• Sabir Ali asks BJP to put his membership on hold till allegations against him are cleared.

• Congress candidate from Saharanpur, Imran Masood sent to 14 days judicial custody for making objectionable remarks against Narendra Modi.
• Filing of nominations on for 117 Lok Sabha seats going to polls in sixth phase; Last day for withdrawal of candidature for fourth and fifth phase.
• Militant hideout unearthed in Manipur; Arms seized.
• Fresh objects of the missing Malaysian plane spotted in southern Indian Ocean.
• New Zealand to meet the Netherlands, and England to take on South Africa in Group-I of ICC World Twenty-20 today.

<><><> 

Sabir Ali, who yesterday joined BJP, has said that his party membership should be put on hold till Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi's allegations against him are cleared. Talking to reporters in New Delhi today, Ali said, he has written to BJP Bihar unit asking it to put his membership on hold. Hours after Ali was inducted into the party, BJP leader Naqvi, in a tweet, called him a friend of Indian Mujahideen terrorist Yasin Bhatkal. Naqvi alleged that Ali's name had figured in the murder case of music magnate Gulshan Kumar also.

BJP spokesperson Balbir Punj said that Sabir Ali's persona is totally inconsistent with the nationalist image of BJP.

"The decision to induct Mr. Sabir Ali into BJP has shocked millions of Bhartiya Janata Party Karyakartas, it's sympathisers and all the patriotic people of the country. Irrespective of the charges against Mr. Sabir Ali, his persona, his past is totally inconsistent with the nationalist image of the Bhartiya Janata Party. This decision must be reversed."

<><><> 

In Uttar Pradesh, arrested Congress candidate from Saharanpur, Imran Masood has been sent to judicial custody for 14 days. He was produced before a local court at Deoband this morning seeking his judicial custody. After hearing the arguments between prosecution and defence, ACJM Ms Archana ordered his judicial remand. 

Masood was arrested last night in connection with a FIR lodged against him at Deoband police station for violation of election model code of conduct and objectionable remarks made by him against BJP leader Narendra Modi.

District Police Chief told our Allahabad correspondent that police has not made any request to the court for his remand as nothing has to be recovered from him.  Masood has said that the clipping of his remarks were not recent one but 7 months old. He said, if Modi apologises for 2002 Gujarat riots, he is ready to apologize for his remarks.

Meanwhile, BJP has urged the Election Commission to take strictest action against Imran Masood and his party. A party delegation led by BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi today lodged a complaint to the Commission in this regard. Talking to reporters after submitting the complaint to the poll body in New Delhi, Naqvi said the inflammatory speeches have become the common style of various political parties in the current campaign particularly of the Congress, which may effect conduct of free and fair polls.

<><><> 

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi has cancelled his scheduled rally in Saharanpur today in the wake of party candidate Imran Masood's arrest. CLP leader Pradeep Mathur said, the next date for the rally will be decided later on.

<><><> 

The Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has stressed on the achievements made by the UPA government in last 10 years. Addressing an election rally at Khumtai in Sibsagar district, he said, the people have been  benefited from the programmes undertaken by the Government during this period which resulted in declining of poverty in the country. Pointing towards the inflation and price rise in the recent past, Dr. Singh said that it is now stable and for stabilizing the price rise the PDS has been strengthened.

"UPA-2, under the leadership of Congress, tried to work as per your expectations. We thrived in a lot of sectors but I will also admit that in a few sectors, we could not achieve the success, we wanted."

<><><> 

BJP leader Narendra Modi today said that now it is high time to get rid of dynastic politics and its rulers. Addressing an election rally in Baraut of Baghpat, he criticized RLD Chief and Lok Sabha candidate from the area Ajit Singh and said, the son of the great kissan leader did only the politics of power and nothing except false promises. He said that Baghpat need to be developed like a satellite city of Delhi which will not only develop the area but also help increase the prosperity of  the people there.

<><><> 

In Andhra Pradesh, hectic consultations are underway among political parties for electoral-alliances ahead of issuance of notification for general elections in Telangana region. Discussions at top level between TDP and BJP are continuing for a possible alliance while talks for seat sharing between Congress and CPI are in the advanced stage. An announcement is expected very soon regarding seat sharing between Congress and CPI. The TRS has almost ruled out the possibility of alliance with Congress while one of the registered parties, Lok Satta announced its preparedness to work with TDP. The election notification will be issued on 2nd April for 17 Lok Sabha and 119 Assembly seats in Telangana region.

<><><> 

The media fraternity in Arunachal Pradesh has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission against Congress, accusing it of offering money to journalists. The Arunachal Press Club and the Arunachal Pradesh Union of Working Journalist in their complaint yesterday alleged that Congress had offered cash to media persons during the release of party's manifesto in Itanagar on March 27 last. 

Taking suo-motu cognizance of press reports on the matter, Chief Electoral Officer Chandra Bhusan Kumar has sought a reply from the party.

<><><> 

With the issuance of notification, filing of nominations began today for 117 constituencies for the sixth phase of Lok Sabha polls spread over 11 states and the Union Territory of Puducherry. The constituencies are all 39 in Tamil Nadu, 19 in Maharashtra, 12 Uttar Pradesh, 10 Madhya Pradesh, 7 each in Chhattisgarh and Bihar, 6 each in Assam and West Bengal, 5 in Rajasthan, 4 in Jharkhand, one seat in Jammu and Kashmir and the lone seat in the Union Territory of Puducherry. 5th of next month will be last date for filing of nominations for this phase while scrutiny of papers will take place on 7th April.

