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An FIR was filed on Tuesday against ruling DMK MP S Gnanathiraviam and several others in connection with an assault here on a pastor, police said.

The DMK has sent a show cause notice to the MP seeking his explanation and warned of disciplinary action if the directive was not complied within seven days.

The attack on pastor Godfrey Noble on Monday, allegedly by supporters of the MP was reportedly due to 'differences' between two groups associated with the Tirunelveli Church of South India (CSI) Diocese, in matters related to administration.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) is facing flak from netizens for travelling to Maharashtra with a convoy of 600 vehicles. KCR, who is on a two-day political visit to the neighbouring state, left Hyderabad on Monday for a visit to Solapur. Rao travelled by road in a massive convoy of about 600 vehicles. He was accompanied by state ministers, MPs, MLCs, MLAs and senior party leaders. His massive convoy sparked a controversy, with many now asking what was the need for such a huge convoy and whose money KCR was spending.    

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday said that KCR's huge convoy was a show-off and there will be no impact of his visit on Maharashtra politics. "If KCR will do drama like this, he will lose Telangana also," Raut said. "Fearing loss, he (KCR) came to Maharashtra but his 12-13 ministers and MPs joined the Congress yesterday. This is a fight between KCR and Congress. The MVA is strong in Maharashtra."

In his first address after the Wagner rebellion that briefly shook Russia to its core, President Vladimir Putin late Monday night claimed that the uprising was “doomed to fail” adding that the country showed “unity” in the face of a “treacherous” rebellion, reported The Guardian. He accused the leaders of last weekend's mutiny of wanting "to see Russia choked in bloody strife" and vowed to bring the organisers of the attack ‘to justice’, the report added. 

In an unscheduled late-night televised address late, Putin said: “Any blackmail or way to bring confusion to Russia is doomed to failure … I made steps to avoid large-scale bloodshed.”  

Soon after several opposition leaders in Telangana joined the Congress ahead of the Assembly elections, including former minister Jupally Krishna Rao and former MP Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday said that a united Congress is unstoppable and an era of people-centric politics will sweep through Telangana soon.

After the Telangana leaders joined the Congress, Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter and wrote, “A united Congress is unstoppable. An era of people-centric politics will sweep through Telangana soon, like it did in Karnataka.”

As many as 35 Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leaders are set to join the Congress. As per sources, BRS leaders, including former MP Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and ex-minister of Telangana government Jupally Krishna Rao, met top Congress leadership in New Delhi on Monday.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, senior leader Rahul Gandhi and Telangana Congress leaders were present in the meeting that was held at the AICC office. The BRS leaders will formally join the Congress at a public rally in Telangana’s Khammam.