Nation in Brief
India brings back 392 people including 2 Afghan lawmakers from Afghanistan
New Delhi, (PTI): India on Sunday brought back 392 people, including two Afghan lawmakers, in three different flights as part of the mission to evacuate its nationals and Afghan partners from Kabul in the backdrop of increasing hostilities by the Taliban and deteriorating security situation in the city after it fell to the militant outfit a week back.
A total of 168 people, including 107 Indians and 23 Afghan Sikhs and Hindus, were flown from Kabul to Hindon airbase near Delhi in a C-17 heavy-lift military transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF).
Another group of 87 Indians and two Nepalese nationals were brought back in a special Air India flight from Dushanbe, a day after they were evacuated to the Tajikistan capital in an IAF 130J transport aircraft, officials said.
Separately, 135 Indians, who were earlier evacuated from Kabul to Doha in the last few days by the US and NATO aircraft, were flown back from the Qatari capital city to Delhi on a special flight, they said.
The group of 168 people, who were evacuated from Kabul, included Afghan lawmakers Anarkali Honaryar and Narender Singh Khalsa and their families, people familiar with the evacuation mission said.
”India is our second home. Even if we are Afghans and live in that country, people often call us Hindustanis. I thank India for extending its helping hand,” Khalsa told reporters at the Hindon airbase near Delhi.
”I am feeling like crying. Everything is finished. It is a very difficult and painful decision to leave the country. We have not seen such a situation. Everything has been snatched away. It’s all over,” a visibly despondent Khalsa said when asked about the situation in Afghanistan.
With Sunday’s evacuation, the number of people evacuated by India from Kabul reached around 590 since last Monday.
Taking to Twitter, Farid Mamundzay, Afghanistan’s ambassador to India, thanked Indian friends for their messages of support.
”I appreciate the kind words of sympathy and support messages from all Indian friends and the diplomatic missions in New Delhi over the suffering of Afghans in the past few weeks, particularly the last 7-8 days.
”The avoidable suffering of Afghanistan is man-made and at a scale beyond all civilized contemplation. Afghanistan is going through a difficult time, and only good leadership, compassionate attitude, and international support to the Afghan people would somewhat bring an end to these miseries,” he tweeted.
India carried out the evacuation missions in coordination with the US and several other friendly countries.
It is learned that a small group of Indian officials is coordinating the evacuation mission at the Kabul airport and another batch of Indians is expected to be brought back from the Afghan capital on Monday.
However, it will depend on whether a sizeable number of Indians, as well as Indian-origin people, manage to reach the airport.
People familiar with the situation in Kabul said Afghan nationals who are having Indian visas are facing increasing scrutiny from the Taliban.
”Evacuation continues! IAF special repatriation flight with 168 passengers on board, including 107 Indian nationals, is on its way to Delhi from Kabul,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted hours before the plane landed at Hindon.
It is learned that the Indians evacuated to Doha from Kabul were employees of several foreign companies that were operating in Afghanistan.
”Bringing Indians home from Afghanistan! AI 1956 carrying 87 Indians departs from Tajikistan for New Delhi. Two Nepalese nationals also evacuated.
”Assisted and supported by our Embassy @IndEmbDushanbe. More evacuation flights to follow,” Bagchi tweeted at around 1:20 AM.
Two days after the Taliban seized control of Kabul, India evacuated 200 people including the Indian envoy and other staffers of its embassy in Kabul in two C-17 heavy-lift transport aircraft of the IAF.
The first evacuation flight brought back over 40 people, mostly staffers at the Indian embassy, on Monday last.
The second C-17 aircraft evacuated around 150 people including Indian diplomats, officials, security personnel, and some stranded Indians from Kabul on Tuesday.
The Taliban swept across Afghanistan this month, seizing control of almost all key towns and cities including Kabul in the backdrop of the withdrawal of the US forces.
Following the evacuation, the MEA said the focus now would be to ensure the safe return of all Indian nationals from the Afghan capital.
The MEA said the immediate priority for the government is to obtain accurate information about all Indian nationals currently staying in Afghanistan.
It also requested the Indians as well as their employers to urgently share the relevant details with the special Afghanistan cell that was set up on August 16.
Sources said the cell received more than 2,000 phone calls and answered over 6,000 WhatsApp queries during the first five days of its operation.
The cell answered more than 1200 e-mails during the period.
