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22,431 new COVID cases in India, active infections in country lowest in 204 days

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NEW DELHI: With 22,431 people testing positive for coronavirus infection in a day, India’s total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 3,38,94,312, while the active cases declined to 2,44,198, the lowest in 204 days, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Thursday.

The death toll climbed to 4,49,856 with 318 fresh fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am.

The active cases comprise 0.72 per cent of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 97.95 per cent, the highest since March 2020, the ministry said.

A decrease of 2,489 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

As many as 14,09,825 tests were conducted on Wednesday taking the total cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 57,68,03,867.

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.57 per cent.

It has been less than three per cent for last 38 days.

The weekly positivity rate was recorded at 1.68 per cent.

It has been below three per cent for the last 104 days, according to the ministry.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 3,32,00,258, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.33 per cent.

The cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 92.63 crore.

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 two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23.

The 318 new fatalities include 134 from Kerala and 90 from Maharashtra.

A total of 4,49,856 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,39,362 from Maharashtra, 37,854 from Karnataka, 35,707 from Tamil Nadu, 25,811 from Kerala, 25,088 from Delhi, 22,896 from Uttar Pradesh and 18,863 from West Bengal.

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

“Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research,” the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.

BJP announces candidates for bypoll to Sindgi and Hangal constituencies in Karnataka

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BENGALURU: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday announced its candidates for Singdi and Hangal bypolls. The party will field Ramesh Bhusanur and Shivaraj Sajjanar from both seats respectively 

Bhusanur had represented Sindgi constituency in 2013 defeating JD(S) candidate MC Managuli. However, he lost the polls in 2018 to Managuli. 

Shivaraj Sajjanar who was the former Haveri MLA is a loyalist of former CM BS Yediyurappa. Sajjanar contested in 2013 from Yediyurappa’s Karnataka Janata Party. His selection as the front-runner has left BJP’s Shivakumar Udasi disappointed since the latter was lobbying for his wife Revati Udasi. Hangal was represented by his late father CM Udasi. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has been close to Udasi while he represented Shiggavi constituency. Both Shiggavi and Hangal are in Haveri district. 

Earlier this week, Congress announced the candidature of Ashok Managolu for Sindgi and Srinivas V Mane for Hangal assembly bypolls.

JD(S) has fielded Naziya Shakeel Ahmed in Singdi and Niyaz Shaikh in Hangal. Naziya is filing her nomination on Thursday in the presence of former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy in Sindgi.

The bypoll in Singdi was necessitated due to the death of JD(S) MC Managoli who died earlier this year. The Hangal seat, meanwhile, fell vacant after the death of BJP’s CM Udasi who won against Mane in 2018. 

The bypolls are scheduled to take place on October 30.

‘There has to be accountability for farmers’ blood’: BJP MP Varun Gandhi attacks party

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LUCKNOW: BJP MP Varun Gandhi on Thursday posted a video purportedly of the Lakhimpur Kheri incident and said the protesters cannot be silenced through murder asking for accountability for the farmers.

“The video is crystal clear. Protestors cannot be silenced through murder. There has to be accountability for the innocent blood of farmers that has been spilled and justice must be delivered before a message of arrogance and cruelty enters the minds of every farmer,” the Pilibhit MP said in a tweet.

He posted a 37-second video in which a speeding Mahindra Thar jeep is seen running over people.

Two SUVs — one black and another white — was seen following the jeep while there is commotion of people shouting and crying in the video.

The video, which has gone viral on social media, is said to have been taken on October 3, the day on which violence took place in Lakhimpur Kheri.

Eight people were killed in the violence on Sunday.

Of the eight killed, four were farmers, who were allegedly mowed down by vehicles driven by BJP workers travelling to welcome UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya to an event in the area.

The other four were two BJP workers, a driver of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Kumar Mishra and a journalist working for a private television channel.

Hockey India withdraws from 2022 Birmingham CWG; cites COVID concerns, discriminatory quarantine rules

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NEW DELHI: India on Tuesday pulled out of next year’s Birmingham Commonwealth Games’ hockey competition, citing COVID-19 concerns and UK’s discriminatory quarantine rules for travellers from the country, a day after England’s withdrawal from the junior men’s World Cup in Bhubaneswar over similar reasons.

Hockey India President Gyanandro Ningombam communicated the federation’s decision to Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President Narinder Batra in a letter.

HI said it can’t risk sending its players to the UK, which has been one of the worst affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

“You will appreciate that the Asian games is the Continental qualification event for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and keeping the priority of the Asian Games in mind, Hockey India can not risk any members of the Indian teams contracting COVID-19 during the Commonwealth Games,” Ningombam wrote.

“Therefore, Hockey India will not be sending its men and women teams to Commonwealth Games 2022 and are informing you in advance to kindly notify the Organisers to identify reserve teams.”

The UK recently refused to recognise India’s COVID-19 vaccination certificates and imposed a 10-day hard quarantine on travellers from the country even if they were fully vaccinated.

The discrimination was prominently mentioned in Ningombam’s letter to the IOA President, who has issued instructions for co-ordination with the sport’s world governing body FIH for the details of the reserve teams.

Batra heads the FIH as well.

“Such discriminatory restrictions were not imposed on Indian athletes and officials during the recent Tokyo Olympic Games and this 10-day quarantine requirement for vaccinated sports persons will affect their performance,” Ningombam stated.

“We feel these restrictions are biased against India and term it as very unfortunate,” he said.

HI’s move comes a day after England pulled out of the junior World Cup to be held in Bhubaneswar next month, citing a number of COVID-related concerns and taking “note” of the Indian government’s mandatory 10-day quarantine protocol for all UK nationals.

