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Tue, 28 January 2020
LIVE!'Sharjeel's words more dangerous than Kanhaiya's'

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23:56   'Sharjeel's words more dangerous than Kanhaiya's'
Slamming anti-CAA activist Sharjeel Imam, arrested on charges of sedition, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said his speech was "more dangerous" than that of former JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar.

Speaking at an event in Raipur, Shah also said Sharjeel has been arrested by Delhi police and is being brought to Delhi to be put behind bars.

"See his (Sharjeel's) statement. Have you seen the video of (the speech of) Sharjeel?It is more dangerous than Kanhaiya Kumars statement," he said. 

"He (Sharjeel) is talking about cutting off the Chicken's Neck to disintegrate Assam from India. Even seven generations would not be able to do that," Shah said.

The Chicken's Neck is a narrow stretch of land of about 22 km in West Bengal that connects the northeastern states to the rest of India, with Nepal and Bangladesh lying on either side of the corridor. 

Sharjeel Imam, who was on the run after sedition charges were slapped against him for allegedly making inflammatory statements, was arrested from Bihar's Jehanabad district on Tuesday. 

A graduate in computer science from IIT-Mumbai, Imam had shifted to Delhi for pursuing research at the Centre for Historical Studies at the JNU. 

He was slapped with a sedition case after a video of his purported speech went viral on social media where he was heard speaking about "cutting off" Assam and the northeast from the rest of India. -- PTI 
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23:07   Now, Air India bars Kunal Kamra from flying
Hours after IndiGo suspended Kunal Kamra from flying with it for six months after he allegedly heckled journalist Arnab Goswami aboard its Mumbai-Lucknow flight, Air India banned the stand-up comedian from travelling on any of its flights, "until further notice".

" In view of the incident onboard @IndiGo6E, Air India wishes to inform that conduct of Person concerned is unacceptable.With a view to discourage such behavior onboard flts, Mr Kunal Kamra is suspended from flying on any Air India flt until further notice," Air India said on Twitter.

Aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri had earlier "advised" other airlines in India to impose similar restriction on Kamra, stating "offensive behaviour designed to provoke & create disturbance inside an aircraft is absolutely unacceptable & endangers safety of air travellers".
Kamra allegedly heckled Goswami, the editor of Republic TV, on IndiGo's Mumbai-Lucknow (6E5317) flight on Tuesday.
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22:28   Why no Shaheen Bagh protester falling ill: Ghosh
West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party president Dilip Ghosh on Tuesday courted controversy by asking why none of the Shaheen Bagh protesters who are demonstrating under the open sky during winter has fallen ill or died.
Ghosh also sought to know who is funding the Shaheen Bagh protesters.
Hundreds of women have been protesting at the Shaheen Bagh in South Delhi against the Citizenship Amendment Act. The sit-in which has been on for more than a month now has inspired others to hold similar demonstrations at Park Circus Maidan in Kolkata.
"We came to know that women and children are protesting against the CAA and are sitting under the open sky during this cold winter nights in Delhi. I wonder why none of them has fallen sick. Why does nothing happen to them? Why has not a single protester died there?
"This is quite absurd. Have they consumed some sort of nectar that nothing is happening to them," Ghosh told reporters.
He also questioned the source of funding at Shaheen Bagh and Park Circus Maidan protests.
Hundreds of Muslim women are demonstrating against the CAA and the proposed nationwide NRC at the Park Circus Maidan here for 22 days.
"I wonder where from the money is coming. The truth about this will surely come out in the days to come. In Bengal, several people claimed to have committed suicide due to the panic," he said.
Ruling TMC supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has claimed that over 30 people have committed suicide because of panic over the CAA and proposed nationwide NRC.
Ghosh, the BJP MP from Midnapore seat, is known for courting controversies. 

A few days back he had said anti-CAA protesters who had destroyed public property were shot like dogs in BJP-ruled states.
The BJP leader also took a dig at party general secretary and its Bengal minder Kailash Vijayvargiya for his 'poha' comment, saying he himself loves it and finds nothing wrong in having it in the diet.
"I myself eat poha and I don't see anything wrong in eating it. Everybody is entitled to his or her opinion," he said without naming Vijayvargiya. -- PTI
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21:37  
Kunal Kamra's reaction to suspension by Indigo:-

Thank you Indigo a six month suspension is honestly very kind of you... Modiji might be suspending Air India forever.
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21:30   IndiGo bars comedian Kunal Kamra from flying
IndiGo on Tuesday suspended stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra from flying with the private airline for six months, after he allegedly heckled journalist Arnab Goswami aboard one of its planes from Mumbai to Lucknow.
 
"In light of the recent incident on board 6E 5317 from Mumbai to Lucknow, we wish to inform that we are suspending Mr Kunal Kamra from flying with IndiGo for a period of six months, as his conduct onboard was unacceptable behaviour," the airline said in a tweet.
"Hereby, we wish to advise our passengers to refrain from indulging in personal slander whilst onboard, as this can potentially compromise the safety of fellow passengers," it added.
Kamra allegedly heckled Goswami, the editor of Republic TV, on a Mumbai-Lucknow IndiGo plane on Tuesday.
In a video clip posted by Kamra on Twitter, the stand-up comedian is seen asking Goswami if he is a "coward or a journalist". -- PTI
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21:17   66 mobile phones stolen every day in Mumbai local trains
At least 66 mobile phones got stolen every day on Mumbai's suburban rail network last year, and the thefts were valued at Rs 2.99 crore, a latest data from the Government Railway Police revealed.
The suburban rail network is spread over 350 km from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus to Khopoli and Kasara on the Central line, CSMT to Panvel on Harbour line and Churchgate to Dahanu on Western line.
Nearly 80 lakh commuters travel in suburban trains every day, apart from lakhs of outstation train passengers.
According to the data, as many as 24,010 cases of phone thefts were registered at 17 GRP police stations last year, which means on an average, 66 phones were stolen from trains everyday.
As many as 32,476 such cases were registered in 2018, which on an average comes to 88 such cases everyday, the GRP stats confirmed.
As per the data, the value of the mobile phones stolen in 2019 is Rs 2.99 crore, while those stolen in 2018 were valued at Rs 3.09 crore.
The highest number of mobile phone thefts occurred in the jurisdiction of Kurla, Thane and Borivali GRP police stations in 2019, the data revealed.
At least 2,500 cases of mobile phone thefts were registered at these police stations, with Kurla topping the list with 3,306 cases.
Interestingly, according to GRP officials, the recovery rate of stolen phones is less than 10 per cent, with only 2,319found in 2019 and 2,517 in 2018.
Overall 5,724 persons, including 234 minors, were arrested for mobile thefts in 2019. -- PTI 
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21:03   Armed man threatens Shaheen Bagh protesters
An armed man, claiming to have links with a political party, entered the protest area at New Delhi's Shaheen Bagh on Tuesday and threatened the agitators, according to eyewitnesses.
 
