Month: May 2022

Turkey has blocked the start of consideration of the application for accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO, the Financial Times reported citing an informed source.

NATO ambassadors met on Wednesday to begin admission talks on the same day Finland and Sweden filed their bids, but Ankara’s obstruction halted any vote, the newspaper said.
It noted that this called into question the ability of NATO to agree on the first stage of the application of the two countries within one to two weeks.

All 30 NATO member countries must ratify the applications of Finland and Sweden, but the process can only begin when the alliance issues a protocol of acceptance and formally invites these countries to join NATO. (ANI/Sputnik)

Chinese authorities on May 10 detained 170 Tibetans in a village of Gade County allegedly for opposing the government’s order to confiscate grazing lands in the area, reported a Tibetan news website on Monday citing Tibetan Watch.

“The local police and other authorities in Cheudru Village pushed to investigate local Tibetans’ grassland use certificates and confiscate grassland from nomads if their certificates are out of date,” Phayul news quoted, citing a report.

The land which is being used by the nomadic Tibetans to keep their cattle was allotted to them with a permit valid for up to 50 years. Following the Chinese occupation, this land was under government control.

The report said that the Chinese authorities were confiscating the lands from the Tibetan nomads whose grassland-use certificates were outdated. The rural Tibetans claimed that the land given to them for use with a usage permit should belong to the people.

“Local Tibetans have opposed this directive, asserting that grazing lands should belong to the people. As a result of this resistance, over 170 Tibetans from Gade County have been summoned, detained and questioned at one of the county’s police stations,” Phayul news reported citing the report.

Last year, the authorities of Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture confiscated the land from nomadic Tibetans and asked them to submit their grassland-use certificate citing that the land belongs only to the Chinese government.

Gade County is located in Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in eastern Tibet. After their orders, other countries Golog, namely Machen County, Maduo County, Darlek County, Pema County, and Chigdril County also ordered to confiscate grazing lands from nomads if they were unable to submit the documents. (ANI)

Gujarat Congress Committee working president Hardik Patel, who recently expressed discontentment with the state party leadership, on Wednesday resigned from Congress.

Taking to Twitter, Patel said, “Today I took the courage to resign from the post (Gujarat Congress Committee working president) and primary membership of the Congress Party. I am sure that my decision will be welcomed by all my colleagues and the people of Gujarat. I believe that after this step, I will be able to work truly for Gujarat in future.”
Earlier, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reached out to disgruntled Gujarat Congress Committee working president Hardik Patel to sort out differences in the party unit ahead of state assembly polls, sources had said.

Party sources had claimed that Rahul Gandhi himself sent a message to Hardik Patel asking him to continue in the party. He also asked the party in charge and other leaders to reach out to Patel to sort out the differences.

Speculations were rife about Patel joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after he had lauded the BJP government for revoking Article 370 and the construction of Ram Mandir.

However, he had issued a clarification that he is not upset with party leaders Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka Gandhi but he was upset with the state leadership.

According to reports, Patel who rose to prominence in July 2015 by leading a Patidar reservation movement, is upset with the party leadership for a long time now.

“He wanted to become president of the state Congress committee but he was only made the working president. Despite being appointed as the working president his opinion is not taken on major decisions by the state leadership,” sources had said.

Speculations are also there that Patel might join Aam Aadmi Party.

The Gujarat Assembly elections are slated to be held this year. (ANI)

Bollywood actor Jacqueline Fernandez who is being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case, on Wednesday withdrew her petition filed before a Delhi court seeking permission to travel abroad, including Abu Dhabi to attend the IIFA Awards.

Fernandez withdrew her petition as the dates of the event were shifted in June and hence the court questioned her regarding the early approach.
Her lawyers agreed to the court’s query and said that they would approach the court after a few days.

Meanwhile, with regards to the travel to France and Nepal, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) informed the court that for Nepal, her pass to attend the particular event has been cancelled and with regards to travel to France, she has not submitted satisfactory documents and hence the ED opposed her plea.

