Typhoon deaths in Philippines top 100, mayors appeal for aid

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The governor of an island province in the central Philippines said Sunday at least 63 people died in the devastation wrought by Typhoon Rai in more than half of the towns that managed to contact him, bringing the death toll in the strongest typhoon to batter the country this year to at least 112.

Gov. Arthur Yap of Bohol province said 10 others were missing and 13 injured, and suggested the fatalities may still considerably increase with only 33 out of 48 mayors able to report back to him due to downed communications. Officials were trying to confirm a sizable number of deaths caused by landslides and extensive flooding elsewhere.

In statements posted on Facebook, Yap ordered mayors in his province of more than 1.2 million people to invoke their emergency powers to secure food packs for large numbers of people along with drinking water, which he said was an urgent problem since water stations were down during power outage.

After joining a military aerial survey of typhoon-ravaged towns, Yap said it is very clear that the damage sustained by Bohol is great and all-encompassing.

He said the initial inspection did not cover four towns, where the typhoon blew in as it rampaged on Thursday and Friday through central island provinces. The government said about 780,000 people were affected, including more than 300,000 residents who had to evacuate their homes.

At least 39 other typhoon deaths were reported by the disaster-response agency and the national police. Officials on Dinagat Islands, one of the southeastern provinces first pounded by the typhoon, separately reported 10 deaths just from a few towns, bringing the overall fatalities so far to 112.

President Rodrigo Duterte flew to the region Saturday and promised 2 billion pesos ($40 million) in new aid. Aides said the president will visit Bohol on Sunday.

At its strongest, the typhoon packed sustained winds of 195 kilometers (121 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 270 kph (168 mph), one of the most powerful in recent years to hit the disaster-prone archipelago, which lies between the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea.

Floodwaters rose rapidly in Bohols riverside town of Loboc, where residents were trapped on their roofs and trees. They were rescued by the coast guard the following day. On Dinagat Islands, an official said the roofs of nearly all the houses, including emergency shelters, were either damaged or blown away.

At least 227 cities and towns lost electricity, which has since been restored in only 21 areas, officials said, adding three regional airports were damaged, including two that remain closed.

The deaths and widespread damage left by the typhoon ahead of Christmas in the largely Roman Catholic nation brought back memories of the catastrophe inflicted by another typhoon, Haiyan, one of the most powerful on record. It hit many of the central provinces that were pummeled last week, leaving more than 6,300 people dead in November 2013.

About 20 storms and typhoons batter the Philippines each year. The archipelago is located in the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire region, making it one of the worlds most disaster-prone countries.

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Section 144 imposed as SDPI leader, BJP functionary killed in Kerala’s Alappuzha; CM Pinarayi Vijayan condemns killings

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Kerala’s coastal Alappuzha district was rocked by back-to-back killings of two party leaders, the first belonging to the SDPI and the second to the BJP, leading to clamping of prohibitory orders by police on Sunday. Following the killing of an SDPI state secretary, a BJP leader was hacked to death subsequently in 12 hours and prohibitory order under CrPC Section 144 was imposed in the entire Alappuzha district on Sunday, district officials said.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the killings and said steps will be taken by the police to nab the culprits and those behind them. The Chief Minister said such heinous and inhumane acts of violence were dangerous to the country and that people should keep away from such groups and their hateful activities. K S Shan, the state secretary of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) in Kerala, was brutally attacked on Saturday night while he was on his way back home and his party alleged the RSS was behind it.

Shan succumbed to his injuries at a Kochi hospital around midnight, police said. Hours later, BJP’s OBC Morcha state secretary Ranjeet Sreenivas was hacked to death by some assailants who barged into his house on Sunday morning, police said.

Police said it suspects the fatal attack on Sreenivas, also a member of the BJP state committee, was in retaliation to the killing of Shan. State Police Chief (SPC) Anil Kant, told the media, that senior police officers were camping in the district and additional forces have been deployed there.

He said that ADGP-Law and Order would be heading the probe into the two killings and that the police would soon be rounding up troublemakers, ‘goondas’ and their leaders in the area to prevent another such incident from happening in the near future. Kant also said a state-wide alert has been announced and all District Police Chiefs have been directed to closely monitor the law and order situation there and if required, prohibitory orders would be imposed and additional forces would be deployed.

