Varanasi:

Two youth, Ved Prakash Yadav and Aman Yadav Katta, were arrested for imitating a scene from the popular OTT series ‘Mirzapur’ for a social media reel, the police said.

According to the police, the two have been arrested over a viral video showing Ved taking a round of Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya Malviya’s statue in a car, with both of his legs on the dashboard.

The video also shows Ved smoking while sitting on a chair, even as Aman is standing behind him.

In the background, the theme song of ‘Mirzapur’ is playing.

Inspector Cantt Shivakant Mishra said that the duo had been arrested on charges of disturbing public peace.

Both the youth were produced before a magistrate and later released on bail.

The police official said that after the video went viral, resentment started brewing among locals as the reel had been shot near legendary freedom fighter and founder of BHU Bharat Ratna Mahamana Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya’s statue.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Varanasi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday made a surprise visit to the under-construction Varanasi stadium and sports complex to review the work in progress there after attending a Kisan Samman Sammelan, Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat, and praying at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.

Taking to X, PM Modi wrote: “Reviewed the progress at the Dr. Sampurnanand Sports Stadium in Kashi. This stadium and sports complex will greatly help the youth of Kashi.”

The Prime Minister was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during his visit to the upcoming sports facility.

In the pictures shared by PM Modi, he can be seen interacting with the officials over the model of the sports complex besides inspecting other facilities.

The sports facility seems to be coming up along world-class standards with floodlights and lush green outfields.

This was PM Modi’s first visit to his constituency after scoring a hat-trick from Varanasi in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

A Varanasi-bound IndiGo flight today received a bomb threat at the Delhi airport, prompting authorities to inspect the plane, officials said.

The flight, 6E2211, was scheduled to take off from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport around 5 am and was stopped on the runway minutes before departure.

“At 05:40 am, a phone call was received from the IGI airport regarding a bomb threat. A message ‘BOMB BLAST @30 MINUTES’ was written on a piece of paper inside the lavatory of the flight and was found by the pilot,” an official said.

The aircraft, with 176 passengers onboard, was immediately taken to the isolation bay for further necessary action, the official said, adding that a quick response team was deployed, which has so far not found any suspicious items.

All passengers were deboarded through the emergency door and are safe, the official said.

#WATCH | Passengers of the IndiGo flight 6E2211 operating from Delhi to Varanasi were evacuated through the emergency door after a bomb threat was reported on the flight. All passengers are safe, flight is being inspected.

(Viral video confirmed by Aviation authorities) https://t.co/el2q5jCatxpic.twitter.com/ahVc0MSiXz

— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2024

The IndiGo also released an official statement and said that the aircraft was taken to a remote bay as per guidelines by airport security agencies.

“The flight is currently undergoing inspection. Post completion of all security checks, the aircraft will be positioned back in the terminal area,” the airline said.

ALSO READ | Mumbai Cops Receive Hoax Message Threatening To Blow Up Taj Hotel, Airport

Earlier this month, a tissue paper with the word ‘bomb’ written on it was found on an Air India flight lavatory at Delhi airport, but it had turned out to be a hoax.

Police had said that they received information regarding a tissue paper found in the lavatory of an Air India flight scheduled to depart for Vadodara on May 15, with the word ‘bomb’ written on it.

“Following standard security protocols, a thorough inspection was conducted, and no suspicious items were found,” an official had said.

Several hospitals and schools in Delhi have recently been targeted with bomb threat emails, that claimed the presence of explosives on their premises. However, investigators found the threats to be false alarms.

“Anti-women” Opposition versus BJP welfare schemes — this was Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pitch to women in Varanasi today. And his special request to them was to ensure maximum possible voting. “Collect 25-30 women and go to the polling stations beating drums, clanging thalis, singing songs. If we can hold 20-25 such processions at each booth before 10 am, the voting figures will shoot up,” he told the massive gathering of women this evening.

The Prime Minister had gone campaigning today in his constituency, which is voting in the last phase on June 1. At the “Nari Shakti Sammelan”, he launched a stinging attack on the opposition Congress and Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party, which are contesting the election as allies.   

The Congress, the Prime Minister said, is against reservation, its ally, the Samajwadi Party is lax about law and order.

“If something happens, then SP will say ‘boys can make mistakes’. Let the boys ‘make mistakes’ now, Yogi-ji (Yogui Adityanath) would know how to deal with them,” he said, recalling the 2014 shocker from the SP’s late patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Mulayam Singh Yadav had sparked outrage with his comment questioning the death sentence to three men convicted for two gang-rapes in Mumbai. “Should rape cases be punished with hanging? They are boys, they make mistakes,” he had said.

