LEAD

A probe is on to ascertain whether the prime accused in the Mangaluru blast, Mohammed Shariq, has any accomplices in Tamil Nadu, police in Coimbatore said on Monday.

It is now clear that Shariq had bought a SIM card for a mobile phone using the Aadhaar card of a native of Ooty, Surendran, police sources said. Investigations are on to check whether Shariq's stay in September in Coimbatore, which witnessed a blast last month, was part of a larger criminal conspiracy, they said.

Surendran, now being questioned by police, had stayed in the same dormitory with Shariq, who had befriended him to get the Aadhaar card. According to the National Investigation Agency, Coimbatore based Jamesha Mubeen, after taking an oath of allegiance to the ISIS, was planning to carry out suicidal attacks.

In an apparent swipe at Rahul Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, the Congress leader walked with a woman who tried everything to derail the Narmada Project. Earlier on Saturday, during the Maharashtra leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rahul Gandhi was joined by activist Medha Patkar who spearheaded the Narmada Bachao Aandolan to prevent the displacement of locals due to the water of the Dam. 

In his address at a rally in Gujarat`s Dhoraji today, the Prime Minister said without naming Rahul Gandhi, "You would have seen a picture published in the newspaper yesterday of a Congress leader standing with those who oppose the Narmada Project. You should ask them with what face are they coming to seek votes from you. They did everything to stall the Narmada project for decades together and ensured that no money including that from World Bank was able to come over to Gujarat. They were constantly maligning the reputation of Gujarat."

He said that the matter was taken to courts and the lady who spearheaded this movement was seen along with the Congress leader.

Prime Minister Modi is set to visit Arunachal Pradesh on Saturday to inaugurate the state’s first greenfield airport near Itanagar. The Donyi Polo airport is located at Hollongi and when it becomes operational it will boost connectivity, trade and tourism in the hilly north eastern state, officials said.

The PM will inaugurate the airport at 9:30 am and dedicate the 600 MW Kameng hydro power station in West Kameng district to the nation at the function before leaving for Varanasi and Gujarat.

A week after the Supreme Court ordered the release of six people who were convicted in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991, the central government on Thursday requested the court to review its decision.

The centre filed a petition in the Supreme Court to review the order, after the six people, including a woman, were released last week from prison in Tamil Nadu, where their three-decade incarceration has been a hugely emotive and political issue.

The centre has contended that the release of the convicts was cleared without it being given an adequate hearing which has led to an "admitted and glaring breach of principles of natural justice and has, in fact, resulted into miscarriage of justice".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said India's G-20 presidency will be inclusive, ambitious, decisive and action-oriented as India took over the presidency of G-20 for the coming one year. In the next one year it will be our endeavour that G20 works as a global prome mover to give impetus to collective action, PM Modi said stressing on making women-led developmenet a priority in the G20 agenda.

"It is a matter of pride for every Indian as India takes over the presidency of the G20. We will organise G20 meetings in different states and cities in India. Together we will make G20 a catalyst for global change," PM Modi said.