Month: February 2025

Billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani’s youngest son Jeet Adani got married on Friday in a “small and extremely private ceremony” in Ahmedabad.

The couple looked stunning in elegant traditional wedding attire.

Taking to social media the founder and Chairman of the Adani Group shared the wedding pictures of the just married couple – Jeet and his bride, Diva Jaimin Shah, daughter of diamond merchant Jaimin Shah.

In a note accompanying the photos on social media platform X, the industrialist wrote in hindi, “With the blessings of Almighty God, Jeet and Diva tied the sacred knot of matrimony today. The wedding was solemnized today in Ahmedabad with traditional rituals and Shubh Mangal Bhaav among loved ones. It was a small and extremely private function, so we could not invite all the well-wishers even as we wanted to, for which I apologise. I sincerely seek blessings and love from all of you for my daughter Diva and Jeet.”

True to his word, the billionaire industrialist dispelled all rumors of an extravagant celebration by keeping the wedding modest. In a remarkable gesture, he also donated Rs 10,000 crore, directing the funds to be channelled towards various social causes.

The wedding festivities began at 2 pm today and the rituals were conducted as per traditional Jain and Gujarati culture at the Belvedere Club in Shantigram, the Adani township in Ahmedabad.

A video shared on social media shows Diva and Jeet indulging in a playful exchange of garlands with Jeet planting a kiss on her forehead. Background music of the video played the track ‘Nachdi Phira’ from the film ‘Secret Superstar,’ an Aamir-Khan production. It also featured Gautam Adani and his wife along with the newly wed couple.

During his visit to the MahaKumbh Mela last month, Gautam Adani had said that the wedding would be a “simple and traditional” affair.

Sources close to the industrialist said that Gautam Adani’s cause list for his sizeable donation has been shaped by his social philosophy of “Seva Sadhana hai, Seva prarthana hai, Seva hi paramatma hai.”

The larger part of his donation is expected to go into funding massive infrastructure initiatives in healthcare, education and skill development. These initiatives will focus on giving all sections of society access to a network of affordable world-class hospitals and medical colleges, affordable top-tier K-12 schools and advanced global skill academies with assured employability.

According to family insiders, the wedding was a simple affair, with the usual religious rituals followed by a traditional Gujarati ceremony attended only by close relatives and friends. Conspicuous by their absence were politicians, business leaders, diplomats, bureaucrats, film stars, entertainers and other celebrities.

Jeet Adani currently serves as Director at Adani Airports, managing six international airports and overseeing the building of a seventh in Navi Mumbai. He is an alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Ahead of their big day, Jeet and Diva, who got engaged on March 14, 2023, were spotted at Mitti Cafe, an NGO that creates employment opportunities for people with disabilities. The groom-to-be and bride-to-be personally extended their wedding invitation to them and spent some time with them by cutting a cake, and sharing warm conversations.

The visit to Mitti Cafe was particularly special for Jeet, who has been deeply involved in supporting people with disabilities for a long time. His connection with Mitti Cafe goes back to when he personally inaugurated this very outlet, marking his commitment to their cause.

Just two days before the wedding, Gautam Adani announced ‘Mangal Seva’, a program to support newly married women with disabilities. To begin with, every year, 500 such women will be provided financial assistance of INR 10 lakh each. Jeet Adani met 21 newly married divyang women and their husbands to launch this initiative.

Gautam Adani in a post on X had said, “Jeet and Diva have pledged to ‘Mangal Seva’ by providing financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh each to 500 newly married women with disabilities.”

“As a father, this ‘Mangal Seva’ is a matter of immense satisfaction and good fortune for me,” the industrialist said.

At Prayagraj on 21 January, when asked by reporters at the Maha Kumbh if his son’s wedding would be a “Maha Kumbh of celebrities” as was being widely speculated, Gautam Adani had said, “Definitely not. We are like common people. Jeet came here to take Ma Ganga’s blessings. His marriage will happen in a simple and traditional way.” (ANI)

In a display of jointness among the defence forces and support for Aatmanirbharta, Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh and Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi would be flying a sortie in the trainer version of the LCA Tejas fighter aircraft at the Air Force Station, Yelahanka in Bengaluru on Sunday.

The Army Chief and the Air Force Chief are course mates from the National Defence Academy.

The two chiefs would be flying together in the LCA Tejas fighter aircraft on Sunday a day before the beginning of the Aero India air show in Bengaluru. This would be to showcase the support for the indigenous and Made in India weapon systems by the defence forces of the country, defence officials told ANI.