In Assam, all major parties have announced their candidates for the sixth phase. Former Governor, State Transport  minister, son of former President of India and senior leaders of several parties are likely to file nomination papers in this phase. Meanwhile, official sources said that Village and Ward Awareness Groups have been formed involving non-political and eminent persons to create awareness and facilitate voters. Each group has three to seven members.

In Puducherry, arrangements have been made to file nomination papers with the Assistant Returning Officers in Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam also. Congress, All India N.R Congress, DMK, AIADMK, CPI, PMK and AAP have already announced their candidates.

Today is also the last date for withdrawal of candidatures in 128 Lok Sabha seats, 32 Assembly Constituencies of Sikkim and 77 Assembly seats in Odisha where elections will be held in Phase four and Phase five.

In Phase four elections are scheduled on the 12th April for seven Lok Sabha seats of which three are in Assam, two in Goa and one each in Sikkim and Tripura and 32 Assembly Constituencies of Sikkim.

Elections in 121 Lok Sabha seats spread over 12 states and 77 Assembly Constituencies of Odisha are set to be conducted in Phase five on the 17th of next month. The states are Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

<><><> 

In Manipur, a joint team of police commandos and Central paramilitary forces unearthed a militant hideout in Thoubal district yesterday. A large number of sophisticated arms were also seized. Police said, the militants fled before the forces reached the spot. The search was continuing in the area to track down the militants.

<><><> 

In Jammu & Kashmir, security forces today detected an IED planted by militants outside an Army camp in Srinagar. Police said, a patrol party of 151 Territorial Army noticed a bag lying by the roadside near an Army camp in Bemina area of the city. The army personnel found a pressure cooker inside the bag and immediately called for the bomb disposal squad which destroyed the five-kg IED.

<><><> 

The search for the crashed Malaysian jetliner continued today with fresh objects being spotted by planes scouring a new area of the southern Indian Ocean. Australian officials said, a Chinese ship is searching a new area of the Indian Ocean for objects spotted in the hunt for MH370. Aircraft are also travelling to the area, about 1,100 km north-east of the previous zone.

The Australian and Malaysian governments yesterday said that the search area had been changed following further analysis of radar data that showed the plane had been travelling faster, thus burning more fuel.

<><><> 

In Thailand, thousands of anti-government protesters have resumed demonstrations to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinavatra. Large crowds marched along several routes from the main park in the capital Bangkok. The city had been returning to normal after months of protests and a general election that was declared invalid. The leader of the demonstrators warned the Thai authorities against attempting to organise a re-run of the elections in the near future.

<><><> 

The Presidents of the United States and Russia have been in direct contact to discuss a possible diplomatic solution to the crisis in Ukraine. Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin spoke for an hour in a phone conversation initiated by Putin. The White House said, the two leaders discussed the US proposal for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis in Ukraine, and President Obama made it clear that this is possible only if Russia pulls back its troops.

A different account of the phone call was released by the Kremlin, which said, President Putin highlighted the continued rampage of extremists in various regions and Keiv.

<><><> 

India and US today discussed maritime security and expanding regional trade in the Indo-Pacific Economic Corridor and beyond. During the sixth session of the US-India East Asia Consultations in Washington, both countries affirmed their intent to extend co-operation in and with regional and multilateral institutions. The delegations from both sides exchanged views on a variety of issues including maritime security, combating nuclear proliferation, and expanding regional trade opportunities in the Indo-Pacific Economic Corridor and beyond.

<><><> 

President Pranab Mukherjee has described the successful completion of polio eradication programme in India, as a landmark achievement. Inaugurating the Rotary International's Polio Free Conclave 2014 in New Delhi today, the President said that polio eradication has been a priority health objective of the government and was made possible due to the collective efforts of all the people associated with the programme. He said, unless the world is free of polio, there will be a risk of the virus creeping into India's territory.

"As I thank to the Rotary international, for inviting me today, to recall their relentless efforts over the years to execute this comprehensive campaign against Polio in all parts of the world. While we rejoice today, we must remind ourselves of those nations which battle against the Polio Virus,  is not yet over. It's children are yet to be properly protected against it."

<><><> 

In the ICC World Twenty-20, New Zealand will meet the Netherlands, and England will take on South Africa in Group-I today. Both matches will be played at Chittagong. The New Zealand-Netherlands match will begin at 3 PM Indian Time, while the England-South Africa fixture is slated for 7 PM.

Yesterday, India became the first team, in this tournament, to book a semi-final berth.

<><><> 

Indian Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has reportedly offered to quit as skipper of the Chennai Super Kings, CSK, in the wake of the Indian Premier League betting and match-fixing scandal. Dhoni has been upset about his name being linked with the scandal and reportedly spoke to N. Srinivasan, now suspended by the Supreme Court as the BCCI chief, and offered to step down as skipper of CSK and also as Vice-President of India Cements.

<><><> 

Earth Hour is being observed today across the world. People are to turn off all non-essential lights to raise awareness about environmental challenges from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm local time. Earth Hour is a worldwide movement organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature to engage a massive mainstream community in a wide range of environmental issues. It was started as a lights-off event in Sydney, Australia in 2007. Since then it has grown to engage more than 7,000 cities and towns worldwide.

<><><>