Category: Political News

Vaccines are answer, not one-day lockdowns: Omar Abdullah | India News – Times of India

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SRINAGAR: National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Sunday said one-day shutdowns to contain the spread of coronavirus is a “meaningless tokenism” which can lead to complacency, and called for allowing more people to take vaccine against Covid-19.
The Madhya Pradesh government had on March 19 announced Sunday lockdowns in Bhopal, Indore and Jabalpur till further orders in view of the spurt in coronavirus cases.
“With a rampaging virus that has a 2-14 day incubation period this one-day lockdown is meaningless tokenism. All it will do is create a misplaced sense of complacency,” Abdullah tweeted.
The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said vaccines were the answer to the spread of Covid-19 and called for opening up the vaccines to more people.
“Vaccines are the answer not one day lockdowns. Open up vaccines to more people,” he added.
His statement came as India recorded 43,846 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, the highest single-day rise so far this year.
India is currently vaccinating people above 60 and those aged between 45-59 years with 20 identified comorbidities.

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Eight States Showing Rising Trajectory in Covid-19 Cases: Health Ministry

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A rising trajectory of daily new cases is visible in eight states and UTs, including Delhi and Maharashtra, while Kerala is showing a declining trend, the Health Ministry said on Saturday. The ministry said Maharashtra, Kerala and Punjab cumulatively account for 76.22 per cent of India’s total active caseload, with Maharashtra contributing to 62 per cent of such cases, while Kerala and Punjab account for 8.83 per cent and 5.36 per cent of active cases respectively.

The top five districts in Maharashtra recording the highest number of cases are Pune (37,384), Nagpur (25,861), Mumbai (18,850), Thane (16,735) and Nashik (11,867). The top five districts in Kerala recording the highest number of cases are Ernakulam (2,673), Pathanamthitta (2,482), Kannur (2,263), Palakkad (2,147) and Thrissur (2,065).

The top five districts in Punjab recording the highest number of cases are Jalandhar (2,131), SAS Nagar (1,868), Patiala (1,685), Ludhiana (1,643) and Hoshiarpur (1,572). “A rising trajectory of daily new cases is visible in eight states. These are Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka and Haryana. Kerala is showing a consistently declining trend,” the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry further said that five states account for 81.38 per cent of the new deaths. Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties at 70, Punjab followed with 38 daily deaths and Kerala reported 17 deaths in the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, fifteen states and UTs have not reported any COVID-19 deaths in the last 24 hours. These are Assam, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Puducherry, Lakshadweep, Sikkim, Ladakh, Manipur, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Arunachal Pradesh.

The ministry further said India has scaled a significant peak in its battle against COVID-19 pandemic. The total vaccination coverage has surpassed 4 crore. “About 4,20,63,392 vaccine doses have been administered through 6,86,469 sessions, as per the provisional report till 7 am today. These include 77,06,839 healthcare workers (HCWs) (first dose), 48,04,285 HCWs (second dose), 79,57,606 frontline workers (FLWs)(first dose) and 24,17,077 FLWs (second dose), 32,23,612 beneficiaries aged more than 45 years with specific co-morbidities (first dose) and 1,59,53,973 beneficiaries aged more than 60 years,” it said.

As on day 63 of the vaccination drive (March 19), 27,23,575 vaccine doses were given. Eighty per cent of the 27.23 lakh vaccine doses administered in the last 24 hours are from 10 states. Of the total, 24,15,800 beneficiaries were vaccinated across 38,989 sessions for first dose (HCWs and FLWs) and 3,07,775 HCWs and FLWs received second dose of vaccine.

The ministry said eight states account for 60 per cent of the cumulative vaccine doses given so far. They are Kerala, Karnataka, Odisha, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

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WhatsApp, FB down for 50-55 mins yesterday, but development in Bengal down for past 50-55 years: PM Modi

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Drawing a parallel with Friday’s social media outage, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday said while everybody was worried when platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook were down for just 50-55 minutes, West Bengal’s development has been down for past 50-55 years.

Speaking at a public rally in Bengal’s Kharagpur ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in the state, he said, “Yesterday WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook were down for 50-55 minutes, everybody got worried. But in Bengal, development and dreams have been down for 50-55 years. First, it was Congress, then Left, and now Trinamool Congress, who have blocked state’s development.”

He claimed that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee government stands like a wall to block the central schemes and blamed her for wasting  “precious ten years” of the youth. “Didi’s government is reluctant to implement the new National Education Policy. She is not worried about the future of millions of youth of West Bengal, their career. I assure them that didi will not be allowed to play with their future,” he said.