Terming the BJP’s leader’s killing as disgraceful, Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs V Muraleedharan, told reporters here, that had the police taken appropriate steps after the murder of the SDPI leader, the situation would not have escalated to the present level. He said Sreenivas’ killing was a result of the failure of the state government and the police to take precautionary or preventive steps after the SDPI leader’s murder.

He also said that according to information he has received, SDPI was behind the killing of the BJP leader. Muraleedharan said that such incidents were not new in Kerala and alleged that in a similar incident in Palakkad recently, the government and CPI(M) actively protected the assailants.

He said that the Left government in Kerala was giving a free hand to Islamic terror groups and this was making things worse in the state. The Union Minister said the Chief Minister should change his administration’s stance towards such groups and take strict action against them.

He denied allegations that the RSS was behind the SDPI leader’s death, saying in that area the struggle for dominance was between the CPI(M) and SDPI and added that police should investigate who is trying to implicate BJP in the matter. He said that even if Sreenivas’ death was a retaliation, as claimed by some, then the Chief Minister should clarify whether it was an ‘eye for an eye’ system in the state.

BJP’s Kerala unit president K Surendran said efforts were being made on social media to equate the RSS with SDPI, which is allegedly the political outfit of the Islamic organisation Popular Front of India (PFI). He alleged that even the Chief Minister was supporting the PFI as in many municipal corporations in the state the CPI(M) and SDPI were actively supporting each other.

His reaction appears to be in response to the allegation by Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly V D Satheesan that BJP and SDPI were creating communal disharmony in the state. He also alleged that both groups were engaging in such activities to create political space for themselves and therefore, the state government and the people of Kerala should stay away from such groups.

Satheesan further alleged that the agenda of these groups was to divide the state along communal lines and that the Left government should take stringent action against them. He said that if the government was intending to capitalise on the situation for its own benefit then such a move would be obstructed by the Congress-led UDF. SDPI’s Kerala president, meanwhile, issued a statement refuting allegations that it was behind the killing of the BJP leader.

It said that it was not going to take another person’s life in retaliation for Shan’s death and that it has faith in the rule of law in the country. SDPI said the motive behind implicating it for Sreenivas’ killing was to tarnish its image.

SDPI leader, Shan, was on his way home when a car rammed into his bike and as he fell down, the assailants assaulted him leading to his death, police said.

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430% increase in female users in 2021, says unicorn apna.co

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Despite the challenges faced during the pandemic, women representation has improved significantly in the workforce across roles and hierarchies, as per a report by jobs and professional networking platform apna.co.

The unicorn claims to have witnessed a massive 430 percent increase in female users in 2021. The report highlighted that there was a 12X increase in women interviewing on apna’s platform in 2021 as compared to 2020. The report stated that women engaged in 48 million professional conversations during this year and of these, 56 percent of these conversations were by women from Tier-I and Tier-II cities. Cities such as Pune, Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad noted a significant rise in women users on the platform. Maximum female content creators on apna communities hailed from metros such as Delhi-NCR, Mumbai and Bengaluru.

According to the firm, on an average, women are interviewing at least 8 times a month – 33 percent more times than men. Interestingly, 39 percent of the female users on apna.co are 12th pass or lower. More popular roles on the platform included tele-callers and BPO, back office, receptionist, front office, teacher, accounts, finance, admin, office assistant and data entry operators. The report also showed an 11x increase in healthcare jobs for women.

The study also highlights that women are not only joining the workforce but also taking up unconventional jobs. Unlike last year, apna recorded a rise in women applying for various non-traditional roles, including delivery partners, security guards, lab technicians, fitness trainers, drivers and others. Top companies posting the maximum women-only jobs were Urban Company, Lakme, Zomato, Motherhood India Hospitals and Fortis, the report added.

As per the jobs portal, this percentage will continue to grow in 2022. The company which has over 5 million female users on its platform said that above trends are encouraging and highlight the shifting dynamics of India’s rising workforce.

“According to a recent report from IMF, reaching gender parity would boost India’s GDP by as much as 27 percent. Similarly, the World Bank reports that India’s GDP growth rate will climb above 9 percentworkforce if women have an equitable share of jobs and the nation can boost its growth by 1.5 percentage points per year if just 50% of women join the workforce. While we still have a long way to go, the 2021 Women Workforce data by apna is encouraging and signifies an upward graph in their participation,” said Manas Singh, Chief Business Officer – apna.co.

