LIVE! Sonia Gandhi being treated for stomach infection

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Mon, 03 February 2020

Sonia Gandhi being treated for stomach infection

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23:05 Sonia Gandhi being treated for stomach infection

Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who was admitted to the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi on Sunday, is undergoing treatment for stomach infection, hospital authorities said.

Her son Rahul Gandhi and daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were with her when she was admitted to the hospital.

"She was admitted to hospital on Sunday at 7 pm and has undergone medical tests. She has been found to be suffering from stomach infection and is being treated for the same," Dr D S Rana Chairman (Board of Management), Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, said in a medical bulletin on Monday.

Sources said she is likely to be discharged on Tuesday.

The Congress chief did not attend the Union Budget presentation in Parliament on Saturday. -- PTI

22:32 Civilian killed, 4 injured in Pak firing

A civilian was killed and four others were injured in a ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Tangdhar sector on Monday, officials said.

The deceased was identified as Mohammed Saleem Awan, 60, they said. Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked firing this morning.

The Indian Army retaliated in adequate measure, the officials said.

Four civilians sustained injuries in the firing by Pakistani troops, they said. -- PTI

21:41 Kerala declares coronavirus a state calamity

The Kerala government on Monday declared novel coronavirus epidemic as a 'state calamity' with a third student testing positive for the infection in the state.

State Health Minister K K Shailaja told reporters that the government has declared the epidemic as a 'state calamity' to take all necessary steps to ensure the outbreak is effectively controlled.

The decision was taken at the apex committee of the State Disaster Management Authority chaired by Chief Secretary Tom Jose. -- PTI

Protest sites in the national capital are 'under watch' to ensure that polling personnel or voters face no obstruction on the election day, observers deployed for the February 8 Delhi polls told the Election Commission on Monday.

At a review meeting on poll preparedness chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora, the observers assured the poll panel that preparations are progressing as per schedule and gaining momentum, an official statement said.

They also told the commission that adequate deployment of police force and companies of central armed police forces is being made and 'protest sites are under watch to ensure that no obstructions for polling personnel or voters would hamper movement on February 8', it stated. -- PTI

21:29 Sharjeel Imam's custody extended by 3 days

A court in New Delhi on Monday extended the police custody of Sharjeel Imam, arrested on sedition charges, by three days, his lawyer said.

Imam was produced at the residence of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Purushottam Pathak in the evening amidst high security, said advocate Mishika Singh, appearing for the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) research scholar in the matter.

Imam was arrested from Bihar's Jehanabad on January 28 for allegedly making inflammatory speeches at the Jamia Millia Islamia University here and in Aligarh.

He was brought to Delhi the next day.

The court had earlier sent Imam to a five-day police custody. -- PTI

20:53 BJP serves show cause notice to Hegde

The Bharatiya Janata Party issued a show cause notice to its MP Anantkumar Hegde on Monday for his comments against Mahatma Gandhi, the party's Karnataka state president Nalin Kumar Kateel said.

Kateel told PTI that the party's central leadership has served the notice to Hegde, taking strong objections to his remarks targeting Gandhi and seeking an explanation from him.

In controversial comments, Hegde questioned the freedom movement led by Gandhi and described it as an 'adjustment' with the British rulers.

Freedom fighters who did not sacrifice anything made the country believe that it attained independence through 'Upavas Satyagrah', Gandhi's preferred mode of agitation, and became 'mahapurush' (great person), Hegde had said at an event in Bengaluru on Saturday. -- PTI

20:46 GoM meets for first time over coronavirus

A Group of Ministers (GoM) formed to review, monitor and evaluate the preparedness to contain the deadly coronavirus infection in the country held its first meeting on Monday.

The high-level GoM includes Union ministers Harsh Vardhan, Hardeep Puri, S Jaishankar, G Kishan Reddy, Ashwini Kumar Choubey, and Mansukh Lal Mandaviya.

The ministers were apprised of the three confirmed cases reported from Kerala and the preventive steps and measures taken for management of coronavirus, the Ministry of Health said. -- PTI

20:07 5 evacuated from Wuhan admitted to hospital

Five people, who were among those evacuated from coronavirus-hit Hubei province, were on Monday admitted to a military hospital in the national capital after showing symptoms of cough and cold.

They were kept along with 247 others at a quarantine facility in Manesar set up by the Army, officials said.

The five people were shifted to the Army's Base hospital after showing symptoms of cough and cold.

The symptoms of the coronavirus infection start with fever, dry cough followed by breathing problems, according to doctors.

Officials said samples collected from the five people were sent for various tests to AIIMS.

"We have received test result of one person and it is negative," they said.

On Saturday, 324 Indians were brought back from Wuhan, while another batch of 323 Indians and seven Maldivians were evacuated from the Chinese city on Sunday.

All those evacuated from China are being housed at two quarantine facilities set up by the Army in Manesar and by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police in Chawla Camp.

The death toll in coronavirus epidemic soared to 361 in China while the number of confirmed cases climbed to 17,205, according to Chinese government officials.

