LIVE! Aaftab to undergo more polygraph tests tomorrow

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Sun, 27 November 2022

Aaftab to undergo more polygraph tests tomorrow

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22:52 Family of Assam forest guard, killed in border violence, to get Rs 14L, govt job

The family of Bidyasing Lekhte, the forest guard killed in the violence at the Assam-Meghalaya border, will receive Rs 14 lakh ex-gratia and salary till his retirement age, besides a government job for his wife, officials said on Sunday.

Immediately after the deadly violence, which left five villagers from Meghalaya dead along with the Forest Protection Force personnel, the Assam government announced Rs 5 lakh for the families of all the six deceased persons.

Assam hills area development minister Jogen Mohan and Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council chief executive member Tuliram Ronghang visited the house of Lekhte and announced a slew of relief measures for his family, an official said.

"Mohan said that the forest department will give Rs 4 lakh to the family, while Ronghang announced that Rs 5 lakh will be provided by the Council. These amounts will be in addition to what the Assam government already announced," he added. -- PTI

22:09 Udhayanidhi Stalin turns 45, DMK celebrates

Udhayanidhi Stalin, DMK youth wing secretary and MLA turned 45 on Sunday and the party celebrated his birthday by distributing welfare assistance to beneficiaries.

Gold rings were gifted by ruling party office-bearers to newborns in state-run hospitals, and a boat race and cricket tournament held in Chennai were among the highlights of the birthday celebrations of Chief Minister M K Stalin's son, Udhayanidhi.

Blood donation camps and community meal programmes were held and the welfare assistance to beneficiaries includes distribution of rice bags as well.

Udhayanidhi, days ago appointed again as youth wing chief, is also an actor and film producer.

Stalin is the DMK president. -- PTI

Forensic Science Laboratory in Rohini on Sunday said the remaining sessions of polygraph test on Aaftab Amin Poonawala, accused of brutally killing his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar, will be conducted on Monday.

As these sessions are pending, the narco analysis is likely to get postponed by few more days, a senior official said.

"The remaining polygraph sessions will be conducted on Monday," head of the department of crime scene management at FSL, Rohini, Sanjeev Gupta, said.

Poonawala allegedly strangled his Walkar, 27, and sawed her body into 35 pieces, which he kept in a 300-litre fridge for almost three weeks at his Mehrauli residence in South Delhi, before dumping them across the city over several days.

He was arrested on November 12 and sent to five-day police custody, which was further extended by five days on November 17.

On Tuesday, he was sent to four more days of police custody.

On Saturday, a Delhi court sent Poonawala to judicial custody for 13 days.

The police is yet to find Walkar's skull and some body parts as well as the weapon used to dismember her body. -- PTI

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20:45 Mainpuri bypoll: SP seeks removal of officials for pressuring block heads to vote for BJP

The Samajwadi Party on Sunday alleged that the Mainpuri district administration was pressuring village and block heads to vote for the BJP in the December 5 Mainpuri bypoll.

A delegation of the party met Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral officer Ajay Kumar Shukla and demanded the removal of district magistrate Avinash Kumar Rai and and senior superintendent of police Jai Prakash Singh for allegedly misusing their administrative powers.

In a memorandum, the SP leaders claimed that the officials were putting pressure on village heads, block heads, district panchyat members and others to vote for the BJP in the Mainpuri bypoll.

They said free and fair election was not possible till these officials remained on their post.

The SP delegation was led by former Assembly Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey, SP state president Naresh Uttam and Rajendra Chowdhury among others. -- PTI

Ahead of Gujarat assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to address rallies in Kutch's Anjar, Jamnagar's Gordhanpur, Bhavnagar's Palitana, Jamnagar's Gordhanpar, and Rajkot on Monday.

"PM Modi is coming again and we expect huge gatherings and people love to see him and listen. We expect to win all seats in Rajkot district," said Rajkot BJP president Kamlesh Mirani told ANI.

BJP Spokesperson Raju Dhruv on Sunday said, "PM has a very soft corner for Rajkot as he has contested his first ever election from Rajkot and he has done so much for Rajkot as well. We expect a good public meeting here and Bharatiya Janata Party will sail through again from Rajkot."

"Modi is likely to come at 6 PM and will address the rally for the Rajkot candidates," he added.

Earlier in October, Modi dedicated and laid foundation stones for projects worth Rs 4,309 crore in Rajkot and Rs 2,738 crore in Morbi districts during his visit to Gujarat.

