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Thu, 24 September 2020
Sisodia diagnosed with dengue, moved to Max
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23:09 Sisodia diagnosed with dengue, moved to Max
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, admitted to hospital due to the coronavirus infection, was also diagnosed with dengue on Thursday and his condition took a turn for the worse, sources said.
Sisodia was moved to the private Max Hospital in Saket from the Delhi government-run LNJP Hospital in the evening, considering his 'falling' blood platelet count and low oxygen level, they said.
He was admitted to Max Hospital ICU. They said the deputy CM's platelet count was around one lakh in the evening as against the normal rage of 1.5-4.5 lakh per microliter of blood.
Sisodia is perhaps the first prominent personality in Delhi to have contracted a 'double infection' of the novel coronavirus and dengue.
He is the second minister in the Arvind Kejriwal government to contract COVID-19 infection after Health Minister Satyendar Jain.
The health minister had tested positive for COVID-19 in June and was hospitalised.
He was later administered plasma therapy.
The deputy chief minister, who had tested positive for COVID-19 on September 14, was admitted to the LNJP Hospital on Wednesday after he complained of fever and low oxygen level.
Earlier, an official said that the minister had been put on oxygen support as per requirement and had been under constant observation at the LNJP Hospital, which is a dedicated COVID-19 facility.
Sources at LNJP Hospital earlier said, 'There is no standard protocol for treatment of double infection of COVID-19 and dengue, and treatment is 'patient-specific'.'
Earlier in the day, a doctor said, 'The deputy CM will be administered an RT-PCR test in a couple of days.'
Another source said that the minister's age, condition, co-morbidities and other factors will be taken into account for treatment of both the ailments, adding that right now, his condition is being assessed.
Asked if there are any side effects of treatments in cases of a 'double infection', the source, said, 'any treatment can have a side effect, but the treating doctor decides the methodology for it'.
A dengue patient, if his or her platelet level falls dangerously below the normal level, needs external platelet infusion.
Asked if the 48-year-old Aam Aadmi Party leader has any co-morbidities, a doctor, also a senior official said, "He has hypertension".
Earlier in the day, in a video message, Sisodia praised the efforts made by doctors at the LNJP hospital.
"I have been brought to the LNJP Hospital after a need was felt for it. But, seeing the spirit with which the doctors and other healthcare workers are serving patients, I must say, as a deputy chief minister, it is very encouraging," he said.
"It is a wonderful facility here and I am very proud of them. If you need any medical attention in this coronavirus time, LNJP is ready to serve you," the minister said.
Sisodia was unable to attend the one-day Delhi Assembly session on September 14 since he had tested positive for the disease. -- PTI
22:23 Cong backs 'Bharat bandh' call by farmers
The Congress on Thursday supported the 'Bharat Bandh' call given by farmer organisations for Friday, saying millions of party workers stand in solidarity with the farmers' cause and will participate in their dharnas.
Chief Congress spokesperson Randeep Sujewala said that while farmers and farm labourers fill the stomachs of countrymen with their hard labour, the Modi government is attacking them and their fields.
'The diabolical and debilitating attack on farmers and farm labourers by the three 'black bills' of the Modi government will be decisively defeated.
'The Congress and Rahul Gandhi stand solidly with farmers and support the Bharat Bandh. Congress workers and leaders will join farmers' dharna and protests,' he tweeted.
The farmer's cry will echo across the country on Friday in the 'Bharat Bandh', Surjewala said.
'Millions of Congress workers under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi are standing with the farmers,' he said in another Tweet in Hindi.
Earlier former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet, 'Modi government's priorities -- Instead of talking to farmers and workers to find a solution to their problems, busy in PR.'
He also posted a media report on the prime minister's interaction along with his tweet.
Delhi Congress chief Anil Chaudhary said the party workers in Delhi will launch a plan to raise the voice of farmers and farm labourers from Parliament to panchayats.
He said workers will take to the streets against the farm bills.
The Congress has decided to take out marches in every state after which memorandums will be submitted to the respective governors on September 28 against these farm bills, which it says are against the interests of farmers and farm labourers. -- PTI
21:26 Tarun Gogoi in ICU after oxygen level falls
Veteran Congress leader and former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi was on Thursday admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a state-run hospital after his blood oxygen level drastically went down inpost-COVID-19 complications, a senior doctor said.
The 85-year-old leader tested positive for the virus on August 25 and was admitted to the Gauhati Medical Collegeand Hospital (GMCH) the next day.
He tested negative recently but remained in the hospital.
GMCH superintendent Abhijit Sarma said that Gogoi, who has 'a lot of co-morbid conditions', was admitted to the ICU as he developed some problems in the lungs and his oxygen level dropped drastically.
"However, he is stable now and we are constantly monitoring his condition. He is in oxygen support at this moment," he said.
Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that GMCH authorities will consult AIIMS doctors in New Delhi on Friday morning through video conference about the condition of the three-time former chief minister.
"If needed, we are ready to take him to Delhi. I have already spoken to his son Gaurav Gogoi," he added.
The GMCH superintendent said that Tarun Gogoi's oxygen level had dropped to 82 per cent after breakfast this morning, but it is hovering around 92-93 per cent after he was put on oxygen support.
"He is in a talking condition now, but is very tired.We are taking all care of him," the doctor said.
The octogenarian leader's condition had deteriorated on August 31 with sudden fall in the oxygen saturation level.
He was then administered plasma therapy. -- PTI
21:11 China's 2 aircraft carriers complete training, sea trials: Military spokesman
China's two aircraft carriers Liaoning and Shandong have completed routine training and sea trials, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defence said on Thursday.
The training was aimed at testing the performance of the aircraft carriers' weapons and equipment, improving the training level of such warships and honing the capabilities of personnel to fulfill missions.
Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defence, made the remarks during an online press briefing when asked about US media reports that the two Chinese aircraft carriers have performed maritime training missions at the same time to improve the capability of 'Dual Carrier Operations'.
Liaoning, a refit of the Soviet-era ship which was commissioned in 2012, is already operational.
The second indigenously developed carrier, Shandong is undergoing sea trials while the third one is under construction.
Official media reports say China plans to have six aircraft carriers.
Shandong with a displacement of around 40,000-60,000 tonnes is bigger than Liaoning and could house 36 fighter jets compared to 24 by Liaoning besides helicopters, Chinese media reports earlier said.
China is building a third carrier which is projected to be even bigger with a displacement of 80,000 tonnes, the report said. -- PTI
20:54 Gopalkrishna Gandhi appointed life trustee of IIC
Former West Bengal governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi has been appointed as a new life trustee of the India International Centre (IIC) in the capital, announced IIC on Thursday.
Gandhi was appointed a life trustee of the centre following the vacancy caused by the passing away of scholar Kapila Vatsyayan.
"The Life Trustees of India International Centre (IIC), New Delhi have appointed Shri Gopalkrishna Gandhi, former Governor of West Bengal, to be a Life Trustee of the Centre in the vacancy caused by the passing away of Dr Kapila Vatsyayan," read a statement issued by the centre.
Gandhi, 75, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, is a retired Indian diplomat who served as India's high commissioner to South Africa (1996-97), Sri Lanka Sep 2000-2002) and ambassador to Norway (2002-2004). He later also served as West Bengal governor from 2004 till 2009.
Other members on the board of trustees include, N N Vohra, K N Shrivastava, Aarti Khosla, Soli J Sorabjee and Ashis Nandy.
-- PTI
20:51 Advocate shot dead by terrorists in Srinagar
Unidentified militants shot dead an advocate in Hawal area of the Srinagar on Thursday, police said.
The ultras fired upon advocate Babar Qadri at his Hawal residence around 6.25 pm from close range before fleeing the spot, a police official said.
Qadri, in his early 40s, was rushed to the SKIMS hospital, where doctors declared him 'dead on arrival', according to the official.
