LIVE! Owaisi's WB rally cancelled as cops 'deny' permission

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Wed, 24 February 2021

Owaisi's WB rally cancelled as cops 'deny' permission

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23:42 At UN, India slams Pak for misusing international platforms

India on Wednesday slammed Pakistan for misusing international platforms for "baseless and malicious propaganda" against it and said Islamabad would do well to put its own house in order, before venturing to point a finger at New Delhi.

Using its Right of Reply under the High-Level Segment of the 46th Session of the Human Rights Council in response to a statement by Pakistan's representative, India said it was not surprised that Islamabad's representative misused the UN forum yet again.

"Pakistan's continued misuse of various platforms to engage in baseless and malicious propaganda against India is not new," Second Secretary of India's Permanent Mission in Geneva, Seema Pujani, said.

She asserted that the entire Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are an "integral and inalienable part of India".

"The steps taken by the Government to ensure good governance and development in these Union Territories are our internal matters," Pujani said.

As a country with one of the world's worst human rights records, Pakistan would do well to put its own house in order, before venturing to point a finger at India, the diplomat said.

Highlighting the violence and institutionalised discrimination and persecution faced by Pakistan's minorities, including Christians, Sikhs and Hindus, she said that there have been frequent attacks on the places of worship of minority communities.

"The condition of women belonging to minority communities, notably Hindus, Sikhs and Christians, remains deplorable. An estimated 1,000 women from minority communities are subjected to abduction followed by forced conversion and forced marriage in Pakistan every year, according to a recent report published by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan," she said.

India also raised the issue of political repression in Balochistan, and other regions and enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions and torture in Pakistan.

"Several Baloch human rights defenders have even met tragic death under mysterious circumstances, while in exile. Pashtuns and Sindhis have continued to struggle against the systemic oppression and discrimination," the diplomat said.

Noting that Pakistan has been the home and patron to the largest number of internationally proscribed terrorist entities and individuals in the world, Pujani said the state-sponsored terrorism by Pakistan is a threat, not only to India but to other countries in the region and beyond.

The Indian diplomat also highlighted the recent acquittal of al-Qaeda terrorist and murderer of the American journalist Daniel Pearl, Omar Saeed Sheikh, by Pakistan's Supreme Court and said it is "a clear example of the Pakistan establishment's nexus with such entities." -- PTI

The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered to healthcare and frontline workers has crossed 1.23 crore in the country, the health ministry said on Wednesday.

A total of 1,23,66,633 vaccine doses have been administered through 2,63,224 sessions till 6 pm on Wednesday, according to a provisional report.

These include 65,24,726 healthcare workers (HCWs) who have taken the first dose, 14,81,754 HCWs who have taken the second dose and 43,60,153 frontline workers (FLWs) who have taken the first dose.

While the countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16, the inoculation of FLWs started from February 2.

"Total 2,01,035 vaccine doses were given till 6 pm on Wednesday, the 40th day of nationwide COVID-19 vaccination.

"Out of which, 1,17,681 beneficiaries were vaccinated for 1st dose and 83,354 HCWs received 2nd dose of vaccine as per the provisional report," the ministry said, adding that the final report for the day would be compiled by late night.

It said 8,868 sessions were held till 6 pm on Wednesday.

Seven adverse events following immunisation (AEFIs) related to the first dose of the vaccine and three cases of AEFI related to the second dose were reported till 6 pm on the 40th day of the vaccination drive, the ministry said.

The total number of 1,23,66,633 beneficiaries who have been inoculated includes 5,93,909 from Bihar, 4,89,495 from Kerala, 7,55,159 from Karnataka, 6,90,740 from Madhya Pradesh, 10,58,136 from Maharashtra, 3,62,190 from Delhi, 9,10,064 from Gujarat, 12,26,775 from Uttar Pradesh and 8,35,026 from West Bengal, according to the provisional report. -- PTI

Bharatiya Kisan Union president Naresh Tikait on Wednesday called Defence Minister Rajnath Singh a "caged parrot" and said the farmers' issues could be resolved if he is given the freedom to talk with them.

He accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government of being "stubborn" over the three new laws, which farmer unions want repealed. The protesting farmers too are not ready to go back on their demands, he said.

"The government has made Defence Minister Rajnath Singh a caged parrot ('pinjre ka tota'). If he is given the freedom to talk to farmers, I can guarantee that there would be a decision and the BJP's prestige will also remain intact," he said.

He said farmers respect the Defence Minister, but he is not given a chance by the government to deal with the farmers' issue.

Tikait addressed a farmers' "mahapanchyat" here and also spoke to reporters, claiming that the Centre was not paying heed to the farmers protesting against the laws.

"The government is stubborn and is not ready to hear out farmers. It should change its attitude," the BKU leader said.

"If the PM is not ready to repeal the laws, we are also not going to backtrack. The farmers are ruined and not getting the right price for their produce. The rise in prices of power, petrol and diesel has affected them also," he said.

"If this government continues for long, farmers will have to abandon agriculture," added.

The BKU leader said the way to Uttar Pradesh's Purvanchal is through Barabanki and if farmers here are made aware of the impact of the new laws, they will be able to tell farmers in that region about it.

"This government is defaming farmers, labelling them as terrorists and Khalistanis and we will not remain silent on this," he said.

Tikait indicated that he had no quarrel with Union Minister Sanjeev Balyan, whose supporters and those of the Rashtriya Lok Dal clashed recently over the farmers' protests.

