Month: September 2020

Lok Insaf Party’s (LIP) president Simarjit Singh Bains on Sunday said that Shiromani Akali Dal’s (SAD) decision to quit National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will prove suicidal for both the parties in Punjab in future.

“This is not a sacrifice by Badals, but a suicide. I’m saying this on record that after the results of 2022 are announced, this decision will end both BJP and Badals. Now, even the urban shopkeepers who were supporting BJP are standing with the farmers in Punjab,” he said.

Talking about the agriculture reform Acts passed in parliament, against which farmers across the country are protesting, Bains said that it was a planned move by BJP to profit the big corporate players in the country.

“This is a pre-planned move. In Dagru area of Moga district of Punjab, Adani group has established a mechanical purchase center in 2,500-acre land with a railway line going inside it. Farmers may sell crops higher than minimum support price (MSP) for 2-3 years. But, once the corporates have established their monopoly over the market, they’ll start exploiting the farmers,” he said.

He questioned the ruling BJP government over the agriculture reform Acts and asked why haven’t the Government included a provision in the Acts clarifying that Mandis and MSP will not end and procurement of crop by the government will continue.

“BJP is saying people are misleading farmers, they are saying MSP and Mandis won’t end. But only the four walls of Mandis will be left and corporate will loot the farmers at the gates. I want to ask them why they haven’t included one line in the ordinance that government procurement will not end, and MSP and Mandis will continue,” he stated. (ANI)

As the world struggles to find an effective vaccine for coronavirus, China has already begun injecting its unproven vaccine to workers at state-owned companies, government officials, vaccine company staff, teachers, supermarket employees and people travelling risky areas abroad, says a report in The New York Times.

The daily reported that the officials are laying out plans to give shots to even more people, citing emergency use, amounting to a big wager that the vaccines will eventually prove to be safe and effective.

While the unproven vaccines might have harmful side effects, Dr Kim Mulholland, a pediatrician at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Australia, was quoted as saying, “My worry for the employees of the companies is it may be difficult for them to refuse.”

As a large number of people in China are getting injected with the unproven vaccine, it can be said that none of the people is getting shot on their choice. It is reported that the companies have asked people to sign a non-disclosure agreement before getting injected with the vaccine to prevent them from giving any information to the media.

“It is not clear how many people in China have received coronavirus vaccines. Sinopharm, a Chinese state-owned company with a vaccine candidate in late-stage trials, has said hundreds of thousands of people have received its shots. Sinovac, a Beijing-based company, said over 10,000 people in Beijing had been injected with its vaccine. Separately, it said nearly all its employees — around 3,000 in total — and their families had taken it,” The New York Times said.

“That [unproven vaccine] has all sorts of negative consequences…They could be infected and not know it, or they could be spreading the infection because they are relatively asymptomatic if the vaccine partially works,” Jerome Kim, head of the International Vaccine Institute, was quoted as saying.

While there is a growing concern over China giving the unproven vaccine to its people, Zheng, the health official, told China Central Television that during the winter season, “the government might consider expanding the scope of who qualified for emergency use, adding people who work in markets, transportation and the service industry,” Times reported. (ANI)

As opposed to China’s earlier claims that it does not “intend to pursue militarisation” of the Spratly Islands, Beijing has deployed anti-ship cruise missiles, expanded military radar and signal intelligence capabilities, said the US State Department on Sunday (local time).

“Five years ago on September 25, 2015, General Secretary Xi Jinping stood in the White House Rose Garden and stated “China does not intend to pursue militarisation” of the Spratly Islands, and China’s outposts would not “target or impact any country.”

China has instead pursued a reckless and provocative militarisation of those disputed outposts, they have deployed anti-ship cruise missiles, expanded military radar and signal intelligence capabilities, constructed dozens of fighter jet hangars, and have built runways capable of accommodating combat aircraft,” said Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus.

She asserted that China uses these militarised outposts to assert control over waters to which it has no lawful maritime claim.

“The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) uses these militarised outposts as platforms of coercion to assert control over waters to which Beijing has no lawful maritime claim. They serve as staging grounds for the hundreds of maritime militia vessels and China Coast Guard ships that regularly harass civilian craft and impede legitimate law enforcement activities, offshore fishing, and hydrocarbon development by neighboring states,” Ortagus said.

Stating that the CCP “does not honour its words or commitments”, Ortagus said: “In recent months, we have seen an unprecedented number of states express their formal opposition at the United Nations to China’s unlawful maritime claims in the South China Sea.”

She further urged the international community to register strong opposition to China’s behaviour. “We urge the international community to continue to raise its opposition to this unacceptable and dangerous behavior, and to make clear to the CCP that we will hold it to account.”

The US will continue to stand with our Southeast Asian allies and partners in resisting China’s coercive efforts to establish dominion over the South China Sea, she added. (ANI)

Fearing encounter, an alleged criminal carrying Rs 15,000 reward, surrendered at Nakhasa police station in Sambhal district.

According to the police, the criminal was carrying Rs 15,000 reward.