The advocate, who used to appear on TV debates and write opinion pages for local newspapers, was not liked by separatist circles.
Three days ago, he had tweeted a screenshot and urged the police in Jammu to register a first information report against a Facebook user for spreading 'wrong campaign' against him.
'I urge the state Police administration to register FIR against this Shah Nazir who has spread wrong campaign that I work for agencies.
'This untrue statement can lead to threat to my life,' Qadri had written in his last tweet.
The advocate becomes second political or social activist to be shot dead by terrorists in the past 24 hours.
Bhupinder Singh, a member of the block development council in Khag area of Budgam district, was shot dead by terrorists at his ancestral village Dalwash on Wednesday night. -- PTI
20:33 Deepika to join drugs case probe on Saturday
Actor Deepika Padukone will join the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) probe into alleged Bollywood-drugs nexus on Saturday, an official said on Thursday.
Earlier, the NCB) had summoned Padukone on Friday to record her statement in the drugs case, a fallout of probe into the death of filmstar Sushant Singh Rajput.
According to the official, the 34-year-old actress has acknowledged the summons sent by the central agency and will join the investigation on Saturday.
Another actor, Rakul Preet Singh, and Padukone's manager Karishma Prakash will join the investigation on Friday, he said.
Prakash's WhatsApp chats included conversations about drugs with one 'D' and central agency wanted to find out who this person was, NCB sources had said earlier.
Meanwhile, statements of fashion designer Simone Khambatta and Shruti Modi, Rajput's former manager, were recorded by the NCB probe team in connection with the drugs case, the official said.
The NCB, which began the inquiry after a drugs angle came to light in connection with Rajput's alleged suicide, has now widened its investigation and asked a clutch of Bollywood celebrities to 'join the probe'.
Rajput, 34, was found hanging in his apartment in suburban Bandra on June 14. -- PTI
20:23 200 educationists, filmmakers, authors demand release of Umar Khalid
More than 200 educationists, filmmakers and authors, including Noam
Chomsky and Mira Nair, issued a joint statement on Wednesday demanding
the Centre free Umar Khalid arrested in connection with the northeast
Delhi riots.
Besides Chomsky and Nair, the signatories include actor
Ratna Pathak Shah, authors Amitav Ghosh, Salman Rushdie and Arundhati
Roy, and journalist P Sainath.
'We call on the government of India to
free Umar Khalid and all those falsely implicated and unjustly
incarcerated for protesting against the CAA-NRC that denies equal
citizenship rights and to ensure that the Delhi Police investigates the
Delhi riots with impartiality under the oath they took as public
servants bound by the Constitution of India,' the statement
read.
Khalid has been arrested under the stringent Unlawful
Activities (Prevention) Act in a case related to the communal violence
in northeast Delhi in February this year.
'We stand in solidarity and
outrage, with the brave young scholar and activist Umar Khalid,
arrested in New Delhi on September 14, 2020, under fabricated charges of
engineering the Delhi riots in February 2020,' the statement
said.
The statement said that Khalid 'used the passion of his
commitment to his country, marshalled his education and his voice to
join the movement for equal citizenship, against the Citizenship
Amendment Act (CAA)' which introduced religion as a criterion for
citizenship, and has no place in a secular nation.
The Delhi Police
had on September 13 said it is investigating the role of all individuals
who took part in the February riots and were behind the larger
conspiracy of organising violence and inciting communal passion amongst
communities.
Delhi Police Commissioner S N Shrivastava had last week
said the force has collected documentary evidence, including scientific
evidence, to support its case in connection with the riots.
He said
that the police have so far arrested 1,571 people irrespective of their
caste or religion and they are almost equally distributed among both
communities.
Responding to former IPS officer Julio Ribeiro's letter
in which he had questioned the Delhi police's investigation, Srivastava
had said that there are several entities who have their reasons to weave
a 'web of deception' and push a 'false narrative of bias and
insensitivity' on the part of the police.
He said that police
investigations in criminal cases are guided by facts and evidence, not
by reputations and personalities.
"Delhi Police are serving the oath
and the Constitution with conviction, integrity and sensitivity, without
fear of any self-proclaimed true patriots or favour towards any class,
creed or community," Srivastava had said in an email reply to
Ribeiro.
Communal clashes had broken out in northeast Delhi on
February 24 after violence between those supporting the citizenship law
and those opposing it spiralled out of control, leaving at least 53
people dead and around 200 injured. -- PTI
19:36 CBI should probe drugs case, not NCB: Rhea to HC
The counsel for actor Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik told the Bombay High Court Thursday the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), that is probing a drugs case related to the death of filmstar Sushant Singh Rajput, had no jurisdiction to initiate the inquiry.
Their counsel Satish Maneshinde told the HC that the drugs case, in which Rhea and Showik are accused and currently in jail, should have been transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), probing Rajput's death, by the NCB.
The HC did not pass any order on the bail pleas of the Chakrabortys and suggested the NCB file a reply by Monday (September 28).
Rhea and Showik have been booked by the NCB under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, including stringent sections pertaining to procurement of drugs, and financing of illicit trafficking of contrabands.
The siblings, currently in judicial custody, approached the HC earlier this week challenging the orders of a special NDPS court in the city that had rejected their bail pleas.
Maneshinde told a single bench presided over by Justice Sarang Kotwal that the Supreme Court, while hearing the pleas seeking a CBI probe into the alleged suicide of Rajput, had ruled that all cases related to the death would be investigated by the CBI.
"The CBI, that is already investigating the death case, is also empowered to probe cases under the NDPS Act," Maneshinde maintained. "Therefore, the NCB should have transferred the probe to the CBI after the offences under the NDPS Act were registered," he said.
-- PTI
19:23 Singer SP Balasubrahmanyam's condition critical, says hospital
Popular playback singer S P Balasubrahmanyam, admitted for Covid-19 treatment and on life support, is extremely critical, a hospital treating him in Chennai said on Thursday.
Balasubrahmanyam, popularly known as SPB, was admitted on August 5, and "remains on ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) and other life support measures," MGM Healthcare said.
"His condition in the last 24 hours has deteriorated further, warranting maximal life support and he is extremely critical," assistant director (medical services), MGM Healthcare, Dr Anuradha Baskaran, said in a statement.
A team of experts at the hospital are monitoring his health condition, she said.
-- PTI
18:44 Covid 2nd wave has hit its peak in Delhi: Kejri
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said the second wave of coronavirus pandemic has hit its peak in the national capital with experts hinting that the cases of infection will decline in the coming days.
He said the government was 'keeping its fingers crossed' and hoped that the COVID-19 cases will 'gradually' come down due to the steps taken by the Aam Aadmi Party dispensation.
Delhi has been witnessing a surge in the number of coronavirus cases in the last few days.
"All the experts believe that the second wave (of coronavirus), which had come in Delhi, appears to have hit its peak. Now, the cases will come down in the coming days," Kejriwal told reporters.
The COVID-19 cases in the city were by and large under control between July 1 and August 17 and on an average, 1,100-1,200 new cases were being reported everyday, he said.
"From August 17, the cases rose slightly from around 1,100 to 1,500 and as a responsible government, we did not take any risk and immediately scaled up testing from around 20,000 to 60,000 tests per day.
"The best way to defeat coronavirus is to conduct aggressive testing to identify and isolate positive cases," the chief minister said.
"The coronavirus cases have increased in Delhi because testing was massively scaled up. The daily cases were around 4,500 on September 16 which have now started coming down and currently, there are around 3,700 cases (daily)," he said.
According to the CM, if the testing would have scaled down to the previous level of 20,000 tests (daily), the cases would also have come down to around 1,500 per day in the city.
Kejriwal hoped that the government steps, including increasing containment zones from 550 in mid-August to around 2,000 now, will gradually bring down the number of COVID-19 positive cases in the coming days.
On Wednesday, Delhi recorded 3,714 fresh COVID-19 cases as the infection tally in the city mounted to over 2.56 lakh, while the death toll rose to 5,087.
