LIVE
Tue, 18 January 2022
Mallya can be evicted from London home: UK court
Timeline Refresh
23:31 AAP to declare party's CM candidate for Goa polls tomorrow
After Punjab, the Aam Aadmi Party will declare its chief ministerial candidate for Goa assembly elections on Wednesday.
AAP's national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the party's chief ministerial candidate for Goa polls will be announced at a press conference in Panaji on Wednesday.
"We will declare it tomorrow (Wednesday)' said Kejriwal. -- ANI
22:51 Mallya can be evicted from London home: UK court
Embattled businessman Vijay Mallya on Tuesday lost a legal battle to hold on to his plush London home after a British court refused to grant him a stay of enforcement in a long-running dispute with Swiss bank UBS.
The 18/19 Cornwall Terrace luxury apartment overlooking Regent's Park in London, described in court as an 'extraordinarily valuable property worth many tens of millions of pounds,' is currently being occupied by Mallya's 95-year-old mother Lalitha.
Delivering his judgment virtually for the Chancery Division of the high court, deputy master Matthew Marsh concluded there were no grounds for him to grant further time for the Mallya family to repay a GBP 20.4-million loan to UBS the claimant in the case.
"The claimant's position was a reasonable one further time is not likely to make any material difference," deputy master Marsh ruled.
"I would also add from my review of the correspondence, I can see no basis whatever for the suggestion that has been made that the claimant has misled the first defendant (Vijay Mallya) in conclusion, I dismiss the first defendant's application," he said.
The judge also declined permission to appeal against his order or to grant a temporary stay of enforcement, which means UBS can proceed with the possession process to realise its unpaid dues.
"I will refuse permission to appeal and therefore it follows that I will not be granting a stay," said Marsh.
Mallya's barrister, Daniel Margolin QC, indicated that the 65-year-old businessman plans to pursue an appeal before a high court chancery division judge as it has 'serious consequences' for his clients, including Mallya's elderly mother who currently resides at the address.
Meanwhile, Fenner Moeran QC made it clear that UBS intends to proceed with the enforcement order without delay. -- PTI
22:13 Over 80 doctors, paramedics test Covid positive in a day at GMC Srinagar
Over 80 doctors and paramedics have tested positive for COVID-19 at Government Medical College Srinagar in a single day, taking the total number of infected persons in the tertiary care institution to 546 in January so far, officials said on Tuesday.
"Omicron is spreading very very fast: 46 doctors, 22 MBBS students, 15 paramedics tested COVID Positive in 1 day in GMC Srinagar & Ass(i)st(ed)d Hospitals. Total count goes up to 546 since 1st Jan this year," head of department community medicine at GMC Srinagar Dr Muhammad Salim Khan said in a tweet.
He urged the people to follow COVID appropriate behaviour and other SOPs religiously.
"Avoid gatherings. Please wear facemasks necessarily. Maintain social distancing," he said.
"On Tuesday, Kashmir reported highest COVID Positive cases this wave. Omicron seems predominantly circulating but Delta variant could also be affecting people leading to moderate to severe illness. Please mask up necessarily," Khan added. -- PTI
22:03 Govt effects major reshuffle of top IAS officers
Senior bureaucrat B V Umadevi has been appointed as additional secretary in the ministry of home affairs as part of a major bureaucratic reshuffle brought into effect by the Centre on Tuesday.
Umadevi, a 1987-batch Indian Forest Service officer of Chhattisgarh cadre, is currently additional secretary, ministry of environment, forest and climate change.
Shashank Goel, a 1990-batch IAS officer presently in the cadre, has been named as additional secretary, ministry of labour and employment, the ministry of personnel's order said.
As per the order issued on Tuesday, the appointments committee of the cabinet (ACC) has approved these appointments which include the name of Shailesh Kumar Singh, currently in Jharkhand cadre, appointed as additional secretary and development commissioner, ministry of micro, small and medium enterprises.
Manish Kumar Gupta, principal commissioner of Delhi Development Authority under the ministry of housing and urban affairs, has been appointed as vice chairman in the same department in the rank and pay of additional secretary.
Chanchal Kumar has been appointed as managing director, National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd, ministry of road transport and highways in the rank and pay of additional secretary.
While Ashish Srivastava, additional secretary in ministry of women and child development, has been appointed as additional secretary and financial adviser in ministry of health and family welfare by cancelling the order dated December 4 last year regarding his appointment as additional secretary, Cabinet Secretariat.
Hari Ranjan Rao, additional secretary in the department of telecommunications, has been appointed as administrator in Universal Service Obligation Fund under the department of telecommunications in the rank and pay of additional secretary.
V L Kantha Rao, additional secretary and director general (acquisition) in ministry of defence have been appointed as additional secretary, department of telecommunications vice Hari Ranjan Rao upon his appointment as administrator, Universal Service Obligation Fund.
Pankaj Agrawal, additional secretary in Cabinet Secretariat, will be additional secretary and director general (acquisition) in ministry of defence vice V L Kantha Rao upon his appointment as additional secretary, department of telecommunications.
Vikram Dev Dutt has been appointed as chairman and managing director in Air India Ltd under the ministry of civil aviation in the rank and pay of additional secretary while Anuradha Thakur, additional secretary in Cabinet Secretariat, has been appointed as additional secretary, ministry of corporate affairs.
The appointments committee of the cabinet has also approved an extension in the central deputation tenure of Ashutosh Jindal, additional secretary in Cabinet Secretariat for a period of one year beyond February 16, 2022, up to February 16, 2023.
-- ANI
Representational image
21:38 3 naval personnel killed in blast on INS Ranvir
Three Navy personnel were killed in an explosion onboard the Indian Naval Ship (INS) Ranvir at the Naval dockyard in Mumbai on Tuesday, an official statement said.
"In an unfortunate incident today at Naval Dockyard Mumbai, three naval personnel succumbed to injuries caused by an explosion in an internal compartment onboard INS Ranvir," the Indian Navy's statement noted.
The ship's crew responded immediately and quickly brought the situation under control, it mentioned. No major material damage has been reported, it added.
"INS Ranvir was on cross coast operational deployment from the Eastern Naval Command since November 2021 and was due to return to base port shortly," it mentioned.
A board of inquiry has been ordered to investigate into the cause of this incident, the statement noted.
Representational image
21:08 At 6,149, Mumbai sees slight rise in Covid cases
After dropping for five days in a row, daily coronavirus cases marginally rose to 6,149 in Mumbai on Tuesday, while seven more patients succumbed to the infection and 12,810 others recovered, the city civic body said.
