BJP Odisha Chief Says Party Will Go Solo, Then Walks Back Remark

Hours after claiming that the BJP will fight the upcoming elections for Lok Sabha and Odisha alone, Odisha BJP President Manmohan Samal on Thursday said that the party's Parliamentary Party's decision in this regard is final.

Mr Samal's earlier assertion had come amid talks of a pre-poll alliance between the BJD and the BJP.

On his arrival from the national capital earlier in the day after meeting Union Minister Amit Shah, Mr Samal said, "BJP will form the government in the state alone with the blessings and cooperation of people."

Around two hours later, however, he said, "Whatever our national president or parliamentary party will say, that is the final decision. Media shouldn't make a narrative based on my statement."

Mr Samal also deleted his post on X in which he claimed that BJP in Odisha will form government in the state on its own.

Before deleting that post, he told reporters: "The party will fight the elections over the Odisha 'asmita' (pride)."

When repeatedly asked about the alliance with BJD, Mr Samal had said: "Had that been the case, I would not have said that BJP will form government in Odisha."

Meanwhile, the BJD convened a meeting of senior party leaders at Naveen Niwas, the residence of party president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, on Thursday.

The regional party had earlier met on March 6, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Odisha.

BJD vice-president and MLA Debi Prasad Mishra had then acknowledged discussions about a possible alliance with the BJP and said that the party will "prioritise the greater interests of the people of Odisha".

Later, the possibility of alliance between the BJD and the BJP was brightened after Odisha BJP leaders were summoned to the national capital on March 10 evening.

They had several rounds of discussions over three days with Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who was tasked by the BJP top brass to take the opinion of the party's state leaders.

Mr Samal, along with organising secretary Manas Mohanty, Odisha election in-charge Vijay Pal Singh Tomar and his deputy Lata Usendi, had a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the latter's residence on Wednesday night.

Sources said that the state BJP leaders have drawn the attention of the party's top brass on how the BJD snapped ties with the saffron party and withdrew from the NDA ahead of the 2009 general elections following the Kandhamal riot in 2008.

Both the parties had a tie-up for 11 years from 1998 to 2009. They had fought three Lok Sabha elections and two assembly elections till 2009.

Simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and the Assembly will be held in Odisha.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Gurugram Man Kidnaps Toddler For Childless Sister, Arrested: Cops

A man who abducted a toddler for her childless sister has been arrested and the minor was rescued from his house in Garhi village here, police said on Wednesday.

Dharampal alias Bittu alias Ravan (45), kidnapped the two-and-a-half-year-old boy from Ram Vihar colony area on February 26, they said.

According to police, he abducted the boy for his sister but refused to take the child so he took him to his house and started looking after him.

An FIR was registered a day after the kidnapping and the anti-trafficking unit of Gurugram police rescued the boy on Tuesday and handed him over to his parents, they said.

The accused was produced in a city court on Wednesday and sent into judicial custody, Sub-inspector Sumit Kumar, in-charge of the anti-trafficking unit of Gurugram police said.

Dharampal, who works as a labourer, lived as a tenant in Garhi village along with his mother and two children, police said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

UP Groom Plays Statue Standing On A Car, Police Say Over

When a groom in India takes out a wedding procession to the house of his wife-to-be, two modes of transportation are in vogue these days - he either rides on a horse, or in a car. A groom in Uttar Pradesh, however, worked out a one-of-a-kind combination of the two and decided to pose as if he was riding on a car.

A photo from the procession shows the groom standing regally, almost like a statue, on top of the SUV on a national highway. The police weren't impressed, though, and ended up seizing the SUV.

The procession was being taken out by a man, identified only as Ankit, from Bhaila village in Saharanpur to his bride's house in Kushawali village in Meerut on Tuesday. Ankit was standing on top of the vehicle and a drone was being used to click his photos on the Delhi-Dehradun National Highway.

"We got information about a video of a groom performing a stunt on the roof of the car. The baraat was stopped on NH-58 by the Mansoorpur police and the car has been seized. Further investigation is underway," said Khatauli Circle Officer Yatendra Singh Nagar.

Leah Smith, 22-Year-Old TikTok Star, Dies After Battle With Rare Cancer

A young TikTok creator, Leah Smith, died at 22.  She shared her experiences battling a rare cancer, Ewing's Sarcoma, which mostly affects young people, with her over half a million followers on the platform, BBC reported.  

The news was announced by her boyfriend on her TikTok page, and many supporters have expressed their condolences. 

He said Ms Smith died at about 11:30 GMT on 11 March and "will never be forgotten". In the video message, he continued, "I want to see everyone speaking about Leah and how amazing she is and how much she helped everyone. "We'll never let Leah be forgotten."

Her boyfriend shared that Ms Smith read all the comments followers shared with her during her treatment. 

"Anyone who said anything nice ever, it means more than you realise," he added.

Her brother Liam also commented on the video to "thank everyone for all they have done for Leah and this family".