The assembly elections in Gujarat are scheduled to be held in two phases on December 1 and December 5, whose results will be declared on December 8, which coincides with the result date of the Himachal Pradesh polls. -- ANI

The collapsed foot-over-bridge at Balharshah railway station/ANI

19:57 13 hurt as part of FOB falls on railway track in Maha

At least 13 persons were injured, four of them seriously, as they fell on a railway track after some part of a foot over-bridge collapsed at a railway station in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra on Sunday, officials said.

The incident occurred at Balharshah junction railway station, located approximately 150 km from Nagpur, around 5 pm, they said.

"A large number of passengers were using the FOB to board a Pune-bound train when a part of it suddenly caved in. As a result, some people fell 20 feet down on the railway track," an official of the government railway police said.

Thirteen persons were injured in the incident and they were taken to the Ballarpur Rural Hopspital and some of them were later shifted to Chandrapur Government Medical College and Hospital, the district information office said.

"Around 4 passengers sustained serious injuries and they are being treated at the GMCH. The district administration and police personnel are assisting the injured," Chandrapur district collector Vinay Gowda said.

Chandrapur guardian minister Sudhir Mungantiwar directed the hospital authorities to provide all necessary medical aid to the injured persons and ordered an investigation into the incident, the administration said. -- PTI

Janata Dal-United Bihar unit chief Umesh Singh Kushwaha was on Sunday re-elected to the key party post in presence of top leaders, including Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Kumar, the de facto leader of the party, expressed delight over Kushwaha being "unanimously" (sarv summati se) chosen for a second consecutive term.

A low-key former MLA from Vaishali district, Kushwaha was appointed as state president last year after his predecessor, veteran JD-U leader Vashishtha Narayan Singh, requested that he be relieved of the organisational responsibility in view of his old age and poor health.

Kushwaha's elevation, in January, 2021, was seen as Kumar's attempt to consolidate his "Luv-Kush" (Kurmi-Koeri) support base in the aftermath of JD-U's drubbing in the 2020 assembly polls.

The social engineering was again at play when Kumar forgave his renegade former protg Upendra Kushwaha, whose RLSP merged with the JD-U. -- PTI

The legendary PT Usha is set to become the first woman president of Indian Olympic Association as she emerged as the lone candidate for the top post for the December 10 elections.

The 58-year-old Usha, a multiple Asian Games gold medallists and a fourth-place finisher in the 1984 Olympics 400m hurdles final, filed her nomination papers for the top job on Sunday, along with 14 others from her team for the various posts.

The deadline to file nomination papers for the IOA elections ended on Sunday.

IOA elections returning officer Umesh Sinha did not receive any nominations on Friday and Saturday but 24 candidates filed nominations for various posts on Sunday.

There will be contests for one post of vice president (female), joint secretary (female).

There were 12 candidates in the fray for four executive council members.

The IOA polls will be held to elect one president, one senior vice-president, two vice-presidents (one male and one female), one treasurer, two joint secretaries (one male and one female), six other executive council members, out of which two (one male and one female) shall be from the elected SOMs. -- PTI

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18:52 3 children crushed to death by train in Punjab's Rupnagar

Three children were crushed to death by a passenger train near Sri Kiratpur Sahib in Rupnagar on Sunday, the police said on Sunday.

The incident took place when four children of migrant labourers were playing near the railway track close to the bridge over Sutlej river, they said.

The fourth child was injured in the incident and was admitted to a hospital, said the police.

The boys were in the age group of 7 to 11 years, the police added. -- PTI

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18:35 Probe ordered after 82-year-old man dies during police raid at his house

An investigation was ordered after an 82-year-old man allegedly died of cardiac arrest on Sunday when police raided his house in the dead of the night in search of his son, an accused in a cattle smuggling case, in Jharkhand's Khunti district, an officer said.

Residents of Rodo village in Torpa police station area alleged that the man died after police pushed him while entering the house.

Khunti's superintendent of police Aman Kumar said that a magistrate-level investigation will be conducted into the case.

A special police team reached the village, around 60 km from capital Ranchi, around 1 am to arrest one Izhar Ahmed alias Kallu, an accused in a cattle smuggling case.

As the search was underway, Kallu's father Md Nizamuddin suddenly fell on the floor and died. Police said he died of cardiac arrest, while villagers alleged that he died after police pushed him.

