LIVE! Uddhav mocks BJP's free vaccine promise

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Sun, 25 October 2020

Uddhav mocks BJP's free vaccine promise

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21:50 Uddhav mocks BJP's free vaccine promise

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party over its poll promise of free COVID-19 vaccine in Bihar, adding does that party think those from other states hail from Bangladesh or Kazakhstan.

He was speaking at the Sena's annual Dussehra rally, held at the Savarkar hall in Dadar due to coronavirus norms instead of the usual venue, the sprawling Shivaji Park.

"You promise free COVID-19 vaccine in Bihar, then are people of other states from Bangladesh or Kazakhtan," Thackeray said.

"Those speaking like that should be ashamed of themselves. You are at the Centre," he added.

In a veiled attack on actress Kangana Ranaut, Thackeray said some people come to Mumbai for bread and butter and abuse the city by calling it Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).

"Those crying for justice for Bihar's son are indulging in character assassination of Maharashtra's son," Thackeray said, breaking his silence on allegations against his son Aaditya Thackeray in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case.

Thackeray said the time has come to reconsider the present GST system and if necessary, to modify it as states are not benefiting from this system.

"We (Maharashtra) are yet to get our Rs 38,000 crore as GST refund," he said.

Thackeray also warned BJP not to divide people over caste, creed and religion. -- PTI

21:26 RBI Guv Shaktikanta Das tests Covid positive

Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das on Sunday said he has been tested positive for COVID-19 and will continue to work from isolation.

Das said he is asymptomatic and has alerted those who came in contact with him in recent days.

'I have tested COVID-19 positive. Asymptomatic. Feeling very much alright. Have alerted those who came in contact in recent days. Will continue to work from isolation. Work in RBI will go on normally. I am in touch with all Dy. Govs and other officers through VC and telephone,' he tweeted.

Currently, the RBI has full strength of four deputy governors B P Kanungo, M K Jain, M D Patra and M Rajeshwar Rao.

The RBI Governor was quite active during the lockdown period and post unlock period to keep the economy and financial market in good shape.

He used both conventional and unconventional monetary policy tools to support economic recovery hit by COVID-19 crisis. -- PTI

20:24 Doval's speech not about China: Govt officials

National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval was speaking purely in a civilisational and spiritual context and was not referring to any country or specific situation at the religious function in Rishikesh on Saturday, government officials clarified.

The officials said any attempt to twist the NSA's statement, made in a spiritual context, was uncalled for as he was not speaking about either China or the ongoing conflict in the Eastern Ladakh sector.

The clarification came as certain media reports suggested that the NSA was speaking in the context of China and the Ladakh situation.

Doval who was in Rishikesh's Parmarth Niketan ashram on October 24 had addressed the devotees there about the spiritual power of India, where he also mentioned Swami Vivekanand.

"You said we have never attacked anyone and there are many views about it. If there is a threat to the country, then we should have attacked as it is important to save the country," the NSA had said.

"We will fight where you want us to fight, that is also not mandatory. We fight where we feel the threat is coming. We have never done it for selfish reasons. We will fight a war on our land and others' land too but not our selfish reasons but for the highest good of others," he had further stated.

The NSA suggested that states are bound by physical dimensions but the nation is an emotional bond which is bound by the common thread of spirituality and culture in which there is a collective sense of pride and role of our Gurus and spiritual centres is to guard this larger sense of collective identity. -- ANI

Army Chief General M M Naravane's three-day crucial visit to Nepal beginning November 4 is expected to have a significant diplomatic overtone with India looking at resetting relations with the Himalayan nation after the ties came under severe strain following a bitter border row, officials said on Sunday.

The Chief of Army Staff is scheduled to hold extensive talks with the top civilian and military brass of Nepal including his counterpart General Purna Chandra Thapa on a range of key issues such as further boosting the management of the nearly 1,800 km-long border between the two countries.

"The Chief of Army Staff is scheduled to visit Nepal from November 4 to 6 with an aim to strengthen overall ties including in areas of defence and security," a highly-placed government source told PTI.

In continuation of an age-old tradition that started in 1950, Gen Naravane will be conferred with the honorary rank of 'General of the Nepal Army' by Nepalese President Bidya Devi Bhandari at an event in Kathmandu. India also confers the honorary rank of 'General of Indian Army' to the Nepal Army Chief.