“The INDI Alliance’s mentality has always been anti-women. They opposed women’s reservation. Wherever their government comes to power, it becomes difficult for women to live. The people of Banaras are familiar with the Jungle Raj in UP and Bihar. It was difficult for our sisters and daughters to step out of the house. Daughters had to leave their studies and sit at home due to safety concerns,” he said.

His big appeal to the women was through the party’s social welfare schemes, which he said, was saving every family so much money.

Housing, health, free food, and subsidised cooking gas – he presented an itemised list of how much a family was saving under each head. He reminded them of the toilets built in every house, free bank accounts and even the free cataract operations for 3 lakh people of the constituency that he had got done as an MP.

In an emotive appeal, he said, “For the first time in the past 10 years, women have come to the forefront of the government’s policies and decisions. Although it hasn’t been discussed much, it is a major factor in India’s success story. Tell me, if the home cannot be run without you, how can the country be run without you? This was something that the governments did not understand for 60 years”.

Varanasi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with 25,000 women at Kashi’s Sampurnanand Sanskrit University ground on Tuesday.

He will address an election rally in Prayagraj too.

Kashi region BJP Spokesperson Navaratan Rathi said: “There are 1,909 booths in Varanasi Lok Sabha and 10 women from each booth have been invited for Prime Minister Modi’s interaction with women. All preparations for the event have been completed.”

Doctors, engineers, lawyers, professors, chartered accountants, and teachers have also been invited to the programme that will start around 4 p.m. on Tuesday, he added.

BJP’s state unit secretary and Mahila Morcha in-charge Archana Mishra said: “Our enthusiastic participation at his Kashi roadshow on May 13 made the Prime Minister very happy and that is why he is coming here again to share his happiness with us.”

She said BJP’s women wing members have gone door-to-door in Varanasi to invite women for the Tuesday event.

Lok Sabha coordinator and MLC Ashwini Tyagi said: “Prime Minister has done many things for the upliftment of women during his 10 years in office. It was because of him that 33 per cent reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies under the Nari Shakti Vandan Act could become possible.”

After the event, Prime Minister Modi will spend the night at the BLW guest house in Varanasi.

The Prime Minister will address a meeting at the Government Polytechnic Ground on Wednesday (May 22), said Basti Superintendent of Police, Gopal Krishna Chowdhury.

He said that members of SPG security had already reached Basti and inspected the rally venue and added that no flying zone had been declared in nearby areas.

He said from May 20 to May 22, flying drones or balloons in the region have been banned due to security reasons.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Minister Anupriya Patel, too, would share the stage with Prime Minister Modi.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The affidavit of Comedian Shyam Rangeela, who had filed a nomination to contest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat was rejected by the Election Commission on Wednesday. In a video message, Mr Rangeela claimed that out of the 55 candidates vying for the seat, the forms of 36 nominees met rejection, while the affidavits of 15 candidates, including PM Modi and Congress pick Ajay Rai, sailed through the scrutiny process.

Mr Rangeela has alleged a series of hurdles in the nomination process, claiming he was barred from submitting his papers on time. His accusations extended to the District Magistrate’s office, where he alleged being unfairly singled out and denied assistance during the filing process. 

“Today, the District Magistrate told me that there was some issue with my documents and that I did not take the oath. They did not let the lawyers go in with me and called me alone. My friend was beaten up. Modiji may act and cry, but I don’t want to cry here,” Mr Rangeela said.

वाराणसी से नहीं लड़ने देंगे ये तय था, अब साफ़ हो गया
दिल ज़रूर टूट गया है, हौंसला नहीं टूटा है ।
आप सबके सहयोग के लिए शुक्रिया ।
मीडिया और शुभचिंतकों से निवेदन है कृपया अभी कॉल ना करें, जो भी सूचना होगी यहाँ देता रहूँगा, शायद अब थोड़ी देर बातचीत करने की इच्छा नहीं है pic.twitter.com/aB6AZqLGqv

— Shyam Rangeela (@ShyamRangeela) May 15, 2024

“27 nominations were submitted yesterday and 32 were rejected today, I feel like laughing at the Election Commission, should I laugh? Or should I cry?” he added.

नॉमिनेशन के पीछे का कारण जो चुनाव आयोग कार्यालय से आपको दिखा रहें है उसकी भी सच्चाई आपके सामने रख रहा हूँ,
लोकतंत्र में उन्हीं को लड़ने का अधिकार है जिन्हें आयोग चुनेगा pic.twitter.com/aBFK6Zejry

— Shyam Rangeela (@ShyamRangeela) May 15, 2024

The response from the official Varanasi District Magistrate’s account attempted to justify the rejection, citing deficiencies in Mr Rangeela’s affidavit and failure to comply with procedural formalities. 

“Your nomination paper was scrutinised in your presence and you were informed about the deficiencies. Your nomination paper has been cancelled because the affidavit submitted by you was incomplete and you did not take the oath/affirmation, a copy of the order of which has also been made available to you,” Varanasi District Magistrate S Rajalingam wrote on X.