Local sources said that the irate villagers gheraoed the police personnel who were conducting the raid.

They were released after a team led by sub-divisional officer Aniket Sachan and deputy superintendent of police Omprakash Tiwary reached the village and spoke to the villagers. -- PTI

18:09 Senior RLD leader, ex-MLA join BJP in Meerut

Senior Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Chaudhary Yashveer Singh along with several others joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in Meerut on Sunday.

Singh, who was former regional chief of RLD, joined the saffron party in presence of BJP state president Bhupinder Singh Chaudhary.

Besides him, former RLD MLA Sudesh Sharma and other local leaders of the party also joined the BJP.

On the occasion, the UP BJP chief said the new joinings will strengthen the party and it would win Khatauli assembly seat in the region by a big margin.

Meanwhile, RLD Media Incharge Surendra Sharma said that those who could not face challenges in the present day politics are joining the BJP as they did not have courage to face the situation.

The polling for the bypolls on Khatauli, Rampur assembly seats and Mainpuri parliamentary constituency will be held on December 5 while counting of votes will take place on December 8. -- PTI

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday said the under-construction Vishnuvardhan memorial, after the actor and one of the state's biggest cultural icons, in Mysuru will be opened before December.

Speaking to reporters after attending the 'gruha pravesha' of the newly-built house at Jayanagar in Bengaluru, the CM said, "Bharati Vishnuvardhan had personally come and invited me for the housewarming function. The house in which Dr Vishnuvardhan had stayed has been beautifully renovated and one can see her hard work and effort behind the remodelled house."

The chief minister added that the work on the Vishnuvardhan memorial will be completed soon and it has been decided to inaugurate the house on a grand scale.

He said the inauguration day will be finalised after a discussion with the actor's family members.

"Dr Vishnuvardhan was a great actor and the function will be organised in keeping with his stature and standing," the CM said. -- ANI

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17:16 4 injured in crude bomb blast during wedding party dispute in Bengal

Four persons were injured, one of them seriously, when several bombs exploded at Jagaddal area in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district early Sunday triggering panic in the area.

An official of Barrackpore police commissionerate said as per information, an altercation took place between some wedding party members and a local resident over playing music at the marriage hall on Saturday night.

Several crude bombs exploded before the marriage hall injuring four wedding party members early Sunday, the official said.

Five persons were detained in connection with the incident as police conducted raids in the area.

Two more unexploded bombs were seized from the area during raids.

The incident triggered a political blame game as the BJP accused TMC of "stockpiling" bombs across the state ahead of the panchyaat polls in 2023.

However, the TMC countered the charges saying BJP is levelling "false" charges.

BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar told reporters that local TMC leaders have "stockpiled" bombs in the area and whenever there is a dispute, bombs are hurled by the ruling party miscreants. -- PTI

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16:53 Anti-Covid stir in Xi's alma mater Tsinghua varsity

In defiance of China's zero-Covid policy, hundreds of students on Sunday protested at President Xi Jinping's alma mater, Tsinghua University in Beijing.

Protests have spread to Xi Jinping's alma mater Tsinghua, where a student said, "If we don't speak up due to the fear of the [dark regime], I think our people will be disappointed. As a Tsinghua student, I'd regret this for the rest of my life. The crowd called out don't be scared!"

Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Shanghai, where people were being bundled into police cars. Students have also demonstrated at universities in Beijing and Nanjing.

Hundreds of students from Beijing's Tsinghua University rallied at their campus on Sunday.

"Tsinghua university right now the city after city seeing protests small and large against Zero Covid policies and against excesses of Communist Party rule -- every hour there seems to be a new one," tweeted Emily Feng, she posted a clip from Weibo, a China microblogging website. -- ANI

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16:18 Adityanath visits Ayodhya, offers prayer at temples

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited Ayodhya on Sunday and offered prayers at the Ram Janmabhoomi complex and Hanumangarhi temple.

He also took stock of the ongoing works at the Supreme Court-mandated Ram temple. Adityanath also reached Tedhi Bazar and inspected various under-construction sites and multilevel parking.

It was the BJP leader's fourth visit to the district in the last 40 days.

On October 19, Adityanath reached Ayodhya to inspect the preparations for Deepotsav.

On October 23, he visited the district with Prime Minister to attend the festival.

