Thiruvananthapuram(PTI): Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday lashed out at the BJP-led NDA government and said the saffron party is no longer a political party but has become a cult which worships Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Targeting the Modi government, Chidambaram said there is a "grave erosion" of freedom of speech and expression happening under the ten years of Modi rule and urged the people to "restore democracy".

He also assured that even though the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was not mentioned in the Congress manifesto, it will be repealed once the INDIA bloc comes to power.

Chidambaram also expressed hope that the INDIA bloc will win all the 39 seats in Tamil Nadu and the one seat in Pondicherry where the elections were over.

"The BJP constituted the manifesto in 14 days which is not titled manifesto. They called it Modi's guarantee. The BJP is no longer a political party. It has become a cult and the cult worships Narendra Modi," Chidambaram said.

He claimed that "Modi ki guarantee" reminds everyone of the countries where there was cult worship.

"That cult worship in India has started gaining strength and will lead to dictatorship," he said. He alleged that there is a gross censorship of the freedom of expression under the ten year Modi rule.

"If Modi is voted back to power for the third time, he may amend the constitution... We have to restore democracy," Chidambaram said.

He said the gravest challenge faced by the country was unemployment.

Chidambaram added that the Congress manifesto talks about job creation and wealth generation about which the CPI(M) is silent.

"CAA will be repealed in the first session of the Parliament when the INDIA bloc comes to power," Chidambaram added.

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Agra (UP) (PTI): Four people were arrested, after a prompt response by police following a social media alert, for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman and a girl inside a moving bus here, officials said on Tuesday.

According to an official police statement, at 12:27 am on April 27, information was received on the social media platform X about an incident of sexual assault on a bus travelling from Kanpur to Ahmedabad, which was approaching Namner crossing in Agra.

Acting under the direction of Police Commissioner Deepak Kumar, the Agra Police social media team immediately alerted the Rakabganj police station within minutes and coordinated with the victims to confirm the incident and obtain the exact location, it stated.

Police teams launched intensive checking at Namner crossing and intercepted the bus as it reached the spot. The four accused involved in the incident were apprehended on the spot, and legal action was initiated against them, the statement said.

The police said the swift response and coordination between the social media team and field units ensured timely action, bringing relief to the victims and other passengers, who expressed gratitude towards the police, it added.