Archives for September 2021

AHMEDABAD: Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel on Monday said he was not unhappy with the BJP’s decision to select Bhupendra Patel as the state’s next chief minister, soon after the CM-designate met him at his residence here in the morning.

Amid speculation that he was unhappy with Bhupendra Patel being chosen as the next CM, Nitin Patel, while addressing a gathering in his home turf Mehsana on Sunday, said he has seen many ups and downs, and asserted that nobody can “throw him out” as he lives in people’s heart.

He missed the bus once again after 2016, when he was seen as the first choice for the top post before he was offered the post of deputy CM.

Nitin Patel was seen as a top contender for the post before the party gave the opportunity to Bhupendra Patel.

When reporters asked him on Monday if he was upset with the party’s decision to select Bhupendra Patel as the next CM, Patel said, “Not at all. All this is your (media’s) speculation…..You (media) keep (saying this) because this is your profession.”

The BJP leader said he has been associated with the party from the Jana Sangh days since he was 18 years old, and asserted that he will continue to remain with the party.

“Whether I get any position or not is not a big deal for me. What matters is people’s love and respect. We are all brothers and sisters. Whoever has been selected as the next CM is one of our own, and we will continue to work together,” Nitin Patel said, adding that he continues to remain a BJP worker, as the position is not important for him.

Bhupendra Patel called on the deputy chief minister at his residence on Monday morning.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Nitin Patel said the CM-designate and he are friends and they share family relations.

He said he has known Bhupendra Patel since long and had even inaugurated his MLA office in Ghatlodia (Ahmedabad) after he won from that Assembly constituency.

“The party has given me big positions. I am ready to do whatever is required from me for the party, my community, party workers, or anybody in Gujarat,” said Nitin Patel.

On Sunday, hours after the ruling BJP selected Bhupendra Patel as the new chief minister of Gujarat, Nitin Patel, while addressing a gathering during a function in Mehsana town, said in a lighter vein that he was not the only one who had missed the bus as there were “many others” like him.

Asked whether his statement made on Sunday meant he was unhappy over not being made the chief minister, the DyCM on Monday said politicians are required to first find a place in the hearts of people.

This statement by the consortium comes weeks after PNB has moved the NCLAT alleging gross irregularities in the conduct of the Resolution Professional.

Jet Airways is all set to resume domestic operations in Q1 2022, according to the Jalan Kalrock Consortium, the successful resolution applicant of the airline.

“The process of reviving the grounded carrier is on track with the existing Air Operator Certificate (AOC) already under process for revalidation. The Consortium is working closely with the relevant authorities and airport coordinators on slot allocation, required airport infrastructure, and night parking. Senior Members of the Jalan Kalrock Consortium along with Jet 2.0 Operations Team led by the newly appointed Capt. Sudhir Gaur, Accountable Manager, and acting CEO visited key airports last month and held productive meetings with them,” the consortium said in a statement. 

Murari Lal Jalan, Lead Member of the Jalan Kalrock Consortium and the proposed Non-Executive Chairman of Jet Airways said “We received the NCLT approval in June 2021, and since then we have been working closely with all concerned authorities to get the airline back in the skies. Jet Airways 2.0 aims at restarting domestic operations by Q1-2022, and short haul international operations by Q3/Q4 2022.”

He added, “Our plan is to have 50+ aircraft in 3 years and 100+ in 5 years which also fits perfectly well with the short-term and long-term business plan of the Consortium. The aircraft are being selected based on competitive long term leasing solutions. It is the first time in the history of Aviation that an airline grounded for more than 2 years is being revived and we are looking forward to being a part of this historic journey.”

This statement by the consortium comes weeks after Punjab National Bank (PNB) has moved the NCLAT (National Company Law Appellate Tribunal) alleging gross irregularities in the conduct of the Resolution Professional (RP). Agreeing to hear PNB’s plea, the NCLAT has issued notice to the successful resolution applicant, Jet Airways’ Administrator and the lenders. The case is scheduled for September 21.

