LIVE! 'Show magnanimity' on farm laws: Badal to PM

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Mon, 07 December 2020

'Show magnanimity' on farm laws: Badal to PM

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23:36 'Show magnanimity' on farm laws: Badal to PM

Days after returning his Padma Vibhushan, Akali Dal stalwart Parkash Singh Badal on Monday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to scrap the three new central farm laws, claiming they have pushed the country into a deep turmoil.

In a four-page letter, Badal called upon the Prime Minister to 'show magnanimity' and withdraw these laws 'as a first step towards the resolution of the serious crisis confronting the country today'.

This letter follows his December 3 announcement about returning Padma Vibhushan in protest against the farm laws.

Punjab's five-time Chief Minister Badal stressed upon the need for making India 'a truly federal country', adding the roots of the ongoing crisis lie in the abdication of our commitment to the federal approach.

The three Acts in question that have pushed the country into a deep turmoil must be withdrawn without making farmers and their families endure any more suffering in this biting cold, Badal said in his letter.

Asserting that he was writing the letter at a time when the problems facing the country are fast assuming the proportions of a grave crisis, he said, Our approach towards these needs an immediate course correction.

I am deeply worried about the ongoing farmers' crisis, he said.

He said the government would have done well to enact legislation affecting the destiny of millions and millions of farmers only after taking their representatives and farmer-friendly political parties like the Shiromani Akali Dal in confidence.

He said when it became clear that the three Ordinances were not finding acceptance even among the government's alliance partners like the SAD, the obvious course open to the government was to convene an all-party meeting.

There is a democratic convention in our country to follow this course whenever there is a national stalemate, he asserted.

"The government would not have been bound to accept the Opposition's views but it would have gained from their wisdom. I was surprised that this option was not taken," he said.

The failure to consult states on an issue that concerns nearly 70 per cent of the country's population shows the government's indifference to or rejection of the federal principle, he said.

This was unbelievable because you have yourself been among the biggest champions of federal structure, he told the PM, adding as Gujarat CM, Modi had always advocated more powers to and a greater role of states.

I say this because I sincerely believe that the roots of the ongoing crisis lie in the abdication of our commitment to the federal approach, said Badal.

The nonagenarian leader said the message from the current crisis is about the need to avoid confrontation as a way to address social and political issues.

He said he had often confronted situations involving people with conflicting backgrounds and persuasions making diverse and conflicting demands. I have battled against the dictatorship during the Emergency days. My experience tells me that respect for peaceful democratic values offers us the best solutions to even the most complex and intractable problems, he asserted.

The country has seen how statesmen like Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee understood and respected the beauty of the diversity of our nation and turned it into an asset, he noted.

He told Prime Minister Modi that the ongoing farmers' crisis needs his immediate and undivided attention. In the circumstances, I strongly urge you to show magnanimity in approach and to personally intervene to get the stalemate broken, said Badal. -- PTI

23:20 Farmers supporting agri laws meet Tomar

As thousands of farmers camped on Delhi's borders seeking repeal of three new farm laws, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Monday told a group of peasants backing these legislations that these measures will benefit the peasantry and the agriculture sector and that the government will handle such agitations.

The delegation of 20 'progressive farmers' from Haryana, led by Padma Shri awardee Kanwal Singh Chauhan, said the government may amend some provisions of the laws but should not repeal them.

The delegation members said they were individual farmers and representatives of farmer producer organisations (FPOs).

The delegation included Bharatiya Kisan Union (Attar) National President Attar Singh Sandhu.

The meeting took place a day before a 'Bharat bandh' to be observed by protesting farmers' organisations on Tuesday.

Addressing the delegation, Tomar said, "Aise chalega andolan vagera, iss se toh niptenge. App logo iss bills ko samarthan karne ke liya pauchhe hai, apko swagat aur hruday se danyawaad karta hoon (These kind of protests will continue, we will handle them. I welcome your support for the bills and sincerely thank you)."

Explaining the benefits these laws will bring to the farmers and the entire agriculture sector, he said the reforms will bring private investment, create jobs in villages and make agriculture profitable.

"More the private investment, more profitable the agriculture sector will be," Tomar said and added that the farm infrastructure like cold storage and warehousing to be created in villages and setting up of 10,000 FPOs will discourage farmers from distressed sale of their produce.

The minister further said that farmers can store their produce in warehousing or cold storage units that would come up as a result of the reforms and sell them when they get better rates.

Tomar also said the Swaminathan Commission was set up during Atal Bihari Vajpayee's tenure and it submitted a report in 2006.

"But between 2006 and 2014, people had time. Had they wished, these reforms could have been implemented. But they did not have the guts to implement (it)," he said.

The minister said that before elections the Congress and other parties had promised agricultural reforms in their manifestoes.

"Had they (opposition parties) come to power, they would have implemented it. The farm growth has declined sharply over the years due to lack of private investment, while other sectors which attracted private investment have grown," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, through these laws and various schemes, has tried to encourage private investment in the farm sector, Tomar added.

In their memorandum, the group of 20 farmers demanded the government consider amendments as suggested by the protesting farmers unions but not repeal them.

'Take into account the suggestion of farmer unions and continue the farm laws. Ensure continuity of MSP and mandi system. We request you to continue the farm laws,' they said in the memorandum.

Kanwal Singh Chauhan, the president of Sonepat progressive farmers club, said, "Farmers are being misled. We know neither MSP nor mandi will be scrapped. We want the government to give this in writing. We also want the government to reduce mandi tax so that the fear of mandi getting weakened is ruled out."

The BKU (Attar) national president said, "Had the government given in writing the continuity of MSP, the protest would not have happened. We support the new farm laws but all problems will be solved if MSP is assured in writing."

