LIVE! Kharge, Sonia invited to Ram Temple ceremony

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Wed, 20 December 2023

Kharge, Sonia invited to Ram Temple ceremony

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23:48 Kharge, Sonia invited to Ram Temple ceremony

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and party leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury have received invitations for the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22.

Sources said the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust sent the invitations to them. But the senior Congress leaders are unlikely to attend the ceremony, they added.

The invitations were sent individually to Kharge, Gandhi and Chowdhury, the sources said.

Former prime ministers Manmohan Singh and H D Deve Gowda have also received invitations for the function.

The invitations, the sources said, were delivered by a delegation of those associated with the Trust.

More invitations are likely to be sent to other opposition leaders in the coming days.

The Trust has said that invitations have been extended to revered saints from different traditions, along with all prominent individuals contributing to the honour of the country in every domain.

In the new Teerthakshetrapuram (Bag Bijaisi), a Tent City has been established which includes six tubewells, six kitchen houses, and a hospital with ten beds, the Trust has said.

Approximately 150 doctors from around the country have agreed to provide their services in rotation at this hospital. About 4,000 saints from different sects have been invited to participate in the ceremony, the Trust has said. -- PTI

All six people arrested in connection with Parliament security breach case were confronted with one another for a corroboration of the sequence of the incident by the Special Cell on Wednesday, police sources said.

All six have been kept at five different units of Delhi Police Special cell, where they have been interrogated by security agencies several times.

On Wednesday, they were taken to the Counter Intelligence (CI) office of Special Cell and confronted with one another, sources said.

Two of them -- Neelam and Manoranjan -- were already kept at CI office in New Friends Colony, while four others were brought from different ranges, sources said.

The seven days of police custody of four accused -- Sagar Sharma, Manoranjan D, Neelam, and Amol Shide -- is ending on Thursday.

An officer privy to the probe said the investigators may seek further custody of all four for a few more days as there were still several angles left to be scrutinised.

The data of the mobile phones, which were stated to be destroyed, by two other accused, Lalit Jha and Mahesh Kumawat, are yet to be accessed.

The investigators are supposed to visit various locations along with the accused, which is yet to be done, the officer said. -- PTI

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge will hold a meeting with top party leaders on Thursday to discuss party's strategy for upcoming Lok Sabha polls and chalk out plans on seat sharing with like-minded parties of the INDIA bloc.

Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi and former party chief Rahul Gandhi would attend the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting.

This is the first meeting of the top Congress leadership after the party's debacle in recently held assembly elections in five states.

The Congress has maintained that its morale is not down, even though the assembly poll results have been very disappointing and not as per expectations.

The party has already held a first round of analysis of the poll results and the CWC is likely to hold further discussions on the reasons of the defeat.

The party leadership is likely to evolve a new agenda to take on the BJP as its key thrust on caste census has failed to click with voters in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

The meeting will take place at the All India Congress Committee headquarters in New Delhi.

The meeting is being held at a time when the challenge before the Congress is to come out with an alternative positive agenda to counter the BJP in the next general elections.

Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday told MPs at the Parliamentary Party meeting that the assembly election results being very disappointing is an understatement as she urged them to channel their disappointment into positivity for next year's general elections.

This was the first time that Sonia Gandhi spoke on the recent assembly poll results.

"To say that the assembly election results in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have been very disappointing for our party is an understatement. The Congress President has already had a first round of reviews to understand the reasons for our poor performance and draw the needed lessons for our organization," she told the MPs.

She also said that the Lok Sabha elections will be held in the next few months and 'we have our task cut out both as a party in our own right and also as a member of the INDIA bloc'.

The Congress is also holding a mega rally in Nagpur on the party's foundation day on December 28. -- PTI

A 45-year-old woman died at her house in Hyderabad about a week ago and two members of a family were found living with the decomposed body there, police said on Wednesday.

Some neighbours after noticing a foul smell emanating from the house on Wednesday went there and after not getting any response from inside the house informed the police.

Police broke open the door as it was bolted from inside and found the decomposed body of the woman on a cot in the main hall, a police official at Jeedimetla police station said.

The woman's mother and brother were found living in the same house but they told the police that they were not aware of her death, the official said.

Police were suspecting the woman's mother and brother were not in mentally sound state.

It seems the woman had died due to some previous health issues about four-five days ago, the official said and added that based on preliminary investigation, a post-mortem was being conducted.

A case was registered and further investigations were on. -- PTI

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has prohibited the use of anti-cold fixed drug combination in children below four years of age.

Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) Rajeev Raghuvanshi has asked the drug regulators of all states and Union territories to instruct the manufacturers of fixed drug combination (FDC) of Chlorpheniramine Maleate IP 2mg + Phenylephrine HCL IP 5mg drop/ml to insert warning that 'FDC should not be used in children below 4 years of age' on label and package insert/promotional literature of the drug.

In the letter, the DCGI stated that the FDC was declared as rational by the Professor Kokate Committee and based on its recommendation, this office had issued NOC for continued manufacturing and marketing of the FDC on July 17, 2015 under the 18-month policy decision.

"Subsequently concerns have been raised regarding promotion of unapproved anti-cold drug formulation for infants," he said.

The matter was deliberated in the Subject Expert Committee (SEC- Pulmonary) meeting held on June 6.

"The committee recommended that the FDC should not be used in children below four years of age and accordingly the firms should mention warnings in this regard on label and package insert. The recommendation of the SEC has been considered by this office," the letter stated.

"Accordingly, you are requested to direct all the manufacturers of said FDC under your jurisdiction to mention warning 'FDC should not be used in children below 4 years of age' on label and package insert/promotional literature of the drug," according to the DCGI's letter dated December 18. -- PTI

The Congress received Rs 2.81 crore within 48 hours of launching its crowdfunding campaign, with more than 1.13 lakh people donating to the party.

The crowdfunding campaign -- 'Donate for Desh' -- was launched on Monday by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge with a donation of Rs 1.38 lakh. While 80 per cent of the transactions to donate money to the party were through UPI, sources said there were as many as 20,000 cyber attacks on the Congress app.

Most of the cyber attacks were from abroad, they said, adding that there were 1,340 attacks for theft of data too.

More than 1,13,700 people donated in the first 48 hours with a total sum of Rs 2.81 crore credited to the party, the sources said.

Thirty-two people, including former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and senior party leaders, have donated more than Rs 1 lakh.

The sources said the Congress will innovate further to generate more funds for the party ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls by selling merchandise, such as caps signed by Gandhi, mugs and t-shirts.

