NEWS

New Delhi:  Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj S Bommai on Saturday called on his predecessor B S Yediyurappa and had a discussion amid disgruntlement among a section of BJP ministers and legislators over the Cabinet expansion and allocation of portfolios. In addition to the brewing discontent, the two leaders also discussed the prevailing political situation in the half-an-hour meeting held Yediyurappa's residence, sources close to the CM said.

Tourism Minister Anand Singh and Municipal Administration and Small Scale Industries' Minister N Nagaraj (MTB) have openly expressed displeasure over their portfolio, and have sought "weighty" ones. BJP MLA S A Ramadas and MLC C P Yogeeshwara were among those who are reportedly unhappy over not securing Cabinet berth. A sulking Singh had shut down his office in Hospet in Ballari district earlier this week and called on Yediyurappa before meeting Bommai. Later, the Chief Minister along with Revenue Minister R Ashoka tried to pacify Singh. After the meeting, Bommai said there were no differences of opinion between him and Singh and that both were "united".

New Delhi: A week after temporarily suspending his account, Twitter restored Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's handle Saturday, but not before the principal opposition party accused it of bias. Gandhi's account was temporarily suspended last week after he tweeted pictures of the family of a nine-year-old victim of alleged rape and murder in Northwest Delhi.

Twitter deemed it violation of its rules. Sources said the Twitter accounts of some of the party leaders who had shared the same pictures have also been restored. "Rahul Gandhi's Twitter account has been unlocked," a party functionary said, adding the accounts of some of the leaders have also been restored.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Saturday that August 14 will be observed as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day in the memory of the struggles and sacrifices of people, saying the pain of partition can never be forgotten.

Modi noted that millions of people were displaced and many lost their lives due to mindless hate and violence caused by the partition.

May the Partition Horrors Remembrance Day, the prime minister said, keep "reminding us of the need to remove the poison of social divisions, disharmony and further strengthen the spirit of oneness, social harmony and human empowerment".

Several opposition leaders, chief ministers of West Bengal, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Jharkhand, and Congress-ruled states are likely to attend a virtual meeting convened by Congress president Sonia Gandhi on August 20, sources said. Sonia Gandhi has sent invites to leaders of like-minded parties in a bid to forge unity and a joint opposition strategy on pressing issues before the country.

The opposition parties are trying to put up a united face in its fight against the BJP and Narendra Modi government at the Centre over several issues, including the Pegasus snooping row and farmers’ agitation. Opposition unity was witnessed during the recent Monsoon Session of Parliament where several leaders held meetings which were also attended by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.