He alleged that the protest is 'politically motivated by the Congress' which is 'misleading' farmers.

The group also said protesting farmers were being 'misled' for political gains.

"I have come here requesting the government not to repeal the laws under pressure from protesting farmers. They are misled. Politics should not derail the reforms," Manjit Kumar, a farmer from Gurugram, told PTI after the meeting.

Vinod Gulia of Jhajjar-based FPO Harkisan Farmer Producers Company said, "Our FPO is close to Tikri border where a protest is happening but none of our members is participating.

"We are worried if the laws get repealed, we won't be able to market out produce directly, which we are doing now."

Farmers' children who are not keen on farming are getting new job opportunities in warehousing and cold storage units that will come up with the implementation of the new laws, he added.

Gulia said said his FPO sells farmers produce directly in Dwarka and is giving extra profit to farmers.

A meeting between a representative group of agitating farmers and the government is already scheduled for December 9 for their sixth round of talks.

No breakthrough has been possible in the five rounds so far, as the protesting farmers have stuck to their demand for the repeal of the laws despite the government's assurance to look into specific issues without abolishing the legislations.

The three farm laws have been presented by the government as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove the middlemen and allow farmers to sell anywhere in the country.

However, the protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of Minimum Support Price and scrap the mandis, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.

The Centre has maintained the MSP and mandi systems would continue and would be rather further improved and strengthened. -- PTI

IMAGE: A delegation of 20 Haryana 'progressive' farmers led by Padamshree-awardee Kanwal Singh Chavan meet Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar to extend their support to the centers three farm laws, in New Delhi, on Monday. Photograph: Kamal Singh/PTI Photo

22:32 Bharat Biotech seeks emergency nod for Covaxin

After Pfizer and Serum Institute, Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical firm Bharat Biotech on Monday applied to the central drug regulator seeking emergency use authorisation for its COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin, official sources said.

Covaxin is being indigenously developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

On December 4, Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an all-party meeting had expressed hope that a COVID-19 vaccine may be ready in a few weeks.

That same evening, the Indian arm of United States pharmaceutical giant Pfizer sought emergency use approval for its vaccine from the central drug regulator, after the firm secured such clearance in the United Kingdom and Bahrain.

The Serum Institute sought such nod for the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine, Covishield, on December 6.

The applications of Bharat Biotech, Serum Institute of India and Pfizer will be reviewed by the subject expert committee (SEC) on COVID-19 at the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) in the coming days.

"However, none of the applications has so far been forwarded to the committee and no date has been fixed as on when the SEC will meet for assessing and evaluating the applications," the official source said. -- PTI

21:58 China-Pak Air Forces to hold joint exercises

A batch of Chinese air force's troops left for Pakistan on Monday to take part in 'Shaheen (Eagle)-IX', joint exercises, the Chinese military said.

The troops left for Pakistani Air Force's air base in Bholari at Thatta district in Sindh, northeast of Pakistan's port city of Karachi, to participate in the drills, a statement issued by China's defence ministry said.

The joint air force exercise, which will conclude in late December, is a project within the 2020 cooperation plan of the two militaries, it said.

It will promote the development of China-Pakistan mil-to-mil relationships, deepen practical cooperation between the two air forces, and improve the actual-combat training level of the two sides, it said.

The first such drill was held in Pakistan in March 2011.

All weather friends, China and Pakistan share close military ties.

China helps Pakistan to jointly produce JF-17 fighter jets. -- PTI

Bank unions said they will not participate in the 'Bharat Bandh' on Tuesday, even as they expressed solidarity with farmers protesting against the new farm laws.

Farmer groups, camping at various Delhi border points for over a week, have called for a nationwide shutdown on Tuesday to protest against three recently enacted agriculture-related legislations.

All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC) General Secretary Soumya Datta said the union has expressed its solidarity with farmers but will not be participating in the Bharat Bandh called by them.

Similarly, All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA) General Secretary C H Venkatachalam said the union would not go on strike or abstain from work but it supports the farmers' agitation.

Union members would wear black badges while on duty, stage protest after or before working hours and display placards before bank branches to support the cause of farmers of the country, Venkatachalam said, but added that banking operations will not be hit.

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, are protesting against the new farm laws which they claim will dismantle the minimum support price (MSP) system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big corporate houses.

Meanwhile, farmer leaders have said that nobody should be forced to observe 'Bharat Bandh' on Tuesday and that emergency services will be allowed.

Several rounds of talks between the Centre and farmers have failed to break the deadlock.

20:22 Delhi lawyers support farmers' Bharat bandh

The Coordination Committees of all the district courts in the national capital have extended their support to the farmers' call for 'Bharat bandh' on December 8 as a sign of protest against the recently enacted farm laws.

"Advocates of all district courts of Delhi will demonstrate peacefully on December 8, 2020, in support of farmers by joining the peaceful protest in their respective court complexes," Coordination Committee Chairman Sanjeev Nasiar said.

Earlier, former Bar Council of Delhi Chairman advocate K C Mittal had said that lawyers will also suffer due to the new farm laws, under which mediation for dispute resolution will be conducted by persons appointed by sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs) ousting all lawyer appointments.

Mittal had said that all civil disputes, as per the new law, will be adjudicated by sub-divisional magistrates.

He had said that the issues relating to contracts, agreements, partnerships, companies, limited liability partnerships, and sponsors to act as a facilitator and legally authorised agent under these laws are to protect the interest of businesses.

The call for 'Bharat bandh' by the farmers, protesting at the gates of the national capital for the past 12 days, has also gained support from Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Samajwadi Party, Aam Aadmi Party, Shiv Sena, National Congress Party and Left parties. -- ANI

Coffee Day Enterprises Ltd (CDEL) said on Monday that Malavika Hegde, the wife of its late founder V G Siddhartha, has been appointed as the company's Chief Executive Officer.

