19 Chinese crew of a vessel coming from Shanghai via Singapore were allowed to enter Kolkata after being quarantined at Sagar Island in South 24 Parganas for several hours on Wednesday.

Port officials said that the thermal scanning of the crew will be done again tomorrow.

Last month, the Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) had taken safety precautions in the light of the spread of coronavirus beyond China and the foreign crews coming to the port are required to undergo thermal scanning.

KoPT Chairman Vinit Kumar said that medical safety gears like gloves, masks, and medical kits have also been arranged.

The multinational crew will be allowed only after completion of thermal scanning and if such cases are detected, the patient will be referred to the Infectious Disease Hospital situated in Beliaghata.

Coronavirus which first appeared in December in the Wuhan city of China has so far claimed the lives of 1100 people. -- ANI

The model code of conduct which was enforced in the national capital on January 6 ahead of the Delhi Assembly polls was lifted on Wednesday, the Election Commission said.

The announcement comes a day after the counting of votes polled during the elections to the 70-member Delhi Assembly held on February 8.

'Now, that the declaration of result in respect of NCT of Delhi has been completed, the model code of conduct in effect since January 6, 2020 has ceased to be in operation in the NCT of Delhi with immediate effect,' the EC said in a notification issued on Wednesday.

The provisions of the model code of conduct are enforced from the date of announcement of poll schedule by the Election Commission and it remains in operation till completion of the election process, officials said.

In the run-up to the hotly contested polls, poll authorities had taken a number of measures on violations of the model code of conduct by parties or individuals.

Cash worth over Rs 10 crore had been seized by poll authorities till February 6 and bullion worth Rs 31.66 crore was seized.

Over 6.47 lakh posters, banners and hoardings had also been removed since January 6, when the poll code came into force, the officials said.

Meanwhile, the new Delhi Legislative Assembly was constituted on Wednesday, a day after the Aam Aadmi Party swept the elections winning 62 of the 70 seats.

The official Twitter handle of the Delhi Assembly said the Election Commission has notified the results of the polls.

"With this the Seventh Legislative Assembly of NCT of Delhi is deemed to have been constituted w.e.f (with effect from) 12.02.2020 (Section 73 of the Representation of the People Act,1951)," it said.  -- PTI

Suspended paediatrician Dr Kafeel Khan was released from the Mathura district jail after he was granted bail in connection with an anti-Citizenship Amendment Act speech at the Aligarh Muslim University in December last year.

He was released on Tuesday evening after being granted bail by the Aligarh chief judicial magistrate a day before.

Khan was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force from Mumbai on January 29 in connection with the speech he had delivered during an anti-CAA protest at Aligarh Muslim University on December 12.

A case was registered against him at the Civil Lines police station here for promoting enmity between different religions.

After his arrest in Mumbai, Dr Khan was brought to Aligarh, from where he was immediately shifted to the district jail in neighbouring Mathura.

According to police, this was done as a precautionary measure in view of the anti-CAA protests on the AMU campus and at the Eidgah grounds in the old city.

Police had said that the Dr Khan's presence in the Aligarh jail could have aggravated the law and order situation in the city.

The doctor was earlier arrested for his alleged role in the death of over 60 children in one week at the BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur in August 2017.

Short supply of oxygen at the children's ward was blamed at that time for the deaths.

About two years later, a state government probe cleared Khan of all major charges, prompting him to seek an apology from the Yogi Adityanath government.  -- PTI

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday accepted the resignation of All India Congress Committee Delhi in-charge P C Chacko and Delhi Congress chief Subhash Chopra, and appointed Shakti Sinh Gohil in Chacko's place.

Chacko and Chopra resigned from their post in the wake of the party's debacle in the Delhi assembly elections.

"Congress president has accepted the resignation of P C Chacko, AICC in-charge of Delhi and Subhash Chopra, president Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee with immediate effect," a party communication said.

"The Congress president has appointed Shakti Sinh Gohil as interim AICC in-charge along with his present assignment of Bihar," it said.

The party also appreciated the contribution of outgoing in-charge of Delhi PC Chacko as well as outgoing DPCC chief Subhash Chopra, who was recently appointed.Chacko earlier said he has resigned taking moral responsibility for the party's performance.

"I have resigned from my post and have sent my resignation letter to the Congress president. It is up to her to take a decision on my resignation letter," he said.

Subhash Chopra had announced his resignation on Tuesday owing to the party's rout in Delhi polls, for the second time in a row.

The Congress fared poorly and was routed in the Delhi Assembly polls.

It did not get a single seat for the second time after 2015 elections.

The party's vote share also declined further from 9.7 per cent last time to 4.26 per cent this time, its lowest ever.  -- PTI

The new Delhi Legislative Assembly was constituted on Wednesday, a day after the Aam Aadmi Party swept the elections winning 62 of the 70 seats.

The official Twitter handle of the Delhi Assembly said the Election Commission has notified the results of the February 8 polls.

"With this the Seventh Legislative Assembly of NCT of Delhi is deemed to have been constituted w.e.f (with effect from) 12.02.2020 (Section 73 of the Representation of the People Act,1951)," it said.

Earlier in the day, Delhi's Chief Electoral Officer Ranbir Singh along with EC's senior principal secretary K F Wilfred met Lt Governor Anil Baijal to hand over the list of the newly-elected MLAs.

The BJP has won eight seats and is the second party to have representations in the Delhi Assembly.

Meanwhile, AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday held a meeting with the newly-elected MLAs at his official residence.

The MLAs elected him as the Leader of Legislature Party, a formality necessary to stake claim to form government. Lt Governor Baijal will formally be apprised about Kejriwal being elected the Leader of Legislature Party.

Thereafter, the LG will write to the President through the Union Home Ministry, saying the AAP has won the majority. The President will issue a notification appointing the leader of legislature party as the chief minister.