So far, India has reported three cases of coronavirus. -- PTI

19:07 PM to inaugurate DefExpo on Wednesday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate India's five-day biennial mega defence exhibition -- DefExpo -- on Wednesday in Lucknow.

Over 1000 national and international defence firms are participating in the DefExpo which is being held for the first time in Lucknow.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi shall preside over the inaugural ceremony of the DefExpo 2020," a government statement said.

It said the event will cover the entire spectrum of the country's aerospace, defence and security interests.

After the inaugural ceremony of the Expo, Modi will visit the India and Uttar Pradesh pavilions.

"The India pavilion will exclusively showcase the strong partnership between the public and private sector, including small and medium enterprises," the statement said. -- PTI

18:57 Women's groups write to PM on hate speeches

Around 175 activists and women's groups on Monday sent an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing "horror" over the alleged hate speeches made by Bharatiya Janata Party leaders and accused them of using "fear of rape as a campaign message" during the ongoing Delhi poll rallies.

In the letter, the groups alleged how during the election campaign, the statements made by the BJP leaders urging their followers to inflict violence on women protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, National Register of Citizens and National Population Register have created an "atmosphere of violence".

Prominent among the signatories include feminist economist Devaki Jain, activist Laila Tyabji, former Indian Ambassador Madhu Bhaduri, gender rights activist Kamla Bhasin, and groups like All India Progressive Women's Association, National Federation of Indian Women. -- PTI

A group of students from Jamia Millia Islamia on Monday accused those "sitting in power" of giving goons the confidence to open fire during the anti-CAA protests.

The Jamia Coordination Committee, which includes the university's students and alumni, condemned the firing incident outside the university on Sunday night and demanded immediate arrest of those involved.

"The impunity with which such people come and open fire shows the confidence granted by fascist forces who are sitting in power, just as much as it shows their frustration," the JCC said in a statement.

"The escalation of threats and attacks is bound to lead to casualties if steps are not taken to stop such goons. The protesters are defenceless in the face of such firings and they have been attempting to steer clear of violence in all forms," it added.

In third such incident within a week, two unidentified people opened fire outside Jamia Millia Islamia on Sunday night. No one was injured.

"The fight against the CAA and the NRC will go ahead with proper concern for safety and security of protesters. It is the Delhi Police's responsibility to take control of law and order situation, which is going out of hand," the JCC said.

"We demand immediate arrest of culprits and measures be taken to prevent further incidents. Preventing casualties is as important as anything else in planning further protests," it added.

Prior to Sunday's incident, Kapil Gujjar of Dallupura, a village on outskirts of Delhi, had fired in Shaheen Baag on February 1. Gujjar was allegedly seen shouting, "Humare desh men aur kisi ki nahi sirf Hindu ki chalegi" (only Hindus shall have a say in our country, no one else). He was later arrested by the Jamia Nagar police.

Four days ago, a 17-year-old youth fired at anti-CAA protesters from Jamia Millia Islamia who were marching towards the Rajghat, injuring a student.

Undeterred by these incidents, the protests at the university are going on with full vigour. The students have expressed anger towards the "lack of law and order" around the protests.

"The students are not scared but these incidents to deter the spirit of the protests are the reflection of how Delhi Police treats young protestors. They are the ones who are supposed to ensure security and they have completely failed in it," said Waseem Khan, a JMI student.

Another student Mohd Arif said, "These incidents of armed shooters entering the protest areas shows desperation of the government at the Centre. The Union ministers at election rallies in Delhi have mentioned Shaheen Bagh and anti-CAA rallies several times. This shows how frustrated they are with the CAA protests".

The students, however, said the protests at Shaheen Bagh and Jamia Millia Islamia will continue without any fear. -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a rally in Bodo-dominated Kokrajhar town of Assam on February 7.

This will be the prime minister's first visit to the Northeast since it witnessed several anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests in which three people were killed.

Prime Minister Modi will visit Assam on February 7 and address a rally in Kokrajhar, a government official said.

The visit comes a week after the central government signed a peace pact with several Bodo militant groups and a student body.

The signing of the Bodo agreement led to surrender of over 1,500 militants of the major insurgent group National Democratic Front of Boroland.

A summit meeting between Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, scheduled to be held in Guwahati in December, was also cancelled due to the anti-CAA protests.

Modi was also invited for the inauguration of the recently-concluded 'Khelo India' games in Guwahati but he did not attend it. -- PTI

17:04 Modi@Delhi polls: Vote will decide your future

Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks at a rally in Delhi's Karkardooma. "The vote of the people of Delhi had supported the change in the country, and now the vote of the people of Delhi will also change and modernize our Delhi. It will make it safe, make the lives of the people living here easier.

"We are finding solutions to decades-old problems affecting country, we regularised illegal colonies in Delhi. We delivered on our promise to people of Delhi that we will regularise unauthorised colonies. BJP believes in positivity, interest of country is supreme for us."

The PM accuses the AAP govt of not wanting to give houses to poor and blocking PM Awas Yojana. "AAP will keep stalling welfare schemes for people till it is in power," he said.