Siddhartha's sudden demise had shaken the business world last year.

Malavika, who is the daughter of former Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna, has said in the past that she remains fully committed to paring down the multi-crore debt burden of the company.

The company's board of directors also appointed C H Vasudhara Devi, Giri Devanur and Mohan Raghavendra Kondi as additional directors in the capacity of non-executive independent directors from December 31 till December 30, 2025.

Siddhartha died in July 2019, and many suspected that he had committed suicide.

The company has been in rough waters after Siddhartha took his own life as debt strains began to emerge in his company.

Since his death in July last year, CDEL has been trying to divest its assets to pare debts. -- ANI

19:39 Bharat bandh: Emergency services allowed

Farmer leaders on Monday said that emergency services will be allowed during 'Bharat bandh' on December 8, and appealed to their affiliates to not force anyone to observe the shut down against the three recently enacted agriculture-related laws.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said that the central government will have to accept the demands of farmers to scrap the new laws whose passage has sparked protests.

The agitating farmers have already announced that they would occupy toll plazas between 11 am to 3 pm during the 'Bharat Bandh'.

Bhartiya Kisan Ekta Sangathan president Jagjit singh Dallewala appealed to farmers to maintain peace and not to enter into any scuffle to enforce the bandh.

He said the 'bandh' will be effective across the country.

"The Modi government will have to accept our demands. We want nothing less than withdrawal of the new farm laws," Rajewal said.

Referring to the Centre's offer to amend the contentious laws, another farmer leader, Darshan Pal, asked as to why the government was agreeing to make changes in the legislations now after initially claiming they will benefit the peasantry.

"We want the government to reinstate the old farm laws even if the government thinks it is not good for farmers," Pal also said.

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, are protesting at various border points of Delhi against the new farm laws.

Several rounds of talks between the Centre and farmers have failed to break the deadlock. -- PTI

19:14 Trade unions support farmers' 'Bharat Bandh'

A joint platform of ten central trade unions has extended its moral support to the 'Bharat Bandh' call by farmer organisations on Tuesday.

The unions would not go on strike or abstain from work but support the farmers' agitation.

They would wear black batches while on duty, stage protest after or before working hours and also hold rallies after or before their work schedules.

The unions went on a nationwide strike on November 26 to protest against the recently passed labour codes as well as farm laws, among other issues.

General Secretary, Hind Mazdoor Sabha Harbhajan Singh Sidhu told PTI that the joint forum would extend moral support to the farmers' agitation but would not go on strike because a notice is required to be served for the purpose.

However, he said the members of the ten central trade unions would wear black badges, stage protest peacefully and also hold rallies after or before their work schedule.

Therefore, work would not be impacted.

The ten central trade unions are Indian National Trade Union Congress, All India Trade Union Congress, Hind Mazdoor Sabha, Centre of Indian Trade Unions, All India United Trade Union Centre, Trade Union Co-ordination Centre, Self-Employed Women's Association, All India Central Council of Trade Unions, Labour Progressive Federation and United Trade Union Congress.

The Joint Platform of Central Trade Unions and Independent Sectoral Federations/Associations had reiterated their "wholehearted support to the ongoing united struggles of the farmers demanding scrapping of draconian agri laws", as per a joint statement issued on Saturday.

It said from November 27 onwards, workers and employees and their unions have been fully active in holding numerous agitations in solidarity with the ongoing farmers' struggles, in all the states braving arrests and intimidation from administration/police.

The joint platform also called upon the workers, employees and their unions, irrespective of affiliations, to organise active solidarity to the farmer organisations' call for 'Bharat Bandh'. -- PTI

18:58 Priyanka, Sonam extend support to farmers

Actors Sonam Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra are among the growing list of celebrities from from Bollywood who have extended their support to farmers protesting against the Centre's new farm laws.

Farmers have called for a 'Bharat Bandh' on Tuesday, warning that they will intensify their agitation and block more roads leading to the national capital if the government did not accept their demands.

Celebrities such as Diljit Dosanjh, Harbhajan Mann, Jasbir Jassi, Reitesh Deshmukh, director Hansal Mehta and others have already declared their support to farmers.

In a tweet in reply to Dosanjh's message of unity from the protest site, Chopra said their concerns should be addressed "sooner than later".

"Our farmers are India's Food Soldiers. Their fears need to be allayed. Their hopes need to be met. As a thriving democracy, we must ensure that this crises is resolved sooner than later," she tweeted.

Dosanjh, who took on actor Kangana Ranaut for her comments on elderly protesting farmer recently, later donated Rs one crore to the farmers cause and even addressed a rally at the Singhu border on Saturday.

In his latest tweets, the actor has supported farmers' call for a 'Bharat Bandh' on Tuesday.

Actor Sonam Kapoor called farmers "founders of human civilisation".

"When tillage begins, other arts follow. The farmers, therefore, are the founders of civilsation," she wrote on Twitter.

Actor Priety Zinta said her heart goes to the protesting farmers, who she called the "soldiers of soil".

"My heart goes out 2the farmers & their families protesting in the cold in this pandemic.They are the soldiers of the soil that keep our country going.I sincerely hope the talks between the farmers & govt yield positive results soon & all is resolved. #Farmerprotests #Rabrakha," Zinta said.

Deshmukh, in a tweet, on Saturday, said, "If you eat today, thank a farmer. I stand in solidarity with every farmer in our country. #JaiKisan."

Actor Chitrangada Singh said it was important to keep farmers feeling protected.

"They feed us and work tirelessly with their sweat & blood. #respectfarmers."

Actor Richa Chadha, Taapsee Pannu, Swara Bhasker and Mohd. Zeeshan Ayyub are among the celebrities who have been constantly tweeting on the issue.