More than 60,000 COVID-19 tests were done in the city on Tuesday, according to the bulletin issued by the Delhi health department on Wednesday.
The total number of active cases, as on Wednesday, stood at 30,836, it said. -- PTI
18:21 Modi is 'God of farmers': Shivraj
Calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi 'God of farmers', Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said three farm sector reform bills passed recently by Parliament will double the income of cultivators.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday night, Chouhan termed those opposing the bills as 'kisandrohi' (anti-farmers) and claimed they are doing so to protect the interest of middlemen.
"The prime minister, who is taking farsighted decisions, is God of farmers. All the three bills related to agriculture reforms are a blessing for farmers. These will double their income," Chouhan said in Indore.
People opposing these bills are not well-wishers of farmers and are just misleading them, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader said.
"If any exporter, by paying a good price, purchases wheat and rice from farmers directly, then there will be no need for middlemen. Why are opposition parties supporting these middlemen?" he asked.
By crticising these bills, the opposition parties are not opposing the prime minister, but 'blindly opposing' interests of farmers, the chief minister said.
The Farmer's Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 were passed in both the houses of Parliament amid protests from the opposition parties.
On Wednesday, 18 opposition parties urged President Ram Nath Kovind not to sign the contentious bills and alleged that they were passed 'unconstitutionally' in 'complete disregard' of parliamentary norms.
The Modi government has claimed these bills are to ensure that farmers get better prices for their produce without being subject to the regulations of mandis (agri markets). Farmer organisations and the opposition parties allege that the law has been framed to suit 'big corporates who seek to dominate the Indian food and agriculture business', and will weaken the negotiating power of farmers. -- PTI
17:55
Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik's bail pleas to be heard on Tuesday, says Bombay High Court.
17:53 Happier if demands met: TIME's Shaheen Bagh dadi
Bilkis, who became the face of a women-led anti-citizenship law protest at Shaheen Bagh in Delhi, on Thursday said she was happy to have been recognised by the TIME magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of 2020, but would have been happier had her demand been met.
The 82-year-old, along with her two friends Asma Khatoon (90) and Sarwari (75), was at the protest site every day, braving a chilly winter last December, the coldest in over a century. The trio were hailed as "Dadis of Shaheen Bagh" on social media.
"When we told her that she has been declared as one of the most influential people in the world, she just said 'okay'," her son Manzoor Ahmad told PTI on the phone. She is not as excited as the family is," Ahmad, who works as a translator, said.
"I am thankful to the almighty. I would have been much happier had our demand been fulfilled... had the government listened to us and given us what we wanted (withdrawal of the Citizenship Amendment Act)," Bilkis said in a trembling voice.
"It is sad we had to call it (protest) off because of the disease (COVID-19). I was there till the end," she said.
Ahmad said his mother had taken ill in December last year, but she continued going to the protest site. It was so cold and she was running a fever, despite that she went there to support other women, he said. Ahmad said all women in his family participated in the protest. "We are a joint family. So, the women took turns to participate in the dharna," he said.
The Shaheen Bagh protest demanding the government to withdraw the law went on for over a hundred days. It ended in March this year in view of the COVID-19 outbreak and a subsequent lockdown announced by the government to contain the spread of the disease. Also on the TIME magazine's list from India are Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bollywood actor Ayushman Khurrana. -- PTI
17:35 Maharashtra's Covid initiative finds 4500+ cases
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray expressed confidence that his government has launched My family- My responsibility campaign to strengthen the fight against COVID-19 in the state.Maharashtra CMO also posted the progress report of the "My Family My Responsibility" Campaign stating, 4,517 COVID positive patients have been identified from 37,733 suspected cases.
"My Family My Responsibility campaign entails door-to-door survey for tracing & treating COVID-19 patients, identifying people with co-morbidities, raising awareness and educating citizens on safety measures to break the chain of transmission," Chief Minister's Office, Maharashtra tweeted.
Moreover, 55,268 teams have been formed, 69.94 lakh households have been reached while 2.24 crore people have been checked.
Maharashtra has reported 2,73,883 active COVID-19 cases, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. -- ANI
17:32 Kohli mourns Dean Jones' death
India skipper Virat Kohli on Thursday mourned the demise of former Australia cricketer Dean Jones and extended "strength and courage" to the deceased family.Jones passed away due to a cardiac arrest at the age of 59."Shocked to hear about the tragic loss of Dean Jones.
Praying for strength and courage to his family and friends," Kohli wrote on Twitter.Star India is now currently in touch with the Australian High Commission to make the necessary arrangements.
"It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing away of Dean Mervyn Jones AM. He died of a sudden cardiac arrest. We express our deep condolences to his family and stand ready to support them in this difficult time. We are in touch with the Australian High Commission to make the necessary arrangements," Star India said in an official statement. -- PTI
17:28 Cops deployed outside Deepika Padukone's residence
Police personnel have been deployed outside the residence of Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone, who is expected to arrive from Goa on Thursday ahead of her appearance before the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), an official said. The NCB, which is probing an alleged Bollywood-drugs nexus, has summoned Padukone on Friday to record her statement.
A team from the Dadar police station has been deployed outside 'Beaumonde Towers' in Prabhadevi, where the 34-year- old actor owns an apartment, as a precautionary measure, the official said.
The NCB, which began the probe after a drugs angle came to light in connection with actor Sushant Singh Rajput's alleged suicide, has now widened its investigation and asked a clutch of Bollywood celebrities to "join the probe".
Earlier, Padukone's manager Karishma Prakash was summoned to join the investigation, but she sought time due to ill-health and has been exempted from appearance till Friday, an official had said on Wednesday. Prakash's WhatsApp chats included conversations about drugs with one `D', NCB sources said, adding the central agency wanted to find out who this person was. -- PTI
17:18 Justice for Sushant must not eclipse Bihar: Cong
The Congress on Thursday said it was all for speedy justice in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case but disapproved of the emotive issue eclipsing pressing concerns of Bihar like recurring floods, unemployment and problems faced by farmers.
Addressing a press conference, AICC general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala said the party would like the CBI to complete its inquiry in three months and favoured setting up of a special court to facilitate expeditious trial.
"We understand the pain that the untimely death of a son of the soil might have caused. His family has a right to seek justice and it is good that their wish has been granted.
"But let us not lose focus because of this issue. Let us not give an escape route to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is driving a jhooth ki railgaadi (a train carrying falsehoods) and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who has happily agreed to become one of its passengers", Surjewala said.
He was responding to queries about relentless attacks by the ruling NDA in Bihar on the Shiv Sena-led government in Maharashtra in which the Congress is a partner.
Governments of both the states have been engaged in a tug of war ever since the father of the Patna-born actor lodged an FIR, accusing actress Rhea Chakraborty of abetting the suicide and the Mumbai police of paying no heed to his complaints.
When the Bihar police began probing the matter and, later, when Chief Minister Nitish Kumar recommended a CBI probe, the Maharashtra government came out strongly in support of Chakraborty's contention that the home state of the deceased actor, with whom she was in a relationship, had "no jurisdiction" in the matter.
The contention was eventually struck down by the Supreme Court. Though the NDA leaders have said that Rajput's death case is not an election issue, but considering sentimental attachment of citizens of Bihar with the matter, the issue becoming a campaign talking point in the upcoming state polls can't be ruled out. -- PTI
Congress leader Rajiv Tyagi
17:05 Cong leaders' wives move SC on Sudarshan TV case
The widow of Congress politician Rajiv Tyagi, who died recently of heart attack after participating in a TV debate, and the party spokesman Pawan Khera's wife -- have moved the Supreme Court for intervention in the Sudarshan TV case and sought that certain news anchors and "peddlers of hate speech" should not be given the benefit of freedom of speech.
