New Delhi: As several Bollywood and cricketing stars rallied around the government in its pushback to the global celebrities expressing support for farmers’ movement, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday said the damage done to India’s global image by the government’s “obduracy and undemocratic behaviour” can’t be remedied by a cricketer’s tweets.

India hit out at global celebrities such as singer Rihanna and climate activist Greta Thunberg for their support of the farmers’ protests. Several Bollywood and cricket stars as well as top ministers also rallied around the government in its pushback.

“For GoI (government of India) to get Indian celebrities to react to Western ones is embarrassing. The damage done to India’s global image by GoI’s obduracy & undemocratic behaviour can’t be remedied by a cricketer’s tweets,” tweeted Tharoor, who served as the minister of state for external affairs from May 2009-April 2010 during the UPA II government.

Tharoor’s tweet came after cricketing stars Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble and Ravi Shastri used the twin hashtags — #IndiaTogether #IndiaAgainstPropaganda — to amplify the pushback to the global celebrities.

“Withdraw the farm laws & discuss solutions with farmers & you’ll get #IndiaTogether,” tweeted the former UN under secretary general.

Another senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said it is good that Rihanna and Greta Thunberg can wake up the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

“Come on MEA, when will you realize that people concerned with issues of human rights and livelihoods do not recognize national boundaries? Why did MEA comment on the military coup in Myanmar? Why is it ‘deeply concerning’ to the MEA?” he said in a series of tweets.

Why does MEA regularly comment on issues that are “internal” to Sri Lanka and Nepal, the former Union minister asked.

“Why did the PM of India comment on the assault on the Capitol building in Washington by the Trump storm troopers? It is sad that someone erudite and worldly wise like Mr S Jaishankar should allow such puerile reactions by the MEA,” Chidambaram said.

Earlier, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, at a press conference, refused to comment on the tweets by the international celebrities extending support to the farmers’ protest, saying “this is our internal matter”.

Adding to the voices of Rihanna and Thunberg were American actor Amanda Cerni, US Vice President Kamala Harris’ niece Meena Harris, ‘Serendipity’ star John Cusack, who retweeted a post by Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate reading, “Let us talk about what is happening in India right now #FarmersProtest”, and former adult star Mia Khalifa who asked, “What in the human rights violations is going on?! They cut the internet around New Delhi?! #FarmersProtest.”

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs earlier slammed the remarks made by Rihanna and other celebrities and activists on farmer protests, saying the facts on the issue must be ascertained before rushing to comment on it, and asserted that the “temptation” of sensationalist social media hashtags and views is “neither accurate nor responsible”.

Mumbai: A deputy commissioner of police (DCP) in Mumbai on Wednesday filed a criminal defamation complaint against Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami for certain claims made during the coverage of the Sushant Singh Rajput death case.

Goswami’s lawyers claimed that the tweets referred to in the complaint filed by DCP Abhishek Trimukhe were from a fake Twitter account as their client “is not on social media”.

Trimukhe’s complaint, filed before the sessions court here, also named ARG Outlier Media Private Limited which owns Republic Media Network, and Goswami’s wife, as she is one of its directors.

“There were some tweets which misrepresented Trimukhe.

He had written about it to the Maharashtra government. The state home department gave its sanction (to file a complaint),” a senior police official said.

The complaint has been filed under Indian Penal Code sections 499, 500 (defamation) and 501 (printing or engraving matter known to be defamatory).

Goswami made “grossly false”, “malicious” and defamatory statements during the coverage of actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death by suicide last year, it claimed.

These defamatory statements were telecast on the channel Republic Bharat during a discussion about phone records of actor Rhea Chakraborty, Rajput’s girlfriend, it said.

“The said defamatory attacks have been made with a singular view of assassinating his (Trimukhe’s) official character and thereby…maliciously and deliberately causing undue humiliation of the Mumbai Police Department,” the complaint said.

Goswami also tweeted the contents of the telecast to a larger audience, the complaint said.

A statement from Goswami’s legal team said that “he is not on social media” and the tweets to which the complaint referred was a fake Twitter handle impersonating the journalist.

“On the other parts, the Republic Media Network will respond legally as per due process,” it said.

Bengaluru The government is considering allowing air traffic controllers, operated by private entities, to manage drone operations in the Indian airspace below 1,000 feet, said a senior Civil Aviation Ministry official on Wednesday.

“The drone ATC (air traffic controller) will be called UTM (unmanned traffic management) and it will collaborate with the manned traffic management, which is being handled currently as a sovereign function by the Airports Authority of India (AAI),” said Amber Dubey, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation.

The AAI, which works under the ministry, manages all manned aircraft operations in the Indian airspace. A passenger aircraft generally flies at a height of around 30,000 feet.

