Live news: Jolt for BJP ahead of Bengal civic polls as 3 leaders rejoin TMC

Live news updates: Industrialist Rahul Bajaj will be cremated in Pune with state honours, Election Commission eases rules for campaigning.

Live news updates: India recorded 44,877 new cases of Covid-19 and 684 deaths from the disease in the last 24 hours, said the health ministry on Sunday. The country’s coronavirus infections tally increased to 42.63 million and total fatalities to 508,665.

The active case tally is at 537,045 and daily positivity rate at 3.17 per cent.

Industrialist Rahul Bajaj will be cremated in Pune with state honours on Sunday afternoon after his death from cardiac and lung ailments at age of 83.

The Bajaj Group patriarch made his company a household name with scooter models like Chetak and Priya. President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed their grief on his death and recalled his contributions.

Life Insurance Corporation of India’s board will meet Sunday to consider the state-owned company’s initial public offering (IPO) after the industry regulator reviewed the proposal. After the board approval, the proposal will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Board of India.

9:01 PM

Maharashtra sees 3,502 new Covid cases, 17 deaths

Maharashtra on Sunday reported 3,502 new coronavirus positive cases, over 850 less than the day ago, which took the state's infection count to 78,42,949, while 17 deaths pushed the toll to 1,43,404, the health department said. On Saturday, the state had logged 4,359 cases - over a thousand less than the previous day - and also reported 32 pandemic-related deaths.

 

At present, there are 45,905 active cases in Maharashtra.

 

A total of 9,815 patients were discharged during the day, which raised the overall recovery figure in the state to 76,49,669, it said in a statement, adding that the recovery rate is 97.54 per cent.

8:54 PM

Woman in wheelchair denied entry in Gurugram restaurant, owner apologises

A Gurugram restaurant faced huge outrage on social media after the staff denied entry to a 22-year-old disabled woman in a wheelchair. The disabled person has been identified as Shrishti Pandey, a resident of Delhi. The woman tweeted: "The staff first ignored me but later said that the wheelchair won't go inside, because it will disturb other customers."

 

"I decided to go out with my best friend & her family. We went to Raasta Gurgaon in the cyber hub and asked for a table for 4 people. Bhaiya (my friend's elder brother) asked for a table for four. The staff at the desk ignored him twice," she tweeted.

 

The woman further said, "Why do I always have to fight for the smallest of things? Why was I DENIED entry in a public place? Who are they to deny my entry just like that?"

8:44 PM

Mumbai sees 288 Covid cases, one fatality; 532 recover

Mumbai on Sunday reported 288 fresh coronavirus cases and one fatality due to the viral infection, taking the tally to 10,54,050 and the death toll to 16,683, the city civic body said.

 

A total of 532 patients recovered on Sunday, which raised the number of recoveries in Mumbai so far to 10,31,836, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said in a statement.

 

Mumbai is now left with 2,667 active cases, it said. Of the 288 new cases, 88 per cent or 253 cases were asymptomatic while 35 patients were admitted to hospitals. 13 patients are on Oxygen support, the statement said.

8:12 PM

Loans to ABG given during UPA rule, our govt detected fraud & took action: BJP

The BJP on Sunday hit back at the Congress over private firm ABG Shipyard allegedly cheating banks of over Rs 22,842 crore, saying that these loans were sanctioned when the UPA was in power whereas the Modi government has gone after the promoters behind such frauds.

 

BJP spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Syed Zafar Islam said that for the Congress to attack the government over the case is like a thief blaming cops for the crime.

 

Islam said all these loans were given prior to 2014 when the BJP came to power and added they had even turned non-performing assets (NPA) during the earlier dispensation.

8:05 PM

Hospitals with 200 beds in every Haryana district soon: CM

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday said his government will set up hospitals with a capacity of 200 beds each in every district of the state to provide better and affordable health care to its citizens.

 

He was speaking on the occasion of the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the proposed 500-bed hospital for Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) beneficiaries at Manesar here.

 

The labour force constitutes a large section of the society and it plays a significant role in development, especially in construction works. A healthy labour force is a sign of development of industries, Khattar said.

7:54 PM

Govt files draft papers with sebi for LIC IPO

The government on Sunday filed the draft papers with regulator Sebi for LIC IPO, which is expected to hit the capital market in March. The government will sell over 31 crore equity shares of LIC, according to the draft red herring prospectus filed with Sebi.

 

"The DRHP of LIC IPO has been filed today with the SEBI," Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) Secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey tweeted.

 

The government aims to come out with the IPO and subsequent listing of Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) on bourses by March. A portion of the IPO would be reserved for anchor investors. Also, up to 10 per cent of the LIC IPO issue size would be reserved for policyholders. Actuarial firm Milliman Advisors LLP India had worked out the embedded value of LIC, while Deloitte and SBI Caps have been appointed as pre-IPO transaction advisors.

