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Wed, 21 February 2024
Will ban politicians' entry in villages if....: Tikait
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BKU spokesman Rakesh Tikait
23:54 Will ban politicians' entry in villages if....: Tikait
Bhartiya Kisan Union national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait on Wednesday said that if the government does not allow farmers to go to Delhi, the farmers also will not let them enter their villages during elections.
Farmers in Meerut on Wednesday took out a tractor march to reach the collectorate to press for their demand for minimum support price for crops and withdrawal of criminal cases against some farmers who took part in the 2020-21 farmers' protest at Delhi borders.
Authorities set up barriers at several places to prevent farmers from reaching the collector's office, but they were removed by the agitators.
"Putting nails on the road is not justified. If they put nails on our way, we will also do the same in our villages. We also have to do barricading of our villages. If they are not allowing us to reach Delhi, we will not let them enter our villages," Tikait told reporters when asked about obstacles, such as iron nails, being put on roads to prevent farmers from reaching Delhi. Tikait attacked the Centre saying the BJP-led government is only for industrialists.
"If it were a farmers' government, a law guaranteeing MSP would have come into force."
He said that on Thursday a meeting of Samyukt Kisan Morcha would be held to deliberate on the future course of the farmers' agitation. -- PTI
23:39 Four UP men arrested for faking disability to beg in Odisha
The Odisha police on Wednesday arrested four people, who are from Uttar Pradesh, on the charge of faking disability to beg on the streets of Berhampur town in Ganjam district, an officer said.
They impersonated themselves as hearing impaired and orthopedically handicapped to attract sympathy of the passers-by.
All the accused persons deceived people and collected money by showing themselves with abnormal physical condition, though they are physically fit, superintendent of police Saravana Vivek M said.
The police seized Rs 860 in cash, a notebook containing details of money collected and crutches seized from their possession.
The four people, who are in the age group of 20-32, were in this profession for the last six months after they came from Uttar Pradesh, Saravana said.
Each of them earns around Rs 1,000 per day by begging, said a police official after interrogating them.
During patrolling at Kamapalli locality in Baidyanathpur area, the police found two of the four disabled beggars who did not seem so on a closer look. -- PTI
23:21 Woman, 3-yr-old daughter die after jumping from Noida apartment
A 32-year-old woman and her three-year-old daughter died allegedly after they jumped off a multi-storey residential building in Noida on Wednesday, the police said.
The woman jumped off the fourth floor with her two daughters.
The other daughter, aged 4, suffered injuries and was undergoing treatment at a hospital, an officer said.
Additional deputy commissioner of police (Noida) Manish Mishra said the incident took place at the rented accommodation of the woman in Barola village under Sector 49 Police Station limits during the day.
"When alerted about the incident, the local police team reached the spot and all three were taken to a nearby private hospital where doctors declared the woman and one of the children dead," Mishra said.
"The other daughter is undergoing treatment. The family members of the woman have reached the hospital," the officer added.
The woman's husband works at a hospital and the family is financially not well off, according to the local police.
The couple's third and eldest daughter, aged 10, had gone to school at the time of the incident, the police said.
It is yet unclear why the woman jumped off the building and police are probing the matter, they added. -- PTI
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23:17 Govt allows 100% FDI for satellite components
The government on Wednesday eased Foreign Direct Investment norms in the space sector by allowing 100 percent overseas investment in making components for satellites, as part of efforts to attract overseas players and private companies into the segment.
The decision was taken at the Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Now, the satellite sub-sector has been divided into three different activities with defined limits for foreign investment in each such sector, according to an official statement.
Presently, FDI in the space sector is allowed up to 100 percent in the area of satellite establishment and operations through government route only.
By changing the current policy, the government has allowed up to 74 percent FDI under automatic route in satellites-manufacturing and operation, satellite data products, and ground and user segments.
Beyond this limit, government approval will be required in these areas for FDI, it said.
Up to 49 percent FDI is allowed through the automatic route for launch vehicles and associated systems or subsystems, creation of spaceports for launching and receiving spacecraft.
Beyond 49 percent, FDI in these activities would require government approval, it added. -- PTI
Tamil Nadu ex-minister V Senthil Balaji
22:45 HC reserves orders on Senthil Balaji's bail plea
The Madras high court on Wednesday reserved orders on a bail petition filed by former Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji, who was arrested by the ED last year in a money laundering case.
Justice N Anand Venkatesh reserved orders without specifying any date, after hearing elaborate arguments from Senior Counsel C Aryama Sundaram, appearing for Balaji and additional Solicitor General ARL Sundaresan, representing the Enforcement Directorate.
Balaji's earlier bail plea was dismissed by the HC on October 19, 2023.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader, whose resignation from the MK Stalin-led state Cabinet was accepted last week by the Governor, was arrested in June 2023 by the central agency in the money laundering case linked to a cash-for-jobs scam when he was Transport minister in an earlier AIADMK regime.
Balaji is currently lodged in the Puzhal Central prison.
Separately, a local court in the city is hearing his plea for discharge from the case. -- PTI
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22:29 Snowfall, rain send several places sub-zero in Himachal, 387 roads shut
Cold wave in Himachal Pradesh got further aggravated on Wednesday following fresh snowfall and rain in the tribal and hilly areas that caused a drop in minimum temperatures.
A total of 387 roads, including four national highways, were rendered shut by snow and 895 electricity transformers were disrupted, the state emergency response centre said. Lahaul and Spiti had the most number of roads, 288, closed, followed by Chamba and Kullu, which had 77 and 12 roads rendered unnavigable. Koksar and Atal Tunnel received 45 cm of snow, followed by Sissu and Kothi, which got 30 cm.
Keylong, Kusumseri, and Bharmour got 18 cm, 15.3 cm, and 8 cm of snow. Manali was wettest with 29 mm of rain, followed by Salooni, and Tissa, and Chamba, which got 25.3 mm, 20 mm, 16 mm of it. Seobagh and Baijnath got 11 mm and 8.0 mm of rain.
Minimum temperatures across the region dropped by a few notches and with several places shivering under sub-zero temperatures.
Kusumseri was coldest in the state with a low of minus 7.1 degrees, followed by Sumdo minus 2 degrees, Bharmour and Kalpa minus 1.2 degrees, Narkanda minus 0.5 degrees, Manali minus 0.1 degrees, and Shimla 2.9 degrees. -- PTI
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22:04 Farmers to decide on future action tomorrow
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha Wednesday condoled the death of a farmer in a clash between security personnel and protesters at the Punjab-Haryana border, and alleged the government was "solely responsible for the present crisis and casualty".
The farmers' body called a meeting of its National Coordination Committee and the General Body on February 22 to discuss the situation and take "decisive action to advance the struggle".
Twenty-one-year-old farmer, identified as Subhkaran Singh (21) from the Baloke village of Bathinda district, was killed and a few others were injured following the clash between security personnel and protesting farmers at Khanauri on the Punjab-Haryana border.
"The SKM strongly protests the brutal police repression and murder of farmer Shubkaran Singh of Baloke Village, Bhatinda district, in the police firing in the Haryana-Punjab border," the farmers' body said in a statement.
"As per the report available around fifteen people have been seriously injured in the repression. This is a brutal assault on bread-earners from farmer families when they were protesting only for the implementation of the written promises made by the prime minister," the SKM said in a statement. -- PTI
Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com
21:49 Kerala police arrest 4 Gujarat natives for loan app fraud
The Kerala police have arrested four Gujarat natives in connection with the recent alleged suicide of a man after a threat from the operators of a loan app, police sources said on Wednesday.
A five-member team from Wayanad went to Gujarat last week after locating their address with the help of cyber experts of Kerala.
Police sources said the phone numbers, email addresses, and bank details of the accused were collected from the mobile phone of Ajayraj, a lottery seller who had died by suicide last September.