In states, governors appoint chief ministers. In the coming days, one of the MLAs will be appointed as pro-tem speaker who will oversee the oath of the new lawmakers.   --  PTI

Dalit outfits in  Gorakhpur ran a postcard campaign against the Citizenship Amendment Act and sought a DNA-based National Register of Citizens.

The Purvanchal Sena, Asur Chatra Sangathan and the Bhim Army also urged the prime minister to withdraw the controversial citizenship law.

The campaign was launched on February 4 and around 500 postcards were posted to the prime minister on Wednesday.

Purvanchal Sena president Dhirendra Pratap said, "A DNA-based NRC will be better. At least, it will be known to everyone that who is the original resident of India and who are migrants."

Surendra Valmiki, another office-bearer of the Purvanchal Sena, said the campaign will end only after the withdrawal of the CAA and the NPR.

"We appeal to the prime minister through postcards to use the money meant for the implementation of the CAA-NPR-NRC for free education, better health services, safety and security of women besides stopping farmers' suicides, eradication of corruption, providing facilities to soldiers and reduce unemployment," he said.   -- PTI

Speaking at the Times Now Summit, he said the concern was that as some people always found ways to evade taxes, the honest got penalised.

"All governments hesitated to touch the tax system. Now, we are making it citizen centric.

"When a number of people do not pay tax, find ways to evade it, the burden falls on those who honestly pay their dues," he said.

The prime minister added that it was unbelievable but true that only 2,200 people in the country had declared earnings of Rs one crore per annum.

He also said that this was the first time any government had focussed on smaller cities to push for economic development.

"India will not waste time now, it will surge ahead with confidence.... The Union budget will help achieve the target of a $ 5 trillion economy," Modi said.  -- PTI

Fashion designer Wendell Rodricks passed away at his residence in Goa on Wednesday, reports ANI.

Born on May 28, 1960, Rodricks was hailed as the champion of minimalism on the fashion runway.

Later, he was associated with several social causes, and was especially active on the issues of environment and gay rights.

In 2014, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the government.

After news of his death broke, Goa health minister Vishwajit Rane tweeted: 'Deeply saddened to hear about the sudden demise of my very good friend and designer, Wendell Rodricks. His excellency in his work & skills are irreplaceable & shall always be cherished. We will truly miss him. My heartfelt condolences to his family & dear ones.'  -- with inputs from Agencies

Two Indian crew on board cruise ship Diamond Princess off Japanese coast test positive for coronavirus, says Indian Embassy in Tokyo.

On Monday, the embassy had said that an unspecified number of Indians were among the nearly 3,000 passengers and crew members on board the cruise ship quarantined off Japan due to diagnosis of coronavirus cases

Cruise ship Diamond Princess, carrying 3,711 people, arrived at the Japanese coast early last week and was quarantined after a passenger who de-boarded last month in Hong Kong was found to be the carrier of the novel virus on the ship.

'Many Indian crew & some Indian passengers are on board the cruise ship Diamond Princess quarantined off Japan due to Coronavirus (nCoV),' it tweeted, without giving a specific number of Indians on the ship.

'In this context, any query please contact First Secretary (Consular) @IndianEmbTokyo at fscons.tokyo@mea.gov.in @CPVIndia @MEAIndia @PMOIndia,' the Indian embassy had said.

Those on the ship have been asked to wear masks and allowed limited access to the open decks as they are advised to remain in the cabins most of the times to contain the spread of the virus, according to media reports.

Quoting an Indian crew member, identified as Binay Kumar Sarkar, on board Diamond Express, NDTV said there are 160 Indian crew members and eight Indian passengers on the ship.

Sarkar, in a video recorded from the ship, appealed to the Indian government and the United Nations to segregate the Indians on board on urgent basis.

'None of them have been checked (for coronavirus),' Sarkar, a chef from Bengal, said in Hindi.

He was flanked by five of his Indians colleagues who were wearing masks.

'Please somehow save us as soon as possible. What's the point if something happens (to us)...I want to request the government of India and Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi-ji, please segregate us and bring us back home safely,' he had said.   -- PTI

Two Indian crew on board cruise ship Diamond Princess off Japanese coast test positive for coronavirus, says Indian Embassy in Tokyo.

On Monday, the embassy had said that an unspecified number of Indians were among the nearly 3,000 passengers and crew members on board the cruise ship quarantined off Japan due to diagnosis of coronavirus cases

Cruise ship Diamond Princess, carrying 3,711 people, arrived at the Japanese coast early last week and was quarantined after a passenger who de-boarded last month in Hong Kong was found to be the carrier of the novel virus on the ship.

'Many Indian crew & some Indian passengers are on board the cruise ship Diamond Princess quarantined off Japan due to Coronavirus (nCoV),' it tweeted, without giving a specific number of Indians on the ship.

'In this context, any query please contact First Secretary (Consular) @IndianEmbTokyo at fscons.tokyo@mea.gov.in @CPVIndia @MEAIndia @PMOIndia,' the Indian embassy had said.

Those on the ship have been asked to wear masks and allowed limited access to the open decks as they are advised to remain in the cabins most of the times to contain the spread of the virus, according to media reports.

Quoting an Indian crew member, identified as Binay Kumar Sarkar, on board Diamond Express, NDTV said there are 160 Indian crew members and eight Indian passengers on the ship.

Sarkar, in a video recorded from the ship, appealed to the Indian government and the United Nations to segregate the Indians on board on urgent basis.

'None of them have been checked (for coronavirus),' Sarkar, a chef from Bengal, said in Hindi.

He was flanked by five of his Indians colleagues who were wearing masks.

'Please somehow save us as soon as possible. What's the point if something happens (to us)...I want to request the government of India and Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi-ji, please segregate us and bring us back home safely,' he had said.   -- PTI

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday said it was a time of struggle for the party and it will not be found wanting.

Priyanka Gandhi, who is in-charge of Eastern Uttar Pradesh, also said that "whatever public does is right". 

Her response came in the wake of AAP getting re-elected to power in Delhi with a landslide majority. 

