The Evening Wrap: Dinesh Trivedi joins BJP

The Hindu Newsletter - Here are the latest updates and the big news stories to follow today [The Hindu Logo]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Youtube]( [Linkedin]( [Instagram]( Saturday 06, March 2021 [alt_text]( The Morning Filter 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. Dinesh Trivedi, former Trinamool Congress MP, joins BJP Former Union Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP [Dinesh Trivedi joined the BJP]( today, less than a month after he announced his resignation from the Rajya Sabha on February 12. Trivedi, who joined the party in the presence of BJP president J.P. Nadda at the headquarters here, said this was the “golden moment that I was waiting for”. While welcoming Trivedi, Nadda said he used to tell the former Railways Minister that he was “the right person in the wrong party”, and now that had changed. Nadda added that Trivedi would have an active role in the West Bengal election. Meanwhile, the BJP today released its first list of 57 candidates for the West Bengal Assembly polls. Nandigram Assembly seat in West Bengal’s Purba Medinipour district is all set for mega political contest with the BJP nominating Suvendu Adhikari to take on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The constituency will go to polls in the second phase on April 1. Only NRI quota seats based on entrance exams for OCI cardholders: MHA The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has reiterated through a gazette notification that [Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cardholders can lay claim to “only NRI (Non Resident Indian) quota seats”]( in educational institutions based on all-India entrance tests such as National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), Joint Entrance Examination (Mains), Joint Entrance Examination (Advanced) or other such all-India professional tests. The notification also reproduced a part of the guidelines issued by the Ministry on November 15, 2019 regarding benefits to OCI cardholders, which said that OCIs are not entitled to undertake any “missionary, mountaineering, journalism and tabligh activities” without prior permission of the Government of India. The notification provides legal teeth to the guidelines. The notification says that the OCI cardholder shall be required to obtain a “special permission or a special permit” from the competent authority or the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO) or the Indian Mission “to undertake research, Missionary or Tabligh or Mountaineering or Journalistic activities, undertake internship in any foreign diplomatic missions or foreign Government organisations in India or employment in any foreign diplomatic missions in India and visit any place which falls within the Protected or Restricted or prohibited areas as notified by the Central Government or competent authority”. [Photo: ociservices.gov.in]Photo: ociservices.gov.in OCI citizens are of Indian origin but they are foreign passport holders and are not citizens of India. India does not allow dual citizenship but provides certain benefits under Section 7B(I) of the Citizenship Act, 1955 to the OCIs. The fresh notification replaces three previous notifications issued on the subject on April 11, 2005; January 5, 2007; and January 5, 2009, respectively. The previous notifications did not specify the special permission required for “missionary, Tabligh, mountaineering or journalistic activities”. OCIs are eligible for grant of multiple entry lifelong visa for visiting India for any purpose and are exempt from registration with the FRRO for any length of stay in India. The fresh notification adds that the OCI cardholders who are normally residents in India “shall intimate the FRRO by email whenever there is a change in permanent residential address and in their occupation”. An official said that the notification will not impact the 2018 decision by the government that made OCIs eligible for appointment as permanent teaching faculty in premier educational institutions such as the Indian Institutes of Technology, National Institutes of Technology, Indian Institutes of Management, Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research, Indian Institute of Science, and Central Universities. Farmers in Haryana block highway in protest against farm laws Agitating farmers on Saturday [held blockades at several points on the 135-km-long Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway](, which connects the five districts of Haryana, in response to a call from farmer unions to protest against the farm laws. The protests led to traffic snarls and diversions at many points. In the wake of a call from Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), a joint front of farmer unions, to hold blockades on the highway for five hours, the protesting farmers assembled at several