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Presidential poll: Pranab to visit Kolkata today

June 22, 2012

Pranab

Kolkata, June 22: With Mamata Banerjee still keeping her cards close to her chest when other parties have announced their stand on the presidential poll, Congress president Sonia Gandhi doesn't want to lose an important ally even if it means "stooping" before her for the moment.

Sonia, instead, is looking beyond the presidential poll to keep the UPA family united when all other blocks, including the NDA and the Left, are divided on the issue.

The UPA's presidential candidate, Pranab Mukherjee, has been entrusted with the job of breaking the ice with Mamata. How he does it has been left to the veteran troubleshooter.

Mukherjee, who will reach Kolkata on Friday night, is scheduled to leave for his ancestral home at Miriti village in Birbhum on Saturday morning. All eyes will be on whether he pays the Trinamool chief a visit. Congress leaders in Delhi are not sure if their presidential candidate will meet Mamata now or keep it for the formal campaign tour after filing his nomination on June 30. But that may be too late to pacify Mamata, feel some Congress leaders.

According to Congress insiders, Mukherjee is trying to send feelers to Mamata through politicians and government officials, some of whom are already in touch her. The Congress wants to initiate a dialogue with her at the earliest because BJP's Sushma Swaraj has already indicated that her party is in talks with the Bengal chief minister to get Trinamool on board.

There was speculation in political circles that BJP's presidential nominee P A Sangma may visit Kolkata on the same day as Mukherjee. Trinamool leaders claimed no such knowledge. James Sangma, the former Lok Sabha Speaker's son, denied that his father had any plans to visit Kolkata on Friday.

A Trinamool veteran pointed out that it would be difficult for Mamata to support Sangma because the former Speaker was with the Trinamool for a short time in 1995, but deserted it as he has dumped the NCP now.

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News Network
January 27,2020

Jan 27: Bollywood Film Director Anurag Kashyap, who has been vocal about his political views on social media, slammed Union Minister Amit Shah and accused him of being 'cheap'.

"How timid our Home Minister is. Its own police, its own goons, its own army and security increases and invades unarmed protestors. Amit Shah has crossed the extent of cheapness and inferiority. History will spit on this animal," Kashyap tweeted.

The film director has taken an active part in the anti-Citizenship Act protest rallies and was against the Jawaharlal Nehru violence. He also came in support of his contemporary Deepika Padukone when the latter faced backlash for showing up at JNU in support of the students.

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Agencies
June 7,2020

New Delhi, Jun 7: The Islamic Centre of India on Saturday issued an advisory for those visiting mosques in view of the Centre’s decision to allow reopening of religious places from June 8.

Islamic Centre of India chairman Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali advised people above 65 years and under 10 years of age not to visit mosques and instead offer prayers at home.

He also advised against crowding in mosques, stressing that not more than five people should be present at a time and social distancing be maintained, with the ‘namazis’ using masks and keeping a distance of six feet among themselves while offering prayers.

He added that the situation would be reviewed after 15 days and if required, another advisory would be issued.

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News Network
March 24,2020

New Delhi, Mar 24: The total number of active COVID-19 cases reported so far in the country stands at 446 while the number of people who have been cured or discharged stands at 36, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Nine people have died from the disease while one case has migrated, the Ministry further informed.
The Central government has taken several steps to contain the rapid spread of the virus, including stoppage of all incoming passenger traffic on 107 immigration check posts at all airports, seaports, land ports, rail ports, and river ports.
There is a complete lockdown in as many as 548 districts of the country affecting several hundred million people.
The Indian Railways has also cancelled all passenger train operations till March 31.

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