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February 07, 2021 I Sunday YEAR : 7 I ISSUE NO.: 42 PAGES : 4 I PRICE : 1/Annual Subscription : 300/Editor: Kapilkumar M. Hirpara www.sunvillasamachar.com AHMEDABAB EDITION
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SUNVILLA SAMACHAR LEADING ENGLISH DAILY MORNING NEWSPAPER, AHMEDABAD
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Farmers’ protest: US’ Congressional India Caucus urges govt to maintain ‘norms of democracy’ Page : 2
Ind vs Eng, 1st Test: Root 156 and Stokes 63 as England reach 353/3 at lunch on Day Two Page : 3
Fearing dissent, Congress personally informs candidates about nomination, but still protests erupt
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Farmers protest: Rakesh Tikait gives govt time till Oct 2 to repeal farm laws The farmers’ body said emergency and essential services such as ambulance and school bus will not be stopped. Agency News: New Delhi
the country held a 3-hour ‘chakka jam’ to protest against the farm laws.“We have given time to the government till 2nd October to repeal the laws. After this, we will do further planning. We won’t hold discussions with the government under pressure,”
Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait on Saturday gave the government time till October 2 to repeal the farm laws as he refused to hold discussions under pressure.His ultimatum came as farmer unions across
Tikait, a leader of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) said. Earlier, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of the farmer unions protesting the three farm laws,
had given a ‘chakka jam’ call to be held between 12 pm and 3 pm. The farmers’ body said emergency and essential services such as ambulance and school bus will not be stopped.Farmers across states, including in Punjab, Haryana, Karnataka, Telangana, Jammu and Kashmir blocked roads and held protest against the farm laws during the ‘chakka jam’.The farmers’ body had said that there will no road blockade in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand on Saturday.
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Urvashi Rautela flaunts Rs 70 lakh gem-studded Cartier and Bvlgari bracelets
PM Modi addresses Diamond Jubilee celebrations of Gujarat High Court Agency News: New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday addressed the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of Gujarat High Court and virtually released a commemorative postage stamp on Gujarat High Court as part of the institution’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations. The Gujarat High Court has completed sixty years of its establishment on May 1, 2020. Though the Prime Minister was supposed to personally attend one of the events and scheduled to release the stamp as part of the Diamond Jubilee, the celebrations were postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak in Gujarat. Addressing the gathering through video
conference, PM Modi said, “Our judiciary has always interpreted Constitution positively and creatively to strengthen it further. Be it safeguarding the rights of people of the country or when any situation arose where national interest needed to be prioritized, judiciary has
always performed its duty. Earlier, an official press release said, “The Prime Minister has kindly consented to grace the function and do the honours of releasing the commemorative postage stamp of Diamond Jubilee of the High Court of Gujarat at 10.30 am on February 6, 2021.”
of Aero India-2021. I am hopeful that the government approval for the project will come this financial year. I must tell you that the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has set a very aggressive timeline
for the AMCA. They are looking at a timeline of 2027 to 2030 to put the stealth fighter into production. If that materialises, the fighter should be operationally available to IAF as a squadron by 2032.
JP Nadda holds road show in Malda; lashes out at Mamata for ‘injustice’ to farmers IAF chief RKS Bhadauria says indigenisation key to military might Agency News: New Delhi
Tara Sutaria looks breathtaking in her latest shoot for designer Arpita Mehta.
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Sachin Tendulkar did not deserve Bharat Ratna: RJD’s Shivanand Tiwari Amidst the ongoing controversy over remarks made by several celebrities including Sachin Tendulkar about ongoing farmers’ protest, former Rajya Sabha MP and RJD national vicepresident Shivanand Tewari sparked a row by saying that the former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar “did not deserve to get Bharat Ratna”.Remarks by Tewari came in a protest to the cricketing legend’s tweets about international personalities commenting on the farm laws.“This is an insult to the Bharat Ratna that people like Sachin Tendulkar are conferred with such a prestigious award,” news agency IANS had quoted RJD national vicepresident Shivanand Tiwari as saying, earlier in the day. He had also alleged that the Union government “fielded” Sachin Tendulkar to “counter” international personalities who recently commented on the ongoing farmers’ protests, and said it was an insult to the nation.Sachin Tendulkar, Ravi Shashti and Shikhar Dhawan on Wednesday joined Bollywood celebrities Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar and Karan Johar to support the Centre in their fight against “international propoganda” regarding the farmers’ protest. The tweet spree was launched after the international celebrities including pop icon Rihanna, activist Greta Thunberg, vlogger Amanda Cerny and US Vice President Kamala Harris’ niece Meena stood in support of the farmers’ protest. “India’s sovereignty cannot be compromised.
BJP president J P Nadda Saturday held a road show in West Bengal’s Malda. Standing atop a decorated lorry with state BJP chief Dilip Ghosh and others, he showered supporters with petals and waved at the large number of people gathered along the 1 km stretch between Foara More and Rabindranath Tagore’s statue. People also watched the procession from rooftops and balconies and were seen shooting videos with their mobile phones. The streets were lined with BJP’s flags and buntings as the cavalcade inched its
way through the narrow and crowded streets. Waving party flags, BJP supporters shouted “Jai Shri Ram”, “Narendra Modi Zindabad” and “J P Nadda Zindabad”. The BJP national President visited several areas in the eastern state, sharing updates via his Twitter handle. He visited the
Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture prior to the road show, and is slated to visit the Sri Sri Gouranga Janmashan Ashram before kickstarting the Poribartan Yatra from the Chatir Math ground. “Visited Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture in Malda, West Bengal. We are committed to double the farmer’s income by developing infrastructure & providing integrated support
to our farmers,” Nadda tweeted. Alleging that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had committed an injustice to farmers in the poll-bound state, Nadda alleged that the Trinamool Congress supremo had “in her stubbornness, ego and pride” refused to roll out the PM’s Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana. “This has kept over 70 lakh farmers deprived of its benefit,” Nadda alleged.
Agency News: Jaipur
Agency News: Mumbai
guides his pen. The festival will also see acclaimed and popular writer Philip Pullman talking about his vision of alternative reality. At another session featuring two disquieting novels, writers Deepa Anappara and Annie Zaidi will examine inequity and alienation across Indian society, and speak about their writing process.
