Modi Holds High-Level Meeting On Ukraine, Student Evacuation

NEW DELHI, Feb 27: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is holding a meeting to discuss the situation in war-torn Ukraine, immediately after his return from Uttar Pradesh where he has gone for election campaign, sources said.

The agenda of the meeting -- which started at 8 pm -- is safe return of Indian students. The foreign secretary will make a presentation on the issue. Around 16,000 Indian nationals, most of them students, have been trapped in Ukraine, which has been reeling under Russian invasion since Thursday.

The Prime Minister last held a meeting with the Cabinet Committee of Security on Thursday evening, where he underscored the need to focus on bringing the Indian nationals home safely.

He later spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin as well, calling for "immediate cessation of violence" and stressing that India attaches the "highest priority" to the safe exit and return of its citizens from Ukraine.

A Russian readout of the conversation said Modi "thanked President Putin for the clarification and asked for assistance in ensuring the security of Indian citizens currently in Ukraine". President Putin said "necessary instructions" would be given, the Russian statement had added.

The evacuation of Indians has been going at a slow pace, given the closure of airspace over Ukraine. Over the last days, students have been evacuated on flights from Hungary, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Romania -- nations which share border with Ukraine. Many trudged miles in the freezing cold to reach the borders.

Today, addressing an election rally in Basti, Uttar Pradesh, PM Modi said India "left no stone unturned to bring our citizens back... (from) wherever there is trouble.

"By running Operation Ganga, we are bringing back thousands of Indians home. Our sons, daughters still stranded in Ukraine will be brought back. The government is working day and night for them," he said.

Russia started military operations against Ukraine on Thursday morning after months of tension over the former Soviet republic's proximity to NATO.

There are still around 16,000 Indian students still stranded in Ukraine. Many have made desperate appeals for help, sharing photos and videos on social media from underground metro stations and basements, where they have been sheltering from Russian bombs and missiles.

Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik Arrested, Government Says 'Won't Sack Him'

MUMBAI, Feb 23: Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik was arrested today after questioning by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering case linked to fugitive terrorist Dawood Ibrahim. He will be in the agency's custody till March 3.

Nawab Malik was produced before a special court following over eight hours of questioning and subsequent arrest by the Enforcement Directorate. "I have been forcibly brought here. They should have sent summons first but they picked me up from my house," he said when he was put in the witness box.

Defiantly waving his fist in the air to the waiting media persons while stepping out of the ED office, Malik said he won't bow down. "We will fight and win, and expose everyone," he said. He was then taken by ED officials in a vehicle to the state-run J J Hospital for a medical check-up.

According to sources, Malik was grilled over alleged transactions with terrorist Dawood's associates and land deals with them. He was evasive and didn't cooperate with the investigation, the ED said.

Underscoring that Nawab Malik will not resign, Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal said, "In the last 30 years, no one took name of Nawab Malik in connection with the Mumbai blast. But now he is speaking against Union government, hence to shut his mouth, he was arrested today". A peaceful protest will be held tomorrow near Mahatma Gandhi Memorial in front of Mantralaya, he added.

Malik is the second Maharashtra Minister to be arrested by a central probe agency in four months. Former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh was arrested by the ED in November last year. After today's arrest, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar has called for an emergency meeting of top party leaders at his residence.

On February 15, the ED had carried out raids at 10 locations including premises linked to Dawood Ibrahim's late sister Haseena Parkar, brother Iqbal Kaskar and Salim Qureshi alias Salim Fruit, brother-in-law of gangster Chhota Shakeel. The agency also took custody of Dawood Ibrahim's brother Iqbal Kaskar in the same case. According to sources, some evidence related to property purchased by Nawab Malik has surfaced during the ongoing investigation.

The 62-year-old Minister was taken to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office this morning for questioning. ED officials reached his home at 6 am where he was questioned for an hour. He was then brought to the ED office and questioned again for close to eight hours.

Malik had recently made headlines for attacking the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede accusing him of several service-related wrongdoings after the anti-drugs officer led the raid on a cruise ship on Mumbai's shore in October last year and arrested 20 people including superstar Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan. Malik's son-in-law Sameer Khan was also arrested in a drugs case by the NCB's Mumbai unit led by Wankhede last year.

Reacting to the allegations against Malik, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said invoking Dawood was a convenient way to sully someone's reputation. "I don't know about the case against him but Dawood's name has always been invoked to try to defame rivals," he said.

Pawar claimed that he was also accused of having ties with the underworld when he was the state's Chief Minister. "25 years later, the same trick is being used to harass and defame," he added.
The BJP has rubbished allegations of political vendetta and accused Malik of buying land from terrorist Dawood Ibrahim's aide. BJP MLA from Mumbai's Ghatkopar West Ram Kadam also claimed that since the land was about to get seized by the government, the minister bought it at nominal rates from a bomb blast accused.

Congress alleges Rs 6,000 crore coal scam in Gujarat, seeks time-bound SC probe

NEW DELHI, Feb 23: The Congress on Wednesday alleged a coal scam of Rs 6,000 crore in Gujarat whereby coal meant for small and medium industry was diverted to industries in other states and demanded a time-bound investigation by a siting judge of the Supreme Court.

The opposition party said the probe should investigate the role of all the four chief ministers of Gujarat in the last 14 years when the alleged scam happened.

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi demanded answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the "missing" 60 lakh tonnes of coal.

"60 lakh tonnes of coal 'missing'! Will the Prime ’Friend’ Minister say anything on this coal scam,” Gandhi asked in a tweet in Hindi.

He cited a news report alleging that 60 lakh tonnes of coal was missing in Gujarat, terming it a Rs 6000 crore scam.

"We demand that a time bound investigation should be constituted under the sitting judge of Supreme Court. This investigation should investigate involvement of all the 4 chief ministers of Gujarat from 2008 till date (Narendra Modi, Anandiben Patel, Vijay Rupani and BhupendraBhai Patel) in this Rs 6,000 crore scam,” Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh told reporters.

He alleged that a coal scam of Rs 6,000 crore has come to light in Gujarat, whereby in the last 14 years, instead of giving coal to the small and medium level industries of the state, agencies of the Gujarat government have sold it to the industries of other states at a higher price.

He alleged that coal extracted from various mines of Coal India did not reach the industries for which it was extracted.

In last 14 years, 60 lakh tonnes of coal have been sent from the mines of Coal India in the name of traders and small industries of Gujarat, the Congress leader alleged and said its average price is Rs 1,800 crore at Rs 3,000 per tonne, but instead of selling it to traders and industries, it has been sold in other states at a price of Rs 8,000 to 10,000/tonne.

