Vadodara, October 1

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrived in Gujarat’s Vadodara city on Saturday with at least 50 ambassadors and high commissioners to participate in the ongoing Navratri festival.

Vadodara, known as the cultural capital of the state, is famous for its 'garba' events, which are attended by thousands of people who dance in a synchronised way to music and traditional songs in praise of the goddess.

“Great to see Ambassadors and High Commissioners in Vadodara for the Navratri experience. Look forward to participating in the celebrations tonight,” Jaishankar, a Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat, tweeted on his arrival here.

He told reporters nearly 50 Ambassadors and High Commissioners have come with him to "enjoy garba tonight".

 

 New Delhi, October 1

There will be a direct contest between Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor for the post of Congress president with papers of the third candidate KN Tripathi, former Jharkhand MLA of the party, rejected on Saturday following scrutiny.

Chairman of the Congress Central Election Authority Madhusudan Mistry after the scrutiny committee meeting on Saturday said the authority had received 20 nomination forms of which four have been rejected for variation of proposer signature and repetition and smudging of proposer signatures.

All rejected forms pertain to Tripathi, Mistry said announcing that there are now two official candidates in the fray for the party president post.

“The last date for withdrawals is October 8. If none of the candidates in the fray withdraw, we will proceed with formalities of voting and election,” said Mistry.

The election if required would be held on October 17, a first in 22 years. The last election saw Sonia Gandhi defeat late Jitendra Prasad, the father of UP BJP leader Jitin Prasad who switched over to the saffron side earlier.

Kharge, a nine time Karnataka MLA and a third term MP is tipped to be the Congress president as an official nominee of the Gandhis.

Tharoor, a Lok Sabha MP from Thiruvananthapuram has meanwhile decided to continue his bid saying he won’t withdraw even as his own G-23 colleagues on Friday called for consensus and backed Kharge.

Kharge will be the first non-Gandhi to head Congress in 24 years after Sitaram Kesri who demitted office in 1998 when Sonia Gandhi came in to become the longest serving party chief.

 Jet fuel (ATF) price on Saturday was slashed by 4.5 per cent and that of commercial LPG used in hotels and restaurants by Rs 25.50 per 19-kg cylinder.

The price of a 19-kg commercial LPG cylinder was cut to Rs 1,859.50 in the national capital from Rs 1,885, according to a price notification from state-owned fuel retailers.

This is the sixth reduction in price of commercial LPG since June, in step with softening international energy prices.

In all, rates have come down by Rs 494.50 per 19-kg cylinder.

However, rates of LPG used in household kitchens for cooking purposes remained unchanged at Rs 1,053 per 14.2-kg cylinder.

This because the rates of domestic cooking gas were way lower than cost and now with a drop in international prices, they are at breakeven, industry sources said.

Commercial LPG rates, on the other hand, have largely been aligned with cost and so they have moved in tandem with rise and fall in international prices.

Simultaneously, the rates of aviation turbine fuel (ATF) were cut marginally by 4.5 per cent.

Jet fuel price was cut by Rs 5,521.17, or 4.5 per cent, to Rs 115,520.27 pr kl in the national capital. 

 

 Korba, Sep 20 (PTI) Two men were killed and three other people injured after lightning struck them in Chhattisgarh’s Surajpur district, police said on Tuesday.

The incident took place on Monday evening in Khajuri village under Pratappur police station limits, they said.

The deceased, identified as Nandlal Paikra (27) and Sanjay Yadav (25), natives of nearby Toni village, were returning home from Pratappur market when heavy rainfall started, a police official said.

“The duo took shelter at a shop below a tree where some other people were also standing. Suddenly lightning struck there. Paikra and Yadav died on the spot,” he said.

Three others including the shop owner suffered injuries and they were shifted to a local hospital for treatment, he said.

There have been a number of incidents of lightning strike in the state’s Surguja division comprising seven districts, including Surajpur, in the recent past. PTI 

 Korba, (PTI) Two men were killed and three other people injured after lightning struck them in Chhattisgarh’s Surajpur district, police said on Tuesday.

The incident took place on Monday evening in Khajuri village under Pratappur police station limits, they said.

The deceased, identified as Nandlal Paikra (27) and Sanjay Yadav (25), natives of nearby Toni village, were returning home from Pratappur market when heavy rainfall started, a police official said.

“The duo took shelter at a shop below a tree where some other people were also standing. Suddenly lightning struck there. Paikra and Yadav died on the spot,” he said.

Three others including the shop owner suffered injuries and they were shifted to a local hospital for treatment, he said.

There have been a number of incidents of lightning strike in the state’s Surguja division comprising seven districts, including Surajpur, in the recent past. PTI 

New Delhi,(PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2022 exhibition ahead of the formal launch of 5G mobile telephony services in India.

