India

New Delhi, Sep 7 (IANS) India reported 5,379 fresh Covid cases in the last 24 hours, which is a marginal rise over the previous day's count of 4,417, said the Union Health Ministry on Wednesday.

In the same period, the country recorded 27 more Covid related deaths taking the national fatalities tally to 5,28,057 as per the report.

Meanwhile, the active caseload has come down to 50,594 cases, accounting for 0.11 per cent of the country's total positive cases.

The recovery of 7,094 patients in the last 24 hours took the cumulative tally to 4,38,93,590. Consequently, India's recovery rate stands at 98.70 per cent.

Meanwhile, India's daily positivity rate has marginally risen to 1.67 per cent, while the weekly positivity rate currently also stands at 2.00 per cent.

Also in the same period, a total of 3,21,917 tests were conducted across the country, increasing the overall tally to over 88.80 crore.

As of Wednesday morning, India's Covid-19 vaccination coverage exceeded 213.91 crore.

Over 4.05 crore adolescents have been administered with a first dose of Covid-19 jab since the beginning of vaccination drive for this age bracket.

--IANS
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Kanyakumari, Sep 7 (IANS) Ahead of the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' on Wednesday, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said that this will be a turning point in Indian politics and will mark a new beginning.

"A day when India's oldest political party will launch the longest padyatra ever undertaken. It is a sombre day, a day for quiet reflection and renewed resolve. This is a turning point in Indian politics. It marks a new beginning," Ramesh said.

In Kanyakumari Rahul Gandhi will visit the Thiruvalluvar Memorial, Vivekananda Memorial and Kamaraj Memorial.

There will be a prayer meeting at the Mahatma Gandhi Mandapam and National Flag Handover Ceremony at Gandhi Mandapam then Rahul Gandhi will march with the 'Bharat Jodo Yatris' thus launching the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

The national flag will be handed over by three chief ministers -- Tamil Nadu's M.K. Stalin, Chhattisgarh's Bhupesh Baghel and Rajasthan's Ashok Gehlot.

The purpose behind the march with the national flag is that the Congress wants other like-minded parties and civil society groups to join the programme, said a Congress leader.

Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said that the opposition has no way but to go to the people of the country.

--IANS
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Lucknow, Sep 7 (IANS) The Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport (CCSIA) in Lucknow has slipped into a silent mode from Wednesday.

The silent airport is an initiative to ensure that passengers can enjoy a relaxed journey experience while they utilise their wait time in their favourite activities, without disturbance.

A spokesperson for the airport said: "Silence in the airport means more time for passengers to read a book, talk to their travel partner, listen to their favourite playlist, or work as per their need. With this initiative, the CCSIA will join the league of airports like Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Chennai, and Bengaluru."

He said that "However, the airport will ensure that no vital information for passengers is missed. So CCSIA will display flight information for passenger convenience at all the 81 Flight information display screens across Terminal-1 and Terminal-2. The screens are placed at strategic locations - outside terminals, in check-in halls, security hold areas and arrival halls of the airport."

Only announcements relating to change in boarding gates as well as passenger baggage in Level-4 of Inline Baggage Screening System will be made.

Emergency and security-related announcements will continue on the public announcement systems as per requirement, in addition to the mandatory Covid-19 protocol announcements.

A pan-India campaign to sensitise passengers about the silent airport initiative of the CCSIA will also be undertaken on social media handles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

CCSIA connects 30 destinations - domestic and overseas and operates on an average 120 flights per day. It manages over four million domestic and international passengers in a year.

--IANS
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Srinagar, Sep 7 (IANS) Two terrorists killed in Poshkreeri area of South Kashmir's Anantnag district on Tuesday have been identified, officials said.

Police said acting on a specific information regarding the presence of terrorists in village Poshkreeri area of Anantnag, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by the Police and the Army.

"During the search operation, as the joint search party approached towards the suspected spot, the hiding terrorists fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party which was retaliated effectively leading to an encounter," the Police said.

In the ensuing encounter, two terrorists were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter. They have been identified as Danish Ahmad Bhat alias Kokab Duree, resident of Jablipora Bijbehara and Basharat Nabi Lone, resident of Fatehpora Anantnag linked with proscribed terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen (HM).