Quoting the statements of his family members and friends, the police said the deceased had taken a meager amount of loan through the app run by the accused. He was forced to end his life after the accused had threatened him and sent his morphed pictures to his close family members, they said.
"With the help of cyber police, we located the accused in Gujarat. A five member team of Wayanad police reached Gujarat last week and caught them from a village, located about 100 km away from Rajkot," P J Kuriakose, Meenangadi Station House Officer, said.
Mobile phones and wifi modems were seized from them, the police added.
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21:15 Maharashtra resident doctors to go on strike from tomorrow
About 8,000 resident doctors in Maharashtra will go on an indefinite strike from Thursday to press for their various demands, said Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors Central on Wednesday.
"Emergency services will remain operational to ensure the provision of essential medical care to the people during the strike," said MARD president Dr Abhijit Helge.
Around 8,000 resident doctors across the state will be on strike demanding better hostel accommodation, a hike in stipend, and clearance of arrears, said Dr Helge. -- ANI
21:05 Canadian police arrest 2 teenagers for shooting outside home of Nijjar aide
The Canadian police have arrested two teenagers for a shooting incident outside the home of a close aide of slain Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, an incident for which the separatist groups had blamed Indian agencies.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police on Tuesday confirmed that two teenagers had been arrested in connection with the February 1 shooting incident outside the house of Simranjit Singh Jammu, a close aide of Nijjar, in South Surrey.
In the statement, the RCMP also made it clear that investigators have not established any links to foreign interference in this case.
"At the time of this incident, there was speculation circulating that this was connected to foreign interference. Investigators have not established any links to foreign interference in relation to this matter," the statement said.
It said that on February 6, the Surrey RCMP Serious Crime Unit executed a search warrant on a residence and seized three firearms and multiple electronic devices during the search.
On February 12, two 16-year-old youths were arrested and the British Columbia Prosecution Service approved charges of discharging a firearm into a place and possessing a loaded prohibited firearm.
"The youths are currently being held in custody awaiting their next court appearance," the RCMP said. -- PTI
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20:53 Delhi march on hold for 2 days after farmer's killing
Farmers' leaders on Wednesday put the 'Delhi Chalo' march on hold for two days after a protester was killed and about 12 police personnel injured in clashes at Khanauri, one of the two protest sites on the Punjab-Haryana border.
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said they will decide the next course of action on Friday evening.
Punjab farmers at Khanauri and Shambhu had resumed their agitation early in the morning after a two-day lull following the fourth round of talks on Sunday night with a panel of three Union ministers in an attempt to break the deadlock.
Thousands of farmers will remain camped at the two border points during the pause in the agitation over their demands, including a legal guarantee for minimum support price for crops and farm debt waiver.
Farmer leader Baldev Singh Sirsa identified the dead farmer as Subhkaran Singh (21), a resident of Baloke village in Punjab's Bathinda district. -- PTI
Pradeep Kumar Panigrahi/ANI Photo
20:35 In Odisha, expelled BJD leader joins BJP ahead of LS, assembly polls
Four years after he was expelled from the Biju Janata Dal, Gopalpur MLA and former Odisha minister Pradeep Kumar Panigrahi on Wednesday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the Lok Sabha and state assembly polls.
Immediately after joining the saffron party in the presence of its state chief Manmohan Samal, Panigrahi vowed to oust the BJD from power.
He also termed the government headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik as "arrogant" and "autocratic", an allegation the ruling party denied.
Panigrahi, a critic of bureaucrat-turned-BJD leader VK Pandian, was expelled from the ruling party in 2020 for being involved in "anti-people activities".
The three-time lawmaker from Gopalpur in Ganjam district had earlier served as a higher education minister in the state government. Samal welcomed Panigrahi to the BJP and said the former state minister would strengthen the party in Ganjam.
"The BJP will emerge stronger in Ganjam and neighbouring districts with his entry to the party," he said.
Senior BJD leader Ramesh Chandra Chayupatnaik claimed that Panigrah joining the saffron camp will have "no impact on the Ganjam district politics".
Panigrahi also said, "Development work across various sectors taken up by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has infused faith in people and time is ripe for a change of government in Odisha to save democracy." -- PTI
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20:17 Two visitors caught with live cartridge in Delhi jail
Two visitors who had come to meet an inmate in Tihar's Rohini Jail in Delhi on Wednesday were caught with a live cartridge, officials said.
The two persons are identified as Chandra Sekhar and Depanshu Vedi.
They had come to meet inmate Pawan alias Manish, they said.
According to a jail official, the duo were caught at the main gate of Rohini Jail when they were undergoing the security check.
"A ball ammunition make of KF-7.65 (live bullet) was recovered from Chandra Sekhar during frisking. Both were handed over to local police station for further legal action,"official said. -- PTI
20:09 MHA allocates Rs 20 cr to help poor prisoners secure bail
The Ministry of Home Affairs has allocated Rs 20 crore for providing financial assistance to poor prisoners, who could not afford their bail money and continue to languish in jail.
In a communication to all states, the MHA said that each state should open a dedicated account for seamless flow of funds from the Central government to state headquarters so that the funds could be disbursed to the needy.
'The Ministry of Home Affairs has made provision for an amount of Rs 20 crore annually which the states and UTs can make use of for providing financial assistance to poor prisoners to seek release from jail,' the communication said.
For efficient implementation of the scheme and seamless flow of funds from the Centre to the states, the states were asked to take a number of steps in this regard.
According to the MHA communication, all states and UTs were asked to constitute 'Empowered Committees' in all districts and an 'Oversight Committee' at the state or UT headquarters level with the indicative composition of such committees as provided in the guidelines.
Each state and UT must appoint a nodal officer at the state or UT headquarters level who may engage with the Ministry of Home Affairs or the Central Nodal Agency (CNA) -- National Crime Records Bureau -- to seek any clarification or amplification about the procedure or guidelines.
Each state and UT should open a subsidiary account at the state or UT headquarter level under the CNA's account (NCRB) and have it mapped on Public Financial Management System (PFMS) on most urgent basis as all funds from the Centre will flow through this account.
The states were told by the MHA that district level 'Empowered Committee', with the assistance of District Legal Services Authority and prison authorities, shall examine cases of eligible prisoners and shall have the power to sanction the amount required for paying fine or bail amount within the parameters of the guidelines prescribed on the subject. -- PTI
20:06 Farmer sets himself afire during protest in UP
A farmer tried to kill himself by setting himself on fire near a dharna site in Muzaffarnagar on Wednesday.
The fire was doused in time by the fellow agitators and he was rushed to a local hospital. City Magistrate Vikash Kashyap, who visited the hospital, said the farmer, Brijpal, received minor burn injuries on face and was tended to immediately.
He said he was told that the farmer had a loan-related issue which would be addressed soon. Bhartiya Kisan Union district president Yogesh Sharma said Brijpal tried to commit suicide because he was not getting any solution to his problem and was worried about getting a notice from the Punjab National Bank despite never getting a loan from that bank.
Brijpal is a native of Jitpur Ghari village of Muzaffarnagar district.
BKU leader Naresh Tikait, addressing farmers at a gathering at the Muzaffarnagar collectorate, asked his supporters to participate in a tractor march on February 26 and 27 to condemn atrocities on their counterparts from Haryana and Punjab.
Hundreds of farmers from across districts staged a dharna at the collectorate in Muzaffarnagar.
Naresh Tikait later gave a memorandum of the farmers' demands to the district magistrate, to be sent to the President of India.
Farmers have been demanding a legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price, implementation of the Swaminathan Commission report, withdrawal of police cases against fellow agitators, justice for the victims of Lakhimpur Kheri violence, and a raise in sugar cane price.