The new cases rose by 193 from a day ago, but fatalities dropped by five.
With fresh additions, the COVID-19 tally increased to 10,11,967, while the death toll jumped to 16,476, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said in a bulletin.
The number of active cases also dipped below the 50,000-mark.
The financial capital's positivity rate stood at 12.89 per cent, up from 12.51 per cent on Monday.
The rate indicates the percentage of people who test positive for the virus of those overall who have been tested.
According to the bulletin, 47,700 new tests were carried out in the city, slightly more than a day ago, taking their cumulative tally to 1,47,17,804.
Since the last five days, the daily COVID-19 cases were going down steadily, while fatalities were going up. Mumbai had reported 5,956 cases on Monday, pushing the overall count above the 10-lakh mark, and 12 fatalities. -- PTI
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20:37 Ensure only Covaxin is administered to 15-18 age group: Bharat Biotech
Bharat Biotech on Tuesday said it is receiving several reports that children in the age group 15 to 18 are being administered COVID-19 vaccine other than Covaxin.
Requesting the health workers to be vigilant and ensure that only Covaxin is administered to that particular age group, Bharat Biotech in a twitter post said its vaccine is the only approved COVID-19 jab to be administered to children in the age group between 15 and 18.
"We have received several additional reports of individuals in the 15-18 year age group being administered unapproved COVID-19 vaccines," the company said.
Covaxin received approval based on thorough clinical trial evaluation for safety and immunogenicity in the 2-18 years age group.
Currently it is the only COVID-19 vaccine in India approved for children, it added. -- PTI
20:07 Mamata to campaign for Samajwadi Party in UP
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will campaign for Samajwadi Party in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly poll and her party - the Trinamool Congress will not contest the election in that state, SP vice-president Kiranmay Nanda said on Tuesday.
Nanda, who returned from poll bound Uttar Pradesh on Monday, held an hour-long meeting with Banerjee at her residence on the issue.
"The Trinamool Congress will not contest in Uttar Pradesh and will support Samajwadi Party in the fight against the BJP. Mamata Banerjee will hold virtual campaigns along with SP president Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow and Varanasi. She will be in Lucknow on February 8 and attend a virtual campaign. She will then will hold a joint press conference with Akhileshji," Nanda told reporters after the meeting.
Banerjee will also visit Varanasi later in February but the date is yet to be fixed, he said.
"She will visit Varanasi for a virtual meeting," Nanda said and noted that most of the campaigns are being held virtually due to COVID restrictions.
The election to all 403 Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases from February 10 to March 7.
"Mamata Banerjee is a strong leader and the way she fought against the BJP and defeated it in the West Bengal Assembly Election in 2021 is a lesson for the entire opposition. Her fight was unprecedented. The entire nation saw the fight she had put up against BJP's juggernaut," he said.
During the high octane West Bengal assembly polls, the Samajwadi Party had decided against contesting in the state and extended its support to the ruling TMC.
Akhilesh Yadav shares a very cordial relationship with Mamata Banerjee and had even attended the grand opposition meeting hosted by the TMC supremo in January 2019.
One of the longest-serving fisheries ministers of West Bengal during the erstwhile Left Front regime, Nanda had merged his party, the West Bengal Socialist Party with Samajwadi Party in 2010. -- PTI
19:10 Retd Army chief Gen JJ Singh joins BJP in Punjab
Former Army chief Gen Joginder Jaswant Singh on Tuesday joined the BJP in Chandigarh in the presence of the party leadership, including Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
Shekhawat and Punjab BJP chief Ashwani Sharma welcomed Singh into the party fold.
The former army chief had left the Shiromani Akali Dal in 2018.
General J J Singh had joined the SAD in 2017 and had unsuccessfully contested against the then Congress leader Amarinder Singh from Patiala during the assembly elections that year.
J J Singh, who had also served as the governor of Arunachal Pradesh, was the first Sikh to be appointed as the Army chief, in 2005.
Voting for Punjab's 117 assembly seats is scheduled for February 20 and the counting will take place on March 10.
18:17 Assam-Meghalaya border settlement ready: Himanta
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that the roadmap for amicable settlement of border disputes with Meghalaya in six areas of difference has been prepared through mutual consultations at the top level of the two governments.
The opposition Congress, however, called for more discussion on the matter, particularly in the state Assembly, saying that the government has proposed an approach in which both states would lose or get some areas.
"Our efforts to resolve Assam-Meghalaya border row have started bearing fruits as 6 of the 12 areas of difference have been identified for resolution in the first phase," Sarma tweeted after an interaction with leaders of political parties of the state on the Assam-Meghalaya boundary dispute.
The areas of differences taken up for final settlement in the first phase are Hahim, Gizang, Tarabari, Boklapara, Khanapara-Pillingkata and Ratacherra, he added.
Out of the 12 points of disputes between Assam and Meghalaya, these six areas with relatively less critical differences have been taken up in the first phase.
A roadmap for amicable settlement has been prepared based on recommendations of 3 Regional Committees with representatives from both the states.
"We've reached this stage after several rounds of CM-level talks on the matter," Sarma said.
Representatives of various political parties such as the Congress, CPI(M), Asom Gana Parishad, Bodoland People's Front and the All India United Democratic Front were present at the meeting.
Talking to PTI after the meeting, Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia of the Congress said a very small portion of the area that is under dispute between the two states has been taken up for resolution.
"The government has proposed a give-and-take approach where both states will let go or receive almost an equal area. We feel that there should be a discussion in the Assembly before any proposal is finalised," Saikia said. The Congress has asked for a discussion on the findings of the regional committees in the Assembly, he said. "We were shown a presentation on the matter," the Congress leader said. -- PTI
Abhishek Banerjee
18:08 We're united, TMC rubbishes infighting reports
Trinamool Congress general secretary Partha Chatterjee Tuesday said there is no internal feud in the party and the recent war of words among its leaders over comments by its national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on containing COVID-19 in West Bengal was "blown out of proportion by the media".
Every single TMC member - leader or worker is working under the leadership of party supremo Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee, he told reporters.
TMC will hold organisational polls in Netaji Indoor Stadium in the city on February 2 where office bearers at its different levels will be selected in a democratic manner, Chatterjee said.
He was replying to queries about the recent war of words between Srerampore MP Kalyan Bandyopadhyay and some other leaders, including Arambagh MP Aparupa Poddar and Kamarhati MLA Madan Mitra over the recent comments by Abhishek Banerjee suggesting banning of all political and religious activities for two months over the pandemic situation.
