Bhopal: In Ujjain, western Madhya Pradesh, on July 19, 2023, municipal officials, accompanied by police, swiftly demolished a three-story building owned by Ashraf Hussain Mansoori (43) to the resonating tunes of the devotional Hindu song “Govinda Govinda” and the rhythmic beats of drums. The demolition occurred just half an hour after serving a backdated notice, supposedly addressed to Mansoori’s deceased mother. This abrupt action left a dozen individuals, spanning three families, and homeless, with most lacking any criminal record or accusations.

The demolition transpired following an accusation by a group of Hindu youth, who claimed that three teenagers, including two minors, had deliberately spat on a Hindu religious procession from the rooftop of Mansoori’s building. As rumors circulated about Muslims allegedly spitting on the religious procession, attendees of the rally verbally abused Mansoori’s family and Muslims in general. Outside the local Kharakua police station, Hindu fundamentalists gathered, demanding swift action.

Based on a complaint filed by Sawan Lot (28), a devotee from Indore who traveled 55 km to join the religious procession, the Ujjain police arrested the three teenagers under five sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860: 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings), 153-A (offense committed in a place of worship), 296 (disturbing religious assembly), 505 (statements conducing to public mischief), and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention). Among the accused were Mansoori’s sons, aged 18 and 15, and their 15-year-old friend.

Five months later, on December 15, 2023, Sawan Lot and his friend, witness Ajay Khatri, recanted their statements before the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh high court. They asserted that they had neither identified the accused nor witnessed them spitting on the procession. In written statements, they disclosed that the police had coerced them to sign the complaint, despite inconsistencies with a portion of the First Information Report (FIR).

On the same date, the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh high court granted bail to Adnan Mansoori, Ashraf’s 18-year-old son, who had been incarcerated for 151 days since July 18. The judge noted that Ajay Khatri, the eyewitness, had also turned hostile, failing to support the prosecution’s case.

In July 2023, Article 14 interviewed a former high court justice, two former director generals of police, and a Supreme Court lawyer, all of whom asserted that the arrests of the teenagers, the drumming, and the demolition of the Mansooris’ homes were not in accordance with due process and were illegal, violating the Constitution.

The demolition of the Mansooris’ building mirrored similar actions targeting properties of alleged wrongdoers, especially in states directly administered or controlled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Over the past year, Ujjain itself experienced more than two dozen such demolitions. Other states where such property demolitions have occurred in recent years, in violation of Supreme Court orders prohibiting the demolition of unauthorized constructions without affording the owner an opportunity for a hearing, include New Delhi, Madhya Pradesh (MP), and Gujarat. Notably, this form of collective punishment, primarily targeting Muslims, has been documented.

In the Mansooris’ case, the municipal corporation’s claim that the building was “dangerous” lacked evidential support, and conflicting statements from various officials were reported by Article 14.

Despite numerous attempts over a week to obtain comments from Ujjain Superintendent of Police Sachin Sharma, he remained unavailable.

The judge noted that Ajay Khatri, the eyewitness, had also turned hostile and did not support the prosecution’s case.

Website ‘Article 14’ spoke to a former high court justice, two former director generals of police, and a Supreme Court lawyer in July 2023, who unanimously stated that the arrests of the teenagers, the drumming, and the demolition of the Mansooris’ homes were not conducted in accordance with due process, being deemed illegal and violative of the Constitution.

The demolition of the Mansooris’ building reflected similar incidents targeting properties of alleged wrongdoers, particularly in states directly administered or controlled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Ujjain alone witnessed over two dozen such demolitions in the past year. Other states, such as New Delhi, Madhya Pradesh (MP), and Gujarat, have similarly engaged in property demolitions in recent years, in contravention of Supreme Court orders prohibiting the demolition of unauthorized constructions without giving the owner an opportunity for a hearing. This form of collective punishment, primarily affecting Muslims, has been extensively documented.

In the Mansooris’ situation, the municipal corporation’s claim that the building was “dangerous” lacked supporting evidence, and Article 14 reported conflicting statements from various officials.

Despite making multiple attempts over a week to obtain comments from Ujjain Superintendent of Police Sachin Sharma, he remained unresponsive, accoridng to ‘Article 14’.

