India

New Delhi, Dec 18 (PTI) Former TMC MLA Suvendu Adhikari has been accorded a 'Z' category VIP security cover by the central government, official sources said on Friday.

They said Adhikari, 50, will be secured by armed commandos of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) whenever he moves in West Bengal.

New Delhi, Dec 18 (PTI) The Congress on Friday said the government should stop "deceiving and betraying" farmers and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to apologise to them for insulting those protesting against the recent farm laws by dubbing them as "anti-nationals".

Congress's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told a press conference that the prime minister is deceiving the farmers by meeting those in Madhya Pradesh through video-conferencing, instead of meeting those protesting in the cold at the doorstep of Delhi.

Allahabad (UP), Dec 19 (PTI) The Allahabad High Court has directed the Uttar Pradesh Police not to take any coercive action against a man booked under the recently promulgated Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020 for allegedly trying to marry a woman with intentions of converting her to other religion.

A division bench comprising Justice Pankaj Naqvi and Justice Vivek Agarwal was hearing a writ petition filed by Nadeem against whom an FIR was lodged at Mansoorpur police station in Muzaffarnagar.

Moradabad (UP), Dec 19 (PTI) Two brothers who were arrested earlier this month under the anti-conversion law were released on Saturday following an order by an Uttar Pradesh court.

The Muslim man and his brother were arrested on December 4 after they visited the registrar's office in Moradabad to record his marriage to a Hindu woman, whose family filed a complaint.

Midnapore (WB), Dec 19 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday had lunch at the house of a farmer in West Bengal's Paschim Medinipur district as part of his exercise to strengthen relations with the agriculturists ahead of the Assembly elections in the state.

Shah's move assumes significance in the wake of the ongoing farmers' protests in Delhi against the three farm laws.

Shah, who is on a two-day visit to West Bengal to take stock of the BJP's affairs in the state, arrived here on Saturday and offered puja at a local temple.

NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s confirmed coronavirus cases have crossed 10 million with new infections dipping to their lowest levels in three months, as the country prepares for a massive COVID-19 vaccination in the new year.

Additional cases in the past 24 hours dropped to 25,152 from a peak of nearly 100,000 in mid-September. The epidemic has infected nearly 1% of India’s more than 1.3 billion people, second to the worst-hit United States.

The Health Ministry on Saturday also reported 347 deaths in the past 24 hours, taking total fatalities to 145,136.

Delhi; 18 Dec 2020 (UMMN): Supreme Court has quashed UP Government’s appeal on Dr Kafeel Khan’s detention under the National Security Act (NSA), saying it will not interfere with the verdict of the Allahabad High Court.

A bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde termed the Allahabad High Court judgement as very good.

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday defended India’s biggest farm reforms in decades but offered to “very humbly” hold further talks with farmers protesting against the laws they fear would erode their incomes.

Tens of thousands of farmers have blocked roads leading into New Delhi for the past three weeks demanding a repeal of laws that give them the option to sell directly to private companies.

The government says the change is necessary to boost farm returns and improve storage and other infrastructure.

New Delhi, Dec 18 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal on Friday accused the Centre of blatantly interfering in the West Bengal administration, saying its move to transfer police officers in the state was an "assault" on federalism.

The TMC government in Bengal led by Mamata Banerjee is strongly opposing the Centre's move to send three IPS officers, who were involved in the security of BJP chief J P Nadda during his recent visit to West Bengal, on central deputation.

Chennai, Dec 18 (PTI) The DMK-led opposition in Tamil Nadu on Friday embarked on a day-long hunger strike in support of farmers protesting against the three farm laws enacted by the Centre recently.

Farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana, have been protesting outside Delhi for over three weeks against the central legislations.

On Friday, DMK chief and Leader of Opposition, M K Stalin, party MP Kanimozhi and leaders of alliance parties participated in the protest here.