Close relatives, friends, and family of Bharat Ratna Pandit Bhimsen Joshi held an informal interaction at the Sawai Gandharva Memorial in Shivajinagar on February 4, 2021, as part of his birth centenary celebrations, organised by the Arya Sangeet Prasarak Mandal.Shrinivas Joshi, son of Pt Bhimsen Joshi, along with brother Jayant Joshi, daughter Shubhada Mulgund were present for the interaction. As part of the celebrations, on
February 6 and 7, Abhivadan, a special musical program will be held at Ganesh Kala Krida Manch, Swargate.“The two-day program will include musical concerts as well as recollections of Pt Bhimsen Joshi,” said Srinivas Joshi, executive president, Arya Sangeet Prasarak Mandal.He added, “I have never forgotten him and as a father, he was a very gentle human being, and very down to earth. This program is to pay tribute to him and remember him. He always said, keep singing and
‘Some progress, but...’: EAM S Jaishankar on talks India-China talks over border issue Jaishankar said nine rounds of talks have been held between the military commanders Agency News: New Delhi External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said that some progress has been made during the talks between military commanders of India and China but the there is no visible expression of that on the ground.He said nine rounds of talks have been held between the military commanders on the process of disengagement of troops in eastern Ladakh and the negotiations will continue in future also.“Military Commanders (of India and China) have held nine rounds of meetings so far, we believe some progress has been made but it’s not yet in a kind of situation where there is a visible expression of that on the ground,” Jaishankar told reporters in Vijayawada,
Bengaluru From plans to deploy a locally produced stealth fighter to the focus on indigenisation and the current situation in the Ladakh sector, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria spoke to Rahul Singh on a wide range of issues on the sidelines
Bhimsen Joshi’s birth centenary programme to be held on Today
Jaipur Literature Festival To Be Held Virtually From February 19 To 28 The 14th edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) will be held virtually from February 19 to 28, its organisers announced on Saturday. The literary extravaganza brings together a feast of transformational perspectives and literary thought in its remarkable line-up featuring some of the world’s greatest writers, thinkers and speakers, they said.Celebrated author and poet Mark Haddon, famous for his global bestseller ‘’The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’’, will talk about the inspiration that
Agency News: New Delhi
Andhra Pradesh After last years’ events, we’ve deployed troops in very large numbers to meet the challenge which has come from the massing of Chinese troops there,” he said.The minister was referring to the border tension at the LAC between Indian and Chinese soldiers and death of 20 Indian army personnel in a clash in eastern Ladakh.“The disengagement talks, because it is a very complicated issue, because it depends on troops, you have to know the geography (like) which position and what is happening, this is being done by the military commanders,” he said.He was replying to a query on whether there would be any ministerial level talks between both the countries on skirmishes between troops of the Asian giants.China and India are locked in a
let the tradition continue.” The program will be inaugurated and held in three sessions on Saturday, February 6 at 4pm and will be attended by Prakash Javadekar, union information and broadcasting minister, Sharad Pawar, NCP president, Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, Indian cultural relations council president and Murlidhar Mohol, Pune mayor.On Sunday, February 7, the program will be held from 9am to 12pm. The feature of this session will be that eminent dignitaries from outside the field of music will reminisce about Panditji.
Sunvilla News: Ahmedabad Delhi based Aam Admi Party (AAP) today organized rallies in Ahmedabad and Surat for campaign of party candidates in upcoming civic elections. Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Sisodia held a press conference in
Ahmedabad’s five-star Hyatt hotel and also participated in a roadshow which was participated by 200 to 300 AAP workers on their twowheelers. Sanjay Singh, member of Rajya Sabha representing AAP from Delhi held public meeting in Surat in Choksi Bajar-Mini Bajar.
Call for Bharat Ratna award: Ratan Tata requests people to stop social media campaign The Chairman Emeritus of the over USD 100 billion conglomerate Tata group asked social media users to stop the campaign that asked the government to confer on him the highest civilian award of the country. Agency News: New Delhi
military standoff in eastern Ladakh since May 5 last.The two countries have held several rounds of military and diplomatic talks to resolve the face-off, but no significant headway has been made so far. Jaishankar said he and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held parleys with their counterparts of China last year and agreed that they should disengage in some parts.
Delhi Dy CM holds roadshow in Ahmedabad ahead of civic polls
Stating that he considers himself fortunate to be an Indian and was happy to contribute to the growth and prosperity of the country, veteran industrialist Ratan Tata on Saturday requested people to refrain from demanding the Bharat Ratna for him.The Chairman Emeritus of the over USD 100 billion conglomerate Tata group asked social media
users to stop the campaign that asked the government to confer on him the highest civilian award of the country. “While I appreciate the sentiments expressed by a section of the social media in terms of an award, I would humbly like to request that such campaigns be discontinued,” Tata said in a tweet. He was reacting to various users on Twitter lauding him for his contributions, especially in inspiring the youth with #BharatRatnaForRatanTata trending. “Instead, I consider myself fortunate to be an Indian and to try and contribute to India’s growth and prosperity,” he added.
One user, while asking others to join the campaign #BharatRatnaForRatanTata, said Tata has been inspiring young achievers, telling them that believing in one’s ability is essential to achieve success in life.Another user described him as the “Real Hero of India” and said he “really deserves the Bharat Ratna Award”. Responding to his tweet, users showered him praises further. And this is why you are always special to us sir,” one user responded to his tweet. Another one reminded the contributions of the Tata group for the nation and said it would remain “unmatched and unparalleled”.