Vallabh said it is interesting to note that Narendra Modi (Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014) was also holding the charge of Industry, Mines and Minerals Department of Government of Gujarat (December 2007 to December 2012) after which Vijay Rupani (August 2016 to September 2021) and Bhupendra Patel (Sept 2021 till date) also kept the Industry, Mines and Minerals Department of Government of Gujarat with them.

He asked why in the last 14 years, when this scam happened, for more than 10 years the chief minister of Gujarat was also holding charge of Industry, Mines and Minerals department.

"Is this a mere coincidence or an experiment,” he asked.

"ED, SFIO, Income Tax, FIU and other agencies should register a case and investigate on this Rs 6,000 Crore scam as it is possible that the agencies (SNA) have created fake bills for this game and evaded Income Tax, Sales Tax and GST,” Vallabh demanded.

The Congress leader said the UPA Government had formulated a policy in 2007 to provide good quality coal at affordable rates to the small industries across the country.

Under this policy, coal is extracted every month from West Coal Field and South-East Coal Field of Coal India for Small and Medium Industries of Gujarat.

He said the industries in the name of which coal was extracted from Coal India in the documents did not reach those industries.

"Why only few private agencies were appointed as state nominated agency year after year whereas in other states respective departments of state governments were doing the task assigned to the nominated agency,” Vallabh also asked.

At BJP Rally In UP, Rajnath Singh Faces Angry Slogans Over Jobs

GONDA, Feb 19: A campaign speech by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Uttar Pradesh's Gonda was interrupted by slogan-shouting men from the stands seeking jobs, specifically in the Indian Army.

The minister, who was on stage, enquired about the protest and then proceeded to assure the men recruitments would happen.

"Sena bharti chalu karo (Initiate recruitment in Army)", "hamari maange poori karo (fulfil our demand)" were the slogans used by men at the rally earlier today.

Singh then tried to pacify the protesting youth, saying "hogi, hogi (It will be done)", "do not worry".

"Your worry is ours too. Due to coronavirus there were a few difficulties," he explained.

Then everyone erupted into "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" at Singh's insistence, who was all smiles.

"If voted to power in UP again, the BJP Government will provide free LPG gas cylinder on the occasion of Holi and Diwali every year," said Singh.

The BJP, which launched its manifesto for Uttar Pradesh last week, has promised jobs or self-employment opportunities to at least one member of each family in the state.

Chief Minister Adityanath had earlier tweeted that his government had provided crores of jobs in the government and private sector, and self employment opportunities in the last 5 years. This claim has been hotly contested on the ground, especially in the state's coaching hub Prayagraj where the police assaulted students protesting irregualities in a railway exam last month.

The BJP's chief challenger in UP, Akhilesh Yadav has promised lakhs of jobs and regularisation of existing government jobs if voted to power.

Many BJP supporters have claimed on social media that data from the independent think tank CMIE shows UP's unemployment rate is down from 17.5 percent in 2017 during Akhilesh Yadav's rule to 4.2 percent right now. But CMIE 's data actually shows while Uttar Pradesh's current unemployment rate is 4.9 percent, the rate between Jan-April 2017, just before the BJP came to power, was 3.8 percent.

The unemployment rate among youth almost doubled from 7.9 percent between Jan-April 2017 to 13.34 percent between March- August 2021.

Two rounds of voting have been completed in the polls stretched over seven phases. Polling in the third phase of the elections will be held in 59 Assembly seats in 16 districts of the state on Sunday.

2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts case: 38 sentenced to death

AHMEDABAD, Feb 18: In what may be the first such instance in the country, a special court on Friday awarded the death penalty to as many as 38 convicts, and sentenced 11 others to life imprisonment until death, in a case related to the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts in which 56 persons were killed and over 200 left injured.

The court had earlier acquitted 28 accused on February 8, when it delivered the verdict, nearly 14 years after the blasts in the city. On Friday, the special court judge A. R. Patel pronounced the quantum of sentence.

The prosecution sought capital punishment for all 49 convicts while defence lawyers urged the court to show leniency towards the convicts considering their social and economic background.

In the over 7,000-page judgement, the trial court termed the case as “rarest of rare” and ordered that 38 convicts be hanged till death, while 11 others were awarded life imprisonment till death. The court also awarded compensation of ₹1 lakh for the kin of those who died in the blasts; ₹50,000 to those who were seriously injured; and ₹25,000 to those who received minor injuries.

According to Public Prosecutor Amit Patel, the 38 persons were convicted under the Indian Penal Code’s (IPC) Sections 302 (murder) and 120B (criminal conspiracy), and the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Eleven others were held guilty for criminal conspiracy, and under various sections of the UAPA.

“They have been held guilty of murder, attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy, attempting to wage war against the nation, sedition, and for participating in terror activities for which the maximum punishment prescribed is death,” Patel said.

“This is the highest number of convicts awarded death sentence in a criminal case. Earlier, the highest number of 26 convicts were [awarded death penalty] in an assassination case,” Patel told mediapersons. The assassination is a reference to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s death at the hands of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) operatives in Tamil Nadu.

During the pronouncement of the sentence on Friday, all the convicts were present for the hearing via video conference from eight different jails — the Sabarmati Central Jail in Ahmedabad, Tihar Jail in Delhi, and jails in Bhopal, Gaya, Bengaluru, Kerala and Mumbai.

Those who were awarded death sentences included key accused Safdar Nagori, Qayumuddin Kapadiya, Zahid Shaikh, Qumaruddin Nagori and Shamsuddin Sheikh.

The accused were members of the Indian Mujahideen, an outfit floated by the operatives of the banned militant organisation, the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). They were trained to carry out blasts in Ahmedabad as “retribution” for the 2002 riots in Gujarat.

After the blasts, Ahmedabad Police cracked the case within weeks, arresting the accused from Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and other States. The police busted the nationwide terror network created by the Indian Mujahideen (IM) and SIMI operatives in the country.

The court had concluded the trial against 77 accused in September 2021. Out of 78 accused on trial, one turned approver. The court has pardoned him. The trial began against 77 persons linked to the IM, a banned terror outfit, while four more accused were arrested later and are being tried separately.

The prosecution examined 1,163 witnesses in the case before nine different judges in protracted legal proceedings. The prosecution marked 26 witnesses as star witnesses. Their identity was concealed for their safety.

The trial began after merging as many as 35 first information reports (FIR) into one.

Public hospitals were targeted in the terror blasts for the first time. In Ahmedabad’s Civil Hospital, the blast occurred in the trauma centre, killing 37 persons.