He indirectly referred to the riots in western Uttar Pradesh in 2013, over which Balyan too had faced charges.

"Earlier Hindus and Muslims lived in amity. But from 2013, BJP spread misconceptions among them and divided society. But now people have understood their tricks, the BKU leader said.

Thousands of farmers have been camping at the border of Delhi since November-end, demanding the repeal of the new agri-marketing laws. They claim that the laws will weaken the minimum support price system, an argument that the government rejects.

The Congress' position has and will always be to respect electors and their freedom of choice irrespective of their location, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal said on Wednesday, even as he refused to comment specifically on Rahul Gandhi's 'North-South' remarks.

Sibal also slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party for accusing Congress of creating a divide, saying it was not only ludicrous and laughable but mischievous as well for a party to level such an allegation that has "perfected the art of dividing communities, dividing mindsets and polarizing societies".

His remarks came amid a political slugfest over Gandhi's comment, with the BJP leaders accusing the former Congress chief of belittling North Indians and of speaking in different tones in different parts of the country.

Asked about Gandhi's remarks, Sibal told PTI, "I do not know the substance of the comment nor do I know the context of the comment. So I do not wish to comment on Rahul Gandhi's statement at all."

"All that I need to say is as a Congressman, I respect every elector in this country, no matter where he or she is located. I respect his or her freedom of choice and wisdom when he or she exercises the right to vote," he said.

Sibal said he does not think any Congress person would ever believe that an elector in this country does not deserve respect.

"That always has been the position of the Congress party and will continue to be the position of the Congress party," asserted Sibal, who is among the 'group of 23' leaders who wrote to Sonia Gandhi seeking large-scale party reforms.

Sibal further said the BJP is a "political party that has perfected the art of dividing communities, dividing mindsets and polarizing societies".

They should not be heard to make that charge against the Congress party, he said.

That charge is not only ludicrous and laughable but mischievous as well, the former Union minister added.

Earlier, another G-23 leader Anand Sharma also reportedly said only Rahul Gandhi can clarify in what context he made that observation and asserted that the Congress has never disrespected any region.

Reports also said G-23 members Ghulam Nabi Azad, Bhupinder Hooda and Sharma met at Azad's house.

While this particular meeting could not be confirmed immediately, party sources said such courtesy meetings among leaders are routine. -- PTI

21:01 Maharashtra reports over 8,000 new Covid cases

The rise in COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra continued unabated on Wednesday with the state reporting 8,807 new infections, taking its total count to 21,21,119, the health department said.

With 80 new fatalities being reported during the day, the state's death toll rose to 51,937, it added.

The increase in cases was steep considering that on Tuesday, the state had reported 6,218 new COVID-19 cases.

Of 80 deaths, 27 took place in the past 48 hours, while 22 were from the last week. The remaining 31 deaths were from the period before that, officials said.

As many as 2,772 patients were discharged from hospitals on Wednesday, taking the total of recoveries to 20,08,623. -- PTI

Rescuers have recovered 70 bodies and 29 body parts so far in search operations following the February 7 glacial disaster in Chamoli, the district police said on Wednesday.

Missing reports of 205 people have been registered at the Joshimath police station, it said in a media bulletin.

"So far, 70 bodies and 29 human body parts have been recovered from different places in the avalanche-hit areas, out of which 40 bodies and one human body part have been identified," the police said.

DNA samples of bodies and 28 body parts have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory, Dehradun for matching, it said.

The Uttarakhand government has issued a notification authorising officials to declare "presumed dead" 136 people who are missing after the flash flood.

The devastating flash flood demolished a 13.2 MW hydel project along the river besides causing extensive damage to the NTPC's Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project along Dhauliganga. About 35 people were feared trapped inside a tunnel in Tapovan.

Uttarakhand Health Secretary Amit Singh Negi said on Tuesday that the presumption of death can be made by officials in the affected district only in case of missing people who in all likelihood have died in the disaster but their bodies have not been found.

Normally the missing are declared dead only when they are not traced for seven years after the incident responsible for their disappearance but in case of an extraordinary occurrence like the one witnessed in Uttarakhand special provisions can be made, he said.

The move to declare those who continue to be missing in the flash flood as presumed dead has been initiated to expedite the process of distribution of compensation among the affected families, he said. -- PTI

Amid a surge in coronavirus cases, the Maharashtra government on Wednesday instructed all district collectors and municipal commissioners to increase testing, a senior minister said after a cabinet meeting in Mumbai.

The COVID-19 situation in the state was reviewed during the meeting, said Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik.

"An instruction was given to increase the number of tests," he told reporters.

On average, over 60,000 coronavirus tests are being conducted in the state over the last two weeks.

Officials were also asked to carry out contact tracing of coronavirus patients more vigorously, Malik further said.

The cabinet also discussed other measures for the prevention of the spread of the virus and the ongoing vaccination drive, sources said.

Maharashtra has witnessed an upward trend in COVID-19 cases since February 10, with daily figures crossing 6,000. -- PTI

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Wednesday that Kashmir is the only dispute with India and it can only be resolved through dialogue.

Addressing the Sri Lanka-Pakistan Trade and Investment Conference which he co-chaired with his counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa in Colombo, Khan said that he offered India an opportunity to hold peace talks on being elected as prime minister in 2018 but nothing came to pass.

"Our only dispute is Kashmir and it can only be resolved through dialogue," he said.

Earlier this month, India said it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan in an environment free of terror, hostility and violence.