Among the states that have made maximum contributions are Maharashtra (Rs 56 lakh), Rajasthan (Rs 26 lakh), Delhi (Rs 20 lakh), Uttar Pradesh (Rs 19 lakh) and Karnataka (Rs 18 lakh).

A party leader said a large number of people have donated in Bihar but the amount is small.

He said the party's aim is to reach out to more and more people through the campaign and connect as many people with the Congress as possible.

The sources said more than one crore people have hit the application so far, adding that the crowdfunding would gain momentum during a December 28 rally in Nagpur to mark the party's foundation day.

The Congress will soon appoint observers in various states to step up the campaign. Besides Kharge and Gandhi, Ashok Gehlot, C P Joshi, Sushilkumar Shinde, Devender Yadav, Pawan Khera, Jairam Ramesh, Niranjan Pattanayak and Pariniti Shinde were among those who donated more than Rs 1 lakh.

The campaign was launched to coincide with the 138th year of the formation of the Congress.

The party said the initiative is inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's historic 'Tilak Swaraj Fund', which was launched more than 100 years ago in 1920-21.

The initiative aims at empowering the party in creating an India that is rich in equal resource distribution and opportunities, a senior leader said.

Donors have been asked to donate in the multiples of Rs 138, symbolising the party's enduring commitment to a better India.

The party has created two online channels for the crowdfunding campaign -- a dedicated portal at donateinc.in and the official Congress website at inc.in. -- PTI

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is working on genome sequencing of the new JN.1 variant of SARS-CoV-2, Union health ministry officials said on Wednesday.

Twenty-one cases of COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 have been detected across the country till now, NITI Aayog member (health) Dr V K Paul said on Wednesday.

He said the scientific community in India was closely investigating the new variant as he emphasised on the need for states to ramp up testing and strengthen their surveillance mechanism.

According to official sources, 19 cases of COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 have been traced in Goa and one each in Kerala and Maharashtra.

Over the past two weeks, 16 deaths related to COVID-19 were recorded with the victims having serious comorbidities.

Amid a rise in Covid cases in the country, Paul highlighted that about 91 to 92 per cent of those infected are opting for home-based treatment indicating mild illness.

No increase in hospitalisation rate has been witnessed due to COVID-19.

People who are being hospitalised are due to other medical conditions and 'COVID-19 is an incidental finding', officials stated.

JN.1 (BA.2.86.1.1) variant emerged in late 2023 and is descendant of the BA.2.86 lineage (Pirola) of SARS-CoV-2. BA.2.86 lineage, first identified in August 2023, is phylogenetically distinct from the circulating SARS-CoV-2 Omicron XBB lineages, including EG.5.1 and HK.3. BA.2.86 carries more than 30 mutations in the spike (5) protein, indicating a high potential for immune evasion, the ministry said.

JN.1 is currently considered a variant of interest (VOI) by WHO.

As far as geographical distribution is concerned, the JN.1 variant has been reported in the USA, China, Singapore, India and constitutes a modest-yet-notable percentage, projected to potentially encompass 15-29 per cent of circulating variants within the United States.

It is not currently known whether JN.1 infection produces different symptoms from other variants.

In general, symptoms of COVID-19 tend to be similar across variants, they stated.

There is no indication of increased severity from JN.1. At this time, there is no evidence that JN.1 presents an increased risk to public health relative to other currently circulating variants, the officials said.

Current laboratory tests (RT-PCR) is effective for JN.1 detection.

Existing treatment line for COVID-19 is expected to be effective against JN.1 infection and updated COVID-19 vaccines are expected to increase protection against JN.1 as they do for other variants, the ministry had said on Monday. -- PTI

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said that the new criminal law bills have a provision of trial in absentia for those who are 'hiding in other countries' for terror acts and other offences in India.

Replying to the debate in Lok Sabha on Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, 2023, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita, 2023 and the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill, 2023, Amit Shah said if those hiding in other countries do not appear before the court within 90 days, then in their absence, trial will go on.

"Many may have objections to the provisions under trial in absentia. What sympathy can there be for someone who has committed a crime and fled the country? Whether it's the Mumbai bomb blast or any other act of terrorism. They commit any crime and take refuge in countries like Pakistan or others. The question arises, should they be punished or not?"

The Home Minister said those evading trial by staying abroad should face legal consequences.

"Those people are hiding in other countries, and trials are not underway...Ninety days will be given for the accused to appear before the court. If they fail to do so, a public prosecutor will be appointed for their prosecution. This approach will not only expedite the legal process but also change their status in the other country when they are prosecuted. It will make the process to bring them back speedy."

Amit Shah said that the new criminal law bills are in consonance with the spirit of the Constitution and have been brought keeping in mind the well-being of the people of the country.

The House later passed the three bills which will replace the Indian Penal Code of 1860, Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) of 1973 and Indian Evidence Act, of 1872.

The Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita 2023, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita 2023, and Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill 2023 will replace the IPC, CrPC and the Evidence Act respectively. -- ANI

The bodies of 87 Kuki Zo victims of ethnic violence were laid to rest in Manipur's Churachandpur district headquarters on Wednesday, officials said.

Forty-one of the bodies were airlifted from different mortuaries in Imphal on December 14 while 46 were from Churachandpur district hospital, they said.

Thousands of people turned up to pay their final respects to the departed souls amid prohibitory orders.

A condolence service was organised at Tuibuong followed by the mass burial amid restrictions imposed under section 144 CrPC after a violent clash on Monday night over the burial left around 30 injured.

Earlier on December 15, nineteen violence victims were laid to rest in Kangpokpi district.

Ethnic clashes broke out in Manipur on May 3 after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts of the state to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal valley.

Tribals -- Nagas and Kukis -- constitute little more than 40 per cent and reside in the hill districts. -- PTI

Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) parties will complete the seat-sharing process for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections comfortably without any hurdle and there will be a joint opposition candidate against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance on every seat, a senior Congress leader said on Wednesday.

"Consultations are on and seat-sharing will be done comfortably. There will be no hurdle in that," Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Ghulam Ahmad Mir told reporters in Anantnag district in south Kashmir.

Mir said the alliance would field a joint candidate everywhere, including in Jammu and Kashmir, so that votes do not get divided.

"If any party in J-K is with them (BJP), then they will be on one side and one candidate of INDIA alliance will be on the other. We will have only one candidate contesting on a seat so that the votes don't get divided and the people vote on one symbol only as only then will it be possible to bring a change in India in 2024," he said.

The CWC member said the thinking among the alliance partners is that every party will get its due.

On reports about Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar being miffed, Mir said it was only the media's creation.

"Kumar is the architect and initiator of the alliance and there is no such thing. The alliance is ready to fight the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) in 2024," he said.

