Month: March 2021

By Kumar Gaurav

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday released its list of 40-star campaigners for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly election. The list includes names of several popular celebrities including Mithun Chakraborty, Yash Dasgupta, Srabanti Chatterjee, Payel Sarkar and Hiran Chatterjee.

The first name on the list is of Prime Minister Narendra Modi followed by BJP National President JP Nadda and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The fourth name in the list is of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

A total of 40-star campaigners list has been submitted to the Election Commission of India, which includes names of leaders from the tribal community like Union Minister Arjun Munda, Jual Oram and Babu Lal Marandi. Apart from this, Union ministers like Nitin Gadkari, Dharmendra Pradhan and Smriti Irani have been included in the list of star campaigners.

West Bengal leaders, who are in the Council of ministers, have too made it to the list. Names like Debasree Chaudhuri, Babul Supriyo and other MPs of West Bengal are also there in the list.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan and Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra are also there in the star campaigners’ list of West Bengal.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Delhi BJP leader Manoj Tiwari have also made it to the list.

West Bengal will witness eight-phased Assembly polls beginning March 27. The tenure of the 16th Legislative Assembly of West Bengal will end on May 30 this year. A total of 7,34,07,832 voters will choose their representative for the 17th Legislative Assembly of West Bengal.

Earlier addressing a press conference, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora had said: “West Bengal will see eight-phase elections. 30 Assembly constituencies in five districts will go to polls in the first phase on March 27. 30 Assembly constituencies in four districts will go to polls in the second phase on April 1. In the third phase, 31 constituencies in 3 districts will go to polls on April 6. 44 constituencies in five districts will go for polling on April 10.”

“In the fifth phase, 45 constituencies in six districts will witness polling on April 17. 43 constituencies in four districts in the sixth phase will go to polls on April 22. 36 constituencies in five districts in the seventh phase will go for polling on April 26. In the eighth and final phase, 35 constituencies in four districts will witness polling on April 29,” he said. (ANI)

India has summoned British High Commissioner on “unwarranted discussion” in the British Parliament on agricultural reforms in India.

The Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday that Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla summoned the British High Commissioner and “conveyed strong opposition to the unwarranted and tendentious discussion on agricultural reforms in India in the British Parliament”.

“Foreign Secretary made clear that this represented a gross interference in the politics of another democratic country. He advised that British MPs should refrain from practising vote bank politics by misrepresenting events, especially in relation to another fellow democracy,” the statement said.

The row over discussion in the British parliament has erupted when British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to visit New Delhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been invited for G7 in the UK.

Earlier, the Indian mission in the United Kingdom issued a strong statement calling the UK Westminster discussion on press freedom and farmers’ stir as “one-sided and based on false assertions”.

The High Commission of India asserted that the question of lack of press freedom in India does not arise as the foreign media, including the British media, here have witnessed the events under discussion first-hand.

“The High Commission of India would normally refrain from commenting on an internal discussion involving a small group of Parliamentarians in a limited quorum. However, when aspersions are cast on India by anyone, there’s a need to set record straight,” India in the UK said while responding to a debate in Parliament on the issue of peaceful protests and press freedoms in India following a petition with over 10,000 signatories.

According to the British parliamentary convention, petitions that garner 10,000 signatures on the UK government and Parliament website get a response from the government and petitions that get 100,000 signatures are almost always debated.

The High Commission said that rather than having a balanced debate, the UK Parliamentarians made false assertions “casting aspersions on the largest functioning democracy in the world and its institutions”.

“All issues raised are the remit of well-established independent democratic institutions in India for addressing the same. It is also a matter of concern that, once again, comments were made to mislead the British Indian community, raising doubts about the treatment of minorities in India, alleged human rights violations in Kashmir’ etc,” it added.

The United Kingdom on Monday had clarified that agricultural reform laws were a “domestic matter” of India and that security forces in a democracy have the right to enforce law and order.

Farmers have been camping at several Delhi border points for over three months now demanding a complete repeal of the three farm laws. (ANI)

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday recited Chandipath as she launched her poll campaign for the Nandigram seat asserting that no one should dare to play ‘Hindu card’ against her, adding that the people will make Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ‘April fool’ on the polling day.

“Those who are talking about 70:30 ratio should know that I read ‘Chandi path’ every morning before leaving home. I am the daughter of a Hindu family. Do not dare to play the Hindu card with me. I challenge them to have a competition with me in ‘Chandipath’,” said Banerjee while addressing a public meeting in Nandigram where she is contesting against her aide-turned- rival Suvendu Adhikari.