'Sack Minister For Sedition': Congress Sleepover In Karnataka Assembly

BENGALURU, Feb 17: Congress legislators have said they will spend the night inside the Karnataka assembly on Thursday, demanding the sacking of minister KS Eshwarappa and a sedition case against him for his hugely controversial comment about replacing the national flag with a saffron one.

Congress members stayed back in the assembly, even after it was adjourned for the day following protests by the opposition party legislators that stalled proceedings in both houses for the second day in a row.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, and former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa later met Leader of Opposition and Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah in the assembly premises and held talks but there was no breakthrough.

"We tried to convince the opposition party leaders for around two hours. We told them to not sleep here in the assembly. But they have already decided. Speaker also tried to convince. We have tried our best but they did not agree. We will try to convince them tomorrow also," Yediyurappa said.

Later, Karnataka Congress leaders including state unit chief DK Shivakumar were seen having dinner at the assembly canteen.

Earlier, addressing reporters outside the assembly, Siddaramaiah accused the BJP and its ideological parent Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of disrespecting the national flag, and said the Congress has decided to stage a "day-and-night" protests, to take the issue to a "logical end".

Noting that the Governor, who is the constitutional head, should have intervened and given instructions for Eshwarappa's dismissal, as his comments amount to treason, he said: "The Chief Minister is also not taking action against Eshwarappa, the RSS is implementing its hidden agenda through Eshwarappa."

Meanwhile, a defiant Eshwarappa said there was no question of him resigning for any reason, and he is a patriot who had gone to jail during the Emergency period.

"Let them protest, I won't budge," he said, and demanded that state Congress chief DK Shivakumar resign, accusing him and his party of 'misusing' the national flag for protests.

The controversy erupted after Eshwarappa said last week that the 'Bhagwa dhwaj' (saffron flag) may become the national flag sometime in the future and it may be raised from the Red Fort then.

He, however, had said the tricolour is the national flag now, and it should be respected by everyone.

Seemingly backing up the controversial comment, Chief Minister Bommai said, earlier overnight protests that have taken place in the assembly were for issues concerning people, farmers and interest of the state, but this is a protest hinged on misinterpreting a statement.

"There is nothing wrong in Eshwarappa's statement, there is nothing in his statement that is against law. As they (Congress) don't have any other issues they are doing this. For the first time without any reason overnight protest is being held, this is not the sign of a responsible opposition. They feel they will get political mileage out of it, but they are wrong," he said.

The Chair in the assembly on Wednesday had rejected the Congress' adjournment motion demanding the dismissal of and sedition case against Eshwarappa.

The Speaker also has held meetings of floor leaders to end the stalemate, but they were unsuccessful.

The last time Karnataka assembly saw overnight protests was in July 2019 when the then leader of the opposition Yediyurappa spent a night along with BJP legislators to corner the Janata Dal Secular-Congress coalition government dragging its feet on a trust vote.

Modi Still Blames Nehru: Manmohan

NEW DELHI, Feb 17: Manmohan Singh, in a rare and stinging attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government today, said the BJP has been in power for more than seven years but still blames first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru for every problem.

"The post of Prime Minister has a certain dignity," remarked the former Prime Minister and senior Congress leader in a video message days before the Punjab election.

Manmohan Singh, 89, said the Congress had never divided the country for political gains or hidden the truth. The BJP, on the other hand, believed in "fake nationalist" based on the British policy of divide and rule, he said.

"On one hand, people are facing problems of inflation and unemployment, on the other, the present government, in power for the last seven and a half years, rather than admitting its mistakes and rectifying them, is still blaming first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru for people's problems," Dr Singh said in the message played by the Congress.

"I feel that the PM's position has a special dignity and should not blame history to downplay faults. When I was Prime Minister for 10 years, I spoke through my work. I never let the country lose prestige before the world. I never undermined India's pride," he said.

"I have at least this satisfaction that after the false accusations against me of being weak, silent and corrupt, the BJP and its B and C-teams are getting exposed before the country."

The two-time Prime Minister also accused the government of a failed foreign policy and of trying to suppress Chinese incursions at the Line of Actual Control.

"They (BJP-led government) have no understanding of economic policy. The issue is not limited to the nation. This government has also failed on foreign policy. China is sitting at our border and efforts are being made to suppress it (incursions)," Dr Singh said.

"I hope the PM has understood that foreign policy cannot be conducted by forcibly hugging leaders, playing on swings or going for biryani uninvited," he added.

"We never divided the country for vested political gain. We never tried to hide the truth. We never undermined the esteem of the country or PM's position. People today are being divided. This government's fake nationalism is hollow and dangerous. Their nationalism is based on the British policy of divide and rule. Constitutional institutions are being weakened."

There is "selfishness and greed in the government's economic policy", said the former Prime Minister. "For their selfish interest they are dividing people and making them fight," he said.

Dr Singh also referred to the security breach that left PM Modi's convoy stuck on a flyover in Punjab for 20 minutes because of protesting farmers.

"A few days ago, in the name of the prime minister's security, an attempt was made to defame Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and the people of the state. During the farmers' agitation, too, an attempt was made to defame Punjab and Punjabiyat. The world salutes the bravery, patriotism and sacrifice of Punjabis, but the NDA government did not talk about any of this. As a true Indian from Punjab, all these things deeply hurt me," he said.

Deep Sidhu, Accused In Republic Day Violence, Dies In Accident

NEW DELHI, Feb 15: Deep Sidhu, who was out on bail in the Republic Day violence case in January last year, has died in a road accident. The accident happened on the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway that bypasses Delhi. Visuals from the accident site show a white Mahindra Scorpio smashed on the rear of a trailer truck; the SUV's driver side area is completely pushed in by the impact.

Sidhu was going from Delhi to Bhatinda in Punjab when the SUV in which he was travelling rammed a trailer truck at 9:30 pm today, the police said.

Hospital authorities said he was brought dead.

Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu was an accused in the Red Fort violence case during farmers' protest on Republic Day last year

Sidhu was arrested by the Delhi Police in February last year in connection with a tractor rally by farmers on Republic Day that spiralled into violence after protesters came to the Red Fort and attacked policemen. The farmers were protesting against three new farm laws, which were withdrawn by the centre in November 2021.

He got bail in April, but was arrested again just after he was released. He was released on bail a second time in late April, with a court in Delhi making it clear he has to appear for questioning whenever the police called him.

Sidhu was accused of being the key conspirator of the violence at Red Fort.

