Month: February 2021

Singhu, Ghazipur and several other borders of the national capital with Uttar Pradesh and Haryana have continued to remain closed for traffic movement due to ongoing farmers’ agitation against the Central farm laws.

Protesting farmers have announced a ‘chakka jam’ by blocking all state and national highways for 3 hours on February 6.

For those coming to Delhi from Uttar Pradesh, the Ghazipur border is closed. Traffic police advised people to take routes passing through Maharajpur, Chilla, DND, Apsara, Bhopra and Loni borders.

“Singhu, Piau Maniyari, Saboli, Auchandi borders are closed. Lampur, Safiabad, Singhu school and Palla toll tax borders are open. Pl follow alternate route. Traffic is heavy and diverted from NH44. Pls avoid Outer Ring Road, GTK road and NH 44,” it said in a tweet.

Security at the Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri borders remain tightened as the Delhi Police has cemented nails near barricades. Barbed wire and cement barricades have been planted on the roads to restrict the movement of the farmers.

Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Rakesh Tikait had warned the farmers’ agitation will not conclude unless government repeals the three newly enacted agriculture laws and it may go on till October.”Our slogan is ‘Kanoon Wapsi Nahi toh Ghar Wapasi Nahi’. This agitation will not conclude before October, it will not end anytime soon,” Tikait had said while addressing a rally at Ghazipur border.

Reacting to the heavy deployment of security personnel and fencing at the borders of Delhi, he had said, “The government’s strategy to stop the farmers is going to backfire as it will restrict movements of farm produces to various places and in turn harm common people. I urge all of you to be prepared to carry this movement till October/November. Let the government do as much fencing as they want to do.”

Farmers have been protesting against three of the Centre’s laws: 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)

A case has been registered against Sharjeel Usmani at Lucknow’s Hazratganj Police Station in connection with his controversial speech at Elgar Parishad, in Pune Maharashtra, the police said on Thursday.

A person named Anurag Singh from Lucknow has filed an FIR over the video of Usmai’s speech which was posted on YouTube. On the basis of this complaint, a case under 124A, 153A, 153A (2), 153B (1) (C), 295A, 298, 504, 505 (1) (B) and 505 (2) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and IT Act has been registered, police said.

Usmani had attended the Elgar Parishad event organised at Pune’s Ganesh Kala Krida Manch on January 30. Soon after, a video of him allegedly using objectionable words against the Hindu community went viral and demand for stern action against him was raised.

Maharashtra police also registered a case against Usmani, a former student of Aligarh Muslim University in connection with the controversial speech, said state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.

Following a complaint by the Pune regional secretary of Bharatiya Yuva Janta Morcha Pradip Gawade, an FIR was filed against Usmani under Section 153-A of the Indian Penal Code, at the Swargate Police Station in Pune. This years’ event was organised by retired Justice BG Kolse Patil.

The Elgar Parishad event on December 31, 2017, organised by the Kabir Kala Manch at Shaniwarwada became controversial after provocative speeches were allegedly made in the event promoting enmity between people. It allegedly triggered the violence in Bhima Koregaon the next day.

The police investigation further found Maoist links in the Elgar Parishad 2017, leading to the arrest of 16 activists alleged to have links with the banned Maoist party.Hyderabad-based poet Varavara Rao, Advocate Sudha Bhardwaj, Gautam Navlakha and Anand Teltumbde are among the accused who have been arrested in the case which is now being investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). (ANI)

Myanmar Army has temporarily blocked Facebook and other messaging services in the name of public interest and state stability, Xinhua reported citing a statement issued by Telenor, one of the four operators running in the country.

The statement said all mobile operators, international gateways and internet service providers in the country received a directive from Myanmar’s Ministry of Transport and Communications to block social media platform Facebook.

A directive from the Ministry of Transport and Communications to the operators and service providers was spread on social media early Thursday.

The directive asked the operators to block Facebook from Thursday to February 7, under Section 77 of the country’s Telecommunications Law, mentioning that the move is made in the name of public interest and state stability.

