2 min readMar 12, 2026 07:00 AM IST
First published on: Mar 12, 2026 at 07:00 AM IST

The Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, has said it is not the government’s intention to encroach upon the Islamic system and the Bill on Muslim personal law, now before Parliament, is a reassurance to the community on the issue. In an interview to the Calcutta daily, The Telegraph, the Prime Minister said he did not agree that he had succumbed to pressure while introducing the Bill and felt that the law sought to be introduced gave women more rights.

Chavan elected as CM

Shankarrao B Chavan was elected new leader of the Maharashtra Congress (I) Legislature Party. ENS adds: Earlier, the three Congress (I) high command observers, Buta Singh, P Shiv Shankar and Naval Kishore Sharma, tried their level best to evolve a consensus candidate to succeed Shivajirao Patil Nilangekar.

Jaffna shootout, 6 killed

Six people — five Tamil militants and a patient — were killed and two female nurses injured, one seriously, in a shootout between two rival militant groups at the Jaffna General Hospital in North Sri Lanka, informed sources in Jaffna said. The incident occurred when a splinter group of the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO) attempted to kidnap a member of another splinter group, also owing allegiance to the TELO leader, Sri Sabaratnam, from the hospital where he was admitted for injuries sustained during “firing practice”.

Judges protest appointment

Four leading judges of the Bombay High Court are believed to have protested to President Zail Singh at a proposal to appoint a junior colleague of theirs, Justice P B Sawant, to the Supreme Court. Their letters of protest have been routed through the Maharashtra Governor, it is learnt. Justice Sawant’s name was proposed by the government to fill the vacancy arising out of the retirement on March 9 of Justice Tulzapurkar of the Supreme Court.