points along the road around 11 a.m. and blocked it. The blockades were at two points each in Sonipat and Jhajjar, as per initial reports. [ Protesting farmers block the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway Expressway at Kundli in Haryana on March 6, 2021. ] Protesting farmers block the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway Expressway at Kundli in Haryana on March 6, 2021. Jashandeep Singh Randhawa, Superintendent of Police, Sonipat, told The Hindu that the protesters resorted to blockades at Kundli and Kharkhoda, which led to traffic jams. Air France flight makes emergency landing after Indian passenger assaults flight attendant An Air France flight en route from Paris to New Delhi made an emergency landing at Sofia Airport in Bulgaria on Friday at about 5 pm because of a disruptive passenger, Bulgarian officials said on Saturday, Reuters reported. The passenger, an Indian citizen, began to act up soon after take-off, quarrelling with other passengers, assaulting a flight attendant, and pummelling the cockpit’s door, said Ivailo Angelov, an official at the National Investigation Agency. His aggressive behaviour prompted the flight’s commander to seek an emergency landing in Sofia. The man, whose name was not revealed, was taken off the aircraft and has been charged with endangering flight safety. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison. The Air France flight resumed its journey to New Delhi. “We are investigating both his actions and his motives,” Angelov told reporters. “There is no reasonable explanation for his behaviour,” Angelov said. Taapsee Pannu breaks silence on I-T raids Breaking her silence on the IT department raids against her, actor Taapsee Pannu on March 6 put out three tweets — on [an “alleged bungalow” in Paris, the “alleged receipt” of ₹5 crore, and her “memory of 2013 raid”](. On March 3, the Income Tax Department searched the homes and offices of Pannu and filmmaker Anurag Kashyap as well as his partners who had launched the now shuttered production house Phantom Films. Pannu posted a three-point statement on Twitter and also took a jibe at Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s statement that the actor was raided in 2013 as well. “Three days of intense search of 3 things primarily 1.The keys of the ‘alleged’ bungalow that I apparently own in Paris. Because summer holidays are around the corner,” read the first post. [ Actor Taapsee Pannu. File ] Actor Taapsee Pannu. File The second said, “2. The ‘alleged’ receipt worth 5 crores to frame n keep for future pitching coz I’ve been refused that money before.” The third dealt with Sitharaman’s comment. “3. My memory of 2013 raid that happened with me according to our honourable Finance Minister P.S- ‘not so sasti’ anymore.” Sitharaman on March 6 said the same people were raided in 2013 as well, but no issue was made out then as it is being done now. Refusing to comment on individual cases, she said it was in the national interest to know if some tax evasion had taken place. The searches targeting Pannu and Kashyap, known for their outspoken views on a range of issues, is part of a tax evasion probe against Phantom Films. Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments The [number of reported coronavirus cases from India]( stood at 1,11,96,303 at the time of publishing this newsletter, with the death toll at 1,59,083. In Brief: [Indian players pose with the trophy after beating England in the fourth Test in Ahmedabad on March 6, 2021.]Indian players pose with the trophy after beating England in the fourth Test in Ahmedabad on March 6, 2021. Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin made quick work of a struggling English batting line-up as [India cantered to the inaugural World Test Championship final]( with a resounding innings and 25-run victory on the third afternoon of the fourth and final Test in Ahmedabad on Saturday. All India needed was a draw to book a Lord’s date in June with Kane Williamson’s New Zealand but Patel (24-6-48-5) and Ashwin (22.5-4-47-5) literally blew England away in a session-and-a-half for a paltry 135 in 54.5 overs to complete a 3-1 rout, ensuring that the Anthony De Mello Trophy will stay at the Cricket Centre in Mumbai. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. Today's Top Picks [alt_text]( [On International Women’s Day, women to run police stations in Kerala]( [alt_text]( [EVMs were used first time in Kerala in 50 booths in 1982]( [alt_text]( [Wary villagers relish peace as guns fall silent along LoC]( [alt_text]( [Myanmar writes to Mizoram government seeking handover of eight policemen who fled country]( 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-0bfbbtj9bf2f90kauhrxfebysa8hkuf@newsalert.thehindu.com?subject=Unsubscribe&body=You will be unsubscribed from our mailing list.) 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