The judge observed that Ajay Khatri, the eyewitness, had also become uncooperative and did not endorse the prosecution’s case.

The excuse presented by the municipal corporation in the Mansooris’ case, asserting that the building was “dangerous,” was not substantiated by evidence, and various officials’ statements were contradictory, as reported by Article 14.

Despite persistent efforts over a week to secure a response from Ujjain Superintendent of Police Sachin Sharma, he remained unattainable.

The order from Justice Verma highlighted that the investigation was concluded, and Adnan Mansoori had no criminal record. Considering these factors, the court deemed it appropriate to grant bail to the applicant.

Vivek Singh, Adnan Mansoori’s counsel in the high court, informed Article 14 that both the complainant and the witness had testified in court, stating that they had not identified the accused and were not in agreement with the relevant portions of the FIR.

Adnan’s bail was granted two months after the Indore high court had already granted bail to both minors on September 19, 2023.

Justice Verma remarked that the juvenile court’s decisions to reject their bail petitions on two occasions were deemed as “errors” in light of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000. The judge emphasized that there was no possibility of the two minors associating with known criminals or being exposed to “moral, physical, or psychological danger” if released on bail.

On July 19 and again on July 24, the minors’ lawyer, Umesh Sharma, submitted bail applications, which were turned down by the juvenile justice board and subsequently by a children’s court.

Despite being mentioned in the FIR, the police failed to present court videos of the incident as evidence. Advocate Devendra Sengar, who represented Adnan Mansoori in the lower court and assisted in the high court petition, pointed out that the chargesheet filed by the Ujjain police referred to only one video of the alleged incident as evidence. According to Sengar, the video purportedly showed a minor in a skullcap standing on the roof with a water bottle in hand.

In the high court proceedings, the police requested time to provide the video evidence, but this did not materialize, as noted by Sengar.

Sawal Lot, in the FIR lodged at Kharakua police station on July 17, 2023, claimed that he had come to Ujjain on a pilgrimage with his friends Yogesh Bagmar and Ajay Khatri to participate in the religious procession. Lot accused Adnan Mansoori, who had recently turned 18 in May 2023, and the two minors of spitting water on the religious procession from the roof with the intent to hurt religious sentiments.

However, in a written statement to Ujjain’s first-class judicial magistrate Priyanka Solanki on October 28, 2023, Sawan Lot stated that he went to Ujjain with his friends to witness the ‘Mahakal Sawari’ (procession with an idol of the temple deity) on July 17, 2023. Around 7 pm, a disturbance occurred near the Tanki Square area of Ujjain, and the police evacuated the area, taking some devotees, including Lot, to the Kharakua police station.

Lot revealed that he later realized that the police had taken his signature on his statement and a panchnama (an inquest report by police including accounts of five witnesses), based on which the FIR was lodged and a chargesheet was filed.

Lot asserted that he was misquoted in many places, specifically referring to the FIR. He clarified that he did not claim Musam Jaiswal, who recorded the video of the incident, as his friend, and he did not state that the incident had offended his religious sentiments.

“Police never actually took my statement,” he alleged.

Lot testified that he was incorrectly quoted in the panchnama regarding having viewed videos before the arrest to confirm the identity of the accused. He stated, “I have no knowledge of this,” expressing confusion about why the police included this information in the report.

Nearly two weeks after Lot’s testimony, on November 11, 2023, witness Ajay Khatri provided his written statement before the first-class judicial magistrate. Khatri’s two-page statement emphasized that he neither witnessed the alleged incident nor was present when it occurred. He asserted that he did not know the accused and could not identify them. Similar to Lot, Khatri claimed that the police had misquoted him in the FIR.

Following the filing of the FIR, Ujjain police arrested all three accused from their homes in a late-night operation. The day after the arrest, around 9 am on July 19, 2023, Ashraf Hussain Mansoori received a phone call from a local police station officer informing him, “Your son has committed a crime, your house will have to be demolished.”

