Top news of the day: Hezbollah confirms Hassan Nasrallah’s death; FIR against Nirmala Sitharaman, Nadda in connection with electoral bonds scheme, and more

Hezbollah confirms Hassan Nasrallah’s death, FIR against Nirmala Sitharaman, Nadda in connection with electoral bonds scheme, and more in The Hindu’s top news of September 28, 2024.

Lebanon’s Hezbollah group confirmed on Saturday (September 28, 2024) that its leader and one of its founders, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut the previous day. A statement Saturday (September 28, 2024) said Nasrallah “has joined his fellow martyrs.” Hezbollah vowed to “continue the holy war against the enemy and in support of Palestine.”

The Tilak Nagar police on Saturday (September 28, 2024) registered an First Information Report (FIR) against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and BJP national president J.P. Nadda among others for allegedly committing irregularities and misusing electoral bond scheme to extort money from the companies using enforcement agencies . The FIR was filed based on the court directions, charging the accused under sections 384 (punishment for extortion) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) read with 34 (acts done with common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar said on Saturday (September 28, 2024) that elections in Maharashtra have to be conducted before November 26, as the current Assembly’s term ends then. Speaking at a press conference in Mumbai after reviewing the State’s poll preparedness, Mr. Kumar mentioned that political parties have requested the announcement of poll dates, keeping in mind festivals like Diwali. “All political parties have asked us to consider the upcoming festivals while announcing the election dates. I am confident that Maharashtra will actively contribute to the festival of democracy,” he said.

Two unidentified terrorists were killed and five security personnel, including an officer, sustained injuries in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district, police said on Saturday (September 28, 2024). The gunbattle broke out in Adigam village in the Devsar area of the district after security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation there early in the morning. In the early exchange of fire, Additional Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Mumtaz Ali suffered minor injuries due to a stray bullet near the encounter site, officials said.

Jammu and Kashmir people are looking forward to a government free of “corruption, terrorism and separatism” for peace and a better future for their children, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday (September 28, 2024) and described the Congress, NC and PDP as the “biggest enemies” of the Constitution. At a poll rally at M A M Stadium in Jammu ahead of the last phase of the assembly elections, he referred to the 2016 surgical strikes across the border and said, “The terror mentors know that if they do anything wrong, Mr. Modi will find them even in ‘Pataal’ (netherworld).” The third and final phase of the Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir will be held on October 1. As many as 40 seats — 24 in the Jammu region and 16 in Kashmir — will go to polls in this phase.

The Haryana Congress on Saturday (September 28, 2024) rolled out its detailed poll manifesto for the October 5 State assembly polls, making a host of promises, including setting up of a commission for farmers’ welfare, ₹2 crore for families of martyred soldiers, promoting labour-intensive units for generating employment and reconstitution of the Haryana Minority Commission. Haryana Congress chief Udai Bhan, Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot among other leaders were present on this occasion.

In a strong retort, India criticised Pakistan in the U.N. General Assembly, saying its “fingerprints” are on terrorist incidents across the world and the country should realise that cross-border terrorism against India will “inevitably invite consequences”. India exercised its Right of Reply in the U.N. General Assembly on Friday (September 27, 2024) in response to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif raising the issue of Jammu and Kashmir in his address at the General Debate of the 79th session of the U.N. General Assembly.