The BJP on Friday said it respects Supreme Court’s decision granting bail to Binayak Sen but maintained that the case in connection with his alleged involvement in Naxal activities is still on in the Chhattisgarh high court and hoped that the trial will be held on merit. A Chhattisgarh court had convicted Sen and sentenced him to life

The fear of Maoists has forced about 1,000 candidates for Bihar’s panchayat polls to withdraw their nominations and many other aspirants to not file nomination papers at all in two southern districts after the left-wing rebels threatened dire consequences if they participated in the democratic exercise.

The unexpected defeat of a veteran Congress leader, Prof. Arun Kumar, in the latest round of polls for the Bihar Legislative Council has come as a shock to both chief minister Nitish Kumar of the JD(U) and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav as much as it shocked the Congress.

The central leadership of the BJP, which faced major embarrassment after seven of its 11 MLAs in the J&K Assembly indulged in cross-voting during the Legislative Council polls, has summoned all its MLAs to Delhi. The party said it has asked its MLAs to tender their resignations. However, the resignations, addressed to the state Assembly Speaker, are with party chief Nitin Gadkari.

CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat has praised party leader and Kerala chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan for acting against corruption. In an article in the latest issue of party organ People’s Democracy, he said that issues like price rise and the popular outrage against corruption has worked in favour of the Left Democratic Front

Trinamul Congress leader and minister of state for shipping Mukul Roy on Friday called on Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi and complained about “violence” being resorted to by CPI(M) cadres in Nandigram. Later, in the company of his colleague and minister of state for health and family welfare Dinesh Trivedi, he also called on Union home minister P. Chidambaram over the same issue.

Eight days after Gandhian Anna Hazare called off his fast demanding a stronger Lokpal law, the joint committee to draft the bill met here on Saturday for the first time amid a controversy over a CD allegedly involving eminent lawyer and panel co-chairman Shanti Bhushan.

The Enforcement Directorate will question Puducherry Lt governor Iqbal Singh and Uttar Pradesh principal secretary Vijay Shankar Pandey in connection with the passport procured by stud farm owner Hasan Ali Khan and some investments done by him abroad.

A Sri Lanka cricket board demand that national players involved in the Indian Premier League (IPL) return to prepare for an England tour has reopened the long-running club versus country debate.

The judiciary should not try to act as a super legislature, Chief Justice of India S.H. Kapadia said on Saturday. He also asked the political leadership to resist from giving protection to corrupt judges.