Modi also said that Banerjee runs a ‘pathshala’ (school) of brutality in Bengal, the syllabus of which comprises ‘tolabaji‘ (extortion), cut money, syndicate and anarchy. He claimed, “Didi gets angry if asked to give an account of Amphan cyclone funds. If you ask for answers to the theft in ration rice, you are put in jail. Raise questions on the coal scam, the police gets you killed. If you ask for answers on jobs, then your house is burnt.”

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Mamata didi runs school of brutality, says Modi

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Claiming Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had betrayed the people of West Bengal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the Trinamool Congress chairperson and accused her of brutality towards political opponents.

“Mamata didi runs a school of brutality where tolabaji (extortion), cut money, syndicate and anarchy form syllabus,” Mr. Modi said, while addressing a rally in Kharagpur.

During his speech, the Prime Minister referred to the 2018 panchayat polls in the State and said that the whole world watched how the democratic rights of the people were curtailed by not allowing them to take part in elections.

“This time, Didi will not be allowed to trample on democratic rights. What the Trinamool Congress used to do in the previous election will not be allowed this time,” Mr. Modi said.

He raised slogans such as Bhoy noi, Sudu joi (No fear only victory) and Is Baar BJP Sarkar (This time, it will be a BJP government).

The Prime Minister also showered praise on State BJP president Dilip Ghosh, saying that the party was proud to have a chief like him who withstood several attacks at the hands of the Trinamool.

Mr. Modi also pointed out that about 130 of the BJP’s cadre had been killed by Trinamool workers.

Referring to Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee hailing from the State of West Bengal, the Prime Minister claimed that the BJP was the only party of Bengal in true sense.

“The DNA of the BJP has the DNA of Syama Prasad Mookerjee,” he added.

The remark by the Prime Minister is aimed to counter the campaign of the Trinamool that BJP is an outside party.

Mr. Modi also took a swipe at the Trinamool slogan Khela Hobe (The game will be played).

“Didi is saying Khela Hobe. Entire Bengal is saying ‘Khela Sesh Hobe Vikas Hobe (Game over, now there will be development),” he said.

The Prime Minister said that only a double-engine government of the BJP, with the party in power in both Delhi and Bengal, could bring the State out of distress.

Targeting Trinamool leader and Ms. Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee, the Prime Minister said that while in the entire country there were attempts to ease out processes and have a single-window system, in Bengal there was another unique single-window system.

“That single-window system in Bengal is Bhaipho [nephew] window,” he said.

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Eight states showing rising trajectory in Covid-19 cases: Health ministry | India News – Times of India

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NEW DELHI: A rising trajectory of daily new cases is visible in eight states and UTs, including Delhi and Maharashtra, while Kerala is showing a declining trend, the health ministry said on Saturday.
The ministry said Maharashtra, Kerala and Punjab cumulatively account for 76.22 per cent of India’s total active caseload, with Maharashtra contributing to 62 per cent of such cases, while Kerala and Punjab account for 8.83 per cent and 5.36 per cent of active cases respectively.
The top five districts in Maharashtra recording the highest number of cases are Pune (37,384), Nagpur (25,861), Mumbai (18,850), Thane (16,735) and Nashik (11,867).
The top five districts in Kerala recording the highest number of cases are Ernakulam (2,673), Pathanamthitta (2,482), Kannur (2,263), Palakkad (2,147) and Thrissur (2,065).
The top five districts in Punjab recording the highest number of cases are Jalandhar (2,131), SAS Nagar (1,868), Patiala (1,685), Ludhiana (1,643) and Hoshiarpur (1,572).
“A rising trajectory of daily new cases is visible in eight states. These are Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka and Haryana. Kerala is showing a consistently declining trend,” the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry further said that five states account for 81.38 per cent of the new deaths. Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties at 70, Punjab followed with 38 daily deaths and Kerala reported 17 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Meanwhile, fifteen states and UTs have not reported any COVID-19 deaths in the last 24 hours. These are Assam, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Puducherry, Lakshadweep, Sikkim, Ladakh, Manipur, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Arunachal Pradesh.
The ministry further said India has scaled a significant peak in its battle against COVID-19 pandemic. The total vaccination coverage has surpassed 4 crore.
“About 4,20,63,392 vaccine doses have been administered through 6,86,469 sessions, as per the provisional report till 7 am today. These include 77,06,839 healthcare workers (HCWs) (first dose), 48,04,285 HCWs (second dose), 79,57,606 frontline workers (FLWs) (first dose) and 24,17,077 FLWs (second dose), 32,23,612 beneficiaries aged more than 45 years with specific co-morbidities (first dose) and 1,59,53,973 beneficiaries aged more than 60 years,” it said.
As on day 63 of the vaccination drive (March 19), 27,23,575 vaccine doses were given. Eighty per cent of the 27.23 lakh vaccine doses administered in the last 24 hours are from 10 states.
Of the total, 24,15,800 beneficiaries were vaccinated across 38,989 sessions for first dose (HCWs and FLWs) and 3,07,775 HCWs and FLWs received second dose of vaccine.
The ministry said eight states account for 60 per cent of the cumulative vaccine doses given so far. They are Kerala, Karnataka, Odisha, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

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India Increasingly Important Partner for Indo-Pacific Dynamics: US Def Secy Lloyd Austin Tells Rajnath Singh

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Cooperation between like-minded partners are important, said US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on Saturday as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held wide-ranging talks with him, focusing on further expansion of bilateral strategic ties, evolving situation in the Indo-Pacific region and challenges of terrorism.