SUNVILLA SAMACHAR Editorial
SUNVILLA SAMACHAR
Modi govt must build broader acceptance on farm laws
There is something instinctively troubling about a group of people holding an elected government to ransom, as much as when a government turns against its own citizens in the name of law and order. Both point to a breakdown of the normal democratic process of give and take through debate and discussion. People have the right to protest. But if the protestors insist on an all-or-nothing approach, and if governments start putting spikes on arterial highways and building concrete walls alongside serried ranks of barricades, then representative democracy has slipped into more problematic territory. The government has been less rigid now than it was on the new citizenship laws a year ago. However reluctantly, it has offered to hold in abeyance the new laws on agricultural marketing, till cool heads can discuss the points in dispute. But with the stand-off having acquired elements of international farce, the best course now would be to toss the issue back to Parliament, which is the right forum to debate new laws. The alternative is further escalation, which no one should want. There is scope for finding middle ground. In many ways the new laws were overdue; indeed, the future of agricultural reform hinges on them. But when farmers worry that the laws might work against them in practice, their behaviour depends not on the “facts” presented but what they have come to believe. Calling them anti-national is not an answer. Shiller’s thesis is that while economists look at facts and data, it is the power of narrative that often influences people’s economic decisions. For instance, memories of the Great Depression encouraged people to save more in their later lives. The pandemic may have an equally long shelf-life in influencing future economic behaviour. With that insight, consider the narratives swirling around the farmers’ agitation. The first is of toiling farmers who feed the nation, fighting to save their meagre but threatened livelihood. This story line strikes a sympathetic chord at home and overseas. As is typical in such populist moments (remember Brexit), “disconnected experts” who defend the new laws are disregarded. The second narrative is one that has come to dog the government, namely that it is in hock to “stigmatised capital”. The farmers suspect that tycoons want to take over agricultural markets, first by offering better prices and then squeezing them once a monopsony has been established. The sense of unequal power, and of not having been consulted, feeds such conspiracy theories. The government’s response is also two-fold. First, that the protest is by misguided farmers around Delhi, while their counterparts elsewhere are quiet. That’s partly true, but then much of the action in the French Revolution was centred on Paris. And it is the ruling party that has peddled the narrative that the establishing of the Delhi Sultanate meant 800 years of alien rule — though the Cheras and Chalukyas still ruled in the South. Delhi is symbolic, and this battle will not be won in Thanjavur, the Godavari delta, or some other granary. The second, more serious accusation put out by the government is that the movement has been penetrated by separatist elements, even as journalists face seemingly coordinated accusations of sedition. This takes the debate away from the specifics of the farm laws to nationalist terrain, which is always the government’s preferred battleground. But cricketers tweeting for unity will not win the absurd battle against three young women overseas. So it is the government that now risks being portrayed as the intransigent party. If it wants to regain the initiative, it must regain credibility, just as the Manmohan Singh government needed to do in 201112 on corruption. And not just with farmers but also with other sections of the citizenry who have come to believe that those ruling in Delhi no longer represent them. That means the government must look for broader acceptance of its laws even if it can enact them without difficulty, since it now controls both houses of Parliament. This larger national - Kapilkumar M. Hirpara narrative is what needs addressing.
Editor
‘Mamata a cocktail of adharmis’ — BJP brings Delhi Twitter warriors to Bengal for campaign Agency News: Kolkata The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has brought in two of its most popular Twitter warriors, Kapil Mishra and Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga, who are known for caustic rhetoric against opponents, to campaign in West Bengal as the BJP’s battle with the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) intensifies ahead of the assembly elections. On Friday, the two leaders — who contested and lost the 2020 Delhi assembly polls — addressed a gathering of the party’s social media volunteers at a programme titled ‘Rosogolla pe Charcha’ in south Kolkata.Criticising TMC’s ten-year rule in the state, Mishra called Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee a “cocktail” of two “Adharmi” (atheist) rulers — “Congress and Communists”. He called her a blend of “Putana and Surpanaka” (demons mentioned in Hindu epics), who has been “pulling Bengal down” systematically and destroying its culture, education, spiritualism and tradition. “Like a demon, she is afraid of ‘Jai Shree Ram’ chants.
EDITORIAL
07.02.2021, Sunday
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Farmers’ protest: US’ Congressional India Caucus urges govt to maintain ‘norms of democracy’ “The Parliament of India, after a full debate and discussion, passed reformist legislation relating to the agricultural sector.
Agency News: New Delhi The leadership of the powerful Congressional India Caucus has urged the Indian government to ensure that the norms of democracy are maintained and the protesters are allowed to demonstrate peacefully and have access to the Internet, as it discussed the issue of the ongoing farmer’s agitation in the country. Congressman Brad Sherman, CoChair of the Congressional India Caucus said that he convened a meeting with his other Republican CoChair Congressman Steve Chabot, and Vice-Chair Congressman Ro Khanna to speak with India’s Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, regarding farmers demonstrations in India This was the first meeting of the India Caucus, the largest country-specific caucus in the US House of Representatives, on the issue. I urged the Indian government to make sure that the norms of
democracy are maintained and that protesters are allowed to protest peaceably and to have access to the Internet, and to journalists. All friends of India hope that the parties can reach an agreement,” Sherman said. Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at three Delhi border points -- Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur -- for over 70 days,
demanding a complete repeal of three central farm laws.Multiple rounds of talks between the Government and the farmer unions have remained deadlocked.The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of the farmer unions protesting the farm laws, on Friday said there would be no ‘chakka jam’ in Delhi on February 6 even as it asserted that peasants in other parts of the country will block
national and state highways for three hours but in a peaceful way.The SKM had earlier this week announced this nationwide chakka jam on Saturday, saying that farmers would block national and state highways for three hours in protest against the Internet ban in areas near their agitation sites, harassment allegedly meted out to them by authorities and other issues. The External Affairs Ministry has said that any protests must be seen in the context of India’s democratic ethos and polity, and the ongoing efforts of
the government and the concerned farmer groups to resolve the impasse. “The Parliament of India, after a full debate and discussion, passed reformist legislation relating to the agricultural sector. These reforms give expanded market access and provided greater flexibility to farmers. They also pave the way for economically and ecologically sustainable farming,” the MEA said in a statement on Wednesday.“The temporary measures with regard to internet access in certain parts of the NCR region were ...understandably undertaken to prevent further violence,” it said on Thursday, referring to the incidents of violence and vandalism at the historic Red Fort on January 26.Congressman Steve Cohen said that India is the largest democracy in the world and free speech is one of the finest hallmarks of democracy.“I am closely watching the #FarmersProtests with concern about potential attacks on freedom of speech including.
Raj Thackeray to appear be- Covid-19 updates : Vaccinations fore court in vandalism case pick pace, new mutants found The court last month summoned Thackeray over an alleged provocative speech before the vandalization in January 2014 by MNS activists. Agency News: Mumbai Maharashtra Sena (MNS)
Navnirman chief Raj
Agency News: New Delhi
Thackeray will appear before a local here on Saturday for a hearing in the Vashi Toll plaza vandalism case.The court last month summoned Thackeray over an alleged provocative speech before the vandalization in January 2014 by MNS activists.Gajanan Kale, MNS
leader from Navi Mumbai, said Thackeray will meet the party workers after the hearinMNS workers have installed posters welcoming Thackeray to the city, which is due to go to the civic polls this year. Thackeray will also visit party workers in Thane and address them.