Congress failed to open its account second time in a row in the national capital and the BJP was restricted to single digits and could win only eight seats in the 70-member Delhi assembly.

"Whatever public does is right. This is a time of struggle for us. We have to struggle a lot. We will do," Priyanka Gandhi.

AAP, led by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, won 62 seats in the results declared on Tuesday. 

Retail inflation inched up to 7.59 per cent in January on costlier food items, showed government data on Wednesday.

 

The Consumer Price Index-based retail inflation was 7.35 per cent in December 2019 and 1.97 per cent in January last year.

The food inflation last month was 13.63 per cent, compared with (-)2.24 per cent in January 2019. However, it is down from 14.19 per cent in December.

The Reserve Bank of India had kept the key policy rate unchanged earlier this month mainly due to high inflation.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday said that the BJP's vote share has gone up in Delhi and the party has improved its score in terms of the number of seats.

Speaking at Times Now Summit 2020, when asked by the anchor of the BJP losing state after state, Sitharaman said, "We have not lost Delhi, it was with AAP already. We gave our best in every election from panchayat to Parliament. We recently formed government in Karnataka." "Our vote share has gone up in Delhi. Our number of seats could have been much higher but we have improved our score," she added.

"Where is Congress also? They played vote bank politics, why they didn't get even one seat," Sitharaman asked.

AAP clinched a landslide victory by winning 62 of the 70 seats in the Delhi elections in the face of a high-voltage campaign by the BJP, which fielded a battery of Union Ministers and Chief Ministers in its electioneering, spearheaded by Home Minister Amit Shah.

The BJP marginally improved its tally by five seats as compared to 2015, managing to get eight seats. The Congress, which drew a blank in the previous elections, failed to open its account yet again. 

CPI-M senior leader from Kashmir Yousuf Tarigami on Wednesday took a dig at the Centre, asking it to notify Jammu and Kashmir as a "central jail" so that it no longer has to enforce draconian laws like the Public Safety Act on its citizens.

"The government should notify Jammu and Kashmir as a central jail. Then they do not have to invoke the PSA or force us to stay inside our homes," Tarigami said.   

"We have no trust in the government, but we trust the wisdom of the people of this country who have expressed it time and again. What happened yesterday in Delhi gives us hope. The victory is the light in this regime of darkness," he said congratulating the people of Delhi.

Addressing a press conference at the party office, Tarigami attacked the Centre over the continued restrictions in the valley and said the delegations which are being taken to Jammu and Kashmir can see that even the guesthouses have been turned into "detention centres".

Likening Jammu and Kashmir to Tihar jail, he and his party colleague, CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury said in unison, "Jammu and Kashmir cannot have a Shaheen Bagh for similar reasons as there cannot be a Shaheen Bagh in Tihar jail".  

Kejriwal will take oath as Delhi chief minister on February 16 at Ramlila Maidan in a grand ceremony that will be open to public, senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia said on Wednesday.  

Sisodia said all cabinet ministers will also take oath along with Kejriwal at the event. The oath-taking ceremony will take place at 10 am on Sunday, Sisodia said and urged people to turn out in large numbers for the ceremony.

This will be the third time Kejriwal will be taking oath as Chief Minister of Delhi after scripting a spectacular victory in the assembly polls, counting for which took place on Tuesday.

The party won 62 out of the total 70 seats in the Delhi Assembly.  

Image: Newly-elected AAP MLA Manish Sisodia holds a 'Dhanyawad Roadshow' in Jawahar Mohalla in his Patparganj constituency. He says, "I have constructed roads and sewers here in the past 5 years. I'll continue to work in welfare of the people".

The coalition partners of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government have been demanding the removal of James K Sangma as home minister over his alleged involvement in illegal transportation of coal. James K Sangma was also shifted from the district council affairs department. -- PTI

An analysis of the declarations made by these MLAs reveals that 43 of them face criminal cases, of whom 37 have declared serious charges including those related to rape, attempt to murder and crime against women, as per a study by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), a non-government organisation working on electoral reforms. 

Thirteen of the 37 MLAs have declared cases related to crimes against women. Of the 13, one has declared cases related to rape. In the previous assembly, 24 MLAs had declared criminal cases against themselves. 

The study also finds that 45 AAP MLAs and seven BJP MLAs have declared assets worth more than Rs 1 crore each. Among major parties, the average assets per MLA for 62 AAP legislators is Rs 14.96 crores and eight BJP MLAs have average assets worth Rs 9.10 crore.

AAP MLA Dharampal Lakra, who has won from Mundka, has assets worth over Rs 292 crore and is the richest legislator in the new assembly. He is followed by RK Puram MLA Pramila Tokas, who has total assets worth over Rs 80 crores followed by Patel Nagar MLA Raaj Kumar Anand who has assets worth Rs 78 crores.

At Rs 76,000, Mangolpuri MLA Rakhi Birla has declared the least amount of asset. The average assets per MLA in the Delhi Assembly Elections 2020 is Rs 14.29 crore up from Rs 6.29 crores in 2015, the ADR report added. --ANI

The NIA had last September filed a charge sheet claiming that JeM's Sajjad Ahmad Khan, a close aide of Pulwama attack mastermind Mudassir Ahmad Khan, was conspiring terror acts across India. 

The supplementary charge sheet was filed against four JeM operatives under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 121 A (waging, or attempting to wage war, or abetting waging of war, against the government of India) of IPC, and various sections of stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and sections of Explosives Substances Act. 

The agency filed the charge sheet against Sajjad Ahmad Khan (27), Bilal Ahmad Mir (23), Ishfaq Ahmad Bhat (24) and Mehraj-ud-Din Chopan (22), all residents of Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir. -- PTI

"The public have once again elected AAP for five years. So remove loopholes in the law due to which the convicts continue to take the law for granted for a longer period of time. The Delhi jail should bring changes in the manual so that no convict escapes the death penalty," Asha Devi said.