In a second case of suspected coronavirus in Odisha, a woman pursuing medical studies in China, has been admitted in a government hospital in Cuttack. The woman was admitted at SCB Medical college and hospital, Cuttack, on Sunday with fever, a symptom associated with novel coronavirus, officials said.

Along with her husband, she had come to Odisha from Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus (nCoV) outbreak in the neighbouring country on January 19 to attend a marriage function. She was lodged in a separate ward of the hospital, an official said, adding her condition is stable.

This is the second such case in the state after another medical student from Phulbani, who returned from China, was admitted in the same hospital on January 31. He had developed cold and cough after returning from from China on January 11.

SCBMCH emergency officer Dr B N Maharana said, "The condition of the patient is stable. We have kept her in an isolated ward after she developed fever. Her husband is currently under surveillance.

"As she came from Wuhan city, we are giving her priority," the officer said, adding that her swab and blood samples will be sent to National Institute of Virology (NIV) at Pune for tests. -- PTI

Representational image

The Congress on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi must come to Parliament and clarify his position on BJP leader Anantkumar Hegde's "objectionable" remarks on Mahatma Gandhi.

"They are disparaging the national movement. If PM and the BJP government are sincere about 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi, we demand that PM comes to Parliament and clarifies his position," Congress senior spokesperson Anand Sharma said.

"They are desperate for elections and only to get some votes, they are inflicting deep wounds on the soul of India," he said. The BJP, Sharma said, is practising the politics of violence and polarisation. -- PTI

15:35 Olympian MP graces Parliament

Rajya Sabha MP Mary Kom in Parliament today.

The Allahabad High Court grants bail to former Union minister Chinmayanand in a sexual abuse case.

Earlier in December 2019, the 23-year-old law student, who has accused Chinmayanand of rape, was released from a district jail on bail in connection with an extortion case.

The Allahabad High Court had on December 4, granted bail to the accused in the matter.

The father of the woman said that they had faith in the judicial system and will see this case through.

The woman was arrested on September 25, in connection with an extortion case filed based on Chinmayanand's complaint alleging that she, along with three of her friends, demanded Rs 5 crore from him.

Chinmayanand had alleged that they threatened to make public some purported videos of him getting a massage from the law student. On the other hand, the woman had alleged that she was repeatedly raped and blackmailed by Chinmayanand for over a year. -- ANI

The CPI(M) on Monday said the repeated cases of firings at the Jamia Nagar and Shaheen Bagh areas here were a direct outcome of the "continued silence" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as ministers and BJP leaders incite violence.

Leaders of the saffron party including MP Parvesh Verma and Union minister Anurag Thakur have been sent notices by the Election Commission over their hate speeches during the ongoing campaign for the Delhi Assembly polls.

"Repeated firings are an ominous and direct outcome of continued silence of PM as ministers and BJP leaders incite violence. That one incident happens after another points to complicity. Peaceful protesters are demonised while those instigating & initiating violence go scot-free,' tweeted CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury.

On Sunday two unidentified persons allegedly opened fire outside Jamia Millia Islamia, police said. No one was injured in the attack. Earlier on January 30, a minor fired at anti-CAA protesters preparing to march from Jamia towards the Rajghat, injuring a student. -- ANI

Union minister Prakash Javadekar on Monday said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had called himself an "anarchist" and there is not much of a "difference between and an anarchist and a terrorist". His remarks come a few days after the Election Commission issued a show cause notice to BJP MP Parvesh Verma for allegedly calling Kejriwal a "terrorist".

"Kejriwal is now asking with a sad face, 'am I a terrorist?' You are a terrorist and there is a lot of evidence to prove that. You yourself had said you are an anarchist. There is not much difference between an anarchist and a terrorist," the senior BJP leader said at a press conference.

Javadekar also raked up the issue of Kejriwal "staying a night at the Moga residence of Khalistani commander Gurinder Singh during the Punjab Assembly polls".

"You knew it was a militant's house. Still, you stayed there. How much more evidence do you need?" he said. PTI

14:44 BJP demands Hegde's apology on Gandhi remarks

Top leadership in BJP is unhappy with Anantkumar Hegde over his controversial remark on Mahatma Gandhi, party sources said on Monday. Hegde has been asked to issue an unconditional apology, according to BJP sources.

This comes after Hegde had attacked Mahatma Gandhi by calling the freedom struggle led by him a "drama" and also questioned as to how "such people" come to be called 'Mahatma' in India.

"None of these so-called leaders were beaten up by the cops even once. Their independence movement was one big drama. It was staged by these leaders with the approval of the British. It was not a genuine fight. It was an adjustment freedom struggle," he had said.

Soon after his remark, the Congress condemned it and called BJP MP Anantkumar Hegde "son" of Nathuram Godse, the assassin of the freedom fighter.

"Only sons of Nathuram Godse can make such comments on Mahatma Gandhi," Congress leader BK Hariprasad on Monday said.BJP leaders too found it difficult to defend Hegde on the controversial remarks.

