New Delhi, Mar 19 : A day after the Central Government''s recommendation for President''s rule in Meghalaya, President Pratibha Devisingh Patil placed the State Assembly under suspended animation.

"The President has signed the proclamation for imposing Central rule in Meghalaya," a Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson said.

The Union Cabinet announced the decision after receiving a report from Meghalaya Governor R S Mooshahary about the constitutional machinery breaking down in Meghalaya.

New Delhi, Mar 19 : After skipping two key party meetings to express his displeasure over the appointment of Sudhanshu Mittal as party co-convenor for the North East, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Jaitley on Thursday met party President Rajnath Singh.

According to reports, Jaitley went to the Singh's residence here and stayed there for about an hour.

The BJP General Secretary is the party's in-charge for Bihar and Delhi and the name of candidates for these two states could not be finalised as he had skipped the Central Election Committee meeting twice.

New Delhi, Mar 19: The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Thursday suspended one Assistant commandant and three soldiers on the allegation of opening fire on a civilian mistaking him as a militant.

The incident took place on Wednesday evening in Jammu and Kashmir''s Pulwama district, where the CRPF men mistook the identity of a 32-year-old carpenter and shot him at his residence.

This case of carelessness on the part of the police force has angered the local residents, who staged massive protests on the streets.

New Delhi, Mar 19: Bharatiya Janashakti Party leader Uma Bharti on Thursday reiterated support to Bharatiya Janata Party''s prime ministerial candidate L K Advani.

"I have met Advani for the third time now. I have already met him twice earlier. I told him that I would offer all support to him that would be required for him to become the Prime Minister. But let me clarify once again that I don''t wish to join BJP, I am happy with my party and I am proud of it. I have not been able to fight elections due to lack of funds," said Bharti.

New Delhi, Mar 19 : The rate of inflation for the week ended March 7 fell to historic low of 0.44 per cent, from 2.43 per cent a week earlier, government data showed on Thursday.

Inflation, as measured by the wholesale price index is down by 0.4 per cent to 226.7, as compared to 227.7 a week earlier, mainly due to high base effect.

The annual inflation rate during the corresponding week of the previous year was 7.78 per cent

New Delhi - Suspected bandits burned to death 12 members of a family in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, news reports said Thursday.

The perpetrators set fire to the house of Beta Singh in Bichhiya village, located about 490 kilometres north-east of the state capital, Bhopal, the IANS and PTI news agencies reported.

Eleven members of the family died on the spot while another victim died on way to hospital, police said.