Breaking News HIGHLIGHTS: 'Neither Fair Nor Feasible' For TN Govt To Further Reduce Taxes On Fuel, Says State Finance Minister
Breaking News HIGHLIGHTS, November 19, 2021: This LIVE Blog brings to you the latest breaking news from India and the world. Keep refreshing the page to find the latest updates.
Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan says the state government had reduced tax on petrol by Rs 3/litre in its budget in August and "it is neither fair nor feasible for the state government to further reduce taxes", ANI reported.
"Victory of farmers is a major setback to Sangh Parivar's strategy of dividing ppl through communalism & implementing capitalist agendas. This struggle gives ppl energy to hold on to the dream of a world where equality & brotherhood plays a crucial role": Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan said, as quoted by ANI.
US President Joe Biden will transfer power to Vice President Kamala Harris today for the period during which he will be under anesthesia for a routine colonoscopy he will undergo as part of his annual physical, Reuters reported
US Food & Drug Administration today amended the EUA for both Moderna & Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines authorising use of a single booster dose for all individuals 18 years of age and older after completion of primary vaccination with any FDA-authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine, ANI reported.
Punjab Govt appoints senior advocate Deepinder Singh Patwalia as the new Advocate General of the state, ANI reported.
Discontinued due to COVID-19 restrictions, railways to resume serving cooked food in trains: Railway Board
We hope govt won't let its announcement (on farm laws) go waste and go full length to fulfill our demands, including law to guarantee MSP: Samyukt Kisan Morch said, as quoted by PTI.
Repeal of 3 farm laws: Congress to observe 'Kisan Vijay Diwas' across the country tomorrow "in recognition of consistent & spirited fight of the farmers against the flawed decisions". The party has asked state units to organise Kisan Vijay Rallies/Kisan Vijay Sabhas, ANI reported.
Punjab: Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal denies possibilities of allying with BJP after the repeal of three agrarian laws, ANI reported.
PM Narendra Modi will inaugurate “InFinity Forum”, a two-day thought leadership Forum on FinTech, on December 3.
Austria will become the first country in western Europe to reimpose a full coronavirus lockdown to tackle a new wave of infections, and will require its whole population to be vaccinated as of February, Reuters reported.
DMRC: Rajiv Chowk-Central Sectratriat section to be out of service for few morning hours on Nov 21
Metro services on Yellow Line's Rajiv Chowk-Central Secretariat section will be suspended for a few hours in the morning on November 21 due to scheduled track maintenance work, the DMRC officials said on Friday.
"To undertake the scheduled track maintenance work at Central Secretariat metro station of Yellow Line on the intervening night of November 20 and 21, train services on the morning of November 21 on this line will be briefly regulated," the DMRC said in a statement.
The world can see today the longest lunar eclipse in hundreds of years. It will be longest partial lunar eclipse since the 15th century.
Farmers proved that the Centre eventually will have to listen to the people. Water cannons, lathis dried up and nails melted against farmer's determination. Govt made all efforts to disrupt the protest but farmers' didn't give up & fought well. : Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal
The Congress party staged an attack on the ruling BJP after the announcement of the repeal of farm laws. "Seems like Centre is guilty." said Mallikarjun Kharge.
Announcing the repealing of farm laws, PM Modi said, "I'm sorry to my countrymen with a pure heart"
"Today it is guru Nanak parv. Today is not the day to blame, he added.
While announcing the repeal of farm laws, PM Modi said, "Perhaps we as a government fell short in making the farmers understand the benefits of the farm laws. But, I want to wish the farmers on Guru Parab and hope that the farmers return back to their homes safely."
"We brought these laws with pure intentions, but we were not able to talk to these farmers," said PM Modi.
"private and public talks took place. we tried to understand the logic of the farmer unions, but many still kept on protesting. Even though this was a small group, many people tried them to make the. Understand the benefits of the laws through various mediums," the PM added
PM Modi announced that the central government has decided to repeal the three farm laws that were enacted in the parliament last year.
PM Modi addressed the nation on Friday. He stressed his government's steps for the welfare of farmers.
"I have seen problems of farmers from up close. So when the country elected me in 2014, our priority was farmer's welfare," PM said.
"Many people are unaware that 80 farmers out of 100 are small farmers. They have smaller than 2 hectare land. More than 10 crore come under small farmerS, they spend their lives depending on this small land," he added.
These two politicians are usually talked about in the same breath. PM Modi wished India's former PM Indira Gandhi on her birth anniversary.
Background
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced a rollback of the three agri laws at the centre of protests by farmers for the past year, a surprise concession warily welcomed by farmers, happy but holding out for an MSP guarantee, and also politicians across divides.
Addressing the nation on Guru Nanak Jayanti, Modi appealed to farmers who had set up camp at entry points into the national capital since November 28 last year to return home. He maintained that the laws were for their benefit and then apologised to people of the country, adding that the government could not convince a section of farmers despite its clear heart and clean conscience.
"There may have been some shortcoming in our efforts due to which we could not explain the truth, as clear as the light of the diya, to some of our farmer brothers," Modi said, referring to the protests, spearheaded by farmers from Punjab and also Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh. which left about 700 dead.
Welcoming the announcement of the repeal of the laws, which had pitted farmers and the government against each other through 12 months of dogged protests and 11 rounds of talks, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha said their agitation was not just against the repeal of the three black laws but also also for a statutory guarantee to remunerative prices for all agricultural produce and for all farmers.
This important demand of farmers is still pending," the umbrella body of 40 farm unions said in a statement. It said it welcomed the decision but would wait for the announcement to take effect through due parliamentary procedures.
As drumbeats were heard in several places and sweets distributed at the unexpected victory , Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait added that the government should talk to farmers over the issue of minimum support price (MSP) of crops and other matters.
The prime minister in his speech that comes on the occasion of Gurpurab and also ahead of elections in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh early next year -- noted that it it is the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev and no occasion to blame anyone.
"I have come to tell you that we have decided to repeal the three farm laws. In the upcoming Parliament session starting at the end of this month, we will complete the constitutional process to repeal the three farm laws," Modi said.
He requested all his farmer friends to return home to their fields and families and make a new beginning on this auspicious occasion, a day when gurudwaras across the country are lit up to celebrate the festival.
let us move forward afresh," Modi said, adding that the goal of the three farm laws was to empower farmers, especially small farmers.
He listed various steps taken by his government for the welfare of small farmers and pointed out that the agriculture budget has risen by five times with over Rs 1.25 lakh crore spent annually.
Modi said he had seen the challenges faced by farmers very closely in his five decades of public life. Therefore, when the country gave him the opportunity to serve as 'Pradhan Sevak' in 2014, he gave top priority to agriculture development and farmers welfare.
The three farm bills at the centre of emotive protests and debate are the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
Karnataka Chief Minister and party leader Basavaraj Bommai said the decision to repeal the laws showed Modi's sensitivity. Rejecting the claim that the government had bowed down to the protesters, he said the laws were part of the liberalisation and globalisation process started in 1991-92 and were in line with the previous UPA government's agreement with the WTO.
Opposition parties, on their part, congratulated the farmers for their triumph but also questioned the government's motives.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi described the Centre's decision as a "victory against injustice".
"Country's 'annadatas' (food providers) have made arrogance bow its head through satyagraha," Gandhi added.
"What cannot be achieved by democratic protests can be achieved by the fear of impending elections!" his party colleague P Chidambaram tweeted.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sent her heartfelt congratulations to every single farmer who had fought relentlessly and was not fazed by the cruelty with which @BJP4India treated you .
This is YOUR VICTORY! My deepest condolences to everyone who lost their loved ones in this fight. #FarmLaws," she tweeted.
Her Tamil Nadu counterpart M K Stalin said Modi's announcement was a victory of the farmers' protest.
"I wholeheartedly welcome Hon'ble @PMOIndia's decision to repeal the three anti-farmer laws. History teaches us that people's wishes shall prevail in a democracy. I congratulate all the farmers & bow down to their determination for having achieved this through Gandhian means," the Tamil Nadu chief minister said.
In Jammu and Kashmir, National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah said anyone who believes the government repealed the farm laws out of the goodness of its heart was completely mistaken.
This government only responds to cold hard numbers - bypoll setback = fuel price reduction. Poor internal polls numbers for Western UP & Punjab = #Farmlawsrepealed, Abdullah wrote on Twitter.
In Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati's view, the sacrifices of the farmers had paid off with the government in the end withdrawing the three controversial laws but it was too late.
"The demand for a national law to assure support price for farmers' produce is still pending. The BSP demands that it should be introduced in the Winter Session of Parliament. The government should accept this demand," she told reporters.
In other news, India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that light to heavy rain may occur in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema and Karnataka today i.e. on Friday.
The IMD said that wind speed reaching 45-55 kmph gusting to 45-55 kmph was observed over southwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal along and off Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and south Andhra Pradesh coasts during the next 12 hours. It can reach up to 65 kmph.
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