Month: April 2022

Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Thursday launched an attack on the opposition leaders who blamed the BJP-led government after bulldozers rolled into Jahangirpuri for a demolition saying that leaders should understand that “the issue is not about bulldozer rolled for demolition but is to stop the rebellion and the rebels.”

After bulldozers rolled into Jahangirpuri for a demolition drive by North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) on Wednesday morning, the political mercury has been increasing.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav and other leaders have been constantly attacking BJP led government after bulldozers rolled into Jahangirpuri for a demolition.

Earlier on Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi sneered at BJP’s move to start an encroachment drive in Jahangirpuri and said that the bulldozers must be used to end hatred among people.

“This is demolition of India’s constitutional values. This is state-sponsored targeting of the poor and minorities. BJP must bulldoze the hatred in their hearts instead,” tweeted Gandhi.

Responding to the opposition, Union Minister said, “Whether it’s Rahul Gandhi or all political creatures, they should understand that the issue is not a bulldozer rolled for demolition, but is to stop the rebellion and the rebels.”

Naqvi counter-attacked on the opposition and said, “They (opposition) are trying to create confusion. Some people became used to creating confusion in the name of secularism and communism and to create an atmosphere of fear. I will advise them that ‘Provoking should not be a priority but Peace should be.”

He further said that “They are trying to make a communal shield in this and sending a message to the whole world that the minority is unsafe here in the country. This is being done under a very well-planned conspiracy.”

While responding to TMC sending a fact-finding committee from West Bengal for information on the Jahangirpuri violence case, Naqvi said that it would have been better if the team goes to Birbhum where the massacre is happening instead of sending the team here. (ANI)

With the latest spike of more than 1000 COVID-19 cases in the national capital in a single day, the health experts believed that possibilities of new variants of the Omicron are emerging and they are being sequenced.

Delhi on Wednesday reported 1,009 fresh cases, the highest since February 10, while the positivity rate is 5.70 per cent.
The top expert believes that there are eight variants of Omicron and amongst them, one is dominating which can be held responsible for the surge in cases.

Speaking to ANI, Dr SK Sarin, Director, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) said that there is a possibility of new variants of Omicron in Delhi while adding that the samples at the ILBS lab have been sequenced.

“There is a possibility that new variants are emerging of the Omicron and they are being sequenced,” said Dr Sarin.

Dr Sarin further said that there are eight variants of Omicron and amongst them, one is dominating.

“I think by today at our institute ILBS many samples have been sequenced and I think there are eight variants of which one is now dominating, we will come to know slowly,” he told ANI.

According to the sources to ANI, BA.2.12.1 is the variant which is a sibling of Omicron and is also responsible for the sudden surge in Delhi.

Dr Sarin warned and said that people need to be careful.

“I would suggest people should be very careful. There is a fear that children may get infected because they are not adequately vaccinated. People must wear masks,” he added.

Since the beginning of April, India has been continuously registering a rise in COVID cases daily. However, on Monday, the country recorded about a 90 per cent jump with 2,183 cases. (ANI)

Seems like megastar Amitabh Bachchan pays a lot of heed to likes and comments on social media.

On Thursday, Big B shared a few pictures of him imitating Tiger Shroff’s ‘flexible kick’ to garner more likes on his Instagram posts.

Sharing the pictures, Amitabh wrote, “seeing Tiger Shroff getting all those ‘like’ numbers through his flexible kick abilities, I thought I would also give it a try, in the hope of getting even a small percentage of ‘likes'”.

Boman Irani has also marked his presence in one of the pictures, trying to kick like his ‘Uunchai’ co-star Big B.

After seeing his mention in Big B’s post, Tiger, who is known for his sleek action moves and acrobatic skills, took to Instagram and reposted the former’s post.

Thanking Big B for his kind words, Tiger wrote, “Ok…had to take this opportunity and show off a little when the greatest star of our country and the greatest action hero had some generous words for me..on a serious note sir if I still can kick like you even a few years later, it will be a blessing.”

For the unversed, Amitabh is currently busy shooting for his film ‘Uunchai’ in Delhi. His co-stars Anupam Kher and Boman Irani are also in the capital. (ANI)

The Enforcement Directorate(ED) has decided to file a charge sheet against Faraz Malik and Aamir Malik, sons of Maharashtra Minister and NCP leader, Nawab Malik, after they failed to appear before the agency for questioning in connection with Dawood Ibrahim money laundering case.

According to ED, Faraz and Aamir were sent summon multiple times asking them to appear for questioning. But both skipped the summon.
Earlier, the ED had served the first notice to Faraz on March 1, when he did not appear before the agency, following which, another summon was sent on March 16.

