New Delhi: With just two days left for voting in the Delhi Assembly polls, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal said on Monday his party has distributed spy cameras and and body cameras among people in slum areas to capture “wrongdoings” and “electoral malpractices” by the BJP and its “goons”.

In a video message released on the final day of campaigning for the February 5 polls, Kejriwal said the AAP is heading towards a historic victory and the BJP its worst defeat in its existence and that is why it is resorting to “unfair tactics”.

“We have distributed spy cameras and body cameras among people living in slum areas to capture the misdeeds of BJP’s goons. We have also formed multiple Quick Response Teams (QRTs) which will reach such locations within 15 minutes to prevent unconstitutional activities and ensure the perpetrators are arrested.” the AAP chief said.

“The BJP will use its goons and Delhi Police extensively to win the elections. They will try to intimidate voters, especially those in slum areas,” he claimed.

There was no immediate reaction from the BJP to Kejriwal’s allegations.

The former Delhi chief minister alleged BJP workers would attempt to bribe slum-dwellers by offering Rs 3,000-Rs 5,000 and marking their fingers with black ink to prevent them from voting on election day.

“Take their money, but do not let them put ink on your finger,” he urged voters.

Cautioning them against the alleged BJP manipulations, Kejriwal claimed the party would demolish slums if voted to power. “Selling your votes would be like signing your own death warrant,” he said.

Delhi goes to polls on February 5 and the results on February 8 will determine whether the AAP retains power or if Delhi sees a change in leadership.

On the final day of campaigning, the BJP has scheduled 22 roadshows and rallies across Delhi, intensifying its bid to reclaim power in the capital after more than 25 years.

On the other hand, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) remains confident of securing a third straight term, banking on its governance model of free welfare schemes.

The Congress, which ruled the capital for 15 years until 2013, is striving to regain its lost ground after drawing a blank in the last two elections.

Pune: A gram panchayat in Maharashtra’s Sangli district has passed a resolution supporting the use of ballot papers instead of EVMs in future elections to “protect the Constitution,” a gram sabha member has said.

Bahe village in Walva tehsil of Sangli district is perhaps the second village in western Maharashtra to pass a resolution discarding EVMs for ballot papers.

In December, the gram sabha of Kolewadi village in Karad (south) constituency in Satara district resolved to cast votes in future polls on ballot papers.

“The gram sabha in Bahe village passed a resolution recently supporting the use of ballot papers in all future elections instead of Electronic Voting Machines. We also appeal to other villages and their respective gram panchayats to pass similar resolutions to safeguard and protect the Constitution and democracy,” said a Bahe gram sabha member.

The villagers submitted the resolution to the tehsildar, he said.

These resolutions were passed amid the doubts cast by Opposition leaders on the credibility of Electronic Voting Machines post the victory of BJP and allies in the Maharashtra assembly elections in November.

A section of villagers from Markadwadi in the Malshiras constituency in Solapur district attempted to conduct a mock poll on ballot papers raising doubt over EVMs, following the reduced victory margin of the NCP (SP) candidate.

New Delhi: Ahead of the assembly polls in the city, TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday launched a scathing attack on the ruling AAP over the lack of infrastructure development and dubbed the Delhi model as a “total failure”.

Naidu, whose Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is an ally of the ruling NDA at the Centre, took a jibe at the AAP government, saying Delhi has a “half-engine sarkar”, and needs a double engine sarkar to achieve development.

Speaking to reporters after an election campaign in the national capital, he highlighted lack of infrastructure development in the capital over the last decade.

“In Delhi, you cannot differentiate between drinking and drainage water” despite Central government schemes like AMRUT and Jal Jeevan Mission, he claimed.

These two schemes were not implemented because the credit will go to the BJP-led central government, he said, adding even Swachh Bharat Mission was not implemented here.

He also said “weather and political pollution” were plaguing Delhi.

Underlining that performance and better living standards are becoming relevant and not ideology, Naidu said “poor people in Delhi have to think if they want to live permanently in slums without proper amenities and opportunities.”

He also questioned the sustainability of welfare politics without wealth creation.

