BJP sacks Bihar MLC for targeting Nitish

Patna: The BJP on Friday sacked its recalcitrant Bihar MLC Tunnaji Pandey whose utterances against CM Nitish Kumar were putting a strain on the tenuous relations between the two alliance partners. Pandey had alleged the mandate of the last Assembly polls was in favour of Lalu’s son Tejashwi Yadav, but “Nitish became the CM accidentally because of changed circumstances”. PTI

Modi mourns demise of Mauritius ex-PM

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday spoke to his Mauritius counterpart Pravind Jugnauth to convey condolences at the death of his father and veteran leader Anerood Jugnauth. PM Modi remembered Anerood, who passed away at 91 on Thursday, as one of the tallest leaders of the Indian Ocean Region. India will observe one-day state mourning on Saturday. TNS

1.5-yr jail for hurling sandals at HC judge

Ahmedabad: A magisterial court here sentenced a tea vendor, Bhavanidas Bavaji, from Gujarat’s Rajkot district to 18 months in jail for hurling his sandals at a High Court judge in 2012, out of frustration over long pendency of his case. PTI

Notice to Rajasthan over Asaram’s plea

New Delhi: The SC Friday asked the Rajasthan Government to respond to rape convict Asaram Bapu’s plea for permission to undergo treatment at an ayurvedic centre near Haridwar in Uttarakhand. TNS