LIVE! No ministerial powers given to bureaucrats: Shinde

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Sat, 06 August 2022

No ministerial powers given to bureaucrats: Shinde

Timeline Refresh

22:10 Indian National Army veteran Ishwar Lall Singh dies at 92 in Singapore

Ishwar Lall Singh, a 92-year-old Singaporean veteran of the Indian National Army who served under the leadership of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, died here on Friday, according to his family members.

Singh, who joined the Indian National Army (INA) in 1943 and had interacted with Bose, died of old age.

"We are saddened to inform you regarding the demise of our uncle Ishwar Lall Singh. He passed away peacefully on August 5, 2022," Melvinder Singh, one of the nephews of the veteran army officer, told PTI.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh condoled the death of Singh.

"An irreparable loss! The INA veteran, Major (Retd.) Ishwar Lall Singh fought for India's independence with exceptional courage and diligence. I recall my interaction with him during my Singapore visit in November 2019. Pained by his demise. Condolences to his family. Om Shanti," he tweeted.

The defence minister met Singh during his last visit to Singapore in November 2019.

The Indian High Commission in Singapore also confirmed the demise of Singh.

"We deeply mourn the loss of INA veteran Ishwar Lall Singh. May his soul rest in peace," said a tweet on the official twitter of the High Commission of India in Singapore.

The INA was a collection of different major ethnic groups, Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs in Singapore and Malaysia. PTI

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday clarified that no ministerial-level powers have been given to the secretaries except in quasi-judicial matters.

Following an order issued on August 4, the government had faced criticism that all decision-making powers have been given to the bureaucrats as the cabinet currently has only two members, Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis.

"All the powers are vested with the Minister, Chief Minister and Council of Ministers as before. It is completely wrong to say that all the decision-making process has been handed over to the secretaries," the CM said in a statement.

As per the August 4 order, certain powers of ministers have been conferred on the secretaries, but these are only for the filing and hearing of quasi-judicial cases, he said.

These powers were given to the secretaries temporarily due to a Public Interest Litigation pending in the High Court, Shine added.

Even when there is a full cabinet, certain quasi-judicial powers are delegated to secretaries or other senior officials, the statement added.

Shinde has not expanded his cabinet yet though more than a month has passed after he became chief minister following the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray government. -- PTI

The Opposition's Vice Presidential candidate Margaret Alva on Saturday congratulated NDA's Jagdeep Dhankhar for winning the poll and noted that while this election is over, the battle for protecting the Constitution, strengthening democracy and restoring Parliament's dignity will continue.

She hit out at some opposition parties for supporting the BJP in this election "directly or indirectly" and said it was an attempt to "derail" the idea of a united opposition.

Alva said she believes that by supporting the BJP in this election, such parties and leaders have damaged their own credibility.

"Congratulations to Mr Dhankhar on being elected Vice President! I would like to thank all the leaders of the Opposition, and MPs from across parties who voted for me in this election.

"Also, all the volunteers for their selfless service during our short but intense campaign," she said soon after Dhankhar was declared elected as the 14th Vice President of India.

Dhankhar, a former governor of West Bengal, secured 528 votes while 80-year-old Alva got 182.

"This election was an opportunity for the opposition to work together, to leave the past behind and build trust among each other. Unfortunately, some opposition parties chose to directly or indirectly support the BJP, in an attempt to derail the idea of a united opposition.

"It is my belief that by doing so, these parties and their leaders have damaged their own credibility," she said in an apparent dig at the opposition parties who extended their support to NDA in this election.

"This election is over. The battle for protecting our Constitution, strengthening our democracy and restoring the dignity of Parliament, will continue," she also said in a series of tweets.

The Trinamool Congress with 36 MPs, including 23 in Lok Sabha, abstained from this election. Some other parties like the BSP and SAD extended their support to NDA's Dhankhar. -- PTI

20:43 Modi meets vice president-elect Dhankhar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met vice president-elect Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday evening to congratulate him on his win.

BJP president J P Nadda also met Dhankhar at the residence of Union minister Pralhad Joshi in New Delhi.

The meetings came soon after Dhankhar was declared winner in the vice presidential election with 528 votes in his favour against 182 bagged by joint opposition candidate Margaret Alva.

20:14 VP poll: Dhankhar bags 528 votes, Alva 182

National Democratic Allianc candidate Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday won the vice presidential election by bagging more than 500 votes, while opposition candidate Margaret Alva polled less than 200 votes, sources said.

"NDA candidate Jagdeep Dhankar won by 346 votes as he bagged 528 of the total 725 votes that were cast. While 15 were termed invalid, Opposition candidate Margret Alva received 182 votes in the election," Lok Sabha general secretary Utpal K Singh said.

Sources said after counting of 725 votes that were polled, as many as 15 were found to be invalid.

As many as 55 MPs did not vote in the vice presidential election held from 10 am to 5 pm on Saturday.

The Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested Charchit Mishra, the son of noted industrialist and Orissa Stevedores Ltd MD Mahimananda Mishra, in connection with the alleged payment of Rs 25-lakh bribe to an official of the Paradip Port Trust, officials said Saturday.

The agency has also nabbed a builder, Sisir Kumar Das, who was paid from the bribe money an advance for a property purchased by Chief Mechanical Engineer of the port trust Saroj Kumar Das, the main accused in the case arrested by the CBI, they said.

Saroj Kumar Das had allegedly demanded Rs 60 lakh as bribe from Orissa Stevedores Ltd through his conduit Sumanta Rout to let it off without paying for the repair of a conveyor belt at the port that was damaged during unloading of goods, officials said.

The CBI earlier arrested Rout, Saroj Kumar Das, DGM of OSL Surya Narayan Sahu and another person named Sankha Subhra Mitra in connection with the case, they said.

These four accused were sent to five days of CBI custody by a special court, they said. -- PTI

Army Chief General Manoj Pande on Saturday visited the forward areas along the Line of Control in the Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu and Kashmir and reviewed the operational preparedness, an official said.

The Chief of Army Staff reached Jammu on a two-day visit on Friday and was briefed about the prevailing security situation, the official said.

"General Manoj Pande, #COAS visited the forward areas of Poonch & Rajouri Sectors and reviewed the operational preparedness along Line of Control. #COAS also interacted with all ranks & exhorted them to keep working with the same zeal & enthusiasm," the Additional Directorate General of Public Information of the Indian Army tweeted.

The official said Gen Pande visited the headquarters of the White Knight Corps at Nagrota here on Friday and also visited the Akhnoor sector in the outskirts of Jammu.

"General Manoj Pande #COAS visited @Whiteknight_IA and was briefed about the prevailing security situation. He visited the forward areas and complimented the commanders & troops for their professional standards, operational preparedness & ability to thwart any threat," the ADGPI had said in an earlier tweet. -- PTI

19:30 Dhanbad judge murder case: 2 get life term

A special CBI court in Jharkhand on Saturday sentenced an autorickshaw driver and another person to life imprisonment in connection with the murder a Dhanbad court judge last year.

CBI court judge Rajnikant Pathak on July 28 held autorickshaw driver Lakhan Verma and his associate Rahul Verma guilty of murdering 49-year-old additional sessions judge Uttam Anand. The quantum of punishment was pronounced on Saturday.

Besides imprisonment till death, the bench slapped a fine of Rs 20,000 on both convicts under IPC Section 302 (murder).

The CBI judge also sentenced the duo to seven years in jail and imposed Rs 10,000 fine on each under IPC Section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence, giving false information to protect offender).

Both the sentences will run concurrently.

Anand was hit by a heavy autorickshaw on July 28 last year at Randhir Verma Chowk close to district court while he was on morning jog at around 5.30 am. He died on the same day.

Counting of votes for the vice presidential election began Saturday evening after nearly 93 per cent of the members of Parliament cast their ballots.

The counting started at 6 pm under the supervision of the Lok Sabha Secretary General, who is the returning officer for the poll.

As many as 725 MPs voted in the election, polling for which started at 10 AM and ended at 5 PM.

National Democratic Alliance nominee and former West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar (71) is pitted against joint Opposition candidate Margaret Alva (80) in the election.

Sonia Gandhi castes vote in VP poll

18:08 VP poll: Of 780 MPs, 725 cast vote; Dhankhar frontrunner

Around 93 per cent polling was recorded in the vice presidential election on Saturday, with more than 50 MPs not exercising their franchise.

Officials said of the total 780 MPs, as many as 725 MPs voted till 5 pm when the polling concluded.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his predecessor Manmohan Singh cast their ballots early in the day, while opposition leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi voted a little after noon, the officials said.

The Trinamool Congress, which has 39 MPs, including 23 in Lok Sabha, has already announced its decision to abstain from the election. However, two of its MPs -- Sisir Kumar Adhikari and Dibyendu Adhikari -- broke ranks and cast their ballots.

Polling to elect the next Vice President of India began at 10 am, with Modi being among the first ones to vote.

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived in a wheelchair and needed support to stand up and vote. CPM MP John Brittas was among those who helped the veteran leader in exercising his franchise. The two-term former prime minister greeted those present with folded hands.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Saturday told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he will be boycotting the 7th Governing Council meeting of Niti Aayog scheduled to be held on August 7, as a mark of strong protest against the present 'discriminating' trend of the Centre towards states.

In a strong-worded letter to Modi, KCR, as Rao is known, said India as a strong nation can develop only when the states develop. Strong and economically vibrant states alone can make India a strong country, he said.

"In view of these facts I do not find it useful to attend the 7th Governing Council meeting of Niti Aayog scheduled to be held on August 7, 2022 and I am staying away from it as a mark of strong protest against the present trend of central government to discriminate against the states and not treating them as equal partners in our collective effort to make India a strong and developed country," Rao said in the letter narrating a host of reasons for his boycotting the meet. -- PTI

A day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah linked the protest by Congress leaders in the national capital to the Ayodhya Diwas, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Saturday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party was "resorting to their only weapon Ram" to "divert" the attention of the people from the real issues.