Recently, ED sent the third summon to Faraz, where again he failed to appear. Faraz’s brother Aamir was also sent summon twice but he also skipped it.

ED recently, attached properties belonging to Maharashtra Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik and his family under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.

The properties provisionally attached by ED include Goawala Compound, Kurla (West), Commercial Unit at Kurla West, Mumbai, 147.794 acres of agricultural land in Osmanabad district, three flats in Kurla West and two flats in Bandra West, Mumbai also include Solidus Investments Pvt Ltd and Malik Infrastructure.

The federal agency has accused Malik of being part of an alleged criminal conspiracy to usurp a property in Mumbai’s Kurla area which currently has a market value of Rs 300 crore and belongs rightfully to one Munira Plumber.

However, Malik had submitted before the High Court that he had bought the property in a bonafide transaction three decades ago, and Munira has now changed her mind about the transaction.

Nawab Malik is currently in judicial custody. He was arrested by ED on February 23. (ANI)

Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Wednesday said that the Solomon Islands should not let itself be treated as a pawn after its signing of a security agreement with China.

China and Solomon Islands on Tuesday signed a framework agreement on security cooperation that neighbours of the South Pacific archipelago fear could open the door to a Chinese naval base in the country.
The security pact has caused fears that China will use the archipelago, which lies 2,000 kilometers from Australia, as a base for its military expansion plans in the Pacific region, Taiwan News reported.

It further reported that the “Framework Agreement on Security Cooperation” allows China to send public security, People’s Armed Police, and military units to assist with maintaining order, while Navy vessels can dock at the Solomon Islands’ harbours for supply purposes.

Officials from the United States, Australia, Japan and New Zealand on Tuesday (local time) expressed concerns about a proposed security framework between the Solomon Islands and China and its “serious risks to a free and open Indo-Pacific.”

This statement was issued after the high-level US officials convened a meeting in Honolulu with senior officials from Australia, Japan, and New Zealand on developments in the Pacific Islands on April 18.

“We will do this in ever-closer partnership with Pacific Island nations, including through a united Pacific Islands Forum, and together with like-minded countries, within and beyond the region, including in Europe,” the White House statement read.

“Officials from the four countries represented also shared concerns about a proposed security framework between the Solomon Islands and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and its serious risks to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” it added.

The meeting was part of regular and extensive US consultations with allies and partners on the Indo-Pacific and is part of the announced senior administration travel this week to Hawaii, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. (ANI)

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday expressed his amazement at the simple principles of truth and non-violence advocated by Mahatma Gandhi that changed the world for the better.

Johnson, who landed in Ahmedabad on Thursday, visited Sabarmati Ashram. He was accompanied by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupesh Patel.
Writing a message in the visitor’s book at the Ashram, Johnson said, “It is an immense privilege to come to the Ashram of this extraordinary man, and to understand how he mobilised such simple principles of truth and non-violence to change the world for the better.”

Johnson landed in Gujarat earlier today for his two-day India visit. He was accorded a grand welcome at the airport in Ahmedabad.

Johnson, during his two-day visit to India, will focus on stepping up cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, giving momentum to negotiations on Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries as well as enhancing defence ties.

Johnson will announce a slew of commercial agreements and hold bilateral discussions with a focus on the UK and India’s trade, investment and technology partnership.

The British High Commission (BHC), in a statement, said Johnson will use his visit to India to boost “our collaboration with one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, slashing trade barriers for UK businesses and driving jobs and growth at home”. (ANI)

A group of Congress leaders, including general secretary Ajay Maken, on Thursday, reached Delhi’s Jahangirpuri to meet the families affected by yesterday’s demolition drive in the area.

The delegation will submit a report to the party’s interim president Sonia Gandhi, said a member of the 16-member group.
“We have come to Jahangirpuri to meet the victims. Police have been cooperative. We have come here to tell the people that this should not be seen from the prism of religion,” Maken told media persons.

Congress leader Imran Pratapgarhi, a delegation member, said, “We will meet the affected families. Later, we will submit a report to Sonia Gandhi.”

Former Congress MLA Hari Shankar Gupta, who arrived at the site before the delegation, said that permission for meeting the people was sought from the police. “We do not want to disturb the peace here but only meet the affected families,” he added.

Condemning the demolition drive carried out by Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled North Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Gupta said, “They (the civic body) did not obey the Supreme Court’s orders. They shouldn’t have dared to carry on with the demolition drive in contempt of the apex court. In the coming days, this can set a dangerous precedent.”

The 16-member group of Congress includes Delhi Congress chief Anil Chaudhry and AICC in-charge of Delhi Shakti Sinh Gohil among others.