Hiring startup apna was incorporated 21 months ago, and only fully launched about 15 months ago. On September 16, its valuation reached a whopping $1.1 billion. The professional networking platform for blue- and grey-collar workers, claims to have clocked an 8x growth in new users in Tier II markets and 3.3x in Tier I cities.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

BOTTOMLINE: It’s time to root for cash generators

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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It pays to note here that the above shortlist is of companies based on historical cash flows, not future growth, and hence should not be construed as a recommendation. Any decision to invest must take into account several other aspects as well. The limited takeaway from the above analysis is that there are high cash generating companies available at attractive valuations, based on cash yield, today.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

India records 7,081 new COVID-19 cases; Andamans achieve 100% double vaccination target

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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With 7,081 people testing positive for coronavirus infection in a day, India’s total tally of cases rose to 3,47,40,275, while the active cases declined to 83,913, the lowest in 570 days, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.

The daily rise in new coronavirus infections has been recorded below 15,000 for the last 52 days now. The active cases have declined to 83,913, comprising 0.24 percent of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has been recorded at 98.38 percent, the highest since March 2020, the Health Ministry said.

A decline of 652 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.58 per cent. It has been less than 2 percent for last 76 days The weekly positivity rate was recorded at 0.61 per cent. It has been below 1 percent for the last 35 days, according to the ministry.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 3,41,78,940, while the case fatality rate has been recorded at 1.37 percent. The cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 137.46 crore. India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19. India crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23. The 264 new fatalities include 218 from Kerala and 11 from Maharashtra.

The Health Ministry stressed that more than 70 percent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities. “Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research,” the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.

Meanwhile, Andaman and Nicobar Islands have achieved 100 percent double dose COVID vaccination of its target beneficiaries. The administration said it was the first among the states and Union territories to achieve the feat using only Covishield.

The vaccination drive in the islands kickstarted with the rest of the country on January 16 this year. As per a health bulletin, 2.87 lakh people have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine against the target of 2.86 lakh beneficiaries, leading to 100.41 percent vaccination.

(With inputs from PTI)

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

BWF World C’ships: Kidambi Srikanth enters finals, Sen signs off with bronze

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Kidambi Srikanth etched his name in the history books by becoming the first Indian man to reach the finals of the BWF World Badminton Championships with a come-from-behind win over compatriot Lakshya Sen on Saturday. In a historic all-Indian men’s singles semifinal, it was the 28-year-old Srikanth who had the last laugh as he saw off Sen 17-21 21-14 21-17 in a thrilling contest that lasted an hour and nine minutes.

While former world number one Srikanth has now given himself a real chance of winning the top prize, Sen signed off with a maiden bronze, joining the legendary Prakash Padukone (bronze in 1983) and B Sai Praneeth (bronze in 2019) as the Indian medal winners at the showpiece. India’s P V Sindhu has won two silvers, besides two bronze and the coveted gold in 2019, while the women’s doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa had also won a bronze, in 2011.

Also, Saina Nehwal has a silver and a bronze to her name in the marquee event. It was a huge moment not only for Indian badminton but also for world No. 14 Srikanth, who had endured injuries and a loss of form which saw him miss the Tokyo Olympics this year, since winning four Super Series titles in 2017.

The two engaged in some exciting rallies with Srikanth being a step ahead initially but Lakshya managed to claw back at 4-4 and then at 6-6 with some superb shots. The 20-year-old grabbed the lead at 8-7 with Srikanth going wide but he soon drew parity with a cross-court smash.

Srikanth conceded two points with two nervous looking shots as Lakshya grabbed a three-point advantage at the break with a precise return at the backline. Srikanth’s aggressive strokes were negated by his wide returns as Lakshya maintained his three-point lead after the interval.

The two played some incredible rallies with Srikanth making a few superb retrievals to make it 16-16 but he rushed into a net shot and then hit wide and long as Lakshya again went into the lead at 19-17. Srikanth’s another return going wide gave Lakshya three match points and he pocketed the opening game.

The two continued to play at a breathtaking pace after the change of sides with Srikanth paying the price for his unforced errors. Lakhsya was simply sensational as he made some astonishing saves and also dished out a tight net game to move to a 8-4 lead.

