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Fri, 24 July 2020
Rajasthan Guv must convene assembly: Rahul
Timeline Refresh
23:17 Rajasthan Guv must convene assembly: Rahul
Alleging that there was a clear 'BJP conspiracy' to topple the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said the governor must convene an assembly session so that the truth comes out before the country.
Gandhi weighed in on the political developments in Rajasthan after the Congress attacked Governor Kalraj Mishra for not calling an assembly session by accusing him of abdicating his constitutional obligation and acting at the behest of the central government.
'The country is ruled by Constitution and law. The governments are made and run by the mandate of the people,' the former Congress chief said in a tweet.
'The BJP conspiracy to topple the Rajasthan government is clear. This is an insult to the eight crore people of Rajasthan,' Gandhi said.
The Governor should convene a session of the Legislative Assembly so that the truth comes out before the country, he tweeted with the hashtag 'Arrogant BJP'.
Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel also lashed out at the BJP, saying the saffron party's government in Manipur manages to convene an assembly, but the Congress government in Rajasthan cannot.
'Selective application of the Constitution is now rule of law?' he said in a tweet.
Congress MLAs loyal to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday held a five-hour sit-in at the Raj Bhawan to press for an assembly session, in a dramatic show of strength hours after the Pilot camp secured protection for now from disqualification from the House.
The Congress said it ended the sit-in following an assurance from the governor that he will abide by Article 174 of the Constitution, after getting some clarifications from the chief minister. -- PTI
22:25 Not held hostage, say Pilot camp MLAs
Three dissident MLAs of Rajasthan's former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot's camp on Friday dismissed the allegations that they are being held hostage in Haryana.
The MLAs junked the accusation in a video, saying they are accompanying Pilot on their own.
The video of the MLAs was issued on Friday.
Some people sitting in Jaipur are alleging that we have been held hostage but I want to say that we came here voluntarily. No party has held us hostage. We were with Sachin Pilot and will remain with him, MLA Vedprakash Solanki said.
Another legislator Murari Lal Meena said he was disappointed at Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's functioning and therefore they have come to Delhi.
Meena asserted that they are in Congress and have not contacted any other party.
He said the Rajasthan's investigation agencies like the Anti-Corruption Bureau and Special Operation Group are being misused and the MLAs' families are under fear.
I want to make it clear that neither we have been held hostage nor we have bouncers sitting with us. We are neither sick nor shedding tears either, MLA Suresh Modi said.
He alleged that the chief minister did not work for his constituency and did not pay heed to the MLAs' demand related to works.
The MLAs are seen sitting in a group but it is not clear when and where the videos were shot.
There are a total of 19 dissident Congress MLAs including Sachin Pilot. -- PTI
22:04 Maha home minister orders probe after RTI activist claims RSS threat
Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Friday said he has ordered a probe after activist Saket Gokhale claimed Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh activists gathered outside his home in neighbouring Thane and threatened his mother.
In a tweet, Gokhale had sought urgent assistance from police and the state home minister and shared a video showing some persons gathered outside his residential building and chanting 'Jai Shri Ram' slogans.
A police official said around 15 persons gathered outside the building where Gokhale lives and shouted slogans.
They were protesting against Gokhale for approaching court over the August 5 Ram temple 'Bhoomi Pujan' ceremony, he said.
The identity of the persons is not known but Gokhale claimed that they were RSS workers, the official said.
'We are taking very serious cognisance of this and have immediately ordered an enquiry into this issue. We will immediately provide you protection. Thane police have been instructed accordingly,' the minister tweeted.
The Allahabad high court on Friday dismissed a plea filed by Gokhale for stopping the August 5 'Bhoomi Pujan' ceremony for laying down the foundation stone for building a Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Gokhale contended that the ceremony would breach the central government's anti-COVID-19 protocol.
In a tweet on Thursday, Gokhale had claimed that an advertising and social media company owned by a Bharatiya Janata Party office-bearer was hired by Maharashtra's Chief Electoral Officer to issue election-related online ads during the 2019 assembly polls. -- PTI
21:23 NIA court refuses bail to Anand Teltumbde
A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mumbai on Friday rejected 'default' bail application of scholar and activist Anand Teltumbde, arrested in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case.
Teltumbde had sought bail under section 167 (2) of Code of Criminal Procedure on July 13 as the NIA failed to file a chargesheet against him within 90 days as mandated under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Such bail is sometimes called default bail.
But special judge D E Kothalikar rejected the application.
On July 12, the court had granted the NIA ninety days' extension to file charge sheet.
Teltumbde was arrested by the NIA on April 14 after he surrendered following the Supreme Court's direction.
The NIA court had earlier rejected similar plea of another accused in the case, activist Gautam Navlakha.
Teltumbde, Navlakha and nine others have been booked under stringent provisions of the UAPA for allegedly having links with the Maoists and conspiring to overthrow the government.
They were initially booked by the Pune police after violence erupted near Koregaon-Bhima in Pune district.
Inflammatory speeches and provocative statements at the Elgar Parishad meet held in Pune on December 31, 2017, 'backed' by Maoists, triggered the violence the next day, the police had alleged. -- PTI
20:39 Domestic airfare cap to remain till Nov 24: Govt
JUST IN: Domestic airfare cap to remain in place till November 24 or until further orders, says civil aviation ministry.
More details awaited. -- PTI
Cong MLAs leave Raj Bhawan
20:23 Raj Guv to call session, Cong MLAs end dharna
Congress MLAs in the Ashok Gehlot camp on Friday ended a five-hour dharna at the Raj Bhawan after Governor Kalraj Mishra assured that he will call a session of the state assembly.
Mishra, however, wanted the government's clarification on some points before he makes the announcement, Congress leaders said as they emerged from the Raj Bhawan.
Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said these points will be taken care of at a Cabinet meeting Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is calling at 9.30 pm.
The MLAs went to the Raj Bhawan in the afternoon, complaining that the Governor was sitting on letter that the Cabinet had sent seeking an assembly session on Monday. -- PTI
19:08 Chardham Yatra opens for pilgrims from other states
Days after opening the Char Dham Yatra for the local residents of Uttarakhand, the Chardham Devsthanam Board on Friday allowed people from rest of the country to visit the holy places.
The pilgrims will, however, have to produce the negative report of the COVID-19 test done at least 72 hours ago, Ravinath Raman, the CEO of the Devsthanam Board said.
According to the standard operating procedures issued by the board, pilgrims have to register themselves with the Devsthanam Board on its website.
They also need to upload their identity card as well as the COVID-19 report to get clearance for the visit.
The state government had earlier allowed only local residents of the state to visit the Char Dham.
However, it had said that people from containment zones and quarantine centres within the state would not be allowed to take part in the pilgrimage.