Talking about the case, Nirbhaya's mother said: "The hearing in the Supreme Court on February 13 may be important. We hope the Supreme Court gives a guideline tomorrow because Nirbhaya's case is constantly going to the Supreme Court.

"The apex court has also given notice to the convicts in this case. We are hoping once again that the top court will give a guideline in this matter tomorrow."

On the plea filed by convict Vinay Sharma claiming that he is mentally unwell, Asha Devi said that the convict does not have any mental disorder.

"He is not mentally disturbed. He does not have any mental disorder. Now our last hope is on the guideline of the Supreme Court. Only the Supreme Court can give a decision in this regard. It has to be seen how much we have to struggle in this case. How long the guilty continue to take advantage of loopholes in laws," she said.

The Delhi High Court last week granted a week's time to the four death row convict to avail all legal remedies available to them and said that the convicts cannot be hanged separately since they were convicted for the same crime.

A Delhi court had issued a death warrant against the four convicts -- Vinay Sharma, Akshay Thakur, Pawan Gupta and Mukesh Singh -- on January 7. They were scheduled to be executed on January 22 at Tihar Jail. Later, the execution was suspended indefinitely by a Delhi court.

The 30-share BSE gauge settled 349.76 points, or 0.85 per cent, higher at 41,565.90. It hit an intra-day high of 41,671.86. Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty jumped 93.30 points, or 0.77 per cent, to 12,201.20. 

HUL was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rallying 5 per cent, followed by Kotak Bank, Nestle India, ICICI Bank, Mahindra and Mahindra, Asian Paints and RIL. On the other hand, SBI, IndusInd Bank, Sun Pharma, Ultratech Cement, PowerGrid and NTPC fell up to 1.34 per cent. Domestic equities took positive cues from global markets that remained on firm footing despite concerns over the coronavirus outbreak, traders said. 

Investors were also awaiting inflation and factory output data, scheduled for release later in the day, they added. Bourses in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul settled with gains. -- PTI

In India three cases of coronavirus have been detected so far but there has been no casualty. "The coronavirus is an extremely serious threat to our people and our economy. My sense is the government is not taking this threat seriously. Timely action is critical," Gandhi said in a tweet. 

The death toll in China due to the novel coronavirus outbreak has gone up to 1,113 with 97 new fatalities reported mostly in the worst-affected Hubei province while the confirmed cases of the virus jumped to 44,653.

The coronavirus is a large family of viruses that causes illnesses ranging from the common cold to acute respiratory syndromes, but the virus that has killed people in China is a novel strain and not seen before. -- PTI

The "Diamond Princess" has been in quarantine at Yokohama since arriving off the Japanese coast early last week after the virus was detected in a former passenger who got off the ship in Hong Kong.

A total of 174 confirmed cases have been reported from among the 3,700-odd passengers and crew. Stalin, Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly, wrote to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in this connection, saying a native of Madurai in Tamil Nadu employed in the ship has called for help. 

In his letter, Stalin said the cruise ship was docked at the Yokohama harbour for the past nine days. The stranded man, who is employed in the ship, has sent a message to his friends through WhatsApp, that about 100 Indians are working in the vessel, of whom six are from Tamil Nadu, Stalin said. 

In his message, he has sought the Centre's intervention for the release of these hundred Indians from the vessel, the DMK said and urged Jaishankar to immediately intervene and ensure their safe return. Passengers and crew in the ship are now halfway through a 14-day quarantine that is due to end on February 19 and have been mostly confined to their quarters, aside from being allowed brief periods on deck while wearing face masks. -- PTI 

Nirbhaya's mother broke down in court asking the judged, "What about my rights? I am standing with folded hands. Please issue a death warrant. I am also human. Its been more than 7 years."

Nirbhaya's parents and the Delhi government had moved the court on Tuesday seeking fresh death warrants for the convicts after the Supreme Court granted liberty to the authorities to approach the trial court for issuance of fresh date for the execution of these convicts.

"I am losing faith and hope now. The court must understand the delay tactics of the convicts. Now, if a new lawyer is provided to convict Pawan he/she will take his/her own time to go through the case files," Nirbhaya's mother Asha Devi argued.

The date of execution, first fixed for January 22 in Tihar jail, was later postponed for 6 am on February 1 by a January 17 court order. The trial court had on January 31 stayed "till further orders" execution of the four convicts in the case, who are lodged in Tihar Jail. 

The Tihar jail authorities had filed a status report on Tuesday before the trial court stating that no legal option was preferred by any convicts -- Mukesh Kumar Singh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Kumar Sharma (26) and Akshay Kumar (31) -- in last seven-day period, granted by the Delhi High Court. -- PTI

A bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar said that the Supreme Court has already ruled that the right to cast vote was provided by a statute and it is neither a fundamental right nor a common law right.

The court dismissed the plea taking note of top court rulings and the statutory position. The Election Commission opposed the plea citing top court ruling. -- ANI

The information and broadcasting minister shot off the letter on Tuesday evening, asking all his ministerial colleagues to inform people about their ministry's "public welfare work" through television, newspapers, outdoor and digital mediums between February 15 and March 31. 

The one-and-a-half-month-long campaign should be themed "Har Kaam Desh Ke Naam", the letter stated.

Javadekar urged the ministers to issue immediate directives to officials in this connection.

The BJP lost decisively to the Aam Aadmi Party in the Delhi Assembly election, winning only eights seats to AAP's 62. 

The saffron party came under severe criticism from the Opposition for allegedly running a polarised and shrill campaign targeting AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal and the Shaheen Bagh protest against the amended citizenship law. 

The BJP, however, said it also highlighted Centre's work during the poll campaign. Several opposition parties have termed AAP's victory as a win for its welfare and development work. --  PTI

She was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee chief, Ajay Kumar Lallu. Priyanka also interacted with the people, who were injured in police action, during the protest against the CAA, NRC, and NPR.

Later this month she is scheduled to address over six rallies in Uttar Pradesh starting from February 23 to take on the BJP government over farmers' issues.