Sangeeta Tyagi and Kota Neelima, the author-researcher wife of Congress spokesperson Khera, have referred to the prime time TV shows of four prominent anchors in their intervention plea alleging that their programmes are mostly communal in nature and favour the ruling party.
Seeking urgent hearing on their plea, filed through lawyer Sunil Fernandes, they have compared the situation of the Electronic Media in the country with Nazi Germany.
They also quoted Martin Niemller, the German theologian and a Lutheran Pastor: "First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out -because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak for me.
The Sudarshan TV case relates to seeking ban on the telecast of 'Bindas Bol' programme which alleges infiltration of Muslims into the country's bureaucracy. The apex court has already imposed the pre-telecast ban on episodes of 'UPSC Jehad' show on the main plea that raised grievances against it on grounds including hate speech. The court was informed by the Centre on Wednesday that it has prima facie found violation of the programme code and has issued a notice to the channel.
16:57 India donates Rs 96 cr to Nepal for earthquake relief
India has provided 1.54 billion Nepalese Rupees (INR nearly 96 crore) to Nepal as part of its commitment towards assistance and rehabilitation after the 2015 earthquake which saw the death of over 9,000 people in the country, the Indian Embassy said on Thursday. The financial support was provided as housing and school sector assistance and would further help in the renovation of educational institutions and houses for the people affected in the natural disaster.
"The Government of India has provided 1.54 billion Nepali Rupees to Nepal further fulfilling its commitment towards post-earthquake reconstruction assistance," the Indian Embassy said in a statement. Namgyal Khampa, the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy, handed over the cheque amounting to Nepali Rupees 1.54 billion to Sishir Kumar Dhungana, Secretary, Nepal's Ministry of Finance.
India has expressed commitment to help rebuild 50,000 private houses in Gorkha and Nuwakot districts, which were destroyed due to the 2015 great earthquake. Of the 92 per cent construction works have already been completed, the statement said. "India remains committed to continuing supporting the people and Government of Nepal in their post-earthquake recovery efforts," it said. -- PTI
16:50 Deepika leaves for Mumbai for drug probe
Actor Deepika Padukone on Thursday left for Mumbai from Goa Airport as the Narcotics Control Bureau has summoned her in connection with a drug case related to the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput.The NCB on Wednesday summoned actors Deepika Padukone, Sara Ali Khan, Shradha Kapoor, Rakulpreet Singh, Simone Khambatta and celebrity manager Shruti Modi in connection with the drugs case.
Meanwhile, Fashion Designer Simone Khambatta on Thursday visited NCB office in Mumbai for interrogation.Karishma Prakash, who works at KWAN talent agency, was also summoned this week.
Moreover, KWAN CEO Dhruv Chitgopekar and film producer Madhu Mantena appeared before the NCB for questioning in the matter.Shruti Modi, the former business manager of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, was questioned by the NCB in the case in the past as well.
Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court is slated to hear on Thursday the bail plea of actor Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik and others in the drugs case.
Earlier, a special Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances court had refused to grant bail to the accused in the case.
The NCB had launched an investigation after it received official communication from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), in which there were various chats related to drug consumption, procurement, usage and transportation.
The ED had on July 31 registered an Enforcement Case Information Report in the late actor's death case after a First Information Report was filed by Rajput's father KK Singh against Rhea Chakraborty in Bihar on July 28.Rajput was found dead at his Mumbai residence on June 14. -- PTI
16:44 Obvious problems and loopholes in farm bills: Kejriwal
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said there were obvious problems and loopholes in the farm bills and the voting for their passage in Rajya Sabha was questionable and condemnable. The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 and the Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020, were passed by both the Houses of Parliament, amid protests by opposition parties and farmer outfits.
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh was among the eight parliamentarians who were suspended for the remaining part of the Monsoon Session over unruly behaviour during the passage of the bills in the Upper House of Parliament.
"There are obvious problems and loopholes in the bills. Farmers across the country are protesting and you cannot say they all have been misled, Kejriwal, who is also the AAP national convenor, told reporters. Moreover, the way voting (on the bills) was done in Rajya Sabha is questionable and condemnable," he said. -- PTI
16:40 Heartbreaking! Sachin on Dean Jones death
Sachin Tendulkar condoles Australian former cricketer Dean Jones's death. "Absolutely heartbreaking news about Dean Jones passing away. A wonderful soul taken away too soon. Had the opportunity to play against him during my first tour of Australia. May his soul rest in peace and my condolences to his loved ones," Tendulkar tweeted.
Jones died of a cardiac arrest in a Mumbai hotel, IPL broadcasters Star Sports have confirmed. Jones, 59, was in Mumbai with the Star Sports' commentary team for the Indian Premier League. He played 52 Tests and 164 ODIs for Australia and was part of the 1987 World Cup winning team.
16:35 Jio adds 45-lakh users in a month
Vodafone Idea Ltd (VIL) and Airtel lost about 48.2 lakh and 11.3 lakh users, respectively, in June, even as rival Reliance Jio added nearly 45 lakh customers strengthening its hold in the mobile telephony market, Trai's subscriber tally for the month showed.
India's overall wireless subscriber base shrunk by 0.28 per cent to 114 crore at the end of June 2020, recording declines in both urban and rural areas, according to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's (Trai) monthly subscription data.
Monthly decline rates of urban and rural mobile subscription were 0.18 per cent and 0.40 per cent, respectively, data showed. The share of urban and rural mobile subscribers in total wireless user base was pegged at 54.3 per cent and 45.7 per cent, respectively at the end of June.
With exception to Reliance Jio -- India's youngest, now the largest telco, all other operators lost mobile subscribers in June. During the month, Jio gained 44.9 lakh subscribers, propping up its wireless customer base to 39.7 crore. Bharti Airtel lost almost 11.3 lakh users in the mobile category, and its subscriber base stood at 31.6 crore subscribers in June. The subscriber base of Bharti Airtel included Tata Teleservices. VIL's subscriber base fell by 48.2 lakh during the month to 30.5 crore.
The total number of broadband subscribers in India rose from 683.7 million (68.3 crore) at the end of May to 698.23 million (69.8 crore) at the end of June, a growth rate of nearly two per cent. Top five service providers constituted 98.93 per cent market share of the total broadband subscribers at the end of June, Trai said.
16:18 Oz batsman Dean Jones dies of cardiac arrest
Update: Former Australia batsman Dean Jones has died of a cardiac arrest in a Mumbai hotel, IPL broadcasters Star Sports have confirmed. Jones, 59, was in Mumbai with the Star Sports' commentary team for the Indian Premier League. He played 52 Tests and 164 ODIs for Australia and was part of the 1987 World Cup winning team.
"It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing away of Mr. Dean Mervyn Jones AM. He died of a sudden cardiac arrest," Star Sports said a press release. "We express our deep condolences to his family and stand ready to support them in this difficult time. We are in touch with the Australian High Commission to make the necessary arrangements," the release added.
"Jones was one of the great ambassadors of the game associating himself with Cricket development across South Asia. He was passionate about discovering new talent and nurturing young cricketers.
"He was a champion commentator whose presence and presentation of the game always brought joy to millions of fans. He will be sorely missed by everyone at Star and his millions of fans across the globe. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends," the broadcasters said. PTI
16:12 Sensex crashes 1,115 points, Nifty tests 10,800
Falling for the sixth straight session, domestic equity benchmark Sensex plunged 1,115 points on Thursday amid a heavy selloff in global equities. After opening on a weak note, the 30-share BSE index lost further ground and settled 1,114.82 points or 2.96 per cent down at 36,553.60.
Similarly, the NSE Nifty crashed 326.30 points or 2.93 per cent to close at 10,805.55. Barring Hindustan Unilever, all Sensex components ended in the red. IndusInd Bank was the top laggard, tumbling over 7 per cent, followed by Bajaj Finance, M&M, Tech Mahindra, TCS and Tata Steel. Traders said growing concerns over economic recovery and lack of fresh stimulus by central banks led to the global market selloff.
