NEWS

The government on Thursday extended till September 30 visas of all foreign nationals stuck in India due to Covid-19 pandemic, an official spokesperson said here.

The spokesperson said the decision was taken because a number of foreigners who came to India on various types of visas prior to March, 2020 got stranded in the country in the absence of flights to their destinations due to the pandemic.

"The central government had facilitated the stay of such foreign nationals within India by giving deemed extension of their regular visa or e-visa or stay stipulation period on gratis basis without levy of any overstay penalty.

National parties collected Rs 3,377.41 crore from unknown sources in the 2019-20 fiscal year, which was 70.98 per cent of the total income of these parties, according to poll rights group Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

“During 2019-20, the BJP declared Rs 2,642.63 crore as income from unknown sources, which is 78.24 per cent of the total income of national parties from unknown sources,” the report said. The Congress declared Rs 526 crore. Other parties include NCP, CPI, CPI(M), TMC and BSP.

Unknown sources are income declared in income tax returns, but without giving source of income for donations below Rs 20,000. Such unknown sources include ‘donations through Electoral Bonds’, ‘sale of coupons’, ‘relief fund’, ‘miscellaneous income’, ‘voluntary contributions’, ‘contribution from meetings/morchas’.

Soon after Congress member Rahul Gandhi’s attack on the government over the issue of fuel price rise, BJP on Wednesday accused him of spreading “falsities” and speaking “lies”. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said Rahul quoted the subsidised price during the UPA government while referring to the non-subsidised cost of cylinder during the BJP government.

“Rahul has again done what he is best at. He has spread falsities and he has lied,” he said. After Gandhi referred to GDP rise as gas, diesel and petrol price increase, Patra said,“Those who ran a government of CNP — corruption, nepotism and policy paralysis — are trying to spread falsity about GDP.”

Vietnam Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh will visit India in his foreign visit since taking charge by the end of this year, envoy Pham Sanh Chau informed on Wednesday (September 1)."It will be a very important visit because India will be the first country he will pay visit bilaterally," envoy Chau told Zee Media.

Earlier today, the bust of Vietnam's founding father and former President Ho Chi Minh was unveiled at a park in Delhi's Diplomatic Enclave in Chanakyapuri.

Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Chau stressed the friendly relations the two countries have shared historically.