LIVE
Fri, 19 November 2021
Move together to make India Vishwa guru: Bhagwat
Timeline Refresh
23:46 Move together to make India Vishwa guru: Bhagwat
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Friday called for moving forward together in order to make India a 'Vishwa Guru' and emphasised on power of organisation in the present kalyug era as the weak is always exploited.
The Indian society is diverse and has many gods and goddesses, but everyone has to be taken forward together, a process which is going on for centuries, he said and added teachings of Hindu religion need to be given to the world without trying to convert anyone.
Addressing the concluding function of a three-day ghosh shivir (musical bands camp) in Madku Dweep in Chhattisgarh's Mungeli district, he said India's religion is truth and the country has shown the way of truth to the world.
Madku Dweep, located around 90 km from Raipur, is an island on the Shivnath river and is popular for its natural beauty and ancient temples.
"Only those who are weak are exploited. Swami Vivekananda had said weakness is sin. Power means to live in an organized manner. A person alone cannot be strong. In kalyug, organisation is considered as power. We should take everyone together, we do not need to change anyone, he said at a gathering that included people from nearby villages," he said.
"There is diversity in our society. There are many gods and goddesses, it doesn't matter. Everyone has to be taken forward together, which has been going on for centuries. We don't need to change anyone and we will not let our people change," Bhavwat added. -- PTI
22:57 Kejriwal puts off Saturday's visit to Punjab
The Aam Aadmi Party on Friday said its national convener Arvind Kejriwal's Saturday visit to poll-bound Punjab has been postponed to November 22.
Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal was to visit Moga on Saturday.
"AAP National Convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's 'Mission Punjab' tour, which was scheduled to start from Moga, has been postponed for November 22," a party release stated.
The AAP will hold 'Sri Sukhmani Sahib Paath' at all district headquarters of the state on November 20 in the wake of the Centre's announcement of repealing the farm laws.
The in-charges and volunteers of every district will pray for the progress and prosperity of Punjab, said the statement.
All volunteers of the AAP's Punjab unit will participate in the celebrations, it added.
22:50 Three ministers in Gehlot govt offer to quit ahead of cabinet rejig
Three Rajasthan ministers have written to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, offering to quit their posts and work for the party, ahead of the expected cabinet rejig in the state.
Those who have offered to quit are revenue minister Harish Chaudhary, medical and health minister Dr Raghu Sharma and education minister Govind Singh Dotasra, Congress general secretary Ajay Maken told reporters in Jaipur.
"I am happy to inform you that three promising ministers of our Rajasthan cabinet have written to Sonia Gandhi today, offering to step down as ministers. They have also expressed desire to work for the party," Maken said.
Maken said, "The Congress party respects them. We are glad that there are such promising people who want to work for the party."
Dotasra is currently the state president of the Congress while Sharma has recently been appointed by the party as the in-charge for Gujarat and Harish Chaudhary as the in-charge for Punjab. -- PTI
22:07 After farm laws roll back CAA too, says Jamiat
After Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the repeal of farm laws, prominent Muslim organisation Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind on Friday urged the government to take back the Citizenship (Amendment) Act as well.
Bahujan Samaj Party MP from Amroha Kunwar Danish Ali also called for the repeal of the CAA 'without further delay.'
"Repealing 3 farm laws is a welcome move. I congratulate farmers for their will power to fight, sacrifice and defeat the mighty state power and their crony capitalist friends," Ali tweeted.
Prime Minister Modi must also reconsider and repeal CAA without further delay, he added.
Jamiat president Maulana Arshad Madani welcomed the announcement of withdrawal of the three farm laws and lauded the farmers for their 'success.'
Every effort was made to subdue the farmers' movement just as it was done with all other agitations in the country, Madani alleged.
Conspiracies were hatched to divide the farmers, but they continued to make all kinds of sacrifices and remained steadfast in their stand, he said in a statement released by the Jamiat faction led by him.
Madani claimed that the agitation against the CAA encouraged farmers to protest the farm laws.
Madani also demanded that just like the agri laws, the CAA should be withdrawn. -- PTI
Kamla Harris
21:19 Biden goes under anaesthesia, transfers power to Kamla Harris
US President Joe Biden will temporarily transfer power to Vice President Kamala Harris as he will be under anaesthesia for a routine colonoscopy.
Kamla Harris will become the first woman to assume presidential power, CNN reported.
The US president arrived at Walter Reed Medical Center to undergo a routine annual physical -- his first physical in office as the oldest first-term president in US history.
Biden will receive a routine colonoscopy Friday while at Walter Reed.
The last extensive update on Biden's medical state came in December 2019, when the doctor he eventually recruited to serve as White House physician described him as "a healthy, vigorous, 77-year-old male, who is fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency."
Biden, who turns 79 on Saturday, hasn't released a full report on his health since.
21:16 NGO Pratham awarded Indira Gandhi Peace Prize 2021
The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2021 has been awarded to civil society organisation Pratham for its pioneering work in improving the quality of education for underprivileged children in India and across the world.
The awardee was picked by an international jury chaired by former Chief Justice of India T S Thakur, the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust said in a statement on Friday.
"The 2021 Prize is awarded to Pratham for its pioneering work over more than a quarter century in seeking to ensure that every child has access to quality education, for its innovative use of digital technology to deliver education, for its programmes to provide skills to young adults, for its regular evaluation of quality education and for its timely response in enabling children to learn during the COVID-19 related school closures," the statement said.
Set up in 1995 in Mumbai by Madhav Chavan and Farida Lambay, Pratham has sought to give practical shape to its belief that every child should be in school and learning.
It started work in Mumbai slums, setting up community-based Balwadis or pre-schools, and offering remedial education for students lagging behind their grade level curriculum.
Its outreach in India has now expanded to on average 1 million children directly and 5 million through government partnerships annually.
Its annual status of education report, based on surveying 6,00,000 rural Indian children, is now used as a model to assess education outcomes and learning deficiencies in 14 countries over three continents. -- PTI
21:04 Chinese among 4 held for smuggling in 80 kg gold
Over 80 kg gold worth nearly Rs 40 crore, being smuggled into the country by concealing it inside imported machinery parts, has been seized by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence officials at the airport in New Delhi, according to an official statement issued on Friday.
Four foreign nationals -- two South Koreans, one Chinese and a Taiwanese -- have been apprehended in the case, it said.