In Ghaziabad, farmers staged a sit-in at the call of BKU leader Rakesh Tikait under the leadership of district president Bijendra Singh.
Addressing the gathering, Bijendra Singh said that the farmers were forced to demonstrate by the government which is not paying heed to their demand of MSP.
Farmers there handed over a 15-point memorandum to the administration, addressed to President Droupadi Murmu. The memorandum carried 15 demands of farmers, including a check on inflation, relaxation in railway fare for senior citizens, and free education.
Kavinagar ACP Abhishek Srivastav said that to prevent any untoward incident, sufficient force was deployed inside and outside the collectorate.
BKU national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait in Meerut said that if the government does not allow farmers to go to Delhi, the farmers also will not let them enter their villages during elections.
Farmers in Meerut on Wednesday took out a tractor march to reach the collectorate.
Ahead of their march, authorities set up barriers at several places to prevent farmers from reaching the collector's office, but they were removed by the agitators.
"Putting nails on the road is not justified. If they put nails on our way, we will also do the same in our villages. We also have to barricade our villages. If they are not allowing us to reach Delhi, we will not let them enter our villages," Tikait told reporters when asked about obstacles, such as iron nails, being laid on roads to prevent farmers from reaching Delhi.
Tikait attacked the Centre saying the BJP-led government is only for industrialists.
"If it were a farmers' government, a law guaranteeing MSP would have come into force."
He said that on Thursday a meeting of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) would be held to deliberate on the future course of the farmers' agitation.
BKU's district head Anurag Chaudhary said that barricades were put in three places to stop farmers, but they still reached the collectorate.
In Baghpat also, farmers took out tractor rallies and reached district headquarters at the SKM's call. District BKU President Pratap Gurjar said that if their demands are not met, they will go for an indefinite sit-in and announce support to farmers of Punjab. -- PTI
19:35 CBI knocks on HC door for stay on Indrani Mukerjea docu
The CBI on Wednesday moved the Bombay high court seeking a stay on the upcoming release of a documentary series on Indrani Mukerjea, facing trial for the alleged murder of her daughter Sheena Bora, a day after a special court rejected its application.
The CBI is contemplating filing an application seeking cancellation of the bail granted to Mukerjea as she was breaching conditions imposed on her to not influence witnesses, the agency told the HC.
A division bench headed by Justice Revati Mohite Dere asked the makers of the docu-series to indicate on Thursday if any witnesses who are yet to be examined in the murder trial, feature in the series.
The docu-series, titled The Indrani Mukerjea Story: The Buried Truth, delves into the disappearance of 25-year-old Bora and is scheduled to premiere on streaming platform Netflix on February 23.
The special court, while rejecting the CBI's plea for a stay on the docu-series on Tuesday, said it does not have "inherent powers" to pass such a direction.
Shreeram Shirsat, the advocate for the Central Bureau of Investigation, told the high court on Wednesday that the agency should have been consulted once by the makers of the documentary series.
He said the CBI was not seeking a complete ban on the release of the docu-series but is only requesting a stay until the trial in the case is over.
"The CBI is only saying that this series should not be released till the trial is concluded. Witnesses who are yet to depose in the case may get influenced by the (airing of the) series," Shirsat said.
He also said the CBI was contemplating to also file an application seeking cancellation of the bail granted to Indrani Mukerjea as she was breaching conditions imposed on her to not influence witnesses.
Senior counsel Ravi Kadam, appearing for Netflix, argued that all details of the case were already available in the public domain and that Indrani had herself written a book. He added that the trial may go on for some more time.
The division bench adjourned the matter till Thursday.
You can read Rediff.com's comprehensive coverage of the Sheena Bora murder trial here.
19:04 Punjab refutes Centre's charge over farmers' stir
In a strong response to the Union Home Ministry's letter on the ongoing farmers' agitation, the Aam Aadmi Party dispensation in Punjab on Wednesday wrote to the Centre saying it is 'completely wrong' to claim the state government was allowing gathering at the two border points with Haryana.
The Punjab government's response came a day after the Centre conveyed its strong objection to the gathering of protesters, estimating that nearly 14,000 people have assembled along the Punjab-Haryana border.
Protesting farmers have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri points on Punjab's border with Haryana after their 'Delhi Chalo' march to press the Centre for various demands, including a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for crops, was stopped by security forces which led to clashes last week.
In its communication to the Punjab government, the Union home ministry also said the deteriorating law-and-order situation in the state over the past few days has been a matter of concern and asked it to take stringent action against lawbreakers.
The home ministry said many miscreants in the guise of farmers were indulging in stone-pelting, and mobilising heavy machinery along the Shambhu on Punjab's border with Haryana.
According to reports prepared by central security agencies, nearly 14,000 people have been allowed to gather at the Shambhu barrier on Rajpura-Ambala Road, with nearly 1,200 tractor-trolleys, 300 cars, 10 mini-buses and other small vehicles, the home ministry said.
Similarly, Punjab has allowed a gathering of around 4,500 people with close to 500 tractor-trolleys at the Dhabi-Gujran barrier, it claimed.
In response, Punjab Chief Secretary Anurag Verma said it was 'completely wrong' to claim that the Punjab government was allowing people to gather at Shambhu and Dhabhi-Gurjan borders.
Farmers were going to Delhi to hold a protest but because of restrictions on their movement, farmers were at the borders of Punjab and Haryana, he said.
Verma said that till now, more than 160 people have been injured due to tear gas shells, rubber bullets, use of physical force and drones by the Haryana Police.
Yet the Punjab government has responsibly maintained the law and order situation, he said.
He also said the Punjab government played an important role in negotiations between farmer leaders and a panel of union ministers with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann himself attending three out of four such meetings.
In one of the meetings which he could not attend, the CM deputed a cabinet minister and senior officials, he said.
The chief secretary called for showing more sympathy towards farmers, saying the law and order issue during the protest should be tackled in a more sensitive way as Punjab is a border state.
Over 2,000 police personnel have been deputed to maintain peace, according to the communication.
"The situation is being constantly monitored, we will take steps if needed," the chief secretary said.
The Punjab government's response came a day after the Centre conveyed its strong objection to the gathering of protesters, estimating that nearly 14,000 people have assembled along the Punjab-Haryana border.
Protesting farmers have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri points on Punjab's border with Haryana after their 'Delhi Chalo' march to press the Centre for various demands, including a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for crops, was stopped by security forces which led to clashes last week.
In its communication to the Punjab government, the Union home ministry also said the deteriorating law-and-order situation in the state over the past few days has been a matter of concern and asked it to take stringent action against lawbreakers.
The home ministry said many miscreants in the guise of farmers were indulging in stone-pelting, and mobilising heavy machinery along the Shambhu on Punjab's border with Haryana.
According to reports prepared by central security agencies, nearly 14,000 people have been allowed to gather at the Shambhu barrier on Rajpura-Ambala Road, with nearly 1,200 tractor-trolleys, 300 cars, 10 mini-buses and other small vehicles, the home ministry said.
Similarly, Punjab has allowed a gathering of around 4,500 people with close to 500 tractor-trolleys at the Dhabi-Gujran barrier, it claimed.
In response, Punjab Chief Secretary Anurag Verma said it was 'completely wrong' to claim that the Punjab government was allowing people to gather at Shambhu and Dhabhi-Gurjan borders.
Farmers were going to Delhi to hold a protest but because of restrictions on their movement, farmers were at the borders of Punjab and Haryana, he said.
Verma said that till now, more than 160 people have been injured due to tear gas shells, rubber bullets, use of physical force and drones by the Haryana Police.
Yet the Punjab government has responsibly maintained the law and order situation, he said.
He also said the Punjab government played an important role in negotiations between farmer leaders and a panel of union ministers with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann himself attending three out of four such meetings.