The yatra was stopped after the government announced lockdown earlier this year due to rising COVID-19 cases. -- ANI
18:59 Most Indians not comfortable travelling for at least a year: Survey
Even as several states have opened their doors for tourists, a survey has showed that most people are not comfortable travelling for at least a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The states that have opened their borders for the visitors include Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Goa, and Madhya Pradesh, according to the survey by Neta App.
The technology platform mainly aims to foster political accountability by enabling citizens to signal a change in their political preferences at any point in time.
Over 54,000 people participated in the survey across 19 states and Delhi-NCR, which was conducted between July 16 and 20.
However, it found that 71 per cent of the people surveyed said they are not comfortable travelling for at least a year, while 25 per cent felt they might only consider travelling after six months from now.
"While the tourism industry has started to make a comeback in a big way in Europe; in India, the current signals are bleak," Neta App founder Pratham Mittal said.
He added that with daily cases of coronavirus infections still rising in many states, Indian tourists would rather spend time at home than travel and put their life in danger. "We may see this change in the next six months though as indicated by the survey."
Further, the survey showed that while the state governments have announced a slew of measures to ensure safety for travellers, 68 per cent of the respondents said they are not satisfied with the precautions being taken by the governments.
The findings also pointed out that 54 per cent respondents are more comfortable staying at hotel rather than homestay (11 per cent) or with friends or family (35 per cent) fearing cross contamination due to close interactions with people.
People are more comfortable travelling to locations nearer to them, the survey further indicated.
For instance, majority of Delhiites are comfortable travelling to HP, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan as opposed to other states like Goa or Madhya Pradesh, it said.
Similarly, people from Maharashtra and Karnataka are comfortable travelling to Goa considering the proximity, it added. -- PTI
18:57 Centre should deploy CRPF in Rajasthan: BJP
The Rajasthan Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday demanded the Centre deploy the Central Reserve Police Force to maintain law and order in the state, reacting sharply to Congress MLAs staging a 'dharna' at Raj Bhavan for convening a session of the state assembly.
"The chief minister is saying that the public will come and gherao the Raj Bhavan. I would request the Centre that it deploy the CRPF in Rajasthan to maintain law and order. It should not trust the Rajasthan police," Leader of Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria said.
All legal provisions should be used to evict the MLAs from the Raj Bhawan, he said.
State Congress MLAs in the Ashok Gehlot camp are sitting on a dharna' on the Raj Bhavan lawns in Jaipur, saying they will stay put till the Governor summons a session of the state assembly.
Gehlot said if the demand for convening a session is not met, the MLAs will not be responsible if people gherao the Raj Bhawan.
State BJP president Satish Poonia said the chief minister's language was unfortunate.
"He provoked for laying siege (to the Raj Bhavan). He is lowering the dignity of his post. He holds the home portfolio and by stating this, he brought himself in the category of criminals. He has violated provisions of the Disaster Management Act and the Indian Penal Code," Poonia told a press conference.
Prior to moving to the Raj Bhawan along with the MLAs from a hotel, Gehlot said the governor was under pressure from above not to call an assembly session despite the government's written request last night.
"I would like to say to the governor that all of us are coming to the Raj Bhawan and will collectively request him to not come under anyone's pressure and take a decision on the basis of his conscience and the oath he has taken. And if public comes to surround the Raj Bhawan, it will not be our responsibility," Gehlot had said. -- PTI
18:50 Swami Parthasarathys online Vedanta discourse on Sunday
93-year-old Swami Parthasarathy, one of the finest living exponents of Vedanta, will be delivering his first-ever online Guru Purnima lecture on July 26, 2020, at 6.30 pm IST.
At no time before has humanity been so collectively stressed as it is today.
Perhaps then, this is the right time for Swami Parthasarathy to help us make sense of the dystopian world that we are witness to, in his one-hour session on Sunday.
'In over 70 years of study and research, Swami Parthasarathy has authored 12 books including three best-sellers which comprise a unique course to develop intellectual clarity. He has been featured in Time, Businessweek and Forbes magazines, and has addressed premier institutions worldwide such as Harvard University, Oxford University, NASA, Young Presidents' Organisation -- as well as the Indian cricket team,' a press release from the Vedanta Cultural Foundation stated.
Called 'Personal Rehabilitation -- From Concern to Composure', you can tune into Sunday's session by registering here.
18:42 Adm DK Joshi donates award money to Uttarakhand war memorial
Admiral D K Joshi, former Navy chief and currently lt governor of Andamans and Nicobar Islands, has donated all the funds from the bravery decorations he has received from the government to the Uttarakhand War Memorial.
Adm Joshi had recently agreed to be a patron of the war memorial.
This is the first time that a war veteran, highly decorated for his exceptional service to the nation, has chosen to donate all the award money he receives to the cause of martyred soldiers, pointed out Tarun Vijay, chairman of the war memorial.
A recipient of the highest military honours, Adm Joshi receives annual annuities to the tune of about Rs 90,900. In a letter to Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, the admiral said that all his regular income from these annuities, which come to him through the state government's Sainik Kalyan department, must be permanently diverted to the Uttarakhand War Memorial.
Professor Varavara Rao, poet and activist.
18:33 Vara Vara Rao's family appeals to NHRC for his release
The family of jailed poet activist Vara Vara Rao has made another appeal to the National Human Rights Commission to release him from custody.
Rao, among the 11 intellectuals charged under the UAPA for their alleged links to the violence that took place at Bhima Koregaon on January 1, 2018, has been in Taloja jail since February.
The following is the text of his family's letter to the NHRC.
To,
Mr. Debindra Kundra, Focal Point - Human Rights Defenders & Assistant Registrar,
National Human Rights Commission,
New Delhi.
Dear Sir,
At the onset, we, the family members of Mr Varavara Rao, would like to express our gratitude that the NHRC on July 17, 2020, directed that Mr Rao be provided the best possible treatment in a reputed super speciality hospital by the State Government of Maharashtra at its cost. Following this, he was admitted at the Nanavati Hospital.
Today, we are compelled to write this letter to you, as we are denied any information about his condition or his treatment at the Nanavati Hospital. From the time he was shifted out of Taloja Jail to St George's hospital to Nanavati hospital, the only official information provided to the family was that he had tested positive for the Covid-19. Denial of any information on Mr Rao's health is a direct violation of NHRC's order dated July 13, 2020, whereby it had specifically directed the prison authorities to provide all the necessary medical care and assistance to Shri Rao with intimation to his family members.
Completely disregarding this NHRC directive, the family was not informed, by either hospital or prison authorities, about a head injury discovered on him upon arrival at the Nanavati hospital. We learnt about it only from friends in media and civil society.
Consequently, we receive no official updates from the hospital or the prison authorities and our consent isn't taken for any of the critical treatment that maybe required to administer him. His health becoming the subject of public speculation with no official or transparent information from the hospital authorities is causing extreme anxiety to the entire family.