Fears of a second wave of COVID-19 cases in many economies also weighed on sentiment, they added. In the forex market, the rupee depreciated 32 paise to finish at 73.89 against the US dollar. -- PTI
16:10 Former cricketer Dean Jones dies in Mumbai
Former Australia cricketer Dean Jones died of a stroke on Thursday in Mumbai. He was 59.
Dean Jones was in India to fulfil his commitments for the host broadcasters of the Indian Premier League. He played 52 Tests and 164 ODIs for Australia during an international career which spanned 8 years between 1984 and 1992.
16:03
Sensex falls 1,114.8 points, Nifty slips to 10,805.5
15:20 Maha minister Eknath Shinde tests Covid +ve
Maharashtra Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday said he has tested positive for coronavirus, and urged all those who came in contact with him to get themselves tested. Shinde attended the state cabinet meeting earlier this week. He is the 13th state minister to be infected by the disease.
"I conducted my COVID-19 test yesterday and have tested positive. Health is fine thanks to the blessings of you all. Requesting all who came in my contact over the past some days to take proper care and get themselves tested," the minister tweeted.
Earlier, state ministers Jitendra Awhad (housing), Ashok Chavan (PWD), Dhananjay Munde (social justice), Sunil Kedar (animal husbandry), Balasaheb Patil (cooperation), Aslam Shaikh (textile), Nitin Raut (energy), Hasan Mushrif (rural development), Varsha Gaikwad (school education) had contracted COVID-19. Abdul Sattar (Minister of State-rural development), Sanjay Bansode (MoS-environment) and Vishwajit Kadam (MoS- cooperation) had also tested positive for COVID-19 in the recent past. PTI
15:07 Why every Indian should be worried
Even with more power against the individual than any other modern democratic nation, the Indian government seeks more. Such laws do not exist elsewhere in the civilised world, observes Aakar Patel. Read the column here
15:05 2nd Covid wave at peak, will reduce soon: Kejriwal
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said that the experts believe the second wave of coronavirus is at the peak in the national capital and its intensity will be less in the coming days. "From July 1 to August 17, cases were in control. We noticed that cases increased and it reached 4,500 new Covid-19 cases on September 17 and now coming down. So experts are believing that the second wave of coronavirus which had hit the Delhi is now on peak and its intensity will be less in the coming days," Kejriwal said while speaking to media.
Kejriwal said that the high-level virtual review meeting with Prime Minister Modi to review Covid-19 response and management was fruitful.
"When new Covid-19 cases were reported in the large number, we had controlled the coronavirus cases with the help of the central government, NGO and Delhites. I want to thank everyone for their efforts. As a responsible government, we had increased testing from 20,000 to 60,000 daily," he said.
As per the Union Health Ministry, there are 30,836 active COVID-19 cases in Delhi. The number of recovered/cured patients stand at 2,20,866 and 5,087 have succumbed to COVID-19. -- ANI
14:59 IFFI postponed to January, to be held in hybrid format: Javadekar
The 51st edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), scheduled to be held in Goa from November 20-28, has been postponed to January 16-24 next year and will be held in a hybrid format that will be both virtual and physical.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said in a statement on Thursday that the decision to postpone IFFI was arrived at after he discussed the matter with Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. I&B Ministry officials said the decision was taken keeping in mind the COVID-19 situation.
"It has also been jointly decided to hold the festival from 16th to 24th January, 2021 at Goa as per the International Film Festival guidelines and protocols," Javadekar said. "The festival will be conducted in a Hybrid format i.e. Virtual & Physical format," he added in the statement. All COVID-related protocols will be strictly enforced in accordance with festivals convened recently in the international film festival circuit, the minister said. -- PTI
14:57 Sara Ali Khan heads to Mumbai for drugs probe
Sara Ali Khan leaves for Mumbai from Goa airport. She has been summoned by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Mumbai on September 26, in connection with a drug case related to Sushant Singh Rajput death case.
She will be questioned by the Narcotics Control Bureau, besides Deepika Padukone, Rakul Preet Singh and Shraddha Kapoor, in the drug inquiry that started with chats retrieved from the phone of arrested actor Rhea Chakraborty.
These names have emerged in the widening drug probe related to the Sushant Singh Rajput case, which has thrown up a drugs and Bollywood twist after some incriminating WhatsApp chats were found by investigators.
Sara Ali Khan and Rakul Preet Singh were named by actor Rhea Chakraborty, who is in jail since her arrest on September 9 over charges of buying drugs.
14:39 Modi asks Kohli about Yo-Yo test
Skipper Virat Kohli explained how the Yo-Yo test helped the Indian cricketers achieve high-level fitness when Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked him about the mandatory running aerobic fitness routine. Prime Minister Modi was interacting with fitness experts and influencers from across the country to mark the one-year anniversary of the 'Fit India Movement.'
Modi was keen to know what is Yo-Yo test and asked if the captain also has to pass it or he gets spared? "I heard these days there is a yo yo test for the team, what is this test," asked Modi.
Kohli, smiling, replied, "This Test was very important from fitness point of view. If we talk about global fitness level, our fitness level is still low compared to other teams and we want to take it up, which is a basic requirement." The gruelling routine has two sets of cones that are 20 metres apart. Once the beep is sounded, an athlete has to reach the marker on the other side by the time the next beep sounds, turn and get back to where he started before the third beep. PTI
A video grab of the fisticuffs between the journalists
14:29 Police intervene as journalists scuffle over coverage at NCB
For a change, the action was outside the guest house where the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) team has been grilling Bollywood figures in a drugs case, as journalists scuffled over a vantage point and a slur. Police intervened in the fight between journalists of a national news channel - whose main anchor is known for his histrionics - and some Mumbai reporters, after they termed the local media as 'chai biscuit wale partakar, an official said.
Videos of the incident, which took place at 10 am outside the Colaba guest house in south Mumbai where the NCB team is camping, have gone viral on social media. The NCB team is probing Bollywood's alleged drugs nexus and is questioning some actors and other industry figures.
Every time a Bollywood figure comes in to record his or her statement, the journalists, mostly from TV channels, stand outside the guest house to get a 'byte' and such was the case on Thursday morning, before the scuffle ensued.
The trigger was a Delhi-based TV journalist, who is in Mumbai to cover the NCB probe, coming "in the frame" of the camera of another national news channel. After he was asked to shift a bit and go out of the frame, he began abusing Mumbai journalists, calling them "depression wale patrakar" and "chai biscuit khane wale garib partakar", a police official said.
This led to a heated argument and a scuffle in which some Mumbai-based journalists slapped the Delhi reporter, an eyewitness said. Some police personnel, who were present at the spot intervened and dragged away the fighting media personnel who almost came to blows, he said. PTI
14:16 HC asks Raut to reply to Kangana's plea
The Bombay High Court on Thursday directed Shiv Sena chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut to file his reply to actor Kangana Ranaut's petition against the demolition of a part of her bungalow in Mumbai by the BMC.
A bench of Justices S J Kathawalla and R I Chagla also directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) H-ward officer Bhagyawant Late to file his reply to the plea. Late had signed the demolition notice served to Ranaut on September 7.
On Tuesday, Ranaut's lawyer senior counsel Birendra Saraf submitted in the court a DVD containing a speech in which Raut allegedly made a comment threatening the actress. Following this, the HC bench had permitted Ranaut to make both Raut and Late parties to the case.
On Thursday, the bench said it will begin final hearing in the case on Friday. Raut's counsel Pradeep Thorat asked for more time to file the reply, saying the Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha member is currently in New Delhi. BMC's senior counsel Anil Sakhre also sought more time for Late to file his reply. Justice Kathawalla said the bench will begin hearing the petitioner (Ranaut) on Friday and Raut could file his reply anytime before his turn to put forth his arguments in the court. The bench, however, directed the BMC to file the reply on Late's behalf by Monday, saying it could not delay the hearing.
