Month: April 2022

Amid an ongoing spell of heatwave, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday issued an orange alert for five states of northwestern India including Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha.

Briefing the media today, IMD Scientist RK Jenamani informed that on Wednesday (yesterday) some parts of the country recorded temperatures above 45 degrees Celsius.

“In view of this, we have announced an orange warning for Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha,” he said.

Jenamani further informed that during the first week of May, there is a likeliness of witnessing western disturbances and increased chances of rain.

In an advisory, he said that under the influence of another fresh Western Disturbance likely to affect northwest India from May 2.

“Light/moderate isolated/scattered rainfall accompanied with thunderstorm/lightning is likely over the Western Himalayan Region during May 2-4,” IMD said.

“Because of this, isolated light rainfall is likely over plains of northwest India during May 3 and 4”, Jenamani added.

IMD informed heatwave conditions over Northwest and Central India during the next 5 days and over East India during the next 3 days and abate thereafter. (ANI)

A key accused in the Jahangirpuri violence was arrested from West Bengal’s East Medinipur, said the Delhi police on Thursday.

The accused has been identified as Farid alias Neetu, who is one of the prime conspirators and executors of Mohammad Ansar who was arrested earlier in the case.
According to the police, the team was chasing him for the past two weeks. A number of hideouts were raided in Uttar Pradesh west and West Bengal. Several teams of special cell and Crime Branch who were deployed in West Bengal arrested him on Thursday from his aunt’s village.

The accused had fled from the spot after the Jahangirpuri violence. Since then, he had been changing his locations and moving across West Bengal, Delhi police said.

Farid, 34, already had six cases against his name including that of robbery, snatching, burglary and under the Arms Act, since 2010 and he is a history-sheeter in the Jahangirpuri area, informed the police.

The police have arrested 30 individuals in connection with the case including three juveniles who were sent to a correction home in Delhi.

Earlier this morning, the Delhi police arrested two persons who were identified as Jafar and Babuddin and who were brothers in relation.

Violent clashes broke out in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri on April 16 between two groups during a Hanuman Jayanti procession that left nine people injured, including eight police personnel and a civilian. (ANI)

Following the direction of the Uttar Pradesh government, nearly 11,000 loudspeakers have been removed from religious places till Wednesday evening.

As per the data released by the government, a total of 10,923 loudspeakers were uninstalled from various religious sites in the state and the volume of 35,221 loudspeakers was lowered as per the parameters till 4.00 pm on Wednesday.
The home department of the state removed loudspeakers from eight zones of the state, including Agra, Meerut, Bareilly, Lucknow, Kanpur, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Varanasi and four commissionerates — Lucknow, Kanpur, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Varanasi.

Out of the total, the home department removed a maximum of 2,395 loudspeakers and lowered the volume of 7,397 loudspeakers from the religious places in the Lucknow zone, followed by the Gorakhpur and Varanasi zones.

On Wednesday, the home department asked the police to remove the loudspeakers and those flouting the noise limit standards at religious places across the state. The order to remove loudspeakers from religious places in the state was issued on April 24. A compliance report from the districts in this regard has been sought by April 30.

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on April 21 directed that the loudspeakers at religious places should not play loud and the sound must be confined within the premises only.

He also said that the microphones should not be installed and that no new loudspeakers would be allowed at religious places.

The Supreme Court’s June 2005 order had banned the use of loudspeakers and music systems in public between 10.00 p.m. and 6.00 a.m. (except in cases of public emergencies), citing the serious effects of noise pollution on the health of those residents who live in such areas.

The issue of loudspeakers has been gaining traction ever since MNS chief Raj Thackeray gave an ultimatum for the removal of loudspeakers at mosques by May 3. (ANI)

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has handed over the case of a terror attack on a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) vehicle carrying 15 personnel on April 22 in Jammu and Kashmir’s Sunjwan to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), top government officials said on Thursday.