"The Congress is protesting against astronomical the price hike and the unprecedented rate of unemployment. It is our political, moral and ideological responsibility to raise the issues of the people. Because people have been afflicted by the abnormal surge of price rise. But in the name of Amrit Kaal, the government has been deceiving the common people," Chowdhury said.

He accused the ruling dispensation of resorting to diversionary tactics.

"When we are protesting against this, they cannot tolerate it. So now they are trying to divert the attention of the common people, resorting to the only weapon they have been using - Ram," he added.

The Congress leader charged the BJP with "virtually worshipping Ravan" in the name of Lord Ram.

"But in the name of Ram, they have been virtually worshipping Ravan. During the regime of Ram, each and every person was happy, but during the regime of Ravan, people used to suffer afflictions which we are witnessing now. They should refer to Ravan because Ram does not fit their present assault on the common people," he said adding that the party would continue its protest against the price rise.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday hit out at the Congress, saying the party chose August 5 for protest and its leaders wore black clothes because they "want to give a subtle message to further promote their appeasement politics" on a day Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation of a grand Ram temple at Ayodhya two years back.

"I can't understand why they protested today. Every day when they protest, they used to wear their usual normal dress but today they wore black clothes. The Congress chose this day for protest and wore black clothes because they want to give a subtle message to further promote their appeasement politics because on this day itself PM Modi laid the foundation of Ram Janambhoomi," Shah said on Friday.

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella organisation of over 40 farm unions, will launch a nationwide campaign against the Centre's Agnipath scheme for military recruitment on Sunday.

The campaign will be launched in collaboration with the United Front of ex-Servicemen and various youth organisations.

Swaraj India president Yogendra Yadav on Saturday said the first step in the campaign would be a "Jai Jawan Jai Kisan" conference from August 7 to August 14.

"This campaign aims to educate the public about the disastrous consequences of the controversial Agnipath scheme and compel the Centre, by using democratic, peaceful and constitutional means, to roll it back.

"If the (three) farm laws were dire, the Agnipath scheme is disastrous. With our farmers and soldiers in distress, the backbone of our nation is in danger of being broken. Our silence cannot be the reason for the government to bulldoze and destroy the protectors and feeders of the nation. We have stopped them once, we can stop them again," Yadav told a press conference here.

He said some of the major events under the campaign will take place on Sunday in Haryana's Jind district, Mathura (Uttar Pradesh) and Kolkata.

On August 9, the events will be held in Rewari (Haryana) and Muzaffarnagar (Uttar Pradesh).

There will be events in Indore (Madhya Pradesh) and Meerut (Uttar Pradesh) on August 10 and in Patna on August 11.

Yadav said the Agnipath scheme should be withdrawn and the earlier system of regular and permanent recruitment restored.

"Agnipath" is a scheme for recruitment of soldiers in the Army, the Navy and the Air Force, largely on a four-year contractual basis. -- PTI

The Indian Army is planning to use 5G services to boost frontline troops communication services that will be essential in a tactical battlefield area, sources in the defence establishment said on Saturday.

The Army was the lead service when a joint services study was recently conducted on implementation of 5G in armed forces, they said.

The study has been completed and its recommendations are being studied by the three services -- Army, Navy, Air Force, they noted.

The Indian Army will exploit 5G to support operations in tactical battlefield area, they said.

The high bandwidth and low latency of 5G are better suited for critical communication services for front line troops, they added.

On August 1, India's biggest ever auction of telecom spectrum -- 5G -- received a record Rs 1.5 trillion of bids, with Mukesh Ambani's Jio cornering nearly half of all the airwaves sold with an Rs 88,078 crore bid. -- PTI

With more than 100 pigs dead in Ranchi district since July 27 due to suspected swine fever, the Jharkhand animal husbandry department has sounded the alert and asked the others to take precautionary measures, a government official said on Saturday.

Samples from affected pigs have been sent to the National Institute of High Security Animal Disease in Bhopal and Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in Kolkata to diagnose the actual disease, he said.

Pig deaths have so far been reported only in Ranchi district. However, we have issued an advisory to all districts to take precautionary measures and follow COVID-19 like protocol in case of similar occurance, state animal husbandry director Shashi Prakash Jha told PTI.

The department has also initiated swine fever vaccination drives, he said.

"We have also asked that the sick animal should be isolated and handled with proper protection, Jha added.

At the Kanke-based government pig breeding farm here, about 70 pigs have died so far. There are around 1100 pigs, including 760 full grown ones in the farm.

Ranchi animal husbandry officer Anil Kumar said around 40 pig deaths have been reported from Chanho area, besides McCluskieganj and Khalari areas.

Institute of Animal Health and Production director, Vipin Bihari Mahta, told PTI "Such kind of disease has been reported for the first time in Jharkhand. The symptoms are more like that of African swine fever. The deaths are sudden. The animals get symptom of fever, stop eating and die soon after".

