HIGHLIGHTS

Following are top stories at 2200 hours:

TOP STORIES:

DEL99 LDALL PRIYANKA Priyanka's road show in UP; Rahul says time for Cong to win UP, form govt

Lucknow: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra made her debut in Uttar Pradesh's political arena as Congress general secretary with a grand road show on Monday, raising hopes of a turnaround in the party's fortunes, as her brother and party president Rahul Gandhi asserted that it was the time to uproot the BJP and form the government in the state.

DEL27 BIZ-PETROTECH-LD PM Modi pitches for responsible oil pricing for affordable energy

Greater Noida: With volatile oil prices in the past playing havoc on economies of importing nations like India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday made a strong case for a responsible pricing of crude oil that balances interests of both producers and consumers, saying people must have universal assess to clean, affordable and equitable supply of energy.

DEL94 POL-LDALL NAIDU Naidu's daylong fast for special status for AP becomes rallying point for opposition unity

New Delhi: Bringing his battle for special status for his state to the national capital, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu Monday went on a daylong fast that became a rallying point for opposition unity for the second time in less than a month to fight the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

DEL90 LDALL RAFALE Rafale: Opposition steps up attack; Congress says Modi would be 'Accused No.1'

New Delhi/Lucknow: Stepping up its attack on the government over the Rafale deal, Congress on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi would have been the "number one accused" if the long-awaited anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal had been in place and even his "broad shoulders" cannot bear the "bullets of corruption".

DEL88 UP-LD RAHUL Cong to play on 'front foot' in UP, aim is to form govt in state: Rahul

Lucknow: Asserting that the Congress would "play on the front foot" in Uttar Pradesh, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said on Monday he and his party would not sit idle till it forms government in the state and that Priyanka Gandhi and Jyotiraditya Scindia had been given that mandate.

DEL70 VANDE-BHARAT-LDFARE Train 18's Delhi-Varanasi AC chair car ticket to cost Rs 1,850, executive class Rs 3,520

New Delhi: Travelling between Delhi and Varanasi on board India's fastest train, the Vande Bharat Express or Train 18, will cost passengers Rs 1,850 in the chair car class while it will be Rs 3,520 in the executive class, including the catering charges, a senior railway official said Monday.

NATION:

CAL8 WB-CONG-CHIT FUND Leader of Oppn, 59 Congress activists arrested in Kolkata during protest on chit fund scam

Kolkata: Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Abdul Mannan was arrested Monday along with 59 Congress activists for staging a protest against "delay in action" in chit fund scam cases at Metro Channel here, where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had recently held a sit-in over CBI's attempt to grill Kolkata Police chief.

BOM2 GJ-MEVANI-COLLEGE College trust cancels Mevani event; principal quits in protest

Ahmedabad: A local college cancelled its annual day function Monday, after its trustees got protest calls against Dalit leader and Independent MLA Jignesh Mevani being made the chief guest.

LEGAL

LGB2 MH-HC-TELTUMBDE Elgar Parishad case: Bombay HC extends Teltumbde's interim protection from arrest till Feb 22

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Monday extended Dalit scholar Anand Teltumbde's interim protection from arrest till February 22 and directed the Pune Police to release him on a personal bond and surety in case he is arrested before the next hearing.

BUSINESS:

DEL101 BIZ-FINMIN-MEHRISHI Mehrishi never dealt with defence ministry proposals: FinMin

New Delhi: Amid allegations of conflict of interest in Rafale deal, the Finance Ministry Monday said that Rajiv Mehrishi, who joined the ministry as Economic Affairs Secretary, has never dealt with expenditure proposals from the Defence Ministry.

DEL72 BIZ-LD TWITTER Par panel summons Twitter head on Feb 25

New Delhi: The Parliamentary panel on Information Technology has summoned the head of microblogging site Twitter to appear before it on February 25, the committee's chairman Anurag Thakur said on Monday.

FOREIGN

FGN29 UK-BREXIT-INDIA UK calls for closer post-Brexit defence ties with India

London: Britain's Defence Minister Gavin Williamson on Monday called for closer ties with India as the UK prepares to leave the European Union (EU) next month.

SPORTS

SPD15 SPO-DDCA-SELECTOR-3RD LD ASSAULT DDCA Mess: Delhi U-23 aspirant assaults former India pacer Bhandari

New Delhi: Former India pacer Amit Bhandari, who is chairman of the DDCA senior selection committee, was on Monday assaulted by a group of unidentified men, led by a disgruntled Under-23 player, during the Delhi senior team's practice game at the St Stephen's ground.