In one of the meetings which he could not attend, the CM deputed a cabinet minister and senior officials, he said.
The chief secretary called for showing more sympathy towards farmers, saying the law and order issue during the protest should be tackled in a more sensitive way as Punjab is a border state.
Over 2,000 police personnel have been deputed to maintain peace, according to the communication.
"The situation is being constantly monitored, we will take steps if needed," the chief secretary said.
18:34 IPL player under lens in Surat model's suicide
Police investigating the suspected suicide of model Tania Singh will send a notice to cricketer Abhishek Sharma as the preliminary probe revealed the duo was friends and she had sent him a message on WhatsApp chat which was not responded to, a Surat police officer said on Wednesday.
Singh, 28, was found hanging from the ceiling of her apartment in Vesu area of the city on Monday. No suicide note was found, the police said
"We have so far learnt this much that Abhishek Sharma was in friendship with the deceased model. More details will be known in the investigation," said Assistant Commissioner of Police VR Malhotra.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the model had sent Sharma a message on WhatsApp chat but it was not responded to, he said.
"We have not contacted Abhishek Sharma yet but we will send him a notice," the ACP added.
Speaking about the investigation, he said the police are verifying the CDR (Call Detail Records) and IP Detail Record (IPDR) data of the model's phone.
"After verification, we may call the persons whose names come up during verification for recording their statements, if required," he added.
An all-rounder, Sharma plays for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL)
The deceased Singh had a decent fan following on social media platforms.
A case of accidental death was registered at Vesu police station and further investigation is underway.
18:18 Losers and gainers in the Sensex pack
The 30-share benchmark Sensex stayed mostly firm during intra-day on Wednesday but settled 434.31 points or 0.59 per cent lower at 72,623.09 points.
It touched the intra-day low of 72,450.56, down 0.83 per cent from the previous closing level of 73,057.40 points.
Similarly, the broader Nifty also paired all its intraday gains before closing 141.90 points or 0.64 per cent down at 22,055.05 points.
The 50-share barometer had hit a lifetime peak of 22,196.95 points on Tuesday and remained mostly in the upward trajectory on Wednesday.
In the Sensex pack, 20 stocks ended in the red while 37 of the Nifty constituents closed the session with losses.
NTPC was the biggest loser among the Sensex constituents, ending with a loss of 2.71 per cent. It was followed by PowerGrid, Wipro, HCLTech, L&T and Tech Mahindra.
In contrast, Tata Steel, SBI, JSW Steel and IndusInd Bank closed in the positive territory. Tata Steel gained 1.99 per cent and SBI ended 1.51 per cent higher.
Zeeshan Siddique with Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde
18:15 Zeeshan Siddique loses YC post after dad's switch
Congress MLA Zeeshan Siddique has been removed as the president of the party's youth wing in Mumbai, days after his father Baba Siddique quit the party and joined the Nationalist Congress Party led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
On Tuesday, Indian Youth Congress (IYC) president Srinivas B V issued a statement naming Akhilesh Yadav, who once headed the party's student wing National Students' Union of India in Mumbai, as the new chief of the Mumbai unit of the youth organisation in place of Zeeshan Siddique.
Along with Yadav, a former IYC secretary, eight other office-bearers were also appointed in the Mumbai Youth Congress by Srinivas.
Zeeshan Siddique, a first-time MLA representing Bandra (East) in suburban Mumbai in the Assembly, is the son of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique, who quit the Congress and joined the Ajit Pawar-led NCP earlier this month.
Meanwhile, Zeeshan Siddique on Wednesday took to social media platform X to express his disappointment over the ouster and said he was removed from the post without any official intimation from the party.
He wrote on X, '88,517 Mumbai Youth Congress members voted for me to become the president of Mumbai Youth Congress which has been the highest number in the history of Mumbai Youth Congress. This isn't a nominated post (that) I have got from lobbying or being a yes man to leaders. I have been ELECTED with the highest margin in the election process.'
The Congress legislator said he has given 12 years to the organisation and will soon address the media on the development.
'After giving 12 years to the organisation (and) having fought three elections, it is unfortunate that I have not received any official intimation from the party and I have to learn about my ouster from media and social media. I am answerable to 88,517 (Youth Congress members) who voted for me and I will be addressing a press conference about this very soon!' he added. -- PTI
17:41 NEET-UG to be held in 14 foreign cities
Medical entrance exam NEET-UG will also be conducted at exam centres in 14 foreign cities on May 5, the National Testing Agency announced on Wednesday.
The move comes after the National Testing Agency (NTA) received requests from aspirants as the information bulletin for the exam notified earlier this month had no mention of centres outside India for candidates to attempt the test.
"It has been decided that the exam will also be conducted in 14 foreign cities in 12 countries," said NTA Senior Director (Exams) Sadhna Parashar.
The 14 foreign cities where the exam will conducted are Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah (UAE); Kuwait city in Kuwait; Bangkok in Thailand; Colombo in Sri Lanka; Doha in Qatar; Kathmandu in Nepal; Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia; Lagos in Nigeria; Manama in Bahrain; Muscat in Oman; Riyadh in Saudi Arabia; and Singapore.
The exam will be conducted at 554 centres across India. -- PTI
17:20 Lalu, Yechury to share stage with Rahul in Patna
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will share the stage with RJD president Lalu Prasad and CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury at a mega rally in Patna on March 3.
An announcement to this effect was made at a press conference addressed jointly by Mahagathbandhan leaders including state Congress president Akhilesh Prasad Singh and his RJD counterpart Jagadanand Singh in Patna on Wednesday.
The public meeting, to be held at the historical Gandhi Maidan, has been given the title 'Jan Vishwas Maha-rally'. Those likely to speak include Tejashwi Yadav, Lalu Prasad's son and heir apparent, who had joined Gandhi for the 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' when it passed through Bihar last week.
Incidentally, Yadav, who lost the deputy chief minister's post last month as a result of JD-U president Nitish Kumar's volte face, is at present on a tour of the state which has been called 'Jan Vishwas Yatra'.
Other prominent figures who are expected at the rally include CPI general secretary D Raja and Dipankar Bhattacharya of the CPI (ML) Liberation.
16:56 PM to chair Council of Ministers meet on March 3
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a meeting of the Union Council of Ministers on March 3, days before announcement of the Lok Sabha elections, officials said.
The meeting of the Council of Ministers is scheduled to be held at the Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in Chanakyapuri diplomatic enclave in New Delhi, they said.
The prime minister has been chairing a meeting of the entire Council of Ministers from time to time to discuss key policy issues, get feedback on implementation of various initiatives, and share his vision on matters of governance.
The Election Commission has begun reviewing the preparedness of various states for holding of Lok Sabha elections.
The schedule for elections are expected to be announced sometime next month.
In 2014, the Election Commission had announced the schedule for the nine-phased Lok Sabha elections on March 5 and the results were declared on May 16.
In 2019, the poll panel had announced the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections on March 10 and the results were declared on May 23. -- PTI
16:28 SP: 63 seats, Cong: 17 seats, battle for UP begins
After Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, party leader Ravidas Mehrotra also confirmed an alliance with the Congress, for the Lok Sabha Election 2024 together.
Sharing details of the alliance, Mehrotra said that the Samajwadi Party will contest elections on 63 seats and Congress on 17 seats in Uttar Pradesh.
"Samajwadi Party and Congress will contest Lok Sabha elections together. This will strengthen the INDI alliance and INDIA will form its government in 2024. The opposition parties will contest the election together. We have tried to stop the scattering of non-BJP votes," Mehrotra told ANI.
"Samajwadi Party will contest elections on 63 seats and Congress on 17 seats. We will try to get all 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh," he added.
The Samajwadi Party leader also alleged the BJP-led central government for misusing the central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), etc.