Telenor Myanmar has decided to comply with the directive on Thursday, it said.

This comes days after the country’s army wrested control of the democratically elected government and detained several civilians leaders.

The step to block Facebook has been taken in a bid to quell dissent.

Facebook, used by about half Myanmar’s 53 million people, has emerged as a key platform for opposition to Monday’s coup with photos of civil disobedience campaigns and nightly pot-and-pan protests widely shared, Al Jazeera reported.

Facebook spokesman Andy Stone urged authorities to restore connectivity “so that people in Myanmar can communicate with their families and friends and access important information”.

Myanmar’s military launched a coup on Monday morning and detained Aung San Suu Kyi, Win Myint and other National League for Democracy (NLD) members.

The military announced a one-year state of emergency in the country, vowing to “take action” against alleged voter fraud during the November 8 general election, which saw Suu Kyi’s NLD party win resoundingly.

The military also said it was committed to the democratic system and vowed to hold new and fair elections after the state of emergency ends. (ANI)

By Joymala Bagchi

Protesting farmers at Singhu border have said that they are facing a shortage of toilets after recent barricading near the protest site and many of them were being forced to answer the call of nature in the open.

They said that toilets have become difficult to access after new barricading.

The problem is more severe for women farmers who also face difficulties in carrying out daily tasks such as bathing and changing clothes.

Some women farmers told ANI that they move together to nearby canals or bushes to defecate in early hours.

A protestor said that two toilets that are near the venue of protest witness long queues.

He said barricades have been placed in a way that creates hurdles in using portable toilets near the first barricade, close to the stage.

Aftar Singh, a farmer from Punjab, who has been at Singhu border for the last 60 days, said they do not have options.

He alleged that barricades “have been put up in a way that there is a problem in using the toilets”.

“Where shall we go for our basic necessity? We cannot walk long distances. There are so many people. Shouldn’t they have thought about it and shifted the portable toilets here?” he asked.

He said open defecation is unhygienic and can lead to diseases. “The government must think about that,” Singh said.

Parminder Singh from Ludhiana district said that they have no access to the toilets in Guru Teg Bahadur Memorial as it falls on the other side of the barricade.

“This has added to problems. We are forced to go in the open as we are left with very few options. We request the authorities to remove the barricades so that we can access the toilets,” he said.

Farmers said they were earlier using toilets inside Guru Teg Bahadur Memorial besides portable toilets.

Lar Kaur, a protestor from Bhiwani, said they were facing many difficulties.

“Forget about bathing, the basic necessity of the toilet is a problem now. We have sufficient food here but the washroom is definitely a problem,” she said.

Some farmers also complained about the scarcity of water.

“Although people here are receiving packaged drinking water, there is a scarcity of water,” a protestor said.

A Delhi Police official deployed at the border told ANI that there were barricades but there was no problem about the availability of water. He did not comment on the situation concerning toilets.

Farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 and demanding repeal of three new farm laws. (ANI)

While slamming the government’s proposal to postpone the implementation of farm laws for two years, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday questioned why the Centre is fortifying the national capital if it plans to resolve the farmers’ problems.

Addressing the media here, the former Congress president reminded the Government of its job and said, “Farmers are the strength of India. Suppressing them, beating them and threatening them is not the government’s job. Their job is to talk to them and find a solution to their problem.”

“Prime Minister is saying that offer is still on the table to postpone laws for two years. What does it mean? Either you believe that you need to get rid of the laws or you don’t,” he added.

He called farmers ‘people who give us sustenance’, and said, ” Delhi is surrounded by farmers. Why is Delhi being converted into a fortress? Why are we threatening, beating, and killing them? Why is the Government not talking to them and not resolving this problem? This problem isn’t good for the country,” said Gandhi.

The Congress leader said the farmers’ issue needs to be resolved as soon as possible and the government needs to listen “as farmers aren’t going away”.