Rahul Gandhi offers ‘full support’ to ‘satyagraha’ of farmers Agency News: New Delhi Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Saturday offered ‘full support to “peaceful satyagraha” of farmers protest as unions called for a nationwide chakka jam.“The peaceful satyagraha of the Annadata is in the interest of the
nation - these three laws are not only dangerous for the farmerlaborers, but also for the people and the country. Full support,” Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi. The Congress had on Friday extended support to the countrywide ‘chakka jam’ called by the farmer unions, saying party workers will
stand shoulder to shoulder with farmers in their protest. Gandhi attacked the government over a media report that post-budget there had been a rise in prices of petrol-diesel and LPG gas cylinder, saying that the Modi government has disrupted the budget of both the country and of homes.
United Nations kicks off selection of next secretary-general The process officially began with a joint letter signed virtually by General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir and Britain’s U.N. Ambassador Barbara Woodward, this month’s president of the Security Council opening the nomination of candidates. Agency News: New Delhi The United Nations kicked off the selection of its next secretary-general on Friday, asking the 193 U.N. member states to submit candidates to be the world organization’s chief diplomat and operating officer.The process officially began with a joint letter signed virtually by General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir and Britain’s U.N. Ambassador Barbara Woodward, this month’s president of the Security Council opening the nomination
of candidates.Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, whose current term expires on Dec. 31, announced last month that he is seeking a second five-year term.Honduras’ U.N. Ambassador Mary Elizabeth Flores Flake also sent a letter to all U.N. member nations saying there has never been a female secretary-general and asking them to “present women candidates.”“I am writing this communication from a place of conviction, where standing for equal rights makes a difference in creating a fair and equitable organization, and opening opportunities for women all over the world,” Flores Flake said.A 2015 General Assembly resolution, which was adopted by consensus, changed the previously largely secretive selection of the secretary-general to a more open and transparent process. It allowed the world body’s member states for the first time to see basic information about all candidates, including their resumes, and to meet and question them at open sessions.Just before Christmas,
a group of 25 nations from all regions called the Accountability Coherence and Transparency group wrote to the General Assembly and Security Council urging that the selection process for the next secretarygeneral meets “at a minimum” the 2015 standards of transparency and involvement of the 193 U.N. member nations.Guterres’ election was a disappointment to women, who had hoped to break the all-male hold on the post, and to East Europeans who have never had a secretary-general from the region. It was supposed to be next in the informal geographical rotation for U.N. chief when Guterres, a Portuguese, was elected.The General Assembly elects the secretary-general on the recommendation of the 15-member Security Council where the five permanent members -- the U.S., Russia, China, Britain and France -- have veto power, so their support is crucial.In the 2016 race, there were 13 candidates vying to be secretary-general, seven women and six men, and the General Assembly held open interviews for each of them, where ambassadors from all countries could ask questions. Six straw polls were held in the Security Council between July and October, and Guterres led in all of them. The current election is the first under the 2015 resolution where an incumbent is seeking reelection. Whether any candidates are put forward to challenge him remains to be see In their joint letter, Woodward and Bozkir said.
Hinting towards a faster pace of recovery, India’s active Covid-19 caseload has been steadily declining and the recoveries from the viral disease have been on the rise. As of Saturday, there were 148,590 active cases in the country while the number of people who have recovered from the coronavirus disease has gone up to 10,510,796. The cases worldwide have shot up to 10,510,796 and 2,299,388 fatalities have been recorded due to the disease, according to Johns Hopkins University’s virus tracker. Covid-19 cases in India are steadily declining with only 11,713 fresh cases recorded in the past 24 hours. The daily toll from the disease fell below 100 on Saturday. With 95 related deaths, a total of 154918 people have died of the
The cases worldwide have shot up to 10,510,796 and 2,299,388 fatalities have been recorded due to the disease, according to Johns Hopkins University’s virus tracker.
disease. As India is conducting the world’s largest vaccination drive, as many as 54,16,849 health and frontline workers have so far been administered the jab in the first phase. Union health minister Harsh Vardhan
has said that the vaccination for first recipients among the general public is likely to begin in March. A team of the World Health Organization (WHO) is currently probing the origins of the virus that causes the coronavirus disease in China’s Wuhan. “We were asked where we wanted to go. We gave our hosts a list ... and you can see from where we’ve been, we’ve been to all the key places,” Peter Daszak, part of the WHO expert team, told The Associated Press. Meanwhile, Mainland China reported 12 new Covid-19 cases on February 5, down from 20 cases a day earlier and the lowest daily increase since December 17, the national health authority said on Saturday. This takes mainland China’s infection tally to 89,681, while the death toll remained unchanged at 4,636.
The ‘religious sentiments’ ruse is part of the divisive politics being practised in our country : Anil Singh Agency News: Mumbai Writers and artists are walking on eggshells after the Supreme Court declined to grant interim protection from arrest to the makers of the Amazon web series ‘Tandav’, who are facing charges of hurting religious sentiments. Here was a test case of freedom of speech in these trying times but the judges tossed it aside, saying that the right to freedom of speech is not absolute. One right that seems to be absolute though is the right to be offended over religion. In most such cases, merit does not matter and neither do facts. One just has to raise a
social media storm, amplify it using a pliant media, file FIRs across the country, perform a ‘tandav’ outside cinema halls, shops, offices, homes and you have a winner. Your lynch mob is legitimised and those who accuse you of abusing the
criminal justice system can be booked under sedition. The ‘religious sentiments’ ruse is part of the divisive politics being practised in our country. The majority community is being constantly fed the lie that their beliefs.
Vaani Kapoor has an innate sexiness about herWhich is why she looks effortlessly sensuous.
SUNVILLA SAMACHAR
Pooja Hegde’s befitting reply to Instagram
07.02.2021, Sunday
SPORTS - BUSINESS
Actress Pooja Hegde hoped onto her Instagram and conducted the ‘Post a picture of’ trend on Wednesday.Pooja obliged to share some unseen pictures requested by her fans which included her eating and sleeping among other activities.However, one Instagram user requested for a naked picture of the actress. Pooja didn’t shy away either and replied with a cheeky comment.The “Mohenjo Daro” actress posted a picture of her bare feet and wrote “nange pao” which translates to naked feet. Pooja has some major films in her kitty with some of the biggest stars in the film arena.