One TikTok follower said: "Leah Smith you were amazing and so strong."

Her best friend Vikki posted an update to thank everyone for their support, adding: "If love could have saved her she would have lived forever and a day."

A year before her diagnosis, Ms Smith spoke openly on TikTok about her 10-month battle with back pain. But it was the sudden numbness in her left leg that became a turning point, leading her to seek medical attention.

What is Ewing's Sarcoma?

Ewing's sarcoma is an uncommon bone cancer primarily diagnosed in teenagers (aged 10 to 20) according to the NHS [National Health Service]. Symptoms vary depending on the tumour's location and size but typically include worsening pain, swelling, and tenderness in the affected area.

 

"PM Modi Has Delivered On Another Commitment": Amit Shah On CAA Rules

The Centre on Monday implemented the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, notifying the rules four years after the contentious law was passed by Parliament to fast-track citizenship for undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014.

With the unveiling of the rules that came days ahead of the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections, the Modi government will now start granting Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants -- Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians -- from the three countries. The rules come into force with immediate effect, according to a Gazette notification.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has delivered on another commitment and realised the promise of the makers of the Constitution.

Official sources said CAA-2019 is a law to give citizenship and will not take away citizenship of any Indian irrespective of their religion, adding it is only for those who have suffered persecution for years and have no other shelter in the world except India.

Many misconceptions have been spread regarding the CAA, they said.

The CAA secured Parliament's approval in December 2019 and subsequently got the President's assent but there were protests in several parts of the country against it, with many opposition parties speaking out against the law calling it "discriminatory". Over 100 people lost their lives during the anti-CAA protests or police action.

"These rules will now enable minorities persecuted on religious grounds in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan to acquire citizenship in our nation.

"With this notification, PM Shri Narendra Modi Ji has delivered on another commitment and realised the promise of the makers of our Constitution to the Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians living in those countries," Minister Shah said on X.

The Modi government today notified the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024.

These rules will now enable minorities persecuted on religious grounds in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan to acquire citizenship in our nation.

With this notification PM Shri @narendramodi Ji has…

— Amit Shah (Modi Ka Parivar) (@AmitShah) March 11, 2024

A Home Ministry spokesperson said the applications will be submitted in a completely online mode for which a web portal has been provided. The law could not come into effect as rules had not been notified till now.

While the Congress and other opposition parties slammed the government's step, alleging the new law is designed to polarise the coming Lok Sabha elections, especially in West Bengal and Assam, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath called it historic and a "humanitarian decision".

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh alleged that the announcement is yet another attempt to "manage the headlines" after the Supreme Court's strictures on Monday on the electoral bonds issue.

"After seeking nine extensions for the notification of the rules, the timing right before the elections is evidently designed to polarise the elections, especially in West Bengal and Assam," he said.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinaray Vijayan described the CAA as a communally divisive law and asserted that it will not be implemented in the southern state.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal alleged that the Centre's move is against the country and that it was "dirty politics" of the BJP to make poor people from neighbouring countries its vote bank in India.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she would fiercely oppose the CAA if she found it to be discriminatory against groups of people living in India and if it curtailed their existing citizenship rights in any manner.

The Trinamool Congress supremo was talking to reporters just minutes before the CAA rules were officially notified by the Centre, West Bengal's Matua community celebrated the implementation of the citizenship law at the headquarters of the sect at Thakurnagar in North 24 Parganas district, claiming it to be their "second independence day".

Matuas, originally from East Pakistan, are a weaker section of Hindus who migrated to India during the Partition and after the creation of Bangladesh.

The community, with an estimated population of three million in the state, can tilt the scales in favour of a political party in more than 30 assembly seats in Nadia, and North and South 24 Parganas districts bordering Bangladesh.

Pakistani Hindu refugees, who have been living a life of uncertainty, welcomed the government's step.

Some of the refugees residing in Delhi said they were elated and that they "will finally be called Indian citizens".

Celebrations also erupted in the Majnu ka Tilla area where they mostly live.

The All Assam Students' Union (AASU) and 30 indigenous organisations burnt copies of the CAA in different parts of Assam, including Guwahati, Barpeta, Lakhimpur, Nalbari, Dibrugarh and Tezpur.

The 16-party United Opposition Forum, Assam, (UOFA) announced a statewide hartal on Tuesday, besides taking up other agitational programmes in a phased manner.

"We will continue with our non-violent, peaceful, democratic movement against CAA. Alongside, we will also continue our legal fight," AASU advisor Samujjal Bhattacharjya told PTI.

Bhattacharjya asserted that the indigenous people of Assam and North-East will never accept CAA.

According to the Manual on Parliamentary Work, the rules for any legislation should be framed within six months of presidential assent or the government has to seek an extension from the Committees on Subordinate Legislation in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

Since 2020, the Home Ministry has been taking extensions at regular intervals from the parliamentary committee for framing the rules.

No document will be sought from the applicants, an official said.