“Without creating wealth, what is the right of a politician to distribute wealth?” he asked, calling for a national debate on the issue.

Drawing from his political experience since 1978, Naidu highlighted the stark contrast between Delhi’s current state and its historical position as a career-building hub.

“Originally, Delhi used to be home for building careers. It was our pride.Today, nobody is coming here. People are going from Delhi to other places for livelihood and opportunities,” he observed.

On development projects, he asked if there “have been any infra projects in the last 10 years? Long back, the metro had come. Nothing has been done.”

Naidu termed Delhi’s controversial liquor policy as the “worst scam” compared to other corruption cases and spoke about his own experience of introducing Extra Neutral Alcohol (ENA) in 1995 to reduce impurities in liquor.

Advocating for a development-focused approach, Naidu proposed his “P4” model — public, private, and people’s partnership — to address poverty.

He suggested that the top 10 percent of high-net-worth individuals should adopt the bottom 20 percent to improve living standards.

Expressing confidence in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, Naidu endorsed the vision of India becoming a developed nation by 2047.

He cited the success of his own “Hyderabad model” from 1995, which he said has made the city “the most livable place” with the highest per capita income in Telangana.

“In Delhi, it is half engine Sarkar. All these things are possible with the double engine Sarkar,” he said, adding that Andhra Pradesh is benefiting as an ally of the NDA.

“Some people ask what have we got? We have got everything I am confident on that (collaboration with the central government,” he said, noting, “Always, one should be at the right place, right time, and with the right people. Then things will happen automatically.”

Naidu further said the Centre has given oxygen for Andhra Pradesh which was on a ventilator. Several projects are sanctioned for the state, more are required. “We are confident of development.”

In China too, economic development transcends political ideology, he said and urged Delhi voters to understand the gravity of the situation.

Even caste and religion is reality and one needs to respect them for inclusive development, he added.

Addressing the Congress-AAP rift, Naidu emphasised development over ideology. “Be on the right side, not on the left side, then you can move forward. Otherwise, on the left side, you will be ignored and isolated,” he said, adding that “right development is right politics.”

The Andhra Pradesh chief minister stressed that only sustainable wealth creation can support welfare measures, urging a shift in political discourse from ideological lines to developmental priorities.

“Some people have created wealth in 30 years and managed everything. Some people will come and destroy everything. Whose interest is this? We have to discuss this. Development has to go on and you cannot derail (development) with political and public policies for cheap popularity,” Naidu said.

AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge

Belagavi: In a strict warning to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday said that those who insult the Congress party and its values will be burnt.

Speaking at the ‘Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhana’ conference organized by the Congress party at CPED Maidan in Belagavi, Kharge condemned the BJP for its disrespect towards the Constitution and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar ( Chief Architect of the Constitution).

Referring to the BJP leaders, Kharge stated, “Those who burned the Constitution and Ambedkar’s portrait at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi should not teach us a lesson. If you insult us, you will be burnt,” emphasizing the Congress party’s commitment to safeguarding the nation’s democratic values. The Congress leader also criticized the BJP for their changing stance on Ambedkar, noting that it was the Congress party that made Ambedkar the Chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee.

Kharge further attacked the BJP for its treatment of Ambedkar’s legacy, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of relegating Ambedkar’s statue to a corner of Parliament, contrasting it with Indira Gandhi’s efforts to place it prominently. “Ambedkar’s statue was unveiled in front of Parliament during Indira Gandhi’s time. Now Modi has placed Ambedkar’s statue in a corner of Parliament,” Kharge remarked.

In his speech, Kharge stressed that the Congress, under leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Gandhiji, had supported Ambedkar’s vision, citing his unopposed election to the Rajya Sabha. He also pointed out that the BJP and RSS did not hoist the tricolor in their offices for 50 years, while Rahul Gandhi had led the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, symbolizing the true spirit of the Constitution.

Kharge further criticised the BJP, accusing them of honoring Nathuram Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi, while failing to follow Gandhi’s principles.

