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Sat, 14 December 2024

Cong apologised for Emergency but BJP...: NC MP

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21:59 Cong apologised for Emergency but BJP...: NC MP

Opposition MPs on Saturday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of attacking the Constitution, with National Conference MP Mian Altaf Ahmad saying while the Congress apologised for imposing Emergency, the ruling party has been silent on its own actions.

Participating in a debate on 75 years of the adoption of the Constitution, Ahmad slammed the BJP for bifurcating the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories.

"Congress has apologised for the Emergency but you are silent on various things you have done... Congress toppled elected governments, but you divided our state into two Union Territories, which was unnecessary," he said.

Communist Party of India (Marxist Leninist) Liberation MP Raja Ram Singh named activists like Stan Swamy, who was jailed in the Bhima Koregaon case and died in the prison, Umar Khalid, Gulfisha and Meeran Haider, who have been arrested on the allegations of links with the 2020 Delhi riots.

"What Constitution are we talking about?" he said.

Singh said the idea of economic equality is also enshrined in the Constitution and there should be a proportional difference in the salary of the president and a peon.

"You want a peon for Rs 5,000 but the CEO gets paid Rs 2.5-3 crore... Government is encouraging growing economic disparity," he said.

The MP also slammed the BJP for wanting to keep "Gandhi in one pocket, and Savarkar in the other pocket".

"This double standard would not work. BJP is playing with the Constitution, they want to bring communal fascism in this country," he said.

"The first chapter of the Constitution has the figure of Buddha on it, don't try to replace it with the Gita," he said. -- PTI

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's over 110-minutes speech in Lok Sabha boring and said it was like sitting through a "double period of mathematics" in school.

She also slammed PM Modi's 11 resolutions as "hollow" and said if there is zero tolerance towards corruption why doesn't the BJP agree to a discussion on the Adani issue.

Replying to queries on the prime minister's speech, Gandhi told reporters, "The PM has not spoken one thing which is new. He has bored us. It took me to decades back. I felt like I am sitting in that double period of Mathematics."

"(JP) Nadda ji was also rubbing hands but as soon as Modi ji looked at him, he started acting as if he is listening attentively. Amit Shah also had his hand on head, (Piyush) Goyal ji was going off to sleep. It was a new experience for me. I had thought that the PM will say something new, something nice," she said.

In his speech during a debate on the 75 years of the adoption of the Constitution, PM Modi said the Congress, having "tasted blood", repeatedly wounded the Constitution while his government's policies and decisions since it took office in 2014 have been aimed at boosting India's strength and unity in line with the vision of the Constitution. -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the biggest jumla in the history of India was Garibi Hatao, a slogan given by former prime minister Indira Gandhi.

Replying to a two-day debate in Lok Sabha on the 75th anniversary of the Constitution, Prime Minister Modi said there is a word the Congress likes a lot, which led some opposition MPs to say "Adani".

"Their most favourite word, without which they can't live, is jumla," Prime Minister Modi said.

Jumla is a Hindustani term that refers to a rhetorical statement devoid of sincerity.

The Congress and other opposition parties have attacked the BJP by deriding the promises made by the prime minister and the ruling party as jumla on several occasions. The opposition has also taken swipes at the BJP by dubbing it "Bharatiya Jumla Party".

"Our friends in the Congress use this term day and night. But this country knows, the biggest jumla in India, which has been used by four generations, is garibi hatao," the prime minister said, referring to the popular slogan given by Indira Gandhi.

Garibi Hatao Desh Bachao (remove poverty, save the country) was the theme and slogan of Indira Gandhi's 1971 election campaign.

"It was a jumla which helped them politically, but did not help the poor," Modi said.

"Can someone tell, should people not even have toilets? The movement to build toilets has been started by (my) government," he said and listed various pro-poor steps undertaken by him.

"You have seen the poor and poverty on TV and newspapers, you do not know what poverty is," Modi said in a dig at opposition leaders. -- PTI

Representative image

20:07 Student not allowed to enter classroom without removing tilak from forehead

A girl was not allowed to enter her classroom in a school in Uttarakhand's Rishikesh without removing a tilak from her forehead, prompting her parents and Hindu outfits to stage a protest, following which the principal had to offer an apology.

