India saw a single-day rise of 2,151 fresh Covid-19 cases which is the highest in nearly 5 months. With the new cases being logged in the country on Wednesday, the active cases rose to 11,903.

According to the Union Health Ministry data, it was on October 28 when the country recorded a total of 2,208 cases and since then the cases were on a decline. But now the graph of Covid-19 cases is going up day by day.

The country also logged seven fatalities in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 5,30,848. Three fatality cases were reported in Maharashtra and Kerala each while one was reported in Karnataka.

The data shows the daily positivity in the country stands at 1.51 percent, while the weekly positivity is pegged at 1.53 percent. The number of people who have recovered from Covid jumped to 4,41,66,925 with over 1,200 fresh recoveries.

The country administered 11,336 Covid-19 vaccines in the last 24 hours. India has so far administered 220.65 crore vaccine doses under the nationwide vaccination drive.

Speaking about the booster doses, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said there’s no need for additional Covid-19 vaccine booster doses for regular, medium-risk adults if they have already received their primary vaccination course and one booster dose.

Following the surge in cases, Secretary of the Ministry of Health Rajesh Bhushan held a meeting with officials from various states and reviewed the nation’s Covid-19 preparedness. State authorities have also been told to undertake mock drills at health facilities on April 10 and 11 to ensure the operational readiness of medical infrastructure.

Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh who is still at large was spotted on Delhi roads on Tuesday. The Punjab Police is on a hunt to nab the radical Sikh preacher who fled from Punjab last week.

A video of Waris Punjab De chief is going viral on social media showing a Khalistan sympathizer without a turban and wearing a mask. The CCTV footage purportedly from a market in Delhi shows the fugitive strolling down a street wearing dark sunglasses and a denim jacket.

His aide Papalpreet Singh could be seen following behind him while carrying a suitcase. Papalpreet Singh is said to be Amritpal Singh’s mentor. He was allegedly in contact with Pakistan’s spy agency ISI. Both wore masks to conceal their identities.

According to the reports, the CCTV footage is said to be from March 21, three days after the police moved in to arrest him in Punjab on March 18.

There are reports that Amritpal Singh and Papalpreet Singh came to Delhi via Kurukshetra in Haryana. It’s not clear if he is still hiding in the national capital or has scooted from there too. There is no official word from Punjab Police on the fresh footage.

Read Also: Lakshadweep MP Mohammed Faizal’s Lok Sabha membership restored ahead of SC hearing

India’s Himalayan neighbour Nepal has already put Amritpal Singh on its surveillance list as he could attempt a border crossing using a fake passport.

The move to arrest Amritpal Singh comes after his supporters stormed the Ajnala Police Station near Amritsar with guns and swords to demand the release of one of their aides. Six police personnel were injured during the incident.

Punjab Police has so far arrested 353 people for breaching of peace and creating a disturbance of law and order in the state.

Amritpal Singh heads Waris Punjab De, a radical organisation started by actor and activist Deep Sidhu who died in a car accident last year. The charges against Amritpal Singh include using young people to take up arms and commit acts of violence with his private militia, the Anandpur Khalsa Fauj, or AKF.

PM Modi hits out at Opposition unity amid Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification row, says coming together of corrupt on one stage

Delhi Police detain Congress leaders on march near Red Fort

Ahead of the Supreme Court hearing on the matter of Lakshadweep MP Mohammed Faizal’s disqualification from the Lok Sabha, the LS secretariat issued a notification stating that his membership has been restored.

The notification, issued by the Secretary General of the Lok Sabha Utpal Singh, stated that Faizal’s membership has been restored keeping in view the order passed by the Kerala High Court on January 25.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader, who was disqualified from the Lok Sabha in an attempt to murder case, appealed to the Supreme Court on March 28 that he has not been reinstated back to the Parliament even though his conviction has been stayed by the Kerala High Court.

Read Also: PM Modi hits out at Opposition unity amid Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification row, says coming together of corrupt on one stage

The matter was to be heard later today, however, before the hearing Faizal’s membership was restored.

The Kavaratti Session Court convicted the NCP MP and three others to 10 years of imprisonment on January 11, 2023, in an attempt to murder case in connection with the 2009 incident. Following the conviction of a two-time MP from the island, his membership was disqualified and the Election Commission of India announced by-polls.

He was convicted by the Sessions Court under various Sections including 143, 147, 148, 307, 324, 342, 448, 506 and other offenses of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Faizal’s Lok Sabha membership was restored amid Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from the Lok Sabha in 2019 criminal defamation case. The case will come in handy for Rahul Gandhi to restore his Lok Sabha membership that was struck down by the Lok Sabha Secretary General on March 24.

Delhi Police detain Congress leaders on march near Red Fort

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