We believe that the health updates of a person in judicial custody must be shared with his family. Denial of regular health updates to the family of Mr Rao is not only unconstitutional but it is a cruel and an inhuman act.
It is the family's right to get routine updates about the medical status of a patient, any treatment that he is undergoing and the risks involved regarding the same.
Keeping us in dark about Mr Rao's medical status is a flagrant violation of the NHRC directive.
We urge the NHRC to intervene urgently in this matter and to immediately direct the hospital and prison administrations to provide transparent, official updates on Mr Rao's health status and line of treatment on every six hours to us -- his family members.
The NHRC should also consider directing the hospital authorities to provide us with a point-of-contact in the hospital for regular updates and to make medical records accessible to his family.
We believe as Mr Rao's family we should have access to information and patient concerned as it should be according to the law of the land and medical ethics.
We also urge the NHRC to direct the concerned authorities to allow a family member to assist/attend him, since he is reportedly not in a position to do anything on his own.
Yours sincerely,
P Hemalatha (wife of Varavara Rao)
P Sahaja, P Anala, P Pavana (daughters)
18:26 Behave in Gandhian way: Gehlot tells his MLAs
Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot Friday urged Congress MLAs sitting on a 'dharna' at the Raj Bhavan in Jaipur to behave in the Gandhian way as no confrontation is desirable, sources said.
State Congress MLAs in the Gehlot camp are sitting on a 'dharna' on the Raj Bhavan lawns, demanding a session of the state assembly be called.
"The chief minister has requested all MLAs to behave in the Gandhian way and we do not want any confrontation," a source said.
It has never happened in the history of the country that the governor has not given approval to call an assembly session, the source added.
"The Governor is bound by the decisions of the Cabinet. It seems that Cabinet's proposal to call an assembly session has not been approved (by the Governor) under pressure from higher-ups," the source said. -- PTI
18:23 UP Guv Anandiben Patel gets additional charge of MP
Uttar Pradesh governor Anandiben Patel has been given charge of Madhya Pradesh until the appointment of regular incumbent, an official communiqu issued by Rashtrapati Bhavan said.
Madhya Pradesh governor Lalji Tandon had died on Tuesday.
"Consequent upon the demise of Lal Ji Tandon, Governor of Madhya Pradesh, the President of India is pleased to appoint Anandiben Patel, Governor of Uttar Pradesh to discharge the functions of the Governor of Madhya Pradesh, in addition to her own duties, until regular arrangements for the office of the Governor of Madhya Pradesh are made," it said. -- PTI
17:55 People waiting for governor's decision: Gehlot
Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot addresses the media after meeting Governor Kalraj Mishra. "The Governor is our constitutional head. I don't hesitate to say that he couldn't have stopped it (Assembly Session) without some pressure from the top. Why did he not decide yesterday? We've requested him again to make a decision soon. People are waiting."
Congress MLAs supporting Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot raised slogans at the Raj Bhawan on Friday after reports came to the fore that Governor Kalraj Mishra had refused to convene the state Assembly session due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"If media reports are true about Governor saying that state Assembly session can't be conducted due to COVID-19, then we are ready to conduct COVID-19 tests of 200 MLAs," Raghu Sharma, Rajasthan Minister and Congress leader said.
The Chief Minister had met the Governor on Friday afternoon over the issue of the convening of the Assembly session.Chief Minister Gehlot, earlier, alleged that colleagues, apparently referring to Congress MLAs from the Sachin Pilot camp, have been held hostages in Haryana under the BJP's supervision.
17:39 Community spread in Telangana: Health official
Coronavirus has entered the community in Telangana and the public should take all precautions against the pathogen as the coming weeks will be crucial, a senior health department official has said.
"Early identification and treatment of COVID-19 are two things we should be doing because this virus has entered the community.. it is not visible how it is (spreading) and where it is," State Director of Public Health G Srinivasa Rao said.
However, he said people need not panic and appealed to the them to take precautions like wearing a mask before stepping out, maintaining physical distance and hand-washing as the next four-five weeks would be crucial for the state. The tally of COVID-19 cases in the state crossed 50,000 mark on Thursday with 1,567 new additions.
The toll climbed to 447 after nine more people succumbed to the virus. Speaking to reporters here on Thursday, Rao said the mortality rate due to COVID-19 was less than one per cent in Telangana.
"A look at the situation in all other states in the country shows that Telangana is much better. I am saying this strongly because the mortality rate in our state so far is 0.88 per cent. That means, it is less than one per cent. -- PTI
17:34 India's vaccine trial begins: 30-yr-old given 1st dose
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Friday administered the first dose of country's first indigenous vaccine candidate 'Covaxin' to a 30-year-old man as part of efforts to combat COVID-19.
This is the first phase of human clinical trial after the institute's ethics committee gave its approval for the trail for the indigenously developed COVID-19 vaccine candidate Covaxin.
Prof (Dr) Sanjay Rai, who works in the Community Medicine Department and is principal investigator of the study, said that dose was administered to a resident of Delhi.
"Today, we administered the first dose of Covaxin to a 30-year-old man, the first volunteer, who is a resident of Delhi. He was screened two days ago and all his health vital parameters were normal. He does not have any co-morbid conditions or any pre-existing illness," Dr Rai told ANI.
"Post-vaccination, the subject was in close observation for two hours. There was no sudden side-effect observed. The subject will be monitored for a week," he said.
Dr Rai said more than 3,500 volunteers have already registered for the trial at AIIMS"Screening for 22 subjects is ongoing and only about a third of them were found to have normal parameters. More volunteers will be vaccinated tomorrow once their health screening reports come," he said.
The patient has been provided with a health card for noting down his daily medical condition and has also been asked to maintain his daily routine. The doctors will check up his health condition daily through telephone for one week post the administration of the vaccine.
According to the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), the trial is taking place at 12 sites for phase I and II randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials of Covaxin.
Apart from AIIMS Delhi, trial is taking place at AIIMS Patna and few other sites.
"Any healthy individual who wishes to participate in the trial can send in an email on ctaiims.covid19@gmail.com or send an SMS or call on 7428847499," the AIIMS doctor said adding that for phases I & II phase- AIIMS (Delhi) will choose only 100 participants out of 375 volunteers and remaining participants will be studied at other sites.The top drug regulator had earlier given its green signal for human clinical trials for Covaxin, which has been developed by the Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the ICMR and the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune. -- ANI
17:12 Keen to assist in Sushant's death probe: Kangana
Actress Kangana Ranaut, through her lawyer, writes to the Mumbai Police stating that she is "keen to assist" in the probe of Sushant Singh Rajput's death. The letter states that since Ranaut is in Himachal Pradesh, the Mumbai Police can either visit her or record her statement via electronic medium.