He said that since actual treatment and vaccine for the disease is still unknown, symptom based treatment is being provided.

"The disease cannot be confirmed until we get the laboratory report from Bhopal," Mahta said. The staff of the animal farms have been asked to take all precautionary measures while handling the animals.

"Till now it does not seem the disease will affect humans as there are no symptoms among the people working in the animal farms. But, we have alerted the farm workers," he said.

Over 85 per cent votes were polled in the Vice Presidential election till 2 PM, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his predecessor Manmohan Singh casting their ballots early in the day, officials said.

Of the 780 MPs in both Houses -- another eight Rajya Sabha seats are vacant -- around 670 of them had cast their vote so far, they said.

The Trinamool Congress, which has 39 MPs, including 23 in Lok Sabha, has already announced its decision to abstain from this election.

National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) Jagdeep Dhankhar (71) is pitted against Opposition's Margaret Alva (80) for the post.

Polling to elect the next Vice President of India began at 10 am, with Modi being among the first ones to do so.

Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP president J P Nadda, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and Commerce Minister and Leader of House in Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal were among the leaders who turned up early at the Parliament House.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi and former party chief Rahul Gandhi also cast their ballot post noon.

The polling will continue till 5 pm, following which the counting of ballots will take place.

15:38 5.3-magnitude earthquake jolts central Nepal

An earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale jolted Kathmandu Valley and other parts of central Nepal on Saturday morning.

However, there were no reports of any damage or casualties, officials said.

According to the National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Centre, the 5.3-magnitude earthquake, which occurred at 5:26 am, had its epicentre in Belkot Gadhi of Nuwakot district.

In April 2015, a devastating earthquake of 7.8-magnitude rocked Nepal, killing nearly 9,000 people and wounding nearly 22,000 others.

It also damaged over 800,000 houses and school buildings. -- PTI

The Bihar government has decided to release certain categories of prisoners, who have served half their jail terms, in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the country's independence, a state minister said on Saturday.

A screening committee of the state home department has been instructed to review records of prisoners and identify eligible ones to grant the special remission, Bihar Law Minister Pramod Kumar told PTI.

The decision to this effect was taken in a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday.

The proposal to grant special remission to certain categories of prisoners was placed before the state cabinet by the law department.

"It's a major decision taken by the state government. Certain categories of prisoners, who have served half their jail terms, will be released as advised by the central government. The state-level screening committee of the home department has been instructed to review records of inmates and identify eligible ones languishing in different prisons in Bihar," the minister told PTI.

The panel has received some recommendations from several prison authorities and will examine these, Kumar said.

"The committee will ensure that notorious criminals, repeat offenders and those who fall in prohibited categories are not considered for the special remission," he said.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has asked all state governments and Union Territories to give special remission to certain categories of prisoners and release them on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the country's independence being celebrated as the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav'.

As advised by the Centre, the committee's recommendations will be placed before a competent authority for consideration and approval, Kumar said.

"According to the advisory issued to all states and Union Territories, women and transgender convicts above 50 years with overall good conduct, especially those not punished in the last three years and have completed half their sentence, may be released in three phases - this Independence Day (August 15), Republic Day 2023 and the next year's I-Day," he said.

African American singer Mary Milben, known for her moving rendition of Om Jai Jagadish Hare and Jana Gana Mana, is travelling to India to attend and perform at the celebrations related to the country's 75th anniversary of Independence.

"Following in the footsteps of Dr Martin Luther King Jr and his pilgrimage to India in 1959, I am honoured to represent the United States as a cultural ambassador for the 75th Anniversary celebration of India's Independence," Millben said in a statement ahead of her trip at the invitation of Indian Council for Cultural Relations.

Millben, 40, is the first American artiste to be invited to India by the ICCR for the Independence Day celebrations. She will be an official guest representing the US, the statement said.

"I am thrilled to finally experience this treasured motherland, celebrate my meaningful relationship with India and Indian communities across the world, and highlight the important democratic alliance between the United States and India during this important observance of India's Independence," Millben said.

"As I prepare for my first trip to India, my heart's sentiments echo Dr King's words, 'to other countries, I may go as a tourist, but to India, I come as a pilgrim,'" she said.

Accompanied by Priya Samant, co-founder/CEO of NFT global company Abris.io and a strategic advisor on US-India relations, Millben will also perform in India for the first time, making an appearance at the Indiaspora Global Forum to celebrate 75th year of the country's Independence and 10th year of Indiaspora.

Invited by Indiaspora Founder M R Rangaswami, Millben will open the forum by singing the Indian national anthem and then jointly perform with International piano prodigy Lydian Nadhaswaram on the evening of August 10.

Nadhaswaram is a young, musician from Chennai, Tamil Nadu who won The World's Best on CBS and, earning a prize money of USD 1 million.