Senior BJP leader Jagdambika Pal was cautious in his defence and said, "The whole world knows about Gandhi and it may be his personal opinion."Whereas senior BJP leaders avoid commenting on Hegde, Union Minister Ashwani Choubey said that Hegde should not have made the comment and added that Gandhi is a well-respected figure in the nation.

Another BJP MP from Haryana Sanjay Bhatia also tried to shy away from making a direct comment and instead said," Congress did not implement what Gandhi preached. It is Prime Minister Narendra Modi who implemented Gandhi's teachings in letter and spirit." -- ANI

The opposition on Monday attacked the government over the CAA, NPR and NRC, alleging that their efforts to raise these issues in Parliament were being scuttled in an undemocratic manner. Senior Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma also hit out at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for making statements, which he alleged were inciting people to indulge in violence.

"Ministers have made statements which are provocative, incendiary and abusive. Yesterday in Delhi, CM of UP has made statements which are unacceptable...talking of shooting people, talking about sending people to parlok (hell)," he said and demanded an apology from the Bharatiya Janata Party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for it.

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said almost all the opposition parties, including the DMK, CPI, CPI(M), NCP, RJD, TMC, SP and the BSP, gave notices under Rule 267 to adjourn all business and discuss the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), National Population Register (NPR) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

"For the last two months, the whole country is on the road since the citizenship bill became an act. The NPR has done earlier but the questions asked were simple, but in this NPR under this government other details such as the date of birth of the father have been asked," he said.

"The government represents it as a Hindu-Muslim issue. We all feel that there is no Hindu-Muslim issue," Azad said. The government is doing all this to deliberately divert the attention from their failures to deliver on their promises, he said, adding that "they keep us giving toys to keep us busy." Sharma said violence is being orchestrated by the government, which is being "both arrogant and insensitive".

"Now, this (Parliament) is the highest forum for discussion and debate and the opposition is not allowed to even mention what the notices have been submitted so that the country does not know what the opposition has asked for," Sharma said. -- PTI

Amid the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, Chinese troops have taken control of delivering basic essentials to people living in the city, South China Morning Post reported.

SCMP citing Chinese state media reported that a backup logistics team which includes 260 military officers from PLA's land and air forces and 130 trucks, had delivered 200 tonnes of supplies to supermarkets in Wuhan.

The death toll due to the outbreak of the deadly virus in China surpassed that of the Sars epidemic. It has risen to 361 with 56 people succumbing to the deadly virus, according to health authorities.Xinhua reported that a new hospital built in just ten days in a Chinese city hit hardest by the novel coronavirus outbreak will soon be functional.

The report said 1,400 medical staff from the armed forces are tasked with treating patients in the 1,000-bed Huoshenshan Hospital in Wuhan starting from Monday.

Meanwhile, lawmakers from the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) have demanded that the residents of the city-state returning from the mainland to be put under home surveillance for two weeks.

The novel coronavirus was first detected in China's Wuhan in late December and has since spread to more than 20 countries. -- ANI

Image: The team from India which evacuated citizens from Wuhan

The Lok Sabha was adjourned till 1.30 pm on Monday following disruptions by members of Opposition parties including Congress with its leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdury alleging that bullets had been used against those protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Chowdhury said the government cannot silence the voice of people and alleged that those responsible for using bullets against people were "fake Hindus and not real Hindus".

He spoke briefly during the Zero Hour after Speaker Om Birla gave him permission following continuous slogan-shouting by Congress and some other members from the well of the House against CAA.

The Speaker, who rejected adjournment notices given by the Opposition members, repeatedly urged them to take their seats saying they come to the House to raise their issues.

Chowdhury said people were protesting all over the country after CAA was enacted and they were doing so by holding the Constitution and the National Flag.

"And they are being fired upon. People have been killed mercilessly," he said. "The government cannot silence people. They are fake Hindus, they are not real Hindus," he alleged.

Birla said that there had been a detailed discussion in the House on Citizenship Amendment Bill and members from various parties had spoken. He said an issue discussed by the House cannot be discussed again.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said Opposition members can raise any issue during a discussion on motion of thanks to the President's address.

"You want discussion or not. We are requesting you. I am appealing you, please allow the discussion," he said.Earlier, the House witnessed sloganeering by Opposition members during Question Hour. Members from Congress and DMK were among those in the well of the House.

AIMIM member Asaduddin Owaisi accused the government of "atrocities" against students protesting against CAA and NRC and said his party was with the students of Jamia Millia Islamia. He asked if the government knows that a student had lost his eye and "women were beaten up". -- ANI

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday targeted the government over the issue of unemployment, saying it has "failed miserably" to generate jobs for the youth of the country. He said Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman should not be afraid of answering questions raised by him on behalf of the youth, to whom the government is answerable.

"Finance Minister, don't be scared of my questions. I am asking these questions on behalf of the youth of the country, to answer whom is your responsibility," Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.