आपके नामांकन पत्र की संवीक्षा आपके समक्ष की गयी तथा कमियों से आपको अवगत कराया गया। आपके द्वारा प्रस्तुत शपथ पत्र अपूर्ण होने एवं आप द्वारा शपथ/प्रतिज्ञान न लिये जाने के कारण नामांकन पत्र निरस्त किया गया है, जिसके आदेश की प्रति भी आपको प्राप्त करायी गयी है। @ECISVEEP

— DM VARANASI (@Varanasi_DM) May 15, 2024

Formerly a staunch supporter of PM Modi, Mr Rangeela had said that the circumstances have evolved over the past decade, prompting his decision to contest against the Prime Minister from Varanasi.

“In 2014, I was a follower of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I shared many videos supporting the Prime Minister. Videos were also shared against Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal. Seeing them, one could say that I will vote only for the Bharatiya Janata Party for the next 70 years. But the situation has changed in the last 10 years. I will now contest against the Prime Minister in the Lok Sabha polls as an Independent candidate,” he had announced.

The Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency witnessed a historic clash in 2014 when Mr Modi, then BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, contested against AAP chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Mr Modi’s resounding victory, with a margin exceeding 3 lakh votes, solidified Varanasi’s position as a BJP stronghold, a legacy he aims to extend in the upcoming elections.

Varanasi, comprising five assembly seats, has been a battleground where the BJP and the Congress have locked horns over the years. Since 1957, while the BJP has enjoyed significant success since 1991, winning the seat seven times, the Congress has also wielded influence, securing victory six times. The Varanasi seat has never been won by the Samajwadi Party or the Bahujan Samaj Party.

Varanasi (UP):

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday rejected the affidavit of comedian Shyam Rangeela, who filed his nomination from Varanasi as an Independent candidate against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

According to the poll panel’s website, out of 55 candidates, the forms of 36 nominees were rejected while the affidavits of 15 candidates, including PM Modi and Congress’ Ajay Rai, were accepted.

Shyam Rangeela had filed his nomination as an Independent candidate from Varanasi on Tuesday. The comedian-mimic had also alleged that he was prevented from submitting his nomination papers.

Rangeela told reporters that despite his efforts to file his nomination since May 10, he was denied access to the district magistrate’s office on the day Prime Minister Modi submitted his nomination papers.

Once a follower of PM Modi, Rangeela had earlier said the situation had changed in the last 10 years which is why he decided to contest elections from Varanasi.

“In 2014, I was a follower of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I shared many videos supporting the Prime Minister. Videos were also shared against Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal. Seeing them, one could say that I will vote only for the Bharatiya Janata Party for the next 70 years. But the situation has changed in the last 10 years. I will now contest against the Prime Minister in the Lok Sabha polls as an Independent candidate,” he had announced.

Rangeela gained fame for mimicking PM Modi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi on a comedy show.

Varanasi will go to the polls in the seventh and final phase on June 1.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh)::

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, filing his nomination from Varanasi today, appeared at the Election Commission’s office with four proposers. The video was widely circulated on social media and became the talking point of the day.

The proposers included Pandit Ganeshwar Shastri, who had decided the “mahurat” of the Ram Temple consecration and “bhoomi pujan”; Baijnath Patel, a member of Other Backward Classes and a dedicated worker of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or RSS, the ideological mentor of the BJP; Lalchand Kushwaha, another member of the OBC community and Sanjay Sonkar, BJP worker and a member of the Dalit community.All four are residents of the city.

The messaging of inclusivity was not missed, with many on social media commenting on it.

A group of the party’s seniormost leaders also accompanied the Prime Minister, who is seeking mandate for the third time from  Varanasi. Among them were BJP chief JP Nadda, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP state president Bhupendra Chaudhary. The list of Chief Ministers included Yogi Adityanath, Pushkar Singh Dhami, and Mohan Yadav.

There were a group of NDA leaders as well, including Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad Sangma, NCP leader Praful Patel, Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu.

“Filed my nomination papers as a candidate for the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat. It is an honour to serve the people of this historic seat. With the blessings of the people, there have been remarkable achievements over the last decade. This pace of work will get even faster in the times to come,” PM Modi later posted on X, formerly Twitter.

I am honoured by the presence of our valued NDA allies in Kashi today. Our alliance represents a commitment to national progress and fulfilling regional aspirations. We will work together for the progress of India in the years to come. pic.twitter.com/beAMbWLpD3

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 14, 2024

“I am honoured by the presence of our valued NDA allies in Kashi today. Our alliance represents a commitment to national progress and fulfilling regional aspirations. We will work together for the progress of India in the years to come,” read a second post.

