Claiming that people close to Mulayam Singh Yadav are being "insulted" in the Samajwadi Party, its MP Amar Singh today threatened to resign as a Rajya Sabha member.

"I have never said I am Samajwadi. I am Mulayamwadi...But it has become kind of a crime to be Mulayamwadi," he said. He said he is awaiting a meeting with Mulayam to discuss the issue. "I will hand it (resignation letter) directly to (Rajya Sabha Chairman) Hamid Ansari. I am not the one who use resignation as a pressure tactic," he said.

-PTI

Bye bye Rio 2016. Hello Tokoyo 2020. The Rio Olympics ended with a carnival-inspired closing ceremony. The Tokyo 2020 Olympics were officially a go with the symbolic handover of the Olympic flag. Eduardo Paes, Rio Mayer, returned it to International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach before it was passed over to Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike.

The closing ceremony, was a more low-key version of the opening. The theme of the show was "Brazilians can do with their bare hands". This was an ode to Brazil's emerging economy and fifth most populous nation.

Dancers were dressed in colourful feathers, fluomg over Rio's world famous landmarks. From the shapes of the arches of Lapa to that of iconic Sugarloaf Mountain and then finally to the official 2016 symbol and forming the five Olympic rings.

On 21 August, a first-year PhD student of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) accused Anmol Ratan, a member of Jawaharlal Nehru University's chapter of the All India Students' Association (AISA) of sexually assaulting her, prompting the organization to expel the accused from primary membership. AISA has also stated that they would lend their support to the victim in the case.

"AISA takes serious note of the fact that Ratan, a leading activist of AISA, is facing a criminal complaint of sexual assault. He is, henceforth, expelled from the primary membership of AISA. AISA will reflect on and deal with this issue with all the firmness it deserves," said Ashutosh Kumar, AISA's Delhi State Secretary, in a statement.

"AISA will be unflinching for the principles of gender justice even if it involves a leading member of the organisation. We stand by the complainant in her fight for justice," he added.

In the wee hours of 22 August, tragedy befell in Telengana's Khammam district as a private bus plunged into the Nagarjunsagar canal, killing 9 people, and 15 others injured in the accident.

The bus was enroute to Kakinada in Khammam district from Hyderabad when the accident took place. The injured have been shifted to a hospital.

The bus carrying 31 passengers fell off a bridge built over the Nagarjunsagar canal. Police have reached the spot and rescue operations are ongoing.

On 21 August, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka government received flak from Union Minister Ananth Kumar for giving Amnesty International India a clean chit. Kumar insisted that the state government should have taken the requisite steps and charged the organization as well as their members with sedition, it being their constitutional duty.

Kumar said the Karnataka Government should book the guilty and prosecute them.

"My basic question to Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara is why they are interpreting sedition, it is their constitutional duty to register cases of sedition against not only against Amnesty India, but also against its office bearers and participants, who raised anti-India slogans," said the BJP leader.

Addressing a large gathering of teachers in Agra district of Uttar Pradesh, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said that the 'gau raksha' movement for the protection of cows had gained considerable momentum and will continue expanding.

Bhagwat said the shastras teach us to treat cows as mothers and inculcate a feeling of protectiveness in us. Talking about the ongoing Kashmir unrest, Bhagwat said people of the Valley are not in favour of Pakistan, but the government has to work to develop pro-India feelings in them.

"Kashmiri people are well aware of Pakistan. It is not as if they want to go to Pakistan but they should also develop strong pro-India feelings within them. This feeling is still left. The government is doing its best", he said.