Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Saturday remarked that the election conducted by BJP for the sixth member of the Delhi Municipal Corporation's (MCD) Standing Committee has been "illegal, unconstitutional and undemocratic."

"The election process violated several regulations outlined under the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act of 1957 and the Delhi Municipal Corporation Procedure and Conduct of Business Regulations of 1958," said the Delhi CM in a press conference.

She further emphasised: "The Delhi MCD operates under laws passed by the Parliament, most notably the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957, and its supporting regulations. Regulation 51 of Delhi Municipal Corporation Procedure and Conduct of Business Regulations 1958 clearly states that the election for the Standing Committee must take place in a corporation meeting presided over by the Mayor. Further, Regulation 3 (2) specifies that the date, time, and venue for such meetings can only be decided by the Mayor, while Section 76 of the DMC Act reaffirms that the presiding officer for these meetings must be the Mayor or Deputy Mayor."

Union Minister Giriraj Singh and his district representative in Begusarai received WhatsApp calls from Pakistan-based numbers and the caller threatened them with dire consequences on Friday.

Amrendra Kumar Amar, the representative of Union Minister Giriraj Singh, said that they received a WhatsApp call from a Pakistan-based number (+923276100973) on Friday at around 11:28 AM.

“The caller initially assumed he was speaking with Giriraj Singh and began threatening with dire consequences. Upon learning that he was speaking to me, the caller continued to threaten both me and the Union Minister,” said Amar.

He said that he wrote a complaint to the District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police (SP) of Begusarai, requesting them to register an FIR and initiate an investigation into the matter.

Amar urged the authorities to take the necessary steps to identify the caller and assess any potential security threats.

Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Friday slammed the state government led by Sukhvinder Sukhu for first ordering the implementation of the street vendor policy and then revoking it.

He said the government has bowed down to the pressure of the Congress high command. “This rule is being opposed because it is the (Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister) Yogi model. It is condemnable that the Sukhu government is withdrawing the action. This rule has been in place since the previous government.

“Under the street vendor policy, provisions were made for verification of all shopkeepers, registration and various types of regulations, which were stopped by the Sukhu government as soon as it came to power. It is the government's job to protect the interests of the state and its people, but the Sukhu government is working to protect the interests of the Congress.”

The Delhi High Court on Thursday asked wrestler complainants, who had levelled sexual harassment and intimidation charges against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, to file their responses to the latter's plea seeking quashing of FIR and consequent criminal proceedings.

Allowing time for respondents/female complainants to respond to Brij Bhushan Singh's petition to close the case, a bench of Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri decided to fix the next hearing on January 13, 2025.

The court remarked that framing of charges in trial proceedings would not bar an accused from instituting a petition for quashing the criminal proceedings.

Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday left everyone baffled as he claimed that he met a senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader recently and enquired about the reasons behind his 'motivated' arrest in the Delhi liquor policy scam.

"The response that I got left me shocked and surprised beyond belief," Kejriwal told the scribes while reviewing the road infrastructure in Delhi University's North Campus.

"When I asked him what you achieved by arresting me, he said that at least Delhi's progress has been derailed and halted," claimed the AAP national convenor.

Kejriwal made the sensational charges while being accompanied by Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, close confidante Manish Sisodia and other senior AAP leaders.

Senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Smriti Irani said on Thursday that Omar Abdullah after sensing the mood of the people is now saying that his party, National Conference (NC), can form the government in alliance with Congress, a climb down from his earlier stance.

Abdullah, earlier, was claiming that the NC will get a majority and form the government on its own in J&K.

Addressing the media in Jammu, Smriti Irani said the BJP has said from day one that "we will form the government in J&K on our own while Omar Abdullah has shifted his stand from the earlier statement that the NC would form the government in J&K on its own."

“He now says the NC will form the government in alliance with the Congress. Does he sense his defeat now?” Smriti Irani said in reply to a question.

A Mumbai Court has found Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut guilty in a 2022 defamation case filed by Medha K. Somaiya -- wife of ex- Bharatiya Janata Party MP Kirit Somaiya -- and awarded him 15 days jail plus a fine of Rs 25,000, here on Thursday.

The order of Mazagon Metropolitan Magistrate Court came in the two-year-old libel suit filed by Medha Somaiya against Raut, who had alleged a Rs 100-crore toilet construction scam in Mira Road (Thane), linked to an NGO run by the Somaiyas.

Raut said that he had merely raised certain questions based on certain official records raising doubts on the toilet construction issue, which was also endorsed by ruling MahaYuti alliance leaders, "so where have I made any defamation".

Justice Nitin Madhukar Jamdar was sworn in as the Chief Justice of Kerala High Court at Raj Bhawan here on Thursday.

Governor Arif Mohammed Khan administered the oath of office to Justice Jamdar in the presence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his cabinet colleagues, Leader of Opposition V. D. Satheesan and high-ranking officials.

Justice Jamdar was appointed as a judge of the Bombay High Court on January 23, 2012.

Passionate about photography, Jamdar is known for computerising the Bombay High Court and is considered an expert in the Constitution.

In July, the Supreme Court Collegium cleared his name for the post, and on September 21, the Union government gave the nod for his appointment.

As Jammu and Kashmir enters the second phase of its assembly elections, a delegation of diplomats from 16 foreign missions, including the United States, European Union, Russia, and Australia, has arrived in Srinagar to witness the voting process.

The news reported that this marks the first time the central government has extended an invitation to foreign diplomats to observe elections in the Union Territory, following the abrogation of Article 370 and the state's reorganisation into two Union Territories in 2019.

According to sources, the government’s objective behind this visit is to showcase the “peaceful conduct of the electoral process” and the “large-scale participation of people” in the region.

The Election Commission has completed its two-day visit to Jharkhand to review preparations for the forthcoming Assembly elections.

The team, led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and comprising Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Dr S.S. Sandhu, emphasised the commitment to ensuring free and fair elections in Jharkhand.

Poll officials have asked the state government, administration, and law enforcement agencies to maintain strict law and order without any bias.

Following consultations with various stakeholders, the Election Commission is expected to announce the poll dates soon, possibly starting the process after November 15.