Month: February 2022

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday criticised his Punjab counterpart Charanjit Singh Channi for the controversial “UP, Bihar ke Bhaiya” remarks. Nitish said that Channi does not know the importance of Bihar and its people in Punjab.

“Congress has given a chance (to be a CM) to someone who does not know anything. He does not know the importance of Bihar and its people for Punjab. There is a feeling of respect and love for us among the people of Punjab. People from Bihar serve them so much. Many people from Punjab also come to our state to visit Patna Sahib to pay their respects and prayers to Guru Gobind Singhji,” said Kumar while speaking to the media.

Channi made the controversial “UP, Bihar ke Bhaiya” remarks during the campaign trail in Punjab. He reportedly asked the people of the state not to let the “UP, Bihar ke Bhaiyas” enter the state. On Wednesday, Channi, while addressing a roadshow, said, “Priyanka Gandhi (Congress national general secretary) is the daughter-in-law of Punjab. …will not let the ‘Uttar Pradesh, Bihar de bhaiye’, who have come here to rule, enter the state. While he made the remark, Vadra could be seen standing beside him, smiling and applauding.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister on Thursday clarified his controversial remark and said that his statement was being misconstrued.

“My statement is being misconstrued. All migrant workers who came to Punjab till date have toiled hard and taken the state on the path of development. We have only love for them, nobody can change it,” he said.

Punjab is set to go to the polls on February 20. The counting of votes will be done on March 10. (ANI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday hosted the prominent Sikhs from across the country at his residence in the national capital ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections.

In a video, shared by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), it was seen that the Sikhs also gave “Kirpaan” to the Prime Minister.

Some prominent Sikhs who were hosted by PM Modi were–Harmeet Singh Kalka, President, Delhi Gurudwara Committee; Padma Sri Baba Balbir Singh Ji Sichewal (Sultanpur Lodhi); Mahant Karamjit Singh, President Sewapanthi, Yamuna Nagar; Baba Joga Singh, Dera Baba Jang Singh (Nanaksar) Karnal; Sant Baba Mejor Singh Waa, Mukhi Dera Baba Tara Singh Waa, Amritsar; Jathedar Baba Sahib Singh Ji, Kar Sewa Anandpur Sahib; Surinder Singh Namdhari Darbar (Bheni Sahib); Baba Jassa Singh Shiromani Akali Budha Dal, Panjwa Takht; Dr Harbhajan Singh, Damdami Taksal, Chowk Mehta and Singh Sahib Giani Ranjit Singh Ji, Jathedar Takht Sri Patna Sahi.

Punjab will go to the poll on February 20. (ANI)

Karnataka Congress leader Siddaramaiah, party state president DK Shivakumar and other MLAs continued their protest that they started on Thursday night in the state Assembly demanding the resignation of Minister KS Eshwarappa over his saffron flag remark.

The protest began after Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday accused Congress of violating the flag code in the Assembly when they held a protest against the Minister who purportedly said that the saffron flag in the future could become the national flag and it will be unfurled at the Red Fort.
The Chief Minister said that the Congress leaders were selectively quoting a part of the minister’s statement and were misleading the Assembly and people.

“Eshwarappa has issued a clarification. He did not say that the saffron flag would be hoisted at the Red fort immediately but in another 300 or 500 years. He said it may or may not happen. He also added that we have accepted the national flag and no one must disrespect it. Legally, Eshwarappa has not committed any mistake and no action can be taken against him,” he said. (ANI)

India reported 25,920 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, 4,837 lesser cases than yesterday, with a daily positivity rate of 2.07 per cent, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Friday.

With this, the active caseload in the country stands at 2,92,092.
As many as 66,254 patients recovered from the disease during this period taking the total recoveries since the beginning of the pandemic to 4,19,77,238.

The recovery rate in the country is 98.12 per cent.

Meanwhile, 492 patients lost their lives taking the death toll to 5,10,905.

Expanding the testing capacity further, as many as 12,54,893 COVID samples were tested during the past 24 hours while 75,68,51,787 samples have been tested in the country so far.

The weekly positivity rate stands at 2.76 per cent.

The Ministry said a total of 1,74,64,99,461 vaccine doses have been administered in the country so far.

A Delhi Court on Thursday sought a response from the Director General (Prisons) on a plea of Umar Khalid alleging that he was produced in handcuffs whereas courts had passed orders that it should not be done.

Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat issued notice to Director General (Prisons) seeking a response on the plea.
Umar Khalid’s counsel objected to his production in handcuffs.

The court said that it needs to be reiterated that an undertrial remains in the custody of the court throughout the proceedings and “any step of fetters/handcuffs, which are extreme steps, can only be taken after a court allows the same on a request or an application containing reasons”

“This court has passed no such orders for this accused or, for that matter, any accused in this case. Let notice be issued to DG (prison) to appraise this court whether any such orders have been passed from their end,” the order said.

“In view of the above-stated circumstances and the seriousness of the issue, this court deems it fit to bring the said lapses, if any, to the notice of the worthy commissioner of police, Delhi who may file a report after inquiry through any responsible senior officer whether the accused Umar Khalid was brought in the handcuffs and if so, in what grounds/orders,” the court added.

The court referred to a recent order passed by CMM of Patiala House Court wherein it had directed jail authorities to produce Umar Khalid in a routine manner without using handcuffs or fetters.

The court also took note of the Karkardooma court passed in April 2021 turning down the plea of Jail authorities seeking permission to produce Umar Khalid in handcuffs on the ground of being “high-risk prisoner”.

The judge had observed that he was neither a previous convict nor a gangster and that the application was filed “without application of mind by the high echelons of Delhi Police and prison authorities.” (ANI)

Ahead of the Punjab Assembly polls, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh was removed from his post because he did not agree to provide free electricity to the poor.

Addressing a public rally here, Rahul Gandhi said, “I will tell you why Captain Amarinder Singh was removed as the Chief Minister of Punjab. It was because he did not agree to provide free electricity to the poor people. He said I have a contract with the power supplying companies.”

Referring to the drugs menace in the state, the Congress leader said, “I kept saying drugs is a threat to the country. I am saying this again, Punjab is not a state where experiments should be done. Development and growth will be meaningless in Punjab if drugs continue to destroy lives of youth here.”

The polling in Punjab will take place in a single phase on February 20. The votes will be counted on March 10. (ANI)

Several video clips have emerged on social media platforms and messenger apps purported to be during the cremation of late actor Deep Sidhu, showing a group of Sikhs shouting pro-Khalistan slogans along with ‘Long Live Deep Sidhu’ at the site.

Sidhu who died in a road accident on February 15 was cremated in Ludhiana on Wednesday evening after his body was handed over to his family after a police post-mortem.

The video is allegedly shot in Ludhiana’s Tharike village where a horde of Sikhs in saffron turbans are seen raising slogans “Saadi (hamari) majboori hai, Khalistan zaroori hai” (It is our requirement to get a separate homeland, Khalistan).

Many of them could be seen shouting in front of mobile cameras, ‘Banke rahega Khalistan’ (Khalistan is bound to come to form). The videos were being circulated on social media apps also demanding a fair probe into the death of the late actor.

Controversy theories began emerging as soon the news of Sidhu’s death became public. Many allegedly propogated that Sidhu was “bumped off” by security agencies who had used him to discredit the Farmers Protest while several felt that Sidhu was “eliminated” because he was going to spill the beans on the establishment about his role in the Red Fort vandalism on January 26 last year.

Police have however denied any such possibilities as baseless and said they had identified the truck driver who had hit Sidhu car. The police also disclosed that they had recovered a partially consumed bottle of liquor from the ill-fated car of Punjabi actor near Sonipat in Haryana.

To provide smooth connectivity and boost tourism, a water taxi service was launched in Mumbai on Thursday.
The Water Taxi service will connect the twin cities of Mumbai and Navi Mumbai for the first time. The Water Taxi services will commence from the Domestic Cruise Terminal (DCT) and will also connect nearby locations at Nerul, Belapur, Elephanta island and JNPT.

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal virtually flagged off Water Taxi from the newly constructed Belapur Jetty. Maharashtra Chief Minister Udhav Thackeray presided over the on-ground function where he inaugurated the newly constructed jetty.

According to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Water Taxi services are going to give huge impetus to the tourism sector, especially travel to the historic Elephanta caves from Navi Mumbai. Visitors will be able to travel easily from Navi Mumbai to the Gateway of India.

