LEAD

The BJP on Monday filed a complaint with the Election Commission against former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi over her statement that her party will not allow anyone to pose a threat to Karnataka's "reputation, sovereignty or integrity." Karnataka’s ruling party - BJP - has requested the poll body to issue orders for the registration of an FIR against Sonia Gandhi.

Addressing a rally in Karnataka's Hubballi, Sonia Gandhi on Saturday made a scathing attack on the BJP and said, "Karnataka and the rest of the country cannot make progress without getting rid of the ruling party’s "loot, lies, ego and hatred". Sonia Gandhi was flanked on the stage by Congress president M Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and former Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar who recently quit BJP over the denial of ticket and joined the party.

Twenty people, including women and children, were killed when a houseboat with more than 30 passengers on board capsized and sank near the Thoovaltheeram beach in the Tanur area of this Kerala district on Sunday, the state government said.

Sports Minister V Abdurahiman said 20 deaths were confirmed on the basis of information from various hospitals where those pulled out from the water and inside the boat were admitted.

Four persons in critical condition have been admitted to a Kottakkal hospital here, Abdurahiman said.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday slammed Pakistan, although without directly referring to it, on terror at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meet in Goa. 

Talking about terrorism, EAM Jaishankar said that the menace of terrorism, including cross-border terrorism, continues unabated. 

"The menace of terrorism continues unabated. There can be no justification for terrorism, including cross-border terrorism. Combating terrorism is one of the original mandates of SCO," said EAM Jaishankar at SCO foreign ministers meet in Goa.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has asked the Manipur administration to strictly enforce law and order in the state and “not spare any lawbreaker” after a security review with all stakeholders amid the violence raging in the state.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Thursday morning and was briefed about the situation on the ground. At least 14 companies of Rapid Action Force, CRPF, and BSF were dispatched to Manipur soon after the call. Officials said a review was conducted in the afternoon with all stakeholders — district administration, state DGP, chief secretary, DG of CRPF, BSF, home secretary and other MHA officials.

“There are enough forces on the ground and more are being sent. But the local administration must deploy them effectively,” a government official told News18.

There is more trouble for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. A Jharkhand court has turned down Gandhi’s plea seeking exemption from personal appearance in connection with the 2019 defamation case over his ‘Modi surname’ remark. 

In March this year, a Surat court convicted Rahul Gandhi in the same case and sentenced him to two years in jail. He was convicted by a metropolitan magistrate's court in Surat on March 23 court under IPC sections 499 and 500 (criminal defamation). The case was filed by Gujarat BJP MLA Purnesh Modi.   

Following the ruling, Gandhi, who was the elected Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad in Kerala, was disqualified as a Member of Parliament (MP) under the provisions of the Representation of the People Act.