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Mon, 24 January 2022
Pres Kovind to address nation on eve of 73rd R-Day
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23:55 Pres Kovind to address nation on eve of 73rd R-Day
President Ram Nath Kovind will address the nation on Tuesday on the eve of the 73rd Republic Day, a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique issued on Monday night said.
The address will be broadcast from 7 pm on the entire national network of All India Radio and telecast over all channels of Doordarshan in Hindi followed by the English version, it said.
Broadcast of the address in Hindi and English on Doordarshan will be followed by broadcast in regional languages by regional channels of Doordarshan, the communique said.
AIR will broadcast regional language versions from 9.30 pm onwards on its respective regional networks, it added. -- PTI
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23:50 Bengal BJP suspends 2 leaders, feud in party intensifies
The ongoing feud in Bharatiya Janata Party's West Bengal unit intensified on Monday after it suspended its senior leaders Ritesh Tiwari and Jaiprakash Majumdar, who were earlier show caused, for violating the party discipline.
A statement issued by the West Bengal BJP unit said Tiwari and Majumdar have been "temporarily suspended" till the party's disciplinary committee completes its investigation under instructions of BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar.
Reacting to his suspension, an infuriated Tiwari told a news channel that 'a coterie of leaders' who had joined the BJP in recent times are acting as 'agents of TMC' and are harming its interests.
"The show cause was given to me with malafide intentions. I have been a loyal BJP worker for more than 35 years. I have neither any grievances against the party nor against the state president. But a few leaders are acting as agents of Trinamool Congress and are trying to capture the party. My fight is against them and I will not stop till these leaders are ousted from BJP," he said.
Virtually throwing out a challenge to the BJP state leadership, Tiwari said, "Let them expel me from the party if they can .... Some people who had joined the party after the 2019 Lok Sabha poll are calling the shots and are insulting old timers. Let them first prove where I said anything against the party". -- PTI
Azam Khan
23:12 Azam Khan fielded from Rampur in SP list
The Samajwadi Party on Monday released a list of 159 candidates for the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, fielding party chief Akhilesh Yadav from Karhal in Mainpuri district, jailed leader Azam Khan from Rampur and renominating party MLA Nahid Hasan from Kairana.
Former state minister Dharam Singh Saini, who crossed over to the SP a few days ago, has been named as the party's nominee from Nakur seat in Saharanpur district.
The Samajwadi Party had last week said that former Congress leader Imran Masood, who had also joined the SP, extended his support to Saini's candidature amid reports about his resentment over denial of ticket to him.
The party has fielded jailed leader Azam Khan from his traditional Rampur seat, while his son Abdullah Azam has been made the party candidate from Suar Tanda assembly seat.
Shivpal Yadav, who is the uncle of Akhilesh Yadav, has been declared as the party candidate from the family bastion of Jaswantnagar assembly constituency in Etawah district.
Akhilesh Yadav will contest from Karhal in Mainpuri district and Nahid Hasan from Kairana. -- PTI
VS Achuthanandan
22:49 Solar scam: Achuthanandan ordered to pay Rs 10L as damages to Chandy
A court in Thiruvananthapuram has directed veteran Communist Party of India-Marxist leader and former Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan to pay damages of Rs 10.10 lakh to senior Congress leader Oommen Chandy for loss of reputation.
Chandy had filed a case alleging defamatory comments by Achuthananadan in an interview to a Malayalam news channel in 2013 in connection with the solar scam.
Chandy was the Kerala chief minister and Achuthanandan the Leader of Opposition in the state assembly when the incident was reported.
In its order, principal sub judge, Thiruvananthapuram, Shibu Daniel found that Achuthanandan's remarks had lowered the reputation of Chandy in society and ordered the Marxist leader to pay damages of Rs 10,10,000 to him.
Achuthanandan had alleged that Chandy had a role in the solar scam.
He had alleged that Chandy had formed a company with an intention to swindle money by joining hands with the scamsters.
Hailing the verdict, Chandy said truth will always win.
Leader of Opposition in the state assembly VD Satheesan said the court order was a warning to the CPI-M leaders who believe 'in the principle of big lie-- Repeat a lie a hundred times and it becomes the truth.' -- PTI
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22:11 Pak hands over 20 Indian fishermen to India
Twenty Indian fishermen arrested by Pakistan for allegedly entering into the country's territorial waters were handed over to India through the border on Monday.
They crossed over to India through the land transit route of Attari border on Monday evening, said officials at the Attari border.
They entered India on the basis of 'emergency travel certificate' issued by the Indian high commission at Islamabad.
All of the twenty fishermen were released from Landhi district Jail of Malir, Karachi on completion of their sentences.
They were escorted to Lahore by road by Pakistan-based NGO Edhi Foundation.
The moment the fishermen crossed over to India, they knelt and kissed the ground.
All were medically examined, including for COVID-19, said the officials.
They will stay for a night here in Amritsar, they said, adding that the fishermen will proceed back home to their native place in Gujarat on Tuesday.
