LIVE! Under BJP, country's assets not safe: Cong on NMP

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Mon, 23 August 2021

Under BJP, country's assets not safe: Cong on NMP

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23:21 Under BJP, country's assets not safe: Cong on NMP

The Congress on Monday accused the Bharatiya Janat Party of selling the country's assets after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled an ambitious Rs 6 lakh crore National Monetisation Pipeline.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala alleged that under the BJP, the country's assets will not be saved.

"Sale of country's properties worth Rs 6 lakh crore -- roads, rail, mines, telecom, power, gas, airports, ports, sports stadium...Modi ji will sell everything from the earth to the sky. If there is BJP, then the assets of the country will not be saved," Surjewala said in a tweet in Hindi, using the hashtag "#StopSellingIndia".

Finance Minister Sitharaman unveiled the National Monetisation Pipeline that included unlocking value by involving private companies across infrastructure sectors -- from passenger trains and railway stations to airports, roads and stadiums.

As many as 25 Airports Authority of India (AAI) airports, including ones at Chennai, Bhopal, Varanasi and Vadodara, as well as 40 railway stations, 15 railway stadiums and an unidentified number of railway colonies have been identified for getting private investments.

Stating that there is no transfer of ownership or land, she said, "The NMP talks about brownfield infra assets where investments have already been made, where there is a completed asset which is either languishing or which is remaining not fully monetised or which is remaining underutilised."

"So by bringing in private participation into this, you are going to be able to monetise it better, and with whatever resources you obtain through the monetisation, you will be able to put in further investment into infrastructure," she said.

The total indicative value of NMP for core assets of the central government has been estimated at Rs 6 lakh crore over the four-year period FY22 to FY25. -- PTI

23:05 Vijayakanth to fly abroad for medical check-up

DMDK founder Vijayakanth on Monday said he will fly abroad for medical treatment soon and urged his fans to not converge here on his birthday on August 25, citing the COVID-19 pandemic.

The actor-turned-politician had earlier also travelled to the US for medical treatment.

In a statement, he said he has been celebrating his birthday as "Poverty Eradication Day" for long and urged his supporters to distribute welfare assistance to mark his birthday.

While the coronavirus cases in the state were on the decline, mass gatherings could lead to a spurt and therefore his supporters should not converge here on Wednesday, he said.

"Further, I am going to travel abroad soon for medical check-up," the 68 year-old leader added. -- PTI

China on Monday hinted at stepping up financial assistance to the Taliban controlled Afghanistan, saying it will play a "positive role" in helping the war-ravaged country amid global pushback to stop funding to Kabul until the Afghan militant group modified its hardline religious policies.

In his media briefing on Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin hit out at the US saying it is "main perpetrator" for the Afghan crisis and Washington cannot leave without doing anything for Afghanistan's reconstruction.

Asked for his reaction to comments by Afghanistan's exiled central bank chief stating that the Taliban may go to China and Pakistan to replace the US for financial assistance, Wang said, "I want to stress that the US is the main perpetrator and biggest external factor for the Afghan issue. It cannot leave the mess without doing anything."

"We hope the US will match its words with deeds and shoulder its responsibility to honour its own commitments in humanitarian assistance and reconstruction," he said.

Despite the chaotic end to its presence in Afghanistan, the US still has control over billions of dollars belonging to the Afghan central bank, money that Washington is making sure remains out of the reach of the Taliban, the New York Times reported last week.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York held about USD seven billion of Afghanistan's central bank's USD nine billion in foreign reserves and the Biden administration has already moved to block access to that money.

The Taliban's access to the other money could also be restricted by the long reach of American sanctions and influence.

The International Monetary Fund said earlier that it would block Afghanistan's access to about USD 460 million in emergency reserves. The decision followed pressure from the Biden administration to ensure that the reserves did not reach the Taliban, the NYT report said.

Money from an agreement reached in November among more than 60 countries to provide USD 12 billion to Afghanistan over the next four years is also in doubt, it said.

Earlier, Germany said it would not provide grants to Afghanistan if the Taliban took over and introduced Sariah law and the EU said no payments were going to Afghanistan until officials "clarify the situation."

Wang said, "China always adopts a friendly policy towards entire Afghan people" and provided substantial assistance to socio- economic development to Afghanistan.

"We hope there will be an early end to the chaos and wars in the country, it can resume financial order at an early date. China will also play a positive role in helping the country in self capacity building, peace, reconstruction and improvement of peoples' livelihoods, he said.

About Taliban's statement that it will soon announce a political framework for Afghanistan, Wang said, "we noted these report".

Seven members of two Dalit families were thrashed by local residents on suspicion of practising "black magic" in a village in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra, leaving them seriously injured, police said on Monday.

Some of the victims were tied to wooden poles and assaulted, they said.

The incident took place in village Wani under Jiwti tehsil over the weekend and 13 persons have been arrested so far, they said.

Atul Kulkarni, Additional SP of Chandrapur, said on Saturday night, seven members of two families were summoned to the village square by local residents who accused them of practising "black magic and possessing spirits".

As the seven Dalit community members, some of them senior citizens, reached the village chowk, people started throwing mud on them, he said.

Later, the crowd tied three of them, including two women, to wooden poles and thrashed them with sticks and also punched them, the police officer said.

The villagers then turned to four other members of the families and assaulted them too, he said.

Some villagers kicked the women victims and also punched on their faces, Kulkarni said.

On getting information about the incident, police personnel reached the village in the night and moved the victims, who had sustained serious injures, to Chandrapur Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) for treatment, they said.

On Sunday, a heavy posse of policemen was deployed in the village to avoid any untoward incident and maintain law and order.

Inspector Santosh Ambike said police have arrested 13 persons in connection with the incident and charged them under an an anti-superstition act.

Meanwhile, Chandrapur MP Suresh alias Balu Dhanorkar on Monday visited GMCH and interacted with the victims and enquired about their well-being from the hospital authorities.

The Congress leader strongly condemned the attack and demanded strict action against the accused.

Dhanorkar said Maharashtra is a progressive state and appealed to people not to fall prey to superstitions. -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday and discussed the unfolding security situation in Afghanistan and its implications on the region and the world, as the leaders emphasised the importance of maintaining peace and security.