India was first introduced to Millben's artistry during the 2020 celebration of the country's 74th Independence Day -- a virtual performance of India's national anthem. It was followed by her moving performance for the 2020 Diwali observance, including releasing an original and stirring single of Om Jai Jagdish Hare.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has said that Sri Lanka's economic woes would last for another year and it will have to think outside the box and look at new sectors like logistics and nuclear energy to revive the bankrupt economy.

Speaking at a two-day conference titled "Let's reset Sri Lanka" held on Friday, Wickremesinghe said that reforms in the country also would need higher taxation.

The next six months to one year I think till about July next year, we will have to go through a hard time," he said, adding that for recovery Sri Lanka would have to look at new sectors such as logistics and nuclear energy.

"One I believe in very much is logistics, if you see the growth of the Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani economies, logistics can have a big role to play here in Colombo, in Hambantota and Trincomalee. This is how we use our strategic position," he said, referring to the two major ports of the island nation.

Sri Lanka is going through its worst economic crisis since independence in 1948. The export industry is badly hit by the fuel scarcity caused by the forex crisis.

Tourism industry, which was the backbone of the Sri Lankan economy, also got dented initially due to the COVID-19 pandemic and later owing to the economic turmoil.

Wickremesinghe, who was elected the president last month by Parliament, will serve the remaining term of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled the country and resigned amidst the massive anti-government protests.

Wickremesinghe, who has previously described Sri Lanka's economy as bankrupt, said that economic reforms would require higher taxation.

"Even taxation on wealth, we have to resort to those measures, first for economic recovery and second for social stability, he said.

The president also said the country will have to consider getting into the nuclear energy sector.

"More you have more energy you can sell to India, at the same time keep more renewable energy available. We have to think outside the box," he said.

Having declared an international debt default in April, Sri Lanka is currently negotiating with the International Monetary Fund for a possible bailout package.

However, the IMF programme has hit a snag in the form of restructuring of debt. Even the World Bank has refused to provide any aid until a detailed macroeconomic policy is in place.

Referring to the ongoing IMF bailout attempt, Wickremesinghe said the legal and technical advisers on debt restructuring are moving ahead with the task.

Indian Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari reviewed and flew indigenous Light Combat Aircraft Mk 1 'Tejas', Light Combat Helicopter and HTT-40.

Representative image

14:43 61 cows die in UP shelter due to nitrate poisoning

Sixty-one cows died due to nitrate poisoning after overeating green millet fodder in a shelter in Amroha's Hasanpur area, a medical report showed.

The village development officer, who was also the in-charge of the cow shelter, has been suspended and an FIR has been lodged against the fodder supplier, Amroha District Magistrate BK Tripathi said.

Director of Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) Dr Triveni Singh on Saturday said that a team of IVRI scientists conducted a thorough inspection of the cow shelter and conducted a post-mortem examination of the bovine animals.

During the inspection, it was found that the cows had consumed an excess of green 'bajra' (millets), which contained excess of nitrate, he said.

IVRI's principal scientist Dr KP Singh said that the death of the cows took place due to haemorrhage owing to overfeeding of the contaminated fodder.

"The viscera of the cows' kidney, liver, heart and lungs have been preserved, and once its test report comes, the picture will be clear," he added.

District officials on Thursday had said that the cows at the shelter fell ill in the evening after eating fodder. Around 55 cows had died by Thursday night and the toll reached over 60 by Friday morning. More than 180 cows were kept at the shelter home.

The deaths prompted Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday evening to order a probe and direct Animal Husbandry Minister Dharam Pal Singh to reach Amroha.

Amroha Superintendent of Police Aditya Langeh said that four teams have been formed to arrest the accused in the case.

Police have detained some people for questioning but have not confirmed any arrests yet. -- PTI

Bharatiya Janata Party MP Varun Gandhi took a swipe at the government on Saturday over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "muft ke revdi" (freebies) comment, saying loans up to Rs 10 lakh crore of corrupt businessmen were waived in the last five years.

Mehul Choksi and Rishi Agarwal top the list of those who received "muft ki revdi", Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi, sharing a government reply in Parliament about the top 10 defaulter firms. Choksi and Agarwal are associated with two of those firms.

"The same Parliament that expects the poor to express thanks at receiving five kg grains also says bad loans of Rs 10 lakh crore of corrupt businessmen have been waived in the last five years. Who has the first right over the government treasury?" Gandhi asked.

He was apparently referring to another Bharatiya Janata Party MP's remarks during a debate in Parliament that Modi has been providing free foodgrains to 80 crore poor people since the COVID-19 outbreak. The government deserves praise for this, the MP had said.

The prime minister stirred a debate recently by criticising some political parties for offering "muft ki revdi" for electoral gains. This is very harmful for the country's development, he had said. -- PTI

13:39 SAD supports NDA nominee Dhankhar in VP polls

Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday said his party has supported NDA nominee Jagdeep Dhankhar in the polling to elect the next Vice President of India.

Dhankhar is pitted against joint Opposition candidate Margaret Alva.

