Gurmeet Ram Rahim, head of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect, is no regular godman.
Shops remained closed in some parts of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan for a few hours and internet services were restricted in sensitive areas to check 'rumour-mongering', but normal life remained largely unaffected
The district and police administration on Monday faced an uphill task in dispersing 'godman' Rampal's followers, including a large number of women and children, who had pitched camp at his Satlok Ashram.
They also demanded that if any discrepancy is found during VVPAT verification, 100 per cent counting of the paper slips of VVPATs of all polling stations of that particular assembly segment should be done and compared with the electronic voting machine (EVM) results.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti expressed anguish over the loss of lives and stressed the need for peace "if we want to save the people of the state".
CNG cars have been kept out of the ambit of the odd-even scheme while a decision on whether women drivers will continue to be exempted will be taken soon.
Kejriwal announced the odd-even scheme as part of the seven-point 'Parali Pradushan' action plan that also includes mass distribution of anti-pollution masks, mechanised sweeping and water sprinkling on the roads, tree plantation, and special plans for 12 pollution hotspots in the city.
The EC announced on Friday evening that out of eight parties only Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party and the CPI-M accepted the dare. Friday was the last date to enlist for the challenge.
Indian security agencies have learnt that Chinese troops are training Pakistan Army personnel right across the Indo-Pak border in Jammu and Kashmir.
Disciplinary action is being taken against two officers in the shooting down of the chopper.
At least 15 persons were killed and 80 others injured when Taliban suicide attackers targeted two packed churches during mass on Sunday in Pakistan's biggest Christian neighbourhood in Lahore, the capital of Punjab.
'General Sam Manekshaw looked from left to right and said, "Gentlemen, I have come to have a look at you. I am taking a good look at your faces. When I come back after the war is over, some faces may not be here".'
Nine persons have been killed so far in ceasefire violations over three days, police officials said.
The US on Tueday released new set of documents that it recovered from the Abbottabad hideout of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
Honeypreet stood in the courtroom with folded hands and pleaded innocence with tears in her eyes.
Authorities alerted people to avoid staying outdoors and L-G ordered to halt all civil construction activities across the city till Sunday.
In a strong message to Pakistan, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday asserted that Indian armed forces are fully prepared to respond to any ceasefire violation by it.
Pakistan called in the Army to restore order after violent clashes.
'The ISI is bound to exploit narcoterrorism.'
Pakistan's former Ambassador to the US Hussain Haqqani said that in WSJ article.
The death toll also saw a record single-day increase of over 350 fatalities to move closer to the 8,500-mark, more than one-third of which have been recorded in 11 days since June 1 -- the day that marked the beginning of a phased exit from most restrictions imposed under a nationwide lockdown with effect from March 25.
A three-member delegation of the party -- Union ministers Venkaiah Naidu, Nirmala Sitharaman and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi -- met EC officials and submitted their memorandum.
As counter-terrorism operations at the Pathankot air base continued for the second consecutive day, the Union government on Sunday said it was unsure if more terrorists were still holed up.
Pakistan on Sunday ordered a judicial probe into sectarian clashes in Rawalpindi that killed at least 10 people as authorities imposed curfew for the second day, turning the garrison city into a ghost town.
Officials said that 18 died after the building collapsed while 96 others were rushed to hospitals with injuries
Incidents of arson, firing and vandalism were reported from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Punjab as protesters agitated against the dilution of the SC/ST Act.
Many in the BJP believe that postponing the UP elections even by a month will allow the negative perception against demonetisation to dissipate.
Over 16,000 families in Pakistan refused to vaccinate their children against polio during the first two days of the latest round of polio campaign in the country, as community opposition and Taliban threats block efforts to eradicate the crippling disease from the country.
The Election Commission, however, termed the allegations 'baseless'.
'Maoists are enraged that the media is reporting the truth.' 'They want to physically isolate the media and psychologically isolate the villagers who have found the confidence to speak to the press about the real situation.' 'Like terrorism ended in Punjab, Naxalism will end in Chhattisgarh,' the AIIMS doctor-turned IPS officer and SP of Dantewada tells Rediff.com's Archana Masih.
The scene of the blast along the B C Road was sealed off by police and a massive hunt has been launched to nab the grenade thrower, Inspector General of Police, Jammu, M K Sinha said.
The film faces opposition from fringe Rajput groups, who allege that it distorts history and show Queen Padmavati in "poor light".
President Pranab Mukherjee has greeted the nation on the occasion of Holi and said that the festival of colours promotes oneness and harmony as well as bring happiness and prosperity to all.
'The government must find worthwhile private owners for some of the banks, increase the share of private sector banking in the system, and then ask the remaining government banks to face the discipline of the market and compete, or shrink into irrelevance,' says T N Ninan.
'Jaish e Mohammed has been allowed to resurge through supported terror actions in J&K in a deliberate tactic by Pakistan, if only to reduce the international pressure on the Lashkar e Taiba leadership after 26/11,' points out Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at the Research and Analysis Wing, India's external intelligence agency.
Modi has been relentless in building his brand regardless of banks having a problem of fraudulent and unauthorised transactions with his companies.
Celebration of Holi at Mathura, Vrindavan and Barsana in Uttar Pradesh is world famous and it attracts tourists from across the globe.
The Paytm employee, who tested positive for the contagious disease with flu like symptoms on Wednesday, came in touch with 91 people in Gurgaon, an official said, citing his counterpart in the suburban town.
'When people who are safe in their homes think that everything is peaceful -- 'kuch nahi ho raha hai' -- it is because a band of soldiers has already stopped that from happening and the anti-nationals have been neutralised.'
'The bad dream can turn into a ghoulish nightmare for the BJP if the Gujjars in Rajasthan and the Patels in Gujarat, both BJP-ruled states, were to fish in troubled waters and relaunch their respective agitations for quotas in government jobs,' warns Rajeev Sharma.