"Immediately when I came into power, I approached our neighbour India and explained to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the way forward for the subcontinent is to resolve our differences through dialogue," Khan said.

"I didn't succeed but I am optimistic that eventually sense will prevail. The only way the subcontinent can tackle poverty is by improving trade relations," he added.

India has said that the onus is on Pakistan to create an environment free of terror and hostility.

"Our position is well-known. India desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan in an environment free of terror, hostility and violence," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said. "The onus is on Pakistan for creating such an environment."

Ties between India and Pakistan nosedived after a terror attack on the Pathankot Air Force base in 2016 by terror groups based in the neighbouring country. Subsequent attacks, including one on Indian Army camp in Uri, further deteriorated the relationship.

The relationship dipped further after India's war planes pounded a Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist training camp deep inside Pakistan on February 26, 2019 in response to the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed.

The relations deteriorated after India in August 2019 announced withdrawing special powers of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcation of the state into two union territories.

Khan, who is the first head of state to visit Sri Lanka since the COVID-19 pandemic, said political stability in the region - by maintaining good relations with neighbouring countries - ensured a business-friendly environment that resulted in the people's overall development. -- PTI

The disengagement of armies of India and China from north and south banks of Pangong Tso is a "very good end result" and a win-win situation for both the sides, Army Chief Gen M M Naravane said on Wednesday, stressing that there are strategies in place to address other pending issues in eastern Ladakh.

He said there were no signs of an "overt collusion" between China and Pakistan during the Ladakh standoff but India also caters to a long term strategy for not a two, but a two-and-half front war. With the half front, he was referring to the internal security.

He said right from the beginning of the standoff, all sides on the Indian side worked together.

Be it at the political level, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to their Chinese counterparts, he said.

"We were all in it together. We had our plan chalked out which we had discussed on what should be the way forward. Whatever has panned out, has happened as a result of that. What we have achieved so far is very good," Naravane said at a webinar organised by Vivekanada International Foundation.

The advice which was given by National Security Adviser also came in extremely handy and his insight into strategic level affairs definitely helped us chalking out the response, the Army chief said.

"As a result of this whole approach, this disengagement has taken place. I think it is a very good end result. It is a win-win situation. For any agreement to last, both sides should feel that they have achieved something. I think a good outcome that has resulted out of the 10 rounds of talks which have taken place so far," he said.

Last week, armies of the two countries concluded withdrawal of troops and weapons from north and south banks of Pangong Tso in the high-altitude region.

Naravane said there are some issues which remain in the area of Depsang, in the area of eastern Ladakh and in other areas along northern border.

"...But we have our strategies in place for that. Do we have anything to negotiate in future? Yes, definitely we have. But I would not, of course, for obvious reasons, what those strategies would be to further and progress our negotiations and come out with a favourable outcome." -- PTI

After a gap of more than a month, Mumbai's slum colony of Dharavi reported a double-digit count of COVID-19 cases at 10 on Wednesday, the city civic body said.

A senior Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation official said the slum-dominated area, spread over 2.5 sq km, recorded 10 new cases in the last 24 hours, taking the tally to 4,041.

On Janaury 17, ten new COVID-19 cases were found in Dharavi and since then daily infection counts have been in single digits and even zero.

In the first week of February, single-day COVID-19 cases in Dharavi were in the range of 0 to five.

On February 2, the congested slum pocket, once a COVID-19 hotspot, did not report any new case. However, from the second week of this month, cases are gradually rising.

So far, 3,690 patients have recovered from the infection and discharged from hospitals, the official said.

At present, the area has 33 active cases, he said.

The first coronavirus case in Dharavi, which has a population of over 6.5 lakh, was reported on April 1 last year. -- PTI

18:59 Cricketer Manoj Tiwary joins TMC

India cricketer Manoj Tiwary on Wednesday joined Trinamool Congress in the presence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

After joining the party, Tiwary said Mamata Banerjee is trying to unite people together.

"The BJP is playing divisive policy and Mamata Banerjee is trying to unite people together. When I play cricket, I play for the country, not on the basis of religion," he said.

Also, Tiwary took to Twitter to share a link to his political profile on Instagram. "A new journey begins from today. Need all your love & support. From now onwards this will be my political profile on Instagram," he tweeted.

The bio of this Instagram profile reads: "Politician | AITMC | Proud Indian | Joy Bangla!"

Tiwary has represented India in 12 ODIs, amassing 287 runs which includes a century and a half-century. In the shortest format of the game, Tiwary played three games for India and scored 15 runs. -- ANI

18:56 Govt has no business to be in business: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the government has no business to be in business and his administration is committed to privatising all PSUs barring the bare minimum in four strategic sectors.

"It is government's duty to support enterprises and businesses. But it is not essential that it should own and run enterprises," he said.

Modi also said the Centre's policy is to either monetise or modernise public sector enterprises, with the intent that the government has "no business to be in business".

Speaking at a webinar on privatisation by the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management, Modi said the Budget has given a clear roadmap to take India to a high growth trajectory.

Fiscal support to sick PSUs puts burden on the economy and public sector units should not be run just because of legacy, the Prime Minister said, adding many PSUs are loss-making and supported by taxpayers' money.

The government has many underutilised and untilised assets and 100 assets would be monetised to garner Rs 2.5 lakh crore, Modi added. -- PTI

It was no doubt a proud day for Home Minister Amit Shah, when the worlds largest cricket stadium at Motera was named after his mentor and boss, Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

No wonder, then, that the home minister stayed back after the stadium's inauguration to catch the third Test match between India and England.