She further chanted shlokas of ‘Chandipath’ on the stage. “Om Jayanti Mangala Kali Bhadrakali Kapalini, Durga Kshama Shiva Dhatri Swaha Swadha Namoastutte….”

“They are insulting the sacred Nandigram movement and playing the communal card. People of Nandigram will make BJP ‘April fool’ on April 1 during the polling,” asserted the chief minister.

On the insider versus outsider debate, Banerjee said, “Some people are calling me an outsider in Nandigram. I was born and brought up in the neighbouring Birbhum district. Today I have become an outsider. And, those coming from Gujarat are now insiders?”

“If you do not want me to file the nomination, I will not. But, if you consider me your daughter, then I will move ahead with filing my nomination,” she added.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has been representing Bhawanipur constituency will contest this Assembly election from Nandigram seat. She will file a nomination on March 10.

Banerjee also visited Chandi Temple in Nandigram. Mamata Banerjee visits Shamshabad Mazar in Nandigram and offers a chadar there.

BJP on Saturday released its first list of 57 candidates for the polls and fielded Suvendu Adhikari from Nandigram against Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee, setting the stage for a high-profile contest from the seat in the state Assembly elections.

Adhikari, once a close aide of Banerjee has switched to BJP in December, last year.

West Bengal is likely to witness a triangular contest this time with TMC, Congress-Left alliance and the BJP in the fray.

West Bengal Assembly elections will be held in eight phases starting from March 27 with the final round of voting taking place on April 29. The counting of votes will take place on May 2. (ANI)

Meghan Markle’s half-sister, Samantha Markle, on Tuesday (local time) presented ample proof against some of the Duchess of Sussex’s statements, referring them to as false allegations.

During a recent all-detailed chat with the American talk show host Oprah Winfrey, Meghan made some revelations on the relationship with her father and half-sister saying that she doesn’t know Samantha very well and had not seen her in several years.
According to Fox News, Meghan told Winfrey that, “I think it would be very hard to tell-all when you don’t know me. I grew up as an only child.”

“The last time I saw her must have been at least 18 or 19 years ago. And before that, 10 years before that,” she added.

Following which, Samantha came ahead and denied the claims with some proof to back her up.

“I don’t know how she can say I don’t know her and she was an only child. We’ve got photographs over a lifespan of us together so how can she not know me?,” she said in an interview.

Fox News reported that Samantha showed photos featuring the two of them together at various stages of their respective upbringing, including one from Samantha’s college graduation in 2008, which flies in the face of Meghan’s claim that they hadn’t seen each other in almost two decades.

In the 200 minutes long show, the Duchess also claimed that her half-sister had changed her last name to ‘Markle’ in her 50s, shortly after she began dating Prince Harry.

However, Samantha showed proof that her name has been Markle for a lot longer than that, including a petition for name change dated in 1997 as well as her college diploma, which clearly states her name as Markle, Fox News quoted.

“I was a Markle before she was. I thought that was kind of weird that she’d say I only changed my name back when she met Harry. Markle’s always been my name,” Samantha said.

Further, she added that she had ‘no sympathy’ left for Meghan after her wrong claims.

“Depression is not an excuse for treating people like dishrags and disposing of them,” she concluded referencing to both herself and her father, Thomas Markle, who both have their own complicated story with the Duchess of Sussex. (ANI)

Delhi Police on Tuesday conducted raids in the office of Supreme Court lawyer, Mehmood Pracha in connection with the North-East Delhi violence.

According to sources, the search was conducted in the Pracha office from 12:30 pm to 5 pm.

In the evening, lawyer Mehmood Pracha moved the Delhi Court urging to issue directions to the investigating officer (IO) and whichever senior officers may be exercising the relevant powers to require the applicant to produce the computer/s they are seeking.

“In view of the foregoing, it is most humbly prayed that the order dated March 2 passed by this Court be modified to the above-referred extent i.e. direct the IO and whichever senior officers as may be exercising the relevant powers to require the applicant to produce the computer/s they are seeking, and the applicant shall himself bring it/them before this Hon’ble Court, whereafter, the IO and other senior officers can extract the concerned documents etc. from it and make their copy in presence of this Hon’ble Court, ” Pracha urged in his application.

Pracha submitted that the demand of the Delhi Police for the hard disks of any of the computers of his is absolutely illegal and unjustified especially since the specific documents are already in their possession from the previous exercise (alleged search) itself.

“It is recorded on the video as to what documents etc. was accessed on which computer. The raiding party accessed the E-Mail ID as well and took the concerned documents etc. from there too,” the lawyer said.