It will be the first high-level visit from India to Kathmandu since the ties between the two neighbours came under strain after the Himalayan nation came up with a new political map in May claiming several areas in Uttarakhand to be part of its territory.

India's decision to send the Army Chief to Nepal to reset the ties is seen as part of a larger exercise by New Delhi to rejuvenate relations with Myanmar, the Maldives, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Afghanistan in the wake of greater efforts by China to expand its influence in the region,

Earlier this month, Gen Naravane travelled to Myanmar along with Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on a very crucial visit during which India decided to supply an attack submarine to the Myanmarese Navy besides agreeing to further deepen military and defence ties. -- PTI

18:07 BJP worker shot at by TMC activist in Howrah

A Bharatiya Janata Party worker has been shot at by a Trinamool Congress activist in West Bengal's Howrah district, police said on Sunday.

He is being treated at a state-run hospital in Kolkata and his condition is stated to be stable, they said.

The BJP, claiming it was political violence, allegedly ransacked the TMC worker's house, while the police and the ruling party in the state said the incident was a fallout of a land dispute between the two neighbours.

The incident took place in Chandanapara in Bagnan police station area when 52-year-old flower trader Kinkar Majhi was returning home on Saturday night, a police officer said.

TMC worker Paritosh Majhi and some others stopped Kinkar Majhi, who is also his neighbour, and shot at the BJP activist from a close range over an old land dispute, he said.

They fled the spot when locals heard the gunshot and rushed to save Kinkar Majhi, the officer said.

He was admitted to Uluberia super-specialty hospital, from where he was shifted to a hospital in Kolkata, he said.

Local BJP leader Anupam Mallick, however, claimed the accused had issued death threats to the saffron party worker.

"The BJP's clout is growing in the area and our worker was shot at to suppress this tide," he said.

TMC's Bagnan MLA Arunava Sen, however, dismissed the allegations and said the incident was a fallout of an old rivalry and does not have any political link.

"We have requested the police to bring the culprits to the book soon," he said.

Further investigation is underway and no one has been arrested so far, the police officer added. -- PTI

17:27 MVA allies to contest BMC polls together: Raut

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday said the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partners, including the Sena, Nationalist Congress Party and Congress, will contest the 2022 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation polls together.

The ruling MVA in Maharashtra is here to stay, the Shiv Sena's chief spokesperson told a news channel, and expressed confidence that it would win the civic polls in the country's commercial capital.

The Shiv Sena-ruled BMC is the country's richest civic body with an annual budget of over Rs 33,400 crore.

"The Shiv Sena-led MVA will fight the civic polls in Maharashtra's capital and will win it. In Mumbai, who else but Shiv Sena can win? The MVA is here to stay permanently," Raut said.

The Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress last year forged an alliance to form government after the Uddhav Thackeray-led party parted ways with long-term ally Bharatiya Janata Party over the issue of sharing the chief ministerial post.

Elections in Maharashtra's 10 municipal corporations, including the BMC, and 27 zilla parishads and gram panchayats are due in 2022. -- PTI

Protesting against People's Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti's remarks on the national flag, a group of youths took out a march outside the party office on Sunday and tried to hoist the tricolour atop the building but were stopped by police.

The incident came days after the PDP president said she is not interested in contesting elections or holding the tricolour till the constitutional changes enforced on August 5 last year are rolled back.

Mufti had said she would hold the national flag only when the separate flag of the erstwhile state is restored.

Amid chants of 'Tiranga ka apmaan nahi sahenge (will not tolerate the insult of tricolour)' and anti-PDP sloganeering, the youths led by one Amandeep Singh came on two-wheelers and attempted to hoist the national flag on the PDP headquarters.

However, they were stopped by the police personnel deployed at the PDP office, officials said, adding the protesters later dispersed peacefully.

"We have no affiliation with any right-wing party. We are nationalist by core and will not tolerate any insult to the tricolor, which is our pride and honour," Amandeep Singh told reporters.

Singh had on Saturday hoisted the national flag on the boundary wall near the main entrance of the PDP office and had a heated argument with two senior party leaders, including former legislator Firdous Ahmad Tak.

Before leaving, Singh had said that he would return with more youths on Sunday to unfurl the national flag at the building.

After the Bharatiya Janata Party demanded her arrest over alleged 'seditious' remarks, Mehbooba Mufti said in a tweet on Saturday that the Indian flag stands for diversity and peaceful co-existence among all.