"The youth of the country want employment and your government has failed miserably to provide them the same," he said. The Congress leader used the hashtag "JawaabDoMantriJi" to put across his point. -- PTI

13:18 Violence only in Jamia, AMU: Govt

The government on Monday said there were reports of violence in campuses of Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University but no such incident was reported in the University of Allahabad.

HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said in Lok Sabha that central universities are statutory autonomous organisations and all administrative and academic decisions are taken by the university with the approval of its statutory bodies such as Executive Council, Academic Council and Court etc. and universities are also competent to deal with such incidents.

"There are reports of violence in the JMI and AMU. However, no such incident in the campus was reported by the AU. The JMI has made a request for constitution of a high powered committee to inquire into the incident of violence in the campus," he said during Question Hour.

The minister said as the subject matter pertained to law and order, this request has been referred to the department concerned for appropriate action.

"The AMU and AU have not made such a request to the Ministry of Human Resource Development. As per provisions of the act of the university, the executive council of the university shall have the power for management and administration of the revenue and property of the university," he said.

While trying to raise a supplementary, Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi said he was with students of Jamia and the whole country was with students of Jamia.

"The government is harassing students and it is shameful," he charged. However, even before the minister could say anything, Speaker Om Birla ended the Question Hour and moved to the next item of the agenda.

Earlier, replying to another question, Pokhriyal said some of the reasons for dropout of school children include poverty, economic issues, poor health, child too young to be attending school and child needed to help in domestic work etc.

He said under the centrally sponsored scheme of Samagra Shiksha, financial assistance is provided to states and UTs for various activities to reduce number of dropouts, which include opening/strengthening of new schools up to senior secondary level, construction of school buildings, additional classrooms among others. -- PTI

India reports the third positive case of novel coronavirus in Kerala, says the health ministry. Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja said the patient is under treatment at the Kanjangad District Hospital in Kasaragod. "The patient's condition is stable. The patient had returned from Wuhan, China."

Just yesterday, India reported a second case of novel coronavirus with another person from Kerala, who recently returned from China, testing positive for the infection.

The condition of both patients was stated to be 'stable' and not serious, officials said.The second patient is also a student from Wuhan in China, the epicentre of the epidemic. The patient had returned to Kerala on January 24, the state government said.

The country's first novel coronavirus case was reported from Thrissur in Kerala on Thursday with a woman medical student who returned from Wuhan testing positive for the infection.

Since the coronavirus outbreak in China, Kerala, which is thickly populated, has been on high alert as a large number of students from the state are studying in the University of Wuhan.

The Kerala health minister said they had started the process to identify people who may have come in contact the two virus-infected patients.

She said police were helping in the process.With the second case being reported from the state, people need to be more vigilant and follow all precautionary measures, Shailaja said.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted a raid at the Tral residence of suspended Jammu and Kashmir (J-K) Police DSP Davinder Singh on Monday morning.

Singh was arrested on charges of trying to assist terrorists to travel outside Jammu and Kashmir last month. The agency has earlier carried out raids at multiple locations in Kashmir, in connection with Davinder Singh.

The NIA has registered a case and begun investigations in connection with the arrest of Davinder Singh after it was instructed by the Ministry of Home Affairs on January 16. -- ANI

The Congress on Monday raised slogans against Union minister Anurag Thakur in Lok Sabha over his controversial remarks during a recent election rally in the national capital.

While Opposition members, mainly from the Congress, were protesting against the amended citizenship law, they raised their pitch whenever Thakur started replying to questions.

Thakur, who is the Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs, had made some controversial remarks during a recent poll rally in the national capital.

Belligerent Congress members, who were in the Well, shouted slogans against the minister and asked 'Aapka goli kaha hai? (where is your bullet?)', an apparent reference to the minister's controversial remarks. Some members also shouted 'Goli maarna band karo (Stop shooting)'. Whenever Thakur was responding to supplementaries during the Question Hour, the members began sloganeering against him. During the election rally, Thakur had egged on the crowd to raise an incendiary slogan, "shoot the traitors", after he lashed out at anti-CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) protestors.

The Election Commission had also banned him for three days from campaigning for the Delhi elections in the wake of his controversial remarks. The Lower House also witnessed incessant protests against the amended citizenship law, and proposed NRC (National Register of Citizens) and NPR (National Population Register). -- PTI

11:58 Matoshree always wielded power: Uddhav

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said that 'power' has always stayed with 'Matoshree', the family residence of Thackeray's, irrespective of the government ruling the State and that with his becoming the CM, the 'government's power has now come to' 'Matoshree'.

"Power and 'Matoshree' have always stayed together. Becoming the Chief Minister of the State is definitely a different feeling but 'Matoshree' has always wielded power and there is nothing new in it. However, now the Chief Minister is from 'Matoshre. The government's power has now come to 'Matoshree'," said Uddhav in an interview to Sena mouthpiece Saamana.

"Matoshree becoming the CM's residence is actually because of Shiv Sainiks, I have zero contribution in it. All this glory to Matoshree is actually of Shivsena Pramukh, Maa Saheb (mother) and affection of Shiv Sainiks," he added.