13:42 Govt allows airlines to decide baggage limits
The Civil Aviation Ministry has permitted airlines to decide baggage limitations for domestic passenger flights, stated an official order. When the domestic passenger flights resumed on May 25 after a gap of two months due to the coronavirus pandemic, the ministry had stated that only one check-in baggage and one hand baggage per passenger must be allowed.
In an order dated September 23, 2020, the ministry said the "baggage limitation would be as per airlines' policies". "The matter with regard to check-in baggage has been reviewed based on the feedback/inputs received from the concerned stakeholders," the ministry noted. Currently, airlines are permitted to operate not more than 60 per cent of their pre-COVID domestic flights. PTI
13:21 China is paying a high price for provoking India
"China's foreign minister, Wang Yi, recently declared that aggression and expansionism have never been in the Chinese nation's 'genes'. It is almost astonishing that he managed to say it with a straight face.
"Aggression and expansionism obviously are not genetic traits, but they have defined President Xi Jinping's tenure. Xi, who in some ways has taken up the expansionist mantle of Mao Zedong, is attempting to implement a modern version of the tributary system that Chinese emperors used to establish authority over vassal states: submit to the emperor, and reap the benefits of peace and trade with the empire."
Read Brahma Chellaney's column here
13:17 Delhi riots: Umar Khalid to be jailed till Oct 22
A Delhi Court sends Umar Khalid to judicial custody till October 22 in the Delhi riots case under UAPA. Umar Khalid was produced before a Delhi Court after his 10-day police custody ended today.
A Delhi court on September 14, sent former Jawaharlal Nehru University student leader Umar Khalid, arrested under the stringent anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, to police custody for 10 days in a case related to the communal violence in northeast Delhi in February.
In the FIR, the police has claimed that the communal violence was a "premeditated conspiracy" which was allegedly hatched by Khalid and two others.
Khalid has also been booked for the offences of sedition, murder, attempt to murder, promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and rioting.
Khalid had allegedly given provocative speeches at two different places and appealed to the citizens to come out on streets and block the roads during the visit of United States President Donald Trump to spread propaganda at international level about how minorities in India are being tortured, the FIR alleged. In this conspiracy, firearms, petrol bombs, acid bottles and stones were collected at numerous homes, FIR claimed.
13:13 Arjun Rampal home quarantined
Arjun Rampal is home quarantined. The Nail Polish actor, tweeted, "Bummer quarantined at home. As #ManavKaul and #AnandTewari tested positive for Covid on sets of #Nailpolish yesterday. Production has stopped shoot immediately and everyone's been retested.I am quarantined at home awaiting my results. Staying away from everyone. Get well soon boys."
13:03 Sisodia stable, Covid test in a few days
The condition of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, currently undergoing treatment for Covid-19 at a state-run facility in New Delhi, is stable, and he will undergo another coronavirus test in a couple of days, officials said on Thursday. He was admitted to the LNJP Hospital on Wednesday from being under home isolation after he had contracted the infection.
"He is still in ICU since yesterday (Wednesday), but his condition is stable. The minister has been put on oxygen support, and under constant observation," a senior doctor of the hospital said. The Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital is a dedicated COVID-19 facility.
"He will be administered an RT-PCR test in a couple of days," the doctor said. Asked if he has any comorbidities, the doctor, also a senior official said, "he has hypertension".
The 48-year-old Aam Aadmi Party leader was admitted to the hospital at around 4 pm after he complained of fever and low oxygen level. "He (Sisodia) was admitted to hospital as a precautionary measure since he was continuously having a little higher body temperature and his oxygen level dropped slightly," a senior official said on Wednesday.
Sisodia had tested positive for Covid-19 on September 14 and was in home isolation. He was unable to attend the one-day Delhi Assembly session on September 14.
12:55 Love Neena Gupta? Read her memoir, soon
Award-winning actor Neena Gupta is slated to come out with a no-holds-barred account of her personal and professional life in 2021, announced publishing house Penguin Random House India on Thursday.
The memoir, "Sach Kahun Toh", will chronicle her life -- from her childhood in Delhi's Karol Bagh, and her time at the National School of Drama, to her move to Bombay in the 1980s, as well as her struggles to find work.
It will be published under Penguin 'Ebury Press' imprint, they added. A National Award winner with a career spanning more than 35 years, Gupta made her mark in films like "Trikal", "Mandi" and "Utsav" in the 80s.
She rose to further acclaim with the 1998 TV shows "Saans" and "Siski" but work eventually slowed down in the 2000s, before she bounced back with hits like Anubhav Sinha's "Mulk" and Amit Sharma's "Badhaai Ho" in 2018.
Gupta, 61, said it was her time spent in Mukteshwar in Uttarakhand recently during the coronavirus-induced lockdown that made her "reflect" and "relive" her life's journey.
"Taking long, winding walks every day, appreciating the sounds of the birds and basking in the chill of the mountain air, I asked myself, 'Why should I write a book? What do I have to say that could help and inspire someone?' "With so many incidents that have made me and also broken me, and I needed to free myself by getting them out. Reflecting about my life, my journey and the things I've had to overcome will make me feel better and lighter," said the actor. She added that through her book she wanted her readers to know that if despite her flaws, her broken relationships and circumstances in her life, "she can get up, get going and look really good while doing so", so can they. According to the publishers, the book promises to be "a candid, self-deprecating portrait of the person behind the persona", while talking about "her unconventional pregnancy and single parenthood", as well as her "successful second innings in Bollywood". Gupta and West Indian cricketer Vivian Richards, who were in a brief relationship in the 80s, are parents to celebrated fashion designer Masaba Gupta. Gupta raised Masaba as a single mother for a long time before marrying Delhi-based chartered accountant Vivek Mehra in 2008. Neena Gupta is a treasure and I've been a huge fan of her work, her wit and repartee over the years. On social media, she drops truth bombs with perfect poisewhether it be her views on motherhood, the norms of 'unladylike' behaviour, or an out-of-work actor seeking roles!
12:42 'Rail roko' starts in Punjab against farm bills
Farmers in Punjab on Thursday began their three-day 'rail roko' agitation to protest against the three farm bills while the Ferozepur Railway division suspended the operation of special trains due to the stir.
Railway authorities said 14 pairs of special trains will remain suspended from September 24 till 26.
The decision has been taken keeping in mind the safety of passengers and protection of railway property from any damage, officials said.
Among the trains which will remain suspended are Golden Temple Mail (Amritsar-Mumbai Central), Jan Shatabdi Express (Haridwar-Amritsar), New Delhi-Jammu Tawi, Karambhoomi (Amritsar-New Jalpaiguri), Sachkhand Express (Nanded-Amritsar) and Shaheed Express (Amritsar-Jaynagar), officials said.
At present, routine passenger train service remains suspended because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The call for 'rail roko' agitation was given by the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee and later, different farmers' outfits also extended their support.
Activists of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) squatted on rail tracks in Barnala and Sangrur on Thursday morning.
Farmers under the banner of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee have decided to squat on rail tracks near Devidaspur village in Amritsar and Basti Tanka wala in Ferozepur.
The representatives of the committee said they were getting support from several sections including government employees and labourers.
Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee president Satnam Singh Pannu said that they have appealed to representatives of political parties, ministers, MPs and MLAs not to take part in the farmers' agitation.
They vowed to gherao BJP leaders and socially boycott those who voted in favour of the farm bills. -- PTI
12:13 Oppn was allowed to speak on farm bills: Javadekar
"The Opposition's politics has become directionless, when they had the chance to express their opinions on farm bills and other issues in the Parliament they walked out," said Union Minister Prakash Javadekar on Thursday.
Javadekar added that the Opposition had 300 days to meet the President or protest elsewhere over the issues but they should not have boycotted the Parliament session.