If anyone has insulted the Tiranga it is BJP that persecutes minorities and sows division and hatred, the former chief minister alleged.

On Saturday, the Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration that is fighting for the restoration of special status to Jammu and Kashmir met in Srinagar and named National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah as its chairman and Mehbooba Mufti as its deputy chairperson.

Abdullah asserted that the seven-party alliance is an anti-BJP platform and not an anti-national grouping. -- PTI

16:05 Soumitra Chatterjee 'very critical': Doctors

The health condition of legendary Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee deteriorated to 'very critical' on Sunday, doctors treating him at a private hospital in Kolkata said.

The 85-year-old thespian is not responding to treatment and his platelet count has dropped further in the last 24 hours, a doctor at the facility said.

"There is a deterioration in his neurological condition and he has very little consciousness. He is not responding to treatment. His condition is very critical," a senior doctor at the hospital told PTI.

Asked whether the thespian has gone into a coma, the doctor said the medical practitioners are 'evaluating the patient's current condition'.

It was learnt that the level of urea and sodium in his blood has further gone up.

The octogenarian's COVID-19 encephalopathy has also deteriorated, he said.

Encephalopathy is a general term to describe a disease that affects the function or structure of the brain.

The actor's age and co-morbidities are a matter of concern for the doctors.

"His organs like lungs and heart are working well and his blood pressure is normal but his consciousness is a cause of concern," he said.

The critically acclaimed actor was admitted to the hospital on October 6 after he tested positive for COVID-19.

Chatterjee had tested negative for the infection last week after which he was shifted to a non-COVID ITU. -- PTI

15:23 Kapil Dev discharged from hospital

India's first World Cup winning-captain Kapil Dev was on Sunday discharged from a city hospital, two days after undergoing angioplasty following a heart attack.

The 61-year-old complained of chest pain on Thursday following which he was taken to Fortis Escorts Heart Institute's emergency department.

He is doing fine now.

'Mr Kapil Dev got discharged today afternoon. He's doing fine and can resume his regular daily activity soon. He'll be under regular follow-up consultation with Dr Atul Mathur,' the hospital said in a statement.

Angioplasty is a procedure to open blocked arteries and restore normal blood flow to the heart.

Following his admission, Kapil's condition was evaluated and an emergency coronary angioplasty was performed by Dr Mathur, who is the director of cardiology department in the Fortis Escorts Heart Institute.

'Dr Atul Mathur did Kapil paji angioplasty. He is fine and discharged. Pic of @therealkapildev on time of discharge from hospital,' his former India teammate Chetan Sharma tweeted along with a photo of Kapil and the doctor who performed the procedure.

The legendary all-rounder was wished a speedy recovery by many on social media, including India's current captain Virat Kohli and batting great Sachin Tendulkar among others.

One of India's greatest cricketers, Kapil played 131 Tests and 225 ODIs.

He remains the only player in cricket's history to claim over 400 wickets (434) and accumulate more than 5000 runs in Tests.

He also served as India's national coach between 1999 and 2000.

Kapil was inducted into the International Cricket Council's Hall of Fame in 2010. -- PTI

In a controversial remark, Bharatiya Janata Party's Uttar Pradesh chief Swatantra Dev Singh said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided when the country would be at war with Pakistan and China.

His remarks on Friday came amid tension at the Line of Actual Control between India and China, where the two countries have massed troops.

The BJP leader linked his claim to the beginning of construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya following a Supreme Court judgment, and the abrogation of special status to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution.

Like the decisions on Ram Mandir and Article 370, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided when there would be war with Pakistan and China, he is heard saying in a video clip on social media.

"Sambandhit tithi tai hai," he said in Hindi, claiming that a decision has been taken on the date.

Singh was speaking at an event at the home of BJP MLA Sanjay Yadav, who released the video.

In his address, Singh compared Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party workers with terrorists.

When asked about the remarks, local MP Ravindra Kushwaha said the the UP BJP president made them to boost the morale of party workers.

Swatantra Dev Singh's reported remarks appear to deviate from India's stated stand.

On Sunday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reiterated that India wanted an end to the border tension with China while asserting that it will not allow even an inch of land to be taken away by anyone. -- PTI

14:02 India's Covid recovery rate touches 90%

India has recorded another landmark achievement as the national recovery rate has touched 90 per cent on Sunday, said the Union Ministry of Health.

As many as 62,077 people have recovered and discharged in the last 24 hours whereas the new confirmed cases stand at 50,129, according to the Union Health Ministry.