Director General of School Education Jharna Kamthan has also asked the chief education officer of Tehri Garhwal district in Uttarakhand to investigate the matter.

The Class-8 student was asked by her teacher on Wednesday to remove the tilak from her forehead, saying it was not allowed in the school.

The girl obeyed her teacher and attended the class but told her parents about it later.

Her parents, along with Hindu outfits, reached the school on Thursday to protest.

"The teacher should not have forced the girl to remove the tilak. Wearing a tilak is a Hindu tradition. How can a Hindu be stopped from wearing it?" Rajiv Bhatnagar, president of one of the Hindu groups that were part of the protest, said.

The matter was resolved after the principal of the school apologised to the girl's parents and the protesting Hindu groups, including the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), Bajrang Dal and Rashtriya Hindu Shakti Sangathan. --PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday alleged that the Congress, having "tasted blood", repeatedly wounded the Constitution while his government's policies and decisions since it took office in 2014 have been aimed at boosting India's strength and unity in line with the vision of the Constitution.

Replying to a two-day debate in Lok Sabha on the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution, he took a swipe at the past Congress governments, accusing them of planting "poisonous" seeds in the country's diversity to accentuate its contradictions and damage its unity.

Training guns at the Nehru-Gandhi family of the Congress, he said they left no stone unturned to strike blows to the Constitution.

"This family challenged the Constitution at every level," he said, adding that he was singling out the family as its members were in power for 55 years.

The family, having "tasted blood", repeatedly wounded the Constitution, he said, citing several decisions of Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi when they held the office of prime minister.

Their next generation is also into the same game, he said in a swipe at the Leader of Opposition in the House Rahul Gandhi and his MP sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

Modi said leaders like him and many others who came from ordinary families could never have reached where they did but for the strength of the Constitution, as he underlined his long commitment to its values.

As chief minister of Gujarat, he said, his government celebrated the 60th year of the Constitution's adoption by placing a copy of the document on an elephant while he walked underneath barefoot in a symbolic gesture to highlight its supremacy.

Slamming the Nehru-Gandhi family, he said first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru amended the country's guiding document to curb freedom of expression and his daughter Indira Gandhi imposed Emergency to defy a Supreme Court judgment that annulled her election as an MP.

She "throttled India's democracy and mutilated the Constitution" when the 25th year of its adoption was approaching, to save her chair as prime minister, he said, noting that she also effected an amendment to protect the president, vice president and herself from any legal challenge to their position with a retrospective effect.

The country was turned into jail and the judiciary was throttled, he said. Rajiv Gandhi, who took over as prime minister after his mother's assassination, also amended the Constitution.

This blot on the Congress cannot be washed off, Modi asserted.

Without naming Rahul Gandhi, the prime minister said an "arrogant" person tore the decision of the Cabinet when the Congress-led UPA government headed by the then prime minister Manmohan Singh was in power.

The National Advisory Council, which was headed by Sonia Gandhi, was put "above" the Cabinet during the UPA rule, he added. -- PTI

Law enforcement agencies on Saturday arrested four people for vandalising and damaging houses and shops of the Hindu community and the local Loknath temple in Sunamganj district in north Bangladesh.

Police also filed a case against 150-170 people, mentioning the names of 12 of them.

Alim Hossain, 19, Sultan Ahmed Raju, 20, Imran Hossain, 31, and Shajahan Hossain, 20, were arrested for vandalism in the Doarabazar area of Sunamganj district earlier this month, a press release from the Chief Adviser's press wing in Dhaka.

On December 3, a Facebook post by Akash Das, a resident of the Sunamganj district, sparked tensions in the district. Even though he deleted the post, screenshots spread widely, leading to violence in the area, state-run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) said quoting the press release.

Local police arrested Das immediately, but, amid concerns over his safety, transferred him to another station.

On the same day, a mob vandalised and damaged the homes, shops, and local Loknath temple of the Hindu community.

The district Superintendent of Police, Deputy Commissioner (DC), and the army personnel rushed to the place and brought the situation under control.