"There is no point in bringing Abhishek Banerjee into the controversy. The entire incident is being blown up by a section of the media," Chatterjee said.
TMC, he said, will hold the organisational poll at Netaji Indoor Stadium in the city on February 2 where office bearers at its different levels will be selected in a democratic manner.
"We remain a united family. Each one of us will work under the guidance of Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee. The organisational poll will be held under their guidance. I as returning officer cannot comment beyond that," Chatterjee, also a state cabinet minister, said.
The details and modalities of the organisational election, to be held after a gap of about five years, will be declared soon, including issuing of notification for the poll. The list of voters and observers will be compiled by January 25 after talking to all concerned.
Asked for his comment on the jibe by saffrom party leaders against the alleged war of words within TMC, Chatterjee said "We don't attach importance to such utterances of BJP, which had built its organisation in the state mostly with individuals who had deserted their original parties before the assembly poll. Those who did so started leaving the sinking ship after the state poll. There is not much left in the BJP organisation in West Bengal now".
Mocking the BJP, he said "What is to be said about a party in which a central minister of the rank of minister of state (Santanu Thakur) speaks against the party leadership in his own state and a veteran like Tathagata Roy (senior leader and former governor of Tripura and Meghalaya), does the same thing in his tweets frequently". Chatterjee, however, said he would not like to comment on the internal affairs of BJP. -- PTI
17:57 Public trust in govt, news declines
Public trust in governments and media has declined in the last one year amid the COVID-19 pandemic while concerns about fake news have reached all-time high levels, a global survey showed on Tuesday.
The annual Edelman Trust Barometer report, released every year during the World Economic Forum's Davos summit, also showed that business has replaced government as the most trusted and is now followed by government and media in that order.
According to the study, 76 per cent respondents globally said they worry about false information or fake news being used as a weapon.
While Spain topped this list with 84 per cent, India came in at the fifth place with 82 per cent.
Respondents in the Netherlands, Japan, France, UK and Germany appeared least concerned about fake news.
In terms of the average per cent trust in NGOs, businesses, governments and media among their people, China topped the list and India came in at the fourth place and Russia was at the bottom.
India figured in the top-five also in terms of economic optimism.
With regard to the trust in one's employer, India was ranked second (90 per cent) after Indonesia (91 per cent) while China was third (89 per cent) and South Korea came in last.
India saw the trust declining in businesses, governments and media while it was unchanged with regard to NGOs.
Respondents from India reposed the highest trust for NGOs globally and the third-highest each towards businesses and media.
On trust in government, India was ranked fifth after China, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia.
Businesses were found to be more trusted than governments in 23 of 28 countries surveyed. The survey was conducted with a sample size of more than 31,000 general population and 6,000 informed public globally. PTI
Health workers process Covid tests
17:45 Centre asks states to immediately up Covid tests
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Monday wrote to all States and Union Territories and asked them "to immediately increase testing in a strategic manner keeping in view the trend of case positivity in specific areas".
In a letter, Additional Secretary (Health) Arti Ahuja said that the data available on the Indian Council Of Medical Research (ICMR) portal shows a decline in the COVID tests in many States and Union Territories amid rising cases due to Omicron which has been declared as the Variant of Concern (VoC) by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Listing the basic objective of COVID testing as early detection of cases for quick isolation and care, and additionally it being a key strategy for pandemic management, Ahuja said, "Identification of new clusters and new hotspots of infections which can, in turn, facilitate immediate action for containment such as setting up of containment zones, contact tracing, quarantining, isolation and follow up. This can enable the State and district administration to curb the spread of infection."
"Ensuring reduction in mortality and morbidity. Progression of disease to a severe category can be averted by strategic testing of those who are at high risk and more vulnerable, as well as in areas where the spread is likely to be higher," she added.
Further, the letter mentioned that all those who are symptomatic, and the at-risk contacts of laboratory-confirmed cases must be tested. "...pay immediate attention and increase the testing in a strategic manner keeping in view the trend of case positivity in specific geographies within your States/UTs," the letter read. -- ANI
17:27 Civil socy group questions PM's 'maun' on Haridwar
A group of prominent civil society members on Tuesday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "silence" over alleged hate speeches against Muslims at the Haridwar Dharam Sansad and demanded "exemplary" action by the government against those involved.
The Indian Muslims for Secular Democracy (IMSD) in a statement signed by 278 people, including lyricist Javed Akhtar and actor Naseeruddin Shah, said that "no Indian ought to be surprised by the shocking silence" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi despite growing demand nationally and internationally that he must speak, and his government must act in "exemplary fashion" against members of the Dharam Sansad who have called for a "genocide of Indian Muslims".
"The PM's silence speaks volumes, is nothing short of a mockery of Indian democracy, a violation of the Indian Constitution which the PM has sworn to uphold during his swearing in.... His 'maun' (silence) is inexcusable," the statement said.
"In his first term as Prime Minister, Modi had promised 'sabka saath, sabka vikas' to all Indians. He went a step further in his current second term with the assurance of 'sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas'. That these were/are nothing but insincere and hollow slogans is more than evident from the way Indian Muslims continue to be hounded, wounded and lynched," the group said.
The signatories of the IMSD statement include journalists, lawyers, academicians, civil society activists and members of the film fraternity. Some participants at the Dharam Sansad held in Haridwar from December 17-19 have been accused of delivering highly provocative speeches against Muslims. PTI
17:12 FM holds presser on Devas-Antrix deal
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on the Devas-Antrix issue:
Highlights of her presser ahead of the assembly polls:
-- I would like to talk on Supreme Court judgment on Devas-Antrix issue. SC has given a comprehensive order. UPA got cancelled this deal in 2011. It was a fraud deal.
-- Antrix appeared in agreement with Devas in 2005 during the UPA govt. It was a fraud deal. UPA govt cancelled this deal in 2011.
-- In 2011, when the whole thing was cancelled, Devas went to international arbitration, Govt of India never appointed an arbitrator, was reminded to appoint arbitrator within 21 days, but govt didn't appoint.
-- Master game players in this are the Congress & with this SC order we're able to see that... Now it should be Congress' turn to answer how cabinet was kept in dark. They should have no moral right to speak about crony capitalism.
16:48 BJP holds core committee meet ahead of polls
Union Ministers Amit Shah, Dharmendra Pradhan, UP CM Yogi Adityanath, BJP national president JP Nadda and other BJP leaders arrive for the BJP core committee meeting at the party headquarters in Delhi.