The former Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president said providing certain guarantees such as land and job rights to the people of Jammu and Kashmir will be a part of the agenda of the alliance.

"The upcoming fight in 2024 is between the BJP and the INDIA alliance. These guarantees will be part of the agenda of the alliance and will be provided under the ambit of the Constitution," he said.

The CWC member said his party is committed to provide these rights to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

"The Congress party accepts the Supreme Court verdict (on Article 370) as it is the highest court, but the requirement and the demand of the people of Jammu and Kashmir as of today is the protection of their rights to land, jobs and resources.

"The Congress wanted to give these rights and it is clear that the BJP wants to take those away. The Congress is committed to provide these rights to the people of Jammu and Kashmir," he said. -- PTI

Former Union minister and senior leader of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Narendra Singh Tomar was unanimously elected as the speaker of the Madhya Pradesh legislative assembly on Wednesday.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav moved a proposal for Tomar as the speaker and the leader of the opposition Umang Singhar as well as other MLAs also moved the proposal in favour of Tomar to be elected as the speaker.

After that, with the vote pro tem speaker Gopal Bhargava declared Tomar as elected unanimously to the speaker's post.

BJP MLA Tomar filed his nomination for the speaker's post on Monday, the first day of the first session of the 16th Madhya Pradesh assembly.

The first session of the state assembly will conclude on Thursday.

After Tomar was chosen speaker, Yadav extended congratulations to him and also thanked the opposition for unanimously electing the speaker. -- ANI

17:22 'Good if Kharge becomes PM candidate but...'

It is good if Congress President M Mallikarjun Kharge becomes the Prime Ministerial candidate of opposition bloc INDIA, but there is need to first face practical challenges ahead, instead of daydreaming, his son and Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge said on Wednesday.

He stressed on the need for the Congress and INDIA bloc parties to gain majority in Lok Sabha, calling it a major challenge before of the opposition formation.

West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday proposed Kharge's name, saying he could be the "first Dalit prime minister" of the country, but no decision was taken on it. Several leaders, including MDMK leader Vaiko, confirmed this after the meeting of the opposition grouping and said Kharge told the leaders that it is important to win first and increase the strength of the alliance while everything else can be decided later.

"AICC President has clearly reacted to this, he has said that the challenge before us is to elect as many (Congress) parliamentarians as possible and send them to Delhi. It is the major challenge ahead of us. Whatever has to be done to get a majority, we will do it," Priyank Kharge said.

The Delhi High Court Wednesday reserved its order on an interim plea by Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mahua Moitra, who was recently expelled from the Lok Sabha, seeking to restrain BJP MP Nishikant Dubey and advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai from posting or circulating any alleged fake and defamatory content against her. The high court reserved its order on the interim application after hearing the counsel for Moitra, Dubey and Dehadrai.

File pic

17:06 LS passes Criminal Law bills with 97 MPs suspended

Lok Sabha passes Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita Bill by voice vote. The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita Bill, Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill have also been passed by Lok Sabha.

Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said that the new criminal law bills are in consonance with the spirit of the Constitution and have been brought keeping in mind the well-being of the people of the country.

Replying to the debate in Lok Sabha on the Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, 2023; the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita, 2023 and the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill, 2023, Amit Shah said that the new legislations will replace British-era laws.

"Under the leadership of Modiji, I have brought bills that lay emphasis on Indianness, the Indian Constitution and the well-being of the people. The laws are being changed in the spirit of Constitution," he said.

Amit Shah said the bills will encourage the use of technology in giving justice to people. He said "mob-lynching" had been included as an offence in the bills.

The number of suspended MPs in the Lok Sabha is 97. So far 143 opposition MPs have been suspended from the two Houses of Parliament.

The Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday chaired a high-level meeting to review the COVID-19 situation in India and the preparedness of the public health system for surveillance, containment and management of COVID-19 in view of the recent spike in cases of COVID-19 in some states.

During the meeting, Mandaviya emphasised the importance of being alert and prepared against new and emerging strains of the COVID-19 virus.

"It is important to be alert and prepared against new and emerging strains of the COVID-19 virus," Mandaviya said.

The Union Health Minister urged all the states to remain alert, increase surveillance and ensure an adequate stock of medicines, oxygen cylinders and concentrators, ventilators and vaccines.

Reiterating the need for joint efforts between the Centre and States to ensure efficient management of COVID-19, Mandaviya said, "Let us undertake mock drills once every three months at both the central and state levels and share best practices." -- ANI

On Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's reaction on mimicry row, Union Minister and BJP MP Giriraj Singh says, "The biggest non-serious leader of this century is Rahul Gandhi. He doesn't know what he says. I don't think a lot of comment needs to be made on a non-serious person. People rejected him in 2019 based on issues that he wants to present. He has crossed limits after losing three states... Rahul Gandhi should have discouraged them from mimicking the Vice President..."

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Wednesday said he shot the video of MPs sitting outside Parliament which remains on his phone and asked why was there no discussion over MPs being "thrown out" of the House.

A huge political row broke out after Trinamool Congress leader Kalyan Banerjee mimicked Dhankhar during the opposition's protest on the stairs of Parliament on Tuesday against the suspension of MPs, drawing strong condemnation from the ruling BJP.

Gandhi was seen making a video of the performance by Banerjee.

Asked about him making the video and claims that the vice president was insulted, he said, "Who insulted and how? MPs were sitting there, I took their video which remains on my phone. The media continues to show it and is making remarks, Modi ji is making remarks, nobody has said anything."

16:25 Sensex, Nifty go into tailspin, tank over 1%

Benchmark equity indices Sensex and Nifty went into a tailspin after hitting their fresh all-time high levels on Wednesday, closing down by over 1 per cent as investors cashed in on the recent rally.

Erasing all its early gains, the 30-share BSE Sensex crashed 930.88 points or 1.30 per cent to settle at 70,506.31.

The index opened higher and later gained 475.88 points or 0.66 per cent to hit its all-time high of 71,913.07. However, selling across the board dragged the barometer down from record highs and it dropped to a low of 70,302.60.

The Nifty fell by 302.95 points or 1.41 per cent to 21,150.15. During the day, it climbed 139.9 points or 0.65 per cent to reach its record high of 21,593.

All the 30 Sensex shares, except for HDFC Bank, closed in the red. Tata Steel fell the most by 4.21 per cent. NTPC, Tata Motors, HCL Technologies, Mahindra & Mahindra, State Bank of India, Power Grid, Tech Mahindra, Larsen & Toubro and JSW Steel also declined. HDFC Bank was the only gainer from the pack. -- PTI

Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said that the criminal law amendment bills are in consonance with the spirit of the Constitution and have been brought keeping in mind the well-being of the people of the country.

