The Evening Wrap: PM says country pained at dishonour to Tricolour

The Hindu Newsletter - Here are the latest updates and the big news stories to follow today [The Hindu Logo]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Youtube]( [Linkedin]( [Instagram]( Sunday 31, January 2021 [alt_text]( The Evening Wrap Here are the biggest news stories of the day [alt_text]( Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. We hope you are staying safe. Country very pained at dishonour to Tricolour on R-day: PM Modi Breaking his silence over the vandalism at the Red Fort on Republic Day by a group of farmers, Prime Minister [Narendra Modi on Sunday said](, “The country was saddened to see the National Flag being insulted”. In his first radio broadcast, Man Ki Baat, of 2021, Mr. Modi also said his government was “committed to modernising agriculture and the efforts of the government will continue in that direction in the future as well”. The Prime Minister also talked about the country's fight against COVID-19 and how the Made in India vaccine has not only made India self-reliant (Atma Nirbhar) but has also become a moment of self-pride (Atma Gaurav). While recounting the developments in January this year including India's remarkable come-back in the four match test series in Australia, Mr. Modi mentioned the violence on Republic Day. “Amidst all this, the country was saddened by the insult to the Tricolour on January 26 in Delhi. In times to come, we have to infuse new hope and novelty. Last year, we displayed extraordinary patience and courage. This year too, we have to work hard to attain our resolves. We have to take our country forward at a faster pace,” he said. Also, referring to to India's on-going vaccination exercise, Mr. Modi said that not only is the world largest vaccination drive is but also at the fastest rate. While India has vaccinated over 30 lakh front line corona warriors in 15 days, he said, the United States needed 18 days and the United Kingdom took 36 days to reach this figure. The Prime Minister pointed out that India’s decision to send vaccines to several countries has generated world wide appreciation and displayed its capabilities and self-reliance in the field of medicines. WHO team investigating origins of COVID-19 visits Wuhan A World Health Organisation team looking into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic on Sunday [visited the food market in the Chinese city of Wuhan]( that was linked to many early infections. The team members visited the Huanan Seafood Market for about an hour in the afternoon which was the site of a December 2019 outbreak of the virus. Scientists initially suspected the virus came from wild animals sold in the market. The market has since been largely ruled out but it could provide hints to how the virus spread so widely. “Very important site visits today — a wholesale market first & Huanan Seafood Market just now," Peter Daszak, a zoologist with the U.S. group EcoHealth Alliance and a member of the WHO team, said in a tweet. “Very informative & critical for our joint teams to understand the epidemiology of COVID as it started to spread at the end of 2019.” [Thea Fisher (centre) and other members of the World Health Organisation team, investigating the origins of the COVID-19 coronavirus, visit the closed Huanan Seafood wholesale market at Wuhan in China’s Hubei Province on January 31, 2021.]Thea Fisher (centre) and other members of the World Health Organisation team, investigating the origins of the COVID-19 coronavirus, visit the closed Huanan Seafood wholesale market at Wuhan in China’s Hubei Province on January 31, 2021. Earlier in the day, the team members were also seen walking through sections of the Baishazhou market — one of the largest wet markets in Wuhan — surrounded by a large entourage of Chinese officials and representatives. The market was the food distribution center for Wuhan during the city's 76-day lockdown last year. The mission has become politically charged, as China seeks to avoid blame for alleged missteps in its early response to the outbreak. A single visit by scientists is unlikely to confirm the virus’s origins. Pinning down an outbreak’s animal reservoir is typically an exhaustive endeavor that takes years of research including taking animal samples, genetic analysis and epidemiological studies. Mamata will be left alone by the time of elections, says Amit Shah Highlighting the series of defections in the Trinamool Congress in the past three months [Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said]( that by the time polls are held in West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee will be left all alone. “ In the past three months so many leaders from the Trinamool Congress have joined BJP. Mamata Ji should contemplate why this is happening….By the time polls are held you ( Ms. Banerjee) will be standing all alone,” Mr Shah, said virtually addressing a public gathering at Howrah. The Home Minister also referred to another defection when several MLAs along with Suvendu Adhikari joined the BJP in December last year. He said that ten years ago when the Trinamool Congress government came to power on the slogan of ‘Maa Maati Maanush’ (Mother, Earth, Humanity) but the party has resorted to “extortion, corruption and appeasment.” During his address the Home Minister welcomed the Trinamool leaders including former Minister Rajib Banerjee who joined BJP yesterday and expressed hope that they will contribute to the BJP slogan of making “Sonar Bangla (Golden Bengal)”. Mr. Shah said that Mamata Banerjee has taken the State to a far worse situation where it was ten years ago during the Left Front regime. The Home Minister raised the non-implementation of two central government schemes Ayushman Bharat and PM Kisan Samman Nidhi. Mr. Shah said that the Trinamool Congress government is not implementing the schemes because of these are schemes are run by Centre and assured these schemes will be implemented from the first cabinet meeting of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government in West Bengal. V.K. Sasikala discharged from hospital Expelled AIADMK leader V.K. Sasikala, who