The BJP has announced 107 candidates for the 403-seat assembly, discussions are still underway for others. UP votes in seven phases starting February 10 with results on March 10.
Talks with ally Sanjay Nishad of the Nishad Party and the Apna Dal have also seen both parties push for a greater share than they hold currently.
16:35 Sensex tanks 550 pts; Nifty slumps below 18,150
Equity benchmark Sensex plunged by 554.05 points on Tuesday, tracking deep losses in realty, auto and metal stocks amid widespread selling pressure in global markets.
The 30-share index slumped by 554.05 points or 0.90 per cent to end at 60,754.86.
The broader NSE Nifty fell by 195.05 points or 1.07 per cent to 18,113.05. Maruti was the top loser in the Sensex pack, shedding over 4 per cent, followed by Tech Mahindra, HCL Tech, Tata Steel, IndusInd Bank and L&T.
Sectorally, Basic Materials, Telecom, Auto, Realty and Metal indices fell up to 2.76 per cent. On the other hand, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Kotak Bank Dr Reddy's, Titan and Nestle India were the gainers.
16:33 I'm bored, mom
Veera, the tiger cub tries out a tiny yawn as his mother watches tenderly at the Byculla zoo in Mumbai.
Royal Bengal tigers Shakti and Karishma were brought to the zoo from Aurangabad and gave birth to Veera on November 14.
PM on R-Day last year
16:19 Intel warns of terror attack on R-Day
Ahead of Republic Day, the Delhi-National Capital Region has been put under a "very high-security" cover after police received inputs from Intelligence agencies about a possible terror attack, officials said on Tuesday.
Operation of sub-conventional aerial platforms, including UAVs, paragliders and hot air balloons, over the national capital has been prohibited in the city from January 20 in view of Republic Day celebrations, according to a Delhi Police order issued on Tuesday.
The order shall come into force from January 20 and remain in effect till February 15.
The order has been issued by Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana in the wake of reports of the possibility of certain criminal or anti-social elements or terrorists posing a threat to the safety of the general public, dignitaries and vital installations, it said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Deepak Yadav said in view of Republic Day, the security has been tightened with the entire area where the celebration would take place being placed under multiple CCTVs fitted with facial recognition software.
All units of the Delhi Police, including local police, Special Cell, Special Branch, Traffic, SWAT (all-woman Special Weapons and Tactics) and teams from the National Security Guard will also be part of deployment besides the paramilitary forces, he said.
"Anti-drone arrangement systems have been put up at two different locations. Police personnel will also be deployed on high rise buildings for extra vigil. There's also an air defence gun to keep a watch and tackle any hostile aircraft," the DCP said.
Patrolling teams along with PRAKHAR vans with attached cameras will also be part of the security wing, he said. According to Delhi Police, there is a three-layered security system in place and the force is always alert and undertakes anti-terror measures especially ahead of any event of national importance.
"We are focusing on anti-terror and sabotage activities. Although, it is a usual protocol, we do it especially ahead of any event of national importance. With the upcoming Republic Day event, we have intensified our activities and deployed extra manpower," another senior police officer said.
Citing the recent security breach of Prime Minister Modi's convoy in Punjab, the Delhi Police officers said that the force is extra vigilant to ensure no such incident happens in the national capital.
"As the prime minister's security is of paramount importance, we have intensified our vigil and deployed extra manpower to ensure no such (Punjab) incident is repeated. We have also received intelligence inputs that there are chances of a possible terror or drone attack," the officer said.
In the wake of the recent drone attack in Abu Dhabi in which two Indians and a Pakistani national were killed as well as the recovery of IEDs in Punjab and Ghazipur, the possibility of a threat to the prime minister cannot be ruled out, the officer added.
16:02 AAP to announce Goa CM candidate tomorrow
Aam Aadmi Party national convenor and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to announce party's CM candidate for Goa during a press conference in Panaji tomorrow.
This afternoon AAP MP Bhagwant Mann was named as the party's chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming Punjab Assembly polls.
"Aam Aadmi Party Lok Sabha MP from Sangrur constituency in Punjab Bhagwant Mann will be the party's chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming Assembly elections," Kejriwal said while addressing a press conference in Mohali.
AAP had last week released a phone number asking people to give names of their preferred Chief Ministerial candidate for the party in Punjab. The AAP has said that it received nearly 22 lakh responses on the number.
Calling Mann as his "younger brother", Kejriwal said that of the total responses, 93.3 per cent wanted Bahgwant Mann to the party's Chief Ministerial candidate. Bhagwant Mann is currently an MP from Sangrur Lok Sabha seat of Punjab.
15:54 Legendary cartoonist Narayan Debnath dies at 97
Cartoonist Narayan Debnath, the creator of Bengali comic characters 'Bantul The Great', 'Handa Bhonda' and 'Nonte Phonte', died in Kolkata on Tuesday morning after a prolonged illness, said the hospital where he was undergoing treatment.
He was 97 and survived by two sons, a daughter and a granddaughter. Debnath, who was handed the Padma Shri award while undergoing treatment at the hospital, died at 10.15 am, his family said.
He was put on ventilator support as his condition deteriorated after being admitted to the hospital on December 24.
In his career spanning over six decades, Debnath created comic characters such as 'Bantul The Great', 'Handa Bhonda' and 'Nonte Phonte' -- all of which are household names in Bengal.
Condoling the death, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Debnath brightened several lives through his works, cartoons and illustrations.
"His works reflected his intellectual prowess. The characters he created will remain eternally popular. Pained by his demise. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti," Modi tweeted.
The first comic strip of 'Handa Bhonda' was published in 1962 in Bengali children's magazine 'Suktara', brought out by Deb Sahitya Kutir. It was followed by 'Bantul The Great' (1965) and 'Nonte Phonte' (1969). Debnath continued working till the age of 93 when the last comic strip of 'Nonte Phonte' was published in the 2017 Durga Puja issue of Suktara. -- PTI
15:31 No rethink on including Kerala, WB, TN tableaux
The decision to not include the tableaux of Kerala, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu at the Republic Day parade will not be revised, senior officials of the Defence Ministry said on Tuesday and noted that a total of 12 states have been selected to display their models.
"Tamil Nadu's tableaux could not make it into the final list of 12 tableaux selected for participation in the Republic Day Parade. This is also to bring to your kind info that during the last few years, tableaux from the state govt of Tamil Nadu has been selected for participation in R-Day during 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021," Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said.