The police identified the accused involved in the incident and filed a case against 150-170 people, mentioning the names of 12 people on Saturday, the BSS added. -- PTI

The Lok Sabha turned into a battleground on Friday when Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde invoked a letter written by former prime minister Indira Gandhi praising V D Savarkar, sparking a fiery debate involving the treasury bench and Congress members.

Referring to Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's critical comments earlier on Savarkar, Shinde questioned the Congress' repeated criticism of the freedom fighter.

Shinde read out from Indira Gandhi's letter, stating, "Veer Savarkar's daring defiance of the British Government has its own importance in the annals of our freedom movement. I wish success to the plans to celebrate the birth centenary of this remarkable son of India."

Shinde then posed a pointed question to Rahul Gandhi, "Was your grandmother, Indira Gandhi, also against the Constitution in praising Savarkar? We take pride in Savarkar ji and his contribution to the nation."

The remarks led to an uproar as Rahul Gandhi stood up, seeking to respond.

However, Shinde refused to yield, prompting Congress MPs to storm the Well of the House, demanding that Rahul Gandhi be allowed to speak.

Despite the chaos, Krishna Prasad Tenneti, who was in the Chair, ruled that Gandhi would be allowed to respond only after Shinde concluded his speech.

Shinde also accused the Congress leader of speaking on everything except Constitutional matters.

"Rahul ji has talked about everything except the Constitution. But he forgot that in 1984, the Congress was responsible for non-stop violence against Sikh brothers. In 1964, 1,070 communal riots occurred during the Congress rule. Remember how bullets were fired at 'kar sevaks' and the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts took place under their tenure. In the last 10 years, not a single bomb blast has happened in the country," he said.

Amidst the chaos, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey claimed that "Indira Gandhi had even funded Savarkar's trust. The Congress should stop spreading lies. Rahul Gandhi can never be Savarkar."

Later, Rahul Gandhi said, "I had asked Indira Gandhi ji about her views on Savarkar, and she said, 'Savarkar apologised to the British... Gandhi ji went to jail, Nehru ji went to jail, but Savarkar ji sought forgiveness'". -- PTI

17:16 Attackers of Constitution posing as...: BJP MP

Bharatiya Janata party MP Tejasvi Surya slammed the Congress in the Lok Sabha on Saturday, saying the "attackers" of the Constitution are posing as "champions" of the Constitution in a "hypocritical drama" that is going on for decades in the country.

Participating in a two-day debate in the Lower House on the "Glorious Journey of 75 Years of the Constitution of India", the Bangalore South MP alleged that parties like the Congress consider India not as a civilisational state or a nation but "a mere hotchpotch union of states".

"For a very long time, a big hypocritical drama has been conducted in this country, where those who are the attackers of the Constitution have posed themselves as champions of the Constitution. This hypocrisy must be exposed. For a very long time, this hypocrisy has continued.

"The BJP is the protector of the Constitution and the protector of territorial integrity. Other political parties like the Congress consider India not as a civilisational state, not as a nation, but a mere hotchpotch union of states. This is an attack on the Constitution. It is this difference in the philosophy of approaching the nation and the Constitution that resulted in the Congress and its successive dynast prime ministers attacking not just the Constitution but the very soul of this country," he said.

Surya alleged that the insertion of the words "socialist" and "secular" in the Constitution was an attempt at making it rigid.

"The forcible insertion of (the words) socialist and secular in the Indian Constitution, during the 42nd amendment, was not the first attempt at introducing these two ideas in the Constitution and making the Constitution rigid. Even during the Constituent Assembly debates, a proposal was made to add (the words) socialist and secular into the Constitution's Preamble and this was categorically rejected by Baba Saheb (Ambedkar) and the reason is very telling," he added.

The MP noted that a lot of opposition members said on Friday that the Congress did this with a laudable objective.

"Their only objective was to create a monopoly for dynasty in politics and a monopoly in the economy, so there will be no challenge to the Congress party's first family. The idea was that by bringing socialism, by saying that there was only one type of government and only one type of party, dynastic rule was perpetuated and the idea was that politics will be controlled by the dynasty's monopoly and the economy, in turn, would be controlled by the states' monopoly. -- PTI

An 18-year-old girl who was reported missing from her home in Maharashtra was traced to Goa and handed over to her family, police said on Saturday.

