New Delhi, Apr 2: Home Minister P. Chidamabaram on Thursday met Leader of the Opposition L K Advani and discussed the security scenario ahead of the general elections.

The meeting, which lasted for 20-minutes, took place at Advani''s residence.

According to sources, Chidamabaram advised Advani to refrain from undertaking unscheduled visits to different parts of the country during the campaign trail.

On Wednesday, Chidambaram has written to Chief Ministers of all the states to provide adequate security for nearly two dozen VVIPs during the period of the upcoming general elections.

New Delhi, Apr 2: President Pratibha Patil and Vice President Hamid Ansari have greeted the countrymen on the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami, which will be celebrated tomorrow.

In her message, President Patil said: "May the celebrations of this joyous festival bring all our people together and inspire us to follow the highest moral and ethical values of Lord Ram and rededicate ourselves to build a glorious nation."

New Delhi, Apr 2: Former Union Minister Jagdish Tytler was on Thursday given a clean chit by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.

De-sealing its final investigation report in a court, the CBI has recommended quashing of FIR against Tytler.

The CBI counsel told Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Rakesh Pandit that "We have filed the cancellation report in the matter and want to close the investigation."

Kendrapara (Orissa), Apr 2: Relief and rescue operation is in full swing in the tornado-hit coastal district of Kendrapada in Orissa.

Polythene sheets are being distributed to the homeless while free kitchens have been opened in different places.

The district administration has restored road communication.

Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has directed the administration to provide all possible aid to the affected people.

New Delhi, Apr 2: The notification for the third phase of Lok Sabha elections will be issued today.

In this phase, polling will take place on April 30.

The states which will go to the polls are Bihar (11), Gujarat (26), Jammu and Kashmir (1), Karnataka (11), Madhya Pradesh (16), Maharashtra (10), Sikkim (1), Uttar Pradesh (15), West Bengal (14), Dadra and Nagar Haveli (1), Daman and Diu (1).

New Delhi, Apr 2: The Kakardooma Court will today consider the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) final investigation report on former Union Minister Jagdish Tytler''s involvement in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case.

On March 28, the CBI filed the report in a sealed envelope before Metropolitan Magistrate Ram Lal Meena.

The CBI is reported to have said that there is no evidence against Tytler, sources said.