A look at the headlines right now:

  1. Power minister refutes reports of coal shortage, says ‘unnecessary panic’ created about outages: Meanwhile, governments in five states and the national Capital Delhi have undertaken measures to reduce power consumption amid fears of blackouts.  
  2. UP government is shielding minister and his son in Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, alleges Priyanka Gandhi Vadra: Ajay Mishra’s son has been charged with murder and criminal conspiracy in connection with the violence that left eight people, including four farmers, dead.  
  3. An illiterate person is a burden on the country, cannot be a good citizen, says Amit Shah: Shah said that such persons are not aware of their constitutional rights or duties.
  4. Lakhimpur violence being made into a Hindu-Sikh battle, says BJP MP Varun Gandhi: The BJP leader said the incident was about the ‘cruel massacre in the face of an arrogant local power elite’.  
  5. Union minister Ajay Mishra’s son arrested in Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, sent to 14-day judicial custody: Ashish Mishra was not cooperating in the investigation and giving evasive replies, the police said.
  6. Darrang police and district officials booked for murder after violence during Assam eviction drive: The FIRs were registered based on complaints filed by family members of Moinul Haque and Sheikh Farid, who died in police firing last month.  
  7. Petrol price hits record Rs 104 in Delhi, crosses Rs 110 in Mumbai: A litre of petrol now costs more than Rs 100 in almost all state capitals.  
  8. India records 18,166 new coronavirus cases – nearly 8% fewer than Saturday’s tally: The toll rose to 4,50,589 as 214 people died due to the infection in the last 24 hours.  
  9. Kolkata Durga Puja organisers get legal notice for using slippers in pandal to show farmers’ plight: A lawyer sent the notice after BJP leaders objected to the art installation, saying it hurts sentiments of the Hindu community.  
  10. Abdul Qadeer Khan, ‘father of Pakistan’s nuclear bomb’, dies at 85: Khan was also infamous for allegedly passing on nuclear secrets to countries like North Korea and Iran.