The LCA Tejas aircraft to be used for the sortie is a trainer version of the indigenous aircraft manufactured by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also undertaken a sortie in November 2023.

Following the sortie, PM Modi said in a post on X, “Successfully completed a sortie on the Tejas. The experience was incredibly enriching, significantly bolstering my confidence in our country’s indigenous capabilities, leaving me with a renewed sense of pride and optimism about our national potential.”

The Indian Air Force has already inducted around 40 of these planes and is looking to add another 83 LCA Mark 1As in the near future.

The supply of these aircraft have been delayed by a few months due to the supply chain issues faced by the engine maker GE of the US.

The Indian Air Force is also looking to add another 97 of these planes as a follow on of the 83 aircraft. (ANI)

Votes will be counted for the high-stakes political battle in Delhi tomorrow with the political expressing confidence about their good performance in a largely triangular contest between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party, Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress.

All arrangements are in place for the counting process. Voting was held in Delhi on February 5.

DCP West Delhi Vichitra Veer talked about security arrangements in at the counting centre near Tihar Jail.

“Three-layered security is deployed outside the strong rooms. We have identified the sensitive spots and we are planning flag marches in those areas to give a message that sufficient force is available and we are committed to maintaining peace in the area…There will be some restrictions on the movement of vehicles around the areas of the counting centres,” he said.

Exit polls have predicted that BJP will win comfortable victory in the polls with AAP falling behind and Congress continuing its dismal show.

AAP leaders, however, said that exit polls have always predicted the party winning less seats than it actually gets. They expressed confidence of party retruning to power.

Key seats include New Delhi, where AAP leader and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is fray against Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit and Parvesh Verma of BJP.

Delhi Chief Minister Atishi is facing contest from BJP’s Ramesh Bidhuri and Congress candidate Alka Lamba. The campaign saw sharp exchanges between leaders of the three parties.

Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi on Friday refuted claims of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal, who alleged that the Election Commission (EC) had not provided booth-wise voting data in assembly constituencies, with the poll body saying that Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 has been “complied in letter and spirit” at every polling station.

“As per Rule 49S of the Conduct of Election Rules 1961, all the Presiding Officer had furnished the account of votes recorded in Form 17C to every Polling Agent present at the polling station on the day of poll, February 5, 2025,” Delhi CEO’s office posted on X.

Earlier in the day, Kejriwal alleged that the Election Commission has refused to upload Form 17C, which gives booth-wise the total number of votes polled in each assembly election.

“EC has refused to upload form 17C and the number of votes polled per booth in each assembly despite several requests. Aam Aadmi Party has made a website, where we have uploaded all the form 17C of every assembly,” Kejriwal said in a post on X.

The Rule 49S part (1) of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 states, “The presiding officer shall at the close of the poll prepare an account of votes recorded in Form 17C and enclose it in a separate cover with the words ‘Account of votes recorded’ superscribed thereon.

“The 2nd part of Rule 49S says that the presiding officer shall furnish a copy of Form 17C to every polling agent.”The presiding officer shall furnish every polling agent present at the close of the poll a true copy of the entries made in Form 17C after obtaining a receipt from the said polling agent therefor and shall attest it as a true copy,” part (2) of Rule 49S of Conduct of Election rules states.

The Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi, R Alice Vaz on Thursday said that the scrutiny of election documents, including Form 17C, presiding officers’ diaries and other documents have been completed by all Returning officers of all 70 Delhi Assembly constituencies.

The scrutiny of documents was done in the presence of General Observers, candidates, and their agents.

“All election-related documents were found in proper order during the scrutiny process. The presence of observers, candidates and representatives ensured transparency and fairness in the electoral process,” said the Delhi CEO.

All Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) have been securely stored in 70 strong rooms, one each for one Assembly Constituency, across 19 locations across the national capital, according to a statement by the office of Delhi CEO.

“All necessary arrangements have been made to ensure the safety and security of the polled EVMs and VVPATs in accordance with ECI safety protocols,” R Alice Vaz said.

The CEO further informed that agents and representatives of contesting candidates have been allowed to closely monitor the security arrangements of these strong rooms round the clock through CCTV feed. (ANI)

Amid multiple office bearers of Shiv Sena (UBT) joining Shinde Sena on Friday, the UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray dared Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Bharatiya Janata Party to “keep aside ED, CBI” and fight them directly.

Earlier today, around 80 workers from Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress switched over to Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde), the Maharashtra Deputy CM told reporters in Mumbai.

