Month: December 2020

As the BJP registered its emergence as a major force in Telangana by bagging 46 seats in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation polls, the party chief JP Nadda on Friday said that the historic result for BJP in Hyderabad GHMC elections shows people’s unequivocal support towards PM Modi’s development and governance model.

“The historic result for BJP in Hyderabad GHMC elections shows people’s unequivocal support towards PM Modi’s development and governance model. I want to thank the people of Hyderabad,” Nadda told ANI here.

Taking a jibe at the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), Nadda said that people of Telangana have decided to say goodbye to the corrupt K Chandrashekar Rao government.

“The people of Hyderabad have made it clear what will be the results of the Telangana assembly elections (2023). I can say with confidence that people of Telangana have decided to say goodbye to the corrupt KCR government,” he said.

In GHMC polls, TRS won 55 seats, while BJP bagged 48 seats, followed by AIMIM at 44 and Congress at 2.

Earlier in the day, Nadda began his 120-day nationwide tour with a visit to Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya in Shantikunj, Haridwar. The aim of the nationwide tour is to strengthen the party.

“I am starting my journey of 120 days where I will travel to all the states to strengthen my party. I have started it from Shantikunj to take the blessings of the Gurus,” Nadda said while addressing an event at Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya.

Nadda also attended Ganga Aarti at Har Ki Pauri Ghat in Haridwar during his visit. In a bid to strengthen the party machinery in every nook and corner of the country for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, BJP national president JP Nadda is undertaking a 120-day nationwide tour. (ANI)

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Friday issued an advisory on advertisements on online gaming and fantasy sports in all private satellite TV channels directing advertisers to give disclaimers that such games involve financial risk and no people under the age of 18 will take part in them. These guidelines will be effective from December 15 this year.

“No gaming advertisement may depict any person under the age of 18 years, or who appears to be under the age of 18, engaged in online gaming for real money winnings or suggest that such persons can play these games,” the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said in the advisory addressed to all private satellite TV channels.

The ministry said that every such gaming advertisement must carry the disclaimer, “This game involves an element of financial risk and may be addictive. Please play responsibly and at your own risk.”

The ministry further said that such a disclaimer should occupy no less than 20 per cent of the space in the advertisement.

The advertisements should not present “online gaming for real money winnings” as an income opportunity or an alternative employment option, the ministry further said.

The ministry further directed the TV channels that the advertisements should not suggest that a person engaged in gaming activity is in any way more successful as compared to others.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, along with the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology convened a stakeholders consultative meeting on November 18 with Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), News Broadcasters Association (NBA), Indian Broadcasting Federation (IBF), All India Gaming Federation (AIGF), Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS) and the Online Rummy Federation (ORF).

After discussion and consultation, it was agreed that ASCI would issue an appropriate guideline for the benefit of the advertisers and broadcasters to ensure that the advertisements are transparent and protect consumers.

The guidelines effective from December 15 were issued after this consultative process. (ANI)

Farmer unions on Friday decided to intensify their agitation against the farm laws calling for ‘Bharat Bandh’ on December 8 and stated that they were not satisfied with amendments being proposed by the government.

Addressing a joint press conference at Singhu Border ahead of the fifth round of talks with the government on Saturday, the leaders said the government should repeal recently enacted three farm laws.

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU-Lakhowal) General Secretary HS Lakhowal said they had given a call to burn effigies of Modi government on December 5.

“Yesterday, we told the Government that the farm laws should be withdrawn. We have given a call for Bharat Bandh on December 8,” he said.

Hannan Mollah, General Secretary, All India Kisan Sabha said, “We need to take this protest forward. Government has to take back the farm laws.”

Thousands of farmers have gathered in and around Delhi to protest against the three farm laws.

On Thursday, the farmers held the fourth round of talks with the Centre and said the government had talked of some amendments to farm laws.

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar had said after the talks that the government has no ego and it was discussing the issues raised by farmers with an open mind.

“The government will discuss points that emerged at the meeting on Friday and hopes that talks will move towards finality when the next round of discussions is held on Saturday,” the minister had said.

The farmers are protesting against the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. (ANI)

The US government is just one step away from enacting a law that could ‘kick’ several Chinese firms off Wall Street, which can further escalate tensions between Washington and Beijing.