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Ind vs Eng, 1st Test: Root 156 and Stokes 63 BOLLYWOOD-HOLLYWOOD as England reach 353/3 at lunch on Day Two Agency News: Chennai Joe Root and Ben Stokes saw off the first session on day two with ease as England managed to maintain their dominance in the ongoing first Test against India on Saturday here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. At the lunch break on day two, England’s score reads 355/3 with Root and Stokes unbeaten on 156 and 63 respectively. Indian bowlers would have hoped to strike early on day two, but both English batsmen managed to frustrate the hosts. The first session on day two saw 92 runs being scored in
England’s score reads 355/3 with Root and Stokes unbeaten on 156 and 63 respectively. Indian bowlers would have hoped to strike early on day two, but both English batsmen managed to frustrate the hosts.
29.3 overs.Resuming day two at 263/3, Root and Stokes saw
off the first hour with ease, and run-scoring was done at
Injuries everywhere; Medvedev and Russia into ATP Cup final Agency News: Melbourne
Grand Slam tournament winners including Naomi Osaka, Victoria Azarenka and Serena Williams withdrew from their tuneup events, their focus on the Australian Open, well before Alexander Zverev tweaked his back in the second set of his must-win ATP Cup match against Daniil Medvedev.He left the court for treatment on Saturday and returned, taking the match to three sets before Medvedev finally converted to secure Russia’s win over Germany and a spot in the final.No. 4-ranked Medvedev lifted when Zverev started to struggle but he got tight in the end, twice double-faulting on match point before finally serving out for 3-6, 6-3, 7-5. win. Andrey Rublev had earlier beaten Jan-Lennard Struff 3-6, 6-1, 6-2. Crazy match,” Medvedev said. “Happy to win even if many things I didn’t like. Most important thing is to win for the country and be in the final.” Russia will meet Italy in the final after Fabio Fognini beat Pablo Carreno 6-2, 1-6,
6-4 and Matteo Berrettini had a 6-3, 7-5 win over Roberto Bautista to account for 2020 runner-up Spain.No. 2-ranked Rafael Nadal didn’t play for Spain during the week because of lower back soreness but did practice and is expected to be OK for the Australian Open.Zverev helped Germany to a 2-1 win over defending champion Serbia in the quarterfinals, rebounding from a narrow loss to top-ranked Novak Djokovic in the singles with a victory in the deciding doubles.
a good pace. In the first sixty minutes, both England batters managed to add 40 runs. Both Root and Stokes marched on and the first session saw them bringing up their 150 and 50 respectively.The Indians were not able to get any wicket in
the first session.Stokes and Root have extended their partnership to 92 runs On the first day of the Test, Root had registered his century and he was also involved in a 200-run stand with opening batsman Dom Sibley.
ISL 2020-21: ‘Do-or-die’ Game for Odisha FC against Mighty ATK Mohun Bagan Agency News: Odisha Their coach sacked after an unsavoury comment, bottomplaced Odisha FC will look to regroup and get their campaign back on track when they take on ATK Mohun Bagan in a must-win Indian Super League game on Saturday. Rooted at the bottom of the table after 14 games with just eight points, Odisha have struggled all season. They have won just one match besides conceding 21 goals, which is the secondworst record in the league. Their attackers haven’t been clinical enough. Barring own goals, Odisha have netted just 11 — the joint-least by a team. On top of it, their head coach Stuart Baxter was booted
The largest cryptocurrency rose as much as 4.3% to $39,499 on Saturday, taking it closer to early January’s record of almost $42,000. The value of more than 6,000 tokens tracked by CoinGecko hit an unprecedented $1.22 trillion.The jump comes after another volatile week in cryptocurrencies marked by Elon Musk’s support for Bitcoin and a record runup in Ether, the second-largest token. Billionaire Musk also posted tongue-in-cheek tweets about Dogecoin -- a Shiba Inu-themed unit that began as a joke -- stirring buying that briefly drove its market capitalization past $6 billion.The developments provide more evidence of the way the casino-like
out for making comment on rape to criticise a refereeing decision after the team’s loss to Jamshedpur FC on Monday. There will be additional pressure on the team as it looks to snap a winless run of five games under the guidance of Gerald Peyton, who took the charge on an interim basis. “In the last six games, we’re going to show a positive attitude, a determination to win as many games as possible.
Agency News: New Delhi
gyrations of digital coins are seeping into the mainstream. High-profile proponents of Bitcoin like Musk say it’s winning broader acceptance in the finance community. Regulators, meanwhile, are stepping up warnings of volatility that could wipe investors out.“Investor perception is at an all-time high at both the retail and hedge fund levels,” said
Jehan Chu, managing partner with blockchain advisory firm Kenetic Capital in Hong Kong. Even so, many investors still view digital coins as a treacherous sector. That was underlined in the U.S., where the 24-yearold founder of two New York-based cryptocurrency hedge funds with more than $100 million in investments pleaded guilty.
Following the Budget earlier this week, the RBI has set the tone right to boost the economy post-Covid-19 pandemic, and has been thoughtful enough to boost liquidity as well as channel domestic savings into financial markets, banking experts said on Friday.The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its final monetary review of this fiscal decided to keep the key repo rate - at which it lends short term capital to banks - unchanged at 4 per cent with an accommodative stance to support growth and ensure there are no adverse price pressures.The central bank has the mandate to keep retail or the consumer price index (CPI) based inflation at 4 per cent,
Agency News: New Delhi Shares across the world have soared to record highs in recent weeks, particularly through Asia led by countries such as India, as progress in vaccine development prompted bets on normalisation in the global economy.Among the 10 major world equity indices, India’s BSE Sensex has performed the best and
has seen a 27.6% rise since the start of November, which Pfizer and Moderna started releasing data of their vaccines and their effectiveness. While these vaccine announcement and subsequent economic relief package announcement in United States has helped in the current market rally, data shows that these 10 indices had started their upward movement.