In a tweet, Badal said, "Shiromani Akali Dal supports a peasant's son, crusader for farmers' rights and the man who secured OBC status for the farming community (Jats) in his state, Sh Jagdeep Dhankhar for the Vice Presidency."

In another tweet, Badal said, "Shiromani Akali Dal is happy that in both Presidential and Vice Presidential polls, we have supported the candidates who have stood by the downtrodden and the farmers."

Sukhbir Badal and his wife and former union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal are Members of Lok Sabha.

In July, the SAD supported National Democratic Alliance's presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu. -- PTI

Days after seeking United States help in securing an early release of a crucial USD 1.7 billion instalment from the International Monetary Fund to Pakistan, Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has now reached out to Saudi Arabia and the UAE as part of his efforts to ensure financial assistance for the cash-strapped nation, according to a media report on Saturday.

As the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund is set to meet later this month to formally approve the next tranche of USD 1.2 billion instalment, the international lender wants Pakistan to ensure it receives commitment from its friends for financial assistance, the Express Tribune newspaper reported.

It is believed that the IMF has asked Pakistan to provide firm guarantees that its friends would provide USD 4 billion for its external requirements.

Pakistan is in talks with key allies like Saudi Arabia, the UAE and China to provide the necessary funding, the report said.

When Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif travelled to Saudi Arabia in April, he returned empty-handed as Riyadh had not given any firm assurance. The UAE was also reluctant to come to the rescue. Instead of providing loans, the UAE offered Pakistan to buy shares and assets.

"Against this backdrop, the army is believed to have spoken to the authorities both in Saudi Arabia and the UAE for financial help," the report said.

Pakistan Army's media wing in a statement on Friday said that General Bajwa received a telephone call from UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan during which the Gulf leader expressed deepest condolences over the tragic loss of precious lives due to the helicopter crash in Lasbela.

It, however, made no mention of any talks related to financial aid to Pakistan.

The latest development came days days after Bajwa reportedly spoke to US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman in July last week seeking Washington's help for an early meeting of the IMF Executive Board.

Bajwa spoke over phone with Sherman and also appealed to the White House and the US Treasury Department to push the IMF to immediately expedite the nearly USD 1.2 billion loan, state-run news agency Associated Press of Pakistan had reported, quoting sources in the Pakistan Army.

However, the Foreign Office had feigned ignorance if the two leaders talked about economy even as it confirmed that Bajwa and Sherman had a telephonic conversation.

The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), in a weekly meeting, reviewed the data of genomic surveillance of variants and found that at present, Omicron and its sub-lineages are the predominant mutataions that are circulating in India.

"Presently, only Omicron and its sub-lineages are the predominant circulating variants in India," sources told ANI today.

"The COVID-19 cases are rising, but hospitalization and deaths are still less," said sources.

"We review the data every week, but there is no need to panic at all because hospitalization hasn't increased and no new variant has been found so far," added sources.

INSACOG will release its bulletin regarding the presence of Omicron sub-lineages soon.

According to the bulletin issued on July 11 by INSACOG, Omicron and its sub lineages continue to be the dominant variant in India. "BA.2.75 sub-variant has acquired more mutations in spike protein and other genes of the SARS-CoV-2," and it also mentioned that the variant is being closely monitored.

INSACOG is jointly initiated by the Union Health Ministry of Health and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

"COVID-19 is a cyclical viral disease like many others. Immunity from infection is short-lived for coronaviruses, unlike measles or chicken pox viruses. Newer Omicron sub-lineages are especially capable of leaping past the immunity generated by older versions of the same variant," said Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, co-Chairman of National Indian Medical Association's COVID-19 task force.

Multiple Chinese planes and ships were detected around Taiwan Strait, simulating an attack on its main island, the Defence Ministry said on Saturday adding that some of them have crossed the median line.

According to the Ministry of National Defence, the armed forces responded to such a situation accordingly with surveillance systems, CAP aircraft, naval vessels and missile systems.

"Multiple PLA craft were detected around Taiwan Strait, some have crossed the median line. Possible simulated attack against HVA. #ROCArmedForces have utilized alert broadcast, aircraft in CAP, patrolling naval vessels, and land-based missile systems in response to this situation," Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence tweeted today.

As the tensions in the Twan strait heightened soon with US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, China has been increasing its military activities.

Yesterday, Taiwan's Defence Ministry said that 68 Chinese military planes and 13 warships crossed over the median line to participate in drills.

"Multiple PLA aircraft and vessels were detected participating in drills around Taiwan Strait and have crossed the median line. #ROCArmedForces have utilized alert broadcast, aircraft in CAP, patrolling naval vessels, and land-based missile systems in response to this situation," Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence had tweeted.

Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang blasted what he called "the evil neighbour" after China encircled the self-ruled island with a series of huge military drills that were condemned by the United States and other Western allies.

Notably, Following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's recent Taiwan visit, China has upped the ante against Taiwan.China is holding threatening military exercises in six zones off Taiwan's coasts that it says will run through Sunday. Missiles have also been fired over Taiwan, defence officials told state media.