But some of the biggest stars from the industry have remained silent on the issue, leading to criticism from within and outside.

Singer Gippy Grewal has criticised Bollywood for not speaking up for farmers.

"Dear Bollywood, every now and then your movies have been shot in Punjab & every time you have been welcomed with an open heart. But today when Punjab needs you the most, you didn't show up and speak a word. #Disappointed."

Thousands of farmers have gathered at Delhi's two borders to protest against the new farm laws, which many farmers say will pave way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big corporates. -- PTI

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Devendra Fadnavis on Monday targeted the Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party and other parties which have backed Tuesday's Bharat Bandh call given by farmers bodies over the Centre's new farm laws, saying they are backing the agitation only for the sake of opposing the Modi government.

Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Fadnavis claimed these parties had earlier backed provisions similar to ones in the Centres farm laws and charged them with being two-faced by opposing the Acts now.

The former Maharashtra chief minister accused the non-BJP parties of supporting the bandh to cause "anarchy" and said that farmers, however, are well-aware of the same and will support the farm laws.

The Congress, the NCP, the Shiromani Akali Dal, the Aam Aadmi Party, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Trinamool Congress and the Samajwadi Party are among the political outfits which have supported the call for the nationwide shutdown on December 8.

The position of the parties supporting the bandh is two-faced, the Leader of Opposition in the assembly alleged.

Fadnavis said Maharashtra was the first state to enact laws similar to the Centres Acts, against which the protest is going on.

In 2006-07, Maharashtra framed land leasing Act when the UPA was in power at the Centre and the Congress-NCP alliance was ruling the state, he noted.

The model APMC Act, which talks about creation of private APMC (Agricultural Produce Market Committee), was enacted by Maharashtra during the Congress-NCPs rule, Fadnavis added.

No existing APMC was shut due to the model Act, the BJP leader said.

The Congresss 2019 manifesto said the party would annul the APMC Act if came to power. On December 27, 2013, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said during a press conference that in the Congress-ruled states, vegetables and fruits will be deleted from the APMC Act.

"Now, the Centre has done the same thing. But the Congress is opposing it now," former chief minister said. -- PTI

The Shiromani Akali Dal has cancelled its three-day programme to mark the beginning of its centenary celebrations in view of the ongoing agitation by farmers, party leader Daljit Singh Cheema said on Monday.

The SAD core committee took the decision at a meeting presided by its chief Sukhbir Singh Badal.

The party, which pulled out of the ruling coalition at the Centre over the farm laws, demanded that the government repeal the legislations immediately and make statutory provisions for assured government procurement of farm produce at minimum support price.

Cheema said thousands of Akali workers have been participating in the ongoing protest at Delhi borders against the three farm laws.

The party felt that the ongoing agitation would suffer if a large-scale, three-day event was held at Anandpur Sahib as planned, he said.

"It was accordingly decided to cancel the event altogether and in its place hold a commemorative 'Akhand Path' at Akal Takht on December 12. The 'Path' will culminate on December 14 and will be attended by the top leadership," he said in a statement here.

The SAD, founded in 1920, also extended its wholehearted support to the December 8 'Bharat Bandh' call given by farmer organisations.

The party appealed to Punjabis as well as people across the country to show solidarity with the agitating farmers.

The farmers are protesting against the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020.

Enacted in September, the three farm laws have been projected by the government as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove the middlemen and allow farmers to sell anywhere in the country.

However, the protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of Minimum Support Price and do away with the mandis, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates. -- PTI

Commander Nishant Singh

18:10 Body of missing MiG-29 pilot found after 11 days

The body of the missing MiG-29 pilot Commander Nishant Singh was found on Monday, Indian Navy officials said.

Commander Singh had gone missing on November 26 after his MiG-29K trainer aircraft crashed into the Arabian Sea.

Rescue teams were able to rescue the other pilot on board.

The Russian-origin twin-seat trainer jet went down off Indias west coast after taking off from the deck of the country's only aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.

17:22 Amid farmers' protest, PM pitches for reforms

Amid the row over laws meant to bring a major change in the agri-marketing sector, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said reforms are needed for development and some laws from the past century have become a burden now.

Launching the Agra metro rail project through video conference, Modi said the reforms carried out by his government are also getting reflected in election results.

His pitch on the importance of reforms comes ahead of Tuesday's Bharat Bandh over the three new farm laws enacted at the Centre. But during his brief address, the prime minister made no direct reference to the new laws or the farmers' protests.

"Reforms are needed for development. Reforms are very much needed for a new order and to give new facilities. We cannot build the next century with the laws of the previous century," he said.

"Some laws that used to be good in the past century have become a burden in the present century. Reforms should be a continuous process," he said.

Modi said his government is carrying out "holistic reforms".

"Earlier, reforms used to happen in a piecemeal manner, or keeping in mind some sectors and departments," the prime minister said.

He said the reforms carried out in recent past have infused self-confidence in the country, adding that people will be satisfied when they go through the "finer details".

"This confidence has been seen in every election in the recent past. A glimpse of this confidence is seen in the election results in every part of the country, including UP," he said.

The PM said in recent years the poor and the middle class have showered their unprecedented blessings on the efforts of the government. He said their support and the small joys experienced by the countrymen "gives me the courage to do new things and take new initiatives".

Modi said his government intends to solve the festering problems faced by people, make life easy, increase investment and ensure the maximum use of modern technology.

He said a major problem in the country's infrastructure sector was that new projects were announced but not much attention was given on how they will be funded.

His government ensures the availability of funds at the start of a new project itself, Modi said.

