Republic top 10 headlines: Sidhu attacks Punjab govt over farmers' demand; Afghan crisis

Jaishankar To Brief Political Leaders On Afghanistan Crisis; All-party Meet On August 26

In a big development, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will brief floor leaders of political parties on the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. He mentioned that PM Modi had given specific instructions in this regard. This comes at a juncture when the Congress party has questioned the "silence" of the Union government on the issue and demanded a clarification on India's policy vis-a-vis the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi also confirmed that an all-party meeting on the Afghanistan situation will take place at 11 am on August 26. 

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Taliban vs Northern Alliance Civilians Join Northern Alliance To Fight Taliban, 300 Terrorists Killed In Andarab

In a recent development from Afghanistan, several Afghan civilians were seen taking to the streets demonstrating against the Taliban. The civilians came in support of the Northern Alliance and former Vice President Amrullah Saleh, who has challenged the terrorist group. It has been reported that around 300 Talibs were killed in heavy fighting in Andarab.

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Guru Nanak's Death Anniversary: Pak Permits Vaccinated Sikh Pilgrims To Visit Kartarpur

Ahead of the 482nd death anniversary of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak on 22 September, Pakistan has decided to allow Sikh pilgrims, who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib through the Kartarpur passage from next month. The visit will be allowed with strict COVID-19 protocols in place. It is to mention that the Kartarpur Corridor has remained closed since March 2020 amid the pandemic. 

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'Deeply Concerned' Sri Lanka Asks India's Help In Evacuating Its Citizens From Afghanistan

The Sri Lankan government has asked India for help in evacuating its citizens from war-torn Afghanistan. In a statement issued by Sri Lanka's Foreign Ministry, the government stated that it was 'deeply concerned' about the situation in Afghanistan and was closely monitoring developments. Asserting that its priority was the security of Sri Lankans living in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed that it had requested the governments of the USA, UK, India, Pakistan, and the United Nations to assist in evacuating its citizens.

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Two Among 146 Evacuees Who Landed In Delhi From Afghanistan On Monday Found COVID Positive

Among the 146 passengers who reached India after being evacuated from Afghanistan via Doha, two were found positive with COVID-19. They had travelled to the Indian capital on Monday, August 23, in three different flights, including a carrier plane. Sub Divisional Magistrate Rajendra Kumar affirmed that two from the lot after their arrival from Afghanistan had been found COVID positive. "They have been sent to LNJP Hospital," Kumar informed.

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Jammu & Kashmir: Gupkar Alliance & BJP To Hold Separate 'Strategy Meetings' On August 24

The Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) will be holding separate “Strategy Meetings” tomorrow, August 24, in Jammu and Kashmir. The meeting called by the BJP is seen as a counter meeting to the one called by Farooq Abdullah-led PAGD. Sources of the BJP while confirming the meeting called by the party's J&K Unit for tomorrow said, “Meeting has been called tomorrow at 12 PM and the venue is yet to be finalized. During the meeting, any ongoing situation be it political or security aspect will be discussed.”

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Kalyan Singh Laid To Rest At Bulandshahr; UP CM Yogi, Rajnath Singh Pay Last Respects

The last rites of Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh were performed on Monday at Rajghat in Narora of the Bulandshahr district with full state honours. Incumbent UP CM Yogi Adityanath, Dinesh Sharma, and Keshav Prasad Maurya paid their last respects at the funeral procession. Union Ministers Smriti Irani and Rajnath Singh among others were also seen paying floral tributes to the senior BJP leader. 

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'There Is No System Left In Maharashtra To Hear Out Farmers,' Devendra Fadnavis Slams Govt

After a farmer allegedly died by suicide outside Mantralaya, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis lashed out at the state government for neglecting farmers' issues. While stating that this is a "very unfortunate" incident, Maharashtra Assembly's Leader of the Opposition said no system is left in the state to hear out the farmers. The way the posting of officers is happening in the state is questionable, Fadnavis added.

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Navjot Sidhu Attacks Punjab Govt Over Sugarcane Farmers' Demand For Rise In SAP

Amid the ongoing protests in Punjab regarding the prices of sugarcane, Punjab Congress Chief Navjot Singh Sidhu in an attack on his own party said that the prices in Punjab are too low as a variable in comparison to other states. Questioning the Congress government in Punjab, Sidhu also sought an immediate resolution of the issues faced by the farmers regarding the prices.

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'We Urged PM Modi To Take An Appropriate Decision': Nitish Kumar On Caste-based Census

On Monday, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar along with an all-party delegation met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi to discuss the Bihar government's demand for a caste-based census. After the meeting, Nitish Kumar spoke to the media where he revealed that PM Modi had listened to the demands put forward by all members of the delegation and a decision was likely soon. "We spoke on all kinds of matter. SC, ST, OBCs, EBC, minorities, everything was raised. We said that if this is done once, we will know the condition of everyone and we will be able to make the right decisions. 

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