Amit Shah said the bills will encourage the use of technology in giving justice to people. He said "mob-lynching" had been included as an offence in the bills.

Amit Shah said the British-era laws were aimed at protecting foreign rule and the new bills are people-centric.

Amid a row over a TMC MP mimicking Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Wednesday said he shot the video of MPs sitting outside Parliament which remains on his phone and asked why was there no discussion over MPs being "thrown out" of the House.

Gandhi was seen making a video of the performance by Banerjee. Asked about him making the video and claims that the vice president was insulted, he said, "Who insulted and how? MPs were sitting there, I took their video which remains on my phone. The media continues to show it and is making remarks, Modi ji is making remarks, nobody has said anything."

"Our 150 MPs have been thrown out and there is no discussion about that in the media... no discussion on Adani and on Rafale. France has said that investigation is not being allowed. There is no discussion on that, there is no discussion on unemployment, our MPs are sad, sitting there, you are discussing that." He urged the media to show some news and stressed that it is their responsibility. PTI

15:41 Video on my phone, discuss suspensions: Rahul

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on the mimicry row: "...MPs were sitting there, I shot their video. My video is on my phone. Media is showing it...Nobody has said anything... 150 of our MPs have been thrown out (of the House) but there is no discussion on that in the media. There is no discussion on Adani, no discussion on Rafale, no discussion on unemployment. Our MPs are disheartened and sitting outside. But you are discussing that (mimicry)..."

15:34 Israel strikes 300 Hamas targets in 24 hours

Israeli forces struck 300 Hamas targets in Gaza in the last 24 hours, including air and naval strikes, and face to face battles, the Israel Defence Forces said on Wednesday morning.

Dozens of terrorists were killed, the IDF added. Targets included a building in Khan Yunis which served as a headquarters and weapons storage facility. Weapons seized by Israeli forces included ammunition, explosive charges, and 20 mortar shells.

Also destroyed was a position from which Hamas fired rockets at Israel on Tuesday. The IDF also said on Wednesday morning that aircraft attacked a series of Hezbollah targets in Lebanon in response to rocket fire.

TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee

15:29 No on said it was about Dhankhar: Adhir on mimicry

Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Wednesday reacted to the mimicry incident of Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar by suspended Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee outside the Parliament and said, "Mimicry is an art".

A video went viral earlier showing Banerjee mimicking Dhankhar's mannerisms and physical limitations during a protest by the suspended Opposition members on the stairs of the Parliament on Tuesday.

Referring to this, Chowdhury said, "Mimicry is an art. No one said this mimicry was on Dhankhar ji. He is accepting it himself. Why is he taking it on himself, no one said his name. Does it suit a person on such a high post to talk about caste?"

Hitting out at the ruling BJP, the Congress leader said, "They are trying to escape with the issue of Parliament security breach. They don't want to give answers on the same and thus are exaggerating this issue".

The horrific Covid Delta deaths of 2021

15:21 64-year-old Bengaluru resident dies due to COVID-19 infection

A 64-year-old man died in the city due to COVID-19 infection five days ago, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said on Wednesday. Asked if the cause of death is the new subvariant JN.1 of the SARS CoV-2 virus, he said it is not known so far.

The person, who had comorbidities, is a resident of Chamarajpet and died on December 15, the Minister told reporters.

"It is still not known whether the patient had JN.1 sub variant infection. He had heart failure, also TB infection. He also had hypertension, lung disease, bronchial asthma, along with COVID-19 and pneumonia," Rao added.

Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare Services, Randeep D, told PTI: "It's the first (COVID death) after recent surge in cases". -- PTI

Ruling party members on Wednesday participated in the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha while remaining standing to express solidarity with Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar after a TMC MP mimicked him in Parliament premises The treasury benches participated in the Question Hour proceedings while standing for about ten minutes.

Among those seen standing were Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Transport minister Nitin Gadkari and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi.

A political row broke out on Tuesday after Trinamool Congress leader Kalyan Banerjee derisively mimicked Dhankhar during the opposition's protest on the stairs of Parliament against the MPs' suspension, drawing strong condemnation from the ruling BJP. The BJP also attacked the opposition over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi making a video of the performance by Banerjee.

As soon as the House resumed at noon, Joshi said, "In protest against the action of their party's former president (Rahul Gandhi) and in your honour and in honour of the Constitution, we would participate in the Question Hour while remaining standing in silence. We request for your permission".

"We strongly condemn how Rahul Gandhi insulted you and your constitutional position. To tarnish a particular community and section of society is not right," he said.

"As far as I have seen, this is the first time they have fallen to this level and there is no end to this. We strongly condemn this. They have been insulting people at constitutional positions," Joshi said.

The minister said for 20 years they "insulted" the prime minister because he comes from a poor family and belongs to the OBC background. They kept on "insulting" him even after he became the prime minister, he said.

"Then they insulted the President of India who is a tribal. And now they have insulted the Vice President of India, who is a farmer's son and hails from the Jat community.

"For the first time a farmer's son and 'Jat-putra' reached this level and they have insulted this post of the vice president of India. I want to make it clear that India will not tolerate the insult of the vice president and India will not tolerate the insult of the Constitution," he asserted amid slogan-shouting by members of the treasury benches.

The minister said the President and Lok Sabha Speaker have also condemned the act of insulting the vice president. He said several big people in different fields have condemned this and "we too strongly condemn this insult".

As members of treasury benches stood in honour of the chair, opposition members raised slogans demanding that the home minister come to the House and make a statement on the Parliament security breach issue.

After the ruling party members stood for about 10 minutes during Question Hour, the Chairman asked them to resume their seats, saying he was touched by the gesture. "I am greatly touched by your gesture. I do not represent an individual. I am custodian of an institution and I am accountable to it. Any affront to the institution, the position that I hold, I have to be a protector of it," he said.

"Your gesture of standing has really touched my heart. I would request you to kindly take your seats and we will proceed with the proceedings of the House. Kindly resume your seats," Dhankhar said.

15:02 2 more MPs suspended, count now a whopping 144

The Lok Sabha on Wednesday suspended two more opposition MPs for showing placards in the House. Thomas Chazhikadan of the Kerala Congress (Mani) and A M Ariff of the CPI(M) were suspended for misconduct after a resolution moved by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi was adopted by the House. This takes the number of suspended MPs in the Lok Sabha to 97. So far 143 opposition MPs have been suspended from the two Houses of Parliament.

The Opposition MPs have been protesting in both Houses of Parliament over the massive security breach in Lok Sabha last week. They have been demanding that Union Home Minister Amit Shah address the Parliament on the security failure due to which two intruders entered the Lok Sabha chamber, jumped from desk to desk and released coloured smoke from canisters.

