LIVE! 'Shaheen Bagh protest not causing inconvenience'

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Tue, 18 February 2020

'Shaheen Bagh protest not causing inconvenience'

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23:16 'Shaheen Bagh protest not causing inconvenience'

A day after the Supreme Court expressed concern on blockade of a public road at Shaheen Bagh and suggested that the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protestors shift to another site, several of those participating in the stir contested the claim that the sit-in was causing inconvenience to a large number of commuters.

The Supreme Court has asked senior advocate Sanjay Hegde to act as interlocutor and persuade protestors to move to an alternative site where no public place is blocked.

It said Hegde can take assistance of advocate Sadhana Ramachandran and former Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah for talking to the protestors.

The interlocutors had their first discussion over the Shaheen Bagh blockade on Tuesday. However, they said that they are awaiting the copy of the SC order copy before meeting the Shaheen Bagh protestors.

Several protestors on Tuesday said that the Shaheen Bagh-Kalindi Kunj road in southeast Delhi, which is blocked for over two months, is used by only a few commuters, that too mostly from the vicinity of Jamia Nagar and Okhla who had agreed to the use of the site for the demonstration.

Hafeez Saiyed, a printing press owner who is a regular at the Shaheen Bagh protest, said, "When the Shaheen Bagh protest began around December, the residents first had a discussion over the venue. When the shade was put up for the women to sit and protest, the shopkeepers on the entire stretch agreed to give that space."

He said the policemen too came to the spot several times and did not raise any objection saying that "it is a peaceful protest".

"Only when the Centre alleged that these protests are sponsored by the Congress and the AAP, that the Delhi Police started seeing this as a blockade," he claimed.

The stretch of Shaheen Bagh to Kalindi Kunj road which is about two to three kilometres has commercial centres housing shops and restaurants. The road ends at Atlanta Water Park. The Shaheen Bagh-Kalindi Kunj road is parallel to the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway which is used by a large number of commuters between Delhi and Noida.

Shaheeda Sheikh, a protestor, said, "We have been staying in Shaheen Bagh for the past 30 years. The Kalindi Kunj road is used mainly by residents of Shaheeh Bagh, Jamia Nagar, Abu Fazal Enclave and Okhla specially for the shops here.

"The commuters who travel to Noida regularly anyway take the parallel highway. When the parallel road to the highway is open as well as all lanes of Shaheen Bagh except this road, why the applicants want to use only this road?," she said.

The apex court was hearing an appeal filed by advocate Amit Sahni, who had earlier approached the Delhi High Court seeking directions to Delhi Police to ensure smooth traffic flow on the Kalindi Kunj-Shaheen Bagh stretch, which was blocked by anti-CAA protestors on December 15 last year. -- PTI

Another batch of about 100 people, who were among the over 400 quarantined at an Indo Tibetan Border Police facility in Delhi after being evacuated earlier this month from coronavirus-hit Wuhan, were discharged on Tuesday, an official said.

This comes a day after a batch of about 200 people were discharged from the ITBP facility, which housed a total of 406 people, including seven Maldivians.

So far, 302 people out of total 406, have left the ITBP centre after being declared free of novel corona virus by the doctors.

The rest of the inmates will be released by Wednesday morning, ITBP spokesperson Vivek Kumar Pandey said.

All those who were discharged have been provided with conveyance till airport, railway stations, or bus stands.

Among those who will leave the facility on Wednesday include a few families. All released persons were advised to remain self isolated for the next 14 days at their respective places, Pandey said.

They were also advised the dos and don'ts during the period.

A team of doctors and other staff are taking care of the smooth departure of the remaining people with due procedures and protocols.

On Monday, Union health minister Harsh Vardhan had also visited the ITBP facility and interacted with the evacuees.

A total of 650 people were brought back from Wuhan in China on February 1 and 2 in two 747 Boeing Air India aircraft after the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in China.

While 406 of these were sent to the ITBP facility, the rest were quarantined at an Army centre in Haryana's Manesar. -- PTI

The bypolls to panchayats scheduled from March 5 in Jammu and Kashmir has been postponed due to security reasons, J&K Chief Electoral Officer Shailendra Kumar said on Tuesday.

By-election to over 12,500 panchayat seats in Jammu and Kashmir was scheduled to be held in eight phases from March 5.

"The bypolls to panchayats has been postponed for three weeks due to security reasons," Kumar told PTI.

He said this step was taken after inputs given to him by the home department over security issues.

The eight-phase poll was earlier scheduled to be held from March 5 to March 20 on a party basis.

The polling was slated for March 5, March 7, March 9, March 12, March 14, March 16, March 18 and March 20.

India will send a C-17 military aircraft to Wuhan on February 20 to evacuate more Indians from the coronavirus-hit Chinese city and also provide medical supplies to China, military sources said on Tuesday.

The C-17 Globemaster, the biggest military aircraft in the Air Force, will carry a large consignment of medical supplies to China and bring back more Indians from Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus epidemic, the sources told PTI.

According to the ministry of external affairs, the government till now has evacuated 640 Indians from China by sending to Air India planes.

Last week, India had announced that it will send medicines as well as other medical supplies to China.

Meanwhile, Chinese Ambassador Sun Weidong has appreciated India for extending solidarity and expressing readiness to assist China to deal with the epidemic.

He also said there is no case of infection as of today among the remaining Indians in Hubei province, the epicentre of the epidemic, and authorities are taking "good care" of them.

China's National Health Commission on Tuesday said the death toll due to the outbreak climbed to 1,868 on Monday while the total number of confirmed cases jumped to 72,436. -- PTI

A global terror financing watchdog has asked Pakistan to further tighten its laws to bring individuals involved in money laundering and terror financing to task, media reports said on Tuesday.

The International Cooperation Review Group, a sub-group of the Financial Action Task Force, evaluated the performance of Pakistan during its ongoing meeting in Paris which would continue until February 21.

"The FATF has expressed satisfaction over the steps taken by Pakistan to curb terror financing and demanded that the country further tightens its laws to bring individuals involved in money laundering and terror financing to task," The Express Tribune newspaper reported.

Citing the recent conviction of Mumbai attack mastermind and Jamat-ud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed, the Pakistani officials said that the judicial system in the country was fully independent and the courts were taking decisions on merit, which were being implemented.

The Paris-based FATF observed substantial progress made by Pakistan in the implementation of 14 of the 27 recommendations about the country's anti-money laundering and combating financing of terrorism mechanism, Dunya News TV reported.

"Pakistan has adopted an effective strategy in the financial sector to curb terror financing and enhanced cooperation between institutions to combat transfer of funds to terrorists," it reported.

The meetings of Paris-based FATF began on Monday but the plenary session, which will decide whether to keep Pakistan on the grey list, begins on Wednesday.

Pakistan was placed on the 'grey list' by the FATF in June, 2018 and was given a plan of action to complete it by October, 2019 or face the risk of being placed on the 'black list' along with Iran and North Korea.

Pakistan needs 12 votes out of 39 to exit the 'grey list' and move to 'white list'.

To avoid 'black list', it needs support of three countries.

In the last month's FATF meeting in Beijing, Pakistan got support of Malaysia and Turkey besides FATF current chair China.