Gold prices continued to see a bad run throughout the week as the government announced cut in import duty on the yellow metal as well as silver. Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday announced a cut in customs duty on gold and silver to 7.5% from 12.5%, in a move which will help lower the prices of the precious metals in the domestic market and boost exports of gems and jewellery.“Gold and silver presently attract a basic customs duty of 12.5 per cent. Since the duty was raised from 10 per cent in July 2019, prices of precious metals
have risen sharply. To bring it closer to previous levels, we are rationalising customs duty on gold and silver,” Sitharaman had said while presenting the Union Budget 2021-22 on Monday.gold tumbled ₹1,324 to ₹47,520 per 10 gram in Delhi. In the previous trade, the precious metal had closed at ₹48,844 per 10 gram. However, silver jumped ₹3,461 to ₹72,470 per kilogram from ₹69,009
Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has reacted to the ongoing farmers’ protests in the country. The actor, who was present at Indian Pro Music League in Mumbai, was asked about the farmers who have been protesting demanding the repeal of three Agricultural Laws. The actor replied, “The right thing should be done. The most correct thing should be done. The noblest thing should be done.”American pop singer Rihanna had tweeted about the internet
shutdown at farmers’ protest sites around New Delhi.
“Why aren’t we talking about this?” Rihanna wrote in a tweet, sharing an article that highlighted internet cuts in Delhi imposed in places to contain clashes.Following this, the Ministry of External Affairs released an official statement, urging celebrities to practice restraint and tweet responsibly, alongside hashtags #IndiaTogether #IndiaAgainstPropaganda. Prominent Bollywood personalities such as Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Karan Johar too lent their voice through the hashtags that became the top trends.
Urvashi Rautela flaunts Rs 70 lakh gem-studded Cartier and Bvlgari bracelets Bollywood actress Urvashi Rautela keeps on social media and impresses her fans with Not just that, Rautela also has a liking for that leave her fans jaw-dropped. a video featuring elegant gemand Bvlgari. Cartier and Bvlgari jewellery brands, and their pieces bracelets worn by Urvashi in the They’re studded with gold and incredibly precious. Urvashi million followers on her recently featured in the ‘World’s Supermodels’, thus becoming have ever done so. The list also international supermodels Sampaio, and so on.On a was last seen in ‘Virgin Ajay Lohan. She will next Hooda in the upcoming Avinash’, which is based on super cop Avinash Mishra. ‘Black Rose’, which is said to will be released in Hindi and shot the project once the lockdown first look of Urvashi Rautela’s ‘Thiruttu Payale 2’ created a huge
making lavish appearances her fashion-forward ways. exquisite pieces of jewellery Recently, Urvashi uploaded studded bracelets by Cartier are French and Italian luxury are priced extravagantly.The post are worth Rs 70 lakh. diamonds, making them recently clocked 34 Instagram account.She Top 10 Sexiest the first Indian to comprises of other like Irina Shayk, Sara theatrical front, Urvashi Bhanupriya’, directed by be seen opposite Randeep web series ‘Inspector the real-life story of the She will also be seen in be a bilingual thriller, and Telugu. The team reportedly curbs were lifted.Recently the Hindi remake of a Tamil film buzz.
Jennifer Lawrence injured in an explosion on the set of ‘Don’t Look Up’ Agency News: Washington
with a bias of plus/minus 2 per cent on either side. The RBI announced a host of measures such as direct entry of retail investors into the government securities market, ensuring liquidity to targeted sectors, credit to new MSME borrowers, review of the regulatory framework for microfinance institutions, among others.”The RBI policy announcement today is an acknowledgement and continuation of doing whatever it takes to maintain.
World markets soar as Gold prices tumble during the vaccines fuel hopes week, silver sees a mixed trend Agency News: Mumbai
Agency News: Mumbai
Agency News: Mumbai
Bitcoin rally takes crypto mar- RBI sets tone ket value to another record right to boost eco Agency News: New Delhi
Salman Khan on Farmers’ Protest: The Most Correct Thing Should be Done
per kilogram in the previous trade.Gold was trading in the green at $1,871 per ounce in the international market and silver also quoted with gains at $29.88 per ounce.“Budget announcement related to cut in import duty cut from 12.5 per cent to 7.5 per cent hammered gold lower. This step has been implemented amidst the recent rise in prices, smuggling and other factors,” Navneet Damani, vice president of commodities research, at Motilal Oswal Financial Services, Gold declined by ₹480 to ₹47,702 per 10 gram on Tuesday in the national capital in-line with fall in global precious metal prices.
Hollywood star Jennifer Lawrence injured her eye with shattered glass during an onset explosion for her movie ‘Don’t Look Up’, co-starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Timothee Chalamet. A source close to Jennifer told E! News that an explosion which involved glass shattering was set up for a stunt during
the shoot. The Oscar winner was injured when the glass hit her eye, but the source says that the actor is going to be fine. Following the incident, production for the film.
Actor-turned-producer and new mom, Anushka Sharma sets an example by practicing waste segregation on sets Agency News: Mumbai
Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has reacted to the ongoing farmers’ protests in the country. The actor, who was present at Indian Pro Music League in Mumbai, was asked about the farmers who have been protesting demanding the repeal of three Agricultural Laws. The actor replied, “The right thing should be done. The most correct thing should be done. The noblest thing should be done.”American pop singer Rihanna had tweeted about the internet shutdown at farmers’ protest sites around New Delhi. “Why aren’t we talking about this?” Rihanna wrote in a tweet, sharing an article that highlighted internet cuts in Delhi imposed in places to contain clashes. Following this, the Ministry of External Affairs released an official statement, urging celebrities to practice restraint and tweet responsibly, alongside hashtags #IndiaTogether #IndiaAgainstPropaganda. Prominent Bollywood personalities such as Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Karan Johar too lent their voice through the hashtags that became the top trends.
