NEWS

New Delhi: Cracks emerged in the National Democratic Alliance on Friday over ruling alliance announcing to forego their salary for a period of 23 days when Parliament could not function. This was announced by a BJP minister but the Shiv Sena asserted that its MPs would claim their salaries and another ally saying it was unaware of the decision.

Union minister Ananth Kumar had on Thursday said that MPs of the ruling NDA would forego their salary for the 23 days of the ongoing budget session when Parliament did not function because of protests by the Congress and other political parties.

New Delhi: The ruling party at the Centre BJP and the opposition Congress on Thursday filed separate court petitions seeking deployment of central forces to ensure free and fair rural polls in West Bengal. Violence rocked several districts of the state where Trinamool Party has the government.

Trinamool leaders met governor KeshariNathTripathi and the state Election Commissioner A K Singh over what they said were “falsehoods” spread by opposition parties.

The panchayat polls — on May 1, 3 and 5 — are being seen as a test of strength for the Trinamool and opposition BJP and Congress ahead of next year’s LokSabha polls. Counting of votes will take place on May 8.

New Delhi: Prime Minister NarendraModi has plans to go on a five-day visit to Sweden and the United Kingdom beginning April 16 with the objective of boosting bilateral cooperation in several key areas, including trade and investment.

In the UK, the prime minister will also attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), besides exploring ways to further deepen ties between the two countries, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

In Sweden, Modi will attend the India-Nordic Summit. The summit is being co-hosted by India and Sweden. Prime Ministers of all the Nordic countries -- Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden will also attend the summit.

New Delhi: Activist TeestaSetalvad and her husband JavedAnand have got a temporary reprieve when the Bombay High Court on Thursday ordered that they would not be arrested till May 2. The court ruling was in a criminal case lodged against them by the Gujarat police for alleged misappropriation of funds.

A bench of Justice RevatiMohite-Dere gave the two interim protection from arrest on their plea for “transit anticipatory bail”, filed on Wednesday. While allowing their plea, the bench asked them to appear before the probe agency on Friday for recording their statements and later, as and when required.