Republic Top 10 Headlines: Punjab Congress rift; Dubai Expo 2020 & more

Defence Min Rajnath Singh Unveils Veer Garhwali's Statue In Uttarakhand; Hails CM Dhami

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday attended the unveiling ceremony of Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali's statue in Peethsain, Uttarakhand. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami was also present at the unveiling. While speaking at the event, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh spoke highly about Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami referring to him as a 'strong batsman'. The Uttarakhand CM had also taken note of the comments made by the Union Defence Minister and thanked him for his encouragement.

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PM Modi Launches Swachh Bharat Urban 2.0, AMRUT 2.0; Vows To Make India 'garbage-free'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U) 2.0 and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0 at Dr Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi. With PM Modi, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri was also present at the event who praised the Prime Minister for transferring this project into a 'Jan Andolan'. The upgraded Amrut Mission is designed to make all our cities 'Garbage Free' and 'Water Secure'.

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Amarinder Singh May Announce Pro-Punjab & Nationalist Party Post Oct 15; Plans Big Meeting

In a big scoop from Punjab, Republic on Friday was informed that former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh will be holding a key meeting on Monday, October 4. In the said meeting, sources say that Amarinder Singh will be deciding on what is next for the former Punjab CM- which will include discussions on a possible new party. The announcement of the party, sources added, can be made anytime after October 15. The main aim of the party will be the 'security of the state and the nation'

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Congress Openly Attacks Amarinder Singh Ahead Of Impending Exit; Urges Him Not To Back BJP

Ahead of Captain Amarinder Singh's impending exit from Congress, AICC Punjab in-charge Harish Rawat strongly countered the charge that he was humiliated. Contending that his "closeness" to BJP leaders raises a question mark on his "secular credentials", Rawat asserted in a press briefing on Friday that Congress always treated him with respect. He said, "He (Singh) was the party's state president thrice and served as the CM twice for about 9 and a half years. If this is humiliation, then Amarinder Singh should compare himself to other senior leaders who got very opportunities in comparison."

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Dubai Expo 2020: Piyush Goyal Says India & UAE 'not Competitors', Have 'shared Interest'

After a year's delay due to the COVID pandemic, Expo 2020 opened in Dubai on Thursday with an extravagant ceremony headlined by British pop star Ellie Goulding and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. Dubai Expo 2020 will be the world's second-largest event (after the Tokyo Olympics), attracting millions of guests from all over the world. Now, the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, who will be inaugurating the India Pavilion at Dubai Expo 2020, outlined that India and UAE are not competitors but have shared interests. 

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Tata Sons' Air India Bid The Frontrunner; Amit Shah-led GOM To Take Final Call This Week

After 68 years since Tata Airlines was taken over by Govt of India, the Tata Group has won the bid to take over national carrier Air India on Friday, as per ANI.  The ministerial committee headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to meet later this week to clear the winning bid for the national carrier Air India. The Tata group, through its holding company, is believed to be the frontrunner and a formal announcement is likely after approval by the committee.

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BJP Accuses MVA Govt Of 'hiding' Param Bir Singh; Questions Whereabouts Of Anil Deshmukh

The Maharashtra government on Thursday informed that former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh may have fled the country. The big update regarding the former Mumbai Police top cop was revealed by Maharashtra's Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil. Patil also informed that the state government was in touch with the Centre to track Singh down. Even so, the news has triggered a political tussle between the ruling MVA government and the opposition BJP. 

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Top Leaders From Congress, BSP, BJP & 2 Factions Join SP In Akhilesh Yadav's Presence

In a big boost to the Samajwadi Party, scores of top leaders from BSP, BJP, Apna Dal, Congress and two political factions joined the party on Friday. Sharing photos of the new members who joined SP in the presence of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, Samajwadi party welcomed them. Top new joinees include Apna Dal national vice president Omkar Singh, BJP President Backward Classes wing Arun Kumar Maurya and several ex-MLAs from BSP and Congress. The 403-seat UP assembly where Yogi Adityanath rules with an iron-clad majority of 314 seats, is up for grabs in February 2022.

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Punjab CM Charanjit Channi To Visit Delhi Amid Stalemate With Navjot Singh Sidhu

Amid the stalemate between Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi and PCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, sources report that the CM is scheduled to visit Delhi on Friday. Channi will meet PM Modi at 3:45-4:15 PM as per sources, while he is set to meet Rahul and Sonia Gandhi at 6 PM. This is the first visit Channi will be making to Delhi after his cabinet expansion, which triggered the current Congress crisis in Punjab.

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Australia Recognises India's Covishield & China's Coronavac For International Travellers

In a big win for India's Covishield, Australian PM Scott Morrison on Friday, announced that Australia will consider India's Covishield (AstraZeneca/SII) and China's Coronavac (Sinovac) as 'recognised vaccines' for incoming travellers. Announcing his government's 'Reopen to the world' plan, Morrison said that Australia will allow fully vaccinated Australians and others to enter the country, but will have to undergo a seven-day home quarantine initially. Australia uses COVID vaccines of Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca for inoculating its population and recognises Covishield and Coronavac additionally.

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Image: Republicworld