Local media suggested that FATF will make the final decision about Pakistan on Friday but it is likely to retain it on the current grey list. -- PTI

In the seven months since the abrogation of provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution, Jammu and Kashmir has grappled with an economic, psychological and emotional crisis, Iltija Mufti, daughter of incarcerated former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, said on Tuesday.

Speaking at a press conference, she said Article 370 was Kashmir's "emotional connect" with the rest of India, and the abrogation of its provisions has come at a great cost.

"I am talking not just as Mehbooba Mufti's daughter, but also as an anguished Kashmiri. We all know what has been happening since Article 370 was abrogated, she said.

"It was an emotional connect for Kashmiris with the rest of the country and that was abrogated. The clampdown had had a huge cost and Jammu and Kashmir is grappling with an economic, psychological and emotional crisis," she added.

She alleged the Narendra Modi government was "spreading misinformation" about the condition of Kashmiris.

"I really think the government is indulging in propaganda and spreading misinformation. The rest of the country and the envoys who visited Kashmir were told that we enjoy equal rights but in reality you can't even use VPN in Kashmir right now.

I have respect for the prime minister as everybody else should have. But I feel very sad that he is being misled or he is willfully misleading the country. What rights do Kashmiris have right now?" she asked.

ltija also criticised the J&K Police for registering case against various people for defying government orders by using social media through virtual private networks (VPNs).

"I will go to Kashmir and use VPN and they can file an FIR against me too," she said.

Talking about the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley in 1989, she said what happened was extremely painful, but there was no bad blood between the Hindu and Muslim communities there.

"People think that Kashmiri Pandits and Kashmiri Muslims are at each other's throat but that is not the case," she said, while "publicly apologising" for the exodus.

Her mother and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti was detained after provisions of Article 370 were withdrawn on August 5 last year and Jammu and Kashmir was divided into two union territories. -- PTI

Police has denied permission to Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad to hold a rally at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai on February 21, an official said on Tuesday.

The police have cited law and order to deny permission to Azad who was expected to lead the rally and speak on the Citizenship Amendment Act, the National Population Register and National Register of Citizens as well as other issues.

His outfit had held a march in Delhi on Sunday to protest against a February 7 Supreme Court ruling which said state governments were not bound to provide reservation in promotions in public services. -- PTI

Veteran Kannada actor Kishori Ballal, who had acted in over 75 movies and left an indelible mark with her role in Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Swades, died on Tuesday at the age of 82.

The actor passed away due to age-related ailments at a private hospital in Bengaluru, family sources said.

Born in Dakshina Kannada district, Ballal made acting debut with 1960's Ivalentha Hendathi and in her five-decade-long career, she worked in over 75 movies across different languages such as Kahi, Hani Hani, Suryakanthi, Carry On Maratha and Quick Gun Murugun.

In the Hindi film industry, Ballal is best known for playing Kaveri Amma, a motherly figure to Shah Rukh's Mohan Bhargava in Ashutosh Gowariker's 2004 critically-acclaimed feature Swades.

She also appeared in Rani Mukerji's Aiyyaa and Deepika Padukone's Lafangey Parindey.

She was married to Bharatanatyam dancer N Sripathi Ballal.

Soon after her demise, Gowariker posted a tribute to the veteran actor on Twitter.

"Heartbroken! Terribly sad about the passing away of #KishoriBallal ji. Kishori ji... you will be remembered for your generously kind, warm and affable persona! And your unforgettable performance as #Kaveriamma in #Swades !! You will surely be missed," the director tweeted.

Popular Kannada actor Puneeth Rajkumar tweeted, "Veteran artist Kishori Ballal amma is no more, RIP." -- PTI

Image: Lekh Tandon, Gayatri Joshi, Shah Rukh Khan and Kishori Ballal in Swades.

20:24 Trump to be gifted Gandhi's autobiography

United States President Donald Trump will be gifted a spinning wheel, two books on the life and times of Mahatma Gandhi and a portrait of the Father of the Nation during his visit to the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad on February 24.

Trump will be accompanied by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the ashram located on the banks of the river Sabarmati.

Trump will be the first US president to visit the ashram, a place closely associated with India's freedom struggle.

The ashram, also known as Gandhi Ashram, was home to the independence movement leader and peace icon from 1917 to 1930.

It is now manged by the Sabarmati Ashram Preservation and Memorial Trust.

Ashram trustees Kartikeya Sarabhai and Amrut Modi said the American president, US First Lady Melania Trump and Prime Minister Modi would spend around 30 minutes at the ashram.

Sources said Trump and Melania may try their hands on the spinning wheel (charkha) kept near 'Hriday Kunj', a cottage inside the ashram where Gandhiji and his wife Kasturba once lived.

"We will gift Trump a spinning wheel, Gandhiji's autobiography and a book named 'My Life My Message'. This book is based on an exhibition depicting Gandhiji's entire life.

"The ashram would also gift Gandhiji's portrait to Trump. Along with the charkha, we will give him a note describing its importance in the country's freedom struggle," said Amrut Modi.

He said the dignitaries will be welcomed with garlands made of 'khadi' (hand-woven fabric).

Trump and the Prime Minister will also take part in a roadshow that will start from the Ahmedabad airport and end at the cricket stadium in Motera after passing along the ashram.

On the backside of the ashram, a platform is being built so that PM Modi can show the entire Sabarmati riverfront to the visiting dignitaries from one place, officials had said.

The Gujarat government has announced that Trump and the First Lady would arrive at the Ahmedabad international airport directly from Washington.

The US president will start his two-day India visit from Ahmedabad.

Large hoardings welcoming Trump and PM Modi have been put on the 22km route of the roadshow. Officials have estimated that over 1 lakh people would stand on both side of the road on the entire route to greet the leaders.

After the roadshow, the two leaders are scheduled to inaugurate the newly-built stadium at Motera, where around one lakh people are expected to take part in an event christened as "Namaste Trump". -- PTI

19:53 Jamia videos: Delhi cops visit varsity campus

A Delhi Police crime branch team visited the Jamia Millia Islamia campus on Tuesday as a series of videos of the December 15 violence inside the university emerged over the past few days.

Four videos have surfaced online of the incident, the latest being on Monday.

The team led by Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rajesh Deo visited the varsity's library that was badly damaged during the alleged police action inside the campus last year, according to officials.

This is for the first time that a police team is visiting the campus for investigation after the violence, they said.

Members of the team analysed and videographed the extent of damage to the library. They also visited the proctor's office, the officials said.

The case is being probed by the Crime Branch.

In a video that emerged on Sunday, paramilitary and police personnel can be seen thrashing students in the library. Two other videos, which appeared hours later, showed some youths with covered faces entering the library.

In the Monday video, police personnel can be seen raining batons on students who were trying to escape. Women students can be seen moving out while pleading with the police and one of the policemen is seen breaking a camera.

On December 15, police had used batons and teargas shells to disperse a violent mob during a protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

They entered the university campus, saying that rioters had taken shelter there.

However, Jamia students had denied that they were involved in the violence and had alleged police brutality.

On Monday, a Delhi court directed the police to file a status report on whether it was investigating the officers who had allegedly barged into Jamia Millia Islamia and lathi-charged students.