The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a Bill that would prevent companies that refuse to open their books to US accounting regulators from trading on US Stock exchanges, which only needs President Donald Trump’s signature to become law, reported CNN.

The Bill states that the companies would be removed from the US exchanges after three years if they did not provide US regulators access to their audit information.

Though the Bill would apply to any foreign country, the focus on China is obvious, as Beijing has resisted such scrutiny. All US-listed public companies would also be required to disclose whether they are owned or controlled by a foreign government, including China’s Communist Party.

According to CNN, the bipartisan co-sponsors of the legislation said earlier this year that their goal was to ‘kick deceitful Chinese companies off US exchanges’. The US scrutiny intensified following a scandal involving Luckin Coffee, the Chinese coffee firm that disclosed massive accounting irregularities this spring. It was kicked off at the NASDAQ in June.

Politicians from both parties in the US have criticised China’s lack of transparency in its financial system, saying it could be putting American investors at risk of fraud.

This legislation would give Trump yet another way to put pressure on China before he leaves office in January.

The Trump administration has targeted companies like TikTok and forced Huawei into a fight for survival and banned Americans from investing in some Chinese firms, while several Chinese companies have been preparing contingency plans in light of the heightened scrutiny from the United States, reported CNN.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, tensions have been rising between the two countries over the issue of trade, Hong Kong legislation, origins’ of the virus and Beijing’s rising military aggression.

Amid the escalation, the State Department under Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has pursued staunch policy measures against the Chinese government, CNN reported.

On Thursday, the Trump administration has reduced the US visitor visas validity period for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials and their family members from 10 years to one month.

The US Department of Defense (DoD) on the same day blacklisted four more Chinese firms from accessing military tech, labelling them as being controlled by the communist nation’s military.

These moves are among the series of actions taken by the Trump administration, setting a tone for the US President-elect Joe Biden taking office in the month of January. (ANI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday informed the opposition leaders that a COVID-19 vaccine is expected to be ready in the next few weeks, and as soon as scientists give a green signal, vaccination will start in India.

“Experts believe that the COVID vaccine will be ready in the next few weeks. As soon as scientists give a green signal, vaccination will start in India. Healthcare, frontline workers, and the elderly people suffering from serious diseases will be given priority in vaccination,” he stated during an all-party meeting via videoconferencing, during which he invited suggestions from the opposition leaders regarding the COVID-19 vaccination.

Prime Minister Modi said that the recommendations would be “considered seriously”.

“I appeal to the leaders of all the political parties to send suggestions in writing. I assure you that they will be considered seriously,” said the Prime Minister.

During the meeting, he said Indian scientists are very confident of succeeding in their endeavour of making the COVID vaccine, and the world is keeping a watch on the cheapest and safe vaccine.

According to the Prime Minister, the Centre is in talks with all the state governments over the price of the vaccine, and that the decision regarding the pricing will be taken keeping public health as the topmost priority.

“Teams of central and state governments are working together for the vaccine distribution. India has the expertise and capacity in vaccine distribution and fares better compared to other nations,” said PM Modi.

He added that India has a very big and experienced network in the field of vaccination, and the government intends to fully exploit that for the COVID vaccination.

Floor leaders of various parties in Parliament were invited by the government at the virtual meeting today.

Ahead of the meeting, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hoped that the Prime Minister will clarify by when “every” Indian will get free COVID vaccines.

“In today’s all-party meeting, we hope the PM clarifies by when will every Indian get free Covid vaccine,” Gandhi tweeted.

Last Saturday, Prime Minister Modi visited Zydus Biotech Park in Ahmedabad, Bharat Biotech facility in Hyderabad and Serum Institute of India in Pune to review development and manufacturing process of the COVID-19 vaccines. (ANI)

Hitting out at Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh for speaking on the lines of Bharatiya Janata Party over the ongoing farmers’ protest, AAP leader Manish Sisodia on Friday alleged that the former is behaving like a BJP Chief Minister.

Sisodia’s response comes a day after Singh met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and urged the Centre to rethink its stand on the legislations while appealing to the farmers to find an early solution to the problem that was adversely impacting the “economy of the state and also posing a serious danger to national security”.

Speaking to ANI, Sisodia said, “Captain Amarinder Singh met BJP leaders yesterday and is now defending BJP. He is saying that the farmers’ agitation is a danger to national security. The Punjab Chief Minister is behaving like a BJP Chief Minister. He is speaking on the lines of BJP.