7:42 PM

Govt files draft papers with market regulator Sebi for initial public offering of LIC: DIPAM Secretary

Govt files draft papers with market regulator Sebi for initial public offering of LIC: DIPAM Secretary

7:36 PM

BSP announces candidates on 47 seats for seventh phase of UP polls

The BSP released a list of 47 candidates on Sunday for the seventh phase of the ongoing Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

 

The list includes candidates for the constituencies of Azamgarh, Mau, Jaunpur, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Varanasi, Bhadohi, Mirzapur and Sonbhadra districts.

 

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has attempted to strike a fine caste balance in its list of candidates.

 

The Mayawati-led party has fielded its state president Bhim Rajbhar against mafia-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, who is presently lodged in the Banda jail, from Mau.

 

Five-time MLA Ansari won the 2017 Assembly election from Mau on a BSP ticket.

6:43 PM

Only BJP-led alliance can secure Punjab, uproot drug problem: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said only the BJP-led alliance can secure Punjab and uproot drugs from the state, even as he made a sharp attack against Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal.

Shah, in his first public rally for the February 20 state assembly polls, hit out at the Congress over the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and accused Congress leaders of being involved in killing of Sikhs in Delhi.

He also raised the issue of religious conversion of Sikhs and Hindus in the state and lambasted the Channi-led government for 'failing' to check this practice.

Shah also recalled the sacrifices made by the people of Punjab during the freedom struggle and also praised the state for contributing immensely towards making the country self-sufficient in foodgrain production.

Addressing the rally, he said it is only the BJP-led alliance that can secure Punjab, while questioning the ability of rival parties to do so.

Hitting out at Channi, the Congress' chief ministerial candidate, Shah said, "Channi sahib you are dreaming of forming another government. A person who could not secure the route of the prime minister, can he secure Punjab?"

He was referring to a "major security lapse" on January 5 in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi was stuck on a flyover in Punjab for 15-20 minutes due to a blockade by some protesters in Ferozepur and returned without attending an event at a martyrs' memorial.

"If you cannot provide security to the prime minister, then how can you secure Punjab? Channi ji, you do not have the right to run the administration for one second," Shah said.

6:34 PM

Our MLAs won't switch sides, vote for AAP: Chadha to Goans

After a news channel aired a video claiming that one candidate of the TMC and three of the Congress have taken bribes to join the ruling BJP after the Goa Assembly polls, the AAP on Sunday said it is an "eye-opener" for the people of the coastal state and called upon them to vote for its candidates, saying they will not switch sides.

The 40-member Goa Assembly will go to polls on Monday.

Latching on to the news channel's claim, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) spokesperson Raghav Chadha said it has made it clear that the votes cast for the Congress will go to the BJP's kitty once again.

In 2017 also, "most of the Congress MLAs" had switched sides and joined the saffron party, he pointed out.

This comes a day after the channel broadcast a video claiming that one candidate of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and three of the Congress have taken bribes to switch their allegiance if they emerge victorious in the election.

"A news channel, carrying out a sting operation, has exposed how the Congress and the TMC candidates, ahead of the election, are taking money to switch over to the BJP. This sting operation is an eye-opener for you. See and think if your votes for the Congress are reaching the BJP," Chadha said in a video message.

"It is my request to all Goans, do not waste your votes. Your votes are invaluable. Your votes will decide the future of Goa. Vote for the Aam Aadmi Party. The Aam Aadmi Party MLAs will not go to the BJP fold. The Congress and TMC (MLAs) will go," he added.

Earlier in the day, both the TMC and the AAP lodged complaints against each over the sting operation video broadcast on the channel.

5:25 PM

Those doing appeasement politics can't be 'Samajwadi': Rajnanth swipe at SP

Launching an attack on the Samajwadi Party, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said a true socialist is the one who takes every section of the society along and not those who indulge in politics of appeasement.

Those only speaking about 'Samajwad' (socialism) are 'khote sikke' (counterfeit coins) that cannot be used in the market, he said.

Addressing an election meeting in Ramnagar Assembly constituency here, Singh said the name Samajwadi Party' and its leaders did not go well together as merely having such a name does not make one Samajwadi.

Explaining socialism, the BJP senior leader said, A true Samajwadi is a person who takes everyone along. A person who indulges in politics of appeasement and attempts to form the government by dividing the society can never be a Samajwadi.

In an apparent reference to the SP leaders, Singh said, These people who are talking about Samajwad have turned into 'khote sikke' and you know khote sikke are not used in the market. Today's Samajwadi Party is not going to work in Uttar Pradesh politics.

Terming Barabanki a bastion of socialists, he said, When the Congress was ruling entire India, the people of this place stood with eminent socialists like Ram Sevak Yadav and Ram Manohar Lohia. But, ever since the fake 'Samajwadis' emerged in the state, people's myth was broken.

He said the BJP is a party that imbibed the original essence of socialism and stayed true to it.

5:22 PM

Assam CM defends father-son remarks on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi

Despite widespread criticism over his controversial father-son remarks on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday defended his comments and asserted that questioning the army personnel will "not be tolerated anymore".