He further said that his becoming the Chief Minister was not a shock for him. "No, it did not come as a shock (when allied with NCP, Cong and became CM). I am the son of Shiv Sena Pramukh (Balasaheb Thackeray). Several people tried to give me shocks but they did not succeed. This is a field where you have to accept right at the beginning that there will be a bit of pushing and pulling," he said." -- ANI

IMAGE: Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray pays tribute to his late father Bal Thackeray in the latter's room at the family residence, Matoshree, in Bandra East. Photograph: Kind courtesy Shiv Sena/Twitter

The Congress on Monday slammed BJP leader Anantkumar Hegde for reportedly calling the Mahatma Gandhi-led freedom movement a "drama", saying the Father of the Nation does not need a certificate from the "cadre of Britishers chamchas and spies'.

Hegde, a former Union minister, reportedly claimed at an event in Bangalore that the entire freedom movement was staged with the consent and support of the British, and the independence movement led by Gandhi was a "drama".

"Mahatma Gandhi does not need a certificate from cadre of Britishers 'chamchas and spies'," Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill said in a tweet. "It is high time the BJP is renamed 'Nathuram Godse Party'," he added.

Another Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi tweeted, "Awaiting Narendra Modi who invokes Mahatma Gandhi at the drop of a hat especially when repackaging his ideas and to gain international credibility to comment on Mr Hegde who is a senior BJP Leader." -- PTI

Former special inspector general of police Abdur Rehman, who was set to address a protest at the Aligarh Muslim University against the amended citizenship law, was detained by police here and asked to return to New Delhi.

Rehman, who had resigned from his post in December last year in protest against the CAA, was detained at Lodha Police Station in Aligarh on Sunday.

The former IPS officer from Maharashtra told reporters that he was served a written notice by police stating that his presence at the AMU could lead to a law and order problem, and hence he decided to comply with this missive "and would come back" again after he gets permission.

Rehman said he was invited at the university on Sunday by the AMU Students Co-ordination Committee to address them on the Citizenship Amendment Act.

He had resigned from his post on December 11, 2019 in protest against the the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill which later got President Ram Nath Kovind's assent, turning it into an act.

"This bill is against the religious pluralism of India. I request all justice loving people to oppose the Bill in a democratic manner. It runs against the very basic feature of the Constitution," he had said.

"The bill is against the basic feature of the Constitution. I condemn this bill. In civil disobedience I have decided not attend office from tomorrow. I am finally quitting the service," Rehman had said in a statement. -- PTI

11:33 SC begins hearing in Sabarimala temple matter

The Supreme Court's nine-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Sharad Arvind Bobde, on Monday began hearing the Sabarimala temple matter and other related cases, involving entry of women into the temple.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the Apex Court that the issues can be framed in the chambers itself. He stated that there is no need to frame the questions and other issues if relevant, in an open court.

After hearing Mehta's submissions, CJI Bobde observed that there are questions that arose in Sabarimala, and also there are questions that are there in other cases such as Muslim women's demand to enter mosques, and the FGM in Dawoodi Bohras and whether Parsi women married to non-Parsis lose religion.

Earlier, CJI Bobde had said that the court will examine the matter and hear the scope of judicial review on the point of religious faith and women's rights.

He had fixed a 10-day period for concluding the hearing on the petition seeking women's entry into Sabarimala temple, mosques, and Parsi Agiyari.

The Apex Court had on January 13 said that it will only hear the questions referred to in the review order passed by it in November last year in the Sabarimala temple case, which allowed women and girls of all age groups to visit the shrine in Kerala.

The top court had in November last year, observed that the entry of women into places of worship is not just limited to the Sabarimala temple but also includes issues like allowing Muslim and Parsi women to enter religious practice.The court is hearing a clutch of petitions seeking reconsideration of its September 2018 judgment that lifted the bar on menstruating women from worshipping in the Sabarimala temple.

The apex court in a landmark 4:1 ruling had set aside decades-old restrictions on the entry of women of menstruating age inside the temple.The verdict had sparked a series of protests across Kerala, which eventually led to the filing of several petitions seeking review of the top court's order challenging the authority of the court to intervene in a belief of the people. -- ANI

Air passengers arriving in Mumbai from Singapore and Thailand are also being screened now, besides China, for the coronavirus infection, a Maharashtra government official said on Monday.

The state government has also decided to provide a team of 25 health officials to the Airports Authority of India to assist its personnel in screening passengers arriving at the Mumbai international airport from Monday.

"Passengers arriving from China and Hong Kong are being screened since January 18. From Saturday, we have also added two more locations - Singapore and Thailand - to be watched out for the coronavirus infection," the official said. So far, AAI's health officials have been carrying out screening of passengers at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai for the coronavirus infection. As more number of passengers arriving from various countries now need to be screened, more staff is required for the speedy scanning, the official said. -- PTI

Image: Evacuated Indians in the plane on their way to Delhi from China's Wuhan.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, whose party severed ties with the BJP after the state elections, on Monday said that if somebody breaks a promise, "pain and anger is obvious".