"... both terrorists were active since year 2019. They had a history of terror crime cases including attacks on security forces and civilian atrocities. Besides, they were also involved in killing of two Territorial Army personnel namely Manzoor Ahmad at Sadoora Anantnag on July 6, 2019 and Mohammad Saleem at Bijbehara on April 9, 2021. Moreover, they were also involved in killing of two civilians on May 29, 2021 in Jablipora Bijbehara area," they added.

Incriminating materials, arms and ammunition including one AK-56 rifle, 35 AK rounds, two AK magazines, one pistol, one pistol magazine and two pistol rounds were recovered from the site of encounter.

All the recovered materials have been taken into custody for further investigation.

Police have registered a case under relevant sections of law and further investigation has been initiated.

--IANS
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Bengaluru, Sep 7 (IANS) Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies Minister Umesh Katti died of heart attack on Tuesday late night in Bengaluru.

According to family sources, 61-year-old Umesh Katti complained of chest pain and collapsed in the bathroom at his Dollars Colony residence at 10.30 p.m.

He was immediately shifted to the M.S. Ramaiah hospital. However, Umesh Katti succumbed to heart attack at the hospital.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai rushed to the hospital immediately after getting the information. Opposition leader Siddaramaiah, who was in Mysuru, has also left for Bengaluru.

The body would be taken to his native Tilakawadi in Belagavi on Wednesday morning. It would be kept for public view at his residence in Shivabasavanagar in Tilakawadi.

Umesh Katti was the senior most elected representative in Karnataka legislature. He entered politics in 1985 after the death of his father Vishwanath Katti.

Umesh Katti batted for separate north Karnataka state and also claimed that he would become Chief Minister of the new state stirring controversy. He worked as a minister in cabinets of B.S. Yediyurappa, D.V. Sadananda Gowda, Jagadish Shettar during the tenure of BJP government.

He represented Chikkodi assembly constituency for eight times. He represented Janata Party, Janata Dal, Janata Dal (U) and BJP.

Umesh Katti also contested election as a Congress party candidate in 2004.

--IANS
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Srinagar, Sep 6 (IANS) After remaining suspended for more than 33 years, the annual Urs of Sufi saint Syed Qamar-ud-Din Bukhari will be observed in J&K's Ganderbal district from Wednesday.

The four-day long Urs has a historical background and it had to be suspended because of opposition from followers of radical Islam.

Despite the strait jacket concept of Islam advocated by the Ahle Hadis school of thought, the iconic Urs at the Sufi's shrine in Ganderbal stands out to prove that Sufism has deeper roots in Kashmir.

Till its suspension, the Urs at Ganderbal would attract hundreds of devotees who would come to pay obeisance at the saint's mausoleum.

Sweetmeat sellers, fruit sellers, garment stalls and entertainment avenues for children would be the other highlights of the Urs.

The water transport from Srinagar through Jhelum and Sindh stream would enable scores of people who would come in 'Dongas' (non-luxury houseboats) to attend the Urs.

These Dongas would remain stationed on the Sindh stream for around a week when people from Srinagar would spend sometime away from city's hustle and bustle.

Authorities have made arrangements this year to facilitate the movement of Dongas to revive this important aspect of the Urs.

People living in villages close to the shrine would invite relatives and friends on this annual Urs while family get togethers gave an important value addition to the devotees' prayers.

The Urs formally begins Wednesday evening with nightlong prayers and chanting of 'Doruds' (prayers of the Holy Prophet).

"We had to restrict the Urs for the last 33 years because of turmoil. We would, however, perform the nightlong prayers at the shrine during all those years.

"This year, the grandeur and gaiety for which Syed Qamar-Ud-Din Bukhari's Urs is known throughout the Valley is again returning to Ganderbal," said a member of the shrine's management committee.

One significant highlight of this Urs in the past used to be the participation of Kashmiri Pandits alongside their Muslim brethren.

While it is not known from where the saint came to this village, folklore has it that the entire area would get devastated because of the annual floods in the Sindh stream.

"Locals implored the saint to save them from the vagaries of annual floods and after this the saint started praying by the banks of the Sindh stream (where the shrine is located today).

"After he stationed himself by the banks of the stream, there were no annual floods. Pleased with the saint's blessings, locals decided to celebrate the Urs at the shrine each year," said the management committee member.