The experienced Srikanth kept his calm and reeled off six of the next seven points. He won a long rally and then unleashed two smashes and pushed the shuttle back to level the scores at 9-9. Another straight down the line smash gave Srikanth a two-point advantage at the mid-game interval. At 13-10, Srikanth sent the shuttle long twice to allow Lakshya narrow the gap. Lakshya erred with his length and also conceded a point at the net, while Srikanth unleashed a smash to move to 16-12.

Lakshya won the next two points but Srikanth outwitted his compatriot in another excruciating rally. Lakshya then committed too many unforced errors to hand over six game points to Srikanth, who roared back into the contest with another cross-court smash. Srikanth started the decider with a delightful drop shot and then dominated another fast-paced rally but a few errors allowed Lakshya to make it 4-4.

The duo moved neck-and-neck to 7-7 before Srikanth sent the shuttle wide after a 43-shot rally. Another wide shot from Srikanth, and Lakshya moved to a three-point advantage at the mid-game interval with a smash.

Srikanth used his angled returns to trouble his younger rival, making it 10-11 after the break. Lakshya, however, again managed to open up a three-point lead with his great defence and an attacking return. Srikanth claimed two crucial points and then Lakshya committed a rare unforced errors and allowed his senior opponent to make it 13-13.

Srikanth grabbed a slender 16-15 lead after winning another energy-sapping rally before making it 19-16 with a cross-court smash. A tired Srikanth missed the line next but Lakshya’s deceptive shot then missed its mark to hand three match points to Srikanth, who sealed it with a body return, which Lakshya sent to the net.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Trade setup for Dec 20: More downside on cards for Nifty50? Check out key market cues before Monday’s session

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Indian equity benchmarks tumbled 1.5 percent to more than one-week closing lows on Friday, dragged by losses across sectors barring IT stocks. Financial, automobile, oil & gas and metal stocks were the worst hit.

The Bank Nifty tanked 2.5 percent, extending losses to a fifth straight session.

What do the charts suggest for Dalal Street now?

The Nifty50 has formed a long bear candle on the daily chart, suggesting a sharp downward reversal after the bounce earlier this month, according to Nagaraj Shetti, Technical Research Analyst at HDFC Securities.

One may expect further weakness in the short term, he said.

ALSO READ: Key factors to influence D-Street this week

All eyes on Bank Nifty

The coming couple of sessions will be crucial for the 50-scrip index, said Sameet Chavan, Chief Analyst-Technical and Derivatives at Angel One. He said he won’t be surprised if the Nifty tests 16,500-16,200 levels, which is the best possible zone from where a recovery can happen. The banking space is likely to dictate the short-term trend the way it is placed, he said.

“Traders are advised to stay light on positions and even if the market attempts to recover, one should avoid aggressive longs till 17,700 is not surpassed. Before this, levels of 17,100-17,200 are to be considered immediate hurdles,” Chavan added.

Here are key things to know about the market before Monday’s session:

SGX Nifty

At 7:49 am on Monday, Singapore Exchange (SGX) Nifty futures — an early indicator of the Nifty50 index — were down 83.5 points or 0.5 percent at 16,935.5, suggesting a negative start ahead on Dalal Street.

Global markets

Asian stock markets slid on Monday as surging Omicron cases triggered tighter restrictions in Europe. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia Pacific shares outside Japan was down 0.8 percent in early hours. Japan’s Nikkei 225 index was down 1.7 percent, China’s Shanghai Composite 0.5 percent and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng 0.7 percent.

S&P 500 futures were down 0.9 percent in Asia.

The three main Wall Street indices fell on Friday, though gains in technology stocks provided some support, limited the Nasdaq Composite’s loss at 0.1 percent. The S&P 500 and the Dow Jones ended one percent and 1.5 percent lower respectively.

A bearish continuation pattern is appearing on the weekly chart, according to HDFC Securities’ Shetti. One may expect the Nifty to drop to 16,750 and even lower levels this week, with immediate resistance at 17,180, he said.

“The Nifty50 index has broken 61.8 percent retracement of the recent leg of a rise as well as the lower end of a rising channel on the hourly chart. This shows that the short term range has shifted lower,” said Gaurav Ratnaparkhi, Head of Technical Research at Sharekhan by BNP Paribas.

Ratnaparkhi expects 16,780-17,400 to be the short-term range for the index going ahead, with buying support near the recent low of 16,782.

Key levels to watch out for

Nifty50: Support for the index is expected at 16,900 and resistance at 17,300, according to Palak Kothari of Choice Broking.