According to an official release, this achievement is matched by the downward spiral fall of the total active cases, which are maintained below the seven lakh mark for the third successive day.

Presently the active cases comprise merely 8.50 per cent of the total positive cases of the country standing at 6,68,154.

The total recovered cases also continue to rise.

They are 70,78,123 so far. With an increasing number of recoveries, this gap is continuously widening.

The gap between Recovered cases and Active cases has crossed 64 lakh (64,09,969).

Less than 1000 deaths have been continuously reported since the last one week. The deaths are below the 1,100 mark since October 2.

According to the Union Health Ministry, 75 per cent of the new recovered cases are observed to be concentrated in 10 states/Union Territories viz. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh.

Maharashtra leads the tally with more than 10,000 single day recoveries.

As many as 50,129 new confirmed cases were recorded in the last 24 hours. 79 per cent of the new cases are from 10 states and UTs.

Kerala continues to be the State reporting a very high number of new cases with more than 8,000 cases followed by Maharashtra with more than 6,000 cases.

As many as 578 case fatalities have been reported in the past 24 hours.

Of these, nearly 80 per cent are concentrated in ten States/UTs. Maharashtra has contributed the maximum to the new fatalities with 137 deaths.

India's testing lab network has inked another achievement today.

The total number of labs has crossed 2000. Starting from one lab in Pune, the number of labs stands at 2003 which includes 1126 Government laboratories and 877 Private laboratories. -- ANI

National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah took a dig at Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Sunday over his remarks that Article 370 of the Constitution will not be restored, and urged him not to presume what the Supreme Court judges would decide on the matter.

'Dear Ravi Shankar Prasad ji, we don't expect you to restore anything but unless you are suggesting the Supreme Court has surrendered its independence & takes dictation from you please don't presume to know what the Hon judges will decide,' Abdullah wrote on Twitter.

Prasad, the Union law minister, on Saturday said the special status of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 will not be restored.

The Supreme Court is hearing multiple petitions filed by several mainstream parties of Jammu and Kashmir, including the NC, against the Centre's August 5, 2019 decision to revoke the special status of the erstwhile state. -- PTI

Prasad, the Union law minister, on Saturday said the special status of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 will not be restored.

11:44 Bihar: Candidate shot dead; attacker lynched

A Janata Dal Rashtravadi party candidate and one of his supporters were shot dead during their poll campaign in Bihar's Sheohar, while the suspected attacker was also lynched, police said on Sunday.

Shri Narayan Singh, 45, was killed on Saturday evening while campaigning at the Hathsar village in the Puyanhiya police station area, they said Singh himself had a criminal record and over three dozen cases registered against him, they said.

Superintendent of Police Santosh Singh linked the killing to a 'gang war'.

Sheohar's Sub-Divisional Police Officer Rakesh Kumar said Singh was shot in his chest.

He was rushed to the Sheohar Sadar Hospital from where he was referred to another facility, but he died on the way, police said.

Singh was campaigning when the attack happened, the SP said.

The suspected attacker was in the crowd walking with the candidate and shot at him, he said.

One of the candidate's supporters was also injured and he later died, he added.

The attacker was then beaten to death by the mob, the officer said.

The Sheohar seat has 15 candidates in the fray, including five independents.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Janata Dal-United and the Lok Janshakti Party have fielded their candidates from the seat.

The Bahujan Samaj Party is also contesting.

Police said security has been tightened in the area and paramilitary personnel deployed.

Trihut Range Inspector General of Police Ganesh Kumar visited the spot. Police said Singh's last rites have not been conducted yet.

The constituency goes to poll in the second phase on November 3.

The Janata Dal Rashtravadi is a registered party. -- PTI

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi greeted people on the occasion of Dussehra on Sunday, saying truth ultimately triumphs.

"Truth ultimately triumphs. Good wishes to all on Vijaya Dashami," he said in a tweet in Hindi with the hashtag "HappyDussehra".

The country is celebrating Dussehra amid restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. -- PTI

11:00 Want tension at LAC to end: Rajnath

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday asserted that he is confident that Indian Army will not let anyone take even an inch of our country's land.

Singh made these remarks after performing 'Shastra Puja' at Sukna War Memorial in Darjeeling, West Bengal.

Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane was also present at the occasion.