He said over Rs 100 lakh crore will be spent under the National Infrastructure Pipeline project and work is being done on the master plan for multi-modal connectivity. Efforts are also on to attract investment from all over the world to improve the country's infrastructure, he added. -- PTI

Actor-turned-politician Vijayashanti on Monday joined the BJP, a party she had chosen in the late '90s to start her political career before joining other outfits, and asserted that only the saffron party can fulfil the aspirations of the people of Telangana.

Vijayashanti, a very successful Telugu film actor in the '80s and '90s who also acted in a few Hindi movies, had met Home Minister Amit Shah earlier and joined the BJP in the presence of its general secretary Arun Singh, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy and Telangana BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar at the party headquarters in New Delhi.

After leaving the saffron party, she had joined the TRS and the Congress. The 54-year-old politician is also a former MP.\

Associated with the movement for Telangana's statehood, she said the ruling TRS had failed to fulfil the people's dreams for the new state and alleged that there was rampant corruption in the government headed by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao.

She also recalled her earlier stint in the BJP.

The BJP is confident about its prospects in Telangana following its impressive show in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls followed by its shock win over the TRS in Dubbaka assembly bypolls and then the gains in the recent Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation polls.

The steady decline in the fortunes of the Congress has also helped the party emerge as the main challenger to the TRS.

-- PTI

16:34 Sushil Modi elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha

Senior Bihar BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi was on Monday declared elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha in a by-poll that was necessitated by the death of Union minister and Lok Janshakti Party founder Ram Vilas Paswan.

Sushil Modi was declared elected unopposed on the last date for withdrawal of nomination papers.

In addition to the former deputy chief minister a lone independent candidate, Shyam Nandan Prasad had filed his nomination papers which were rejected during scrutiny.

Prasad's papers were not supported by at least 10 members of the 243-strong assembly as proposers, which is mandatory, poll officials said.

Sushil Modi was handed over his certificate in the presence of a host of dignitaries, including Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, with whom he is known to enjoy an excellent rapport, his successors as deputy chief minister Tar Kishore Prasad and Renu Devi and state BJP president Sanjay Jaiswal.

-- PTI

Led by two-time Asian Games gold-winning former wrestler Kartar Singh, a few sportspersons from Punjab on Monday marched towards the Rashtrapati Bhavan to return "35 national sports awards" in a show of solidarity with farmers agitating against new agriculture laws but were stopped midway by the police.

Kartar, who was presented the Arjuna award in 1982 and Padma Shri in 1987, was accompanied by Olympic gold-winning former hockey player Gurmail Singh and former women's hockey captain Rajbir Kaur among others. While Gurmail is a 2014 Dhyanchand awardee, Rajbir was bestowed the Arjuna in 1984.

"The farmers have always supported us. We felt bad when we saw that our farmer brothers were lathicharged, roads were closed. Farmers are sitting on streets in bitter cold for their rights," said Kartar, gold medallist in the 1978 and 1986 Asian games.

"I am a farmer's son I still do farming despite being IG, Police," he added.

The athletes, who reached Delhi on Sunday, began their march from the Press Club of India but were halted near Krishi Bhavan by the police and sent back.

"I would like to request the government to repeal the draconian law. When the entire country was shivering for the fear of corona, they passed the bill in both houses and got it passed from the President," Kartar said.

"I agree there is a need for change in farm laws but when our children are not happy, the government's priority should be to make them happy...Why is the government forcibly trying to push the farmers into accepting the contentious bill?" he asked.

The marching athletes claimed to have the support of several Arjuna and other national sports awards winners.

Earlier, Khel Ratna awardee and India's first Olympic medal-winning boxer Vijender Singh had also threatened to return the honour in support of the protesting farmers.

Thousands of farmers from Punjab and Haryana are camping at various Delhi border points for over a week, protesting against the new farm laws, which they claim will dismantle the minimum support price system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big corporate houses.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip may "let it be known" once they have received a vaccine against COVID-19, The Times newspaper reported, citing unnamed royal aides.

The 94-year-old monarch and her 99-year-old spouse are likely to be among the first to be offered a jab, with the government prioritising elderly people as it begins the rollout of the Pfizer vaccine that was approved on December 2.

The queen is highly admired in British society, and her public backing for the vaccine would be a powerful message to counter anti-vaccination misinformation circulating online.

The coronavirus pandemic has killed more than 60,000 people in the United Kingdom and infected more than 1.7 million.

The royal family has not been untouched, with both heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles and his eldest son Prince William testing positive for COVID-19 earlier in the year.

Under the government's priority list for the vaccine roll-out, the first doses are intended to be given to elderly care home residents and their carers, followed by people over 80 and health service staff.

The Times said that in 1957, the queen made public that Charles and his sister Princess Anne, then 8 and 6, had been inoculated against polio, helping to ease concerns about potential side-effects of what was then a new vaccine.

Journalist-author Raj Kamal Jha has won the 3rd Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize for his novel, The City and The Sea, organiser and publisher Peter Bundalo announced on Monday.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the winner of the USD 5,000 prize was announced online in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Jha's book, which is based on the December 2012 Nirbhaya rape and murder case, was chosen from ten shortlisted books including Amitav Ghosh's Gun Island, Nirmala Govindarajan's Taboo, and Ranjit Hoskote's Jonahwhale.

"In this brilliant work of fiction Raj Kamal Jha succeeds in making us witnesses to the vastness of existences, possibilities, hopes and dreams annulled by an act of horrific violence rooted in inveterate biases in how malignant to each other we believe we have a right to be.

"Genuinely concerned with present day afflictions, this novel is a lament of the flawed society, evocation to all who perished in violation of their fundamental rights, but also a ray of hope for a different humankind, awake to our intrinsic unity, even in sorrow," said Maja Markunovic, member of the jury and literary director of Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize.

