Maharashtra

Jalgaon, Feb 15 (PTI) Sixteen persons were killed after a truck overturned in Maharashtra's Jalgaon district, police said on Monday.

All the deceased were labourers from Abhoda, Kerhala and Raver in the district, police said, adding they died after their papaya-laden truck overturned shortly after midnight near a temple at Kingaon village.

Five labourers have sustained serious injuries and are being treated at a rural hospital, police said.

Nagpur, Feb 12 (PTI) Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait will hold 'Kisan Mahapanchayat' and a public rally in Yavatmal district of Maharashtra on February 20, an office-bearer of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha has said.

Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) is an umbrella body of 40 farmer unions protesting at various Delhi border points against three farm laws.

Mumbai, Feb 11 (PTI) Doubling down on her support to the farmers protesting against the three agri laws passed by the Centre, actor Sonakshi Sinha has narrated a heartfelt poem, described as a "tribute to the hands that feed us".

The 33-year-old actor, who first expressed solidarity with the farmers last week, shared a video on Instagram on Wednesday evening to share her thoughts about the protesting farmers.

Mumbai, Feb 11 (PTI) Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole on Thursday accused the BJP of running a "fake news factory" on social media and said his party will demolish the same by highlighting facts.

The BJP hit back at the Congress saying that since the latter has not done any good work, it has nothing to showcase on social media.

Patole said the BJP was using social media to spread misinformation and create a divide in the society, and added that his party will give a fitting reply to such attempts.

Nagpur, Feb 9 (PTI) Ambassador of France in India Emmanuel Lenain on Tuesday visited the RSS headquarters here, sources said.

He also visited the Nagpur Metro project with a delegation.

Lenain visited the headquarters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, organization sources said without giving more details.

A delegation led by the ambassador also visited the Nagpur Metro project, which has been partly funded by the French development agency AFD.

Mumbai, Feb 6 (PTI) MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday said the Union government should not have exposed Sachin Tendulkar and Lata Mangeshkar to social media trolling by involving them in its campaign to counter tweets by foreign celebrities in support of ongoing farmers' stir.

If American pop star Rihanna and others supporting the agitation against new agriculture laws was interference in India's internal matters, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's slogan in support of Donald Trump too was problematic, he said.

New Delhi, Feb 5 (PTI) The Congress on Friday appointed Nana Patole as the party's Maharashtra state committee president, replacing Balasaheb Thorat.

Patole, the MLA from Sakoli in Bhandara district, had resigned as Speaker of Maharashtra Assembly on Thursday.

"The Congress president has appointed Nana Patole as the new president of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee," according to a party statement.

Mumbai, Feb 5 (PTI) The RBI on Friday decided to leave the benchmark interest rate unchanged at 4 per cent but maintained an accommodative stance, implying rate cuts in future if need arises to support the economy hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Reserve Bank's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted unanimously to leave the repo rate unchanged at 4 per cent, Governor Shaktikanta Das said while announcing the decisions taken by the panel.

Pune, Feb 2 (PTI) A case for allegedly `promoting enmity between different groups' was registered against Aligarh university alumnus Sharjeel Usmani in Pune on Tuesday in connection with his speech at the recent Elgar Parishad conclave.

The opposition BJP in Maharashtra had demanded action against Usmani, accusing him of hurting religious sentiments.

Mumbai, Jan 30 (PTI) The Shiv Sena on Saturday slammed activist Anna Hazare for first announcing a hunger strike over farmers' issues and then calling it off within hours, saying this was "on expected lines".

Hazare on Friday announced an indefinite fast in support of farmers who are agitating on Delhi borders against the new farm laws, but later changed the decision after discussions with BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister of State for Agriculture KailashChaudhary.