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<b>1. Hardik Patel OBC quota row: Mobile internet ban lifted in Gujarat, but curb still on in Mehsana</b></br> The mobile internet ban, in force since Saturday in the wake of sporadic violence following the arrest of Patel reservation stir leader Hardik Patel, was lifted Sunday across Gujarat as the situation stayed peaceful, but continued in Mehsana district, considered the hotbed of the agitation. After the Director General of Police PC Thakur instructed the heads of police in various cities and districts to take a call on withdrawing the curb depending upon the situation, the ban was gradually lifted in Rajkot, Gandhinagar, Vadodara, Surat and Ahmedabad cities in afternoon. (PTI)
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<b>2. 'MSG-2 – The Messenger': Punjab hit by Dera Sacha Sauda protest </b></br> Demanding that cinema halls screen sect leader Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh's film 'MSG-2 – The Messenger', supporters of Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda sect blocked rail and road traffic at various places in Punjab for the second day. The protesters claimed that though no ban has been imposed on 'MSG 2', still many owners of multiplexes and cinemas were not exhibiting it in the state, which had seen backlash by Sikhs against the sect leader's first film in January. Tension prevailed due to protests by Dera followers in several parts of the state including Moga, Bathinda, Patiala, Ferozepur and Sangrur. Six express/mail and 27 passenger trains in Ferozepur division were cancelled. The film is a sequel to 'MSG: The Messenger of God' which was banned by Punjab government in January following protests by Sikhs. (PTI)
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<b>3. BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya passes away </b></br> BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya, one of cricket's most influential administrators who will be remembered for bringing money into the game, passed away at a city hospital this evening following a massive cardiac arrest. </br> The 75-year-old Dalmiya, who was admitted to the city's B M Birla Hospital on Thursday night, is survived by his wife Chadralekha, daughter Vaishali and son Abhishek. </br> Dr Anil Mishra, who was treating Dalmiya, said he died of "massive gastrointestinal hemorrhage" at 8.45pm.</br> "He was responding to treatment but became unstable in the morning. Our medical board decided to conduct an angioplasty late afternoon. He was stabilised but after that there was a massive gastrointestinal hemorrhage which led to a lot of bleeding. He succumbed to the bleeding at 8.45pm," Dr Mishra said in his official medical bulletin. </br> He confirmed two stents were planted in his heart. (AP Photo)
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<b>4. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat pitches for review of quota policy </b></br> Amid the continuing Patel quota stir in Gujarat, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat pitched for a review of the reservation policy, contending it has been used for political ends and suggesting setting up of an apolitical committee to examine who needs the facility and for how long. </br> He said though "interest groups" do get formed in democracy, aspirations of one section should not be met at the cost of others. </br> "Interest groups are formed because we have certain aspirations in democracy. At the same time, we should remember that through interest groups we should not strive to address those aspirations at the cost of others. (PTI)
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<b>5. After legal notice, Smriti Irani dares Rahul Gandhi to send her behind bars </b></br> Union Minister Smriti Irani dared Rahul Gandhi to send her to jail, a day after the Congress served a legal notice on her over her land grab allegations against the Rajiv Gandhi Trust, and vowed to speak for the people of Amethi. Smriti Irani, who lost to Rahul Gandhi in his home turf here in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, said "some persons get disturbed" by her visits here and asserted that she would not be cowed down by any legal notices. "If Congress or Rahul Gandhi consider the women of this country 'abla' (weak), they should forget it. I am not the one to get afraid with this and will continue to raise Amethi's voice. If Rahul or Congress have the courage then let them put me behind the bars," Smriti Irani said. (PTI)
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<b>6. BJP will face adverse results in Gujarat local body polls: Hardik </b></br> Escalating his aggression over the Patel quota issue, the agitation protagonist Hardik Patel said the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will face "adverse" outcome in forthcoming local body polls even as he threatened to "dump" in "well" those politicians who kept mum on "atrocities" committed by police on members of his community last month. Hardik Patel also blamed the state government and police for the sporadic violence that had erupted after his arrest last night for defying the prohibitory orders in place for his 'Ekta March'. "Due to this agitation, the ruling party will face adverse results in the upcoming local body elections. They will have to pay the price for the deaths of our nine youths," Hardik said. (PTI)
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<b>7. 'Muhammad: Messenger of God' fatwa row: A R Rahman welcome to return to Hindu fold, says Yogi Adityanath </b></br> Controversial BJP MP Yogi Adityanath has said that A R Rahman is "welcome" to return to Hindu fold as he waded into the row over the fatwa against the music maestro, days after VHP said it was time for his 'ghar wapsi'. Adityanath also dubbed the fatwa as "laughable". Objecting to an Iranian film 'Muhammad: Messenger of God', Raza Academy, a Muslim group in Mumbai, recently issued a fatwa against all those involved in the project, including Rahman and the renowned Iranian director Majid Majidi. "The fatwa issued against A R Rahman is in itself laughable and if anyone wants to come(to Hindu fold) we will welcome him," Adityanath told reporters here yesterday when asked to comment on the controversial fatwa. (AP photo)
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SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and BJD member Bijayant Jay Panda as well as many Ministers were also seen chatting with Sureah Prabhu after the budget presentation. Later, Prabhu was about the leave the House and had reached the door when he remembered that he had forgotten his brown suitcase. He walked back and picked it up before exiting finally. (Express photo)
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<b>9. Election Commission in our hands, says BJP leader, starts controversy </b></br> Actor-turned BJP leader Jay Banerjee sparked controversy by saying that the Election Commission of India was under his party's control and the next Assembly election would be conducted under Army surveillance. Addressing a party meet at Mayureswar, near here, Banerjee alleged that the opposition TMC had defeated them in the last Lok Sabha election by using "unfair means". "They had defeated us by cheating. But in the coming Assembly election it will not be possible as it will be held under Army vigilance and the Election Commission is in our hands," Banerjee claimed. "Our central leaders have said that after winning the Bihar election, bulldozer will be run in West Bengal," he said. (Express photo by Praveen Khanna)
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"One of the activities is strengthening of the consumer movement in India through creating awareness among all segments of consumers, including young school and college-going ones, and that can only be achieved by inclusion of a small module on consumer studies in the existing school and college syllabi," Paswan said in the letter. (Express photo by Jaipal Singh)