The teen, who was travelling on a train to Kerala, was tracked down at Margao station in South Goa on Saturday, an official said.

The girl had gone missing from her home in Manewadi in Satara district on Friday, and her family had lodged a complaint with the police, he said.

On receiving the information about the girl, the Goa police used technical surveillance to trace her, the official said, adding that the teen was travelling to Kerala with a person.

He said the girl was given in the custody of Satara police station and was later handed over to her family. -- PTI

Engineer Atul Subhash's estranged wife and her family members, who he had accused of harassment in his suicide note, have filed anticipatory bail pleas in Allahabad High Court.

The anticipatory bail applications have been filed by Subhash's wife Nikita Singhania, her mother Nisha Singhania, brother Anurag Singhania, and uncle Sushil Singhania.

The pleas for anticipatory bail came after the Bengaluru City Police on Friday issued a summons to Nikita Singhania and asked her to appear before it within three days.

Subhash, a 34-year-old engineer, died by suicide in Bengaluru on Monday, allegedly due to harassment by his estranged wife and her family members. A case of abetment to suicide has been filed against Nikita Singhania and her relatives. -- PTI

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday cited V D Savarkar's remarks that there was nothing Indian about the Constitution and took a jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party, saying that by talking of protecting the Constitution, the ruling party is "ridiculing" Savarkar.

Participating in a debate on 75 years of the adoption of the Constitution, the Congress leader said Savarkar, who is seen as an ideologue of the BJP and RSS, had said there is nothing Indian about the Constitution, and that he preferred Hindu religious text 'Manusmriti' to it.

"The Constitution is a document of modern India but it could never have been written without ancient India and her ideas," Rahul Gandhi said.

Savarkar had said there is nothing Indian about the Constitution and called Manusmriti a scripture "most worshipable" for Hindus after the Vedas, according to Gandhi.

"Nice that you say you are defending the Constitution, but I want to ask, do you stand by your leader's words? Because when you speak about protecting the Constitution you are abusing, ridiculing Savarkar," the Leader of Opposition told the BJP.

He said a battle is taking place in India, and recited the story of 'Eklavya' who had sacrificed his thumb as a tribute to Guru Dronacharya.

"When you give Dharavi to Adani, you chop off the thumb of the small and medium businesses there...You have fired tear gas shells on farmers outside Delhi, the farmers are asking for fair prices...You are cutting the thumb of that farmer," he said.

The Congress leader also talked about caste census, and supported removing the 50 percent cap on reservations. -- PTI

At least six Delhi schools received a bomb threat on Saturday, officials said, marking the third instance of threat emails being sent to schools in the national capital this week.

"We received a call about a bomb threat at Delhi Public School, RK Puram, at 6:09 am," a Delhi Fire Services official said.

The fire department, local police, dog squads and bomb detection teams reached the school and launched a search operation, the official said.

Five more schools, including Ryan International School in Vasant Kunj and Gyan Bharati School in Saket, received the same email from the same sender, he further said.

A police official said nothing suspicious was found after search and inspection in any of the schools.

The mails were sent from the "childrenofallah@outlook.com" email id at 1:47 am.

According to a source, the email read, "Allah sees your efforts to resist his punishment. But they are futile. For no mortal being can escape the judgement of Allah. The Prophet Muhammad declares all who go against Allah enemies to the world. We see your attempt to stop us. It will not work. The Prophet Muhammad has allowed the children to burn in the sacred flame of Allah."

"On Saturday where students may not be there in your buildings is when the buildings shall be brought down. Our bomb vests are blessed by the Prophet Muhammad. They shall not fail their goal. Our children are brave servants of Allah. They shall complete their task," the source said quoting the email.

On Friday, about 30 schools received bomb threats over email, triggering a multi-agency search of their premises. Prior to that, at least 44 schools received similar emails on Monday.