The court has also sought an overall status report from the Delhi Police on the ongoing investigation in the case related to the violence near the varsity during the protest. -- PTI

Former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh on Tuesday extended an olive branch to his estranged friend Amitabh Bachachan, seeking to end their feud, saying he regrets his "overreaction" against the Bollywood megastar and his family.

"Today is my father's death anniversary & I got a message for the same from @SrBachchan ji. At this stage of life when I am fighting a battle of life & death I regret for my over reaction against Amit ji & family. God bless them all," Singh wrote on Twitter.

Singh and the Bachchans were close family friends till they fell apart nearly a decade ago.

Diagnosed with a kidney ailment a few years ago, Singh has been undergoing treatment at a hospital in Singapore.

He also posted a video on his Facebook page in which he talked about his friendship with Bachchan and their subsequent differences.

"For the last 10 years, I have not only maintained a distance from the Bachchan family but have also tried to make them hate me. However, yet again, Amitabh Bachchan has paid tribute to my father. I recall that in this place in Singapore, Amit ji and I stayed together for two months for my kidney treatment ... we grew apart afterwards" he said in the video apparently shot from his hospital bed. -- PTI

18:54 Pak to remain on FATF's 'grey list': Sources

Despite Pakistan's intense lobbying and negotiations this week at the parleys in Paris, the global anti-terror funding watchdog, Financial Action Task Force, on Tuesday decided to keep the Islamic nation on its 'grey' list, informed sources have told ANI.

To a major setback, Islamabad didn't get any respite even after the support of Turkey and Malaysia, the sources added.

The meetings began on Monday but the plenary session, which will decide whether to keep Pakistan on its watch list, also known as the grey list, begins on February 19.

The International Co-operation Review Group, a part of the FATF, took the issue earlier today to evaluate whether the south Asian nation has taken sufficient steps and implemented its plan of action to fight the global menace.

On Monday, Pakistan submitted a report on action regarding the implementation of the watchdog's plan of action during the Paris meeting.

More than 800 representatives from 205 countries and jurisdictions around the world including the IMF, UN, World Bank, and other organisations will take part in the meeting.

The watchdog, in 2018, had placed Pakistan on the grey list.

The FATF's Asia-Pacific Group's meeting, which took place in Beijing last year in October, analyzed Pakistan's situation from a technical point of view.

China, who took over as the chair of the inter-governmental organisation since July 2019, expressed satisfaction over the "visible progress" made by Islamabad, leading to speculations that it could be put in a "white" list from "grey" list, according to Pakistan media reports.

The body warned that Islamabad would be put on the blacklist if it did not comply with the remaining 22 out of 27 points related to anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing.

Pakistan, if blacklisted, would have faced isolation from the international banking system, introducing stricter checks and safeguards on transactions involving the country.

The progress of a FATF initiative to combat financial flows from the illegal wildlife trade, adopting guidance on digital identity, and developments in the financing of ISIL, Al-Qaeda, and affiliates are some of the issues to be discussed during the meeting.

Defence experts in New Delhi on Saturday noted that the recent sentencing of Jama'at-ud-Da'wah chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, just days ahead of the FATF meeting in Paris was also just an eyewash to delude the international community and that the Mumbai terror attacks mastermind will be released shortly after the watchdog announces its decision.

18:45 More Tatkal tickets to be available now

More Tatkal tickets will be available for passengers now as the railways has weeded out illegal softwares and arrested 60 agents who would use them to block such tickets, a top official said on Tuesday.

Railway Protection Force director General Arun Kumar said the cleansing operation means Tatkal tickets would be available for passengers for hours now, compared to a minute or two earlier after the booking opens.

Officials explained that illegal softwares such as 'ANMS', 'MAC' and 'Jaguar' would bypass the IRCTC's login captcha, booking captcha and bank OTP to generate tickets, while a genuine user has to go through all these processes.

The booking process for a general user usually takes around 2.55 minutes, but those using these softwares could do it in just around 1.48 minutes, they explained.

The railways does not allow agents to book Tatkal tickets and over the past two months, the RPF has nabbed around 60 illegal agents who were booking tickets through these softwares, making it virtually impossible for others to get Tatkal bookings.

"As of today, I can say that not one ticket is being booked through illegal softwares. We have plugged all the issues that we had with the IRCTC website and also nabbed most of those who were top operators of the software," the RPF DG said at a press briefing.

With the arrests, Kumar said most of these illegal softwares, which used to generate business of Rs 50 crore-100 crore annually, have been blocked.

The IRCTC's ticket booking section reflects the impact of the railway action as it shows a jump in the availability of Tatkal tickets across the board.

For example, while on October 26, 2019, Tatkal tickets were available for two minutes for the Magadh Express, on February 10, they were available for over 10 hours since the bookings opened on February 9, 2020 on the train.

Similarly, on the Sampoorna Kranti Express, Tatkal tickets were available for a little over four minutes on November 16, 2019, while on February 8, 2020, there were available for 18 minutes.

On the Swatantrata Senani Express, on November 16, 2019, the Tatkal bookings lasted for just a little over two minutes, while on February 8, it lasted for more than an hour.

"This position has been taken from different zones and we have seen that the Tatkal tickets are available for longer. We are still monitoring other softwares which can be used to book tickets and will move on them as and when they try to book tickets illegally," said Kumar. -- PTI

As India prepares to welcome United States President Donald Trump, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state Gujarat has become the preferred destination for key foreign dignitaries visiting India.

Before Modi became the PM, top foreign dignitaries visiting India also used to go to places like Hyderabad and Bengaluru, Pawar told reporters in Mumbai.

"Earlier, they (foreign dignitaries) used to go to places like Agra, Delhi, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. It is good that in the last five years, all these people chose Ahmedabad. It is a good thing," Pawar said, when asked why is Maharashtra missing from Trump's itinerary.

"We are happy that the country's prime minister thinks Ahmedabad is the best place to show in India to any visiting foreign dignitary," Pawar said.

Important global leaders who visited Gujarat after Modi became the PM in 2014 include Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

NCP MLA and Pawar's grand nephew Rohit Pawar had last week asked the Centre that apart from Delhi and Ahmedabad, Trump should also visit the country's financial capital, Mumbai.

Taking to Twitter, Rohit Pawar had opined that Trump visiting Mumbai would further boost economic ties between both the countries. -- PTI

The government will soon announce measures to deal with the impact of coronavirus outbreak on the domestic industry, finance ninister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Tuesday.

The minister was addressing media after meeting representatives of the industry to review the situation following the outbreak of the deadly virus in China.

Sitharaman said she would hold a meeting with the secretaires of different ministries tomorrow and then announce steps to deal with the situation in consultation with the Prime Minister's Office.

"There are no concerns about price rise so far due to Coronavirus," she said, adding it is too early to talk about the impact of Covid-19 outbreak on the Make in India initiative.

She also said there were no reports of shortage of medicines or medical equipment, instead the pharma industry is asking for lifting of ban on exports of certain items.