"No, I did not get any shock," Thackeray said in an interview with Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana while talking about forming an alliance with NCP and Congress, and becoming the Maharashtra Chief Minister.

"I am a son of Shiv Sena Pramukh (Balasaheb Thackeray), several people tried to give a shock to me but they didn't succeed. This is a field where you have to accept in the beginning that there will be a bit pushing and pulling," Thackeray said.

He added that accepting the Chief Minister's post was not a shock for him and neither was it his "dream at any point of time""But I can say one thing for sure that I had decided to go to any level to fulfill the promise which I made to Balasaheb Thackeray. I want to further make it clear that my becoming Chief Minister is not the fulfilling of the promise made to Shiv Sena Pramukh but it's just a step towards that. I will fulfill every promise which I made to my father," Uddhav Thackeray said.

"There are several types of shock. Did people like it or not, it is the important part. I have spoken on this issue (alliance with NCP and Congress) several times and even people have understood this. Making promises and keeping them are two different things. If someone breaks a promise, pain and anger is obvious," he added.

The Chief Minister said that he does not know if BJP "has come out their shock till now or not.""But I have to say if they had kept their promise what would have happened, what a big deal had I asked for? Did I ask for stars and moon? I only asked for what was decided before Lok Sabha polls, when we decided seat distribution," he said.

He further said, "Maharashtra and the country are watching (who betrayed/shocked whom), I don't need to say much on this." -- ANI

10:45 Sensex recovers after Budget debacle

Market benchmark Sensex climbed over 180 points in the morning session on Monday two days after investor sentiment took a beating after the Union Budget failed to meet expectations. After swinging over 300 points in early session, the 30-share BSE index was trading at 39, 921 and the broader NSE rose 59 points to 11,715.

In the previous session, Sensex logged its biggest single-day plunge in more than a decade on Saturday after the Union Budget failed to live up to market expectations of growth-boosting measures and fiscal discipline. Sensex settled 987.96 points or 2.43 per cent lower at 39,735.53, and Nifty plunged 300.25 points or 2.51 per cent to close at 11,661.85.

Congress on Monday gave a suspension of business notice under Rule 267 in the Rajya Sabha over "prevailing situation in the country due to proposed NPR-NRC following the Citizenship Amendment Act".

The notice was submitted by senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma.The Rajya Sabha Chairman is empowered to accept the notice under the said rule or dismiss it on his discretion.Protests have been going in several parts of the country over the Citizenship Amendment Act, National Register of Citizens, and National Population Register. (ANI)

10:23 No bullet shells near Jamia: Delhi police

Delhi Police has not found any bullet shells from the site near Jamia Millia Islamia University where a firing was reported on Sunday late night.

A case has been registered and an investigation is underway in the firing incident which was reported near Gate no.5 at the university.

Earlier, ACP Jagdish Yadav said, "Statements have been recorded. On their basis, FIR has been registered under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 307/34 and Section 27 of the Arms Act.

"He said that a team will go to the spot and collect the CCTV footage from Gate No.5 and 7."Further details which will come out will be included in the FIR. Action will be taken," the ACP said.

A statement was made by an eyewitness in the FIR saying, "On Sunday, at around 11:30 pm, at gate number seven, two people in a two-wheeler were approaching towards the Jamia University. The person on the pillion seat stood up and shot a bullet. They later escaped towards Holy Family Hospital." -- ANI

Leader of the Congress in the lower House Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, chief whip Kodikunnil Suresh and party MP Gaurav Gogoi have given adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha on the "issue of reconsideration of CAA after unrest in the Country and to stop NPR Process and NRC".

President Ram Nath Kovind's address to the joint sitting of Parliament on Friday was briefly interrupted by the Opposition members when he began speaking about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. -- PTI

"We had always assumed that politics is deeply decentralised in India: Caste, community, language, and region, provide natural breaks on any national agendas. These are still important. But they no longer provide the deep social bulwarks against the consolidation of national agendas. So violence can acquire a different logic," writes Pratap Bhanu Mehta. Read the column here.

09:38 No compromise on Hindutva: Uddhav

Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said that he will always remain firm on the ideology of 'Hindutva' and will not compromise on that.

"I am still firm on Hindutva and will always be. No compromise on that," Thackeray said in an interview with Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana.

Thackeray said that he "never ran away from responsibilities, and will never do so.""So, I will do whatever is possible without hurting anyone. If I choose to go to Legislature through assembly, someone would have to resign and by-elections will be required to be held. So, Legislative council will be more convenient as I can go through it without hurting anyone or asking anyone to resign," he said.

On BJP's allegation regarding 'Hindutva', Thackeray said, "Have I converted from my religion? Do they want to say that they have the final authority on Hindutva? It is laughable to think that only their version is true and everyone else is false". -- ANI

The Election Commission shunted out Delhi's southeast DCP Chinmoy Biswal, citing the "ongoing situation" in the area that saw incidents of firing at Shaheen Bagh and Jamia Nagar this week.

