Month: January 2022

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Saturday released a list of 51 candidates for the second phase of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

Addressing a press conference, BSP chief Mayawati also gave the slogan of the party for the elections “Har Polling Booth Ko Jeetana hai, BSP Ko Satta Mein Lana Hai”.

“Today, I am announcing a list of 51 candidates out of 55 seats for the second phase of the Uttar Pradesh elections. This time we have given the slogan ‘Har Polling Booth Ko Jeetana hai, BSP Ko Satta Mein Lana Hai’. I hope party workers will work hard and will form the BSP government like of 2007,” said Mayawati.

She further said that the names of the remaining 4 candidates will also be announced soon.

“We have asked the workers to campaign while following the COVID-19 protocols. I sincerely hope that even in the critical times of Corona, the workers will work to make their candidates win,” added Mayawati.

Earlier on January 15, Mayawati had announced the names of the candidates for the first phase.

Elections for the 403 Assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases starting February 10. A total of 58 assembly seats spread over 11 districts will go to the polls in the first phase on February 10.

Polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27 and March 3 and 7 in seven phases. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. (ANI)

Over 10 people were injured as a result of a powerful 6.4 magnitude earthquake that hit southwestern and western Japan, media reported on Saturday.

The earthquake occurred at around 1:08 a.m. on Saturday (about 16:08 GMT on Friday) near the island of Kyushu, with the epicenter located at a depth of 40 kilometers (24.8 miles), according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. No tsunami warning was issued.
The prefectures of Miyazaki, Oita, Kochi and Kumamoto registered tremors of up to five on the Japanese seven-point seismic intensity scale, the Kyodo news agency said.

According to the media, at least six people were injured, most of them slightly, in Oita Prefecture. In Miyazaki, four injuries were registered. Casualties are also reported in Saga and Kumamoto prefectures.

The exact number of those injured is yet to be determined, the news agency said. (ANI/Sputnik)

Actor Priyanka Chopra and her husband Nick Jonas have welcomed a baby via surrogacy.

On Saturday, the couple took to their respective Instagram accounts to share the good news with their fans and followers.
“We are overjoyed to confirm that we have welcomed a baby via surrogate. We respectfully ask for privacy during this special time as we focus on our family. Thank you so much,” Priyanka and Nick posted.

However, the couple has not revealed the baby’s gender yet.

Soon after the couple announced the news of becoming parents, social media users showered them with good wishes.

“Congratulations,” actor Lara Dutta Bhupathi commented.

“Omg. This is so special…big big congratulations. Best news,” producer Guneet Monga wrote.

Priyanka and Nick tied the knot in December 2018 after dating for a while. (ANI)

India on Saturday reported a dip in daily COVID-19 infections as the country logged 3,37,704 fresh cases in the last 24 hours with a daily positivity rate of 17.22 per cent, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

As per government data, new infections were 9,550 less than that reported on Friday. India had reported 3,47,254 new COVID-19 cases and the daily positivity rate stood at 17.94 per cent yesterday.
The ministry in today’s COVID-19 bulletin said that India’s active caseload currently stands at 21,13,365. The active cases account for 5.43 per cent of the total cases. The weekly positivity rate is at 16.65 per cent.

With 2,42,676 recoveries in the last 24 hours, the cumulative recoveries mounted to 3,63,01,482. Consequently, the recovery rate is at 93.31 per cent.

In the last 24 hours, 488 people succumbed to the virus. The death toll is now at 4,88,884.

A total of 10,050 cases of Omicron variant of COVID-19 have been detected so far. The ministry said that there is an increase of 3.69 per cent in Omicron cases since yesterday.

As per the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 19,60,954 tests were conducted on Friday. Over 71.34 crore tests have been conducted so far.

Meanwhile, in the ongoing nationwide vaccination drive against COVID-19 that was started on January 16 last year, India’s vaccination coverage has exceeded 161.16 crore.

With the administration of more than 67 lakh (67,49,746) vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, India’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 161.16 crore (1,61,16,60,078) as per provisional reports till 7 am today, the ministry said in a statement.

A total of 74,53,904 precaution doses have been administered to eligible beneficiaries. Of these, 25,79,571 were given to healthcare workers, 24,69,995 to frontline workers and 24,04,338 to those above 60 years of age with comorbidities.

