Month: April 2021

Lashing out against the rival Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the fourth phase of the West Bengal elections, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she is a ‘Bengal tigress’, who will not bend in front of BJP’s attacks.

Speaking at a public gathering in Cooch Behar, Banerjee said: “They (BJP) will bring goons from Assam. They will explode bombs and threaten people. Do not be afraid. They do not want our mothers and sisters to vote. Central forces are blocking ur mothers and sisters from voting.”
She claimed that if the BJP comes to power in the state, they will build detention camps like in Assam. “They have kept 14 lakh Bengalis in detention camps, who have no future. We are fighting for those poor people. They were not even voting, police made raids on them.”

“BJP cannot do anything to me with their money. I am a Bengal tigress, I break but I do not bend,” she further remarked.

Banerjee appealed to the people to vote for the Trinamool Congress (TMC) if they did not want to see “Gujaratis capturing Bengal”. She also raised slogans such as ‘BJP hatao’ and ‘BJP ke chai na’ (We do not want BJP).

“We will not let Gujaratis capture Bengal. Bengal will stay in Bengal, we will not let goons from Gujarat take over Bengal,” she said.

The United States has suggested it will not rule out the possibility of consulting with partner countries over a boycott of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games amid the growing concerns over human rights violations in China’s Xinjiang province.

“We have consistently said, when it comes to our concerns with the government in Beijing, including Beijing’s egregious human rights violations, its conduct of genocide in the case of Xinjiang, that what the US does is meaningful, what the US does will have impact, but everything we do that is – that brings along our allies and partners will have all the more influence with Beijing,” US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said on Tuesday (local time) in a press briefing over the question on Winter Olympics.

The remark comes amid a growing rift between the US and China over several issues including human rights abuses in the Xinjiang province, political situation in Hong Kong and trade.

Asked if Washington is consulting with allies about a joint plan to boycott the Winter Olympics, Price said, “…Department of State, as part of our thinking on the Beijing Olympics, is engaging with partners, with allies to coordinate – coordinate closely on decisions and approaches to the government in Beijing.”

He further said the United States and its partners are coordinating on all of these issues of concern, and, of course, the Beijing Olympics is an area that we will continue to discuss.

The US and some of its allies, including the European Union, have imposed sanctions against Chinese officials over human rights abuses in Xinjiang province.

The Winter Olympics in 2022 is slated to be held between February 4 and 20 in Beijing. (ANI)

Proclaimed as one of the fittest and beautiful actors in the English film industry, American singer-actor Jennifer Lopez opened up about her beauty secrets and how she maintains to keep herself in shape even after being a working mother.

Jennifer has undoubtedly proven to her audience that she is physically strong after taking on physically demanding roles in movies like ‘Hustlers’. Talking candidly over how she maintained her youth throughout her entire decade of a long career, she told that she works out ‘harder and smarter’ in her 50s than in her 20s.

“I don’t have any beauty secrets except JLo Beauty — and I’m giving them all to everyone with every product,” Lopez said about her new beauty line to Fox News, which she launched earlier this year.

She continued, “I also think I’m in the best shape of my life. In my 20s and 30s I used to work out but not like I do now. It’s not that I work out more; I just work out harder and smarter. And it doesn’t take me as long as it did in the past.”

According to her, when someone does things for the right reasons, then one actually looks better.

“I love what I do. I’m passionate about it. Every day does not seem like a job to me. I can honestly say I’m living a dream, and I’m grateful every day that I wake up,” she gushed.

The ‘Parker’ star also feels grateful to her team that offers her aid both personally and professionally when she needs it.

“I really believe the most important thing is to have great people around you,” the singer explained.

Fox News reported that the two times glamour award-winner further highlighted that one of her rules to live by is to avoid being “a complainer,” recalling working on her ‘Hold You Down’ music video while being freezing cold.

“I am there to do a job, and that’s what I should do. Believe it or not, I don’t want to burden anyone with my thirst, or if I’m cold or uncomfortable. That might be something that my mom and dad instilled in me,” she explained.

She continued, “You just have to be grateful to be doing what you’re doing. It’s a very Latino thing. Be happy with what you have.”

When asked by Fox News about how she manages her assiduous work schedule with being a mother of two thirteen-year-old twins she said, “It’s hard for any working mom”.

“You feel guilt anytime you have to work and cannot take care of your kids. It’s a balance, and I do the best I can,” the movie star explained.

The ‘On The Floor’ star further continued, “It doesn’t matter if I’m on location or if I’m in the house with them — we are communicating, we are laughing, and we are spending time together. And sometimes I’m even nagging at them to brush their teeth, get into bed to get up for school, all the things you have to do. I cannot begin to list the things that my kids have taught me about myself.”

According to Fox News, Jennifer Lopez will soon be seen in Kat Coiro’s directorial rom-com ‘Marry Me’, which set to release February 11, 2022. It was originally set to arrive on February 12, 2021, but was pushed back to May 14, before being postponed again.

