Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday will release the BJP’s manifesto – Sankalp Patra – for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. Shah’s two-day visit is likely to set the ball rolling for the party’s campaign for the polls and comes amid a crisis in the party and desertions by its leaders, who were upset over ticket distribution for the upcoming three-phased polls starting September 18. According to the BJP, Shah will arrive in Jammu on September 6 and will release the party manifesto at around 4 pm. Sources stated that multi-tier security arrangements, including sniffer dogs, were put in place today for the VVIP visit at the Ritz Hotel, where Shah was likely to release the party manifesto. The next day he is scheduled to address a workers’ rally, most probably at Manhas Biradari ground in Paloura. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Home Minister, besides other star campaigners, are likely to visit Chenab Valley for campaigning, in the second week of September. SC to hear former R G Kar Medical College principal’s plea The Supreme Court on Friday is likely to hear the plea of former principal of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, Sandip Ghosh, challenging the transfer of the investigation into alleged financial irregularities during his controversial tenure to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). A Bench, led by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, is expected to hear the petition. Ghosh had filed his petition on August 27 but was arrested by the CBI on September 2 following widespread public outrage over his handling of the rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor at the hospital on August 9. Ghosh has also challenged the Calcutta High Court’s decision to link the alleged financial irregularities with the criminal investigation into the rape and murder, both of which are being probed by CBI. He maintained that the two cases were separate and that the court erred in assigning the financial probe to CBI simply because the agency was already investigating the criminal case. PM Modi to address water conservation event Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a programme marking the launch of the “Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari” initiative at Surat through video conferencing on Friday. The initiative seeks to conserve water with strong emphasis on community partnership and ownership. Under this programme approximately 24,800 rainwater harvesting structures across the state are being constructed with community partnership. These recharge structures will help enhance rainwater harvesting and ensure long-term water sustainability.