SUNVILLA SAMACHAR
07.02.2021, Sunday
LOCAL NEWS
4
Fearing dissent, Congress personally informs candi- Vismay Shah moves Gujarat High Court, seeks parole for 60 days dates about nomination, but still protests erupt Sunvilla News: Ahmedabad The Gujarat Congress that had been bracing for protests after it announced the names of candidates is already seeing some outcry in Ahmedabad. Saturday is the last day for filing of nominations and the party has announced the names for the seats. To avoid protests it has personally informed the candidates and given them mandates. They have been asked to be ready to file the nomination.Congress often resorts to announcing names of candidates at the last moment to avoid protests. Sources in the know said the candidates approved by the high command have been
personally informed to be ready to fill the forms.Some of the candidates for Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation include Rajshri Kesri, Ketan Desai, Dinesh Sharma, and Pragya Patel from Chandkheda, Pravin Patel, Manish Patel,
Naina Panchal, and Babuben Parmar have been given ticket from Indrapuri ward. For Bodakdev ward, Nimesh Shah, Viram Desai, Chetan Sharma, and Janki Patel have been announced while for Vejalpur, Mahesh Thakor and Suni
Congress often resorts to announcing names of candidates at the last moment to avoid protests. Sources in the know said the candidates approved by the high command have been personally Jikar have been announced. Bapunagar ward will see JD Patel, Suresh Tomar, Jasumit
PM Modi dedicates postage stamp on Gujarat High Court, praises initiatives of the court Sunvilla News: Ahmedabad Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday commemorated a Gujarat High Court postage stamp and addressed an event marking the Diamond Jubilee of the High Court via video conference from Delhi.PM Modi while addressing the event said virtual hearings have facilitated ease of justice. Indian legislature, executive, and judiciary have responsibly fulfilled their vital role towards nation-buildingevery citizen can say with complete satisfaction that our judiciary has fulfilled its responsibility of protecting the constitution. More than 18,000 courts
have been computerized,” Modi said. Praising the work of the Gujarat High Court, Modi said it had started court proceedings via video conferencing just after the initial days of the COVID
BJP’s Jamnagar Unit sess several resignations, former deputy mayor joins AAP
pandemic in the country After this, the court proceedings were live telecasted on Youtube, making it the first high court in the country to do so. The happenings of e-Lokadalat during the pandemic is the new normal. Gujarat had also initiated evening courts,” PM said.Modi further said that during the pandemic, the Gujarat High Court had started e-filing of cases, e-mail my case status, and other such facilities. Along with the PM, Union Minister of Law & Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad, Judges of Supreme Court and High Court of Gujarat, and Chief Minister of Gujarat – Vijay Rupani attended the event via video conferencing.
Parmar, and Hetal Panchal as Congress candidates. Kamla Chavda and Kamruddin Pathan have been given tickets from Behrampura ward. Fearing protests, Congress did not release a list of candidates and personally informed them instead. The announcement has resulted in protests and heartburn among party workers. Many NSUI workers who did not get a ticket also began protests outside the Congress office in the city. They have accused Imran Khedawala and Gyasuddin Sheikh of being biased in ticket distribution. Around 750 NSUI candidates have reportedly resigned from the party.
Toy chopper creates flutter at Surat airport Agency News: Surat A remote-controlled toy helicopter was found close to the runwayarea which created a flutter at the Surat international airport onWednesday morning. So much so that flight operations were also haltedfor sometime. The toy, around 10 cm in length, was recovered by the security agenciesfrom the operational area to the runway on Wednesday. The airport authorities have filed a complaint with the city police seeking.
The Jamnagar unit of the BJP has seen a surge of resignations by former corporators and workers after the name of candidates for the Jamnagar Municipal Corporation was announced.The workers are unhappy with the BJP’s choice of candidates and its three new rules that bar those above 60 years of age, who have had three terms and are relatives of BJP leaders from contesting the civic body pollsBJP’s senior party worker and five times corporator Karsan Karmar, who was not given a ticket this time, has resigned from the party. Karmar who was also the former deputy mayor of Jamnagar has said that denying him a ticket was equal to insulting the community he belongs to. He later joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday. He has also alleged that the relative
of a former corporator was given a ticket while he was denied the same citing the three new rules. Karmar was also the standing committee chairman twice.Apart from this, Ward no 3 corporator Usha Kantariya and Jamnagar City former BJP president’s son Ashish Kantariya has said that the community has been denied adequate representation in the candidature list and resigned.Ward no 7 former corporator Mittal Faldu is annoyed that her maternal uncle Gopal Sorathiya was given a candidature while she was ignored.Ward No 6 former corporators Jyoti Bharvadia and her husband have also left the BJP, upset over the candidates’ announcement. The others who have resigned include Punit Khandar and word no 2 party worker Hansa Trivedi has also left the BJP. They are likely to be given a ticket by Congress.
Surat-Vadodara, Valsad-Umbergaon Memu trains from February 9 Agency News: Surat Good news for daily commuters from Surat to Vadodara, Valsad and Umbergaon. The Western Railway (WR) will operate two Memu trains with 12 reserved coaches between VadodaraSurat and ValsadUmbergaon starting from February 9. Official
statement issued by the WR authorities said that the Vadodara-Surat Memu train will depart Vadodara station at 5.50 am to reach Surat at 9.15 am. In the return journey, it will depart from Surat at 5.38 pm to reach Vadodara at 9.20 pm. Similarly, the ValsadUmbergaon memu train will depart from 11.40am to reach Umberrgaon at 1pm.
Vastrapur hit and run accused Vimsay Shah has moved the Gujarat High Court seeking parole for 60 days as his wife is pregnant and he wants to attend some rituals concerning the same. Gujarat High Court has issued notice to the state government in the petition seeking parole. The matter is likely to be heard next week. Earlier the Gujarat High Court had in February upheld a lower court’s conviction in the 2015 hit and run case. It however gave Shah six weeks to surrender before prison authorities and to approach the Supreme Court for relief. In April the High Court gave him more time to surrender as his lawyer told the high court that Shah’s case could
The BJP that had announced names of candidates for the Rajkot Municipal Corporation elections chose not to repeat any earlier candidates in three wards. The party changed the entire panel of four candidates in each of these three wards despite the party having won all of the wards in the last elections. In five of the wards, it has not given tickets to a candidate who had lost in the earlier elections. The announcement of candidate names had created a lot of displeasure in the party’s Rajkot unit but locallevel leaders have managed to broker peace.Rajkot Municipal corporation has 18 wards in all and the party has changed the entire panel for ward no 5,7 and 8. Earlier, the panel of candidates for the three wards had won all the seats in the ward.In Ward
No 3, 12, 15, 16, and 18 the party has not considered any candidates who had lost the 2015 civic body polls. BJP has faced internal protest after the names of candidates for all the six municipal corporations including Rajkot were announced. In Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati, Chandkheda, and India Colony ward, party workers had gathered at the Khanpur office of the party and it was forced to send state home minister Pradipsinh Jadeja to listen to the grievances of the workers.Former
deputy mayor of Jamnagar Municipal Corporation, Karshan Karmur, tendered his resignation from the party on Friday. He was unhappy after the party denied ticket to his family member. Karmur’s resignation created unrest in the Jamnagar unit of the saffron party. Many BJP workers on Thursday also staged a protest at the party’s district office. They also alleged that the party has fielded many candidates whom they do not know. It was also alleged that the party leadership
not be heard in Supreme Court due to the COVID pandemic. The Supreme Court turned down his appeal against his conviction and asked him to surrender before the jail authorities.In August 2020, Vismay Shah then surrendered to jail authorities to serve his remaining jail term.Vismay
Shah had also come into controversy when he and his wife were allegedly caught boozing in a farmhouse near Adalaj in December 2018 when out on bail.After the incident, the court had asked him to do social service. He served in an orphanage and old age home for six months.In 2013, Shah was involved in a hit-and-run case in which two youth Shivam Dave and Rahul Patel were hit by his speeding BMW.Two years later, Shah was sentenced to five years in jail and fined Rs31,000. He challenged the conviction in the high court which also imposed an additional fine of Rs2 lakh on him. Shah, in the meantime, entered into a compromise with the victims’ families and they did not demand harsher punishment.
