Archives for September 2021

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal

Chandigarh: AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said the Punjab government has been reduced to a “tamasha” and urged new CM Charanjit Singh Channi to immediately remove “tainted” ministers from his cabinet.

The Delhi CM said this at the Chandigarh airport, a day after the Congress was pushed into a fresh crisis by the resignation of Navjot Singh Sidhu from the post of the party’s Punjab unit chief.

Sidhu on Wednesday in a video message flagged the issue of appointment of “tainted” officials and ministers.

Kejriwal, who is the Delhi CM, also asked the Punjab CM to act on promises made by his predecessor, including the action in the Bargari desecration case.

During the previous SAD-BJP regime, torn pages of a religious text were found at Bargari in Faridkot. Later, in police firing incidents at protesters, two people were killed at Behbal Kalan and many injured in Kotkapura.

“We are seeing what kind of political atmosphere is prevailing in the state. Political instability is there, which is unfortunate,” said Kejriwal, who arrived on a two-day visit to Punjab.

“A dirty fight for power is going on. People are not able to understand whom they should approach for their problems,” he said.

“They have reduced the government to a ‘tamasha’,” alleged Kejriwal.

He said accusations have been made that Channi has inducted “tainted” people in his Cabinet.

“I request that they should be removed forthwith, cases be registered against them and they be dealt with strictly,” he said.

While he congratulated Channi on his elevation as the Punjab CM, Kejriwal said people of the state want him to act on five issues, including the Bargari desecration case.

“The mastermind in the sacrilege incidents have not been punished till now. I don’t need to tell who the mastermind are. Their names are there in the report of Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh and Channi can go through that. The culprits can be arrested within 24 hours,” he said.

Kejriwal said the promises made by former CM Amarinder Singh to people should be fulfilled by the Channi-led government.

“Amarinder had promised to give jobs to the youth and till the time they got one, he had promised to give unemployment allowance. That allowance should be given. He had promised loan waiver to farmers,” he said.

Kejriwal also said the Congress government should scrap the power purchase agreements.

Kejriwal reminded Channi that despite being in power for 49 days in the first term, his government did many works and the Punjab CM still has four months left before the state goes to polls.

“I had 49 days when I first came in power. During that short period, I had halved power rates, made water free and eliminated corruption. If I could do so many works in 49 day period, then Channi too can fulfil pending works,” he said.

The AAP leader said only his party can give a stable and honest government in Punjab.

When asked who will be the CM face of AAP, Kejriwal said, “I have repeatedly said we will give such a face on which you and the entire Punjab will be proud of.”

Earlier in the day, Navjot Singh Sidhu questioned the appointment of the director general of police, advocate general and “tainted” leaders.

Today, I see there is a compromise on issues,” said Sidhu apparently referring to senior IPS officer Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota who has been given the additional charge of the Punjab DGP.

Sahota was the head of an SIT formed by the SAD-BJP government to probe desecration incidents.

“I see those who had given clean chits to the Badals six years ago…have been given the responsibility of delivering justice,” he added.

“My soul jitters when I see those who secured blanket bails, they are advocate general. What is the agenda here,” Sidhu asked apparently questioning the appointment of A P S Deol to the post.

A system which included “tainted” leaders and officials is being brought back after being dismantled, Sidhu said obliquely referring to the induction of Rana Gurjit Singh as a minister in the new state Cabinet.

Sidhu was appointed the state Congress president on July 18 amid a bitter power tussle with Amarinder Singh, who resigned as the CM 10 days back while accusing the party high command of humiliating him.

Mangaluru: The State BJP President, MP Nalin Kumar Kateel responded to Siddaramaiah’s statements that equated RSS with the Taliban and said, “I feel that Siddaramaiah is a terrorist.”

Addressing the media in the city on Wednesday, he said, “Siddaramaiah is in an unhealthy state with the Congress. When he is in such an unhealthy state, he issues such statements.”

“Siddaramaiah’s is the Taliban culture. When Siddaramaiah was the Chief Minister of the state, a maximum number of killings have taken place. Prashant Poojary, Sharath Madivala, Deepak Rao, and Madikeri’s Kuttappa were killed in the Dakshina Kannada district. During his tenure, 24 Hindu youths were murdered. A woman who had gone to the ATM was also assaulted. A female college-going student was murdered in Sullia. All of this has occurred during the time of Siddaramaiah’s governance. His is the Taliban culture. That is why I have said that Siddaramaiah is a terrorist”, Nalin stated. 

“During Siddaramaiah’s governance maximum number of murders, extortion, rampant cow killings used to occur. Then, what moral ground does he hold to talk about the RSS?” Nalin Kumar questioned.

NEW DELHI:  Kicking off the campaign for next year’s Uttarakhand assembly elections, BJP chief J P Nadda gave clear suggestions that the party will seek another mandate on the basis of the development works done by the Centre in the recent years, including the Char Dham project. 

Nadda on Wednesday spoke to members of ‘Shakti Kendras’ of the party in the hill  state and exhorted them to strengthen the booth units of the party. Aiming to drag the Congress into the electoral dual on development isuue, the BJP chief challenged the Opposition party to show its track record when it was in power in the state during 2012-17. 

“Whenever PM Modi comes to programmes of the party, it doesn’t seem that the most popular leaders of the world is in our midst. He takes interest in the party as a common worker, which inspires us all,” remarked Nadda.        

He also spelt out twin tasks for the party workers, asking them to lend their weight to achieve 100 per cent vaccinations in Uttarakhand against the Covid-19 and also reaching out the benefits of the “Garib Kalyan Ann Yojna” to the beneficiaries. 

