Lucknow : The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) will begin an 11-day campaign against 'love jihad' and forced religious conversions on Wednesday (December 21).

 Jaipur, Dec 20 (PTI) The son bending to tie his mother’s shoelaces, the younger politician holding the veteran’s hand as they jog some distance, the leader playing football on the streets... the Kodak moments have been rolling in through the 100 days and more of the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra.

 Doha, Qatar : On Sunday at Lusail Stadium, Argentina overcame a few tense moments to defeat France in a dramatic 4-2 penalty shootout, fulfilling Lionel Messi's lifelong dream of winning the FIFA World Cup.

Both sides were tied at two goals each at the completion of regulation play, and they each added a goal in extra time to make it three goals each, forcing the final match into a penalty shootout.

Kylan Mbappe scored the first goal for France in the tie-breaker, but after that, the French players were unable to defeat Martinez in the Argentinian goal, with one kick being saved by the keeper and one being off-target.

Kolo Mani scored for France, but it wasn't enough because their competitors made all four kicks.

Messi opened the scoring for Argentina, and then his three teammates did the same, giving their captain the ideal send-off gift. The 35-year-old has declared that the World Cup in Qatar will be his final.

Messi and Mbappe were the main topics of conversation leading up to the game because of their significant roles in the final, and they did not dissapoint. Mbappe scored a hat trick while Messi scored twice.

The roughly 90,000 spectators were kept on their toes by six goals, three penalties, and a lot of drama in extra time, which forced a penalty shootout.

Messi gave Argentina the lead for the second time in the game with a goal in the 109th minute, but Mbappe tied the score with his third and second penalty kick in the 118th minute to make it three all.

The defending champion's game included two distinct facets in the championship match. They were essentially passengers in the first half until roaring back late in the second half to match their opponents.

Both teams started the scoring from the penalty spot, and the important players for each squad made no mistakes in slamming the ball home from a distance of 12 yards.

Messi gave Argentina the lead in the 23rd minute, and Angel Di Maria scored a second to make the score 2 -0 at the break.

The Les Blues rallied to tie the score and added a second goal, both of which were scored by Mbappe in the 80th and 88th minutes.

Argentina were not the same team against the Asian side despite playing in the same stadium where they started their tournament campaign and shockingly lost 2-1 to Saudi Arabia.

The Argentinians were all over France's defence after playing six matches and developing communication and fluency with one another.

The fact that thousands of their fans were yelling, singing, and beating drums to motivate their players gave Argentina an additional advantage.

Argentina made a strong start and sent a few attempts directly at goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. In the first half, France only managed one shot on goal at the other end.

With Antoine Griezmann not playing the crucial role in the midfield for the French team, Argentina had made sure to shut off the supply line to Mbappe in the first half.

On the other hand, Argentina made good use of Angel Di Maria on the left flank. Messi frequently squared the ball or floated it to send some probing crosses deep inside the French defence.

Attended by 89,966 viewers Through the successful conversion of a spot kick, Argentina took the lead. When Di Maria was hauled down within the box, the Polish referee pointed to the location.

To make it 1-0, Messi, who stepped up to take the penalty, sent Lloris the wrong way.

Argentina added a second goal, which was initiated by Messi on the right after a few passes found him there again. The mercurial left-footed magician then skillfully released Di Maria to make it 2-0 for Argentina.

Close to halftime, French coach Didier Deschamps made two substitutions in an effort to turn the tide after falling down by two goals.

Despite Argentina's continuing dominance, Lloris stopped a few chances that were headed for the net, preventing them from adding a third to end the game.

The first of Mhappe's two goals sparked the action.

He scored twice from the penalty spot, making it 2-2 after the first conversion.

When France requested a second penalty kick, the referee instead issued the French striker a yellow card, adding to the tension on both sides of the field.

In injury time of the second half, Lloris was had to make a spectacular stop to deflect Messi's graceful drive for a corner kick.

Argentina stopped a couple dangerous efforts to force extra time by stopping more goalmouth action at both ends.

Argentina and France did not play as well in the extra period, engaging in numerous sloppy tackles that required the Polish referee to repeatedly maintain control of the situation.

Messi was denied by Lloris in the second period of extra time after he unexpectedly created an opportunity.

But it did not take long for Argentina to score after the French goalkeeper had first blocked a shot; in the 109th minute of the game, Lloris' defence gave way.