Some of them had undergone around four years of jail term in Pakistan after their arrest by the Pakistani Coast Guards.
They were arrested when their boats slipped into Pakistan through territorial waters in the Arabian Sea.
The fishermen thanked Edhi Foundation which helped them to return home. -- PTI
22:01 Pakistani journalist shot dead outside press club in Lahore
A senior Pakistani journalist was shot dead by unidentified men outside the Lahore Press Club in Lahore on Monday, police said.
"Hasnain Shah, who was in his 40s, was parking his car outside the press club when two motorcyclists opened indiscriminate fire, killing him on the spot," an official of inspector general police Punjab official said.
Both armed men managed to flee the congested area, he said.
Shah, a resident of Lahore, was working as crime reporter for Capital TV.
He is survived by his wife and two children.
"We are investigating reports that he had enmity with some people," the official said.
Meanwhile, IGP Rao Sardar Ali Khan has directed the Lahore police chief to ensure the arrest of the culprits at the earliest.
The journalists' associations in Pakistan have condemned Shah's killing and demanded the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government to arrest his killers.
"A journalist's murder in front of the Lahore Press Club in a broad daylight is a moment of reflection for the government, Lahore Press Club President Azam Chaudhry said.
According to UN data, 85 journalists have been killed in Pakistan since 1993, including four in 2021. -- PTI
21:13 Mumbai's Covid cases drop sharply to 1,857
Mumbai witnessed sharp drop in daily COVID cases with the city reporting 1, 857 new infections on Monday while 11 patients succumbed to the virus in the past 24 hours, said Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
As many as 503 patients recovered and 34,301 tests were done in the past 24 hours.
The city's active cases stood at 21,142 and the recovery rate is 96 per cent. -- ANI
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20:58 2 teenagers die of hypothermia in Dharamshala mountains: Police
Two teenage boys, stuck in heavy snowfall with two others during trekking to the Rising Star hilltop in the Dhauladhar mountain range in Himachal's Kangra district, died of hypothermia, police said on Monday.
Two other boys were rescued by a police team and have been admitted to Dharamshala zonal hospital, Kangra's superintendent of police Kaushal Sharma said.
The police identified the deceased as Rohit, 16, a resident of Slate Godown village near Dharamsala and Monty, 18, of Nurpur village in the district.
Two others who are undergoing treatment at the hospital were identified as Rohit, 18, and Satyam, 17, both of Slate Godwan village, the police said.
The police launched the rescue operation amid heavy snowfalls after coming to know of the trapped boys from their relatives and managed to reach the spot where the boys were trapped.
On reaching the spot, the police found one of the boys already dead, and they began a return journey with the three others, one of whom died on the way to the hospital, Sharma said.
The body of the second boy is yet to be retrieved, he said, adding that his body is likely to be retrieved on Tuesday.
Following the death of the two teenagers, former Himachal minister and Congress' national secretary Sudhir Sharma expressed deep grief over the incident and accused the government of having a poor disaster management mechanism in the state. -- PTI
Puja Shakun Pandey
20:37 Aligarh 'Dharma Sansad' to be held in April
The Dharam Sansad, which was earlier scheduled for January 22 in Aligarh, will now be held in the first week of April, an organiser said on Monday.
Puja Shakun Pandey, who is the national general secretary of the All-India Hindu Mahasabha, said the decision was taken at a meeting.
"The Dharma Sansad, which was earlier scheduled to be held in Aligarh on January 22, will now be organised in the first week of April. It was postponed due to the COVID pandemic and the state elections," she said.
Pandey also expressed hope that two Hindu leaders who were held for hate speeches at a Dharma Sansad in Haridwar will be released soon.
Pandey said, "We have full confidence in the legal system and the Constitution, and are sure that they will secure bail."
Police had arrested Yati Narsinghanand, the organiser of the Haridwar Dharma Sansad and Jitendra Narayan Tyagi, who was formerly known as Waseem Rizvi and changed his name after converting to Hinduism. -- PTI
20:27 Lok Sabha's seating arrangements for Budget session
During the first part of the Budget Session (8th Session of the 17th Lok Sabha), ie, from January 31 to February 11, the Lok Sabha will sit as per this schedule issued by the LS Secretariat.
19:56 Gunman opens fire at lecture hall in Germany
A gunman opened fire at a lecture hall in Germany's southwestern town of Heidelberg, leaving several people injured, said the police, informing that the attacker has been killed, reported Sputnik on Monday.
Germany's Mannheim police said that a lone attacker with a firearm injured many people at a lecture hall.
The police informed that they conducted an operation in Heidelberg during the gunman attack adding that several people were injured incident, according to Sputnik.
"An attacker injured several people in a lecture hall, using firearms. He is dead," the police tweeted.
19:41 10 biggest fall in sensex
As Sensex crashed about 1,546 points to sink below the 58,000-level, here is the graph of 10 biggest fall of the market.