The Prime Minister's Office said in a statement that the two leaders held that the most urgent priority is the repatriation of stranded people.

They also discussed bilateral issues, including cooperation in COVID-19 vaccines, development cooperation with a focus on climate and energy, and fostering trade and economic relations.

Modi tweeted, "Spoke to Chancellor Merkel this evening and discussed bilateral, multilateral and regional issues, including recent developments in Afghanistan. Reiterated our commitment to strengthening the India-Germany Strategic Partnership."

The PMO statement said, "The leaders discussed the unfolding security situation in Afghanistan and its implications on the region and the world. They emphasised the importance of maintaining peace and security, with the most urgent priority being the repatriation of stranded people."

The two leaders also exchanged views on issues of multilateral interest such as the forthcoming COP-26 meeting and the Indian initiative to promote a dialogue on maritime security at the United Nations Security Council, the statement said.

They emphasised the commonality of perspectives between both sides on promoting inclusive cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. -- PTI

Ahead of an emergency G7 meeting on Afghanistan, the Taliban on Monday warned that there will be "consequences" if the United States and United Kingdom sought an extension to the August 31 deadline for the US-led troop withdrawal from the war-torn country.

Speaking to Sky News in Doha, Qatar, Taliban spokesperson Dr Suhail Shaheen stated that the month-end deadline was a "red line", as any extension would imply an extended occupation of the country.

He said the timeline had been laid out by US President Joe Biden and threatened "consequences" if the US and UK sought an extension to that deadline.

"It's a red line. President Biden announced that on 31 August they would withdraw all their military forces. So if they extend it that means they are extending occupation while there is no need for that," Shaheen said.

"If the US or UK were to seek additional time to continue evacuations -- the answer is no. Or there would be consequences. It will create mistrust between us. If they are intent on continuing the occupation it will provoke a reaction," he said.

On the agenda for the world leaders is expected to be a push for the US to seek an extension of the August 31 deadline, as time is running out for the evacuation of foreign nationals from the Taliban controlled region.

On the issue of desperate scenes at Kabul airport as people risk their lives to flee the country for fear of Taliban reprisals, the spokesperson termed it as economic migration.

"I assure you it is not about being worried or scared. They want to reside in Western countries and that is a kind of economic migration because Afghanistan is a poor country and 70 per cent of the people of Afghanistan live under the line of poverty so everyone wants to resettle in Western countries to have a prosperous life. It is not about [being] scared," claimed Shaheen.

And, on reports of door to door knocks to seek out former government workers, he added: "All fake news. I can assure you there are many reports by our opponents claiming what is not based on realities." -- PTI

A man was arrested for allegedly throwing a petrol-filled bottle over the boundary wall of the Mumbai Airport in Santacruz East area, police said on Monday.

An official said the accused, identified as Ganesh Palekar (29), threw the bottle from Ganodevi slums along the airport wall after his motorcycle broke down nearby.

"He removed petrol from his two-wheeler into a small bottle and threw it into the airside area of the airport. It landed on a road inside the airport boundary, around a kilometre away from the runway. The bottle was spotted by a CISF personnel on Wednesday," the Vakola police station official said.

Palekar, who claimed he had done it as mischief, was arrested on Sunday under section 336 (endangering life or personal safety of others) of the IPC and was later released on bail, he informed. -- PTI

The famed Jagannath temple in Odisha's Puri reopened for the public on Monday morning after remaining off the bounds for four months due to the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said.

People from different parts of the country were seen queueing up to have 'darshan' of the sibling deities -- Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Jagannath at the 12th-century shrine, which was shut since April 24.

The devotees were allowed to enter the temple from 7 am to 7 pm.

The temple will remain closed for the public on the weekends to sanitise the premises, as per a notification by the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration.

Devotees coming from outside Puri are needed to produce complete vaccination certificates or COVID-negative reports obtained through RT-PCR test conducted within 96 hours.

The shrine will remain closed on all major festivals, incuding Janmastami, to avoid gathering, officials said.

The annual Ratha Jatra was also held this year in absence of devotees.

The devotees are allowed entry into the temple after thermal screening, and wearing masks and maintaining social distance are mandatory, officials said.

Devotees are also not allowed to touch statues and idols inside the temple, and prohibited from having 'prasad' inside the premises, they said.

The devotees are required to produce government-issued identity cards such as Aadhaar to enter the temple.

The devotees are allowed entry through the 'Singhadwar' (Lion's Gate) and exit through the 'Uttaradwar' (North Gate).

The local police made special arrangements for crowd management as the temple reopened after four months. -- PTI

The government has called an all-party meeting on Thursday on the developments in Afghanistan.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will brief the floor leaders of political parties on the present situation in Afghanistan in the in-person meeting.

The government's briefing is expected to focus on its evacuation mission from Afghanistan as well as its assessment of the situation in the war-torn country in the wake of the Taliban seizing control of almost all key Afghan towns and cities, including Kabul.

"Floor Leaders of Political Parties would be briefed by EAM @DrSJaishankar on the present situation in Afghanistan, on 26th August, 11 am in Main Committee Room, PHA, New Delhi. Invites are being sent through email. All concerned are requested to attend," Joshi tweeted.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that representatives of her party, the Trinamool Congress, will attend the meeting.

"We will definitely be attending Thursday's all-party meeting on Afghanistan," the TMC supremo told reporters at the state secretariat in Kolkata.

Earlier, Jaishankar said Prime Minister Narendra Modi instructed the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)) to brief the floor leaders of the political parties.

The Taliban swept across Afghanistan this month following the withdrawal of the US forces from the country. -- PTI

Infosys team reaches finance ministry

19:06 Infy team gives FM road map for fixing IT portal

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday raised concerns over the continuing glitches in the nation's new electronic tax filing portal with the chief executive of Infosys Ltd, which had developed the website.

Sitharaman met Salil Parekh, CEO of Infosys, at her office in New Delhi and sought to know the reasons for not resolving the snags in the portal even after two-and-a-half-months since its launch, official sources said.

Parekh and his team are believed to have given a road map for fixing the problems.

On Sunday, the income tax department in a Twitter post said Parekh has been summoned by the minister to explain the problems.