India bans 54 more Chinese apps citing security concerns

NEW DELHI, Feb 14: India on Monday banned over 54 new Chinese mobile applications, including Rise of Kingdoms: Lost Crusade, Tencent Xriver, Nice Video baidu and Viva Video Editor, due to concerns related to privacy and national security.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has issued interim directions for blocking 54 apps, sources said, adding that these applications were allegedly collecting sensitive user data, which were being misused and transmitted to servers located outside India. The source also cited threat to national security and sovereignty as the reason for the app ban.

The list of banned mobile apps include Beauty Camera: Sweet Selfie HD, Beauty Camera - Selfie Camera, Garena Free Fire – Illuminate, Astracraft, FancyU pro, MoonChat, Barcode Scanner - QR Code Scan, and Lica Cam.

The government had last year banned over 200 Chinese mobile applications, including popular ones such as TikTok, Shareit, Mi Video Call, Club Factory and Cam Scanner, citing threat to national security and sovereignty. The announcement had come amid border tensions between India and China in Ladakh.

In June 2021, the government had banned 59 Chinese apps including the popular short video sharing platform TikTok, UC Browser, WeChat and Bigo Live, saying they were prejudicial to the sovereignty, integrity and security of the country.

Both moves came in the backdrop of India's ongoing stand-off along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh with China.

The stand-off has been going on since April 2020.

India shares a 3,400 km-long LAC with China from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh.

Goa records high voter turnout, moderate voter response in UP, Uttarakhand

NEW DELHI, Feb 14: Voting was held peacefully on 36,823 polling stations spread across 165 Assembly constituencies in the states of Goa, Uttarakhand and the second phase of Uttar Pradesh on Monday.

At 6 pm, while Goa recorded a high voter turnout of 78.94 per cent, UP and Uttarakhand recorded 62.52 per cent and 59.61 per cent turnout, respectively.

Polling was conducted for single phase election in 40 assembly constituencies in Goa, 70 in Uttarakhand and for 55 in Uttar Pradesh’s second phase of the Assembly election.

Residents of Jaggi Bagwan and Chilaund villages in Uttarakhand's Kedarnath assembly constituency boycotted the state Assembly polls on Monday as a mark of protest over a road not being constructed.

The 225 voters of Chilaund and 376 of Jaggi Bagwan had earlier announced their decision to boycott the polls complaining about non-construction of a road, a long-standing demand of the villagers.

The Additional District Magistrate and Chief Development Officer, Rudraprayag, reached the two villages on Monday to persuade them to vote. However, the villagers refused to budge and boycotted the election.

'I'm No Terrorist...': CS Channi Alleges He Was Grounded By PM's Flight

CHANDIGARH, Feb 14: Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi alleged today that he was forced to miss Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's rally as he was denied permission to fly because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit.

"Charanjit Channi is a Chief Minister, he's not a terrorist that you are stopping him from flying to Hoshiarpur! This is not the way," he said.

The Chief Minister reportedly waited for more than an hour for his helicopter to be cleared for flight as a "no-fly zone" was enforced because of the PM's visit to Jalandhar.

Channi, who was taking a chopper from Chandigarh to Hoshiarpur for Rahul Gandhi's rally, finally returned home from the helipad.

"I was in Una at 11 am but suddenly permission to fly (to Hoshiarpur) was denied due to PM Modi's movement, it was declared a no-fly zone. I was not able to attend Rahul Gandhi's rally in Hoshiarpur. I had permission to land," said Channi on what is quickly becoming a huge political row.

Though Chief Minister Channi was unable to fly to Hoshiarpur, Rahul Gandhi's chopper was allowed to land in the town.

"The Chief Minister was scheduled to come here but it's shameful that this government cancelled permission for Charanjit Singh Channi to come to Hoshiarpur. If Election Commission doesn't take cognisance of this, I'll understand that these polls are a farce, a sham," said Congress leader Sunil Jakhar.

Modi, who addressed a rally in Jalandhar in his first visit to Punjab since a security breach last month, referred to a similar hold-up in the past to target Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Modi said in 2014, when he was campaigning as the BJP's presumptive Prime Minister, his helicopter was held up in Punjab because "Yuvraj (prince)" was flying to Amritsar.

"My name was announced for PM candidate. I had to visit Pathankot and Himachal to campaign. But my chopper was not allowed to fly because their yuvraj (prince) was also in Amritsar. So the Congress has a habit of not allowing the opposition to work," Modi said.

On January 5, the Prime Minister had to skip a chopper ride over poor weather and was on his way to a rally by road when he was forced to spend 20 minutes on a flyover in Bathinda because of a blockade by farm protesters.

Modi finally turned back from the spot and left for Delhi without addressing the rally.

"I wanted to visit Devi Ka Talab but the Punjab Police said it can't allow it due to security. This is the condition of security in Punjab," PM Modi remarked today, in what appeared to be a reference to that episode.

Punjab will vote on Sunday for a new government.

TMC sweeps Bengal civic bodies’ polls; Mamata congratulates people

KOLKATA, Feb 14: The Trinamool Congress Monday made a clean sweep in the civic polls to four municipal corporations in West Bengal — Bidhannagar, Siliguri, Chandernagore and Asansol — as per data available on the State Election Commission’s website.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee congratulated the people saying: “The election was held peacefully. The State Election Commission and administration played important roles to ensure people cast their votes. There was no trouble anywhere during polling.”

Meanwhile, BJP on Monday moved Calcutta High Court demanding Central forces for the remaining Municipalities Polls in West Bengal, scheduled for 27th February. The matter will be likely be heard by the court on Tuesday.

Although largely peaceful, sporadic incidents of violence were reported, with over 71 per cent people turning out to vote. In 2015 when elections to these four civic boards were last held, the TMC had won Asansol, Biddhannagar and Chandannagar civic bodies while the Left-Congress alliance the Siliguri civic body. Polling couldn’t be held in time due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mamata Banerjee, MK Stalin Plan Meeting Over Misuse Of Power By Governors

CHENNAI, Feb 13: Chief Ministers of opposition-ruled states will soon meet in Delhi to discuss the "Constitutional overstepping and brazen misuse of power by the Governors", Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin tweeted today. The matter, he added, was flagged by Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who had suggested the meeting.

"Beloved Didi @MamataOfficial telephoned me to share her concern and anguish on the Constitutional overstepping and brazen misuse of power by the Governors of non-BJP ruled states. She suggested for a meeting of Opposition CMs," read Mr Stalin's tweet.

"I assured her of DMK's commitment to uphold State autonomy. Convention of Opposition CMs will soon happen out of Delhi!" added a second post.