“The airspace below 1,000 feet is lower airspace and it would be the main playground of drones. For that, we may have a system of private ATCs, which would be managed by private operators,” Dubey said at a session organised by industry body FICCI at Aero India 2021.

“It could be a government agency or a private agency, it is something that would evolve,” he added.

The AAI cannot handle drones because they would be flying at 5 feet to take care of crops to about 1,000 feet in the airspace, Dubey mentioned.

Drone technology is moving way faster than the regulations so we have decided that we need to start a parallel activity, he said.

New Delhi: Actor Kangana Ranaut on Tuesday held little back in taking on international pop star Rihanna for coming out in support of the farmers protesting on the outskirts of Delhi since November against the centre’s agricultural laws.

Calling the demonstrators “terrorists”, Ms Ranaut, who has 3 million Twitter followers versus Rihanna’s over 100 million, said they were trying to divide India and called the singer a “fool”.

Kolkata: The BJP has decided to stop mass joinings from the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal amid growing resentment within the saffron party over rampant inductions without scrutiny, senior leaders said on Tuesday.

“Selective” inductions would be made henceforth, that too after consultations with the local leadership, they said.

“We don’t want the BJP to turn into the B-team of the TMC by inducting leaders who don’t have a clean image. We don’t want people, facing allegations or are involved in immoral or illegal activities, to join our party,” BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya said.

“So henceforth, mass joinings would not take place. From now on, the joinings would be very selective and that too after scrutiny,” he added.

The decision has been taken amid rising infighting within the party’s West Bengal unit, often snowballing into the open, a senior state BJP leader said.

“In many cases, the district leadership is not happy with the mass inductions. It has led to infightings and the matter has not gone down well with the central leadership,” he said.

The BJP is working on a mechanism for leaders and cadres of other parties who want to switch over, he said.

The mechanism will be in place to ascertain whether they have a good image in the public, the state party leader said.

“Although the central and state leaderships would take the final call regarding the joinings, but those who wish to join also need to get a no-objection certificate from the local or district leadership of the party,” he said.

Several former TMC leaders who are being probed for corruption have switched over to the BJP in the last few years.

Since the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP has inducted 18 MLAs and an MP of the Trinamool Congress, three MLAs each from the CPI(M) and the Congress, and one MLA from the CPI.

Except for former ministers Suvendu Adhikari and Rajib Banerjee, none of the MLAs have resigned from the assembly.

Reacting to the development, the Trinamool Congress said the BJP’s decision reflects that it has lost the plot in Bengal.

“The BJP neither has leaders nor has a face in Bengal. So, it was poaching leaders from other parties,” TMC spokesperson Sougata Roy said.

“It has led to infighting within the party, so it has nothing to do rather than shutting its doors. It has lost the plot ahead of the elections,” he added.

Elections to the 294-member West Bengal assembly are likely to be held in April-May.

New Delhi, Feb 2: A Delhi court Tuesday granted bail to freelance journalist Mandeep Punia who was arrested by Delhi Police from farmers’ protest site at Singhu border.

The complainant, victims and witnesses were police personnel only, “hence, there is no possibility that accused/ applicant can able to influence any of the police officials , Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Satvir Singh Lamba said while granting the bail.

Punia was arrested by police on Sunday in an FIR registered under various sections including 186 (Obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 332 (Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) of IPC.

The judge also noted in the order that the alleged scuffle incident of case was of around 6.30 PM, however, the present FIR was registered at around 1.21 AM on the next day.

He further said, Admittedly, the accused is a freelance journalist. Moreso, no recovery is to be effected from the accused person and keeping the accused further in Judicial Custody would not serve any cogent purpose.

He said it was well settled legal principle of law that bail is a rule and jail is an exception .

Hence, considering the totality of facts and circumstances of the present case, submissions on behalf of both the parties as well as keeping in view the period of detention of the accused in judicial custody, he is admitted to bail on furnishing bail bond in a sum of Rs 25,000 along with one sound surety in the like amount, the judge said.

The court also imposed various conditions on the accused, including that he will not leave the country without its prior permission.

Accused shall not indulge into similar offence or any other offence in the event of release on bail. Accused shall not tamper with the evidences in any manner, it said.

It further directed that the accused shall join the investigations as and when required by the investigating agency.

Punia has told the court that he was innocent and was falsely implicated in the case.

The offences as alleged in the present FIR are not made out against the accused. The accused is a freelance journalist and was carrying out his duties along with another journalists at the protest site of Singhu Border, Delhi, his lawyer had told the court on Monday.

It was further contended that another journalist was also apprehended by the police, but was released in the mid night.

However, the accused was not released as he was not carrying any press ID card. Accused is a freelance journalist and used to write the articles and is a frequent contributor to the Caravan magazine, the counsel said.