"India wants that the Indo-China border tension should end and peace should be preserved. It is our goal, but sometimes, nefarious activities take place. But, I am fully confident that our army will not let anyone take even an inch of our land," Singh said while talking to media.

Singh also inspected a Tavor assault rifle at Sukna War Memorial in Darjeeling.

"Whatever happened at Indo-China border at Ladakh recently and the way our jawans responded bravely, historians will write about the valour and courage of our jawans in golden words," he added. -- ANI

Popular Indian-American Republican politician Nikki Haley on Saturday revealed that Donald Trump, soon after winning the November 2016 US presidential election, had offered her the position of Secretary of State which she politely refused.

However, 48-year-old Haley, who at that time was the South Carolina Governor, said she could not refuse the second offer of the post of US Ambassador to the United Nations as Trump had met all the conditions she had set for accepting the position.

Haley, who went on to become one of the most successful US Ambassador to the UN, is now campaigning in support of Trump's re-election bid.

"There is a stark contrast" between President Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden, she said at a fireside chat event organised by the Indian Voices for Trump in the battleground state of Philadelphia.

"There is a lot at stake with this election," she said.

Responding to a question from Dr Merlynn Carson, co-chair of Indian Voices for Trump, Haley, for the first time, revealed that Trump, soon after winning the November 2016 presidential elections, offered her the position of Secretary of State. Trump send her a plane to fly her to New York.

However, Haley said, she politely refused the offer, noting that she was not the right fit for the post as she had no experience in that.

Days later, after she returned from New York, Trump through his chief of staff offered her the position of US Ambassador to the United Nations.

Responding to the offer, she set three conditions -- the position should be of Cabinet rank, the envoy should be a member of the national security council and that she will not be a yes-woman, Haley said.

To all the conditions, Trump's response was �Done. What next?�, leaving her with no option but to accept the position, she recalled.

Haley has been one of the most successful US Ambassadors to the UN, a position in which she served for nearly two years.

Responding to a question, Haley said Trump has stopped giving aids to countries like Pakistan, which harbour terrorists. -- PTI

10:39 PM Modi greets people on Vijaya Dashami

Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted people on the occasion of Vijaya Dashami on Sunday.

"Good wishes to all countrymen on Vijaya Dashami. May this grand festival marking the victory of truth over untruth and of goodness over evil may bring new inspiration into everyone's life," he said in a tweet.

The country is celebrating Vijaya Dashami amid restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. -- PTI

10:33 Blaze at Mumbai mall doused after 56 hours

Nearly 56 hours after a fire broke out at the City Centre Mall in Mumbai, it was doused by fire personnel early Sunday morning, an official said.

This is probably one of the longest fire-fighting operations in the city in recent times.

Earlier this month, a blaze at a cutlery market in south Mumbai took almost 45 hours to be extinguished.

The fire at the City Centre Mall in Mumbai Central area broke out on the second floor of the basement-plus-three-storey structure at 8.50 pm on Thursday.

"It was a level-5 (massive) blaze and was doused around 5 am on Sunday," a fire brigade official said.

Around 14 fire engines and 17 jumbo tankers were engaged in the operation, he said, adding that cooling operations are underway.

Five fire brigade personnel, including a deputy fire officer, received injuries during the fire-fighting operation, but all of them are stable and discharged from hospitals, the official said.

The fire was initially categorised as level 1 (minor), but was upgraded to level-5 after flames spread to other parts of the building, he said.

Over 3,500 people from an adjacent residential high- rise were evacuated as a precautionary measure, he said.

The Mumbai Fire Brigade had given a 'brigade call', in which fire engines are called from all agencies in the city. -- PTI

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said that the organisation acknowledges the country as Hindu and Hindutva as the essence of this country's selfhood.

"When Sangh says Hindusthan is Hindu Rashtra it does not have any political or power centred concept in its mind. Hindutva is the essence of this Rashtra's 'swa'(self-hood). We are plainly acknowledging the selfhood of the country as Hindu," Bhagwat said in his address at the annual Dussehra function at Maharshi Vyas auditorium, in Nagpur.

"The 'swa' or 'self' in 'Swadeshi' refers to the same Hindutva. That spirit or 'swa' should be the compass directing our intellectual brainstorming and plans of action," he added.

Bhagwat said that the 'Hindutva' word is applicable to all the 1.3 billion people of the country.