The remarks by the defence ministry officials came amidst ongoing controversy over the tableaux exclusion, prompting West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin to seek Prime Minister Narendra Modi's immediate intervention.
Some leaders of the non-BJP ruled states also alleged that the exclusion was an "insult" by the Centre. Reacting to the controversy, a senior defence ministry official said, "it is not possible to accept requests from these three states' and polite responses have been sent to their CMs explaining the long process of selection of tableaux."
"It is not possible to revise or reconsider the decision as tableau making process is a very long process and an expert committee takes these decisions sufficiently in advance," the official added.
Officials said tableaux of Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand will be shown at this year's parade.
Moreover, tableaux of nine ministries and departments of the Central government will be shown at this year's parade, they stated. These nine tableaux would be Education and Skill Development, Civil Aviation, Communications and Posts, Home Affairs, Housing, Textiles, Law and Justice, Jal Shakti and Culture, they added.
Therefore, a total of 21 tableaux would be shown at this year's parade, they added. Overall, there were 56 proposals to show tableaux this year, they said. PTI
15:15 An offended State
"In a much-publicized case in Uttar Pradesh, a freelancer for a news portal apprehended in October 2020 entered his 15th month of incarceration this month, even as his case was transferred to a special court in Lucknow in December.
"Siddique Kappan was arrested on October 5 while he was on his way to Hathras, home to the young Dalit woman who died after being allegedly gang-raped by four upper-caste men in September 2020. Her cremation at night by the authorities, allegedly without the parents' consent, had triggered outrage. Kappan was not the only journalist heading for Hathras at that point.
"He was freelancing for a news portal and had hitched a ride to Hathras with student activists of the Popular Front of India whom he knew. That association has added much grist to the 5,000 page chargesheet produced by the UP police and the inquiry of the Special Task Force in the intervening months. "
Sevanti Ninan on the police as the arbiters of communication. Read the column here.
15:11 Army rescues civilians stuck in avalanche in J-K's Kupwara
The Army on Tuesday rescued over a dozen civilians after their vehicle came under an avalanche triggered by recent snowfall in border district of Kupwara in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
The vehicle got stuck on the Tangdhar- Chowkibal axis, following which the nearest Army unit was alerted and a rescue operation launched, they said.
"The civilians, which included a child, were evacuated to safety by the Army rescue team," the officials said.
One of the civilians told the rescuers that they had a narrow escape as they managed to jump out of the vehicle before it was buried under snow, the officials said. They said the Army team also recovered the vehicle from the mounds of snow. PTI
15:04 Covid numbers across states
Maharashtra has the unenviable distinction of the maximum number of Covid-19 cases.
14:48 Teleprompter couldn't handle lies, quips Rahul
Rahul Gandhi today tweeted on a glitch that had Prime Minister Narendra Modi stop his virtual address at the World Economic Forum (WEF) summit in Davos last evening and start over.
"Itna jhooth teleprompter bhi nahin jhel paya (not even the teleprompter could handle such lies)," Rahul Gandhi tweeted.
A flurry of tweets from BJP handles blamed the glitch on the Davos organisers.
"Don't those getting excited at the tech glitch not realise that the problem was at WEF's end? They were not able to patch PM, so requested him to start again, which is evident in the way Klaus Schwab said that he will again give a short introduction and then open up the session...," tweeted Shalabh Mani Tripathi, media adviser to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
14:41 A cricket tournament for Vedic pandits with Sanskrit commentary
Two men clad in traditional dhoti and kurta run as fast as they can while an excited commentator discusses the likely outcome of the ongoing game on the ground in fluent Sanskrit.
This setting might mislead one into believing that some ritual is underway but the two men are players trying to score a quick run during a cricket match.
Welcome to the cricket tournament being held for Vedic pandits on the Ankur ground in Bhopal to mark the birth anniversary of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
"Players in this tournament are those who perform rituals as per the Vedas," Sanskriti Bachao Manch's state president Chandrashekhar Tiwari told PTI on Tuesday.
"This is the second year of this tournament in which participants, who are Vedic pandits, play while wearing traditional dhoti (or Mundu) and kurtas. They speak to each other in Sanskrit. The match commentary is also in Sanskrit," he said.
He said the goal of organising the four-day tournament is to promote the ancient Sanskrit language and sportsmanship among the Vedic family. Apart from cash prizes for winning teams, players are being honoured with Vedic books and a 100-year panchang (almanac).
When asked about the challenges of playing cricket in traditional attire, Tiwari said, "No problem is faced during fielding in the dhoti-kurta attire. I also hit sixes and fours during Monday's match".
He said teams from various Vedic institutions are participating in this tournament. Tiwari said that one such tournament with commentary in Sanskrit was played in Kashi. PTI
14:39 50L+ HCW, frontline workers get booster dose
Over 50 lakh healthcare, frontline workers and citizens aged 60 years and above have been administered the precaution dose of COVID-19 vaccine since January 10, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Tuesday.
With the administration of nearly 80 lakh vaccine doses in a span of 24 hours, the cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has exceeded 158.04 crore as per provisional reports till 7 am.
"Another Day, Another Milestone Over 50 lakh healthcare & frontline workers and citizens aged 60 years or above have received precaution Dose, since 10th January. I request all those who are eligible to get their precaution dose at the earliest," Mandaviya tweeted.
India began administering precaution dose of COVID-19 vaccine to healthcare workers, frontline workers including personnel deployed for election duty and those aged 60 and above with comorbidities from January 10 amid the country witnessing a spike in coronavirus infections fuelled by Omicron variant of the virus.
However, the countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16, 2021 with healthcare workers (HCWs) getting inoculated in the first phase. The vaccination of frontline workers (FLWs) started from February 2.
The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from March 1 for people over 60 years of age and those aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions. The country launched vaccination for all people aged more than 45 years from April 1, 2021. -- PTI
14:34 DCW seeks FIR against Club House app
The Delhi Commission for Women has issued a notice to the Cyber Crime Cell, Delhi Police, seeking an FIR against a few persons for allegedly making derogatory remarks against women on an app called 'Club House'. The Commission has sought a response from the Cyber Crime Cell by January 24.
14:06 Sisters who killed 5 children get lifer
The Bombay High Court on Tuesday commuted to life imprisonment the death sentence awarded to sisters Renuka Shinde and Seema Gavit, who were convicted by a Kolhapur court for kidnapping 14 children and killing five of them between 1990 and 1996.
