Lahore, May 8 : At least eight people were killed while 25 others sustained injuries on Wednesday in a blast near Lahore’s Data Darbar, the largest Sufi shrine in south Asia, officials said.

The explosion was reported around 0845 hrs local time this morning.

Five police officers and three civilians were killed in the attack.

As per initial reports the suicide attack was near a car of police elite force which was in the immediate vicinity of Data Darbar in Lahore, local media reported.

Pakistan’s prime minister Imran Khan has condemned the attack.

According to sources, the police’s elite force was made the target of the blast.

Further investigation of the incident is underway.

Debra, May 8 :West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday charged Prime Minister Narendra Modi with “throttling the voices of the people and even the media, through threats”.
She accused him of “running a fascist government”, and asked everyone to oust him from power.
Addressing a public meeting here, located in Paschim Medinipur district, which is part of the Ghatal Lok Sabha constituency, Ms Banerjee underlined the fact that only “Trinamool Congress speaks up against him and his party, and that they will stop the juggernaut of Modi”.
The chief minister said, ” The BJP will lose badly across the country. Narendra Modi is the biggest danger to the country today. “
“The BJP has continuously threatened the media into submitting to its wishes. But we will bell the cat. We will stop the BJP, ” the TMC supremo remarked.
She said, “In 1942, Mahatma Gandhi led the Quit India Movement, and today we are giving the slogan, ‘Modi, stop the fascism and leave. “
“Modi, you never came here when the people really needed you, in times of disaster. You are coming now only because of elections,” Ms Banerjee commented.
The TMC supremo said, ” The BJP’s leaders are saying so many things about winning seats, but they’ll win nothing. “
She said, ” In the name of ‘achhe din’, the BJP increased the prices of gas, petrol and diesel, imposed demonetisation, tortured Adivasis and scheduled castes, turned Bengalis out of Assam using the NRC, Biharis out of Gujarat and other places, and committed several other atrocities; hence we are asking you all now, to save the country, oust Modi’. “
“You have not received any of the benefits promised by Modi. On the other hand, Bengal has reduced unemployment by 40 per cent,” Ms Banerjee allged.
“We want leaders like Gandhiji, Netaji, Babasaheb Ambedkar, Rajendra Prasad, and people like Rabindranath and Kazi Nazrul,” the chief minister said.
“We have done a lot of work for the people. But this election is for electing a new government in Delhi, to change the government which instigates riots, kills people, and which will change the history and geography of the country, and even do away with elections if elected back to power,” she added.

India has asked Pakistan to build a bridge on Ravi river to manage the flow of water and prevent flood damages.

The matter was raised by Indian authorities in an official note to Islamabad during the first week of May.

The issue was earlier raised on April 16 in the second technical meet on Kartarpur .

Work is on in full swing on the Indian side to build the corridor. New Delhi is building a Passenger Terminal Building (PTB ) at the cost of Rs 195 crore on its side of the border, which is expected to be completed by September.

Around 50 acres of land has been demarcated to build the PTB with Rs 10 crore been given as compensation for land acquisition done for the project.

Passenger Terminal Building will be able to cater to 5000 pilgrims per day.

In March, India had postponed the second India-Pakistan official talks over Khalistani concerns.

Khalistani and close aide of Hafiz Saeed, Gopal Singh Chawla was appointed to Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak committee by Pakistan, irking New Delhi. 

The Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak committee will overlook the construction of Kartarpur corridor in Pakistan.

Pakistan is yet to respond on New Delhi’s concerns.

The matter was raised by Indian authorities in an official note to Islamabad during the first week of May.

Agencies

A fine worth Rs 60,000 was imposed on All India Institue of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Rishikesh after it gave out the wwrong report to a person. The report stated that the man was HIV positive.

Haridwar: A fine worth Rs 60,000 was imposed on All India Institue of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Rishikesh after it gave out the wwrong report to a person. The report stated that the man was HIV positive. The fine was levied by the Haridwar consumer forum. 