"Hindutva is the word expressing our identity along with the continuity of its spirituality based traditions and its entire wealth of value system in the land of Bharat. Therefore this word is applicable to all the 1.3 billion people. 'Hindu' is not the name of some sect or denomination, not a provincial conceptualisation, neither a single caste's lineage nor the privilege of speakers of a specific language. It is a common denominator that honours and encompasses innumerable distinct identities," he added.

Bhagwat said that some groups are trying to spread hatred and aggression in sections of society by "creating insecurity among them, stating that diversity will be finished if they identify themselves as "Hindu".

"Hindu culture has expressed itself in diverse forms. Acknowledgement of the fact that the emotional spirit of Bharat, its acceptance for and support to multiple belief systems and faiths, is a byproduct of the Hindu culture, traditions and Hindu thought. If we work to raise the general level of consciousness of a common man and nurture his intrinsic spirit of oneness with Hindutva as the guiding force, then in the near future Bharatvarsh will emerge as the torchbearer for the rest of the world," he added.

RSS marks Vijay Dashmi as one of its biggest events when the RSS chief addresses the RSS workers on a number of issues concerning politics, society, national security and family values. -- ANI

10:14 India's daily Covid cases drop below 51,000

With 50,129 fresh coronavirus cases, India's total cases surges to 78,64,811.

In the last 24 hours 578 new fatalities have been reported taking the total death tally 1,18,534.

There are 6,68,154 active cases while 70,78,123 people have been cured.

10:08 Rajnath performs 'shastra puja'

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh performs 'shastra puja' at Sukna War Memorial in Darjeeling.

Days after a Madhya Pradesh minister said madrasas nurture "fundamentalists and terrorists", prominent Muslim body Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind on Saturday condemned all such comments and asserted that humanism and national unity was being taught at these educational institutions.

A resolution passed at the national executive meeting of the Jamiat also alleged that the new education policy is discriminatory against minorities.

According to a statement issued by the organization, issues such as the new education policy, "negative propaganda" against madrasas, the preparation of practical programmes for modern education in madrasas and the spread of religious hate messages on social media were deliberated upon.

"Jamiat General Secretary Maulana Mahmood Madani talked about the current situation of the country especially BJP President JP Nadda's recent statement related to the implementation of CAA and the prohibition of religious studies in madrasas aided by the government of Assam," the Jamiat statement said.

Condemning the "negative propaganda" and statements made against madrasas by "some ministers", Jamiat, in its resolution, said it is not hidden that madrasas teach humanism and national unity.

People associated with madrasas have been major contributors to the independence of the country and even today the people from madrasas are offering important services for the nation, Jamiat said.

The Jamiats' assertion comes days after Madhya Pradesh Culture Minister Usha Thakur said government funding of madrasas must be stopped, alleging that they nurture "fundamentalists and terrorists". -- PTI

09:47 Soumitra Chatterjee's condition deteriorates

The health condition of legendary Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee on Saturday deteriorated as he has stopped responding to treatments, adding to the worries of the doctors treating him at a private hospital in Kolkata, an official said.

Though the 85-year-old's organs were functioning "well", the platelet count has dropped and the level of urea and sodium in his blood has gone up, said Dr Arindam Kar, who is leading the team of doctors treating him at the facility.

Doctors were contemplating to take "some tough calls".

"(Soumitra) Chatterjee's consciousness is little down compared to what it was 72 hours ago. Not very sure which way it is heading to. We have received reports of tests and we can deduce that the COVID encephalopathy is progressing," Kar said.

Encephalopathy is a general term describing a disease that affects the function or structure of the brain.

"Despite the use of steroids and other prolonged efforts, he is not responding to treatment," he said.

Expressing concern over the thespian's age and comorbidities, the doctor said, "Though his lungs and blood pressure are still working well, there are points to be worried of. His platelet count has come down. We are trying to find out the reason for that. We will take some tough calls tomorrow."

"We are trying our best. But sometime the best efforts are not enough for someone who is suffering from these disease at his age," he added.

The critically acclaimed actor was admitted to the hospital here on October 6 after he tested positive for COVID-19.

Chatterjee tested negative for COVID-19 last week after which he was shifted to a non-COVID ICU. -- PTI

India always tried to maintain good relations with its neighbours, but situations arose from time to time when its armed forces had to make supreme sacrifices to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Saturday.

His comments during an address to a group of soldiers at the Indian Army's 33 Corps in Sukna in Darjeeling district came in the midst of a festering border row with China in eastern Ladakh.