19:31 Assange wins right to appeal extradition in UK SC
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange on Monday won the latest round in his legal battle against being extradited to the United States, as high court judges in London granted the Australian national permission to take his extradition appeal to the United Kingdom's Supreme Court.
The 50-year-old is wanted in America over the leak of thousands of classified documents related to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. His lawyers argued that he should not be taken to the US because of a real and "oppressive" risk of suicide.
Last month, the US authorities won an appeal against a previous court ruling that he could not be extradited due to concerns over his mental health.
US authorities later provided assurances that the WikiLeaks founder would not face the severely restrictive conditions that his lawyers said would put his physical and mental health at risk.
The high court overturned the lower court's decision in December, noting American "solemn undertakings" were enough to guarantee Assange would be treated humanely.
Now, Assange has secured the right from the high court to seek an appeal against that ruling in the Supreme Court based on a point of law that is of "general public importance", which could potentially have a far-reaching impact of setting fresh precedent in extradition cases.
If he had failed to meet the extremely high bar to be allowed the appeal, Assange's case would have gone directly to UK Home Secretary Priti Patel for a final decision on extradition.
Speaking after the court decision outside the Royal Courts of Justice, Assange's fiancee Stella Morris said the Supreme Court has good grounds to hear this appeal.
"Julian continues to suffer -- for almost three years, he's been in Belmarsh prison, and he is suffering profoundly day after day, week after week, year after year," said Morris.
"Julian has to be freed and we hope that this will soon end...Our fight goes on. We will fight this until Julian is free," she said.
19:07 Parkash Singh Badal tests Covid +ve
Former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal tested positive for the Omicron variant of COVID-19 on Monday, said a senior doctor of the hospital where he was admitted.
The doctor said the five-time chief minister was stable.
Dr Rajesh Mahajan, in-charge of the team of doctors attending to Badal, said the samples of the 94-year-old Shiromani Akali Dal patriarch was sent to the Patiala lab for testing and he tested positive for the Omicron variant. Badal is having sore throat, slight cough and mild fever but he is stable, Mahajan added.
Badal was admitted to Dayanand Medical College and Hospital last week when he tested positive for coronavirus. -- PTI
18:44 AAP candidate tries self-immolation over rejection of poll nomination papers
Aam Aadmi Party candidate Joginder Singh for Miranpur assembly seat allegedly poured kerosene oil over his clothes to immolate himself before the district collectorate office in Muzaffarnagar on Monday over the rejection of his poll nomination paper by the returning officer, police said.
The police, however, managed to foil his alleged suicide bid by overpowering him and stopping him from lighting the matchstick, they said.
After his failed suicide bid, Singh sat on a dharna before the district magistrate's office, alleging that he was not given an opportunity to rectify his mistake in filling his nomination paper.
Official sources said Singh's nomination paper was rejected by Returning Officer Jayender Kumar due to some crucial omissions in filling it.
Singh, an ex-serviceman, had filed his papers as Aam Aadmi Party candidate for the Miranpur (Meerapur) assembly seat in the Muzaffarnagar district. -- PTI
18:33 No saint can be CM: Seer on Yogi Adityanath
A saint cannot be a chief minister as after taking the oath of secularism as a constitutional dignitary, he cannot stay "religious", a prominent seer said in Prayagraj on Monday, in an apparent reference to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The claim was made by Swami Avimukteshwaranand in his reply to a query on Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's status as a saint and the mahant of Gorakhnath temple in Gorakhpur.
"No man can abide by two pledges. A saint can be a mahant' but not a chief minister or prime minister. This is possible in the 'khilafat' system of Islam in which the religious head also happens to be the king," the seer, attending the Magh fair here on the bank of Ganga, said.
The seer also expressed concern over the alleged mismanagement in organising the Magh fair in Prayagraj this year.
"The Magh fair has been greatly ignored this year. Some saints have gone to extent of threatening fast and self-immolation too. If the leaders are busy in elections, can't the government officials properly manage the fair?" he asked.
On the sudden rise of water level in the Ganga, inconveniencing the saints, Swami Avimukteshwaranand asked, "Why the water level is not being controlled when the government has the mechanism to regulate the flow in rivers?"
Owing to the sudden rise in the water level, many people had to shift their tents, he said.
On the alleged interference of politics in religion, the seer accused all political parties of making transgression into religion.
He said all parties have transgressed into politics and the trend is no longer limited to merely having ties with saints and seers but they are installing their men on key religious positions.
He said political parties are seeking to man the religious positions with their votaries to advance their views.
Some people in the country want religious gurus to speak in their language, he said, adding "that is why the people propagating religion following its 'old books' are irritating them and a policy to remove such people is on work. -- PTI
18:10 Sonia, Manmohan among Cong star campaigners in UP
The Congress on Monday released a list of 30-star campaigners for the first phase of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.
The list includes Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and party leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Ghulam Nabi Azad and RPN Singh.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel are also in the list.
Former Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union chief Kanhaiya Kumar who had joined the Congress in September last year will also be campaigning for the state assembly polls.