NEW DELHI: India recorded a single-day rise of 23,529 COVID-19 cases on Thursday, taking its infection tally to 3,37,39,980, while the count of active cases dipped to 2,77,020, the lowest in 195 days, according to Union Health Ministry data.

The death toll due to the disease has climbed to 4,48,062 with 311 daily fatalities being recorded, according to the data updated at 8 am. The number of active cases has declined to 2,77,020, comprising 0.82 per cent of the total infections – the lowest since March 2020, the ministry said.

The data showed that 15,06,254 COVID-19 tests were also conducted in the country on Wednesday, taking the total number of such examinations done so far to 56,89,56,439. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.56 per cent. It has been below three per cent for 31 days.

The weekly positivity rate was recorded at 1.74 per cent. This figure has been below three per cent for 97 days, according to the health ministry. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has surged to 3,30,14,898, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.33 per cent.

The cumulative number of coronavirus vaccine doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide inoculation drive has exceeded 88.34 crore.

India’s COVID-19 infection tally had crossed 20 lakh on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5, 50 lakh on September 16, 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and one crore on December 19.

The country surpassed the grim milestone of two crore infections on May 4 and three crore on June 23. The 311 new fatalities include 155 from Kerala, and 49 from Maharashtra.

A total of 4,48,062 deaths have been reported so far in the country, including 1,39,011 from Maharashtra, 37,780 from Karnataka, 35,550 from Tamil Nadu, 25,087 from Delhi, 24,965 from Kerala, 22,892 from Uttar Pradesh, and 18,778 from West Bengal.

The ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to co-morbidities. “Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research,” it said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.

MUMBAI: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday issued an order for re-opening of all schools in Mumbai for classes 8 to12 from October 4 with all COVID-19 protocols. Brihanmumbai Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal said that for now, the civic body is reopening the schools for classes 8 to 12 from October 4 and for the rest, the decision will be taken in November.

“We are reopening schools for classes 8th to 12th in Mumbai with effect from 4th Oct, and for the rest of the classes, we will make a decision in November. All COVID19 SoPs issued by the government will be implemented,” Chahal said.

She informed that schools will be reopened in a phased manner. “In rural areas classes will resume from standard 5th to 12th and in urban areas from standard 8th to 12th. Local authorities have been given powers to monitor guidelines set by the government.”

The government is making efforts to bring all the students back to school. The local authorities, collectors, and the commissioner had been told to monitor strict standard operation procedures (SoPs). The education minister also clarified that there is no compulsion to attend physical classes. Students can attend online classes too. They will come to school only with the consent of their parents.

NEW DELHI: With Kanhaiya Kumar likely to join the Congress party on Tuesday, CPI Bihar state secretary Ram Naresh Pandey on Tuesday confirmed that some days ago Kanhaiya had taken out the AC installed by him in the CPI’s state office in Patna. “I gave my consent because he had installed it at his own cost,” Pandey said.

Speaking to ANI, Pandey said that he hopes that Kumar will take back his decision to join the Congress. Pandey said, “I still hope that Kanhaiya Kumar will not join Congress because his mindset is communist and such people are strict with their ideology.”

Pandey also mentioned that Kumar participated in the National Executive Council meeting of CPI on September 4 and 5 in the national capital, and added, “During the meeting, he never gave any intention of leaving the party, nor did he demand any specific party post.”

Former JNU students’ union president Kanhaiya Kumar and Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch (RDAM) MLA Jignesh Mewani from Gujarat are expected to join the Congress party on September 28. Currently, Kumar, a CPI leader, is a member of the National Executive Council, a top decision-making body of the party.

Mewani is an independent MLA from the Vadgam constituency in Gujarat and convener of RDAM. In the 2017 Gujarat Assembly election, the Congress party did not field its candidate against Mewani in the Vadgam constituency.

HUBBALLI: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday announced the constitution of a task force to frame new research and development policy for the State. KLE Technological University Vice-Chancellor Prof Ashok Shettar will head the task force. Bommai has also planned to set up coordinating centres at Hubballi and Kalaburagi to ensure the benefits of the startup policy are taken to places out of Bengaluru.

Inaugurating a Tech Park at the KLE Technological University campus to mark flagging off of the platinum jubilee of BVB College of Engineering and Technology (BVBCET), Bommai said the State is known for taking initiatives to encourage R&D. Because of this, around 180 public and private enterprises, including multi-national ones, have been operating in and around Bengaluru.

K’taka leading country in startup race: CM

Prof Shettar, who will head the task force, is an academic in the field of engineering and technology and the brain behind transforming BVBCET. Having a doctoral degree from the Indian Institute of Science, his focus has been the industry-institution connect. He has helped set up incubation centres at the university and around 82 startups are working from here.

Bommai, an alumnus of BVBCET, said the State is leading the country in setting up of startups, but a majority of them are in Bengaluru. The government is thinking of extending the benefits of the Startup policy to all parts of the State. To ensure region-wise growth, he has planned to open coordinating centres at Hubballi and Kalaburgi. Steps will be taken after discussions with concerned ministers and officials soon, he said. Bommai said his post comes with more challenges and responsibilities.

Tackling poverty and unemployment and ensuring affordable education and better healthcare services are real challenges. He has been practising people’s politics despite facing several odds, he added. Large and Medium Scale Industries Minister Murugesh Nirani, also an alumnus of BVBCET, advised students to become entrepreneurs as both the State and Central governments have been extending numerous benefits.