Her first rally will be on February 23 in Eastern UP's Basti district.

The Congress will take on Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led government on issues like stray cattle, payment of dues to sugarcane farmers, irregularities in the procurement of paddy and suicide of farmers in Bundelkhand.

The party will also press for its demands regarding loan waiver for farmers, 50 per cent subsidy on electricity bills, cowsheds and watchdog allowance in every village. -- ANI

He said that his son will work more hard for the people."We are very happy with God's grace. I read in the newspaper that even Maharashtra is following the steps which he (Arvind Kejriwal) has taken such as waiving off electricity bills. Arvind will now work much harder this time," Kejriwal's father said. -- ANI

The toddler who was dressed up to look like Arvind Kejriwal won hearts on social media and went viral within a span of minutes.

"He will be the CM one day (with a heart eyes emoji)," wrote a user. "Adorable" and "so cute," gushed others. Many others poured in congratulations for the Kejriwal-led party.

Sisodia also expressed concern about the attack on party MLA Naresh Yadav's convoy on Tuesday night, and said, "People responsible for maintaining law and order in Delhi should take action." PTI

Image: Calm after the storm: A meeting of newly-elected AAP MLAs was held at the residence of AAP chief and CM-designate Arvind Kejriwal today. He will take oath as the CM on 16th February.

"It is definitely a validation of the work that has been done by AAP in the last five years, be it education, health care, water or electricity," said Atishi while speaking to ANI.

On being asked about the things citizens should look forward to in the coming five years Atishi said, "They should look up to many things be it in terms of improvement in public transport, reducing pollution, 24/7 water supply...all of these things will now be provided."

As per the Election Commission's final figures, Atishi bagged 55,897 votes whereas BJP's Dharambir Singh secured 44,504 from the Kalkaji Assembly constituency.

Yesterday, the ruling AAP scored a landslide victory in Delhi assembly elections for the second time in a row as it swept aside both BJP, which was again restricted to a single digit and Congress which could not win a single seat.

AAP won 62 seats in the 70-member assembly, five seats short of its 2015 tally when it had won 67 seats. The BJP won eight seats, five more than its tally in the previous election. -- ANI

PC Chacko tenders his resignation from the post of Delhi Congress in-charge. Earlier today, when asked about the reason for the party's poor performance in the Delhi polls, Chacko blamed three-time Delhi CM Sheila Dixit. "The downfall of the Congress party started in 2013 when Sheilaji was the CM. The emergence of a new party AAP took away the entire Congress vote bank. We could never get it back. It still remains with AAP."

Congress leader Subhash Chopra resigned from the position of Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) president yesterday following the party's debacle in the Assembly polls in which it drew a blank and 63 out of 66 of its candidates forfeited their deposit.

"I take the responsibility for the debacle of the party in Delhi Assembly polls. I had less time, but still, I put all my efforts," said Chopra while speaking to ANI after tendering his resignation from the Delhi Congress chief post.

The Congress leader, however, hit out at the AAP and said that he never witnessed such politics in the national capital where voters got influenced by "mere advertisements than work".

"I have never seen such politics in Delhi ever where voters got influenced by the advertisements done by AAP and voted for it," he said. Chopra's daughter, Shivani, who contested from Kalkaji Assembly seat too lost her deposit. AAP's Atishi won the Kalkaji seat. 

Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi and Vice President of India Venkaiah Naidu called up AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal and congratulated him over his party's victory.

"Regulatory oversight of the RBI has also brought greater stability of banking operations," the president said in his address at the golden jubilee celebration of the National Institute of Bank Management. 

He said recently the role of RBI as regulator has been enhanced, and "We trust that this will deter malpractices and make our financial system more credible". Banks are fulcrum of the country's economic ecosystem, and have played a sterling role in fuelling India's growth over the years, he stated. 

Through financial inclusion, we have taken rapid strides to cover the un-banked population, and the increase of deposit insurance from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh is a positive step in assuring our savers, he added. -- PTI

However, when Barve was asked about it, he said the firm offered its services free of cost and there was no question of any financial gains to it. 

The project of police records' digitisation was awarded to CrispQ Information Technologies Pvt Ltd for five years by the previous Devendra Fadnavis-led government before the state Assembly polls were held in October last year, the sources said. 

The company is owned by Barve's son Sumukh Barve and wife Sharmila Barve. The firm sent a proposal on September 30, 2019 to the state government, offering its service "pro bono" (work undertaken voluntarily and without payment) to provide paperless office system to the Mumbai Police through a software called 'Notesheet Plus', an official said. A copy of the proposal was marked to the Chief Minister's Office, he said. 

Records, complaints and service documents of the Mumbai Police personnel were to be digitised with the help of the specified software, the official said.

The proposal was approved by the government as the company was going to do the work for free, and the Mumbai Police Commissioner's office was also directed to finalise the number of units and files for the digitisation work, the official said. However, the project did not start due to some technical issues, he added.

When contacted, Barve said, "The company had offered its service 'pro bono' and it was for the benefit of the Mumbai Police." The software, which was offered to be used by the company, is free and there is no question of any financial gains to the firm, he said. Barve is retiring from service on February 29. -- PTI

AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal is slated to take oath as the Delhi Chief Minister for the third time on February 16.

The oath-taking ceremony will take place at Ramlila Maidan.AAP galloped to a landslide victory by winning 62 of the 70 seats in the Delhi Assembly elections in the face of a high-voltage campaign by the BJP, which fielded a battery of Union Ministers and Chief Ministers in its electioneering, spearheaded by Home Minister Amit Shah.

The BJP marginally improved its tally, managing just eight seats from its 2015's tally of three seats. The Congress, which drew a blank in the previous elections, failed to open its account yet again. -- ANI

Image: Delhi CM and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal hugs party leader Sanjay Singh ahead of his address to supporters after the party's victory in the Assembly polls, at the party's office in New Delhi, on Tuesday.

