New Delhi, Sep 19 (PTI) These are the top stories at 9 pm: NATION DEL50 LDALL-PB-CHANNI Cong picks Charanjit Channi as Punjab CM, first Dalit to get the top spot in state Chandigarh: The Congress on Sunday picked Charanjit Singh Channi as Punjab’s next chief minister, a day after Amarinder Singh resigned following a bitter power struggle over the past several months in the party’s state unit. DEL52 PB-CHANNI-PROFILE Charanjit Singh Channi"s journey from being elected to municipal council to becoming first Dalit CM of Punjab Chandigarh: From being elected president to a municipal council to being handpicked as first Dalit chief minister of Punjab, Charanjit Singh Channi has seen a meteoric rise in the last two decades. DEL44 BJP-CONG-CHANNI BJP takes swipe at Congress over Channi"s election New Delhi: The BJP on Sunday took a swipe at the Congress over its Punjab chief ministerial pick Charanjit Singh Channi, citing reported allegations that he had sent an inappropriate text to an IAS officer in 2018. DEL49 CONG-DISSENSIONS Cong leaders fear ripple effect from Punjab turmoil New Delhi: The rapidly unfolding events in Punjab are likely to have wide ramifications for the Congress with party insiders fearing a groundswell of dissension in other states following the "unsavoury" exit of Amarinder Singh as chief minister. DEL26 PB-AMARINDER-LD SONIA-LETTER Amarinder wrote to Sonia before quitting as CM, expressed anguish at political events Chandigarh: Hours before resigning as the Punjab chief minister, Amarinder Singh wrote to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, expressing anguish over recent developments and concern that they may cause instability in the state. DEL51 INDIA-SAUDI-2NDLD TALKS Jaishankar holds talks with Saudi counterpart, says "very useful" exchange of views on Afghanistan New Delhi: The developments in Afghanistan and ways to further expand bilateral ties in areas of defence, trade, investment and energy were the key focus of the wide-ranging talks between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his visiting Saudi counterpart Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud on Sunday. DEL33 LAW-HC-JUDGES Govt yet to take call on 68 names sent by SC collegium for appointment as HC judges New Delhi: The government is yet to take a call on the recommendations made by the Supreme Court collegium on appointing a total of 68 judicial officers and advocates as judges of various high courts, sources aware of the procedure for appointment to the higher judiciary have said. DEL31 UP-LD ADITYANATH REPORT CARD Adityanath releases report card; says UP has seen complete transformation under BJP rule Lucknow: Asserting that Uttar Pradesh has undergone a complete transformation under his government, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Sunday that there have been no riots since 2017, strict action has been taken against the mafia and the state ís in the frontline of implementing welfare schemes, ensuring the ease of doing business and fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. DES4 RJ-GEHLOT-LD AMARINDER Keep working in Congress"s interest: Gehlot to Amarinder Singh Jaipur: A day after Congress veteran Capt. Amarinder Singh resigned as the Punjab chief minister, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot implored him to think about the party"s interests and not do anything that may damage it. DEL9 VIRUS-LD CASES India logs 30,773 new COVID-19 cases, 309 fresh fatalities New Delhi: With 30,773 people testing positive for coronavirus infection in a single day, India"s total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 3,34,48,163, while the active cases declined to 3,32,158, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday. DEL13 MHA-VIRUS-TOURISTS Foreign tourists may be allowed to visit India soon New Delhi: Amid a decline in Covid cases in the country, India may soon reopen its doors for foreign tourists for the first time in one-and-a-half years, officials said. DEL22 DRONES-PUMP GUNS Security forces use pump action guns to kill low-flying drones New Delhi: Security forces that guard vital installations, airports and even their own camps have been directed to use rubber bullets bearing pump action guns to neutralise low-flying drones till an appropriate technology is found to thwart such aerial attacks, official sources said. By Neelabh Srivastava DEL11 GADKARI-AFGHANISTAN-INFRA PROJS PM will take a call on further infra investments in Afghanistan: Gadkari New Delhi: With Afghanistan coming under the control of the Taliban, Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday said a final decision on continuing infrastructure investments in the war-torn country will be taken by the prime minister along with the external affairs minister after considering the prevailing situation. LEGAL LGM1 KL-HC-CLUMSY PROBE HC acquits 2 accused of killing taxi driver in 2012; says probe "clumsy, prosecution inept" Kochi: The Kerala High Court has set aside the conviction of two of the five people accused of killing a taxi driver in 2012, saying the investigation was "clumsy", prosecution was "inept" and the trial court was "overzealous" to convict them in the absence of evidence. FOREIGN FGN14 NEPAL-CONSTITUTION-DAY Nepal observes Constitution Day; PM Deuba vows to protect, implement statute Kathmandu: Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Sunday underlined the need to protect and implement the country’s Constitution as the Himalayan nation observed its seventh Constitution Day. By Shirish B Pradhan PTI KJ