The speaker is the highest-ranking US politician to visit Taiwan in 25 years.

12:05 Manmohan casts vote in VP poll

Former Prime Minister and Congress MP Dr Manmohan Singh cast his vote for the vice presidential election today at the Parliament.

11:34 Sanjay Raut's wife appears before ED

Varsha Raut, wife of arrested Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut, on Saturday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate in Mumbai in connection with a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the redevelopment of a 'chawl' and related transactions.

The central agency had issued summons to Varsha Raut earlier this week.

Accordingly, she reached the ED office located at Ballard Estate in south Mumbai at 10.40 am.

She is expected to be confronted with her husband, who is currently in the ED custody, and some other accused involved in the case.

Police personnel have been deployed in large numbers outside the ED office.

The central agency is conducting a probe linked to a Rs 1,034-crore alleged land scam related to the redevelopment of the Patra "chawl" in Mumbai's Goregaon area.

Sanjay Raut, a Rajya Sabha member, was arrested by the ED in this case on August 1 and a local court on Thursday sent him to further custody till August 8.

10:47 Actress Anne Heche critical after car crash

Actor Anne Heche is in critical condition following a fiery car crash.

As per Fox News, Anne crashed a vehicle into a Mar Vista, California, home on Friday, igniting a fire.

She was transported to a hospital with severe burns on her body.

Anne, 53, was driving a blue Mini Cooper when she first crashed into a garage of an apartment complex in Los Angeles.

Witnesses told TMZ they tried to help the actress out of her car before she fled.

Brian Humphrey, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department, told Fox News Digital the person involved in the accidents was transferred to a hospital in critical condition.

A resident was present at the time of the accident at the home and escaped injury.

Anne, however, sustained burn injuries and was "conscious and breathing" when she was placed on a stretcher.

Anne rose to fame with her stint on the soap opera Another World, where she played the dual role of twins Vicky Hudson and Marley Love from 1987 to 1991 and earned a Daytime Emmy Award for her performance.

She followed that with roles in films like Donnie Brasco, Six Days Seven Nights, and Wag the Dog. -- ANI

Pakistani journalist Anas Mallick/ANI

10:36 Taliban assaults Pakistani journalist Anas Mallick in Kabul

Pakistani journalist Anas Mallick, who was in Afghanistan to cover the first anniversary of the Taliban's takeover of the country, was abducted and physically assaulted by the Taliban.

Later Pakistan's ambassador to the neighbouring country Mansoor Ahmad Khan on Friday confirmed that he is safe.

Mallick, who works for an Indian news channel, landed in Afghanistan on Wednesday to cover the Taliban's takeover and the recent assassination of al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri in a US drone strike.

Reports of Mallick going missing began circulating Thursday night, a day after he had reached Afghanistan.

His fellow journalist was one of the first persons to share the news of Mallick's disappearance Thursday night, in a tweet.

She shared that his phones were not reachable and no information about him was available with the Pakistan embassy in Kabul, which had begun conducting preliminary inquiries with the Taliban government.

Later, Pakistan's ambassador to the Afghanistan Mansoor Ahmad Khan confirmed Friday that Mallick has now been located in Kabul and is safe.

"Regarding reports about Pakistani journalist Anas Malik, I have just talked to him on phone briefly. He is in Kabul and safe. Embassy will remain in touch with him," the envoy tweeted.

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto had also shared the information via Twitter.

Mallick also took to Twitter to inform about his safety, saying, "I am back".

He was reported missing the next day after filing a story about the safehouse where Zawahiri was killed in a drone strike. -- ANI

10:28 VP polls begin, PM Modi casts his vote

Polling to elect the next Vice President of India began at 10 am, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi being among the first ones to cast vote.

The polling will continue till 5 pm, following which the counting of ballots will take place.

National Democratic Alliance nominee and former West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar (71) is pitted against joint Opposition candidate Margaret Alva (80).

With the ruling BJP having an absolute majority in the Lok Sabha and 91 members in the Rajya Sabha, Dhankhar has a clear edge over his rival.

He is likely to succeed incumbent M Venkaiah Naidu, whose tenure ends on August 10.

All MPs of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, including nominated members, are entitled to vote in the vice presidential election.

The two Houses of Parliament together have a sanctioned strength of 788 MPs, of which there are eight vacancies in the Upper House.

Hence, 780 MPs are eligible to cast their ballot in this election. -- PTI

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday flagged off "The Great India Run' from Lal Chowk in Srinagar.

The marathoners will cover a distance of more than 800 kilometres from Srinagar to New Delhi with the message of peace and national integration, an official spokesman said.

The run is being dedicated to the 'HarGharTiranga' campaign to mark 'AzadiKaAmritMahotsav'.

The venue was decorated with 75 Indian tricolours to mark 75 years of Independence, he said.

The occasion also witnessed the children celebrating 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign as a part of the marathon, the spokesman said.