India is the third destination of Austin’s three-nation first overseas tour, and the visit is seen as a reflection of the Joe Biden administration’s strong commitment to its relations with its close allies and partners in the region.

“Indo Pacific faces acute challenges. Cooperation between like-minded partners are important,” Austin said after meeting Singh.

“India is an increasingly important partner to US especially because of the changing international dynamics in the Indo-pacific region,” he added, while addressing the India-US joint statement.

On Saturday morning, Austin visited the National War Memorial and paid tributes to India’s fallen heroes. Before the talks, he was given a guard of honour at the Vigyan Bhavan complex.

The US defence secretary called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and held talks with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval hours after his arrival in Delhi on Friday. In his meeting with Modi, he conveyed the Biden administration’s strong desire to further deepen strategic ties with India to address the pressing challenges facing the Indo-Pacific. Almost all key issues of mutual concerns, including China’s aggressive behaviour in the region, are learnt to have figured in the deliberations between Austin and Doval.

“Thrilled to be here in India. The breadth of cooperation between our two nations reflects the significance of our major defense partnership, as we work together to address the most pressing challenges facing the Indo-Pacific region,” Austin tweeted on Friday. People familiar with the US official’s visit said earlier that India’s plan to procure around 30 multi-mission armed Predator drones from the US for the three services at an estimated cost of over USD 3 billion is expected to figure in Austin-Singh talks.

The Indo-US defence ties have been on an upswing in the last few years. In June 2016, the US had designated India a “Major Defence Partner”.

The two countries have also inked key defence and security pacts over the past few years, including the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) in 2016 that allows their militaries use of each other’s bases for repair and replenishment of supplies as well as provides for deeper cooperation. The two sides have also signed COMCASA (Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement) in 2018 that provides for interoperability between the two militaries and provides for sale of high end technology from the US to India.

In October last year, India and the US sealed the BECA (Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement) agreement to further boost bilateral defence ties. The pact provides for sharing of high-end military technology, logistics and geospatial maps between the two countries.

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India important partner in rapidly shifting international dynamics, says US Defence Secy after talks with Rajnath Singh

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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and US Secretary of Defence Lloyd James Austin III Saturday held delegation-level talks at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. During their meeting, the leaders spoke about wide-ranging defence cooperation, expanding military to military engagement, information sharing and cooperation in emerging areas of defence, and mutual logistics support, Singh said.

Issuing a joint statement, Singh said, “We’re determined to realise the full potential of comprehensive global strategic partnership.”

Singh said the two sides reviewed many bilateral, multilateral exercises and agreed to increase cooperation between the Indian and US militaries. “We reviewed many bilateral and multilateral exercises, and agreed to increase cooperation between the Indian military, US Indo-Pacific command, Centre Command & Africa Command. We’ve signed LEMOA, COMCASA & BECA agreements and we’ve agreed to realise their full potential,” he said.

US Defence Secretary James Austin said, “Our relationship is a stronghold of free and open Indo-Pacific region. PM Narendra Modi stated India stands for freedom of navigation and freedom of overflight, unimpeded lawful commerce in adherence to international law. This reaffirms our shared vision for regional security.”

Austin reaffirmed the US’ commitment to a forward-looking defense partnership with India and said, “India is an increasingly important partner in rapidly shifting international dynamics. I reaffirm our commitment to a comprehensive forward-looking defense partnership with India as a central pillar of our approach to the Indo-Pacific region.”

Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and the three Services Chiefs were also present at the meeting.

Had fruitful talks with US Defence Secy, says Defence Min Rajnath Singh Singh said he had fruitful talks with US Defence Secretary James Austin and his delegation. (PTI Photo)

Earlier on Saturday, James Austin visited the National War Memorial at India Gate and was accorded a ceremonial guard of honour.

Austin’s arrival in New Delhi marks the first visit by a senior official of the Biden administration which came to power in January.

Austin arrived in New Delhi on Friday and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and conveyed Washington’s “strong desire” to further enhance the strategic partnership for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. He also conveyed the Biden administration’s “commitment towards strengthening the bilateral defence relations between the two countries”.

According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, PM Modi “outlined his vision for the strategic partnership between the two countries and emphasized the important role of bilateral defence cooperation in India-US ties”.