Apart from Azad, some other 'G-23' leaders are also in the list including Bhupinder Singh Hooda. The G-23 leaders had written to Sonia Gandhi demanding sweeping reforms in the party including elections at various levels.
Congress will be holding a virtual campaign door-to-door campaign in the electorally crucial state as Election Commission has extended a ban on big physical rallies in view of a rise in COVID-19 cases.
18:09 India's forex reserves, explained in a chart
What is the state of India's forex reserves? Have a look at the chart alongside, for a quick look!
17:46 Nagaland, Assam ready for out-of-court settlement of border dispute: Rio
The governments of Nagaland and Assam are ready for an out-of-court settlement of the long-pending inter-state boundary dispute between the two northeastern neighbours, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said in Kohima on Monday.
Rio said that Nagaland and Assam delegations are likely to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah in February to discuss and formulate how to go about the settlement.
The Nagaland Assembly's select committee to examine the border issue held an hour-and-a-half closed-door meeting, a day after Rio, his deputy Y Patton and NPF legislature party leader T R Zeilang met Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at Guwahati on Sunday.
"We had gone to Guwahati and had fruitful discussions on the border issue with Sarma. Nagaland and Assam had jointly taken up the matter with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on December 23, 2020.
"Both the state governments are in favour of an out-of-court settlement, and maybe our teams will meet Shah in the first part of February to discuss and formulate how to go about it," Rio told reporters here.
The issue of royalty on petroleum and natural gas along the Assam-Nagaland border was also discussed.
"If we resolve the border dispute and the issue of royalty, it will be good for both sides as we are going to remain neighbours," Rio added. -- PTI
17:40 Pak wanted Sidhu to be Punjab minister: Amarinder
Former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday claimed he had got a message from Pakistan to reinstate Navjot Singh Sidhu in his government because he was an old friend of their prime minister.
Singh, who has floated a new party after leaving Congress and is fighting Punjab assembly polls in an alliance with BJP, said he was told that Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan will be grateful if he can keep Sidhu in the government.
"After I dropped Navjot Sidhu from my government, I got a message from Pakistan that he is an old friend of their prime minister and he would be grateful if you can keep him in the government. If he (Sidhu) doesn't work, then you can remove him," Singh said during a press conference at BJP headquarters to announce a seat-sharing arrangement.
Singh, who had dropped Sidhu from the Punjab government during his tenure as the state's chief minister, never had smooth relations with the cricketer-turned-politician and was against appointing him as the Punjab unit chief of the Congress.
On Sunday, he had alleged in Chandigarh that Sidhu has "no brains" and also claimed that he had advised Congress president Sonia Gandhi five years ago not to induct this incompetent man" in the party. -- PTI
17:02 Sensex closes 1545 points down after crashing 2,053 points
The Indian equities markets key indices Sensex and Nifty crashed by around 2.6 per cent on Monday wiping out nearly Rs 10 lakh crore of investors' wealth.
The benchmark Sensex closed 2.62 per cent or 1545.67 points down at 57,491.51 in a chaotic session on Monday.
The Sensex dipped to a low of 56,984.01 points in the intra-day, which is 2,053.17 points down from its previous session's close at 59,037.18 points. This was the biggest intra-day slump since April 2021.
The broader Nifty 50 of the National Stock Exchange tumbled 468.05 points or 2.66 per cent to 17,149.10 points. Key indices of the Indian stock markets have closed in the red for the fifth consecutive session.
However, the Monday's selloff was the worst. Extending last week's loss the 30 stock S&P BSE Sensex of the Bombay Stock Exchange opened the Monday's trading marginally down at 59,023.97 points against its previous session's close at 59,037.18 points.
However, the selling pressure intensified as the day progressed. The index tanked more than 2000 points by end of the trading session. The broader Nifty 50 of the National Stock Exchange opened at 17,575.15 points and slumped to a low of 16,997.85 points in the intra-day.
16:28 BJP to contest 65 seats In Punjab, Capt gets 37
The BJP will contest 65 seats in the Punjab elections while former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's new party Punjab Lok Congress will seek votes for 37 seats. The third alliance partner Shiromani Akali Dal (Samyukt) will get 15 seats.
Amarinder Singh had on Saturday announced his decision to fight from his home constituency of Patiala Urban.
16:09 Omicron sub-lineage cases discovered in Indore
Twenty-one COVID-19 cases caused by the Omicron variant's sub-lineage known as BA.2 have been found in tests conducted over the past 18 days in the laboratory of a private medical institute in Madhya Pradesh's Indore.
Those infected with this sub-lineage of Omicron variant include six children, an official from the private facility said on Monday.
Since January 6, a total of 21 cases of BA.2 sub-lineage of the Omicron variant have been found during tests conducted in our Molecular Virology Diagnostic and Research Lab, which is recognized by the Centre, Vinod Bhandari, founder chairman of Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences (SAIMS) here told PTI.