Her visit also comes in the backdrop of "missing" posters of Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav surfacing in his parliamentary constituency.The posters had questioned the MP's absence in the wake of police action on women protesting against the CAA here last week.

In a tweet in Hindi, Priyanka Gandhi said, "Raising voice in a democracy is not a crime. And, it is my duty to stand with those, with whom crime has been committed. (Loktantra mein awaaz uthaana julm nahi hai aur mera kartavya hai ki jinke saath julm ho raha hai main unke saath kharhi hoon)." Several Muslim women had staged a protest at Maulana Jauhar Park area here last week against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) but were forcibly removed by police.

An FIR was registered against 35 named and over 100 unidentified people involved in the protests. Of them, 20 people were arrested, police had said. This is the Congress general secretary's second visit to eastern UP in less than a week. On Sunday, she had visited Varanasi on the occasion of Ravidas Jayanti. -- PTI

"With due respect, sir, just want to know -- has [the Congress] outsourced the task of defeating BJP to state parties? If not, then why are we gloating over the AAP's victory rather than being concerned about our drubbing?" And if 'yes', then we (PCCs) might as well close shop!" Mukherjee tweeted.

Her tweet came after Chidambaram lauded AAP for its stupendous win in the Assembly elections and said that people of Delhi "defeated the polarising, divisive and dangerous agenda of the BJP".

"AAP won, bluff and bluster lost. The people of Delhi, who are from all parts of India, have defeated the polarising, divisive and dangerous agenda of the BJP. I salute the people of Delhi who have set an example to other states that will hold their elections in 2021 and 2022," Chidambaram tweeted.

Earlier on Tuesday, Mukherjee had said that Congress was "decimated again" in Delhi and asserted "inordinate delay in decision making at the top" was among the reasons for the party's abysmal performance.

The Congress, which drew a blank in the 2015 Assembly elections, failed to open its account yet again in this year's polls.

PM Narendra Modi tweets to say he was 'extremely delighted' that 

US President Donald Trump and the First Lady Melania Trump were visiting India this month. 

"@POTUS @realDonaldTrump  and @FLOTUS will visit India on 24th and 25th February. India will accord a memorable welcome to our esteemed guests. This visit is a very special one and it will go a long way in further cementing India-USA friendship," the PM tweeted. 

Modi said India and USA share a common commitment to democracy and pluralism. "Our nations are cooperating extensively on a wide range of issues. Robust friendship between our nations augurs well not only for our citizens but also for the entire world," he said. 

Image: Modi and Trump at the 'Howdy Modi' event in Houston, Texas, in September.  

"NRC data is safe, there is some technical issue in visibility on Cloud. It is being resolved soon," the MHA said.

The NRC, which has been developed with the aim of segregating Indian citizens from illegal migrants, was implemented in Assam.

The final list of NRC for the state was published in which 19,06,657 persons were excluded including those who did not submit their claims. After the final list was published on August 31, 2019, the complete detail of exclusion and inclusion of bonafide Indian citizens in the NRC was uploaded on -- 'www.nrcassam.nic.in'. -- ANI

Kejriwal will be taking oath as the Chief Minister of Delhi on February 16, at Ramlila Maidan.Kejriwal-led AAP galloped to a landslide victory by winning 62 of the 70 seats in the face of a high-voltage election campaign by the BJP, which fielded a battery of Union Ministers and Chief Ministers in its poll campaign, spearheaded by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. 

--ANI

Image: Sand artist Manas Sahoo creates a sand sculpture as a congratulatory message for Arvind Kejriwal, following his party's victory in the Delhi Assembly Election, at sea beach in Puri yesterday.

Meanwhile, Priyanka is scheduled to address over six rallies in Uttar Pradesh starting from February 23 to take on the BJP government over farmers' issues.Her first rally will be on February 23 in Eastern UP's Basti district.

The Congress will take on Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led government on issues like stray cattle, payment of dues to sugarcane farmers, irregularities in the procurement of paddy and suicide of farmers in Bundelkhand.The party will also press for its demands regarding loan waiver for farmers, 50 per cent subsidy on electricity bills, cowsheds and watchdog allowance in every village. -- ANI

"Why certain accused, who seem to have a bigger role in the case, were roaming free while the CBI arrested its own DSP," asked Special CBI Judge Sanjeev Aggarwal.

The court put up the matter for further consideration on February 19. Asthana and DSP Devender Singh, who was arrested in 2018 and later got bail, were named in column 12 of the charge sheet since there was not enough evidence to make them accused. 

The CBI registered the case against Asthana on the basis of a complaint from Hyderabad-based businessman Satish Sana, facing probe in a 2017 case involving meat exporter Moin Qureshi. -- PTI

As per procedure, Kejriwal is also likely to tender his resignation to pave the way for his fresh swearing-in as the chief minister. Kejriwal will also hold meeting with the newly elected Aam Aadmi Party MLAs. The legislators will then elect him as the leader of the legislative party, following which he will stake claim to form government.

Kejriwal addressed people at the party's headquarters in Delhi yesterday after results showed a sweep for the party. A new kind of politics has emerged from the Delhi Assembly polls with people rewarding the party which built schools, hospitals and provided cheap electricity round-the-clock, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Tuesday. 

"Delhiites, you have done an amazing thing (Dilli walo aapne ne gazab kar diya). I love you," Kejriwal said in a brief address to joyous supporters and party workers at the AAP's headquarters in the national capital."It is a victory of all and every family who considered me their son and gave us a huge mandate. In the country today, Delhiites have given birth to a new kind of politics, which is called 'kam ki rajniti' (politics of works)," Kejriwal, who won the New Delhi seat, said.

Image: Arvind Kejriwal took oath in 2015 at the Ramlila Maidan

A bench headed by Justice NV Ramana will hear the plea of Sara Abdullah Pilot, who has said that Abdullah's detention is "manifestly illegal" and there is no question of him being a "threat to the maintenance of public order". 