Cobalt Blue by Sachin Kundalkar translated from Marathi into English by Jerry Pinto, The Black Dwarves of the Good Little Bay by Varun Thomas Mathew, Karmic Chanting by Sonnet Mondal, Paper Asylum by Rochelle Potkar, Shadow Men by Bijoya Sawian, and EroText by Sudeep Sen were the other shortlisted entries for the prize.

"Introducing Tagore's Gitanjali, WB Yeats talked about how the poet's work took the 'immeasurably strange' and moved us, not because of its strangeness but because we met in it our own image, heard in it our own voice. There couldn't be a more powerful imperative of storytelling today than this humanism -- this is what the Tagore Prize celebrates and it's a privilege to be in the company of its extraordinary finalists," Jha said upon receiving the prize.

The Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize was founded in 2018 by US-based publisher Bundalo as a platform for world peace, literature, art, education and human rights.

Last year, British Indian novelist Rana Dasgupta was awarded the literary prize for his novel Solo. The award also recognises works towards human rights and world peace with the Social Achievement Prize.

-- PTI

15:01 Bharat Bandh from 11 am-3 pm tomorrow: Farmers

With growing support from trade unions and Opposition parties for tomorrow's "Bharat Bandh" call, some services, including supply of fruits and venegatbles, could get affected in Delhi - now the epicentre of farmers' protests - and the rest of the country.

The call for a "peaceful" nationwide shutdown on December 8, a day ahead of the sixth round of talks between protesting farmers and the centre, is meant to mount pressure on the government to repeal three contentious agriculture reform laws.

Farmers urged people to extend their support non-violently and said their protest was not meant to "cause problems for the common man".

"Tomorrow's Bharat Bandh is from 11 am to 3 pm. It is a symbolic protest. We will begin at 11 am so everyone can reach office on time... Services such as ambulance, even weddings, can go on. People can show their card and leave," Bharatiya Kisan Union Spokesperson Rakesh Tikait said.

In Delhi, most of the traders are supporting the Bharat Bandh call. "Hence, mandis will see a shutdown," said Adil Ahmed Khan, Chairman of the Azadpur Mandi - Asia's largest wholesale market of fruits and vegetables, which could be in short supply tomorrow.

In Maharashtra, the Vashi Agricultural Produce Market Committee would be shut tomorrow to show solidarity with the farmers. It is likely to affect supply of fruits and vegetables in Mumbai. There is no confirmation if other mandis would also be closed.

14:37 New phone Covid test gives results in 30 min

Scientists have developed a novel technology for a CRISPR-based COVID-19 diagnostic test that uses a smartphone camera to provide accurate results in under 30 minutes.

According to the research published in the journal Cell, the new diagnostic test can not only generate a positive or negative result, it also measures the viral load -- the concentration of virus -- in a given sample.

All CRISPR diagnostics to date have required that the viral RNA be converted to DNA and amplified before it can be detected, adding time and complexity, the researchers said.

In contrast, the new approach skips all the conversion and amplification steps, using CRISPR to directly detect the viral RNA, they said.

"One reason we are excited about CRISPR-based diagnostics is the potential for quick, accurate results at the point of need," said Jennifer Doudna, a senior investigator at Gladstone Institutes in the US.

"This is especially helpful in places with limited access to testing, or when frequent, rapid testing is needed. It could eliminate a lot of the bottlenecks we've seen with COVID-19," Doudna said.

Doudna won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for co-discovering CRISPR-Cas genome editing, the technology that underlies this work.

In the new test, the Cas13 protein is combined with a reporter molecule that becomes fluorescent when cut, and then mixed with a patient sample from a nasal swab, the researchers said.

The sample is placed in a device that attaches to a smartphone. If the sample contains RNA from SARS-CoV-2, Cas13 will be activated and will cut the reporter molecule, causing the emission of a fluorescent signal, they said.

The smartphone camera, essentially converted into a microscope, can detect the fluorescence and report that a swab tested positive for the virus, according to the researchers.

They say that the assay could be adapted to a variety of mobile phones, making the technology easily accessible.

-- PTI

14:10 Fuel prices touch 2-year high

Petrol and diesel prices were hiked sharply on Monday as global rates continue to rise. Petrol and diesel rates, which have been rising for the past six days, are now at the highest level since September 2018.

On Monday, the price of petrol was hiked by 29-31 paise across all circles in the country. After todays hike, a litre of petrol in Delhi will cost Rs 83.71, up 30 paise from Rs 83.41 on Sunday. The price has crossed Rs 85 per litre in most cities like Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Patna.

In Mumbai and Jaipur, a litre of petrol now costs more than Rs 90. Petrol price has seen a sharp rise over the past few days in almost all cities and could become weigh in on the projects of early economic recovery.

Diesel, too, has seen an equally sharp rise in rate. After increasing almost 30 paise yesterday, diesel price in Delhi has been again increased by 26 paise today. Now, a litre of diesel in Delhi will cost Rs 73.87 in comparison to Rs 73.61 yesterday.

In Mumbai, Jaipur, Hyderabad and Bhubaneshwar, diesel rates have crossed Rs 80 per litre. In all other major cities, the rate has crossed Rs 75 per litre. In the last 17 days, the price of petrol has gone up by Rs 2.35 per litre while diesel rate has increased by Rs 3.15.

13:44 SP chief Akhilesh Yadav detained by UP cops

Lucknow Police has detained Akhilesh Yadav as he sat on a dharna outside his residence in Lucknow when the police stopped him from marching on to Kannauj to join the farmers' protest.

Akhilesh Yadav is now being sent to Eco Garden where he will be kept in custody.

Akhilesh Yadav was scheduled to visit Kannauj to stage a demonstration in support of farmers agitating against Centre's but the cops stopped him from joining the march.