The friction between Governors and Lieutenant Governors and Chief Ministers in Delhi, Chhattisgarh and in Goa during the Congress rule, have made headlines. Ms Banerjee's Bengal has led the field, with the Governor and Chief Minister locked in acrimony over multiple issues.

In Tamil Nadu, Stalin has accused Governor R N Ravi blocking the state's anti-NEET Bill to the Centre which is meant to bypass the national medical entrance exam. Stalin and a few other like-minded parties have decided to send again the Bill to the Governor again, demanding that it be forwarded to President Ram Nath Kovind for his assent.

Ms Banerjee's Trinamool Congress has declared that it would bring a "resolution" against Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar in the current budget session of the assembly, accusing him transgressing constitutional limits.

The Chief Minister had blocked the Governor on Twitter after he said the state had become "a gas chamber for democracy". She also said that she had requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi in writing several times, requesting for his removal, but no action has been taken.

In Delhi, after years of running feud between Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the Lieutenant Governor, the Centre passed a controversial bill last year, giving more powers to the Centre's representative compared to the city's elected government.

The law came after the Supreme Court, in 2018, decided that the Lieutenant Governor does not have independent decision-making powers and the real power must lie with the elected government.

"A balanced federal structure mandates that the union does not usurp all powers and the states enjoy freedom without any unsolicited interference from the centre," the court said, adding that there is "no room for absolutism and there is no room for anarchism also".

Mamata Banerjee's Party Gets New Top Group Amid Rift With Team Nephew

KOLKATA, Feb 12: Mamata Banerjee's party Trinamool Congress on Saturday announced a 20-member national working committee following a meeting to discuss a growing rift over a faction led by her nephew Abhishek Banerjee.

Ms Banerjee will later name the new office bearers of the party, senior Trinamool leader Partha Chatterjee told reporters after the meeting at the West Bengal Chief Minister's home with senior members including her nephew in attendance.

The announcement was ostensibly meant to address simmering tensions over Abhishek Banerjee's push to promote a 'One Man, One Post' policy in the party, resented by some of the party's older guard, some of whom hold multiple posts within the ruling establishment.

But many saw the meeting as reflective of the recent friction between Ms Banerjee and her increasingly ambitious nephew, who is effectively the party's second in command.

"After Mamata Banerjee was re-elected as the chairperson of the party, she had announced a small committee to look after party affairs. Today there was a meeting of that committee, and in that meeting, she has announced the new national working committee of the party," Chatterjee said.

"Mamata Banerjee will later appoint the new office bearers and then it would be sent to the election commission," he added.

Among the leaders who found a place in the national working committee are Amit Mitra, Partha Chatterjee, Subrata Bakshi, Sudip Bandopadhyay, Abhishek Banerjee, Anubrata Mondal, Aroop Biswas, Firhad Hakim and Yashwant Sinha.

Caught in the crossfire of the row has been I-PAC, the political consultancy group of Prashant Kishor, which has been working with the Trinamool since the West Bengal elections, with Abhishek Banerjee seen as the main liaison between the party and the savvy political consultants.

On Friday, a public spat erupted between Trinamool leader Chandrima Bhattacharya and I-PAC after she alleged that her social media accounts had been "misused" by Prashant Kishor's team - a claim that was promptly challenged.

"A Twitter account in my name was created by I-PAC before the election. Today it posted something about 'one person one post' without my knowledge. I strongly protest against it," said Ms Bhattacharya.

The I-PAC countered, "I-PAC doesn't handle any digital properties of @AITCofficial or any of its leaders. Anyone making such claim is either uninformed or is blatantly lying. AITC should look into if and how their digital properties and/or that of their leaders are being 'allegedly (mis)used'."

A soundbite by Ms Banerjee to journalists on Monday while on her way to Uttar Pradesh to help Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav's campaign also fanned buzz about a fallout between the Trinamool chief and nephew, who is spearheading the party's Goa foray.

Asked if she was going to campaign in Goa, she said "Somebody is doing, so I am not. I am going to other places... in greater interest", a curious comment and an even more curious reference to Abhishek Banerjee as "somebody".

An internal squabble over the campaign came to a head last week when two competing lists of candidates for the upcoming civic polls came out of the party - prompting Mamata Banerjee to take a side and back the faction perceived as the old guard.

Sources close to I-PAC, however, claim there is no rift with the Chief Minister.

760 Kg Drugs Seized By Anti-Drugs Agency, Navy In Joint Operation In High Seas

NEW DELHI, Feb 12: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Saturday said it has seized over 763 kg of drugs, worth about ₹ 2,000 crore in the international market, from the high seas on the western flank of the country in a joint operation with the Navy.

The seizure includes 529 kg of "very high quality hashish (charas)", 234 kg of the "finest quality of crystal methamphetamine" and some quantity of heroin, the federal anti-narcotics agency said in a statement.

"This is the first such operation in which the apprehension has been made in high seas. The input regarding trafficking of drugs in high seas was developed by NCB and shared with Naval intelligence unit, leading to a joint operation," it said.

The catch is stated to have been made along the country's western coast and the consignment, packed in multiple bags, has been brought to the Porbandar coast in Gujarat.

Officials did not immediately say the exact location from where the vessels carrying the narcotics were intercepted by the NCB and the Navy personnel, citing "security reasons".

The estimated value of the drugs seized is ₹ 2,000 crore in the international market, the NCB said.

"The present seizure has dealt a telling blow to drug syndicates based out of our neighbouring country and using maritime route for proliferation of drugs in India and other countries," it added.

'Don't Spread To Larger Level': Supreme Court 'No' To Urgent Hijab Hearing

NEW DELHI, Feb 11: On a petition linked to the hijab row raging in Karnataka, the Supreme Court today rejected an urgent hearing and said, "We will interfere only at an appropriate time."

A girl in Karnataka had approached the Supreme Court after the High Court yesterday advised students to avoid wearing "religious garments" until it decides on a case involving hijab restrictions in schools and colleges.

"Don't spread these things to a national level. We will interfere only at an appropriate time," Chief Justice NV Ramana said, declining an urgent hearing on the petition.

When a lawyer pressed the court to take it up, arguing that the case had "far-reaching implications" and that students had been wearing the hijab or head scarf for 10 years, the Supreme Court remained firm.

"Please do not spread it to larger levels. we know what is happening. Think over, is it proper to bring these things to Delhi? The national level? If there is anything wrong, we will protect..." Chief Justice Ramana said.

The girl's petition had challenged the Karnataka High Court's remarks that educational institutions in the state can open for now but with no religious clothing on campus, for the sake of peace.