He again visited both, the complex and the temple, on October 24. -- PTI

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15:48 Two Zimbabwe nationals held with heroin worth Rs 50 cr at Mumbai airport

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has arrested two Zimbabweans with 7.9 kg of heroin worth Rs 50 crore at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai, an official said on Sunday.

Based on specific information, the DRI's Mumbai zonal unit laid a trap at the airport on Friday and intercepted a man and a woman travelling from Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), the official said.

On searching their baggage, the team found some packets containing light brown powder concealed in their trolley bags, he said.

The powder tested positive for the presence of heroin and the contraband weighed 7.9 kg, the official said, adding that the value of the seized drug is Rs 50 crore in the international market.

The accused were arrested under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, and remanded to judicial custody by a special court, he said.

The DRI is investigating further to bust the drug syndicate involved in the case, the official added. -- PTI

The Uttar Pradesh Police have arrested a YouTuber for allegedly posting objectionable tweets from the Twitter handle of the Samajwadi Party's media cell, officials said on Sunday.

SP leaders, however, said the arrested man does not have any links with the party.

On November 23, journalist Manish Pandey registered a complaint at Hazratganj police station against an unidentified person running the SP media cell Twitter handle (@MediaCellSP), the police said.

The complainant alleged that the SP media cell posted a tweet about the Gorakhnath mutt and he replied that it should refrain from making such posts as the mutt is the centre of devotion for crores of people, they said.

After this, the complainant said, "insulting and humiliating" tweets were posted from the Twitter handle against him.

In a tweet on November 20, the SP media cell had alleged that people from the mutt were involved in illegal mining.

The tweet, however, did not name any mutt.

Additional commissioner of police, Hazratganj, Arvind Kumar Verma told PTI that prima facie Anil Yadav posted the tweets from the Twitter handle of the SP media cell.

A detailed probe into the matter is underway, he said. -- PTI

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15:03 Assam lifts travel curbs to Meghalaya after violence

Assam on Sunday lifted travel restrictions to Meghalaya, six days after being imposed in the aftermath of violence in a disputed area along the inter-state border, the police said.

Vehicles from Assam are now allowed to enter Meghalaya, a senior police officer said.

"Wherever necessary, vehicles are being escorted. In other vulnerable areas, police patrolling has been provided," he said.

An advisory was issued by the Assam Police, asking people to avoid travelling to the neighbouring state following the incident on Tuesday.

Violence had broken out at Mukroh village near the disputed border between the two states in West Karbi Anglong district in the early hours of Tuesday, after a truck allegedly laden with illegally felled timber was intercepted by forest guards from Assam.

Six people -- five tribal villagers from Meghalaya and a forest guard from Assam -- were killed due to the clashes. -- PTI

Gold imports, which have a bearing on the current account deficit, declined 17.38 per cent to about $24 billion during April-October due to fall in demand, according to the data of the commerce ministry.

Imports of the yellow metal stood at $29 billion in the corresponding period of 2021-22.

The imports during October this year also contracted by 27.47 per cent to $3.7 billion, the data showed.

Silver imports during the month too dipped 34.80 per cent to $585 million.

Cumulatively, the imports, however, jumped to $4.8 billion as against $1.52 billion during April-October 2021-22.

The merchandise trade deficit for April-October 2022 was estimated at $173.46 billion as against $94.16 billion in the year-ago period.

India is the largest importer of gold, which mainly caters to the demand of the jewellery industry. In volume terms, the country imports 800-900 tonne of gold annually. -- PTI

A special PMLA court on Saturday granted Enforcement 14-day custody of the main accused Aamir Khan in mobile gaming application namely the E-nuggets case.

Accused Aamir Khan was sent to 14 days of ED custody by a special PMLA court.

Earlier ED had seized/freezed assets worth Rs 68.42 crore.

Aamir Khan had launched a mobile gaming application namely E-Nuggets, which was designed for the purpose of defrauding the public, the agency said.

Further, after collecting the amount from the public, all of the sudden, the withdrawal from the said App was stopped, on one pretext or the other.

The agency also said thereafter, all data including profile information was wiped off from the said app servers.

It was revealed that multiple accounts (more than 300) were used to launder the money.

A case was registered on the basis of an FIR dated February 15, 2021, filed under various sections of IPC by Park Street Police Station, Kolkata police, against Aamir Khan and others, based on the complaint filed by Federal Bank authorities, in the court of chief metropolitan magistrate, Calcutta. -- ANI

President of Egypt Abdel Fattah Al Sisi/Reuters

13:09 Egypt's President Sisi is Republic Day chief guest

President of Egypt Abdel Fattah Al Sisi will be the chief guest for the Republic Day celebrations in 2023, said ministry of external affairs on Sunday.