The Mumbai Police on Friday issued summons to the Bollywood actor asking her to record her statement in connection with Sushant Singh Rajput's death case, an official said. The Bandra police are investigating allegations that professional rivalry, besides clinical depression, drove the actor to suicide.
After Rajput's suicide at his apartment in Mumbai last month, Ranaut had lashed out at nepotism and cartels in Bollywood, alleging that he was its victim.
According to the police, Ranaut is currently in Manali. "In an attempt to understand the reason behind Rajput's depression, police want some inputs from Kangana Ranaut. Accordingly, we sent summons to her by post at her residence in Manali on Friday," the official said. "Police may ask Ranaut to give her inputs about the possible reason behind Rajput's extreme step," he said. -- PTI
16:49 India's financials sound despite Covid: RBI
A combination of fiscal, monetary and regulatory interventions on an unprecedented scale has ensured normal functioning of financial markets in response to Covid-19, the Reserve Bank of India said on Friday.
However, the over-leveraged non-financial sector, simmering global geopolitical tensions and economic losses on account of the pandemic are major downside risks to global economic prospects, it said in its 21st Financial Stability Report.
Actions undertaken by financial sector regulators and the government to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 eased operational constraints and helped in maintaining market integrity and resilience in the face of severe risk aversion.
Bank credit which had considerably weakened during the first half of 2019-20 slid down further in the subsequent period with the moderation becoming broad-based across bank groups, said the central bank.
The capital to risk-weighted assets ratio (CRAR) of scheduled commercial banks edged down to 14.8 per cent in March from 15 per cent in September last year while their gross non-performing asset (GNPA) ratio declined to 8.5 per cent from 9.3 per cent and the provision coverage ratio (PCR) improved to 65.4 per cent from 61.6 per cent.
The RBI said macro stress tests for credit risk indicate that the GNPA ratio of all scheduled commercial banks may increase from 8.5 per cent in March this year to 12.5 per cent by March 2021 under the baseline scenario. The ratio may escalate to 14.7 per cent under a very severely stressed scenario.
Network analysis shows that total bilateral exposures among entities in the financial system declined marginally during 2019-20. With the inter-bank market continuing to shrink and with a better capitalisation of public sector banks (PSBs), there will be a reduction in contagion losses to the banking system under various scenarios in relation to a year ago. -- ANI
16:38 China figures in Rajnath's telephonic talks with Israeli defence minister
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday held a telephonic conversation with his Israeli counterpart Lt Gen Benjamin Gantz during which India's border row with China in eastern Ladakh figured prominently, government sources said.
The main focus of the talks was speedy implementation of ongoing defence procurement programmes as well as further expansion of overall defence and security ties between the two countries, they said.
The sources said Singh apprised Gantz about major reforms initiated by India in the defence manufacturing sector and called for greater participation of Israeli defence firms in joint-development of weapons and military hardware with Indian companies. The border row between India and China figured in the conversation, they said without elaborating. PTI
16:30 Cong MLAs stage walkout from Puducherry Assembly during LG's address
A group of Puducherry Congress MLAs on Friday staged a walkout from the Legislative Assembly of the Union Territory during the address of Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi to protest against her alleged reprimand of health staff. Notably, the Puducherry Government Medical Officers Association had earlier written a letter to Director (Health), Puducherry Government, complaining against Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi for allegedly demeaning a senior colleague of their fraternity.
The association had said that they condemn the "unruly, inhuman behaviour" by the Lieutenant Governor towards their colleague during a video conference on July 19.
"Proposal seeking approval for laying of Annual Financial Statement and Demand for Grants before Assembly and letters of Chief Minister-Speaker to address House received on Wednesday. LG has accepted the invitation," the LG Secretariat said in a statement.
On July 20, Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy had presented the annual budget for the year 2020-21 at Legislative Assembly, ignoring the directive of Bedi to defer the proceedings. -- ANI
16:20 Soil from RSS HQ sent to Ayodhya for Ram temple 'bhoomi pujan'
Soil from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) headquarters in Nagpur has been sent to Ayodhya for the August 5 'bhoomi pujan' ceremony of the Ram temple, a VHP functionary said on Friday. Talking to PTI, Govind Shende, the Vidarbha prant pramukh of Vishva Hindu Parishad, said that soil from a temple in Ramtek and water from the confluence of five rivers, both near Nagpur city, have also been sent for the upcoming event.
"Earlier, it was decided that soil and water from different places in the country, including the religious places, would be collected and people in thousands would go for the bhoomi pujan of Ram temple in March.
However, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, it could not happen," he said. "Now, as August 5 was suddenly fixed as the bhoomi pujan date, we decided to gather the soil and water from the places that we could visit and send it to Ayodhya," he added.
As part of the exercise, we collected the soil from RSS headquarters in Nagpur and from Shree Ram Mandir in Ramtek, besides water from Ambhora (confluence of five rivers), Shende said. "The intention is that we will feel that we have also taken part in the bhoomi pujan ceremony," he said. According to him, the soil and water has been sent to Ayodhya by courier on Thursday.
15:52 Will study request to hold assembly: Guv to Raj CM
Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra tells CM Ashok Gehlot that the Supreme Court was hearing the disqualification case and he was studying Gehlot's request for calling the assembly session. Gehlot met the governor today at the Raj Bhawan in Jaipur.
The CM along with the MLAs in his camp travelled by bus to the meeting. While the CM met Mishra, the MLAs waited in the Raj Bhawan gardens shouting slogans demanding the Assembly be held.
Gehlot earlier said that Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra is not calling the state Assembly session due to "pressures from the top".
"After the decision of the Cabinet, we wrote a letter to Governor stating that we want Assembly session to be convened in order to discuss issues including corona and the political situation... We believe that because of pressures from the top, Governor is not giving directions to call the session. We are unhappy with this," Gehlot said at a press conference earlier today.
"We want to go to the floor. Opposition parties were also demanding this. I have talked to him over the phone today and requested him again. We want to convene Assembly session from Monday. We have a clear majority and we have no problem. But despite this they are worried," he said.
Congress MLAs have been staying at the hotel for nearly two weeks after the state plunged into a political crisis as the differences between Sachin Pilot and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot came out in the open.
Later, Rajasthan Assembly Speaker CP Joshi sent disqualification notices to Pilot and 18 MLAs under the anti-defection law after the chief whip's application for their disqualification.
15:31 MLAs wait as CM meets governor
Ashok Gehlot's MLAs wait in the garden at Raj Bhawan. Gehlot is in a meeting with the governor discussing the convening of the Assembly Session. The Congress MLAs raise slogans at Raj Bhawan.