The police had declared those threats as hoaxes after nothing suspicious was found during searches. -- PTI

South Korean lawmakers impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over martial law bid, suspending him from office after the declaration of martial law caused mass outrage and resulted in constitutional crisis.

Lawmakers voted on a motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol, as a parliament livestream showed.

Under the constitution, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will be the interim leader.

Haryana security personnel fired tear gas shells and used a water cannon to disperse the protesting farmers from heading towards Delhi at the Shambhu border point on Saturday.

The action came after a 'jatha' of 101 farmers, who resumed their foot march to Delhi shortly after 12 noon on Saturday from the Shambhu protest site on the Punjab-Haryana border, reached the barricades put up by the Haryana security personnel.

A few farmers were injured in the tear gas shelling and taken to a nearby hospital in ambulances stationed at the protest site.

Earlier, Ambala Deputy Commissioner Parth Gupta and Ambala Superintendent of Police S S Bhoria engaged in talks with some protesting farmers for over half an hour, trying to convince them to get permission from Delhi to go towards the national capital.

However, farmers were adamant about going to Delhi and urged the security personnel to allow them to proceed.

The farmers are pressing the Centre for various demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for their crops.

After walking for a few metres, the group of farmers were stopped at the barricade by Haryana security personnel. -- PTI

Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister E V K S Elangovan died due to age-related ailments at a private hospital here on Saturday, the hospital said.

He was 75.

The legislator from Erode East constituency has not been keeping well for over a month. He was admitted to a hospital here on November 11.

"He passed away today despite the best efforts of the medical staff," the hospital said.

TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai described the passing of Elangovan as "a huge loss".

"He was an outspoken person and his death is an irreparable loss to his family and the Congress party, and to me personally," he said. -- PTI

Telugu superstar Allu Arjun has shared first statement after his release from prison in connection with the death of a fan at the premiere of his film Pushpa 2: The Rule, last week.

Speaking with reporters outside the jail, the actor said, "We are extremely sorry for the family. I will personally be there to help them in whatever way possible. I was inside the theatre watching a movie with my family and the accident happened outside. It has no direct connection with me. It was purely accidental and unintentional."

He further said," I have been going to the same theatre for the last 20 years, and I have been to the same place more than 30 times. There has never been an accident like this before. I should reserve my comments because I don't want to say anything that will tamper the case."

While India has given equal voting rights to all, some claim that minorities have no rights in the country, Union minister Kiren Rijiju said on Saturday in an apparent jibe at the opposition.

Intervening in a debate on 75 years of the adoption of the Indian Constitution, the parliamentary affairs minister also cautioned that "our words and actions should not diminish the image of the country in the world fora".

India not only provides legal protection to minorities, it also has a provision for affirmative action to protect their interests, the minister asserted.

Rijiju said successive governments worked for the welfare of minorities. "The Congress has also done that, I am not undermining its role."

Rijiju was the first speaker on the second day of the debate in the Lok Sabha on 75 years of the Constitution's adoption. -- PTI

Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leader Lal Krishna Advani has been admitted to an Apollo hospital in New Delhi, sources said on Saturday.

Advani remains under observation. His condition is "stable", hospital sources said.

He has been admitted under Dr Vinit Suri, a senior consultant in the neurology department.

The 96-year-old former deputy prime minister was brought to the hospital about two days ago.

He had been admitted to the same hospital earlier this year.

The reason for this latest hospitalisation could not be immediately known. -- PTI

A 10-year-old boy allegedly bitten by a rat on one of his toes while undergoing treatment for cancer at a government hospital in Jaipur has died, an official said on Saturday.

While the State Cancer Institute, where the boy was admitted on December 11, said the death was caused by 'septicaemia shock and high infection' and not a rat bite, the Rajasthan government has constituted a committee to probe the matter.

Hospital superintendent Dr Sandeep Jasuja said, "The child also had fever and pneumonia. He died due to high infection septicaemia shock on Friday".

Medical education secretary Ambrish Kumar has sought a report from the principal of Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Medical College which is associated with the State Cancer Institute, officials said.

According to a news report published in a vernacular daily shortly after being admitted, the child started crying.

