Chief Minister Conrad Sangma took stock of the situation at a meeting with Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbai and top police officials and civil administration.

GUWAHATI: A person was stabbed to death in Shillong on Saturday as parts of Meghalaya continued to remain tense following Friday’s clashes at Ichamati in East Khasi Hills between members of Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) and non-tribals at a meeting over Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and Inner Line Permit (ILP).

Friday’s clashes had left one person dead and several others injured. Fresh violence erupted in Shillong’s Bara Bazar area on Saturday and a vegetable vendor was stabbed to death and at least six others injured. 

The incident forced the authorities to re-impose curfew. It was imposed for 10 hours in Shillong and its adjoining areas on Friday night. Mobile internet services have also been suspended in six districts for 48 hours from 10 pm of Friday while SMS services have been limited to five per day.

Chief Minister Conrad Sangma took stock of the situation at a meeting with Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbai and top police officials and civil administration. He also met Governor Tathagata Roy and briefed him on the law and order situation. A probe into Friday’s violence was ordered.

Madhya Pradesh is planning reservation in educational institutions, and it will be more than 5 per cent, water resources minister said.

BHOPAL: After Maharashtra, now Congress-ruled Madhya Pradesh could reserve seats for Muslims in educational institutions. Dropping hints about the reservation, Madhya Pradesh Water Resources Minister Hukum Singh Karada, on Saturday, said, “We too are preparing a detailed plan for minorities. You will see that we’ll provide more relaxation than what Maharashtra has announced. I won’t be able to give details, as I’m not authorised to make any announcement, but I can assure that the relaxation would be more than Maharashtra.”

Speaking to journalists in Agar-Malwa district, Karada said, “Just wait and watch, surely our government will give a more liberal message soon.” Sources within the state Congress confided that there is a plan to grant reservation to Muslims in educational institutions in Madhya Pradesh. On Friday, Maharashtra Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik informed the state legislative council that their government will pass legislation to extend five per cent reservation to Muslims in educational institutes. Malik on Saturday said that the Maharashtra BJP leaders were trying to create confusion among people on reservations to the Muslim community but the Maha Vikas Aghadi will manage to dispel all doubts. 

Reacting to Karada’s statement, BJP spokesperson Rajneesh Agrawal said the Congress is showing its “true colours”. Stressing that the BJP will oppose the decision, he said, “After more than doubling the honorarium of Muslim clerics, now the state government… is planning to grant reservation to Muslims, which is against the Constitution. The BJP is opposed to providing reservation on religious lines, so we’ll protest.” 

The quarantine period will continue for about a fortnight for the 76 indians and 36 foreigners including Bangladeshis, Chinese, Africans and an American.

NEW DELHI: All the 112 people, housed at an ITBP quarantine facility after being evacuated from Wuhan in China, have tested negative for coronavirus after their first samples were taken, an official said on Saturday.

“The samples of all the 112 people were sent to the AIIMS and the reports are negative. The quarantine period will continue for about a fortnight,” a spokesperson for the border guarding force said.

Seventy-six Indians and 36 foreigners were taken to the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) force quarantine centre in the Chhawla area of the national capital on February 27 after they were flown in from Wuhan city on an IAF transport plane.

The group of foreign nationals comprise 23 from Bangladesh, six from China, two each from Myanmar and Maldives, and one each from Madagascar, South Africa and the USA. “The second samples of the inmates will be taken on the fourteenth day of the quarantine period and all those whose results are negative will be released from the ITBP centre,” the spokesperson added.

Earlier, India had similarly evacuated around 650 Indians from Wuhan on board two Air India flights who were kept at the same ITBP facility and one prepared by the Army in Manesar near here. All these people were later found negative for the virus and they were allowed to go home after over a fortnight of quarantine.

A team of doctors, paramedics and others will be present at the quarantine facility round-the-clock and the inmates will be provided facilities like food, bed and indoor entertainment to spend time, the spokesperson said.

Thackeray met Gandhi at her 10, Janpath residence and the meeting lasted around half-an-hour.

NEW DELHI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday met Congress president Sonia Gandhi and held discussions on the current political situation and CAA-NPR-NRC.

Thackeray met Gandhi at her 10, Janpath residence and the meeting lasted around half-an-hour.

This is the first meeting of Thackeray with Gandhi after the formation of the coalition government in Maharashtra.

Sources said the leaders are learnt to have discussed the functioning of the ‘Maha-Agadi’ government of Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP.