According to a rough estimate last week, the number of Indians stranded in Afghanistan could be around 400 and India has been looking at ways to evacuate them including by coordinating with the US and other friendly countries. (PTI)
BHUBANESHWAR, (PTI): The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) candidate Barsha Singh Bariha established an early lead of 1,712 votes over her nearest rival after the first round of counting for the by-poll to the Padampur assembly seat in Odisha’s Bargarh district on Thursday, an official said.
Bariha, the daughter of late MLA Bijay Ranjan Singh Bariha, whose death necessitated the by-poll, secured 5,501 votes, while the BJP’s Pradip Purohit bagged 3,789 votes.
Congress candidate Satya Bhusan Sahu got 206 votes.
In the first round, 9,797 votes were counted. Altogether there were 10 candidates in the fray. A high turnout of 81.29 per cent was recorded in Padamppur during the by-election held on Monday. (PTI)
KOLKATA, (PTI): Embarassed by the war of words between a section of its old guard and generation next leaders, Trinamool Congress on Saturday threatened action by its disciplinary committee if anyone in it badmouths other members in the media instead of discussing the issue within the party.
Party secretary general Partha Chatterjee, told reporters ”We ask everyone concerned to stop issuing statements and discuss matters within the party. Those who do not abide by this, they will be reported to the disciplinary committee and subjected to appropriate action.” With the annual Gangasagar Mela underway and civic polls to four municipal corporations in the offing, TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee’s remarks on halting political programmes and religious meetings for two months in view of the surging COVID pandemic had raised eyebrows last week.
The date for the municipal corporation poll has since been changed from January 22 to February 12 by the State Election Commission.
Banerjee had also come up with the Diamond Harbour Model as Bengal faced a spike in the number of coronavirus cases since the last week of December 2021.
On the occasion of Swami Vivekananda’s birthday, he wrote in the social media that more than 50,000 COVID tests were conducted in his Diamond Harbour parliamentary constituency, which is in sharp contrast to average regular testing figure of 65,000 to 70,000 across the state.
His Diamond Harbour Model implies maximum numbers of tests on a single day, strict implementation of COVID safety protocols, banning all political, social and religious meetings till the end of February, a dedicated control room and WhatsApp number for every panchayat and municipality, isolation centres, doctors on call and doctor and health staff-on-wheels facility in the constituency.
Three-time party MP Kalyan Banerjee had openly criticised the Diamond Harbour model on Thursday.
”What Diamond Harbour model ? There is only one model that Mamata Banerjee has come up with. We are all fighting COVID in our own ways,” he had said.
He had also criticised Abhishek Banerjee, who is the nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, for airing his views in public and speaking in the language of opposition BJP.
”I may have my own opinion on some issues. But should I broach it outside? We should never do it. There is a rule in an organisation. It seems someone is speaking in the language of the opposition BJP. People of the state had voted for Mamata Banerjee, our leader, in past elections. She is my leader. I don’t consider anyone else as my leader,” he had said.
Although TMC state general Kunal Ghosh tried to dispel the controversy by saying it was not one model versus other, he was critical of Kalyan Banerjee.
”Under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee the government is trying its hardest to combat the pandemic. The public representatives are always doing their level best in their own areas. Abhishek Banerjee is our national general secretary. What he said about containing the COVID-19 spike reflects the general public opinion. If someone speaks against our national general secretary, the disciplinary panel will take note of his utterances,” Ghosh had said.
TMC MP Aparupa Poddar echoing Ghosh said that Kalyan Banerjee should resign from his post of the party chief whip in Lok Sabha as he has violated its discipline.
Kalyan Banerjee in reply posted in the social media a few lines from a Bengali poem, which translated say ”The difference is all about having a spine and speaking the truth”.
To a question, Chatterjee said on Saturday that he has no information about any TMC supporter burning the effigy of Kalyan Banerjee in south Kolkata.
He was asked to comment on reports by TV news channels that some youths claiming to be members of Trinamool Yuva Congress had burning an effigy of Kalyan Banerjee at Bhawanipore in Kolkata for his comments against Abhishek Banerjee.
Bhowanipore is where both Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee stay. (PTI)
LUCKNOW, (ANI): The Election Commission on Saturday has issued notice to Samajwadi Party for allegedly violating the COVID-19 protocols in the party office at Lucknow’s Vikramaditya Marg. In the wake of rising COVID cases, the EC, in its order, had forbidden the political parties to hold roadshows, rallies, padayatras till January 15.
After a few media houses reported violation of COVID-19 guidelines to the Commission in a public gathering in the office compound of the Samajwadi Party on Friday, the Chief Electoral Officer was asked to report on the matter.