Reacting to this, Uddhav Thackeray took a strong jibe at Shinde and said, “If you (Eknath Shinde and BJP) are ‘Mard ki Aulad'(son of man) keep aside ED, CBI, Income Tax and Police and come and fight with us. We will show you which is the real Shiv Sena. If you try to break us now, we will break your head.”

Thackeray was addressing the ‘Shivbandhan’ programme organised by party’s leader Ambadas Danve in Mumbai.

Earlier today, when asked about ‘Operation Tiger’, which is regarding multiple leaders of Shiv Sena (UBT) allegedly defecting to Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde), the Deputy Chief Minister said that multiple MLAs are in touch with him.

“People want work. Those who come for work, their party does not look at them differently and works. Shiv Sena is the party of the tiger. One cannot become a tiger by wearing a tiger’s skin, one needs the heart of a tiger,” he said.

Deputy CM Shinde also hit out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying that the Maharashtra assembly results had “given a 440-volt shock” to the Congress leader.

“This result has given Rahul Gandhi a 440-volt shock and he has not yet recovered from the shock of defeat,” he said.

On the initiative of MLA Bhavana Gawli, Akola District Chief of UBT group Vijay Malokar, State Congress Secretary Dilip Bhojraj, Congress Washim District General Secretary Sachin Patil, Pramod Raut, Congress Karanja Taluka Vice President Vijay Khaire, Bhau Thorat, Youth Congress City President Praful Gavai and 75 workers joined Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) today.

The Deputy CM added, “Rahul Gandhi should accept defeat. The voters in Maharashtra have cleared the opposition and given a huge victory to the Mahayuti, said Deputy Chief Minister Shinde. We are working to carry forward the ideas of Shiv Sena, which is 80 percent social work and 20 percent politics. The assembly elections proved that people need people who work, not people who make accusations and curses every day.” (ANI)

Veteran actor Neena Gupta visited the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, on Friday and expressed her awe and admiration for the grand spiritual gathering.

The ‘Badhaai Ho’ actor called her visit to the Kumbh Mela a “unique experience” and expressed how it had been on her wish list for years.

“I have been wanting to come here for years… It was a unique experience… Finally, I took a dip today,” Neena Gupta said while speaking to ANI.

“The atmosphere here is crazy. I have never seen a bigger gathering in my life… I am impressed by the government for organizing such a huge event,” she added.

The Maha Kumbh Mela, a significant religious event for Hindus, is being held at the confluence of the holy rivers Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati.

As of February 6, more than 397.4 million devotees have taken a holy dip in the sacred confluence of river Ganga, Yamuna and mystical Saraswati during the ongoing Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, suggests data from the Uttar Pradesh Government Information Department.

As the Maha Kumbh continues, the overwhelming faith and devotion displayed by millions reaffirm the timeless spiritual significance of this grand event.

Prominent personalities from various fields have also taken the holy dip at the Sangam, including PM Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath along with his cabinet.

Other notable figures include Governor Anandiben Patel, Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal, Union Ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Arjun Ram Meghwal, BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi, Rajya Sabha MP Sudha Murthy, Assam Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary, and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav.

Celebrities from Bollywood and the sports world have also participated, including actors Hema Malini, Anupam Kher, Bhagyashree, and Milind Soman, as well as poet Kumar Vishwas, cricketer Suresh Raina, wrestler Khali, choreographer Remo D’Souza, and Mahamandaleshwar of Kinnar Akhara, Mamta Kulkarni.

Various devotees have also praised the seamless arrangements at Mahakumbh, expressing their gratitude for the efficient management, which includes security, sanitation, and amenities.

The Maha Kumbh 2025, which commenced on January 13, will continue until February 26.

The event has already attracted millions of devotees from across the country and around the world and is expected to set new records for attendance and participation. (ANI)

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) team arrived at the residence of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal following the Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena’s recommendation for a probe into allegations of bribes being offered to the party’s MLAs.

This inquiry order was issued after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) filed a complaint to Delhi LG saying that allegations were “false and baseless,” intended to “tarnish” the image of BJP and create panic and a situation of unrest in Delhi immediately after the conclusion of polling which was held on February 5

AAP’s Legal Cell President Sanjeev Nasiar said that the ACB team had been sitting outside Kejriwal’s residence for over half an hour without any documents or instructions.

He further took a jibe at the BJP party and said that it was a step taken by them to create a political drama.

“The ACB team sitting here for the last half an hour has no papers or instructions. They are continuously talking to someone on call. When we asked for a notice or authorisation for investigation, they said they had nothing… Sanjay Singh is already at the ACB office to register a complaint… On whose instructions are they sitting here?” Nasiar stated.