The newly constructed Belapur jetty, built at a cost of Rs 8.37 crore was funded in the 50-50 model under the Sagarmala scheme of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. The new jetty will enable the movement of vessels to locations like Bhaucha Dhakka, Mandwa, Elephanta and Karanja.
Addressing the event virtually, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said, “Sagarmala Programme has undertaken a range of projects across an array of categories such as port modernization, rail, road, cruise tourism, RORO and passenger jetties, fisheries, coastal infrastructure, skill development. 131 projects worth Rs 1.05 lakh crore has been identified for implementation in Maharashtra.”

The union minister said out of 131, 46 projects worth Rs 2,078 crore being financially supported under the Sagarmala scheme. He said Maharashtra coast has huge potential for urban water transportation which can become an alternate mode of transportation.
“ROPAX movement between Mumbai Ferry Wharf and Mandwa has resulted in a positive impact with a reduction in travel time for passengers, quick and agile loading and unloading process of vehicles. More than 32 projects were undertaken in four clusters – Palghar, Mumbai and Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg,” said Sonowal.

The union minister further said for upliftment of the fishing community, four fishing harbour projects have been sanctioned for funding under Sagarmala. Stage II expansion of Mirkawada Fishing Harbour in Ratnagiri District has been completed. Further, modernization of Sassoon Dock and development of Karanja in Raigad and Anandwadi in Sindhudurg district are under implementation.
The proposal for modernization of Mallet Bunder in Mumbai is under active consideration. (ANI)

NEET-MDS examination 2022 may be postponed by four to six weeks and the date of completion of a compulsory rotating internship for eligibility for admission to MDS courses may be fixed at July 31, 2022 instead of March 31, 2022, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Thursday.

“It is informed that the matter has been examined in this Ministry and in order to bring parity between the NEET-MDS 2022 and NEET-PG 2022 examination, it has been decided by the Competent Authority that the date for the conduct of NEET-MDS examination 2022 may be postponed by 4-6 weeks and preferably around the same date as that for NEET-PG 2022,” reads the Union Health Ministry’s letter.

“It has also been decided by the Competent Authority that the date of completion of a compulsory rotating internship for eligibility for admission to MDS courses may be fixed at July 31 2022 instead of March 31 2022,” said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. (ANI)

Investigators in the Old Seemapuri Improvised Explosive Device (IED) recovery incident are probing any support extended to the suspects by local residents. A pattern and similarities between Ghazi IED recovery and Old Seemapuri are being drawn to zero in on other suspects.

On Friday, National Investigation Agency (NIA) teams also inspected the spot.
Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana told the media on Friday that there are similarities in the IED that was recovered in Ghazipur on Jan 17 and the one recovered and neutralized in Old Seemapuri on Thursday.

“As per probe, these IEDs were prepared to cause blast in public places…such activities are not possible without local support,” Asthana said.

“Special cell and investigative teams are on it; we’re probing forward and backward linkages. We’re trying to pre-empt every such incident in Delhi and expose any local/foreign network. I cannot reveal any further details which may hamper the probe,” he added.

The Delhi police have stepped up security in the area. We have put up barricades and sealed the house. The evidence of crime has been preserved. “The local police have also done the verification of tenants in the area especially the verification of the house on the first floor of the building as part of the Republic Day security drills and a local enquiry has also been conducted by the local police,” the officer said.

The Delhi Police Special Cell had conducted a search in a house at Old Seemapuri to establish any linkage between Ghazipur and Old Seemapuri IED recoveries.

Investigators have now found that this IED is similar to the one used in Ghazipur. Also, the switches and timer devices connected to the explosive were similar to each other.

The sources said that a multi-agency probe is being carried out which shows the involvement of local gangs and a terror module backed by ISI.

“Such assembled IEDs containing RDX could be there. Rectangular iron casing similar to Ghazipur and one found at other places and destroyed later by security agencies,” sources added.

On Thursday around 400 people were temporarily vacated from nearby buildings when the “suspicious” bag was found.

The Special Cell team also retrieved all the CCTV cameras installed in and around the building in Old Seemapuri and those footage are being analysed to get clues, a senior police officer said.

The owner of the house, who was detained on the day of the incident, told police that while giving the house on rent, he had taken the documents of the two suspects but the documents are yet to be recovered by the Special Cell unit of the force which is probing the case, the officer said.

According to the Spell Cell sources, police are trying to create sketches of the suspects with the help of the owner of the house. (ANI)