However, there could be some disruptions in supplies and concerns have been expressed by the representative of pharma, solar and chemical industries, she said. -- PTI

18:00 Will convince Uddhav over CAA: Pawar

After Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray said there is no need to worry if the Citizenship Amendment Act is implemented, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar said that the Shiv Sena chief was entitled to his view and that the alliance partners may discuss the issue.

He underlined that the Nationalist Congress Party's stand is clear over the new citizenship law and it stands firm in opposing the CAA.

"Whatever Uddhav Thackeray said, that is his view. He is the chief minister of Maharashtra. He has his own views. Yes, in Maharashtra we are in a coalition government and opinion and views of the parties on certain issues may differ, but we can sit and discuss on it as far as CAA is concerned," said Pawar, whose party is a major alliance partner of Maharashtra's Maha Vikas Aghadi government -- an alliance of the Shiv Sena, the NCP and the Congress.

"The three parties of the Maha Vikas Aghadi will sit and discuss it. Soon we will be having a detailed discussion on it and we will try to convince chief minister Uddhav Thackeray about it," Pawar added.

"We have the experience of running a coalition government at the Centre during the UPA regime. The United Progressive Alliance had 29 parties. In fact, we had the Left front parties too with us which always had different views, but we managed to go along with them," he said.

Uddhav Thackeray earlier today said that there is no need to worry if the CAA is implemented.

He reiterated that the National Register of Citizens will not be implemented in the state. -- ANI

17:28 Chinese envoy on nCoV: Dr Kotnis saved lives

Sun Weidong, Chinese Envoy to India, holds a presser on the Coronavirus, which has so far claimed 1868 people in China.

"At this difficult time, I am deeply touched by the kindness of Indian friends. All these reminded me of the time when Dr Kotnis saved many lives and made great contribution to the Chinese people's liberation cause.

"It also reminds me of what I experienced during the outbreak of SARS in 2003. At that time, I had the honour to receive a delegation from India led by the then Foreign Minister George Fernandes who visited Shanghai during the epidemic.

Weidong when asked about how the virus originated -- "Is there a possibility that virus was released from Wuhan Institute of Virology accidentally but not from seafood market" -- said, "We still dont have enough knowledge. This virus originated from nature, not man-made. Virus is terrible but rumour is more terrible."

Sun Weidong also asserted that China has put in place multi-level control and prevention mechanisms and will win the battle against coronavirus.

India's first indigenous semi-high speed train, Vande Bharat Express, has completed a year of its service without cancellation of any trip, Northern Railways said on Tuesday.

The first rake of New Delhi-Varanasi Vande Bharat Express was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 15 last year. The train started its commercial run from February 17.The train's maintenance is being done by the Delhi Division of the Northern Railway.

Vande Bharat Express was built by Integral Coach Factory, Chennai in October 2018.The train with some world-class amenities currently runs on New Delhi-Varanasi and New Delhi- Sri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra routes. -- ANI

16:51 Uddhav: No NRC; don't worry about CAA

Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday said that there is no need to worry if the Citizenship Amendment Act is implemented.

He reiterated that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) will not be implemented in the state."CAA and NRC both are different and NPR is different. No one has to worry if CAA gets implemented. NRC is not there and will not be implemented in the state," said Uddhav said.

Thackeray is leading a coalition government in Maharashtra with Congress and Nationalist Congress Party.

Responding to a question on the different stand of alliance partner Shiv Sena on the CAA, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said," Thackeray has his own views but as far as NCP is concerned, we had voted against it."

Both Congress and NCP are opposing the CAA and the proposed NRC.Many non-BJP ruled states, including Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Kerala, Punjab and Rajasthan, have also refused to implement NPR and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in their respective states. -- ANI

16:15 Sensex clocks 4th successive loss

Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty closed in the red for the fourth session in a row on Tuesday as the ongoing AGR issue weighed on telecom and financial stocks. After trading in the deep red for a better part of the session, the BSE gauge Sensex reclaimed most of its lost ground towards the fag-end. At the closing bell, the index was down 161.31 points or 0.39 per cent at 40,894.38.

Intra-day, the Sensex fell over 444 points and touched the day's low of 40,610.95. The NSE barometer Nifty too staged a late recovery from the day's low and settled at 11,992.50, showing a fall of 53.30 points or 0.44 per cent.

On the Sensex chart, Bharti Airtel was the biggest loser with nearly 3 per cent drop in its share price. It was followed by IndusInd Bank, Maruti Suzuki, HeroMoto Corp and Tata Steel. In contrast, SBI, Infosys, PowerGrid, Tech Mahindra and TCS featured among major gainers. -- PTI

16:11 Kasab was supposed to die a Hindu: Maria

In a startling revelation in his book 'Let Me Say It Now', former Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria claimed that had Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) succeeded in its plan, 26/11 Mumbai attacker Ajmal Kasab would have died as a Hindu named Samir Chaudhary.

According to an excerpt of Maria's book, if everything went according to plan, Kasab would have died as Chaudhary and the media would have blamed "Hindu terrorists" for the attack. He claimed fake identity cards with Indian addresses were planted for 26/11 terrorists.

This was earlier reported that fake ID cards were found with 26/11 accused.

Maria, who was head of the crime branch which was then probing the 26/11 attack conspiracy, has made this revelation that Kasab was having a fake ID card. It was also reported earlier that Kasab was wearing a Kalawa - a sacred Hindu thread around his wrist just to give an impression that he is a Hindu.

As per Maria, Kasab's photo was shared by "central agencies" as the Mumbai police did not want to leak details of the attack.

He also claimed in his book that Dawood's gang was tasked with eliminating Kasab by both the ISI and LeT as he was the key evidence linking them with the attack.

Kasab, alongside fellow recruit Ismail Khan, killed 72 people in 2008 Mumbai attacks. He was the only attacker captured alive by Mumbai Police. In 2012, he was hanged on 21 November and buried at Yerwada Jail in Pune. -- ANI

File pic: Rakesh Maria headed investigations in the Mumbai serial blasts case.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday said his government will not hand over probe in the Koregaon-Bhima violence case to the Centre.

The violence was a result of the alleged inflammatory speeches delivered at the Elgar Parishad conclave at Shaniwarwada in Pune on December 31, 2017.

The Maharashtra government had recently okayed the handing over of investigation into the Elgar Parishad case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

"Elgar and Koregaon-Bhima are two separate topics. The issue facing my Dalit brothers is about Koregaon-Bhima and I will not give it to the Centre. I want to make it clear that there will be no injustice to Dalit brothers," Thackeray tweeted.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar had recently publicly expressed his unhappiness over Thackerays decision to hand over the Elgar Parishad probe to the NIA. The NCP is a key constituent of the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, along with the Congress party. -- PTI

Pakistan has posted two officials from its embassy in Beijing to Wuhan, the epicentre of the deadly coronavirus outbreak, to meet students in different universities and get an update on their well-being, the Foreign Office said on Tuesday.

China accepted a request by Pakistan to allow the two-member special task force from the embassy in Beijing to go to Wuhan, the capital of central Hubei province, the Foreign Office said in a statement.

"On Pakistan's request, China allowed a two-member special Task Force from the Pakistan Embassy in Beijing to go to Wuhan city to meet our students and coordinate all assistance to them," FO Spokesperson Aisha Farooqui tweeted on Tuesday.