A video clip of the alleged incident which is doing the rounds on social media shows a gun-wielding man being overpowered by the protesters. 
According to Syed Taseer Ahmed, one of the protesters and a local, the man, who claimed to have links with a political party, climbed up the stage around 3 pm and threatened people to end the agitation.
He was, however, overpowered by other protestors and taken away from the site.
The protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act at Shaheen Bagh, primarily led by women, has been witnessing supporters flocking in thousands everyday. 
However, it has also been criticised for blocking the road and causing inconvenience to motorists and schoolchildren.   
Shaheen Bagh Official, a Twitter handle which posts updates from the protest site, wrote at 6 pm, "An official and urgent appeal from Shaheen Bagh: armed anti-social elements have entered the protest area. We fear that more right-wing groups could enter and launch an attack. We appeal to all to join the protest, strengthen our numbers and prevent any violence."
At 6.21pm, it tweeted an update. 
"Infiltrators have been caught and neutralised, and the situation is back to normal. However, we are on alert for more such incidents today and in the coming days as we reach elections in Delhi. Please reach Shaheen Bagh and sites across Delhi in large numbers". -- PTI  
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20:49   Coronavirus: 633 people under observation in Kerala
A total of 633 people, who returned to Kerala from China in recent days, are under observation for possible exposure to the novel coronavirus, state health minister K K Shylaja said on Tuesday.
Of the 633, seven are under observation in isolation wards at different hospitals, according to officials.
       
The situation in the state was under control but the state needs to be vigilant, the minister told reporters.
"A total of 633 people are under observation in the state. As of now everything is under control. But we need to remain vigilant until the World Health Organisation says its safe," the minister said.
 
She asked those who have returned from China or other affected areas like Nepal or Sri Lanka to approach the health department without any hesitation.
 
"Those who have returned from China should approach the health department and follow the instructions of the officials.It has been learnt that the particular virus will be inactive in the body for a few days initially. So it is better to stay under observation," the minister said.
  
Meanwhile, a senior health official told PTI that seven people are in isolation wards.
 
"Out of the 633 persons who reached the state, seven are in different hospitals--two in Kochi, four in Thrissur and one in Malappuram district.
The rest are home quarantined," the official said.
He also said of the ten samples sent for testing at the National Institute of Virology at Pune, six tested negative for the virus while results of the others are awaited.
A three-member central team on Tuesday held a meeting with Kerala health authorities, including Principal Health Secretary Dr Rajan N Khobragade, here and discussed the preventive measures taken against the backdrop of the coronavirus outbreak in China's Wuhan province. -- PTI
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20:13   7 killed in bus-autorickshaw crash; both vehicles fall in well
At least seven people were killed when a speeding state transport bus collided with an auto-rickshaw and both vehicles fell into a roadside well in Maharashtra's Nashik district on Tuesday, police said.
More than 20 others suffered injuries in the accident which took place in the evening at Meshi Phata on the Malegaon-Deola Road in the North Maharashtra district, around 200km from Mumbai, an official said.
The speeding ST bus crashed into the auto-rickshaw, leaving seven people dead, he said, adding the injured were mostly bus passengers.
The bodies were pulled out from the roadside well in which both the vehicles plunged after the collision, the official said.
Police and local rescue teams have reached the spot, he added. -- PTI  
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20:03   MEA makes formal request to China to help evacuate Indians from Wuhan
The ministry of external affairs has made a formal request to China for facilitating evacuation of Indians from Wuhan, the epicentre of novel coronavirus outbreak, the Health Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. 
   
The civil aviation ministry will make necessary arrangements for evacuation after the approval of Chinese authorities is received, it said.  
 
The Indian embassy in Beijing is in contact with the Indian nationals. 
 
"On evacuation, these individuals will be kept in quarantine for 14 days.  Necessary arrangements in this regard are being made," the statement said.
 
It also said that Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Tuesday reviewed the preparedness to deal with the deadly virus. The meeting was informed that the ministry of shipping has initiated screening at all major ports. -- PTI 
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19:45   Anurag Thakur gets EC notice for 'goli maaro' slogan
Union minster Anurag Thakur has been served a show cause notice by the Election Commission for his controversial remark.

Thakur on Monday led the audience of an election meeting in Rithala, Delhi on a chant that said traitors would be shot -- "Desh ke gaddaron ko; goli maro sa**n ko" -- although he himself didnt utter the second part of the slogan.

The Delhi CEO Office on Tuesday submitted reports to the EC on "provocative" language used by Thakur while canvassing for party candidates contesting the Delhi assembly polls, officials said.
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19:02   Ready for talks with PM on CAA, but... : Mamata
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee Tuesday said she is ready for talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue of Citizenship Amendment Act but the Centre has to first withdraw the contentious law. 
Banerjee said protesting against the decisions of the centre doesn't make opposition parties anti-national and iterated that she will not implement Citizenship Amendment Act, NRC or NPR in the state.
"It is good that the prime minister is ready for talks but the Citizenship Amendment Act must be revoked first. They (Centre) did not call an all-party meeting before taking a decision on Kashmir and CAA.
"We are ready for talks but first withdraw this Citizenship Amendment Act," Banerjee, a staunch critic of the BJP, said addressing a protest programme against CAA through paintings. 
The West Bengal assembly had on Monday passed a resolution against the CAA to become the fourth state after Kerala, Punjab and Rajasthan, to do so. The state assembly had on September 6, 2019, passed a resolution against the NRC. -- PTI 
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18:29   Chant mantra to contain spread of coronavirus: Dalai Lama
Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has advised his followers in China to chant a mantra to contain the threat posed by coronavirus, which has reportedly left over 100 dead.
   
A group of mainland Chinese devotees on Facebook had requested for the Dalai Lama's advice amid widespread health scare after the virus was discovered in Wuhan.  
 
Responding to their concern, the Dalai Lama advised his followers and Buddhist monasteries across China to chant the 'Tara Mantra' as it would be "beneficial for effectively containing the spread of the virus".
 
He has asked the people suffering from the disease to chant the matra, "Om tare tuttare ture Soha", to maintain the peace of mind and remain free from worries.  
He also shared a voice clip, himself chanting the mantra.
 
According to reports, the death toll due to the virus in China has risen to 106.
 
In the past 24 hours, around 1,300 new cases have been reported.  
 
Coronavirus is a large family of viruses that causes illnesses ranging from common cold to acute respiratory syndromes. -- PTI  
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18:20   He can go if he wants: Nitish on Prashant Kishor
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday said that then Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah had asked him to induct political strategist Prashant Kishor into the Janata Dal-United.

"Someone wrote a letter I replied to it. Someone is tweeting, let him tweet. What do I've to do with it? One can stay in the party till he wants. He can go if he wants...Do you know how did he join the party? Amit Shah asked me to induct him," said Kumar, while responding to a media question on Prashant Kishor.

