LIVE: Covid-19 cases in Delhi drop below 10k, positivity rate 13.32%
Live news updates: India reported 333,533 new cases of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours-a marginal decline since Saturday.
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A health worker walks inside the Shehnai Banquet Hall, a Covid-19 care facility, during the third wave in New Delhi (Photo: PTI)
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LIVE: Country correcting mistakes made decades ago, says PM Modi
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It will remind democratic institutions, current & coming generations of their duties, inspire them: PM Modi
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Country now correcting mistakes made in decades after independence: PM Modi
Cong nominee from Suar leaves party, to fight as Apna Dal (Sonelal) candidate
BJP's ally in UP Apna Dal (Sonelal) on Sunday declared Haidar Ali Khan as its candidate from the Suar assembly constituency in the Rampur district.
Khan was declared earlier on January 13 as the Congress candidate from the Suar assembly constituency. Khan's father Nawab Kazim Ali Khan is still in the Congress and is to fight the assembly elections from the neighbouring Rampur seat.
Khan is the second Congress candidate to leave the party after being declared its candidate, the first one being the candidate from Bareilly Cantonment, Supriya Aron who joined the Samajwadi Party on Saturday.
National spokesperson Rajesh Patel of Apna Dal (Sonelal) on Sunday told PTI, "The party has decided to field Haidar Ali Khan as its candidate from the Suar assembly seat.
Meghalaya reports 318 fresh Covid-19 cases, one death in 24 hours
Meghalaya on Sunday recorded 318 new COVID-19 cases, 88 less than the previous day's count, pushing the tally to 88,459, a senior health department official said.
Health Services Director Dr Aman War said that one new COVID-19 fatality pushed the death toll to 1,497.
He said that out of the 318 new cases, 201 were reported from East Khasi Hills District, West Garo Hills District (70) , Ri Bhoi District (24), South West Garo Hills District (8), West Jaintia Hills District (6), Eastern West Khasi Hills District(3), and 2 cases each from South West Khasi Hills and West Khasi Hills District and one case each from East Jaintia Hills and South Garo Hills District respectively.
War said that the state now has 2,121 active coronavirus cases.
Vice President Venkaiah Naidu tests positive for Covid-19 a second time
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has tested positive for Covid.
This is for the second time that Naidu has been infected with the virus.
"Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, who is in Hyderabad, tested COVID positive today. He has decided to remain in self-isolation for a week. He has advised all those who came in contact with him to isolate themselves and get tested," the Vice President Secretariat tweeted.
It seems unlikely that he will participate in Republic Day celebrations on Wednesday.
ULFA (I) refrains from calling bandh on R-Day, Himanta hails gesture
In view of the prevailing COVID-19 situation, Paresh Barua-led ULFA (Independent) has refrained from calling bandh on Republic Day for the first time in over two decades.
Welcoming the insurgent outfit's gesture, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma hoped that such confidence-building measures may lead to a formal discussion between ULFA (I) and the Centre in the future.
In a statement emailed to the media, Barua said that ULFA (I) will not call for bandh or boycott of Republic Day celebrations keeping in view the COVID-19 situation.
He, however, urged people to abstain from participating in the celebration due to the pandemic.
Desertion of OBC ministers, MLAs won't impact BJP's UP poll prospects: Keshav Maurya
Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Sunday said desertion of OBC ministers and MLAs from the BJP will have no impact on the party's poll prospects in Uttar Pradesh as all sections of society trust Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
They have left to fulfil their "self-interest" and not for "any ideology", the BJP leader said.
Recently, Swami Prasad Maurya, Dara Singh Chauhan and Dharam Singh Saini quit the state cabinet and the BJP to join the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party (SP) along with some legislators.
Dismissing any challenge from rivals in the high-decibel seven-phase Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, which begins next month, Deputy Chief Minister Maurya said it was claimed that the BJP would be impacted in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, but the party won, and used the Hindi proverb 'khoda pahar, nikle chuhiya' to describe the claim makers.
PV Sindhu beats Malvika Bansod to win Syed Modi tournament
India shuttler PV Sindhu on Sunday won the women's singles title at the Syed Modi International tournament.
At the Babu Banarasi Indoor Stadium, top-seed Sindhu defeated Malvika Bansod 21-13, 21-16 in the summit clash that lasted for 35 minutes.
The 26-year-old Sindhu brought her A-game to the court and she won the first game quite comprehensively.
From there on, Sindhu carried on with the momentum and she wrapped up the match in straight sets.
Over 27,000 security personnel deployed in Delhi ahead of Republic Day
BJP-led alliance to field Sikh candidates on 70 seats in Punjab polls
Eyeing to expand its base in Punjab, the BJP will nominate Sikh candidates on more than half of the total seats it will contest in next month's assembly polls, its general secretary Tarun Chugh said on Saturday.
Speaking on the BJP-led alliance, which comprises the Punjab Lok Congress and the SAD (Sanyukt), he said it is expected that most of its candidates for the February 20 polls to the 117-member assembly will be from the Sikh community, especially farmers and OBCs.
The BJP may also explore the option of announcing a chief ministerial face for the alliance, Chugh said.
Sources said that the BJP is likely to contest on 65 out of the total 117 assembly seats in Punjab, while its allies the Amarinder Singh-led Punjab Lok Congress is expected to contest 38 seats and SAD (Sanyukt) 14.
The BJP is likely to field 33-35 Sikh candidates and the alliance as a whole may have more than 70 nominees from the community, they said.
106 deaths in Delhi in Jan due to cold, claims NGO; Officials deny
At least 106 people, mostly homeless persons, have died in Delhi this month due to cold conditions, non-government organisation Centre for Holistic Development (CHD) has claimed and written to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal requesting him to make proper arrangements for such people during winters.
While officials from the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) denied that deaths have occurred due to cold, officers of the Delhi Police acknowledged that the number of deaths among homeless people suffering from medical issues goes up during winters.
''There have been no deaths due to cold. However, fatalities among homeless people due to other issues, such as accidents, diseases, alcohol and drug-related problems, do take place, but DUSIB does not maintain such data," an official said, requesting anonymity.
According to a report prepared by the NGO, 106 people have died due to cold in Delhi between January 1 and January 19.
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First Published: Jan 23 2022 | 6:18 AM IST
