Month: April 2021

Bollywood actor Sonakshi Sinha on Saturday treated her fans to a glammed-up photo of her and urged everyone to stay at home amid the raging second wave of COVID-19.

The ‘Rowdy Rathore’ actor took to her Instagram handle and shared a photo of her dressed in a sparkling blush pink dress. She captioned it as, “All dressed up and nowhere to go. #gharperaho.”
The post from the 33-year-old actor garnered more than 71 thousand likes within nearly an hour of it being shared on the photo-sharing application.

The second wave of coronavirus has infected a lot of people and the number of COVID-19 positive cases has been rapidly rising. In Bollywood, an array of celebrities have got infected within a span of a few weeks.

Recently, Vicky Kaushal, Akshay Kumar, Govinda, Paresh Rawal, Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor, and Rohit Saraf, among others had tested positive for COVID-19. Earlier, actors Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Arjun Kapoor, Malaika Arora, and some others were infected with the virus.

In March 2020, Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor, who rose to fame with her song ‘Baby Doll’, became the first Bollywood celebrity to get infected with COVID-19.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Sonakshi recently finished shooting for her upcoming digital debut film with ace filmmaker Zoya Akhtar.

She will also be seen playing the role of the brave social worker Sunderben Jetha Madharparya in the upcoming Indian Hindi-language war drama action film ‘Bhuj: The Pride of India’, directed, co-produced, and written by Abhishek Dudhaiya.

She also recently announced her character Bulbul from her upcoming Netflix film titled ‘BulbulTarang’. (ANI)

Amid the fierce and crucial poll battle in Bengal, poll strategist Prashant Kishor, who has been roped by Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee for West Bengal assembly elections, has said that the anti-incumbency faced by Trinamool Congress has opened the doors for BJP and that there is “anger” against the ruling party in the state.

In the leaked audio of clubhouse chat, Kishor, who had said nearly four months back that BJP will struggle to cross double figures in the state, admitted that BJP has workers on the ground and that people were coming in large numbers to rallies of the Prime Minister who has acquired a “cult” in the country. He said that the Matua community was predominantly voting for the BJP and that there had been “blatant misuse of minority politics” by non-BJP parties in the state.
“There is vote in the name of Modi. There is vote for being Hindu. Polarisation, Modi, Hindi speakers, these are factors. Modi is popular. There are over one crore Hindi speakers. There are 27 per cent Dalits, they are totally with BJP. When we do a survey and ask people whose government will be formed in Bengal, then it comes in our survey that the government is being formed by BJP,” he said.

Kishor said those who vote for BJP are voting for it and majority of Left voters also think that BJP is forming the government. “BJP has a lot of workers who could have been imported from the Left parties. If we leave one or two districts, there is no other district where BJP does not have a strong cadre,” Kishor said.

Kishor’s conversation was tweeted by Amit Malviya, national in-charge of BJP’s Information and Technology department and co-incharge of West Bengal.

Kishor said there is no anti-incumbency against PM Modi. “10-15-20-25 per cent people see God in him. Whether it is right or wrong, that is a different debate. He has acquired a cult in the country. The Hindi speaking people are the core support base of BJP in Bengal. There is anti-incumbency against the state government, not the Centre. Modi is quite popular here. We are doing surveys. Modi and Mamata are equally popular in Bengal which is a very big thing,” Kishor said.

He also indicated that the people of Bengal were striving for a change.

“People of Bengal have not seen the rule of BJP so far, they have not tasted it and they are wanting to do it. People are coming to rallies, there is popularity of Modi and mobilization. There is anger against Trinamool Congress. That is a factor. Polarisation is a factor. The anti-incumbency against Trinamool that has opened the doors for BJP, their ability to polarize and SC votes,” he said.