"At the invitation of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, will be the Chief Guest at India's Republic Day celebrations on January 26, 2023. This is the first time that President of the Arab Republic of Egypt will be the chief guest at our Republic Day,' said the external affairs ministry statement.

The temporary ban imposed on Malayali actor Sreenath Bhasi has been lifted by the Kerala Film Producers Association.

Sreenath had been banned by the KFPA over allegations that he misbehaved with a female anchor during an interview he gave to a YouTube channel.

This lift of the ban comes in the wake of an apology which was earlier rendered by the actor to the female anchor.

The Maradu police at Kochi had earlier arrested Sreenath and later released him on bail on September 26.

A case was filed under IPC 509, 354(A), and 294 against the actor. However, the complaint was withdrawn later.

This matter pertains to a video that showed Sreenath lashing out at the interviewer/anchor after they asked him to rank his co-star based on their 'rowdiness.'

While the interviewer/anchor asked the question in a light-hearted manner, given that the film's title is Chattambi, which means 'rowdy', the question wasn't liked by Sreenath.

The actor asked the journalists if they have no intention of getting better at their jobs. He even shouted, "I'm pissed off right now" and also used the F-word. -- ANI

12:23 Bharat Jodo Yatra reaches Indore in MP

The Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reached Indore on Sunday on the fifth day of its Madhya Pradesh leg.

People from different sections of society including a differently-abled man, Manohar, also joined the foot march and Gandhi was seen pushing his wheelchair to some distance.

The man said he told Gandhi that the country now needs a change.

After a night halt at Mhow, the birthplace of Dr B R Ambedkar, the yatra participants resumed the march on Sunday morning.

The yatra passed through the suburban area of Rau and reached Indore.

A red carpet was rolled out to welcome when the march reached Rau.

Indore commissioner of police HC Mishra said 1,400 personnel have been deployed in the city to provide security to the yatra and barricades have been put up at various places.

Twelve dilapidated houses in the densely populated Rajwada area with narrow streets have been temporarily evacuated to avoid the possibility of any untoward incident during the march, he said. -- PTI

Former Maharashtra minister Anil Parab

11:44 ED summons Shiv Sena leader Anil Parab's close aide in money laundering case

The Enforcement Directorate has summoned Sadanand Kadam, a close aide of Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray leader and former Maharashtra minister Anil Parab in connection with a money laundering case.

An FIR has also been registered against Kadam in the illegal resort case of Anil Parab in Dapoli, Ratnagiri.

Sadanand Kadam is the brother of former Sena MP Ramdas Kadam.

The probe agency had earlier questioned Kadam in the money laundering case registered against Parab and others in connection with the Dapoli resort fraud case.

Anil Parab has a resort in Dapoli which is allegedly illegal and Parab has also indulged in corruption to build it.

The ED also intensified the investigation regarding this resort of Anil Parab.

The ED had called Parab in the alleged money laundering case in the Dapoli resort case.

It is alleged that the rules of the Union environment ministry have been ignored to build the resort, due to which the environment ministry declared it illegal and also complained about this in the Dapoli court.

Based on the same complaint, ED registered Enforcement Case Information Report and started an investigation into the matter. -- ANI

The Madhya Pradesh Police have registered a case in connection with a purported video pertaining to pro-Pakistani slogans raised during the Congress's Bharat Jodo Yatra, an official said on Sunday.

While the Congress alleged it was a doctored video with which the Bharatiya Janata Party was trying to defame the foot march led by Rahul Gandhi, the ruling BJP claimed the opposition party deleted the clip after a pro-Pakistani slogan was heard in it.

Khargone's Superintendent of Police Dharmveer Singh Yadav said the case was registered at Sanawad police station against unidentified persons under Indian Penal Code Sections 153 (B) (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) in connection with the video related to pro-Pakistani slogans.

Yadav did not share any other detail and said further investigation into the case was underway.

MP Congress Committee's media department chairperson KK Mishra in a statement claimed it was a doctored video.

The BJP is scared of the success of Rahul Gandhi's yatra.

The BJP made a malicious attempt to defame this march by using a fake video, he alleged.