14:36 Bongo bondhu

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee shares a light moment with Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan at Parliament House today.

14:31 20 cases of Covid JN.1 found in these 3 states

As many as 20 cases of COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 have been found across the country with 18 traced in Goa and one each in Kerala and Maharashtra, INSACOG data showed.

The Centre has asked states and union territories to maintain constant vigil amid an uptick in COVID-19 cases and the detection of the new JN.1 variant in the country. Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya Wednesday reviewed the preparedness of health facilities across the country and stressed on being alert against emerging strains of coronavirus. India recorded 614 new coronavirus infections in a day, the highest since May 21, while the active cases have increased to 2,311, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday.

The World Health Organisation has classified JN.1 as a separate "variant of interest" given its rapidly increasing spread but said that it poses a "low" global public health risk.

The JN.1 variant was previously classified as a variant of interest (VOI) as part of the BA.2.86 sublineages, the parent lineage that is classified as a VOI, the world body said on Tuesday.

However, in recent weeks, JN.1 cases continued to be reported in multiple countries and its prevalence has rapidly increased globally. PTI

14:10 Mamata on mimicry: Had Rahul not recorded...

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Wednesday played down the issue of Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar's mimicry by her party's MP, saying it was not meant to be disrespectful.

In the eye of the storm over the mimicry row, Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee also said that he never had any intention to hurt or disrespect Dhankhar.

Asked about the mimicry row, Mamata Banerjee said, "We respect everyone. It was not disrespectful. It was just politically, casually... You would not even have known it if Rahul ji had not recorded it."

The West Bengal chief minister was in the Parliament complex on Wednesday to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi over pending central funds for the state.

Kalyan Banerjee said that he did not intend to hurt anyone but did not offer any apology for the mimicry act which has been described by Dhankhar as an insult to the post of vice-president, the farmers and his own community.

"Mimicry is not an offence, they (BJP) are trying to change the main issue which is whether suspension of opposition MPs was right," the TMC MP said and claimed that even Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done it in the past.

"Did not have any intention at all to hurt anyone, including the Vice President. Have respect for constitutional positions," he said on Wednesday. Kalyan Banerjee said that he might have some differences with Dhankhar over a few issues but he meant no disrespect for him. He noted that Dhankhar had been a governor of his home state West Bengal and like him a lawyer.

TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee regales suspended MPs

13:31 Mimicry MP asks: Does Dhankar behave like this?

Under fire from the members in the Treasury and the BJP-led Centre over his mock impersonation of Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on the Parliament complex, suspended TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee on Wednesday clarified his conduct saying he was intending to hurt anyone.

A video went viral earlier showing Banerjee mimicking Dhankhar's mannerisms and physical limitations during a protest by the suspended Opposition members on the stairs of the Parliament on Tuesday.

The viral clip drew sharp condemnation from the ruling BJP. The chairman of the Upper House, too, took a serious view of the mimicry and expressed his anguish over it.

Addressing reporters on Wednesday, Banerjee said, "I wasn't intending to hurt anyone. I do not know why he is taking this on himself. Does he act like this in the Rajya Sabha?" He added that he respects the Vice President as they both belong to the same profession -- law.

"I respect Dhankar Sahib a lot. He's also a senior advocate, I'm too. I've great respect for Dhankar-ji. Firstly, he belongs in the same profession as me and secondly, because he was formerly a governor (of West Bengal). He is our Vice President," Banerjee said.

Also hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the TMC MP said, "Even the PM mimicked Opposition leaders in the Lok Sabha between 2014 and 2019. He did it. But everyone took it as harmless humour, not seriously. Now, if they are taking it seriously in my case, I can't help it."

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday said caste should not be dragged into every issue and wondered if he should rake up his Dalit origins every time he is not allowed to speak in Rajya Sabha, amid a row over the mimicry of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.

Dhankhar, who is also Rajya Sabha Chairperson, has flayed the mimicry, calling it as an insult to his background as a farmer and 'Jat' (his caste). The ruling BJP has echoed a similar view.

Speaking to reporters, Kharge said the Chairperson's job is to give protection to other members but he himself is making such a statement.

"I am not allowed to speak in Rajya Sabha often. Should I say it is because I am a Dalit," he added. "They should not incite people outside in the name of caste by talking about it inside," he said.

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said it is a very sad day for the country when people holding constitutional positions talk about their castes.

"The government is trying to wash its hands of the issue of Parliament's security breach by taking up such an issue, he added. Should everyone now move around wearing a label declaring their caste," he asked.

Kharge also asked if the government should also not apologise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah not speaking on the issue of Parliament's security breach in the two Houses but referring to them outside. PTI

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss pending central funds for the state. She said the prime minister proposed that officials from the state and Centre can sit together and clear the issues.

Speaking to the media after the meeting in the Parliament complex along with nine party MPs, Banerjee said 155 central teams have already visited West Bengal. Talking about the pending MGNREGA funds for the state, she said it is mandatory under the Constitution to pay the workers.

"We didn't even get a penny for 100 days of work (under MGNREGA) in the budget for 2022-23. Funds for (Pradhan Mantri) Aawas Yojna have been stopped, rural development schemes have been shut, and the health mission programme has also been shut. We are also not getting funds under the Finance Commission," said Banerjee.

"Our officials have given all the clarification they asked for. PM has said a joint meeting will be held by the Centre and state officials. I said we have given clarification 155 times. We can do that once again, they can decide the formula. In a federal structure, the central government has a share and the state also has a share," she said.

"It is not right to stop the money for poor people," Banerjee said, adding that the Centre owed Rs 1.15 lakh crore to West Bengal. PTI

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar Wednesday said he will not tolerate any insult to Parliament and the post of vice president while expressing deep anguish over a TMC MP mimicking him in the parliament complex and a Congress MP recording the act.

In the Rajya Sabha, the chairman said the act of mimicking him and its videography has caused an "insult" to the honour of the post of the vice president, the farmers and his own community. When the House met at 11.45 am after the third adjournment, Dhankhar expressed his anguish over Tuesday's incident and asked the Congress party, including Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, to ponder over it.

"I am not bothered if anyone insults Jagdeep Dhankhar but I cannot bear that I could not protect the honour of my post. It is my duty to protect the honour of the House," Dhankhar said.

"You cannot imagine what has happened. Such a big incident took place. The post was disrespected. The farmers' community was insulted. My community was insulted, and you are silent," he said before adjourning the House proceedings again for about 15 minutes. -- PTI

12:37 Speaker meets Dhankar, says mimicry 'new low'

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla met Rajya Sabha Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankar on Wednesday and expressed his concern over the "serious misdemeanor" by some MPs "demeaning and denigrating" the constitutional office of the Vice President while terming it a "new low".