“This is a conspiracy of the BJP to create a political drama and it will be exposed soon… No one will be allowed inside the residence till the time they have a legal notice…” he further said.

AAP MP Sanjay Singh, who arrived at ACB’s office against Bharatiya Janata Party said that the party was indulged in horse trading and further stated that the party had offered Rs 15 crore to the AAP MLAs and ministers.

“BJP is indulging in horse trading and they have offered Rs 15 crore each to our MLAs and ministers. I am here at the ACB office to file a complaint against BJP,” Singh said speaking to the media.

Meanwhile, AAP MP Sandeep Pathak said that party chief Arvind Kejriwal mentioned that several party leaders had received phone calls regarding BJP’s attempt to poach 16 of AAP’s candidates ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections results on February 8.

Speaking to ANI, Pathak took a jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and said that it was a “part of their election management”.

“It has been known to the world how BJP operates. This is a part of their election management. This has been said on the basis of truth. Many of our leaders have received phone calls. We have even revealed the phone numbers from which the calls were received… After voting people focus on the counting of votes but BJP does all this…” Ahlawat said speaking to ANI.

On Thursday, Kejriwal had alleged that the BJP had called 16 of his party candidates to leave Aam Aadmi Party and join the BJP.”

Some agencies are showing that the ‘Gali Galoch party’ (Referring to the BJP) is getting more than 55 seats. In the last two hours, 16 of our candidates have received calls that if they leave AAP and join their party, they will make them ministers and will give Rs. 15 crores to each of them,” Kejriwal alleged.

Meanwhile, the exit polls have varied in their predictions regarding the margin of the BJP’s victory. One poll suggested that the BJP could win 51-60 out of 70 assembly seats in Delhi, while two other polls predicted an AAP victory.

The votes will be counted on February 8. AAP has dominated the last two assembly elections in Delhi. (ANI)

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Friday accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of “refusing to upload” Form 17C, which provides the data of the total number of votes polled by the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in each Delhi Assembly constituency.

“EC has refused to upload form 17C and number of votes polled per booth in each assembly despite several requests,” the AAP chief said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

The party has also launched a website, transparentelections.in, where they have claimed to have uploaded copies of Form 17C provided to AAP for every assembly constituency.

“Aam Aadmi Party has made a website – http://transparentelections.in where we have uploaded all the form 17C of every assembly. This form has all the details of votes polled in each booth,” Kejriwal’s post read.

The AAP chief also claims that they will be presenting the data of every assembly constituency and every polling booth which was set up in the national capital during the February 5 election, and criticising the ECI for not doing the same “in the interest of transparency.”

“Through the day, we will present the data of every assembly and every booth in a tabulated format as well so that every voter can access this information. This is something that the election commission should have done in the interest of transparency but it is unfortunate that they are refusing to do it,” the post added.

Earlier, on Thursday, the AAP national convenor, and candidate for New Delhi Assembly constituency alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is trying to poach the candidates of AAP, offering them Rs 15 crore each. BJP has vehemently denied the allegations.

“Some agencies are showing that the ‘Gali Galoch party’ (Referring to the BJP) is getting more than 55 seats. In the last two hours, 16 of our candidates have received calls that if they leave AAP and join their party, they will make them ministers and will give Rs. 15 crores to each of them,” Kejriwal said.

“If his party is getting more than 55 seats then what is the need for him to call our candidates? Obviously, these fake surveys have been conducted with the sole purpose of creating this atmosphere to break down some candidates. But you abusive people, not even one of our men will break down,” he added.

Meanwhile, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena’s Principal Secretary has written to the Chief Secretary of the Delhi government to conduct an ACB inquiry on allegations of bribes offered to MLAs of the Aam Aadmi Party.

Delhi recorded a voter turnout of 60.42 per cent in the high-stakes assembly elections on Wednesday, according to data from the Election Commission of India.

As per the ECI data, among the eleven districts, North East recorded the highest voter turnout at 66.25 per cent, while South East had the lowest at 56.16 per cent.

Votes for the Delhi Assembly elections will be counted tomorrow (February 8). Exit polls have varied in their predictions regarding the margin of the BJP’s victory. One poll suggested that the party could win 51-60 out of 70 assembly seats in Delhi, while two other polls predicted an AAP victory.

According to the P-MARQ exit poll, BJP is likely to win 39-49 assembly seats, AAP 21-31 seats and Congress 0-1 seats.

Matrize’s exit poll predicted a close contest between BJP and AAP. It said BJP is likely to win 35-40 seats and AAP 32-37 seats. It said Congress can win one seat.