The NIA took over the case soon after the anti-terror agency received an official order from the MHA asking it investigate the matter from all possible angles.
The NIA has re-registered the case which was initially being probed by the Jammu and Kashmir Police.

The move comes within a week of the incident following a visit of the anti-terror agency at the spot hours after the attack which was reported at about 4.25 am on April 22 when the 15 CISF personnel, who were performing duty in the outer cordon near the Chadda Camp and their relieving teams was just arrived by bus.

The CISF, in a statement then said, all the CISF personnel came under heavy firing from the terrorists.

“The CISF personnel immediately took position and retaliated. During the course of retaliation, terrorists lobbed grenades and by taking advantage of darkness managed to escape from the spot towards the nearby residential area,” the CISF had said.

In the attack, the Central Armed Police Force said, Assistant Sub Inspector S.P. Patel of CISF laid down his life while undergoing treatment in hospital, one personnel was grievously injured and six other personnel of the Force sustained minor injuries while valiantly retaliating against the terrorist attack.

In the subsequent action, security forces succeeded to eliminate the two terrorists responsible for the attack.

Two fidayeens (Aatma ghati) terrorists of the Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit were present in the area.

The CISF had said that the terrorists were planning to target the security forces and innocent people. “If they could have managed to surpass the outer cordon (Naka), a major loss to the security forces might have been caused.”

Due to the valiant response by CISF personnel, a major fidayeen attack was not only averted but terrorists were contained and eliminated.

The CISF then said its total of three companies were deployed in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir for Law and Order duties.

A CISF company (No. 757) of the 3rd Reserve Battalion was deployed at Jammu City for maintaining Law and Order with the local police of Narwal Police Station, Jammu.

Based on the inputs, the CISF said “some fidayeens terrorist organisations were planning a major attack in the Jammu region”.

Considering the input, it said a joint “combing and search operation was being carried out in the area, wherein Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and local police personnel were deployed for inner cordon and search operation while CISF personnel were deputed at Naka near Chadda Camp meant for outer cordon”. (ANI)

In a move which may provoke the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Central government, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday asked the Cooch Behar Police not to allow the Border Security Force (BSF) to allow beyond 50 kms from the international border.

The West Bengal Chief Minister also alleged that the “BSF is entering the villages and beating people while also throwing them on the other side of the international border”.
“Don’t allow BSF to enter 50 kms of the area beyond the international border in the state because they are entering the village, killing people and throwing them on the other side. Ask the BSF to take state police in confidence while working on any operation,” the Chief Minister said in a virtual meeting with the senior officials of the state police.

The Central government had last year amended the BSF Act to authorise the border guarding force to undertake search, seizure and arrest within a 50 km stretch, up from the previous limit of 15 kms, from the international border in Punjab, West Bengal and Assam.

The amendment had triggered a political slugfest over the role of the BSF and the state police in maintaining the law and order situation in the respective states.

Punjab and West Bengal governments even passed resolutions in November last year against the Centre’s decision to extend the BSF jurisdiction from 15 kms to 50 kms of the international borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh. They asked the Central government to withdraw the order passed on October 11, 2021.

Central and West Bengal governments have been at loggerheads for the past many years over various issues, especially the law and order situations in the state.

Banerjee, in a meeting with State Police, even claimed that the law and order situation is good in the state but some sections of the media are deliberately spreading misinformation and said that cases are lodged in West Bengal but not in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.

“A case of death by suicide was portrayed as a rape case by the opposition parties. The BJP and CPI(M) are both trying to defame West Bengal. We will not let Bengal become Hathras or Unnao,” she said.

However, she also questioned the West Bengal Police about the recent incidents that took place in the state. (ANI)

Director of Tata Institute for Genetics and Society (TIGS), Bengaluru, Dr Rakesh Mishra has called for reducing the gap for booster doses from nine to five-six months after two-doses of covid-19 vaccination, saying “it can be a good approach”.
“I think if a booster dose is made available before nine months, it will be very good. Five-six months can be a good time to give the booster doses. If we have vaccines available then we should use them,” Dr said told ANI.