The portal, which went live on June 7, was not accessible on August 21 and 22 till late evening. It came back after what the tech major described was an "emergency maintenance".

This is the second time that Sitharaman has met the Infosys team over the issue. She had on June 22 met Parekh and COO Pravin Rao.

Infosys was awarded the contract in 2019 to develop the new portal. The project was aimed at developing the next-generation income tax filing system to reduce processing time for returns from 63 days to one day and also expedite refunds.

The new income tax e-filing portal 'www.incometax.gov.in', however, faced tech glitches from day one with users complaining that certain functionalities were either unavailable or working slow.

Consequently, the I-T department had to allow the manual filing of remittance forms and also extend due dates for electronic filing of forms related to intimation by pension funds and sovereign wealth funds.

"Ministry of Finance has summoned Sh Salil Parekh, MD &CEO @Infosys on 23/08/2021 to explain to hon'ble FM as to why even after 2.5 months since the launch of new e-filing portal, glitches in the portal have not been resolved. In fact, since 21/08/2021 the portal itself is not available," the I-T department had tweeted on Sunday.

Infosys India Business Unit in a late evening tweet on Sunday said, "The emergency maintenance of the @IncomeTaxIndia portal has concluded and the portal is live. We regret any inconvenience caused to taxpayers."

18:53 Taliban warns US over missing pullout deadline

Ahead of an emergency G7 meeting on Afghanistan, the Taliban on Monday warned that there will be "consequences" if the US and UK sought an extension to the August 31 deadline for the US-led troop withdrawal from the war-torn country.

Speaking to 'Sky News' in Doha, Qatar, Taliban spokesperson Dr Suhail Shaheen stated that the month-end deadline was a "red line", as any extension would imply an extended occupation of the country.

He said the timeline had been laid out by US President Joe Biden and threatened "consequences" if the US and UK sought an extension to that deadline.

The warning came as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson convened an emergency G7 meeting on Tuesday in his role as current Chair of the Group of Seven countries -- Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States and the UK. On the agenda for the world leaders is expected to be a push for the US to seek an extension of the August 31 deadline, as time is running out for the evacuation of foreign nationals from the Taliban controlled region

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on Friday approved Zydus Cadila's DNA vaccine for emergency use in adults and children aged 12 years and above.

It is considered a timely move amid warnings of an upcoming third wave in the country.

Recently, a committee of experts under the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) warned of the third COVID-19 wave that could peak around October and sought better preparedness for children.

Dr Renu Swarup, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, while speaking exclusively to ANI on vaccines for children in India and use of Zydus Cadila's ZyCoV-D for above 12 years adolescents, said, "So far the vaccines which were in the market were those which were for above 18 years. This is the DNA vaccine that has just received emergency use authorization is for 12 to 18 years and above. For the younger children, maybe 5 to 12 years, and even below there are different stages of the research which is still going on, and mostly all the vaccine manufacturers on different platforms are doing their trials."

Dr Swarup added, "We know that Bharat biotech has already got permission for the trial of a vaccine which is again for younger children five years and above. Similarly, the biological E is still in their phase three trials. Currently, it's now doing its phase 2, phase 3 for which it got approval for the trials on children." -- ANI

Over 55,000 Indian students and exchange visitors are travelling to study in the US this year and it is "an all-time record", the US embassy said on Monday. It said more visa applications were approved in the current year than ever before notwithstanding the coronavirus pandemic.

"The US mission in India is pleased to announce that its embassy and consulates approved more student visa applicants in 2021 than ever before, despite the global Covid-19 pandemic," the embassy said.

"Through these efforts, more than 55,000 students and exchange visitors are boarding planes to study in the US, and more students are being approved every day," it said in a statement. In a tweet, the embassy described it as an all-time record.

"Huge congratulations to our hardworking consular teams across the U.S. Mission in India. This year, more than 55K students are boarding planes to study in the United States, an all-time record in India. Wishing all students a successful academic year!" it said. -- PTI

The government on Monday announced a Rs 6 lakh crore National Monetisation Plan for monetising infrastructure assets across sectors from rail to road to power. NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said projects have been identified to monetise assets over the next four years. PTI

17:30 Mapped: Telecom sector in India

How rural and urban India compare in telephone connections till June 2020.

17:27 Top gainers at the Sensex today

HCL Tech gains 4.10 percentage points.

17:26 Say no to dahi handi, Uddhav tells organisers

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday told organisers of the upcoming Dahi Handi festival that the state should set an example by setting aside celebration of festivals for some time to banish the coronavirus completely.

Speaking at a virtual meeting of the organisers, the CM said the health of citizens should be given priority during a pandemic. Dahi Handi festival, which is celebrated to mark the birth of Lord Krishna, involves communities hanging an earthen pot filled with dahi (yogurt) or other milk-based delicacies, at a convenient or difficult to reach height. Young men, boys and girls form teams, make a human pyramid and attempt to reach or break the pot. The festival enjoys a political patronisation in Maharashtra with various parties organising Dahi Handis and announcing a reward for Govindas, who break the pots.

A statement from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said Dahi Handi organisers responded positively to Thackeray's appeal and spoke about holding social and health-related activities to mark the birth of Lord Krishna.

The BJP, however, demanded Dahi Handi festival be allowed to be organised under certain conditions traditionally. "Those who have taken both doses of COVID-19 vaccines must be allowed to organise the traditional Dahi Handi at low heights without crowding. The festival should not be banned," BJP MLA Ashish Shelar said.

Speaking at the meeting, Thackeray said the COVID-19 pandemic has forced various restrictions on the daily life of people. "These restrictions are for the welfare of people. Only a few people speak of protesting against these curbs. They should rather protest against coronavirus and not against the government," he said.

The chief minister said the entire world is reeling under the pandemic which has destroyed many families and orphaned children. "Countries which have vaccinated most of their citizens are feeling the heat of a third wave of the pandemic and are locked down again," he said. Thackeray said the second wave of the pandemic is receding in some districts in Maharashtra but it is peaking in some other places.

"This is a window period which we have to utilize to ensure that the livelihood of people is not impacted and the economic cycle continued," he said.