"The officers will return to Beijing once the lockdown in Wuhan is lifted, and situation is stabilised," the tweet read.

According the Foreign Office, more than 28,000 Pakistani students, including 500 in Wuhan, are studying in China. Some of them, have through social media had been persistently asking Pakistan government to help them come back. The task force, which will remain in coordination with the Chinese authorities, will be in Wuhan and "will return to Beijing once the lockdown in Wuhan is lifted in its entirety and on-ground situation is completely stabilised", the statement added.

Wuhan has been under lockdown since January 23 because the city with a population of 11-million is the origin point of the deadly coronavirus outbreak. The COVID-19 virus, as it is now known, has so far infected at least 70,000 people and killed 1,868. The majority of those cases are in the Hubei province. China has quarantined more than 50 million people throughout the province and all transportation in and out of Wuhan has been halted.

The Foreign Office staffers visited Pakistani students in four universities and also met administrative staff in each university "to get first-hand information on the health and safety needs of the students". -- PTI

15:28 Not angry with Scindia: Kamal Nath

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Tuesday denied being angry with Congress general secretary Jyotiraditya Scindia, who last week threatened to hit the streets against the state government over non- fulfillment of promises made in the poll manifesto.

"When I have never been angry with (former chief minister and BJP national vice president) Shivraj Singh Chouhan, how come I can be with Scindia," Nath told reporters here on the sidelines of a programme, when asked about his party colleague. While mentioning Chouhan, he was apparently referring to the frequent criticism of the state Congress government by the senior BJP leader.

At a public rally in Tikamgarh last Thursday, Scindia threatened that he would hit the streets if promises made in the Congress' manifesto before the 2018 Madhya Pradesh polls and demands of guest teachers in the state are not fulfilled.

Responding to it, Kamal Nath on Saturday said, "Toh woh utar jaaye (let him do so)."

Later on Sunday, Scindia reiterated he is a public servant and will hit the streets if promises made in the poll manifesto are not fulfilled, but also said there is a need to be patient with the Kamal Nath government as it has completed only a year. Scindia was one of the front-runners for the post of Madhya Pradesh chief minister after the Congress defeated the BJP in the Assembly polls held in December 2018. -- PTI

Rakesh Maria, former Mumbai top cop who was completely silent on the chain of events followed by his transfer from Mumbai Police to Maharashtra Home guards in 2015, has opened up about the Sheena Bora murder case in his book titled 'Let Me Say It Now'.

In his book, Maria has blamed another Mumbai top cop Additional director general (ADG) ATS Deven Bharti for misleading him during the investigation in the Sheena Bora murder case in which Peter Mukerjea and Indrani Mukerjea were accused of murdering their daughter (Sheena).

The writer has alleged in his book that Bharti never disclosed to him initially that he was acquainted with Peter. He said that he was surprised on Peter calling the then Joint CP (Law and Order) Deven Bharti by his first name Deven.

He has suspected in his book that "someone" had briefed the Chief Minister "wrongly" in his name that Peter was not involved in Sheena's murder.

Connecting Sheena murder case probe with his transfer, Maria said: "When Peter informed that he had reported about Sheena's missing in 2012 to 'Deven', I was surprisingly promoted and transferred as DG Home guards."

"I was informed about my transfer via a text message by the then ACS Home KP Bakshi," Maria said showing disappointment in the manner he was transferred.

The writer also raised suspicion over the appointment of his immediate successor Ahmed Javed as Mumbai Police Commissioner by hinting his relation with Mukerjea family.

Maria has also blamed media for blaming him unnecessarily and suspecting that he had relations with Peter. Taking a jibe at the media, he said: "The same media could not found out till date that Deven Bharti was having good relations with Peter and that's why he used to call him with his first name."

Peter Mukerjea is accused of murdering his daughter Sheena over a financial dispute in 2012. The crime came to the fore three years later, in 2015, for which he was charged for conspiracy.Mukerjea's wife Indrani is the prime accused in the case and is currently lodged in Mumbai's Byculla jail. The trial, in this case, is underway at the special CBI court. -- ANI

14:52 Deported British MP a Pak proxy: Congs Singhvi

Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Tuesday backed the government's deportation of British lawmaker Debbie Abrahams, saying she is not just an MP but a "Pakistan proxy".

Abrahams, who chairs a British parliamentary group on Kashmir, was denied entry into India upon her arrival at the New Delhi airport on Monday, with officials saying she was informed in advance that her e-visa had been cancelled.

"The deportation of Debbie Abrahams by India was indeed necessary, as she is not just an MP, but a Pak proxy known for her clasp with Pak govt and ISI. Every attempt that tries to attack India's sovereignty must be thwarted," Singhvi tweeted.

Singhvi party colleague Shashi Tharoor had, however, tweeted in support of Abrahams on Monday. "I find it ironic that some of the same people who applauded me for going to Britain as an Indian MP & telling them off about their colonial misbehaviour, are attacking me for wanting India to grant a British MP the same privilege! If we can dish it out, we shld be able to take it," Tharoor tweeted. PTI

Image: Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said British lawmaker Debbie Abrahams was a "Pakistan proxy".

14:45 Who is afraid of Kanhaiya Kumar?

Kanhaiya Kumar's Jan Gan Man Yatra opposing the CAA-NPR-NRC has come under sustained violent attack as it makes its way through Bihar over the last two weeks.

Archana Masih/Rediff.com discovers that the yatris, who include teenagers wanting to save the Constitution and the Nation, are unfazed by threats and loathing. Read the story here.

Indicating that the Maharashtra government, led by Shiv Sena-NCP alliance, may not implement the National Population Register in the state, NCP on Monday said that their government will not take part in any central government's process but the Census.

"Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has said that Maharashtra govt will help in collecting data for the Census which is conducted in the country every 10 years. But if anyone tries to do anything beyond it, then the state govt will not take part in it," the Minister said.

Awhad made the comments while addressing a public gathering in Thane on Monday.

Many non-BJP ruled states, including Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Kerala, Punjab and Rajasthan, have refused to implement NPR and the Citizenship Amendment Act in their respective states.

The opposition parties are claiming that the NPR exercise is linked to the National Register of Citizens (NRC).Awhad's comments are significant as their alliance partner in the Maharashtra state government, Shiv Sena, broke away from the BJP last year.

Shiv Sena had contested elections in coalition with the BJP and their alliance got a majority, but the long-term partners parted ways over the issue of rotational chief ministership.

BJP leader and former Mumbai police commissioner Satyapal Singh on Tuesday claimed that Delhi Police will surely find the culprits behind Jamia University's library incident and take strict action against them.

"There was a report that outside miscreants tried to hide inside the Jamia's library* I am sure that Delhi police will find the culprits of violence and take strict action against them," Singh told ANI on being asked about Delhi Police forming Special Investigation team to investigate Jamia violence case.

"Jamia got defamed following the entry of miscreants and outsiders who entered the varsity. University is for study and not to carry out protests and dharnas. The varsity should not change into a political arena instead of the educational arena," said Singh while speaking to ANI.

The BJP leader, however, said that everyone has the right to protest but no one has a right to block a road that causes trouble to the common people.