Additionally, Jet Airways employees moved the appellate tribunal and sought quashing of NCLT’s approval for Kalrock-Jalan resolution plan over unpaid salary and almost relief for them in the approved resolution plan. NCLAT on October 8 will hear an appeal filed by employees against the revival plan. According to experts, these  legal hurdles are expected to delay the revival of Jet Airways.

The Consortium said that the revival plan for Jet Airways is being implemented as approved by NCLT and all the creditors will be settled as per the plan in the coming months.

Acting CEO of Jet Airways, Capt. Gaur said “In its new avatar, Jet Airways will now be headquartered in Delhi NCR with its senior management working from the Corporate Office at Gurugram. However, Jet Airways will continue to have strong and significant presence in Mumbai where it will work from its ‘Global One’ office in Kurla.”

He added, “We will start with domestic operations on an all narrow-body aircraft fleet leased from major global aircraft lessors who have approached us, and with whom we continue to engage. Jet Airways has already hired 150+ full time employees on its payroll and we are looking to onboard another 1,000+ employees FY 2021-22 across categories. The hiring will be in a phased manner and will be strictly on merit, to meet the operational requirements of the airline. The team at Jet Airways is committed to ensure that Jet Airways will restart its operations with its first flight from New Delhi to Mumbai by Q1 2022.”

Jet Airways ceased operations in April 2019 due to lack of funds and insolvency proceedings against it began in June. After many rounds of bidding, the consortium of Kalrock Capital and Murari Lal Jalan’s was selected as the successful bidder for the airline by its lenders in October 2020.

DUBAI: The U.S. has removed its most advanced missile defence system and Patriot batteries from Saudi Arabia in recent weeks, even as the kingdom faced continued air attacks from Yemen’s Houthi rebels, satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press show.

While tens of thousands of American forces remain across the Arabian Peninsula as a counterweight to Iran, Gulf Arab nations worry about the U.S.’s future plans as its military perceives a growing threat in Asia that requires those missile defences. Tensions remain high as negotiations appear stalled in Vienna over Iran’s collapsed nuclear deal with world powers, raising the danger of future confrontations in the region.

“Perceptions matter whether or not they’re rooted in a cold, cold reality. And the perception is very clear that the U.S. is not as committed to the Gulf as it used to be in the views of many people in decision-making authority in the region,” said Kristian Ulrichsen, a research fellow at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University.

“From the Saudi point of view, they now see Obama, Trump and Biden — three successive presidents — taking decisions that signify to some extent an abandonment.”

Prince Sultan Air Base, some 115 kilometers (70 miles) southeast of Riyadh, has hosted several thousand U.S. troops since a 2019 missile-and-drone attack on the heart of the kingdom’s oil production. That attack, though claimed by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, appears instead to have been carried out by Iran, according to experts and physical debris left behind. Tehran has denied launching the attack, though a drill in January saw Iranian paramilitary forces use similar drones.

Just southwest of the air base’s runway, a 1-square-kilometer (third-of-a-square-mile) area set off by an earthen berm saw American forces station Patriot missile batteries, as well as one advanced Terminal High Altitude Area Defense unit, according to satellite images from Planet Labs Inc. A THAAD can destroy ballistic missiles at a higher altitude than Patriots.

A satellite image seen by the AP in late August showed some of the batteries removed from the area, though activity and vehicles still could be seen there. A high-resolution Planet Lab satellite picture taken Friday showed the batteries’ pads at the site empty, with no visible activity.

A redeployment of the missiles had been rumored for months, in part due to a desire to face what American officials see as the looming “great powers conflict” with China and Russia. However, the withdrawal came just as a Houthi drone attack on Saudi Arabia wounded eight people and damaged a commercial jetliner at the kingdom’s airport in Abha. The kingdom has been locked in a stalemate war with the Houthis since March 2015.

Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby acknowledged “the redeployment of certain air defence assets” after receiving questions from the AP. He said the U.S. maintained a “broad and deep” commitment to its Mideast allies.

“The Defense Department continues to maintain tens of thousands of forces and a robust force posture in the Middle East representing some of our most advanced air power and maritime capabilities, in support of U.S. national interests and our regional partnerships,” Kirby said.

In a statement to the AP, the Saudi Defense Ministry described the kingdom’s relationship with the U.S. as “strong, longstanding and historic” even while acknowledging the withdrawal of the American missile defence systems. It said the Saudi military “is capable of defending its lands, seas and airspace, and protecting its people.”

“The redeployment of some defence capabilities of the friendly United States of America from the region is carried out through common understanding and realignment of defence strategies as an attribute of operational deployment and disposition,” the statement said.

Despite those assurances, Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal, the kingdom’s former intelligence chief whose public remarks often track with the thoughts of its Al Saud ruling family, has linked the Patriot missile deployments directly to America’s relationship to Riyadh.

“I think we need to be reassured about American commitment,” the prince told CNBC in an interview aired this week. “That looks like, for example, not withdrawing Patriot missiles from Saudi Arabia at a time when Saudi Arabia is the victim of missile attacks and drone attacks — not just from Yemen, but from Iran.”

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, on a tour of the Mideast in recent days, had been slated to go to Saudi Arabia but the trip was cancelled due to what American officials referred to as scheduling problems. Saudi Arabia declined to discuss why Austin’s trip didn’t happen after the withdrawal of the missile defences.

Saudi Arabia maintains its own Patriot missile batteries and typically fires two missiles at an incoming target. That’s become an expensive proposition amid the Houthi campaign, as each Patriot missile costs more than $3 million. The kingdom also claims to intercept nearly every missile and drone launched at the kingdom, an incredibly high success rate previously questioned by experts.

While Greece agreed in April to lend a Patriot missile battery to Saudi Arabia, the timing of the U.S. withdrawals comes amid wider uncertainty over the American posture in the region. Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab countries have renewed diplomacy with Iran as a hedge.

“I think we saw in Biden’s statements on Afghanistan, the way he said things that he’s clearly going to put U.S. interests first and obviously that came as quite a disappointment to partners and allies around the world who may be hoped for something different after Trump,” said Ulrichsen, the research fellow. “He sounds quite similar to an ‘America First’ approach, just sort of a different tone.”

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Popular Kerala television serial and movie actor Ramesh Valiyasala was found hanging in his residence in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday. He was 54.

The body has been shifted to the morgue of the medical college hospital. According to police, a probe has begun. He was living with his second wife and son in his residence at Valiyashala for the past few years.

The body was found hanging in his bedroom’s ceiling fan by his wife around 6.30 am.

Two days prior to the incident, Ramesh had returned from shooting from a location for his latest project. He had acted last telecasted in a serial called ‘Pournamithingal’ and has been active in the serial industry for the last 22 years.

Ramesh came to the television industry from a theatre background when he was doing his degree at Government Arts College. The popular serial director Dr. Jaanradhanan was his mentor.

PATNA:  A video purportedly showing RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav distributing money to women
and dropping name of his father Lalu Prasad Yadav while campaigning for panchayat election in Gopalganj has given the Bihar BJP and JD(U) ammo to target the Opposition party. The video could not be independently verified. 

While the Bihar ruling alliance had a field day on Friday, mocking the Yadav scion and urging the election commission to crack whip on him, none from RJD spoke on the issue. The viral video showed Tejashwi, seated in the front seat of his car, handing out `500 notes to a few women, while introducing himself as the son of Lalu. “Do you know me? I am the son of Laluji,” he purportedly told the women.

The video was posted on Twitter by JD(U) MLC  Neeraj Kumar, who accused the Yadav scion of duping innocent women. Tejashwi was in Gopalganj to address a public rally. Lashing out at Tejashwi, Neeraj Kumar said a man who could not carve out an identity for himself in politics was distributing money to stay relevant. 