The visit comes days after the first-ever summit of the leaders of the Quadrilateral grouping, the Quad. The March 12 summit was attended by Biden, Modi, Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morison.

Austin’s visit to India will be part of his first international tour after taking charge as Secretary of Defense. In a statement last week, the Ministry of Defence said: “Austin’s visit to India as part of his first overseas travel emphasizes the strength of the India-US strategic partnership”.

It stated that “both sides are expected to discuss ways to further strengthen bilateral defence cooperation and exchange views on regional security challenges and common interests in maintaining a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region”.

In his January 27 phone call to Rajnath Singh, Austin had also noted the “great strides” made in the US-India defence relationship, and had pledged to work with the Defence Minister to sustain progress.

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SUV case | NIA recreates crime scene with Sachin Vaze near Ambani’s house ‘Antilia’

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The scene was recreated late on Friday night, in which Sachin Vaze was asked to walk there for some time wearing a white kurta, a police official said

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) took suspended Mumbai police officer Sachin Vaze to the spot where the explosives-laden Scorpio was found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence in Mumbai last month, and recreated the crime scene as part of its probe into the case, a police official said on Saturday.

The scene was recreated late on Friday night, in which Vaze was asked to walk there for some time wearing a white kurta, he said.

The NIA suspects that the person wearing a kurta, who was captured on the CCTV footage recorded at the spot – Carmichael Road – on the day of incident was Vaze, although it is being confirmed, officials had earlier said.

“A number of NIA officers on Friday night reached the place where the SUV was found near Ambani’s house. The road was barricaded for some time and the crime scene was recreated as part of the investigation,” the official said.

Vaze and the investigators were present at the spot for more than 30 minutes, he added.

“During the crime scene, the suspended assistant police inspector (Vaze) was asked to walk there for some time wearing a white kurta,” he said.

The entire process of reconstruction of the crime scene was video-recorded, the official said, adding that local police were also deployed at the spot.

The Scorpio was found parked near Ambani’s multi-storey residence ‘Antilia’ with gelatin sticks and a threat letter on February 25. Vaze was arrested by the NIA in connection with the case last Saturday. He was later suspended.

Vaze, an “encounter specialist”, has also been facing heat in the murder case of Thane-based businessman Mansukh Hiran, who was in possession of that SUV. Hiran was found dead in a creek on March 5. The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) is probing that case.

Hiran’s wife has accused Vaze of involvement in her husband’s suspicious death.

The NIA has so far questioned several officials of the Crime Intelligence Unit of city police, to which Vaze was attached, and seized a total of five high-end vehicles including two Mercedes cars. Vaze has been remanded in the NIA’s custody till March 25.

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Dattatreya Hosabale elected RSS general secretary | India News – Times of India

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NEW DELHI: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Saturday saw a change of guard with Dattatreya Hosabale being elected as its ‘Sarkaryavah’.
The Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha of RSS elected Hosabale as its ‘Sarkaryavah’ or general secretary.
Speculation were rife that Bhaiyyaji Joshi may step down as the ‘Sarkaryavaha’ of RSS on the second day of the Sangh’s triennial that began in Bengaluru on Friday, its first such meet outside Nagpur.
Hosabale will be RSS general secretary for three years.
Dattatreya belongs to Hosabale village in Karnataka’s Shivamogga district and joined RSS in 1968 and then the student organization Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in 1972.
He was imprisoned for more than a year under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) during emergency imposed by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
On Friday, the RSS said anti-national and anti-social forces were trying to foil efforts for a solution to the ongoing farmers’ agitation against three central farm laws.
“The prolonged protests are apparently being aimed at creating an environment of disturbance and instability in the country for political gain,” the RSS said in its annual report of 2020-21 released on the first day of the two-day triennial meeting of Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS), the RSS’s highest decision-making body.
It’s the RSS’s first official statement since the agitation broke out late last year.

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Dattatreya Hosabale is RSS’s New General Secretary

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Dattatreya Hosabale is the new Sarkaryawah (general secretary) of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. This has been a long wait for Hosabale, but finally he has replaced Suresh ‘Bhayyaji’ Joshi. Joshi assumed the role for the fourth time in 2018. Now Hosabale (65), who is younger to Joshi, (73) will take charge ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections and RSS centenary celebrations in 2025.

The decision was taken after an internal election in RSS’s Akhil Bharatiya Prathinidhi Sabha, which is an annual meeting of the top functionaries of the RSS. It was held in Bengaluru on March 19 and 20, and not in Nagpur because of the pandemic.

Hosabale was active during the Emergency from 1975 to 1977, and was arrested under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA). He also served as the general secretary for the student organisation ABVP.

He comes from Sorab in Shimoga district in Karnataka. He is a staunch supporter of the government’s key policies like NRC, NEP and vocal about conversions to other religions.

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