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#GodhraRiots: Supreme Court Adjourns Jafri's Probe Plea Against Modi For 10th Time

In the last three years, the Supreme Court has been adjourning the hearing on Zakia Ahsan Jafri's plea for probe into alleged role of the then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi in the larger conspiracy behind 2002 post-godhra riots, complaint regarding which was termed bereft of proof by the SC-appointed SIT and plea on which was dismissed by Gujarat HC.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, knowing that Jafri has been seeking adjournment after adjournment in the last nearly two years either through him or advocate Aparna Bhat, started on Tuesday by saying that he feels embarrassed to seek another adjournment. "Frankly, it has come up for hearing suddenly and that he has to go through documents which cumulatively run into 23,000 pages. Give any date after Dussehra break," he pleaded with a bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar.

42

#LakhimpurKheri: Opposition Steps Up Attack; Rahul Gandhi Heads To Lakhimpur Today

The Yogi Adityanath government Tuesday continued its measures to stop Opposition leaders from reaching Lakhimpur Kheri, where four farmers were killed by a car belonging to Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra. Congress leader and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel held a two-hour dharna at Lucknow airport after he was stopped from leaving the premises. A delegation of TMC MPs, though, managed to make its way to Lakhimpur Kheri, claiming to have "dodged" police posing as tourists.

While Congress general secretary and UP in-charge Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, booked under Section 151 of the CrPC (to prevent commission of cognizable offence), is still detained, late on Monday night, an FIR was registered against Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav for "violation of Section 144 (on unlawful assembly)".

26

#FarmersProtest: Supreme Court Notice To 43 Farm Groups Over Blockades

As the Centre and concerned states failed to find a solution to end the blockade of roads at Delhi borders by farm unions protesting against the three agriculture laws, the Supreme Court on Monday decided to issue notice to farm organisations as pleaded by the Haryana government.

Solicitor general Tushar Mehta told a bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and M M Sundresh that an application has been filed by the state to implead 43 organisations in the petition filed by a Noida-based women for removal of road blockade on Delhi borders.

Mehta told the bench that the state government appointed a committee to hold talks with agitating farmers but they refused to participate.

12

#WestBengal: Bhowanipore Gives Mamata Banerjee Biggest Assembly Poll Win

Voters in south Kolkata's Bhowanipore on Sunday gave their "ghorer meye" (daughter of the house) Mamata Banerjee the mandate she needed to continue as Bengal CM in the form of her biggest-ever victory margin of 58,835 votes in an assembly poll. Trinamool also retained the Jangipur and Shamsherganj seats.

"There were so many conspiracies against me. The people of Bhowanipore have given a befitting reply to those conspiracies and the conspirators...You have inspired me to work harder,” she said, basking in the afterglow of a comeback just five months after a rare poll setback in Nandigram.

“They sent 3,500 central forces to this small constituency. But the people of Bhowanipore have given an answer on behalf of Bengal and India,” Mamata said in her seven-minute-31-second victory speech, punctuated with chants of “Didi, Didi” from the crowd.

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#Covid: UK refuses to blink on the travel restrictions despite India’s ‘tit-for-tat’ policy

New Delhi: The UK government on Saturday updated its official advisory for its nationals travelling to India following New Delhi’s decision to impose reciprocal curbs on the British visitors from Monday, and said it was in close contact with Indian authorities on the issue. The updated travel advisory by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) noted an additional COVID-19 test on day eight and a 10-day mandatory quarantine for all travellers going to India from Britain from Monday.

The advisory was updated a day after the Indian government announced that all British nationals arriving in India from the UK will have to undergo a mandatory 10-day quarantine from Monday irrespective of their vaccination status as part of a reciprocal action against the UK’s new international travel rules with similar measures for Indians.