Schools and colleges were shut down earlier this week in an escalating row over hijab restrictions in class. The protests that began against a hijab ban in one government-run college in Udupi spread to many other institutions where girls wearing hijabs were not allowed entry. As saffron scarf-wearing students launched rival protests, violence at one college forced the police to fire teargas to control the flare-up.

The Karnataka High Court is hearing a petition challenging hijab restrictions in colleges. Yesterday, a three-member bench said it would resume the hearing on Monday.

The student who has challenged the High Court's comments says in her appeal to the Supreme Court that practical exams begin on February 15 and "any interference on students' access to educational institutions will impede their education".

She argued that wearing the hijab is within the constitutional right of expression, right to privacy and "Freedom of Conscience", so the High Court order violates the constitution.

"The government has issued an order thereby denying entry to the Muslim Women wearing Hijab in the educational institutions. The impugned order creates an unreasonable classification between the non-Muslim female students and the Muslim female students and thereby is in straight violation of the concept of secularism which forms the basic structure of the Indian Constitution. The impugned order is also in sheer violation of Articles 14, 15, 19, 21 and 25 of the Indian Constitution and also violates the core principles of the International Conventions that India is a signatory to," her appeal to the Supreme Court said.

The Supreme Court had yesterday refused to take up another petition, filed by student Fathima Bushra, challenging the Karnataka government's order last week banning clothes which it said "disturb equality, integrity and public order".

"In the event of the administrative committee not selecting a uniform, clothes which disturb equality, integrity and public law and order should not be worn," the Karnataka government's order had said.

As Congress leader Kapil Sibal, a senior lawyer, urged the Supreme Court to take up Fathima Bushra's petition, saying the issue is "spreading across the country", Chief Justice Ramana had said: "We will see."

60% Voting In First Phase Of UP Polls

NEW DELHI, Feb 10: The first of the seven-phase polling in Uttar Pradesh -- said to be the semi-final before the general election of 2024 -- ended peacefully today. 60.17% people voted for the 58 seats in western UP, a shade lower than the 63.5% in 2017.

There were some complaints of EVM and VVPAT malfunction earlier in the day. Chief Electoral Officer Ajay Kumar Shukla said they were addressed immediately.

Among the prominent candidates in this phase were Pankaj Singh, sitting MLA from Noida and son of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Baby Rani Maurya, former Uttarakhand governor who is contesting from Agra Rural.

Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary faced backlash after saying he may skip voting because of election rallies. He later said he would vote in the evening at his constituency in Mathura, but failed to return in time from Bijnor, where he was campaigning with ally Akhilesh Yadav.

Their combine is seen as the big challenger to the Yogi Adityanath government. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has augmented his Muslim-Yadav support base with small parties have a following among the Other Backward Classes.

In Bijnor today, the two leaders took on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comment that Uttar Pradesh has seen "do ladke" before. "Whether you have seen it earlier or not, watch them this time," Yadav retorted. "These two are sons of farmers and the farmers this time consider this election one that involves their honour," he said.

While the BJP won 91 per cent of the 58 seats in the region in 2017, the question of a backlash by farmers has kept many on tenterhooks. After farmer leader Rakesh Tikait gave a call to punish the BJP, it was echoed by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of farmer unions.

While the BJP won in 2017 with a sweeping mandate, this election is expected to be a referendum on the government of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who was criticised over his handling of the second wave of Covid as images of bodies floating down the Ganga shocked the nation.

Also in the running are the Congress led by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party, whose supporters can influence the results across 20 seats.

The area - where voting patterns had largely changed since the Muzaffarnagar violence of 2013 -- has seen a polarised campaign. The BJP's chief strategist Amit Shah had campaigned in Kairana, the Ground Zero of an alleged Hindu exodus in 2016. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has repeatedly accused the opposition Samajwadi Party of being supporters of Pakistan.

The counting of votes will be held on March 10. Results for election in four other states -- Goa, Manipur, Punjab, and Uttarakhand -- will also be announced the same day.

Modi: No anti-incumbency in UP, BJP wave in all five poll-bound states

NEW DELHI, Feb 9: There is "no-anti-incumbency wave" in Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday, a day before the start of the high-stake seven-phase assembly elections.

The Bharatiya Janata Party is experiencing a "wave" in its favour in all the five poll-bound states, Modi said, during an interview with a news agency.

In Uttar Pradesh - the state with around 20 crore voters electing 403 MLAs - the voters will endorse "our model of governance", Modi said.

"The party is not experiencing an anti-incumbency, but a pro-incumbency wave," he said, adding that the people "trust double-engine growth" and the track record of BJP's governance shows that it has "delivered on all promises".

The prime minister, who has been involved in the BJP's electioneering programme, said he is witnessing an "inclination" towards the saffron party in the five poll-bound states - UP, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur.

"We will win the elections with a full majority. The people of all these five states will give BJP the opportunity to serve them," he said.

Modi, during the interview, reiterated that the Centre had brought the farm reform laws for the betterment of small-scale farmers, "but repealed them in the national interest".

On the retention of Union Minister of State Ajay Mishra Teni in the central government despite the Lakhimpuri case, the prime minister said the "state did not get in the way of Supreme Court probe".

Four farmers were mowed to death in UP's Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3 by a convoy, with Ashish Mishra, son of Teni, accused of driving one of the cars. The ruling BJP has so far evaded the demands for Teni's removal from the government.

"The state government gave its consent for whatever committee the Supreme Court wanted, for whichever judge the Supreme Court wanted for the probe. The state government is working transparently," the prime minister said.

Targeting the Samajwadi Party, the BJP's key rival in Uttar Pradesh, Modi said the brand of socialism propagated by the party is "fake".

"When I talk of fake socialism, it is about dynasty politics. Can you see (Ram Manohar) Lohia ji's family in politics, George Fernandes' family or Nitish Kumar's family? They are socialists," Modi said.

"But on the other hand, I received a letter that pointed out that 45 people from one family held posts in the Samajwadi Party. This dynasticism is threat to democracy," he added.

The Yogi Adityanath-led government has wiped out gundaraj (rule of lawlessness) in Uttar Pradesh, Modi claimed, adding that this is one of the biggest factors that will go in favour of the party in the upcoming polls.

"When people discuss security in UP, they think of their troubles during previous governments, mafia raj, gunda raj, and the manner in which musclemen had a status and shelter in government. UP saw this from close quarters, women couldn't step out," Modi said.