Whether the saint's miracle or the extensive flood protection works undertaken by the government after Independence prevented the annual floods in the Sindh stream, the fact remains that the reverence for the saint has withstood all tides of fundamentalism and radicalisation in Kashmir.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Sep 6 (IANS) As part of its ongoing probe, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is conducting raids at multiple locations across the country in connection with the Delhi Excise policy scam case.

The raids have been going on since Tuesday morning across the country in 38 locations.

According to a source, the agency has called technical and forensic experts at the premises of Sameer Mahendru, the MD of Indospirits, here.

The source, however, said no raid was conducted at Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's house.

"We are conducting raids in Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, Gurugram in Haryana, Chandigarh, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and at other locations. This raids started early this morning and are currently going on," the source said.

The ED's case is on the basis of the FIR of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The CBI has made Sisodia accused number one in its FIR. The CBI's FIR has been lodged under sections 120-B (Criminal Conspiracy) and 477-A (Falsification of accounts) of the IPC. The allegations against Sisodia is that liquor businessmen were allegedly given exemption of Rs 30 crore.

The licence holders were allegedly given extension according to their own will. The policy rules were made by violating excise rules.

The allegations against Sisodia are that liquor businessmen were allegedly given exemption of Rs 30 crore.

It also said that Sisodia and few liquor barrons were actively involved in managing and diverting the undue pecuniary advantage collected from liquor licensees to public servants, who have been made accused in the case.

"Manish Sisodia, Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Arva Gopi Krishna, the then Commissioner (Excise), Anand Tiwari, the then Deputy Commissioner (Excise), and Pankaj Bhatnagar, Assistant Commissioner (Excise) were instrumental in recommending and taking decisions pertaining to excise policy for the year 2021-22 without approval of competent authority with an intention to extend undue favours to the licencees post tender," read the FIR, which has been accessed by IANS.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Sep 6 (IANS) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday met his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal at his residence on the second day of his visit to the national capital.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Janata Dal-United leader Sanjay Jha were also present in the meeting.

"Many thanks to Nitish ji for visiting my house. Many serious issues of the country including education, health, Operation Lotus, openly buying MLAs by these people and bringing down the governments elected by the people, increasing autocratic corruption of BJP governments, inflation, unemployment were discussed", Kejriwal said in a tweet.

Nitish Kumar had met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday. Before meeting Kejriwal, he met CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury.

After the meeting with Yechury, Nitish Kumar reiterated that he is not a claimant of Prime Minister's post and does not desire it.

"We have discussed that if all the parties including the Left parties, regional parties in states, and Congress come together then it will be a big political formation," he said.

Yechury said that this is positive sign and a positive political development in the country.

Nitish Kumar reached the national capital on Monday to confer with opposition leaders on taking on the BJP together.

He is also scheduled to call on the President and the Vice President.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Sep 6 (IANS) A day after meeting Rahul Gandhi, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday met CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury here.

After the meeting, Kumar said that he "was not a claimant for the Prime Minister's post and had no desire for it."

"We have discussed that if all the parties, including the Left parties, regional parties in the states, and Congress come together, then it will be a big political formation," said the chief minister.

Yechury said that this was a positive sign and a good political development in the country.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who reached the national capital on Monday to confer with opposition leaders on making a unified front against the BJP, had a nearly one-hour-long meeting with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Prior to reaching New Delhi, Nitish Kumar called on Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad at the official residence of his wife and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi in Patna. She along with Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav were also present in the meeting.

During his two-day Delhi visit, Nitish Kumar plans to meet various opposition leaders, including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. He is also scheduled to call on the President Droupadi Murmu and the Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.

--IANS
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Jammu, Sep 6 (IANS) The BSF gave a befitting reply after Pakistani rangers resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation at the International Border in the Arnia sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, officials said.

"Today morning the alert BSF Jammu troops gave a befitting reply to the unprovoked firing by Pak rangers on a BSF patrolling party in Arnia Sector," said officials.

The Border Security Force (BSF) said that there was no loss or injury to any of its personnel.

There has been a relative calm on the borders following a renewed ceasefire agreement between the Indian and Pakistani sides last year. Though there have been some infiltration bids which were foiled and several cases of weapons droppings for terrorists using drones.

--IANS
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