Birla's remarks came a day after Trinamool Congress leader Kalyan Banerjee derisively mimicked Dhankhar during the opposition's protest on the stairs of Parliament against the suspension of MPs.

"Conveyed my deep concerns and anguish @VPIndia and Chairman, Rajya Sabha, about serious misdemeanor by Hon'ble MPs in Parliament complex demeaning and denigrating the constitutional office of Vice President," Birla posted on X along with a video of him meeting Dhankhar.

"It is shocking that one MP chose to amplify this ignoble act by video graphing. This is a new low and no one believing in democracy will ever appreciate it," he said.

As many as 49 opposition lawmakers were suspended from Lok Sabha on Tuesday for unruly behaviour, taking the total number of MPs facing action in both Houses of Parliament to 141. PTI

11:58 Pannun case: Narendra Modi reacts to US claim

Narendra Modi has for the first time responded to allegations of an Indian assassination plot in the US, saying he will "look into' any evidence but a "few incidents" would not derail US-India ties.

In an interview with the Financial Times, the Prime Minister sought to play down the diplomatic impact of a US indictment last month that claimed an Indian official directed the attempted murder of a Sikh separatist on American soil. Read more here.

Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 11:30 am on Wednesday amid protests by opposition members over the Parliament security breach issue. As the House met again at 11:15 am, the protests by opposition members continued.

Earlier when the House met, some opposition members had raised the issue of security breach and demanded a statement from the home minister on the matter. Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar asked the protesting members to maintain order in the House. As the protests continued, he adjourned the proceedings. PTI

Sonia Gandhi today accused the government of "strangulating democracy" by suspending MPs over a legitimate demand and said the Congress has its task cut out for next year's general elections both as a party and as INDIA bloc member.

Noting that the assembly election results being very disappointing is an understatement, the Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson urged party MPs to channel their disappointment into positivity for next year's general elections.

This was the first time that Sonia Gandhi spoke on the recent assembly poll results. Addressing party MPs at a meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party in the Central Hall of Parliament, Gandhi said, "To say that the assembly election results in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have been very disappointing for our party is an understatement."

"The Congress president has already had a first round of reviews to understand the reasons for our poor performance and to draw the needed lessons for our organization," she said.

"We are facing enormous challenges. Yet, I am confident that our fortitude and resilience will see us through. Our ideology and our values are our guiding light at this difficult time. We must never forget that our leaders fought against insurmountable odds with great courage and fortitude to give us freedom." Gandhi told the MPs to "channel the disappointment into a positive drive for the coming general elections".

She told the Congress MPs that the Lok Sabha polls are to be held in the next few months and "we have our tasks cut out both as a party and as INDIA group member."

About the suspension of over 140 opposition MPs from Parliament who have been demanding Home Minister Amit Shah's statement on the December 13 Parliament security breach, Gandhi said never before have so many Opposition MPs been suspended and that too for raising a "perfectly reasonable and legitimate" demand. All the opposition MPs asked for was a statement by the home minister in the Lok Sabha on the extraordinary events of December 13, but "there are no words to describe the arrogance with which this request was treated," she said.

"What happened on December 13 is inexcusable and cannot be justified. It took four days for the prime minister to address the nation and express his views on the incident and he did so outside Parliament. "By this, he clearly indicated his disdain for the dignity of the House and his disregard for the people of our country. I leave it to you to imagine how the BJP would have responded had they been in opposition today," she noted.

Later in the day, Congress MPs held a protest against the suspension of opposition members outside Mahatma Gandhi's statue in the Parliament complex. The former Congress chief targeted the BJP government at the Centre over the "soaring" inflation and said the poor are suffering and economic inequalities are rising.

"There is a significant gap between the prime minister's boasts on economic growth and ground reality," she said.

Gandhi also said the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill in Parliament with a rider was an eyewash to mislead women and garner their votes. There is no time to waste and reservation for women must be implemented immediately, she said.

She said the Congress' position on Jammu and Kashmir has been clear and consistent, asserting that full statehood must be restored immediately and elections be held there at the earliest. Gandhi said the Congress has launched an innovative campaign to strengthen its finances and noted that the importance of this drive cannot be minimized.

"I am confident that each and every one of you will do your part to ensure that it remains a sustained and successful effort," she told the party MPs. The Congress has launched its "Donate for Desh" crowdfunding campaign and said that it will generate resources for the party ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election. All Indians above the age of 18 years can donate a minimum of Rs 138 or in multiples of 138, such as Rs 1,380, Rs 13,800 and so on, to the campaign. The crowdfunding initiative, the party said, was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's historic "Tilak Swaraj Fund", which was launched more than 100 years ago in 1920-21. -- PTI

President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday said she was dismayed at the manner in which Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar was "humiliated" in Parliament complex. Elected representatives, she said, were free to express themselves but it should be within the norms of dignity and courtesy.

The president's remarks come a day after Trinamool Congress leader Kalyan Banerjee mimicked Dhankhar during the opposition's protest on the stairs of Parliament against the suspension of some Members of Parliament (MPs).

"I was dismayed to see the manner in which our respected Vice President was humiliated in the Parliament complex. Elected representatives must be free to express themselves, but their expression should be within the norms of dignity and courtesy. That has been the Parliamentary tradition we are proud of, and the People of India expect them to uphold it," Murmu said in a post on X.

As many as 49 more opposition lawmakers were suspended from Lok Sabha on Tuesday for unruly behaviour, taking the total number of MPs facing action in both Houses of Parliament to 141. PTI

An advocate has filed a complaint against Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee for his mimicry of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on the premises of the Parliament complex.

Banerjee mimicked Dhankhar during the opposition's protest on the stairs of Parliament on Tuesday against the suspension of MPs, drawing strong condemnation from the ruling BJP. Rahul Gandhi was seen making a video of the performance by Banerjee who appeared to mimic the way Dhankhar walked by leaning forward and made reference to having a spine.

"A complaint was given by advocate Abhishek Gautam at Defence Colony Police station on Tuesday evening. We have forwarded it to the New Delhi district police," a police officer said. Gautam in his complaint said the video was made with an "intention to insult and defame the Vice-President of India, his caste as well as his background of farmer and as a lawyer".

He demanded that an FIR be registered under the appropriate sections of IPC and the IT Act against the TMC MP and others seen in the video.