Ajay Maken on Wednesday apologized for not being able to reach the area while the demolition drive was going on.

“Jahangirpuri demolition without notice/procedure is entirely illegal… Tomorrow morning, along with other senior leaders, I will visit the site. Sorry for not being there today,” said Maken in a tweet yesterday.

The visit of the Congress delegation comes after Communist Party of India (Marxist) Politburo member Brinda Karat visited the demolition site on Wednesday and called the BJP-ruled civic body’s demolition drive unconstitutional.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi also visited Jahangirpuri on Wednesday and termed it a “targetted drive against a particular community”.

Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress (TMC) has also decided to send a fact-finding team to the national capital on Friday, as per party sources.

Violence broke out between two communities in Jahanagirpuri on April 16 during a Hanuman Jayanti procession. The incident left nine people injured, including eight police personnel and a civilian.

Following the incident, the BJP ruled North MCD had scheduled an “encroachment removal action drive against the illegal construction in the Jahangirpuri area”.

After the demolition drive started on Wednesday, Supreme Court ordered a “status-quo”.

The demolition drive was criticized by Opposition leaders, including Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor and Rahul Gandhi, Asaduddin Owaisi, Delhi Environment Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Gopal Rai, Brinda Karat among others. (ANI)

Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas who announced the arrival of their baby in January this year have chosen to name her Malti Marie Chopra Jonas, local media reported.

According to a birth certificate obtained by TMZ, Priyanka and Nick’s daughter – who was born via surrogate – arrived just after 8 p.m. on January 15 at a hospital in San Diego, California.

The birth certificate stated their daughter’s name as Malti, reported the outlet.

‘Malti’ is of Sanskrit origin and means a small fragrant flower or moonlight.

Nick and Priyanka had announced the child’s birth on January 22 in a post that read, “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.”

However, the pair who tied the knot in 2018 in an extravagant three-day affair in India have not yet officially revealed the child’s gender and name yet. (ANI)

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s visit to India beginning Thursday is expected to give momentum to negotiations on Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries.

The third round of negotiations will begin next week and the two sides are keen to double bilateral trade by 2030.

The two countries are also exploring the possibility of an interim agreement to provide quick gains for benefitting businesses on both sides.

The United Kingdom is also looking to increase its footprint in defence production in India.

India and UK launched Free Trade Agreement negotiations in January this year.

Sources said the two countries have cleared some of the issues in the first two rounds of negotiations and some major issues around market access are expected to figure in the third round of negotiations.

They said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and PM Johnson would be keen to encourage and give momentum to those negotiations. While some big announcements are not expected, the two leaders are expected to give a strong signal.

The sources said the aim is to try and do the negotiation this year if possible and there is quite a bit of ambition on both sides.

India was the second biggest contributor to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the UK in 2020.

The two countries have strong links in the healthcare sector and the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is manufactured in India as Covishield.

The issue concerning financial fugitives from India may come up during talks. The United Kingdom’s position is that executive processes have been followed but there are legal proceedings that continue and it is for the judiciary to take a view.

The UK is seeking an increase its presence in the defence manufacturing sector in India the issues related to the transfer of technology are expected to come up in talks. The cooperation between India and the UK in the maritime domain is expected to become stronger in the coming years.

PM Johnson has been absolutely determined to come to India with UK keen to turn the Compressive Strategic Partnership into something real and long-lasting.

The sources said the visit to India is a big deal for PM Johnson and the trip has been one of his top priorities. His visit to India was “cancelled” twice due to the situation created by COVID-19.

PM Johnson knows India well and it will be his first visit to the country as Prime Minister

During the visit, PM Johnson and Prime Minister Narendra will review the implementation of the Roadmap 2030 and set their vision for further intensifying cooperation across the full spectrum of bilateral ties. They will also exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest.

The sources said the UK looks at the next 25 years to further enhance bilateral cooperation.

Johnson’s two-day visit will begin with Gujarat, a state that is home to a large number of Indian diaspora in the UK including the family of UK Home Secretary Priti Patel.

The visit comes almost a year after the two countries held the India-UK Virtual Summit in early May last year in which PM Modi and PM Johnson adopted the India-UK Roadmap 2030 to steer cooperation for the next ten years.

The two leaders also launched an ‘Enhanced Trade Partnership’ (ETP) to tap into the full trade potential between the two countries by the way of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) to achieve the target of more than doubling the bilateral trade by 2030.

PM Johnson will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan and he will hold bilateral consultations with PM Modi on April 22.

India and the United Kingdom have a long and historical relationship which was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during the India-UK Virtual Summit in 2021. (ANI)