In the vaccination drive for those aged between 15-18 years, which was started on January 3 this year, 4,06,33,023 vaccine doses have been given so far. (ANI)

Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Friday said he would file a defamation case against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejirwal, after the called the former a “dishonest man” following the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids at many places including at the premises of the Congress leader’s nephew.

Addressing a press conference here, the Punjab Chief Minister said, “I have sought permission from my party regarding the personal attack on me by Kejriwal and AAP party regarding ED raids. I will soon file a defamation case against Kejriwal because Kejriwal is crossing the limits, so now it is necessary.”
Channi further alleged that Kejriwal was in the habit of levelling accusations to malign the image of others, adding that in the past too, it was seen how he later apologises for his remarks.

“Kejriwal has a habit that he accuses many such leaders before the election, then later runs away after apologizing but this time he will be not able to run. Now I will file a defamation case against him,” he added.

Following the raids conducted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) at multiple locations in Punjab in connection with an illegal sand mining case that involves the nephew of state Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said that Channi is not a “common”, but a “dishonest” man.

Notably, ED recovered around Rs 10 crore cash from the residence of Bhupinder Singh Honey, the nephew of the Punjab chief minister.

“Channi aam aadmi nahi, beimann aadmi hai (Channi is not a common man, but a dishonest man),” Kejriwal said in a tweet.

The ED on Wednesday seized more than Rs 10 crore cash, gold worth above 21 lakh and a Rolex watch worth Rs 12 lakh from the residential premises of land mafia Bhupinder Singh Honey and others in connection with an alleged illegal sand mining case.

The Enforcement Directorate declared the recoveries after it concluded its two-day raid conducted at the business and residential premises of the accused persons and their associates in over a dozen places in Mohali, Ludhiana, Rupnagar, Fatehgarh Sahib and Pathankot.

The ED raids went on from 7.30 am till late night on Tuesday and it again started on early Wednesday under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Meanwhile, Punjab will go to assembly polls on February 20 and the results will be declared on March 10. (ANI)

Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav’s close relative Hariom Yadav, who recently switched sides from Samajwadi Party (SP) to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), will contest the upcoming assembly polls in the state from his current seat of Sirsaganj in UP’s Firozabad.

The BJP had released its second list of 85 candidates for phase 3 and phase 4 for the upcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh on Friday giving tickets to 30 OBCs, 19 SC and 15 women.
A three-time MLA, Hariom Yadav, joined the ranks of BJP on January 12 in the presence of Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma along with state BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh. Hariom claims that he has influence in six assembly constituencies.

A three-time MLA, Hariom Yadav was expelled in February last year for six years for “anti-party activities”.
Besides Hariom, BJP’s second list for UP polls also features the sitting MLA from Rae Bareli Sadar, Aditi Singh, who recently joined the party after quitting Congress. Aditi has been fielded from the seat where she had contested earlier.

Another prominent name that appears on the list is former IPS Asim Arun who has resigned from his position to join the party, has been given a ticket from Kannauj (SC).

Mulayam Singh Yadav’s daughter-in-law of Aparna Yadav, who also joined the ranks of BJP recently, has sought a ticket from Lucknow Cantt seat. Notably, Aparna made her political debut in 2017 assembly elections in the state by contesting from the Lucknow Cantt seat. However, she was defeated by BJP’s Rita Bahuguna Joshi, who had secured nearly 63,000 votes.

Elections to the 403 assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases starting February 10. The polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27, and March 3 and 7 in seven phases. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. (ANI)

Ahead of the seven-phase assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, a draw to decide the timings of campaigning by political parties on Doordarshan and Akashvani was taken out on Friday.
Additional Chief Electoral Officer, Dr Brahm Dev Ram Tiwari said that all political parties have been allotted a total of 1,798 mins for broadcasting.
“A draw to decide the timings of campaigning by political parties on Doordarshan and Akashvani was taken out today, ahead of Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections. All political parties were allotted a total of 1,798 mins for broadcasting,” said Tiwari on Friday.
He further said that the Doordarshan Kendra will broadcast 16 days from February 5 to March 5 between 1 pm and 3 pm.

“Covering all the seven phases, Doordarshan Kendra will broadcast 16 days from February 5 to March 5 between 1 pm and 3 pm. Similarly, there will be a 14-day broadcast on Akashvani, done in two shifts from 10 am to 11 am and from 5:30 pm to 7:10 pm,” said Dr BDR Tiwari.