After Serum Institute India applied for the emergency use authorisation of its coronavirus vaccine "COVISHIELD", its CEO Adar Poonawala expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the central government for the support.

"As promised, before the end of 2020, Serum Institute India has applied for emergency use authorisation for the first made-in-India vaccine, COVISHIELD. This will save countless lives, and I thank the Government of India and Sri Narendra Modi ji for their invaluable support," Poonawala tweeted.

The SII has applied to the Drugs Controller General of India seeking emergency use authorisation for its COVID-19 vaccine "Covishield" in the country.

This comes a day after Pfizer India sought a similar approval from India's drug regulator for its coronavirus vaccine.

"SII has applied for emergency use authorisation to DCGI. The application will be reviewed by the expert committee and after that final call will be taken," a senior government official confirmed.

The SII is the first indigenous company that has sought emergency approval for the vaccine developed along with global pharma giant AstraZeneca and Oxford University.

The Pune-based company earlier stated that ChAdOx1 nCov-2019 coronavirus vaccine, developed by teams at the University of Oxford, has been shown to trigger a robust immune response in healthy adults aged 56-69 and those over 70 years of age.

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the company's pandemic level facility in Pune last month, Poonawalla had said that indications suggest that the Central government may purchase 300-400 million doses by July 2021.

He further said the SII has already produced 40-50 million doses of the vaccine per month, and the pharma giant is planning to stretch it up to 100 million doses of the vaccine per month by February.

-- ANI

12:50 PM inaugurates construction of Agra Metro

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the phase one of the construction of Agra Metro project virtually. While the Prime Minister joined the event virtually, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath was physically present in the city.

The Agra Metro project, official says, will ease the movement of about 2.5 million local residents and provided connectivity to monuments, railway stations and major markets. There is optimism that hassle-free connectivity through Agra Metro would assist in promoting tourism.

The Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation has set the target to complete the first phase of the Agra Metro Rail Project, estimated at Rs 8379.62 crore, by December 2022. The Metro rail project would help boost tourism in the Taj city, said Kumar Keshav, managing director, Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation.

The Bahujan Samaj Party on Monday extended support to the 'Bharat Bandh' called by protesting farmers, with party chief Mayawati appealing to the Centre to accept their demands.

In a tweet on Monday, she said, "Farmers are protesting against three farm laws and are demanding their withdrawal. Farmer organisations have given a 'Bharat Bandh' call on December 8, and the BSP supports it. Along with this, it appeals to the Centre to accept the demands of farmers."

The BSP is among several political parties, including the Congress and the AAP, that are supporting the nationwide strike called by farmers.

-- PTI

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter today to protest the farm laws.

In a tweet, the Congress leader wrote, ""The Adani-Ambani Farm Laws have to be revoked. Nothing less is acceptable."

Undeterred by an ongoing cold wave, farmers continue to camp at Singhu border (Haryana-Delhi border) as their protest against the Central government's farm laws entered the twelfth day on Monday.

The protests have disrupted normal lives in Delhi-NCR as several borders linking Delhi to cities in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are closed.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday, "Armed Forces Flag Day is a day to express gratitude to our armed forces and their families. India is proud of their heroic service and selfless sacrifice. Do contribute towards the welfare of our forces. This gesture will help so many of our brave personnel and their families."

Armed Forces Flag Day is marked in India every year on December 7 to honour martyrs and the men in uniform who serve India.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in a tweet too said," On the occasion of Armed Forces Flag Day, I salute the valour and service of the Indian Armed Forces. This day reminds us of our solemn duty to ensure the welfare of Ex-Servicemen, differently-abled soldiers and the families of those who lost their lives defending the nation."

India has been observing December 7 as the Armed Forces Flag Day since 1949 to honour the soldiers who valiantly fought on the borders to safeguard the country's honour.

Although December 7 is commemorated as 'Armed Forces Flag Day' every year, this year Centre has announced that the whole month would be celebrated as 'Armed Forces Flag Day' to honour the sacrifices by armed forces in the line of duty.

11:24 SC nod to foundation laying event of new Parl

There must be no construction or demolition for the central vista project after Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches it on Thursday, the Supreme Court said today, rebuking the government for "moving forward aggressively" on the project even before a decision on petitions challenging it.

As the government agreed to its condition, the Supreme Court said the "authorities are free to undertake formal process without altering site in question in any manner".

"You can lay the foundation stone, you can carry on paperwork but no construction or demolition, no cutting down any trees," the Supreme Court told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta.

PM Modi is to lay the foundation stone for a new parliament building to be built at nearly ₹ 1,000 crore as part of the central vista project, it was announced on Saturday.

"We expected that you will continue with paperwork etc but not move forward so aggressively that you will start construction," the Supreme Court said to the Solicitor General.

"Just because there is no stay that does not mean you can start construction. We did not pass any clear stay order because we thought you are prudent litigant, and you will show deference to the court. The news items in public domain show you are starting construction," said the judges.

11:02 Varun Dhawan tests positive for COVID-19

Varun Dhawan, who had been shooting for Raj Mehta's 'Jug Jug Jeeyo' in Chandigarh, has tested positive for coronavirus.

The actor took to Instagram on Monday to share his health update along with a picture of him interacting with his friends over a group video call. "So as I returned to work in the pandemic era I have contracted COVID-19," he captioned the post.

Dhawan assured that while shooting all health protocols were followed and asked everyone to be "extra careful."

"All precautions were taken by the production but still nothing is certain in life especially not COVID-19. So please be extra careful I believe I could have been more careful," the 33-year-old actor wrote.

"I see the get well soon messages and my spirits are high taking each day at a time, thank u," he added.

Dhawan had been shooting for 'Jug Jug Jeeyo,' with Neetu Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, and Kiara Advani in Chandigarh.

