The Evening Wrap: U.S. warns India against buying oil from Russia, rupee-rouble payments

There will be “consequences” for any country, including India, that conducts local currency transactions through Russia’s central bank or constructs a payment mechanism that subverts or circumvents the United States’ sanctions against Russia, American Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics Daleep Singh said in New Delhi on Thursday, hours before Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov landed. In a first for the U.S. administration, Singh also publicly stated that India must not expect that Russia, as a “junior partner” of China, would assist India if there were more incursions along the Line of Actual Control. “I come here in a spirit of friendship to explain the mechanisms of our sanctions, the importance of joining us, to express a shared resolve and to advance shared interests. And yes, there are consequences to countries that actively attempt to circumvent or backfill the sanctions,” Singh told journalists between his official meetings. “We are very keen for all countries, especially our allies and partners, not to create mechanisms that prop up the [Russian] rouble, and those that attempt to undermine the dollar based financial system,” he stated in reply to a question from The Hindu. This week, officials of the Bank of Russia, the country’s central bank, met Reserve Bank of India officials to discuss alternative payment mechanisms and routing through banks that are immune to international sanctions, and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar told Parliament that a special inter-ministerial group led by the Finance Ministry had been tasked with resolving the payment issues for import and export with Russia caused by the sanctions. When asked how India’s ties with Russia could affect its partnership with the U.S. in the Quad, Singh said there was a “shared recognition in the Quad that China is a strategic threat to a free open and secure Indo-Pacific.” “Russia is going to be the junior partner in this relationship with China. And the more leverage that China gains over Russia, the less favourable that is for India, I don’t think anyone would believe that if China once again breached the Line of Actual Control, that Russia will come running to India’s defence,” he observed. Singh declined to comment on what the “consequences” he referred to were, and whether the U.S. would consider India’s purchase of the S-400 missile system from Russia, which has used a “rupee-rouble” alternate payment mechanism thus far, as eligible for the new sanctions as well as previous sanctions under the CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act). He would rather keep those discussions with the government “private”, he added. While Singh’s message was put more plainly, his words mirror comments by European Union and German officials in Delhi this week, who said that India must not take “economic advantage” of western sanctions, nor seek to dilute them during the war. U.K. Foreign Minister Liz Truss also arrived in India with a similar message on Thursday. The British High commission said her visit was “part of a wider diplomatic push following Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine”, and she would underline the “importance of democracies working closer together to deter aggressors, reduce vulnerability to coercion and strengthen global security.” Singh said the U.S. “stands ready” to help India diversify its energy and defence hardware requirements if it chose to reduce its “dependence” on Russia, and that India’s intake of Russian oil at present did not violate the U.S.’s sanctions. “What we would not like to see is a rapid acceleration of India’s imports from Russia as it relates to energy or any other any other exports that are currently being prohibited by us or by other aspects of the international sanctions regime,” he noted. According to news agency Reuters, Indian oil refiners have bought more than 13 million barrels of Russian oil since the Ukraine war began on February 24, a steep rise from last year, when India bought 16 million barrels of Russian oil in all of 2021. Singh, who is the chief strategist on sanctions against Russia in the Biden administration, said he had spelt out the U.S.’s “five-channel” approach to dealing with Russia over its war in Ukraine, during what he called an “honest dialogue” with officials in the government. The channels include a “financial shock” to Russia’s largest banks and its central bank- cutting off technology transfers to Russia, ejecting it from the International world order (including revoking the most favoured nation) status, ending borrowing privileges at the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and the World Bank, sanctioning rich individuals close to the Putin government and downgrading Russia’s status as a leading energy supplier. Over two days in Delhi, Singh met his counterpart Deputy NSA Vikram Misri, Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal, Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla and officials in the Prime Minister’s Office and the Finance Ministry. “What we are doing is pushing Russia back decades. I think they’re going back to the USSR [Soviet Union], in terms of their technological sophistication, that reduces Putin’s ability to exert influence and to exercise power on the world stage,” Singh stressed. His discussions in Delhi were “very similar to the discussions we’ve had with our close friends and partners in Europe, and in Asia,” he pointed out. Disturbed areas under AFSPA reduced in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland, says Amit Shah The Centre has considerably reduced the “disturbed areas” under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in the States of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced on Thursday. “In a significant step, GoI under the decisive leadership of PM Shri @NarendraModi Ji has