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The sports department of Meghalaya has denied permission to the BJP to host an election rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at P A Sangma Stadium in Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma's home constituency of South Tura, citing construction work at the venue. The BJP, fuming over the development, alleged that the ruling National People's Party (NPP), along with the Trinamool Congress and other opposition parties, were trying to stall a 'wave of the saffron party' in the state.

The PM was scheduled to participate in campaigning in Shillong and Tura on February 24.

"The sports department has communicated that it will not be fit to host such a big gathering at the stadium as construction work is still going on and materials kept at the site may be of safety concerns. Therefore, an alternate venue at Alotgre cricket stadium is being considered," District Electoral Officer Swapnil Tembe told PTI.

The stadium, built at a cost of Rs 127 crore, with 90 per cent of the funds borne by the Centre, was inaugurated by the CM on December 16 last year. BJP national general secretary Rituraj Sinha said he was amused how a stadium can be declared ?incomplete and unavailable? for use for the PM's rally just two months after inauguration.

"Is Conrad Sangma and Mukul Sangma scared of us (BJP)? They are trying to stall the BJP's wave in Meghalaya. You can try and stop PM's rally but the people of the state have made up their minds (to support the BJP)," he said.

Sinha asserted that seeing people's response to rallies of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other star campaigners of the BJP, other parties have been taken aback.

Senior BJP leader A L Hek said the PM will hold a roadshow in Pynthorumkhrah constituency in Shillong on February 24.

(With inputs from agencies)

After receiving a big blow with the Election Commission (EC)’s order regarding its poll symbol, Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray demanded that the Election Commission of India, which ruled that the Eknath Shinde-led faction is the real Shiv Sena, should be dissolved.

On February 17, EC decided to allot the ‘bow & arrow’ symbol to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Sena faction. Now, the Uddhav faction has hopes from the top court that will decide its future.

As immediate relief, the faction is looking to get a stay on the order by linking it with the ongoing petition before the top court for disqualifying Shinde and 15 other rebel MLAs.

Hitting out at billionaire investor George Soros over his comment that the turmoil in Gautam Adani’s business empire may bring about a "democratic revival in India", the Congress on Friday invoked the party's Nehruvian legacy to state that the people like him "cannot determine our electoral outcomes".

Taking to Twitter, Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications Jairam Ramesh said whether the Adani issue sparks a democratic revival in the country depends entirely on the grand old party and other opposition parties, and it has nothing to do with Soros.

"Whether the 'PM-linked Adani scam' sparks a democratic revival in India depends entirely on the Congress, Opposition parties and our electoral process. It has nothing to do with George Soros," he tweeted, and added: "Our Nehruvian legacy ensures people like Soros cannot determine our electoral outcomes."

Rescue workers pulled out three people from under the rubble, 11 days after a massive earthquake hit Turkey and Syria. Over 45,000 people have been killed in the magnitude 7.8 quake and over 40 aftershocks that flattened thousands of buildings, trapping an unknown number of people in freezing weather.

While many international rescue teams have left the vast quake zone, survivors were still emerging from under a multitude of flattened homes, defying all the odds.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena  (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray took a veiled jibe at his cousin, Uddhav Thackeray, after the Election Commission recognised the Eknath Shinde-led faction as the real Shiv Sena and ordered allocation of the "bow and arrow" poll symbol to it. Raj Thackeray shared an old audio clip of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray where he is heard talking about wealth and reputation.

Raj Thackeray shared Balasaheb's audio clip and captioned it: "How accurate was the idea of 'Shiv Sena' given by Balasaheb, it was once again known today...". 

In the audio clip, the Shiv Sena founder is heard saying, "Money comes and goes....if the money goes it will be earned back, but once the name is gone, it will never come back. That's why you make your name big... Name is everything...If the name goes, it will not be found even in the black market. So, keep your name sacred."