"INDIA bloc will form its government in 2024. The BJP-led central government is trying to weaken the opposition parties by misusing the central agencies such as ED, CBI, etc.," he said.
Meanwhile, Akhilesh Yadav confirmed an alliance with the Congress, assuring that details would be revealed soon. He stated that there was no conflict between the two parties, emphasizing that all would be clarified in due course.
"All is well that ends well. Yes, there will be an alliance. There is no conflict. Everything will be out and clear soon," Yadav stated while speaking to reporters on Wednesday.
16:14 Salaries in India to increase 9.5% in 2024: Survey
Salaries in India are expected to increase by 9.5 per cent in 2024, slightly lower than the actual increase of 9.7 per cent in 2023, largely in response to market dynamics, according to global professional services firm Aon plc.
According to the firm's annual salary increase and turnover survey 2023-24 India, that analysed data across 1,414 companies from almost 45 industries, salary increase in India seems to have stabilised at high single digits, after the post-pandemic high increments in 2022.
"The projected increase in salaries in the Indian formal sector indicates a strategic adjustment in response to the evolving economic landscape.
"Despite a conservative global sentiment, industries such as infrastructure and manufacturing continue to project robust growth, indicating the need for targeted investments in certain sectors," said Roopank Chaudhary, partner and chief commercial officer for Talent Solutions at Aon in India.
India continues to roll out the highest salary increases amongst the major economies amidst geopolitical tensions, followed by Bangladesh, and Indonesia with 7.3 per cent and 6.5 per cent average salary increases in 2024.
The survey revealed that the overall attrition rates fell from 21.4 per cent in 2022 to 18.7 per cent in 2023. This highlights a job market that remains competitive and that turnover rates may have reached their peak.
15:55 The teams, the dates...
The Women's Premier League calendar. The matches begin from February 23.
Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India is planning to start the Indian Premier League 2024 on March 22, Chairman of IPL's Governing Council, Arun Dhumal, has said.
15:46 Hello, Akhilesh! Priyanka's call that clinched UP
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra spoke with Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav over phone on Wednesday to break the deadlock on Lok Sabha polls seat-sharing in Uttar Pradesh and give a final shape to an alliance at the earliest, sources said.
They said the alliance had been all but sealed and the only seat on which the SP has to take a call is Shrawasti which the Congress is asking for.
The Congress is likely to fight between 16-18 seats in Uttar Pradesh in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The sources said earlier the Congress was being given a "raw deal" with seats where winnability was low and the party was asking for alternative constituencies.
According to an agreement reached after the telephonic conversation between Priyanka Gandhi and Yadav, the Congress has now got seats such as Sitapur and Barabanki.
Besides these seats, the Congress is also likely to get Kanpur, Varanasi, Saharanpur, Amroha, Fatehpur Sikri and Jhansi among others.
The Congress is now getting a "fair deal" in the alliance, a source said. In the Moradabad division, the Congress was asking for two seats but has agreed on Amroha alone, the sources said. Yadav on Wednesday said an alliance with the Congress will happen in Uttar Pradesh.
15:16 Mamata-ji you will pay for Sandeshkhali: BJP
The Mamata Banerjee-led government has surpassed the erstwhile CPI(M) dispensation in subjecting the people of West Bengal to atrocities, the BJP claimed on Wednesday, saying the public will give a befitting reply to the ruling TMC in the Lok Sabha elections.
Raising the issue of alleged sexual harassment of women in Sadeshkhali in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, senior BJP leader and former Union minister Ravi Shakar Prasad also slammed the Congress and other constituents of the opposition INDIA bloc, questioning their silence on the matter.
"The Sandeshkhali issue is becoming very serious. The patent assault, humiliating treatment, sexual assault on woman is a shame on our society and democracy," Prasad said at a press conference at the BJP headquarters in the national capital.
The BJP leader also slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for "defending" such incidents in the state, questioning her conscience and that of other opposition parties.
"When Mamata Banerjee struggled (in the past) against the CPI(M)'s atrocities and sat on an indefinite agitation against it, we all had become her fan and lauded her struggle. Today her atrocity, police repression, has surpassed that of the (then) CPI(M) (rule)," he charged.
"It's a shame. Where is her conscience?" he asked and added, "Mamata-ji, you will have to give a reply. Mamata-ji, you will have to pay for it. People will give a political reply to you."
The riverine Sandeshkhali area -- situated on the borders of the Sunderbans, about 100 kilometres from Kolkata -- has been witnessing protests after local women accused absconding Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Sheikh Shajahan and his supporters of land grab and sexual assault under coercion.
Prasad condemned the Congress top brass, the AAP, Left parties and other constituents of the INDIA bloc for not speaking out on the Sandeshkhali issue and said their silence is evidence of their "sheer hypocrisy and utter double standards".
He also condemned the arrest of a news channel reporter by the West Bengal Police. "One incident happened in Chandigarh. We respect the Supreme Court's decision. That is a closed chapter. But all are giving speeches in chorus on that. But all of them are silent on the robbing of women's dignity in Sandeshkhali," the BJP leader said, referring to the top court verdict on the Chandigarh mayoral poll.
Prasad said, "Yesterday (Tuesday), I heard a CPI(M) 'netri (woman leader)' went there. But the CPI(M) has neither formally opposed (the alleged incidents in Sandeshkhali) nor made a public comment on the issue. Rahul Gandhi, who speaks on every issue, is also silent."
15:05 Bengal top cop to visit Sandeshkhali today
West Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar is slated to visit the restive Sandeshkhali on Wednesday afternoon to assess the situation in the area, which has been marked by protests following allegations of sexual abuse of women by TMC leaders.
This will be his first visit to the area since the protests broke out.
Kumar, accompanied by senior police officers including ADG South Bengal Supratim Sarkar, will first visit Sandeshkhali police station and later go to the restive area.
"First let me visit the area and then I will speak to you guys," Kumar told reporters.
Amid ongoing tensions in Sandeshkhali over protests against alleged TMC-led atrocities and sexual harassment, police maintained a strong presence as normalcy struggled to return to the area.
A large number of women in Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district had accused Trinamool Congress strongman Shajahan Sheikh and his supporters of "land-grab and sexually assaulting" them under coercion. Shajahan has been absconding after a mob, allegedly affiliated to him, attacked Enforcement Directorate officials who had gone to search his premises in connection with a ration scam on January 5.
14:51 'Films offer you life lessons'
Rohini Hattangady is a National Award winner, winner of two Filmfare Awards. She is the only Indian to have won a BAFTA (Best Actress in a Supporting Role) for her performance as Kasturba Gandhi in Sir Richard Attenborough's Gandhi.
Last year, the actress who has over 160 films to her credit and has done her share of TV, besides winning the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for her contributions to theatre, featured in the highest grossing female-centric Marathi film, Baipan Bhari Deva.
On February 23, she has another Marathi film coming up, Aata Vel Zaali (It's Time To Go), with Dilip Prabhavalkar, which revolves around a couple's plea for euthanasia so they can choose to die with dignity.
In conversation with Rediff.com Senior Contributor Roshmila Bhattacharya.
Read the engaging interview here.
14:47 Ahead of polls PM heads to Gujarat, Varanasi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh on February 22 and 23 during which he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth more than Rs 61,000 crore in the two states.
While Modi will inaugurate, lay the foundation stone and initiate work commencement of multiple development projects worth more than Rs 48,000 crore in Gujarat, he will also launch and inaugurate projects worth over Rs 13,000 crore for transforming Varanasi and its adjoining areas, according to a statement released by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Wednesday.
On February 22 (Thursday), at around 10.45 am in Ahmedabad, Modi will participate in the golden jubilee celebration of the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF).