(Inputs from Agencies)

Jaipur/New Delhi, Dec 16 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday claimed that China is preparing for war and accused the government of trying to "ignore" this threat, saying it was "asleep" and not ready to accept the situation.

Gandhi's attack on the government drew a sharp response from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which accused the Congress leader of trying to create a misconception in the country and demoralising Indian soldiers while asserting that it is not Nehru's India of 1962. The BJP accused Gandhi of continuing to doubt the valour of Indian soldiers.

Gandhi's criticism came on a day when Eastern Army commander Lt General R P Kalita said border areas along the country’s northern frontier are “stable” and that the Indian Armed forces remain “firmly in control”. "We are prepared for all eventualities and all contingencies." Addressing a press conference in Jaipur on the completion of 100 days of the Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra, Gandhi also hit out at External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, saying he keeps making remarks but needs to "deepen his understanding." Gandhi also slammed the media, saying he is sure that reporters would ask him about everything from Sachin Pilot to Ashok Gehlot amid the tussle between the two leaders in Rajasthan, but not a question on China.

 Karnataka : According to authorities, Sowbhagya Basavarajan, the wife of the former Murugha Mutt administrator, has been taken into prison by the Karnataka Police, who are looking into the conspiracy case against Lingayat seer Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru who is suspected of rape.

 Dausa (Rajasthan), Dec 16 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, his deputy Mukesh Agnihotri and the Congress' chief in the hill state Pratibha Singh walked alongside Rahul Gandhi in the Bharat Jodo Yatra on Friday as it completed 100 days on the road.

 New Delhi, Dec 13 (PTI) No one can capture one inch of land till the Narendra Modi government is in power, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Tuesday as the opposition demanded a discussion on clashes between Indian and Chinese forces along the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh.

 The ceremony will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Ministers of BJP-led states.

Agency in put 

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Bhupendra Patel will take oath as the Chief Minister of Gujarat for a second consecutive time in Gandhinagar on Monday.

Patel will be administered the oath as the 18th Chief Minister by Governor Acharya Devvrat at the Helipad Ground near the new Secretariat in Gandhinagar at 2 pm. The ceremony will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Ministers of BJP-led states.

As per sources, about 20 cabinet ministers will also take oath on the same day, along with Bhupendra Patel and will take charge of their respective offices, the very next day.

BJP swept the Gujarat Assembly election winning a whopping 156 seats, which is the highest number of seats any party has won after the formation of the state in the year 1960.

The BJP’s seventh consecutive Assembly poll win in Gujarat is its biggest since the founding of this state in 1960.

Patel was sworn in as the 17th Chief Minister of Gujarat on September 13, 2021. He was first elected as BJP legislative party leader on September 12, 2021. He began his political journey as a member in Memnagar municipality and got elected as MLA from Ghatlodia constituency (Ahmedabad) in the 2017 Gujarat assembly elections.

Breaking his own record, Patel once again won from Ghatlodia constituency by a staggering margin of 1,91,000 votes in the 2022 election.

This overwhelming majority of the BJP in Gujarat depicts the absolute faith of the people in Patel’s leadership.

Patel has vast experience in administration, having served as the Chairman of the Standing Committee of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) and as a Corporator for Thaltej ward from 2010 to 2015. He began his political career in 1995 when he was appointed as the Chairman of the Standing Committee of Memnagar municipality. He served the municipality for over a decade, becoming Chairman of the local body during 1999-2000 and 2004-2006.

He also served as the Vice Chairman of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation School Board between 2008 and 2010. Later on, he served as a Corporator from Thaltej ward from 2010 to 2015. During this tenure, he served as the Chairman of the Standing Committee of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC).

In 2015, he was appointed as the chairman of the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA). In 2017, Patel became a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the first time, by winning the election from Ghatlodia constituency with a wide margin of 1,17,000 votes.

Born on July 15, 1962, in Ahmedabad, Patel holds a Diploma in Civil Engineering from Government Polytechnic, Ahmedabad. He is a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He is also an active member of Pandit Deendayal Library managed by RSS at Memnagar.

The BJP created history in Gujarat with a landslide victory in the 2022 election and its 7th consecutive win. It is the party’s largest win in Gujarat since the state’s formation in 1960. It is an important win for the BJP.

