'( 8" $ !)'9 '9 9 "#56"7!',( )*)+ 0)-12 ,*)-./ ! 2/","0",2 06"/ 60//,1,64/3162,2%/"/" *1$4*174 4/2 $45,50 .23 715707124/316 612 ,61,06 12$,%16 ?16,4,2,/"46 $4"460.316/,,2751 ./41 "4/"155602$46 $461$02 =$46171$>,*1=31$1 5 23:""4 ; <1/ 4 1 ! 1% /(/&/!81!// 243$45, ! " # $ % arnataka on Wednesday ' Kjoined the list of States reporting infectious Delta Plus variant of Covid-19, a mutat- ed version of highly contagious ($ ) Delta variant, taking the total number of reported cases to 46 * across the country, more than *10 doubling a day after the report- ed 22 cases on Tuesday. + he return of political nor- Maharashtra tops the list so ,$' Tmalcy in Jammu & far with 21 cases followed by Kashmir and conduct of elec- Kerala and Madhya Pradesh tions will largely depend on the which are already on alert. outcome of the crucial all- The Centre has issued them # ) 0'( 1 P!"# ". , O party meet convened by the advisory amid concerns over . Prime Minister Narendra Modi likely third wave of the pan- ! with the leaders of the Union demic in the country in the Delta Plus virus is prevalent in Ministry and a further course $ Territory in New Delhi on next few months. Presently, the nine countries across the world of action is being planned. /0 Thursday. —the US, the UK, Portugal, The Minister said the State 1 .# ' Former Jammu & Kashmir Switzerland, Japan, Poland, Government is monitoring the Chief Minister and PDP chief Nepal, China, and Russia. emergence of new variants and Mehbooba Mufti arrived in However, the Delta variant has it has decided to set up six $ Delhi on Tuesday. Though the been detected in 80 countries. genome labs in the State. meeting is taking place in the $%&&%'!%('( Detected for the first time “Wherever we have a suspicion, P . 2 national Capital, the security )*+$%,&!- in India and now known as we are doing genomic sequenc- has been beefed up all across !" # “Variant of Concern”, experts ing. We are doing random / $%&'( ) # # * 3 the Union Territory of J&K. A $%./%&&()*!%$!$- fear that the virus may be checks of five per cent of the high alert has also been sound- " +,- ". lurking in more parts of India, total samples checked.” /%.&%++%&+' O ed along the Line of Control for which genome sequencing The strain has been tagged and the International border to same roof with the Prime Inside reports suggested measure. )*,0%+0.- is a key to detect these cases. as a “Variant of Concern” by ' prevent any misadventure from Minister to share their opinions the Central Government is The same demand has They said it is just a matter of the Centre. anti-national elements at this and give suggestions to kick- keen on pushing the agenda of been raised by the leaders from ,%//%+., time when more cases will “The new Delta Plus vari- crucial juncture. start the stalled “internal” dia- timely completion of process of both the regions and the Union trickle in from other States. ant of the coronavirus is P After the abrogation of logue process. delimitation of Assembly con- Government too is committed (+'%.0%+'0)*!&%&,,- Karnataka Health Minister extremely transmissible, and Article 370 on August 5, 2019, Now the question arises in stituencies so that Assembly to grant statehood to J&K at an Dr K Sudhakar Karnataka on even walking next to a Covid- /'%(/%/(')*!/%0'0- $ it is for the first time that more the absence of any concrete polls can be organised in due appropriate time. Wednesday confirmed the two 19 patient who is a carrier of than one dozen leaders from agenda of the meeting, whether course of time. Voices have Sources said that while the cases, one of which is from this variant without a mask 2 , P/'%!.%(,+)*(%($,- ! the region, including four for- the Centre Government would been raised in support of Centre may agree to restore Bengaluru, while the other is may lead to the spread of mer Chief Ministers and four be able to break the ice or the restoring the statehood of statehood to J&K minus from Mysuru. He said that the infection,” AIIMs director ! /(%($%(!+)*,%+.,- Deputy Chief Ministers, would mainstream leaders would Jammu and Kashmir as part of Ladakh, it will not bring back information has been shared Randeep Guleria said to a be sitting together under the return home empty handed. biggest confidence building Article 370 at any cost. with the Union Health news channel. ' !(%$$%$,,)*+''- 1230)4"54,+ ,6 7 O2 7 #P government’s proposal. Appealing to the MLAs the move as “horse-trading” Congress MPs, and some of Capt Amarinder had made it ple are giving political colour 12$,%16 Even as the party high not to accept the jobs being Moreover, Punjab Youth the MLAs from Ludhiana, clear that there was “no ques- to this decision”. command was engaging in offered to their sons, Congress president Barinder have backed the State tion of rescinding the Punjab Available information ongress party, it seems, resolving the power struggle Gidderbaha MLA Warring Singh Dhillon also expressed Government’s decision, call- Cabinet decision on jobs for suggests that the AICC three- Chas switched into a dam- between the top Punjab lead- stated that it would “amount dissatisfaction with the move ing it “correct and in line with sons of two Congress MLAs. member panel had also age control mode as the con- ers, a new controversy hit the to cheating with the common saying that the needy need it appointments given to simi- It is just a small token of grat- sought the Chief Minister’s troversy over giving Govern- party and the State man”. first. larly situated persons in the itude and compensation for clarification on the decision ment jobs to the two legisla- Government hard over the Pargat Singh had, in fact, On the other hand, nine past”. the sacrifices of their families. during the three-hour long tors’ sons on “compassionate Cabinet’s decision to give jobs gone to the extent of calling Cabinet ministers and four Defending the decision, It's shameful that some peo- meeting a day before. grounds” refused to die down, to sons of two Congress dividing the Punjab party MLAs. unit. Five Cabinet Ministers — As a part of the same, !"#$ Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Qadian MLA Fatehjung Tripat Rajinder SIngh Bajwa, Bajwa has turned down the Razia Sultana, Charanjit State Government’s job offer Pandey’s father Joginderpal Singh Channi, Sukhbinder to his son Arjun Fatehjung Pandey was killed by terror- Singh Sarakaria, Chanrjit Bajwa. At the same time, the ists in Ludhiana when insur- Singh Channi — have party leadership is also gency was at its peak in opposed the move. reportedly in talks with Punjab. Besides, Punjab Congress Ludhiana North MLA Rakesh Fatehjung Bajwa, it has president Sunil Jakhar, dub- Pandey expecting the same. been learnt, has given in writ- bing the decision as “wrong”, Notably, the Cabinet, in ing to the party high com- had requested the Chief its June 18 meeting, has mand that he does not require Minister for its review. Other decided to appoint sons of a government job for his son. than that, Congress MLAs two Congress MLAs — Arjun Sources informed The Kuljit Nagra, Amarinder Pratap Singh Bajwa Pioneer that Punjab party Singh Raja Warring, Pargat (Fatehjung Bajwa’s son) as affairs in-charge Harish Singh, Harjot Kamal, have Punjab Police Inspector; and Rawat has approached the also questioned the govern- Bhisham Pandey (Rakesh Qadian MLA asking him to ment’s move, besides Navjot Pandey’s son) as Naib give in writing that he did not SIngh Sidhu and Pargat Singh. Tehsildar on “compassionate require the job. On visit to Fatehgarh Sahib MLA grounds” as “special cases”. Delhi a day before, Fatehjung Nagra had stated that the The move came more handed over the letter to people’s representatives must than 30 years after both the Rawat. Reports are that Rawat work for the people and not appointees had lost their would also talk to Pandey to for personal gains. “The respective grandfathers in ter- follow the suit. Cabinet should rollback the rorist attacks in 1987. While Notably, Fatehjung’s elder decision. We should meet the Fatehjung’s father, Satnam brother and party’s Rajya promise of ‘Ghar Ghar Singh Bajwa, who was also the Sabha MP Partap Singh Bajwa Naukri’ instead of giving jobs former Minister, was killed in had appealed to the two to the kin of MLAs who don’t a terrorist attack in Amritsar; Congress MLAs to reject the need it,” he had stated. R 2 9 #$ % $ & + :- : 1 071, .5.1"1 democracy and the functioning ohammed Rizwan Iqbal of the Assembly. Despite being MHasan Shaikh Ibrahim ith the relationship passed by the Assembly, sever- Kaskar, nephew of Karachi- Wbetween Governor al Bills are lying with the based underworld don Jagdeep Dhankhar and Chief Governor as he has not signed Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, was Minister Mamata Banerjee con- them. This is unprecedented in on Wednesday arrested by the tinuing to deteriorate in the the history of West Bengal’s Narcotics Control Bureau wake of his regular talk about the parliamentary democracy. Such (NCB) in connection with a worsening law and order situa- a thing has never happened drug-related case. Armed with tion, Bengal Assembly Speaker before,” he said. a production warrant, the NCB Biman Banerjee has reached Supporting the Speaker’s picked up Iqbal from Thane out to Lok Sabha Speaker Om contention, senior TMC MLA prison — where he has been Birla accusing Raj Bhavan of reg- Tapas Roy said, “Biman has lodged for past five years — ular “interference” in the pro- done the right thing by bringing and taken to the NCB head- ceedings of the House.