He explained that the chances of a fourth wave in India are very less. But efforts should be to not allow the virus to spread, he added.

“Our vaccination programme has been very powerful and most eligible people have taken two doses. Children are getting their doses and many people are also taking booster doses. We had 80-90 per cent Sero survey positivity. If the fourth wave comes it will be an extraordinary situation,” he said.

“Infection will keep going up and down, a little bit with a very minimal hospital requirement. But by allowing the virus to spread, we are giving a virus a chance to bounce back on us,” Mishra said.

On recombinant variants he said, it is not much worrisome but virus has another way of making new variants.

“Recombinant variants are very common in flu. There are some confirmed cases in Australia and the US, not in India. This is not much worrisome at the moment, but this means that viruses have another way of making new variants not only simply mutation in a lineage way, but also recombinant, which is a very powerful mutational approach to generate new characters, living organisms,” he added. (ANI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with industrialist Ratan Tata on Thursday inaugurated seven state-of-the-art cancer hospitals and laid the foundation stone for seven new cancer hospitals.

“Today, 7 new cancer hospitals have been inaugurated in Assam. There was a time, even one hospital getting opened up in 7 years was a thing to celebrate. Times have changed now. I have been told 3 more cancer hospitals will be ready for your service in a few months,” PM Modi said.
Speaking at the event in Dibrugarh, the Prime Minister said that his government has also focussed on preventive healthcare with yoga, fitness and cleanliness.

“Hospitals are at your service but I will be happy if these new hospitals remain empty; I pray for your health… our govt has also focussed on preventive healthcare with yoga, fitness, ‘swachhata’. New testing centers are being opened up in the country,” he said.

Ratan Tata, who was also present at the event, said, “I dedicate my last years to health. Make Assam a state that recognizes and is recognized by all.”

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed his gratitude to Ratan Tata and the Government of India for their contribution saying that the largest cancer care treatment will benefit Assam as well as South East Asia.

“Largest cancer care treatment to benefit Assam as well as South East Asia… This is a huge achievement for us. I am grateful to Ratan Tata, GoI for their contribution,” he said.

Assam Cancer Care Foundation, a joint venture of the Government of Assam and Tata Trusts, is executing a project to build South Asia’s largest affordable cancer care network with 17 Cancer care hospitals spread across the state.

Under Phase 1 of the project, out of 10 hospitals, the construction of seven hospitals have been completed while three hospitals are at various level of construction. Phase 2 of the project will witness the construction of seven new cancer hospitals.

The Prime Minister, today at Dibrugarh, dedicated to the nation, seven cancer hospitals completed under phase 1 of the project. These cancer hospitals are built at Dibrugarh, Kokrajhar, Barpeta, Darrang, Tezpur, Lakhimpur, and Jorhat.

The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of seven new cancer hospitals at Dhubri, Nalbari, Goalpara, Nagaon, Sivasagar, Tinsukia and Golaghat to be constructed under phase 2 of the project. (ANI)

Amravati Independent MP Navneet Rana and her husband MLA Ravi Rana have filed a petition in sessions court asking for home-made food to be served to them in jail.

The hearing on this plea will take place on Friday.
The Mumbai police had on last Saturday arrested the Rana couple. They were arrested from their Mumbai residence, hours after calling off plans to recite Hanuman Chalisa outside ‘Matoshree’ (Maharashtra CM’s Mumbai Residence).

The Rana couple was booked on charges of sedition, promoting enmity, and assaulting a public servant to prevent discharge of duty.

On Sunday they were sent to judicial custody for 14-days by a Metropolitan Magistrate court in Bandra.

Meanwhile, Aarohi Rana, the 8-year-old daughter of Amravati MP Navneet Rana and MLA Ravi Rana, recited Hanuman Chalisa at her residence in Amravati on Wednesday, for the release of her parents from jail. “I pray to God that my parents are released soon,” she said.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sought a detailed factual report from the Maharashtra government regarding independent Lok Sabha MP Navneet Rana’s allegation about her arrest and “inhumane treatment” meted out at Khar Police Station in Mumbai.