was released from jail recently, was [discharged from the Victoria Hospital]( where she had been admitted for treatment of COVID-19 at 12 p.m. on Sunday. Wearing mask and hand gloves, she was driven out of the hospital amidst heavy security. She is currently at Prestige Golfshire Club, where she will stay for a week and follow COVID-19 protocols, said sources. Her followers and supporters had gathered in large numbers near the hospital waiting for her discharge. [Expelled AIADMK leader V.K. Sasikala greets her supporters as she leaves Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru on January 31, 2021. ]Expelled AIADMK leader V.K. Sasikala greets her supporters as she leaves Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru on January 31, 2021. Victoria Hospital Medical Superintendent Ramesh Krishna K. said she completed 10 days of treatment on Saturday and had been asymptomatic and maintaining saturation without oxygen support for three days. “As per protocol, there is no need to test her before discharge,” he said. She has been advised home quarantine for a week, he said. FIR against journalist Siddharth Varadrajan for tweeting article on farmer’s death The Rampur Police has [registered an FIR against Siddharth Varadarajan](, the founding Editor of The Wire, for posting a “provocative” tweet regarding the death of a Rampur farmer during the tractor rally in Delhi on Republic Day. Registered under Sections of 153 B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration) and 505 (2) (inciting any class or community for violence), the FIR said Mr. Varadarajan tweeted about a story in The Wire wherein the grandfather of the deceased farmer Navreet Singh is quoted as alleging that one of the doctors in the panel that conducted the postmortem told him on condition of anonymity that his grandson died of a bullet injury but his hands were tied. The FIR said that the report was deliberately presented in a fashion that created a false impression about the death of the farmer and led to tension in the area. It further said that the post-mortem report was submitted in a sealed cover to the Senior Superintendent of Police and the investigating officer. It alleged that through the tweet an attempt had been made to malign the image of medical officers, provoke the general public and disrupt the law and order situation which is a serious offence under Section 505 of the IPC. Describing it as “malicious prosecution” by Uttar Pradesh police, on Sunday, Mr. Varadarajan tweeted, “In UP, it is a crime to report statements of relatives of a dead person if they question a post-mortem or police version of the cause of death.” Gandhian organisations call for farmers protests to be peaceful A [group of Gandhian organisations has called for the farmers’ movement]( to continue their protests against the Centre’s farm laws in a peaceful manner. In a statement issued on January 30, Gandhi Peace Foundation, Gandhi Smarak Nidhi, Sarva Seva Sangh and Rashtriya Yuva Santhan said the farmers’ movement over the months had shown restraint and peacefulness. “The chaos that took place on January 26, in the name of the farmers movement, has deeply pained the democratic and peace loving citizens of the nation like us. It is not a question of supporting or opposing any movement, it is a question of respecting and following the Gandhian heritage and democratic values of the country,” the statement said. The group said the country was going through a “very delicate phase” and that the government and society should respect the limits of the Constitution and a democracy. They said the farmers’ movement was one for justice. Covid watch: Numbers and Developments The [number of reported coronavirus cases from India]( stands at 1,07,57,131 at the time of publishing this newsletter with the death toll at 1,54,419. In Brief: The Budget session of the Rajya Sabha has been rescheduled and will [conclude two days before schedule](. The decision in this regard was taken at a meeting of Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu with the floor leaders of all the parties of the upper house. The first part of the Budget session was to conclude on February 15. But now, it will conclude on February 13. [Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu speaks to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during a meeting with leaders of political parties in the Rajya Sabha on January 31, 2021.]Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu speaks to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during a meeting with leaders of political parties in the Rajya Sabha on January 31, 2021. A more potent version of the indigenous Tejas multirole combat jet featuring a much powerful engine, greater load carrying capability, next-generation electronic warfare system and an array of superior avionics is [expected to be rolled out next year]( and its first high-speed trials will start in 2023, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd CMD R. Madhavan has said. He said the structural package and other work on the Tejas Mark II is progressing well and its production is likely to start somewhere around 2025. He said the upgraded version will have a bigger fuselage, longer range, better maintainability, greater load carrying capability, much stronger engine power and superior net-centric warfare systems. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow Today's Top Picks [alt_text]( [Government likely to postpone census to 2022]( [alt_text]( [Watch | Inside the world's biggest vaccine production hub]( [alt_text]( [Girish Karnad memoir in English to be out in May]( [alt_text]( [Question Corner: What caused the tilt to Saturn’s rotation axis?]( You are receiving this email because you are a user of [thehindu.com]( If you do not wish to receive any such emails, [unsubscribe here.](mailto:rm-0bfepuzkbf2f90kauhrxfebysa8hkzq@newsalert.thehindu.com?subject=Unsubscribe&body=You will be unsubscribed from our mailing list.) To ensure you continue to receive emails from The Hindu in your inbox, please add newsletters.th@newsalert.thehindu.com to your contact. 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