Bank Nifty: For the banking index, Kothari sees support at 35,300 and resistance at 36,600.

In the BSE 500 index, Tech Mahindra, Birlasoft, Persistent, KPR Mill and Grindwell Norton hit 52-week highs.

52-week lows

Twelve stock in the broadest index on the bourse hit 52-week lows: Bajaj Auto, City Union Bank, Gillette, HDFC AMC, MGL, MRF, Sanofi, Whirlpool, Strides Pharma, Gulf Oil Lubricants, Colgate Palmolive and Akzo Nobel.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

IPL 2022: Gautam Gambhir roped in as mentor by Lucknow franchise

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Former India opener Gautam Gambhir was on Saturday appointed mentor of the new Lucknow franchise ahead of IPL 2022. The southpaw, who is also a member of parliament, had captained KKR to two IPL titles during his playing days.

“Thanks a lot to Dr Goenka and the RPSG Group for presenting me this wonderful opportunity in their setup. “The fire to win a contest still burns bright inside me, the desire to leave a winner’s legacy still kicks me 24×7. I will not be contesting for a dressing room but for the spirit and soul of Uttar Pradesh,” Gambhir said in a statement.

It’s a privilege to be in the contest again. Thanks Dr.Goenka for incl me in #LucknowIPLTeam as its mentor.The fire to win still burns bright inside me, the desire to leave a winner’s legacy still kicks me. I won’t be contesting for a dressing room but for the spirit & soul of UP

— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) December 18, 2021

Owner of the yet to be named franchise, Sanjiv Goenka welcomed Gambhir into the RPSG family. “Gautam has an impeccable career record. I respect his cricketing mind and look forward to working with him,” he said.

The 40-year-old played 58 Tests, 147 ODIs and 37 T20Is for India. Gambhir, who has also captained Delhi Capitals (erstwhile Daredevils), has been in talks with Goenka for sometime and it is expected that he will play a massive role at the auctions.

Andy Flower has been primarily roped in because he has already worked with the Lucknow franchise’s captain-in-waiting KL Rahul, who is expected to be picked at the draft where the new teams will get three choices — two Indians and one foreign player. Gambhir was considered one of the finest among IPL captains during his time at the KKR, who won the silverware in 2012 and 2014.

However, once KKR released him and he returned to Delhi where he had started in 2008, things didn’t pan out as he would have thought and midway into the league, had to relinquish captaincy to Shreyas Iyer and also dropped himself from the team due to shoddy batting form. But no one can deny Gambhir’s shrewd tactical brain and it is widely believed that even before the deal was inked, he had been giving valuable inputs to Goenka’s core recruitment team on squad composition.

While the management is sure to depend on Flower on the overseas recruits, Gambhir will certainly be in charge when it comes to picking the core Indian set-up. While former Test opener Aakash Chopra, on his official twitter handle, has literally announced Rashid Khan as their overseas recruit, some of the other names that they are looking at includes Ben Sokes, Marcus Stoinis and Kagiso Rabada.

Rahul looks a certainty if both parties agree on a final price unless the soon-to-be India white ball vice-captain wants to go in at the auction, where he would likely fetch an astronomical bid, perhaps the highest in the history of IPL. The second Indian player could be Ishan Kishan because of his multiple skill level (keeping and batting), but the likes of last year’s Purple Cap winner Harshal Patel or leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who are very successful shortest format players can’t be ruled out either.

Also Read: MS Dhoni to return for CSK in IPL 2022

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Man beaten to death over ‘sacrilege’ bid at Golden Temple

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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A man hailing from Uttar Pradesh was beaten to death after he allegedly attempted to commit “sacrilege” inside the sanctum sanctorum of the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Saturday evening. The incident drew sharp reactions from political leaders, with Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi ordering a probe into it.

The incident took place when the man jumped golden grills inside the sanctum sanctorum, picked a sword and reached near the place where a Sikh priest was reciting the holy Guru Granth Sahib. The man was caught by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) task force members.

When he was being taken to the SGPC office, angry crowd thrashed him badly that later led to his death. Deputy Commissioner of Police P S Bhandal said the man, hailing from UP, could be around 25 to 30 years of age and his antecedents are being verified.

All CCTV cameras are being checked to know when he entered the Golden Temple and how many people were with him. After the incident, a large number of Sikh devotees and various Sikh outfits slammed the SGPC for its laxity.