“He survives on the legacy of his father, who was convicted in the fodder scam cases. He is a leader on compassionate ground in politics,” Neeraj posted on his official tweet handle. Through his sarcasm-laden posts, Neeraj Kumar suggested Tejashwi distribute land fraudulently amassed by his father as well. “Tejashwi Yadav has gone a step ahead of his father in cheating the gullible by giving cash instead of uplifting their lot,” Neeraj mocked.

BJP spokesperson Dr Nikhil Anand said Tejashwi was carrying forward the political legacy of RJD. 
“Despite the model code of conduct being in force, he is distributing cash. Ethics is wholly missing from his politics,” he alleged, adding RJD was distributing money to gain traction during the election.

NEW DELHI: India saw a single-day rise of 33,376 coronavirus infections, taking the overall tally of cases to 3,32,08,330, while the number of active cases increased marginally since Friday to stand at 3,91,516, according to the Union Health Ministry.

The number of active cases have increased to 3,91,516, comprising 1.18 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 97.49 per cent, the health ministry said.

An increase of 870 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

On Friday, the country had recoded 3,90,646 active cases.

Also, 15,92,135 tests were conducted Friday, taking the total cumulative tests conducted so far for the detection of COVID-19 in the country to 54,01,96,989.

The health ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities.

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 2.10 per cent. It has been less than 3 per cent for the past 12 days. The weekly positivity rate was recorded at 2.26 per cent.

It has been below 3 per cent for the past 78 days, according to the health ministry.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease increased to 3,23,74,497, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.33 per cent, the data showed.

The cumulative number of Covid vaccine doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide drive has crossed 73.05 crore, according to the ministry.

India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16.

It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.

India crossed the grim milestone of 2 crore cases on May 4 and 3 crore on June 23. The 308 new fatalities include 177 from Kerala, and 44 from Maharashtra.

A total f 4,42,317 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,38,061 from Maharashtra, 37,472 from Karnataka, 35, 119 from Tamil Nadu, 25,083 from Delhi, 22,864 from Uttar Pradesh, 22,303 from Kerala and 18,553 from West Bengal.

NEW DELHI: India and Australia on Saturday began a high-level foreign and defence ministerial dialogue aimed at further ramping up their overall defence and strategic cooperation including in the Indo-Pacific amid China’s increasing military assertiveness in the region.

The in-person talks are taking place at a time the global focus has been on the situation in Afghanistan and the issue is likely to figure in the deliberations.

While Singh held wide-ranging discussions with Australian defence minister Dutton on Friday, Jaishankar met foreign minister Payne ahead of the ‘two-plus-two’ dialogue.

In their talks, the two defence ministers discussed the fragile security situation in Afghanistan and their “common concerns” relating to the possible spread of terrorism from the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.

The foreign and defence ministerial talks are taking place amid renewed efforts by the Quad member countries to expand cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.

Besides India and Australia, the Quad comprises the US and Japan.

In an address at an event organised by the Observer Research Organisation, Payne on Friday said the Quad has evolved “swiftly” and very “effectively” and commended India for taking a strong leadership role in the region.

Talking about “significant challenges” facing the Indo-Pacific, the Australian foreign minister said Canberra seeks a region where rights of large and small countries are respected and that no “single dominant power” dictates the outcome for others

The dialogue between the foreign and defence ministers was instituted as part of an overall goal to expand strategic cooperation between the two countries.

India has such a framework for talks with a very few countries including the US and Japan. The defence and military cooperation between India and Australia is on an upswing in the last few years.

In June last year, India and Australia elevated their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership and signed a landmark deal for reciprocal access to military bases for logistics support during an online summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison.

The Australian Navy was part of the recent Malabar naval exercise that also featured navies of India, the US and Japan.