When his family members removed the blanket he was lying under, they saw blood oozing from one of his toes due to a rat bite.

The family members alerted the nursing staff present there who bandaged the leg after applying first aid. Jasuja said that they treated the child as soon as they received the information about the rat bite.

He said that directives have been sent to ensure cleanliness in the hospital premises. -- PTI

Hours before the resumption of the farmers' protest march to Delhi from the Shambhu border, the Haryana government on Saturday suspended mobile internet and bulk SMS services in 12 villages in Ambala district to maintain 'public peace'.

The suspension will remain in force till December 17, according to an order issued by Additional Chief Secretary (Home), Sumita Misra said.

'It has been brought to my notice by additional director general of police, CID, Haryana and deputy commissioner, Ambala that in view of the call for Delhi Kooch given by certain farmers' organisations, there is an apprehension of causing tension, annoyance, agitation, damage of public and private property and disturbance of public peace and tranquillity in the area of districts Ambala,' the order said.

Misra said the order to suspend mobile internet in Dangdehri, Lehgarh, Manakpur, Dadiyana, Bari Ghel, Choti Ghel, Lharsa, Kalu Majra, Devi Nagar (Hira Nagar, Naresh Vihar), Saddopur, Sultanpur and Kakru villages in Ambala was issued to prevent any disturbance of peace and public order.

The suspension shall be in force from 6 am on December 14 to 11.59 pm on December 17, it said.

A 'jatha' (group) of 101 farmers will resume their foot march to Delhi at 12 noon on Saturday from their protest site at the Shambhu border on the Punjab and Haryana border. -- PTI

Union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will introduce The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, in the Lok Sabha on December 16 (Monday).

"The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024: Arjun Ram Meghwal to move for leave to introduce a Bill further to amend the Constitution of India. Also to introduce the Bill," the list of business stated.

The first amendment bill to conduct simultaneous elections of Lok Sabha and State assemblies and another bill to align elections for assemblies in Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir and Puducherry. -- ANI

A Delhi school received a bomb threat on Saturday, officials said, marking the third instance of threat emails being sent to schools in the national capital this week.

"We received a call about a bomb threat at DPS RK Puram at 6:09 am," a Delhi Fire Services official said.

The fire department, local police, dog squads and bomb detection teams reached the school and launched a search operation, the official said.

A police official said nothing suspicious was found but a search was underway.

On Friday, about 30 schools received bomb threats over email, triggering a multi-agency search of their premises.

Prior to that, at least 44 schools received similar emails on Monday.

The police had declared those threats as hoaxes after nothing suspicious was found during searches. -- PTI

08:59 Why Respiratory Drug Sales Surge...

Sanket Koul/Business Standard

Sales of respiratory drugs in India, which had dropped to Rs 989 crore in June, saw a sharp turnaround and jumped by 66 per cent to hit Rs 1,638 crore in November -- a five-month period marked by monsoon and onset of winter when seasonal diseases catch hold of people.

Increased demand for asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and cough and cold subgroups drove the demand for drugs and also a surge in OPD admissions too, according to medical experts and industry insiders.

In November, for example, respiratory drug sales grew by 7.6 per cent over October when it was Rs 1522 crore.

In September it was Rs 1,433 crore against Rs 1,301 crore in August. While in July it was Rs 1.152 crore.

The sales were witnessing a steady drop since the beginning of this year and the trend continued till June 2024 when it touched Rs 989 crore from the high of Rs 1,591 crore in January.

Then the onset of monsoon led the surge July onwards, according to data from market research firm Pharmarack.

The higher numbers in November 2024 come as the month also saw a rise in pollution related respiratory illnesses.

Commenting on the trend, Sheetal Sapale, VP Commercial Pharmarack, said the respiratory category is showing the normal seasonal trend, with anti-asthma, and cough and cold being the major components of this segment.

The uptake peaks from monsoon season and gradually subsides post winters. The trend may be different in different geographies based on the severity of monsoon and winter season, she added.

Among the respiratory segment, which contributes around 8 per cent to overall Indian Pharma Market (IPM) revenue, subgroups such as anti-asthma and COPD drugs, and cough and cold drugs drove the overall sales growth with a 5 per cent and 11.3 per cent rise in sales in November 2024.

