India

United Nations, Mar 29 (PTI) A spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said the world body "hopes” that in India and any country that is having elections, people’s "political and civil rights" are "protected" and everyone is able to vote in a "free and fair" atmosphere.

Lucknow, Mar 29 (PTI) Raising a question mark on the law-and-order situation in Uttar Pradesh after the death of mafia don-turned-politician Mukhtan Ansari following a cardiac arrest in Banda, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday said there should be a probe supervised by a Supreme Court judge into such doubtful cases.

Ansari died in the Banda Medical College due to a cardiac arrest on Thursday. He was rushed to the hospital from the district jail after his health condition deteriorated.

New Delhi, Mar 29 (PTI) The Congress on Friday said it has received fresh notices from the income-tax department, asking it to pay Rs 1,823.08 crore, and accused the ruling BJP of indulging in "tax terrorism" to financially cripple the opposition party ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

New Delhi, Mar 29 (PTI) The procurement of goods and services through government's portal GeM has crossed Rs 4 lakh crore so far this fiscal due to higher buying activities by various ministries and departments, a senior government official said on Friday.

The Government e-Market (GeM) portal was launched on August 9, 2016, for online purchases of goods and services by all central government ministries and departments.

New Delhi, Mar 28 (PTI) The Delhi High Court on Thursday dismissed a PIL seeking the removal of AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal from the post of chief minister following his arrest in the excise policy-linked money laundering case.

A bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan refused to comment on the merits of the issue, saying the same fell outside the scope of judicial interference.

"It is for the other wings of the government to examine in accordance with the law," the bench, also comprising Justice Manmeet PS Arora, said.

New Delhi, Mar 28 (PTI) A court here on Thursday extended the Enforcement Directorate custody of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal till April 1 in the excise policy case.

The agency had sought seven-day custody of the AAP chief, but the court said he has to be produced before the court on April 1 at 11 am.

The ED had produced him before Rouse Avenue court Special Judge Kaveri Baweja as his current custody was ending on Thursday.

New Delhi, Mar 28 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's wife Sunita Kejriwal on Thursday claimed he is not keeping well and is being "harassed a lot".

Kejriwal has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy. Earlier on Thursday, a court here extended the chief minister's ED custody till April 1.

New Delhi, Mar 28 (PTI) The government's fiscal deficit at Rs 15 lakh crore touched 86.5 per cent of the revised annual target at the end of February, according to official data released on Thursday.

In the corresponding period last year, the fiscal deficit or gap between the expenditure and revenue was 82.8 per cent of Revised Estimates (RE) of the Union Budget 2022-23.

For 2023-24, the government's fiscal deficit is estimated at Rs 17.35 lakh crore or 5.8 per cent of the GDP.

New Delhi, Mar 28 (PTI) Amid a lingering border row in eastern Ladakh, top diplomats of India and China held a fresh round of talks and both sides agreed to "maintain regular contact" through diplomatic and military channels, with no indication of any breakthrough.

Aizawl, Mar 25 (PTI) Vanlalhmuaka, the BJP's candidate for the lone Lok Sabha seat in Mizoram, on Monday called upon the people of the state to change their perception of the saffron party.

He blamed rival parties in Mizoram for projecting BJP as a "communal" and "anti-Christian" party.

The BJP state unit president said that Mizoram should also "learn ways to collaborate with the NDA government at the Centre like other northeastern states to usher in more development".