"Today women say that they can step out even after dark. This trust is essential for security. There was a time in UP when goons could do anything they wanted, today they surrender. Yogi ji prioritised security and didn't compromise with it," Modi added.

In Uttar Pradesh, the incumbent ruling party has been voted out of power in each election since 1989. According to Modi, the BJP will break the jinx of rotating power in this election.

"We won in 2014. We were then voted (to power) in 2017 and 2019. So the old theory (a party not repeating its victory in consecutive polls in UP) has been rejected by UP. They accepted us in 2014, 2017 and 2019. They will accept us in 2022 after seeing our work," he said.

Asked about the challenge posed by "two young leaders" - SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) president Jayant Chaudhary - Modi said a "similar alliance of two youngsters was defeated in 2017".

"In 2019, they also added 'bua' to their alliance but got defeated," the prime minister said, referring to the coalition of Yadav-led SP and Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) that was formed ahead of the last general elections.

In Punjab, where the BJP is reportedly facing angst over the now-repealed farm laws, Modi said the party has "gained the trust of common people".

With support from veteran leaders like Captain Amarinder Singh and the efforts of common BJP workers, the party will perform well in the February 14 elections, he said.

On the incident involving his breach of security during his visit to Punjab's Ferozepur last month, the prime minister said, "I have maintained silence on the issue. Supreme Court is looking into the matter seriously. Any statement that I make in this regard will impact the investigation, and it is not right."

While Punjab will be voting in a single-phase on February 14, Uttar Pradesh - which is the most watched out state going to polls due to the 403 constituencies at state - will be contested in seven rounds, starting from tomorrow, February 10, and ending on March 7.

The BJP is currently heading the government in four of the poll-bound states - Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur. In Punjab, the party has been in opposition since 2017.

PM CARES Collected ₹ 10,990 Crore Till March 2021, Spent ₹ 3,976 Crore

NEW DELHI, Feb 7: 64 per cent of the ₹ 10,990 crore collected by the PM CARES Fund between March 27, 2020, and March 31, 2021, remained unused as of the latter date, according to data.

As of March 2021, the PM CARES Fund - set up by the Narendra Modi government 12 months earlier with the aim of securing financial donations to help fight COVID-19 - was sitting on ₹ 7,014 crore.

Billed as a "dedicated fund with the primary objective of dealing with any kind of emergency... and provide relief to the affected", PM CARES spent just ₹ 3,976 crore in the first year of its operation.

This was despite receiving ₹ 7,679 crore in donations in the Financial Year 2021 to add to an opening balance of ₹ 3,077 crore from Financial Year 2020 and income from interest amounting to ₹ 235 crore.

Of the donations received, ₹ 495 crore were from foreign sources.

However, PM CARES spent just ₹ 3,976 crore as of March last year.

Rs 1,392 crore was used to buy 6.6 crore Covid vaccine doses.

Rs 1,311 crore was used to buy 50,000 'made in India' ventilators.

However, on more than one occasion ventilators purchased with PM CARES funds were found to either be defective or remain unused because of a lack of trained medical staff.

In November last year 100 ventilators failed a trial run in J&K. In May NDTV reported that ventilators in hospitals in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh were unused for want of people to operate them.

Meanwhile, only ₹ 1,000 crore was also set aside for the welfare of the country's migrant populations, whose horrific plight during the 2020 lockdown made headlines worldwide.

Other listed expenses were ₹ 201.58 crore to set up 162 oxygen generation plants in the aftermath of the devastating second Covid wave, which triggered an acute oxygen supply crisis across India.

Rs 20.41 crore was spent on upgrading the government-run labs to test and release Covid vaccines.

Rs 50 crore was used to set up two Covid-dedicated hospitals in Bihar's Muzaffarpur and Patna, as well as 16 labs to test RT-PCR samples in as many states.

PM CARES has been under a cloud of suspicion ever since it was announced, with opposition parties demanding transparency over the handling of the funds. The Congress has been among the most vocal of its critics, with Rahul Gandhi demanding the government clarify the nature of the fund.

Charanjit Channi Is Congress's Chief Minister Pick For Punjab

CHANDIGARH, Feb 6: Charanjit Singh Channi will be Congress's Chief Ministerial candidate in Punjab, Rahul Gandhi said today in an effort to settle the dispute between his two top state leaders, days ahead of election in one the few states where the party is in power.

The Chief Ministerial face of Punjab, Rahul Gandhi said, is not his decision. "I have not decided about it. I asked this to Punjab's people, youth, members of working committee... I may have an opinion but your opinion is more important than mine... Punjabis told us that we need a person who can understand the poor".

Gandhi's announcement came after a tele-poll where people were asked to choose between him and Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi -- the fallout of a running feud between the two. Sidhu made his ambitions clear ever since he joined the Congress from the BJP ahead of the state elections in 2017.

Sidhu said he has "already agreed with Rahul Gandhi's decision". Then he added, "Even if you don't give me decision-making power, still I will support the next Chief Minister... Don't treat me like a showpiece".

After Gandhi's announcement today, Channi, who is apparently a few months older than Sidhu, was seen touching the feet of the party chief.

Making it clear that his hand was forced in the matter, Gandhi had announced at a public meeting on January 27: "Normally, we do not declare a Chief Minister face but if Congress workers want, we will select a face as well. But we will consult Congress workers. They will decide".

Even after that announcement, Sidhu had kept up his attacks on Channi. The last instance was on Friday, when citing the raids on a relation of the Chief Minister, he said the party must choose someone "honest and with a clean track record". Any Chief Minister choice, he added, should have the backing of at least 60 MLAs.

Sidhu came close to his coveted goal last year when Amarinder Singh stepped down as the Chief Minister after a year-long tussle with a band of rebels MLAs led by Sidhu.

But the party opted for Channi, a leader from the Scheduled Caste community, who despite keeping a low profile, made it clear that he was no cipher.

Earlier today, Sidhu tweeted to say that everyone "will abide" by Rahul Gandhi's decision. "Nothing great was ever achieved without an act of decision... Warm welcome to our leading light Rahul Ji , who comes to give clarity to Punjab.... All will abide by his decision!!!" his post read.

Delhi Schools, Gyms Reopen On Monday, Shorter Night Curfew Too

NEW DELHI, Feb 4: Schools, colleges and coaching institutes in Delhi can re-open from Monday, the Delhi government decided in a meeting today. The Delhi Disaster Management Authority, or DDMA, also allowed gyms, swimming pools and spas to re-open next week.

The duration of night curfew has been reduced by an hour; it's now from 11 pm to 5 am. Earlier, night curfew started from 10 pm.

Schools can re-open in phases - Classes 9 to 12 can run from February 7 - and teachers who aren't vaccinated can't take classes. Classes from nursery to 8 will resume from February 14, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said.

Offices can work with 100 per cent attendance and people driving cars alone need not wear masks.

The national capital's decision to ease restrictions and allow schools and colleges to re-open comes a day after the centre said COVID-19 cases and positivity rate, or the number of people infected every 100 tests, have started falling.

The decisions were taken based on expert advice amid consistent fall in positivity rate and COVID-19 number. During the DDMA meeting, chaired by Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, emphasis was given on enhancing vaccination for 15-18 age group.

Daily COVID-19 cases in India in the two weeks between January 21 and February 3 have fallen by 50 per cent from 3,47,254 to 1,72,433.

During the same period, positivity rate or the number of infections per 100 tests fell by 39 per cent from 17.94 per cent to 10.99 per cent, which shows a clear decline in daily positivity rate indicating decreased spread of COVID-19 infection.

Asaduddin Owaisi Rejects Security Offer After Shootout With A Demand

NEW DELHI, Feb 4: Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, chief of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), turned down an offer for the second highest 'Z' category security cover, a day after shots were fired at his car while he was returning to Delhi after campaigning in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut.

"I don't want Z category security. I want to be an A-Category citizen, at par with you all. Why was UAPA not invoked against those who fired at me?" he said, referring to the tough anti-terror law that has been extensively used in recent times by BJP-led state governments and the centre, and according to critics, disproportionately against Muslims.

"I want to live, to speak. My life will be safe when the poor are safe. I will not get scared of those who shot at my car," he said in parliament.

The government had decided to provide him with Z-category security which would have involved round-the-clock protection by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) commandos after reviewing the threat level following last night's attack, just a week ahead of elections in Uttar Pradesh.

Two people have been arrested for firing at his convoy at Meerut's Kithoudh area, police said, and have been sent to 14 days' custody.

One of the accused is Sachin, a resident of Noida who has an earlier attempt to murder case against him.

In his Facebook profile, Sachin says he is a member of a Hindu right-wing organisation and calls himself "Deshbhakt Sachin Hindu".

But questions are being raised over his political affiliation after pictures emerged of his posters expressing support to BJP and multiple photographs from his Facebook profile showing him posing with political leaders from UP Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma to Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chief N Chandrababu Naidu.

The other accused is Shubham, a farmer from Saharanpur who does not have a criminal record.

According to police, the two have told them during questioning that they were upset with remarks made by Owaisi and his brother and MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi.

Police have recovered country made pistols from them which they had recently purchased. Police are now looking for the people they bought the firearms from.

Images tweeted by Owaisi from the toll plaza showed two bullet holes on his white SUV, which remains at the spot. The third bullet allegedly hit a tyre. The MP left the area in another car.

The AIMIM leader had addressed a public meeting in Meerut while campaigning for the Uttar Pradesh election starting February 10.

India Covid-19 total deaths top 500,000

NEW DELHI, Feb 4: India's daily Covid-19 cases saw a significant dip on Friday, with as many as 149,394 more people testing positive for the viral illness, data released by the Union health ministry showed. This is 13 per cent higher than Thursday, when the daily infection tally stood at 172,433. The related toll, meanwhile, rose by 1072 deaths, as against 1008 a day ago, the bulletin showed.

With this, the cumulative infection tally stands at 41,952,712, including 500,055 fatalities. India is now the third country, after the United States (896,557) and Brazil (630,301) where more than 500,000 people have succumbed due to this virus.

Recoveries, active cases and deaths constitute 95.39 per cent, 3.42 per cent and 1.19 per cent of the cumulative tally, respectively.

On the vaccination front, nearly 1.7 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered since the nationwide inoculation drive began on January 16 last year. Of these, as many as 5,558,760 were administered in the last 24 hours, the health ministry bulletin showed.

India Is Isolated Outside, Fighting Inside: Rahul Gandhi

NEW DELHI, Feb 2: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today accused the government of using the judiciary, the Election Commission and Pegasus spyware as "instruments to destroy the voice of the union of states".

In a fiery speech in parliament, the Congress leader also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the "idea of a king is back", and accused the BJP of weakening India.

There are now two distinct Indias, he said, one of the rich and the other of the poor. "The gap between the two is growing," he said in the Lok Sabha.

"You keep talking about Make in India, Made in India. Make in India is not possible anymore. You have destroyed 'Made in India'. You need to support small and medium industries, otherwise 'Make in India' is not possible. Small and medium industries are the only ones who can create jobs. You keep talking about Made in India, New India, Start-Up India, etc. And joblessness is only increasing."

The Congress MP tore into the government over unemployment and said it was because of "your flawed vision that two Indias are being created."

Gandhi also accused the ruling BJP of bringing back the idea of a "king of India".

"You will never ever in your life rule over the people of Tamil Nadu. No matter what fantasies you have, you will never ever rule over the people of a state of India," he said as he illustrated his point on cooperative federalism, "conversation and negotiation".

"That is the only way India has been ruled. You can look at Ashoka, Maurya, the country has always been ruled by conversation and negotiation," he said.

"My great grandfather was jailed for 15 years while he was building this thing. My grandmother was shot 32 times. My father was blown to bits. So I understand a little bit about what this country is. You are fiddling with something very, very dangerous. I am advising you to stop. Because if you don't stop you will create a problem. The problem has already started in the Northeast, in Tamil Nadu - it's not visible to you right now - Jammu and Kashmir," Gandhi said.

It demonstrated "a complete lack of understanding of history", he said, calling it a clash between the idea of a Union of States versus the idea of a king.

"We smashed that idea of a king in 1947. Now the idea of a king has come back. A king, a shahenshah. A ruler of rulers, a master of masters..."

Mr Gandhi once again alleged that only a handful of industrialists are benefiting because of the BJP government. "One person gets every port in India, every airport, tower, transmission, mining, green energy, gas distribution, edible oil. Everywhere there is (Gautam) Adani ji. The entire wealth of the country is going to a chosen few."

The BJP and its ideological mentor RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) are weakening the foundations of the country, said the Congress MP.

"Ask yourself why you are not able to get a guest on Republic Day. We are completely isolated and surrounded... You have brought Pakistan and China together and this is the single biggest crime you could have committed against the people of India," he said.

"The nation is at risk from outside, the nation is at risk from inside. That is a very dangerous place and I am very uncomfortable with my nation standing where it is standing - completely isolated on the outside, fighting on the inside, institutions captured, states not able to speak to each other. This worries me."