Mishra said legal action will be taken against Madhya Pradesh BJP media in-charge Lokendra Parashar, who had shared the video on his Twitter handle.

On the other hand, MP BJP spokesman Pankaj Chaturvedi alleged that the video was shared by the state Congress Twitter handle at 8.52 am on November 25 and deleted later after pro-Pakistani slogan was heard in it.

Why the Congress Twitter handle deleted the tweet when there was no objectionable content in it? This shows the double standard of the Congress, he claimed in a statement.

Earlier, the Chhattisgarh Police had registered an offence against a man for allegedly posting a doctored video on social media of pro-Pakistani slogans raised during the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

A member of the Congress legal cell lodged a complaint in Raipur on Friday, following which an FIR was registered against the man, who hails from Madhya Pradesh, Civil Lines police station house officer Satyaprakash Tiwari said on Saturday.

The case was registered under section 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the official had said.

The Bharat Jodo Yatra, a mass contact initiative of the Congress, is currently underway in Madhya Pradesh. -- PTI

Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari has asserted that the Citizenship Amendment Act will be implemented in the state, and dared Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to stop its roll-out.

During a meeting in North 24 Parganas District's Thakurnagar, an area dominated by the Matuas whose roots are in Bangladesh, Adhikari said the CAA does not suggest that citizenship of anyone will be taken away if one is a bonafide resident with legal documents.

"We have discussed about the CAA several times. It will be rolled out in the state. If you have guts, stop it from being enforced," the Nandigram MLA said in an apparent reference to the chief minister.

The CAA facilitates the grant of citizenship to migrants belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

But, as the rules under the act have not been framed by the government yet, no one so far could be granted citizenship under it.

"Matua community members will also be given citizenship," Adhikari said at the public meeting on Saturday.

A politically significant community, the Matuas are split into the BJP and Trinamool Congress camps.

With an estimated 30-lakh Matuas in the state, the community has influence in at least five Lok Sabha seats and nearly 50 assembly seats in Nadia, North and South 24 Parganas districts.

Union Minister and BJP MP from Bongaon Shantanu Thakur also said the CAA will be 'a reality in West Bengal, and the Narendra Modi government is committed to realising the goal'.

Meanwhile, TMC leader and senior West Bengal minister Firhad Hakim said the BJP is playing with the CAA card before the 2023 panchayat polls and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections with 'an eye on vote-bank politics'.

"But, we will never allow that to happen," Hakim said. -- PTI

10:40

FIFA World Cup matches today: Spain vs Germany

10:40

FIFA World Cup matches today: Croatia vs Canada

10:38

FIFA World Cup matches today: Belgium vs Morocco

10:36

FIFA World Cup matches today: Japan vs Costa Rica

10:28 Travel curbs continue at Assam-Meghalaya border

Heavy security was deployed and prohibitory orders remained in force at the disputed area along the Assam-Meghalaya border, where six people were killed following violent clashes, even as travel restrictions between the two states continued for the sixth consecutive day on Sunday, officials said.

An advisory was issued by the Assam Police, asking people to avoid travelling to the neighbouring state following the incident on Tuesday.

"The situation is still not completely peaceful in Meghalaya. There could be attacks on people or vehicles from Assam. Hence, we are asking people not to travel to that state," a police officer said.

"If at all someone has to travel, we have asked them to go by Meghalaya-registered vehicles," he said.

Police barricades remained erected at Jorabat in Guwahati and Cachar district, the two main entry points from Assam into Meghalaya.

No restrictions, however, were imposed on commercial vehicles like trucks, carrying goods and other items, the officer said.

Restrictions under Section 144 of the CrPC continued at the clash site and surrounding areas.

On Saturday, members of various social organisations in Meghalaya burnt effigies of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma among others, in protest against the border violence.

Hynniewtrep Indigenous Territorial Organisation, another social entity, also observed 'Red Flag Day' on the premises of the U Soso Tham Auditorium in Shillong. -- PTI

Protests erupted in China's Shanghai on Saturday night against Beijing's strict COVID-19 policy.

Several videos have emerged on social media which showcased people chanting slogans against restrictions imposed by the Chinese government to curb the spread of Covid.

The protests erupted after 10 people died and nine others were injured in an apartment fire in Urumqi.

Saturday saw protests erupt in Shanghai with people calling to relax COVID-19 curbs across the country.

Expressing anger over the stringent Covid policy, Chinese citizens took to the streets in large numbers.