Later, in a swift follow-up operation, further recovery of 5.409 kg of foreign-origin gold smuggled into India adopting a similar modus operandi, was made from a Delhi-based jeweller, the statement issued by the DRI said.
The recovered gold, totally weighing 85.535 kg, valued at approximately Rs 42 crore, has been seized, it said.
In an intelligence operation code-named molten metal, several Indian and foreign (Chinese, Taiwanese, South-Korean) nationals suspected to be indulging in smuggling gold into India from Hong Kong using the air cargo route, were identified, the DRI said.
The intelligence indicated that the gold smuggled in the form of machinery parts was being melted and moulded into bar/cylinder shapes before being disposed of in the local market, it said.
Acting upon the said intelligence, DRI officers examined an import consignment at the air cargo complex of the Indira Gandhi international airport in New Delhi. -- PTI
T R V S Ramesh
20:30 DMK MP gets bail in murder case
The Madras high court on Friday granted bail to DMK MP T R V S Ramesh, who was arrested last month in connection with the death of a 60 year-old employee in his cashew factory, in September.
Ramesh, representing Cuddalore in the Lok Sabha, had surrendered before a local court in the murder case probed by the CB-CID last month.
Justice M Nirmal Kumar on Friday granted the relief while passing orders on a bail application from Ramesh.
Originally, a case was registered by Kadampuliyur police against Ramesh. Later it was transferred to the CB-CID as he was arrayed as the prime accused.
The charge of murder of an employee in his factory -- Govindarasu (60) -- was also incorporated. Following this, he surrendered before a judicial magistrate in Panruti on October 11 and was remanded to judicial custody. He was also subjected to custodial interrogation by the police.
Ramesh submitted that the substantial portion of investigation was already completed and all the named and unnamed accused of the case were arrested. He had voluntarily surrendered before the court of law and later subjected himself to custodial interrogation.
The prime apprehension of the complainant that the post-mortem would not be conducted and documented fairly upon which the entire case hinges upon, was taken care of by the judicial orders passed by the high court.
The post-mortem was conducted in the presence of a team of doctors of JIPMER in Puducherry and the representatives of the complainant and properly documented. All preliminary investigation steps were duly carried out already and under those circumstances, there was no legal or logical necessity for keeping him in judicial custody, he submitted.
The employee had committed suicide and his political opponents were attempting to project it as a case of homicide, he contended. As an MP, he has to discharge the democratic functions attached to his office, Ramesh said, and claimed he was suffering from acute hypertension and diabetes.
Karnataka CM B Bommai
20:05 Farmers body seeks repeal of Karnataka agri laws
Buoyed by the repeal of three farm laws by the Centre, the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, a farmers' body, on Friday put forth a demand to withdraw the Karnataka APMC (Amendment) Act and the Karnataka Land Reforms (Amendment) Act, which were introduced last year.
Sangha convenor Kodihalli Chandrashekar said if the two laws were not repealed in Karnataka, they would stage a statewide highway blockade on November 26.
The two laws were passed despite protest by the opposition Congress in 2020.
The APMC Act allows farmers to sell their produce outside the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee.
The Land Reforms Amendment Act allows anyone to purchase agriculture land, which was earlier restricted to those with agriculture background and had an agriculture land.
Welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to repeal the three central laws, Chandrashekar, who spearheaded the farmers' agitation in the state, said the amendment to the APMC Act and the Land Reforms Act passed by the state were anti-farmer.
"There is a fear that the small and marginalised farmers will lose land to those with money bags if the Land Reforms Amendment Act is not repealed in Karnataka."
He added that the Centre should now focus on introducing more technology in farming in the rural areas to give fillip to the agricultural sector.
19:51 Delhi air quality remains 'very poor,'; minimum temp at 10.9 deg C
The air quality in the national capital remained in the 'very poor' category on Friday with air quality index in the evening being recorded at 381, data from the Central Pollution Control Board showed.
Neighbouring Faridabad (354), Ghaziabad (372), Greater Noida (388), Gurugram (345) and Noida (385) also recorded AQI in the 'very poor' category.
According to authorities, the air quality is likely to improve 'significantly' from Sunday owing to relatively strong winds and reach 'poor category.'
To combat pollution, the Delhi government on Wednesday had issued 10 directions, including a ban on the entry of trucks carrying non-essential items in the city and closure of schools and colleges till further orders.
On Thursday too, the AQI had stood in the 'very poor' category.
Delhi's AQI had on Tuesday slipped into 'severe' category in the evening, and the rising pollution level had been a matter of concern for all authorities and health experts.
Meanwhile, the minimum temperature in the national capital was recorded at 10.9 degrees Celsius in the morning, one notch below the season's average, India meteorological department said. -- PTI
19:22 Love is blue
The grand Rashtrapati Bhawan looks gorgeous lit up in blue ahead of World Children's Day.
19:14 Market capitalisation of top 10 scrips
FPIs' contributions to Indian equity market capitalisation fell marginally during the quarter under review to 19 per cent from 19.1 per cent for the June quarter.
19:07 PM launches projects of Rs 3,425 cr in Jhansi
PM Narendra Modi launches development projects worth over Rs 3,425 crore in Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh.
At an event in Jhansi in the poll-bound state, he laid the foundation of a 600-megawatt Ultra Mega Solar Power Park.
The park is being constructed at a cost of over Rs 3,013 crore and will help provide cheaper electricity and grid stability. He also laid the foundation of a Rs 400-crore project at the Jhansi node of Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor.
The project is being executed by Bharat Dynamics Ltd for setting up a plant to produce propulsion systems for anti-tank guided missiles. The prime minister also inaugurated Atal Ekta Park in Jhansi.
Named after former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the park has been built at a cost of over Rs 12 crore, and is spread over an area of about 40,000 square metre.
The park will house a library as well as a statue of Vajpayee.
The statue has been built by renowned sculptor Ram Sutar, the man behind the Statue of Unity, according to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
The grand ceremony was organised in the precincts of Jhansi Fort on the birthday of Rani Lakshmi Bai, the epitome of bravery and courage and a great National icon of Rashtra Raksha and India's Independence struggle.
KR Vijayan at his tea stall
18:48 Kerala's globetrotting chaiwalla dies
K R Vijayan, Kochi-based tea stall owner, whose trips across the world with his wife earned them near-global fame, died of a heart attack here on Friday, family sources said. He was 71.
