Latest News: BJP min calls Mamata 'terrorist'; COVID tally; Ex-Secy calls Trump experiment

Agitating farmers plan to hold tractor rally on R-Day

Agitating farmer unions on Sunday remained firm on holding a tractor rally on Republic Day and vowed to continue their stir till the Agri laws are repealed, even as Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar urged them to discuss alternatives to scrapping the legislation at the next meeting scheduled for January 19. "We are prepared to sit in protest till May 2024... Our demand is that the three laws be taken back and the government provide a legal guarantee on the MSP," Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait told reporters in Nagpur.

Read: Farmers' R-Day Tractor March Plan In SC; Prepared For Stir Till May 2024, Says BKU Leader

India's COVID-19 tally

India reported 13,788 new COVID-19 cases, 14,457 discharges and 145 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per Union Health Ministry. Vaccination drive begins across 3350 centres. India vaccinated over 17,000 people on Day 2. Tamil Nadu Health Secretary Dr J Radhakrishnan took 'Covaxin' shot in Trichy, earlier yesterday. 

Read: Coronavirus LIVE Updates: India's Tally At 1,05,71,773; 17,072 People Inoculated On Day 2

UP minister calls Mamata Banerjee 'terrorist' 

On Sunday, an Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister has alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is working at the behest of Bangladesh. The UP minister, Anand Swaroop Shukla, said that Mamata Banerjee is not interested in Indians and she doesn't care about the citizens of this country. He also said that the Bengal CM has turned into "Bangladeshi" and is an "Islamic terrorist." Claiming that only Rohingya Muslims support Mamata, Shukla also asserted that BJP will win 200 seats in Bengal.

Read: Mamata Banerjee 'terrorist' Working For Bangladesh, Greatest Threat To Nation: UP Minister

Congress, Left to finalise seat-sharing by end of Jan

Asserting that they will jointly fight against the BJP and the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, the Left Front and the Congress on Sunday said that their seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming state assembly elections will be finalised by the end of January. Congress state chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that his party and the Left Front will hold further parleys to finalise the nitty-gritties of the deal.

Read: In Poll-bound Bengal, Congress & Left To Finalise 'cordial' Seat-sharing By End Of January

Former Homeland Secy calls Trump an experiment 

Former Secretary of Homeland Jeh Johnson on Sunday said that he hopes the citizens of the country will soon realise that Donald Trump's presidency was a "failed experiment." Johnson said that he thinks history will not remember Trump's presidency and "those who supported it kindly" even if the Senate decides not to convict Trump of inciting the Capitol riots earlier this month. Speaking further, Johnson said that 4 years ago, the United States engaged in a very dangerous experiment by electing someone who was utterly unqualified for office, who has no moral or legal compass, and frankly had impulses towards fascism and autocracy. Johnson further said, "My hope is that as time passes Americans will realise this was a failed experiment and we should never try it again." 

Read: Former Homeland Secy Calls Trump A Failed Experiment, Says 'history Will Not Remember Him'