According to a video posted by DW News East Asia Correspondent William Yang on Twitter, people at 'Urumqi Road' held a protest against Xi Jinping-led Chinese Communist Party (CCP), chanting slogans like 'Step down the Communist Party' and 'The Communist Party, Step down', 'Xi Jinping, step down'.

In a series of tweets regarding the protests in Shanghai, William Yang said that countless people gathered on Urumqi Road and chanted slogans, 'I don't want PCR test, I want freedom'.

In another tweet, William Yang said, people in 'Urumqi Road' also called for ending the lockdown in Xinjiang.

'Citizens chanting #Xinjiang, end lockdown, #Xinjiang, end lockdown,' Yang wrote on Twitter.

Continuing the thread, he said that a scuffle broke out between people and police at the site of a protest in Shanghai.

In a tweet, William Yang said, 'Police surrounded the last few dozens of protesters at the scene in Shanghai and some women were reportedly taken away.'

'Incredible footage from #China's #Shanghai, where countless people gathered at a road called '#Urumqi road', chanting the slogan 'Step down, the Communist Party' very loudly,' William Yang wrote on Twitter.

Notably, the Chinese government has been adhering to strict COVID-19 policy in order to curb the spread of the virus ever since the pandemic emerged in China.

The restrictions imposed by the Chinese government include strict lockdowns, travel restrictions and mass testing.

Meanwhile, Joyce Karam, senior US correspondent at The National, also posted a video on her Twitter handle in which people were seen protesting against COVID-19 restrictions in Wulumuqi Road.

'Rare protests erupt in #China's largest city over Covid restrictions & gov. rules. 'We want freedom' the crowd chants in this video from Wulumuqi road tonight,' Karam tweeted.

While sharing the protest video on Twitter, Axial Vibe Studio Co-founder Vivian Wu wrote, 'Scale of the protest tonight in Shanghai. Notice police didn't do anything but stand calmly watching ppl protest and shout. It's not benevolence. My guess: they need to ask for directives from the top authorities. Police might be stunned as nobody dares to do so for decades.'

Earlier on Friday, a fire in a residential high-rise in Urumqi, where many residents have been placed under lockdown, set off public anger and questions about China's zero-Covid policy.

Chang Che, a freelance writer covering Chinese technology and society and Amy Chang Chien covering news in mainland China and Taiwan, writing in The New York Post (NYT) said that the protest erupted after the fire killed 10 persons in the region, with residents calling for the lifting of lockdowns.

Chinese commenters on social media shared reports and footage of the blaze that killed 10 people and injured nine in Urumqi, Xinjiang's capital, demanding to know if Covid restrictions had hampered the rescue or prevented residents from escaping their apartments or the building.

Late Friday, videos circulated widely on the Chinese internet showing throngs of residents in Urumqi marching to a government building and chanting 'end lockdowns'. -- ANI

IMAGE: People being tested at a nucleic acid testing site, following the COVID-19 outbreak in Shanghai, on November 24, 2022. Photograph: Aly Song/Reuters

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal will address campaign rallies on Sunday in Gujarat's 'diamond city' Surat, which sends 12 MLAs to the state's 182-member Assembly.

Voting will be held in Surat in the first phase of the Gujarat Assembly elections on December 1.

Modi will address a public meeting at Mota Varachha in Surat after a 25-km road-show from the airport to the rally venue, local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jagdish Patel said on Saturday.

The PM is also scheduled to address rallies at Netrang in Bharuch district and Mehmedabad in Kheda district.

Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal will beon a two-day tour of Surat, which for long has remained a stronghold of the Bharatiya Janata Party with the support of its textile and diamond industry and lakhs people associated with the sectors.

He will hold townhall meetings with textile industry leaders as well as gem artisans, and address a public meeting at Yogi Chowk.

Kejriwal will also hold a roadshow in Katargam, state AAP general secretary Manoj Sorathiya said.

"Within Gujarat, Surat has today become the epicentre of AAP. The Surat Municipal Corporation is today the largest civic body of Gujarat. As per our internal survey, the AAP is leading in all 12 seats with more vote share than the BJP," Sorathiya claimed, adding that those associated with the textile and diamond industries were supporting his party.

The AAP has fielded its state unit president Gopal Italia from Katargam, and former Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti leaders Alpesh Kathiriya and Dharmik Malaviya from Varaccha Road and Olpad, respectively. -- PTI

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