"They are meeting the President, there are 300 more days for this. The Parliament session runs for 70-80 days, and we didn't stop anyone from speaking," Javadekar said.
The BJP leader further asserted that the behaviour of the Opposition leaders inside the Rajya Sabha was "shameful".
"Important Bills related to agriculture were moved and discussed on, the way the Opposition behaved was shameful for the house. They wanted division, the Deputy Chairman continuously asked them to return to their seats and assured them that he would give division then. Now they are complaining everywhere that it (division) did not happen. This is a matter of chori par seenazori," he said.
11:58 Rakul Preet Singh receives NCB summons
After being stone-walled, the Narcotics Control Bureau says that actress Rakul Preet Singh has acknowledged the summons and updated her latest address. The NCB earlier said that summons were issued to Rakul Preet Singh yesterday through various platforms, but she did not respond.
She will be questioned by the Narcotics Control Bureau, besides Deepika Padukone, Sara Ali Khan and Shraddha Kapoor, in the drug inquiry that started with chats retrieved from the phone of arrested actor Rhea Chakraborty.
These names have emerged in the widening drug probe related to the Sushant Singh Rajput case, which has thrown up a drugs and Bollywood twist after some incriminating WhatsApp chats were found by investigators.
Sara Ali Khan and Rakul Preet Singh were named by actor Rhea Chakraborty, who is in jail since her arrest on September 9 over charges of buying drugs.
11:43 I will obviously join politics: Ex-DGP of Bihar
Gupteshwar Pandey, ex-Bihar DGP, on joining politics: "It'll obviously happen as I've no godfather. I don't have a political background. We used to do farming and rear cattle. I've come from there. It's not acceptable to some.
"People are coming to me in large numbers, telling me that if I wish to enter politics then I should contest election from their district. Everyone is very close to me. It'll be a decision by public. If they want me to, then I may enter politics."
Pandey, who quit the post of the Bihar police chief on Wednesday, gave what appeared a clear hint of his future plan by the end of the day. Since Tuesday, when he put in his papers, there was a strong buzz that the former police chief will join politics, contesting the coming state elections on an NDA ticket from his hometown Buxar.
11:31 'Everything under control' at ONGC fire
Everything was under control and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given instructions for immediate action, said CR Paatil, state President of the Bharatiya Janata Party after a major fire broke out at an Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) plant in Surat on Thursday.
"A massive fire broke out at an ONGC gas processing plant in Hazira, Surat early this morning. Three consecutive blasts took place at the terminal. The fire has now been brought under control. Prime Minister @narendramodi is in constant telephonic contact and he has given instructions for immediate action," Paatil tweeted.
According to Surat Collector Dhaval Patel, three consecutive blasts at around 3 am at the plant sparked the fire.
"Around 3:05 am last night, three consecutive blasts took place at the ONGC Hazira plant which led to the fire. Seven fire tenders and several firefighters immediately reached the spot to provide relief. No casualties have been reported so far," Patel told ANI.
11:26 Mumbai dries out after Wednesday deluge
A day after heavy rains battered Mumbai and caused flooding in several areas, the city was limping back to normalcy on Thursday following resumption of rail and road transport services, officials said. According to the BMC, rain intensity has reduced and there is no waterlogging anywhere in the metropolis. Mumbai's suburbs and neighbouring Navi Mumbai received over 100 mm rainfall in last 24 hours, an official from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
The Santacruz observatory (in western suburbs) recorded 108.7 mm rainfall in the 24-hour period ending at 8.30 am on Thursday while the Colaba observatory (in south Mumbai) recorded 50.4 mm rain during the period, it said.
As per the BMC, the island city received 256 mm in 12 hours ending at 8 am on Wednesday, and the western and eastern suburbs received 237 mm and 158 mm rain, respectively, during the period, which had led to heavy waterlogging in many areas. Local train services of the Central Railway (CR) and the Western Railway (WR) were affected on Wednesday due to submergence of tracks at some places. -- PTI
11:14 Global banking recovery will take 3 years: S&P
Covid-19 and the oil price shock of 2020 are taking a heavy toll on global banks, S&P Global Ratings said on Thursday adding that it will be difficult for them to return to pre-crisis levels in the next three years. To estimate the shape of recovery for banks, S&P analysed 20 of the largest banking systems globally in its report.
"We do not expect the world's largest banking sectors, including more than half of G20's, to recover to pre-COVID-19 levels until 2023 or beyond," it said.
S&P Global Ratings has taken 335 negative rating actions globally since the outbreak began.
"The hit on financial institutions globally has been unambiguously negative," said Credit Analyst Gavin Gunning.
"We have already negatively revised the economic or industry trends underpinning the financial strength of many banking jurisdictions globally. This trend should persist," he said.
"Further, we have seen negative rating momentum affecting financial institutions in most major banking jurisdictions, indicating that downside risks are to the fore," added Gunning.
Even for less-affected banking jurisdictions, recovery to pre-COVID-19 levels will unlikely come before end-2022. These jurisdictions include China, Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea and Saudi Arabia.
Even for those jurisdictions that have been more resilient, S&P's outlook for banking sector credit metrics as well as metrics applicable to individual banks are uniformly weaker. -- ANI
10:49 'Mutated Covid virus could break through masks'
Houston researchers have unveiled a study of over 5,000 genetic sequences of coronavirus which reveals the pathogen's virus's continuous accumulation of mutations.
The study, released on Wednesday, however, does not conclude that these mutations made the virus deadlier or changed clinical outcomes. According to scientists, all the viruses accumulate genetic mutations and most of them are insignificant, The Washington Post reported.
Study author James Musser of Houston Methodist Hospital said that coronaviruses like SARS-CoV-2 are relatively stable as viruses go since they have a proofreading mechanism as they replicate.
"But every mutation is a roll of the dice, and with transmission so widespread in the US -- which continues to see tens of thousands of new, confirmed infections daily -- the virus has had abundant opportunities to change, potentially with troublesome consequences," Musser said.
"We have given this virus a lot of chances. There is a huge population size out there right now," he added.
Several scientists from Weill Cornell Medicine, the University of Chicago, Argonne National Laboratory and Austin's University of Texas also contributed to the research.
The study, which has not been peer-reviewed, appears to be the largest single aggregation of genetic sequences of the virus in the US as of now. Last month, a study by UK scientists said a mutation that changes the structure of the "spike protein" on the virus's surface may be driving the outsized spread of that particular strain, according to The Washington Post.
According to the new Houston study, the findings pointed out the strong possibility that the virus, which moved through the population, became more transmissible, and this "may have implications for our ability to control it", said David Morens, a virologist at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Morens said it is a single study and "you do not want to over-interpret what this means."
However, the virologist stated that the virus could be responding potentially through random mutations to such interventions as social distancing and wearing of masks.
"Wearing masks, washing our hands, all those things are barriers to transmissibility, or contagion, but as the virus becomes more contagious it statistically is better at getting around those barriers," Morens said, adding it could have implications regarding the formulation of vaccines.
The virus could be under selective pressure to evade the human immune response as people gain immunity either through infections or a vaccine.
"Although we do not know yet, it is well within the realm of possibility that this coronavirus, when our population-level immunity gets high enough, this coronavirus will find a way to get around our immunity. If that happened, we would be in the same situation as with flu. We will have to chase the virus and as it mutates, we will have to tinker with our vaccine," Morens said
10:24 Sensex tanks over 600 pts in early trade; Nifty slips below 11,000
Equity benchmark Sensex plunged over 600 points in early trade on Thursday, tracking massive sell-off in global stocks amid heavy foreign fund outflow.
After sinking 609.63 points, the 30-share index was trading 571.26 points or 1.52 per cent lower at 37,097.16, and the NSE Nifty cracked 169.40 points or 1.52 per cent to 10,962.45. All Sensex components were in the red with M&M, Bajaj Finance, IndusInd Bank, Maruti, Axis Bank, Bajaj Finserv and ICICI Bank shedding up to 3 per cent.