He said a major problem was that for 20 years “everything has been done to appease the minorities” and added that there had been a feeling that the government will be formed by a party that gets the support of Muslims. Noting that Congress, Trinamool Congress and the Left had been part of this ecosystem, Kishor said for the first time Hindus are feeling that “somebody is caring for them”. “There is some element that BJP is exploiting and that is coming from blatant misuse of minority politics by some of these parties,” he said.

Kishor later tweeted that BJP is taking his chat more seriously than the words of their own leaders!

“I am glad BJP is taking my chat more seriously than words of their own leaders! They should show courage & share the full chat instead of getting excited with selective use of parts of it. I have said this before & repeating again – BJP will not CROSS 100 in WB. Period,” he said in a tweet.

Malviya also tweeted about Kishor’s clubhouse chat.

“In a public chat on Club House, Mamata Banerjee’s election strategist concedes that even in TMC’s internal surveys, BJP is winning. The vote is for Modi, polarisation is a reality, the SCs (27 per cent of WB’s population), Matuas are all voting for the BJP! BJP has cadre on the ground. Another candid admission by Mamata Banerjee’s election strategist – all that the Left, Congress and TMC ecosystem have done in the last 20 years is Muslim appeasement. Implication? It has resulted in resentment on the ground. The speakers had not realised that the chat was public!” Malviya said.

“Modi is hugely popular in Bengal and there is no doubt about it. There is a cult around him across the country. There is anti-incumbency against TMC, polarisation is a reality, SC votes is a factor plus BJP’s election machinery, says Mamata Banerjee’s strategist in an open chat. Is it open? That moment when Mamata Banerjee’s strategist realised that the Club House room was open and his admissions were being heard by the public at large and not just a handful of Lutyens journalist. Deafening silence followed… TMC’s election was just thrown away!” Malviya added.

Kishor had in December last said BJP will struggle to cross double digits in Bengal and he would quit Twitter if results were different. “For all the hype AMPLIFIED by a section of supportive media, in reality, BJP will struggle to CROSS DOUBLE DIGITS in #WestBengal PS: Please save this tweet and if BJP does any better I must quit this space,” he had said.

Polling for fourth phase of West Bengal elections is being held on Saturday. (ANI)

Twenty doctors of AIl India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi, including 18 residents doctors and two faculty members, have tested positive for COVID-19 over the past few days, official sources said.

They said six MBBS students at the institute have also contracted the virus.

They also said that only three of thosee who have tested positive had taken the first shot of the Covid-19 vaccine.

“Eighteen ressident docotrs, two faculty members tested positive in the last 10 days. Six MBBS students also tested positive. Among all those 26 only three had been administered the first dose of vaccination, a source in the institute said.

AIIMS has about 700 faculty members, more than 2,500 resident doctors, around 4,000 nurses and over 2000 security guards on the premises.

Thirty seven doctors of Sir Gangaram Hospital in New Delhi had tested positive for Corona virus, hospital sources said on Thursday.

Of those, 32 doctors with mild symptoms are in home isolation while five have been admitted to the hospital.
India reported 1,31,968 new COVID-19 cases, 61,899 discharges and 780 deaths in the last 24 hours. – ANI

According to an assessment by the US government’s National Intelligence Council, India and Pakistan “may stumble into a large-scale war neither side wants, especially following a terrorist attack” similar to the terror attack in Pulwama in 2019.

The Global Trends report released in Washington focuses on immediate as well as distant futures said: “Miscalculation by both governments could prompt a breakdown in the deterrence that has restricted conflict to levels each side judges it can manage,” it stated.

The ability of some militant outfits to conduct attacks in India, New Delhi’s resolve to retaliate against Islamabad post such an attack, and Islamabad’s determination to defend itself “are likely to persist and may increase” in the next five years.

The report warns policymakers in Washington that “a full-scale war could inflict damage that would have economic and political consequences for years.”

The US policy in Afghanistan and its impact on the neighbouring countries is top on a list of key uncertainties in South Asia that are underlined in the report.

