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No mafia or criminal can threaten industrialists in Uttar Pradesh anymore, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said today, days after the shocking murders of gangster Atiq Ahmed and his brother prompted a wave of criticism over the state's law and order situation.

The Chief Minister was addressing an event to mark the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for setting up textile parks in Lucknow and Hardoi districts. The textile parks are being set up under the PM Mega Integrated Textiles and Apparel (PM Mitra) scheme.

Ajit Pawar, leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), is reportedly gaining momentum in his efforts to become the next chief minister of Maharashtra in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

A report in The New Indian Express quoted their sources within the NCP, about 40 of the party's 53 MLAs have given their consent signatures to support Pawar's bid. The list of signatures is expected to be presented to the governor at the appropriate time.
Pawar's bid for the chief minister post follows reports that the Supreme Court may disqualify lawmakers from the Shiv Sena who have rebelled against the current chief minister, Uddhav Thackeray. This development would create a power vacuum, which Pawar is keen to fill with the BJP's support.

Many parts of West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Sikkim, Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand are expected to witness a heat wave over the next 2-4 days

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that the heat wave conditions over East India is likely to continue for the next 4 days and abate thereafter.

A heat wave is very likely over Gangetic West Bengal and Bihar for the next two days, and it is expected to be severe in isolated pockets. The wave is then likely to be witnessed in some pockets for the two days thereafter.

The India Meteorological Department Monday issued a heatwave warning for several parts of India, including Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, Odisha and coastal Andhra Pradesh.

“There will likely be a two-day marginal heatwave condition because of the increase in the temperature in not just Delhi, the temperature has increased in the entire north-west region of the country,” said Naresh Kumar, an official at IMD.

The maximum temperatures will be in the range of 40 to 42 degree Celsius over many parts of the plains of Northwest India and adjoining Madhya Pradesh and East India. IMD said the maximum temperatures are above normal by 3 to 5 degree Celsius over many parts of Northwest, East, and Northeast India.

The buzz over senior NCP leader switching sides to join ranks with the BJP, taking along a significant chunk of his party legislators, appears to be gaining ground in Maharashtra. The rumours, which were validated in a weekly column by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, come before the Supreme Court pronounces its judgment in the plea regarding the disqualification of 16 legislators who rebelled to bring down the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government and later joined hands with the BJP to return to power.

In his weekly column in Saamna on Sunday, Rajya Sabha MP and Sena (UBT) spokesperson Raut quoted NCP chief Sharad Pawar as telling Uddhav on April 11 that the NCP as a party will not ally with the BJP, but any decision by MLAs will be in their own capacity. Pawar’s remarks, according to Raut, were made in reference to the families of the MLAs “being targetted” by central agencies at BJP’s behest.