Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, who fell ill while addressing a poll campaign rally in J&K’s Kathua district, has said he would not die till Prime Minister Narendra Modi is “removed” from power.

Mr Kharge had felt dizzy while addressing a huge gathering on the last day of the campaign for the third and final phase of the Assembly elections. Party leaders had rushed to support him and led him to a chair.

Shortly after, he was examined by doctors, who said his blood pressure is fluctuating.

Later, Mr Kharge came back onstage and said: “We will fight to restore statehood. I am 83 years old. I am not going to die so early. I will stay alive until Prime Minister Narendra Modi is removed from power.”

“I wanted to talk. But due to dizziness, I have sat down. Please pardon me,” he said.

Sources said Mr Kharge’s blood pressure had dropped and though he is feeling much better, doctors have advised him to take rest. It is not yet known if would attend the rally scheduled in Udhampur district this evening.

Mr Kharge had flown to Jasrota to address the rally held in support of the party candidates in the assembly polls.

Today is the last day of campaigning in Jammu and Kashmir, where the last and final phase of polling will be held on October 1.

Election will be held in around 40 assembly seats, including 11 in Jammu, six in Kathua, three in Samba and four in Udhampur districts. In Kashmir Valley, polling will be held in 16 assembly constituencies across Baramulla and Kupwara districts.

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh today called a meeting of all MLAs to discuss the situation in the violence-hit state and the rescue of two men kidnapped by who he claimed were “Kuki militants”.

A video has been shared widely on social media where two men from the valley-dominant Meitei community were seen asking the Chief Minister to “save our lives”. The two men, in white T-shirts, also asked Mr Singh to agree to the demand of their kidnappers immediately.

NDTV could not independently verify the video.

“… Addressed the current situation in the state particularly focusing on the rescue of the abduction of two innocent youths by Kuki militants. We condemn such heinous acts and our government is working to secure the safe release of the victims,” Mr Singh said in posts on X and Facebook.

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Three men from the Meitei community had gone to participate at an army recruitment event when they were kidnapped, the parents of one of the three men who the army rescued yesterday told local media.

The security forces could not trace the other two yesterday, Manipur Police sources told NDTV. They declined to give details about the demand raised by the kidnappers, citing operational security.

The kidnappers thrashed the rescued man, identified as Ningombam Johnson Singh, police sources said, adding his cheeks had swelled, his body had multiple bruises and his hand had a wound that needed to be bandaged.

The two missing men have been identified as Oinam Thoithoi Singh and Thokchom Thoithoiba Singh. Their parents have on social media appealed to the kidnappers to release them unharmed.

Social media posts by members of the Meitei community alleged the kidnappers have demanded the release of Mark Thangmang Haokip, 39, who the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had arrested on May 30, 2022 on charges of waging war against India and working against the nation to create an “independent Government of the People’s Democratic Republic of Kukiland”, according to the First Information Report (FIR).

Police sources have not confirmed this alleged demand being widely circulated on social media.

If the demand for Mark Thangmang Haokip to be freed from the NIA, however, turns out to be true, then the kidnappers can be considered to be hardcore militants, and should not be misidentified as ‘village defence volunteers’ of the Kuki tribes in the context of the Manipur ethnic violence, sources said.

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There are many villages of the Kuki tribes in the hills surrounding the Meitei-dominated valley. The clashes between the Meitei community and the nearly two dozen tribes known as Kukis – a term given by the British in colonial times – who are dominant in some hill areas of Manipur, has killed over 220 people and internally displaced nearly 50,000.

The general category Meiteis want to be included under the Scheduled Tribes category, while the Kukis who share ethnic ties with people in neighbouring Myanmar’s Chin State and Mizoram want a separate administration carved out of Manipur, citing discrimination and unequal share of resources and power with the Meiteis.

BBC reporter gains access to the remote ocean territory despite UK and US attempts to stop her. 

​BBC reporter gains access to the remote ocean territory despite UK and US attempts to stop her.