In a series of tweets, Sarma posted several screenshots of news reports of the Congress' statements on the 2016 surgical strike and the appointment of Bipin Rawat as the army chief and the chief of defence staff among others.

"Is it wrong to stand by our great Armed forces? Let's not question their patriotism. Don't seek proof of what they did for the country.

"India is not just a union of states. 'Bharat' is our Maa, not just a motherland. Questioning the jawans is an insult to our Maa!" he wrote on the microblogging site.

He also alleged that the Congress "spared no effort to abuse and accuse General Bipin Rawat".

"From the day he became Army Chief, they questioned his abilities. But they get irked when I question them for disrespecting our brave soldiers. This is new India. Such attitude won't be tolerated anymore," he said.

Gen. Rawat died in a chopper crash in December last year. He had served as the chief of the Indian Army from December 17, 2016, to December 31, 2019, and was appointed as India's first chief of defence staff in 2019.

During a rally in poll-bound Uttarakhand, Sarma had on February 11 attacked Gandhi for demanding proof of the September 2016 surgical strike.

He also asked whether the BJP had ever demanded proof of him being the "son of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi".

This has led to a huge controversy with several opposition parties criticising Sarma for his "deplorable" statement.

5:22 PM

Assam CM defends father-son remarks on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi

Despite widespread criticism over his controversial father-son remarks on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday defended his comments and asserted that questioning the army personnel will "not be tolerated anymore".

In a series of tweets, Sarma posted several screenshots of news reports of the Congress' statements on the 2016 surgical strike and the appointment of Bipin Rawat as the army chief and the chief of defence staff among others.

"Is it wrong to stand by our great Armed forces? Let's not question their patriotism. Don't seek proof of what they did for the country.

"India is not just a union of states. 'Bharat' is our Maa, not just a motherland. Questioning the jawans is an insult to our Maa!" he wrote on the microblogging site.

He also alleged that the Congress "spared no effort to abuse and accuse General Bipin Rawat".

"From the day he became Army Chief, they questioned his abilities. But they get irked when I question them for disrespecting our brave soldiers. This is new India. Such attitude won't be tolerated anymore," he said.

Gen. Rawat died in a chopper crash in December last year. He had served as the chief of the Indian Army from December 17, 2016, to December 31, 2019, and was appointed as India's first chief of defence staff in 2019.

During a rally in poll-bound Uttarakhand, Sarma had on February 11 attacked Gandhi for demanding proof of the September 2016 surgical strike.

He also asked whether the BJP had ever demanded proof of him being the "son of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi".

This has led to a huge controversy with several opposition parties criticising Sarma for his "deplorable" statement.

5:06 PM

Jolt for BJP ahead of civic polls as three leaders rejoin TMC

Three BJP leaders, who had withdrawn their nominations for polls to the Garulia Municipality in West Bengal, on Sunday made their way back to the Trinamool Congress, voicing grievance over the saffron party's style of functioning.

Polls to 108 municipalities, including Garulia, are scheduled to be held on February 27.

The three leaders - former MLA Sunil Singh, his son Aditya and Garulia Municipality's ex-chairperson Saurabh Singh - had withdrawn their nominations on Saturday.

The trio, relatives of BJP's Barrackpore MP Arjun Singh, rejoined the TMC at the Titagarh party office in the presence of West Bengal minister Jyotipriyo Mallick and Naihati MLA Partha Bhowmik.

They were fielded by the saffron party from ward numbers 12, 17 and 18 of Garulia Municipality.

We are unhappy with the way the North 24 Parganas unit of BJP is functioning. While the organisational base of the party is shrinking fast in the district, the number of self-styled leaders has increased. We don't want to be associated with such a party, Saurabh Singh told reporters.

"It was a mistake on our part to have left the TMC to join the BJP, added Sunil Singh.

BJP's Arjun Singh, who had quit the ruling party in 2019, however, deplored their move, calling them traitors.

5:00 PM

Hazare not to go on hunger strike against Maharashtra govt's wine policy

Social activist Anna Hazare has decided to suspend his proposed hunger strike from Monday against the Maharashtra government's decision permitting sale of wine in supermarkets and grocery shops, saying the state government has assured it will take into consideration the views of citizens before going ahead with the policy.

A 'gram sabha' was held on Sunday in Hazare's native Ralegan Siddhi village in Ahmednagar district.

"I told the villagers that now the state government has decided to put up the cabinet's decision before citizens for their suggestions and objections and only after their nod, a final decision will be taken by the government. Hence, I have decided to suspend tomorrow's hunger strike," Hazare later said.

Some days back, Hazare had written a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, saying people of the state have demanded that the policy permitting sale of wine at supermarkets and walk-in shops be called back immediately.

On Sunday, during the meeting held in his village, Hazare said there are plenty of beer bars, permit rooms and shops to sell wine, then why the government wants to sell it in supermarkets and grocery stores?

Does it want to spread addiction? he asked.

"During a discussion with officials of the Maharashtra government, I had told them that I don't feel like living in the state, following which the government started re-thinking about its decision," the activist claimed.