To which he stated that “existing COVID-19 protocols have been violated by organising the public gathering” in the Samajwadi party premises which the party said to be a “virtual rally”. Following this, on Friday an FIR was also registered against Samajwadi Party (SP). The Election Commission has sought an answer from the SP within 24 hours regarding the violation of the Commission’s guidelines.
Voting for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly will be held in seven phases from February 10 to March 7. The counting of votes will be held on March 10. (ANI)
MUMBAI: In a fresh case, a 29-year-old woman and aspiring actor has accused ULLU Digital Pvt Ltd CEO Vibhu Agarwal of molestation and sexual harassment. According to sources a fresh case has been filed after the woman submitted a written complaint to the Thane rural police last week.
Ullu CEO Vibhu Agarwal was not available for comment and WhatsApp messages sent to his last known phone numbers were unanswered.
According to the complaint, a producer associated with the Ullu Digital platform allegedly invited the victim for an audition wherein the CEO was also present.
The producer asked the woman to disrobe and audition nude for a web series project and when she refused, she was threatened with dire consequences.
The woman later on started getting “weird and vulgar” proposals and work assignments coupled with offers to “compromise” in lieu of work.
The police are investigating the case and are looking for senior Ullu Digital officials who are not available at the company office in Mumbai.
Sources say Ullu Digital CEO Vibhu Agarwal is presently in Lucknow. A team of local police have left for Lucknow to question Agarwal, sources said.
There was no response from the office of Ullu Digital with regards to this case.
Earlier, the former legal head of Ullu Digital Pvt Ltd had accused the CEO of molestation and criminal intimidation and an FIR was registered at the Amboli Police station in Mumbai.
Agarwal approached the Dindoshi Sessions court in suburban Mumbai and was granted conditional anticipatory bail in the case.
CHANDIGARH, (ANI): Former Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Sunday paid tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his birth anniversary and shared his late father’s picture when he was sworn in as Rajpramukh by Sardar Patel.
Taking to Twitter, Amarinder said, “Remembering #SardarVallabhbhaiPatel on his birth anniversary. Proud that Patiala state was one of the first princely states to accede to the Indian Union. Sharing a picture of my father, Maharaja Yadavindra Singh being sworn in as Rajpramukh by Sardar Patel.”
Since 2014, October 31 is observed as National Unity Day marking the birth anniversary of Iron Man of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and today is his 146th birth anniversary.
Earlier in the day, President Ram Nath Kovind also paid tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his birth anniversary and said that the citizens of India will always remain indebted to him for establishing a work culture based on morality and service to the nation.
Meanwhile, other Union Ministers including Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, Hardeep Singh Puri, Piyush Goyal among others also paid tributes to Sardar Patel. Goyal called Patel ‘a stalwart of India’s freedom struggle’, while others highlighted his contributions to the country. (ANI)
Nation in Brief
TV channels told to air messages asking people to follow Covid norms during festivities
NEW DELHI, (PTI): The Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry has told all private satellite TV channels to broadcast messages encouraging people to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour and not let their guards down during the festive season.
The ministry said India has achieved the landmark of administering over 100 crore Covid vaccine doses but remaining vigilant remains crucial, especially during the festivals which should be celebrated with utmost precautions.
It noted that media has been at the forefront of informing people about the need to adhere to COVID-19 norms. ”In the context of the upcoming festive season, it is advised that private satellite TV channels may broadcast messages and other content to inform people about the crucial need to adhere to COVID appropriate behaviour, exercise due precautions, avoid crowded places, adhere to limits on public gathering, and not let our guards down,” the advisory issued on Saturday stated.
”As you, all are aware, with continued and collaborative efforts of the central and state governments, India has achieved the landmark of administering over 100 crore vaccine doses.
”While vaccination is one of the prime interventions against COVID-19, the prime minister has emphasized that we must continue to exercise precaution by following Covid-appropriate behavior (maintaining physical distance, wearing masks, regular handwashing, etc.) to prevent the risk of future resurgence of COVID-19,” the advisory stated.
It remains crucial to not let the guard down, especially during the festive season, remain vigilant, and celebrate festivals with utmost precautions, it said, adding the health ministry has issued standard operating procedures of preventive measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 during festivals.
India added 15,906 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total tally to 3,41,75,468, while the active cases declined to 1,72,594, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday. The death toll climbed to 4,54,269 with 561 fresh fatalities.
