LIVE news: Protesting farmers commence 'Rail Roko' protest across Punjab

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India, China Special Representatives for the border mechanism, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met here on Wednesday to discuss a range of issues, including management of peace and tranquillity along LAC and restoration of bilateral ties frozen for over four years due to the military standoff in eastern Ladakh. Doval, who is heading the Indian delegation, arrived here on Tuesday to take part in the 23rd round of the Special Representatives' talks being held after a gap of five years. The last meeting was held in 2019 in Delhi.

  Ahead of the meeting between the Special Representatives of India and China, China asserted that it is ready to work with India to “deliver on important common understandings reached between our two leaders” and “enhance mutual trust and mutual confidence”. 

 

Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai on Wednesday the state government for putting up pointed barricades near the Vidhan Sabha ahead of the party's planned protest, comparing them to those used during the farmers' protests at the Ghazipur border. Speaking to ANI, Rai said, "No one will be able to stop our party workers--they are the party workers of Congress and Rahul Gandhi. They will do the 'gherao' of Vidhan Sabha. They (the state govt) have destroyed the entire state, and we will hold them accountable for that. We are Gandhian and will oppose the government in that way. They are seizing the vehicles of our party workers and committing atrocities against them. I want to say that we will come into the government and withdraw all such cases against our party workers."

 

Jagjit Singh Dallewal, the convener of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) said that the protesting farmers will not meet the Committee formed by the Supreme Court. In his letter addressed to retired Punjab and Haryana High Court Judge Justice Nawab Singh (Committee head), Dallewal said, "As you may already be aware, I have been on a hunger strike at the Khanauri border since November 26. Today marks the 22nd day of my strike, and I trust you are apprised of my medical condition. My hunger strike was announced on November 4 by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, which was 43 days ago. Since then, 22 days have passed since the strike began."

 

12:53 PM

Cong demands resignation of Amit Shah over Ambedkar remarks

The Congress on Wednesday demanded the resignation of Home Minister Amit Shah for his remarks in the Rajya Sabha which it claimed were an insult to B R Ambedkar. The Opposition party also demanded that Shah should apologise publicly and in Parliament for the remarks. Referring to Shah's speech in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the Home Minister accused us of speaking about Ambedkar 100 times and "told us that had we remembered God so many times we could have achieved heaven seven times".

 

12:45 PM

Election Commission holds meeting with representatives of Delhi's political parties

The Election Commission held a meeting with representatives of political parties at Palika Kendra in central Delhi on Wednesday morning. BJP MP from New Delhi Bansuri Swaraj, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chaddha and party leader Jasmin Shah attended the meeting. An election commission official said the meeting lasted for around half an hour and covered several topics.

12:35 PM

Farmers' Protest LIVE updates: Farmers sit on tracks amid ongoing 'Rail Roko' agitation

11:45 AM

Kerala HC rejects M M Lawrence's daughters' pleas to hand over his remains

The Kerala High Court on Wednesday rejected the appeals of the daughters of veteran communist leader M M Lawrence who were seeking handing over of the mortal remains to them instead of the Government Medical College Hospital here. A bench of Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice S Manu dismissed the appeals by Asha Lawrence and Sujatha Boban, both daughters of the late communist veteran, against a single judge's decision to hand over the remains to the medical college.

11:37 AM

3 security forces personnel killed in roadside bomb targeting polio workers in northwest Pakistan

Three security forces personnel have been killed and two others injured in a blast targeting a vehicle carrying polio workers in northwest Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The incident occurred in the Daraban area of Dera Ismail Khan district on Tuesday when a security forces vehicle enroute for polio duty was struck by a roadside blast triggered through an improvised explosive device (IED).

10:56 AM

UP govt should start schemes for people reeling under poverty, unemployment: Mayawati

BSP chief Mayawati on Wednesday said the Uttar Pradesh government should start some schemes which can provide relief to people suffering from poverty, unemployment and inflation. The schemes can be announced in the Winter session of the state assembly which started on Tuesday, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said.

10:34 AM

Former deputy SP, 5 others suffocate to death as fire erupts in house

A former deputy superintendent of police and his three-year-old grandson were among six people who suffocated to death when their rented accommodation caught fire in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district early on Wednesday, an official said. Four other people injured in the incident were undergoing treatment in a hospital.

9:54 AM

Elon Musk rejects claim Starlink being used in Manipur

SpaceX founder Elon Musk said Starlink satellite beams were turned off over India, reacting to claims that its device was being used in restive Manipur. The security forces recently seized some internet devices along with arms and ammunition during a raid in Keirao Khunou in Imphal East district.

9:32 AM

UP: Two boys die after falling into septic tank

Two children died after falling into an open septic tank in Keval village here, police said on Wednesday. Ankit (5) and Saurabh (6) were playing on Tuesday evening when they ventured close to a septic tank that had a broken lid and fell into it, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Tribhuwan Nath Tripathi said.

9:24 AM

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval holds talks with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi

India, China Special Representatives for the border mechanism, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met here on Wednesday to discuss a range of issues, including management of peace and tranquillity along LAC and restoration of bilateral ties frozen for over four years due to the military standoff in eastern Ladakh.

8:55 AM

SC quashes Tamil Nadu's plea against CBI probe in Kallakurichi hooch tragedy:

The Supreme Court has dismissed the Tamil Nadu government's plea challenging a Madras High Court order transferring to CBI the investigation into the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy in which 67 people died after consuming illicit liquor. "Having heard the advocate general appearing for the petitioners and having gone through the materials on record, we see no good reason to interfere with the very well-reasoned judgment of the High Court. The Special Leave Petitions are, accordingly, dismissed," the bench said.