According to the court, the report “delivered inadequate services thereby causing mental trauma to the complainant”. AIIMS has been asked to pay the fine within a month. The aggrieved was identified as Naseem Ali. 

A resident of Bhagwanpur, the aggrieved had visited the hospital to get an injury treated in July 2014. However, the aggrieved was admitted to the hospital after finding out that his blood was not clotting properly. The aggrieved was then referred to AIIMS Rishikesh. 

At AIIMS, the aggrieved was told that he was HIV positive. After his health kept getting worse, Ali was admitted to the Shri Mahant Indiresh Hospital. It was here that the aggrieved was detected HIV negative. The aggrieved then approached the district consumer forum. ADVERTISING

The complaint was filed against DR BBS Saini Kalawati Hospital, AIIMS Rishikesh and United Indian Insurance Company. Apart from the Rs 50,000 fine of AIIMS Rishikesh, the consumer forum also asked AIIMS to pay Rs 10,000 for “wasting the complainant’s time and energy”. The order of the forum stated that if the fine is paid within one month, annual interest of 6 per cent on the amount. 

While talking to the Times of India, SK Bhama, an advocate stated that the test reports caused mental trauma to the aggrieved. A spokesperson of AIIMS Rishikesh stated that the test result was a documentation error and that they will appeal against the judgement in the state consumer forum. 

Agencies

Of the 11 complaints filed against Modi for poll violations, EC has given a clean chit to the PM in six cases.

The Election Commission has reportedly given clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in two more cases of alleged violation of poll code.

The Congress had moved the Election Commission alleging that PM Modi took out a “road show” after casting his vote on April 23 in Ahmedabad and made political remarks in violation of the model code of conduct.

The EC had sought a report from the chief electoral officer of Gujarat on the matter.

However, the EC has given clean chit to PM Modi in the matter.

Another case relates to a rally by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Chitradurga in Karnataka on April 9, where while greeting first-time voters across the country, he asked them to dedicate their vote to the heroes of Balakot strike.

Citing how a strong government functions, Modi again referred to the Balakot air strike in response to the Pulwama carnage.

“There was a time five years ago when Pakistan’s terrorists used to attack us and Pakistan used to threaten us. Our brave soldiers used to seek permission for action, but the government then sat in fear. This Chowkidar (watchman) has changed the situation. Now if there is fear, it is on the other side of the border. People sitting in power there are getting different types of nightmares… Terrorists are frightened after Balakot attack,” he said in his speech.

“The chief minister (HD Kumaraswamy) here went a step ahead and said the bravery of Indian soldiers should not be spoken because it will affect their vote bank… I want to ask the chief minister whether his vote bank is in India or in Pakistan? The chief minister should clarify,” PM Modi further said.

Under the BJP’s watch it is the policy of “New India” that it will kill terrorists by barging into their dens, he added.

PM Modi had spoken on similar lines earlier on that day in Maharashtra’s Latur. The EC had given him a clean chit in that case as well. However, one of the two election commissioners had given a dissenting view in the decision of the ‘full Election Commission’ to give clean chit to the PM.

Of the 11 complaints filed against Modi for poll violations, EC has given a clean chit to the PM in six cases. However, none of the orders has been published on the poll panel’s website, which is normally done in other cases.

“There were 11 cases, six have been disposed off. The Supreme Court had given us time till Monday to reply. The reply has been filed and the next scheduled hearing is on Wednesday. We will not comment on it as the matter is sub judice,” said the Deputy Election Commissioner Saxena.

Congress MP Sushmita Dev had filed a petition before the Supreme Court seeking urgent and necessary directions to the Election Commission to take a decision on the complaints filed against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah over alleged violations of electoral laws during campaigning.

Following this, the Supreme Court issued a notice to the Election Commission.

Agencies

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will participate in poll rallies of his West Bengal counterpart, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee in the state.

According to a highly-placed source in the Andhra Pradesh government, Naidu will arrive here Wednesday morning and participate in two campaign rallies of Banerjee one scheduled at Jhargram and the second at Haldia.