Jennifer is also executively producing the movie along with Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Benny Medina, John Rogers. (ANI)

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday filed an application before the special NIA court seeking permission to question suspended Mumbai Police officer Sachin Waze in connection with the corruption allegations against former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh as part of its preliminary inquiry.

This comes a day after the CBI registered a preliminary inquiry in connection with the Bombay High Court order to probe allegations of corruption levelled against Deshmukh.
The high court had directed the CBI to start a preliminary inquiry within 15 days into allegations.

Waze, Assistant Police Inspector in the Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) who was in charge of the Mansukh Hiran case, was in NIA custody till April 7, for his alleged role and involvement in placing the explosives-laden vehicle outside the residence of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani.

Hiran, the owner of the vehicle that was found containing explosives materials outside Anitilia, was found dead on March 5 in Thane.

There were reports of Deshmukh’s association with Waze whose name came up in the Mansukh Hiran death case. (ANI)

By Sushil Batra

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday made the wearing of masks compulsory even if a person is driving alone in a car in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Bench of Justice Prathiba M Singh dismissed all the four petitions challenging the imposition of challans on people for not wearing a mask while they are alone in private cars.

The court stated that a mask acts as a ‘Suraksha Kavach’ which would prevent the spread of COVID-19 while adding that even if a car is occupied by just one person, it is a public space.

The HC emphasised the need to wear masks when around with senior citizens and people with comorbidities. It further said that masks should be worn even when a person is vaccinated.

The court cited the observation of several experts, doctors and researchers that emphasises the need to wear masks.

Earlier, Delhi Government in the same matter had told the Delhi High Court that “any person” moving around in his personal or official vehicle must be wearing masks compulsorily.

All “Public Places”, and a personal vehicle fall in the said category and cannot be said to be a “private zone’ as contended by the petitioner in the instant case,” the state government said.

The court was hearing a plea that sought a refund of the Rs 500 fine imposed against the petitioner and compensation of Rs 10 lakh for publicly causing mental harassment.

According to petitioner Saurabh Sharma, on September 9 Delhi Police issued a challan of Rs 500 for not wearing a mask even though he was alone in the car while driving to work.

The petitioner argued that the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) guidelines only state that the mask has to be worn in a public place or place of work.

Earlier, it was also made mandatory to wear masks for pillion riders. (ANI)

On the occasion of World Health Day, several Bollywood stars, including Hema Malini and Shilpa Shetty, shared their thoughts on physical fitness and mental health.

“It is World Health Day today. Time for us to take stock of our health, look around us and try to help contain pollution which is the main cause of ill health. Do our bit to improve the environment and the world we live in. Make a better ambience for the future generations,” tweeted the ‘Dream Girl’ of Bollywood Hema Malini.

She emphasised the need to make a better ambience for future generations.

Kajol shared a picture of herself on Instagram as she showed her five fingers to the camera and highlighted the ‘5 rules of staying healthier today in the world’.

Sharing how we should plan the World Health Day, the ‘Tanhaji’ star noted in the caption, “5 rules of staying healthier today in the world.1. Pull your hands in 2. Windows up 3. Drive that car 4.Go home 5. Don’t step out. And that my friend is how we celebrate #WorldHealthDay2021,” wrote Kajol.

By posting a picture of herself as she climbed up on a tree, Rakul Preet Singh explained to her fans what does being healthy means to her.

“A healthy outside starts from the inside. It’s not about just hitting the gym or looking lean but feeling good about yourself at all times.,” wrote the ‘Dede Pyaar De’ star.

“Choose activities you like doing, let yourself soak in the beauty of nature, feed your body, mind and soul with healthy thoughts and remember to keep the inner child in you kicking always! Be crazy, be fun, be random but always be happy. #HAPPYWORLDHEALTHDAY #healthybodyhealthymind #healthymindhealthyyou,” she added.

Asking fans to ‘mask up’, Shilpa Shetty Kundra posted a video on Instagram and stressed the importance of taking one’s health seriously.

In the video, the actor is seen wearing a face mask and pointing at it, she said, “Happy World Health Day, well this is here for a reason and it’s gonna stay put every time I get out. Please mask up guys, take it seriously, take your health seriously.”

Anil Kapoor extended his wishes on World Health Day by posting a picture with his trainer in a swimming pool.

Along with the photo, he noted down a quote by spiritual leader Sadhguru and said, “Health is your responsibility. Creating health is about revitalizing your body, mind, emotions, and life energies to a higher level of functioning” – Sadhguru #WorldHealthDay”.

Urging her fans to live a healthy lifestyle, Madhuri Dixit shared a picture with her pet dog Carmello in her gym, a workout video, and pictures of salads, and wished her fans a Happy World Health Day.

She wrote alongside the post, “Mind, body, food & soul…Let’s pledge for a healthy lifestyle. #WorldHealthDay.”

