Vijay Rupani has been named the new Chief Minister of Gujarat in the wake of Anandiben Patel's resignation. Nitin Patel has been named his deputy.

Rupani, who belongs to the Jain community and hails from Rajkot, is the Gujarat chief of the BJP.

The announcement was made by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on 5 August, following a meeting of the Gujarat BJP legislature party in Gandhinagar.

While targeting the Opposition for politicising the Bulandshahr gangrape case, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has announced a compensation of Rs 3 lakh for the two victims. He has also announced that the mother-daughter duo who were gangraped by a group of dacoits on 30 July on the Delhi-Kanpur highway will be given one flat each, reported the ANI. The announcement comes amid Samajwadi Party leaders claiming that Bulandshahar gangrape was a "political conspiracy". First cabinet minister Azam Khan kicked a storm with this insensitive statement. The chief minister too spoke in the same vein when asked to react on Khan's comments. He said: "The incident is unfortunate. Action will be taken against those responsible. But the question is what are BJP and other (opposition) parties tutoring the victims and showing the way of politics," he said on Thursday.

The father of the 14-year old victim had earlier threatened to commit suicide if the government didn't take action against the accused within three months. Three people, who were arrested in connection with this case, have been sent to 14 days of judicial custody on August 1. However, the UP police reportedly accepted that while they have arrested only three accused, there seven criminals involved in the crime. The Hindu reported that the police has still not been able to nab gang leader Saleem Bawariya and others behind the incident.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who returned from Islamabad on Thursday evening after attending the seventh SAARC Home Ministers conference, said that he would unfold the facts relating to his visit in the Parliament.

Apart from his terse message to Paksitan in his SAARC speech on terrorism, his visit made news because of protests by supporters of the Hizbul Mujahideen and the Harkat ul Mujahideen in Islamabad. There were couple of other reports like a media blackout of Singh's speech and the Home Minister skipping lunch hosted by Pakistan's Interior Minister. These are some of the issues that Singh is expected to throw light on while speaking in the Parliament.

The report of blackout was dismissed by India. The Indian Express reported quoting government source: "It is the standard SAARC practice that the opening statement by the host country is public and open to the media while the rest of the proceedings are in camera, which allows for a full and frank discussion of issues."

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has reaffirmed his support for scrapping the Governor's post and questioned BJP, which in the past had supported his stance, for not speaking over it now after being in power.

"All parties except Congress have favoured scrapping the post of Governor... BJP, which supported this when in opposition, is silent now after being in power," Kumar told reporters.

"What is the need of the post of Governor in a federal structure, which has an elected government at the Centre as well as the state, which are accountable to the people?" he asked.

"Except for administering oath to a new government, what other function a governor who is duty-bound to abide by the advise of the state Cabinet, has?" he said.

He said seeing the political crisis triggered in Arunachal Pradesh and Uttrakhand after controversial decisions taken by governors against state governments there, "I favoured scrapping the post of Governor or else there should be at least a provision for active consultation with the chief minister of that state in the appointment of governor."

--PTI

Nine bodies have been recovered from Savitri river so far during search operations launched after two buses and some private vehicles got swept away following collapse of a British-era bridge on Tuesday night.

The Maharshtra government on Thursday ordered a judicial probe into the mishap and announced the kin of the deceased staff members of two state-run buses would either be given job or compensation of Rs 10 lakh each.

Among the bodies recovered so far are those of two women passengers travelling in a Tavera and of a driver and a conductor of the buses.

As many as 42 people might have been washed way in the Mahad bridge collapse on Tuesday night, complaints received by the control room suggested.

The incident occurred when two buses, with 22 people on board, and some other vehicles fell into the swollen river after the bridge, located on Mumbai-Goa Highway near Mahad, about 170 km from Mumbai, caved in due to heavy rains.

PTI