Breaking News, March 21

Former Karnataka minister and litterateur B T Lalitha Naik on Sunday claimed to have received a letter threatening to kill her and three others including BJP national general secretary C T Ravi.

Karnataka: Two-day 'Nandini River Festival’ that was organised on the banks of river Nandini at Sasihithlu in Mangalore concluded today. 

BJP Parliamentary party meeting will be held on Tuesday

Union Home Minister Amit Shah releases BJP election manifesto for Bengal. 

The picture of Bankura today is witness that people of Bengal have decided on May 2, 'didi jacche ashol poriborton ashche, ashol poriborton anche...': PM Narendra Modi said. 

PM Modi addresses rally in West Bengal's Bankura

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has tested positive for Covid-19, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) said on Sunday, adding that his condition is stable. "Om Birla, Hon'ble Member of Parliament and Speaker of the Lok Sabha, tested positive for Covid on March 19," AIIMS said in a statement.

A day after testing positive, he was admitted to the AIIMS Covid Centre for observation. "He is stable and all his parameters are normal," said Aarti Vij, Chairperson, Media and Protocol Division, AIIMS.

Bharatiya Janata Party President JP Nadda to release the party's manifesto for Assam Assembly elections on March 23 in Guwahati.

PM Modi will launch 'Jal Shakti Abhiyan' tomorrow. Prime Minister's Office tweeted, "Catch the Rain’ campaign on World Water Day on March 22 at 12:30 pm via video conferencing. The campaign will be implemented from March 22 to November 30." 

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad called a press conference in Patna, where he said, "If Rs 100 cr was the target by Home Minister (Maharashtra) then what was the target by other ministers. Uddhav Thackeray’s govt has lost the moral authority to govern the State even for a day."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a rally in Assam's Bokakhat. He said, "When Congress was in power at the Centre and in Assam, there was double negligence and double corruption. You have to remember that Congress means instability, corruption. They have no vision or intention to do any good."

Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed rally in West Bengal's Egra. Here are some pointers from his speech:

• Our 130 cadres were killed. Goons of TMC shouldn't think that they will be spared. We will take action when our government comes to power in West Bengal on May 2. 
• Didi gave the slogan of 'Maa, maati, manush' but did change come? Can she give you freedom from infiltrators? We will make Bengal free of infiltrators in five years.

Two persons detained, in connection with Mansukh Hiren's death case, informed Maharashtra ATS.

Param Bir Singh's letter to CM is a reaction after Maharashtra Chief Minister and Home Minister decided to take a tough stand. There is no question of replacing Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, said Maharashtra Minister and State NCP President Jayant Patil. 

4.2 magnitude earthquake hit 77km southeast of Mokokchung, Nagaland at 10:06 am, as per National Center for Seismology. 

The planned target of operationalising 70,000 Ayushman Bharat- Health and Wellness Centres by March 31 2021 has been realised ahead of time. About 41.35 crore people have accessed primary healthcare services at these centres. 

Maharashtra Deputy CM and NCP leader Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil to meet NCP Chief Sharad Pawar in Delhi today. 

Bharatiya Janata Party holds a protest against Maharashtra Minister Anil Deshmukh in Nagpur. COVID-19 restrictions have been imposed in the city amid rising cases. 

India reported 43,846 new COVID19 cases, 22,956 recoveries, and 197 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per the Union Health Ministry.

• Total cases: 1,15,99,130
• Total recoveries: 1,11,30,288
• Active cases: 3,09,087 
• Death toll: 1,59,755  
• Total vaccination: 4,46,03,841

MPSC State Service Prelims exam being conducted in Nagpur, amid complete lockdown imposed in the city due to a rise in COVID-19 cases.

BJP candidates, whose nomination papers were rejected by the polling officers yesterday have approached the Kerala High Court today. Court to hold a special sitting later today to hear the petitions. 

One-day lockdown imposed in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal, amid rising COVID-19 cases. The State government has announced that lockdown will be imposed every Sunday in Indore, Bhopal, and Jabalpur until further orders. Schools and colleges in these 3 cities to remain closed till March 31.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address public meetings at Bokakhat, Assam, and Bankura, West Bengal today. 

One COVID-19 case reported in Mizoram in the last 24 hours. The coronavirus case tally at 4,447, active cases at 15.

A speeding Mercedes car killed three people in Mohali, Punjab. The driver of the car arrested by police.

A sub-inspector and a head constable were injured when a group of men attacked them with bricks and stones in Rasoolabad, Kanpur Dehat. "They have been admitted to a hospital. Several teams have been formed to nab the accused," said Preetinder Singh, DIG, Kanpur Range.

Ahmedabad's air quality turned 'very poor', as per System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research.

Jharkhand reported 123 new COVID-19 cases and 54 recoveries yesterday, as per State Health Department.

• Total cases: 1,21,178
• Active cases: 722
• Total recoveries: 1,19,361
• Death toll: 1,095

A 15-year-old girl died by suicide yesterday after allegedly being molested by a 17-year-old youth in Imaliya Sultanpur area of Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh. "An FIR has been registered and the accused has been arrested. An investigation has been initiated," said SP RP Singh.

Five people including two employees of a Nirman Vihar-based NBFC have been arrested for duping the company by issuing loans against fake gold jewellery.