On Tuesday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi condemned the mimicry of the presiding officer in the Rajya Sabha by Banerjee as well as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

The issue was also raised by Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar in the House, after the video clip of mimicry was aired on TV news channels. Dhankhar vented his anguish in Rajya Sabha, saying he was personally hurt as his farmer and Jat backgrounds were targeted.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and expressed great pain over the "abject theatrics" of some MPs in Parliament complex, the Vice President's office said.

"Received a telephone call from the Prime Minister, Shri @narendramodi Ji. He expressed great pain over the abject theatrics of some Honourable MPs and that too in the sacred Parliament complex yesterday," the Vice President's Secretariat said.

"He told me that he has been at the receiving end of such insults for twenty years and counting but the fact that it could happen to a Constitutional office like the Vice President and that too in Parliament was unfortunate," Dhankhar was quoted as saying on X.

Dhankhar told the prime minister that such incidents will not deter him from doing his duty. "I told him- Mr. Prime Minister, the antics of a few won't prevent me from performing my duty and upholding the principles enshrined in our Constitution. I am committed to those values from the bottom of my heart. None of the insults will make me change my path," Dhankhar said.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was seen making a video of the performance by Banerjee who appeared to mimic the way Dhankhar walked by leaning forward and made reference to having a spine.

Dhankhar had given vent to his anguish in Rajya Sabha, saying he was personally hurt as his farmer and Jat backgrounds were targeted.

"Imagine what must be going through my heart when your senior leader videographs a Member of Parliament mocking the institution of the chairman," he said in Rajya Sabha.

Kerala reported 292 fresh COVID-19 infections and three deaths due to the disease in the last 24 hours, according to data on the Union Health Ministry website on Wednesday.

Of the 341 COVID infections reported nationwide till 8 am today, 292 were from Kerala taking the active cases in the state to 2,041, as per the Ministry website.

With the three deaths reported in the state, the total number of people who died due to COVID in Kerala since its outbreak three years ago reached 72,056.

The number of people who were cured, discharged or migrated in the last 24 hours after being diagnosed with the infection stood at 224. With that, the total number of cases under this category rose to 68,37,203 till date.

On Tuesday, state Health Minister Veena George had said that despite the increase in COVID cases in Kerala, there was nothing to be concerned about as the state was well prepared to handle the virus infection.

The minister had also said that directions have been issued to provide special facilities for COVID patients and ensure availability of isolation wards, rooms, oxygen beds, ICU beds and ventilators in hospitals. -- PTI

An inter-ministerial central team is likely to visit Tamil Nadu on Wednesday to assess the damage caused by unprecedented flooding and rainfall in four southern districts over the last two days.

Chief Minister M K Stalin who was supposed to inspect the flood-hit regions today, would visit tomorrow, the government said.

As many as 10 people have lost their lives in the record rainfall that occurred on December 17, 18 wreaking havoc in several parts of Tirunelveli, Tuticorin, Tenkasi and Kanyakumari districts. Kayalpattinam (a municipality in Tuticorin district) received the highest amount of 1,192 mm of rains in two days while Tiruchendur received 916 mm.

CM Stalin met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday and sought an interim relief of Rs 2,000 crore for rain battered districts to bolster ongoing rescue efforts.

Ahead of his meeting with the PM, Stalin told reporters that he would visit Tuticorin and Tirunelveli districts today. However, an official release issued on Tuesday night said as local administrations were expected to be present in the affected districts owing to the central team's visit on Wednesday, the Chief Minister would arrive in Madurai tonight. He is expected to visit Tuticorin on Thursday, the release said.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday charged that the prime minister and the BJP want to establish a "single party rule" in the country and the suspension of MPs from Parliament is for that.

While 141 MPs have been suspended because they wanted a statement from the home minister on the grave security breach in Parliament, the BJP MP who facilitated the entry of the intruders, remains scot-free and has not yet been questioned, the Congress leader said.

"What sort of an investigation is this," he asked in a statement posted on X. "Why haven't senior officers responsible for Parliamentary security made accountable? Heads should have rolled by now," he said.

Kharge said apparently the intruders have been planning this since months and asked who is responsible for this massive intelligence failure.

"Given the multi-layered security of Parliament, how did two intruders manage to hide yellow gas canisters in their shoes and enter the building and almost reach the sanctum sanctorum of India's democracy," the Congress chief wondered.

"The prime minister and his party want to establish a 'single party rule' in the country. They talk of 'Ek Akela' which is akin to demolishing democracy. This is precisely what they have done by suspending Opposition MPs," Kharge said in the post.

"Instead of punishing the people in high ranks for this shameful security lapse, they have snatched away the democratic rights of MPs, thereby escaping accountability," the Congress president said. -- PTI

09:35 Suspended MPs can't enter Parl lobby, gallery

After the suspension of 141 MPs -- 95 from Lok Sabha and 46 from Rajya Sabha -- the Lok Sabha Secretariat issued a circular for the suspended MPs, barring them from entering the Parliament chamber, lobby and galleries.

"As a result, the following consequences arise from their suspension and remain in force during the period of suspension: they cannot enter chambers, lobby and galleries. They stand suspended from sittings of Parliamentary Committees of which they may be a member, No item is put down in the List of Business in their name," read the Lok Sabha circular.

"No notice tabled by them is acceptable during the period of their suspension. They cannot vote at elections to committees held during the period of their suspension. They are not entitled to the daily allowance for the period of suspension if suspended from the service of the House for the remainder of the session, as their stay at the place of duty cannot be regarded as a residence on duty under section 2(d) of Salary. Allowances and Pensions of Members of Parliament Act, 1954, as amended from time to time," further stated the circular.

A total of 141 MPs, 95 from Lok Sabha and 46 from Rajya Sabha, were suspended following a ruckus over the opposition's demand for a statement from Union Minister Amit Shah on the Parliament security breach incident.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said a nationwide protest will be held on December 22 against the suspension of 141 MPs following a ruckus over the demand by the Opposition for a statement from Union Minister Amit Shah on the Parliament security breach incident.

"We have taken several decisions, one is on the suspended MPs. We will fight against this; this is wrong...We have united to fight against this. We have decided to hold a all-India protest against the suspension of MPs on December 22," Kharge said on Tuesday.

He further said that 28 parties participated in our fourth meeting and kept their thoughts before the committee of the alliance.

09:25 Death toll in China's earthquake rises to 131

The death toll in the powerful 6.2-magnitude earthquake that jolted a mountainous region of northwestern China late Monday night has risen to 131, local authorities said on Wednesday.

A total of 113 people were killed in the Gansu, while the death toll in the neighbouring Qinghai province in the Himalayan region has risen to 18 from 14 on Tuesday, with 16 others still missing in the quake, the deadliest in nine years.