Singh, during a brief interaction with media, after his meeting with Shah had said that while he and his government were not involved in mediation in any way and the matter had to be resolved between the Centre and the farmers, “an early resolution was vital in the interest of both Punjab and the country”.

A large number of farmers, mostly from Punjab, have gathered in and around Delhi in protest against the three farm laws, passed in the Monsoon Session of Parliament in September.

The Centre is scheduled to hold the fifth round of talks with the representatives of farmers on December 5.On Thursday, the farmers held the fourth round of talks with the Centre, during which, they said the government talked of some amendments to the farm laws.

Bharatiya Kisan Union spokesperson Rakesh Tikait said the government has given assurance concerning minimum support price.”It seems that their stand over MSP will be fine. The talks have made little progress,” Tikait said.

Meanwhile, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Thursday said the government has no ego and it was discussing the issues raised by farmers with an open mind.

“The government will discuss points that emerged at the meeting on Friday and hopes that talks will move towards finality when the next round of discussions is held on Saturday,” the minister said.

The farmers are protesting against The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. (ANI)

To show his solidarity with farmers, a groom in Haryana’s Karnal left his luxury car behind and rode a tractor to his wedding venue on Thursday.

The groom, who owns a business, told ANI that he might have moved to the city, but his roots are connected with farming, and therefore by ditching the luxury vehicle at his wedding, he wanted to show solidarity with farmers.

“We might have moved to the city but our roots are connected with farming. Farmers should be the nation’s main priority, and instead, the government is using water cannon on them in winter. We want to send a message that farmers have the public’s support,” said the groom.

The mother of the groom, Shishila, said that their family opted for a simple wedding for their son so that they could save some money and donate it for farmers’ cause.

“We opted for a simple wedding. The money saved will be donated to the Gurudwaras feeding langars to the protesting farmers,” she said.

The farmers in different parts of the country are protesting against The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. (ANI)

The Uyghur Muslims in Chinese “re-education” camps are forced to eat pork every Friday, confirmed Sayragul Sautbay, who was one of the victims of the atrocities being committed by the Chinese government.

Speaking in an interview with Al Jazeera, Sayragul said, “Every Friday, we were forced to eat pork meat…They have intentionally chosen a day that is holy for the Muslims. And if you reject it, you would get a harsh punishment.”

She is a medical physician and an educator living in Sweden. Recently, she published a book giving insight into her ordeal, including witnessing beatings.

“I was feeling like I was a different person. All around me got dark. It was really difficult to accept,” Sautbay said.

Another such victim is Uyghur businesswoman Zumret Dawut, who was picked up in March 2018 in Urumqi.

For two months, Dawut said authorities questioned her links to Pakistan, her husband’s homeland. They questioned her as well about how many children she had, and whether or not they had studied religion and read the Quran, said Al Jazeera.

She further said that once she had to beg the camp’s male officers to allow her to go to the washroom. She was allowed to go while being handcuffed and the male officers followed her into the washroom.

Speaking on pork being served to the Uyghur Muslims in the camps, she said, “When you sit in a concentration camp, you do not decide whether to eat, or not to eat. To be alive, we had to eat the meat served to us.”

As per the documents available to Al Jazeera, agricultural development has also become a part of what German anthropologist and Uyghur scholar, Adrian Zenz, says is a policy of “secularisation”.

Citing documents and state-approved news articles, Zenz has reported that there is an “active” effort in the region to promote and expand pig farming.

In 2019, Xinjiang’s top administrator, Shohrat Zakir, had said that the Xinjiang region will be turned into a “pig-raising hub”.

The project is expected to occupy a 25,000-square-metre (82-square-foot) area in an industrial park in Kashgar’s Konaxahar county, renamed Shufu, according to the Chinese-language website, Sina, Al Jazeera reported.

It further reported that the deal was formally signed on April 23 this year.

“This is part of the attempt to completely eradicate the culture and religion of the people in Xinjiang,” Zenz told Al Jazeera.

“It is part of the strategy of secularisation, of turning the Uighurs secular and indoctrinating them to follow the communist party and become agnostic or atheist,” he added.

As the atrocities on the Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang region gain international attention, China has continued to defend its policies, claiming that the objective is to combat the “three evils of extremism, separatism and terrorism”. (ANI)