After a video of Delhi policemen thrashing students inside Jamia Millia Islamia library went viral, Special Commissioner Praveer Ranjan on Monday had said that an SIT will look into the matter.

"Some videos have surfaced related to the December 15 Jamia violence incident. SIT has been formed to investigate the matter. The sequence of events will be established. Crowd, as seen at Jamia library in videos, includes students as well as outsiders. The investigation is going on," Ranjan said.

A video was released by Delhi Police on Sunday showing that those present in the Jamia Millia Islamia library were trying to hide their faces with handkerchiefs. Earlier, a CCTV footage showing police personnel assaulting students inside Jamia Millia Islamia library on December 15 last year surfaced on social media.The university administration has clarified that they have not released the video. -- ANI

Asha Devi, the mother of the 2012 Delhi gang-rape victim, on Tuesday said that her struggle to get justice will end on March 3 when the convicts will be hanged as per the order by a Delhi court.

Speaking to ANI, Asha Devi said, "Yesterday, the convicts were handed death warrants for the third time. I hope that this date is final. Anybody is given an opportunity for remedy only for a limited number of times. These four convicts have been given enough opportunities now. Our struggle will end on March 3 when these convicts will be hanged."

She continued, "They have been issued death warrants twice, earlier. Finally, yesterday there was no petition remaining from the convicts' side and the Patiala House Court issued the death warrant. The whole world is understanding how these convicts were skirting the death sentence. The court is also understanding this."

Four death row convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gang rape and murder will be hanged on March 3 at 6 am, a Delhi court ordered on Monday. -- ANI

The Delhi Police on Tuesday filed a charge-sheet pertaining to December 15 violence case in Jamia Milia Islamia University on February 13.

Sharjeel Imam's name has also been mentioned in the charge sheet as an 'instigator'.

Imam's name was mentioned in the charge-sheet after an accused in the December 15 violence had alleged that he was provoked by Imam's speeches.The investigation revealed that empty bullet cartridges were found during violence belonging to a 3.2 mm pistol.So far, seventeen people (nine from New friends colony and eight from Jamia) have been arrested in the case.

According to the charge-sheet filed by the Delhi Police, all the accused are locals.The police has also mentioned about Popular Front of India (PFI) activists in the charge sheet and stated that their role is also being examined.

The probe team also stated that it will release more photographs for identification in the rioting.The charge-sheet has been filed under sections 307 (attempt to murder), 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with a deadly weapon),149 (unlawful assembly), 186 (obstructing public servant), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant) and 427 (mischief causing damage) of the Indian Penal Code.

A video was released by Delhi Police on Sunday showing those present in the Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) library were trying to hide their faces with handkerchiefs.

Earlier, a CCTV footage showing police personnel assaulting students inside Jamia Millia Islamia library on December 15 last year surfaced on social media. -- ANI

Casual dining chain Barbeque Nation Hospitality has filed fresh papers with markets regulator Sebi to raise an estimated Rs 1,000-1,200 crore through an initial public offering.

The IPO comprises a fresh issue of shares worth Rs 275 crore and an offer-for-sale of up to 98,22,947 equity shares, according to the draft papers filed with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi).

The company may consider a pre-IPO placement to the tune of Rs 150 crore. Proceeds of the issue will be utilised to repay an outstanding borrowing of Rs 205 crore in part or full and for general corporate purposes.

The company is promoted by Sayaji Hotels, Sayaji Housekeeping Services, Kayum Dhanani, Raoof Dhanani and Suchitra Dhanani and is backed by private equity firm CX Partners, which made its first investment in 2013 and again in 2015. The promoters hold 60.24 per cent, CX Partners owns 33.79 per cent and renowned stock market investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala's investment firm Alchemy Capital holds 2.05 per cent in the company. According to market sources, the IPO size will approximately be between Rs 1,000-1,200 crore.-- PTI

Insurance watchdog Irdai is yet to get any proposal from life insurance behemoth LIC on an initial public offering but feels a listing is better from a governance perspective, chairman S C Khuntia said on Tuesday.

He also said that there is nothing for the life insurance industry to worry for the time being with regard to government's move on certain income tax exemptions as the alternative to invest still exists. Khuntia also asked insurance companies to "weed out" loss-making products and concentrate only on the better paying ones.

On the IPO of Life Insurance Corporation of India announced in the budget, he said, "LIC proposal has not yet come". "Any company which goes public there will be better corporate governance and better disclosure,' he told reporters on the sidelines of an event of actuaries here.

On being asked if LIC's business will need any restructuring before IPO, Khuntia said that work on the same is being carried out by the government. He said it is a good idea for every insurance company to list and the Insurance Regulation and Development Authority of India (Irdai) will nudge entities to go for the same. It is, however, not making it mandatory to list because smaller companies are yet to achieve the scale for going public,

Khuntia said, adding that ideally a company should achieve sufficient scale to list within ten years of its existence. He said the practice of annual product review needs to be carried out in full seriousness by the players and pitched for a weeding out of the loss making ones. -- PTI

Election strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor on Tuesday questioned the Nitish Kumar government's development model, even as he sneered at the chief minister for making ideological compromises to stay in an alliance with the BJP.

Kishor, who has been vocal about his opposition to the Citizenship Amendment Act, said Kumar needs to spell out whether he is with the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi or those who support Nathu Ram Godse.

"Nitish-ji has always said that he cannot leave the ideals of Gandhi, JP and Lohiya... At the same time, how can he be with the people who support the ideology of Godse. Both cannot go together. If you want to stay with the BJP, I don't have any problem with it but you cannot be on both sides," he said.

"There has been a lot of discussion between me and Nitish-ji on this. He has his thought process and I have mine. There have been differences between him and me that the ideologies of Godse and Gandhi cannot stand together. As the leader of the party you have to say which side you are on," he added. In a direct assault on Kumar's model of governance, Kishor said Bihar was the poorest state in 2005 and continues to be so. "There has been development in Bihar during the last 15 years, but the pace has not been as it should have," he added. PTI

A senior Supreme Court lawyer has written to the Ram temple trust on behalf of a group of Muslims in Ayodhya, asking that five acres of land around the demolished Babri Masjid where a graveyard is situated be spared for the sake of 'sanatan dharma'.

The letter, written by advocate M R Shamshad, is addressed to all 10 trustees of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra. Shamshad said according to Muslims, there is a graveyard known as 'Ganj Shahidan' around the demolished Babri Masjid where 75 Muslims who lost their lives in the 1885 riots in Ayodhya were buried.

"There is a mention of this in Faizabad Gazetteer also," he said. "The central government has not considered the issue not using the grave-yard of Muslims for constructing the grand temple of Lord Ram. It has violated 'dharma'," the letter stated.

"In view of religious scriptures of 'sanatan dharma', you need to consider whether the temple of Lord Ram can have foundation on the graves of Muslims? This is a decision that the management of the trust has to take," it said.

"With all humility and respect to Lord Ram, I request you, not to use the land of about four to five acres in which the graves of Muslims are there around the demolished mosque," the letter added. -- PTI

A GoAir spokesperson confirms that the foreign object damage (one fan blade damaged) is due to a bird hit. The aircraft is now being inspected by the GoAir engineering team.

