RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Friday joined Rahul Gandhi in his SUV as the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra resumed from Bihar’s Sasaram district. The Congress MP started his yatra this morning from the party’s local headquarters and is expected to arrive in Uttar Pradesh this evening via Mohania in the Kaimur district.

Yadav and Gandhi were spotted driving a red SUV, which was driven by the RJD chief. They were also observed waving to the excited crowds of people assembling along the town’s main route while perched on the slowly moving sports utility vehicle’s roof. On both sides of the street, locals gathered to watch the procession.

Both the leaders of the opposition Mahagathbandhan will speak at a public gathering in Kaimur on Friday at around 3 p.m. Gandhi spoke out in favor of the protesting farmers on Thursday at a gathering in Bihar’s Aurangabad. He compared the farmers to warriors who defend their nation by fighting on its borders.

The leader of the Congress party was alluding to the farmers’ Delhi Chalo protest march, which was organised to put pressure on the Center over their demands, which included forgiveness of loans and a minimum support price for crops.

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Since Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar abandoned his links with the INDIA alliance, this will be the first time the RJD leader will seen sharing stage with Rahul Gandhi in Bihar.

Meanwhile, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will join Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra as it enters Uttar Pradesh on Friday night. Once the yatra crosses within from Bihar into Uttar Pradesh, she will meet with her brother in Chandauli.

The 6,700-kilometer East-West Manipur-Mumbai Yatra travels through 15 states with the goal of promoting nyay (justice) and encountering common people along the journey.

In a major fire incident at a paint factory in Delhi’s Alipur, the death toll has risen to 11. According to reports, search operations are still underway in a fire incident that occurred on Thursday evening. Four more bodies have been recovered from the site, bringing the total death toll to 11.

Two more persons are likely trapped, as per the Director of Delhi Fire Services, Atul Garg.

As many as four individuals were injured in the fire incident. According to the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) official, the charred bodies were recovered from the paint factory, located in the Dayal market area of Alipur.

A blast preceded the fire and soon it spread to nearby buildings, including a drug rehabilitation centre and eight shops.

A call about the fire was received around 5:30 pm on Thursday by DFS and 22 fire tenders were sent to the site.

The blaze was brought under control by 9 pm and 11 charred bodies were recovered from the factory premises.

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal visited Alipur today and took stock at the spot where a fire broke out yesterday, killing 11 people and injuring 4.

Speaking on the incident, Kejriwal said that the incident was very unfortunate and ordered an inquiry into the incident. Kejriwal also announced ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakhs each to the families of the deceased, those who have sustained serious injuries will get Rs 2 lakhs and those with minor injuries will be given Rs 20,000.

He also assured compensation to those whose shops and houses got burnt in the fire after assessing the loss.

Taking to X, the DFS head Atul Garg said that despite the efforts by the DFS team, 11 labourers died in a paint factory fire in the Alipur area. He further said that DFS received the information about the fire incident around 5:30 pm and 22 tenders were rushed to the site but due to the explosion, the building collapsed and workers were trapped inside the factory and could not be saved, he added.

An official indicated that the explosion might be triggered by chemicals stored in the warehouses. Among the four individuals injured, identified as Jyoti (42), Divya (20), Mohit Solanki (34), and police constable Karambir (35), all of whom have been hospitalized at Raja Harish Chandra Hospital, as stated by the officer.

The police have said that the bodies of the deceased are being kept at Babu Jagjivan Ram Hospital, with the ongoing process of identification.

In order to pressure the Central government, a number of farmers’ unions, notably the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), have called for a nationwide strike today, or Gramin Bharat Bandh. The protesters have begun the day-long protest from  6 a.m. and it will conclude at 4 p.m.

A Bharat Bandh was demanded by the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), an SKM associated, in response to several unfulfilled demands from farmers. The Bharatiya Kisan Parishad (BKP), situated in Noida, has also offered its backing to Friday’s Bharat Bandh.

BKU local leader Pawan Khatana claimed that farmers have been instructed to strike for one day in order to put pressure on the government to make demands during the Bharat Bandh that his union has organised.

Farmers have been asked not to work on their crops tomorrow or to visit marketplaces to make any purchases. Khatana said, traders and truckers have also been urged to participate in the strike tomorrow.

In light of the Bharat Bandh, restrictions under CrPC Section 144 have been implemented across Noida. These include a prohibition on unapproved public meetings, processions, or rallies, including political or religious ones.

Hospitals, medical shops, and ambulance services, among other services, will be available as usual for emergency care. Colleges and schools will continue to function. In the event that anything changes, parents and students are asked to stay in touch with the school administration.

Traffic restrictions have been implemented, thus commuters heading to and from the capital city of Delhi are being advised to use metro train service as far as possible to prevent any disruption.

The traders’ organisation Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) will not participate in the Gramin Bharat Bandh and will carry on with business as usual.

According to the traders’ group, all markets in the nation would continue to function properly, guaranteeing routine economic activities.

In order to ensure that the general population has access to necessities during the Gramin Bharat Bandh, traders would keep their businesses open, according to National General Secretary Praveen Khandelwal and National President BC Bhartia of CAIT.