The officials said the MHA took the action following a request made by Lok Sabha Privilege and Ethics Committee.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has also sought details from the Maharashtra government within 24 hours on the arrest of independent MP Navneet Rana in Mumbai, after receiving a letter from the Amravati lawmaker that she had been subjected to “inhuman treatment” by the police following her “illegal” arrest two days ago. (ANI)

India on Thursday witnessed an uptick in the number of COVID-19 cases, with 3,303 fresh cases in the last 24 hours, the union health ministry reported. There were 39 fatalities over the same period.

On Wednesday 2,927 COVID-19 cases were reported from the country.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare today informed that this single-day rise of these fresh cases pushed India’s coronavirus tally to 4,30,68,799. Moreover, the death toll from the virus rose to 5,23,693 in the country.

Of the fresh COVID-19 cases recorded today, Delhi accounted for 1367 cases which is 58.61 percent of the total cases, followed by Maharashtra with 186 cases and the rest of the cases were reported in other states.

India’s active caseload currently stands at 16,980 which accounts for 0.04 per cent of the total cases.

As the country reels under the pandemic, the ministry data mentioned that as many as 2,563 recoveries were logged in the last 24 hours from this virus thereby taking the total recoveries to 4,25,28,126.

The daily positivity rate has been recorded at 0.66 per cent with 4,97,669 COVID-19 tests being conducted in the last 24 hours. The weekly positivity rate was also reported at 0.61 per cent.

On the COVID-19 vaccination front, 188.40 crore vaccine doses have been administered so far under the nationwide vaccination drive. (ANI)

Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn, who’s awaiting the release of his upcoming film, ‘Runway 34’, on Thursday, got into a war of words with South star Kichcha Sudeepa after the latter’s comment on Hindi no longer being India’s national language.

As per media reports, during an event, Sudeepa stated that “Hindi is no more a national language.” Following this, Devgn took to his Twitter handle and expressed his views on Sudeepa’s comment.
In Hindi, he wrote, “Kiccha Sudeep, my brother, according to you, if Hindi is not our national language then why do you release your native language [mother tongue] films by dubbing them in Hindi? Hindi was, is and always will be our mother tongue and national language. Jan Gan Man.”

Soon after this tweet from the ‘Shivaay’ actor, Sudeepa responded by writing, “Hello @ajaydevgn sir.. the context to why i said tat line is entirely different to the way I guess it has reached you. Probably wil emphasis on why the statement was made when I see you in person. It wasn’t to hurt, Provoke or to start any debate. Why would I sir.”

“I love and respect every language of our country sir. I would want this topic to rest,,, as I said the line in a totally different context. Much love and wishes to you always. Hoping to seeing you soon,” he added.

Explaining further, Sudeepa continued, “And sir Ajay Devgn sir, I did understand the txt you sent in hindi. Tats only coz we all have respected, loved and learnt hindi. No offense sir,,,but was wondering what’d the situation be if my response was typed in kannada.!! Don’t we too belong to India sir.”

On hearing out Sudeepa’s side of the argument, Devgn thanked him for “clearing up the misunderstanding.”

He tweeted, “Hi @KicchaSudeep, You are a friend. thanks for clearing up the misunderstanding. I’ve always thought of the film industry as one. We respect all languages and we expect everyone to respect our language as well. Perhaps, something was lost in translation “

“Translation & interpretations are perspectives sir. Tats the reason not reacting wothout knowing the complete matter,,,matters.:) I don’t blame you @ajaydevgn sir. Perhaps it would have been a happy moment if i had received a tweet from u for a creative reason. Luv&Regards,” responded Sudeepa, as he concluded this Twitter conversation.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Ajay had recently announced his next venture ‘Bholaa’ a Hindi remake of the hit Tamil film ‘Kaithi’. It will release on March 30, 2023, and also stars Tabu in a pivotal role of a super-cop. (ANI)