Additional Chief Electoral Officer giving details of the allotted time for broadcasting said, “In this broadcast time, TMC was allotted 90 minutes, BSP 307, BJP 478, CPI 92, CPI(M) 90, Congress 151, NCP 90, NPP 90, RLD 107 and SP was allotted 303 minutes, in both Doordarshan and Akashvani, separately.”

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India on Saturday will hold a meeting with the Union Health Secretary and the Chief Health Secretaries of the five poll-bound states to review the ban on holding physical roadshows and rallies by political parties ahead of Assembly elections.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sushil Chandra will hold virtual meetings with the Health Secretary, Chief Secretary, and Chief Electoral Officers of five poll-bound states to take stock of the situation as India is reporting a continuous rise in COVID-19 cases.

The Election commission had put a ban on election rallies and roadshows until January 15 first and later extended till January 22. The progress on vaccination will be a key factor in allowing relaxations.

Uttar Pradesh assembly elections will be held in seven phases from February 10 to March 7. The polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27 and March 3 and 7. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. (ANI)

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has expressed “surprise” at the “low-profile campaign” of BSP in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections and said its campaign has not picked up expected pace even though the state is in the middle of the polls.
Asked about the widespread perception that BSP chief Mayawati was not campaigning in her usual style in the polls and was quiet, Gandhi said she was also surprised.
“I am also surprised seeing… six-seven months back we use to think that her party is not active, maybe they will start close to elections. We were also very surprised that the election has started we are in the middle of the election and it has not become active. As you said, (she) is very quiet, I am not able to understand,” Priyanka Gandhi said in an interview with ANI.
“It is possible that the BJP government is exerting pressure,” she added.
Asked about her role in five election-bound states and in other states, Priyanka Gandhi said she has campaigned in Assam and Goa.

“Where ever my party tells me, I do it,” she said. When asked about Congress’ alliance talks not being fruitful in UP and whether fighting polls on its own would be the model in other States, Priyanka Gandhi responded that pre-poll alliances or fighting polls on its own would be “dynamic policy” for the Congress.

“I can speak for Uttar Pradesh. We have experimented with alliances in the past in UP. We had an alliance in 2017 with Samajwadi Party. Before that, we had an alliance with BSP. So in Uttar Pradesh, this is the path we have chosen. I cannot speak about other States whether the Congress party would choose this path. I think it will have a dynamic policy about this and it will take a decision according to what those decisions are,” she said.

Uttar Pradesh will go to the polls in seven phases beginning February 10 and results will be declared on March 10. (ANI)

Amicus and Senior Advocate Rebecca John on Friday told the Delhi High Court that there can be a legitimate expectation regarding sex in a marriage, but it cannot lead to forcible sex with the wife.

“There can be an expectation but expectation can not lead to forcible sex with your wife,” said Senior Advocate Rebecca John, who is appearing as amicus curiae in the matter relating to marital sex.

Amicus John made this submission before a bench of justices Rajiv Shakdher and C Hari Shankar, which was hearing a batch of petitions demanding criminalisation of marital rape.

Justice C Hari Shankar remarked that in a marital relationship, the husband has an expectation and pointed out that the legislature felt that this act done in the backdrop of the existence of such an expectation should not be equated with another act.

Senior Advocate John replied that there is no wrong in having expectations and even both sides can have the expectation.

But expectation cannot result in a husband having a forceful relationship with his wife, she submitted adding that this is not about expectation. “This is about a man exercising his dominant right over wife despite the wife saying I cannot…” Amicus said that pointing out that it may result in marriage breaking down or it may result in the husband seeking civil remedies. She further added that the husband may be right and the wife may be unreasonable but there is no right, there can be an expectation that cannot lead to a forceful relationship with the wife.

However she stressed that expectation can lead to dialogue, may even lead to the wife being satisfied that she should be in a conjugal relationship.

The hearing would continue on Monday too.

The court was hearing a batch of petitions including by the NGOs RIT Foundation and All India Democratic Women’s Association who have challenged an exception to section 375 to the Indian Penal Code.

The exception to Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code, says sexual intercourse by a man with his own wife, the wife not being under fifteen years of age, is not rape. (ANI)