In a shocking incident, a 12-year-old girl, raped by two minor boys in her village school, has delivered a baby in a Jodhpur hospital, an official said on Monday.

The girl delivered the baby on Sunday night after she was admitted to the hospital by her parents, Rajasthan's Child Welfare Committee President Dhanpat Gurjar said, adding both the girl and her baby are fine. The girl's parents had first taken her to a hospital near their village in Balesar subdivision following the complaint of acute stomach pain by their daughter, he said. After coming to know of the pregnancy at the hospital, the girl's parents wanted the doctors to abort the fetus there, but the local hospital found the case too complicated and referred the matter to the Jodhpur hospital and also informed the police.

At the Jodhpur hospital, the girl told police and doctors that she had been raped by two boys in her school, said the CWC chief.

Though the police remained tightlipped on the case, the department sources said the two boys, named by the girl, are being interrogated by them. After coming to know of the case, CWC members met the girl and her parents on Monday and assured them of all possible help in the matter.

The Tokyo Paralympics opening ceremony will feature the flag of Afghanistan as a "sign of solidarity", International Paralympic Committee chief Andrew Parsons said on Monday even as the country's athletes were forced out of the Games after Taliban's takeover there.

Afghan athletes were forced to withdraw from the Games as all flights out of capital Kabul got cancelled after the Taliban seized control of the strife-torn nation. Parsons said at a press conference that a representative of the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees will carry the flag into the National Stadium during the opening ceremony on Tuesday.

"We will include the Afghanistan flag in the ceremony in a sign of solidarity and we have invited the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees representative here to act as the flagbearer," said Parsons.

Para-taekwando player Zakia Khudadadi, who became the first female para-athlete to be selected for Afghanistan, was set to compete along with team-mate Hossain Rasouli. Parsons added, "It is an act of solidarity. We decided this yesterday in the Board meeting.

"It is important to highlight that as it is a message of solidarity and peace that we send to the world. "We would like to have them here, unfortunately it is not possible, but they will be here in spirit."

The Taliban took over the country's political reins following the withdrawal of American troops and the collapse of the elected government. Afghanistan's only athlete at the Games will be Abbas Karimi, one of the flagbearers for the Refugee Paralympic Team, having fled his home nation in 2013. Karimi was born in Afghanistan, but at age 16 he left the country without his family to escape the conflict and pursue his dream of becoming an elite athlete.

A swimmer, Karimi was born without arms and began taking to the pool at age 13, having previously been involved in kickboxing. He first fled to Iran, and then paid smugglers to take him across the border into Turkey.

He spent four years there without documentation, and it was during this period that he was contacted by Mike Ives, a former wrestling coach who had started helping refugee athletes. Ives told Karimi he would support him if he wanted to move to the United States but the process was complicated as he did not have valid documentation. Karimi finally settled in Portland in 2016.

16:33 Umar Khalid calls Delhi riots case 'cooked up'

Former JNU student leader Umar Khalid, arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the north-east Delhi riots conspiracy case, told a Delhi Court on Monday that there were various contradictions in the police's claims and called it a "cooked up" case.

Khalid, along with several others, has been booked under the stringent anti-terror law UAPA. They are accused of being the "masterminds" of the February 2020 violence, which had left 53 people dead and over 700 injured. He has sought bail in the case.

Trideep Pais, Khalid's lawyer, told Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat that the FIR was cooked up and unnecessary, and was used selectively to target and frame them.

The counsel pointed to two contradictions in Delhi Police's claims. Firstly, he showed the court a 21-minute video clip of Khalid's speech in Maharashtra, which the prosecution had allegedly labelled inflammatory. The lawyer, pursuant to showing the video, apprised the court that his client did not give any call for violence through the speech and in fact gave a message of unity to the people.

"A message of unity based on Gandhi ji was given by Umar Khalid that day. It was termed as terror. Content is not seditious. He is talking about democratic power. He referred to Gandhi," Pais added.

"Secondly, he argued that as per the police case, Khalid conspired with other accused on January 8 to cause riots during former US President Donald Trump's visit, however, the news about his visit was announced only in February. These are the kind of lies they are peddling. This is a joke. This FIR is a cooked-up theory. Is it that easy to prosecute people? Do you have no responsibility as a prosecution?" Pais said.

Delhi Police had recently said that the bail plea has no merit and that it will demonstrate the prima facie case against him before the court by referring to the charge sheet filed in the case. -- PTI

Equity benchmark Sensex ended 226 points higher on Monday following gains in index heavyweights TCS, HCL Tech and Reliance Industries amid a positive trend in global markets.

After rallying over 450 points during the day, the 30-share index pared some gains to end 226.47 points or 0.41 per cent higher at 55,555.79. Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty advanced 45.95 points or 0.28 per cent to 16,496.45.

HCL Tech was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rising over 4 per cent, followed by TCS, Bajaj Finserv, Nestle India, Bharti Airtel, Bajaj Finance and Tech Mahindra. On the other hand, M&M, Bajaj Auto, UltraTech Cement and PowerGrid were among the laggards. -- PTI

Indians who were repatriated home from Kabul

15:51 2 passengers evacuated from Kabul test Covid +ve

Two persons out of the 146 passengers who landed in Delhi from Afghanistan on Monday were found positive for COVID-19.

Speaking to ANI, Rajendra Kumar, Sub Divisional Magistrate said, "Two people coming from Afghanistan have been found COVID positive. They have been sent to LNJP Hospital."

The second batch of 146 Indian nationals who were evacuated from Afghanistan via Doha arrived in the national capital on Monday on various flights.

India on Sunday brought back nearly 400 people including 329 of its nationals in three different flights.

Up till now, around 400 individuals from Kabul have been evacuated that covered Indian citizens as well as Afghan nationals including Sikhs and Hindus of Afghanistan.

Earlier on Saturday, government sources told ANI that India has been allowed to operate two flights per day from Kabul to evacuate its nationals stranded in Afghanistan.

Permission has been granted by the American and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces, which have been controlling operations of the Hamid Karzai International Airport after the Afghan capital was taken over by the Taliban on August 15.