12:14 Guj slum told to evict ahead of Trump visit

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has served an eviction notice to slum-dwellers living in the Motera area. They have been given 7 days notice to vacate the area. US President Donald J Trump is scheduled to visit Ahmedabad on 24th February during his 2-day state visit to India.

Indian Express reports that the families consisting of around 200 slum-dwellers who are registered construction workers claimed they have been asked to move out of a plot they have been inhabiting for two decades due to the upcoming 'Namaste Trump' event. However, AMC officials said the notices had no connection with the event.

The move comes just days after the AMC began building a wall allegedly to cover the Saraniyavas or Dev Saran slum on a route that the US President would probably take while visiting the city.

The engine of a Bengaluru-Ahmedabad GoAir flight caught a "small" fire at the time of takeoff, the airline said on Tuesday. The fire, however, has been doused and all passengers and crew are safe and the plane is being towed off the runway after which the passengers will be deplaned, GoAir said in a statement. The number of persons on board, however, could not be immediately known.

"The right engine of GoAir flight G8 802 from Ahmedabad to Bengaluru is suspected to have suffered from a foreign object damage while on take-off roll. The suspected FOD resulted in a small fire which has been doused," the statement said. All passengers and crew are safe and no emergency evacuation was deemed necessary, it said. Safety of our passengers and crew is of paramount importance and the airline sincerely regrets any inconvenience caused to its passengers, GoAir said. -- PTI

The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved its verdict on former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis' plea seeking review of its 2019 judgment asking the BJP leader to face trial for allegedly failing to furnish details of pending criminal cases against him in his 2014 poll affidavit.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Fadnavis, told a bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra that the issue will have very far reaching consequences for other candidates fighting elections and the top court needs to re-examine its October 1, 2019 decision.

In its judgment last year, the apex court had set aside the Bombay High Court order which gave a clean chit to Fadnavis and held that he did not deserve to be tried for the alleged offence under the Representation of Peoples Act (RPA).

During the arguments, Rohatgi said a candidate can be criminally prosecuted for violating the two conditions of not disclosing the cases where charges have been framed and where he or she has been convicted.

"This will seal my fate. It is an important question as it affect Article 21. This is a matter which requires a re-look," Rohatgi told the bench, also comprising justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose. PTI

11:28 2 more Indians on quarantined ship test +ve

Two more Indians on board the cruise ship Diamond Princess quarantined off the coast of Japan were tested positive for coronavirus, the Indian Embassy in Tokyo said on Monday, adding that the four Indian crew members who were earlier tested positive for the virus are "stable and responding well to the treatment."

A total of 99 new cases of coronavirus were reported on the ship, bringing the total number of those infected to 454, the embassy said in a statement posted on its Twitter handle.

"As per the information availed with the Embassy, 99 new COVID-19 positive cases onboard Diamond Princess have been confirmed today (bringing the total number to 454). This includes two Indian crew members who have been transferred to medical facilities for necessary treatment and quarantine," the statement read.

"The number of Indian nationals who have tested positive for COVID-19 now stands at six. The four Indian crew members who were earlier tested positive continue to receive treatment. Their health conditions are stable and responding well to the treatment," it added.

A total of 138 Indians, including 132 crew and 6 passengers, were among the 3,711 people on board the luxury cruise ship.The Embassy said that it is coordinating with the Japanese government and ship management company for the health and welfare of all Indian nationals on-board.

"The Embassy of India in Tokyo is in constant touch with on-board Indian nationals, who are successfully braving out the situation and understand public health safety concerns in such situation," it added. -- ANI

After a Delhi court issued fresh black warrants against the four Nirbhaya gang-rape accused on Monday, Congress leader Alka Lamba said that she hopes that the execution will no longer be delayed.

This is the third time death warrants have been issued against the four convicts in the last few weeks. The court has now fixed March 3 as the date of hanging.

"I hope that the date set for the death sentence of the rapists of Nirbhaya will be final as twice the date has been postponed. I hope that Nirbhaya's mom will finally get some relief," Alka Lamba told ANI.

However, again the date of the hanging might get postponed, she predicted.She also said that when the Nirbhaya case had happened in 2012 the whole country was in an uproar but today her mom is facing the judicial process alone.

"Only the future will tell the fear that these hangings will have in the minds of rapists," she added.

The Congress leader also supported death penlaty for such crimes. "I think if the person is a rapist or a terrorist then why should common people's taxes be used to take care of them. Hence, this burden should be removed from the earth," she added.

On the Supreme Court's verdict on permanent commission to women officers in the Indian Army, Lamba said, "With this judgment, it is clear that the government should have brought this reform earlier."

"The SC verdict has revealed to all that there are still orthodox people in the government who till date have not let the Women Reservation Bill to pass. Also, the newly formed cabinet in Delhi has not included any woman minister," she added. -- ANI

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday will meet industry and trade associations in the national capital to assess the impact of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) on Indian trade and industry.

The death toll from the COVID-19 epidemic outbreak has climbed to 1770 in mainland China and infected more than 70,000 others so far in the country.

The virus which was first detected in Wuhan, Hubei Province of China, in late December 2019, has since spread to more than 20 countries including India.

The viral outbreak comes at a time when the Indian economy is going through a difficult phase and the virus outbreak could make the slowdown worse.

Besides, India is dependent on China for a whole lot of sectors such as smartphone, solar cells and modules, TVs and electronics, toys, furniture, computers and cars.

10:44 Sensex down over 245 points

Market benchmark BSE Sensex tumbled over 245 points to trade at 40,810 in openings deals on Tuesday on hectic selling by investors across sectors amid growing concerns over the economic impact of coronavirus epidemic. The NSE gauge Nifty fell about 75 points to trade at 11,971 in early trade. Analysts said worries persist over rising death toll and the economic fallout from the novel coronavirus. The death toll from China's coronavirus epidemic climbed to 1,868 on Tuesday as 98 more people died while the total number of confirmed cases jumped to 72,436. -- PTI

10:41 23 years ago...

And the throwback collage that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had tweeted along with the more recent images of the family.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday expressed grief over the demise of veteran Bengali actor and former Trinamool Congress MP Tapas Paul.

Calling him a "superstar of Bengali cinema", the Chief Minister said: "Saddened and shocked to hear about the demise of Tapas Paul. He was a superstar of Bengali cinema who was a member of the Trinamool family. Tapas served the people as a two-term MP and MLA. We will miss him dearly. My condolences to his wife Nandini, daughter Sohini and his many fans."

The 61-year-old actor-turned-politician died of cardiac arrest early Tuesday in a private hospital in Mumbai. -- ANI

The Indian rupee declined by 10 paise to 71.42 against the US dollar in opening trade on Tuesday as investor sentiments remain fragile amid coronavirus fears. Besides, foreign fund outflows, stronger dollar against key global currencies and subdued equity market too put pressure on the domestic unit. The rupee opened weak at 71.42 at the interbank forex market and then fell further to 71.42, down 10 paise over its last close. The rupee had settled at 71.32 against the US dollar on Monday. -- PTI

Happy anniversary Priyanka Gandhi and Robert Vadra!

