Jitan Ram Manjhi quits NDA to join RJD-led Grand Alliance

Agencies
February 28, 2018

Patna, Feb 28: Former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi said that his Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) will quit the ruling NDA in the state and join the opposition ‘Mahagathbandhan’ later tonight.

The ‘Mahagathbandhan’ (Grand Alliance) currently comprises the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress. The announcement was made by Manjhi outside his residence, in the presence of RJD leaders Tejashwi Yadav, Bhola Yadav, Tej Pratap Yadav and others who had called on the former Bihar chief minister. “We will quit the NDA and join the Mahagathbandhan. A formal announcement to this effect will be made later tonight when the reasons for this major decision will also be made public,” Manjhi said.

Tejashwi Yadav, who is the leader of the opposition in the state assembly, said “the hollowness of the claims by the BJP-led NDA about its cohesion stands exposed. We welcome Jitan Ram Manjhi, a father figure and a champion of social justice, to the Mahagathbandhan”.

The development came two days after Manjhi had demanded that the NDA field at least one member from his party for the six Rajya Sabha polls in the state scheduled next month and warned that the HAM would not campaign in support of candidates of the BJP and the JD(U) for by-polls in two assembly and one Lok Sabha seat scheduled for 11 March.

Formerly with the JD(U), Manjhi had quit the party in 2015 after being forced to step down as the chief minister to make way for the return of Nitish Kumar. He later on formed the HAM and joined the NDA. Kumar, who was then with the Grand Alliance, returned to the NDA in July last year. Asked whether Manjhi has been promised a Rajya Sabha seat, Tejashwi Yadav said “decisions regarding Rajya Sabha candidates will be taken at an appropriate time.

“Today’s development underscores the simmering discontent within the arrogant NDA. Upendra Kushwaha (Union minister and RLSP chief) has expressed his discomfiture in the BJP-led alliance many times. It is time for people like him to take a decision,” Tejashwi said.

Meanwhile, Bhola Yadav, a close confidant of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and a party general secretary, told reporters outside the Vidhan Sabha, “Manjhi joining the Grand Alliance is just the beginning. A number of legislators of Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) are also in touch with us”.

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Agencies
January 15,2020

New Delhi, Jan 15: A Delhi court on Wednesday granted bail to Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad in connection with the Daryaganj violence case.

The court has ordered him not to hold any protest in Delhi till February 16th.

While hearing the case, the Judge had asked Azad's counsel to read out some of his social media posts.

Advocate Mehmood Pracha, representing Azad, had on Tuesday said that the petitioner was sent to jail without any evidence in connection with anti-CAA protests in Delhi's Darya Ganj area last year.

"I think the court's comments should become a precedent for the country. The Public Prosecutor at the behest of police tried to make this a communal issue. We told the court that the government has a problem with Azad because he made the CAA-NPR-NRC an issue for everyone. 
The Court also sought evidence," Pracha told ANI after Delhi's Tis Hazari court deferred the bail plea of Azad till today.

On Wednesday, the court pulled up the Delhi Police for failing to show any evidence against Azad.

Azad was arrested on December 21 last year after he led a march from Jama Masjid against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. He was sent to judicial custody till January 18 at Tihar jail.

The Bhim Army chief was charged with rioting, unlawful assembly and inciting the mob to indulge in violence after vandalism in Delhi's Daryaganj area.

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Agencies
July 30,2020

New Delhi, Jul 30: India witnessed a single-day spike of 52,123 COVID-19 cases as the total cases in the country reached 15,83,792, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Thursday.

The total cases include 5,28,242 active cases and 10,20,582 cured/discharged cases, the Health Ministry added.

A total of 775 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours taking the death toll to 34,968.

Maharashtra continues to be the worst-affected state as it reported 9,211 new COVID-19 cases 298 deaths on Wednesday. The total number of cases is now at 4,00,651 including 2,39,755 recovered cases, 1,46,129 active cases and 14,463 deaths.

The total number of cases in Tamil Nadu reached 2,34,114.

Delhi reported 1,035 COVID-19 cases yesterday, taking the total number of cases in the national capital to 1,32,275.

The total number of COVID-19 samples tested up to July 29 is 1,81,90,382 including 4,46,642 samples tested yesterday, said the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

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News Network
July 21,2020

New Delhi, Jul 21: With a spike of 37,148 cases and 587 deaths reported in India in the last 24 hours, the total number of COVID-19 cases stands at 11,55,191, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The total number of cases include 4,02,529 active cases, 7,24,578 cured/discharged/migrated and 28,084 deaths, the ministry informed.

Maharashtra remains the worst affected state with 3,18,695 cases and 12,030 deaths.
The second worst-hit state, Tamil Nadu has reported 1,75,678 COVID-19 cases so far while Delhi has reported 1,23,747 cases, according to the Health Ministry.

Meanwhile, as per the information provided by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 1,43,81,303 samples have been tested for COVID-19 up to July 20. Of these 3,33,395 were tested yesterday.

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