Rahul: Centre will not roll back farm laws unless forced
7th minister, 35 govt employees test +ve ahead of Maha budget session
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday called for intensifying the farmers’ agitation saying that the Narendra Modi ledBJP government at the Centre was not going to roll back the three farm laws unless it is forced.
The Congress leader who was addressing a public meeting held as part of Tractor Rally held in his constituency Wayanad, said there was a reason why Modi was not withdrawing the three laws. “The reason is clear. These three laws are designed to destroy the agricultural system in India and give the entire business to two or three of Narendra Modi’s friends,” he said.
Gandhi said the world is watching the farmers struggle very closely. Even international pop stars have commented on the farmers’ stir. But the government in Delhi is unable to feel the pain of the farmers.
“Agriculture is the only business that belongs to Bharat Mata and the government wants to snatch this from the farmers,” he said.
Earlier, Rahul Gandhi led a tractor rally from Thrikaipetta to Muttil in Wayanad to protest against the farm laws.
At a separate meeting of Kudumbasree women self help groups, Rahul Gandhi took a dig at Prime Minister for ridiculing MGNREGA.
When he took office in 2014 he ridiculed MGNREGA. But later he was forced to accept that the rural job guarantee scheme held the poor in good stead during Covid pandemic.
Gandhi who was addressing the meeting of the self help groups Poothadi grama panchayt, said the self help groups and MGNREGA were brought by the UPA government to empower the people of the country.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday held a meeting with senior officials of the Home and Health ministry and the Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan to review the Covid-19 situation in the country in the wake of a sudden spike in cases in a few states.
India on Monday reported steepest one-day increase in active Covid19 cases since Novemberend. This sharp rise is due to a high number of daily cases coming from five states -Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
Maharashtra continues to report the highest daily new cases at 6,971, followed by Kerala (4,070) while Tamil Nadu reported 452 new cases. In fact,
86.3% of the new cases are from these five states.
On Monday, 14,199 new cases and 83 deaths were reported from all over India.
During the meeting, the ongoing vaccination drive and the steps needed to check further spread of the virus were discussed.
The possible assistance to be offered to the affected states was also discussed in the meeting, senior officials said.
Haryana has announced to open schools for classes 3-5 from Wednesday while students for classes 6-8 will start going to school from February 1. Uttar Pradesh too has announced to reopen schools from March 1 though parents are still uncomfortable with the idea of letting children attend physical classes.
Meanwhile, nearly 1,100 people travelled between Banihal and Baramulla
railway stations as train services resumed in Kashmir after remaining suspended for around 11 months due to the Covid19 pandemic. Two trains chugged on the railway tracks in Kashmir as the railway authorities resumed the services partially. The Railways has been increasing the number of train services in a graded manner.
Already more than 65% trains are running. Over
250 plus trains were added in January alone and more will be added gradually, a Railway ministry spokesperson said.
In Delhi, public buses and metro trains will run at their current limited capacities for at least two more weeks with the Delhi Disaster Management Authority on Monday deciding to
maintain status quo on the number of passengers, sources said.
The decision was taken as states like Maharashtra, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab are witnessing a surge in new Covid-19, according to sources.
Last week, the Delhi transport department had sent a proposal to the DDMA to allow people to travel standing up in public buses.
DTC and cluster buses are currently plying with full seating capacity in the national capital even as standing of passengers during travel is not allowed at present. In metro trains, commuters can sit on alternate seats, leaving a seat between them vacant.
With Maharashtra
a growing number of coronavirus cases, as many as 35 employees of Mantralaya, the state secretariat, were found Covid positive on Monday. The incident has raised a question mark over the State Legislature’s budget session beginning from March 1.
According to state officials, 23 and 12 employees of the revenue and education department respectively have tested positive for coronavirus.
Of them, one has been shifted to the ICU for further treatment. Meanwhile, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal said he has tested positive for coronavirus.
He is the seventh minister to be infected this month.
Michigan City, Feb. 22: One correction officer is dead and a second is seriously injured after an alleged attack Sunday by a prison inmate, Indiana State Police said. The attack occurred at Indiana State Prison in Michigan City around 2:40 pm, the agency said in a news release. Tymetri Campbell, 38, faces several preliminary charges including murder, the state police said.
Officials said the officers were attacked in a common area.
The officers were transported to St. Anthony's Hospital in Michigan City, where one was pronounced dead and the second was listed in serious condition. They were not immediately identified.