“I am overwhelmed and emotional. I did not even realise how 10 years passed under the shade of your affection. ‘Aaj Maa Ganga ne mujhe god le liya hai’ (today, Maa Ganga has adopted me),” he also said.

Voting will take place in in Varanasi in the seventh and last phase of the Lok Sabha election on June 1. The Congress has fielded its state unit president Ajay Rai and the BSP has nominated Athar Jamal Lari in the seat..

Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh):

Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered prayers at Dashashwamedh Ghat on the banks of the Ganges in Varanasi before filling his nomination from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat today in Uttar Pradesh.

Today also marks the auspicious day of Ganga Saptami and PM Modi participated in prayers and performed the Ganga Aarti at the Ghat

PM Modi the sitting MP and BJP’s candiatate will file his nomination papers from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat for the 2024 general elections, from where he has secured wins with large margins for the past two consecutive terms.

PM Modi will then offer prayers at Kal Bhairav Temple before filing his nomination.

PM Modi is seeking a third term and hoping for a record margin.

Varanasi goes in for polling on June 1 in the seventh and last phase of the general elections.
Security has been strengthened outside the office of the District Magistrate in Varanasi ahead of PM Modi’s nomination.

Ahead of the nomination, the Bharatiya Janata Party said in a post in hindi on X that the temple town of Kashi is once again ready to send its servant (PM Modi) to the Parliament.

“I have neither come here nor has anyone sent me here, Maa Ganga has called me… This relationship between Kashi, Kashi residents and the Chief Servant is one of development, trust and affection. Kashi is once again ready to send its beloved chief servant to the parliament by winning him with record votes,” BJP posted.

PM Modi also posted on X about his association with the city. “My relationship with my Kashi is amazing, inseparable and incomparable… all I can say is that it cannot be expressed in words!”

Voting in Varanasi will be held on June 1 in the seventh and last phase of the Lok Sabha polls.

On Monday evening, PM Modi held an extravagant roadshow in Varanasi on a five-kilometre-stretch on Monday evening.

PM Modi was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and BJP state president Chaudhary Bhupendra Singh. The whole stretch reverberated with ‘Har Har Mahadev’ and ‘Jai Shree Ram’ chants as a huge crowd of supporters and residents gathered on either side of the road to cheer the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister Narendra started his roadshow by garlanding the statue of Mahamana Madan Mohan Malviya at the Singh Dwar of Kashi Hindu University at around 5 pm. After more than two and a half hours, the roadshow concluded at the Kashi Vishwanath Dham. After the roadshow, the Prime Minister offered prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath Dham along with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other BJP leaders.

Varanasi is the stronghold of the Bharatiya Janata Party and PM Modi. He won the seat twice- the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections.The Congress has pitted Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai against PM Modi in Varanasi. This is the third time Ajay Rai will face PM Modi in the Lok Sabha contest.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, PM Modi won the seat with over 6,74,664 votes and commanded a vote share of 63.6 per cent. In 2014, PM Modi contested two Lok Sabha seats- from Gujarat’s Vadodara and Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Dehradun, Uttarakhand:

The central government has approved the flight operations from Dehradun to three major cities of the country – Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya, Varanasi and Punjab’s Amritsar, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said today.

The chief minister further said that all three services will be launched on March 6, Wednesday.

Chief Minister Dhami expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia for the approval of all three services.

According to the chief minister’s office, on the inauguration day, a plane will take off from Dehradun for Ayodhya at 9:40 am and reach Ayodhya at 11:30 am.

“On the same day, a flight will take off from Ayodhya at 12:15 pm and reach Dehradun at 1:55 pm,” it added.

Another flight will take off from Amritsar at noon and reach Dehradun at 01:10 pm.

“Similarly, the flight from Dehradun will take off for Amritsar at 1:35 pm and will reach Amritsar at 2: 45 pm,” the CMO added.

Air service to Varanasi via Pantnagar is also starting on March 6.

“The passenger plane will take off from Dehradun for Pantnagar at 9:50 am and reach Pantnagar at 10:35 am. Similarly, a flight will take off from Pantnagar to Varanasi at 11:15 am and land in Varanasi at 1 pm. The flight from Varanasi will take off for Pantnagar at 1.40 pm and reach Pantnagar at 3:25 pm. The flight will take off from Pantnagar at 3:50 pm and reach Dehradun at 4:35 pm,” the CMO said.

According to the CM’s office, Dhami had been trying for a long time to start air services for all three places.

“Before the Pran Pratishtah ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya, the CM had personally requested and written a letter to Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia,” it said.

Dehradun Airport is a medium-sized airport in India with domestic flights only. On the other hand, Ayodhya recently got its first airport, which has been named Maharishi Valmiki International Airport. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the airport on December 30 last year.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)