After spending Wednesday night at Haldia, Naidu, who is also the Telegu Desam Party president, will speak at another campaign rally at Kharagpur the next day, the official told PTI.

After the meeting in Kharagpur, both the chief ministers will head towards Kolkata where they are likely to have a close door meeting on Thursday evening, he said adding Naidu is scheduled to leave that night itself, the source said.

Naidu shares a very cordial relationship with Banerjee. He had joined the Trinamool Congress’ mega opposition rally here in January and visited Banerjee during her dharna in February against CBI’s attempt to question the Kolkata Police chief in connection with chit fund scams.

Banerjee had also participated in a political rally organised by Naidu in Vizag. 

Agencies

Chennai, May 7 : Following is the summary of observations recorded by the
weather office here at 0830 hrs today.
Rainfall occurred at a few places over South Interior Karnataka and at isolated places
over Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Coastal Karnataka.
Dry weather prevailed over Telangana, Lakshadweep and North Interior Karnataka
Chief amounts of rainfall recorded in centimeters:
Coastal Andhra Pradesh: – Palakonda (dist Srikakulam) 1, Chodavaram (dist
Vishakhapatnam) 1 Karnataka- Belur (Hassan dt), Periyapatna (Mysuru dt) 4 each
Holenarasipura (Hassan dt) 3; Bellur (Mandya dt) 2 each; Kunigal (Tumakuru dt) 1 each.
TAMILNADU:-Tiruppur(Tiruppur Dist) 5, Manjalar (Theni Dist) 4, Rasipuram(Namakkal Dist)
3, Usilampatti(Madurai Dist) 2, Kamatchipuram(Dindigul Dist) 1.
Description of temperature last 24 hrs, the maximum temperatures were markedly fall
(-4.10 c or less) At one or two places over Coastal Andhra Pradesh. Appreciable fall
(-2.10 c to -4.00 c) at one or two places over rest of Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Appreciable rise (2.1 0 c to 4.0 0) — markedly rise (4.10 c or more) .
Heavy rainfall warning: 7-5-19:- Heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over
Tamilnadu and South Interior Karnataka. 8-5-19:- Heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated
places over Tamilnadu.
Thunderstorm warning: 7-5-19:- Thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds (Wind speed
reaching 40-50 Kmph) and lightning is likely to occur at isolated places over Tamil Nadu and
North Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds (Wind speed
reaching 30-40 Kmph) and lightning is likely to occur at isolated places over Kerala, Coastal
and South Interior Karnataka. 8-5-2019:- Thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds (Wind
speed reaching 40-50 Kmph) and lightning is likely to occur at isolated places over Tamilnadu
and Thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds (Wind speed reaching 30-40 Kmph) and
lightning is likely to occur at isolated places over Kerala and South Interior Karnataka.
Meteorological Sub Division.

Srinagar, May 7 : Terming a dismal percentage of 0.76 per cent recorded in Pulwama segment in the third and final phase of Anantnag Parliamentary constituency on Monday ”unprecedented”, Jammu and Kashmir People’s Movement (JKPM) chief Shah Faesal said the existing political parties should hang their heads in shame.

Mr Faesal, a former IAS officer, said 99.24 per cent voters in Pulwama segment of Anangtnag Parliamentary Constituency boycotted Monday’s elections in Kashmir.

“It makes no sense to be an MP when almost no one has voted,” he added.

“99.24% voters in Pulwama segment of Anantnag Parliamentary Constituency boycotted today’s elections in Kashmir. This is unprecedented. Existing political parties should hang their heads in shame and sit home. It makes no sense to be an MP when almost no one has voted,” Mr Faesal wrote on micro-blogging site twitter.

About three per cent polling was recorded in twin south Kashmir districts of Pulwama and Shopian in third and final phase of voting in Anantnag Parliamentary constituency, where several youth and security force personnel, including a police officer were injured, during violent clashes throughout the day.

Pampore Assembly segment recorded the highest polling of 5.26 per cent, while lowest percentage of 0.76 per cent was recorded in Pulwama segment.