NEWS

New Delhi: With party workers claiming a “secret pact” between the BJP and Janata Dal (S) to ensure the defeat of chief minister Siddaramaiah and his son Yathindra, the Congress’ jibe last month that the Janata Dal (Secular) was nothing more than the ‘B’ Team of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seems to have come true in at least parts.

Siddaramaiah will contest from the Chamundeshwari seat, after having vacated the Varuna seat, which he won in 2008 and 2013 to his son Yathindra. In Chamundeshwari, Siddaramaiah will square off against his former aide GT Deve Gowda of the Janata Dal (not to be confused with party patriarch HD Deve Gowda), while in Varuna, Yathindra is set to contest against Vijayendra, the son of the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate, BS Yeddyurappa.

New Delhi: Group of ministers (GoM) constituted by the Union road transport and highways ministry has recommended a uniform structure of road tax for vehicles across states. The GoM is headed by Rajasthan transport minister Yoonus Khan met on Thurday in Guwahati.

Transferring vehicles from one state to another could become hassle free soon, if a recommendation by a group of state transport ministers is accepted by the government.

The recommendation, if accepted will allow the transfer of vehicles from one state to another without levying road tax. The GoM has also recommended national passenger vehicles permit for passenger cars.

New Delhi: The British government tendered its apology on Thursday after Indian authorities complained that the Indian flag was pulled down, torn and stamped on by individuals protesting against India and the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Parliament Square.

Soon after the complaint to the Foreign Office and Scotland Yard, a replacement flag was put up. Some Indian journalists were assaulted and complained of intimidation during Wednesday’s protests.

The Foreign Office said in a statement: “While people have the right to hold peaceful protests, we are disappointed with the action taken by a small minority in Parliament Square and contacted High Commissioner Yashvardhan Kumar Sinha as soon as we were made aware.

New Delhi: Railway Protection Force (RPF), responsible for railway security, has identified 202 so-called sensitive stations for installation of an integrated security system; 983 more stations will be brought under CCTV coverage by using money drawn from the Nirbhaya Fund, set up in 2013 to support initiatives to reinforce security for women.

Only 394 of the 8,500 railway stations in India are under complete surveillance of closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras, according to the Railway Protection Force (RPF), raising questions about safety and security at stations where video surveillance systems haven’t been installed and prompting the state-run transporter to put a plan in place to soothe concerns.