Kishor has more than once made his differences with the party known on the issue of the amended citizenship act. 

The JDU had supported the legislation in both the Houses of Parliament. -- ANI
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17:54   Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren inducts 7 ministers
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Tuesday expanded his one-month-old ministry, inducting seven ministers in the council of ministers. 

Governor Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office and secrecy to the newly inducted ministers in a simple ceremony at Raj Bhavan in Ranchi.

Five of the new ministers are from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and two belong to the Congress.

The JMM-Congress-RJD coalition government assumed power in the state on December 29 last year, ousting the BJP-led regime.

Soren inducted Champai Soren, Haji Hussain Ansari, Jagarnath Mahato, Joba Manjhi, Mithilesh Kumar Thakur (all from the JMM), Banna Gupta and Badal Patralekh (both from the Congress). 

Mahato and Thakur are first-time ministers and Manjhi had been a minister in previous NDA governments before she joined the JMM. The other four had been ministers in the previous UPA governments.
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17:52   India protests Hindu girl's abduction with Pak
India has summoned senior Pakistan high commission official, and issued a demarche over the abduction of a Hindu girl in its Sindh province, PTI reports quoting official sources. 

India also asks Pakistan to ensure the safety and security of its citizens and minority Hindu community in that country, the sources added.

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17:22   No rumblings in Maha govt: Thorat on Deora's letter to Sonia
Maharashtra Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat of Congress on Tuesday dismissed perception of rumblings in the Shiv Sena-led government against the backdrop of Milind Deora's missive to party chief Sonia Gandhi on "slow progress" on Rahul Gandhi's poll promise in 2019.


In his letter to Sonia Gandhi on January 24, Deora had expressed concern over Rahul Gandhi's poll promise of allotting 500 sq ft homes to Mumbai slum-dwellers "not moving effectively towards implementation" under the new Sena-NCP-Congress government. Thorat said he would explain the factual position vis--vis implementation of initiatives mentioned in the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) to Deora if the latter was interested.

"Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is working as per the CMP they had drafted before forming the government in the state," Thorat, who heads the state Congress unit, told reporters. He said the government was also working on issues like a farm loan waiver and ensuring food at cheaper rates to the poor. "We are working on these. It is a common programme of the three parties, not any single party's programme. Deora ji will understand if he looks at these," Thorat added. 


When asked if Deora was hinting at differences within the MVA, Thorat replied in negative. "Sonia Gandhi is our leader. Workers speak to her when they feel something. She also speaks to us. This goes on. We will explain him (Deora) if he asks us (for details)," he said.
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16:43   Jab Banerjee met Banerjee
West Bengal: Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee met Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at Secretariat, today, seen here with his mother Nirmala. 
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16:28   Coronavirus: Evacuations have begun, says MEA
India has begun preparations for the evacuation of its nationals affected by the situation arising out of the coronavirus outbreak in China's Hubei Province, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday. MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said the Indian Embassy in Beijing is in touch with the Chinese government, authorities and nationals on the matter. 


"We have begun the process to prepare for evacuation of Indian nationals affected by the situation arising out of nCorona-2019 virus outbreak in Hubei Province, China," he said in a tweet. "Our @EOIBeijing is working out the logistics & is in touch with the Chinese govt. authorities & our nationals on this matter. We will continue to share updates," Kumar tweeted. 


The toll from the novel coronavirus outbreak in China has soared to 106 while nearly 1,300 new cases have been confirmed. Those coming from China are being screened for symptoms of the virus. 


The coronavirus is a new type of pneumonia, officially being described as 2019-nCoV. Wuhan and 17 others cities in Hubei Province remained the epicentre of the outbreak with most of the deaths having taken place there. Over 250 to 300 Indian students are reportedly stuck in Wuhan triggering concerns over their well-being.


On Monday, a meeting, which was chaired by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, reviewed India's preparedness to deal with the virus amid mounting global concern over increasing number of cases in China and several other countries. In India, no case has been detected so far though nearly 450 people have been kept under observation in the country, most of them in Kerala, following screening for possible exposure to the novel coronavirus. Some, who have returned from China in recent weeks, have approached medical authorities as a precautionary step. -- PTI
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16:22   Taranjit Singh Sandhu appointed India's ambassador to US: MEA
Senior diplomat Taranjit Singh Sandhu has been appointed as India's Ambassador to the US, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday. Sandhu, a 1988-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, is currently posted as High Commissioner of India in Sri Lanka. He replaces Harsh Vardhan Shringla as India's envoy in Washington. Shringla has been named as India's next foreign secretary. PTI
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16:17   Samvidhaan' is Oxford's Hindi word of 2019
Oxford University Press (OUP) on Tuesday named 'Samvidhaan' (Constitution) the Oxford Hindi Word of 2019, saying it received widespread attention in the year which was witness to the spirit of the Indian Constitution being embraced across segments of the society. 


It said the word was chosen as 2019 saw the values of democracy, secularism, justice, liberty, equality and fraternity being tested on the touchstone of the Constitution or 'Samvidhaan'. 


The Oxford Hindi Word of the Year is a word or expression that has attracted a great deal of attention and reflects the ethos, mood, or preoccupations of the past year. OUP said 'Samvidhaan' means a "body of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organisation is acknowledged to be governed'.


The word 'Samvidhaan' first received widespread attention in August 2019, with the abrogation of two key constitutional provisions - Article 370 and Article 35(A) of the Indian Constitution, on August 5, which effectively removed the special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir. -- PTI
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16:07   Police arrest 19-year-old LeT terrorist from Baramulla
The Jammu and Kashmir Police has arrested a 19-year-old Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorist from Baramulla district, an official said on Tuesday. Sajid Farooq Dar alias Adnan was arrested from Andergam village in Pattan area of the district during an operation on Monday, the official said. Dar, a resident of Bandipora, was affiliated with LeT, he said. PTI


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16:01   WB Guv hails Abhijit Banerjee, says 'touched by his modest approach'
Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday hailed Nobel laureate Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee saying Banerjee is a "man of sterling qualities and disarming grace" and he is "greatly touched by his modest approach."


"I have signed the D.Litt ( honoris causa) in the presence of Abhijeet Bannerjee, VC and others. A man of sterling qualities and disarming grace. Greatly touched by his modest approach and depth," the Governor said in a tweet.


Dhankhar said that the priority for him when he left the University of Calcutta without attending the convocation ceremony on Tuesday was to make sure that there was no compromise on the respect for Nobel laureate Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee on whom honorary D Litt was conferred.


In another tweet, Dhankhar said, "The uppermost thought in mind while leaving Calcutta University without attending the Convocation is to ensure there is no compromise of the immense respect we have for Nobel laureate Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee on whom we are conferring honorary D Litt (honoris causa)".


