Breaking News LIVE Updates: Jammu reports three cases of Omicron COVID-19 variant

Andhra Pradesh's coronavirus caseload increases to 20,75,974 with 95 fresh infections, death toll climbs to 14,481 as one more person dies: Health department bulletin

Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a meeting with members of the Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Home Affairs on the topic "Cyber Crime: Threats, Challenges and Response". 

Bollywood film '83', based on the Kapil Dev-led Indian Cricket team's 1983 World Cup victory, has been declared tax-free in Delhi, the Delhi government said.

Maharashtra reports 11 new cases of Omicron variant of coronavirus, tally rises to 65: State Health Department 

Three cases of Omicron variant were confirmed from a locality in Jammu by National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). The samples had been taken on November 30 and now RTPCR testing of the entire locality has been ordered.

EAM S Jaishankar met French Secretary General François Delattre. "Good discussions on our bilateral cooperation, Indo-Pacific and global developments," tweets EAM S Jaishankar.

India’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage has crossed 138.89 Crore (138,89,29,333) today. More than 51 lakh (51,30,949) vaccine doses have been administered till 7 pm today: Union Health Ministry

Taking to Twitter, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that she is deeply anguished by the fire at the Indian Oil Company in Haldia. "Three precious lives were lost and my thoughts are with the bereaved families in this hour of grief. Those injured are being brought to Kolkata through a green corridor. GoWB will extend all assistance to ensure their speedy recovery," she tweeted.

The CPI(M)-led Left Front coming up as second in terms of vote share in Kolkata civic polls is part of TMC's ploy to divide opposition votes, the BJP said on Tuesday. Addressing a press conference, state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar asserted that his party will prove in the elections to the 111 other civic bodies who is the prime opponent of the TMC.
 

Months after its landslide win in the West Bengal assembly elections, the Trinamool Congress has swept the Kolkata Municipal Corporation polls with its candidates winning in 134 out of the 144 wards.

On Kolkata civic polls, Congress leader AR Chowdhury said, "Several incidents of violence took place during the elections. There was no need for these kinds of violence. CM Mamata Banerjee had promised people for the peaceful conduct of the election but she herself broke it."

In ward number 88, BJP Lok Sabha MP Mala Roy retained her seat for the sixth consecutive time.  The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won one seat and was leading in three wards, according to State Election Commission.

TMC MLA Debashis Kumar retained his seat in Ward number 85, another TMC MLA Atish Ghosh won in ward no 11 in north Kolkata. In ward no 118, TMC's Tarak Singh retained his ward for the third consecutive time.

"People of Kolkata have once again proven that politics of HATE & VIOLENCE have NO PLACE in BENGAL! I thank everyone for blessing us with such a huge mandate. We are truly humbled and shall always remain committed in our goals towards YOUR BETTERMENT! Thank you Kolkata," he tweeted.

https://twitter.com/abhishekaitc/status/1473182627775410178

Seven months after its landslide win in the West Bengal assembly polls, the TMC Tuesday scored a hat-trick of retaining power in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation on the back of a thumping victory, with its candidates winning in 101 out of the 144 wards, and leading in 33 others.

In Prayagraj, PM Modi transferred Rs 1000 cr in bank accounts of various Self Help Groups and also transferred money to over 1 lakh beneficiaries of Mukhya Mantri Kanya Sumangala Scheme, which provides assistance to girl child. He also laid the foundation stone of 202 Supplementary Nutrition Manufacturing Units.

Sitting MLA from Curtorim (Goa), Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenço who resigned from Congress yesterday has joined the TMC in the presence of CM Mamata Banerjee and the party's National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee.

Early trends in the Kolkata Municipal election results show TMC iin the lead with 134 seats, while the BJP managed to grab only 3 seats so far.

TMC - 134 seats
BJP - 4
LEFT - 1
CONG - 2
OTH - 3

As the Trinamool Congress gained a lead in 133 seats of Kolkata Municipal Corporation, the party members began celebrations across the city. Early trends in the Kolkata Municipal election results show TMC winning 7 seats, while the BJP's winning seats limit to 3.

TMC - 133 seats
BJP - 3
LEFT - 2
CONG - 2
OTH - 2

Early trends in the Kolkata Municipal election results show TMC winning 7 seats and leading in 125, while the BJP's winning seats limit to 3.

TMC - 125 seats
BJP - 3
LEFT - 2
CONG - 2
OTH - 2

KOLKATA POLLS RESULT (Early trends)

TMC - 119
BJP - 3
LEFT - 2
CONG - 2
OTH - 2

As per official trends by West Bengal State Election Commission, TMC is leading on 114, BJP on 2, CPI(M) on 2, Congress on 2, Independent 1.

TMC - 105
BJP - 3
LEFT - 1
CONG - 1
OTH - 1

National Conference leader Anil Dhar cited the party's 'bias' towards the Kashmiri Hindu community as one of the main reasons to quit the NC. Speaking to Republic TV, Dhar also said the National Conference has failed to flag the involvement of Pakistani proxies in creating unrest in the Valley, on many occasions. 

Dhar also blamed NC President Farooq Abdullah for allegedly holding former governor Jagmohan responsible for the migration of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley in 1990.

TMC LEADING ON 68 SEATS
BJP 3
LEFT 1
INC 2
OTH 1

A man was arrested on Monday for entering and vandalizing a Hindu temple in Karachi’s Ranchore Line The man entered Jog Maya Mandir in Narainpura of Ranchore Line at around 6:15 pm. According to the FIR, the accused had a hammer in his hand and was able to damage the statue of Hindu deity Jog Maya before people got hold of him.

The mood was tense in the area as people were demanding mob justice. A huge crowd gathered outside the police station.

Union Home Minister Amit shah arrived at the Ambedkar International Centre, in Delhi for the BJP's Parliamentary Party meeting as the ongoing winter session of the Parliament reaches its final week. Union Ministers Sarbananda Sonowal, Prahlad Singh Patel, and Bhupender Yadav & MoS MEA V Muraleedharan, and other leaders also arrived for the meeting earlier today.

In its notice, the party had requested the attendance of all BJP members of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

The counting of the votes for the 144 wards of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) election began on Tuesday morning with the ruling Trinamool Congress taking an early leading in 50 seats,  SEC officials said. Eary trends show BJP leading in 2 seats, Left in 1, INC in 1, and others in 1. 

Sporadic incidents of violence, including the hurling of bombs at two booths, marred the KMC elections on Sunday even as over 63 percent of the nearly 40.5 lakh voters exercised their franchise.

The counting of votes for 144 wards of West Bengal’s Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will take place today and the results will be out soon. The polls took place amid heightened security on Sunday across 4,959 polling booths with reports of sporadic violence and protests.

A Maoist memorial was demolished by the troops of 44th Battalion ITBP and Chhattisgarh Police in a joint search operation in the jungles near Parvidih, District- Rajnandgaon, Chattisgarh today. The video accessed by Republic shows that security forces are demolishing a memorial in the midst of the forest. This was an effort in anti-Maoist operation taken by security forces.

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Monday said for the last 20 years the state government has been recommending that Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) be removed and Nagaland taken off the list of areas declared "disturbed areas."

Rio asserted this while moving a resolution demanding that the Government of India repeal the AFSPA from the Northeast in the state assembly which was unanimously adopted.

The chief minister said that in view of the improved situation in Nagaland, the State Government has been consistently taking the stand that Nagaland should not be declared a 'disturbed area'.

China must be more forthcoming with data and information related to the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said. 

The People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) will hold a meeting at the residence of the chairman Farooq Abdullah in Jammu today.

Two days before the meeting, Sajad Lone led the Jammu and Kashmir People's Conference (JKPC) pulled out of the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) on Sunday.

PAGD's last meeting took place in August last when the leaders adopted a resolution to restore the constitutional position of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh under Articles 370 and 35A.

As the ongoing winter session of the Parliament reaches its final week, the Bharatiya Janata Party Parliamentary Party meeting will be held today at Ambedkar International Centre, Delhi. In its notice, the BJP Parliamentary Party has requested the attendance of all BJP members of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

"A meeting of BJP Parliamentary Party will be held at 9.15 am on Tuesday, the 21st December 2021 in the Dr Ambedkar International Centre, 15 Janpath (Near Hotel Le Meridian), New Delhi," its notice read.

BJP president J P Nadda is coming on a two-day visit to poll-bound Goa on Tuesday, a party spokesman said on Monday.

As per the schedule, Nadda will arrive in Goa at 2.30 pm. He will hold a meeting of BJP functionlaries in the party's Margao office in the south Goa district, he said.

Nadda will address two public meetings at Shiroda and Quepem, respectively, in south Goa, he said.

In a major boost to the country's air defence capabilities, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is deploying the first squadron of the S-400 air defence missile system in the Punjab sector.

The first squadron is being deployed in the Punjab sector. The batteries of the first squadron would be capable of taking care of aerial threats from both Pakistan and China," government sources told ANI.

Parts of the Russian missile system had started reaching India earlier this month and the unit is expected to be operationalized in the next few weeks, they said.

Ahead of 2022 Goa Polls, Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal will commence his two-day visit to Goa from today.

He will land at Dabolim Airport and will address a public meeting at Bandodkar Ground in Panaji at 5 pm.
Kejriwal will also hold a press conference at Cidade, Goa at 5 pm on December 22. 

The National Conference (NC) has suffered yet another setback in Jammu as senior leader Anil Dhar resigned from the party, blaming its leadership for allegedly holding former governor Jagmohan responsible for the migration of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley in 1990.

Dhar also objected to the recent statements of NC leadership with "communal overtones and bias against Hindus".

"I regret to point out that leadership of NC has lost interest in the cause of Kashmiri Pandits. This was recently highlighted when the leadership of NC recently said the then Governor Jagmohan was responsible for the exodus of Kashmiri Hindus," he said.

Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa on Monday wrote to the Centre, asking for obtaining presidential assent for two bills passed by the state Assembly in 2018 for ensuring stringent punishment for those involved in desecration incidents.  

Randhawa wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah for ensuring assent to the Code of Criminal Procedure (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2018, and the Indian Penal Code (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2018, which provides for life imprisonment for the sacrilege of holy books.

In the letter, Randhawa, who holds the home portfolio, wrote, I want to bring to your notice that sacrilege of holy books is becoming a major issue in Punjab.

Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa held a meeting in Amritsar with the deputy commissioner, the police commissioner, the inspector general of police (border range), the Amritsar Rural SSP and other officials after the incident on Saturday

Deputy CM Sukhjinder Randhawa said an SIT has been constituted under the deputy commissioner of police (law and order), which would submit its report in two days

 As a part of his multiple visits to the poll-bound state, PM Modi will visit Prayagraj on December 21 to participate in a gathering of women employed with the Uttar Pradesh government.

According to the Prime Minister's Office, PM Modi will also transfer ₹1,000 crores to women of self-help groups (SHGs), benefiting around 6 lakh women across the state. Furthermore, he is also said to lay the foundation stones of more than 200 supplementary nutrition manufacturing units on the same day.

Notably, over 2 lakh women are expected to be present at the gathering including several social health activists, Anganwadi workers, female employees, and others. 

The Supreme Court has directed the constitution of a medical board to assist a Commission of Inquiry set up to probe the death of then Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa at Apollo Hospitals in Chennai in 2016.

"We are also of the view that it is just and proper to constitute a medical board to assist the commission in the disposal of the case. Needless to say that the Commission has to furnish the said medical board, so constituted, with complete records of the proceedings. 

The medical board, so appointed, is permitted to participate in all further proceedings of the commission and furnish a copy of the report to the commission," the bench said.