is a big relief to people. People can finish their pending work. I hope that 4G services will also be resumed soon," said a resident of Kashmir.

The internet speed is restricted to 2G only.

"Access shall be limited only to whitelisted sites and not to any social media applications allowing peer to peer communication and virtual private network applications. Directions shall be effective from January 25 and will remain in force till January 31," the statement by the government read.

Earlier on January 15, 2G services were reinstated in Jammu, Samba, Kathua, and Udhampur for white-listed sites.

The Central government had suspended the internet in the region following the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution on August 5 last year, which conferred special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, and its bifurcation into two Union Territories -- Ladakh, and Jammu and Kashmir.

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Agencies
February 25,2020

Agra, Feb 25: The architectural grandeur of 17th century Taj Mahal and the story of its construction by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan left US President Donald Trump "impressed" during his visit to the famed mausoleum, according to the guide who accompanied him.

Nitin Kumar, an Agra-based guide, said the first word the president said after laying his eyes on the marble marvel was "incredible".

He and First Lady Melania Trump visited on Monday the iconic Taj Mahal in Agra, the second stop on his little less than 36-hour-long trip of India, and marvelled at the Mughal-era mausoleum built as a monument of love.

After Dwight David Eisenhower (1959) and Bill Clinton (2000), he became the third US president to visit the architectural icon.

"I told them the story of the Taj Mahal, the construction, and the story behind it. President Trump got very emotional after knowing the story of Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal. How he was kept under house arrest by his own son Aurangzeb, and buried here at Taj, next to Mumtaz's grave, after his death," Kumar told reporters.

The couple was left speechless on the first sight of the monument, and showed interest when they were told about the history and architecture of the dome, and the design details, Kumar said.

"Melania Trump asked about the mud-pack treatment and was amazed when she got to know the details of the process," he said.

One of the most photographed sites in the world, it is always high on the itinerary of head of states visiting India.

The monument was built over a period of nearly 20 years by Shah Jahan in memory of his wife after her death in 1631.

"The Taj Mahal inspires awe, a timeless testament to the rich and diverse beauty of Indian Culture!' Thank You, India," the US President and First Lady jointly wrote in the visitors' book before signing it.

According to Mohammed Zafar, who lives close to Taj Mahal complex, Nitin has been conducting guided tours for many years. "He was selected for this VVIP visit," he said.

"Many people were taking selfies with him, after the end of the visit. So, many media persons interacted with him. He has got some instant fame of sorts," Zafar said.

Authorities at Archaeological Survey of India had "advanced the dates" for mud-pack treatment for the graves of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal at Taj Mahal in view of the US President Trump's visit to Taj, a senior official had earlier said.

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News Network
January 28,2020

Jehanabad, Jan 28: Anti-CAA activist Sharjeel Imam, who was on the run after sedition charges were slapped against him for allegedly making inflammatory statements, was arrested from Bihar's Jehanabad district on Tuesday, the state's police chief Gupteshwar Pandey said.

The JNU scholar was wanted by police of several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Delhi.

"Sharjeel Imam has been arrested from his native Kako village in Jehanabad," Bihar's director-general of police Gupteshwar Pandey said.

Earlier in the day, Sharjeel Imam’s brother was picked up by police in a fresh attempt to trace the anti-CAA activist.

Police had raided his ancestral home on Sunday as it went hunting for him but Imam eluded the dragnet.

He is likely to be produced in a Bihar court where police will seek his remand for questioning. It is not yet clear whether he will be questioned in Bihar or taken to the national capital.

A graduate in computer science from IIT-Mumbai, Imam had shifted to Delhi to pursue research at the Centre for Historical Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University.

He was slapped with a sedition case after a video of his purported speech went viral on social media in which he was heard speaking about "cutting off" Assam and the Northeast from the rest of India.

"If five lakh people are organised, we can cut off the Northeast and India permanently. If not, at least for a month or half a month. Throw as much 'mawad' (variously described as pus or rubbish) on rail tracks and roads that it takes the Air Force one month to clear it.

"Cutting off Assam (from India) is our responsibility, only then they (the government) will listen to us. We know the condition of Muslims in Assam....they are being put into detention camps," he was shown in the video as saying.

Meanwhile, reacting to Imam's arrest, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar said people have the right to protest but nobody can talk about the country's disintegration.

Kumar told reporters that police must have acted in accordance with law in arresting Imam and now the courts will take appropriate action.

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