“US actions in Afghanistan during the next year will have significant consequences across the region, particularly in Pakistan and India,” it said.

This would be “especially true” if a security vacuum emerges in Afghanistan that results in a civil war between the Taliban and its Afghan opponents, expanded freedom of manoeuvre for regional terrorist networks, or criminals and refugees flowing out of the country, it adds.

The report predicts that such an outcome would exacerbate political tensions and conflict in western Pakistan and sharpen the India-Pakistan rivalry by strengthening longstanding judgments about covert warfare in Islamabad and New Delhi.

Refuting reports regarding COVID vaccine shortages in various states, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said all states are being provided with an adequate number of vaccine doses.

Addressing media persons, Shah said, “The information on vaccine shortage is not right. All states are being provided with an adequate number of vaccine doses.”
Hitting out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her remarks on the Central forces, Shah on Friday questioned whether she was pushing people towards anarchy.

“When CAPF is deployed for poll duty, it does not come under the jurisdiction of the Home Ministry. It comes under the Election Commission. The frustration of TMC is very much evident from their action and speeches. I have not seen such a leader or chief minister in my life who give statements to ‘gherao CRPF’. Is she pushing the people towards anarchy? I do not understand,” he said.

“The way TMC has appealed to minority voters to come together and vote for the TMC indicates that their minority vote bank is also slipping away,” added Shah.

Shah also spoke about establishing a central university and an AIIMS in North Bengal.

“We will build a Central University and an AIIMS in North Bengal. We will work on granting Scheduled Tribe status to the Gorkha community.”

He furthers said, “In the three phases, BJP has got unprecedented support from the people of Bengal. As per our estimation, BJP will win between 63 to 68 seats in the three phases.”

Shah held a door-to-door campaign for BJP in Kolkata’s Bhowanipur today. Bhowanipur has been represented by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. However, Banerjee chose Nandigram to contest the assembly polls this year.

Amit Shah will also hold roadshows in Madhyamgram and Jagatdal on Friday.

The first three phases of the eight-phased West Bengal polls have already taken place. The fourth phase of the elections will be held on Saturday. The counting of votes will take place on May 2. (ANI)

All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) Chief Badruddin Ajmal on Friday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is notorious for horse-trading and said that while the party has not yet approached them, he was certain that they would do so in the near future.

“On May 2, we will form the government. Those who have a habit of horse-trading will do so. Till now, BJP has not approached us but it certainly will. The day we form the government, BJP will contact us,” said the AIUDF chief while interacting with reporters at Guwahati Airport when he was en route to Jaipur.
Ajmal however said he did not “know how many of our people are travelling out of the state.”

With the conclusion of voting in Assam for the assembly polls, the Congress-led Mahajot has shifted some of its candidates to a hotel in Jaipur today as a “precautionary measure against any attempts at poaching”. As many as 18 candidates of AIUDF reached Jaipur today and several Congress candidates are scheduled to reach the city in the next few days.

The Mahajot includes Congress, AIUDF and eight other parties and it is seeking to oust the BJP-led government from power in the state.

Congress General Secretary Randeep Surjewala said the move was an attempt to prevent any sabotage of the electoral mandate.

“This act can be viewed as a step towards prevention and a precaution against any sabotage of numbers in the state,” Surjewala told ANI.

The three-phased assembly election in Assam ended on April 6. Counting of votes will take place on May 2. (ANI)

Bollywood star Madhuri Dixit on Friday shared a picture of a mesmerising beach during her exotic vacation in the Maldives.

The ‘Dhak-Dhak’ girl of Bollywood, who is back in the bay after enjoying her much-needed beach vacation in the Maldives, hopped on to Instagram and posted a throwback gorgeous picture. The snap sees the ‘million-dollar smile girl’ enjoying her time in the essence of nature’s beauty.

Referring to the sunset time at the beach, Madhuri captioned the picture as ‘The magic hour’.