Earlier this month, the court sought a response from ED on an application moved by Fernandez seeking permission to release her passport for urgent travel to Abu Dhabi, UAE, Nepal, and France for 15 days.

Fernandez is being investigated by the ED in Rs 200 crore extortion case involving alleged conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar.

She had earlier appeared before the probe agency for questioning in a money-laundering investigation against Sukesh Chandrashekhar and others.

The Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Singh sought a response from the probe agency and had listed the matter for May 18, 2022 for hearing.

The plea submitted that Fernandez is a Sri Lankan national living in India since 2009 and belongs to a Bollywood fraternity and holds a good name in the Bollywood industry.

Advocate Ajit Singh, representing the actor submitted that the ED filed the chargesheet and has not named the applicant as an accused in the present matter. However, without citing any reason to the applicant, the ED seized the passport of the applicant.

The applicant had prayed for the release of her passport and seeks permission from the court to travel to Abu Dhabi, UAE, tentatively from May 17 to May 22, as International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards is organizing the 2022 IFA weekend and awards in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

It further stated that the applicant actor represents the Hindi film industry at the Cannes Film Festival and has been invited to attend and participate in the same from May 17 to May 28, 2022, in France.

The applicant is also associated with the Dabang show since 2017 and has been further invited to attend the same in Nepal from May 27 to May 28, 2022.

There is an active Look Out Circular against her which had led to her brief detention at Mumbai International Airport last year. (ANI)

Actor Deepika Padukone expressed immense pride in representing India at the 75th edition of the Cannes Film festival as one of the jury members.
During the inauguration of the India pavilion at Cannes 2022 on Wednesday, Deepika spoke about how Indian cinema has come a long way.

“I feel we have a long way to go as a country, I feel really proud to be here as an Indian and to be representing the country. But when we look back at 75 Years of Cannes, I have said earlier also that there have been only a handful of Indian films, and Indian talent that have been able to make it and I feel like collectively as a nation today we have it,” she said.

Deepika expressed confidence that a day will soon come when Cannes Film Festival will take place in India.

“We have the talent, we have the ability and I think we just sort of need that conviction and I truly believe there will come a day when India won’t be at Cannes, Cannes would be at India,” she stated.

Deepika also lauded music maestro AR Rahman and filmmaker Shekhar Kapur for putting Indian film industry on the global map with their work.

“India is on the cusp of greatness. It’s just the beginning… I want to thank Rahman sir and Shekhar sir for putting India on the global map and creating a path for all of us to be here today,” she added.

This time, the prestigious film festival is celebrating Indian cinema. India has been chosen as the first ‘Country of Honour’ at Marche du Cinema. (ANI)

The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted bail to Indrani Mukerjea, the prime accused in the Sheena Bora murder case.

A bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao, BR Gavai and AS Bopanna granted bail to Mukerjea while noting that she has been in jail for six-and-half years.
The bench while releasing her said, “We are granting bail to Indrani Mukerjea. Six-and-a-half years is too long a time. We are not making comments on the merits of the case. Even if the 50 per cent witnesses are given up by the prosecution, the trial would not be over soon. She is granted bail. She will be released on bail subject to satisfaction of the trial court. The same conditions imposed on Peter Mukherjea will also be imposed on her.”

Indrani had challenged the Bombay High Court order of 16 November 2021 that denied her bail. Earlier, the bench had asked the CBI to file an affidavit on Indrani’s bail plea.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court, had opposed the plea of Indrani Mukerjea, by saying that she has committed a “heinous act of planning and killing her own daughter” and “such a gruesome act does not deserve leniency”.

“Indrani is an influential person in the society who can influence the witnesses who are yet to be examined and there is an apprehension that she may temper with the evidence as there is material,” CBI had said and added that Indrani is not trustworthy and reliable hence her bail plea should be dismissed.

Stating further, CBI said, “The prosecution has strong apprehension that in case, she is released on bail, she may abscond which shall seriously hamper the ongoing trial of the case as the accused in British National.”

The allegation that Sheena Bora was alive after April 2012 based on the SMS exchange between Sheena Bora and Rahul Mukherjea after 24 April 2012 is only the “figment of the imagination of the petitioner”, the CBI had told the apex court.