Vijayan and his wife Mohana owned a modest tea stall 'Sri Balaji Coffee House' here and became famous after they funded their world tours from their earnings. The couple recently returned from a family tour of Russia. The two used to save Rs 300 daily from their earnings from the tea stall and travelled to Israel in 2007, their first journey outside the country.
In the last 14 years, the couple had visited 26 countries.
The couple used to take small loans also to fund the trips. As the news of the couple travelling across the world became viral, they started getting sponsors like industrialist Anand Mahindra who in 2019 sponsored their visit to Australia after coming to know about them from the social media. Their last trip to Russia was on October 21 and they returned on October 28.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic-induced lockdown, their last trip before the one to Russia was in November-December 2019.
"Provider of my parippu vadas, pazham pori and chai at least twice a week, the teller of travel tales, young-at-heart buddy, the globe-trotting tea-seller of Ernakulam, Vijayan passes away. He had just returned from Russia where his wish was to meet Putin," well-known writer N S Madhavan tweeted.
Vijayan is survived by wife, two daughters Sasikala, Usha and three grandchildren. -- PTI
18:24 Repealing is PM's decision, I can't react: Nitish
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who had always spoken in support of the three contentious farm laws, was guarded in his response to the announcement of their withdrawal saying the decision was taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and there cannot be any reaction to this.
The PM has elaborated that the laws were for the benefit of the farmers but the Centre could not convince a section of them, Kumar told reporters.
"The central government got the farm laws cleared in Parliament. It was the decision of the PM. Now, he himself has announced that they will be repealed in the next session of Parliament. The decision is his, there cannot be any reaction to this," the chief minister said.
Kumar's party, the Janata Dal (United), is an ally of the BJP in Bihar and at the Centre. PTI
18:15 UK to add booster doses to COVID vaccine pass for travel
Travellers who have had a booster jab, or a third top-up dose, of a COVID-19 vaccine will now be able to demonstrate their fully updated vaccine status through the National Health Service (NHS) COVID Pass, the UK government announced on Friday.
The addition will enable those who have had their booster or third dose to travel to countries such as Israel, Croatia and Austria, who have already introduced a time limit for the COVID-19 vaccine to be valid for quarantine-free travel.
Booster or third doses will not be added to the domestic COVID Pass as it is not a current requirement for individuals to receive booster doses to qualify as fully vaccinated, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said.
At this stage, it will also not be necessary to show evidence of a booster dose for travel into England from overseas, including from India. We want to make it as easy as possible for people to show their vaccine status if they are travelling abroad, said UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid.
BKU supporters celebrate the repeal of farm laws
18:06 Cong to observe 'Kisan Vijay Diwas' tomorrow
The Congress has decided to observe 'Kisan Vijay Diwas' on November 20 and will organise victory rallies across the country on behalf of farmers to mark the Centre's announcement on Friday of repeal of three contentious farm laws.
Congress leaders will also visit the families of the over 700 farmers who died during the agitation and will organise candle marches and rallies to pray for the departed souls.
All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal has asked all state units to organise such rallies and candle marches at state, district and block levels on Saturday. In a letter to the party's state unit chiefs, Venugopal said the repeal of the three "draconian" farm laws is a victory of the farmers and a result of farmers' protests, their sacrifices and the yearlong uncompromising fight of a united opposition led by the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi.
"This collective victory over evil is humbly dedicated to all the annadatas of our country," he said. He said the Congress will observe 'Kisan Vijay Diwas' on November 20 "in recognition of the consistent and spirited fight of the farmers against the flawed decisions of the tyrannical government, which led to the repeal of the farm laws".
"Let us extensively organise programmes to join the nation in observing this as a historic victory of the farmers. Mark the victory of the farmers' struggle by visiting families of shaheed farmers in our areas," he said. PTI
PM Narendra Modi in Jhansi today
17:56 Modi govt fears poll loss, not democracy: PC
Congress leader P Chidambaram on Friday claimed the Narendra Modi government decided to repeal the three contentious farm laws only because it is staring at defeat in the coming Assembly elections.
The BJP-led government fears only electoral defeat and not Parliament or democracy, he said, speaking to reporters in Panaji.
Prime minister Modi had said only three weeks ago that the farm laws will never be withdrawn, he pointed out.
"Only three weeks ago, the PM in a speech in Uttar Pradesh said anybody opposing the farm laws is anti-national, they are speaking for big farmers against the small farmers and they are anti-farmers. What has happened today? What has happened is that they have feedback that they will lose badly in the next round of elections in five states including Goa," Chidambaram claimed.
It was the fear of losing elections which forced the prime minister to suddenly announce this morning that he had decided to withdraw the farm laws, the former Union finance minister added.
"About three weeks ago, when byelection results came and the BJP suffered a massive defeat in Himachal Pradesh and lost badly in several other seats including Karnataka and Rajasthan....by 3 o'clock they announced reduction of prices of petrol and diesel," the Congress leader said.
The BJP-led Union government does not believe in consultation, discussion and parliamentary debate, he alleged. When a "stubborn government" like this announces retreat on the farm laws issue, it means "they know that they are losing the next round of elections," Chidambaram said. -- PTI
17:49 Refuge for dissent
"One of the great casualties of this era has been the idea and the institution of the university. The modern university, as the sociologist, Patrick Geddes, pointed out, was a contract between the oral and the textual. It was a community, a knowledge system, and a common refuge for dissenting scholarship in the age of the mass society. Geddes went to the extent of arguing that no university was complete without its dissenting academics."
One of the great casualties of this era is the university, writes Shiv Visvanathan. Read the column here.
17:35 World's 1st Covid case was Wuhan seafood vendor
The first confirmed case of symptomatic COVID-19 can be traced to a female seafood vendor at a wholesale food market in China's Wuhan, not an accountant who lived far away, according to a new study which points out that the WHO inquiry into the origins of the deadly disease may have got the early chronology of the pandemic wrong.
The study states the first patient worked at Huanan live animal market in the central Chinese city, The New York Times reported on Thursday.
Wuhan city is where the coronavirus first emerged in 2019 and spiralled into a pandemic.
The accountant, who was widely thought to be the first person with Covid-19, reported that his first symptoms appeared on December 16, several days later than initially known, Michael Worobey, head of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Arizona, said in the study published in the journal Science on Thursday.
