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Delhi-‘a gas chamber’, says Arvind Kejriwal, all schools closed till Nov 5

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is struggling to deal with rising air pollution levels in the national capital, today described the city as a “gas chamber” while distributing breathing masks to school children.

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Delhi Pollution

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is struggling to deal with rising air pollution levels in the national capital, today described the city as a “gas chamber” while distributing breathing masks to school children. In strongly-worded posts on social media, Mr Kejriwal also blamed the governments of neighbouring states – Haryana and Punjab – for “forcing farmers to burn stubble” that he said had led to the problem in Delhi.

The Chief Minister also urged school students to write to “Captain Uncle and Khattar uncle”, referring to Captain Amarinder Singh and Manohar Lal Khattar, Chief Ministers of Punjab and Haryana, respectively. “Please write letters to Captain Uncle and Khattar uncle and say, ‘Please think about our health’,” Mr Kejriwal told children today, while distributing breathing masks.

“Delhi has turned into a gas chamber due to smoke from crop burning in neighbouring states. It is very important that we protect ourselves from this toxic air. Through pvt & govt schools, we have started distributing 50 lakh masks today. I urge all Delhiites to use them whenever needed,” Mr Kejriwal wrote on Twitter.

The Delhi government has purchased 50 lakh N95 masks to be given to children in private and government schools.

The Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA), has declared a public health emergency in the Delhi-NCR region. “We have to take this as a public health emergency as air pollution will have adverse health impact on all, particularly our children,” Bhure Lal, EPCA Chairperson said in a letter to the Chief Secretaries of the UP, Haryana and Delhi governments.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]”The Khattar and Captain governments are forcing farmers to burn stubble, which is causing severe pollution in Delhi. Yesterday, people protested at Punjab and Haryana Bhavan and expressed their anger against governments there,” he added in Hindi.

“People are facing difficulty in breathing and to provide relief, we’re distributing 2 masks to each student in private & govt schools,” the AAP chief said.

On Tuesday Mr Kejriwal had appealed “with folded hands” to Punjab and Haryana to take concrete steps against stubble burning.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Air quality in Delhi has plummeted post-Diwali, which Chief Minister Kejriwal said was the “lowest in five years”. According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded 412 this morning, which falls in the “very severe” category.

According to the data, the contribution of stubble burning to the haze and air pollution in Delhi-NCR was 35 per cent on Wednesday, 24 per cent on Thursday and is likely to be 25 per cent today. In addition, according to SAFAR data available on Wednesday, the number of stubble burning fires had doubled over the past 48 hours – from 1,200 to 2,700.

(With Inputs from agencies)[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Will not contest any election in future, have to stop somewhere: Sharad Pawar hints at retirement

The NCP leader said that he is not in power, and his tenure in the Rajya Sabha has one-and-a-half years left.

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Will not contest any election in future, have to stop somewhere: Sharad Pawar hints at retirement

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) senior leader Sharad Pawar, 83, today hinted at retirement as he said he may not contest any more elections after his Rajya Sabha term ends in 18 months.

Sharad Pawar who formed the NCP in 1999 is widely regarded as the grand old man of Maharashtra politics. The veteran politician was speaking at his family stronghold of Baramati in western Maharashtra, which will see a Pawar vs Pawar contest in the November 20 Assembly election.

Addressing a rally, the NCP leader said that he is not in power, and his tenure in the Rajya Sabha has one-and-a-half years left. He continued that he will not contest any election in future, and that he will have to stop somewhere. He also thanked the voters of Baramati for making him an MP and MLA a staggering 14 times overall. Notably, a potential close of a nearly six-decade-long political career comes as the NCP and its allies – the Congress and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena group – contest this month’s election.

In this election, the fight for Baramati is being seen as a referendum on Sharad Pawar’s continuing influence over voters, since it sees his grandnephew, Yugendra Pawar, do battle against his nephew Ajit Pawar, whose led the rebellion last year that forced the NCP to split.

NCP leader Ajit Pawar is a five-time MLA from Baramati but, in each of his earlier wins, he had the backing of his uncle’s party. This will be the first assembly election in which he contests under his own banner.

The result of the election for the Baramati Lok Sabha seat, where the people voted overwhelmingly for Sharad Pawar’s candidate, his daughter Supriya Sule, underlines Ajit Pawar’s task at hand.

Speaking at Baramati, Sharad Pawar said that he holds no grudge against Ajit Pawar, adding that he led the people there for 30 years. However, he also said that it is time for him to prepare a young and dynamic leadership, which can take over for the next 30 years, apparently referring to Yugendra Pawar’s future position.

The veteran politician continued that he is not seeking votes, acknowledging that voters have always been magnanimous with all Pawar family members. He added that however, now they have to look ahead at the future.  

Notably, Sharad Pawar’s retirement from electoral politics has been circulating for some time now, and was raked up again in January by nephew Ajit Pawar, who had fought against and forced a split of his uncle’s party, leading the rebels into an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party and a faction of the Shiv Sena that had earlier broken away from Uddhav Thackeray.

At that time, Ajit Pawar hit out at Sharad Pawar for not sticking to a 2023 resolution to step down from the party’s top post. He said that some people simply refuse to retire. He continued that people should stop after reaching a certain age, but some are not ready, even after turning 80. Referring to his uncle, Ajit Pawar said that this person is not ready to retire.

Responding to this jab, Sharad Pawar said that he is neither tired nor retired, echoing late former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s remarks. He questioned who they were to tell him to retire, adding that he can still work.

Last year in May, while the NCP was battling its internal crisis, Sharad Pawar announced his resignation as party boss. However, the announcement was unanimously rejected by top leaders. A few days later, he withdrew his resignation.

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Maharashtra Assembly election: Uddhav Thackeray expels 5 Sena members for not withdrawing nominations

Following the withdrawal of nominations, around 4,140 candidates were left in the fray for 288 Maharashtra assembly seats

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Maharashtra Assembly election: Uddhav Thackeray expels 5 Sena members for not withdrawing nominations

Uddhav Thackeray, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief on Tuesday expelled five rebel leaders for anti-party activities after they failed to withdraw nominations filed for the November 20 Maharashtra assembly elections.

The expelled leaders include Bhiwandi East MLA Rupesh Mhatre, Vishwas Nandekar, Chandrakant Ghugul, Sanjay Awari and Prasad Thackeray. Reportedly, 14 leaders from the Maha Vikas Aghadi, comprising Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar’s NCP had filed nominations, defying party command. 

Among those who withdrew their nominations by the Monday deadline was Congress’ Mukhtar Shaikh, who withdrew from the Kasba Peth assembly constituency in Pune and announced his support to the party’s official candidate Ravindra Dhangekar.

In addition, royal scion Madhurima Raje Chhatrapati’s withdrawal as Congress candidate from Kolhapur North minutes before the deadline left the party without representation in one of its western Maharashtra strongholds. Madhurima Raje was nominated in place of ex-corporator Rajesh Latkar after a party office was vandalised by those opposed to the latter.

Hemalata Patil from Nashik Central, Madhu Chavan from Byculla and Vishwanath Walvi from Nandurbar are among the seven Congress rebels who withdrew their nominations. Only two NCP(SP) rebels are in fray.

Furthermore, among those to withdraw from the electoral race was Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange, who has held on-and-off hunger strikes and protests to demand reservation for the community in education and jobs over the past year. The activist said that the Maratha community will decide on its own whom to defeat and whom to elect. He also announced he would support two candidates from Parvati and Daund in the state assembly polls, though he said their names will be disclosed later.

Following the withdrawal of nominations, around 4,140 candidates were left in the fray for 288 Maharashtra assembly seats, while 2,938 candidates withdrew their papers. The figure is a 28 per cent increase from the 3,239 candidates who fought the 2019 assembly polls.

This year, the Maharashtra Assembly election will see major regional parties NCP and Shiv Sena contesting after a split down the middle. The factions led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar-led NCP have joined hands with the BJP to form the Mahayuti. The Assembly elections are scheduled for November 20. The counting of votes will take place on November 23.

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Centre issues notice to Wikipedia on complaints of bias, inaccuracies

The government also questioned why Wikipedia should not be classified as a publisher, rather than an intermediary.

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Centre issues notice to Wikipedia on complaints of bias, inaccuracies

The Centre on Tuesday has issued a notice to Wikipedia over multiple complaints about bias and inaccuracies on the platform. The government in its letter to Wikipedia highlighted that a small group of editors appears to have significant control over the contents, particularly influencing its neutrality. 

Reports said that the government also questioned why Wikipedia should not be classified as a publisher, rather than an intermediary. However, neither Wikipedia nor the government has issued an official statement on the matter so far. 

Wikipedia, popularly known as free online encyclopedia, allows volunteers to create and edit pages on a wide variety of topics, including people, issues and various fields of knowledge. This recent development follows two months after the Delhi High Court slammed Wikipedia and also warned it of a potential ban in India during a case filed by news agency ANI, which alleged that its Wikipedia page contained inaccuracies and defamatory content. 

In the last hearing, Justice Subramonium Prasad further observed that Wikipedia might not be entitled to defend the defamatory edits since it claims to be only an intermediary. The Delhi HIgh Court also questioned if Wikipedia is an intermediary, why is it bothered? It added that if somebody else has edited and that addition is without basis, then it comes down.

It further stated that Wikipedia is not here to protect the editors but is a mere wall. The court opined that it will only see whether the opinion given in the encyclopaedia does not depict the correct picture, as not true representation of the article. However, Wikipedia clarified that it was not defending the statements or edits made on Wikipedia’s page about ANI. It further sought to assist the court in the matter, particularly with regard to the architecture of the platform. 

Notably, Wikipedia has faced growing criticism for alleged bias and inaccuracies, especially amid the ongoing US presidential elections. Elon Musk, owner of X, has publicly accused Wikipedia of supporting far-left ideologies. He also urged the public to stop donating to Wikipedia, claiming it is controlled by far-left activists.

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