Juhi Chawla also took to her Instagram story and posted a picture of water and posted a message of staying hydrated by drinking eight glasses of water in a day.

Bollywood actor Rani Mukerji, who has ruled the silver screen for 25 years now with her breath-taking performances, on Wednesday shared a piece of advice for young girls wanting to become a Bollywood star.

“My only advice would be that being an actress in the film industry is not easy. It’s a very, very difficult profession to be in as there are a lot of expectations that the audiences have from you once you become an established star. Also, to be able to work in different conditions is not very easy,” said Rani.

The ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ star added that behind all the glamour that people see, lies a lot of passion for the craft which an actress has to put in every single day in the film industry.

“Of course, on-screen it all looks very glamorous and very easy and nice. It looks serene and beautiful especially the locations where we shoot sometimes but actually working in the industry is very hard,” she explained.

The 43-year-old concluded that the focus after entering the industry should only be work to gain loyal fans for life. “So, if you are ready to work really hard and you really love the craft of acting then you should be there, not for any other reason because success, glamour, name and fame come only when the audiences love you.”

The actor will be next seen in ‘Bunty Aur Babli 2’, co-starring Saif Ali Khan and Siddhant Chaturvedi, the release date of which has been postponed due to COVID-19 cases.

‘Bunty Aur Babli 2’, produced by Yash Raj Films, was earlier set to release on April 23. The cast of the film also includes debutante Sharvari. ‘Bunty Aur Babli 2’ is a sequel to the 2005 hit film ‘Bunty Aur Babli’, which starred Rani alongside Abhishek Bachchan and Amitabh Bachchan. (ANI)

Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi has issued over 1,100 visas to Sikh pilgrims from India to participate in the annual Baisakhi celebrations from April 12 to 22.

“These visas have been issued as a ‘special gesture’ by the government of Pakistan in view of the importance of Baisakhi for Punjabis and Sikhs marking the start of their new year. Pakistan High Commission extends special felicitations to all those celebrating this auspicious occasion and wishes the visiting pilgrims a fulfilling yatra,” the Pakistani High Commission said in a statement.

“The issuance of pilgrimage visas is a part of the government of Pakistan’s efforts for facilitating visits to religious shrines. This also reflects the commitment of the government of Pakistan to faithfully implement the bilateral protocol on visits to religious shrines,” the statement added. (ANI)

After a day of turmoil, voting for the third phase of the tightly contested West Bengal assembly elections ended on Tuesday evening with a voter turnout of 77.68 per cent.

According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), some instances of violence and brawls were reported in a few areas and some arrests have been made.
“One incident happened in Khanakul where a candidate went to different polling stations. There was an altercation between two groups, and four were arrested. In Arambagh, another altercation took place after a candidate reached Arandi and five others were arrested,”

The Hooghly district and the Goghat constituency recorded the highest turnout of voters with 79.89 per cent and 84.71 per cent respectively. The districts of Howrah and South 24 Parganas registered a turnout of 77.92 per cent and 76.94 per cent respectively.

Ahead of the third phase, three EVMs and four VVPATs were found in the residence of TMC leader Gautam Ghosh. Following this, the sector officer, Tapan Kumar Sarkar, was suspended along with two assistant sector officers, Samjit Majumdar and Mithun Chakraborty. The sector police officer was also suspended and 3 home guards were demobilised.

There was also an incident where media persons and agents were barred from entering a polling booth in Hooghly’s Tarakeswar constituency. BJP candidate Swapan Dasgupta alleged that state police were misusing authority.

Moreover, BJP candidate from Diamond Harbour, Dipak Haldar, also accused TMC workers of stopping people from casting votes during polling.

“TMC goons are not allowing people to cast their votes at booth number 180 and 143 Dagira Baduldanga. I have complained to the Election Commission officials,” Haldar told ANI.

TMC candidate from Arambagh, Sujata Mondal Khan was allegedly attacked by BJP workers and her vehicle was vandalised by a horde of people. After this, a brawl erupted in the Poishara village of that constituency when locals objected to her visit.

Meanwhile, intensifying his tirade of attacks against the TMC and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the ruling party of taking ‘Bhaipo service tax’ and said Banerjee is abusing him as she fears her defeat.

The Prime Minister slammed the TMC-led state government of misgovernance and accused that the conditions of MSMEs in the state have deteriorated due to the bad policies of the government.

A total of 31 Assembly constituencies in districts including eight in Hooghly, seven in Howrah and 16 in South 24 Parganas are going to polls in phase-III. There are 205 candidates in the fray in this round of polling. However, when it comes to women representation, there are only 13 women candidates contesting in this phase, merely six per cent.

Polling for the first two phases of the West Bengal elections was held on March 27 and April 1 respectively. The fourth phase of polling will take place on April 10. The counting of votes will take place on May 2. (ANI)