Your Visit Will Boost India-France Friendship: PM Modi to Macron

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while replying to a video montage posted by French President Emmanuel Macron of his recent India trip, said that his visit and participation in the Republic Day celebrations will surely boost India-France friendship. The French president was on two-day visit to India last month and was the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations here on January 26.

Actor-turned-TMC MP Dipak Adhikary has resigned from committees of three state-run bodies in his constituency, ahead of the announcement of the dates of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, triggering speculation on whether he will be in the fray or not this time.

Snowfall affected normal life in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand on Sunday as several flights were cancelled and roads, including national highways, were closed for vehicular traffic. All flights at Srinagar airport were cancelled, while traffic on the strategic 270-km Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was stopped for nearly four hours following a landslide in Jammu's Ramban district at around 11.15 am, officials said.

In Himachal Pradesh, 475 roads, including five national highways were closed for vehicles following a fresh spell of snowfall and rains.

The Sri Lankan Navy has arrested 23 Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu and seized two of their boats for alleged maritime violation, official sources said on Sunday. The fishermen were reportedly picked up from Neduntheevu on Saturday night and have now been taken to Kankesanthurai in Sri Lanka for further action.

Ahead of the floor test in Bihar for the newly-elected NDA government that is likely to take place on February 12, 16 Bihar Congress MLAs have now reached Hyderabad.  

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on Sunday announced that all government employees, who have been working for more than four years, will be regularised and a notification in this regard will be issued this month. He also said that 300 beneficiaries from each of the 32 constituencies of the state will get houses under Garib Awas Yojna from this year.

President Droupadi Murmu and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are presently attending the Commonwealth Attorneys and Solicitor General Conference at the Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. The conference, which has the theme of “Cross-Border Challenges in Justice Delivery”, was inaugrated a day ago by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The BJP has issued a three-line whip to all of its Members of Parliament, asking them to be present in the House on February 5, 2024, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to reply to the Motion of Thanks on Presidential Address delivered on 31st January 2024 in the Parliament.

JMM and allied Congress MLAs who had sent to the Leonia resort in Hyderabad to prevent horse-trading have now been spotted leaving the resort. They are reportedly set to board a chartered plane as they make their way back to Ranchi. 

India News LIVE: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal laid the foundation stone of new school buildings in Kirari, Sector-41 Rohini on Sunday. Addressing the gathering, CM Kejriwal said that even if agencies put him in jail, schools will be built and people will continue to get free treatment. 

"The central government spends only 4% of the national budget on schools and hospitals. Whereas the Delhi government spends 40% of its budget every year on schools and hospitals... Today all agencies are after us. Manish Sisodia's fault is that he was building good schools. Satyendr Jain's fault is that he was getting good hospitals and mohalla clinics built. Had Manish Sisodia not been working for the betterment of school infrastructure, he would not have been arrested. They created all sorts of conspiracies, but couldn't deter us..." said Arvind Kejriwal. 

On protest by BJP Yuva Morcha workers outside his residence in Bengaluru, Congress MP DK Suresh said, “In a democracy, everyone has the right to protest and speak, no one can stop them. BJP is twisting my statement. I never said that the country should be divided...let them protest, God bless them. My statement is clear, BJP leaders are trying to twist my statement, I do not need to give importance to what the BJP says.” 

Snowfall across the Kashmir Valley affected normal life on Sunday with all flights cancelled at Srinagar airport. Further, authorities have issued avalanche warnings for hilly and mountainous areas of Kashmir, urging the residents to avoid unnecessary movement for the next 24 hours.

After Congress leader DK Suresh demanded "separate nation for South India”, BJP Yuva Morcha workers staged protest outside Suresh's residence in Bengaluru on Sunday. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday rolled out development projects worth Rs 11,600 crore in Assam.

The infrastructure projects, some funded by the state government and some by the Centre, were unveiled at a function at the Veterinary College Playground in Khanapara in Guwahati.

Some of the major projects for which foundation stones were laid were the Kamakhya temple corridor (Rs 498 crore), the six-lane road from the new airport terminal in Guwahati (Rs 358 crore), the upgradation of Nehru Stadium to FIFA standards (Rs 831 crore) and a new sports complex in Chandrapur (Rs 300 crore).

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Assam, preparations were underway at the Veterinary College Field in Khanapara, Guwahati. Tight security arrangements were also in evidence ahead of Prime Minister Modi's visit to the Northeast state.
 

Assam: BJP workers and locals arrive at the Veterinary College Field, Khanapara in Guwahati to attend the public rally of PM Narendra Modi PM Modi where will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of projects worth Rs. 11,000 crore in Guwahati today.

CPIM (Communist Party of India (Marxist) and MDMK (Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) held talks with the DMK election seat-sharing committee. 

After the talks, CPIM and MDMK said that the talks on seat sharing were good. MDMK Presidium Chairman said that they have asked for 2 Lok Sabha and 1 Rajya Sabha seat.

Crime Branch officials reached the residence of Delhi minister Atishi on Sunday to serve a notice in connection with allegations that the BJP was attempting to "poach" Aam Aadmi Party MLAs.

Delhi woke up to light rains on Sunday as the minimum temperature in the city rose to 11.9 degrees Celsius, three notches above the season's average. Different pockets of Delhi received rain between 5 am and 8 am and the city received 3 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours at 8.30 am.

The India Meteorological Department has predicted a thunderstorm with rain during the day and moderate fog during the night.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' resumed from Dhanbad on Sunday, the third day of his yatra in Jharkhand. After a night halt in Tundi block of the district on Saturday, the yatra resumed at Govindpur in Dhanbad city on Sunday. Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said, “Today, we are in Dhanbad and we will be going to Bokaro.”

Chhagan Bhujbal, who has accused the state government of facilitating "backdoor entry" of the Maratha community into the OBC quota, has disclosed that he tendered his resignation from the state cabinet last November.

Addressing a rally here on Saturday, Bhujbal, who belongs to the Ajit Pawar-led faction of the NCP, reiterated that he is not opposed to Marathas getting the reservation but is against sharing the existing quota for the Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

"Many leaders from the opposition, even leaders from my government say that I should resign. Someone said Bhujbal should be sacked from the cabinet," the senior OBC leader noted.

"I want to tell leaders from the opposition, government, and my party that ahead of the OBC Elgar rally held in Ambad on November 17, I resigned from the cabinet on November 16 and then went to attend that event," he said.