A bench of Justices Nitin Jamdar and S V Kotwal noted that the Maharashtra and Union governments had inordinately delayed the execution of the death sentence awarded to the two women even though their mercy petition filed before the President was rejected in 2014.
Such delay was the reason for commuting their death sentence to life imprisonment, the High Court said, noting that it showed the "casual approach" of the state and Union governments.
The bench further said that the primary reason for its decision to commute the death sentence was the "dereliction of duty of the state machinery".
The two women, who have been in custody since October 1996, had in 2014 petitioned the High Court to commute the death sentence to life term, citing unreasonable delay by the state in dealing with their mercy petitions. The sisters had said that such delay violated their fundamental right to life. The convict women, in their plea in the High Court, said they had been living under the fear of death for more than 13 years from the time that the High Court and Supreme Court confirmed their death sentence.
The delay in deciding the mercy petitions was entirely attributable to the executive, including the Maharashtra governor, state government, Ministry of Home Affairs and the President of India, they stated.
On Tuesday, the bench of Justices Jamdar and Kotwal said, "The inordinate delay in executing the death sentence even after their (Shinde and Gavit) mercy petition was rejected shows the casual approach of state officers."
"The state machinery showed indifference. That it took over seven years for movement of files is unacceptable. Dereliction of duty of the state is the reason for commuting the death sentence," it said.
The sessions court in Kolhapur had convicted the accused and sentenced them to death in 2001. The death sentence was confirmed by the High Court in 2004 and thereafter by the Supreme Court in 2006. -- PTI
13:45 Auto drivers among list of 8,000 R-Day invitees
Republic Day prep amid the pandemic.
The Ministry of Defence says this year the list of invitees include construction workers, sanitation workers, front line workers and auto-rickshaw drivers. The purpose is to give opportunity to every person in the society. The invitees have to be fully vaccinated.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the number of visitors to be substantially curtailed this year.
"We are looking at a range of 5000 to 8000 people but we have not yet finalised that. Last year, 25,000 visitors had taken part in it," Senior Defence Ministry officials said.
A total 600 young artists, who will perform at Rajpath this year. They were selected through a nationwide competition 'Vande Bharatam' organised by MoD and the Ministry of Culture to ensure participation of people from all over the country and encourage talented dancers.
There will be no foreign chief guest from Central Asian countries on Republic Day this year due to COVID-19. The government had sent invitations to the Heads of State of five Central Asian countries but the plans have now been cancelled.
"The requests from West Bengal and Tamil Nadu to reconsider the inclusion of their tableaux in the Republic Day parade cannot be revisited. They have been informed about the reasons (of their non- inclusion)," the MoD said.
Use of para-gliders, para-motors, unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned aircraft systems, micro-light aircraft, remotely piloted aircraft, small size powered aircraft, quadcopters, para-jumping etc prohibited in Delhi from Jan 20 till Feb 15, Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana says.
13:33 'Vajpayeeji, can you tell us about Mrs Kaul?'
A stunned silence descended.
Unfazed, Vajpayee thought for a while, then replied with smiling eyes, 'Kashmir jaisa maamla hai [The matter is a bit like Kashmir].'
A fascinating excerpt from Sagarika Ghose's Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Read it here.
13:28 Bhagwant Mann got 93% votes in AAP referendum
Bhagwant Mann, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP's) chief ministerial candidate for Punjab received more than 93 per cent of the votes cast through phone and WhatsApp, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal said today.
More than 21 lakh people participated in the vote, AAP said.
The auditorium erupted in cheers and slogan shouting as a montage on Bhagwant Mann played out on a giant screen.
"People laughed when they see my face. But now they cry and say, save us," Mann, a standup comic, said and quoted Dr Martin Luther King's famous lines: In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."
13:14 Talent, one grain at a time
If you missed this yesterday, here's sand artiste Sudarsan Pattnaik's homage to Pandit Birju Maharaj, who passed away yesterday.
13:12 China seeks to use Gwadar port as military base: Report
China will seek to use Pakistan's Gwadar Port, which comes under the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, as a military base, according to an expert.
In an interview with Junaid Qureshi, Director of European Foundation for South Asian Studies (EFSAS), Professor Matthew McCartney, an economics scholar at the School of African and Oriental Studies (SOAS), talked about the various issues related to China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in general and its flagship project, China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), in particular.
He said it is inevitable that China would at some point "seek to use the port in Gwadar as a military base to ensure the steady influx of foreign resources, but China is a very pragmatic country and would be careful of any premature militarization of the port as that would result in widespread antagonization."
In 2015, China announced an economic project in Pakistan worth USD 46 billion. With the CPEC, Beijing aims to expand its influence in Pakistan and across Central and South Asia in order to counter the influence of the United States and India.
The CPEC would link Pakistan's southern Gwadar port (626 kilometres west of Karachi) in Balochistan on the Arabian Sea to China's western Xinjiang region. It also includes plans to create road, rail, and oil pipeline links to improve connectivity between China and the Middle East.
13:03 AAP's video on the Punjab CM seat deserves applause
AAP tweets, "Punjab's next CM is in the house! #AAPdaCM," and shares this video of the battle for the state.
12:35 Jaadu ki jhappi
An emotional Bhagwant Mann hugs AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal. Both, of course, without masks.
12:28 AAP names Bhagwant Mann as CM face in Punjab
AAP names Bhagwant Mann as chief minister candidate for Punjab based on public votes.
A video of Bhagwant Mann's life and times is being shared on stage as the announcement is made at the Mohali stadium.
Mann represents the Sangrur Lok Sabha constituency and is a two-time MP.
As far as the Congress is concerned, the infighting continues and the AAP has stolen a march over Charanjit Singh Channi and his team.
Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal last week said his party would be asking the general public as to who should be the party's chief ministerial face in the Punjab Assembly polls, even as he indicated that his own preference for the post was state unit president Bhagwant Mann.
The Delhi chief minister, in the presence of AAP's Punjab unit president and MP Mann and party senior leader Raghav Chadha, had launched a mobile number on which people can give their feedback by 5 pm till January 17 by recording their option, or sending an SMS or WhatsApp as to who among the party leaders they want to be declared as the chief ministerial candidate.
12:13 Yogi meets Nadda in Delhi
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath paid a courtesy visit to BJP national president JP Nadda at the latter's residence in Delhi, today.
11:46 Sensex slides; Maruti, UltraTech Cement, Tech Mahindra slump
The Indian equities markets benchmark Sensex slumped 187 points on Tuesday dragged by selling pressure in auto, IT and metal stocks.
