NEWS

The present generation of Congress is not open to suggestions, veteran Congress leader and member of the G-23 faction Ghulam Nabi Azad has said, lamenting that advice, even when it came from Congress veterans, is “seen as a crime or rebellion”.

One of the G-23 members who had recommended an organisational rehaul in Congress, Azad’s comments, in an interview to News18 channel, were directed at the “current generation” of leadership in Congress – Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra— rather than interim Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, with who he said he enjoys good relations.

The charge of intolerance against Gandhi siblings is sure to annoy the leadership, which was already engaged in pushing back against TMC chief' Mamata Banerjee’s suggestion that Rahul Gandhi, abroad often, cannot claim to be the natural leader of an anti-BJP front.

New Delhi: Veteran journalist Vinod Dua, who was admitted to Apollo Hospital's intensive care unit, has died, his daughter and actor-comic Mallika Dua said on Saturday. He was 67. The last rites of the well-known journalist, who was hospitalised with Covid earlier this year and lost his wife, radiologist Padmavati 'Chinna' Dua, to the virus in June, will be performed at the Lodhi crematorium here on Sunday, she said.

"Our irreverent, fearless and extraordinary father, Vinod Dua has passed away. He lived an inimitable life, rising from the refugee colonies of Delhi to the peak of journalistic excellence for over 42 years, always, always speaking truth to power.

With an illustrious career spanning four decades, Mr Dua was the voice a generation grew up listening to. His legacy transcends the 80s, 90s, the 2000s and in his last avatar, on digital new age media. He was known to have revolutionised election coverage in India. 

New Delhi:  The air quality in the national capital dipped slightly and settled in the 'very poor' zone on Saturday. Delhi's 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) read 362. It was 346 on Friday. Neighbouring Faridabad (356), Ghaziabad (327), Greater Noida (335), Gurugram (334) and Noida (355) also recorded a 'very poor' air quality.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'. The India Meteorological Department said the city recorded a minimum temperature of 11 degrees Celsius, two notches above normal, and a maximum temperature of 26.8 degrees Celsius, two notches above the average. Delhi's air quality this November was the worst for the month in seven years, with the city witnessing severe pollution on 11 days and not a single day of 'moderate' air, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that the BJP is in talks with former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh and former Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa to forge an alliance with their parties ahead of the state assembly polls.

During an interaction followed by his keynote address at the HT Leadership Summit 2021, Shah also ruled out the possibility of farmers' protests impacting elections in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, saying after the repeal of the agri laws, no other issue remains. He asserted that the BJP will form once again form the government in Uttar Pradesh with a comfortable majority. Assembly elections in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh will be held early next year.