15:28 The map of where I live: The wrong idea of India
"What prevents India from formally showing areas under adverse possession by China as ours in various bilateral and international fora? What prevents India from showing all of Aksai Chin under China's control as India? Similarly with PoK. It can be argued successfully that in the last 25 years, China has surreptitiously grabbed more Indian territory than Pakistan, Kargil being their most egregious military misadventure. Whereas each confrontation with China all along our contested boundary has led to even less clarity on what our Line of Actual Control is."
V Sudarshan argues that in the last 25 years, China has surreptitiously grabbed more Indian territory than Pakistan. Read the column here
15:06 Rajasthan CM meets governor at Raj Bhawan
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot meets Governor Kalraj Mishra, at Raj Bhawan in Jaipur.
15:00 Riding to victory?
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Congress MLAs supporting him on their way to Raj Bhawan.
14:39 ASHA workers demand pay hike
Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers in Karnataka, the first line of defence against the Coronavirus, protest before the Shivamogga Deputy Commissioner's office demanding a salary of Rs 12,000 per month. The protest started on July 10.
14:25 Gehlot, MLAs head to governor house
Congress MLAs supporting CM Ashok Gehlot are on the way to meet Governor Kalraj Mishra at Raj Bhawan.
14:15 BJP holding our MLAs hostage in Haryana: Gehlot
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday alleged that colleagues, apparently referring to Congress MLAs from Sachin Pilot camp, have been held as hostages in Haryana under BJP's supervision.
"Some of our colleagues have been kept as hostages in Haryana under BJP's supervision. Everybody knows that. It may be possible they don't want to be there. They are our own colleagues," he said at a press conference.
"Their telephones have been seized. Some are ill. They are calling us and asking us to take them out from there. The Centre does not care about this. In Haryana, there is a BJP government. This is all conspiracy of BJP and its leaders like they had done in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and other states. Now, they want to do it in Rajasthan. People of Rajasthan are with us as well as MLAs.Gehlot said that Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra is not calling the state Assembly session due to "pressures from the top".
"After the decision of the Cabinet, we wrote a letter to Governor stating that we want Assembly session to be convened in order to discuss issues including corona and the political situation... We believe that because of pressures from the top, Governor is not giving directions to call the session. We are unhappy with this," the Chief Minister said.
"We want to go to the floor. Opposition parties were also demanding this. I have talked to him over the phone today and requested him again. We want to convene the Assembly session from Monday. We have a clear majority and we have no problem. But despite this they are worried," he said.
"We will request the governor not to come under anyone's pressure. He is on the constitutional post and has taken an oath. He should take a decision otherwise if people of the state come to encircle Raj Bhavan then it would not be our responsibility," Gehlot said.
Rajasthan plunged into a political crisis as the differences between Sachin Pilot and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot came out in the open.Later, Rajasthan Assembly Speaker CP Joshi sent disqualification notices to Pilot and 18 MLAs under the anti-defection law after the chief whip's application for their disqualification.
MLAs were earlier asked to present before Assembly Speaker on July 17, but the same was deferred in view of the hearing before the High Court.
Pilot and 18 MLAs have approached the Rajasthan High Court against the disqualification notices issued against them.Rajasthan High Court had asked Speaker CP Joshi to defer the proceedings pending before him on the disqualification notices issued to Pilot and 18 MLAs of his faction and put off the verdict on the matter till July 24. -- ANI
14:02 App launched for contactless train ticket checking
To check the spread of COVID-19, the Central Railway Mumbai Division launched an App called the 'CheckIn Master' for contactless ticket checking at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in Mumbai, the public relations department of the Central Railway said.
The app, to be used by the ticket checking staff at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, would help them discharge their duties without any fear, as the app has OCR and QR code scanning features to check PRS and UTS tickets from a safe distance. Hand-held thermal guns were also provided for the thermal screening of passengers.
Flap-based gates would be installed at entry/exit with automatic QR-code-based ticket checking. This would be done in the next phase, to be implemented soon.
The CheckIn Master App would be used for attendance and real-time monitoring of the ticket-checking staff as well.
The app is part of the CSR activity of Rural Electrification Corporation Ltd.Earlier, the Mumbai division had provided a neckband portable public address system to the ticket-checking staff enabling them to communicate with passengers adhering to the social distancing. It is also helpful in guiding passengers at the station when they come to board the train. -- ANI
13:43 Hyderabad encounter: SC extends time by 6 months for inquiry panel to conclude probe
The Supreme Court on Friday extended by six months the time for inquiry commission, headed by former apex court judge Justice (retd) V S Sirpurkar, to conclude probe in the encounter killing of four accused in the gang-rape and murder of a veterinarian in Hyderabad.
A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde passed the order while hearing the panel's plea seeking 6-month extension for submitting its final report in accordance with the terms of reference.
On December 12 last year, the apex court had appointed the 3-member commission for inquiry into the incident.
The top court had said that the inquiry commission, which also comprised former Bombay High Court judge Rekha Sondur Baldota and ex-CBI director D R Karthikeyan, would submit its report to the Supreme Court within six months.
The apex court was on Friday informed that the commission has been unable to conclude the probe due to some unavoidable reasons because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The four accused -- Mohammed Arif, Chintakunta Chennakeshavulu, Jolu Shiva and Jollu Naveen -- were arrested in connection with the gang-rape and murder of a young veterinary lady doctor in November last year.
On December 6 last year, these four accused were killed in an encounter in Hyderabad by Telangana Police.
According to the police, the incident had taken place at around 6.30 am when these accused were taken to the site of offence for reconstruction of the crime scene as part of the investigation.
They were shot dead on NH-44 near Hyderabad -- the same highway where the charred body of the 27-year-old veterinarian was found.
-- PTI
13:21 No large I-Day gatherings, honour COVID warriors: Centre to states
The Centre has asked all states to avoid large congregation, ensure social distancing and webcast the Independence Day events as the novel coronavirus cases continue to spiral unabated.
In an advisory, the home ministry said COVID-19 warriors like doctors, health and sanitation workers should be invited in the ceremony as a recognition of their noble service in the fight against the pandemic.
It said some people who recovered from the infection might also be invited.
"Therefore, all programmes should be organised in a way that large congregation of people is avoided and technology is used in a best possible manner for celebration befitting the occasion," the advisory said.
The events organised could be webcast in order to reach out people at large, who are not able to participate, it said.
The ministry said it would be appropriate that the theme of 'Aatma Nirbhar Bharat', announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a self-reliant India, was suitably spread and publicised through various activities and messages in the functions and on social media during the Independence Day celebrations.
very year, the Independence Day is celebrated with grandeur, gaiety, fervour and enthusiasm. This year also, the Independence Day will be celebrated in a manner befitting the occasion, it said.
On Friday, India's COVID-19 tally rose to 12,87,945 and the death toll mounted to 30,601.