Earlier today, students at the University of Calcutta blocked the car of Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar and raise slogans of 'Governor go back' against him. He has reached the University for the convocation ceremony there. -- ANI
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15:56   Salman loses cool, snatches fan's phone at Goa airport
Irked by the behaviour of a fan who tried to click a selfie with him at the Goa airport, Bollywood actor Salman Khan on Tuesday snatched his mobile phone. The video of the incident has gone viral on social media. In the clip, a man can be seen approaching Khan and trying to click a selfie when the actor was walking out of the airport. Annoyed, Khan can be seen snatching the mobile phone from the man, who was later identified as a ground staff working for an airlines. "No formal complaint is lodged but when the video went viral, we inquired about the incident and confirmed it," said a senior official of the airport. When contacted, Airport Police Inspector Sagar Ekoskar said no formal complaint was lodged. PTI


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15:51   Sharjeel Imam arrested in Bihar for sedition
Sharjeel Imam has been arrested from Jehanabad in Bihar on sedition charges for saying Assam should be separated from India. The police had raided Imam's ancestral home on Sunday night after "help was sought by central agencies". 


Said to be in his early 30s, Sharjeel Imam has a degree from IIT Mumbai and later moved to Delhi for pursuing research at JNUs Centre for Historical Studies. He had been involved in organizing the protests at Shaheen Bagh but came into limelight after a video clip went viral wherein he could be heard making comments while addressing a gathering at Aligarh Muslim University, following which he was booked under sedition charge in the UP town. 


The Delhi police claimed he had given an "inflammatory" speech earlier on the Jamia Milia Islamia campus and lodged an FIR against him in the national capital. Besides, another case was lodged under the stringent anti-terror law against him in Assam, taking cognisance of Imams remark that Assam could be "severed from India, even if for a few months" as a result of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).
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15:50   Ready for talks with PM, first withdraw CAA: Mamata
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said that she is ready for talks with Prime Minister Modi but first the PM will have to withdraw the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).


"It is good that the Prime Minister is ready for talks but first take back the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). They did not call an all-party meet before taking a decision on Kashmir and CAA. NRC, NPR, and CAA these three are bad for the country. We are ready for talks but first withdraw NRC," said the chief minister.Mamata Banerjee was speaking at an event organised to protest against the CAA, through paintings.


Banerjee further added she will not accept the National Register of Citizens (NRC), National Population Register (NPR) and CAA."We want a united India, we want united Bengal. We are not accepting CAA, NRC and NPR," she said.


The West Bengal Assembly on Monday passed a resolution against the CAA which was moved by the Trinamool Congress government.


After Kerala, Punjab and Rajasthan, West Bengal is the fourth state to pass a resolution against the CAA. The state assembly had on September 6 last year, passed a resolution against the NRC.Protests have been going on in different parts of the country against the CAA which grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh if they entered India on or before December 31, 2014.  -- ANI
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15:45   Nirbhaya: Ill-treatment in prison no ground for mercy, says Centre
The Centre Tuesday sought dismissal of the plea of one of the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case against rejection of his mercy plea and said that being ill-treated in prison cannot be a ground for mercy to one who has committed such a heinous crime. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a three-judge bench headed by Justice R Banumathi that the convict, Mukesh Kumar Singh, was not kept in solitary confinement as alleged and no ground of commutation has been made out. Mehta told the bench, also comprising justices Ashok Bhsuhan and A S Bopanna, that the entire material was sent by the Ministry of Home Affairs to President for deciding mercy plea of Singh.


He also told the bench that the power of judicial review of the apex court is very limited in such cases and said the delay in deciding his mercy plea would have a dehumanising impact. President has to satisfy himself regarding pardon and not look into each procedure, Mehta told the bench adding that the President is not sitting in appeal against judgements of all courts in the case. 


The top court questioned Singh as to how he can allege "non application of mind" by the President in rejecting his mercy petition and claim that all facts were not placed before the President when he dealt with the mercy plea. 


"How can you say that these facts were not placed before his excellency the President? How can you say that there was non-application of mind by the President," the bench asked senior advocate Anjana Prakash. When the convict's counsel said that all facts were not placed before the President, Mehta told the bench that all the records, exhibits and the judgment in the case were placed before the President. Singh alleged procedural lapses in dismissal of his mercy plea by the President.


He said that certain supervening circumstances, including solitary confinement and procedural lapses have been ignored while considering his mercy plea. His counsel contended that the executive is not sitting on power of appeal but rather exercising constitutional duty, which is neither a matter of mercy nor grace. -- PTI
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15:26   PM mum on biggest issue of unemployment: Rahul
Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday attacked central government over the issue of unemployment and stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi doesn't even speak about it.


Addressing a rally in Rajasthan's capital, Gandhi scion said, "Prime Minister Modi had promised two crore jobs, but last year our youth lost one crore jobs. Wherever Prime Minister goes he talks of CAA, NRC but the biggest issue of unemployment is not mentioned, PM doesn't even speak a word on it."


He also invoked the issue of demonetisation in his address." Even today ask an eight-year-old, did demonetisation benefit you or harm you? A child will say harm. Earlier we were competing with China but now sadly, China has left us far behind. The whole world knows if there is anyone who can rival China, it is India's youth", Gandhi said.


Rahul Gandhi arrived in Rajasthan earlier today to address the party's Yuva Aakrosh rally being held at Ram Niwas Bagh in Jaipur. -- ANI
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14:43   Rahul hasn't delivered on poll promises: Deora
Congress leader Milind Deora has written to party chief Sonia Gandhi expressing concern over Rahul Gandhi's 2019 poll promise of allotting 500 sq ft homes to Mumbai slum-dwellers not moving "effectively" towards implementation under the new dispensation in Maharashtra. 


Deora urged Sonia Gandhi to establish a mechanism in Maharashtra -- ruled by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) of the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress -- to ensure that the state government delivers on the poll promises made by the Congress to the people.


In his letter, dated January 24, Deora stated that upon his advice" in March 2019, then Congress president Rahul Gandhi had said at a rally that 500 sq ft homes under slum and dilapidated building rehabilitation schemes will be allotted, if his party is voted to power in Maharashtra. 


"This promise was later included in the common minimum programme worked out by the three parties," Deora said. At present, 269 sq ft houses are provided under the slum redevelopment projects in the city. To drive home his point, Deora recalled former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi supporting efforts initiated by his late father Murli Deora to give affordable housing to the needy in Mumbai since 1984.


"Voters of Mumbai have since trusted the Congress and rewarded it for its commitment towards uplifting those at the bottom of the pyramid," he stated. "Rahulji's promise was made to Mumbaikars when he was Congress president. It concerns me that such an important policy initiative has still not moved effectively towards implementation," Deora stated.


The former Mumbai Congress president said that various other "realistic and feasible" promises too were made by the Congress to people during the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in Maharashtra in 2019. "I therefore request you to consider establishing an effective mechanism in Maharashtra, similar to the one in (other) Congress-governed states, so that the state government may speedily deliver on the poll promises made by Congress to the voters of Maharashtra," Deora said.