"Lung involvement ranging from 1 per cent to 50 per cent was observed in six out of 21 patients of this Omicron sub-lineage. Three patients are still hospitalized, while 18 have been discharged. Of the 21, a total of 15 adults have taken both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine," Bhandari informed. Indore, the worst coronavirus-hit district in Madhya Pradesh, has a caseload of 1,86,216, including 1,409 deaths. PTI
15:37 UK to withdraw some embassy staff from Ukraine amid growing threat from Russia
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) took the decision of withdrawing some UK Embassy staff and dependants from Kyiv in response to the growing threat from Russia, UK's travel advisory said in a statement.
The British Embassy will remain open and will continue to carry out essential work including providing consular assistance and support to British nationals in Ukraine.
The FCDO also requested British Nationals in Ukraine to register their presence there. The advisory further said that the Terrorist attacks in Ukraine can't be ruled out and asked people to remain careful.
"Since late March 2021, there has been a pattern of Russian military build-ups near Ukraine's eastern border and in illegally annexed Crimea. Since the beginning of November 2021 there has been significant media coverage of heightened tensions between Russia and Ukraine," the advisory reads. It further says, "Renewed military action anywhere in Ukraine would greatly reduce British Embassy Kyiv's ability to provide consular support."
15:24 Swiggy raises USD 700 mn from Invesco, others
Food delivery platform Swiggy on Monday said it has raised USD 700 million (nearly Rs 5,225 crore) in new funding led by investment firm Invesco.
Other new investors in the round include Baron Capital Group, Sumeru Venture, IIFL AMC Late Stage Tech Fund, Kotak, Axis Growth Avenues AIF- I, Sixteenth Street Capital, Ghisallo, Smile Group and Segantii Capital, Swiggy said in a statement.
Six months after raising USD 1.25 billion, the new fundraise also sees increased participation of institutional investors both in India and globally, it added.
Swiggy's existing investors Alpha Wave Global (formerly Falcon Edge Capital), Qatar Investment Authority, and ARK Impact, along with its long-term investor Prosus also participated in the round.
"This investment comes at a time when the adoption of food and online grocery is accelerating and the consumer demand for Swiggy's many services continue to grow," the company said. PTI
15:19 135 terrorists waiting to enter Kashmir: BSF
About 135 militants are present at launch pads across the border and are waiting to infiltrate into India, BSF Inspector General, Kashmir, Raja Babu Singh said on Monday.
However, he asserted that the overall situation at the Line of Control (LoC) is "peaceful" and said the number of infiltration bids was lesser in 2021 in comparison to previous years.
"The overall scenario along the LoC is peaceful. Since the signing of the ceasefire agreement, there has been a general peace all along the LoC in the Kashmir frontier," the Border Security Force (BSF) officer said while speaking to reporters.
Giving details on infiltration bids, he said in 2021, 58 attempts were made, in which five terrorists were killed, 21 returned and one surrendered.
"There have been reports that 31 infiltrated in 2021, 130 in 2019, and 36 in 2020," the inspector general (IG) said. During 2021, the BSF successfully recovered or seized three AK-47 rifles, six nine-mm pistols, 1,071 ammunitions, 20 hand grenades, two IEDs and 17.3 kg of heroin -- worth Rs 88 crore -- in different operational incidents, he said. The IG BSF said there are reports that "104 to 135 terrorists" are present at different launch pads across the LoC and waiting to infiltrate.
"There are also reports that some guides have gone from here and crossed the LoC to that side. So, we need to monitor them as and when they return. Their families need to be monitored, he said. Singh said there is a lot of synergy between the army and the BSF.
"The more we conduct area dominations, keep watch and surveillance, the more difficult it will be for them to infiltrate. We are putting in all-out efforts so that no infiltration is allowed, that zero infiltration happens," he said.
"As and when anyone is spotted crossing the LoC, he is challenged and if firing is used, he is killed like the recent killing of a terrorist on January 2, the IG BSF added. -- PTI
14:57 Court slaps sedition charge against Sharjeel Imam
A Delhi court orders to framing of sedition charges against JNU student Sharjeel Imam in connection with alleged inflammatory speeches made by him in Aligarh Muslim University, Uttar Pradesh and the Jamia area in Delhi.
Imam has been charged with sedition, promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, imputations prejudicial to national integration, and public mischief under the Indian Penal Code, and indulging in unlawful activities under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The Delhi Police had filed a charge sheet against Imam in the case, in which it alleged that he allegedly gave speeches inciting hatred, contempt, and disaffection towards the Central government and instigated the people which led to the violence in December 2019.
14:33 Auto driver lynched in Mumbai over suspicion of theft
A 32 year-old auto driver died allegedly of injuries inflicted by a mob in Malad in north Mumbai on suspicion that he was a thief, after which his kin took out a protest march and demanded action against those involved in the incident, a police official said on Monday.
Shahrukh Sheikh was apprehended by residents of Damu Nagar some 10 days ago when he had gone to check on his autorickshaw that he had parked there, he said.