There are 4,40,135 active cases of the coronavirus disease presently in the country.
In its advisory, the home ministry said it was imperative to follow certain preventive measures while organising various programmes or activities for the Independence Day celebrations amid the pandemic.
The measures include maintaining social distancing, wearing of masks, proper sanitisation, avoiding large congregations, protecting vulnerable persons and follow all COVID-19 guidelines issued by the ministries of health and home, it said.
The event in Delhi's Red Fort shall consist of a guard of honour by the armed forces and the Delhi Police to the prime minister, unfurling of the national flag and firing of the 21-gun salute, speech by the prime minister, singing of the national anthem immediately after the speech and release of tricoloured balloons at the end.
The 'At Home' reception will be conducted at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The home ministry said certain guidelines had been prescribed for celebrations of the Independence Day at different levels in the states and Union territories. -- PTI
13:03 Guv stalling assembly due to pressure: Gehlot
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is heading to the Governor's house with Congress MLAs in a show of strength after Sachin Pilot and other Congress rebels won a reprieve from the High Court. The rebels cannot be disqualified for now, the court said.
The Governor is not convening the assembly probably "due to pressure from the top", Gehlot told reporters as he paraded his MLAs.
Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot has reportedly written to Governor to summon the assembly.
The CM wants an assembly session on Monday.
12:29 Gehlot to meet guv, likely to parade MLAs
Congress MLAs led by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot to meet Rajasthan Governor at 12.30 pm. This comes after Sachin Pilot and other Congress rebels won a reprieve from the High Court, according to which they cannot be disqualified for now.
The Chief Minister is expected to address the media before going to Governor Kalraj Mishra with Congress MLAs.
Yesterday, he had met with the Governor and discussed an assembly session, indicating that he is preparing for a test of strength.
12:25 Cong MLA hospitalised after breathing trouble
Rajasthan Congress MLA Babulal, who was lodged in a hotel in Jaipur along with other leaders of the Ashok Gehlot camp, was hospitalised on Friday after complaining of breathing problems, a senior leader said. The MLA, who represents Kathumar constituency of Alwar district, has been admitted to the state-run Sawai Man Singh Hospital. Babulal was shifted from hotel to SMS hospital this morning. He is asthmatic, Deputy Chief Whip, Mahendra Chaudhary. said.
The MLAs of the Gehlot camp were shifted to a five star hotel on the Delhi highway after Sachin Pilot and 18 MLAs supporting him rebelled against Ashok Gehlot. -- PTI
12:15 I keep warning them on China: Rahul
Rahul Gandhi, who has been taking on the Centre every day over its handling of the Covid pandemic and the debacle at the LAC with China tweets:
"I kept warning them on Covid19 and the economy.
They rubbished it. Disaster followed.
I keep warning them on China. They're rubbishing it."
On February 12, Rahul Gandhi had tweeted, "The Corona Virus 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." The tweet was 41 days before India was shut down.
India today has nearly 13 lakh Covid cases.
12:02 Advani deposes in Babri Masjid demolition case
BJP leader LK Advani records his statement via video link before the CBI court hearing in the Babri mosque demolition case.
11:54 Dancer, choreographer Amala Shankar passes away
Noted dancer-choreographer Amala Shankar dies at the of 101, her family said. "Today my thamma (grandmother) left us at the age of 101. We just celebrated her birthday last month (June). Feeling so restless that there is no flight from Mumbai to Kolkata. Heartbroken. May her soul rest in peace. This is the end of an era. Love you Thamma. Thank you for everything," tweeted Sreenanda Shankar, her grand-daughter.
Amala Shankar was the wife of the late dancer and choreographer Uday Shankar and mother of the late musician Ananda Shankar and acclaimed actress Mamata Shankar. She is the sister-in-law of musician and composer Ravi Shankar, who died died in 2012.
11:49 No action against Team Pilot for now: Raj HC
The Rajasthan High Court directs 'status quo' in the case against Congress, on the petition filed by Sachin Pilot and the 18 MLAs against the disqualification notice.
"No action can be taken against Sachin Pilot and other rebel Congress leaders for now," the Rajasthan High Court said today, which comes as a major reprieve for the rebel group against the disqualification notice.
The verdict, which was expected today, has been delayed after the court accepted team Pilot's eleventh-hour request to add the centre to the case so it can weigh in on whether the anti-defection law applies to them.
11:18 Centre asks states to invite healthcare workers to I-Day function
The Centre has asked all states to avoid large congregations of people, and ensure social distancing and wearing of masks while celebrating the Independence Day amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. In an advisory, the Home Ministry said COVID-19 warriors like doctors, health and sanitation workers should be invited in the ceremony as a recognition of their noble service in the fight against the pandemic. It said some people who recovered from the infection might also be invited.
"Therefore, all programmes should be organized in a way that large congregation of people is avoided and technology is used in a best possible manner for celebration befitting the occasion," the advisory said. The events organised could be web-cast in order to reach out people at large, who are not able to participate, it said.
US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo
11:02 US calls for alliance of democracies minus China
Sharpening his attack on China, US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo on Thursday (local time) said that it is time "for a new alliance of democracies" to counter Beijing's aggressive policies. "We cannot face this challenge alone. The UN, NATO, the G7, the G20, our combined economic, diplomatic and military power is surely enough to meet this challenge if directed properly. Maybe it is time for a new grouping of like-minded nations... a new alliance of democracies," said Pompeo while speaking on 'Communist China and the Free World's Future' at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in California.
Welcoming the Chinese people who have fought against their government bravely, he said, "We must also engage and empower the Chinese people...a dynamic, freedom-loving people who are completely distinct from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)."
"Communists always lie, but the biggest lie is that the Chinese Communist Party speaks for 1.4 billion people who are surveilled, oppressed and scared to speak out," he added.
Pompeo said that the CCP fears the Chinese people's honest opinions more than any foreign foe. "And save for losing their own grip on power, they have no reason to," he noted.
The top US diplomat said that the coronavirus pandemic would not have happened if the doctors in Wuhan were allowed to raise the alarm.
"Just think how much better off the world would have been if the doctors in Wuhan had been allowed to raise the alarm about the outbreak of a new coronavirus. For too many decades, our leaders have ignored or downplayed the words of brave Chinese dissidents who warned us about the nature of the regime we are facing," he said.
Calling for countries to join hands in stopping China's aggressive policies, he said, "I have faith we can do it. I have faith because we have done it before. I have faith because the CCP is repeating some of the same mistakes the Soviet Union made -- alienating potential allies, breaking trust at home and abroad, rejecting property rights and a predictable rule of law."
"It is true that unlike the Soviet Union, China is deeply integrated into the global economy. But Beijing is more dependent on us than we are on them," the Secretary of State added.
