C M Y K * ) RNI Regn. No. MPENG/2004/13703, Regd. No. L-2/BPLON/41/2006-2008 + +, (+-.// 0 0!& 12/3 ( $ # $ ) $ of 29 seats in 2014 LS polls. “I will contest the election adhvi Pragya Thakur, who from Bhopal and win. Former Shas been nominated by BJP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh against Congress’ Digvijay Singh Chouhan is with me,” Sadhvi in Bhopal, here on Wednesday said after emerging out of the announced that she would work BJP office at Bhopal. to restore the glory of ‘bhagwa’ In a way, the face-off and would expose those who between Digvijay and Sadhvi framed her fraudulently in ter- will also be seen as a battle ror cases. between the hardcore Hindutva Thakur, who has received represented by the likes of BJP membership a couple of Sadhvi and equally dyed-in- hours before being nabbed as the-wool “secularism” propa- party candidate, said about gated by the likes of Digvijay. charges in 2008 Malegaon blasts At a rally in Odisha, BJP case that she had obtained a clean president Amit Shah on chit in the case. She stated that Wednesday described Digvijay whatever conspiracy was hatched as the “creator” of “saffron ter- has failed and whatever remains ror” phrase. would continue. The BJP has decided to On being told DIgvijay take the matter to the people’s Singh’s tweet in which the for- court by fielding Sadhvi against mer has welcomed Thakur in Digvijay, he said, accusing the the picturesque city, the BJP Congress of defaming India by candidate said its good as both coining terms like “Hindu ter- the candidates remain fighters ror” and “saffron terror”. in the electoral battle adding Referring to the acquittal of the dharma would win and several accused, including adharma would lose. Swami Aseemanand, in Asked how strong she Samjhauta Express deems Singh, Thakur retorted blast case, Shah attacked the saying the one who remains on Congress and said people of the path of adharma is never Bhopal will punish Digvijay strong as he possess no moral- and Congress president Rahul ity, no truth and no Gandhi.A senior BJP leader dharma. “He is no challenge for said the party decided to field me.” Sadhvi, who joined the party sented by the AIADMK, fol- She accepted whatever he hours before her candidature lowing recovery of huge (Singh) did for maligning the amount of respect he (Singh) speak against the interests of phrase repeatedly, an accusa- mer Madhya Pradesh Chief was announced, against amount of cash allegedly from Hindutva and linking Bhagwa has and how much respect the the country. Accepting that tion Singh has refuted several Minister Digvijay Singh. Digvijay as the latter has been he second phase of Lok an associate of a DMK leader. with terrorism would be an Congress party has for women.” she has little experience in times especially after returning Out on bail, Sadhvi joined one of the most visible “anti- TSabha polls for 95 seats will The EC also announced issue for her and she would Thakur also claimed she direct politics, Thakur said to active politics last year. the BJP only hours before the Hindutva” faces of the decide the fate of several stal- postponement of polling in restore the glory back to bhag- would also expose the manner hoped the 15 years of experi- Setting the stage for an epic party announced her name as Congress. Also being a high- warts, including Union Tripura (East) Lok Sabha seat wa. she was harassed despite being ence and works of Shivraj battle in Bhopal, the BJP on its candidate from Bhopal. This profile seat as the Madhya Ministers Jitendra Singh, Jual to the third phase on April 23, “I will expose the manner a sanyasi. Singh Chouhan would help Wednesday fielded Sadhvi is being seen as a clear attempt Pradesh capital, it can help rally Oram, Sadananda Gowda and saying the prevailing law and in which he violated the con- I will work for making her. She also exuded confidence Pragya Singh Thakur, facing by the BJP to bring the support for the BJP across the Pon Radhakrishnan, former order situation there is not con- stitutional provisions to frame country safe and for restoring of a win. trial in Malegaon blast case, in Hindutva plank at the centre State and even outside, he Prime Minister HD Deve ducive for free and fair polls. me and also harass me unlaw- the glory of bhagwa, said The BJP accuses Digvijay Lok Sabha elections, against stage of polls in the State, added. Gowda and DMK’s Dayanidhi The stake is high for the fully. I would expose the Thakur warning those who Singh of using ‘Hindu terror’ Congress heavyweight and for- where the BJP had won 27 out Continued on Page 4 Maran, A Raja and Kanimozhi. AIADMK which had swept Altogether 1,600-odd contes- the polls in 2014 and has gone tants are in the fray from 11 from one