In the company of his elder grand daughter Rudri, who will turn 4 in April.

Amit Shah's son Jay and daughter in law Rishita became proud parents a second time last May.

Rudri has made an appearance at Amit Shahs political rallies, but the magic of watching a Test match in the worlds largest cricket stadium is something else altogether, we are sure!

18:02 Top winners and losers in the Sensex pack

Equity benchmark Sensex soared 1,030.28 points and the Nifty rallied over 270 points on Wednesday, tracking strong buying in financial stocks, after trading hours were extended following a technical glitch at NSE.

After resumption of trade at 3.45 pm, NSE Nifty zoomed 274.20 points or 1.86 per cent to end at 14,982. Similarly, the 30-share BSE index settled 1,030.28 points or 2.07 per cent higher at 50,781.69.

Axis Bank was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, surging around 5 per cent, followed by HDFC twins, ICICI Bank, Bajaj Finance and SBI.

On the other hand, PowerGrid, Dr Reddy's, TCS and Asian Paints were among the laggards.

inutes before the scheduled closure of trade at 3.30 pm, leading bourses BSE and NSE said their equity and derivatives markets will remain open till 5 pm.

BJP leader Rakesh Singh, who was arrested by the police on Tuesday night, has been sent to police custody by the Alipore court in Kolkata till March 1, in connection with a narcotics case involving BJP's youth leader Pamela Goswami.

Rakesh Singh was arrested from Galsi in Purba Bardhaman district, about 130 km from Kolkata, on Tuesday night. His two sons were arrested by the narcotics section of the Kolkata police on charges of obstructing and stopping its personnel from entering the residence of the BJP state committee member in the port area of the city, he said.

Singh was arrested at a naka point on the national highway at Galsi by the district police after being alerted by the Kolkata police.

Aiming at inoculating people of West Bengal for COVID-19 free of cost before the upcoming assembly election, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to help the state in procuring vaccines.

A rapid vaccination programme is needed immediately for the interests of health and well-being of all concerned, Banerjee said in a letter to Modi.

"We would request you to kindly take up the matter with appropriate authority, so that state government is able to purchase the vaccines from designated point(s) on top priority basis, because the West Bengal government wants to provide vaccination free of cost to all the people," the letter read.

Election to the 294-member West Bengal assembly is due in April-May.

Till Tuesday, at least 8 lakh health workers and frontline workers have been vaccinated in the state. -- PTI

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposal to impose President's Rule in Puducherry, days after a Congress-led government in the union territory lost power during a vote of confidence.

Announcing the Cabinet decision, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters that the decision was taken as no party claimed to form a government in Puducherry following the resignation of the chief minister there.

Subsequently, the Lieutenant Governor had recommended President's Rule in Puducherry and the Union Cabinet has approved the same, the minister said.

After the President's assent, the assembly will get dissolved, Javadekar said, while adding that further necessary steps for administrative work in Puducherry would be taken soon.

He also noted that the model code of conduct was expected to come into effect soon after the Election Commission announces the dates for elections there, along with four states. -- PTI

The government is ready to resume talks with protesting farmers if they respond to its offer to put the three contentious farm laws on hold for one-and-a-half year and work out the difference during that time through a joint committee, Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar said Wednesday.

The government and unions representing farmers, who have been camping at Delhi's border for about three months in protest against the three laws that they see will end state procurement of crops at MSP, have held 11 rounds of talks, the last being on January 22.

Talks broke after widespread violence during a tractor rally by protesting farmers on January 26.

Speaking on the sidelines of an event in Delhi, Tomar said the government is committed towards the interest of farmers and agriculture, and under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it is making efforts to double farmers' income and strengthen the Indian agriculture sector.

The minister was replying to a query on Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait threatening to march to the Parliament on 40 lakh tractors if laws are not repealed.

Whether the government is making any effort to resume talks with unions, Tomar said, "Bharat sarkar kisano se puri samvedana ke saath charcha karti rahi hai. Aaj bhi jab unka koi mat aayega, toh Bharat sarkar hamesha kisano ke saath charcha karne ko taiyaar hai (The government has been holding discussions with farmers sympathetically. Even today, whenever their response comes, the government is always ready to hold talks)."

Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh, is protesting at Delhi borders for around three months, seeking repeal of three new laws and a legal guarantee of the MSP.

In the 11th round of talks held on January 22, the government's negotiations with 41 farmer groups hit a roadblock as the unions squarely rejected the Centre's proposal to put three contentious laws on hold and form joint committee to find solutions. -- PTI

16:38 BSE's equity markets to remain open till 5 pm

Leading bourse BSE said its equity and equity derivatives markets will remain open till 5 pm on Wednesday.

The move comes amid the National Stock Exchange (NSE) suffering an outage due to technical glitches.

"BSE equity and equity derivatives markets will remain open till 5 pm today as decided jointly between exchanges today. All other markets timings will remain as normal," BSE said in a statement.

Considering the recent rise in COVID-19 cases, the civic body in Maharashtra's Nagpur city on Wednesday directed that restaurants, hotels and eateries will remain closed on weekends till further orders, an official said.

This comes after the district administration on Monday ordered the shutting of schools and colleges till March 7.

In a revised order, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has informed that restaurants, hotels and eateries along with shops will remain closed on weekends till further orders, the official said.