On February 23 (Friday), Modi will participate in a programme for prize distribution to the winners of Sansad Sanskrit Pratiyogita at Swatantra Sabhagar, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. At 11.15 am, the prime minister will perform 'pooja' and 'darshan' at Sant Guru Ravidas Janmasthali.
At the two public functions in Gujarat's Mahesana and Navsari, the prime minister will dedicate to nation and lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects that will encompass important sectors such as road, rail, energy, health, Internet connectivity, urban development, water supply and tourism, among others, in districts
14:44 Tharoor gets 'friend of France' honour
Congress MP and former UN diplomat Shashi Tharoor has been conferred with the highest French civilian honour, 'Chevalier de la Legion d'honneur' for being a 'friend' of France and working for deepening Indo-French ties.
Tharoor was conferred with honour by Chairman of the French Senate Gerard Larcher, at an event in Delhi.
"The highest French civilian award comes in recognition of Tharoor's tireless efforts to deepen Indo-French ties, commitment to international peace and cooperation, and as a long-standing friend of France," the French Embassy in India said in a statement.
The statement appreciated the 'remarkable personality' of Thiruvananthapuram MP for his range of talents.
"Be it as a diplomat at the United Nations, where he worked to respond to some of the world's toughest crises, and served as Under-Secretary-General, as a renowned writer who has authored works imbued with the spirit of a contemporary Indian odyssey, or as a statesman in India," the statement added.
14:16 It's like God was speaking through CJI: Kejriwal
Speaking in the Delhi Assembly on Wednesday, Chief Minister and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal slammed the BJP over the Supreme Court overturning the outcome of the Chandigarh mayoral poll.
Quoting from the Bhagavad Gita, Kejriwal said the god decided to intervene and put an end to the prevailing "adharm (unrighteousness)" of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He also thanked the Supreme Court and the chief justice of India for the court's verdict on the Chandigarh mayoral poll, saying it saved the country's democracy.
"It seemed as though god were speaking through the CJI," Kejriwal said, hailing the Supreme Court that declared defeated AAP-Congress alliance candidate Kuldeep Kumar as the new mayor of the Union Territory by setting aside the January 30 poll result.
Slamming the BJP, Kejriwal alleged that the saffron party would do anything to win elections and accused it of indulging in poaching MLAs and toppling governments openly. He said all the devotees of Lord Ram, Krishna, Shiv-Parvati are with the country and finally, the "adharm" of the BJP will come to an end and "dharm (righteousness)" will prevail. -- PTI
14:01 Over 13L vials of indelible ink ready for LS polls
The Mysore Paints and Varnish Ltd has been tasked with providing over 26 lakh vials of indelible ink, which leaves a deep purple mark on a voter's left forefinger, to various states for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The Karnataka government undertaking has been manufacturing the ink since 1962, solely for the Election Commission. The ink is applied on the left forefinger of a person as proof that she or she has cast the vote.
"Our total order is around 26.5 lakh vials of ink. As of date, around 60 per cent of the total material has been dispatched to the states," the managing director of Mysore Paints and Varnish Ltd, K Mohammed Irfan told PTI.
He said around 24 states have been provided with their share of the ink. The remaining order, he said, would be completed around March 20. A 10 ml vial of ink can be used to mark the fingers of around 700 people. A polling station has around 1,200 voters.
Over 12 lakh polling stations would be set up for the polls expected to be held in April-May.
The ink was developed by the Council of Industrial Research-National Physical Laboratory based in Delhi.
Indelible ink mark is normally expected to last for three days when applied on the skin but lasts for a few weeks on the fingernail till the nail grows out. The COVID-19 outbreak was perhaps the only time the Election Commission had allowed the use of the ink for non-electoral purposes.
13:29 Centre invites farmers for fifth round of talks
Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda said on Wednesday that the central government is ready to discuss all the issues raised by the Punjab farmers.
He further invited the farmers for a fifth round of talks while urging them to find a solution through 'dialogue'.
"After the fourth round, the government is ready to discuss all the issues like MSP, crop diversification, stubble issue, FIR in the fifth round. I again invite the farmer leaders for discussion," Arjun Munda said while speaking to ANI on Wednesday.
"I appeal to them to maintain peace and we should find a solution through dialogue," he added. He said that the farmers have not responded to the invite yet while appealing to move forward with the talks.
"No information has come yet (from farmers' side). We appeal that we should move forward for talks and present our stand. The government also wants to move forward and find a solution," the Union Minister said. Minister Munda is one among the team of union ministers holding talks with the farmer leaders, including Piyush Goyal and Nityanand Rai.
Earlier in the day, the general secretary of Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Sarwan Singh Pandher reiterated the demand for a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) and assured a peaceful approach going ahead. -- ANI
Sporadic instances of violence still occur in Manipur
13:25 Manipur sees dip in number of students appearing for class 12 board exams
Amid ethnic violence, the number of students appearing for Class 12 state board examinations in Manipur this year has dropped by around 5,000 to over 31,000, an official said on Wednesday.
Last year, more than 36,000 students appeared for the Council of Higher Secondary School Leaving Certificate Exams (COHSEM) across 120 centres in the state, he said.
"The number of students and examination centres has decreased this year as compared to last year due to the prevailing law and order situation," COHSEM Chairman T Ojit Singh said. Around 31,000 students are appearing for the council's examinations from Wednesday across 111 centres," he said.
"This year's examinations were originally scheduled to be conducted at 114 centres but three schools -- one each in Kakching, Imphal East and Chakpikarong -- have been removed from the list as a result of the "prevailing situation in outlying areas of hills and valley districts," he said.
"Students who were supposed to appear for the exams in the three schools have been asked to report at other centres," the official said.
Of the 111 centres, 75 are in six valley districts and the remaining 36 are in the hills, Singh said. The number of Science students appearing for the tests is 22, 631 and those of the Arts stream is 8,100. Altogether 70 flying squads have been instituted to check the use of unfair means during the tests, he added. PTI
13:05 Not from a fairytale, this is Gulmarg
National Conference VP Omar Abdullah posts this image saying, "Nothing like a late evening walk in Gulmarg. It's as beautiful after sunset as it is during the day."
Representational image
12:53 200 people fall ill after consuming prasad in Maha
In a case of suspected food poisoning, around 200 people fell ill after consuming 'prasad' during a religious programme at Lonar in Maharashtra's Buldhana district, officials said on Wednesday.
The incident took place on Tuesday night during the 'Harinam Saptah', a week-long religious event, at Somthana village in Lonar taluka, Buldhana district collector Kiran Patil told PTI.
"Around 200 villagers complained of nausea and vomiting after consuming prasad during the function. While 142 of them were admitted to the rural hospital at Bibi, 20 others in Lonar and 35 patients to a facility in Mehkar," he said.
The condition of all the patients was stable and most of them were discharged on Wednesday, Patil added. A team of doctors has been deployed in the village with an ambulance and other necessary equipment in case a medical emergency arises, he said.
"Samples of prasad have been sent to a laboratory for analysis and an inquiry will be initiated," the collector said. PTI
File pic
12:45 Kamal Haasan says he has NOT joined INDIA bloc
Actor-politician Kamal Haasan on Wednesday said discussions were on for his party MNM's political alliance and stressed it would support any bloc that would "selflessly" think about the nation but desist from being part of "feudal politics."
Addressing reporters in Chennai after leading the 7th anniversary celebrations of his Makkal Needhi Maiam, Haasan also welcomed the recent political entry of top Tamil actor Vijay.
Asked if MNM will join the multi-party opposition INDIA bloc, he said, "I have already told, this is the time when you have to blur party politics and think about the nation. Anybody who thinks selflessly about the nation, my MNM will be part of it."
