YK MYK MYANMAR IS WITNESSING MASS UPSURGE AGAINST MILITARY RULE OPINION Rs. 3 KOLKATA FRIDAY, 19 FEB, 2021 PG-12, YEAR—7, ISSUE—274 (RNI NO: WBENG / 2014 / 56803) UNNAO TRAGEDY: GIRLS DIED DUE TO POISONING, SAYS AUTOPSY NATION Morning India Amit Shah and Mamata Banerjee in war of words as poll battle hots up KOLKATA: In one of the most acrimonious days in recent memory, Union Home Minister Amit Shah today launched a fierce attack on the Trinamool Congress and its top-most leadership comprising the Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, and accused the nephew of being corrupt. Hours later, Mamata hit back with a vengeance not seen earlier. She said the Home Minister’s son, Jay Shah, was her nephew, and as such questions should be asked about how this “nephew amassed crores and crores of rupees.” Shah was in South Bengal on Thursday to launch the BJP's fifth and final leg of the “Parivartan Yatra”. In his speech at Kakdwip in South 24-Parganas, Shah promised to provide over 33 per cent reservation to women in the State. He also wooed State Government employees by promising that a BJP Government would fulfill one of their long-standing demands – implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations. He vowed to make West Bengal 'Sonar Bangla' again after removing Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in the state after the assembly elections 2021. Shah also promised to provide over 33 per cent reservation to women in West Bengal and said that the saffron party will probe corruption in disbursing of the Amphan relief funds if voted to power. "It is not our aim to bring in a BJP Government after removing Mamata Banerjee's Government. Our goal is to ensure that there is a change in the situation in West Bengal, a change in the situation of the poor of the State, a change in the situation of women of the State," Shah said. "This is not a change in power, this is about bringing respect to Gangasagar, about bringing a change in the fishermen of the region. Can law WEATHER TODAY MAX 29 C MIN 21 C Sky will be partly cloudy. AT A GLANCE PUDUCHERRY CM ASKED TO PROVE MAJORITY ON FEB 22 PUDUCHERRY: Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan on Thursday directed Chief Minister V. Narayansamy to prove his majority in the Assembly on February 22. Hours after taking additional charge as Lieutenant Governor of the union territory, she directed the Congress-led government to prove its majority. CORONA METER INDIA TOTAL CASES: 1,09,55,073 TOTAL DEATH: 156,073 WORLD TOTAL CASES: 110,537,847 TOTAL DEATH: 2,443,145 A security personnel gets the COVID-19 vaccine, in Kullu on Thursday. ANI Over 4.6 lakh health workers get second dose of Covid vax: Govt NEW DELHI: The Union Health Ministry announced that 3,17,190 people, including healthcare and frontline workers, were vaccinated on Thursday across all states and Union Territories, taking the total close to the 10 million mark. According to the ministry, the overall vaccination figure has reached 98,46,523. Of them, 66,99,567 beneficiaries are healthcare workers and 31,46,956 are frontline workers. Meanwhile, 4,64,932 beneficiaries have received their second jab so far and attained full immunisation against Covid-19 provided under the nationwide vaccination drive. The administration of the second jab was started in the country on February 13. The ministry noted that the highest participation in the vaccination drive on Thursday was in Uttar Pradesh with 89,026 inoculations followed by Maharashtra (23,714), Bihar (20,666), Jammu and Kashmir (19,285), Odisha (18,486), Karnataka (15,237), Tamil Nadu (13,780), Andhra Pradesh (13,649), West Bengal (12,669), and Chhattisgarh (10,606). Meanwhile, the number of hospitalisations after the immunisation have reached 40. Of them, 24 have been discharged after the treatment, three are still under treatment, while 13 deaths have also been reported, as per the data shared by the ministry. However, it clarified that there is "no case of serious/severe AEFI/death attributable to vaccination till date". The ministry also said that two new events of hospitalisation have been reported in the last 24 hours. The events include a case of convulsions and anaphylaxis from West Bengal. "Condition of both the cases are stable," it added. "The percentage of hospitalisation against vaccination is 0.0004 per cent," it noted. The vaccination of the healthcare workers started on January 16 while the frontline workers started receiving the vaccine shots from February 2. PM TO CHAIR NITI AAYOG'S GOVERNING COUNCIL MEET ON FEB 20 NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair the NITI Aayog's sixth Governing Council meeting on Saturday in which Ladakh will take part for the first time as a Union Territory (UT). The agenda of the meeting includes deliberations on agriculture, infrastructure, manufacturing, human resource development, service delivery at grassroots level, and health and nutrition. The Prime Minister will attend the meeting at 10.30 a.m. via video conferencing. The Governing Council presents a platform to discuss inter-sectoral, inter-departmental and federal issues. It comprises the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers of States and Union Territories (UTs) with legislatures, and Lt Governors of other UTs. IOC ENGINEER COMMITS SUICIDE IN JHARKHAND RANCHI: An Indian Oil Corporation engineer committed suicide in Jharkhand on Thursday, police said. According to Police, Draupdi Kumari Patro alias Binni, 26, was working as an engineer at the Indian Oil. MORRIS BECOMES MOST EXPENSIVE IPL BUY ALL-ROUNDER GOWTHAM GOES FOR RS 9.25 CR AS ‘SRK’ MAKES PRESENCE FELT CHENNAI: Chris Morris on Friday became the most expensive buy in the IPL auction history with Rajasthan Royals shelling out Rs 16.25 crore for the South Africa allrounder even as uncapped players such as Karnataka's K Gowtham also hogged the limelight with hefty deals here. Spin bowling All-rounder Gowtham was bought for a record Rs 9.25 crore by the Chennai Super Kings. The 32year-old is currently with the Indian team as a net bowler for the ongoing Test series against England. Tamil Nadu's Shahrukh Khan, named after the Bollywood superstar, expectedly got a handsome Rs 5.25 crore deal from Punjab Kings, more than 51 times his base price of Rs 20 lakh. Shahrukh has been in the limelight with his exploits in the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Gowtham, an IPL regular who was released by Punjab Kings, was the second off-spinner CSK bought after England's Moeen Ali. With the hefty price tag, Gowtham became the most expensive uncapped buy in IPL history. His base price was also Rs 20 lakh. Morris' big pay day came after another all-rounder and perennial under-performer, Australian Glenn Maxwell, once again managed to attract a winning Rs 14.25 crore bid from Royal Challengers Bangalore. Punjab Kings, who went into the auction with the maximum purse among eight teams, paid Rs 14 crore to rope in Australian pacer Jhye Richardson hoping he will plug the gap in their leaking bowling department. The 24-yearold, who has played two Tests, 13 ODIs and nine T20Is for Australia, was the leading wicket-taker in the recent Big Bash League. Punjab paid a big amount -- Rs 8 crore. -- for another Australian and order situation be fine in West Bengal as long as there is Mamata Banerjee's Government here? Can Bengal walk on the path to progress?" he asked his audience. MAMATA HITS BACK Hours after Amit Shah called ‘bhaipo’ (Abhishek Banerjee) ‘bharastachari’ (corrupt), Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee hit back and raised questions on his son Jay Shah's wealth. "How come your son became a part of the cricket administration and made hundreds of crores of rupees?" Banerjee says, in a direct attack at Shah. She also challenges the home minister to get her into politics and toil to hold public offices. While addressing a booth workers' meeting at Pailan at South 24Parganas, Mamata said, “One BJP ‘neta’ (hinting at Amit Shah) came and went to Sagar Island. He accused us of not doing anything for the development of Ganga Sagar. Every day he is challenging me. I would like to challenge Amit Shah, first you contest against Abhishek Banerjee, then think about contesting against me. I would like to challenge him to bring his son (Jay Shah) in front and let’s have a democratic contest,” "Day and night they are talking about DidiBhatija. I challenge Amit Shah, contest against Abhishek Banerjee first and then me," Mamata Banerjee said, amid a loud cheer from supporters. All India Trinamool Youth Congress president Abhishek Banerjee said that "outsiders" will have to return after the state assembly poll. "Those coming here are not aware of the unique culture of Bengal but are making promises of making the state Sonar Bangla (prosperous Bengal). Our leader Mamata Banerjee will score a hattrick this time and outsiders will have to return yet again. It is a matter of time," Banerjee said.