THE HEADLINES:-
- Election Commission upholds AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal candidature in the forthcoming Delhi Assembly elections.
- Aam Aadmi Party demands a Supreme Court monitored Special Investigation Team to probe funding of all three major parties in the polls.
- Punjab to issue Aadhaar-linked e-ration cards.
- Swine flu claims over 190 lives in the country in January alone.
- In the United States, fresh winter storm dumps snow, sleet and freezing rain across the northeastern region canceling more than 3000 flights.
- And in the 35th National Games, Haryana tops the medals tally with 15 medals, including 11 gold.
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The Election Commission has said that the Aam Admi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal is an elector of Delhi which qualifies him to be a candidate for the upcoming Assembly polls. The Commission's reaction came amid a plea that the candidature of Mr. Kejriwal be cancelled on the grounds of his domicile. Citing the Representation of the People's Act, RPA, Election Commission sources yesterday said the matter was settled on the day of scrutiny itself by the Returning Officer who had rejected a plea by the Congress candidate Kiran Walia that the papers of the former Delhi Chief Minister be rejected over allegations of change in his residential address.
The Election Commission stand came even as the Delhi High Court sought the response of Kejriwal on Walia's plea for cancelling his candidature . Justice Vibhu Bakhru also issued notices to the Election Commission of India, Chief Electoral Officer and others seeking their replies by tomorrow on the plea of Walia who is Kejriwal's rival from New Delhi Assembly constituency.
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The Aam Aadmi Party, AAP has demanded a Supreme Court monitored Special Investigation Team,SIT to probe the funding of the three major parties in the Delhi polls. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi last night, party leader Yogendra Yadav accused the BJP of attempting to influence voters ahead of the polls by bringing out false allegations. Rejecting the BJP's allegations of receiving funds from dubious companies, Mr Yadav said that his party is ready to face any action if found guilty. He also challenged BJP President Amit Shah and Union Minister Arun Jaitley for a open debate on political funding.
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The BJP has sought a clarification from AAP over the choice of some of its candidates, whom it alleged had Naxal links, and also on the 'VAT raids' during his 49-day stint as the Chief Minister. Directing yet another bunch of five questions for the AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal yesterday, Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said he is trying to mislead the people of Delhi on the basis of rumours and by making false promises. The party also accused Kejriwal of persistently disrespecting institutions in the country including the media.
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As the Delhi assembly polls draw closer, the election campaign has also reached a feverish pitch. No political parties want to miss any chance to attract the voters in the upcoming polls. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address an election rally today in Rohini. Party president Amit Shah and Chief Minister candidate Kiran Bedi are likely to share the dais with the Prime Minister. Mr Modi has already addressed two election rallies in Delhi. Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal is scheduled to address rallies at Gandhi Nagar, Trilokpuri and Okhla constituencies. The Congress party will also throw its heavyweights in the election rallies today in different parts of the city.
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In Uttar Pradesh, a local court in Badaun district has reserved its order on the CBI closure report in the death of two teenage cousins in May last year. The bodies of the two cousins were found hanging in an orchard. The CBI in its report has said that girls were not raped or murdered but committed suicide. Additional District Judge Anil Kumar is likely to pronounce his judgement today. The probe agency had earlier filed a closure report in the court on December 12 last year. The girls' families have alleged that they were kidnapped and murdered by five youths from the village.
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Punjab will issue Aadhaar-linked e-ration cards to ensure that only genuine beneficiaries get subsidised foodgrain. The State Food and Civil Supplies Minister Adesh Partap Singh Kairon said that all the identified beneficiaries are being distributed Unique Identification Authority of India compliant-ration cards. Punjab is the first state in the country to have initiated e-ration cards.
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Swine flu has claimed over 190 lives in the country in January this year alone with Telangana reporting the highest number of cases of people afflicted with the H1N1 virus followed by Delhi. Talking to reporters in Delhi yesterday, Additional Secretary in the Union Health Ministry, Arun Panda gave this information. He said, the Secretary of the Ministry will hold a video conference with officials of the affected states today to discuss the measures to be taken to combat the disease.
The total number of cases of swine flu coming to light across India in January stood at 2,038. While Delhi saw 488 persons coming down with the disease with five deaths reported between January 1st to February 1st, Telangana recorded 629 cases with 34 deaths. The Health Ministry data said that 205 swine flu cases were reported in Rajasthan, where the death toll from the virus stands at 49, while 73 cases have been noted in Maharashtra with 22 casualties.
In Gujarat, with the death of four more swine flu patients, the death toll has risen to 42 in the state since January. 11 new cases have been registered in the state as the total number of swine flu cases has risen to 320. Our correspondent reports that State Health Minister Nitin Patel spoke to Union Health Minister J.P.Nadda over the phone on the prevailing situation of swine flu in the state. Mr.Patel said that a central team of senior officials and experts will visit Gujarat.