However, MNM won't join hands with those doing "local feudal politics," he said. Asked if he has joined the INDIA grouping, he said, "no, I haven't." On his party's possible political alliance, he said "discussions are on," and that any "good news" in this regard will be communicated to the media.
The question was asked in the backdrop of speculations that Haasan's party was involved in alliance talks with Chief Minister M K Stalin-led DMK for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. MNM had earlier faced the 2019 LS polls and the 2021 TN Assembly elections but failed to put up an impressive show. PTI
Tear gas caused injuries to farmers
11:59 Haryana police fire tear gas at farmers again
Tear gas shells were fired by Haryana security personnel after some young farmers were heading towards the multi-layered barricades at the Shambhu border point at Punjab and Haryana on Wednesday.
After Haryana Police lobbed tear gas canisters at around 11 am, young farmers ran for cover.
Farmers, protesting at the two border points of Punjab and Haryana, will resume their 'Delhi Chalo' march today after they rejected the BJP-led Centre's proposal for procuring pulses, maize and cotton at the MSP by government agencies for five years.
Thousands of farmers, who began the march to Delhi on February 13, were stopped at the Haryana border itself, where they clashed with security personnel.
The farmers have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri points on Punjab's border with Haryana since then. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are spearheading the 'Delhi Chalo' march to press the government to accept their demands, including a legal guarantee of MSP for crops and a farm loan waiver. PTI
11:35 Sharad Pawar: There are differences in INDIA bloc
Rajya Sabha member Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said there are differences among some of the opposition INDIA bloc parties in a couple of states over issues including seat-sharing which senior leaders from other states would try to resolve.
Speaking to reporters in Kolhapur, the senior politician said a meeting of the INDIA alliance, formed by several opposition parties to take on the ruling BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, has not been convened of late.
A decision was taken earlier that all the parties of the opposition bloc will work together, he said.
"But majority of the parties in the alliance are limited to their states, so it was decided that all these parties will sit with other allied parties in their respective states and that process is going on," Pawar said.
He noted there are differences among some the opposition alliance parties in a couple of states like Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. "In Uttar Pradesh, there is an absence of a common understanding over the seat-sharing formula.
The other state is West Bengal, where there are some more problems, and the reason is that some parties such as the TMC, CPI(M) and Congress are traditionally opposed to each other," he said. Such issues have not been handled so far, the NCP-Sharadchandra Pawar party chief said.
"Our strategy is that wherever it is possible, we are addressing the issues, and wherever there are differences, like the states I have mentioned, senior leaders, especially from outside that state, sit and address these issues and that process will start soon," he said. -- PTI
11:29 'We owe Fali Nariman whatever independence there is in judiciary'
Human rights lawyer and senior advocate at the Supreme Court of India, Indira Jaising, on Fali Nariman: "He was the last of the Bombay pre-Independence lawyers. Shaped by the Original side Bombay which itself was heavily geared to the needs of British rule, he went on to be a leading voice in the Supreme Court of India. While he represented business and industry, he coming from a minority community had a stake in secularism till his dying days. His major contribution was to resisting the Executive interference in the matter of judicial appointments and it is to him we owe whatever little independence remains in the system."
Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud on Wednesday condoled the death of legal doyen and veteran advocate Fali S Nariman, saying he was a "great giant of an intellectual".
Nariman died in Mumbai on Wednesday at the age of 95.
"Mr Attorney General, we mourn the sad demise and passing away of Fali Nariman. He was a great giant of an intellectual," Chandrachud told Attorney General R Venkataramani as he began the day's proceedings in the apex court.
Nariman was suffering from multiple ailments, including cardiac issues.
Born on January 10, 1929, Nariman was enrolled as an advocate at the Bombay High Court in November 1950 and was designated a senior advocate in 1961. He practised law for more than 70 years, initially in the Bombay High Court and since 1972, in the Supreme Court.
11:20 Punjab top cop missive to stop farmers' JCBs
Responding to the concerns shown by Haryana government on JCBs, Poclaines, Tippers, Hydras and other heavy earthmoving equipment being brought to Shabhu border by agitating farmers, DGP Punjab directed all the concerned officers of Punjab on Tuesday to stop the movement of this type of machinery to Punjab-Haryana Border at Khanauri and Shambu.
In a letter sent to all Range ADGPs/IGPS/DIGs, all Commissioners of Police and all Senior Superintendent of Police, Punjab DGP reminded, "Clear instructions have been issued to all SSPs and CPs that no JCBs, Poclaines, Tippers, Hydras and other heady earthmoving equipment should be allowed to reach the Punjab-Haryana border at Khanauri and Shambu where farmer agitation is ongoing and inputs indicate plans of the protestors to storm the barricades of Haryana Police and enter Haryana, a move which would disturb the law & order situation in both the states," read the letter.
Earlier, Haryana DGP made a written request to his Punjab counterpart urging him to stop the movement earth earth-moving machinery towards the Shambhu border and Khanauri border.
Meanwhile, following the call of 'Delhi Chalo' march scheduled on Feb 21, farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal holding a press conference on Wednesday morning said, "Our intention is not to create any chaos... We have made a programme to reach Delhi since November 7. If the government says that they didn't get enough time this means the government is trying to neglect us."
10:53 If there's one story you read today, let it be this...
Long before Aishwarya Rai and Priyanka Chopra, Yukta Mukhey and Diana Hayden, a beautiful woman from Bombay was crowned Miss World.
In 1966.
Reita Faria was India's first Miss World.
Vaihayasi Pande Daniel/Rediff.com met the 80 year old in Dublin recently, still as elegant, still as attractive as she was all those years ago.
Read the interview here.
Pic: Wikipedia
10:38 Legendary radio host Ameen Sayani passes away
Ameen Sayani, the iconic radio presenter of the popular show "Binaca Geet Mala', passed away on Tuesday of a heart attack. He was 91.
Sayani's son, Rajil Sayani, said that his father suffered a heart attack on Tuesday night after which they took him to HN Reliance Hospital, Mumbai, where he breathed his last. Rajil shared, "The doctors at the hospital attended him but couldn't save him and he was declared dead."
Ameen Sayani was born in a family where literature was of paramount significance -- his mother used to run a newsletter called Rehbar and his brother was the eminent English broadcaster Hamid Sayani -- Ameen Sayani began his stint with Radio Ceylon in 1952.
"Namaskar bhaiyon aur behno, main aapka dost Ameen Sayani bol raha hoon,' the voice reeling out from large wooden boxes-like radio sets across the country's living rooms, announced.
His presentation became an immediate hit when All India Radio banned the transmission of any Bollywood numbers. It was also a medium for the promotion of simple Hindustani, something that connected with the people across the country.
10:30 Is Sandeshkhali Mamata's Waterloo? Sarma says...
The Bharatiya Janata Party, National Commission for Women and the Calcutta High Court came down heavily on the TMC government over the Sandeshkhali violence issue,
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday expressed grave concern over the situation in West Bengal and asserted that Sandeshkhali would be the "downfall" of Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Trinamool Congress.
CM Sarma criticised the treatment of journalists in Bengal, stating that those attempting to disclose the true state of affairs are being arrested.
Following the BJP's allegations of sexual violence by Trinamool leaders and multiple accounts of women alleging harassment in Sandeshkhali, Biswa Sarma said, "The condition of Bengal is very bad, the journalists there who are trying to show the reality are also being arrested. The incident that happened in Sandeshkhali, one cannot even imagine about it.
He expressed faith in the legal system, asserting that the law would take its course.
"Such atrocity on women. It was all in the knowledge of the State government. A syndicate was going on there. This has come out before the country. I believe that the law will take its course."
Assam CM further warned that a government perpetrating such atrocities would not remain in power for long.
"TMC may try all it wants but people won't remain silent. A government which commits atrocities like this will not last long," he added.