Security was stepped up in Shaheen Bagh, Jamia Nagar and other areas of the national capital as well as in various states which had earlier witnessed anti-CAA protests.

Under the notified rules, the Applicants for Indian citizenship will have to continuously spend at least 12 months in India preceding the date of the application.

The rules also said that during the eight years immediately preceding the said period of twelve months, the applicants will have to spend at least a total of six years in India to be eligible to get Indian citizenship.

The applicants will also have to give a declaration that they "irrevocably" renounce the existing citizenship and that they want to make "India a permanent home", it said.

They will have to declare that they will not lay claim on the renounced citizenship in future, it added.

All cleared applicants will have to take an oath of allegiance affirming that they will "bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India" as by law established and that they would "faithfully observe the laws of India" and "fulfil" their duties as a citizen of India, it said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

BJP, Chandrababu Naidu's TDP Finalise Seats For Lok Sabha, Andhra Polls

The BJP, N Chandrababu Naidu's TDP and Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena have finalised seats for the upcoming Lok Sabha and Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections late this evening. The BJP will fight in six Lok Sabha and ten assembly seats, TDP will contest in 17 Lok Sabha and 144 assembly seats while Jana Sena got two Lok Sabha and 21 assembly seats. Andhra Pradesh has 25 Lok Sabha and 175 assembly seats that will see a simultaneous contest.

As per sources, the BJP will fight parliamentary elections from Araku, Rajahmundry, Anakapalle, Tirupati, Narasapuram and one more seat while Jana sena from Machilipatnam and Kakinada.

The announcement came after senior BJP leaders, including Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, went into a huddle with Mr Naidu and Mr Kalyan on Monday to finalise candidates.

BJP chief JP Nadda announced the alliance of his party with the Telugu Desam Party and the Jana Sena on March 9. "Under the dynamic and visionary leadership of Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Jana Sena Party (JSP), as well as being committed to the progress of the country and the upliftment of state and people of Andhra Pradesh, have decided to contest the ensuing Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections together in Andhra Pradesh," a joint statement released by the TDP BJP and the Jana Sena said.

The TDP, which was part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance until 2018, expressed interest in reviving the alliance after suffering a crushing defeat in the 2019 elections. Mr Naidu's party had walked out of the NDA over financial support for Andhra Pradesh. "I took the decision not for selfish reasons but for the interests of Andhra Pradesh. For four years I made all efforts, went to Delhi 29 times, asked many times. This was the Centre's last budget and there was no mention of Andhra Pradesh," Mr Naidu had then explained his decision.

A joint statement issued by the parties highlighted their "old ties". "The BJP and the TDP have a very old relationship together. The TDP joined the NDA in 1996 and has worked together successfully in governments led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Narendra Modi," it said.

In 2014, the TDP and the BJP fought the Lok Sabha and Andhra Pradesh Assembly polls together, while the JSP supported the two parties, it added.

Yesterday, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy said that he was ready to fight against the alliance and alleged that Chandrababu Naidu's cycle is "rusted and he is fetching support from other political parties".

Elections for Lok Sabha are expected to be held in April-May in which the ruling BJP is eyeing a third term and has set a target of winning 370 seats on its own and 400 with allies.

World's Oldest Bread Found in Turkey, Dating Back 8,600 Years

In a groundbreaking discovery, archaeologists in Turkey unearthed what they believe to be the world's oldest bread. The find dates back to an impressive 6600 BC and was located at Catalhoyuk, an archaeological site in southern Turkey's Konya province. 

The bread residue was found near a partially destroyed oven structure in an area called "Mekan 66," surrounded by ancient mudbrick houses. According to a press release from Turkey's Necmettin Erbakan University Science and Technology Research and Application Center (BITAM), the bread appears to be a round, spongy remnant and was identified through analysis.

It was determined that the organic residue was 8,600-year-old, uncooked, fermented bread, CNN reported. 

"We can say that this finds at Catalhoyuk is the oldest bread in the world," archaeologist Ali Umut Turkcan, head of the Excavation Delegation and an associate professor at Anadolu University in Turkey, told Turkish state news outlet Anadolu Agency Wednesday.

"It is a smaller version of a loaf of bread. It has a finger pressed in the center, it has not been baked, but it has been fermented and has survived to the present day with the starches inside. There is no similar example of something like this to date," he added.

Microscopic analysis confirmed the team's suspicions. Images from a scanning electron microscope revealed air spaces and identifiable starch granules within the sample. Salih Kavak, a biologist at Gaziantep University in Turkey, explained in the press release that this finding "eliminated our doubts" about the bread's authenticity.

Further analysis revealed the chemical makeup of the sample, including both plant material and indicators of fermentation. This suggests that flour and water were combined to create the dough, which was then prepared near the oven and likely stored for some time.

"It is an exciting discovery for Turkey and the world," Kavak said.

A thin layer of clay encasing the structure acted as a preservative for organic materials like wood and bread, explains archaeologist Turkcan.