His symptom onset came after multiple cases in workers at Huanan Market, making a female seafood vendor there the earliest known case, with illness onset December 11, the study said.
Worobey, a leading expert in tracing the evolution of viruses at the University of Arizona, came upon timeline discrepancies by combing through what had already been made public in medical journals, as well as video interviews in a Chinese news outlet with people believed to have the first two documented infections, the report said.
Worobey argues that the vendor's ties to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, as well as a new analysis of the earliest hospitalised patients' connections to the market, strongly suggest that the pandemic began there.
In the city of 11 million people, half of the early cases are linked to a place that's the size of a soccer field, Worobey said. It becomes very difficult to explain that pattern if the outbreak didn't start at the market.
Several experts, including one of the pandemic investigators chosen by the World Health Organisation (WHO), said that Worobey's detective work was sound and that the first known case of Covid was most likely a seafood vendor, it added.
But some of them also said the evidence was still insufficient to decisively settle the larger question of how the pandemic began. They suggested that the virus probably infected a patient zero sometime before the vendor's case and then reached critical mass to spread widely at the market.
In January, researchers chosen by the WHO visited China and interviewed the accountant who had reportedly developed symptoms on December 8, 2019. They released a report in March 2021 and described him as the first known case, the report added. But Peter Daszak, a disease ecologist at EcoHealth Alliance who was part of the WHO team, said that he was convinced by Worobey's analysis that they had been wrong. That December the eighth date was a mistake, Daszak said.
The team never asked the accountant the date his symptoms began, he said. Instead, they were given the December 8 date by doctors from Hubei Xinhua Hospital, who handled other early cases. So the mistake lies there, Daszak said.
For the WHO experts, Daszak said, the interview was a dead-end: The accountant had no apparent links to an animal market, lab or mass gathering. He told them he likes spending time on the internet and jogging, and he did not travel much. He was as vanilla as you could get, Daszak said. Had the team identified the seafood vendor as the first known case, Daszak said, it would have more aggressively pursued questions like what stall she worked in and where her products came from, the report added.
Toward the end of December 2019, doctors at several Wuhan hospitals noticed mysterious cases of pneumonia arising in people who worked at the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, a dank and poorly ventilated space where seafood, poultry, meat and wild animals were sold.
On December 30, public health officials told hospitals to report any new cases linked to the market.
Fearing a replay of SARS, which emerged from Chinese animal markets in 2002, Chinese officials ordered the Huanan market closed, and Wuhan police officers shut it down on January 1, 2020.
Despite those measures, new cases multiplied through Wuhan, the report added. Wuhan authorities said on January 11, 2020, that cases had begun on December 8.
Priyanka Gandhi with farmers at Lakhimpur Kheri
17:00 Hope Modi govt has learnt something: Sonia
Congress Interim President Sonia Gandhi's statement on the repeal of the three Farm Laws:
-- "Today, the sacrifices of more than 700 farmer families, whose members laid down their lives in this struggle for justice, have paid off. Today, truth, justice, and non-violence have won.
"Today, the conspiracy hatched by those in power against farmers and labourers has lost and so has the arrogance of dictatorial rulers. Today, the conspiracy to attack livelihood and agriculture has been defeated. Today, annadatas have won.
"In a democracy, any decision should be taken after talks with every stakeholder and deliberations with the Opposition. I hope the Modi govt has at least learned something for the future."
The announcement made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday to repeal the three contentious farm laws is expected to bring to an end the year-long confrontation between the government and the farmers, which has left more than 700 dead in its wake.
The three laws raised concerns that this will lead to the abolishment of the minimum support price (MSP) guaranteed by the government on select crops and leave farmers at the mercy of big corporates.
16:52 Modi govt passed farm laws in haste: Pawar
NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Friday said the BJP-led central government decided to withdraw three farm laws fearing backlash in upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, and hailed the protesting farmers, saying their year-long struggle against the legislations would not be forgotten.
He also slammed the Centre for introducing the three farm bills and getting them passed "in haste" without any discussion and without taking state governments into confidence.
Talking to reporters in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra, Pawar said, "When I was the agriculture minister for 10 years, the issue of farm laws was raised in Parliament by the BJP, which was in the opposition at that time. I had made a commitment that farming is a state subject and hence we would not like to take any decision without taking states into confidence or without discussion."
"I had personally taken a two-day meeting with agriculture ministers of all states as well as chief ministers, held detailed discussions with them and noted down suggestions given by them. Similarly, opinions were also sought from agriculture universities in the country as well as from some farmers organisations. We were about to start the process of making farm laws, but the tenure of our government ended and the new dispensation came to power," he said.
Pawar said that after coming to power in 2014, the BJP government introduced the three farm bills without discussion and without taking the state governments into confidence.
"These bills were opposed by all the opposition parties in Parliament and its proceedings were stalled and walkouts were staged. However, the people in power insisted that they would continue with the bills and they were passed in haste," he said.
As a reaction to it, protests were held at various places in the country, especially on Delhi borders, in Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and western UP, he said.
Ultimately, as UP and Punjab elections came closer and particularly when the BJP people saw the reaction of farmers in the villages of Haryana and Punjab and some other states. They could not ignore this aspect and keeping in mind the upcoming elections they decided to withdraw the three farm laws," he said.-- PTI
16:13 Austria makes Covid vax compulsory from Feb 1
Austria will make Covid vaccination mandatory from February 1, 2022, Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg announced on Friday.
"Today we have made a very difficult decision - to introduce compulsory vaccination very quickly, it should be in effect as early as February 1, 2022," Schallenberg said at a press conference.
Schallenberg also announced the introduction of a national lockdown from Monday for a maximum of 20 days.
According to the chancellor, a lockdown increased the readiness of the unvaccinated population to vaccinate, but not enough.
Since November 15, a lockdown has been in effect in the country for those who are not vaccinated against COVID-19.
Infections have continued to rise. On Thursday, a new record of more than 15,000 new cases were recorded in the Alpine EU member of nearly nine million people.
Nevertheless, the epidemiological situation continues to deteriorate - the daily incidence regularly breaks records, the intensive care units are on the verge of being overloaded with COVID-19 patients. -- ANI/Sputnik
Virat called AB de Villiers the 'best player of our times'
16:03 I love you, Virat tells De Villiers as he retires
Tributes poured in for AB de Villiers after the South African batter on Friday announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, with Indian maestro Virat Kohli aptly summing up his greatness by calling him the "best player of our times".