 

After inaugurating the exhibition at Pragati Maidan here, he went around pavilions set up by different telecom operators and technology providers to get a first-hand experience of what 5G can do.

He started with Reliance Jio’s stalls, where he witnessed the ‘True 5G’ devices displayed and experienced the use case through Jio Glass.

Flanked by Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and billionaires Mukesh Ambani of Reliance, Sunil Bharti Mittal of Bharti Airtel and Kumar Mangalam Birla of Vodafone Idea, he spent time understanding the indigenous development of end-to-end 5G technology.

He thereafter visited stalls of Airtel, Vodafone Idea, C-DOT and others. PTI 

 New Delhi, (PTI) President Droupadi Murmu on Friday conferred cinema veteran Asha Parekh with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award and honoured other winners of the 68th National Film Awards, including actors Ajay Devgn, Suriya and folk singer Nanchamma.
 The National Film awards were announced in July honouring the best in cinema in 2020.

 At the ceremony held at Vigyan Bhawan here, Murmu said, "Cinema is not only an industry, it is also a medium of artistic expression of our culture and values of life. It is also a medium for connecting our society and nation-building."

 The event was attended by the winners including Parekh, Devgn, who along with Suriya, was given the best actor honour for "Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior. Suriya was awarded for his performance in "Soorarai Pottru", the biggest winner of the National Film Awards this year.

 

 

 Parekh said she is grateful to receive the prestigious award a day before her 80th birthday.
 "It is a huge honour to have received the Dada Saheb Phalke award. It makes me very grateful that the recognition comes to me just one day before my 80th birthday.

 

"This is the best honour I could get from the Government of India. I would like to thank the jury for the recognition that they have bestowed upon me, my long journey and fulfilling the journey in the film industry," said the cinema legend.

Parekh's stardom was on a par with her male contemporaries Rajesh Khanna, Rajendra Kumar, Dharmendra and Manoj Kumar in the 1960s-1970s. In a career spanning over five decades, she starred in over 95 films that include titles such as "Dil Deke Dekho", "Kati Patang", "Teesri Manzil", "Baharon Ke Sapne", "Pyar Ka Mausam", and "Caravan".

Devgn said he shared his win with all his fans.

"Not counting the wins or the blessings, just feeling grateful for all of it. Most importantly, your love. I share this win with all of you. Honoured to receive my awards from the President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu," the actor, who also won the award as producer of "Tanhaji...", he said in an Instagram post.

This was Devgn third best actor National Award after "Zakhm" (1998) and "The Legend of Bhagat Singh" (2002).
 After receiving the award, Suriya called the win "special".
"This honour means a lot... It's a very special and I'm happy that I got it for "Soorarai Pottru"," the actor told PTI.
Suriya and his wife, actor Jyothika, have produced the Sudha Kongara-directed film.

 

 

"Soorarai Pottru" also won best feature, best actress for Aparna Balamurali, best screenplay for Shalini Usha Nair and Kongara as well as best music direction (background score) for GV Prakash Kumar. The film is inspired by the life of Air Deccan founder Capt G R Gopinath.
 Aparna said she derives inspiration from her win.

 "I feel great. Words won't be enough to express my feelings and what I'm going through today. Thanks to my director for having trust in me and she is the one who pushed me. I definitely want to take this forward in my career as an inspiration and encouragement. This really has given me a push to better my career and do better characters," the actor told PTI.

 

 "Tanhaji..." bagged the two other awards-- best popular film providing wholesome entertainment and best costume design for Nachiket Barve and Mahesh Sherla.
 "Winning a National Award is always an item to be ticked off from my wishlist. It's the most prestigious thing that an artist can ask for. I have got it for my first Hindi film which feels really great," director Om Raut told PTI.
Set in the 17th century, "Tanhaji..." is based on the life of Tanaji Malusare, the military leader of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's army.
    "This is a moment of extreme pride for anyone who was born in Mumbai and I'm a Maharashtrian. We call the film 'Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior' but the kind of success we got, I can happily say Tanhaji is no longer unsung," he added.