The daily rise in new coronavirus infections has been below 30,000 for 30 straight days and less than 50,000 daily new cases have been reported for 119 consecutive days now. (PTI)
NEW DELHI, (PTI): The withdrawal of the Southwest Monsoon commenced on Wednesday and it receded from some parts of West Rajasthan and adjoining Gujarat, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
This is the second-most delayed withdrawal of the Southwest Monsoon since 1960. Monsoon withdrawal from northwest India in 2019 started on October 9, according to R K Jenamani, senior forecaster with the National Weather Forecasting Centre of the IMD.
The withdrawal of the Southwest Monsoon from northwest India usually begins from September 17.
The wind system is expected to retreat from Delhi in three to four days.
”In view of the establishment of an anti-cyclonic circulation in the lower tropospheric levels over western parts of northwest India and substantial reduction in moisture content and rainfall, the withdrawal of the Southwest Monsoon has commenced,” the IMD said in a statement. The Southwest Monsoon has withdrawn from some parts of West Rajasthan and adjoining Gujarat, it said, adding that the withdrawal line passes through Bikaner, Jodhpur, Jalore, Bhuj and Lat.
”Conditions are favourable for further withdrawal of the Southwest Monsoon from some more parts of Gujarat, entire Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and some parts of Madhya Pradesh during the next three to four days,” the MeT Department said.
The monsoon withdrawal started on September 28 last year, October 9 in 2019, September 29 in 2018, September 27 in 2017 and September 15 in 2016, according to IMD data.
The country received ”normal” rainfall during the four-month Southwest Monsoon season from June to September.
All India monsoon rainfall during June 1 to September 30 has been 87 cm against the Long Period Average of 88 cm of 1961-2010 (99 percent of its LPA).
This is for the third consecutive year that the country has recorded rainfall in the normal or above normal category. Rainfall was above normal in 2019 and 2020.
The rainfall over the country as a whole was 110 per cent in June, 93 and 76 per cent in July and August respectively — the months that bring the maximum rains. However, the shortfall of July and August was compensated in September which recorded rainfall 135 per cent of the LPA.
The Southwest Monsoon made its onset over Kerala on June 3, after a delay of two days. It rapidly covered central, west, east, northeast and south India by June 15.
It also covered many parts of north India, even Barmer and Jaisalmer, its last outposts, but the monsoon winds failed to reach Delhi, parts of Haryana and west Uttar Pradesh.
It then witnessed a lull. It finally covered Delhi, parts of Haryana and west Uttar Pradesh, on July 13, five days after its normal onset date, belying IMD’s forecasts.
The Northeast Monsoon, which brings rainfall to southern states from October to December, is likely to be normal, according to the IMD. (PTI)
Nation in Brief
Delhi HC to hear Google’s plea on Friday against ‘leak’ of CCI probe information to media
New Delhi, (PTI): The Delhi High Court Thursday agreed to hear a plea by Internet giant Google protesting against alleged leak of information to media relating to an ongoing investigation by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) into Google’s Android smartphone agreements.
The petition was mentioned before a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh for an urgent listing and the court allowed it for hearing on Friday.
Google in a statement said that on September 18, 2021, a confidential interim fact-finding report submitted by the Director General’s office to the CCI relating to an ongoing investigation into Google’s Android smartphone agreements, was leaked to the media.
It said Google has not yet received or reviewed this confidential report.
The company said it has filed the petition in the court seeking redress in this matter, specifically protesting against the breach of confidence which impairs Google’s ability to defend itself and harms it and its partners.
A Google spokesperson said, “We are deeply concerned that the Director General’s report, which contains our confidential information in an ongoing case, was leaked to the media while in the CCI’s custody. Protecting confidential information is fundamental to any governmental investigation, and we are pursuing our legal right to seek redress and prevent any further unlawful disclosures.
”We cooperated fully and maintained confidentiality throughout the investigative process, and we hope and expect the same level of confidentiality from the institutions we engage with.”
DG’s findings do not reflect the final decision of the CCI and the submission of the investigation report is an interim procedural step, it said, adding that Google has not yet had the opportunity to review them, much less submit its defence of any allegations.
According to reports, the CCI probe has found Google allegedly abusing its dominant position with respect to mobile operating system Android.
On this, Google has said that Android has led to more competition and innovation.
The reports said it has been found that Google indulged in unfair business practices in relation to Android.
After prima-facie finding alleged violation of competition norms, the watchdog, in early 2019, had ordered a detailed probe against Google in this regard.
As per procedure, CCI will closely analyse the probe report and seek the views and submissions of the parties concerned before passing an order. (PTI)
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