The big news: Celebrities, leaders condemn foreign critics backing farmers, and 9 other top stories
Other headlines: Centre warns Twitter to remove accounts, tweets related to ‘farmer genocide’ hashtag, and Rakesh Tikait warns Centre about losing power.
A look at the headlines right now:
- Indian celebrities, ministers tweet in one voice to counter international criticism of crackdown on farm law protests: The Centre slammed foreign celebrities backing farmers’ protests, while Rahul Gandhi said that India’s reputation in the international community was affected by government’s handling of the farmers agitation.
- Centre warns Twitter to remove accounts, tweets related to ‘farmer genocide’ hashtag or face action: Twitter had restored some of the accounts that the government had directed it to withhold.
- Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait warns Centre about losing power if farm law not repealed: JJP’s Karnal district chief Inderjit Goraya resigned from the party in solidarity with the farmers. Opposition leaders targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for barricades at Delhi borders.
- Shashi Tharoor, Rajdeep Sardesai and others move SC against FIRs filed for tweets on farmer’s death: The Delhi Police announced Rs 1 lakh reward for leads on actor Deep Sidhu. The Supreme Court refused to hear plea seeking inquiry into tractor rally violence.
- India ready to defeat ‘misadventures’, says Rajnath Singh after signing Rs 48,000 crore Tejas deal: The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited was awarded the contract to manufacture 83 Tejas light combat aircraft.
- Delhi HC asks Centre to reply on plea against changes in WhatsApp’s new privacy policy: The petition argued that the new privacy policy indicated there were ‘fissures’ in Indian data protection and privacy laws.
- Not a case of simple TRP manipulation, former BARC chief is mastermind of crime, says Mumbai court: Additional Sessions Judge MA Bhosale said a thorough investigation was required into the WhatsApp chats recovered from Partho Dasgupta’s phone.
- Pakistan Army chief says should solve Kashmir dispute with India in ‘dignified, peaceful’ manner: General Qamar Bajwa said that it was time to ‘extend the hand of peace in all directions’, but warned that his remark was not a sign of weakness.
- Oxford vaccine gives good immune response in elderly, says trial chief amid controversy: Countries such as France, Belgium and Germany have advised against giving the vaccine to older people.
- Police in Myanmar file charges against Aung San Suu Kyi for offences under import-export law: Documents submitted to a court alleged that she illegally imported and used communications equipment, including walkie-talkies.