Hundreds of Indian nationals have to be taken out of Kabul, which is now under the Taliban's control. India is airlifting its citizens through Dushanbe in Tajikistan and Qatar. The Indian Air Force has already evacuated around 180 passengers including its Ambassador to Afghanistan and all other diplomats. -- ANI

15:21 Taliban extend amnesty to ex-Afghan prez, VP

Taliban have extended amnesty to ousted Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Afghan former Vice President Amrullah Saleh, senior Taliban leader Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani said.

Speaking to Geo News on Sunday, Haqqani, a and Haqqani Network leader who has been put in charge of Kabul security, said: "We forgive Ashraf Ghani, Amrullah Saleh, and (Afghan Presidential Security Adviser) Hamdullah Mohib. We forgive everyone, starting from a general who fought against us to a common person." Haqqani added the group forgave "everyone from our end; from the general to the common man" and they can return to the country, Sputnik reported.

The enmity between the Taliban and the three officials was only on the basis of religion and "driven by the ambition to change the system," he said, noting that "the system has now changed." -- ANI

The Gujarat High Court on Monday held as maintainable a batch of petitions challenging the provisions of Gujarat Prohibition Act, 1949 which bans the manufacture, sale and consumption of liquor in the state.

A division bench of Chief Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Biren Vaishnav said the court holds the petitions as maintainable and be heard and decided on merits, and kept them for final hearing on October 12. The HC, thereby, rejected preliminary objections raised by the state government regarding the maintainability of the petitions.

Advocate General Kamal Trivedi hinted before the HC that the government may decide to approach the Supreme Court against the order.

The government had maintained that it is not permissible for a court to examine the validity of any law or any new law or additional grounds when it has been upheld by the apex court in the past. The Supreme Court had upheld the Act in its judgment in 1951.

After their remarks sparked a controversy, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief (PPCC) Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday summoned his advisors Malwinder Singh Mali and Dr Pyare Lal Garg to his residence here to discuss the matter.

The two were summoned by the PPCC chief in wake of their remarks supporting Pakistan and controversial statement regarding Kashmir. Garg had questioned Punjab Chief Minister Amrinder Singh's criticism of Pakistan while Mali gave a controversial remark on Kashmir. Mali also posted an objectionable poster of late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on social media.

The two advisors were slammed by many Congress leaders including Punjab CM Amrinder Singh who stated that their comments were "totally misplaced and antagonistic" to the stated position of India and the Congress on Pakistan and Kashmir.

Earlier in the day, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Daljit Singh Cheema also took a dig at Sidhu by stating that the PPCC chief was himself friendly to Pakistan Prime Minister and Army Chief, so his advisors were just following suit. -- PTI

2nd batch of 146 Indians were evacuated yesterday

14:28 PM asks MEA to brief parties on Afghanistan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has instructed the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to brief the floor leaders of political parties in view of recent developments in Afghanistan, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said.

"In view of developments in Afghanistan, PM @narendramodi has instructed that MEA brief Floor Leaders of political parties. Minister of Parliamentary Affairs @JoshiPralhad will be intimating further details," tweeted Jaishankar. This comes at a time when the Indian government is evacuating its citizens from the war-ravaged country in wake of the fall of Kabul to the Taliban.

On August 17, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) and instructed all concerned officials to undertake all necessary measures to ensure the safe evacuation of Indian nationals from Afghanistan in the coming days.

Meanwhile, the MEA has said the government is committed to the safe return of all Indian nationals from Afghanistan. The MEA said that the main challenge for travel to and from Afghanistan is the operational status of the Kabul airport.

India on Sunday brought back nearly 400 people on three different flights. Another group of 87 Indians and two Nepalese nationals were brought back in a special Air India flight from Dushanbe, a day after they were evacuated to the Tajikistan capital in an IAF aircraft.

Separately, 135 Indians evacuated from Kabul to Doha in the last few days by the US and NATO aircraft were flown back to Delhi on a special flight.

On August 15, the Taliban entered the presidential palace in the Afghan capital on Sunday and declared its victory over the government after months of violence in Afghanistan. -- ANI

14:16 Mapped: Covid figures in India

3,16,80,626 were infected by the Covid-19 virus but recovered.

14:13 What Amartya Sen said on reopening schools

There is no instant answer to the debate over the opening of school campuses amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen said. Speaking in an online discussion organised by Pratichi on Sunday, Sen said that children are suffering a lot as schools are closed but also concerns over their health cannot be ignored if campuses reopen.

"In America, there is an ongoing debate between two groups on the same issue. In India, there are different opinions. But, what may be applicable in the east of Birbhum may not work in the west of Bankura. There cannot be a readymade reply, an instant reply at hand, the situation is not so," Sen said.

On the evaluation model in the present scenario, the economist said acquiring and sharing knowledge is more important. "Even if we put emphasis on the evaluation we must remember it is the last thing. Acquiring and sharing knowledge comes first. There are reasons to believe that the issue should be seen from different sides and perspectives," he said.

"When we learn something for the first time, when we first comprehend the matter....is that linked with evaluation? We have to see. Evaluation will be certainly of use, but how much and in what way? We have to see if there is a link between evaluation and real education," Sen pointed out. -- PTI

Mizoram police will not initiate legal proceedings against their Assam counterparts in a case of alleged theft of construction material, a senior official said on Monday, a day after the things were handed back.

Kolasib district Superintendent of Police Vanlalfaka Ralte said the construction material meant for a bridge was handed over to the Mizoram police in Bairabi on Sunday around 6 pm.

Although the case cannot be withdrawn now, there will be no further legal proceedings or investigation against the accused, he told PTI.

In a fresh escalation of tensions between the two neighbouring states, the Mizoram government had accused Assam officials of stealing construction material from a bridge construction site in its territory and filed a case of theft after the Friday incident.

Kolasib deputy commissioner H Lalthlangliana had claimed on Sunday that Assam police personnel entered Zophai near Bairabi town and stole construction material.

The incident happened when work was underway to construct a bridge to connect the main road with the paddy field belonging to Mizoram's first chief minister Ch Chhunga, he said.

Mizoram's Zophai shares border with Assam's Kachurthal in Hailakandi district. Lalthlangliana had also written to his Hailakandi counterpart on Saturday, urging him to take necessary action.

