Delhi

New Delhi, Jan 29 (PTI) The country's exports are expected to contract by 5.8 per cent and imports by 11.3 per cent during the second half of the current financial year, though implementation of several measures by the government would help support exports going forward, according to the Economic Survey 2021.

With gradual recovery of economic activities, the survey said that imports and exports have picked up.

New Delhi, Jan 29 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said the only solution to the farmers' issue was throwing the new agri laws in the "waste paper basket" and warned that if not resolved, the agitation will spread to other parts of the country.

In a no-holds-barred attack at the Centre, Gandhi accused the government of trying to intimidate and discredit the farmers, using the National Investigation Agency.

Chandigarh, Jan 29 (PTI) Condemning Friday's violence by "some miscreants" at Singhu border, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh urged the Centre to conduct a thorough probe to identify the "so-called locals" who had purportedly broken through tight security cordons to attack farmers and their property.

Were they really locals?, asked the chief minister, seeking a proper investigation to identify the "trouble-makers" and ascertain where they came from.

New Delhi, Jan 29 (PTI) The Tikri border, one of the epicentres of the agitation against the Centre's farm laws, witnessed tense moments on Friday as a group of people claiming to be locals staging a protest demanding removal of the farmers there.

The group of around 30-40 people from nearby areas, carried national flags and raised slogans against the alleged "dishonour" of the Tricolour by the farmer protesters on January 26.

New Delhi, Jan 29 (PTI) Congress leader P Chidambaram on Friday took a swipe at the government, saying the purpose of the Economic Survey is not clear as it aids the self-congratulatory conclusion that the Modi dispensation implemented "far sighted policy response for economic recovery".

The former Union finance minister took to Twitter to say that the "best decision" taken by the government is the decision not to print the economic survey.

New Delhi, Jan 29 (PTI) Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Friday said the city government has made arrangements for drinking water and other facilities for the farmers protesting at the Ghazipur border.

The farmers protesting under the Bharatiya Kisan Union's (BKU) banner claimed on Thursday that the local administration withdrew water tankers and snapped the power supply to the UP Gate protest site.

Chandigarh, Jan 29 (PTI) Actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu, who has been booked in connection with the religious flag incident at Red Fort, has said he needs some time to bring out the truth and then will join the investigation.

The 36-year-old Sidhu is in the eye of a storm for being among the protesters who put up a religious flag atop the Red Fort on Republic Day.

Chandigarh, Jan 28 (PTI) Actor-turned-activist Deep Sidhu, who has been accused by farm bodies of trying to defame their agitation and termed a "traitor", has hit out at farm leaders for allegedly spreading false propaganda and hatred against him.

The 36-year-old Sidhu, who is in the eye of a storm for being among the protesters who put up a religious flag atop the Red Fort on Republic Day, claimed that youth did not agree to follow the route which was decided by farmer leaders and the Delhi Police.

New Delhi, Jan 27 (PTI) The Red Fort will remain closed for visitors from January 27 to January 31, according to an order issued by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

While the order does not mention the reason behind the closure, it refers to earlier orders of January 6 and January 18 whereby the iconic monument was closed from January 19 to January 22 due to a bird flu alert.

New Delhi, Jan 27 (PTI) A third batch of three Rafale fighter jets landed in India on Wednesday evening after flying non-stop from France, in a further boost to the strike capability of the Indian Air Force when India and China are engaged in a bitter border standoff in eastern Ladakh.

With the arrival of the new batch, the number of the Rafale aircraft has increased to 11.