Before the event, the defence minister reviewed the combat preparedness of the Indian Army during a high-level meeting at the key military base which is responsible for guarding the Line of Actual Control with China in the Sikkim sector.

In his address to the soldiers, Singh also mentioned the death of 20 Indian soldiers during a clash with the Chinese military in Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on June 15.

"India wants good relations its neighbours. India always tried for good ties with the neighbouring countries. But certain situations emerged from time to time when our soldiers had to make the supreme sacrifice to defend sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country," he said.

"This time too 20 soldiers of Bihar regiment had to sacrifice their lives to protect the country. I do not want to reveal what happened to the other side," Singh said.

The defence minister arrived at the key military base, popularly known as 'Trishakti' Corps, late in the afternoon.

This is part of his two-day visit to West Bengal and Sikkim to review the military preparedness in view of the border row in eastern Ladakh as well as to celebrate Dussehra with soldiers.

Singh is accompanied by Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Mukund Naravane.

The army has significantly bolstered deployment of troops and weaponry along the nearly 3,500 km-long LAC, including in the Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh sectors.

The officials said top commanders of the 33 Corps gave detailed briefing to the defence minister and Gen Naravane on the situation along the LAC in Sikkim sector as well as about deployment of troops and weapons.

In his interaction with the troops, the defence minister conveyed his wishes to them on the occasion of Vijayadashami and hailed their dedication in securing the nation's borders.

"Due to brave soldiers like you, the borders of this country are protected. The whole country is proud of you," he said.

The defence minister also talked about the rich history of the Trishakti Corps. -- PTI

China is the United States' "absolute number one" national security threat, said Indian-American Republican politician Nikki Haley adding that US President Donald Trump has made sure Beijing does not steal American intellectual property.

Speaking during a fireside chat event organised by the Indian Voices for Trump in the battleground state of Philadelphia, Haley, former US Ambassador to the UN, said President Trump has "put China on notice".

"China is our absolute number one threat right now, a huge national security threat. With the trade deal that the President did, not only did he get a better trade deal for us, he put China on notice with intellectual property," the 48-year-old said.

"He has made sure that they know that they can not turn around and steal the intellectual property. They cannot go and spy on our universities, and that we are going to hold them accountable as we go forward," she added.

The two-term governor of South Carolina, Haley was the first Cabinet-ranking Indian-American in any presidential administration. She is now campaigning for Trump ahead of the US election.

The US and China relations have swiftly deteriorated in the past few months over a range of issues including COVID-19 origin, Indo Pacific, Hong Kong and trade disagreements.

During the event, Haley also hit out at Democratic Presidential nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden and accused former US President Barack Obama's administration of sponsoring terrorism.

"The last administration, under Biden, Obama gave literally planes full of cash to the largest sponsor of terror. And they took that cash and funnelled it and spread terrorism throughout Yemen, and Lebanon, and Syria, and Iraq. And all these places. The President pulled out of the Iran deal so they will have the money to spend," she said.

The presential elections in the US will be held on Tuesday, November 3. -- ANI

08:22 Deeply value friendship with India: Biden

Slamming United States President Donald Trump for his comment on India's air pollution, former vice president and Democratic Party's presidential nominee Joe Biden on Saturday said he and his running mate Kamala Harris deeply value America's partnership with India.

"President Trump called India 'filthy'. It's not how you talk about friends and it's not how you solve global challenges like climate change," Biden said in a tweet, two days after Trump during a presidential debate accused China, India and Russia of not taking care of their "filthy" air.

"Look at China, how filthy it is. Look at Russia. Look at India. The air is filthy," Trump had said during the final presidential debate with Biden in Nashville, Tennessee on Thursday.

"Kamala Harris and I deeply value our partnership and will put respect back at the centre of our foreign policy," Biden said in a tweet Saturday as he retweeted his op-ed in the latest issue of ethnic India West weekly.

"The Obama-Biden years were some of the best we've ever had between our two countries. A Biden-Harris administration will build on that great progress and do even more. We can and should be natural allies," Biden wrote in the op-ed.

"That's why if elected President, I will continue what I have long called for: The US and India will stand together against terrorism in all its forms and work together to promote a region of peace and stability where neither China nor any other country threatens its neighbours," he said.

"We'll open markets and grow the middle class in both the United States and India, and confront other international challenges together, like climate change, global health, transnational terrorism and nuclear proliferation," said Biden. -- PTI

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