WeePreside exit poll said AAP could win 46-52 seats, BJP 18-23 seats and Congress 0-1 seat. (ANI)

Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Friday raised concerns over the surge in new voters, particularly between the 2024 Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections in Maharashtra, highlighting that 39 lakh new voters were added in just five months after the Lok Sabha polls.

Addressing a press conference at the Constitution Club in Delhi alongside Maha Vikas Aghadi partners Sanjay Raut and Supriya Sule, Rahul Gandhi also questioned discrepancies in voter registration figures, claiming that the number of registered voters exceeded Maharashtra’s total adult population.

“We want to bring to the notice of the people of India some information that we have found regarding the Maharashtra elections. We have studied in detail the voter lists, the voting pattern and we have a team working on this for some time. There are many irregularities that we have found,” Gandhi said.

“In five years between Vidhan Sabha 2019 and Lok Sabha 2024 elections, 32 lakh voters were added to the electoral rolls in Maharashtra. However, in a period of five months between Lok Sabha 2024 and Vidhan Sabha 2024, 39 lakh new voters were added in Maharashtra. The question is why are more voters were added in five months after the Lok Sabha elections than are being added in five years prior. Who are these 39 lakh people?” Gandhi said.

He also questioned that why there were more registered voters in Maharashtra than the entire voting population of the state.

“According to the government, the adult population of Maharashtra is 9.54 crores. According to the Election Commission, there are more voters in Maharashtra than people in the state. Somehow, voters were suddenly added in Maharashtra,” he said.

Rahul Gandhi also highlighted that the number of voters who voted for these three parties (Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP-SCP) has not reduced within Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha.

“We got the same amount of votes. Congress vote in Lok Sabha 2024 in a constituency is 1.36 lakh votes and in Vidhan Sabha, we get 1.34 lakh,” he said.

However, he mentioned that 35,000 new voters are added in this constituency which helped the BJP in achieving the victory in the Assembly polls.

“BJP in Lok Sabha gets 1.9 lakh votes and then in Vidhan Sabha they get 1.75 lakh votes. Most of those voters who provided the BJP their victory come from those 35,000 new voters who have been added. It is the case in multiple constituencies,” the Lok Sabha LoP said.

Rahul Gandhi demanded the voter list of both Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha polls from the Election Commission.

“We have been saying to the election commission that we are finding anomalies. We need the voter list – names and addresses of the voters of Maharashtra. We need the voter list of the Lok Sabha election. We need the voter list of the Vidhan Sabha election. Because we want to understand exactly who these new additional voters are,” he said.

“There are many, many, many voters that have been deleted. Voters who are in one booth have been transferred to another booth. Most of these voters come from Dalit communities, tribal communities, and minority communities… We have made repeated requests to the election commission. They have not answered us. The leader of the opposition has said this in Parliament House. The election commission has not responded. Now, the only reason they would not respond is that there is something wrong with what they have done. I am not making any accusations. I am presenting data here clearly,” Gandhi added.

In a post on X, the Election Commision said, “ECI considers political parties,as priority stakeholders,of course the voters being the prime & deeply values views, suggestions, questions coming from political parties. Commission would respond in writing with full factual &procedural matrix uniformly adopted across the country.” (ANI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday condoled the demise of senior BJP leader and trustee of Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, Kameshwar Chaupal.

Taking to X, PM Modi wrote, “I am deeply saddened by the demise of senior BJP leader and trustee of Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, Kameshwar Chaupal ji. He was a dedicated Ram Bhakt who made a valuable contribution in the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya.”

PM Modi recalled his works work for the welfare of the deprived communities of the society, stating, “Coming from a Dalit background, Kameshwar ji will always be remembered for his work for the welfare of the deprived communities of the society. My condolences are with his family and supporters in this hour of grief. Om Shanti!”

Expressing condolences, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that his demise is “extremely sad.”

Calling him a great Ram devotee, CM Yogi asserted that his entire life was dedicated to religious and social work.

“The demise of Shri Kameshwar Chaupal ji, Central Vice President of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, member of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust and great Ram devotee, who laid the first stone for the construction of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple in the presence of revered saints at the historic foundation stone laying ceremony held on 9 November 1989, is extremely sad. His entire life was dedicated to religious and social work. Humble tribute to him! I pray to Lord Shri Ram to give a place to the departed soul in his lotus feet and provide strength to the bereaved family to bear this immense loss. Om peace!” CM Yogi posted on X.

Kameshwar Chaupal was the first man who laid the foundation stone (Ram sila) for Ram Temple in Ayodhya on November 9, 1989. Chaupal was the lone Dalit member of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust. (ANI)