The mob soon started hitting him claiming he may be a thief and then dumped him in an isolated place nearby, the official informed.
"Some passersby alerted us and he was brought to the police station and booked in a robbery case. He secured bail two days later and died while undergoing treatment, possibly from injuries sustained in the mob assault," he added.
The family of the man has now demanded that police check CCTV footage to apprehend the people who beat him up.
Sheikh's kin, who took out a protest march to the office of the Additional Commissioner of Police (North Region) on Sunday, said those involved were workers of a political party, and that the probe was stuck due to pressure from local politicians.
Speaking on the issue, Samata Nagar police station Senior Inspector Anandrao Haake said, "We first booked Sheikh for robbery and then charged seven to eight people with rioting on the complaint of his kin. We are waiting for the post mortem report to proceed with the probe."
Haake, however, said no injury marks were found on the body of the deceased. -- PTI
13:51 Sharad Pawar tests positive for Covid
Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar tests positive for COVID-19.
13:50 Now, dinner with Kejriwal among Delhi CM's poll campaign
The Aam Aadmi Party today appealed to the people of Delhi to spread the word on the "good work" done by its government on social media as it launched its digital campaign for the assembly elections that begin next month.
"Fifty Delhiites whose videos will go viral will be invited for dinner after polls," party chief Arvind Kejriwal said.
"Upload videos on good works of Delhi government and tell people how you benefitted from it on Twitter, Instagram Facebook. Also WhatsApp people known to you in these states appealing them to give a chance to Kejriwal," the AAP chief, who is also the Chief Minister of Delhi, said as he launched "Ek Mauka Kejriwal Ko" (Give Kejriwal a chance) campaign today.
Kejriwal said his government has done a number of good works like providing free electricity and water in Delhi.
"People from the United Nations came to see the mohalla clinics run in Delhi. The wife of US president visited schools here. Delhi is now getting 24-hour electricity. All this was possible because you the people of Delhi gave us a chance," he said.
12:50 R-Day: BSF troops on Indo-Pak border on high alert
BSF troops deployed on the India-Pakistan border in Jammu and Kashmir are on high alert following a threat of anti-social elements creating trouble on Republic Day, the force's Inspector General DK Boora said on Monday.
The Border Security Force (BSF) had already announced two-week-long heightened vigilance along the border, he said. Boora said troops have begun anti-tunnel operations along the International Border (IB) in the Jammu frontier.
"The BSF is ready to meet all challenges to foil any nefarious design. There is input that anti-national elements are likely to create trouble but we are on high alert along the border and in the hinterland (to foil their designs)," he said while speaking to reporters.. PTI
12:16 Mumbai schools reopen amid declining cases
Schools in Mumbai on Monday welcomed students of all classes as they reopened with stringent adherence to Covid-19 protocols.
Students were welcomed by teachers at Sadhana Vidyalaya High School, Sion area with enthusiasm.
Principal of the school, Swaroop Sawant told ANI, "We have welcomed students in our school today. We are strictly following the COVID-19 protocols. Social distancing is being maintained and the hands of students are being sanitised."
"Classes via virtual mode will also continue," the principal said.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Aditya Thackeray has said that parents are free to make their own decisions in this regard and should send their children to school.
Thackeray on Sunday told reporters, "Even though we are re-opening schools from tomorrow, it is not compulsory for students to come to school. Parents are free to make their own decisions in this regard and should send their children to school only if they feel it is safe."
The schools in Mumbai have been closed since January 4.Maharashtra on Sunday reported 40,805 new COVID-19 cases thereby taking the total tally of infections to 75,07,225.
As many as 44 fatalities from this virus were logged in the last 24 hours, the state health department said. Of the fresh cases in the state, Mumbai logged 2,550 new COVID-19 cases. On January 16, Mumbai reported 7,895 new cases.
11:46 Virat should have remain unmarried: Shoaib
Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has said that he was in Virat Kohli's place then he would not have married as he would have liked to focus on his cricket.
"I do not know what is right, what is wrong. It has all happened, now how to go ahead from here matters. Kohli has the bat, he does not want to be dropped from the team. Performance pressure will be there on him, I wanted him to score 120 tons and not become the captain and I did not want him to get married," Akhtar told ANI in an exclusive interview.
"If I was in India and was a fast-bowler, I would not have married. I would have focused on my cricket, this is my thinking. It was Kohli's personal decision. If you asked me, I would have focused on my cricket," he added.
Akhtar also stated that Virat Kohli was forced to leave the captaincy of India. Last year, Kohli had stepped down as the T20I captain and then he was removed as the ODI leader as the selectors wanted one skipper for the white-ball format. Kohli then stepped down as India's Test captain after leading the side for seven years.
Akhtar who is currently participating in the Legends League Cricket, while talking to ANI said: "Virat didn't leave captaincy but was forced to do so. This is not the best of times for him but he needs to prove what he is made of. Is he made of steel or iron? He is a great guy and a cricketer. Do not try too many things, just go out there and play cricket. He is a great batsman and has achieved more than anyone else in the world. He just needs to go out there and play with his natural flow."