India imposed reciprocal curbs on all British nationals arriving in the country after UK’s steadfast refusal to reconsider its restrictions.

Under India’s new norms, all British nationals arriving here from the UK, irrespective of their vaccination status, will have to produce the result of the RT-PCR test done within 72 hours before travel.

They will also have to undertake two more RT-PCR tests, one on their arrival at the airport in India and the second one on Day 8 after arrival.

Both the Indian men’s and women’s teams reached the medal rounds in the 2018 Gold Coast CWG but lost to England in the bronze play-offs.

The men’s team was beaten 1-2 while the women team lost 0-6 to England.

The Birmingham CWG would have been first big event for both the teams after their inspirational performances at the Tokyo Games, where the men’s team won a bronze while the women finished a creditable fourth.

Trinamool MPs ‘dodge’ police, meet kin of farmers killed in Lakhimpur violence

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LAKHIMPUR KHERI: A delegation of TMC MPs on Tuesday met families of farmers killed in the Lakhimpur violence, claiming that they dodged policemen by posing as tourists.

The TMC delegation comprised MPs Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Sushmita Dev, Abir Ranjan Biswas, Pratima Mondal and Dola Sen.

While on their way, the UP Police tried to stop them, the TMC leaders claimed in a statement.

They posed as tourists on being stopped by police, claimed the MPs of the Mamata Banerjee-led party.

Dola Sen said they were trying to reach Lakhimpur Kheri since Sunday and they could reach there two days later.

Dastidar and Dev went to Palia tehsil of the district to meet the kin of Lavpreet Singh (19) while others travelled to Dhaurahra tehsil to meet relatives of Nachatar Singh.

Both were cremated during the day at their native places.

Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev, who recently switched over to the TMC from the Congress, said, “Heartbreaking to meet the family of the young farmer who was crushed to death in Lakhimpur Kheri.”

“AITC chairperson Mamata Banerjee stands with the farmers to repeal the black laws and stop these brutal injustices. She fought in Singur and assured to continue fighting for farmers of India,” the MP added.

Lok Sabha MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar said, “The accused is the son of a politician but he has killed someone and he must be penalised. India is a democratic country but democracy is missing for the last few years.”

“The BJP is ruling like an autocratic government. They are putting everyone behind the bars except the accused and killing whosoever they want. PM Modi is in Lucknow, why didn’t he visit Lakhimpur-Kheri,” Dastidar said.

Two Rourkela youths in cruiseliner rave party, arrested by Narcotics Bureau

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ROURKELA: The spate of arrests by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in the high-profile rave party on a cruiseliner off Mumbai that grabbed the headlines includes two youths from Rourkela. Three more are believed to be under investigation.

Reliable sources said Manish Rajgaria and Avin Sahu were in the cruise and arrested after NCB raid on the rave party in which Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan was held for alleged possession of narcotics substances. 

The bureau sleuths had seized 2.5 grams of ecstasy, 54.3 grams of mephedrone, small quantity of charas and cannabis from possessions of the eight. There were four operations carried out in the last two days.

As per preliminary reports, Manish was caught with a small quantity of ‘ganja’, while Avin was held for being a consumer of narcotics substance. Both were produced before a court on Tuesday. Three others from Rourkela are also reportedly facing NCB investigation. 

Manish is the son of a Rourkela-based entrepreneur who also owns a sponge iron plant. Avin’s father owns a jewellery store. Manish’s family sources confirmed that he has been charged with possession of 2.4 gram ganja. They added that the youth and few friends had gone on a pleasure trip and were guests in the party. 

“We are unaware how he got in the rave party and the incident has left us in shock and pain,” said a kin who is now in Mumbai. Informed sources said, more than 30 youths in different groups of common friends had left Rourkela recently on pleasure trips and five had boarded the cruise ship for Goa.

“For some wealthy families, such pleasure trips are common. Covid pandemic had cast a spanner for last year and a half. However, after the curbs were lifted, many were headed for vacations,” said the sources.
Another source said, rave parties and indulgences are always on the list of the pleasure-seeking population but none expected to be exposed.

Romanian government falls after no-confidence vote

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BUCHAREST: Romanian Prime Minister Florin Citu of the governing National Liberal Party was ousted Tuesday after a no-confidence motion in his government passed overwhelmingly, deepening an ongoing political crisis.

The motion censure was filed by the opposition Social Democrat Party (PSD) and supported by former coalition partner USR-Plus, and the far-right AUR party.

The motion passed with 281 votes; only 234 were needed.

The fall of the government caps a political crisis that began a month ago when Citu fired justice minister Stelian Ion of USR-Plus for not signing off on a regional development program.

USR-Plus called the move an “abusive revocation” and quit the three-party cabinet.

During the debates in parliament Tuesday ahead of the vote, Citu lashed out at USR-Plus, saying he had tolerated “a team of incompetents.”

President Klaus Iohannis will now consult lawmakers on appointing a new prime minister, while Citu may remain at the government’s helm for 45 days.

Citu could be reappointed if lawmakers fail twice to agree on a new premier.

Claudiu Tufis, an associate professor of political science at the University of Bucharest, told The Associated Press that he expects the outcome of Tuesday’s vote to be a Liberal cabinet with support from the Social Democrats.

“In parliament, but not in the cabinet,” he said.

USR-Plus have expressed a wish to restore the coalition with a different prime minister.

The Liberal-led government came to power following a parliamentary election last December.

The ongoing crisis could hamper Romania’s efforts to tackle an alarming surge of COVID-19 infections in the European Union nation of 19 million, which is currently putting the country’s hospitals under serious strain.

On Tuesday, Romania recorded its highest number of daily COVID-19 infections — 15,037 cases — since the pandemic started.

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