At least 15 pilgrims – including children and women – died in Uttar Pradesh after the vehicle they were travelling in fell in a pond, the police said.

The pilgrims were headed to Kadarganj to take a holy dip in the river Ganga when the accident occurred in Uttar Pradesh’s Kasganj.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed anguish over the incident and announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each for the family of those who have died, and Rs 50,000 each for the injured.

The Chief Minister has also instructed the authorities to ensure that the injured pilgrims receive proper treatment.

Mumtaz Patel, the daughter of late Congress leader Ahmed Patel, expressed disappointment over the recent seat-sharing arrangement between the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for the upcoming parliamentary polls in Gujarat. The discontent stems from the Bharuch seat, a traditional stronghold for the Congress, slipping into the hands of AAP.

The Congress and AAP sealed a seat-sharing deal for several states, including Gujarat, as they aim to present a united front against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Mumtaz Patel, expressing her disappointment, wrote, “Deeply apologize to our district cadre for not being able to secure the Bharuch Lok Sabha seat in alliance. I share your disappointment,”

“Together, we will regroup to make Congress stronger. We won’t let Ahmed Patel’s 45 years of legacy go in vain. #bharuchkibeti (sic)” Ms Patel added in her post on X (formerly Twitter).

Deeply apologize to Our district cadre for not being able to secure the Bharuch Lok Sabha seat in alliance.I share your disappointment.Together, we will regroup to make @INCIndia stronger .We won’t let @ahmedpatel 45 years of Legacy go in vain. #bharuchkibeti

— Mumtaz Patel (@mumtazpatels) February 24, 2024

The BJP has retained the Bharuch seat for seven consecutive terms, making it a crucial battleground for the opposition parties. Speculations had been rife for months that either Faisal Patel or Mumtaz Patel, children of Ahmed Patel, would be fielded by the Congress to challenge the BJP’s dominance.

The seat-sharing arrangement has not only disappointed Mumtaz Patel and the Congress’s district cadre but has also raised eyebrows within the party. The AAP will now contest from Bharuch and Bhavnagar in Gujarat.

Seat-sharing negotiations have been a significant challenge for the opposition INDIA bloc, with regional parties vying for a larger share. The recent electoral setbacks in three heartland states have emboldened regional powers to assert their influence, further complicating the seat-sharing talks.

The three new criminal laws will come into effect from July 1 and replace the country’s colonial-era legislations, the government announced on Saturday.

The Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita, and the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill will replace the Indian Penal Code of 1860, Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) of 1973, and Indian Evidence Act, of 1872.

The three laws were cleared by the Parliament and President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to those last December.

The new legislations lay “emphasis on Indianness, the Indian Constitution and the well-being of the people,” Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said while introducing those last year in the Parliament. The new laws encourage the use of technology and gives more importance to forensic science in investigation, prosecution and judicial system, he said.

Mr Shah had asserted the Indian criminal justice system will become the most advanced in the world in five years once all systems under the three laws are in place.

The BNS, set to replace the IPC, has reformed major aspects of criminal laws in view of the changing times. It prioritises laws that protect women and children, punish murderers, and deter those who would harm the state.

The BNS includes 20 new offences like organised crime, terrorist acts, mob lynching, hit-and-run, sexual exploitation of a woman by deceitful means, snatching, abetment outside India, acts endangering the sovereignty, integrity, and unity of India, and publication of false or fake news.