As these three stars were among close contacts of Dhawan, Anil Kapoor had put all rumours to an end by confirming that he has tested negative for coronavirus, however, there has been no confirmation from Neetu Kapoor and Kiara Advani yet.

-- ANI

10:52 Kejriwal meets farmers at Delhi border

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has reached Singhu border which connects Delhi and Haryana to check facilities provided to the protesting farmers by his government.

Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and other AAP MLAs, too, have accompanied CM Arvind Kejriwal on his visit to Singhu border to review arrangements made by the government.

After meeting the protesting farmers and speaking to the media, Kejriwal said, "Our party, MLAs & leaders have been serving farmers as 'sevadars' ever since. I haven't come here as CM but as a 'sevadar'. Farmers are in trouble today, we should stand with them. AAP supports Dec 8th Bharat Bandh, party workers will participate in it across the nation."

He added, "We support all demands of farmers. Their issue & demands are valid. My party & I have stood with them from the very beginning. At the beginning of their protests, Delhi Police had sought permission to convert 9 stadiums into jails. I was pressurised but didn't permit."

10:24 Dense fog In Delhi, flights delayed

Flights operations at the Delhi international airport were hit as dense fog covered the city and its neighbouring areas on Monday.

Low visibility delayed many flights forcing major airlines to share weather-related travel advisories. They urged passengers to check the status of their flights to avoid inconvenience and crowding at the Delhi airport amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"Due to bad weather in Delhi, flight departures and arrivals are impacted. Please keep a track of your flight status," IndiGo tweeted.

Similar advisories were also shared by SpiceJet and Vistara, among other airlines, for Delhi and many other cities in north India, including Patna, Darbhanga, Varanasi, Jalandhar and Gorakhpur, where low temperature and changing wind direction are likely to also affect on-road visibility.

Five people were arrested after an encounter with police in East Delhi's Shakarpur area and it is suspected that some of them might have links to terror groups, officials said on Monday.

Two of them are from Punjab and three belong to Kashmir, they said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Pramod Singh Kushwah said, "We have apprehended five persons after an exchange of fire. Weapons and other incriminating material have also been recovered from their possession."

Some of them are suspected to have links with terror groups but this is being verified, he said, adding that further investigation is underway.

-- PTI

With 32,981 fresh Covid-19 infections, India's total cases increased to 96,77,203 on Monday.

With 391 deaths, the toll has mounted to 1,40,573. The total number of active cases is 3,96,729.

With 39,109 fresh discharges in the last 24 hours, 91,39,901 people have been discharged so far.

According to ICMR, a total of 14,77,87,656 samples have been tested for COVID-19, up to December 6 2020. Of these, 8,01,081 samples were tested yesterday.

Commuters may face problems as some auto and taxi unions in the city have decided to join 'Bharat Bandh' on December 8 called by farmer unions protesting against the recent farm laws.

However, many other unions have decided to continue normal service despite their support to demand raised by the farmers.

Delhi Taxi Tourist Transporters Association President Sanjay Samrat said in a statement that several unions, including Delhi State Taxi Cooperative Society, and Kaumi Ekta Welfare Association will join the strike on December 8.

Rajender Soni, general secretary of Delhi Auto Rickshaw Sangh, and Delhi Pradesh Taxi Union said that many "important" auto, taxi and last mile vehicle driver unions will not join the strike as they have already suffered due to the coronavirus pandemic.

09:04 Serum seeks emergency use approval for vaccine

Pune-based Serum Institute of India has applied for emergency use approval for Oxford University-AstraZenecas Covid-19 vaccine candidate, Covishield.

This makes SII, which is conducting trials of Covishield in India, the second firm to seek approval for emergency use of a Covid-19 vaccine candidate in India after Pfizer, as well as the first indigenous firm to do so.

Also in Pune, phase 2 human trials of Russias Sputnik V have begun with 17 volunteers being administered the first dose. The shots were administered at the Noble Hospital between December 3-5. On August 11, Russia had become the first country to register a Covid-19 vaccine-Sputnik V.

08:32 Delhi CM Kejriwal to visit Delhi border today

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will visit the Singhu border (Haryana-Delhi border) today where farmers' protest, against the Centre's farm laws, entered 12th day.

Other ministers of Delhi government will also accompany CM Kejriwal to the Singhu border.

They'll inspect arrangements made by the government for farmers at the spot.

The deadlock between farmers from several states and the central government failed to end as talks between the two warring paries remained inconclusive even after three rounds of discussions.

While the farmers' union leaders stuck to their demand for the repeal of the new farm laws, the government said they are ready to make amendments but not repeal.

The farmers have rejected all the offers of amendments to the farm laws and maintained that the Bharat Bandh call on Tuesday (December 8) will go as planned with several Opposition parties extending their full support.

08:22 Global COVID-19 count surpasses 67 million

The number of coronavirus cases confirmed all over the world has surpassed 67 million, according to the latest data from the Johns Hopkins University's Coronavirus Resource Centre.

As of 04:30 Moscow time on Monday, there are 67,004,543 confirmed coronavirus cases in the world.

The global death toll from COVID-19 stands at 1,535,038.

The number of recovered individuals stands at 43,032,444.

The United States, India and Brazil remain the top three countries in terms of the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases. Russia comes fourth with over 2.4 million cases.

-- ANI

US President Donald Trump said Sunday his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani has tested positive for the coronavirus, making him the latest in Trump's inner circle to contract the disease that is now surging across the US.

The 76-year-old former New York mayor has travelled extensively to battleground states in recent days and weeks in an effort to help Trump subvert his election loss. On numerous occasions he has met with officials for hours at a time without wearing a mask.

Trump, who confirmed Giuliani's positive test, wished him a speedy recovery.

"Get better soon Rudy, we will carry on!!!" Trump wrote.

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