"Being Given To Ensure...": Akhilesh Yadav On Bharat Ratna To LK Advani

Hours after the Centre announced its decision to honour former deputy prime minister LK Advani with the Bharat Ratna, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday said it is being done to ensure that the BJP's votes do not get scattered.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that LK Advani would be conferred with the Bharat Ratna and praised the contribution of the BJP's longest-serving president to public life.

Akhilesh Yadav was in Balrampur district to attend a programme to pay tributes to senior SP leader and MLA Shiv Pratap Yadav, who died on January 26.

"The BJP has given the honour before its tenure (at the Centre) comes to an end so that its votes do not get scattered," Akhilesh Yadav told reporters in an apparent reference to LK Advani being conferred with the Bharat Ratna.

"This Bharat Ratna is being given to consolidate votes, it is not being given out of respect," he said.

On seat-sharing in the opposition INDIA bloc, Akhilesh Yadav said there is almost a consensus on it.

"The basis for distribution of seats is 'jeet' (victory) and seat," he said, adding that he has already talked to the Congress leadership and there is no dilemma regarding the distribution of seats.

Asked if he would join Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, the SP chief said he has not received any invitation so far.

On Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar joining the NDA, Akhilesh Yadav asked "which magic of the BJP" encouraged him to do so.

He said the issue of caste census will not be sidelined and the SP will take it forward.

According to a statement issued by the SP in Lucknow, Akhilesh Yadav participated in several programmes in Balrampur, Gonda and Barabanki on Saturday.

Speaking to reporters in Gonda, Akhilesh Yadav said, "The BJP has become the biggest land mafia party. There is no district left where land mafias are not operating." The chief minister himself has admitted that many land mafias have come to Gorakhpur, the SP leader said.

"It seems that law and order has become zero under the BJP government," he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Video: Ukraine Destroys Russia's Ivanovets Missile Boat In Black Sea

Ukrainian forces say they have destroyed the Russian missile boat from the Black Sea Fleet in a targeted operation near Russian-occupied Crimea. The military intelligence says that the Ivanovets, a small warship, received "direct hits to the hull" overnight, after which it sank. 

Ukrainian forces have also released video footage that purports to show the moment of the impact, followed by a massive explosion. 

Russian authorities have not commented on the incident, BBC reported. Meanwhile, a Russian military blogger, "Voenkor Kotenok," wrote on Telegram that the boat sank after being struck three times by naval drones.

The Ukrainian video displays several identifiable features on the vessel that align with those of the Tarantul, also known as Project 12411-a missile boat class utilized by the Russian and other navies, to which the Ivanovets belong.

Ship wreck of the day!

Warriors of the special unit "Group 13" of the @DI_Ukraine destroyed the missile corvette "Ivanovets" of the russian Black Sea Fleet.

As a result of a number of direct hits to the hull, the corvette was damaged, rolled to the stern, and sank. The value of… pic.twitter.com/JZwh8aggn0

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) February 1, 2024

These features encompass the arrangement of the mast and sensors atop the primary superstructure, along with a sizable radar dome situated on the bridge.

According to Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate, the boat was eliminated by members of its special unit, "Group 13," in Lake Donuzlav. This saltwater bay is located on the western side of the Crimean peninsula and houses a naval base.

"As a result of a series of direct hits to the hull, the Russian ship suffered damage incompatible with further movement - the Ivanovets listed to the stern and sank," it said on its Telegram channel.

BBC report said that a Russian search and rescue operation in the are was unsuccessful. It said that the ship was worth in the region of $60-70 million. 

Foreign Ministry official Olexander Scherba described the attack as "impressive".

"At 03:45 [01:45 GMT] there was the first hit and at 04:00 the whole crew was evacuated already. So there was no chance at all that this vessel would be saved," he told the BBC.

Ukraine has experienced a string of victories in the conflict in and around the Black Sea, inflicting damage or destruction on Russian warships despite lacking a naval fleet of its own.
 

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"Sarfaraz...No Siraj": Kaif's Predicted XI Has ''Biwi Ka Sawaal" Twist

All eyes are on the playing XI of the Indian cricket team for the second Test against England that starts on Friday. After losing the first Test, the Rohit Sharma-led hosts will be eyeing redemption against the visitors. But they have been pegged back due to injury. KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja are unavailable due to injury. In the midst of this, the question is who are the players who come in the XI. According to several experts, the choice is between Sarfaraz Khan and Rajat Patidar for the batter's slot. Former Indian cricket team star Mohammed Kaif delved into the discussion with his wife and posted the video on social media. 

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Biwi ke sawaal, mere jawab.

Ye hai meri kal ki Team India playing XI! Agree with my 3 changes?#IndvEng #VizagTest pic.twitter.com/iirVUeVXv6

— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) February 1, 2024

;

"Baby, I have a question. Ravindra Jadeja is injured, Virat Kohli is unavailable. KL Rahul is also injured. Predictions for tomorrow's playing XI?" Pooja Kaif asked her husband. 

"Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gil at No. 3, Sarfaraz Khan at No. 4 he should play, Shreyas Iyer at No. 5, No. 6 KS Bharat, Axar Patel at No. 7, No. 8 Washington Sundar - he is an allrounder, R Ashwin at No. 9, then Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah at No. 11. I have not kept Mohammed Siraj. This line up gives four proper spinners," Mohammed Kaif replied.

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