“There is sufficient evidence available in the present case which proves the guilt of Indrani and other co-accused beyond the reasonable doubt,” it had added.

Indrani, facing trials for the alleged killing of her daughter Sheena Bora, is currently lodged at the Byculla women’s prison in Mumbai, following her arrest in August 2015.

Indrani had sent a letter (from the jail) to CBI stating that an inmate in the jail had spotted Sheena Bora in Kashmir and she is alive. She asked CBI to record a statement of a jail inmate who claimed to have met Sheena in Kashmir.

Indrani always maintained that Sheena was not murdered, and had gone abroad for her education in 2012, although Indrani could never prove her claims.

The CBI has been investigating the Sheena Bora case since 2015, after taking over the case from Mumbai Police. According to the case registered by Mumbai Police, Sheena Bora was kidnapped and murdered by strangulation in April 2012.

This case first came to light after the arrest of Indrani’s driver, Shyamvar Rai in another case in August 2015.

During the investigation, he confessed to the killing of Sheena Bora in April 2012 and said that he dumped her body in the Raigad district of Maharashtra. He had also told Mumbai Police that Sheena’s mother, Indrani and Sanjeev Khanna (ex-husband of Indrani) were also involved in this murder.

According to CBI’s case before the court, Indrani killed Sheena Bora because she was furious over the relationship between Sheena Bora, whom she introduced as her sister to everyone, and Rahul Mukerjea, son of Peter Mukerjea (third husband of Indrani Mukerjea) from his first marriage.

As per CBI, she (Indrani) had killed Sheena Bora as the latter was threatening to expose her in public over the fact that she was not her sister, but her daughter. Driver Shyamvar Rai turned approver in this case. (ANI)

Delhi government on Wednesday sought a detailed report from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi over the bulldozer drive in the national capital starting from April 1.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said that while his government is against encroachment, it would not tolerate the use of the bulldozers by the BJP-led MCD in the national capital, stating that it would leave a large chunk of people “homeless”.

The Chief Minister further said that a large part of the national capital has expanded illegally and asked the BJP-led MCD if such a vast area of the city would be demolished under the demolition drive.

The MCD, recently, conducted a spate of demolition of the encroachments in various parts of the city that drew protests in some parts of the capital.

Earlier this month, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) ran bulldozers in several areas including Shaheen Bagh, New Friends Colony, Khyala, Vishnu Garden and Madanpur Khadar.

Last month, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) carried a demolition drive in Jahangirpuri area. (ANI)

Farmers from Punjab sat on a protest near the Chandigarh-Mohali border today after being stopped from heading to the state’s capital to raise various demands, including a bonus on wheat, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.

Earlier on Tuesday, scores of farmers from Punjab under the aegis of various farmer unions marched towards Chandigarh to protest against the state government for not fulfilling their various demands.
“Our protest will continue until our 11 demands are fulfilled,” said a protesting farmer.

Speaking on farmers’ protest, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Surjeet Singh Phul said, “We have started a ‘Morcha’ like Delhi and will continue until our various demands are met including giving a bonus for wheat which the CM had agreed on earlier. MSP should be announced for other crops if the government wants that we don’t sow rice.”

Speaking to ANI, a protesting farmer claimed that farmers demanded Rs 500 bonus for wheat which Chief Minister had agreed to but didn’t issue notification.

“Demanded Rs 500 bonus for wheat which Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had agreed to but didn’t issue notification. We also demand notification for the Minimum Support Price (MSP) on Basmati, Moong. Electricity prepaid meters shouldn’t be installed. We will go to Chandigarh and establish a Morcha like Delhi until our demands are met,” the farmer said.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann called the farmers’ agitation “unwarranted” and “undesirable” and asked the farm unions to stop mere sloganeering and join hands with the state government for checking the depleting water table in Punjab.

Speaking to the media on the farmers’ protest, Mann said, “It is their (farmers) right to protest… but ‘murdabad-murdabad’ doesn’t seem nice… I will make everything right, but that doesn’t mean that after two months, you start thinking ‘murdabad’ slogans haven’t been raised, let’s go to Chandigarh.”