Maruti Suzuki slumped by around three per cent erasing the gains made in Monday's rally. UltraTech Cement dipped by more than two per cent.
The 30 stock S&P BSE Sensex of the Bombay Stock Exchange was trading at 61,121.56 points at around 11.02 am, which is 187.35 points or 0.31 per cent lower from its previous day's close at 61,308.91 points.
Earlier the Sensex opened in the positive at 61,430.77 points and rose to a high of 61,475.15 points in the early morning trade. Later, the Sensex slipped into negative touching a low of 60,948.04 points. -- ANI
Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi
11:33 Punjab CM's nephew raided ahead of polls
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday raided multiple locations in poll-bound Punjab as part of a money laundering probe against companies involved in illegal sand mining in the border state, officials said.
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi's nephew was among several others raided today by the Enforcement Directorate.
Channi's nephew Bhupinder Singh Honey's home and 10 other places in Punjab were searched early this morning.
The ED said at least 10-12 locations in the state are being covered by the officials of the federal agency and the action is being undertaken under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The state is poll-bound with voting slated to take place for its 117 assembly seats on February 20.
11:19 Now, a doctor from Bihar gets vaxxed five times
The Bihar government has ordered an investigation after records showed that a Patna-based civil surgeon was administered five shots of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The civil surgeon, Dr Vibha Kumari Singh, however, said she had taken the jab thrice as per rules. Singh also claimed that someone else managed to get vaccine shots using her PAN card details, and called for a probe.
According to the CoWIN portal, she received the first dose on January 28, 2021 and was fully vaccinated by March last year.
Government records showed Singh was also got jabbed on February 6, 2021 using her PAN card information, and for the fourth time on June 17 that year.
She then took a precautionary dose on January 13, 2022.
Patna District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh on Monday said the administration has started an investigation. Strict action will be taken against those found guilty, he said.
Earlier this month, an 84-year-old man in the north Bihar district of Madhepura caused a flutter with the claim that he has taken a dozen shots of the coronavirus vaccine.
"I have used my Aadhaar card and my voter ID card on different occasions to get myself registered Every single dose has helped relieve my chronic back pain. I have never caught a cold since I took the first shot 11 months ago," the octogenarian Brahmadeo Mandal had said. PTI
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar
11:09 Bihar BJP chief asks JD-U to maintain 'maryada' of alliance
In an apparent rift between Bihar's NDA allies, state BJP chief Sanjay Jaiswal on Monday warned the leaders of Janata Dal (United) to maintain the "maryada" (dignity) of the alliance.
In a Facebook post, Jaiswal said, "To ensure that the NDA alliance is strong in Bihar, we all have to be maintain maryada (dignity) of the alliance. It cannot be one-sided anymore."
Without taking any names, the BJP chief said, "the NDA alliance is decided by the Central leaders and is very strong. We need to walk together."
He further questioned why some JD(U) leaders were tagging him and the BJP central leadership on Twitter.
"The first condition of this coalition is to stop playing Twitter-Twitter with the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is the honour and pride of each and every BJP worker. If you question him, then 76 lakh BJP workers of Bihar know very well to answer it. I am sure all of us will take care of this in future," said Jaiswal.
He further targeted two JD(U) leaders who had urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to withdraw the Padma Shri award from Daya Shankar Sinha, who has compared King Ashoka and Mughal ruler Aurangzeb.
"There can't be anything more absurd than asking Prime Minister to take back the award as there has not been such precedent in the last 74 years. There is no clear guideline on taking back such awards," Jaiswal said.
He further said that first of all the Bihar government should arrest Daya Shankar Sinha.
"We are 100 times more opposed to Sinha than you are because Jansangh and BJP's birth is based on cultural nationalism. If you are keen about Sinha being punished, arrest him in the light of my FIR against him and prosecute him in a fast track court," he said.
The BJP chief said, "It is not just our responsibility to ensure that the Bihar government should run smoothly in a good environment. This is your responsibility too. If there is a problem, then we should sit together and find a solution. If you want something from our central leaders, then they should also talk directly to them."
Earlier, the state BJP chief had slammed the Bihar government over the sale of illicit liquor in the state.
11:00 5 years on, justice for rape survivor
Two persons were sentenced to 20 years in jail by a court in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district for raping a 55-year-old tribal woman.
Additional District and Sessions Judge of Rairangpur Deepak Kumar on Monday also ordered both the men to pay a fine of Rs 20,000 each.
The amount will be paid to the survivor as compensation. The two men, aged 25 and 35, took the tribal woman to an under-construction house and raped her.
The incident happened in December 2017 in the Badampahar police station area. The accused persons were arrested after the husband of the survivor had lodged a police complaint.
The judgment was based on the woman's statement, medical report and statements of 15 witnesses, Additional Public Prosecutor Pankaj Das said. PTI
10:51 India's Covid vax coverage exceeds 158 crore
India's cumulative COVID-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 158.04 crore on Tuesday, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
As per government data, 1,58,04,41,770 vaccine doses have been administered so far.
The ministry said that this has been achieved through 1,69,76,817 sessions.
In the last 24 hours, a total of 79,91,230 vaccine doses were inoculated to the eligible population.
Over 50 lakh precautionary doses of the vaccine have been administered.
The ministry informed that 50,84,410 precautionary doses have been administered so far. Of these, 19,92,671 doses were given to healthcare workers, 16,85,446 to frontline workers and 14,06,293 to those above 60 years with co-morbidities. -- ANI
10:46 Oranges sold for a penny or not as much
A spot of colour in the morning, perhaps?
Orange growers in Siliguri, West Bengal, face hardship due to low production. "Production is down 10-15% due to some disease affecting the orchards. Earlier we exported to Bangladesh and sold to Kolkata. Now, we only sell locally. The government should take steps to resolve the issue," said an orange exporter.
10:11 Active Covid cases in India highest in 230 days
With 2,38,018 new coronavirus infections being reported in a day, India's total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 3,76,18,271, which includes 8,891 cases of the Omicron variant, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Tuesday.
The active cases have increased to 17,36,628, the highest in 230 days, while the death toll has climbed to 4,86,761 with 310 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated.
There has been an 8.31 per cent increase in Omicron cases since Monday, the ministry said.
Experts said it is not possible to undertake genome sequencing of each and every sample but stressed that the current wave is largely being driven by the Omicron variant. -- PTI
09:51 Chandrababu Naidu tests COVID-19 +ve
Former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition in Andhra Pradesh, N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday tested positive for COVID-19 with mild symptoms and have quarantined himself at home.