On the other hand, the Congress' allies Shiv Sena and NCP have worked during the past 50 days to implement their programmes and poll promises, he stated. "Maharashtra's voters have appreciated this effort and are beginning to welcome several decisions," Deora observed. 


Meanwhile, Deora also congratulated Gandhi for setting up 'Manifesto Implementation Committees' in the states governed by the Congress. "This is a progressive step decision and will encourage our governments to uphold the highest standards of governance and accountability," he added. -- PTI
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14:34   2002 Gujarat riots: SC grants bail to 14 convicts in Sardarpura massacre case
The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted bail to 14 convicts in the Sardarpura village massacre case where 33 people were burnt alive during the 2002 communal riots in Gujarat.


A Bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde granted bail to the 14 convicts who have been sentenced to life imprisonment and asked them to do social and spiritual services among others during the period of the bail.


The court said that one batch of convicts will go to Indore while another will go to Jabalpur.


Bhopal Legal Services Authority has been directed to suggest employment opportunities for the convicts and the legal service authority has been asked to send a report to the court every three months.


The convicts have also filed an appeal before the top court against the October 2016 order of the Gujarat High Court, which sentenced the 14 convicts to life imprisonment.


Among the convicts who were granted bail are Prahaladbhai Jagabhai Patel, Vijaybhai Rajivbhai Patel, and Dilipbhai Vinubhai Patel.


Over a thousand people were killed during the three-day riots that ensued at several places in Gujarat after around 58 people lost their lives when the S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express was torched at the Godhra Railway Station on February 27, 2002.  -- ANI


Image: Muslims pray in a hall where a photo exhibition on Gujarat riots was held in 2017. 
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14:23   Nirbhaya: How didn't Prez apply mind, asks SC
The Supreme Court Tuesday questioned one of the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case, as to how he can allege "non application of mind" by the President in rejecting his mercy petition.


A 3-judge bench headed by Justice R Banumathi asked senior advocate Anjana Prakash, appearing for Mukesh Kumar Singh, as to how they can claim that all the facts in the case were not placed before the President when he dealt with the mercy plea. 


"How can you say that these facts were not placed before his excellency the President? How can you say that there was non-application of mind by the President," the bench, also comprising justices Ashok Bhsuhan and A S Bopanna, asked the lawyer. 


When the convict's counsel said that all facts were not placed before the President, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the bench that all the records, exhibits and the judgment in the case were placed before the President. 


Singh alleged procedural lapses in dismissal of his mercy plea by the President. He said that certain supervening circumstances, including solitary confinement and procedural lapses have been ignored while considering his mercy plea. His counsel contended that the executive is not sitting on power of appeal but rather exercising constitutional duty, which is neither a matter of mercy nor grace. 


Prakash referred to judgements on death sentence and the power of the president to grant mercy. He also told the court that the President's rejection of the mercy plea was on extraneous consideration as also mala fide, arbitrary and without materials.  -- PTI
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14:16   Cong asks EC to take note of Anurag Thakur's slogans at poll rally
The Congress on Tuesday asked the Election Commission to take note of union minister Anurag Thakur's provocative slogans at a poll rally in Delhi. Triggering a row, Thakur had egged on participants in an election rally in Rithala here to raise an incendiary slogan that "traitors should be shot at", after he lashed out at anti-CAA protesters. 


Slamming Thakur, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram. asked, "Will the Election Commission of India wake up from its slumber". Noting that the minister had exhorted people to respond with "goli maaro" slogans, he asked, "Will it not amount to inciting and encouraging violence against a section of the people?" 


"As every day passes, the rhetoric of the BJP reminds one of Germany in the 1930s," Chidambaram tweeted. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said he was deeply saddened by Anurag Thakur's conduct. "Saw a remote ray of hope of sanity in him, only to realise today that ministerial posts and uprightness make strange bedfellows," he tweeted. -- PTI
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13:55   3-4 families created problems in Kashmir: PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday addressed a National Cadet Corps rally in New Delhi and outlined the contribution of youth towards taking the country on the path of development.


"A country where youth is disciplined has willpower and determination, it can never be stopped on its path to development. India has a young population, we're proud of it but the thinking of the country should be young too", Modi said while addressing the young cadets of NCC.


"We will have to work together keeping in mind the challenges of the past, requirements of the present and the ambitions for the future. Earlier, what was done for solving problems in Kashmir? Three to four families worked not towards solving the issues but towards nurturing them. The result was that thousands of innocents died due to terrorism. People were forced to even migrate from there. We know that our neighbouring country has lost three wars against us, our armed forces don't need more than 10-12 days to defeat them. They've been fighting proxy wars against India since decades. It claimed the lives of thousands of civilians, jawans," the PM said.

Ahead of his address to cadets at Cariappa Parade ground here, Modi inspected the National Cadet Corps parade. He also presented the awards to meritorious cadets.Marching contingents from Bhutan, Russia and Nepal also took part at the National Cadet Corps parade in New Delhi
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13:35   BJP gets outsiders for Delhi polls: Kejriwal
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday accused the BJP of insulting the people of the national capital by bringing in "outsiders" for campaigning in the February 8 assembly polls.


Kejriwal said the Bharatiya Janata Party has brought 200 MPs, 70 ministers and 11 chief ministers from outside to defeat him. "They are bringing 200 MPs, 70 ministers and 11 chief ministers because people of Delhi did not support them so now they are bringing in outsiders. They are coming to defeat the people of Delhi," he said at Gokapluri constituency while campaigning for AAP candidate Surendra Kumar. "They are coming to defeat your son Kejriwal. They are coming to insult all of us. They will come and say your schools are in bad condition, your mohalla clinics are in bad shape. Will you keep quiet?" Kejriwal asked to which the audience responded with a resounding "no". -- PTI
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13:17   Roger Federer scrapes through to semis of Australian Open
Roger Federer, the world number 3 and six-time champion at the Australian Open, has managed to claw his way into the semi finals of the tournament after his victory against America's Tennys Sandgren. 

Federer battled past the American in five thrilling sets -- 6-3, 2-6, 2-6, 7-6, 6-3.

During his win, Federer uncharacteristically was given a warning for an audible obscenity on court. Federer's language was picked up by the line judge near him and the chair umpire, Marijana Veljovic, issued a warning for the same. She told Federer that the line judge clearly heard him cuss.

Soon after the incident, Federer also took a medical timeout.

Federers run in the tournament has been far from a cakewalk. He looked supreme beating Steve Johnson and Filip Krajinović but got out of jail in a fifth set tiebreak against John Millman before dropping the opening set to Mrton Fucsovics. 
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12:41   CAA will continue to face opposition, just like Emergency: Yechury
The CPI(M) on Tuesday said the citizenship law will continue to face opposition on the streets despite Parliament's approval, just like the Emergency was opposed notwithstanding its passage in both Houses. In a series of tweets, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said those arguing that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act cannot be questioned because it has been passed by Parliament must also remember that Emergency was also cleared by Parliament. 