The ‘Kalank’ star sported carrot red shorts with a floral cut-sleeve top. The actor kept her wet-wavy luscious locks open and bore a no-makeup look.

The snap posted over the photo-sharing platform garnered more than 2 lakh likes, while scores of fans chimed into the comments section and left heart and fire stuck emoticons.

Of late, the ‘Gulab Gang’ star has been quite active on social media and had shared many pictures and videos from her Maldives trip diaries.

Meanwhile, on the work front, the ‘Dhak-Dhak’ girl of Bollywood will be debuting in the digital world through the suspenseful family drama series by Netflix titled ‘Finding Anamika’.

The plot of the series revolves around the story of a global superstar, wife, and mom who suddenly vanishes without a trace. As police and loved ones search for answers to her disappearance, her perfectly crafted facade is stripped away, revealing hidden truths and painful lies in the life of an iconic actress. (ANI)

By Ankur Sharma

Newly-floated terror outfits, entrusted with the task of gaining ground in Kashmir valley by Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Hizbul Mujahideen are planning revenge attacks by targeting ground commanders and troops of security forces in Kashmir involved in the major successful operations of late.

According to a top government official, information through interception and local ground intelligence have been gathered to corroborate the latest intelligence.

Eliminating terrorists almost on a daily basis, security forces in Kashmir have alerted their ground commanders, whose units have done successful operations, to keep their troops vigilant, especially after major successes.

On Friday morning, Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH) chief terrorist Imtiyaz Shah was killed in an encounter between terrorists and security forces at Nowbugh in the Tral area of Awantipora district in Jammu and Kashmir.

The communication, giving details about recent achievements, said, “It is desired that ground level commanders be briefed, besides monitoring sector/range level, on the aspect of the major successes being achieved. The troops of units under whose jurisdiction such successes have been achieved by security forces, should remain extra alert, and be on the lookout for reprisals by the terrorists.”

Terrorists have been targeting security forces personnel deployed in duty. Recently, Central Reserve Police Force jawans were attacked by terrorists at Lawaypora. The force sacrificed two jawans. New Tanzim United Libration Front, Jammu and Kashmir, had taken responsibilty of the attack. (ANI)

From heavyweight leaders to celebrities, stakes are high in the fourth phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections that will be held on Saturday.

In Phase-IV, 44 constituencies from the districts of Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Howrah, Hooghly and South 24 Parganas are going to polls. A total of 1,15,81,022 electorates will decide the fate of 373 candidates in this phase.
Among the most high-profile contests, one is the Tollygunge constituency, where BJP has fielded Union Minister Babul Supriyo against sitting TMC MLA Aroop Biswas. Biswas, also a minister in the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal cabinet has been representing the Tollygunge Assembly constituency for the last three terms. Worth mentioning, Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan campaigned for TMC candidate Aroop Biswas. CPI(M) has fielded Debdut Ghosh from the seat.

In Behala Paschim, it is Chatterjee versus Chatterjee. The constituency has been represented by state education minister Partha Chatterjee for 20 years. Now, to challenge Partha to enter into his fifth term, BJP has fielded actor Srabanti Chatterjee from the Behala Paschim Assembly constituency. The torchbearer of the Samyukta Morcha from this seat is CPI(M)’s Nihar Bhakta.

On the other hand, Behala Purba has been hitting the headlines as TMC fielded Ratna Chatterjee, the estranged wife of the sitting MLA and former Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee. Sovan Chatterjee was with the TMC before joining the BJP. Notably, Sovan left BJP after he was denied the ticket from the Behala Purba this time. According to BJP, the party did not want to create controversy by fielding Sovan against his wife and had offered him the ticket from Behala Paschim. Sovan Chatterjee was also unhappy as the BJP did not give a ticket to his friend Baisakhi Banerjee. BJP has fielded actor Srabanti Chatterjee from Behala Purba.