Explaining this trend, Sandeep Nayar, Principal Director and HOD, Chest and Respiratory Diseases at BLK-Max Super Speciality Hospital said that there has been an increase in number as well as severity of respiratory cases over the past few days due to pollution as well as change in season

Many patients start taking medicines on their own to get symptomatic relief. If their symptoms worsen, they visit physicians who would prescribe medicines which would also include anti-allergic and cough and cold medicines, Nayar added.

According to various reports, major hospitals across north India had witnessed an almost 50 per cent rise in respiratory and pulmonary outpatient department (OPD) patients visits.

Dr Vikas Mittal, Director-Pulmonologist at the CK Birla Hospital, Delhi, added that for individuals with pre-existing respiratory conditions like COPD and asthma, the combination of high pollution levels and colder weather triggered flare-ups and exacerbations.

This required more medical interventions and medication adjustments to manage the increased severity of symptoms, Dr Mittal said.

08:58 HC allows Diljit's concert with conditions

The Punjab and Haryana high court has allowed singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh's event scheduled to take place in Chandigarh on Saturday evening, with a direction that he comply with the noise pollution regulations.

While greenlighting the event on Friday, a division bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Anil Kshetarpal directed that ambient air quality standards for noise be strictly maintained.

"Looking to the preparation made by the official respondents as well as the private respondent, the Court has no hesitation in allowing the event to take place subject to ambient air quality standards in respect of noise are maintained at a maximum limit of 75 dB(A) at the boundary of the public place where the event is to be held.

"In case the noise level increases beyond 75 db(A), then the official respondents are directed to take penal action against the organizers as prescribed by the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control Rules) 2000," the court ordered.

The court was hearing a PIL filed by a Chandigarh resident, who sought directions to the Union Territory administration on the management of public events at Sector 34 exhibition ground.

Dosanjh's concert will be held at the same venue on Saturday.

The singer began the India leg of his Dil-Luminati Tour from Delhi in October this year. The petitioner cited traffic disruptions caused by another concert at the same venue recently performed at by rapper-singer Karan Aujla.

The person highlighted massive traffic jams occurring during Aujla's show and expressed apprehensions about a similar situation during Dosanjh's.

Though the arena is meant for commercial use, it has in the vicinity some houses, where children and senior citizens live, he contended.

On Wednesday, a delegation led by Chandigarh Bharatiya Janata Party's former president Arun Sood met the deputy commissioner here demanding a change in venue for the concerts of Dosanjh and Punjabi rapper A P Dhillon, scheduled for December 14 and 21.

Sood said that a recent event on the Sector 34 ground in Chandigarh by Karan Aujla had led to traffic congestion which caused inconvenience for residents.

The delegation demanded that the upcoming concerts be shifted from Sector 34 to Sector 25 rally grounds to avoid hardships to the locals. -- PTI

08:39 Modi to reply to debate on Constitution today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to reply to the debate on the 75th anniversary of India's Constitution in the Lok Sabha on Saturday.

The Lok Sabha, on December 13, initiated a two-day debate on the Constitution to commemorate the beginning of the 75th year of its adoption.

On Friday, the debate on the Constitution witnessed fiery speeches of Defence Minister Singh and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in the House.

The Defence Minister initiated a debate on the Constitution in the Lok Sabha with a sharp focus on its historical significance and its role in shaping the nation's governance and global standing.

Rajnath Singh reflected on the Constitution's birth from extensive deliberations, underscored its reflection of India's civilizational values, and addressed recent efforts to politicize its legacy.

The Defence Minister in a sharp remark towards the Congress criticized the party's efforts to attribute the creation of India's Constitution solely to a particular political party.

He stressed that such attempts to overlook the collective contributions of many individuals and the Constitution's deep roots in India's cultural and civilizational values.

While, Congress leader and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi in her maiden address in the Lok Sabha attacked the ruling government and said that in the last 10 years, the Union government have made all attempts to break down the 'kavach' (shield). -- ANI

08:27 Allu Arjun walks out after night in prison

After spending the night in a Hyderabad prison after being arrested in connection with the death of a woman in a stampede during the premiere of his latest film, actor Allu Arjun walked out of jail on Saturday following an interim bail granted by the Telangana high court.