In his letter, Lalthlangliana said the incident or bridge construction should not be linked to the boundary dispute between the two states as the work was undertaken just to connect an existing road within Mizoram's territory to the paddy field of the former chief minister.

Assam police had rejected the allegation of theft and claimed that Mizoram officials entered Assam and started constructing a bridge.

"The allegation of any theft by a disciplined force like Assam police is absolutely concocted, baseless, malafide and devoid of fact, and is an attempt by the Mizoram administration to divert the attention from main issue which is illegal construction by Mizoram authorities on Assam's soil," Hailakandi SP Gaurav Upadhyay had said on Sunday.

The officer in-charge (OC) of Ramnathpur police station, under which falls Kachurthar, and his patrolling team had immediately reached the site on Friday and stopped the construction work, calling it a 'trespass' by Mizoram.

Mizoram's three districts- Aizawl, Mamit and Kolasib share about 164.6 km interstate border with Assam's Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj.

The situation along the border has been tense since June 29 when both states accused each other of encroachment.

Tension snowballed into a full-blown armed conflict on July 26 when police personnel of the two states, backed by local residents, opened fire and clashed, leaving at least seven people from Assam dead.

The deceased included six Assam police personnel.

During a meeting on August 5 in Aizawl, representatives of the two state governments had agreed to maintain peace and amicably resolve the border dispute through dialogue.

However, simmering tension still prevails in the area following incidents of bombing of a school building and firing on civilians after the July 26 clash. -- PTI

13:31 Afghan refugees in India demand resettlement

Afghan refugees protest in front of the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Delhi. Their demands include refugee status/cards for all Afghans, resettlement option to a third country, and security from UNHCR and the Indian government. "There are more than 21,000 Afghan refugees in India. There is no reason to return to Afghanistan now," Ahmad Zhia Ghani, Head of the Afghan community in India.

Managing Director and CEO of Infosys, Salil Parekh, reaches Finance Ministry to meet Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. He has been called to explain to her, why even after 2.5 months since the launch of the new e-filing portal, glitches in the portal haven't been resolved.

"I have been reminding Infosys (the vendor which developed the new portal) constantly, and (Infosys head) Nandan Nilekani has been messaging me with assurances that next couple of days they will sort out majority of problems," she said last week.

To a large extent, the system is far better than what it was in June but still some issues are there, she said.

The Gauhati High Court granted bail to a student of the IIT-Guwahati, accused of raping a fellow student, calling both of them "the state's future assets".

Hearing a bail application by the accused BTech student, Justice Ajit Borthakur said there is a clear prima facie case as alleged against the petitioner based on all the evidence.

"However, as the investigation in the case is completed and both the informant/victim girl and the accused are the state's future assets being talented students pursuing technical courses at the IIT, Guwahati,... continuation of detention of the accused...if charges are framed, may not be necessary," the order said.

The court in its order on August 13 noted that both are young -- in the age group of 19 to 21 -- and further, they hailed from two different states.

"A perusal of the list of witnesses too, cited in the charge-sheet, this Court finds no possibility of the accused tampering with their evidence or influencing them directly or indirectly, if released on bail," it added. Accordingly, the high court granted bail to the accused for Rs 30,000 bond along with two sureties. -- ANI

12:41 Covid 3rd wave peak likely in October: Report

The National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), under the Ministry of Home Affairs, has warned of a third COVID-19 wave peak in October in its recent report to the Prime Minister's Office.

The NIDM's report quoted the Reuters' opinion survey of 40 experts that forecasted that the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to hit India between July 15 and October 13, 2021.

On whether the Delta-Plus Variant will be the driver of the third wave, NIDM said the Delta-Plus variant formed due to the mutation in the B.1.617.2 (Delta variant) that drove the fatal second surge in India. This new variant of concern is a sub-lineage of the Delta variant that has acquired a spike protein mutation 'K417N' which is alsofound in the Beta variant (first detected in South Africa).

"Though there is not enough evidence as of now to designate the Delta Plus variant as more dangerous than Delta, according to NCDC, as of August 2, 2021, this variant has been detected in 70 cases across 16 states from the 58,240 samples that have been sequenced so far in India," it said.

Emphasising the effect of the potential COVID third wave on children, the report said the Indian Academy of Paediatrics found that there is no biological evidence that the current and the new Delta Plus variant will affect children more than adults.

The report further said that Lancet COVID-19 Commission India Task Force concluded that there is no current evidence that an anticipated the third wave will target children specifically. -- ANI

A detention centre in Assam

12:35 Gauhati HC grants 45 days to finishGoalpara detention centre work

The Gauhati High Court gave 45 days to the Assam government to finish the construction of a detention centre, now renamed transit camp, in Goalpara district.

Hearing a writ petition filed by Santanu Borthakur and several other pleas, Justice Kalyan Rai Surana accepted the government's request to grant six weeks to complete the construction of the detention centre at Matia in Goalpara.

"...the Court is inclined to grant 45 days time as prayed to the State as to complete the construction of the proposed detention centre and to shift the detenues to the said centre," the court stated in its August 11 order.

The court was informed that at present there are around 177 detainees in various detention centers in the state and the majority of those have not been able to provide the necessary documents, which are needed for releasing them.

"...the State envisaged that the construction of detention centre at Matia, Goalpara would be completed by September, 2021," the court said. The advocate general submitted that although steps are being taken to complete the construction work within one month, he prayed for allowing six weeks time.

Three scenarios in Afghanistan are possible in the wake of the US military withdrawal: negotiated settlement, civil war, or Taliban takeover. In each, the Taliban is likely to emerge as the most influential party. How and how quickly it secures its position, as well as how much funding the United States and partner nations provide the Afghan government, will shape Afghanistan's future. So, too, will the extent of support the Taliban receives from external sources, principally Pakistan. Read more

11:54 46 Afghan Hindus, Sikhs evacuated from Kabul

Stranded Indian nationals and 46 Afghan Hindus and Sikhs, with 3 Sri Guru Granth Sahib, are currently inside Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul and are being escorted to the Indian Air Force aircraft on the ground.

A firefight broke out between unidentified gunmen, Western security forces and Afghan guards at the North Gate of Kabul airport on Monday, Germany's armed forces said, as thousands of Afghans and foreigners thronged the airport, seeking to flee Taliban rule.