“Therefore, the insistence on seizing the hard drive is evidently to collect information and data belonging to the clients of the Applicant (completely unconnected to the present case), who, inter-alia include whistleblowers and anti-corruption activists, ” read the application.

Pracha said he volunteers to yet again furnish any specific documents sought by the investigation agency, and also re-furnish whatever was taken during the previous exercise.

“Although an actually free and fair investigation would reveal the real truth that the present case is completely baseless and has been instituted with the sole objective of hounding the applicant/accused at the behest of and as a part of a conspiracy involving senior politicians, bureaucrats and even judicial officers, yet, as has been previously been submitted during the hearings in this matter, the applicant is going to the extent of risking self-implication even in derogation of his Fundamental Right only for the sake of protecting the data and information pertaining to his clients and briefs (completely unconnected to the allegations being investigated) which is his bounden duty as an advocate, under the law of the land,” the plea added.

Pracha said that he volunteers to himself present the identified computer/s before this Court and the IO may obtain whatever he wishes to, and whatever is permitted by this Court, from the said computer/s, in presence of this Court, “so that the police is not able to play any mischief, and at the same time, it will also ensure that the object of the search warrant is also satisfied”.

The court has asked the Delhi Police to file a reply on the plea and listed the matter for further hearing on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Delhi police had alleged that lawyer Mehmood Pracha forged documents and instigated a man to depose falsely in connection with a case related to the violence in north-east Delhi in February this year.

Advocate Mehmood Pracha has been representing various accused and complainants in the violence in north-east Delhi. Various cases were registered over the northeast Delhi violence, in which at least 53 people were killed and several others were injured. (ANI)

Maharashtra reported 9,927 new COVID-19 cases and 56 deaths in the last 24 hours.

With this, the cumulative count of the cases in the state reached 22,38,398.
Registering as many as 12,182 recoveries in the last 24 hours, Maharashtra’s total recovery count went up to 20,89,294.

At present, the state has a total of 95,322 active cases. The total death toll in the state stands at 52,556.

As many as 15,388 new COVID-19 cases and 77 deaths were reported in India in the last 24 hours, taking the total active cases in the country to 1,87,462, the Health Ministry informed on Tuesday.

With this, the total number of positive cases now stands at 1,12,44,786, and the death toll stands at 1,57,930. A total of 1,08,99,394 recoveries, including 16,596 in the last 24 hours have been reported so far. (ANI)

Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned till 12 noon following an uproar by the Opposition over the rising fuel prices in the country.

Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 12 noon as Opposition Members of Parliament raised slogans, demanding a discussion on fuel price rise.
Lok Sabha was also adjourned till 12 pm amid uproar in the House by Opposition over the same issue.

While commencing the Rajya Sabha session, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh said: “During the remaining part of the Budget session, members will be seated in Rajya Sabha chambers and its gallery only, with some physical distancing. 142 seats have been made available in Rajya Sabha chamber and remaining members to sit in the gallery.”

The decision to revise the timing of both Houses was announced on Monday. Both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha were operating under curtailed hours of timing and social distancing norms amid COVID-19 induced norms.

Earlier, the Rajya Sabha was scheduled to function from 9 am to 2 pm while Lok Sabha was scheduled to function between 4 pm to 10 pm.

The second part of the Budget session of Parliament commenced from Monday with all COVID-19 precautionary measures in place. (ANI)

The Delhi government has allocated Rs 50 crores in this year’s budget to provide free COVID-19 vaccines to the people of the national capital.

“COVID-19 vaccines will be available free of cost for people of Delhi in government hospitals in the union territory. We have allotted Rs 50 crores in the budget for the same,” said Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia while presenting Delhi’s first paperless budget on Monday in the Delhi Assembly.

He also said that the number of COVID-19 vaccinations will soon be increased from 45,000 to 60,000 per day.

Sisodia also announced that Delhi will have its first Sainik School alongside Delhi Armed Forces Preparatory Academy where students will be acquainted with the NDA coaching besides regular studies.

“Today I present this ‘Deshbhakti Budget’ in view of the Centre’s celebrations of India’s 75 years of independence. This budget will focus on India’s 75 as well as 100 years of independence,” said Sisodia while presenting the budget.

The budget session of the Delhi assembly is scheduled to continue till March 16.

The nationwide vaccination drive was rolled out in the country on January 16 and vaccination of the frontline workers started on February 2. The second phase of COVID-19 vaccination started on March 1 for those who are over 60 years of age and for people aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions. (ANI)