"Talking to media persons, state Health Minister Nitin Patel said that maximum number of swine flu patients in the state has been cured. National Institute of Virology has asked the state Government to send more samples to ascertain the virus of swine flu. Medical teams of state health department and Ahmedabad Municipal corporation have visited many private hospitals to check the arrangements for swine flu treatment. The teams found that all big hospitals are maintaining isolation wards and other arrangements for swine flu patients. Hospital staff also have been asked to take appropriate precautions while treating swine flu patients. Yogesh Pandya, AIR News, Ahmedabad."
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External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj left Beijing for New Delhi this morning after a three day China visit. During her visit, she held several important bilateral and trilateral meetings and also called on the Chinese President, Xi Jinping. Here is a report :
"In terms of bilateral outcomes, this visit provided a definite thrust to solution towards India-China border issue and opening of another route to Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through Nath La Pass as early as coming June. Indo-China Media Forum and launch of Visit India Year were other events to promote closeness on people to people basis. Her meeting with the Chinese President reflects new momentum in relations. On the trilateral front, India was successful in convincing China and Russia on its view point on terrorism and even got endorsement to its proposal.
The ministers reiterated that there can be no ideological, religious, priestical, racial and think or any other justification for acts of terrorism. We underlined the need to bring to justice perpetrators, organisers, financers and sponsers of terrorist acts. They called for early conclusion of negotiations on the comprehensive convention on international terrorism.
The focus will now be on the proposed visit of Prime Minister Modi to China for some major announcements. Rajeev Jain, AIR News, Beijing."
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In Himachal Pradesh, over 1,30,000 birds of 93 species have been spotted in the Pong Dam wetlands of Kangra district. State Wildlife Department officials gave this information after conducting the two-day annual census of waterfowl birds that depend on water bodies for roosting and feeding. The census concluded on Sunday. A report :-
"According to the census, the number of birds is more than the last year, however, the number of species has come down from 119 recorded last year to 93 this year. Most prominent among the birds sighted at the Pong dam was bar-headed geese, a rare winter migrant in other Indian wetlands too. Pong Dam wetlands is one of the biggest man-made wetlands in northern India and flocks of birds from distant places like Siberia and the West Asia visit the reservoir during winters every year. The largest influx was of the bar-headed goose, followed by northern pintail, common coots, common teals, common pochards, little cormorants, tufted ducks, ruddy shelduck and great cormorants. Anand Saurabh, AIR News, Delhi."
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Snowfall in the highewr reaches and rain in the low-lying areas of Uttarakhand have once again brought down temperatures in the state, intensifying cold conditons. A report:
"Snowfall is continuing in Chardham areas, Valley of Flowers and Hemkund Sahib in Garhwal Himalayas. In Pithoragarh district of Kumaon region the high altitude areas of Dharchula and Munsyari received heavy snowfall owing to which the entire district is in the grip of cold wave. Reports of rains have also been received from Bageshwar, Almora and Tehri districts. Intermittent rains in most parts of the State including state capital, Dehradun have resulted sharp decline in temperature. Met department has predicted more than moderate rain at isolated places especially in Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Pithoragarh, Rudraprayag and Bageshwar districts today. Sanjeev Sundriyal, AIR News, Dehradun."
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In Jammu and Kashmir, many parts of the Kashmir Valley are receiving snowfall for the third consecutive day today, leaving a number of localities in the summer capital Srinagar inundated.
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In the United States, more than 3,000 flights were cancelled yesterday as a fresh winter storm dumped snow, sleet and freezing rain across the northeastern region. The National Weather Service said a strong storm system will bring widespread snow from the Great Lakes region to the northeastern state of Maine. The northeastern city of Boston declared a snow emergency and closed schools. In New York, America's largest city of eight million, commuters were warned to expect travel delays.
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As the 35 th National Games enter the third day, Haryana tops the medals tally with 15 medals, including 11 gold medals. Services is in the second spot with 14 medals, including 8 gold. Maharasthra is in the third position with six gold medals, followed by Madhya Pradesh with five gold medals. Hosts Kerala is in the fifth position with four gold medals. Tamil Nadu won its first gold medal, when its men's team retained the table tennis gold by scoring a 3-2 victory over Gujarat.
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NEWSPAPER HEADLINES
- Reports on political parties campaigning for the upcoming Delhi Polls, External affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping, and the Vandalizing of another Delhi Church in the early hours of Monday are some front page stories in papers today.
- "Hawala at Midnight taint for AAP"- "Former volunteers accuse party of getting funds through bogus companies which were alleged fronts for money laundering " writes the Mail Today, " while theTribune says "BJP, AAP trade barbs over funds, caste."
- "South Delhi Church desecrated, but cops say just a robbery", writes the Hindustan Times.
- Under the headline "Supreme Court : Is aadhar a must for dole? " the Asian Age reports that the Supreme Court has sought a response from the Centre to indicate whether the Indian Government had made the aadhar card mandatory for citizens to avail the benefit of Social Service Schemes.
- The Hindustan Times writes that the Centre wants the Press Information Bureau, its main publicity machine to function like a PR firm-to move from crisis management to marketing the governments reputation.
- And Finally, in good news for the common man's pocket, The Times of India writes that from July 1st, the Centre is set to launch its own brand ' - Jan aushadi"- to sell low cost generic medicine from chemists.
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