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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has said he was told by security personnel in Jammu and Kashmir that he would have hand-grenades thrown at him, adding that a person walking next to him pointed to him that militants were present in the crowd staring at him when his Bharat Jodo Yatra passed through Kashmir.

Speaking at Cambridge University, Gandhi said his Bharat Jodo Yatra in Kashmir was a “new narrative” and shared how he realized the power of non-violence and listening.

“We were told that we are going to be killed. During the yatra, a person asked to be called to walk next to me. He told me ‘look at those boys (in the crowd) over there’. He said ‘they are militants and they are looking at you’. They gave me this look; I thought now I am in trouble,” Gandhi recounted.

Conrad Sangma is likely to take oath as Meghalaya chief minister on March 7. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to attend the ceremony. Sangma, whose NPP emerged as the single largest party in the Assembly election, submitted his resignation to Meghalaya Governor on Friday and staked claim to form a new government.

National People's Party was the single largest party with 26 seats while the BJP won two in the 60-member assembly. 

India and Italy have decided to elevate their bilateral ties to a strategic partnership, opening a new chapter on defence cooperation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Thursday after holding comprehensive talks with his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni.

On a two-day state visit, her first after being elected as Prime Minister last year, Meloni also announced that Italy was joining the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative as the two nations celebrate the 75th anniversary of bilateral relations.

Addressing the media after wide-ranging talks with the visiting Italian Prime Minister, Modi said new opportunities were opening up in India in the sector of co-production and co-development, which can be beneficial for both countries.

Democracy is "inextricably intertwined" with power to people and the ballot is more potent than the most powerful gun, the Supreme Court said on Thursday. In a landmark verdict, the apex court ruled that the appointments of the chief election commissioner and election commissioners will be made by the president on the recommendation of a committee comprising the prime minister, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha and the chief justice of India to maintain the "purity" of the electoral process.

A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Justice KM Joseph said the concepts of liberty, equality and fraternity must not be "strange bedfellows" to the ruling class.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday blamed Western countries for the G20 foreign ministers' meeting not being able to come out with a joint communique, saying their "rhetorical statements" around Ukraine did not yield any good and were "damaging".

Addressing a press conference on the sidelines of the meeting, Lavrov hailed India's "highly responsible" and "worthy of a great power" stance on key matters of global agenda.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address at the G20 meet, the Russian minister said the PM had presented "a balanced and responsible position" of the country as president of the G20.