Notably, there has always been a strong contest between the BJP and Congress in Gujarat, but this time around, Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) entry made this election an interesting one. AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal tried hard to woo the people of Gujarat with the promises of providing free electricity and water, Rs 1,000 per month for women and a loan waiver for farmers. On the other hand, Congress also tried to attract voters with all kinds of sops.

The BJP bagged 156 seats in the 182-member Assembly, its highest-ever poll tally in the state. The opposition Congress could manage only 17 seats while Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party had to be content with just 5 seats.

Three seats went to Independent candidates while the Samajwadi Party (SP) won a lone seat in the state.

The BJP, which has won its seventh straight election in Gujarat, not only improved its own best record of 127 seats in 2002– the first election with Narendra Modi as Chief Minister — but the Congress’ tally of 149 seats in 1985

 Bengaluru, Dec 11 (PTI) Several protesters demanding implementation of internal reservation for communities among the Scheduled Castes were detained here on Sunday as they tried to march towards Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai's residence to hand over a memorandum, police said.

 Chennai : Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal have seen strong and furious rainfall as a result of Cyclone Mandous, which made landfall near Mahabalipuram on Friday. The cyclone is anticipated to weaken into a depression by Saturday morning and move in a west-northwest direction, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Due to the cyclonic storm, 300 trees were uprooted in Chennai alone. In order to prevent traffic interruption, a sizable team was mobilised to cut and remove the fallen trees.

 Jaipur/Kota, Dec 10 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi resumed the Rajasthan leg of the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' from Gudli village in Bundi district on Saturday morning.

 Ahmedabad, Dec 9 (PTI) A region wise analysis of the Gujarat assembly results shows that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept Saurashtra, winning 40 of 48 seats, regaining its hold over a region where the Congress held sway in 2017 polls, bagging as many as 28 seats.

 Shimla, Dec 8 (PTI) The Congress on Thursday appeared headed for a victory in Himachal Pradesh as it surged ahead of the ruling BJP, winning or leading in 39 of 68 assembly seats.

 New Delhi.(TNINS) The SAARC Journalists Forum, an organization of journalists from SAARC countries, in its meeting has decided to hold its conference in Delhi in the month of January. Journalists from across the country including Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Afghanistan are expected to attend the conference. Almost all the preparations for this conference to be held in the month of January have been finalized and opinion was also sought from journalist organizations.The Department of Hindi, Khalsa College, University of Delhi has been selected as the joint organizer for this conference. Organization’s International President Raju Lama expressed satisfaction over the preparations and expressed hope that the conference would be very successful. From this conference, the status of journalism in SAARC countries and the challenges before it will also be known.

President of India, Anirudh Sudhanshu said that bringing journalists of SAARC countries together on one platform will mark a new revolution in the field of journalism. We are not only representing India in this conference but also representing all the journalists who are working in different parts of India. We are inviting journalists from all over India to join us in the conference and stand in the struggle for the rights of journalism. To counter the day-to-day attacks on journalists and journalism, also demand a law to be made in the interest of journalists.

A delegation of journalists from SAARC Journalist Forum India and Bhutan met at a hotel in New Delhi. Rinzin Wangchuk, head of the Bhutanese delegate and Aniruddha Sudhanshu, president of the India chapter, described the meeting as very important for journalists from both countries. During the meeting the situation of journalism in Bhutan was discussed and journalists from there were also invited to come to India.

These Bhutanese journalists who came to India were eager to learn and know new things by visiting different parts of India. They were happy on the meeting and also agreed to participate in the conference to be held in India. MH Zakaria Senior Vice President of India Chapter said that he will cooperate in every way in the conference and take the organization to the new height.

 New Delhi, Dec 7 (PTI) The mood at the Aam Aadmi Party office here was celebratory Wednesday morning with patriotic songs blaring through loudspeakers and the entire premises decked up with colourful balloons as the latest counting trends showed the party just inching ahead of the BJP in the MCD polls.

 Karnataka : In a letter to President Droupadi Murmu on Monday, the mother of two victims in the Lingayat Mutt sex scandal requested that either they receive justice or permission for a mercy death.

 New Delhi, Dec 5 (PTI) Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi on Monday pitched for bringing about "parivartan (change)" in Gujarat as they urged voters to exercise their franchise.

 Kolkata : In East Midnapore district, three people were murdered in an explosion near the ancestral home of West Bengal Assembly Opposition Leader Suvendu Adhikari.