The poll body directed Additional DCP (southeast) Kumar Gyanesh to take charge of the area. "As decided by the Election Commission, this is to convey that Chinmoy Biswal IPS (2008), DCP (southeast), stands relieved from his present post with immediate effect and shall report to MHA," the Election Commission spokesperson said.

"In view of the ongoing situation, Commission directs that Kumar Gyanesh, DANIPS (1997) senior most additional DCP (southeast) shall take charge of DCP (southeast) immediately from Chinmoy Biswal IPS," he said.

The action came after local poll officials and police authorities held a meeting to take stock of the situation in Shaheen Bagh ahead of February 8 elections.

The anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests in the national capital and the agitation at Shaheen Bagh, which has been going on for nearly 50 days, has been thrusted by political parties into a poll issue.

Polls for the 70 assembly seats in Delhi are due on February 8 with counting of votes on February 11.

Former Union minister and BJP MP Anantkumar Hegde is in the news again for the wrong reasons, this time for attacking Mahatma Gandhi and calling the freedom struggle led by him a "drama".

He also questioned as to how "such people" come to be called 'Mahatma' in India.

The Lok Sabha MP from Uttara Kannada said the entire freedom movement was "staged with the consent and support of the British".

The senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader also termed Mahatma Gandhi's hunger strikes and satyagraha a "drama".

"People supporting Congress keep saying that India got independence because of the fast unto death and satyagraha. This is not true. The British did not leave the country because of satyagraha," he said.

"Britishers gave independence out of frustration. My blood boils when I read history. Such people become Mahatma in our country," Hegde said in his concluding statement.

08:34 Firing due to hyper-nationalism: Jamia student

The Jamia Millia Islamia student who was injured in a firing outside the university during an anti-CAA protest dubbed the incident "a result of hyper nationalism".

In his Facebook post, Shadab Farooq said what happened on Thursday can be termed as "a result of hyper nationalism".

"If you want to make it a protest, make it one. Raise black flags, raise red flags," he stated.

He further stated that the Delhi Police alone was not to be blamed for the incident. The Jamia administration and the vice chancellor should also be blamed for it, he said.

In his post, Farooq, a mass communication student, narrated the incident and stated that the Jamia Coordination Committee had called for a Gandhi March from the university to the Rajghat on January 30.

"I was about to join the protest, waiting for the crowd to march forward when I saw a random person holding a pistol in his hands walking towards Holy Family (Hospital). I saw some of my friends standing there, I immediately ran towards him to calm him down," he stated in the post.

"People were asking the police to stop him. They were continuously shouting that he's holding a pistol but the police didn't listen. Instead, they kept recording videos. I kept saying put the gun down, I said it twice. He shot me on my left forearm when I said it for the third time," he added.

Farooq said what he did wasn't an act of heroism as he did what he felt was right.

"I am calling for an action because I am hurt. If the administration still doesn't take action on it and if it fails to reach out to its students, then tomorrow there will be another Shadab standing in front of a bullet while the police keep their hands in their pockets and record videos," he said.

"And I'll be back to college real soon. The fight is long, but we will fight. We will win," he added

-- PTI

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan will not use Indian airspace for his flight to Malaysia, ARY News reported citing sources.

Khan, who will embark on a two-day visit to Malaysia on Monday, has decided not to use Indian airspace. Sources told ARY News that the decision was taken in light of the situation in Kashmir.

India and Pakistan are at loggerheads since last year owing to a series of events, including the terrorist attack in Pulwama of Jammu and Kashmir.

The tensions between the two nations increased after New Delhi had abrogated Article 370 that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

Islamabad, on several occasions, have not allowed Indian leaders, including President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to use its airspace during their trips abroad.

-- ANI

07:47 Firing outside Jamia university, 3rd in 4 days

Delhi Police have registered a case after two unidentified persons allegedly opened fire outside Jamia Millia Islamia on Sunday night, police said.

No one was injured in the attack.

In a statement issued by the Jamia Coordination Committee, a group comprising students and alumni of the university formed to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act, said the attackers were on a red motorcycle.

One of the miscreants was wearing a red jacket, the statement said.

A senior police official said a case of attempt to murder under relevant sections of the IPC and the Arms Act was registered in connection with the incident and an investigation is underway.

This is the third firing incident in the Jamia Nagar area in a week.

On Thursday, a minor fired at anti-CAA protesters preparing to march from Jamia towards the Rajghat, injuring a student.

Two days later, a 25-year-old fired two rounds in air at Shaheen Bagh, where a protest against the new citizenship law has been going on. No one was hurt in the incident."Firing has taken place at Gate No. 5 of Jamia Millia Islamia...by two unidentified persons. As per report, one of them was wearing a red jacket and driving a red scooty having vehicle no. 1532 or 1534," the statement said.

Asim Mohammed Khan, a former Congress MLA from Okhla, said the incident

occurred around 11.30 pm.

"We heard the gunshot. That is when we stepped out to see and the two men left on a scooty," a student said.

"We have taken down the vehicle number and called police," he added.

-- PTI

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