One of contemporary cricket's greatest batters, de Villiers has brought an end to his glorious 17-year career in top-flight, stating the flame within "doesn't burn so brightly" anymore.
India's Test and ODI captain Kohli, who has shared the Royal Challengers Bangalore dressing room with de Villiers since 2011, has always been an ardent admirer of the versatile South African cricketer.
"To the best player of our times and the most inspirational person I've met, you can be very proud of what you've done and what you've given to RCB my brother. Our bond is beyond the game and will always be," Kohli tweeted.
"This hurts my heart but I know you've made the best decision for yourself and your family like you've always done. I love you," he added.
The 37-year-old de Villiers made the announcement on Twitter, ending an illustrious career, which saw him play 114 Tests, 228 ODIs and 78 T20Is for the Proteas besides representing various franchises in T20 leagues across the world. He walks into sunset after dominating the game for nearly two decades with his 360 degree batting.
"The best I've ever seen, and someone who I've always looked up to! Took the game to another level singlehandedly mr360," said England's wicketkeeper-batter Sam Billings. Billings' compatriot Jason Roy wrote, "What a player and what a man. Absolute genius and an even better human. Thanks for what you did for the game!"
15:39 Farmers demand compensation for dead protesters
Celebrations broke out at the Singhu border protest site soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced repealing the farm laws, but some farmers said the agitation will continue till Parliament repeals the legislations and their other demands are met.
Distributing sweets and dancing to songs blaring out of music systems placed on tractors, farmers, who have been camping at the Singhu border for nearly a year, were jubilant.
Daler Singh from Hoshiarpur, said, "News about repealing the laws is very satisfactory. However, the government should also think about the family members of the 750 farmers who lost their lives during the protest. The government should give compensation and a job to one of their family members."
"Better late than never. We knew that the decision of repealing the law will come with the grace of babaji and this has come on Guru Purab. We have the blessings of Guru Nanak Devji. "However, the struggle is not over. The protest will continue till the time repealing of laws come into effect," said Hardeep Singh, a protester.
15:16 Anti-farm law pleas in SC to become infructuous
A batch of petitions challenging the constitutionality of three controversial farm laws, against which farmers have been protesting for more than a year at Delhi borders, in the Supreme Court would become infructuous after the Centre either passes a law or brings an ordinance to repeal these statutes, said an expert.
The petitions would become infructuous. But the thing is that the parliamentary laws have to be repealed either by an Ordinance or by an Act not by an oral statement. The pleas would be rendered infructuous after either the Ordinance is issued or in December, a law is enacted to repeal in Parliament, senior lawyer and constitutional law expert Rakesh Dwivedi said.
He said that now the top court is not required to deal with the constitutionality of contentious provisions of the laws and the counsel for the parties would, on record, inform the bench when the matters would come up about the repeal of the statutes enabling the bench to pass an order to dismiss the pleas as withdrawn.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the nation on the auspicious occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti on Friday, announced that the government has decided to repeal the farm laws and appealed to the protesting farmers to return home.
The top court, which initially on October 12, 2020, had issued the notice to the Centre on pleas filed by Rashtriya Janata Dal lawmaker from Rajya Sabha, Manoj Jha and Dravida Munnetra Kzhagam Rajya Sabha MP from Tamil Nadu, Tiruchi Siva, and one by Rakesh Vaishnav of Chhattisgarh Kisan Congress, later came down on the government for improper handling of farmers' stir.
On January 12, this year, a bench headed by the then Chief Justice S A Bobde (since retired) stayed the implementation of the farm laws till further orders rejecting the vehement opposition of the Centre that it was to be heard before the grant of stay, saying it may encourage the protesting farmers to come to the negotiating table in good faith and may assuage the hurt feelings.
It had also constituted a 4-member committee to listen to their grievances and also make recommendations to resolve the issue and the panel had, subsequently, submitted its report to the top court in March.
Besides petitions challenging the laws, there are also many pleas before the Supreme Court against the farmers blockading roads outside Delhi and they were filed by citizens whose commute to the national capital was affected due to the road blockade.
Now, these pleas may also become redundant and infructuous as the protesting farmers may go back leading to the removal of road blockade. -- PTI
Rakesh Tikait, Darshan Pal, and Joginder Singh Ugrahan
14:55 The 7 men who led the year-long farmers' protests
A doctor, a retired teacher, an ex-army man, a former Delhi police constable... these are among the people who guided and shaped the nationwide movement against against the three new agri laws which the government agreed to repeal on Friday after more than a year of protests.
Here are some of the key farmer leaders who fronted the protests:
RAKESH TIKAIT: national spokesperson of the Bharatiya Kisan Union. Once a Delhi Police constable, Tikait has played a key role in negotiations with the government. The 52-year-old tried his hand at electoral politics and has been a farmer leader with the BKU for years. He broke out of the confines of western Uttar Pradesh to find a space in the national spotlight during the farmers protest. The watershed moment came when he broke down while talking to reporters after the Republic Day violence in Delhi, striking a deep emotional chord and also pumping new energy into the protests.
DARSHAN PAL: member, working group, All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee. An MBBS doctor by profession, 70-year-old Pal has been very active in talks with central and state leaders over the farm laws. He played a crucial role in bringing farmer unions together and performed the role of coordinator in the talks. He also played a pivotal role in taking the agitation beyond Punjab to farmers in other states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.
JOGINDER SINGH UGRAHAN: president, BKU (Ugrahan). The ex-Army man, viewed as one of the more popular farm leaders, belongs to a farming family of Sunam. He has been a frontrunner in the movement with his team behind some aggressive aspects of the protests in Punjab, including the Rail Roko agitation and the 'gheraoing' of BJP leaders. While most farmer unions were protesting at Singhu border, his union almost single handedly held fort at the Tikri border.
BALBIR SINGH RAJEWAL: president, BKU. His skillful articulation of the farmers' viewpoint played a key role during talks with central ministers. The 78-year-old was one of the main leaders during the meetings of the 31 unions in planning and implementing their protests. He was also the brain behind preparing the protest's demand charter.