Thirty minutes later, at 9:30 am, a municipal officer affixed a notice on the ground floor of the three-story building where the Mansoori brothers and their parents had lived for more than half a century. Addressed to Shahjan Bee, the Mansoori brothers’ deceased mother, the notice stated, “This is to inform you that your dangerous construction has not been razed so far.” It notified the family, for the last time as per section 436 of the Madhya Pradesh Municipalities Act, 1961, that they must remove their dangerous building or face its removal by the administration. The notice warned of the family being liable to pay for the labor charges of the demolition.

Ashraf Hussain Mansoori later alleged that the reason for this action was that the building was not illegal. Had it been an unauthorized construction, according to the Madhya Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act, 1956, the government would have had to issue him a 14-day notice and wait for his explanation before taking further action.

Approximately an hour after the notice was affixed, a bulldozer, accompanied by drummers and a truck with loudspeakers, arrived. As the Mansooris and their astonished families looked on, a devotional Hindu song, “Govinda Govinda,” performed by the popular singer Kailash Kher, blared from the loudspeakers. Drummers played their drums, a police contingent observed, and within two hours, their residence on Chandrashekhar Azad Lane in Tanki Chowk—and the small provision store run by Ahsraf Hussain Mansoori on the ground floor—was reduced to rubble.

A dozen men, women, and children from three families were left homeless, the majority of whom had no criminal record and were never accused of any crime. The municipal corporation’s excuse that the building was “dangerous” lacked any supporting evidence.

Following the demolition, Ashish Agarwal, spokesperson for the Madhya Pradesh BJP, issued a statement outlining the government’s intentions in the case.

Regarding the demolition, advocate Sengar noted that the district administration had taken a similar stance in unrelated cases. He cited an instance where Muslim shopkeepers accused of selling prohibited Chinese kite strings in Ujjain had their homes razed. Referring to a demolition carried out in the aftermath of the December 25, 2020 clash in Ujjain, Sengar recounted a situation where an illegal building, from which a Muslim woman was seen in a video pelting stones, was initially targeted. However, upon arrival, officials discovered that the building belonged to a Hindu; the Muslim woman had been a tenant. Subsequently, the corporation razed the adjacent building owned by a Muslim who had no connection to the clash, according to Sengar.

Representing several Muslims in cases related to illegal demolition, wrongful arrest, and allegations of raising pro-Pakistan slogans, Sengar highlighted the broader pattern of such incidents.

Meanwhile, for the past five months, the Mansooris have resided in a rented home, sustaining their livelihood by reopening the shop that was bulldozed along with their three-story building. Asgar Hussain Mansoori, the elder brother of Ashraf Hussain Mansoori, mentioned that they managed to reopen the shop with minimal repairs to support the family. Rebuilding the demolished home will be more challenging, requiring both finances and permissions.

Even with the complainant and witness turning hostile in court, the family has no plans to file a complaint against the municipal corporation or the police officials who filed the FIR based on superficial allegations without any evidence.

“We thank God that our children have returned home,” expressed Akbar Hussain, Ashraf Hussain’s other brother. “We want nothing else.

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Sunday sought suggestions from the people of the state to curb the menace of stray dogs after a 7-month-old boy was mauled to death recently.

The child was attacked by a pack of dogs in Bhopal’s Ayodhya Nagar on Wednesday. A video of the gruesome incident, in which his arm was severed, went viral on social media.

“To prevent such incidents, it is necessary suggestions are invited from people so that appropriate measures can be taken,” Yadav said.

Expressing pain over the Bhopal incident, Yadav also directed officials to provide financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh to the bereaved family, who are labourers hailing from Guna district.

The body of the child was exhumed, after the family held the last rites on Wednesday itself, and was sent for post mortem on Saturday, police said.

Ayodhya Nagar inspector Mahesh Nilhare said the child’s mother had placed him on the ground to work nearby and a pack of dogs lurking around attacked him.

After the incident, the Bhopal Municipal Corporation caught eight stray dogs from Ayodhya Nagar, while the collector has directed that a campaign be run to catch such animals, officials said.

Imphal: Lok Sabha MP Danish Ali, who remains suspended by the BSP, on Sunday announced his decision to join Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, saying he would be failing in his duty as a politician if he did not join “biggest drive for unity and justice”.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) had suspended Ali last month for “anti-party” activities.

Ali had been actively joining opposition ranks in attacking the BJP and its policies even though the Mayawati-led BSP has maintained a distance from the ruling alliance as well as the opposition bloc INDIA.