A heavy police force has been deployed around the SGPC complex at Teja Singh Samundri Hall to maintain law and order. Several political leaders condemned the alleged sacrilege attempt at the Golden Temple.

Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi ordered a probe into the matter. “CM @CharanjitChanni strongly condemned the most unfortunate and heinous act to attempt sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib in the sanctum sanctorum of Sri Harimandir Sahib during the path of Sri Rehras Sahib,” according to a tweet by the Chief Minister’s Office.

“CM directed state police authorities to thoroughly probe into entire matter to zero in at the underlying motive and real conspirators behind this dastardly act. CM also called SGPC president and assured his government’s full support and cooperation to get into the bottom of the case,” said another tweet. Akali stalwart and five-time chief minister Parkash Singh Badal described it as a “heinous attempt”, which was “deeply shocking and exceedingly painful”.

Badal said the crime was too reprehensible for words and it has caused “deep anguish and outrage in the minds of the Sikh masses all over the world”. Badal said it was unbelievable that “such a painful and brazen crime could be committed at the holiest shrine of humanity” by a single individual, adding that the possibility of a deep-rooted conspiracy behind it cannot be ruled out.

He said the whole “conspiracy” needs to be probed, exposed and those behind it be given exemplary punishment. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal too condemned the incident and said the culprit should be strictly punished.

“Everybody is in shock. This could be a big conspiracy. The culprits should get the harshest punishment,” said Kejriwal in a tweet. Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal expressed shock and disbelief at the incident.

In a statement here, Sukhbir Badal said it is impossible to believe that this could be the act of just one person. “There is clearly a deep-rooted conspiracy behind it,” he said.

The former deputy CM said there seems to be a conspiracy to “disturb peace and communal harmony in the state”. He criticised the state government, saying that there were strong indications of such a conspiracy was being hatched.

“Only the other day, there was a shocking incident of gutka sahib’ (holy book) being thrown into the holy sarovar’. After that, the state agencies could not have been unaware of a deep-rooted conspiracy that led to today’s shocking sequence of events,” he said. “But no one did anything nor took any steps to prevent such a heinous crime from happening. What are the intelligence agencies doing,” he asked.

BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa also condemned the incident and asked the Punjab government to unearth the conspiracy behind it. In a statement, Sirsa said the incident has sent shock waves throughout the world as never in the history of Darbar Sahib such an attempt has been made.

He said the “failure” of the Congress government in solving previous sacrilege cases has resulted in repeat of such incidents. He said it should also be probed why such incidents occur at the time when elections are round the corner.

Congress MP Preneet Kaur also expressed deep shock over the incident. “Deeply shocked and appalled by the attempted beadbi of Sri Guru Granth Sahib at Sri Darbar Sahib today. The matter should be probed properly to ascertain the real culprits behind this brazen attempt,” she tweeted.

Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Punjab BJP chief Ashwani Sharma also condemned the incident. Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Harjinder Singh said the incident has caused “spiritual pain” to Sikhs all over the world.

“It is a matter of great sorrow that such an incident took place at Sachkhand Sri Harmandar Sahib from where the message of universal communion is conveyed to all mankind,” he said.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

D-Street Week Ahead: FII flow, IPO listings, global cues likely to be in focus

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Global cues and activity in the primary market will be in the spotlight on Dalal Street in the week starting December 20, after central banks began to tighten their ultra loose monetary policies. Foreign fund flow and newsflow related to the Omicron variant of COVID-19 will also be in focus.

Last week, the Sensex and Nifty50 tanked three percent each following two back-to-back weekly gains, dragged by losses across most sectors especially financial stocks. The midcap and smallcap barometers tanked around four percent each. 

The Nifty50 is consolidating around crucial levels, with support at 16,900 and resistance at 17,600, according to Yesha Shah, Head of Equity Research at Samco Securities. “Traders can maintain a neutral outlook and keep tight stop losses below immediate supports for long positions,” she said.

“While there is no evidence of bullish momentum, the Bank Nifty is trading at a crucial support which coincides with its rising trend line. The previous resistance level of 35,600 is now acting as a strong demand zone, thereby offering a good risk-reward opportunity on the long side… Support and resistance for Bank Nifty are now placed at 35,500 and 37,500 respectively,” Shah added.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow