In a tragic incident, a nine-year-old boy was shot dead when two inebriated persons resorted to indiscriminate celebratory firing at a marriage ceremony in southwest Delhi’s Jafarpur Kalan on Thursday evening.

Tribal women at the national convention on "Empowerment to Tribal Women" at the AICC office in New Delhi on Friday. — PRITAM BANDYOPADHYAY

Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa on Thursday hit out at the Prime Minister for being silent on the Mullaperiyar issue despite writing two letters asking him to rein in Kerala for spreading panic over dam safety and also seeking CISF cover at dam site to prevent any man-made disaster.

A day ahead of the proposed meeting between the officials of Kerala and Tamil Nadu to resolve the Mullaperiyar dispute, the Central water ministry officially informed both the states that the meeting was cancelled following objections

In a rare show of unity, political parties in Tamil Nadu unanimously adopted a resolution in the legislative Assembly on Thursday that the state would never relinquish its right over Mullaperiyar and asked Kerala to repeal its amended Act to increase water level in the dam to 142 feet, as directed by the Supreme Court.

Former police officer and Team Anna member Kiran Bedi, speaking to reporters after the two-day core committee meeting of the group, refuted suggestions that Wednesday’s all-party meeting had failed to arrive at a consensus. Ms Bedi said almost all the parties were unanimous on the CBI getting autonomy, which she said was the “key issue”.

Strong differences have surfaced within the Left parties, particularly in the CPI(M), over its leaders sharing dais with the anti-graft crusader, Anna Hazare. The CPI general secretary, A.B. Bardhan and CPI(M) politburo member, Ms Brinda Karat, had shared dais with Mr Hazare during his one-day token fast at Jantar Mantar on December 11.

The venue of anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare’s indefinite fast has been changed to Mumbai and he will arrive in the city on December 26, confirmed India Against Corruption (IAC) on Thursday.

The just available results to elections to 133 civic bodies elections across Maharashtra should serve as an eye-opener to political parties that have positioned themselves on the Lokpal issue in a certain way only to appease the Anna Hazare campaign, believing this will yield them an electoral dividend.

The Congress legislator from Sultanpuri constituency, Jai Kishen, was allegedly assaulted after he intervened in a scuffle between two groups in his area on Wednesday evening.