The Congress general secretary for UP began her day with a tweet and two lovely pictures -- one a throwback collage of slightly faded images during her wedding -- and the other a collage of more recent pictures with her husband and children.

"A million beautiful moments, love, tears, laughter, fury, friendship, family, two gifts from God, 4 unmatched canine fans and the irreplaceably tenacious wisdom of a lifetime together.... 6+23 years....29 years today....and forever," Priyanka wrote.

The numbers presumably mean couple dated for six years and were married in 1997, which is 23 years ago.

The Congress is weighing options to send Priyanka Gandhi to the upper house of Parliament in the biennial elections to be held in April. If sources are to be believed, she is likely to be sent to the Rajya Sabha from Chhattisgarh.

10:11 Section 144 withdrawn in Goa

Ahead of the carnival festivities, the North Goa district administration has withdrawn Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) which was imposed last week after intelligence inputs about possible terror threat along the western coast.

North Goa Collector Gopal Parsekar issued a notification on Monday to withdraw CrPC Section 144, which bans unlawful assembly of people. The world famous Goa carnival begins on February 22. The opposition parties earlier questioned imposition of Section 144 of CrPC in the coastal state, saying such a move would adversely affect the tourism industry. The North Goa district administration imposed CrPC Section 144 last week, following intelligence inputs about possible terror threats along the western coast of India and the possibility of anti-social elements committing crime in the state or elsewhere.

However, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Saturday said the circular was "general in nature" and the government would review it. PTI

09:57 Toll from coronavirus mounts to 1,868 in China

The death toll in mainland China from the novel coronavirus outbreak has increased by 98 over the past 24 hours to 1,868, the Chinese state health committee said on Tuesday.

The number of confirmed cases has gone up by 1,886 to 72,436, it said.

The number of people who have recovered has risen by 1,701. A total of 12,552 coronavirus patients have by now been discharged from hospitals.

The novel coronavirus disease, dubbed COVID-19 by the World Health Organization (WHO), was first detected in Wuhan, Hubei Province, in late December 2019 and has since spread to more than 20 other countries.

-- ANI

09:06 SC to hear Mallya's plea against ED case today

The Supreme Court will on Tuesday hear a petition filed by fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya against the proceedings initiated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to seize his assets in India.

Mallya had last week hit out at Central Bureau of Investigation and ED saying all that investigative agencies have been doing to him over the past four years is 'totally unreasonable'.

Speaking to reporters after the third day of the hearing at the United Kingdom high court, where he has appealed against the extradition decision of Westminster Magistrates Court, Mallya had said: "CBI and ED have been unreasonable, all they have been doing to me over the past four years is totally unreasonable. I request the banks with folded hands to take 100 per cent of your principal back immediately."

Mallya said that ED attached his assets on the basis of the complaint filed by the banks that he was not repaying them.

"That is clearly stated in the provisional attachment orders. I have not committed any offences under the PMLA that the ED would suo moto attach my assets. Now I am saying please banks take your money and the ED is saying -- we have a claim on these assets," he said.

The fugitive liquor baron said he was mulling to honour his guarantee and pay the banks in full.

"ED on one side and banks on the other side are fighting over the same asset. I have not borrowed any money from ED. In fact, I did not borrow money myself from banks, Kingfisher airlines did. I am mulling to honour my guarantee and pay them in full," he said.

63-year-old Mallya flew out from India in March 2016 and has been living in the United Kingdom since then. -- ANI

08:25 Former TMC MP Tapas Paul passes away

Veteran Bengali actor and former Trinamool Congress MP Tapas Paul died of cardiac arrest early Tuesday, family sources said. He was 61.

Paul, who was in Mumbai to visit his daughter, complained of chest pain at the Mumbai airport during his return to Kolkata and was rushed to a hospital in Juhu but died around 4 am, they said.

He had been suffering from heart ailments and been to hospitals several times for treatment during the past two years.

A two-term MP from Krishnanagar and MLA from Alipore, he is survived by his daughter and wife.

Paul remained away from films after the Central Bureau of Investigation arrested him in the Rose Valley chit-fund scam in December 2016 and was given bail after 13 months.

A romantic hero, having endeared himself to the Bengali audience since his debut film Dadar Kirti in 1980, Paul became a known household name because of his lead roles in Saheb (1981), Parabat Priya (1984), Bhalobasa Bhalobasa (1985), Anurager Choyan (1986) and Amar Bandhan (1986).

He was awarded the Filmfare Award for Saheb (1981). -- PTI

The Supreme Court's appointment of two interlocutors to persuade the Shaheen Bagh protesters to move to another venue brought a little disappointment to the demonstrators though many of them believe there is finally an avenue to talk to the government about their dissent.

Hundreds of people, especially women, have been camping at Shaheen Bagh here for over two months in protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act, blocking an arterial road due to which the city has been facing traffic congestions.

A section of the women protesters said the tent put up by them symbolised the venue as their "battleground for justice and equality". They said they were not averse to the idea of moving but first demanded detailed talks with the government on the CAA.

"We started our protest on December 15 when the students at Jamia Millia Islamia were beaten up miserably by police. We won't be too happy to move but since it is the court's decision, we will accept it with full respect," said Shaheeda Khan, a resident of Batla House.

"However, moving the point of protest won't be a decision accepted by all," she added.

Ritu Khosla from the Shaheen Bagh Co-ordination Committee told PTI, "The SC's decision is welcome and we fully accept it. We will be happy to meet the mediators who have been appointed by the apex court. I don't know if the protesters would agree to move. The decision to change the venue of the protest will entirely depend on the joint decision taken by all protesters of Shaheen Bagh."

The famous grandmothers or 'dadis' of Shaheen Bagh welcomed the decision saying they now expect genuine mediation with the government.

"We have wanted to talk to the government for two months. We tried various times to have a dialogue and marched towards the home minister's house too. However, the police always stopped us. We are ready to talk but there should be a genuine interaction and mediation between us and the government," Sharvari Dadi of Shaheen Bagh said.

The Shaheen Bagh protestors had marched towards Union Home Minister Amit Shah's residence on February 16 seeking to talk to him about the new citizenship law. They were stopped by Delhi Police midway. The march had included senior citizen women, popularly known as the 'Dabangg Dadis' of Shaheen Bagh.

The men at Shaheen Bagh said the SC's decision had brought a small but important victory for the protesters as the Centre will now have to talk to them.

"We are happy that at least the SC thought that there should be a dialogue because the government has been avoiding a dialogue. The government may think that removal of the protest point is their victory but the victory is ours because now we will directly talk and bring a solution in rolling back the CAA," Azim Khan, a resident and shop keeper at Shaheen Bagh, said.

The Supreme Court on Monday, while hearing a plea against the blockade, appointed senior advocate Sanjay Hegde and advocate Sadhana Ramachandran to mediate with the protesters and persuade them to move their protest to an alternative site where no public place is blocked.

The apex court said people have a fundamental right to protest against a law but the blocking of public roads is a matter of concern and there has to be a balancing factor.

The top court was hearing an appeal filed by advocate Amit Sahni seeking directions to the Delhi Police to ensure smooth traffic flow on the Kalindi Kunj- Shaheen Bagh stretch, which was blocked by anti-CAA protesters on December 15. -- PTI

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