In the previous session, Sensex settled 65.66 points or 0.17 per cent lower at 37,668.42, while Nifty shed 21.80 points or 0.20 per cent to close at 11,131.85. Exchange data showed that foreign institutional investors sold equities worth Rs 3,912.44 crore on a net basis on Wednesday. -- PTI
10:17 Stunted Cong misleading farmers: Agri minister
The Congress leadership has become stunted, it does not understand agriculture and the party is trying to mislead farmers for its own vested interests, said Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar.
In an exclusive interview with ANI, Tomar launched a strong attack on Congress over its opposition to agriculture bills and said the opposition party does not listen to good people within and its leadership is in hands those who are not heard by people.
"Main samajhta hoon ki Congress natritav bauna ho gaya hai (I feel Congress leadership has become stunted)," Tomar said.
"Neither do they understand agriculture nor the good or bad of the country. The good people in Congress are not being heard and the leadership of the party is in the hands of those to whom people do not listen, even inside the party. That is why they are trying to mislead the country by saying this and that," Tomar said.
He said Congress leaders were trying to mislead the farmers, because they feel that the work which they could not do for years under the UPA is being done now.
"They could have done it, but they couldn't gather courage," he said.
Tomar said that former prime minister Manmohan Singh and former agriculture minister Sharad Pawar wanted to bring reforms but could not do so under pressure.
"Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar wanted to do it, they wanted to, but under pressure from some people they could not do it," he said.
The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 were passed by Parliament on Sunday. There was protest and ruckus by Opposition members in the Rajya Sabha during the passage of the bills.
A third bill related to agriculture, which amends the Essential Commodities Act, was also passed by Parliament during the monsoon session which concluded on Wednesday. The three bills seek to replace ordinances brought by the government earlier.
Tomar said Congress "is irrelevant now, it is trying to rejuvenate itself but the people have rejected them and they will reject it again on this issue".
The Opposition parties, including the Congress have been demanding that the government should roll back the farm reform bills.
10:10 Fashion designer at NCB office
Fashion Designer Simone Khambatta arrives at Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) office, for interrogation in connection with a drug case.
10:06 MP's 'mask-less' minister apologises
After coming in for criticism over his remarks that he doesn't wear face masks in public, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra on Thursday expressed regret regarding his comments and assured that he will follow health norms in future.
"My statement over wearing a mask appears to be a violation of the law. It wasn't in line with the sentiments of the Prime Minister. I accept my mistake and express regret and will wear a mask. I also appeal to everyone to wear masks and observe social distancing," Mishra tweeted on Thursday.
On Wednesday while speaking to the media, the Minister had said that he never wore a mask for public programmes.
"I don't wear a mask for any programme. What is wrong with that?" he said. When asked why he didn't wear a mask, the Minister said, "I simply don't wear it."
Reacting to Mishra's comments, the MP Congress had tweeted, "The Madhya Pradesh's Home Minister said, "I don't wear a mask". Modiji, can the public also just make and break rules according to their wishes amid the pandemic?"
09:37 India's COVID-19 tally crosses 57-lakh mark
India's coronavirus case tally crosses 57-lakh mark with a spike of 86,508 new cases on Thursday, the Union health ministry data showed.
Meanwhile, the death toll rises to 91,149 with 1,129 deaths in last 24 hours.
Currently, the total COVID-19 cases stands at 57,32,519 including 9,66,382 active cases.
Total 46,74,988 patients have been recovered from the disease.
09:21 Modi to hold virtual talks with Rajapaksa
Ahead of his virtual talks with Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said he looked forward to jointly reviewing their bilateral relations comprehensively, and that the two countries must explore ways to further enhance their cooperation in the post-COVID era.
Modi was responding to Rajapaksa's tweet, "Looking forward to interacting with PM @narendramodi at the virtual summit scheduled for 26th September. We expect to review the multifaceted bilateral relationship between our nations, ranging from politics, economics, defense, tourism and other areas of mutual interest."
Modi said, "Thank you, @PresRajapaksa! I too look forward to jointly reviewing our bilateral relationship comprehensively. We must explore ways to further enhance our cooperation in the post-COVID era." -- PTI
09:01 Modi factor driving Indian Americans towards Trump: Survey
Indian Americans, particularly in the battleground states, are coming out in support of President Donald Trump in large numbers due to a combination of 12 factors, prominent among which is his friendship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to an internal research survey.
Trump showing respect to Indian Americans, treating India and Modi on an equal footing have made him popular, says the survey, which is now shaping the campaign's outreach towards the community in the last 40 days.
According to the survey carried out by Al Mason, co-chair of the Trump Victory Indian American Finance Committee, and his team, the Trump administration, unlike the president's predecessors and the current challenger, staying away from the internal affairs of India, in particular on issues like Kashmir, the president's visible role in elevating India's stature on the world stage are some of the other key factors.
"It is mostly about the Trump-Modi factor," the survey said, adding that Indian Americans increasingly believe that the teamwork of Trump and Modi over the next four years will successfully checkmate China at the world stage.
Other factors such as Trump's strong stand against China, him being a man of peace rather than throwing the country into war, America's economic revival to the pre-COVID-19 era and his competent handling of the pandemic are driving Indian Americans towards Trump, the survey said.
"Trump has elevated India's stature on the world stage. Of course, due credit also goes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his skilled policy towards the US. The India-US relationship has been rock solid. Kudos to the brilliance of both Trump and Modi for cementing the bond between India and US," says the survey.
"His family echoes the same sentiments," it said.
"Every Indian American in the US has a family member back home like old parents, brother, sister, friend, business. They want India to be respected and protected from China, which is what Trump can provide. They fear that without Trump, China would start a war with India," notes the memo, which is playing a key role in the campaign, devising its outreach strategy towards the Indian American community.
In many must-win battleground states, Indian Americans comprise a substantial and potentially decisive share of the electorate: 190,000 potential voters in Florida, 120,000 in Michigan, 170,000 in Pennsylvania, 150,000 in Georgia, 110,000 in North Carolina, 165,000 in Virginia, and nearly 470,000 in Texas.
The survey results of Mason and his team show that as many as 50 per cent of the potential Indian American voters, the vast majority of whom have traditionally voted Democratic in the presidential elections, will defect from the Democratic Party and vote for Trump.
"This mass defection could add tens of thousands of new Trump voters in key battleground states and could very well end up helping to secure the president's re-election," said the survey.
"Biden, Harris, Democrats and Trump haters fear Mason as he is the one who has orchestrated the mass exodus of Indian Americans in the battleground states towards Trump by his research, views and messaging," said venture capitalist Sridhar Chityala, who is also a member of the Indian Voices for Trump. -- PTI
08:41 Huge fire at ONGC's Surat plant after 3 blasts
A major fire broke out at the Hazira Gas processing plant of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation plant in Surat in the early hours of Thursday.
According to Surat Collector Dhaval Patel, three consecutive blasts at around 3 am at the plant sparked the fire.
"Around 3:05 am last night, three consecutive blasts took place at the ONGC Hazira plant which led to the fire. Seven fire tenders and several firefighters immediately reached the spot to provide relief. No casualties have been reported so far," Patel told ANI.
He further said that the depressurisation of the pressurized gas system was underway.
"We are relieved that the fire was contained inside the premises of the plant and did not escalate to an off-site emergency. The cause of the blasts is not yet known," he added. -- ANI
08:15 Bhiwandi building collapse: Toll rises to 41
The death toll in the Bhiwandi building collapse has risen to 41, the National Disaster Relief Force said on Wednesday.
A total of 25 people have been rescued so far, the NRDF added.
The three-storey building collapsed around 3:40 am on Monday in the Patel compound area in the Thane district of Maharashtra.
Soon after the incident, the NDRF, fire brigade, and police teams had reached the spot and carried out rescue operations. -- ANI
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