complaints from a section of parents against Podar World School, PodarInternational School, Delhi Public School (DPS) at Harni and DPS at Kalali.The committee passed an order asking Podar World School to pay Rs 2 lakh as fine as it came to light that it was charging latefees from students. The school used to charge Rs 300 per week for delay in paying the fees. A fine of Rs 1 lakh was imposed
on the Podar International which has been directed to refund fees of around 1,500 students. It was revealed that the school had charged more money than the fees fixed. Member of the FRC Keyur Rokadia said that the refund would amount to around Rs 27 lakh. Around 2,900 students of DPS, Kalali, will benefit with the FRC ruling that the school had charged higher fees including term.
4 Vadodara schools fined Rs 2 crore for overcharging pupil Agency News: Vadodara Four prominent schools in the city will have to cough up over Rs 1 crore after the Fee Regulation Committee (FRC) inVadodara ruled against them on complaints of overcharging fees and taking charges or fees under heads that were notincluded in their approved fee structure. The orders were issued by the FRC after it received
In Rajkot, BJP changed the entire panel of candidates for 3 wards Agency News: Rajkot
Agency News: Jamnagar
Sunvilla News: Ahmedabad
The party changed the entire panel of four candidates in each of these three wards despite the party having won all of the wards in the last elections. In five of the wards, it has not given tickets to a candidate who had lost in the earlier elections. had favoured “imported candidates” whereas the local party workers have been ignored.
Abusive messages scribbled outside Gujarat Congress office in Ahmedabad Sunvilla News: Ahmedabad The Congress, which has announced candidates for the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation elections, found abusive words scribbled outside the party’s office in Ahmedabad. The party had given a mandate to selected candidates individually instead of publicly announcing them to avoid protest against its decision.Meanwhile, on Saturday, someone scribbled abusive words on the walls of the Congress office in Paldi. The abusive words were written about Congress leaders outside the Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan.Today is the last day to file nomination forms for the civic body polls in six municipalities of Gujarat. The man writing the abusive words was caught on camera but when questioned by the media refused to reveal his identity.The abuse targets Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee’s minority department chairman Vajeer Khan. Notably, Vajeer Khan’s
son Samir Khan is contesting election from Maktampura ward of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.It is not known what the grievance is about but, it is suspected that it could be about the candidate announcement for the upcoming polls.Earlier, many NSUI workers who did not get a ticket also began protests outside the Congress office in the city. They have accused Imran Khedawala and Gyasuddin Sheikh of being biased in ticket distribution. Around 750 NSUI candidates have reportedly resigned from the party. The local body elections in Gujarat will be held in two phases. In the first phase on February 21, elections will be held for municipal corporations. The results for the elections will be declared on February 23. In the second phase on February 28, elections will be organized for municipalities, district panchayats, and taluka panchayats. The results for the second phase will be declared on March 2.
AAP’s Manish Sisodia says party 4K heavy vehicles will perform well in civic body polls ply sans paying tax Sunvilla News: Ahmedabad Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday said the AAP was confident of performing well in the upcoming civic body polls and defeating the BJP. Addressing a press conference in Ahmedabad, Sisodia said BJP and Congress were part of the same coin. He said the AAP has taken on the BJP twice before and has emerged victorious and they were confident of repeating it in Gujarat. He also dismissed the Congress as an ineffective Opposition in the state, saying they have not even held a protest against the BJP in the last 25 years. He also commented on the Congress
MLAs penchant to win on a party ticket and then defect to the BJP. Polls for the six municipal corporations will be held on February 21, while elections to 81 municipalities, 31 district panchayats, and 231 taluka panchayats will be conducted on February 28.
Sisodia said AAP was a better alternative to the ‘corrupt’ BJP. He said every councilor from BJP who gets elected first tries to make a profit for his own business so much so that the BJP has to deny them tickets next time.“People in Gujarat are waiting for an alternative
and AAP can provide that,” Sisodia said. The party is also holding a roadshow in the city. AAP also questioned the BJP government’s poor performance in health and pointed out the AAP’s health model for primary health in Delhi and how it took only five years to effectively implement the same and show results. He said the party’s performance in Delhi will also inspire those in Gujarat to vote for AAP. He also said that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal won’t be arriving in Gujarat for campaigning due to the ongoing farmers’ agitation in the national capital region (NCR). He accused the BJP of favoring corporates and that the AAP was with the farmers.
Agency News: Surat The Regional Transport Office (RTO) in Surat on Friday released a list of about 4,100 heavy vehicles, including private luxury buses, trucks and trailers, plying in the city without paying the motor vehicle tax worth Rs 16 crore. Official sources said that 54 heavy vehicles including private luxury buses, trucks and tankers were detained in January for the non-payment of the tax amount. The RTO had collected Rs 79 lakh from the tax defaulters in last one month. D K Chavda, regional transport officer told TOI, “There are 4,100 heavy vehicles plying in the city whose owners have not deposited vehicle tax with
the RTO. Such vehicles will be detained by the transport office in the next couple of days. Theofficers have been asked to keep watch across the city and detain such vehicles.”Chavda added, “For the ease of the tax defaulters, we are accepting the lump sum tax amount for the vehicles. If the vehicle owners fails to deposit tax within stipulated time period, then we will initiate stringent action against them
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