Archives for July 2022

New Delhi: After a near washout of House proceedings for two weeks, Lok Sabha is likely to have a debate on price rise on Monday, followed by Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, political sources said.

Since the beginning of the session on July 18, the Opposition in both the House had been raising the issue of rising prices and GST, leading to near washout of proceedings.

The last two days of House proceedings were drowned due to “rashtrapatni” remark of Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and the subsequent Lok Sabha chamber face-off between Sonia Gandhi and Union minister Smriti Irani.

Chowdhury wrote to President Droupadi Murmu on Friday and apologised to her for his “rashtrapatni” remark.

The Congress has upped the ante on Irani over the alleged heckling of Gandhi by her and BJP MPs and organised protests inside and outside Parliament and demanded that she be sacked for her behaviour.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi had this week told Lok Sabha that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has recovered from Covid and was attending Parliament. Thus, the government was willing to hold debate on price rise immediately.

Both the government and the Opposition have accused each other of “running away” from a debate on the issue.

But political sources said on Friday that normal House proceedings would resume from Monday and the debate could first take place in the lower house, followed by the upper house.

New Delhi: Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Friday tendered a written apology to President Droupadi Murmu for his ‘rashtrapatni’ remark, a day after a political storm erupted over it.

In his letter to the President, he said he mistakenly used an incorrect word for her and it was a slip of tongue.

“I am writing to express my regret for having mistakenly used an incorrect word to describe the position you hold. I assure you that it was a slip of the tongue. I apologise and request you to accept the same,” Chowdhury said in his letter to the President.

While talking to reporters during a protest at Vijay chowk on Wednesday, Chowdhury had used the word ‘rashtrapatni” for President Murmu, that created a major political row with the ruling BJP raising the issue in Parliament, demanding an apology from him and Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

With the BJP launching a massive offensive against him and Gandhi, Chowdhury said he had sought time from President Murmu and he would apologise to her personally and not to “pakhandis” (hypocrites) of the BJP.

However, it was not clear whether the President had given him time.

Proceedings in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have been disrupted for the second day in a row over the remark and BJP leaders have been saying that Chowdhury would have to apologise.

The row also led to a face-off in Lok Sabha between Gandhi and Union minister Smriti Irani following which the Congress leaders accused BJP MPs including Irani of subjecting its chief to “brutal heckling, verbal assault and physical intimidation” in the lower house.

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday said the probe into the murder of a Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha worker will be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

One more person was arrested on Friday in connection with the killing of Praveen Nettar in Dakshina Kannada district that happened earlier this week. Earlier, two persons had been apprehended by police in relation to the case.

“We have decided to hand over the case to the NIA. It will be communicated to the Home Department. Since it is an inter-state issue (Karnataka-Kerala), we decided to hand over the matter to the NIA,” Bommai told reporters here.

New Delhi: Coronavirus infections among children and adolescents typically cause less severe illness as comparto adults, according to the WHO, the government informed the Lok Sabha on Friday.

Omicron and its sub-lineages have been found in 7,362 samples while Delta and its sub-lineages were detected in 118 samples analyzed by the INSACOG from January 1 2022 to July 25, 2022 in children aged 0-18 years, Union Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar said in a written reply.

Pawar was responding to a question on whether the children are getting affected by the coronavirus infection in the country and the current status of vaccination of children in the age group of 12-18 years and 5-12 years.

“According to World Health Organization, SARS-CoV-2 infections among children and adolescents typically cause less severe illness as compared to adult,” Pawar said.

As on July 26 this year, 9.96 crore first doses (82.2 per cent coverage) and 7.79 crore second doses (64.3 per cent coverage) have been administered in children between 12-18 years of age.

Vaccination below 12 years of age has not started under the national Covid-19 vaccination programme in the country, she said, adding adequate vaccine doses are made available to all states and union territories to vaccinate all eligible children.

Mangaluru: Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Dr. KV Rajendra on Friday July 29, issued an order to close all shops in the district after 6 pm till August 1, 2022.

The order comes in the wake of tension in the district owing to recent murders of Praveen Nettare in Sullia and Mohammed Faazil in Surathkal.

According the order, all shops in the district will remain closed after 6 pm during the period except the shops of emergency services including medical stores and hospitals.

The DC has also directed local authorities to keep a watch on shops in their respective jurisdiction.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has dismissed a plea seeking review of its order upholding the One Rank-One Pension (OROP) principle adopted by the Centre in its 2015 communication issued to the Chiefs of three defence forces, saying it neither suffers from any Constitutional infirmity nor is it arbitrary.