In a post on X, Ali announced after landing in Imphal that he has decided to join the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.

“This is a very important moment for me. I have arrived here after much soul-searching. I had two options either to accept the status quo and ignore the exploitation of Dalits, backwards, tribals, minorities and other marginalised and poor sections, or to launch an all-out campaign against this atmosphere of fear, hate, exploitation and the deepening divide in the country,” he said.

“My conscience pushed me to take the second option. Taking this decision came naturally to me as I was myself at the receiving end of a similar attack in Parliament, where swear words were used by a member of the ruling party against me and my religion,” the BSP leader said.

BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri had used derogatory words for Ali in Parliament which had led to a massive outrage and the matter was sent to privilege committee before which the BJP MP had expressed regret.

Ali claimed that his call for justice and action against the “guilty member of Parliament fell on deaf ears”.

“Instead of punishing my attacker, the ruling establishment rewarded him. I have realised that the attack on me was part of a larger plan to create an atmosphere of fear and hate in the country,” Ali alleged.

“In that hour of distress, Rahul Gandhi ji was the first leader to express solidarity with me and stand by me and my family,” he asserted.

The purpose of Rahul Gandhi’s yatra is to get justice for the marginalised and for the exploited sections, Ali said.

“This yatra is a call for action against divisive forces. This yatra is a drive to unite the people of our country against fear, hate, exploitation and divisiveness. I have decided to join him in this yatra because I feel I would be failing in my duty as a politician and a social worker if I did not join the biggest drive for unity and justice,” the Lok Sabha MP said.

He wished for success of the yatra and for the future of the country.

Ali was on the stage when the march was starting.

The yatra will traverse 6,713 km, mostly in buses. It will cover 100 Lok Sabha constituencies, 110 districts in 67 days, before culminating in Mumbai on March 20 or 21.

Bengaluru: The departure of 44 flights from Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru was delayed on Sunday due to bad weather in several cities, an official here said.

According to the Airport official, a thick layer of mist at KIA Bengaluru, delayed the landing of some flights at the city airport.

Consequently, the departure of 44 flights was delayed, the official said, attributing it to bad weather in many cities including Bengaluru. Of these 44, seven were flights to Delhi, while one was diverted from Chennai to Bengaluru.

Palanpur: A truck driver was arrested for allegedly offering ‘namaz’ (prayers) on the side of a busy road without permission in Gujarat’s Banaskantha district, police said Sunday.

A case was registered against Bachal Khan (37) after a video surfaced on social media, in which he was seen offering prayers in front of his truck parked on the side of a busy crossroad near Palanpur city, an official from Palanpur (west) police station said.

The accused offered ‘namaz’ after stopping his truck at a busy crossroad on a highway on Friday, he said, adding that someone shot a video which went viral on social media, prompting police action.

A first information report (FIR) was registered against Khan under sections 283 (danger in public way), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharging duties) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), he said.

The accused was placed under arrest on Saturday, the official said.

Hamilton: New Zealand overcame the loss of its captain in an innings that faltered late to beat Pakistan by 21 runs in the second Twenty20 International Sunday, taking a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

The Black Caps failed to build on the foundation of the first half of its innings, making 194 for eight batting first after being 111 for one at the end of 10 overs. The batting slump followed captain Kane Williamson retiring hurt after 10 overs with a tight hamstring.

Pakistan also stumbled in the second half of its innings and was bowled out for 173 in the 20th over.

Williamson is making a managed return from a serious knee injury and New Zealand would fear any setback to his rehabilitation. But, while he didn’t field, Williamson was still padded up and apparently prepared to bat at the end of the New Zealand innings.

Finn Allen’s 74 from 41 balls set a cracking pace early on in the New Zealand innings. Allen put on 59 in 5.1 overs with Devon Conway (20) for the first wicket and 52 in 4.9 overs with Williamson before the Kiwi captain retired hurt on 26.

The innings began to falter at that point and New Zealand lost three for 35 between the 11th and 16th overs. Allen was out at 137 for two, then Daryl Mitchell fell at 147 and Mark Chapman followed at 157 as the innings began to trend sharply downwards.

