HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 5.20 pm: NATION DEL42 BJP-CONG-LD RAM TEMPLE Cong decision to decline Ram temple invite exposes its opposition to Hindu religion: BJP New Delhi: The BJP on Thursday slammed the Congress' decision to decline the invitation to its three top leaders to attend the Ram temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya, claiming it has exposed the party's inherent opposition to India's culture and Hindu religion.

DEL61 VHP-AYODHYA-LD ADVANI-JOSHI L K Advani to attend Ram temple consecration ceremony: VHP New Delhi: BJP stalwart L K Advani, who was at the forefront of the Ram janmabhoomi movement, will attend the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22, VHP president Alok Kumar said on Thursday.

DEL59 ELECTIONS-EC-CONFERENCE Deliver 'spotless' LS polls: CEC Kumar tells state poll machinery New Delhi: Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Thursday asked the state chief electoral officers to deliver a ''spotless'' Lok Sabha polls due in March-April.

DEL51 TMC-CONG-SEAT-SHARING TMC not to hold meeting with Cong's alliance panel; Bengal seat-sharing position conveyed: Sources New Delhi: The Trinamool Congress will not send its representatives for any meeting with the Congress' national alliance committee on seat-sharing for the Lok Sabha elections as it has already conveyed its position to the grand old party, TMC sources said on Thursday.

DEL39 TMC-LD ONE NATION ONE ELECTION Do not agree with concept of 'One Nation, One Election': Mamata Banerjee to Kovind-led panel New Delhi: Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Thursday wrote to the high-level committee on ''One Nation, One Election'' expressing her disagreement with the concept of simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and assemblies, and said it would be against the basic structure of India's constitutional arrangements.

DEL53 JK-MEHBOOBA-LD ACCIDENT Narrow escape for PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti as her car meets with accident in J&K's Anantnag Srinagar: PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti had a narrow escape on Thursday as her car met with an accident at Sangam in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district, officials said.

DEL43 QUAKE-NORTH INDIA 6.1 magnitude earthquake jolts Afghanistan, tremors in north India New Delhi: An earthquake of magnitude 6.1 struck Afghanistan on Thursday with tremors rippling through parts of north India, the National Centre for Seismology said.

CAL12 WB-HC-LD ED Calcutta HC grants protection to ED officers in Sandeshkhali case Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Thursday ordered an interim stay on proceedings in an FIR against Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers who went to search the properties of TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh in Sandeshkhali on January 5.

MDS6 KA-ISRO-PAYLOAD ISRO payload aces its performance check with observation of supernova remnant Bengaluru: ISRO on Thursday said a payload on its recently-launched mission has captured its first light from a standard celestial source for instrument evaluation. CAL14 BH-CPIML-SEATS CPI(ML) Liberation seeks five Lok Sabha seats in Bihar Patna: The CPI(ML) Liberation on Thursday said it wanted to contest five out of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar during a meeting with Deputy Chief Minister and RJD de facto leader Tejashwi Yadav.

LEGAL LGD10 UP-HC-MATHURA Shahi Idgah row: Allahabad HC hears both parties, to pronounce order on modalities of survey later Prayagraj: The Allahabad High Court on Thursday heard submissions of both the parties in the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah dispute and said it will pronounce the order on the modalities of a survey of the mosque complex later.

LGD9 DL-COURT-WRESTLER Sexual harassment case against ex-WFI chief: Court to pass order on police's closure report on minor wrestler's complaint on Mar 2 New Delhi: A Delhi court is likely to pronounce on March 2 its order on whether to accept a police report seeking cancellation of a complaint filed by a minor wrestler against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh accusing him of sexual harassment.

BUSINESS DEL52 BIZ-2ND LD-RBI DAS RBI will not emulate others on regulations; world cannot afford a 'crypto mania': RBI chief Mumbai: RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das on Thursday said the central bank does not ''emulate'' others when it comes to regulations and asserted that the bank's as well as his own opposition to cryptocurrencies remain unchanged, a day after US regulators allowed bitcoin Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). FOREIGN FGN27 UK-RAJNATH Rajnath Singh concludes UK visit after 'warm meeting' with PM Rishi Sunak London: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh concluded his visit to the UK on Thursday after a ''warm meeting'' with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and interacting with members of the Indian diaspora at a community reception.By Aditi Khanna FGN34 CHINA-MALDIVES-MUIZZU China says 'firmly opposes external interference' in Maldives as Muizzu winds up visit Beijing: China on Thursday said that it ''firmly opposes external interference'' in the internal affairs of the Maldives and supports the island nation in upholding its sovereignty and independence as Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu concluded his maiden visit here.