NEW DELHI, Jan 4: Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal on Monday appealed to the Centre to accept all the demands of the protesting farmers and repeal the three farm laws.
In a tweet ahead of the protesting farmer unions’ meeting with the Centre, Kejriwal lauded their resolve in continuing their agitation despite rains and cold weather.
“Salute to the resolve of the farmers staying firm on the roads despite rains and cold. I appeal to the Centre to accept all the demands of the farmers and repeal the three black farm laws in today’s meeting,” Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi.
Farmers from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and some other states are camping at several entry points of the national capital blocking the highways, demanding that the Centre repeal the farm laws and give legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
Protesting farmers who have been camping at Delhi borders for the last 39 days braving bone-chilling cold and now rains have threatened to intensify their protest if their two major demands — repeal of the three new farm laws and legal backing for the minimum support price (MSP) — are not accepted by the Government in the January 4 meeting.
Enacted in September 2020, the Government has presented these laws as major farm reforms and aimed at increasing farmers’ income, but protesting farmers have raised concerns that these legislations would weaken the MSP and mandi systems and leave them at the mercy of big corporates. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, Jan 4: The Supreme Court Monday asked the Centre to either withdraw or amend rules notified in 2017 for confiscating animals of traders and transporters during the pendency of trial in cases under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, saying they are contrary to the law.
The top court said the rules will be stayed if not withdrawn or amended by the Centre as the law provides that animals can be confiscated only if a person is convicted under the Act.
A bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubr-amanian said that animals are a source of livelihood for the people concerned.
The bench told Additional Solicitor General Jayant K Sud, appearing for the Centre, that the government cannot confiscate the cattle and keep it before a person is convicted.
At the outset, Sud informed the bench that the 2017 rules have been notified.
The bench said: “Animals are source of livelihood. We are not talking about pet dogs and cats. People live on the basis of their animals. You can’t confiscate them and keep them before the man is convicted. Your rules are contrary. You either withdraw it or we will stay it.”
Sud reiterated that the rules have been notified as atrocities were being committed on animals.
The bench said, “We are trying to tell you that the section is very clear that only the person who is convicted can lose the animal. You either amend the rule or we will stay it. We cannot have a situation where the rule is running contrary to the express provision of the Act”.
The ASG urged the court to post the matter for further hearing in next week to enable him seek instructions on the matter.
The bench posted the matter for further hearing on January 11.
The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Care and Maintenance of Case Property Animals) Rules, 2017 framed under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, were notified on May 23, 2017.
The top court had on August 17 last year asked Sud to make a statement about the notification of the Rules in question.
On July 2, 2019, the top court had sought response from the Centre on a plea of Buffalo Traders Welfare Association challenging the constitutional validity of the rules of 2017.
The traders have claimed that they were being forcibly deprived of their cattle which is sent to ‘Gaushalas’, and the seizure of their livestock that is a means of livelihood for many families was being done under the 2017 rules.
The association alleged that the 2017 rules have travelled beyond the limits of the 1960 Act.
“It is pertinent to mention that these frequent lootings are also threatening the rule of law and generally emboldening groups of persons to take the law into their own hands. Moreover, these incidents are acting as triggers for communal polarisation of society, and if not halted effectively and immediately, will have disastrous consequences on the social fabric of the country,” the plea of the association said.
The 2017 rules allow a magistrate to forfeit the cattle of an owner facing trial under the Act and the animals are later sent to infirmaries, ‘gaushalas’ and ‘pinjarapole’ and offered for adoption. (PTI)

KOLKATA, Jan 4: Union Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur on Monday slammed the TMC over its outsider-insider debate, saying that if a Union minister is termed as an outsider in West Bengal, then people from which place are considered as insiders.
Maintaining that West Bengal is an important part of the country, Thakur wondered whether it is a crime for a Union minister to visit the state.
“If a minister of the Indian government coming to West Bengal is termed as an outsider, then I want to ask that people from which place are considered as insiders,” he told reporters at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport here.
Thakur, who has come to visit ailing BCCI president and former India captain Sourav Ganguly at a city hospital, said that West Bengal has given stalwarts in various fields to the country, while people from all parts of India have settled in the state and participated in its advancement.
He questioned the thought process that leads to such labelling of fellow country and asked whether it should be allowed to flourish or checked.
The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress has alleged that the BJP is bringing in “outsiders” to fight the state assembly elections due in April-May. (PTI)