In a statement, the Chief Minister categorically said that a staggering program for sowing paddy won’t harm the interests of the farmers but it can act as a catalyst to save the water table in the state. He said that he was acting as per the path shown by the great gurus and no one can stop him from that.

He unequivocally said that his doors are open for talks with the farmers but hollow slogans can’t break his firm resolve to check the further depletion of the water table.

The Chief Minister said that he is a son of a farmer and knows it well what was a requirement of the farmers adding that he is fully aware of the difference between June 10 and June 18.

He said that instead of staging protests, the farmers should come forward and support the state government for the noble cause aimed at the betterment of Punjab and Punjabis.

Mann said that he had already announced purchasing the Basmati and Moongi crop on MSP adding that the state government was also incentivizing the farmers to adopt direct sowing.

The Chief Minister asked the farmers to support him for a year and said that if the farmers suffer any loss during this period then the state government will fully compensate them.

He further said that it is high time that all of us should make concerted efforts for saving Punjab instead of indulging in such tantrums. (ANI)

An application has been filed in Varanasi court to demolish the wall beside wazukhana where a Shivling is claimed to be found during the survey of the Gyanvapi Mosque premises, said lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the Hindu side on Wednesday.

“The court ordered to remove Advocate Commissioner Ajay Mishra for hiring a private cameraman and leaking the contents of the survey. Further, we filed an application for the demolition of the wall beside the wazukhana so that we can enter further. The court will hear the matter today,” said Jain.

The Varanasi civil court on Tuesday removed the Advocate-Commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra from the panel formed to survey the Gyanvapi mosque.

The court-appointed special Commission has also received two-more days to submit the survey report. The three-day-long court-monitored videography survey of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple-Gyanvapi Mosque complex in Varanasi concluded on Monday.

The Hindu petitioner in the case, Sohan Lal Arya on Monday claimed that the committee found a Shivling at the complex. Arya, who accompanied the court commission for the mosque survey, said that they have found “conclusive evidence”.

The Supreme Court heard the plea seeking a stay on the survey of the Gyanvapi Mosque complex in Varanasi on Tuesday and observed that till the next date of hearing Varanasi District Majistrate will ensure that the Shivling area will be protected but it will not impede access of Muslims to the mosque for prayers.

Meanwhile, the President of the Hindu Sena, Vishnu Gupta on Tuesday filed an intervention application seeking directions for dismissal of the petition filed by Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Management Committee challenging the videography survey of the Gyanvapi Mosque complex, which is adjacent to the famous Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi.

After the conclusion of the survey, the Varanasi court ordered the District Magistrate of Varanasi, Kaushal Raj Sharma, “to seal the area where the Shivling was found and to bar people from going to the place.”

In its order, the court said that the DM, police commissioner and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) commandant Varanasi will be responsible for the security of the sealed area. (ANI)

With 1,829 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, India’s tally remained below the 2000-mark for the second consecutive day, informed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, India reported 1,569 cases in 24 hours, and for the first time, daily cases fell below the 2,000-mark in a month.
With the addition of fresh cases, India’s active cases stand at 15,647, which account for 0.04 per cent of the total cases.

The top five states which registered maximum cases are Delhi with 393 cases, followed by Kerala with 324 cases, Haryana with 275 cases, Maharashtra with 266 cases and Uttar Pradesh with 129 cases.

The daily positivity rate of the country is 0.42 per cent while the weekly positivity rate is 0.57 per cent.

A total of 2,549 patients recovered in the last 24 hours, which took total recoveries to 4,25,87,259 across the country. India’s recovery rate now stands at 98.75 per cent.

The country also reported 33 COVID-related fatalities, increasing the total reported death count to 5,24,293.

As per the health ministry, India conducted over 84.49 core COVID tests so far of which 4,34,962 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours.

India administered a total of 14,97,695 doses in the last 24 hours, which brings the total tally of doses administered to 1,91,65,00,770. (ANI)