"While we opposed it, fought and restored democracy, some belonging to the present ruling party also joined. Were they wrong then? Government must listen to the people and take back CAA, NRC & NPR. 


"We opposed CAA in Parliament. We moved for saying yes to persecuted persons, from all neighbouring countries, of any religion. What we opposed in Parliament will also be opposed on the streets. That's democracy," he said.


Yechury added that the "divide and rule" police practised by the BJP and the RSS is aimed at dividing Indians on the basis of clothes, food, gender, faith and other faultlines they create. "But what unites India more now is the damaged economy: BJP's assault on Lives and livelihoods," he said. 


Speaking on electoral bonds, the Left leader said his party has opposed it from day one, and also filed a challenge in the Supreme Court. "... (the) whole scheme is the root of high-level corruption in this government. It has to be scrapped and details of funding so far made public," he said. -- PTI
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12:27   BJP MP's inspect govt schools in Delhi, Shah tears into Kejriwal
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday slammed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, alleging poor infrastructure in state-run schools of the national capital and said that claims of education revolution have been 'exposed' during visits by Delhi BJP parliamentarians at different schools.


"Arvind Kejriwalji, you had called me to visit the schools run by the Delhi government. Yesterday, eight MPs of Delhi had toured different schools and showed the conditions. The ground situation has exposed the claims of 'revolution in education'. Now, you have to give an answer to the public of Delhi," the Union Minister said in a tweet.


Shah also posted a four-minute-long video of the schools in which the eight Delhi BJP MPs, including Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Goel, have toured the schools outlining poor infrastructure and lack of facilities at these facilities.


The eight Delhi BJP parliamentarians who visited these schools were- Dr Harsh Vardhan, Vijay Goel, Parvesh Sahib Singh, Meenakshi Lekhi, Gautam Gambhir, Hansraj Hans, Manoj Tiwari and Ramesh Bidhuri.Yesterday, BJP leader Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma while touring the school strongly refuted AAP's claim that Delhi state-run schools have become world-class. He visited a school in Matiala area of the national capital.


Verma visited school with a couple of journalists and pointed towards the cracked building and a ceiling of the classrooms.The BJP MP from West Delhi constituency also presented a letter sent by PWD to the school, warning that the school building was dangerous and could collapse anytime.


The voting for Delhi Assembly elections will take place on February 8. The counting of votes will take place on February 11.In 2015 assembly polls, the Aam Aadmi Party had registered a landslide victory by winning 67 out of a total of 70 seats in the national capital. -- ANI
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12:23   BJP 'gifts' bearded Omar razors & a snide message
In another instance of the pathetically low levels to which political discourse has dropped, the BJP's Tamil Nadu unit tweets this image (alongside) with a message to NC leader and former J-K CM Omar Abdullah who is in detention since August. The tweet says, "@BJP4TamilNaduDear @OmarAbdullah , Its very disheartening to see you like this while most of your corrupt freinds are enjoying life outside. Kindly accept our sincere contribution, in case of any assistance feel free to contact ur counterpart @INCIndia for further help in this regard."



After 2G internet services were restored in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, a photo of Omar Abdullah sporting a grey beard and enjoying snowfall went viral with several Twitter users sharing the picture.


The photo of Omar, the first since the former chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was detained from 4 August, shows him dressed in a blue jacket and grey cap. Prior to his detention, Omar maintained a clean-shaven look.


While some Twitter users appreciated Omar Abdullah's new look, saying he was looking "damn smart" in his new get-up, others expressed sympathy.Many said they wanted to see the former chief minister back in action on the social media platform and urged him to not lose hope.


Congress leader Salman Aneez Soz tweeted chided such users, saying it wasn't as if Omar Abdullah was on a holiday.


West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, taking to Twitter, said she couldn't recognise Abdullah.
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12:13   Oscar menu to go almost green
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced that the menu of the Governors Ball, which will happen post the Oscar ceremony on February 9, will be 70 per cent plant-based. 


The announcement was made after the AMPAS served an entirely plant-based menu at the Oscar Nominees Luncheon on Monday. According to Variety, the menu will be 70 per cent plant-based, and 30 per cent vegetarian, fish and meat.


"The Academy is an organization of storytellers from around the world, and we owe our global membership a commitment to supporting the planet. "For the past decade, the Academy has been committed to reducing its carbon footprint. For the past seven years, the Oscars show has had a zero-carbon imprint. We continue to expand our sustainability plan with the ultimate goal of becoming carbon neutral," the organisation said in a statement. All food will be responsibly sourced and sustainably farmed, the AMPAS added. The news comes after the Hollywood Foreign Press Association decided to have a plant-based menu at the Golden Globes.
-- PTI
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12:06   HDFC shares rise over 3 pc as December quarter profit soars
Shares of HDFC on Tuesday jumped over 3 per cent after the company reported a near four-fold growth in net profit for the three months to December 2019. 


The company's scrip gained 3.13 per cent to Rs 2,470.85 on the BSE. On the NSE, it climbed 3.16 per cent to Rs 2,471.70. The mortgage lender on Monday reported a near four-fold growth in net profit at Rs 8,372.5 crore for the three months to December as against Rs 2,113.8 crore in the same period last fiscal year. The company said the massive gain in bottomline is notional but mandatory from an accounting perspective, as it is based on the valuation gain on its 9.9 per cent stake in Bandhan Bank following the merger of subsidiary Gruh Finance with the Kolkata-based lender effective last October. 


For the first time, the loan book crossed Rs 5 lakh crore during the quarter, vice chairman and chief executive Keki Mistry said. The company booked a 24 per cent growth in individual loans, after adding back loans sold in the preceding 12 months, while excluding that the same clipped at 16 per cent. -- PTI
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11:49   Centre ready to hold peace talks with ULFA(I): Himanta
A day after the Bodo pact was signed, senior Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that the Centre is willing to hold peace talks with ULFA (Independent) faction and appealed to its leader Paresh Barua to come to the negotiating table. Sarma, also the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) convenor, told reporters in Guwahati that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had clearly said on Monday that if the anti-talk ULFA(I) faction is ready for negotiations, then "the Centre is more than willing to hold dialogue with them for the sake of permanent peace in Assam and the Northeast."