However, kitchens of hotels, restaurants and eateries can continue to function for online food delivery, he said.

The order further stated that swimming pools and libraries will also remain closed till March 7, the official said.

Following a review meeting, Nagpur Guardian Minister Nitin Raut had informed that the administration has decided to close schools, colleges and coaching classes till March 7.

All major markets in the district will also remain shut on weekends, it was stated.

Nagpur has recorded 1,44,534 COVID-19 cases, including 4,291 casualties and 1,33,775 recoveries.

As on Tuesday, the district had 6,468 active cases. -- PTI

From March 1, people above 60 years of age and those above 45 years of age with comorbidities will be vaccinated at 10,000 government and over 20,000 private vaccination centres, Union minister Prakash Javadekar announced after a meeting of the Union Cabinet on Wednesday.

The vaccine will be given free of cost at government centres, Javadekar added.

Mohan Delkar

15:22 Dead MP left behind 15-page suicide note: Mumbai police

The Mumbai police have said that member of Parliament Mohan Delkar's suicide note was written on his official letterpad and was 15 pages long.

The police will be recording the statements of his family members in the coming days, they said.

The body of 58-year-old Delkar was found in a hotel in South Mumbai and has been sent for a postmortem. He is survived by his wife and two children.

The seven-time MP was born in December 1962 in Silvassa in Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

15:07 Modi biggest dangabaaz in country: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a rally in Hooghly, calling him 'biggest dangabaaz (rioter) in the country'.

"You (Modi) say that Trinamool Congress is 'Tolabaaj', but I say you are 'dangabaaz and dhandabaaz'," Banerjee said.

She said that the Bharatiya Janata Party will not be able to 'score a single goal' in Bengal, apparently suggesting that the saffron camp will draw a blank in the upcoming elections.

"I will be the goalkeeper in assembly polls and BJP will not be able to score a single goal," she said.

Reiterating her 'outsider' remark for Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, she said, "Bengal will rule Bengal. Gujarat will not rule Bengal. Modi will not rule Bengal. 'Gundas' (goons) will not rule Bengal."

Banerjee said that 'worse fate' than former United States President Donald Trump awaits Modi.

She also said that CBI interrogation of TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee's wife is an 'insult to our women'. -- PTI/ANI

An 81-year-old retired Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer allegedly shot himself dead with a pistol at his house in south Delhi's Defence Colony area on Wednesday morning, the police said.

The deceased, Ranjeet Sethi, left a suicide note stating that he does not want to live any longer, they said.

The police were informed around 7.25 am that a man had shot himself in his house in Defence Colony.

Sethi's domestic help made a PCR call stating that he was alive and needed an ambulance.

On reaching the spot, the police found that Sethi had allegedly shot himself in his room. He was immediately moved to Moolchand Hospital for treatment, but later succumbed, said Atul Kumar Thakur, deputy commissioner of police (South).

During inquiry, it was revealed that Sethi was discharged from BL Kapoor Hospital on Tuesday following some illness, he said.

A suicide note has been found and further investigation is underway, the police said.

Sethi is survived by his wife and two children, they said, adding that the police are ascertaining if the pistol used by him was a licensed weapon.

Premium denim brand Levi's on Wednesday said it has roped in Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone as its new global brand ambassador.

"With the keen objective to attract new generations of women consumers with a relevant fashion-forward offering in line with the brand DNA of quality and comfort; Levi's is taking the next step in its journey.

"Levi's is proud to announce a strategic partnership with internationally acclaimed actor and global fashion and youth icon, Deepika Padukone," Levi's said in a statement.

As per Levi's, the move to rope in Padukone highlights the brand's increasing focus on the women's category.

Sanjeev Mohanty, managing director- South Asia & MENA - Levi's, said Deepika's personality shines through a balance of being bold, authentic, true and uncompromising that perfectly fits with our brand values.

"With her on-board, we are confident of strengthening the brand further especially when we are strongly focusing on leading the women's category," he said.

Padukone will be seen spearheading the new campaign focused on an all-new range of fashion fits from Levi's.

14:11 Union minister Shripad Naik discharged

Union AYUSH Minister Shripad Naik was on Wednesday discharged from Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), after undergoing treatment for over a month for injuries he sustained in a car accident.

Naik was admitted to the GMCH on January 12 after he met with an accident, in which his wife and an aide were killed.

The minister is fit for discharge and can continue taking treatment from home, GMCH dean Dr Shivanand Bandekar.

Speaking to PTI, Naik said he plans to attend the upcoming session of the Parliament if doctors advise it.

"I will attend the session of the Parliament depending on doctors' advice," he said, adding that he had watched the last session on television from his hospital bed.

Despite being hospitalised, the minister said he has been working and has signed papers, which will be tabled on the floor of the House. -- PTI

The West Bengal CID has detained a Bangladeshi national in connection with the blast in Murshidabad's Nimtita Railway Station in which state minister Jakir Hossain and over 20 others were injured, an official said on Wednesday.

Hossain, Trinamool Congress MLA and the minister of state for labour, was waiting at platform number 2 to catch a train to Kolkata around 10 pm on February 17 when the blast occurred, seriously injuring him and the others.

"We have detained one person and investigation is underway," a senior CID official said.

Hossain and the other injured persons are undergoing treatment at a state-run hospital in Kolkata.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a public meeting organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party in Puducherry on Thursday and also inaugurate and lay foundation stone of various development projects for the poll-bound union territory.