internal crisis to States and the Union Territory another after the death of its of Puducherry. supreme leader J Jayalalithaa. Thirty eight of the 39 Lok The party has formed a strong Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu will alliance with PMK and DMDK Modi took to twitter in the go to polls and bypolls will be to take on the might of DMK- morning to express anguish held in 18 Assembly con- Cong-Left alliance, which is s many as 50 people died over the loss of lives in the rain stituencies. The Election expected to win at least two Aand several others injured in Gujarat and announced Commission cancelled the third of the 39 seats, as per var- due to unseasonal rain, dust relief. Soon afterwards Madhya polling in Vellore Lok Sabha ious opinion polls. storm and lightning in Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal seat, which is currently repre- Continued on Page 4 Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Nath hit out at the Prime Maharashtra and Gujarat. It has Minister, accusing him of being caused damage to property, concerned only about his home wheat crops, mango, and pota- State Gujarat. elhiites woke up to a pleas- toes and vegetables in north, The PMO in a tweet later Dant Wednesday morning, central parts of the country. said, “PM @narendramodi has with the temperature drop- It is estimated that proper- expressed grief at loss of lives ping following overnight rain ties and crops worth several due to unseasonal rain and and gusty winds. The maxi- hundred crores have been dam- storms in MP, Rajasthan, mum temperature settled at aged. Several cattle were also Manipur & various parts of the 29.5 degrees Celsius, seven killed in rain-related incidents. country”. notches below the season’s According to the India “An ex gratia of 2 lakh average, while the minimum Meteorological Department each for the next of kin of those temperature was recorded at (IMD), unseasonal rain, thun- who lost their lives due to 19.0 degrees Celsius, three derstorm, lightning and high Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram unseasonal rain & storms in notches below the normal, a speed wind were caused by Haryana, Punjab and Bihar. An and Tripura, and Odisha are MP, Rajasthan, Manipur & Met department official said. active Western Disturbance amber colour warning indicates likely to get rain and thunder- various parts of the country has The Met office has forecast (WD) over eastern Iran that is that authorities have to remain storm on Friday. been approved from the PM’s overcast skies for Thursday moving towards east-north- alert for any weather-related Several parts of north and National Relief Fund. 50,000 along with the possibility of eastwards across Afghanistan, exigency. The situation is central India have been wit- each for the injured has also light rain and thundershowers. Pakistan and northwest India. expected to remain the same in nessing thunderstorms, dust been approved,” the PMO said. “The maximum and minimum According to IMD, the next two-three days in storms, lightning and heavy Union Home Minister temperatures are likely to hover Uttrakhand, Punjab, Haryana, North-East and southern parts rain since Sunday. Rajnath Singh said the at 33 and 18 degrees Celsius Chandigarh, Bihar, Gangetic of the country. According to reports, Government is closely moni- respectively,” the Met said. West Bengal and Delhi-NCR As per IMD, Kerala, Rajasthan witnessed the max- toring the situation in rain-hit The humidity oscillated on Wednesday witnessed squall Telangana, Sikkim, Karnataka, imum casualties with 21 peo- areas and is ready to provide all between 82 and 54 per cent. (wind speed reaching 60-70 Assam, Jharkhand, Meghalya, ple killed in overnight rain- possible assistance to States The Safdarjung observatory, kilometres per hour) accom- West Bengal, Arunachal related incidents followed by affected by rain and thunder- recording of which is consid- panied with hail and Pradesh and Puducherry may Madhya Pradesh where 15 storm. Officials of the ered the official figure for New Delhi: An Indian Crested Porcupine was rescued by Wildlife SOS after it was hit by a vehi- lightning. witness rain, thunderstorm were killed. 10 people were Agriculture Ministry said the Delhi, received 1 mm rain till cle in Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi on Tuesday night. The porcupine sustained injuries The IMD has issued an with gusty wind on Thursday, killed in Gujarat, three were assessment of loss of crops is 8.30 am after which it record- on its hind legs and is currently under observation. Wasim Akram, Deputy Director-Special amber-coloured warning for while West Bengal, Andhra killed in Maharashtra. being carried out. ed traces of rainfall till 5.30 pm.