Bengal polls LIVE: TMC govt did nothing for farmers, Adivasis, says Nadda

'TMC supremo has started reciting Sanskrit slokas to assert her Hindu identity, alleged the BJP President. Stay tuned for the Latest LIVE news

Alleging that the Mamata Banerjee dispensation has not done anything for the welfare of farmers and Adivasis in West Bengal, BJP president J P Nadda on Tuesday claimed that after practising politics of appeasement for years, the TMC supremo has started reciting Sanskrit slokas to assert her Hindu identity.

Slamming the Mamata Banerjee government over alleged slide in the law and order situation, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday the "khela" (game) that will be played in West Bengal after the BJP's victory in the assembly election will be that of development and peace. He asserted the BJP will form its government in the state winning more than 200 of the 294 seats.

Earlier in the day, the Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved a bill to set up a Development Finance Institution (DFI) to generate funds for investment in the infrastructure sector. The proposed legislation will give effect to the Budget announcement made by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1. The government has proposed Rs 20,000 crore to capitalise the institution.

Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court today asked what had prompted the Mumbai police to hold a press conference last year over the alleged Television Rating Points (TRP) scam. The court was hearing pleas filed by ARG Outlier Media Pvt Ltd, the company that owns Republic TV channels, and by journalist Arnab Goswami, seeking, among other reliefs, that the Mumbai police's probe into the TRP scam be transferred to the CBI or any other independent agency.
 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a virtual summit with his Finnish counterpart Sanna Marin today.

Stay tuned for the latest news of the day.

10:36 PM

30 coys of Railway Protection Special Force to be deployed for Bengal polls

10:22 PM

Congress releases a list of 14 candidates for Puducherry polls 2021

10:02 PM

Congress releases a list of 4 candidates for Tamil Nadu polls

8:55 PM

Fire at oil manufacturing unit in Navi Mumbai; no casualties

A fire erupted at an oil manufacturing company at Rabale MIDC of Navi Mumbai on Tuesday. No casualties were reported in the blaze, an official from the fire brigade said. The blaze erupted at around 5.30 pm, in which the oil manufacturing unit was completely gutted, the official said.

 

Four fire engines, two each from Rabale and Airoli, were pressed into service and the fire was put out after about two hours, he said. While no casualties were reported, two companies situated next to the oil unit were partially affected in the fire, he said. The cooling operations are underway and the cause of the fire will be probed, the official added.

8:43 PM

Haryana relaxes tax on agriculture land in urban areas

The Haryana government on Tuesday said it would not levy property tax on the land used for agriculture in urban areas. With this, Haryana has become the first state in the country to exclude land used for agriculture only from the purview of tax by making amendments in the property tax laws.

 

On Monday, the government passed a Bill in the Assembly this regard.

 

An official spokesperson said under the provisions mentioned in serial number 49 of List-II (State List) of the seventh schedule of the Constitution, state governments have the right to levy property tax on lands and buildings, and do so. With the amendment, a provision has been made to levy property tax only on the basis of the value of the property and to set a minimum rate for it. However, municipalities will also have the right to levy property tax at a higher rate.

8:26 PM

Mamata Banerjee responsible for everything happening in West Bengal: Prakash Javadekar

8:25 PM

No proposal for scrutiny of GST assessment in faceless mode: Anurag Thakur

There is no proposal of faceless scrutiny assessment of GST returns as the Goods and Services Tax rule already provide for electronic filing and assessment, Minister of State for Finance Anurag Singh Thakur said on Tuesday.

 

Income tax assessments are being done in a faceless manner except in certain conditions and till March 10, a total of 82,072 assessment cases have been completed in a faceless manner, he added. READ MORE...

7:53 PM

Rajya Sabha passes National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Bill

Rajya Sabha on Tuesday passed a bill which seeks to provide for regulation and maintenance of standards of education and services by allied and healthcare professionals. The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Bill, 2020, was passed by Rajya Sabha through a voice vote.

 

Replying to a debate on the bill, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said that of the 110 recommendations made by a parliamentary committee on it, the government accepted 102 while six recommendations were accepted with slight modifications. Only two recommendations were not accepted.

 

The bill provides for regulation and maintenance of standards of education and services by allied and healthcare professionals, assessment of institutions, maintenance of a central register and state register and creation of a system to improve research and development and adoption of latest scientific advancement.

7:46 PM

BJP's Sindhu Kanu Samman Yatra bus in West Bengal was vandalised earlier today: J P Nadda

7:34 PM

Not all banks will be privatised, interest of workers to be protected: FM Nirmala Sitharaman

In a strong counter to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's criticism of the government's privatisation policy, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Tuesday that the previous UPA regime was the epitome of corruption, which privatised taxpayers' money besides nationalising corruption.

 

Rahul Gandhi had alleged in a tweet on Tuesday that selling public sector banks to cronies will compromise the country's financial security. "Government of India (GOI) is privatising profit and nationalising loss. Selling PSBs to Modi cronies gravely compromises India's financial security," Gandhi tweeted. READ ON...

6:52 PM

Mamata govt has not done anything for farmers, Adivasis: J P Nadda at poll rally

Alleging that the Mamata Banerjee dispensation has not done anything for the welfare of farmers and Adivasis in West Bengal, BJP president J P Nadda on Tuesday claimed that after practising politics of appeasement for years, the TMC supremo has started reciting Sanskrit slokas to assert her Hindu identity.

 

She left several Hindu OBC castes such as Mahishya and Teli out of the reserved category because of her "politics of appeasement", and the BJP, if voted to power, will take steps to include them, Nadda said while addressing a rally at Kotulpur in Bankura district.

 

Banerjee had won elections in the name of 'Ma, Mati, Manush' (Mother, Land and People), Nadda said and alleged that during the last decade, her party has engaged in "torturing women, killing BJP workers, dictatorship, extortion and politics of appeasement".

6:13 PM

India's long jumper Murali Sreeshankar qualifies for Tokyo Olympics

6:11 PM

BJP CEC to meet tomorrow to finalise candidates names for fifth and sixth phase of West Bengal polls

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Central Election Committee (CEC) to meet tomorrow to finalise candidates names for the fifth and sixth phase of West Bengal Assembly Elections 2021.

6:02 PM

Mamata Banerjee called Batla House encounter fake; she should apologise: J P Nadda

5:49 PM

Mamata Banerjee is now doing Chandi Path: BJP president J P Nadda at Bankura

After practising politics of appeasement for years, Mamata Banerjee is now doing Chandi Path: BJP president J P Nadda at Bankura