11:45 15K Americans, 60K allies still in Afghanistan

The United States airlifted 1,700 people from the Kabul Airport in Afghanistan on Sunday, a White House official said. In addition to this, 39 coalition aircraft took off with approximately 3,400 passengers, the official further informed.

"From 3:00 AM EDT to 3:00 PM EDT, 8 U.S. military flights -- 7 C-17s and 1 C-130 -- evacuated approximately 1,700 passengers from Hamid Karzai International Airport. In addition, 39 coalition aircraft took off with approximately 3,400 passengers," the official said.

With this, the US, which has taken control of Kabul airport last week following the collapse of the Afghan government, has evacuated and facilitated the evacuation of approximately 30,300 people on military and coalition flights.

The official said that since the end of July, 'we have relocated approximately 35,500 people.

The US, which has stationed thousands of troops to secure the airport, has set a deadline to complete the evacuations by August 31. But there are up to 15,000 Americans and 50,000 to 60,000 Afghan allies who need to be evacuated, according to the Biden administration.

11:18 Indias Taliban stumper

There was a time when the Indian Parliament demanded from then External Affairs Minister IK Gujral that so long as a single Indian remained stranded on Kuwaiti soil in the downstream of the cataclysmic Gulf War of 1990, the embassy must remain open to arrange their repatriation.

I was deputed that same evening to rush to Kuwait to reopen the embassy. Which I did, reaching Riyadh, borrowing an SUV, forthwith crossing the no-man's land into Kuwait and driving through the burning oil fields, literally in darkness at noon '" just a week after war ended '" wading through columns of US military convoys to locate any Indian who might be trapped in refugee camps, to arrange their repatriation, writes MK Bhadrakumar. Read the column here.

A matter of shame for India that bonded labour exists in the 21st century and thrives.

The Palghar Police on Sunday arrested a man named Ramdas Korde for allegedly beating and threatening a tribal man who died by suicide.

According to sources, Kalu Pawar, a tribal man had borrowed Rs 500 from Korde to buy a shroud for the last rites of his son in November last year. Following this, Korde made Pawar work in his field for months in the name of repayment of the loan.

Sources said Korde used to harass and beat Pawar whenever he asked for the wages. In desperation, Pawar died by suicide earlier this month.

On the complaint of Pawar's wife, an FIR was registered at Mokhada police station against Korde under Section 374 (unlawful compulsory labour) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act. -- ANI

11:01 Salvaging Afghanistans free media story

Afghanistan has been a running media story for two decades now, more so than any other country in South Asia. Partly because the country has been continuously at war, at least in terms of occupation by foreign troops. But also because of the media agenda, which followed the invasion by the United States of America in 2001, writes Sevanti Ninan. Read the column here.

10:52 Nitish meets Modi on caste-based census

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar arrives at South Block to meet PM Narendra Modi over caste census. Nitish will lead a team of 11 political leaders from the state, including RJD's Tejashwi Yadav.

Apart from Tejashwi Yadav, former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and education minister Vijay Kumar Chowdhry will also accompany Nitish Kumar for the meeting with PM Modi.

"To hold a caste-based Census has been a long-standing demand of Bihar. In this regard, we are meeting the PM today," says HAM president and former Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi.

2. The issue of a caste-based Census has been a longstanding matter for the people of Bihar. The issue has once again started to heat up in Bihar after a statement by the Centre in Parliament last month that populations of only SCs and STs were proposed to be enumerated.

10:29 India logs 25,072 Covid cases in 24 hours

India reports 25,072 new Covd-19 cases, 44,157 recoveries and 389 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per the Health Ministry.

Total cases: 3,24,49,306

Total recoveries: 3,16,80,626

Active cases: 3,33,924

Death toll: 4,34,756

Total vaccinated: 58,25,49,595 (7,95,543 in last 24 hours)

The NIA in its draft charges submitted before a special court here in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case has claimed the accused persons wanted to establish their own government and "wage a war against the nation".

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) submitted the draft earlier this month and a copy of it was made available on Monday. The draft lays down 17 charges against 15 accused, including human rights and civil liberties activists, and they have been sought to be charged under various sections of the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The NIA has alleged that the accused persons were active members of the banned terror outfit CPI (Maoist).

The arrested accused in the case include activists Sudha Bharadwaj, Vernon Gonsalves, Varavara Rao, Hany Babu, Anand Teltumbde, Shoma Sen, Gautam Navlakha and others.

As per the draft charges, the main objective of the accused persons was to establish a "Jantana Sarkar (people's government) through revolution and armed struggle to seize power from the State". The draft also claimed that the accused attempted to "wage war against the Governments of India and Maharashtra".

Framing of charges is the first step before trial commences in the case where the prosecution describes the charges against the accused along with the evidence to be relied upon. After the framing of charges, the court will ask the accused whether they plead guilty or not in the case. The draft further claimed the accused had been playing provocative songs, enacting short plays and skits in Pune during the Elgar Parishad meeting and distributing Naxal literature.

"That the criminal conspiracy was an intention to bring about secession of a part of territory of India and incite individuals to bring about such a secession," it said. It further alleged that the accused had an intent to strike terror in the minds of people by using explosive substances.

Last week, the Singapore government presented its plan for relaxing safe distancing rules as well as gradually reopening the country to business travellers and tourists.

This is in line with its earlier stated strategy to treat COVID-19 as an endemic disease and slowly easing its population into safely living with the virus.

With a remarkably high rate of vaccination, Singapore is in the process of cautiously returning its residents lives to some form of normalcy.

As of August 21, 78 percent of Singapore residents have received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines and it projects that this number will reach 82 precent in two weeks.

Unlike most of its Asia-Pacific neighbours who are still embracing a "zero-COVID" strategy, Singapore which has no domestic market or natural resources sees this not only as a way to getting ahead of regional countries but also as a matter of survival.

At a virtual media conference last week, Singapore's Transport Minister S. Iswaran said that the border closures induced by the COVID-19 pandemic have exacted a heavy toll on the aviation sector and related industries, which employ more than 190,000 people.