 

 

The late Malayalam filmmaker Sachidanandan KR was posthumously awarded best director for "Ayyappanum Koshiyum". His wife received the award. The film also took home best supporting actor for Biju Menon, best action direction (stunt choreography) and best playback female singer for Nanchamma, a tribal folk singer, who received a standing ovation as she came on the stage to receive her award from the president.
    Union minister Anurag Thakur said cinema proved to be the universal language that unites the country.
    "Amid the grim reality of COVID and fragile macro-economic conditions, the entertainment and messaging provided by the films was the only beacon of hope for all of us," he said.
     The award for best playback singer male was given to Rahul Deshpande for Marathi film "Mi Vasantrao".
    Tamil artiste Lakshmi Priya Chandramouli was named the best supporting actress for her performance in Tamil movie "Sivaranjaniyum Innum Sila Pengallum", which received the best editing award for Sreekar Prasad as well.
    The best Hindi film prize went to "Toolsidas Junior", directed by Mridul Toolsidas. The Ashutosh Gowariker production, which was the last film appearance of late actor Rajiv Kapoor, also received a special jury mention for child actor Varun Buddhadev.
    In the music category, Thaman S received the best music direction (songs) for Allu Arjun's Telugu hit "Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo", while Manoj Muntashir was awarded best lyrics for Hindi film "Saina".
    Telugu movie "Natyam" won awards for best make-up artist (TV Rambabu) and best choreography (Sandhya Raju).
    Filmmaker Madonne Ashwin won the Indira Gandhi award for best debut film of a director for his Tamil venture "Mandela". He won another award -- the Best Dialogue writer.
    The best Telugu film award was bagged by "Colour Photo", while "Sivaranjaniyum Innum Sila Pengallum" won the best Tamil film. "Thinkalazcha Nishchayam" was declared the best Malayalam film and "Dollu" took home the best Kannada Film award.
    Marathi movie "Sumi" won the best Children's film award and its actors Akanksha Pingle and Divyesh Indulkar shared the best child artist honour with Anish Mangesh Gosavi of "Tak-Tak".
    Director-composer Vishal Bhardwaj won the best music direction award for the track "Marenge Toh Wahin Jaakar" from filmmaker Vinod Kapri's "1232 kms", a documentary about the migrant workers' exodus during the lockdown.
    The prize for the most film-friendly state went to Madhya Pradesh, with special mention for Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. PTI

 

New Delhi, (PTI) The Centre has accorded a Y category security cover to five RSS leaders in Kerala in view of possible threats to them, official sources said on Saturday.

 

The names of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leaders is understood to have been found on the radar of the Popular Front of India (PFI) after central probe agencies recovered documents in this connection during the recent crackdown on the Islamic organisation, which the Centre banned early this week.

The smallest category of central security cover– Y– has been accorded to the five RSS leaders based on inputs and recommendations provided to the Union home ministry by central investigative and intelligence agencies, sources said.

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) VIP security wing has been asked to render the task, they said.

About two to three armed commandos will be provided to each protectee as part of the cover, the sources said.

A similar cover has also been provided to Bihar BJP chief and MP from West Champaran Sanjay Jaiswal.

He was given a Y cover security in the wake of protests against him and other BJP leaders during the ‘Agnipath’ recruitment scheme launch in June. The cover was later withdrawn but has been restored now.

With the addition of these six protectees, the CRPF has been covering at least 125 people under its VIP security umbrella. PTI 

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday appealed Union Home Minister Amit Shah to release Altaf Shah, son-in-law of late separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani, on humanitarian grounds as he is suffering from renal cancer. 

Shah, along with six others, was arrested in 2017 in connection with a terror funding case. He is presently in the ICU of Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Delhi.

 

"Continued incarceration of Altaf Shah is inhumane as he is critically ill. Request @HMOIndia to release him on humanitarian grounds so that he can be with his family in such distressing times," Mehbooba tweeted.

The PDP president was commenting on a tweet by Shah's daughter.

"My incarcerated father has been diagnosed of acute renal cancer which has metastasis and has spread to his other body parts, including his bones. It is my whole family’s request to please allow us to see him and consider his bail application on health grounds @HMOIndia @PMOIndia," Ruwa Shah had tweeted last night. 

"He is presently on oxygen support in the ICU of RML hospital - where there is no oncology department. My father, Altaf Shah, is 66 and is a political prisoner since last 5 years at New Delhi’s Tihar Jail. @amnesty @AIIndia," she added. 

Mumbai,(PTI) Mumbai police have registered a case against former Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal and two others on the charge of threatening to kill a man, who had forwarded videos to the senior NCP leader in which the latter allegedly spoke against Hindu religion, an official said.

 

The First Information Report (FIR) in this connection was registered at Chembur police station late Friday night, he said.

“Based on the complaint filed by the man, an offence under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 506 (2) (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention) was registered against Bhujbal and two others,” the official said on Saturday.

“The complainant said that he was threatened for forwarding two videos to Bhujbal, in which the latter allegedly spoke against Hindu religion,” he added.

The case is being investigated by unit -6 of the Mumbai crime branch, the official said.

Bhujbal, who belongs to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), currently represents the Yeola Assembly constituency in Nashik district. He had earlier served as the deputy chief minister of the state. PTI