Following are the top stories at 2:30 pm

NATION

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Congress manifesto seems as if it was that of Muslim League: PM Modi

Nawada (Bihar): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a stinging attack on the Congress, charging that its recently released manifesto smacked of “politics of appeasement” and read as if it was brought out by the Muslim League. ****

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Cong treats one family as supreme, BJP people: Rajnath

Jaipur: Union minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday asserted that the track record of the BJP government at the Centre has been “fabulous” as it considers people supreme whereas the Congress treats a family supreme. ****

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PM wants to end corruption, Indi alliance wants to save corrupt people, says Nadda

Ariyalur (Tamil Nadu): BJP national president J P Nadda on Sunday charged that the INDI Alliance leaders, who are either on bail or in jail, were keen on protecting the corrupt people whereas Prime Minister Narendra Modi was striving hard to end corruption in the country. ****

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INDIA bloc if voted to power after LS polls will provide statehood to Puducherry: DMK chief Stalin

Puducherry: DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Sunday said that the INDIA bloc, if voted to power after Lok Sabha polls, will provide statehood to Puducherry. ****

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AAP leaders hold collective fast to protest against Kejriwal’s arrest

New Delhi: Top leaders of Aam Aadmi Party gathered at Jantar Mantar here on Sunday for a day-long fast to protest against the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister and the party’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal. ****

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TMC smells unholy alliance between NIA-BJP, BJP refutes allegations

Kolkata: Alleging an “unholy alliance” between National Investigation Agency (NIA) and BJP, Trinamool Congress on Sunday said the Election Commission remains “conspicuously silent” to the issue. ****

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Arrested TMC leader’s wife lodges FIR against NIA officers alleging assault

Kolkata: Wife of arrested TMC leader Monobrata Jana has filed an FIR against NIA officials alleging that they tried to outrage her modesty after forcibly entering her residence in Bhupatinagar in the pretext of conducting a probe, a police officer said on Sunday. ****

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BJP Odisha vice president Lekhasri Samantasinghar resigns from party, joins BJD

Bhubaneswar: In a jolt to the opposition BJP, the party’s Odisha unit vice-president Lekhasri Samantasinghar on Sunday resigned from the saffron party and joined the Biju Janata Dal ahead of the Lok Sabha and state Assembly elections. ****

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LS polls in Manipur: Over 24k displaced persons to vote from relief camps

Imphal: Eleven months of conflict, over 50,000 displaced people and an anti-poll sentiment among few—the Election Commission in violence-hit Manipur is gearing up for the challenging task of holding Lok Sabha elections in the state where the poll scene is muted. By Gunjan Sharma ****

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BJP giving ‘400 paar’ slogan to ensure people don’t ask why petrol ‘100 paar’: Kanhaiya Kumar

New Delhi: Terming the BJP’s ‘400 paar’ slogan “perception management”, Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar says such claims are a “malicious attempt” to alter the reality and are reflective of the ruling party’s fear of defeat. ****

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Elections once again – and its press play on sexist slurs against women politicians

New Delhi: Elections are open season for targeting women politicians, a familiar pan-party, pan-country sexist sub-text again in play in Election 2024 with BJP’s star candidates Hema Malini and Kangana Ranaut, and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee early targets. By Manish Sain ****

BUSINESS

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Vistara to discuss rostering system with pilots; incorporate feedback to possible extent: CEO

New Delhi: After facing significant flight disruptions due to the non-availability of crew, Vistara chief Vinod Kannan said the airline will look to review the current rostering system after discussions with pilots and emphasised that there has been no unusual spike in attrition. ****              

FOREIGN

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‘Incredible India’: UNGA President Dennis Francis lauds digitalisation, infrastructure investment in India

United Nations: UN General Assembly President Dennis Francis has lauded India’s use of digitalisation that has helped achieve financial inclusion and poverty reduction, underlining that this gives the country a “comparative advantage” and its lessons can be shared with the global community. By Yoshita Singh ****

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Israel finds the body of a hostage killed in Gaza, while talks will resume on a cease-fire

Cairo: Israel’s military said Saturday it had recovered the body of a 47-year-old farmer who was held hostage in Gaza, while negotiators prepared for another round of talks Sunday on brokering a cease-fire and securing the release of the remaining hostages, six months into the war. AP ****