He added that the longer Singapore remains closed, the greater the risk of lasting damage to its economy and its status as an aviation hub. At the same time, he assured residents that the Singapore government is reopening in a cautious manner as it wants to minimise the risk of imported cases as much as it can.

Equity benchmark Sensex rallied over 400 points in early trade on Monday, tracking gains in index majors Reliance Industries, Infosys and HDFC twins amid a positive trend in global equities.

The 30-share index was trading 411.04 points or 0.74 per cent higher at 55,740.36, while the broader NSE Nifty jumped 109.35 points or 0.66 per cent to 16,559.85. HCL Tech was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rising over 2 per cent, followed by Bajaj Finance, L&T, Tata Steel, Tech Mahindra, TCS and Reliance Industries. On the other hand, PowerGrid and HUL were the laggards. -- PTI

09:38 ISI helped in Taliban takeover: US lawmaker

Pakistan and its intelligence service have played a key role in fostering the Taliban and allowing it to eventually take over Afghanistan, a top Republican lawmaker has alleged, stating that it is disgusting to watch Islamabad celebrate the group's victory that will bring 'untold brutality' to Afghans.

Congressman Steve Chabot, co-chair of the India Caucus, said in his address to the virtual gala of Hindu Political Action Committee on Sunday that he applauds the Indian government for welcoming the Afghan religious minorities who have a good reason to fear persecution at the hands of the Taliban and their evil rule.

In contrast, we all know that Pakistan and particularly its intelligence services played a key role fostering the Taliban and allowing them to eventually take over.

It's just disgusting to watch Pakistani officials celebrate the victory of this group that will bring untold brutality to the Afghan people, Chabot said.

Pakistan's own persecution of religious minorities, however, gets a lot less attention here in America than it deserves. We would do well to educate our fellow citizens about these abuses. Persecution is particularly manifests in the heinous practice of the kidnapping, force conversion to Islam and forced marriage of underage Hindu girls to older Muslim men, he said.

Such allegations are not mere hearsay, he noted.

Major news organisations and human rights groups have documented the practice with so many heartbreaking stories of girls in their early teens taken from their families, and traffic into forced marriages.

These abuses are often just ignored, said the Congressman. In his address, Chabot said that with roughly 6 million Hindus in America, Hindus are unquestionably an integral part of society throughout the United States. Through strong work ethic and high educational attainment, Hindus exemplify the American dream.

These virtues also allow Hindus to take on key roles in communities across the country, and also give back to those communities in so many ways, he said.

That is why the reports of a rise in discrimination against Hindu Americans around the country are so concerning, he rued, adding that there is no place in America for such discrimination. We must all seek ways to bring it to an end, Chabot added. -- PTI

Representative image only

08:57 Over 260 Afghan Sikhs in Kabul Gurdwara need help in evacuation, says US Sikh body

Over 260 Sikhs have taken shelter at Gurdwara Karte Parwan in Kabul and need help in their evacuation, a United States Sikh body said Sunday.

'There are more than 260 Afghan citizens left at Gurudwara Karte Parwan in Kabul including women and over 50 children. This includes three newborns with one born yesterday,' United Sikhs said in a statement.

So far, only India has helped evacuation of Afghan Sikhs after the takeover of the country by the Taliban.

'We are in communication with governments in the United States, Canada, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, Tajikistan, Iran and the United Kingdom among others,' the United Sikhs said.

'We are also in communication with international aid agencies and non-governmental organisations trying to support rescue efforts in Afghanistan. In addition, our teams are communicating with companies that can execute rescue efforts on the ground in Afghanistan,' it said.

According to the United Sikhs, the 10-kilometer drive to the international airport in Kabul from Gurdwara Karte Parwan through various checkpoints is one of the biggest challenges in the rescue efforts.

Few Afghan minority members have unsuccessfully attempted to make this trip last week, it said.

'We are ready to go to the airport, but we fear the cancellation of evacuation flights from the Kabul airport. This is our only chance to take out the women, children, elderly, and infants from the country. Once current authorities capture the whole country it will be the end of our community,' said Surbeer Singh from Jalalabad who has taken refuge at the Gurdwara. -- PTI

The Taliban has said that hundreds of their fighters are heading for the Panjshir Valley, which is currently the center of the resistance in war-ravaged Afghanistan.

Hundreds of 'mujahideen' are heading towards the state of Panjshir to control the province, Sputnik reported citing a news agency.

The Taliban entered Kabul last week after a months-long offensive, prompting the civilian government to collapse.

After the fall of the Ashraf Ghani government, Panjshir remains the epicenter of the resistance led by Ahmad Massoud and Amrullah Saleh, the first vice president from Ghani's cabinet.

According to the Russian news agency, members of the Taliban are waiting for an order to attack the holdout Panjshir province northeast of the Afghan capital of Kabul.

Earlier on Sunday, the Taliban offered Ahmad Massoud, the leader of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, to surrender.

Meanwhile, Massoud said that they would not surrender and that the locals were ready to fight.

Massoud also said that he and his supporters wanted a peaceful solution and were ready to negotiate an inclusive government with the Taliban, but the group declined the offer.

"If the Taliban try to seize control of Panjshir valley, resistance fighters will be ready to resist, the son of Ahmad Shah Massoud, one of the main leaders of Afghanistan's anti-Soviet resistance in the 1980s," Ahmad Massoud told Al Arabiya.

He further added he wants to bring the conflict to an end.

Meanwhile, militants opposing the Taliban have evicted Taliban fighters from three districts in Afghanistan's northern Baghlan province, but the Taliban have recaptured one of them, a local television channel Tolo News reported on Sunday.

The anti-Taliban fighters seized Pul-e-Hisar, Deh Salah and Banu districts on Friday, but the Taliban recaptured Banu on Saturday, and fighting is underway to re-take two more districts, the local media outlet reported.

After gaining control of the capital Kabul on August 15, the Taliban captured the said districts and thus completed its rule over Baghlan province.

This is the first uprising against the Taliban since Kabul was captured by the group.

Taliban have already strengthened its rule over the country's 33 out of 34 provinces. -- ANI

IMAGE: Taliban fighters march in uniforms on the street in Qalat, Zabul Province, Afghanistan. Photograph: Reuters

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