Days after being accused of splashing crores of rupees in wooing pro-Hindutva voters by paying for LIVE telecast of his puja at a Hindu temple, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has announced several moves to control the spike in corona cases. Among them is also a proposal to shut down markets that have emerged as corona hotspots in the national capital.
Kejriwal thanked the central government for assurance to provide additional 750 ICU beds. He said, “The number of ICU beds was on the decline. I had written a letter to the central government, which responded positively.”
Kejriwal said that his government had allowed up to 200 people at weddings, but he had decided to go back to the earlier limit of 50 in view of the worsening cases of COVID-19.
Kejriwal had faced widespread criticism for misrule in a bid to woo a new constituency of pro-Hindutva voters to cement his grip on power in Delhi. He recently bought TV spaces worth crores of rupees to telecast his religious function on the day of Diwali LIVE. This came as a reminder to what Prime Minister Narendra Modi had done on the day he laid the foundation of a new temple in Ayodhya at the site where Babri Masjid existed. But Modi did not have to buy TV spaces to ensure the LIVE coverage of his prayer ceremony.
According to criticis, Delhi’s corona situation would have been under control had Kejriwal spent his time tackling the humanitarian crisis sincerely instead of indulging in theatrics to woo Hindutva voters.
LIVE UPDATES on today’s big stories will appear below:
19:47 PM: NIA conducts searches in Bengaluru, including at offices of SDPI, PFI’s political wing, in connection with rioting at police stations in Aug. (PTI)
18:42 PM: Haryana: 72 students of 12 Government schools in Rewari tested positive for #COVID19. (ANI)
Haryana: 72 students of 12 Government schools in Rewari tested positive for #COVID19.
"Due to the festive season, there is movement & people are meeting each other so we tested students of 12 schools. We will continue testing students to curb COVID19 spread," says Nodal Officer pic.twitter.com/xPKOtsStVC
— ANI (@ANI) November 18, 2020
17:51 PM: Former Goa Governor #MridulaSinha passed away on Wednesday, just days ahead of her 78th birthday. (IANS)
16:53 PM: A bench of Justice Naveen Chawla of the Delhi High Court earlier today dismissed a plea challenging the Centre’s order allowing telecast of #SudarshanTV’s programme ‘Bindas Bol’. (Live Law)
15:47 PM: Bulandshahr: The rape victim who had allegedly attempted self-immolation passed away at a hospital in Delhi. (ANI)
Bulandshahr: The rape victim who had allegedly attempted self-immolation passed away at a hospital in Delhi.
"We've collected all evidence from the scene. 5 of the 7 accused have been arrested. Efforts are on to nab the other accused," says Santosh K Singh, SSP. https://t.co/szEhNQMnrM pic.twitter.com/FyYclhqA7W
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) November 18, 2020
15:02 PM: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday declined to entertain a plea challenging Delhi Government’s order prohibiting #ChhathPuja at public places and ghats in view of #COVID19 pandemic. (IANS)
14:09 PM: COVID-19: Lt Governor Anil Baijal approves Delhi govt’s proposal allowing 50 people at weddings against earlier limit of 200, says official. (PTI)
13:22 PM: Pakistan Prime Minister #ImranKhan has approved a $100 million allocation and allowed advance payment for procurement of #COVID19 vaccine at the earliest. (IANS)
12:34 PM: Mumbai Police asks Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut, her sister Rangoli Chandel to appear before them on November 23 over “objectionable comments” on social media aimed at spreading communal tension. (PTI)
11:01 AM: Maharashtra: BJP MLA Ram Kadam and his supporters detained by Police from outside his residence in Mumbai. They were taking out a ‘Jan aakrosh yatra’ to Palghar demanding CBI probe into Palghar mob lynching case. (ANI)
Maharashtra: BJP MLA Ram Kadam and his supporters detained by Police from outside his residence in Mumbai. They were taking out a 'Jan aakrosh yatra' to Palghar demanding CBI probe into Palghar mob lynching case. pic.twitter.com/rYUxFKOV71
— ANI (@ANI) November 18, 2020