1. India Quarantines Itself From World for a Month to Fight Corornavirus
With the rapid spread of Covid-19 across continents, and WHO formally terming the disease a pandemic, the government on Wednesday evening decided to virtually quarantine itself from the rest of the world, suspending all visas, except those issued for diplomatic, official, UN-international organisations, employment and projects till 15 April.
The exception to the suspension indicates personnel from agencies like WHO or UN and those held to be important for Indian firms or government projects are being distinguished from tourists and other travellers.
(Source: The Times of India)
2. Shah in LS: Conspiracy Behind Violence in Delhi
In his first detailed comments about the violence that engulfed Delhi last month, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the deadly rioting during 24-25 February was a “pre-planned conspiracy” and those guilty, regardless of their religious faith, caste or party affiliation, would not be spared.
Shah was replying to a debate on the issue initiated by the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. According to figures provided by him in the House, 52 people were killed, 526 were injured, 371 shops were burnt and 142 homes were destroyed in the riots.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
3. In Lok Sabha, Amit Shah Says Delhi Rioters Identified Using Facial Scan
At a time when the Personal Data Protection Bill is being examined by a Joint Parliamentary Committee, Union Home Minister Amit Shah told Lok Sabha on Wednesday that the authorities used facial recognition from Voter ID cards, driver licences, and other databases to identify that 300 people involved in the Delhi riots came from Uttar Pradesh.
Facial data is categorised as “sensitive personal data” under the current draft of the Personal Data Protection Bill.
(Source: The Indian Express)
4. Madhya Pradesh Govt Crisis: Will Prove Majority, Had Talked About BJP Plot With Scindia, Says Kamal Nath
The beleaguered Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath, who has been meeting a stream of visitors at his residence ever since the dramatic exit of Jyotiraditya Scindia Tuesday, appears to be sanguine about averting the fall of his 15-month-old government.
“I am confident that the Congress will win the floor test in the Assembly after it convenes as scheduled on 15 March. You will see that we will be able to prove our majority in the Assembly,” he told The Indian Express on Wednesday morning on telephone from Bhopal.
(Source: The Indian Express)
5. ED Books Riot-Accused Tahir Hussain for Money Laundering; PFI for Funding Violence
The Enforcement Directorate has filed two cases to investigate the alleged funding of the Delhi riots last month – one against suspended Aam Aadmi Party councilor Tahir Hussain and another against Popular Front of India (PFI), officials at the agency said on Wednesday.
Tahir Hussain, who is facing charges of killing an Intelligence Bureau official, has been booked under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), said one of the officials, who didn’t want to be named.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
6. Where Were You When Delhi Was Burning… This Will Be Your Legacy: Oppn to Amit Shah
The Opposition Wednesday held the government squarely responsible for the Delhi riots, with the Congress and other parties seeking the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
“When Rome was burning, Nero was playing fiddle or flute on Palatine Hill and waiting to see the burning of the city in order to build one golden palace, Domus Aurea. It appears Nero has now arrived in India. When Delhi was burning, Nero was in Ahmedabad playing flute with President Donald Trump,” Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said.
(Source: The Indian Express)
7. RBI Taps Private Investors to Take Stakes in Yes Bank
The Reserve Bank of India has drawn up a revival plan for Yes Bank whereby not just capital but also funding lines will be finalised to ensure that there is no liquidity issue upon lifting the moratorium imposed on 5 March.
Meanwhile, investors in additional tier one (AT1) bonds have agreed to a plan where 80% of their investment will be written off and the remaining 20% will be converted into equity.
(Source: The Times of India)
8. J-K High Court Refuses to Ban Use of Pellet Guns in Kashmir
In a relief to security forces operating in the union territories of J&K and Ladakh, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court has refused to ban the use of pellet guns for crowd control during protests in the region.
A division bench of Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey and Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur, while dismissing a PIL seeking a ban on pellet guns, said, “It is manifest that so long as there is violence by unruly mobs, the use of force is inevitable."
(Source: The Tribune)
9. UP Takes Battle Over 'Recovery' Hoardings to SC
The UP government on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court against an Allahabad high court order directing it to take down the ‘name and shame’ hoardings installed across Lucknow city against 57 persons accused of “vandalising public properties” during anti-CAA protests on 19 December 2019.
The appeal would be taken up on Thursday by a vacation bench of Justice UU Lalit and Aniruddha Bose.
(Source: The Times of India)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)