Latest News: India vaccinates 7M; Left calls for bandh in WB; MP readies stone-pelting law

Law against stone-pelting in MP

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Thursday that his government is drafting an 'extraordinary' law to curb stone-pelting in the state as "it is raj dharma to take action against criminals." In a crackdown on miscreants involved in stone-pelting incidents, the Madhya Pradesh government is mulling on enacting a new law that will have a provision for auctioning the assets of stone pelters to repay for any damage caused to public property or an individual.

Read: 'Drafting Law To Curb Stone Pelting In Final Stages': Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Chouhan

EPS tells Muslims not to fear BJP alliance 

Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi Palaniswami urged the minorities in the state to not fear the AIADMK-BJP alliance and appealed to them that their support was required for the ruling party to get another term in office. Addressing members of the Tiruppur Islamic Jamaat on Thursday, the AIADMK leader noted that ideology and alliance were different and that the latter was created for politics while he admitted that no party would let go of the former. However, the TN CM, sprouting a skull cap, categorically said that no one needed to fear the alliance between the AIADMK and the BJP and rallied for their support in the upcoming polls.

Read: In Poll-bound Tamil Nadu, EPS Tells Muslims Not To Fear BJP Alliance; Calls For Support

Left calls for bandh in WB

After several Left parties in West Bengal called for a 12-hour bandh in protest against the action taken by Kolkata Police on their party workers, the government said on Thursday that no bandh will be observed in the state and employees staying away from work except for emergency, will result in a pay cut. The Mamata Banerjee government issued a statement that no casual leave will be granted to any employee nor will there be any exemption on the ground of shift allocation.

Read: Left Calls For West Bengal Bandh On Feb 12; Mamata Govt Orders All Offices To Remain Open

Farmers' body announces Mahapanchayat

An umbrella body of protesting farmer unions, the Samkyukta Kisan Morcha on Thursday announced that 'Kisan Maha Panchayat' will be organized in the coming days all across the country against the three farm laws. The morcha stated that it will not call off the ongoing protest until its demands to cancel the laws and legal guarantee for MSP on their produce are met. This comes a day after it announced a four-hour nationwide 'rail roko' on February 18. The farmers' body said in a statement that its teams are planning the programmes of the state-wise maha panchayat.

Read: As Farmers Protest Intensifies, Samkyukta Kisan Morcha Announces 'Mahapanchayat'

India fastest to vaccinate 7 million

India achieved another landmark as it became the fastest country in the world to administer the highest number of COVID-19 vaccine doses. On Thursday, the Government of India tweeted and announced that the country has become the fastest country in the world to administer 7 million COVID-vaccines doses under the strong leadership of PM Narendra Modi. On day 27, the number of healthcare & frontline workers getting vaccinated against COVID-19 has reached 74.30 lakhs across the country.

Read: India Becomes Fastest Country To Administer 7 Million Doses Of COVID-19 Vaccines