He also pointed out the hypocrisy of the current government for failing to address the struggles of farmers, laborers, and the poor in the country. “The government is not worried about the farmers’ crops, nor has there been any thought of reducing fertilizer prices,” he lamented.

The Senior Congress leader also spoke on the sacrifices of previous Congress leaders like Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, and Manmohan Singh, highlighting the pivotal laws brought during their tenures, including the RTI, Food Security Act, and Forest Rights. “Has the NDA government given any program for the poor?” he questioned.

“If Congress is strong anywhere in the country, it is only in Karnataka,” he asserted.

Furthermore he praised Priyanka Gandhi as a powerful woman who, like Rani Channamma of Belagavi, is fighting for the country’s self-respect.

Prominent Congress leaders, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar, Priyanka Gandhi, K.C. Venugopal, and Randeep Singh Surjewala, along with several ministers, MLAs, and senior party officials, attended the event.

Washington (PTI): US President Donald Trump said he likes both sides of the argument on H-1B foreign guest workers’ visa, noting that he likes “very competent people” coming into the country and that he has used the programme.

“I like both sides of the argument, but I also like very competent people coming into our country, even if that involves them training and helping other people that may not have the qualifications they do. But I don’t want to stop — and I’m not just talking about engineers, I’m talking about people at all levels,” Trump told reporters at the White House during a joint news conference with Oracle CTO Larry Ellison, Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son, and Open AI CEO Sam Altman.

The president was responding to a question on the ongoing debate on H-1B visa within his support base.

While his close confidants like Elon Musk, the Tesla owner, supports H-1B visa as it brings in qualified tech professionals, many of his supporters oppose it arguing that it takes away jobs from Americans.

“We want competent people coming into our country. And H-1B, I know the programme very well. I use the programme. Maître d’, wine experts, even waiters, high-quality waiters — you’ve got to get the best people. People like Larry, he needs engineers, Masa also needs… they need engineers like nobody’s ever needed them,” Trump said.

“So, we have to have quality people coming in. Now by doing that, we’re expanding businesses and that takes care of everybody. So I’m sort of on both sides of the argument, but what I really do feel is that we have to let really competent people, great people, come into our country. And we do that through the H-1B programme,” Trump added.

Raichur: At least four persons including three students were killed and ten others injured when the vehicle they were travelling in overturned in the wee hours of Wednesday in this district, police said.

The vehicle was carrying students of Mantralaya Sanskrit Pathashala were on a pilgrimage to Hampi to offer prayers at Narahari Temple. Police said the accident occurred near Araginamara Camp in Sindhanur.

Deceased students have been identified as Aryavandan (18), Sucheendra (22) and Abhilash (20). Driver Shiva (24) too lost his life in this accident. The 10 injured people have been admitted to a local hospital.

The Sindhanur police visited the spot, shifted the bodies to the mortuary and injured to the hospital. Sindhanur Traffic Police Station registered a case.

Barabanki: Two men, including a journalist, have been arrested here for allegedly making objectionable social media comments on the Maha Kumbh and Hindu deities, police said on Wednesday.

The two were held Tuesday evening after their remarks sparked anger among some members of the Hindu community, prompting the police to issue an alert for enhanced social media monitoring.

City Kotwali SHO Alok Mani Tripathi said, “Kamran Alvi was arrested after he posted a video related to the Maha Kumbh. It offended some people. The higher authorities took note of the video.

“The accused was promptly arrested, and a case was registered under section 299 (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the BNS Act for insulting religious symbols. He will be presented in the court,” Tripathi said.

Alvi describes himself as a journalist on Facebook where he has more than 9,000 followers. He runs a news portal.

Police said they are investigating others involved in the circulation of the video.

In the second case, SHO Amit Pratap Singh said, “Abhishek Kumar, a resident of Boja village near Jaidpur, made objectionable remarks on social media about Hindu deities and the Maha Kumbh. A case has been registered and the accused arrested”.

Being organised after 12 years, the Maha Kumbh — one of the most significant Hindu pilgrimages — kicked off on January 13 in Prayagraj and would continue till February 26.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday extended its stay on the Allahabad High Court’s order that permitted a court-monitored survey of the Shahi Idgah mosque complex in Mathura.