HANNAN MOLLAH: CPI(M) politburo member and general secretary of the All India Kisan Sabha. The 75-year-old has been a constant voice demanding the repeal of the farm laws during the protests. He has maintained that the protests will continue till the laws are repealed through a process in Parliament. Mollah has also stood for enactment of legal entitlement for the farmers to sell at MSP and believes that the struggle will continue to achieve this goal.
GURNAM SINGH CHADUNI: president, BKU, Haryana. Credited with mobilising farmers before the three farm laws were passed, 65-year-old Chaduni led many successful agitations earlier and has adopted unique ways to protest, including shirtless marches and throwing potatoes on state highways. It was on Chaduni's call that protesters tried to make their way to a BJP event in Karnal, attended among others by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. The crackdown that followed left several farmers injured and put the Khattar government on the backfoot.
SUKHDEV SINGH KOKRIKALAN: general secretary; BKU, Ugrahan. A retired school teacher, the now 71-year-old farmer leader Kokrikalan has been at the forefront against confrontation with police during the Delhi Chalo agitation. The government and unions have held 11 rounds of talks, the last being on January 22, to break the deadlock and end the farmers' protest. Talks have not resumed following widespread violence during a tractor rally by protesting farmers on January 26.
Indira Gandhi with Rahul and Priyanka
14:38 To Indira Gandhi from her grandson
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi pays homage to the late prime minister Indira Gandhi on her 104th birth anniversary.
"The name of India's most capable prime minister is etched in golden letters. Her biggest strength was she could remain with the people and share their joys and sorrows.
"Grandma, your courage is always an inspiration. I find you by my side even today.
With respects,
#RememberingIndiraGandhi," Rahul Gandhi posted on Instagram.
14:23 Amarinder: Ready for talks with BJP now
Former Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh on the repeal of the farm laws: "On Prakash Parv the government took the decision to repeal the three farm laws. The PM has apologised to the farmers. There can be nothing bigger than this. I'm thankful to the PM and Home Minister Amit Shah for this. Nobody can do anything more than this.
Amarinder Singh told a news channel after the announcement by Modi about the Centre's decision to take back the farm laws, that his party is ready to hold talks with the BJP on seat sharing for the forthcoming Assembly elections in Punjab.
He appealed to the protesting farmers to end their protest outside borders of the national capital and return to their native places.
"I had been saying this for three months. I had said that the farmers' issue comes first, only then would we have seat adjustment with BJP."
Capt Amarinder Singh when asked that farmers are still sitting on protest said, "Now, it's a question of when will the House meet. It will meet on 29 November, 10 days from now. A bill will be brought and laws will be repealed. The matter will end there, so what's the use of sitting now.
"Every region has its own agriculture. Laws like APMC Act were applicable only to Punjab and may be Haryana. It had no effect on other states. Punjab reacted more because it would have had more impact on the state. So, they repealed the laws. "
13:55 Apologise to farmers who died, Cong tells Modi
The Congress on Friday said the BJP's "fear of defeat" in the upcoming state assembly polls has forced Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take back his decision on three farm laws.
The party also demanded that the prime minister apologise to the farmers for the "pain" inflicted on them. Congress general secretary and chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also posed a set of five questions to the government:
"What is the roadmap and way forward for giving MSP to farmers, doubling farmers' income and of freeing them from debt," he asked.
He said the "anti-farmer" BJP's powers and those of its capitalist friends have finally lost and today is the day of the defeat of Modi's "arrogance".
"The BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's arrogance had to bow before the farmers but the country will not forget your sin. People have now understood that the victory of Indians and India lies ahead of BJP's defeat," he told reporters at a press conference after the prime minister announced the repeal of three farm laws.
"The Modi government and PM Modi have publicly accepted their crime and it is now time for the people to pronounce punishment for this crime. The public has understood that the country's victory lies in BJP's defeat," Surjewala said.
"Modi ji is seeing his loss clearly in upcoming elections and this fear has forced him to take back his decision and shed his 'raaj hath' (stubbornness)," he charged. He alleged that PM Modi is responsible for the death of 700 farmers who lost their lives during the agitation and said he should now apologise to them.
"Come forward and apologise to the farmers for inflicting pain to them and to the families of those who lost their lives," the Congress leader demanded.
He said today is the day of the "defeat of the conspiracy to sell farm lands of farmers" and is the day of the victory of farmers, labourers and shopkeepers and is also the day of the victory of the "martyrdom of over 700 farmers who gave away their lives for the agitation against the farm laws". The Congress leader also asked if laws can be brought through ordinances, why can't the farm laws be repealed through an ordinance.
A farmer died during a tractor protest on Republic Day
13:42 India should realise polls are near: Priyanka
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday claimed that the Central government took the decision to repeal the three farms laws due to the approaching assembly elections.
She also questioned the Centre for being silent when farmers were called Aandolanjeevi', goons, terrorists and traitors.
Addressing the media in Lucknow, Priyanka said, "Why is he doing this? Doesn't the nation understand that polls are approaching and the government feels that the situation isn't right. They can see in surveys that the situation is not right. So, they have come to apologise before polls."
She slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for being silent when the BJP leaders called farmers 'Aandolanjeevi', goons, terrorists and traitors."
"When farmers were being killed, batons were being used and they were being arrested -who was doing it? Your govt. Today you say that the laws will be repealed. How are we going to trust you? I am happy that the government understood that nobody is bigger than farmers in this nation," she further said.
13:22 PM remarkable statesman: Amit Shah on repeal
PM Modi's decision to announce the withdrawal of the three contentious farm laws on the "special day" of Guru Purab shows "remarkable statesmanship," Home Minister Amit Shah said today.
The Prime Minister this morning announced the withdrawal of the laws that had triggered massive protests from farmers, especially in Punjab and Western Uttar Pradesh.
Shah said the choice of the day to make this announcement shows that nothing other than the welfare of "each and every Indian" is on the PM's mind.
"What is unique about PM @narendramodi Ji's announcement is that he picked the special day of 'Guru Purab' to make this announcement. It also shows there is no other thought except the welfare of each and every Indian for him. He has shown remarkable statesmanship," he said in a tweet.
Kangana in a file pic at Savarkar's cell in Port Blair
12:27 India is jihadi nation: Kangana on repeal
Actor Kangana Ranaut reacts to the repeal of the three farm laws. Taking to Instagram, Kangana shared a netizen's post that read, "Street power is the only power that matters, hence proved. #farmersprotest."