"He plays a lot with his bottom hand and I think when the form is out, bottom hand players usually are the first ones to get in trouble. I think he's gonna come out of this. He should move forward from this and not keep any bitterness against anyone. Just forgive everybody and keep moving," he added.
Talking about India's next Test captain, the pacer said: "I know BCCI will make a smart decision regarding this."
The schedule for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 was announced on Friday. The Men in Blue will be locking horns with Pakistan in their first match of the tournament on October 23 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). -- ANI
11:22 Pak to hand over 20 Indian fishermen at Wagah
Twenty Indian fishermen arrested by Pakistan for allegedly entering into the country's territorial waters are set to be handed over to India through the Wagah border crossing on Monday, according to a senior jail official.
The fishermen, kept in Karachi's Landhi Jail, were released on Sunday on humanitarian grounds.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Azeem Thebo said that with the release of these 20 Indian fishermen as a goodwill gesture, there are now 568 Indian fishermen left in the jail, the Dawn newspaper reported.
The released fishermen, arrested for illegally entering into the Pakistani waters and fishing without permission, were escorted to Lahore by road by the Edhi Foundation.
A spokesperson of the Edhi Foundation, a non-profit social welfare organisation, said that the charity would bear their travelling cost to Lahore, where they would be handed over to India's Border Security Force.
The Edhi Foundation also paid Rs 5,000 to each fisherman as a goodwill gesture.
One of the fishermen, Bhavesh Bhika, who has served four years in the prison, said that the boat he was on had drifted towards the Pakistani waters at night.
"There is no boundary in the sea. We had no way of knowing that we had violated your border," he said.
Pakistan and India regularly arrest rival fishermen for violating the maritime boundary which is poorly marked at some points.
According to the lists of prisoners exchanged by India and Pakistan at the start of this year, at least 628 Indian prisoners were held in Pakistan, including 51 civilians and 577 fishermen.
The Indian Government also shared the list of 355 Pakistani prisoners in India, including 282 civilians and 73 fishermen.
Fishermen from Pakistan and India usually end up in jails after they are arrested for fishing illegally in each other's territorial waters.
The Pakistan Fishermen Forum NGO said that due to the absence of a clear demarcation line in the coastal area of the Arabian Sea between the two countries, fishermen who do not possess the modern-day navigation equipment mistakenly cross the red lines and end up in jails. PTI
10:41 No entry for unvaccinated at R-Day
People attending the Republic Day parade must be fully vaccinated against Covid and children below 15 years of age will not be allowed to attend the function, a set of guidelines issued by the Delhi Police stated.
Police also said that people will have to adhere to all Covid-protocols, such as wearing face masks and maintaining social distancing, at the programme on Rajpath on January 26.
"It is necessary to have both doses of anti-coronavirus vaccine. Visitors are requested to bring their vaccination certificate," the Delhi Police tweeted.
It said that children below 15 years of age are not allowed in the function. The national Covid vaccination programme, which initially started with health care and frontline workers on January 16 last year, was gradually extended for all those above 18 years of age.
From this month, children in the age group of 15-18 years started getting vaccinated, and healthcare and frontline workers and those aged 60 and above with comorbidities are being given 'precaution' doses, amid a spike in cases due to the Omicron variant.
Listing the guidelines, the Delhi Police tweeted that the seating blocks will open for visitors at 7 am and requested them to arrive accordingly. Since parking is limited, visitors have been advised to use carpool or taxi. They are also requested to carry a valid identity card and cooperate during security check, it said.
09:54 Sensex drops over 200 points in early trade
Equity benchmark Sensex slumped over 200 points in opening trade on Monday, tracking losses in index majors Wipro, Bajaj Finserv and Infosys amid a largely negative trend in global markets. Besides, unabated foreign fund outflows also put pressure on domestic equities, traders said.
The BSE gauge was trading 233.53 points or 0.40 per cent lower at 58,803.65 in early trade. Likewise, the Nifty fell 73.70 points or 0.42 per cent to 17,543.45.
Asian Paints was the top loser in the Sensex pack, shedding 2.44 per cent, followed by Tech Mahindra, Wipro, Bajaj Finserv, Infosys, HCL Tech and Bajaj Finance.
On the other hand, PowerGrid, Maruti, ICICI Bank, Reliance Industries and Bharti Airtel were among the gainers. In the previous session, the 30-share index ended 427.44 points or 0.72 per cent lower at 59,037.18. Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty plunged 139.85 points or 0.79 per cent to 17,617.15.
Elsewhere in Asia, bourses in Hong Kong, Seoul and Tokyo were trading with losses in mid-session deals, while Shanghai was in the green. Stock exchanges in the US finished with significant losses in the overnight session on Friday.
Meanwhile, international oil benchmark Brent crude rose 0.92 per cent to USD 88.70 per barrel. Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) remained net sellers in the capital market, as they sold shares worth Rs 3,148.58 crore on Friday, according to stock exchange data. PTI
09:49 UAE says it intercepts 2 ballistic missiles over Abu Dhabi
UAE intercepts two ballistic missiles fired by Yemen rebels: Defence ministry.