Rahul Gandhi at Cambridge last year
10:09 Rahul's tryst with Cambridge Univ on Feb 27, 28
The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will take a break from February 26 to March 1 to enable Rahul Gandhi to deliver two special lectures at his alma mater, Cambridge University, and attend important meetings in New Delhi, the Congress said on Wednesday.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh also said February 22 and 23 will be rest days for the yatra after its Kanpur leg on Wednesday.
The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will resume on the morning of February 24 from Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh and thereafter, cover Sambhal, Aligarh, Hathras and Agra districts, before arriving in Rajasthan's Dholpur, Ramesh said.
"February 26th to March 1st will be break days to enable Rahul Gandhi to fulfil his long-standing commitment to deliver two special lectures at his alma mater Cambridge University (UK) on February 27th and February 28th and also to enable him to attend other important meetings in New Delhi," Ramesh said in a post on X.
The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will once again resume from Dholpur at 2 pm on March 2, he added. It will then cover Morena, Gwalior, Shivpuri, Guna, Shajapur and Ujjain, among other districts in Madhya Pradesh, the Congress leader added.
Ramesh also informed that at 2 pm on March 5, Gandhi will have "darshan" at the Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain. The former Congress chief had last had this darshan on November 29, 2022, during the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
09:48 Legal action against Suvendu for Khalistani slur
West Bengal police on Tuesday claimed that BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari hurled a 'Khalistani' slur at a Sikh police officer.
In a series of posts on 'X', the West Bengal Police expressed outrage and labelled the comment by BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari as malicious, racial, communally inciting and a criminal act.
The police condemned the unprovoked, unacceptable attack on an individual's religious identity and added that stern legal action is being initiated.
"We, the West Bengal Police fraternity, are outraged to share this video, where one of our own officers was called 'Khalistani' by the state's Leader of the Opposition. His 'fault': he is both a proud Sikh, and a capable police officer who was trying to enforce the law...This comment is as much malicious and racial as it is communally inciting. It is a criminal act. We unequivocally condemn the unprovoked, unacceptable attack on an individual's religious identity and beliefs aimed to incite people to take to violence and break the law... Stern legal action is being initiated," the police said in a series of posts on 'X'.
09:16 Farmers will begin march to Delhi at 11 am
Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal on Wednesday said protesting farmers, who have been camping at two border points between Punjab and Haryana after they were stopped by security personnel, will march towards Delhi in a peaceful manner.
"Our intention is not to disturb peace," Dallewal said ahead of the farmers' plan to march towards the national capital.
Accusing the BJP-led Centre of indulging in "delaying tactics" over the farmers' demands, Dallewal asked the government to take a decision in their favour.
He also condemned the Centre for setting up multi-layered barricades at the border points between Punjab and Haryana to prevent them from heading towards Delhi.
"It is our request that we want to go to Delhi in a peaceful manner. The government should itself remove the barricades and give us the permission to march towards Delhi and make arrangements for our sitting in Delhi," Dallewal told reporters at the Shambhu border point.
He criticised the government for not making a statement on enacting a law on the minimum support price (MSP) for crops. Dallewal said they will start the march towards Delhi at 11 am.
The farmers protesting at two border points between Punjab and Haryana will resume their "Delhi Chalo" march on Wednesday after they rejected the Centre's proposal for procuring pulses, maize and cotton at the MSP by government agencies for five years. -- PTI
08:48 6 months on, police add UAPA charges against accused in Nuh violence case
Police have slapped charges under the stringent UAPA against the accused in three cases connected to the murder of two home guards and a Bajrang Dal member and an attack on a cyber police station six months ago.
While the charges were not included in the initial FIRs related to the cases, court documents showed these were added to the challan presented in a court to oppose the bail petition filed by the accused.
Six people, including two home guards and a cleric, died in the clashes that erupted in Nuh after a procession of the VHP was attacked by mobs on July 31 last year and spread to adjoining areas, including Gurugram.
The imposition of UAPA in three FIRs came to light three days ago when lawyer Tahir Hussain Rupariya, representing some of the accused, filed their bail petitions before the court.
Rupariya said after the bail application was filed, information was received from the court that charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) had been imposed on two of the accused named in three FIRs due to which they did not get bail.
Initially, the FIR in the Nuh violence incident was registered on August 1 based on a complaint filed by a police inspector, who stated that the attack and stone-throwing by the mob had resulted in the death of home guards Neeraj and Gursev.
The accused were then booked under charges of rioting, unlawful assembly, assault or criminal force to deter a public servant, murder and criminal conspiracy among others. -- PTI
08:27 Eminent jurist Fali Nariman passes away
Eminent jurist senior advocate Fali S Nariman passes away at the age of 95.
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00:50 NCPCR sends notice to NCERT, UNICEF over Bihar madrassa curriculum
Apex child rights body National Commission for Protection of Child Rights on Tuesday sent notices to the NCERT and UNICEF, asking them to explain how they were responsible for designing curriculums for madrassas in Bihar.
The inquiry by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights was prompted by the response of the Bihar chief secretary to its summons in connection with queries related to mapped and unmapped madrassas in the state.
In his response to the child rights body, the official highlighted efforts to modernise the madrassa education system, citing initiatives such as the development of a comprehensive training module for teachers and the establishment of regional resource centres for ongoing training.
The official also mentioned the implementation of sports programmes and a 21st-century skill development for adolescent girls in Purnia and Kishanganj districts that has been prepared through collaboration between UNICEF and the madrassa board.
The chief secretary also emphasised that the curriculum of affiliated madrassas in Bihar incorporates elements of mainstream education, as formulated by renowned educational bodies such as SCERT, NCERT and CBSE, among others. -- PTI
00:38 MP man linked to Vyapam scam held for fraud in UP police exam
A 47-year-old man who was jailed over links to the Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh was arrested from Jhansi on Tuesday for alleged fraud in the just-concluded Uttar Pradesh police recruitment examination, officials said.
Amitabh Rawat, a former teacher who hails from the Morena district of Madhya Pradesh, was arrested by the Noida unit of the UP police's Special Task Force, they said.
According to the police, Rawat has been involved in arranging proxy candidates, also known as 'solvers', who appeared for various government recruitment examinations in Madhya Pradesh since 2013.
He was arrested in 2017 for fraud related to the Vyapam recruitment examination and lodged in a jail in the Gwalior district of Madhya Pradesh for five years.
However, after an appeal in the high court, he was released on bail in 2020, an Uttar Pradesh police official said.
"Since 2021, Rawat has been involved in fraud in several recruitment examinations in Madhya Pradesh using cheating, including using proxy candidates, bypassing biometric tests, paper leaks and screen sharing (in online exams)," the official said. -- PTI
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi
00:36 Saw people lying drunk on Varanasi roads: Rahul targets Modi
In a veiled swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who represents Varanasi in the Lok Sabha, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday claimed that during his visit to the temple town as a part of the ongoing Bharat Jodo Nyay yatra, he saw people lying drunk on roads.
Addressing the public in Amethi, Wayanad MP said the youths of Uttar Pradesh was on a 'trip' after boozing by night.
"I went to Varanasi and I saw people lying on roads drunk. The youths of Uttar Pradesh are on a trip after consuming liquor by night. On the other hand, there is the Ram Mandir which is only visited by the likes of PM Modi, Ambani and Adani. You will see all our billionaires there but not a single person from a backward class or the Dalit community," Rahul said.
"Your place is only limited to roads for begging while they (Centre's alleged corporate cronies) keep minting money," he added.
The Varanasi constituency has seen a huge influx of funds from the Centre and state government and is also a part of the Smart City mission, which was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 25, 2015.
Hitting back at Rahul Gandhi over his remarks, state minister Dinesh Pratap Singh said the Congress leader should apologise to the country for such statements. -- ANI
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