He said that China ripped the US' "prized" intellectual property and trade secrets, sucked supply chains away from America and added a widget made of slave labour.
"It made the world's key waterways less safe for international commerce," Pompeo added."We have called on China to conform its nuclear capabilities to the strategic realities of our time," he said.
He said, "It is time for free nations to act. Not every nation will approach the China challenge in the same way, nor should they. Every nation will have to come to its own understanding of how to protect its national security, its economic prosperity and its ideals from the tentacles of the CCP."
He said that "Chinese President Xi Jinping is not destined to tyrannise inside and outside of China forever, unless we allow him".
"One NATO ally of ours won't stand up for freedom in Hong Kong because they fear Beijing will restrict access to China's market. This timidity will harm its people, as such timidity historically has," Pompeo said.
"If we do not act now, ultimately, the CCP will erode our freedoms and subvert the rules-based order that our societies have worked so hard to build," he stated.
"Let us not repeat the same mistakes of the past. The challenge of China demands exertion from democracies... those in Europe, in Africa, in South America, and especially those in the Indo-Pacific region," the top US diplomat stresse
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10:48 Now, covid cases at housing complexes in Thane
With close to 74,000 cases of COVID-19 recorded in Maharashtra's Thane district so far, the authorities on Friday noted that new infections are being detected in housing complexes and not slums as seen before.
As many as 1,718 cases were reported in Thane district on Thursday, taking the tally to 73,922, while the toll has gone up to 2,053, an official said. Fresh COVID-19 cases are now emerging from big housing complexes and not slums as seen before, Thane municipal commissioner Dr Vipin Sharma said.
"We have to concentrate more on housing complexes and impose certain restrictions on them," he said, adding that residential buildings will now have to record movement of visitors.
Among the major towns and cities in the district, Kalyan has recorded 17,389 COVID-19 cases and accounts for 24 per cent of the region's tally, he said. The toll in Kalyan has reached 281, with nine deaths reported on Thursday, he added. Thane city comes close second with 16,859 COVID-19 cases and 586 deaths, the official said. There were 24,209 active cases in the district as of Thursday, while mortality rate stood at 2.7 per cent, he said.
Meanwhile, two COVID-19 patients escaped from at the civic-run CSMH at Kalwa town late on Thursday and efforts were underway to nab them, deputy municipal commissioner Sandeep Malavi said. --PTI
10:45 Now, order goats for Eid online
New normal? Haji Goat Farm in Jogeshwari, Mumbai is selling goats online this Eid Al Adha in view of COVID-19. Wasim Khan, owner of the farm says, "Customers can view pictures of goats online and choose which one they want. We deliver directly to their homes to avoid crowding."
10:40 China asks US to close its consulate in Chengdu
China on Friday asked the US to close down its Consulate in Chengdu in retaliation to Washington's decision to shut the Chinese Consulate in Houston. A statement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry said China has informed the US Embassy in Beijing of its decision to withdraw its consent for the establishment and operation of the US Consulate General in Chengdu.
This was in response to "unilateral" decision by the US to shut the Houston Consulate. China's decision is legitimate and necessary response to the unreasonable actions of the US, it said.
The US on Wednesday ordered the closure of the Chinese consulate in Houston, a move it said was aimed "to protect American intellectual property and private information."
Reacting strongly to the US move, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin termed it as an "unprecedented escalation and warned retaliatory measures. China on Thursday said that "malicious slander" is behind an order by the US government to close its consulate in Houston, Texas, and maintained that its officials have never operated outside ordinary diplomatic norms.
Wang said the order to close the consulate violates international law and basic norms governing international relations, and seriously undermines China-US relations. This is breaking down the bridge of friendship between the Chinese and American people, Wang said. PTI
10:24 US surpasses 40 lakh coronavirus cases
More than four million people in the US have now tested positive for Covid-19, according to Johns Hopkins University. According to the data, the US has till now reported 4,021,053 COVID-19 cases and 143,967 deaths.
Meanwhile, the total COVID-19 case count worldwide stands at 15,348,877 and 626,190 fatalities have been reported so far. These grim numbers make the country the hardest hit of all, by the deadly pathogen.
It exceeds Brazil's 2.2 million and India's 1.2 million confirmed cases of the disease, New York Post reported.The US has seen a re-emergence of the virus in the last month. This happened as some states started to ease quarantine restrictions, with the emergence of COVID-19 hot spots in Arizona, California, Florida, Louisiana, and Texas, among other states.California now has over 4,25,000 confirmed cases, and Arizona has a rate of infection of 2,127.5 per 1,00,00 residents.About 59,600 people were hospitalized with the disease on Wednesday (July 22) nationwide.
New York state, which has lost more than 32,500 people to the coronavirus since the outbreak earlier this year, has seen the number of cases waning dramatically in the last recent weeks.
On Monday, Mayor Bill de Blasio said New York City saw its first day without a confirmed COVID- 19 death. --ANI
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10:09 Sacked Covid+ve nurse, 83 staffers approach HC
A nurse of HAH Centenary Hospital, infected with COVID-19, has knocked the door of the Delhi High Court challenging termination of her employment and other 83 staff members of the hospitals.
Gufrana Khatoon, a nurse of COVID-19 designated HAH Centenary Hospital of Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences & Research (HIMSR), was infected and tested positive for coronavirus on July 3 and she was not provided free testing despite showing symptoms of COVID-19.
In the termination order dated July 11, HAH Centenary Hospital administration stated that these nurses were being relieved because of 'absence from office without sanctioned leave and absent without intimation'.
However, several of them were on duty till July 11 and others were in quarantine, read the petition filed by lawyer Subhash Chandran.
They have also demanded to formulate a COVID-19 Management Protocol for addressing the serious concerns relating to imminent and extreme risks posed to the health and safety of health care workers in the national capital and to ensure that COVID-19 protection kits are made available to every single health care professional working in the corona isolation wards, or who work in close proximity of patients suspected to be infected with the virus.
The petitioner said that the staff was terminated when they demanded access to basic facilities like N-95 masks, sufficient numbers of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), better working hours, drinking water, free COVID-19 tests, adequate quarantine facilities for healthcare staffers during COVID-19 duty.
According to the petition, despite the government order, the HAH Centenary Hospital of Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences & Research terminated a large group of health care professionals only for raising legitimate concerns in the context of COVID-19.
"The step taken by the hospital management to dismiss 84 nursing officers is arbitrary and clearly in violation of the government directives. It is pertinent to mention that there are specific directives from both Central and State Government against termination of employees and reduction of wages during COVID-19 time," read the petition.