Mitchell Santner made a bright 25 before being wastefully run out as New Zealand lost its last seven wickets for 55 runs.

“It was a good surface which we’ve come to expect here at Sedden Park and the way Finn Allen and the boys at the top set it up was very pleasing,” New Zealand’s stand-in captain Tim Southee said. “But Pakistan pulled it back well and the two innings were quite similar in a way.” New Zealand was relieved Pakistan also produced an innings of two halves. It looked well on course to level the series when Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman made half-centuries in an 87-run partnership for the third wicket.

Fakhar reached his half-century from 23 balls with three fours and five sixes and seemed likely to follow Allen in providing the impetus for a substantial innings. But, he was out at that score and the onus once again fell on Babar to guide Pakistan home.

He made 57 and was the anchor of Pakistan’s innings in the first international at Auckland on Friday when the tourists fell 46 runs short in a demanding run chase.

Babar followed his 31st T20 international half-century with his 32nd Sunday, again as the bulwark of the Pakistan batting.

But, he fell for 66 to the first ball of the 18th over when Pakistan was 153-5, needing 42 from the last 18 balls.

He was out to the bowling of speedster Ben Sears as he was in the first match and his dismissal again heralded the beginning of the end for Pakistan.

Sears, Adam Milne and Southee helped New Zealand put the brakes on Pakistan at the end of its innings. Milne took four for 33, Sears two for 28, Southee two for 31 and Ish Sodhi took two for 33 after conceding 19 runs from his first over.

“Milne was outstanding with the ball and Sears is a young guy who shows a lot of character at this level,” Southee said.

“I think Ish Sodhi shouldn’t be overlooked in his effort to come back and get two vital wickets for us.”

Thoubal: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday embarked on the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from here in Manipur with a promise to bring peace and harmony in the ethnic violence-hit state.

The violence that broke out in the northeastern state in May last year has claimed more than 180 lives and rendered thousands homeless.

Addressing a public meeting in Thoubal, which is south of Manipur capital Imphal, Gandhi also hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying perhaps for the BJP and the RSS, Manipur was not a part of India.

“Lakhs of people faced losses, but the prime minister has not come here to wipe your tears, hold your hand or embrace you. Maybe for Narendra Modi, the BJP and the RSS, Manipur is not a part of India. Your pain is not their pain,” Gandhi said.

“We understand the pain that the people of Manipur have been through, we understand the hurt, the sadness. We will bring back harmony, peace and affection for which this state was known,” he said.

The yatra will cover a distance of 6,713 km, straddling 100 Lok Sabha constituencies and 337 assembly segments and covering 110 districts. It will conclude in Mumbai on March 20 after 67 days.

Earlier, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also slammed the prime minister, saying that he came to the northeastern state only to seek votes and not to share the grief when the people of the state are in pain.

“Modi has time to drive by the sea, take a dip in the sea but has not come to Manipur. Modi keeps chanting ‘Ram, Ram’, but he should not do it to seek votes. The BJP mixes religion and politics, and incites people,” he said at the launch of the yatra.

“The BJP has ‘Ram’ on its lips but carries a knife by their side. They should not have such an approach towards people,” the Congress president said.

Kharge said the Congress stood for social justice, secularism and equity. Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is being undertaken to save the Constitution and democracy, and fight the fascist forces, he said.

The Congress president said he was proud that a leader of his party was moving from door-to-door to spread the message of peace.

Earlier, Kharge unveiled the bus on which Gandhi and other Congress leaders will travel from Manipur to Mumbai as part of the yatra.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a meeting with President of Maldives Mohamed Muizzu.

Male: Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu has asked India to withdraw its military personnel from his country by March 15, a senior official here said on Sunday, nearly two months after Male sought their removal.

According to the latest government figures, there are 88 Indian military personnel in the Maldives.

In a press briefing, Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim, the public policy secretary at the President’s Office, said that President Muizzu has formally asked India to withdraw its military personnel by March 15, the SunOnline newspaper reported.

“Indian military personnel cannot stay in the Maldives. This is the policy of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu and that of this administration,” he said.

Maldives and India have set up a high-level core group to negotiate the withdrawal of troops. The group held its first meeting at the Foreign Ministry Headquarters in Male’ on Sunday morning.