In another dig at the BJP-led Central government, Gandhi said that at a ‘time when India needs to put money in the hands of its people’, the budget 2021 is for the 1 per cent population in the country.”

“I had expected from the Budget that Govt will provide support to 99 per cent of India’s population. But this Budget is that of the 1 per cent population. You snatched away money from people in the small and medium industry, workers, farmers, Forces and put it in the pockets of 5-10 people,” he added.

The Congress leader said the Indian economy which is suffering can only get back on track by an increase in consumption, and for that, the government needs to put money in people’s hand.

“You (Government) talk of privatization which will benefit them. India needs to put money in the hands of its people. If we want to restart our economy, it will only be through consumption. It is not possible from the supply side,” he stated. (ANI)

A large gathering of farmers on Wednesday was seen assembling at Kandela village sports stadium to participate in the “kisan mahapanchayat” that is underway in Haryana’s Jind.

The “kisan mahapanchayat” has been organised by the Haryana khap where Bharatiya Kisan Union (Arajnaitik) leader Rakesh Tikait and several other leaders of various farmer unions are slated to address the gathering.

Speaking about the event, Ram Mehar, the son of Gram Pradhan told ANI, “This is the first “Kisan mahapanchayat” in Haryana. The further direction of the farmers’ movement, next course of action and other related decisions shall be taken in the presence of the heads of various Khap Panchayats. Khaps from across Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, and Jatthedars from Punjab have are scheduled to participate.”

Talking to ANI at the event, village pradhan Tekram demanded the immediate repeal of the three new laws, enactment of a law guaranteeing minimum support price (MSP), and implementation of the Swaminathan report.

“The three new laws should be immediately taken back, a law guaranteeing minimum support price (MSP) should be enacted and Swaminathan report should be implemented in a full-fledged manner,” said the village pradhan.

He further stated, “In view of the poor financial condition of the farmers, the government should wave off farmers’ loans and our 200 to 300 men who have been detained should be released with immediate effect.”

He also requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to personally hold talks with the farmer union leaders and resolve the issue as soon as possible.

Earlier today, Rakesh Tikait has said that his main aim behind conducting panchayats is to visit villages and gather their support. Such panchayats will be held across the country until the government accepts their demands, Tikait has said on Wednesday.

Tikait had also stated that if the government does not fulfill their demands, they will organise a gathering of 40 lakh tractors and take out ‘yatras’ across the country to protest against the government over the recently enacted farm laws.

Meanwhile, security has been beefed up at Delhi’s Ghazipur, Singhu and Tikri borders in view of the farmers’ stir.

Farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws: 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)

Streaming platform Netflix on Wednesday dropped a gripping and suspense-filled trailer of the much-awaited Hindi language mystery thriller film ‘The Girl on the Train’ featuring Parineeti Chopra in the lead role.

The ‘Ishaqzaade’ star took to Instagram and shared the trailer of her Netflix film in which Chopra essays the role of an Amnesia (memory loss) patient .

The one-minute fifty-five seconds trailer starts with a close up of London where one can see moving trains. The frame then captures Mira Kapoor (Parineeti) who travels through a local train each day and sees Aditi Rao Hydari and on watching her every day, Mira develops a connection with the distant stranger as she reminds Rajput of her past.

The video then shows Mira as she meets a tragic car accident with her husband, just before they were about to start their family life by welcoming a baby. On seeing Aditi living her past life, Mira gets through a line of emotions, including jealousy and self-pity. The clip then cuts to a shot when she follows Aditi through a forest, post which she is found dead in the forest.

Kriti Kulhari comes in as an investigative officer who doubts Kapoor of the murder and digs through the suspense of the murder mystery, during which she comes to know that Mira suffers from memory loss.

The trailer then shows flashes of the investigation and the events that occurred over the night of the murder, in between, Kapoor tries to remember the occurrence of events, all in dilemma.

The Netflix drama is a murder mystery with thrilling scenes and action sequences and is intriguing in every sense.