The Sonarpur Dakshin constituency will witness a contest between popular television personalities. Here, TMC’s Lovely Moitra will take on BJP’s Anjana Basu. Moitra and Basu both are well-known faces in Bengali soap operas. However, Shuvam Banerjee is the CPI candidate from the seat.

In the Jadavpur constituency, TMC’s Moloy Majumder is taking on sitting CPI(M) MLA Sujan Chakraborty and BJP’s Rinku Naskar.

In the Dinhata constituency, BJP has fielded party MP Nisith Pramanik against TMC MLA Udayan Guha and Forward Bloc’s Abdul Rauf. In the Alipurduar constituency, there is a contest among TMC’s Sourav Chakraborty, BJP’s Suman Kanjilal and Congress’ Debprosad Roy.

BJP has fielded Prabir Ghosal in Uttarpara constituency against CPI(M)’s Rajat Banerjee. Actor Kanchan Mullick is TMC’s candidate from the seat.

The Singur Constituency in Hooghly district is all set to witness an interesting battle between TMC’s Becharam Manna and BJP’s Rabindranath Bhattacharjee. The sitting MLA from Singur, Bhattacharjee was previously with TMC. As the party denied a ticket to the octogenarian leader this time, he joined the BJP. Srijan Bhattacharya is the CPI(M) candidate from the seat.

In the Chunchura Assembly constituency, BJP MP Locket Chatterjee is standing against TMC’s Asit Mazumdar and Forward Bloc’s Pranab Ghosh.

CPI(M) heavyweight Mohammed Salim is contesting from the Chanditala constituency. BJP has fielded actor Yash Dasgupta against Salim. Swati Khandoker is the TMC candidate from Chanditala.

Abdul Mannan, the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly is contesting from the Champdani constituency. BJP has fielded Dilip Singh against the veteran Congress leader.

In Howrah’s Domjur, BJP leader Rajib Banerjee is taking on TMC candidate Kalyan Ghosh and CPI(M) candidate Uttam Bera. Rajib, a former minister in the TMC government joined the BJP ahead of the West Bengal Assembly polls.

In Shibpur Constituency, cricketer Manoj Tiwary is the TMC candidate against BJP’s Rathindranath Chakraborty and Forward Bloc’s Jagannath Bhattacharya.

The CPI(M) has fielded Dipsita Dhar from the Bally Assembly constituency. Dhar, the joint secretary of the Students’ Federation of India is pursuing PhD in Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Dr Rana Chatterjee and Baishali Dalmiya are the TMC and BJP candidates from the Bally constituency.

In the fourth phase, the majority of the constituencies fall under urban and semi-urban categories. Among the 44 constituencies, nine are in Howrah, 10 in Hooghly, 11 in South 24 Parganas, five in Alipurduar and nine in Cooch Behar.

When it comes to the constituencies in Howrah and Hooghly, there will be tough combat between TMC and BJP. When TMC is reckoned on the development works, BJP is counting on the non-Bengali voters in the industrial belt.

Since there has been visible development in these areas, the major concern among voters is the lack of employment opportunities. The closure of jute mills and an air of anti-incumbency haunt the ruling TMC. On the other hand, the after-effects of lockdown and rising fuel prices are troubling the BJP.

In the districts of Cooch Behar and Alipurduar, the BJP has established a stronghold, especially after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls when the party won the two constituencies. Meanwhile, in South 24 Parganas, TMC has an edge over other parties.

While the BJP is targeting TMC over the issues of corruption in Amphan relief fund, ‘syndicate raj’ and appeasement politics, TMC is banking on its welfare schemes like ‘Duare Sarkar’, ‘Swastho Sathi’ and ‘Kanyashree’ to counter the anti-incumbency wave. The CPI(M) is in the attempt to regain its old legacy that started fading away a decade back.

The first three phases of the eight-phased West Bengal polls have already taken place. The fourth phase of the elections will be held on Saturday. Counting of the votes will take place on May 2. (ANI)