The meeting was also attended by Indian High Commissioner Munu Mahawar, the report said.

Nazim confirmed the meeting and said the agenda for the meeting was the request to withdraw troops by March 15.

The Indian government did not immediately confirm the media report or comment on it.

Soon after taking oath as the President of Maldives on November 17 last year, Muizzu, who is regarded as a pro-China leader, formally requested India to withdraw its military personnel from his country, saying the Maldivian people have given him a “strong mandate” to make this request to New Delhi.

The request for the withdrawal of Indian military personnel comes amid a row between the two nations in the backdrop of derogatory comments posted by three deputy ministers of the Muizzu government against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Muizzu suspended the three ministers after their social media postings, which stirred concern in India and calls for a boycott by Indian tourists who ranked highest in numbers followed by Russia. Chinese tourists figured third.

During his just-concluded state visit to China, Muizzu sought to align Maldives closer to Beijing.

Speaking to the press on Saturday after returning from China, President Muizzu indirectly attacked India.

Without naming any country, he said, “We may be small, but that doesn’t give you the license to bully us.”

He also announced plans to reduce the country’s dependency on India, including securing imports of essential food commodities and medicine and consumables from other countries.

“We aren’t in anyone’s backyard. We are an independent and sovereign state,” he said, addressing the reporters gathered at the Velana International Airport.

He said that no country has the right to exert influence over the domestic affairs of a country, regardless of its size.

He vowed that he would not allow any external influence on the domestic affairs of the Maldives.

Male is also reviewing more than 100 bilateral agreements with New Delhi signed by the previous government here.

Kozhikode: The BJP is expected to emerge as the single-largest party in the coming Lok Sabha polls, but its tally can be brought down to a level that its potential allies may no longer be willing to support it and instead back the opposition alliance, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has said.

While talking about the opposition bloc INDIA, he said India is a diverse country and he is perfectly prepared to live with the situation where they don’t have a ”100 per cent agreement in 100 per cent of the states”.

He was speaking at the ongoing Kerala Literature Festival (KLF) here on Saturday.

”I still expect that the BJP will emerge as the single-largest party. But I do believe their numbers can be brought down to a level where their potential allies required to form a government may no longer be willing to ally with them and may be willing to ally with us. So we have to give it a try,” the former Union minister said in a session, ‘India: The Future is Now’.

The diplomat-turned-politician also talked about the difficulties related to seat-sharing among parties in the opposition bloc INDIA — comprising as many as 28 constituents — and said he only hopes to have ”sufficient agreements” in as many states as possible so that ”preventable defeats” can be avoided.

While one state can see an agreement amongst all the opposition parties and have one unified candidate against the BJP, another state might have two or three candidates, in which case ”the voter has to choose the person they consider would best represent them”, he said.

”That’s the best thing they can do, and if it so happens, and there is enough divergence of views, maybe the BJP candidate will win. But that’s democracy in our first-past-the-post system,” he added.

The 67-year-old gave the example of two neighbouring states, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, to buttress his point on why seat-sharing pattern of the INDIA bloc will vary from state to state.

”In Kerala, it is almost impossible to imagine the two major opponents here of the INDIA alliance, namely the CPI(M) and the Congress, ever agreeing on seat-sharing, but right next door in Tamil Nadu, the CPI, CPI(M), Congress and DMK are all allied together and there is no debate, no dispute.

”They already fought the last election together. They are likely to fight this one too,” he said.

Ultimately, according to Tharoor, the most important thing that one needs to remind the people of this country is to vote for the best person in their constituency as those chanting the ‘Modi, Modi’ slogan should know that only the people of Varanasi can vote for him.

”Everybody else has to vote for the best candidate in their places they think represent them well. And if they want to vote only to send Mr Modi that’s their choice, if they want to vote for somebody who will be an effective legislature and who has views that are congenial to them, that’s also their choice and I think we can do that,” he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is elected to the Lok Sabha from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.

Historian William Dalrymple, Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi, American physician-author Abraham Verghese, award-winning author Perumal Murugan and comedian Kanan Gill were among the 400 noted personalities attending the Kerala Literature Festival, which concludes on Sunday.