decided to reduce disturbed areas under Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in the States of Nagaland, Assam and Manipur after decades,” Shah said in a tweet. He added, “Reduction in areas under AFSPA is a result of the improved security situation and fast-tracked development due to the consistent efforts and several agreements to end insurgency and bring lasting peace in North East by PM @narendramodi government.” “The areas under AFSPA has been considerably reduced in these three States; it has not been completely removed,” said a Home Ministry official. In Nagaland, the AFSPA is being removed from the jurisdiction of 15 police stations in seven districts. “The Disturbed Area Notification is in force in the whole of Nagaland from 1995. The Central government has accepted the recommendation of a committee constituted in this context for withdrawal of the AFSPA in a phased manner,” the Ministry said. In Assam, the AFSPA is being removed completely from 23 districts and one district will be covered partially under the Act. In Manipur, 15 police station areas of six districts of Manipur will be excluded from the Disturbed Area Notification, said the Ministry. All changes will be effective April 1. The Ministry constituted a committee on December 26 last year to study if the AFSPA could be withdrawn from some areas in Nagaland in the wake of growing civilian anger against a botched ambush by an elite armed forces unit that led to the killing of 13 civilians at Oting in Nagaland’s Mon district on December 4. The law first came into effect in 1958 to deal with the uprising in the Naga Hills, followed by insurgency in Assam. The AFSPA gives unbridled power to the armed forces and the Central Armed Police Forces deployed in “disturbed areas” to kill anyone acting in contravention of law, arrest and search any premises without a warrant and protection from prosecution and legal suits without the Central government’s sanction. Currently, the Union Home Ministry issues periodic “disturbed area” notification to extend the AFSPA only for Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh, where it is applicable in the districts of Tirap, Changlang, Longding and areas falling under Namsai and Mahadevpur police stations bordering Assam. The notification for Manipur and Assam is issued by the State governments. Tripura revoked the Act in 2015 and Meghalaya was under the AFSPA for 27 years, until it was revoked by the Ministry from April 1, 2018. The Act was implemented in a 20-km area along the border with Assam. Jammu and Kashmir has a separate J&K Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1990. Pakistan Parliament session adjourned till April 3 without debate on no-trust motion Pakistan’s National Assembly session was on Thursday adjourned abruptly till Sunday after opposition lawmakers demanded an immediate vote on a no-confidence motion against embattled Prime Minister Imran Khan who has effectively lost majority in the lower house. As soon as the National Assembly session began at the Parliament House, Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri asked lawmakers to discuss items listed on the agenda. However, Opposition lawmakers demanded an immediate vote on the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Khan. Deputy Speaker Suri then adjourned the House till 11 a.m. on Sunday, amid vociferous protest from opposition lawmakers. The resolution against the embattled premier was tabled by the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif on March 28 and it was approved for debate the very same day. The assembly secretariat had earlier issued a 24-point agenda for Thursday’s session and the no-confidence motion was fourth on the agenda. Opposition Leader in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif had tabled the motion under Article A-95 of the Constitution, and it had 161 members as signatories. While tabling the motion, Sharif had said he was presenting the no-confidence motion against prime minister Khan. The voting is expected on April 3 and before the crucial day, the two sides would use the assembly forum to debate the matter. The position of the opposition parties has strengthened after two main allies of the government, including Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), joined the front against the government. The government lost its majority after the allies ditched it and pressure is mounting on the cricketer-turned-politician. His ministers, however, have said that Khan would fight until “the last ball of the last over”. Khan needs 172 votes in the lower house of 342 to foil the Opposition’s bid to topple him. However, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, chief of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Fazl (JUI-F), said that the Opposition has the support of 175 lawmakers and the prime minister should resign. No Pakistani Prime Minister has ever completed a full five-year term in office. Also, no Prime Minister in Pakistan’s history has ever been ousted through a no-confidence motion, and Khan is the third premier to face the challenge. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Imran Khan strictly directed his party lawmakers to either abstain or not attend the National Assembly session on the day of voting on the no-confidence motion against him, which is likely to be held in the first week of April. Khan came to power in 2018 with promises to create a ‘Naya Pakistan’ but miserably failed to address the basic problem of keeping the prices of commodities in control, giving air to the sails of opposition ships to make war on his government. His chances of survival are getting slimmer and the easiest way to end the uncertainty is to get back the support of all allies and win back dissidents within his own party. Congress, BJP spar in Lok Sabha over cuts in MGNREGA budgets The Lok Sabha on Thursday witnessed sharp exchanges between Congress members and BJP Ministers after Congress president Sonia Gandhi expressed concern over reduction in budgetary allocations for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme. Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Gandhi said there has been a 35% reduction in allocation in the current budget compared to the 2020 Budget and several States are left with negative balance in their MGNREGA accounts to the tune of ₹5,000 crore. This has led to delays in payments to workers, she added. Responding to her statement, Rural Development Minister Giriraj Singh and Information & Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said the allegations were “far from the truth” and charged the Congress chief with politicising the issue. Opening her speech, Gandhi said though some in the government had ridiculed MGNREGA few years ago (a reference to an earlier statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi), the rural job guarantee scheme had helped the poor during the COVID pandemic and had come to the government’s rescue in the wake of repeated lockdowns. “Still there is regular reduction in the budgetary allocation for MGNREGA. This year the budget for MGNREGA is 35% less than that of 2020. This comes at a time when unemployment is rising continuously,” she said. The budgetary cuts were weakening the legal guarantee of timely payment and employment, Gandhi said, pointing out that the Supreme Court had compared the delay in MGNREGA payments with ‘forced labour’. The Congress chief also pointed out that States have been told that their annual labour budget will not be approved unless they meet conditions related to social audit and appointment of Lokpal. “Social audit should be made effective but workers can’t be punished by stopping the money for this. I request the Central government to allocate adequate funds for MGNREGA, ensure payment of workers within 15 days of work, and pay compensation in case of delay in payment of wages,” the Congress leader said. Responding to Gandhi, the Rural Development Minister said, “The issue raised by the honourable member is far from the truth. The budgetary allocation for MGNREGA in 2013-14 (UPA years) was ₹33,000 crore, whereas under Prime Minister Narendra Modi it had reached ₹1.12 lakh crore. No need to show us the mirror”. Thakur added that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) couldn’t even spend the allocated amount in full and the scheme was mired in corruption. He said under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, geo-tagging of assets created under MGNREGA was introduced and payments were directly made to workers in their Jan Dhan accounts. The attack on the UPA by the ministers triggered protests from Congress members, provoking many them including party’s Lok Sabha leader, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, to troop into the well of the House. For several minutes, Congress members like Gaurav Gogoi, Hibi Eden, Ramya Haridas, Benny Behanan, Manickam Tagore and K. Suresh kept targeting the ministers. As the commotion continued, Thakur said it was ironic for the Opposition to criticise when a Union minister had responded immediately to an issue raised by Gandhi. In brief Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday announced lifting of all COVID-related restrictions from April 2, marking Gudhi Padwa, the Marathi new year. The use of mask would also be voluntary. The decision to lift all restrictions was unanimously taken at the Cabinet meeting. “We thank each and every one for cooperating with the government in these difficult times. It is new year and we embark on a new beginning,” said Thackeray. “While we lift all the restrictions, we urge citizens to voluntarily follow measures such as use of mask and physical distancing,” he said. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow [logo] The Evening Wrap 31 MARCH 2022 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [[Arrow]Open in browser]( [[Mail icon]More newsletters]( U.S. warns India against buying oil from Russia, rupee-rouble payments There will be “consequences” for any country, including India, that conducts local currency transactions through Russia’s central bank or constructs a payment mechanism that subverts or circumvents the United States’ sanctions against Russia, [American Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics Daleep Singh said]( in New Delhi on Thursday, hours before Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov landed. [Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla with U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics Daleep Singh during their meeting in New Delhi on March 31, 2022. Photo: Twitter/@MEAIndia via PTI] In a first for the U.S. administration, Singh also publicly stated that India must not expect that Russia, as a “junior partner” of China, would assist India if there were more incursions along the Line of Actual Control. “I come here in a spirit of friendship to explain the mechanisms of our sanctions, the importance of joining us, to express a shared resolve and to advance shared interests. And yes, there are consequences to countries that actively attempt to circumvent or backfill the sanctions,” Singh told journalists between his official meetings. “We are very keen for all countries, especially our allies and partners, not to create mechanisms that prop up the [Russian] rouble, and those that attempt to undermine the dollar based financial system,” he stated in reply to a question from The Hindu. This week, officials of the Bank of Russia, the country’s central bank, met Reserve Bank of India officials to discuss alternative payment mechanisms and routing through banks that are immune to international sanctions, and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar told Parliament that a special inter-ministerial group led by the Finance Ministry had been tasked with resolving the payment issues for import and export with Russia caused by the sanctions. When