The relay-run will go across four states covering the routes -- Banihal, Patnitop, Mansar Lake, Dinanagar, Hoshiarpur, Rupnagar, Ambala Cantt -- before culminating at India Gate on the occasion of Independence Day.

The first leg of the run is being led by ultra-marathon runner Arun Bhardwaj, he said.

Some of India's most iconic sports legends including PT Usha, 'Queen' of Track and Field'; Anju Bobby George, World Championship medalist; Commonwealth champions, former Indian cricketers, footballers among others will join in the various legs of the run, the spokesman said.

Rajya Sabha member Kartikeya Sharma was present on the occasion, he said. -- PTI

09:31 Toll in Bihar hooch tragedy rises to 11

Eleven people have died and 12 have fallen seriously ill, many of them losing their eyesight, after consuming spurious liquor in Saran district of dry Bihar, officials said.

According to district magistrate Rajesh Meena and superintendent of police Santosh Kumar, five people have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the manufacture and sale of hooch, while the SHO of the police station concerned and the local chowkidar have been suspended.

Information was received on Thursday about two people dying and many taking ill after consuming some drink.

The incident was reported from villages falling under Phulwariya panchayat in Maker police station area, they claimed.

"A team of police, excise and medical officials were sent to the spot and those fallen ill were admitted to the Sadar Hospital here. Those whose condition worsened were rushed to PMCH hospital in Patna," they told reporters during a joint press conference in Chhapra town on Friday. -- PTI

The BJP on Friday organised a mock voting drill for NDA coalition MPs ahead of the vice-presidential election.

BJP president JP Nadda and several Union ministers were present during the exercise.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi and Union Minister Bhupender Yadav oversaw it. After the exercise, NDA's vice-presidential nominee Jagdeep Dhankar reached Parliament and thanked the MPs of the ruling alliance for nominating him as their candidate.

Polling for the vice presidential election will be held on August 6.

Dhankhar is the ruling alliance nominee and Margaret Alva the opposition candidate. -- PTI

Representational image

08:51 8 killed in Kabul during Shia community mourning gathering

At least eight people were killed and 18 others injured in Kabul on Friday during a Shia community mourning gathering following the holy month of Muharram, according to reports.

Khalid Zadran, a Taliban police spokesperson said that the explosion took place in the Sarkariz area of the capital city, Tolo News reported.

Citing sources, Anadolu Agency reported that several people were gathered to commemorate the first 10 days of the Muslim holy month of Muharram.

According to Zadran, the explosive devices were placed in a cart.

ISIS has claimed the responsibility for the bomb attack in Kabul, according to reports.

The Shias have been facing persecution in Afghanistan for many years. -- ANI

An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 occurred around Belkotgadi of Nuwakot district, Bagmati province in Nepal, the country's National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Center said on Saturday.

The tremors were felt at 05:26 am.

In a tweet, NEMRC said, "An Earthquake of ml 5.3 occurred around Belkotgadi of Nuwakot district at 05:26." -- ANI

African American singer Mary Milben, who is known for her moving rendition of Om Jai Jagadish Hare' and Jana Gana Mana', is travelling to India to attend the celebrations related to the country's 75th anniversary of Independence.

Millben is the first American artiste to be invited to India by the ICCR for the Independence Day celebrations.

She will be an official guest representing the US, the statement said.

As I prepare for my first trip to India, my heart's sentiments echo Dr King's words, to other countries, I may go as a tourist, but to India, I come as a pilgrim," said Millben.

Jagdeep Dhankhar (left) and Margaret Alva

08:10 Vice presidential elections to be held today

The vice presidential elections will be held in the Parliament House from 10 am to 5 pm on Saturday and the results are expected to be announced by evening.

Jagdeep Dhankhar is the vice-presidential candidate of the ruling National Democratic Alliance while the Opposition, led by the Congress has fielded Margaret Alva as its candidate for the post.

With numbers stacked in favour of the NDA, Dhankhar, former Governor of West Bengal, is set for an easy win.

Cracks were visible in opposition unity as Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress decided to abstain from voting alleging lack of consultations while deciding on the name of Alva.

Representational image

00:50 Civilian killed, soldier hurt in Kulgam encounter

A civilian was killed and a soldier injured during an encounter between security forces and terrorists in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, the police said.

The security forces had launched a cordon-and-search operation in the Redwani area of Kulgam district following inputs about the presence of militants there, a police official said.

The official said the search operation turned into an encounter after the terrorists opened fire on the security personnel, who retaliated.

An Indian Army soldier and a civilian sustained injuries in the gunfight, he said, adding it was unclear how the civilian was injured.

The civilian, identified as Manzoor Lone of the Redwani Bala area of Kulgam, succumbed to injuries in the evening.

"Injured civilian namely Manzoor Lone S/O Abdullah Lone R/O Redwani Bala Kulgam succumbed to his injuries. Injured Army Jawan Kiran Singh of 1RR, R/O Ramban is hospitalised at 92 base Hospital Srinagar. Search operation concluded," the police said on Twitter. -- PTI

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