Angry over RS ticket refusal, Congress strongman Kamal Nath to join BJP?

News Network
February 18, 2024

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Kamal Nath, former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and Congress strongman, is mulling a switch to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after the party's leadership denied him a Rajya Sabha ticket, India Today TV reported citing sources aware of the matter. 

"Kamal Nath is likely to switch to the BJP and the Congress leadership has made no attempts to reach out to him. Things have come to a knot with Kamal Nath actively lobbying for a Rajya Sabha ticket," sources aware of the matter said.

They claimed that Kamal Nath even met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for a Rajya Sabha nomination. "The former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister even hosted MLAs to endorse his nomination, but the leadership refused to blink," they added. 

Congress blames Kamal Nath for fall of MP govt

The sources, however, added that the party "bent backwards to please" Nath. They also blamed Kamal Nath and his "adamance" for the fall of the Madhya Pradesh government. These sources added Nath refused to cooperate with anyone sent from Delhi. 

"Senior leader JP Agarwal was shunted out because he (Kamal Nath) didn't want him as the in-charge and refused to corporate with him. Randeep Surjewala was given the assignment later, but Kamal Nath continued to have a one-way traffic as far as ticket distribution and campaigning in Assembly elections were concerned," the sources said. 

There were reports suggesting that Kamal Nath, along with his son Nakul Nath and other MPs may switch over to the BJP.

Kamal Nath on joining BJP

The speculations peaked when the former Madhya Pradesh CM arrived in Delhi on Saturday. While speaking to reporters, Nath said if there was any such thing, he would inform the media first.

"It is not about denying, you are saying this, you people are getting excited. I am not getting excited, this side or that side, but if there would be any such thing, I would inform you first," Nath said. 

Kamal Nath's close aide spills the beans

Kamala Nath's close aide Sajjan Singh Verma said: "Three things work in politics- respect, insult and self-respect, when these are hurt a person changes his decisions... When such a top politician who has done a lot for Congress and the nation in the last 45 years, thinks of moving away from the party, then all three factors work behind it. No decision has been taken that Kamal Nath ji is going, right there is just speculation..."

MP Congress on Kamal Nath-BJP reports

The Madhya Pradesh Congress on Saturday refuted rumors of party veteran Kamal Nath and his son, MP Nakul Nath, defecting to BJP. PCC president Jitu Patwari, during a press conference, dismissed the news about former CM Kamal Nath as baseless.

He emphasized the long-standing relationship between the Nath family and the Nehru-Gandhi family, dating back to the 1970s. Patwari recounted Nath's 45-year political journey, highlighting his seven-year tenure as Congress president in Madhya Pradesh and his steadfast support for the party.  

"In his political career of 45 years, he spent the last seven years as president of the Congress in Madhya Pradesh," Patwari said. "He stood shoulder to shoulder with all of us Congress workers and stood firmly for the party in every situation.  By imbibing the ideas of the people, he led us to perform our duties fearlessly while playing the role of the opposition," he said.

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News Network
December 2,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 2: Mangaluru International Airport responded to a medical emergency late on Monday night. Air India Express flight IX 522, travelling from Riyadh to Thiruvananthapuram, was diverted to Mangaluru Airport after a passenger in his late 30s experienced a medical emergency on board.

The Airport’s Operations Control Centre received an alert regarding the passenger’s health condition. The airport activated its emergency response protocol, mobilising the airport medical team and coordinating with stakeholders including CISF, immigration, and customs. 

Upon landing, airport medical personnel attended to the passenger, assessed his condition, and arranged to shift him to a local tertiary-care hospital for further treatment. The passenger’s relatives accompanied the passenger, who incidentally received necessary medical care on board, which helped stabilise the situation.

Following the handling of the emergency, the flight departed for Thiruvananthapuram at 2:05 am on Tuesday.

"We appreciate the cooperation of all parties involved, and this incident reaffirms our ongoing commitment to prioritising passenger safety and readiness to respond to unforeseen emergencies with professionalism and care," the Airport spokesperson said. 

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News Network
November 22,2025

The Karnataka government has announced a 50% rebate on pending traffic and transport fines. The discount is available from November 21 to December 12.

The rebate applies to all traffic e-challans and violation cases booked by the RTO between 1991–92 and 2019–20. Officials clarified that the offer is not applicable to pending tax dues and is restricted only to traffic-violation fines.

Across Karnataka, more than 4 lakh RTO cases remain pending, including those involving transport vehicles. While thousands of vehicle owners have already cleared their dues, the department expects to generate substantial revenue through this limited-period rebate.

How to Pay and Avail the Discount

There are three ways to check and pay your pending fines:

1. Through Mobile Apps
Available on both Play Store and App Store:
•    Karnataka State Police (KSP) app
•    KarnatakaOne app
•    ASTraM app

Steps:
•    Enter your vehicle number in any of the above apps
•    Verify the photo/details of your vehicle
•    Pay the fine with the 50% discount applied

2. Visit a Traffic Police Station

You can pay your pending fine at any nearby traffic police station.

3. Visit the Traffic Management Centre (TMC)

•    Location: First Floor, Infantry Road, near Indian Express, Bengaluru

Transport Commissioner Yogeesh A M said, “We don't issue e-challans, so there's no online payment system.”

The department estimates ₹52 crore in pending RTO fines up to March 2020. “With the 50% rebate, we expect to collect around ₹25 crore if all dues are cleared,” he added.

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Agencies
November 22,2025

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New York/Washington: US President Donald Trump has again claimed to have solved the conflict between India and Pakistan, repeating his assertion during a meeting with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani in the Oval Office.

Mamdani flew to Washington DC for his first meeting with Trump in the White House on Friday. Trump said he “enjoyed” the meeting, which he described as “great.”

During remarks in the Oval Office, with Mamdani standing next to him, Trump repeated his claim that he solved the May conflict between India and Pakistan.

"I did eight peace deals of countries, including India and Pakistan,” he said.

On Wednesday, Trump had said he threatened to put 350 per cent tariffs on India and Pakistan if they did not end their conflict, repeating his claim that he solved the fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbours and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called him to say “we're not going to go to war.”

Since May 10, when Trump announced on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a “full and immediate” ceasefire after a “long night” of talks mediated by Washington, he has repeated his claim over 60 times that he “helped settle” the tensions between India and Pakistan.

India has consistently denied any third-party intervention. India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians. India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.

Mamdani emerged victorious in the closely-watched battle for New York City Mayor, becoming the first South Asian and Muslim to be elected to sit at the helm of the largest city in the US.

He had been the front-runner in the NYC Mayoral election for months and defeated Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa and political heavyweight former New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent candidate and was officially endorsed by Trump just hours before the elections.

Indian-descent Mamdani is the son of renowned filmmaker Mira Nair and Columbia University professor Mahmood Mamdani. He was born and raised in Kampala, Uganda and moved to New York City with his family when he was 7. Mamdani became a naturalised US citizen only recently, in 2018.

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