MUMBAI, Jan 4: Actor Saif Ali Khan on Monday said his upcoming political drama series “Tandav” delves into the psyche of people caught in the greed for power.
Created and directed by filmmaker Ali Abbas Zafar, the nine-part political drama features an ensemble cast headlined by Khan, Dimple Kapadia, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Kumud Mishra, Mohd. Zeeshan Ayyub among others.
Khan said the show would have been equally impactful with a theme other than politics as it speaks about the Indian society in general.
“This is primarily for me a show about people and pressure. What happens to ambitious people when you give them goals they really want? It’s a complete cross section of Indian society. It didn’t really have to be on politics. It could’ve been on something else.
“But we are a political nation and we like discussing it, so it’s a really good idea for a show. This is a fantasy show, a fiction. It’s dressed up and has influences from all over the place,” Khan said at the virtual press conference for the launch of the show’s trailer.
Set in Delhi, “Tandav” aims to take viewers inside the closed, chaotic corridors of power and uncover the manipulations, charades as well as the dark secrets of people who will go to any lengths in pursuit of power.
The Amazon Prime Video series marks the digital debut of Kapadia.
The 63-year-old actor quipped that she is now “flavour of the season”, thanks to her Hollywood debut with filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet”.
Kapadia said she was instantly drawn to the fascinating story of “Tandav” and its rich ensemble cast.
“To get an opportunity to work with Ali Abbas Zafar was a major draw for me. My character is well etched and I thought it was interesting and a lot of fun. Web gives you more screentime, so your character can be developed a lot more. It’s great to be in this space,” she added.
The series also marks the digital debut of Zafar, known for directing blockbusters such as “Tiger Zinda Hai”, “Bharat” and “Sultan”
The filmmaker said he initially wanted to make “Tandav” as a film but soon realised that only long format would justify the material they had.
Two weeks after the release of his blockbuster Salman Khan starrer “Sultan” in 2016, Zafar met Aparna Purohit, Head of India Originals at Amazon Prime Video to pitch the show.
“We kept going back and forth. ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’ happened, then ‘Bharat’ released and the show kept getting pushed. But post ‘Bharat’ I realised I had to jump into it. That’s how the journey started,” he added.
Purohit said the show fit perfectly in the streaming platform’s catalogue stories from the Indian soil.
“We were riveted when Ali narrated us the story. We felt the story was like a peek into the world that we read about in newspapers, see on TV but know little about. It was an easy decision to make. We are incredibly proud of the show and the journey it has had.”
Writer Gaurav Solanki, known for penning Anubhav Sinha’s acclaimed “Article 15”, said he lived with the show’s characters for 18-20 months, which helped him capture their complexities and ambitions.
“The show is about power and why people need so much of it, what happens to that young idealism when you face the real world with all its beauty and ugliness. I got to explore several characters and their shades through the show,” he said.
Produced by Himanshu Kishan Mehra and Zafar, “Tandav” also stars Dino Morea, Sunil Grover, Gauahar Khan, Amyra Dastur, Kritika Kamra, Sarah Jane Dias, Sandhya Mridul, Anup Soni, Hitten Tejwani, Paresh Pahuja and Shonali Nagrani, among others. (PTI)

CHENNAI, Jan 4: The Union Government was taking up the vaccination programme against Covid-19 pandemic in a big way, Union Minister for health and family welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan said today.
Addressing the virtual convocation of Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research here, he said the centre has initiated a series of actions to prevent the spread.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself interacted with the Chief Ministers of all states and Union Territories and all stakeholders to regularly understand issues and collaborate with them for effective covid management.
“To ensure accessibility of quality treatment for both covid and non-covid health issues in far-flung areas, telemedicine has been promoted in a big way and ‘eSanjeevani’ a web based comprehensive telemedicine solution is being utilised in 23 states with over 11 lakh teleconsultations held on this platform till date.
Acknowledging that Covid-19 has turned the clock back by many years, Dr Harsh Vardhan said “the deadly virus has derailed our painstaking efforts of many decades and diverted scientific attention.”
The lockdowns have raised insurmountable barriers, interrupted supply chains, diverted manufacturing capacity and imposed many roadblocks.
This period needs strategized thinking, thought leadership and disruptive social entrepreneurship. It needs mass mobilisation, aggressive campaigns, powerful partners and deep commitments especially from doctors”, he added.
Listing out the steps taken by the centre to boost healthcare he said the doctor-patient ratio needs to be improved from 1:1700 to 1;1000 as per WHO norms.
He also said the government has been steadily working towards one medical college for each district and to improve the availability of beds to patients from 9 to 40 per 10,000 and people covered under the health insurance from 8 to 10 percent”. (UNI)

SURAT, Jan 4: Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday termed as mentally challenged those opposing the efficacy of coronavirus vaccines made in India.
Pradhan’s remarks came after some Congress leaders raised doubts on the restricted use approval granted to Bharat Biotechs vaccine while its third phase trial is still underway.
“Those who have mand buddhi (are mentally challenged) and those who don’t have faith in the scientists and power of India are making such baseless statements,” Pradhan said.
“These vaccines are a special achievement of Indian companies and our scientists.
People have welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative. Some mentally challenged people will never improve, especially the leadership of the Congress, which finds fault in everything,” Pradhan said.
Pradhan, who was here to inaugurate the migrant cell of Surat Municipal Corporation, also defended the new farm laws and said they would bring investment into the agriculture sector and allow cultivators to sell produce at market rates. (PTI)