"I have tested positive for COVID with mild symptoms. I have quarantined myself at home and taking all the necessary precautions. I would request those who came in contact with me to get themselves tested at the earliest. Please be safe and take care," the Telugu Desam Party chief said in a tweet.
09:07 Getting rid of BJP will be bigger freedom: Mehbooba
Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party of "sowing seeds of hatred" among different communities, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Monday said getting rid of the saffron party will be bigger than freedom from British rule.
The former chief minister said the existence of Jammu and Kashmir is in danger under the BJP and urged the youth to stand up against the challenges faced by the country by spreading "love and friendship" without getting intimidated by the ruling party who are allegedly using government agencies to browbeat its opponents.
"They have ruined the country in the present situation, one feels insecure and does not know whether he/she will be alive tomorrow or not. The arrests and raids by ED and other government agencies against the opposition leaders have become order of the day and the situation in Jammu and Kashmir is much worse than the rest of the country," Mufti said, addressing a tribal youth convention of her party in Jammu.
Welcoming dozens of youth who joined her party on the occasion, the PDP leader said, "History gives an opportunity to play a role and people of India availed this opportunity to free the country from British rule. Today, we have an opportunity to get rid of the BJP (to save the country). This development will be much bigger than the freedom struggle against British rule as they (BJP) are hell bent to break this country."
She referred to the Haridwar 'hate conclave', she said, "The speakers openly called for genocide of Muslims and the BJP leadership preferred to remain silent and those who spoke said everyone has a right to speak their mind."
Mufti said Jammu and Kashmir had joined Mahatma Gandhi's India and "we will not allow this country to become (his assassin) Nathuram Godse's nation".
"They are praying to Godse, Gandhi was the biggest Hindu, a vegetarian and a secular leader who was not having any hatred against anyone, even those who were non-vegetarians," she added.
If anyone speaks against the BJP, they claim that they are abusing Hindus and the nation, she alleged.
"You are not the godfather of Hindus and this country. We have to stand up and face the challenges together, irrespective of our religion, caste and creed and counter them by spreading love and friendship," she said.
Alleging that the BJP wants to finish the existence of Jammu and Kashmir, Mufti said the youths have a responsibility as the coming generations will question their stand in the face of the BJP's onslaught on their identity and culture.
08:47 Police suspect Pak role in recovery of IED in Delhi
The explosive used in the improvised explosive device, which was seized from the Ghazipur flower market in New Delhi, is suspected to be part of consignments dropped in Punjab and Jammu Kashmir by drones from Pakistan, officials said on Monday.
The seizures made in recent times and the use of RDX in the IED found at the market indicate towards Pakistani spy agency ISI's role, they said.
The IED was seized from the market on January 14, ahead of Republic Day.
"Nearly 40 people associated with the Ghazipur flower market have been questioned as part of a probe following the seizure of the IED. But we are yet to make any headway in the case. Local enquiries conducted so far have not given any concrete material," a senior police officer, who is part of the investigation, said.
On Monday, after the National Security Guard informed the Delhi Police that the IED seized from the market had a timer device attached to it and had ammonium nitrate and RDX as its components, police officials probing the case said that RDX as a component was used in blasts in the national capital earlier.
No arrest has been made in the Ghazipur case till now.
Police are examining footage of multiple CCTV cameras to find a suspect.
Police officials said they suspect that the kind of explosive used in the IED seized from the market could have been part of consignments dropped in Jammu Kashmir and Punjab by droned from Pakistan.
08:08 China reports 127 locally transmitted Covid cases
China on Monday reported 127 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, local media reported citing the National Health Commission on Tuesday.
According to Xinhua news agency, out of the new local cases, 102 were reported in Henan, 18 in Tianjin, five in Guangdong, and one each in Beijing and Shaanxi, the commission said.
Three new suspected cases arriving from outside the mainland were reported in Shanghai, and no new deaths from COVID-19 were reported on the day, it added.
Meanwhile, Beijing has reported its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, as it readies to host the Winter Olympics next month.
The strict new COVID-19 restrictions come into force in the city.
Beijing will now require travellers to get a COVID-19 test within 72 hours of arrival in the Chinese capital, Taipei Times reported.
The new rule, effective from Saturday to the end of March, is aimed to help with early detection of Omicron, which is surging globally, and the control of epidemic risks, Beijing Daily, a government newspaper, said on social media.
01:07 Govt appoints 2 part-time members in National Monuments Authority
Proprietor of Gujarat-based Earth Consortium Hemraj Ramniklal Kamdar and Prof M Kailasa Rao, dean of School of and Planning Architecture, Vijaywada were on Monday appointed as the part-time member of National Monuments Authority, a personnel ministry order said.
The appointments committee of the cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved their appointment for three years, it said.
Kamdar is proprietor of M/s Earth Consortium, Ahmedabad, the order said, without citing further details.
Rao is professor and dean, School of Planning and Architecture, Vijaywada, Andhra Pradesh.
Earlier this month,Prof Pramod P Joglekar, former professor and head, department of ancient Indian history, culture and archaeology, Deccan College, Pune was appointed whole-time member in the NMA for a period of three years. -- PTI
00:36 Dhanush, Aishwaryaa Rajinikanth declare separation
South star Dhanush on Monday announced separation from his filmmaker wife Aishwaryaa Rajinikanth after 18 years of marriage.
Dhanush and Aishwarya, daughter of megastar Rajinikanth, tied the knot in 2004 and are parents to two sons, Yatra and Linga, who were born in 2006 and 2010, respectively.
Dhanush, 38, and Aishwaryaa, 40, shared a note announcing their separation on their respective social media accounts.
"Eighteen years of togetherness as friends, couple, as parents and well wishers to each other. The journey has been of growth, understanding, adjusting and adapting. Today we stand at a place where our paths separate. Aishwaryaa and I have decided to part ways as a couple and take time to understand us as individuals for the better," he said.
"Please do Respect our decision and give us the needed privacy to deal with this. Om Namashivaaya! Spread love, D," Dhanush shared in a note on Twitter.
Aishwaryaa shared the same note on Instagram and captioned it: "No caption neededonly your understanding n your love necessary!"
Aishwaryaa has directed films like the Tamil romantic thriller "3" and black comedy Vai Raja Vai.
Dhanush, also a producer, was recently seen in the Aanand L Rai directed Hindi romantic drama "Atrangi Re" and has a long career in the Tamil film industry. -- ANI
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