The plea has sought the quashing of the February 5 order detaining Abdullah under the PSA and also sought his production before the court. Pilot has said that exercise of powers by the authorities under the CrPC to detain individuals, including political leaders, was "clearly mala fide to ensure that the opposition to the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution is silenced". 

Her plea said the intent of exercise of power was to "incarcerate not just him (Omar Abdullah) but the entire leadership of the National Conference, as well as the leadership of other political parties, who were similarly dealt with including Farooq Abdullah, who has served the state and the union over several years... stood by India whenever the situation so demanded."

Image: Omar Abdullah with his sisters Safiya, Hinna and Sara in a photograph tweeted by Safiya on 'Siblings Day'. Photograph: Kind courtesy Safiya@Twitter

A caveat is a notice given by a person, informing the court that another person may file a suit or application against him and that the court must give the caveator (person filing the caveat) a fair hearing before deciding any matter brought before it in the relevant case.

Jaishankar filed the caveat through advocate Swarupama Chaturvedi in the apex court registry saying that he should be heard before the court entertains and passes some directions on the petitions that may be filed against the Gujarat High Court order.

The minister filed the caveat apprehending that Congress leaders, whose pleas were dismissed by the High Court, may approach the top court.

The Gujarat High Court on February 4 this year had dismissed a batch of petitions filed by Congress leaders challenging the election of Jaishankar to the Rajya Sabha.

The High Court's order came on the pleas of Congress leaders Gaurav Pandya, Chandrika Chudasama and Paresh Dhanani challenging the election of Jaishankar and BJP leader Jugalji Thakor to the Upper House of Parliament.

The Congress leaders had challenged the election in the High Court on the ground that the Election Commission's notifications, treating the two vacant seats, to be of different categories and requiring bypolls to be held separately, were "illegal and in violation" of provisions of the Constitution, Representation of People (RP) Act, 1951 and Conduct of Election Rules, 1961.

The elections to the two Rajya Sabha seats of Gujarat were held on July 5 last year. The seats fell vacant after BJP leaders Amit Shah and Smriti Irani were elected to the Lok Sabha. -- PTI

A fresh batch of 25 foreign diplomats, including those from Germany, Canada, France and Afghanistan, will be visiting Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday to witness the ground situation in the region nearly six months after the abrogation of Article 370 of the Consitution.

This is the second batch of foreign diplomats that will be visiting Jammu and Kashmir in the last one month.

According to local media reports, the delegation will be meeting fruit growers in North Kashmir before reaching Srinagar where they are scheduled to meet media representatives, civil society groups and politicians of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Indian Army will also brief the visiting diplomats on the security situation in Kashmir and are expected to give a detailed presentation on Pakistan's involvement in fomenting and sponsoring terrorism in the newly-formed Union Territory.

According to reports, the envoys will have a night halt in Srinagar before moving to Jammu next day where they are expected to meet Lieutenant Governor GC Murmu and civil society groups.

The fresh batch of diplomats also includes EU representatives from Poland, Bulgaria and Czech Republic, and their participation assumes significance as the EU Parliament recently initiated to bring a joint draft resolution on the Citizenship Amendment Act and Kashmir, the vote on which was later deferred.

Also, the India-EU summit is also slated to take place in Brussels next month where external affairs minister S Jaishankar will be participating.

Last month, envoys of 15 countries including US Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster and diplomats from Vietnam, South Korea, Brazil, Niger, Nigeria, Morocco, Guyana, Argentina, Philippines, Norway, Maldives, Fiji, Togo, Bangladesh and Peru visited Jammu and Kashmir on January 9 and 10 to see first-hand efforts being made by the government in the region. -- ANI

The death toll in China's novel coronavirus outbreak has gone up to 1,113 with 97 new fatalities reported mostly in the worst-affected Hubei province while the confirmed cases of infection jumped to 44,653, health officials said on Wednesday.

The country's National Health Commission said it received reports of 2,015 new confirmed cases and 97 deaths from 31 provincial-level regions on Tuesday.

The virus was officially named "COVID-19" by the World Health Organization at a conference in Geneva.

Among the deaths, 94 were from the virus-hit Hubei Province and one in Henan, Hunan and Chongqing respectively, the Commission said.

Another 3,342 new suspected cases were reported on Tuesday, said the commission.

Also on Tuesday, 871 patients were seriously taken ill, while 744 people discharged from hospital after recovery.

The overall confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland has reached 44,653 by the end of Tuesday and 1,113 people has died of the disease.

The commission added that 8,204 patients remained in severe condition and 16,067 people were suspected of being infected with the virus.

A total of 4,740 people had been discharged from hospital after recovery.

The commission said over 4.51 lakh close contacts had been traced with over 1.85 lakh others are still under medical observation.

By the end of Tuesday, 49 confirmed cases including one death has been reported in Hong Kong, 10 confirmed cases in Macao and 18 in Taiwan.

As many as 397 cases have reported from a number of countries, state-run CGTN TV reported.

After naming the virus as "COVID-19", WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: "We had to find a name that did not refer to a geographical location, an animal, an individual or group of people, and which is also pronounceable and related to the disease".

The CO stands for corona, the VI for virus and the D for disease, Ghebreyesus announced on Tuesday at a news conference at the agency's headquarters in Geneva. -- PTI

Market benchmark Sensex rallied over 300 points in opening session on Wednesday driven by gains in HDFC twins, RIL, ICICI Bank and HUL ahead of the release of inflation and factory output data.

   

The 30-share BSE index was trading 331.04 points or 0.80 per cent higher at 41,547.18, and the broader NSE advanced 93.50 points, or 0.77 per cent, to 12,201.40.

 

In the previous session, Sensex settled 236.52 points, or 0.58 per cent, higher at 41,216.14 and Nifty rose 76.40 points, or 0.64 per cent, to 12,107.90.

 

Meanwhile, on a net basis, foreign institutional investors sold equities worth Rs 209.39 crore, while domestic institutional investors bought shares worth Rs 344.63 crore on Tuesday, data available with stock exchanges showed.

