VHP leader Ashok Singhal and other leaders, after their meeting with the Samajwadi leaders, had claimed that they had asked Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav to negotiate for an out-of-court settlement on the Ram temple issue since the matter was taking long in the Supreme Court.

The SC on Monday agreed to hear a contempt of court petition against the UP government for suspending IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal for ordering demolishion of a wall at an under-construction mosque. The plea contended that she had followed an earlier order of the apex court which said that no unauthorised construction should be allowed in the name of religious structures.

India A pacer Ishwar Pandey took four wickets, including two in successive balls, but South Africa A fought back through J.P. Duminy’s fighting 84 and his crucial partnerships with the tail-enders in the first unofficial Test, here on Monday.

Both the precious metals, gold and silver, fell further in the national capital Tuesday on sustained selling by stockists at existing higher levels amid a weak global trend.

Launching a fresh attack against Gujarat CM Narendra Modi, AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh on Monday dubbed him as “fascist”. In one of his twitter post he said, “Isn’t Modi and now BJP’s slogan of Congress Mukt Bharat Fascist? For would all other non-BJP, non-communal political parties vl respond.”

Concerned over the sudden suspensions of civil servants, the representatives of three All-India Services associations on Monday demanded changes in rules in this regard to check any such abuse of power by state governments.

Barcelona produced a stunning display to hammer Levante 7-0 at Camp Nou on Sunday in Gerardo Martino’s first competitive match in charge, while Real Madrid left it late to give Carlo Ancelotti a winning start as they beat Real Betis 2-1.

BJP Tuesday said it will raise the issue of missing coal block allocation files in both Houses of Parliament and expects Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who held the coal portfolio, to reply on the concerns raised by the Opposition.

Dalit writer and activist Kanwal Bharti, who was arrested earlier this month for his posts on a social networking website in support of suspended IAS official Durga Shakti Nagpal, has alleged that he faces a threat to his life from senior UP minister Azam Khan.

The Union government on Monday announced an ex-gratia relief of `5 lakh to the next of kin of those killed in the train mishap in Bihar’s Khagaria district and ordered an inquiry into it.