"A historic Accord was signed on Monday through discussions with all the factions of the NDFB. The Centre and state government want peace in the region through dialogue," Sarma said, referring to the Bodo pact. Most of the militant outfits in the northeastern states, barring some in Assam and Manipur, are holding talks but "if we want peace in the region, it should be inclusive by involving all the factions and the outfits," he said. The offer comes a few days after ULFA(I) claimed responsibility for four serial blasts in Upper Assam districts on the Republic Day. -- PTI 
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11:33   Pak must act against terror groups: Rajnath
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday lashed out at Pakistan for using "terror as a state policy" towards India rather than peacefully settling disputes through dialogue, and said it must take demonstrable steps against terror groups. Addressing the 12th South Asia conference in New Delhi, Singh said it is essential that terrorists and their ideological and financial networks are cut off and do not receive state support. 


"India is engaged in conversations with its neighbours except one country in order to develop a joint approach for regional peace and security.


"True pathway to regional peace and security lies in understanding each other's sensitivities and following basic principles of non-interference in each other's internal affairs," he said. 


Singh asserted the South Asia region must unite in their efforts to defeat terrorism. Mumbai, Pathankot, Uri, and Pulwama attacks are grim reminders of state-sponsored terrorism by a neighbouring country. "Pakistan must take demonstrable steps against terror groups," he said. -- PTI
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11:31   Coronavirus: Six persons under observation in Mumbai and Pune
A man was hospitalised in Pune on suspicion of possible exposure to the novel coronavirus during his recent visit to China, taking the total number of such admissions to six in Maharashtra so far, a senior official said on Tuesday. The man was admitted in the isolation ward of the Naidu Hospital on Monday night for the symptoms similar to the novel coronavirus infection, Dr Pradeep Awate, Maharashtra state Disease Surveillance Officer, told PTI.


"The number of the persons under observation in hospitals in Maharashtra has now gone up to six," he said. Four of the six persons are currently under observation in Mumbai while two in Pune, Dr Awate said. He said blood samples of none of them has tested positive to the virus so far. No case of coronavirus infection has been found in Maharashtra yet. A Health department official had said on Monday that the Maharashtra government will prepare a list of passengers who have returned to Mumbai from China, especially from the Wuhan region, since January 1 this year, and will enquire about their health condition. 


As many as 3,756 passengers arriving from China were screened for the coronavirus at the Mumbai international airport between January 18 and 26, but no confirmed case of the deadly disease has been found so far in Mumbai. 

Novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a large family of viruses that causes illnesses ranging from common cold to acute respiratory syndromes, but the virus that has so far killed 80 people and affected 2,744 in China is a novel strain and not seen before. It has emerged from a seafood and animal market in China's Wuhan, and is suspected to have spread to as far as the United States.


According to the World Health Organisation, the common symptoms of the novel coronavirus strain include respiratory symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. -- PTI


Image: A thermal screening device at an airport in Kolkata checks passengers arriving from China including Hong Kong in view of outbreak of novel coronavirus in China. Photograph: PTI Photo
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11:07  
Himachal Pradesh: National Highway 5 closed at Kufri after fresh snowfall.
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11:06   First suspected case of coronavirus in Punjab
A 28-year-old Mohali resident, who returned from China recently, has been admitted to the isolation ward of PGIMER in Chandigarh after showing novel coronavirus-like symptoms, an official said on Tuesday. This is the first suspected case of novel coronavirus in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh region. The patient, who hails from Uttar Pradesh but lives in Punjab's Mohali, had returned from China last week.


The patient complained of fever and respiratory discomfort, said Dr Gagandeep Singh, State programme officer, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, Punjab, on Tuesday. The patient, who is said to be a banker, himself went to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, for treatment in Chandigarh, official said.


The patient has been kept in an isolation ward and is under observation, the official said, adding his samples have been sent to the National Institute of Virology Pune. 


The family of the patient has been contacted by Mohali heath authorities, the official said, adding they have not shown any such symptoms. Novel coronavirus is a large family of viruses that causes illnesses ranging from common cold to acute respiratory syndromes, but the virus that has so far killed 80 people and affected 2,744 in China is a novel strain and has not been seen before. -- PTI
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10:51   Situation in J-K along LoC under control: Army
The new Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen S K Saini on Tuesday said the situation in Jammu and Kashmir along both the Line of Control and in the hinterland are under control. Speaking after receiving the Guard of Honour, Saini said the Army was prepared for all challenges. 


"Ceasefire violations have gone up last year. We're fully geared up to meet challenges that come across," he said. He also said removing hollowness in terms of critical deficiencies of equipment, ammunition, capacity development along the Northern borders will be among his priorities. 


"New structures like Chief of Defence Staff created. Aligning the Army headquarters with them to create further jointness will be my priorities" Lt Gen Saini said. -- PTI


Image: Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen S K Saini
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10:47   Shaheen Bagh protesters Paki, B'deshi: BJP leader
Majority of the people sitting in protest against the amended Citizenship Act (CAA) in Shaheen Bagh, Delhi and Park Circus, Kolkata are from Bangladesh and Pakistan, BJP National Secretary Rahul Sinha said on Monday.


"Most of the people sitting at Shaheen Bagh and Park Circus are infiltrators from Bangladesh and Pakistan. They are protesting by using children and women as shields. The recent video has revealed they want to divide India and break off Assam. Will the people of this country ever want to talk about dividing this country?" Sinha told ANI on Monday.


"Today, I also ask the leaders who went to Shaheen Bagh, did you go there to support these elements who talk about breaking the nation?" he added.Sinha also slammed the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee led government in West Bengal for passing the anti-CAA resolution in the state Assembly."Mamata Banerjee's government is formed under the Constitution, they took an oath on it before forming the government. Today by passing this anti-CAA resolution they have broken that oath and dishonoured the Constitution. An Act passed by the Centre cannot be challenged by the states," Sinha said.


He further slammed Congress and CPM for supporting the resolution in the Assembly and added that his party will now expose the truth about these parties by visiting Hindu refugee families.


"The work done by Mamata Banerjee, with the help of Congress and CPM is shameful. It has now become clear that they are anti-refugees. The three parties want to send the (Hindu) refugees away and want the illegal Muslim immigrants to settle here," Sinha said.


"We will go to the Hindu refugees in West Bengal and tell them about this act by the three parties," he added.


The West Bengal Assembly passed a resolution against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) which was moved by the Trinamool Congress  government.


After Kerala, Punjab and Rajasthan, West Bengal is the fourth state to pass a resolution against the CAA. The state assembly had on September 6 last year, passed a resolution against the National Register of Citizens (NRC). -- ANI
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10:12   Rupee rises 6 paise to 71.37 against US dollar in early trade
The Indian rupee appreciated by 6 paise to 71.37 against the US dollar in early trade on Tuesday tracking gains in domestic equity market and easing crude oil prices. 


Forex traders said the rupee is trading in a narrow range amid fast-spreading coronavirus outbreak in China stoking fears about more trouble for the global economy. 


The Centre on Monday decided to take steps for possible evacuation of over 250 Indians from Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, and announced a raft of precautionary measures to deal with suspected cases. 