09:28 Equity indices open in red, Sensex down by 251 points
Equity indices opened in red on Monday with the Sensex down by 251.33 points and Nifty down by 79.20 points.
The 30-scrip BSE Sensex was down by 251.33 points or 0.43 per cent at 58758.85 at 9.17 am. Similarly, 50-scrip NSE Nifty was trading at 17538.00 at 9:17 am, down by 79.20 points or 0.45 per cent.
09:25 Riding to glory
Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray unveiled the statue of Maharana Pratap, along with his son and State Minister Aaditya Thackeray, Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar and other senior officials, at Maharana Pratap Chowk, Mazgaon, Mumbai, on January 23.
09:17 India reports 3,06,064 Covid cases
India reports 3,06,064 new COVID cases (27,469 less than yesterday), 439 deaths, and 2,43,495 recoveries in the last 24 hours.
Active case: 22,49,335
Daily positivity rate: 20.75%
09:12 UP poll: RSS body censures Dharma Sansad remarks
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh' Muslim wing on Sunday carried out a public awareness campaign in three districts of Uttar Pradesh and held meetings with Muslim clerics and scholars to garner the community's support for the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of assembly polls.
The campaign was carried out by a 10-member team of the Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM) in Amroha, Moradabad and Rampur districts of Uttar Pradesh, the RSS affiliate said in a statement.
The MRM team comprised its national convenor Md Akhtar, head of the outfit's Madrasa cell Mazahar Khan and Uttarakhand Madrasa Board chairman Bilal Ur Rehman, it added.
"In all the three districts, we had long and intense discussions with the maulana of Jama Masjid, Qazi and Muslim intellectuals like doctors, lawyers, and engineers on the problems that the members of the community are facing and their solution," MRM's national convenor and media in-charge Shahid Sayeed told PTI.
During the meetings, the MRM said in a statement, members of the Muslim community raised concerns over growing animosity in the society, referring to the remarks made by some of the participants at a 'Dharma Sansad' in Uttarakhand recently.
They felt that the kind of statements made at the Dharma Sansad were not right for any civilised society, the MRM said.
Md Akhtar clarified that neither the government nor the Sangh had anything to do with any such Dharma Sansad and also told them that the MRM does not support such people and it strongly condemns their remarks, the outfit said.
The MRM team also apprised the community of various measures taken by the Narendra Modi government for the welfare and empowerment of Muslims especially the women.
They also heard their problems and assured them of addressing their grievances if the party retained power in the state.
In the meeting with Muslim intellectuals, the MRM said, serious discussions were held on the issues related to education, health, security and self-reliance of Muslim society especially its women.
The community members were assured that the MRM will continue to hold a dialogue with them even after the elections are over, Sayeed said.
The RSS' Muslim wing recently released a 'Nivedan Patra' (letter of request) and appealed to the minority community to vote for the BJP in the upcoming assembly polls in five states, including Uttar Pradesh, saying Muslims are 'most secure and happy' under the BJP rule whereas the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party considered them just as vote bank. -- PTI
08:25 US orders kin of embassy staff to leave Ukraine
The United States on Sunday updated its travel advisory for Ukraine urging American citizens to leave the country and authorising the departure of some embassy employees.
'On January 23, 2022, the Department of State authorised the voluntary departure of US direct hire employees and ordered the departure of eligible family members from Embassy Kyiv due to the continued threat of Russian military action.
'US citizens in Ukraine should consider departing now using commercial or other privately available transportation options,' the State Department said in an advisory on Sunday.
This advisory said Russia is planning significant military action against Ukraine.
'The security conditions, particularly along Ukraine's borders, in Russia-occupied Crimea, and in Russia-controlled eastern Ukraine, are unpredictable and can deteriorate with little notice. Demonstrations, which have turned violent at times, regularly occur throughout Ukraine, including in Kyiv.'
The State Department said that US citizens in Ukraine should be aware that Russian military action anywhere in Ukraine would severely impact the US Embassy's ability to provide consular services, including assistance to US citizens in departing Ukraine.
The State Department has urged American citizens not to take trips to the country amid 'tension' along the border with Ukraine.
'Do not travel to Ukraine due to the increased threats of Russian military action and COVID-19. Exercise increased caution in Ukraine due to crime and civil unrest. Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory.'
This advisory comes as several countries, led by the US, have accused Russia of amassing troops near the Ukrainian border in alleged preparation for an invasion.
Moscow has said that it has no intention of invading Ukraine while stressing that it has the right to move forces within its own territory. -- ANI
IMAGE: A migrant mother from Ukraine, seeking asylum in the US, sits with her twin daughters near the border fence while waiting to be processed by the US border patrol after crossing the border from Mexico at Yuma, Arizona, on January 22, 2022. Photograph: Go Nakamura/Reuters
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