 

HUL was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rising up to 3 per cent, followed by Tata Steel, NTPC, HDFC, Nestle India, PowerGrid and Axis Bank.

 

On the other hand, IndusInd Bank was the sole laggard in morning session.

According to analysts, domestic investors are likely to stay focused on the last batch of Q3 numbers, factory output and CPI inflation for the month of January. As per the consensus, inflation is expected to remain elevated confirming the recent action by the central bank.

 

Market also took positive cues from global markets that remained on firm footing despite concerns over coronavirus (COVID-19), traders said.

Bourses in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul were trading on a positive note. 

 

Stock exchanges on Wall Street closed with gains on Tuesday.

 

Meanwhile, the rupee appreciated 5 paise against the US dollar to 71.21 in morning session.

 

Global crude benchmark Brent rallied 1.72 per cent to USD 54.94 per barrel. -- PTI 

Three rescuers were trapped after a three-storey building collapsed early Wednesday when fire department personnel were trying to put out a blaze in Jammu city, officials said.

 

The building, housing a saw mill on the ground floor, collapsed during firefighting in Golepulli area, they said.

Several people, including five firemen, were trapped under the debris, an official said adding that two officials and a civilian were rescued and shifted to hospital, the operation to rescue three other officials was going on.

A fire department official said they rushed firefighters after receiving a distress call at 4.48 am and were making efforts to put out the blaze when suddenly the building collapsed at 5.30 am.

It was not immediately clear whether any other civilian was also trapped under the debris, the official said. -- PTI 

The meeting is scheduled to take place at around 11.30 am.

As Kejriwal will be elected as the leader of the legislative party today, he will hold a meeting with the newly-elected party MLAs at his residence, later in the day.

On Tuesday, Baijal had extended greetings to Kejriwal for his party's astounding victory in the Delhi assembly polls.

"Congratulations and best wishes to Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party for winning the Delhi Assembly Elections 2020," LG had tweeted.

The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP galloped to a landslide victory by winning 62 of the 70 seats in the face of a high-voltage election campaign by the BJP, which fielded a battery of Union ministers and chief ministers in its poll campaign, spearheaded by Union home minister Amit Shah. -- ANI

At least one volunteer was killed while another was injured when shots were fired at Aam Aadmi Party MLA Naresh Yadav's convoy in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Naresh Yadav, AAP MLA from Mehrauli was returning from the temple when his convoy was attacked.

'Shots fired at AAP MLA @MLA_NareshYadav and the volunteers accompanying him while they were on way back from the temple. At least one volunteer has passed away due to bullet wounds. Another is injured,' the party tweeted from its official handle on Wednesday.

Party leader Sanjay Singh questioned the law and order situation in the capital city over the incident.

'Attack on the convoy of Mehrauli MLA Naresh Yadav, killing of Ashok Maan, the rule of law in Delhi. Naresh Yadav was returning from the temple after paying obeisance,' Singh tweeted.  -- ANI

United States President Donald Trump has said that he is looking forward to his first visit to India later this month and indicated that the two countries may sign a trade deal.

 

At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Trump is slated to travel to India on February 24 and 25. In addition to New Delhi, he will stop in Ahmedabad in Gujarat to address a joint public meeting with Modi at a stadium.

 

"He (Modi) is a great gentleman and I look forward to going to India. So, we'll be going at the end of the month," Trump told reporters in his Oval Office, a day after the White House announced dates of his anticipated India trip.

 

Responding to a question, the president indicated that he is willing to sign a trade deal with India if it is the right one.

"They (Indians) want to do something and we'll see... if we can make the right deal, (we) will do it," said Trump, a fortnight ahead of his visit to the country as the 45th US president.

India's new Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu told PTI that Trump's forthcoming visit is a "reflection of the strong personal rapport" between Trump and Modi.

 

"It also demonstrates their strong desire to take the relationship to new heights," said Sandhu, who had presented his credentials to Trump in Oval Office last week.

 

Over the last three years, Trump and Modi have developed a personal friendship and in 2019, the duo met four times including their joint address before a strong 50,000 crowd of Indian-Americans in Houston.

 

This year, they have spoken over the phone on two occasions, including the one over the weekend.

"Just spoke with Prime Minister Modi," Trump told reporters on Tuesday in response to a question on his India visit.

  

Excited to travel to India later this month, said Trump referring to his conversation with Modi during which the prime minister apparently told him about the hundreds and thousands of Indians who would be there to welcome him in Ahmedabad.

  

Trump jokingly told reporters that now he will "not feel good" about the size of the crowd that he addresses in the US which is usually between 40,000 to 50,000.

 

"He (Modi) said we will have millions and millions of people. My only problem is that last night we probably had 40 or 50,000 people... I'm not going to feel so good... There will be five to seven million people just from the airport to the new stadium (in Ahmedabad)," Trump said. -- PTI

Over 43,000 votes in the just-concluded Delhi Assembly polls were cast in the None of the Above (NOTA) category, according to official figures released on Tuesday.

Counting of votes were held on Tuesday after the elections to the 70-member Delhi Assembly.

The election, largely seen as a battle between the AAP and the BJP, was held on Saturday, sealing the fate of 672 candidates -- 593 men and 79 women.

The final voter turnout was 62.59 per cent, five per cent less than 2015.

The votes polled under NOTA category -- 43,108 -- constituted about 0.5 per cent of total votes polled, as per the figures released by the Election Commission on its website.

According to the final votes tally released by the EC, the AAP, in a near-repeat performance of 2015, won in 62 constituencies with a voting percentage of 53.57, while the BJP got eight seats with vote share of 38.51 per cent.

The Congress drew a blank for the second successive assembly elections in Delhi.

In the 2015 Delhi elections, the NOTA vote percentage had stood at 0.4 per cent of the total votes cast. The AAP had swept the polls with 67 seats.

After the Supreme Court order in September 2013, the EC added NOTA button on the Electronic Voting Machines as the last option on the voting panel.  -- PTI