LIVE: Delhi's law and order situation in 'serious turmoil', says Kejriwal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate The India Toy Fair 2021 via videoconferencing today.

The fair, which will conclude on March 2, aims to bring together all stakeholders including buyers, sellers, students, teachers, designers on a virtual platform to create sustainable linkages and encourage dialogue for the overall development of the toy industry, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in the statement.

Bollywood megastar Hrithik Roshan has been summoned to appear before the Mumbai crime branch at 11 am today to record his statement in a case he registered against actor Kangana Ranaut in 2016 involving an exchange of emails between the two. In 2016, Roshan had filed a complaint alleging that someone impersonating him was emailing Ranaut from a bogus email id.

The Congress will hold two Kisan Mahapanchayat in Bikaner and Chittorgarh districts of Rajasthan in the presence of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and other senior party leaders today.

Stay tuned for the latest news of the day.

11:43 PM

Chidambaram slams govt over its stand on farmers' protest

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday attacked the government over the ongoing farmers' protest, saying the reward to the farm sector for growing at 3.9 per cent in a recession year is to treat the protesting farmers as if they are enemies of the state, PTI said.

11:16 PM

Bureaucrats may misuse vast powers of new social media rules: Congress

The Congress Saturday alleged the government has brought "non-statutory" guidelines without Parliament's assent to control social media platforms, saying vast powers have been given to bureaucrats which could be misused, according to PTI.

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi did say social media cannot be left unregulated, but added no attempt should be made to control it through non-statutory rules and executive orders.

10:26 PM

SC not to use WhatsApp groups to share video conference links for hearings

The Supreme Court will no longer use WhatsApp groups to share video conference links for court hearings, the apex court registry said on Saturday, accordint to a PTI report.

In a circular, the registry said that instead of WhatsApp, the links for virtual court hearings in the apex court will be shared on registered email ids and registered mobile numbers of the concerned advocates-on-record and party-in-person.

10:14 PM

Actively pursuing Airbus to begin manufacturing aeroplanes in India: Goyal

Union minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday said he is "actively pursuing" Airbus to begin manufacturing aeroplanes in India, according to PTI.

 

Addressing the CEOs session at the country's first Toy Fair 2021, the Commerce and Industry Minister said: "We are looking at world domination in the toy sector and anything short of that would be a terrible disappointment".

9:56 PM

RJD to contest Assembly polls in Assam, looking at forming alliance with other parties: Tejaswi

Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) leader Tejaswi Yadav on Saturday said that his party will contest upcoming Assembly elections in Assam and are in talks with other parties for an alliance, according to ANI.

 

"Earlier, our party used to be a national party and now we want to expand as a political party. Without contesting elections, we can't achieve that. Assam is the gateway to the northeast. We've decided to contest Assembly polls in Assam," Tejaswi said while addressing a press conference in Guwahati.

8:53 PM

465 electric four-wheelers registered since the launch of Delhi's EV policy last year: Gahlot

A total of 465 electric four-wheelers have been registered since the notification of Delhi's electric vehicle (EV) policy last year, Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said on Saturday.

He said incentives of up to Rs 3 lakh are provided under Delhi's EV policy, which includes 1.5 lakh subsidy, registration, and road tax exemption.

Since the launch of the policy, 465 new electric four-wheelers have been registered, Gahlot said.

"This is the highest subsidy in India and makes the total cost of ownership of an electric car in Delhi the same as a diesel car. Subsidies provided on electric cars under the EV policy reduce the total cost of electric cars by up to 30 per cent," the minister said.

7:50 PM

Delhi's law and order situation in 'serious turmoil': Delhi CM Kejriwal

7:49 PM

Delhi's law and order situation in 'serious turmoil': Kejriwal

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said Delhi's law and order situation is in "serious turmoil" citing the recent murder of an eight-year-old girl and stabbing of a teenaged boy, and requested the Union home minister under whom the city police function for appropriate action.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia met the family of the deceased girl in Khichripur. He assured the family the case would be tried in a fast-track court and that best lawyers would be engaged to ensure death penalty to the guilty.

7:09 PM

BJP begins selection process for candidates in poll-bound states, UT

Ahead of Assembly elections in four poll-bound states and a Union Territory beginning from March end, the BJP has kick-started its process to identify and select potential candidates.

 

All the party units in West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry have started directing their district level groups to prepare a list of potential candidates for the polls.

 

The party has asked observers in these states and the UT to find out and prepare a list of candidates from grassroots workers to office-bearers who have reach in the public, based on demography of the concerned constituency and its voter composition.

6:41 PM

West Bengal Assembly elections: Polling stations in Darjeeling increased in view of Covid-19

District Election Officer of Darjeeling and District Magistrate Shashank Sethi has increased the polling stations in five Assembly constituencies in the district for the upcoming polls in the view of ongoing pandemic.

In the last polls, there were 1,413 polling stations and now it has been increased to 1,719. There are 12,22,190 voters in the district.

Darjeeling will go for the polling in the fifth phase on April 17. Two companies of the central armed police forces will be arriving in the district, officials said.

6:25 PM

Single-phase poll in Bengal if BJP voted to power: Dilip Ghosh

Slamming West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for raising questions over eight-phase assembly elections, state BJP president Dilip Ghosh Saturday said it was required because of the "political violence unleashed by the ruling TMC", and asserted that his party will ensure single-phase poll if voted to power.

He also vowed to make the state free from violence and terror if the BJP comes to power.

"The eight-phase poll in the state is to ensure a free and fair election. Political violence unleashed by the TMC is rampant in the state," Ghosh said during a 'chai pe charcha' (discussion over tea) session.

The BJP MP said it will be a matter of pride if the polls are conducted in a single-phase.

5:35 PM

Our party used to be a national party, now we want to expand it. Talks on: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav

4:56 PM

Comments against judges a disturbing new trend: Ravi Shankar Prasad

"We can surely criticise the reasoning of a judgement. But, I foresee a new trend which I need to flag today", Prasad said referring to "grossly unfair" comments on social media against judges by those who file PILs and feel aggrieved when the judgement is not favourable.

4:22 PM

Ind-Ra upgrades FY21 credit growth estimates to 6.9%

India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) has upgraded its FY21 credit growth estimates to 6.9 per cent from 1.8 per cent, given the improved economic environment in 2H FY21 and the government's focus on higher -- spending especially on infrastructure.

Amid the pandemic, the credit offtake in banking system remained muted, which led to lesser issuances of certificates of deposits (CDs). The CD issuances for January 2021 increased for public sector banks but remained muted for private banks. Concurrently, the CD yield across maturities was confined to a narrow range amid subdued issuances.

The issuances of commercial paper (CP) by corporates fell due to a lesser requirement amid fewer rollovers. The CP yields, however, saw an upward revision due to the Reserve Bank of India's announcement of the restoration of liquidity management operations.

3:42 PM

Left-Congress-ISF alliance to kick off Bengal campaign with mega Kolkata rally

The Left-Congress-ISF alliance will kick-off its campaign for the upcoming assembly elections in West Bengal with a mega rally at the Brigade Parade Grounds in Kolkata on Sunday.

The CPI(M)-led Left Front and the Congress have already sealed a seat-sharing agreement, while the talks between the Left and Pirzada Abbas Siddiqui's ISF have also concluded with both agreeing on 30 seats for the newly- floated outfit.

The negotiations between Congress and the Indian Secular Front (ISF) are at present underway, and both sides are hopeful that the differences over a few seats would be resolved, sources said.