Dharmpal Singh, Station House Officer (SHO), Nakhasa police station told ANI, “A wanted criminal surrendered at the police station. He wore a placard that read ‘I am afraid of Sambhal police. I am a criminal and I am surrendering. Do not shoot me’.”

“He is in custody. Further action will be taken,” he added. (ANI)

Avinash Pandey chief of Congress screening committee for Bihar polls on Sunday said that the party is ready to contest all 243 seats if a respectful seat-sharing agreement within Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) is not reached.

Pandey, who is on a two-day visit to Patna said that the Congress is giving respect to all of its alliance partners.

“RJD is a big party in Bihar. Congress is ready to consider Tejashwi as the Chief ministerial candidate in the grand alliance but on the condition of a respectful agreement,” he told reporters.

“In case, there is no agreement in Bihar, then we are ready to contest all 243 seats. Our support base is increasing day by day and the confidence of the people has returned to the Congress,”he said.

He said that the Congress with the support of its allies will out the NDA government from power in the state.

The Election Commission announced that Bihar assembly elections will be held in three phases – October 28, and November 3 and 7. The counting of votes will take place on November 10.

In the 2015 Assembly polls, JDU, RJD, and Congress had fought the elections together under the Mahagathbandhan banner. On the other hand, the BJP-led NDA had fought the elections with Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and other allies.

RJD with 80 seats had emerged as the single largest party in the elections, followed by JDU (71), and BJP (53). However, BJP got the largest vote share (24.42 per cent), followed by RJD with 18.35 per cent and JDU (16.83 per cent).

After the polls, however, a rift emerged between JDU and the RJD in 2017, leading to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar snapping ties and rejoining ties with the BJP-led NDA to retain power in Bihar. (ANI)

Uttar Pradesh Police seized property worth Rs 25 crore of one of Muzaffarnagar district’s top 10 criminals, Imlakh, on Friday.

As per the official statement issued by Abhishek, Senior Superintendent of Police, Muzaffarnagar, three different land stretches in Muzaffarnagar city area, and a pharmacy college with two fully constructed 4-floor buildings and buildings another two under-construction buildings were seized.

“Today, under 14(1) Gangster Act, property worth Rs 25 crores of district top 10 criminal Imlakh, who has been a cheating syndicate mafia and had attacked and burned police vehicles in 2017 has been seized,” said the statement. (ANI)

With India reporting the maximum number of COVID-19 recovery cases than active cases, at least 21 states including the union territories are witnessing more recoveries than new cases, informed the Union Health Ministry on Sunday.

These states/UTs include Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Odisha, Punjab, Meghalaya and Chhattisgarh.

“It has been ensured through early identification of COVID-19 cases, prompt surveillance and tracking along with standardised clinical care,” said the health ministry.

For the last several days, the single-day COVID-19 recoveries on an average have been more than 90,000.

According to the Union Health Ministry, about 92,043 recoveries have been registered in the last 24 hours in the country, while the number of new confirmed cases stands at 88,600.

With this, the total number of recoveries are close to 50 lakhs (49,41,627). Maintaining its upward trend, the national recovery rate presently stands at 82.46 per cent, read the government statement.

As India records more recoveries than the new cases, the gap between the percentage of recovered cases and active cases is continuously increasing and is now at nearly 40 lakh (39,85,225).

The number of active patients has been below 10 lakh for several successive days. The active caseload is merely 15.96 per cent of the total positive cases and is consistently declining.

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India’s coronavirus count reached 59,92,533 including 9,56,402 active cases, 49,41,628 cured, discharged or migrated and 94,503 deaths as of Sunday. (ANI)

Former Union Minister and veteran BJP leader Jaswant Singh passed away on Sunday morning.

According to Army Hospital (R&R), Delhi, Major Jaswant Singh (Retired), former Cabinet Minister, passed away at 6:55 am today. He was admitted on 25 June and was being treated for Sepsis with Multiorgan Dysfunction Syndrome. He had a cardiac arrest this morning. His COVID status is negative.

A veteran BJP leader, Singh, had first served in the Indian Army before joining politics. He served as a member of both the Houses of the Parliament and held several important positions in the NDA Cabinet.

Singh was Minister for Finance, Minister for Defence and Minister for External Affairs during the government led by late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

In July 1980, he was elected to Rajya Sabha and in July 1986 was re-elected to the Upper House.

From 1996-97, he was a member of the eleventh Lok Sabha and in May 1996 he became Union Minister of Finance. From March 25, 1998 to February 4, 1999, he was Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission.

In July 1998 Singh was elected to Rajya Sabha, In December 1998 July 1, 2002, he was Minister of External Affairs. From February-October 1999, he had simultaneous charge of Minister of Electronics. From August 6-October 13, 1999 he was Minister of Surface Transport.

From October 15, 1999, to May 21, 2004, he was Leader of the House, Rajya Sabha. From March 18 to October 15, 2001, he was Minister of Defence (Simultaneous charge). From July 1, 2002, to April 9, 2003, he was Minister of Finance and Company Affairs.