The petitioner has been appointed as a staff nurse in HAH Centenary Hospital on May 16, 2017, and the contractual appointment has been renewed from time to time till September 11 this year.The petition said that the decision to terminate the 84 nurses is clearly a retaliatory move against the health care staffers for having raised legitimate concerns in the context of COVID-19. -- ANI
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09:59 Tripura: COVID-19 patient gives birth to baby, both stable
A 23-year-old coronavirus patient in Tripura has given birth to a baby at a COVID hospital in Agartala, and the health condition of both is stable, authorities of the facility said. The woman, Suchitra Das, a resident of Suryamaninagar village of West Tripura district, had tested positive for COVID-19 four days ago during pregnancy check-up at the Indira Gandhi Memorial (IGM) Hospital.
She was admitted to the GB Pant Hospital, a dedicated facility for treatment of COVID-19 patients, on July 21, Resident Medical Officer (RMO) Dr Bidhan Goswami said.
"The woman has given birth to a girl here on Thursday. The mother and the child are stable. Swab sample of the baby was collected and sent for coronavirus test. They are in separate wards," state-run GB Pant Hospital superintendent Debasish Roy said. She is the first coronavirus infected woman to give birth to a baby in the state. -- PTI
09:36 India records fresh steep spike of 49,310 cases
For the first time ever, the country has recorded the highest single-day spike of 49,310 cases and 740 deaths in 24 hours.
This means that India's Covid-19 tally is now 12,87,945 including 4,40,135 active cases, 8,17,209 cured/discharged/migrated & 30,601 deaths.
The ICMR also stated that the total number of COVID-19 samples tested up to July 23 is 1,54,28,170 including 3,52,801 samples tested yesterday.
09:03 Wary of Covid case load, Centre to confer with 8 states today
A day after the country reported a record 46,000 coronavirus cases in a single day, it was learnt on Thursday that the Centre will hold a video conference with eight states, which it views as a cause of concern, to check the spread of the virus.
The meeting, scheduled for Friday, will feature a detailed discussion between a team of experts from the Centre as well as senior health ministry officials and officers from Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Telangana, Odisha, West Bengal, Assam, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh.
On Thursday, Andhra Pradesh reported a single-day record high of 7,998 cases. The source said that the state is a cause of concern on two fronts: First, it is testing eight or nine times more than its neighbour Telangana, but even then its positivity continues to be high. Second, the state continues to report a higher absolute number of deaths week after week.
These eight states are reporting 60-plus deaths on a daily basis, the source said.
08:47 Pilot could be CM if...: Rajasthan BJP chief
The political fracas in Rajasthan is continuing unabashedly and the Congress-ruled state is staring at the same fate faced by Madhya Pradesh in March after the public fallout of another top Congress leader that led to the fall of the Kamal Nath government.
Now, state BJP chief Satish Poonia has slipped in an explosive statement giving a dash of hint on how the tables could turn in the politically charged state, though Pilot had openly announced that he would not be joining the BJP.
Poonia brushed aside allegations of his party assisting Pilot, but at the same time slipped in that Pilot could become the chief minister if the situation allows.
Poonia said that Pilot has his own stature and the BJP should not be blamed for his patronage, contrary to the allegations levelled by Gehlot.
If the situation allows, Sachin Pilot can become the CM. In fact, he has taken a big step with this goal in mind. He is the one who needs to decide what will be his next step and then we will take a call, the BJP leader said, dropping hints that Pilot joining his party cant be ruled out yet.
Poonia further said that the Gehlot government stands on verge of collapse as they will be left with wafer-thin majority if 19 MLAs including Pilot and 3 independents who are out from Congress camp, leave the government.
We are the party with the highest mandate after Congress, we will definitely discuss the issue with our central leaders and parliamentary board and then take a call, Poonia said.
08:02 We've been left in the lurch: Vikas Dubey's wife
Wife of slain gangster Vikas Dubey on Thursday said that she had unsuccessfully tried to convince her husband to leave the path of crime, and now with him being dead the family has been left in the lurch.
About the claim that Dubey had acquired property worth crores of rupees, she said it was "fake news" and that her husband has left the family to fend for themselves.
"Today, we terribly needed him. He has left nothing for us. People may say that he has left a property worth Rs 500 crore, but the truth is that I do not have anything," the gangster's wife Richa Dubey told a TV news channel.
To a question that Dubey has properties worth crores at a number of places, even in Dubai, she said, "This is absolutely fake news. Just think, if a person has property worth crores, will his wife live in a 1,600 square feet house in Lucknow?"
Richa Dubey also claimed that she had tried to convince her husband to leave crime, but he was a man of a different mentality.
"He was a good husband, and good father. He wanted that his children should become well-educated, but he himself never wanted to come out of the world of crime," the wife of the slain gangster said.
She that whenever she tried to convince her husband about leaving the path of crime, he used to beat her .
Richa Dubey claimed that she did not like the atmosphere of her in-laws' place in Bikru village, and in order to keep her children away from the world of crime, she started living in to Lucknow since 2008.
"Had Vikas told me about his plan of killing the policemen, I would have made every effort to stop him," she said.
Tendering an apology to the wives of the policemen killed in the ambush in Bikru village in Kanpur on the intervening night of July 2-3, Richa Dubey said that if she had her way, she would have herself become a widow and stopped her husband.
-- PTI
00:12 China carrying out construction in Ladakh: Cong
The Congress on Thursday alleged that China is carrying out construction work along the border in Ladakh despite talks and asked the government about its policy and strategy to stop Chinese transgressions and protect Indian territory.
Congress's senior spokesperson Ajay Maken demanded answers from the government over "Chinese occupation in Pangong Tso Lake and Depsang areas", saying the PLA is "yet to return" to its original positions.
He also posed a set of questions to the government in this regard, asking what was its strategy to push back the Chinese and maintain status quo ante as on May 2020.
He also asked whether it is correct that China "continues to occupy 8 km of our territory in Pangong Tso Lake area between Finger 4 to Finger 8" and how the Modi government proposes to push back the Chinese Army behind the LAC and behind Finger 8 into their own territory.
"We are all watching how the Chinese PLA is building inside the Depsang area and Daulat Beg Oldi area. But we do not see any response or preparation from the Indian government.
"Surprisingly, if we are arriving at no solution through a dialogue, then what is our government doing," Maken asked at a virtual press conference.
"Is it correct that China is continuing construction in Daulat Beg Oldi and Depsang Sector? What is our government's policy and strategy to ensure our territory is protected and the Chinese transgressions and the constructions are stopped," he further asked.
There can never be a compromise on national security or territorial integrity of India, he said, adding that this is a cardinal principle and a non-negotiable and uncompromisable principle that every citizen, countrymen and every congressman have repeated umpteen times.
"The facts also now demonstrate an extremely worrying picture," he said.
Maken said harsh winters are approaching and the Chinese PLA is not moving back as per reported agreements among the corps commanders. -- PTI
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