Thackeray’s stand on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Population Register (NPR) has become a bone of contention among the allies in Maharashtra, as the Congress and the NCP are opposed to the measures.

AICC general secretary in-charge of Maharashtra Mallikarjun Kharge and Shiv Sena leaders Aaditya Thackeray and Sanjay Raut were also present during the meeting.

The meeting came soon after Thackeray asserted that one does not have to fear the CAA and no one will thrown out of the country due to NPR, soon after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He said an atmosphere is also being created in the country that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is dangerous and people have to queue up to prove their citizenship.

Thackeray is also learnt to have discussed the CAA, National Population Register and NRC with the prime minister during his hour-long meeting with him.

Mathura: The Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department has released 500 cusecs of water into the Yamuna from the Ganganahar in Bulandshahr to improve the river’s “environmental condition” in Agra, ahead of US President Donald Trump’s visit, officials said on Tuesday.

Trump is set to visit India on a two-day trip between February 23 and 26. The main segment of the visit will take place in Delhi, though an option of having a short visit by the president to another city is being explored.

The cities that are being considered include Uttar Pradesh’s Agra and Gujarat’s Ahmedabad.

“Keeping in mind US President Trump’s visit to Agra, 500 cusecs of water has been released from the Ganganahar to improve the environmental condition of the Yamuna. This water will reach the Yamuna in Mathura by February 20 and Agra by February 21 afternoon,” the department’s Superintending Engineer Dharmender Singh Phogat said.

He said the department aims to maintain a certain level of water in the Yamuna till February 24.

This move is likely to reduce the “foul smell” from the Yamuna, Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) assistant engineer Arvind Kumar said when asked about the development.

“If 500 cusecs of water has been released into the Yamuna to control pollution, it will certainly have an impact. This will also improve the oxygen level in the Yamuna in Mathura and in Agra. This move may not make the Yamuna’s water fit for drinking, but could reduce foul smell from the river,” he said.

Gopeshwar Nath Chaturvedi who is associated with the Shri Mathur Chaturvedi Parishad that is working to clean the Yamuna, said,”The move will hardly have any impact on the river.” 

Srinagar: At least three militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, police officials said on Wednesday.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Tral area of Pulwama district late Tuesday night following information about presence of militants there, a police official said.

He said during searches, an encounter broke out between militants and security forces.

Three unidentified militants were killed in the gunfight, the official said adding more details were awaited.

Washington: US President Donald Trump has said he is “saving the big deal” with India for later and he “does not know” if it will be done before the presidential election in November, clearly indicating that a major bilateral trade deal during his visit to Delhi next week might not be on the cards.

“We can have a trade deal with India. But I’m really saving the big deal for later,” he told reporters at Joint Base Andrews Tuesday afternoon (local time).

Trump is scheduled to visit India on February 24 and 25.

The US and India could sign a “trade package” during the visit, according to media reports.

Asked whether he expects a trade deal with India before the visit, Trump said, “We’re doing a very big trade deal with India. We’ll have it. I don’t know if it’ll be done before the election, but we’ll have a very big deal with India.”

US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, the point-person for trade negotiations with India, is likely to not accompany Trump to India, sources said. However, officials have not ruled it out altogether.

In an apparent dissatisfaction over US-India trade ties, Trump said, “We’re not treated very well by India.” But he praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said he is looking forward to his visit to India.

“I happen to like Prime Minister Modi a lot,” Trump said.

“He told me we’ll have seven million people between the airport and the event. And the stadium, I understand, is sort of semi under construction, but it’s going to be the largest stadium in the world. So it’s going to be very exciting… I hope you all enjoy it,” he told reporters.

Meanwhile, the US-India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF) in a report said the latest quarterly data depict continuation of overall positive bilateral trade trends. The third quarter data reflects some downslide in growth rates.

“It may be due to several reasons, including the unexpected economic slowdown in India’s economic growth, impact of US-China trade war, GSP withdrawal from the US side and retaliatory tariffs on specific US goods from the Indian side,” USISPF said.

According to the report, the data available for the first three quarters of 2019 (January-September) pulled the overall growth rate in cumulative bilateral trade down to 4.5 percent from 8.4 percent registered for the first two quarters.

Goods and services trade performance in third quarter was dismal at -2.3 percent, in contrast with the impressive 9.6 percent growth witnessed for the first two quarters of the year; while trade in services was up two percent goods trade dropped five percent, the report said.