He further said that accused had roots in the society and that he will co-operate in the investigation, as per law.

Delhi police had opposed the bail application on the ground that the allegations against Punia were grave and serious in nature .

It said that the accused may again indulge in instigating the protestors and may create nuisance at the protest site with the group of different people and may hamper the investigation.

Punia was sent to 14-day judicial custody on Sunday.

Mangaluru: Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) sleuths on Tuesday raided the residence and office of a senior civic official in the city in connection with a disproportionate assets case.

Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) town planning joint director K V Jayaraj is alleged to have amassed wealth disproportionate to his income in Mangaluru and Kerala, ACB sources said.

The raid was conducted at four places including Jayarajs residences at Kapikad and Bejai in Mangaluru, father’s residence, his wife’s quaters in Mahe and his office at MCC building.

ACB sleuths from Udupi and Chikkamagaluru also took part in the raid.

Disproportionate asset cases were registered in Bengaluru, Bellary, Kolar, Dharwad, Dakshina Kannada, Chitradurga and Kalaburagi district against seven government servants.

Searches have begun in 30 places under the supervision of ACB SPs, the sources said.

 A day after Union Budget 2021, Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy posted a photo on Twitter comparing India’s fuel prices with that of neighbouring Nepal and Sri Lanka. Swamy who is known for no-nonsense approach when it comes to expressing his views wrote,

“Petrol Rs 93 in ram’s India, Rs 53 in Sita’s Nepal and Rs 51 in Ravan’s Lanka”. Clearly, Subramanian Swamy is not happy with the rising petroleum prices in the country. Meanwhile, petrol and diesel prices in the metro cities remained unchanged for the sixth consecutive day. In Delhi and Mumbai, the petrol prices are at Rs 86.30 and Rs 92.86 per litre respectively. Diesel, on the other hand, was steady at Rs 76.48  per litre in the national capital and Rs 83.30 per litre respectively, the highest among all four metros.

Earlier on Monday, the government had ruled out the possibility of a hike in fuel prices after the imposition of Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess in the Budget presented yesterday.

“There will be no increase in petrol and diesel prices. There will be no additional burden on people. The cess has been imposed to re-constitute the taxes. The government has reduced excise, and has started new agricultural cess”, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar had said.

 Opposition parties including the Congress, Left, TMC and DMK on Tuesday staged a walkout from the Rajya Sabha after their demand for suspension of business of the day to take up a discussion on more than two-month-old farmers’ agitation was rejected by the Chairman.

The opposition parties had given notice under rule 267 calling for the suspension of business of the day to take up discussion on the ongoing agitation by farmers on Delhi borders against three new farm laws.

When the House met for the day, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said he has received notice under rule 267 from various members but the issue can be raised during the discussion on motion of thanks to the President’s address to the joint sitting of both House of Parliament.

The President, he said, had referred to the farmer’s agitation in his address made at the start of the Budget session of Parliament last week.

While the Lok Sabha is scheduled to start a discussion on the motion on Tuesday, the Rajya Sabha will do so on Wednesday.

“As we are going to start a discussion on Motion of Thanks to President’s Address tomorrow, members can participate and raise their concerns,” he said rejecting the 267 notice.

He said several rounds of discussions have happened between the government and the farmers’ group.

“I understand the concern (of members) for the need to resolve the issue at the earliest date,” he said.

Farmers have been camping on Delhi’s border with Uttar Pradesh and Haryana for over two months now, protesting against three farm laws that they say would favour corporate entities and would bring down the curtain on minimum support price (MSP) based procurement by the government.

The government has vehemently denied these allegations and stated that MSP will continue.

Naidu, however, allowed members who gave notices to make very brief mentions.

Leader of the Opposition and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said the farmers have been camping for more than two months and the issue needs to be discussed.

Sukhendu Sekhar Roy (TMC) said the House is not aware of what is going on between the government and farmers and the House should discuss the issue separately from the Motion of Thanks.

“We want a discussion on a specific issue,” he said.

While CPI leader Elamaram Kareem said water and electricity supply to the protest sites has been cut, DMK’s Tiruchi Siva said farmers have been sitting on roads for over two months in the bitter cold and the issue needs to be discussed separately.

Manoj Jha (RJD) said Parliament should at least discuss the issue.

However, Naidu did not agree to their motion after which the members of Congress, Left, TMC, DMK and RJD staged a walkout.

“No one is stopping you from discussing the issue tomorrow. Tomorrow you will get an opportunity,” he said.

Naidu said 10 hours have been allocated for discussion on Motion of Thanks to the President’s address and an equivalent amount given for discussion on the Budget.

“Please take the opportunity tomorrow,” he said.