In India, no case has been detected so far though nearly 450 people have been kept under observation in the country. At the interbank foreign exchange the rupee opened at 71.37, registering a rise of 6 paise over its previous close. On Monday, rupee had settled for the day at 71.43 against the US dollar.
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10:06   People from Shaheen Bagh will rape you: BJP MP
BJP MP Parvesh Verma begins this day with this sorry statement on the CAA protests at Delhi's Shaheen Bagh. "...Lakhs of people gather there (Shaheen Bagh). People of Delhi will have to think and take a decision. They'll enter your houses, rape your sisters and daughters, kill them. There's time today, Modi ji and Amit Shah won't come to save you tomorrow..."


This comes even as the Election Commission has taken note and sought a report over a clip of Union minister Anurag Thakur purportedly leading a crowd in a chant of 'shoot the traitors' 'Gaddaron ko goli maro' at a BJP rally surfaced on social media.


The video, reportedly taken at a rally in the National Capital, purportedly shows Thakur, the Minister of State for Finance, exhorting the crowd to chant 'shoot the traitors', a slogan that has frequently been used to denigrate anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protesters and which was also reportedly heard during the 5 January attack on teachers and students at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus in New Delhi.
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09:39   3 Indians isolated at RML hospital in Delhi
Three Indian men, who came from China on Monday, have been admitted to the Ram Manohar Lohia hospital Delhi. 

They walked into the hospital on their own with symptoms of cold and cough which is similar to the coronavirus outbreak, Dr Minakshi Bharadwaj, medical superintendent of the hospital, was quoted as saying.

Also, a Tardeo resident in Mumbai and a Pune resident are among five in Maharashtra who are in a quarantine ward on suspicion of novel coronavirus. In Kerala, over 430 people, most of whom returned from Wuhan province, are under observation. 

Meanwhile, about 45 Indian medical students at Jianghan University School of Medicine in Wuhan, who are stranded in their hostels, have sought immediate help from Indian authorities.

Countries across the world are scrambling to detect and control the virus, as authorities try to evacuate their nationals from China.
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09:26   Cops detain Sharjeel Imam's brother in Bihar
The police on Tuesday morning detained brother of anti-CAA activist Sharjeel Imam, who has been booked on sedition and other charges in several states for his alleged "inflammatory" speeches.

Jehanabad police detained the brother of JNU student and co-coordinator of Shaheen Bagh protests Sharjeel Imam.

He is being questioned at Jehanabad in Bihar.

Another person has also been detained. The identity of the second person, however, hasnt been ascertained yet.
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09:08   China virus death toll jumps to 106; confirmed cases climb to over 4,500
China has reported 24 more deaths from coronavirus epidemic, taking the number of fatalities to 106 as the confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by the outbreak stand at 4,515, the health authorities announced on Tuesday.

Barring Tibet, all Chinese provinces have reported the virus cases, posing a major challenge for the health authorities to contain it.
Overseas confirmed cases have been reported in Thailand (7), Japan (3), South Korea (3), the United States (3), Vietnam (2), Singapore (4), Malaysia (3), Nepal (1), France (3), Australia (4) and Sri Lanka (1).
The death toll from a coronavirus outbreak in China has soared to 106 while nearly 1,300 new cases have been confirmed, authorities said Tuesday.
The provincial authorities in the virus epicentre of Hubei province, of which Wuhan city is the capital, said 24 more people had died from the virus with 1,291 more infections.
By the end of Monday, a total of 4,515 cumulative confirmed cases of the new pneumonia had been reported in Hubei, while 2,567 patients are hospitalised, with 563 in severe conditions and 127 in critical conditions, the Hubei Provincial Health Commission said on Tuesday.

Hospitals across the province received 31,934 fever patients on Monday, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

As of now, 4,200 confirmed cases of the virus have been reported from China.

The Geneva-based WHO in its latest situation report said the risk was "very high in China, high at the regional level and high at the global level."

-- PTI
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08:47   EC seeks report for Thakur's 'Goli maaro' remark
After Union Minister Anurag Thakur was caught on camera at an election rally in Delhi on Monday urging a crowd to say "goli maaro" - or shoot down traitors - the election office has asked for a report.

The minister, who was campaigning for the BJP candidate in Rithala in North West Delhi, can be seen in a widely-shared video chanting "desh ke gaddaron ko...", to which the crowd responds "...goli maaro sa***n ko"; the entire chant translates to "shoot down the traitors who betray the country".

The video shows Thakur, the Union minister of state for finance, egging on the crowd and clapping his hands as they shout the controversial slogan repeatedly.

Several BJP leaders were present at the time. Later, Home Minister Amit Shah addressed the same rally.

A defiant Thakur told reporters: "First watch the entire video... The mood of the people of Delhi should also be analysed."

Election Commission officials said a video of the speech is being examined. "Necessary action" will be taken, said the constituency's Returning Officer. The BJP candidate from Rithala, Manish Chaudhary, was also on stage when the slogan was being chanted.

The slogan has been largely used against those protesting the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and has been heard at rallies held in support of the law too.
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08:06   Trump may visit India from Feb 21 to 24
US President Donald Trump is set to visit India between February 21 and February 24, with a day devoted to a joint public function with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, possibly in Ahmedabad although the final programme is yet to be sealed, according to people familiar with the matter.

Officials with direct knowledge of the arrangements said that the US government has booked Delhis ITC Maurya Hotel for the forthcoming presidential visit from Feb 21-24, including the hotels presidential suite. The ITC Maurya has hosted other US Presidents, including Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.

The visit comes at a time when Pakistan is intensifying its efforts to attack India at the UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva from February 24 to March 30. At the session, Pakistan is expected to go beyond the nullification of Article 370, and add the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, a proposed all-India National Register of Citizens, and the National Population Register 2020 to its list of talking points to argue that Indian Muslims are under threat in the Modi regime, Indian officials said.

Officials said that the highlight of Trumps India visit is expected to be a trade deal, and the two leaders will also discuss China, the Indo-Pacific, Afghanistan, Iran and terrorism emanating from Pakistan.
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00:51   Sonia wants Cong to aggressively raise CAA, NRC
Congress president Sonia Gandhi has asked party leaders to 'aggressively' raise the issue of Citizenship Amendment Act, National Population Register and National Register of Citizens to corner the government in the Budget Session beginning January 31.

Gandhi gave the directions to top Congress leaders during a meeting at her residence to discuss the party's strategy for the session.

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh and Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ahmed Patel, Anand Sharma, Jairam Ramesh, K C Venugopal, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and K Suresh were present during the meeting.

The party will fight against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and raise the economic downturn and other issues concerning the common man, Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury told reporters after the meeting.

"We will fight for the Constitution and will also fight against the CAA," he said.

The Congress intends to go aggressive on the issue of CAA, NRC and NPR and corner the government amid countrywide protests over these issues.

The Congress and other opposition parties will also meet soon to plan a joint opposition strategy ahead of the Parliament session.  -- PTI

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