HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 915 pm.NATION DEL121 LDALL RAHUL Rahul disqualified from Lok Sabha Cong gets into huddle, says will fight legally, politically oppn rallies behind Gandhi BJP terms action lawful New Delhi In a big blow to the Congress, its leader Rahul Gandhi was on Friday disqualified from Lok Sabha, nearly 24 hours after a Surat court convicted him in a defamation case, an action the opposition party slammed as BJPs vindictive politics and vowed to fight legally and politically.

Following are the top stories at 9:15 pm.

NATION DEL121 LDALL RAHUL **** Rahul disqualified from Lok Sabha; Cong gets into huddle, says will fight legally, politically; oppn rallies behind Gandhi; BJP terms action 'lawful' New Delhi: In a big blow to the Congress, its leader Rahul Gandhi was on Friday disqualified from Lok Sabha, nearly 24 hours after a Surat court convicted him in a defamation case, an action the opposition party slammed as BJP’s ''vindictive politics'' and vowed to fight legally and politically. **** DEL137 CONG-RAHUL-AGITATION **** Rahul Gandhi's disqualification: Congress says it will launch 'Jan-Andolan' across country New Delhi: The Congress on Friday announced a nationwide agitation against Rahul Gandhi's disqualification, alleging that the government has acted with lightning speed to ''gag'' him, and called for taking forward opposition unity in a systematic manner. **** DEL130 RAHUL-DISQUALIFICATION-EXPERTS **** Rahul Gandhi can go back to LS Speaker for revival of MP status if conviction, jail term stayed: Legal experts New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who was disqualified as a member of the Lok Sabha on Friday, is entitled to go back to the Speaker for revival of his MP status if he gets a judicial order from an appellate court staying his two-year jail sentence and conviction in a 2019 criminal defamation case, according to legal experts. **** DEL131 LDALL UP-PM **** UP moving from hopelessness to hope under BJP govt: PM Modi Varanasi (UP): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said Uttar Pradesh is rising from its earlier “hopelessness” towards a state of hope and aspiration under the Yogi Adityanath government. **** DEL105 PB-AMRITPAL-KHALISTAN **** Punjab crackdown: 'Khalistan flag' pictures, firearms training videos found on arrested man's phone Chandigarh: A phone recovered from an aide of Amritpal Singh carries pictures of the flag, emblem and currency of “Khalistan” and videos of firearms practice by young men allegedly picked for the radical preacher’s Anandpur Khalistan Fauz, Punjab Police said on Friday. **** DEL134 OPPN-3RDLD PROTEST **** Opposition holds protest march alleging 'democracy in danger', 40 MPs detained New Delhi: Forty opposition MPs, including those from the Congress, were detained on Friday as they took out a protest march from Parliament House, alleging that democracy is in ''danger'' and demanding a JPC probe into the Adani issue. **** DEL136 LS-FINANCE BILL-LD STT **** Govt to hike securities transaction tax on F&O contracts New Delhi: The government on Friday proposed hiking the securities transaction tax on Futures & Options (F&O) contracts, a move that will increase the trading costs in the derivatives segment as well as help in curbing excessive trades. **** DEL120 MHA-AFSPA **** AFSPA extended in parts of Arunachal, Nagaland New Delhi: The Union home ministry on Friday extended for six months the ''disturbed area'' status in parts of Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958. **** DEL111 AMRITPAL-LD SPEECHES **** Radical preacher Amritpal tried to incite Sikhs through speeches: Officials Chandigarh: Pro-Khalistan fugitive Amritpal Singh addressed five gatherings in 10 days across Punjab, inciting hundreds of Sikhs to get ready for the ''ultimate sacrifice'' for the cause, before the police crackdown on his outfit earlier this month, officials said.By Sumir Kaul **** DEL119 MEA-CHOKSI **** Will make all efforts to get economic fugitives to face justice in India: MEA New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday said it would continue to make all efforts to get economic fugitives, including Mehul Choksi, to face justice in India. **** DEL113 ENV-LD PROJECT TIGER **** PM to release tiger census data at mega event to mark 50 years of Project Tiger New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch a three-day mega event on April 9 in Mysuru in Karnataka to mark the completion of 50 years of Project Tiger and showcase India's tiger conservation success globally, officials said on Friday. **** MDS25 KA-2NDLD-AMIT SHAH-DRUGS-PAK **** Most of the narcotic drugs are shipped in Pakistan, says Home Minister Amit Shah Bengaluru: Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Friday security in the ocean needs to be strengthened as most of the narcotic drugs are shipped in Pakistan and go via Iran to Sri Lanka and Africa. **** LEGAL LGD22 SC-BILKIS **** Bilkis Bano case: SC constitutes new bench to hear plea against remission to convicts, hearing on Mar 27 New Delhi: The Supreme Court will hear on March 27 a batch of pleas challenging the remission of sentence of 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano gang-rape case that also involves the killing of seven members of her family during the 2002 Gujarat riots. **** LGD18 SC-PARTIES-LD AGENCIES **** SC to hear on Apr 5 plea by 14 opposition parties alleging 'misuse' of central probe agencies New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to list for hearing on April 5 a plea by 14 opposition parties, led by the Congress, alleging arbitrary use of central probe agencies against political opponents. **** LGD17 DL-COURT-SISODIA **** Delhi court reserves order on bail plea of former Dy-CM Manish Sisodia in CBI's excise policy case New Delhi: a Delhi court on Friday said it will pronounce its order on former Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia's bail plea on March 31 in the excise policy case lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). **** FOREIGN FGN45 LANKA-INDIA-CREDIT LINE **** Sri Lanka settles part of India's credit line with first tranche of IMF bailout package Colombo: Sri Lanka has settled part of India's credit line from the first tranche of the IMF bailout programme it received a couple of days ago, state minister of finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said on Friday. ****