The complex is located adjacent to the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple, a site of significant religious importance for Hindus.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and justices Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan said it will defer the hearing on the plea of the ‘Committee of Management of Trust Shahi Masjid Idgah’ against the court-monitored survey of the mosque complex in the week commencing April 1.

The CJI said there were three issues pending now with the apex court and they are “the issue of an intra-court appeal (against consolidation of lawsuits filed by the Hindu litigants), the other one is the Act (challenge to the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991) itself. List in the week commencing April 1.”

The bench said in the meanwhile the interim order of the Allahabad High Court staying the court-monitored survey of the Shahi Idgah mosque complex will continue to operate.

The top court, on January 16 last year, had first stayed the operation of the December 14, 2023 order of the high court.

The high court had allowed a court-monitored survey of the Shahi Idgah mosque complex and agreed to the appointment of a court commissioner to oversee it.

The Hindu side claims the premises hold signs suggesting that a temple once existed at the site.

Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, appearing for the Hindu parties, had said the appeal of the mosque committee was filed against the December 14, 2023 order of the high court and connected orders in the matter had become infructuous.

“All these petitions have become infructuous as the high court has pronounced its order later,” he said.

Jain referred to the subsequent order of the high court by which it rejected a plea of the Muslim parties challenging the maintainability of 18 cases related to the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah dispute in Mathura, and ruled that the religious character of the mosque needs to be determined.

The high court had dismissed the Muslim side’s contention that the suits filed by the Hindu litigants relating to the dispute over the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple and the adjacent mosque violated the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act of 1991 and therefore were not maintainable.

The 1991 Act prohibits changing the religious character of any shrine from what existed on the day of the country’s Independence. It exempted only the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute from its purview.

In Mathura, a suit was filed in the court of Civil Judge Senior Division (III) for shifting the Shahi Idgah mosque, claiming that it was constructed on a part of the 13.37 acre land of the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Trust.

The Hindu side had requested the high court to conduct the original trial like it had done in the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi title dispute.

While allowing the plea for a court-monitored survey, the high court had said that no harm should be caused to the structure during the exercise which it indicated could be overseen by a three-member commission of advocates.

Rajouri/Jammu: The remote Badhaal village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district was on Wednesday declared a containment zone and prohibitory orders imposed on all public and private gatherings in the wake of the death of 17 people belonging to three families, officials said.

Another person belonging to the village has been admitted to a hospital in a critical condition, they said.

The containment orders have been imposed under section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). Section 163 of BNSS gives magistrates the power to issue written orders in urgent situations. These orders can be used to prevent or remedy nuisance or dangers.

According to the order issued by additional district magistrate (Rajouri) Rajeev Kumar Khajuria, the village has been divided into three containment zones – the first covering all families where deaths have occurred.

“The houses of these affected families shall be sealed and entry will be totally restricted for all individuals, including their family members, unless otherwise authorized by the designated officers/officials.”

In the containment zone 2, the order said the members of all families identified as close contacts of affected individuals be shifted to Government Medical College, Rajouri for continuous health monitoring which is mandatory.

All households will be covered under the containment zone-3 and staff will be deployed to ensure the continuous monitoring of food consumption, deployment of police personnel to enforce compliance and deployment of designated officers for maintenance of log books, the order said.

“All public and private gatherings are hereby prohibited within the jurisdiction of these containment zones, in order to prevent further spread of the infection,” the order said.

It said the designated officials shall be responsible for monitoring all meals provided to families in containment zones.

“It is mandatory for affected families and their close contacts to consume only the food and water provided by the administration. Any other food items available in the households are strictly prohibited for consumption,” the order said.

It ordered immediate replacement of all food and water supplies, and seizure of all edible materials in the infected households.

The fresh steps were taken after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah visited the village on Tuesday.

Seventeen persons belonging to three families linked to each other have died under suspicious circumstances in the village between December 7 and January 19.

A 24-year-old man identified as Aijaz Ahmad was hospitalised on Tuesday evening after his health deteriorated.