Arjun had to spend Friday night in prison despite the HC relief, as the authorities had not received a copy of the bail order until late last night.

"He has been released," Ashok Reddy, his counsel, told reporters at the Chanchalguda prison.

Reddy claimed the prison authorities did not release the actor despite having got the high court order copy.

"You should question the government and the department why they have not released the accused. The High Court order is very specific. Forthwith, the moment you (prison authorities) receive the order, ( they should) release him. Despite the clear order, they have not released, they have to answer. This is an illegal detention. We will take legal steps," Reddy said.

According to him, Arjun was kept in the jail as a 'special category prisoner'.

The Pushpa actor was arrested from his residence on Friday morning unfolding a day-long dramatic turn of events.

After the arrest he was produced in a local court which remaded him to 14 days' judicial custody. However, his lawyers moved the HC and secured interim bail.

Arjun was lodged in Chanchalguda prison shortly before the HC spelled its order.

A 35-year-old woman died and her eight-year-old son was hospitalised on December 4 during a stampede-like situation at the Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad when thousands of fans jostled to have a glimpse of the actor at the premiere of the blockbuster Pushpa 2: The Rule.

Following the incident, the city police registered a case against Allu Arjun, his security team, and the theatre management under different sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Chikkadpally police station based on the complaint lodged by the deceased woman's family.

Meanwhile, police stepped up security outside the star's Hyderabad residence anticipating a surge of the actor's fans post his release. -- PTI

Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra on Friday accused Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju of threatening her in the Lok Sabha, and said she has written to Inter-Parliamentary Union about it.

"So Kiren Rijiju openly threatens me in Lok Sabha today in complete violation of parliamentary rules & procedure," Moitra said in a post on X.

She said Speaker Om Birla said, "He will get Rijiju's words deleted but no action yet."

She added, "Written to Inter-Parliamentary Union against this continued gender harassment & intimidation yet again."

Moitra's reference to the death of judge B H Loya "long before his time" created uproar in Lok Sabha on Friday as Rijiju accused her of raising a matter settled by the Supreme Court and warned her of "appropriate parliamentary action."

Participating in a debate on 75 years of the Indian Constitution, Moitra made a passing, but contentious, remarks on Loya's death as she attacked the ruling BJP for allegedly targeting institutions and opposition leaders to silence critical voices. -- PTI

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00:46 Parcel containing firecrackers seized before loading at Nagpur airport

A parcel containing firecrackers, meant to be delivered to Mumbai, was detected and seized in time at the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport here on Friday, the police said.

While it was being scanned, a personnel in the cargo section of the airport found the parcel suspicious and placed it on the floor.

When smoke began to come out, police were alerted.

Officials of Sonegaon Police Station rushed to the spot and seized the parcel which contained firecrackers used for scaring away monkeys, said an official.

A woman from Washim had booked the parcel through a courier company, he said, adding that further probe was underway. -- PTI

The Bharatiya Janata Party expelled Tabish Asgar, a member of its Amroha's minority front, for indulging in alleged 'love jihad'.

The party also expelled five other members, citing criminal tendencies and fraudulent membership.

Amroha district BJP president Uday Giri Goswami announced their expulsion in a formal letter, stating that such individuals have no connection with the party and have been removed due to their alleged activities.

According to the letter, Asgar was accused of trapping a young woman from Shahjahanpur by concealing his identity and religion.

He allegedly married the woman, forced her to undergo an abortion and later revealed his real identity.

The victim filed a complaint against Asgar at Noida's Sector 113 police station under sections related to "love jihad" and other offences.

Following the FIR, police arrested Asgar and sent him to jail, according to party officials.

Subsequently, the BJP leadership expelled him and five others on Friday, alleging they joined the party through fraudulent means.

"These individuals with criminal tendencies have nothing to do with the party. If they became members through deception, they have now been removed," Goswami said. -- PTI

Cong apologised for Emergency but BJP...: NC MP

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