Taking to the caption, Chopra captioned the post as, “THE GIRL IN THE TRAILER*26th Feb, Netflix! #TGOTT.”

‘The Girl on the Train’ is an upcoming Hindi-language mystery thriller film, which is an official adaptation of actor Emily Blunt’s Hollywood flick that was released back in 2016. Besides Parineeti and Hydari, the movie also stars Avinash Tiwary, Ishita Dutta, Vatsal Seth, and others.

It is being helmed by Ribhu Dasgupta and bankrolled by Reliance Entertainment. The film is all set to premiere on Netflix on February 26. (ANI)

In a significant achievement, India has become the fastest country in the world to reach the 4 million COVID-19 vaccination mark in 18 days, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Wednesday.

“As on February 1, 2021, India was among the top five countries in terms of the number of COVID19 vaccine doses administered to people. India continues to undertake its vaccination drive at a fast pace,” the Ministry said.

The ministry said that 14 states and Union Territories (UTs) have not reported any deaths in the last 24 hours. These states include Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Manipur, Puducherry, Goa, Odisha and Assam.

The country’s active cases have declined further to 1,60,057 in the last 24 hours. The active caseload of the country has fallen below 1.5 per cent (1.49 per cent presently) of the total cases.

“11,039 new confirmed cases were recorded in the last 24 hours in the country, the lowest in seven months and 14,225 new recoveries were registered in the same period. It has led to a net decline of 3,296 cases from the total active caseload,” it said.

The total recovered cases are 1,04,62,631 and the national recovery rate (97.08 per cent) continues to be one of the highest globally, the Ministry said.

The gap between active cases and recovered cases is continuously increasing and stands at 1,03,02,574.

At present, 31 States and UTs have less than 5,000 active cases.

8 States and UTs have weekly positivity rate higher than the national average (1.91 per cent). Kerala has the highest weekly positivity rate of 12 per cent, followed by Chhattisgarh at 7 per cent.

As on February 3, 2021, till 8 am, more than 41 lakh (41,38,918) beneficiaries have received the vaccination under the countrywide COVID19 vaccination exercise.

In the last 24 hours, 1,88,762 healthcare workers were vaccinated across 3,845 sessions. 76,576 sessions have been conducted so far.

The number of beneficiaries being vaccinated every day has shown a progressive increase. “85.62 per cent of the newly recovered cases are recorded in 8 States and UTs. Kerala has contributed the highest number to the newly recovered cases (5,747), followed by Maharashtra (4,011) and Tamil Nadu (521).”

83.01 per cent of the new cases are from 6 States and UTs.

Kerala has reported the highest daily new cases at 5,716, followed by Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu with 1,927and 510 new cases each respectively.

110 case fatalities have been reported in the past 24 hours. Maharashtra reported maximum casualties with 30 new fatalities. It is followed by Kerala with 16 new daily deaths. (ANI)

Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday claimed that Miya Muslims are “very communal” and they are involved in various activities to distort Assamese culture and language.

“Assam Muslim population is divided into two streams; one who has come to Assam from Bangladesh and other who are indigenous. Some people who had come to Assam at different point of times have started to identify themselves as Miya and they are very communal,” Sarma told reporters here.

“They are involved in various activities to distort Assamese culture and language. My personal opinion is that the people who openly challenge Assamese culture, language and composite Indian culture should not vote for us,” he added.

Speaking about the Citizenship Amendment Act, he said: “The CAA has been passed and rules are yet to be framed. So, it is entirely up to the Government of India to frame. BJP doesn’t need votes of Miya Muslims involved in distorting Assamese culture, language. So far as NRC in Assam is concerned, we have already pointed out many anomalies in the implementation process of the first National Registration.”

The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019 has been passed by the Lok Sabha on 9 December 2019. The purpose of this law is to give Indian citizenship to illegal migrants of six communities — Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Christian, Parsi, and Jain, who have migrated from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. (ANI)