From April 10 2003 to May 21, 2004, he was Minister of Finance. From June 3 to July 4, 2004, he was Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha and from July 5, 2004 onwards. In July 2004 he was re-elected to Rajya Sabha.

In the Indian Airlines’ IC-814 flight highjacking incident in December 1999, he had reportedly escorted three terrorists–Omar Saeed Sheikh, Mushtaq Ahmad Zargar and Azhar Masood–to Kandahar in exchange for 175 passengers.

In 2009, Singh was expelled from the BJP following alleged remarks in his book ‘Jinnah-India, Partition, Independence’. He rejoined the BJP in 2010.

However, he contested as an Independent candidate from Barmer district in Rajasthan after he was reportedly denied a BJP ticket in the 2014 Lok Sabha Elections. He lost the election to Colonel Sona Ram of the BJP.

Singh was born on January 3, 1938, in village Jasol, Railway Station Balotara, District Barmer (Rajasthan).

In 2014, Singh was admitted to the Army (R&R) Hospital in the national capital following a head injury after suffering a fall at his residence. (ANI)

By Ajit K Dubey & Sahil Pandey

Engaged in a conflict with China for almost five months, the Indian Army’s armoured regiments are ready to take on the Chinese Army at altitudes of over 14,500 feet in the area which is the world’s highest battlefield for tanks and infantry combat vehicles along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh.

Along with the enemy across the border, the Indian Army is also working on war footing to fight the extremely harsh winters by building new shelters and prefabricated structures for the soldiers.

A visit near the LAC in the Chumar-Demchok area in Eastern Ladakh shows that for countering the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s deployment of armoured columns, the Indian Army is battle-ready to face the Chinese Army with its T-90 and T-72 tanks along with the BMP-2 Infantry Combat Vehicles which can operate at temperatures up to minus 40 degree Celsius.

The Eastern Ladakh area witnesses the harshest winters where temperatures normally dip to minus 35 degrees in the night during winters coupled with high-speed freezing winds.

“The Fire and Fury Corps is the only formation of the Indian Army and also in the world to have actually deployed mechanised forces in such harsh terrain. The maintenance of the tanks, infantry combat vehicles and heavy guns is a challenge in this terrain. To ensure crew and equipment readiness, adequate arrangements are in place for both man and machine,” Major General Arvind Kapoor told ANI near a tank exercising area.

The capability of Indian tank regiments, like the crossing of rivers and overcoming other obstacles, was on full display in the region where the Indus River flows all along the Eastern Ladakh sector.

“Mechanised infantry is the advanced part of the Indian Army. It has experience of working under any weather condition and any terrain. Due to features like high mobility ammunition and missile storage, it has the capability to fight for a longer duration. The gunner of mechanised infantry is a trained soldier who is capable of firing different kinds of armaments,” said a tank soldier deployed at an altitude of 14,700 feet.

The Indian armoured regiments have the capability to reach the LAC within minutes if they are required there and did so recently, when the Chinese activated their tanks after the August 29-30 incidents when India occupied several heights near the southern bank of Pangong lake.

The entire territory spread from Eastern Ladakh to the Tibetan plateau occupied by the Chinese forces is suitable for the operations of tanks.

Kapoor, who is the Chief of Staff of the Fire and Fury Corps which looks after the entire war preparedness along the LAC with China in Ladakh, said the Army is logistically prepared in terms of tackling the harsh weather, with special winter clothing and other facilities such as fuel, spares and assemblies in place.

“Adequate training with provision of special winter clothing will ensure troops’ morale remains high and they are ready to function in short notice. Along with this, training and honing of crew skills and drills will remain constant through the winters. The Indian Army in Eastern Ladakh is logistically well prepared,” he said.

The Army is also making habitation of the soldiers on a war footing by placing prefabricated container shelters and barrel shelters that use minimum cement and sand. In these shelters, there is proper insulation to protect soldiers from strong winds and winter, proper heating facilities along with basic needs like lavatory and kitchen.As a part of recreation activities, Army companies are provided with a television along with set-top box connection.

Talking about the climatic challenges at an altitude of 15,000 feet, Maj Gen Kapoor said, “There is no doubt that winters in Ladakh are going to be harsh. We are absolutely in control as far as advanced winter stocking and forward winter stocking is concerned. High calorie and nutritious ration, fuel, oil and lubricants, special winter clothing, winter tentage, and heating appliances are all available in adequate numbers.”

Indian Army Corps Of Engineers’ working on the shelter erection explained that they have used the latest technology to provide soldiers with the habitat, laboratory, and heating arrangements at the earliest.

“This shelter is custom-made, is fast erectable and has containerised shelters which can be placed quickly. These shelters are prefabricated and hence, the use of cement and sand is minimum,” a Junior Commissioned Officer of Corps of Engineers said.

Tensions at the India-China border increased after Chinese transgression in multiple areas in the Indian territory.

The Indian Army in response to the aggression shown by the Chinese has deployed more than 50,000 troops along with heavy weaponry including artillery, and tank regiments to tackle the enemy forces. (ANI)