Reacting to the particular post, Kangana wrote, "Sad, shameful, absolutely unfair. If people on the streets have started to make laws and not the chosen government in the Parliament, then even this is a jihadi nation. Congratulations to all who wanted it like this."
In a second post, Kangana shared a picture of late former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Alongside the picture of Indira Gandhi, she wrote, "When the conscience of the nation is in deep sleep, lath (the cane) is the only solution and dictatorship is the only resolution... Happy birthday Madam Prime Minister," she wrote.
Friday marks the 104th birth anniversary of the former PM.
12:17 Poll gimmick, image building: Tikait on repeal
Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said the Narendra Modi government's decision to repeal the three farm laws is governed by the upcoming state elections.
"This (decision) also seems to be an election gimmick, given the manner in which the graph of Modi govt is going down and their image is getting affected. They are working under the pressure of the companies, only to benefit them," Tikait said.
Tikait on Friday said the ongoing anti-farm laws protest will be withdrawn only after the contentious legislations are repealed in Parliament.
He also stressed that the government should talk to farmers over the issue of minimum support price (MSP) of crops and other matters.
12:04 700+ farmers died in protests
PM Narendra Modi said while repealing the farm laws during his address to the nation at 9am: "Whatever I did, I did for farmers. What I'm doing, is for the country. With your blessings, I never left out anything in my hard work. Today I assure you that I'll now work even harder, so that your dreams, nation's dreams can be realised."
As Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said while reacting to the repeal of the laws, "Their agitation yielded results. Had this been done sooner lives of 700 farmers could've been saved."
12:01 The 3 farm laws...
To refresh your memory since it has been over a year since the farm laws were ordained, the three laws which the farmers have been protesting are:
-- The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act: provides for setting up a mechanism allowing farmers to sell their farm produces outside the Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMCs). Any licence-holder trader can buy the produce from the farmers at mutually agreed prices. This trade of farm produces will be free of mandi tax imposed by the state governments.
-- The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act: allows farmers to do contract farming and market their produces freely.
-- The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act: is an amendment to the existing Essential Commodities Act.
12:01 Farmers do 'mooh-mitha' with jalebis at Ghazipur
After Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement repealing three farm laws, farmers burst into celebration and distributed 'Jalebis' at the protest site on Ghazipur (UP-Delhi) border on Friday.
"I thank Prime Minister Modi for taking this decision. People were saying that it will be the government's defeat if they take back the farm laws, I always used to say that the government is a very big institution and repealing the farm laws is not their defeat. Since it is the government of farmers how can this be their defeat," said one of the protesters present at the Gazipur site.
"I welcome the decision of the Central government. I just wish that they would have done this a bit early," said another.
"This victory is dedicated to those farmers who lost their lives during this protest. I thank everyone who supported us and helped spread our word," said a protestor.
Farmers have been protesting against the government's three farm laws since they were passed by the Centre in 2020.
Farmers beat thalis during PM's Mann ki Baat in protest
11:27 8 politicians react to repeal of farm laws
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik: "Welcome PM Narendra Modis decision to repeal all 3 #FarmLaws, in the best interests of the country and its farmers. Your farms and families have been waiting for long and they will be happy to welcome you back. BJD continues to stand with the farmers."
BSP chief Mayawati: Farmers' sacrifice has paid off. The decision to repeal 3 farm laws should have been taken much before. Still, farmers' demand for a law on MSP is pending. BSP demands that in the upcoming Parliament session the Centre should bring a law in this regard(on MSP)."
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal: "I congratulate all farmers in the country. Their agitation yielded results. Had this been done sooner lives of 700 farmers could've been saved. Still, this is big. Perhaps for the 1st time in India's history, Govt is taking back 3 laws due to an agitation."
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot: "The announcement of repealing all three black agricultural laws is a victory of democracy and defeat of the arrogance of the Modi government. This is a victory of the patience of the farmers who have been agitating for the last one year. The country can never forget that hundreds of farmers have lost their lives due to the short-sightedness and pride of the Modi government. I bow to all the farmers who sacrificed their lives in the farmers' movement. This is the victory of their sacrifice."
SAD supremo Parkash Singh Badal: "A defining moment in history and a historic victory of farmers on Gurupurab."
Telangana Minister and TRS Working President KT Rama Rao: "The power of people is always greater than the people in power. Proved once again by the Indian farmers who got what they demanded by their relentless agitation Jai Kisan Jai Jawan."
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel: "The Gandhian movement has once again shown its strength. Congratulations to the farmers of the country for pressuring the Central government to withdraw the three black laws. This is the victory of not only farmers, but also of democracy against injustice."
Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma: "Truth and justice has prevailed and the farmers' protests vindicated. Had the government not bypassed Parliament scrutiny and excluded stakeholders from consultations, the pain and suffering of the farmers and the loss of lives could have been avoided. "Hope that lessons are learnt and the government gets the realisation that no law should be enacted in a hurry without the consultation with all stakeholders."
11:19 Farmers unfazed by BJP's cruelty, says Mamata
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday congratulated protesting farmers for their relentless fight against three farm laws and said they were not fazed by the "cruelty" of the BJP.
Banerjee's comment came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced that the government has decided to repeal the three farm laws, which were at the centre of protests by farmers for the past year.
"My heartfelt congratulations to every single farmer who fought relentlessly and were not fazed by the cruelty with which @BJP4India treated you. This is YOUR VICTORY! My deepest condolences to everyone who lost their loved ones in this fight. #FarmLaws," Banerjee tweeted.
11:08 Kejriwal welcomes PM's announcement to repeal farm laws
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday welcomed the government's announcement to repeal the contentious farm laws, saying the 'sacrifice' of farmers who died protesting against them will remain immortal.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Centre has decided to repeal the three farm laws.
'Such a happy news has been received on Prakash Diwas. The three laws scrapped. More than 700 farmers martyred. Their sacrifice will remain immortal. The coming generations will remember how the farmers of the country saved farming and the farmers by risking their own lives. My tribute to farmers of my country,' Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi.
The prime minister said that measures will be taken in the Winter session of Parliament to repeal the farm laws and appealed to farmers to end their stir and go back to their homes. -- PTI
10:50 Our struggle wasn't only against farm laws: SKM
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of 40 farm unions, on Friday welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement to repeal the three farm laws.