A bench comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud, Surya Kant, and Vikram Nath said there was no merit in the review petition.

Application for listing the review petition in open Court is rejected. We have carefully gone through the review petition and the connected papers. We find no merit in the review petition and the same is accordingly dismissed, the bench said.

The apex court on March 16 had upheld the One Rank-One Pension (OROP) principle adopted by the Centre.

It had said that the Bhagat Singh Koshyari committee report, tabled in the Rajya Sabha on December 10, 2011, furnishes the historical background, the reason for the demand, view of the Parliamentary Committee which proposed the adoption of OROP for personnel belonging to the armed forces and beyond this, the report cannot be construed as embodying a statement of governmental policy.

It had held that governmental policy formulated in terms of Article 73 by the Union or Article 162 by the State has to be authoritatively gauged from the policy documents of the government, which in present case is the communication dated November 7, 2015.

The top court’s verdict had come on the plea filed by the Indian Ex-servicemen Movement (IESM) through advocate Balaji Srinivasan against the Centre’s formula of OROP. 

Ambikapur: A moderate earthquake of 4.6 magnitude hit some parts of Korea district in north Chhattisgarh in the wee hours of Friday, officials said.

Two employees of South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) suffered minor injuries when they fell while trying to move to safety on sensing the tremor inside an underground coal mine in the district.

This is for the second time this month that the district has reported earthquake of above-4 magnitude. On July 11, a 4.3 magnitude earthquake had hit the same area in the district.

“A 4.6-magnitude earthquake was felt in the area around Baikunthpur, the headquarters of Korea district adjoining Madhya Pradesh, at around 12.56 am. The epicentre of the quake was 16 km deep from the surface of the earth,” a government official here said.

It was a moderate category earthquake that did not cause any major destruction, he said, adding that it could, however, result in damage to kutcha (mud) houses.

Korea Collector Kuldeep Sharma said minor tremors were felt in the area and so far no loss of property or lives was reported from the aftershocks.

Local officials have been instructed to carefully monitor the situation and report if damage has been caused, he said.

As per the preliminary report, two employees of SECL who were inside its Charcha underground coal mines suffered minor injuries when they fell down while trying to come out after sensing the tremors, the collector said.

An SECL official said the two injured employees were shifted to a local hospital, from where they were referred to a private hospital in Bilaspur district for further treatment.

Their condition was stated to be out of danger, he added.

Chennai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday termed the COVID-19 pandemic as ‘unprecedented’ and once in a century crisis and said the country faced it confidently due to its scientists and common people.

There was a “temperament” for reforms in the government, which is not restrictive but responsive, he said about the ruling NDA at the Centre and listed out various reforms, including in the drones and geospatial and infrastructure sectors.

In his address at the 42nd Convocation of Anna University here, the PM described the COVID-19-19 pandemic as “unprecedented” and “once in a century crisis” for which nobody had a user manual.

The pandemic “tested” every country, he added.

“India faced the unknown confidently, thanks to its scientists, health care workers, professionals and common people. As a result, today every sector in India is bursting with new life, whether it is industry, innovation, investment or international trade” he said.

The country was at the forefront in every sector and has been converting obstacles into opportunities. He hailed the removal of retrospective tax and various sectoral reforms for aiding the country in various sectors.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, in his address, hailed the education atmosphere in the state and noted that it stood out in the number of persons receiving higher education.

State Governor R N Ravi, Union Minister of State L Murugan and Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy participated in the event.

A number of students were awarded degrees and medals.

Birmingham: The region’s rich musical heritage and inclusivity were at the heart of the 22nd Birmingham Commonwealth Games opening ceremony here as a joyful evening offered a stupendous cornucopia of colour, light and dance.

Drummer-percussionist Abraham Paddy Tetteh started things off at the Alexander Stadium that was packed to the rafters, and then, Indian classical vocalist and composer Ranjana Ghatak took the lead, the section intended to showcase the diversity of the city.

It was refreshing as the Birmingham Games is the first multi-discipline event since the start of the pandemic to be held without major COVID-19 restrictions.

Meanwhile, as many as 70 cars in red, white and blue got together to form a Union Jack, even as Prince Charles, representing Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, arrived in his Aston Martin car along with the Duchess of Cornwall. The formation of cars was a tribute to the city’s incredible motor industry history.

Just before that, the city paid a tribute to the Queen, even as a montage featuring her stretched back to the black and white era.

After a spectacular demonstration of Birmingham’s culture and diversity, the evening paid a tribute to Charlie Chaplin, with the legendary comedian being hailed as one of the city’s heroes. Between London and Birmingham, his place of birth, in fact, has been subject of much debate.

There was an honorary mention of William Shakespeare too, as the broadcasters spoke about the Shakespeare First Folio which is in the new Library of Birmingham — the largest public library in the UK.

Through its printing press, the place’s history was shown in all its glory.

Then there was a gargantuan bull in the stadium, pulled along by overworked, underpaid female chain makers of the Industrial Revolution. Till the time the raging bull was there going on a rampage, it was the cynosure of all eyes at the glittering ceremony.

Perry the Bull, the Games mascot, got its name because of the city’s iconic Bull Ring market, which has been around for hundreds of years.

“Our 72 nations and territories are all here and Birmingham looks magnificent,” Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) president Louise Martin said.

“I believe this event will be one of the greatest and most important editions of the Commonwealth Games in our 92-year history,” she added.

Then began the Parade of Nations.

As per CWG tradition, Australia, being the host of the last Games, entered first during the Parade, followed by the rest of the Oceania region.

Then, other countries made their way into the arena in alphabetical order from their respective regions.

The countries from Africa, America, Asia, the Caribbean followed, and then came the turn of 2010 Games host India, with double Olympics medallist badminton ace PV Sindhu and men’s hockey team captain Manpreet Singh leading the contingent out amid loud cheers from the stands.

Again, as is the norm, hosts England entered last with “We will, we will rock you” playing in the background.

Birmingham got into the spirit of the Mexican Wave right at the start of the ceremony showcasing grandeur, rich culture, diversity and heritage.

The ceremonial Commonwealth Games flag was brought out and hoisted after which CGF president Martin walked out to give a speech, at the end of which the Prince of Wales read out the Queen’s message to declare the Games open.

LGBTQ+ activist and British Olympic champion Tom Daley, a winner of four Commonwealth golds in the pool, brought the Queen’s Baton into the Alexander Stadium accompanied by a entourage of LGBTQ+ flag-bearers.

One of the highlights of the two-and-half-hour long ceremony was local favourite chart-topping band Duran Duran who delivered the finale to the stunning night in the city where their career began 44 years ago.

Renowned musician Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra also performed, while talented young singer from the Ribble Valley, Samantha Oxborough, sung the British National Anthem ‘God Save the Queen’.

A massed choir of over 700 voices, comprising 15 choirs from across the West Midlands reverberated the arena, led by Carol Pemberton and Black Voices, one of Europe’s leading female Acapella groups.

The Royal Marines dished out a rousing trumpet fanfare, while Grammy-winning guitarist Iommi and saxophonist Soweto Kinch led a dream sequence entitled Hear my Voice, based on the title track from 2020 film Trial of the Chicago Seven, re-imagined by Birmingham-born R&B vocalists Indigo Marshall and Gambimi.

Creator of acclaimed British crime drama ‘Peaky Blinders’, Steven Knight was the creative mastermind behind the ceremony that had more than 2,000 performers tracing the story of the city’s glorious past and present, while also reflecting the links between the 72 countries and territories in the Commonwealth Games.

The Games, set to be the biggest and most expensive sporting event in the UK since the 2012 London Olympics, have had to deal with the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It comes almost 10 years to the day since the much-acclaimed opening ceremony of the London Games.

The opening act marked the beginning of 11 days of sporting action in the city. More than 5000 athletes from 72 countries will compete in 280 events across 19 sports in 15 venues.

Mangaluru: Prohibitory orders have been clamped in the city following back-to-back murders of two people belonging to different communities in the last couple of days.

Security has been beefed up in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts in view of the tense situation, police said on Friday. Schools and colleges in Suratkal, Bajpe, Mulki and Pannambur police station limits will remain closed today.

While BJP Yuva Morcha activist Praveen Nettar was hacked to death on Tuesday night, Mohammed Fazil was murdered by four unknown assailants on Thursday night.

Two residents of Bellare have been arrested in connection with Nettar’s murder, investigation is on to nab the assailants of Fazil.

Meanwhile, a large number of people took part in the funeral procession of Fazil here today. The prohibitory orders have been imposed from Thursday night till July 30 morning, Mangaluru Police Commissioner N Shashikumar said.

All liquor shops will remain shut and 19 check posts have been set up including the Karnataka-Kerala border, where all the vehicles will be searched, the official said.

He added that no one will be allowed to roam in the city beyond 10 pm.

Karnataka Home Minister Araga Gnanendra in a statement condemned the killing of Fazil and said the perpetrators will be brought to book. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai met Nettar’s family members in Mangaluru on Thursday evening and offered their condolences.

The communally sensitive coastal district is tense following the murders in the past few days.