The cumulative US-India trade in goods and services (USD 110.9 billion) for the first three quarters of 2019 increased 4.5 percent with US exports and imports growing at four percent and five percent respectively.

The US exported USD 45.3 billion worth of goods and services to India in the first three quarters 2019, up 4 percent from the corresponding period in the previous year; and the US imported USD 65.6 billion worth of goods and services from India, up five percent from the previous year’s USD 62.5 billion level for the same period, it said.

The USISPF has projected that the total bilateral trade can touch USD 238 billion by 2025 if the current 7.5 percent average annual rate of growth sustains; however, higher growth rates can result in bilateral trade in the range of USD 283 billion and USD 327 billion.

The US remains the top trading partner for India in terms of trade in goods and services, followed by China. While the bilateral trade between US and India is approximately 62 percent in goods and 38 percent in services, the bilateral trade between India and China is dominated by goods.

India’s trade with China grew 13 percent in 2018, while India’s goods trade with the US increased 18 percent.

China had a huge trade surplus of USD 58 billion with India, indicating Beijing’s strength in the Indian market, especially in sectors, such as electronics, machinery, organic chemicals, plastics and medical devices.

The US goods exports to India, in comparison, were mainly concentrated in mineral fuels, precious stones, and aircraft. The US faces tough competition with China in the Indian market in areas such as electronics, machinery, organic chemicals and medical devices.

Lahore: UN chief Antonio Guterres on Tuesday said the opening of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor is a practical example of Pakistan’s desire for peace and inter-faith harmony, as he visited the revered Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev.

The Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbhandhik Committee and Evacuee Trust Property Board officials received the UN Secretary General at Kartarpur Sahib, some 125kms from Lahore. A Sikh boy presented him a bouquet.

Guterres was also briefed about the Kartarpur Corridor pact between Pakistan and India. He was told that Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan took this initiative to facilitate the Sikh community of India and elsewhere to visit the shrine.

The corridor links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan’s Kartarpur – the final resting place of Sikh faith’s founder Guru Nanak Dev – to Dera Baba Nanak shrine in India’s Gurdaspur district.

Wearing an orange scarf, Guterres visited different parts of the Gurdwara. He was served with traditional food in lunch along with Sikhs and Pakistani officials.

Strict security measures were taken during the visit.

Indian Sikhs in good number were also present at Kartarpur Sahib.

Talking to media persons, the UN Secretary General said the Kartarpur Corridor is a practical example of Pakistan’s desire for peace and inter-faith harmony, Radio Pakistan reported.

He said the opening of the corridor is a good step and it will promote tolerance and interfaith harmony.

The UN chief appreciated the facilities being provided to Sikh pilgrims at the complex.

Talking to the state television after his visit, Guterres said: “This is a very emotional moment… and I cannot be here without having a very strong feeling. It is wonderful to see interfaith dialogue. It is wonderful to see in the same shrine today Sikhs, Muslims, Christians, maybe Hindus — all worshipping in harmony and in peace”.

He further said this is the best symbol that “we can give for a world in peace and for a world in which there is a mutual respect and there is the acceptance of what is different recognising that diversity is a blessing, is a richness, not a threat.

“When we see so many parts of the world fighting in the name of religion, it’s necessary to say that religions unite us for peace and the best symbol is this shrine”.

Later in the day, he visited Badshahi Masjid and had dinner at Hazuri Bagh area outside the Lahore Fort.

“I’ve been to Amritsar, today I’m here, to pay tribute to the contribution of the Sikh community all over the world for our planet. I’m a Christian but I feel very much at home when I am in a Sikh shrine and where I can pray to God here together with the Sikh community,” he said.

Khan inaugurated the Kartarpur Corridor on November 9, 2019 in connection with the 550 birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the corridor from the Indian side on the same day by flagging off the first batch of over 500 Indian pilgrims, including former premier Manmohan Singh and Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal.

Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan is located across the river Ravi, about four kilometres from the Dera Baba Nanak shrine. It was established by the Sikh Guru in 1522. The first Gurdwara, Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, was built here, where Guru Nanak Dev is said to have died.

Earlier in the day, Guterres addressed students at the Lahore University of Management Sciences and urged them to focus on new technologies. He termed climate change as the major issue the world is facing today. He also inaugurated a polio campaign.

Pakistan is one of the three countries where polio is still endemic.