Over 700 hundred people were injured in both provinces.

Qinghai province is adjacent to the Tibet Himalayan region, which is prone to frequent earthquakes due to the shifting of continental plates.

A total of 74 people have been rescued so far while 4,298 were evacuated, China's Ministry of Emergency Management said. It added that property worth over 15.3 million yuan (about USD 2.16 million) was also saved.

The earthquake damaged 155,393 houses in Gansu.

According to the China Earthquake Networks Centre, the quake jolted Gansu and Qinghai provinces at 11:59 pm on Monday, with a focal depth of 10 kilometres.

The earthquake's epicentre, Liugou township, is about 8 km from the county seat of Jishishan Bao'an, Dongxiang, Sala autonomous county in Linxia Hui autonomous prefecture in Gansu.

According to the ministry, over 736 rescuers from central enterprises' projects in nearby areas and 2,042 firefighters have been sent to the quake-hit region.

The ministry said that more relief supplies are also on the way as the third batch of relief goods, including 2,000 cotton tents, 5,000 rollaway beds, 5,000 overcoats, and 10,000 quilts, have been allocated to Gansu.

In a development to actor Radmika Mandanna's deepfake case, the Delhi Police has said it has tracked down four suspects, news agency ANI reported.

Police have however also clarified that the suspects seem to be the uploaders and not the creators of the deepfake profile. They added that the hunt is on for the key conspirator.

A deep fake video of actor Rashmika Mandanna has been circulating on social media platforms.

Netizens claimed the video has been morphed and the actual video is of an Indian-origin person living in the United Kingdom.

Deepfake videos are synthetic media in which a person in an existing image or video is replaced with someone else's likeness.

The Colorado Supreme Court has removed former United States President Donald Trump from the state's 2024 ballot, ruling that he isn't an eligible presidential candidate because of the 14th Amendment's "insurrectionist ban."

The ruling was 4-3.

As per CNN, the ruling will be placed on hold until January 4, pending Trump's appeal to the US Supreme Court, which could settle the matter for the nation.

The state Supreme Court decision only applies to Colorado but the historic ruling will roil Trump's 2024 presidential campaign.

Colorado election officials have said the matter needs to be settled by January 5, which is the statutory deadline to set the list of candidates for the GOP primary scheduled for March 5.

The majority wrote in its unsigned opinion: "President Trump did not merely incite the insurrection. Even when the siege on the Capitol was fully underway, he continued to support it by repeatedly demanding that Vice President (Mike) Pence refuse to perform his constitutional duty and by calling Senators to persuade them to stop the counting of electoral votes. These actions constituted overt, voluntary, and direct participation in the insurrection."

"We conclude that the foregoing evidence, the great bulk of which was undisputed at trial, established that President Trump engaged in insurrection. President Trump's direct and express efforts, over several months, exhorting his supporters to march to the Capitol to prevent what he falsely characterised as an alleged fraud on the people of this country were indisputably overt and voluntary," the opinion added.

The court, in addition, rejected Trump's free speech claims, writing: "President Trump's speech on January 6 was not protected by the First Amendment."

Ratified after the Civil War, the 14th Amendment says officials who take an oath to support the Constitution are banned from future office if they "engaged in insurrection." But the wording is vague, it doesn't explicitly mention the presidency, and has only been applied twice since 1919.

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00:58 Appear in person: NGT to Gurugram, Faridabad civic commissioners over garbage issue

The National Green Tribunal expressed its displeasure on Tuesday over garbage not being disposed of properly at the Bandhwari landfill site in Haryana and asked the commissioners of Gurugram and Faridabad municipal corporations to appear before it personally.

The next hearing in the matter will be held on Wednesday.

In the case of Poonam Yadav versus Ecogreen Energy Private Limited and Others, the bench of Justice Sudhir Agarwal directed the municipal commissioners of Gurugram and Faridabad to appear personally before the NGT.

The bench said pursuant to its order dated November 7, further reports were filed on behalf of the municipal corporations of Gurugram and Faridabad.

"However, we find from a perusal thereof that substantially, there is no improvement or change in the situation. The position of legacy waste is almost the same. Prima facie, we are satisfied that there is gross neglect on the part of the authorities concerned and they are consistently and continuously committing an offence by violating provisions of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016."

"Under sections 16 and 17, where offences are committed by companies or government departments, the person responsible for the conduct of the business of the company in case of companies or the head of the department in case of a government department is deemed to be guilty of committing the offence under section 15," the green panel said. -- PTI

Gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari

00:45 HC rejects anticipatory bail plea of gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari's son

The Allahabad high court on Tuesday rejected the anticipatory bail application of Umar Ansari, son of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, in a criminal case registered against him during the 2022 assembly elections for alleged violation of the model code of conduct.

The high court said that looking at the facts and circumstances of the case, the offence is made out.

"Further his act of forum hunting, his criminal history, which would go to show that the applicant is indulged in various types of criminal activities and his non-cooperation with the trial proceedings, this court is of the view that present anticipatory bail application be dismissed," Justice Samit Gopal said.

An FIR was lodged on March 4, 2022 at Kotwali police station in Mau district against Abbas Ansari (SBSP candidate from Mau Sadar seat), Umar Ansari and 150 unknown people.

It was alleged in the FIR that on March 3, 2022 at Pahadpura ground, Abbas Ansari, Umar Ansari, and organiser Mansoor Ahmad Ansari in a public meeting called for settling a score with the Mau administration.

It is a case of violation of election code of conduct.

During the course of hearing, senior advocate GS Chaturvedi, representing Umar Ansari, contended that the applicant is not the main accused in the present case.

It is argued that co-accused Abbas Ansari is the main accused in the matter who has been granted bail by the trial court. -- PTI

A 34-year-old research staff of Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur hanged herself on Tuesday from the ceiling fan of her second-floor hostel room, the police said.

The woman, Pallavi Chilka, was from Odisha's Cuttack and had joined the IIT to pursue her postdoctoral research.

The death was revealed when the cleaning staff knocked at Chilka door late in the afternoon and there was no response.

The person peeped inside and found Chilka hanging from the ceiling, the police said.

The police broke the door open and brought the body down, Kalyanpur SHO Dhananjay Pandey told reporters.

Pandey said preliminary investigation suggested depression to be the cause behind the suicide.

The SHO said Chilka had shifted to the RA hostel just three days back from a private rented accommodation.

The Institute, in a press release, expressed its grief over the death.

"A promising young researcher, Chilka, joined the Institute to pursue her postdoctoral research. She was found dead in her hostel room on 19th December," the press release stated.

Chilka worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering of the institute. -- PTI

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