Puducherry BJP chief Swaminathan told PTI that after landing at the helipad at 10.30 am, Modi would drive to JIPMER to unveil the centrally sponsored projects.

He will then proceed to the venue of public meeting.

This will be Modi's second visit to the union territory during last 3 years as he had earlier visited the Auroville International project in neighbouring Villupuram district close to Puducherry in 2018 and had also addressed then a public meeting.

The PM's trip comes amid a totally changed political environment in Puducherry as V Narayanasamy who headed the Congress ministry in Puducherry since 2016 had resigned along with its entire cabinet on February 22.

His resignation forwarded to the Centre has since been accepted by President Ram Nath Kovind.

With none of the parties in the opposition block comprising the All India NR Congress, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Bharatiya Janata Party evincing interest to stake claim to form the ministry, there are indications that Puducherry is headed for President's rule.

The opposition has 14 members (AINRC seven, AIADMK four and three nominated members belonging to the BJP). -- PTI

Rahul Gandhi with MK Stalin

13:13 Chandy, Surjewala to thrash out seat-sharing with DMK

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has appointed Oommen Chandy and Randeep Surjewala to negotiate seat-sharing with the DMK in Tamil Nadu for the forthcoming assembly elections.

The two leaders will be reaching Chennai today and hold talks with the DMK leadership tomorrow morning.

Prior to that, the two leaders will meet party leaders in Chennai, ANI reports quoting sources.

Representational image

13:02 4 terrorists killed in encounter in Anantnag, J-K

As many as four unidentified terrorists have been killed in an ongoing encounter in Anantnag, said Jammu and Kashmir police on Wednesday.

Earlier, a source in the CRPF had said that two to three terrorists are believed to be trapped at the site of the encounter in Anantnag.

On February 19, two policemen were killed in a terrorist attack in Srinagar's Baghat area of Barzulla.

In another encounter on the same day, three terror associates affiliated were also killed in the Budgam area of the Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir.

One police personnel of Jammu and Kashmir lost his life and another was injured in another encounter that broke out between the security forces and terrorists in Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir on February 19.

-- ANI

12:38 Tech glitch halts trading on NSE

Trading on NSE halted till further notice due to technical glitch.

All the segments have been closed at 11.40 am and will be restored as soon as the issue is resolved, says NSE India.

Photograph: Kind courtesy @NBirenSingh/Twitter

12:31 Manipur CM felicitates Army Captain for Galwan bravery

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh has felicitated Indian Army Captain Soiba Maningba Rangnamei for his bravery during the clash with the Chinese People's Liberation Army in Eastern Ladakh's Galwan Valley last year.

The CM felicitated Capt Rangnamei of 16 Bihar Regiment at his official residence in Imphal on Tuesday and said 'the state as a whole honours your courage which you have shown against the enemy'.

'It's an honour to meet Capt Soiba Maningba Rangnamei from Senapati, Manipur of 16 Bihar, leading his men in Galwan during the confrontation against the Chinese PLA. We are always indebted to soldiers like him who is leading in the front for the safety and security of the Nation,' the chief minister tweeted.

Singh said the state always encourage youths to join the armed forces.

Rangnamei, a native of Senapati district was commissioned in the Indian Army in 2018.

Capt Rangnamei was seen raining blows on a Chinese soldier in a video of last year's Galwan incident, recently released by the Chinese media. -- PTI

12:24 Decision today on emergency use for Sputnik

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation's (CDSCO) Subject Expert Committee (SEC) is meeting on Wednesday afternoon to discuss Dr Reddy's Laboratories application seeking emergency use approval (EUA) for SputnikV, a Russian Vaccine.

"Today, SEC meeting is scheduled to be conducted at 12 noon to discuss the application of Dr Reddy seeking emergency use approval for Sputnik V vaccine," a government official confirmed ANI.

On February 19, Dr Reddy's Laboratories announced that it has initiated the process with the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of the well-studied human adenoviral vector-based platform vaccine candidate, Sputnik V.

Last year in September, Dr Reddy's partnered with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) to conduct the clinical trials of the Sputnik V and for its distribution rights in India. The vaccine is currently undergoing the phase 3 clinical trial in India.

According to Dr Reddy's, Sputnik V has demonstrated an efficacy rate of 91.6 per cent in the interim analysis of phase 3 clinical trial, which included data on 19,866 volunteers in Russia, who received both the first and second doses of the vaccine.

Sputnik V maintained a consistent efficacy at 91.8 per cent even among the group of 2,144 volunteers over 60 years old.

Sputnik V is being developed by Russia's Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology to fight against Covid-19 based on the human adenoviral vector platform.

A court in New Delhi on Wednesday sought response from the Delhi Police on the anticipatory bail application of Shantanu Muluk, who along with Disha Ravi is accused of sharing a "toolkit" on social media related to the farmers' protest.

Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana, who granted bail to Ravi on Wednesday, posted Muluk's bail application for arguments on Friday.

Muluk had got transit bail from the Bombay high court on February 16 for a period of 10 days.

During the brief hearing held through video-conferencing on Wednesday, the court also noted that Muluk has been granted protection from arrest till February 26.

The matter was adjourned after the public prosecutor said that the investigating officer of the case was not present today and "it would be better if the matter is heard in physical presence."

Muluk, along with Ravi and another co accused Nikita Jacob, was booked for alleged sedition and other charges. Ravi was arrested by a cyber cell team of the Delhi police from Bengaluru and brought to Delhi.

Muluk and Jacob are currently on transit bail, while Ravi was granted bail on Tuesday after nine-day custody.

If convicted of sedition, the accused may get a maximum jail term for life.

Critically-acclaimed filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali's next Gangubai Kathiawadi, featuring Alia Bhatt in the lead, will open in the theatres countrywide on July 30.

The film has been adapted from one of the chapters of noted author Hussain Zaidi's book Mafia Queens of Mumbai.

On Wednesday, the official Twitter handle of Bhansali Productions shared a new poster of the film (see alongside), featuring Bhatt dressed in a sari, sporting a prominent red bindi, nose ring and a braid.

"Fiery and feisty, she's ready to reign! Celebrating the man, his vision and 10th directorial, #GangubaiKathiawadi. Teaser out today. In cinemas on July 30, 2021," the tweet read.

The announcement marks the 57th birthday of Bhansali, known for movies such as Khamoshi: The Musical, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Black, Bajirao Mastani and Padmaavat.

Gangubai Kathiawadi features Bhatt as Gangubai, one of the most powerful, loved and respected madams from Mumbai's Kamathipura during the 1960s.

The drama was earlier scheduled to arrive in theatres on September 11 in 2020 but was delayed to the coronavirus pandemic.

Bhansali is co-producing the film with producer Jayantilal Gada's Pen India Limited.

A social worker in Bihar filed a case against 14 people including Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in a Muzaffarpur Court for discrepancies in the voters' list for the Panchayat election in Chaki Sohagpur.

Speaking to ANI, Jaychandra Prasad Sahni, a lawyer at Muzaffarpur Civil Court said, the court will hear the matter on March 4.

"A social work named Chandan Kumar Sahani filed a complaint against 14 people including Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Muzaffarpur District Magistrate for forcefully listing the names of people from another panchayat as voters in Chaki Sohagpur," said the lawyer. -- ANI

In the wake of curbs imposed by the Maharashtra government in Amravati, Yavatmal and some other places due to spike in daily COVID-19 cases, working hours of all subordinate courts in five districts will be restricted till further notice.

As per a notice issued by the Bombay high court's registrar on Tuesday, the Administrative Judge's Committee has decided that from Wednesday, the judicial working hours in Amravati, Yavatmal, Buldhana, Akola and Washim districts will be restricted to five hours a day.

The courts in these districts will function in two shifts of two-and-a-half hours each -- from 10.30 am to1 pm and 1.30 pm to 4 pm.

Only those lawyers who have a case listed on a given day, parties appearing in person, accused persons, and witnesses summoned by court will be permitted inside the court premises, the notice said.

Lawyers and parties will be granted entry inside the court room only during their turn for hearing, it said.

The notice also directed all court staffers and parties to maintain safety norms and follow the state and Union government's standard operating procedures on COVID-19.

This arrangement will continue until further orders, the notice said.

On Tuesday, Maharashtra reported 6,218 new COVID-19 cases, taking the tally to 21,12,312.

The Akola division in Vidarbha reported the highest number of cases in the state at 1,392, as per official data.

The Akola division, which consists of Amravati, Yavatmal, Buldhana, Washim and Akola districts, has emerged as the new COVID-19 epicentre in the state. -- PTI

IMAGE: Police personnel deployed as curfew has been imposed in Akot city as part of measures to contain rising COVID-19 cases, in Akola District on Tuesday. Photograph: ANI Photo

10:07 Union Cabinet to meet virtually today

A meeting of the Union Cabinet is scheduled to be held this morning via video-conferencing. The virtual meeting will reportedly start at 10:30 am.

The agenda of the meeting is yet to be known.

In the last meeting held on February 17, the cabinet approved enhanced delegation of financial powers to the tune of up to Rs 200 crore under capital procurement to levels below vice-chief of Armed Forces.

The Cabinet is scheduled to meet ahead of the Election commission of India's meeting today to finalise the upcoming assembly elections in five states.

Photograph: Francis Mascarenhas/Reuters

09:51 India reports 13,742 new Covid cases, 104 deaths

India reports 13,742 new COVID-19 cases, 14,037 discharges, and 104 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per Union health ministry.

Total cases: 1,10,30,176

Total discharges: 1,07,26,702

Death toll: 1,56,567

Active cases: 1,46,907

Total Vaccination: 1,21,65,598

Travellers from Maharashtra, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab will need a negative coronavirus test report to enter Delhi from February 26 till March 15.

More details awaited. -- ANI

Myanmar's military junta must relinquish power and restore the democratically-elected government, the United States has said, asserting that it stands with the people and supports their aspirations in reinstating a civilian-led government in the country.

Myanmar's military early this month toppled the government and seized power for one year, detaining top political figures, including de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint in the bloodless coup.

"Our message to the junta has not changed. They must relinquish power, they must restore the democratically elected government, and our message to the people of Burma has not changed," State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters on Tuesday.

Price's remarks come a day after the United States announced an additional set of sanctions against the military leaders of Myanmar, which America and several western powers continue to call with its previous name of Burma.

"We stand with the people of Burma. We will continue, again, in concert with our like-minded allies and partners around the world to support their aspirations for the restoration of a civilian-led government in Burma," he said.

"Burma's military leaders must see that their attempts to replace the democratically-elected government and its violent actions will have consequences," Price said.

The United States is not the only country taking action to promote accountability for the military leaders behind this coup, he said.

"In fact, we applauded the recent sanctions, the sanctions announcements that were made by the UK and Canada, as well as the announcement that the EU will look into its own measures," Price said.

The world is speaking with just about one voice when it comes to opposing the military coup in Burma and supporting the aspirations of the people of Burma to restore their civilian democratically-elected government.

The US will continue to offer that rhetorical support but also to take action in furtherance of those goals, he added.

"We will continue to pursue means on a policy basis to fulfill our goal to support the Burmese people and to restore democratic and civilian rule in Burma," Price said.

On Monday, the US designating two additional State Administrative Council (SAC) members, Maung Maung Kyaw and Moe Myint Tun.

"We call on the military and police to cease all attacks on peaceful protesters, immediately release all those unjustly detained, stop attacks on and intimidation of journalists and activists, and restore the democratically elected government," Secretary of State Tony Blinken said on Monday.

The US will continue to work with a broad coalition of international partners to promote accountability for coup leaders and those responsible for this violence, he said.

"We will not hesitate to take further action against those who perpetrate violence and suppress the will of the people. We will not waver in our support for the people of Burma," he said.

Earlier in a statement, G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and the High Representative of the European Union firmly condemned violence committed by Myanmar's security forces against peaceful protests.

"We offer condolences for the loss of life. The military and the police must exercise utmost restraint and respect human rights and international law. The use of live ammunition against unarmed people is unacceptable. Anyone responding to peaceful protests with violence must be held to account," they said.

Condemning the intimidation and oppression of those opposing the coup, the G7 countries said the systematic targeting of protesters, doctors, civil society and journalists must stop, and the state of emergency must be revoked.

"We continue to call for full humanitarian access to support the most vulnerable," they said.

G7 foreign ministers called for the immediate and unconditional release of those detained arbitrarily, including State Counsellor Suu Kyi and President Win Myint. -- PTI

Golf legend Tiger Woods was injured after the car he was driving met with an accident in Los Angeles County on Tuesday (local time).

He has been admitted to hospital, according to CNN.

According to the sheriff's department, Woods was the only occupant of the car, CNN reported.

He was taken to a hospital for his injuries, the sheriff's office said.

The vehicle suffered minor damage, said authorities.

The crash is under investigation. -- ANI

Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission has summoned state director general of police over allegations made by Bhopal Bharatiya Janata Party MP Pragya Singh Thakur about custodial torture against her.

He has been asked to appear before April 6, as per the lawyer Aditya Mishra who filed a complaint at NHRC regarding it in 2018.

Lawyer Aditya Mishra had lodged the complaint at NHRC immediately after Pragya Singh Thakur appeared in a news television show in October 2018 mentioning her ordeal.

The NHRC transferred the petition to MHRC for further proceedings.

Now MHRC has summoned the DGP of Maharashtra.

Thakur, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, had earlier sought an exemption from daily appearance in court on the grounds of health and security.

Six people were killed and over 100 injured when an explosive device strapped to a motorcycle went off near a mosque in Malegaon, a town in north Maharashtra, on September 29, 2008. -- ANI

00:08 Rahul's speech in Kerala draws BJP ire

Several Bharatiya Janata Party leaders and union ministers on Tuesday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of being an 'opportunist' and alleged that he belittled north Indians during a speech delivered in the southern state of Kerala.

Addressing a public gathering in Thiruvananthapuram, the former Congress chief said, "For the first 15 years, I was an MP in the north. I had got used to a different type of politics. For me, coming to Kerala was very refreshing as suddenly I found that people are interested in issues and not just superficially but going into detail in issues."

Labelling these comments as anti-north Indians, several BJP leaders attacked Gandhi and alleged he was being an opportunist despite he and his family members having won several elections from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh.

In a tweet, BJP president J P Nadda said, "A few days back he (Gandhi) was in the Northeast, spewing venom against the western part of India. Today in the South he is spewing venom against the North. Divide and rule politics won't work, @RahulGandhi Ji! People have rejected this politics. See what happened in Gujarat today!"

He was apparently referring to the BJP's victory in local body elections in Gujarat.

Referring to Gandhi's comments, Union minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani called him "ungrateful" and said the popular saying about such a person is "one without much knowledge blabbers more".

Irani defeated Gandhi in his family bastion Amethi during the last general elections, but he won from Waynad in Kerala, the second Lok Sabha seat he had contested from.

Another union minister Kiren Rijiju, in his tweet, asked Gandhi not to "abuse Amethi and North Indians".

"Amethi people have given so much chance to your entire family! People from every part of India are good if you are good," the minister said.

Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri tweeted, "Look at his gall. The man who ran to Kerala to save his Lok Sabha seat questions the intelligence of North Indians, including those who faithfully voted for his family for generations! Fact is...he was forced to run because of non-performance and lack of development."

Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said, "North, South, East (or) West, no matter wherever you go Rahul Gandhi, you will always find Indians superficial. Because, to understand us, you have to be Indian first!"

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said, "I hail from the South. I am an MP from a Western state. I was born, educated and worked in the North. I represented all of India before the World. India is one. Never run down a region; never divide us."

At a rally in Thiruvananthapuram, marking the culmination of the 22-day-long Aishwarya Yatra led by the leader of opposition in the state assembly Ramesh Chennithala, Gandhi had also lashed out at the Centre over the three contentious farm laws and said the aim of the BJP government is to destroy farmers' market and not getting them the right price for their produce.

The Congress leader also attacked the central and state governments over the rising fuel prices despite a low oil price in the international market and claimed both the governments are giving the money to the richest in the country. -- PTI

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