It also said that the SKM will take note of all developments and will hold its meeting soon and announce further decisions if any.
'Samyukt Kisan Morcha welcomes this decision and will wait for the announcement to take effect through due parliamentary procedures,' the SKM said in a statement.
'The agitation of farmers is not just against the repeal of the three black laws, but also for a statutory guarantee to remunerative prices for all agricultural produce and for all farmers.
'This important demand of farmers is still pending,' it said.
In his address to the nation on the occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti, Modi said the three farm laws will be repealed in the coming Winter session of Parliament.
Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh under the aegis of various farmers unions have been protesting at the borders of the national capital since November 26 last year to demand repeal of the three farm laws. -- PTI
10:27 Farmers' protest to continue till repeal: Tikait
Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait has said that the farmers' protest will not be withdrawn for now.
'The movement will not be withdrawn immediately. We will wait for the day when the farm laws will be scrapped in Parliament. The government should talk about other issues farmers along with MSP,' he tweeted in Hindi.
Tikait's announcement comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the repeal of farm laws and requested the farmers protesting on the borders of Delhi for more than a year to back home.
10:16 Farmers made the govt bow: Rahul
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweets, 'With their satyagraha, anndata of the country made the head of arrogance hang low. Congratulations on this victory against injustice...'
10:02 Amarinder thanks Modi for repealing farm laws
Former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh thanks Prime Minister Narendra Modi for announcing to repeal three farm laws.
'Great news! Thankful to PM @narendramodi ji for acceding to the demands of every Punjabi and repealing the three black laws on the pious occasion of #GuruNanakJayanti. I am sure the central govt will continue to work in tandem for the development of Kisani! (sic)' the former chief minister of Punjab tweeted with hashtag 'NoFarmers_NoFood'.
He also tagged Union Home Minister Amit Shah in his tweet.
09:35 Tim Paine steps down as Australia's Test captain
Australian Test captain Tim Paine on Friday stepped down from the post after being investigated by Cricket Australia over sending a co-worker an explicit image of himself along with a string of lewd messages.
The development comes weeks ahead of the Ashes series against old foes England. Reports claimed a Cricket Tasmania female employee was offended by 'Mr Paine's sexually explicit, unwelcome and unsolicited photograph of his genitals in addition to the graphic sexual comments'.
Paine will, however, continue to be a part of the Australian team.
"It's an incredibly difficult decision but the right one for me, my family and cricket," Paine said.
"Although exonerated I deeply regretted in incident at a time and I do so today. I spoke to my wife and family at a time and enormously grateful for their forgiveness and support," he added. -- PTI
09:18 PM requests farmers to end protest
Prime Minister Narendra Modi requests protesting farmers to go back home.
09:03 PM's address to the nation begins
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is addressing the nation.
Catch all the updates here.
08:27 Modi to address nation at 9 am today
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation at 9 am today.
According to Prime Minister's Office (PMO), later the Prime Minister will also inaugurate key schemes relating to irrigation in Mahoba, Uttar Pradesh.
Later in the day, Prime Minister is scheduled to visit Jhansi for the 'Rashtra Raksha Samparpan Parv'.
During this event, he will formally hand over Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) designed Advanced Electronic Warfare (EW) suite for Naval ships to the Indian Navy. -- ANI
08:17 J-K Cong rift: Azad camp stages show of strength
Denying that he had knowledge of resignations of some state Congress leaders close to him, former chief minister Gulam Nabi Azad said he will do what the people of Jammu and Kashmir want him to do for the betterment of the Union territory.
Spelling trouble for the Congress in Jammu and Kashmir, four former ministers and three ex-legislators, loyal to the group of Azad, resigned from party posts, saying they have not been provided an opportunity to be heard on party affairs in the union territory, sources said on Wednesday.
"I will do what the people of Jammu and Kashmir want me to do for the betterment of this state," Azad told reporters in reply to a question on whether he would contest as Congress chief ministerial candidate in the next assembly elections keeping in view the demand raised at a public rally in Kathua district.
The leaders, who shared stage with Azad at the rally and resigned from their posts in the Congress, saying only Azad is acceptable to them as the party's face in Jammu and Kashmir as well as the chief ministerial candidate, not state Congress chief Gulam Ahmed Mir.
"Mir is not acceptable to us. We want Azad sahib and he should lead the party. He has sacrificed a lot for the party and this area," former minister Manohar Lal Sharma, who was among the leaders who resigned from party post, said at the Azad-led rally in Kathua.
Azad said he came to know about the resignations of Congress leaders only through newspapers today.
"I am not party to that (resignation by party leaders). I was not consulted. I, myself, read it in the newspapers," he said.
The veteran leader said that he did not talk to them as it is their personal point of view.
"For me, everyone is equal. I am not with one team or another team. I am not associated with one or another group," he said.
On the issue of grievances raised by his loyals in the state Congress, Azad said, "There have been grievances."
Asked about the show of strength of his loyals in Jammu and Kashmir, he said this was not a 'shakti pradarshan'.
"I travel to internal areas of Jammu and Kashmir. For long it had not been possible because of the state's bifurcation and then due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is just to know about the people."
On the internal tussle in the Congress, Azad said it is even there in the ruling party, "We have more internal democracy (in the Congress). Even their ministers speak (against the government). This (internal tussle) shouldn't happen. It is unfortunate that this is happening." -- PTI
01:01 Cops attack judge in Bihar court, HC seeks report
Two policemen allegedly attacked a judge inside a courtroom in Bihar's Madhubani district on Thursday, prompting the Patna high court to take suo motu cognisance of the matter and ask the state's director general of police to file a status report.
The two policemen entered the courtroom during the hearing of a case involving them, allegedly pointed a gun at additional district and sessions judge of Jhanjharpur Avinash Kumar, and attacked him.
The judge is safe but is reportedly shaken by the sudden development.
Station house officer Gopal Krishna and sub-inspector Abhimanyu Kumar also attacked lawyers and court employees who tried to protect the judge, injuring them.
Terming the incident as 'unprecedented and shocking,' a division bench of the high court comprising Justices Rajan Gupta and Mohit Kumar Shah directed the DGP to file a status report pertaining to the incident in a sealed cover on November 29 when the matter will be heard again.
The DGP was also directed to be present in the court on that day. -- PTI
TOP STORIES
© 2024 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances