NEWS

A day after Captain Amarinder Singh resigned as the Chief Minister of Punjab, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Sunday (September 19) invited him to join Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Saying that Singh would be an asset for the NDA in the upcoming elections in Punjab, Athawale requested him to leave Congress, the "party that humiliated him".

"I would like to ask Captain Amarinder Singh - what is the use of staying in a party which has humiliated you? I request him to leave the Congress party and join the NDA led by Narendra Modi," the union minister was quoted as saying by ANI.

"Everyone in the NDA is equally respected. Amarinder Singh can be of good use to bring the NDA to power in Punjab," he added.

In an attempt to strengthen its ageing fleet of fourth-generation fighters, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to acquire Dassault Aviation made 24 second-hand Mirage 2000 fighters. IAF will also secure parts for its two existing squadrons of the aircraft. 

According to the reports in Hindustan Times, people familiar with the matter revealed that the IAF has initialled a 27 million euros contract to buy the fighters and out of these eight are in ready-to-fly condition. The report also revealed that these aircraft, which costed 1.125 million euros each, will soon be shipped to India in containers. 

Amid an outbreak of viral diseases among children in north Bengal, the West Bengal health department has directed all medical colleges and hospitals in the state to ramp up their paediatric infrastructure. The government on Friday said 835 more intensive care units (ICUs) for children would be set up in government hospitals while an additional 90 ICUs for newborns will also be built. The administration has also identified two more public hospitals — Bankura Medical College and Malda Medical College — that will be earmarked for the treatment of Covid paediatric cases.

A team of five doctors visited Jalpaiguri on Friday to take stock of the situation as almost 760 children are in treatment in north Bengal for various viral diseases.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is taking its political prospects very seriously in Telangana. To boost morale of the party's Telangana leadership and cadre, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday (September 17) visited Nirmal town on the occasion of "Hyderabad Liberation Day''. 

On September 17, 1948, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel compelled Hyderabad's seventh and last Nizam to surrender and merge Hyderabad state into India.

Amit Shah minced no words targeting rival parties-- Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and the All India Majlis E Ittehaadul Muslameen (AIMIM) -- while addressing a public meeting in Nirmal. "It is only BJP which is not scared of Majlis (AIMIM). The ruling TRS government runs with the help of AIMIM while the Congress has no guts to take on Majlis,'' thundered Amit Shah.