asked how India’s ties with Russia could affect its partnership with the U.S. in the Quad, Singh said there was a “shared recognition in the Quad that China is a strategic threat to a free open and secure Indo-Pacific.” “Russia is going to be the junior partner in this relationship with China. And the more leverage that China gains over Russia, the less favourable that is for India, I don’t think anyone would believe that if China once again breached the Line of Actual Control, that Russia will come running to India’s defence,” he observed. Singh declined to comment on what the “consequences” he referred to were, and whether the U.S. would consider India’s purchase of the S-400 missile system from Russia, which has used a “rupee-rouble” alternate payment mechanism thus far, as eligible for the new sanctions as well as previous sanctions under the CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act). He would rather keep those discussions with the government “private”, he added. While Singh’s message was put more plainly, his words mirror comments by European Union and German officials in Delhi this week, who said that India must not take “economic advantage” of western sanctions, nor seek to dilute them during the war. U.K. Foreign Minister Liz Truss also arrived in India with a similar message on Thursday. The British High commission said her visit was “part of a wider diplomatic push following Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine”, and she would underline the “importance of democracies working closer together to deter aggressors, reduce vulnerability to coercion and strengthen global security.” Singh said the U.S. “stands ready” to help India diversify its energy and defence hardware requirements if it chose to reduce its “dependence” on Russia, and that India’s intake of Russian oil at present did not violate the U.S.’s sanctions. “What we would not like to see is a rapid acceleration of India’s imports from Russia as it relates to energy or any other any other exports that are currently being prohibited by us or by other aspects of the international sanctions regime,” he noted. According to news agency Reuters, Indian oil refiners have bought more than 13 million barrels of Russian oil since the Ukraine war began on February 24, a steep rise from last year, when India bought 16 million barrels of Russian oil in all of 2021. Singh, who is the chief strategist on sanctions against Russia in the Biden administration, said he had spelt out the U.S.’s “five-channel” approach to dealing with Russia over its war in Ukraine, during what he called an “honest dialogue” with officials in the government. The channels include a “financial shock” to Russia’s largest banks and its central bank- cutting off technology transfers to Russia, ejecting it from the International world order (including revoking the most favoured nation) status, ending borrowing privileges at the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and the World Bank, sanctioning rich individuals close to the Putin government and downgrading Russia’s status as a leading energy supplier. Over two days in Delhi, Singh met his counterpart Deputy NSA Vikram Misri , Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal, Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla and officials in the Prime Minister’s Office and the Finance Ministry. “What we are doing is pushing Russia back decades. I think they’re going back to the USSR [Soviet Union], in terms of their technological sophistication, that reduces Putin’s ability to exert influence and to exercise power on the world stage,” Singh stressed. His discussions in Delhi were “very similar to the discussions we’ve had with our close friends and partners in Europe, and in Asia,” he pointed out. Disturbed areas under AFSPA reduced in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland, says Amit Shah The Centre has considerably reduced the “disturbed areas” under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in the States of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland, [Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced]( on Thursday. “In a significant step, GoI under the decisive leadership of PM Shri @NarendraModi Ji has decided to reduce disturbed areas under Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in the States of Nagaland, Assam and Manipur after decades,” Shah said in a tweet. He added, “Reduction in areas under AFSPA is a result of the improved security situation and fast-tracked development due to the consistent efforts and several agreements to end insurgency and bring lasting peace in North East by PM @narendramodi government.” “The areas under AFSPA has been considerably reduced in these three States; it has not been completely removed,” said a Home Ministry official. In Nagaland, the AFSPA is being removed from the jurisdiction of 15 police stations in seven districts. “The Disturbed Area Notification is in force in the whole of Nagaland from 1995. The Central government has accepted the recommendation of a committee constituted in this context for withdrawal of the AFSPA in a phased manner,” the Ministry said. [Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma addresses the media at the Assam Secretariat in Guwahati on March 31, 2022. regarding the removal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act from some areas of the State.] In Assam, the AFSPA is being removed completely from 23 districts and one district will be covered partially under the Act. In Manipur, 15 police station areas of six districts of Manipur will be excluded from the Disturbed Area Notification, said the Ministry. All changes will be effective April 1. The Ministry constituted a committee on December 26 last year to study if the AFSPA could be withdrawn from some areas in Nagaland in the wake of growing civilian anger against a botched ambush by an elite armed forces unit that led to the killing of 13 civilians at Oting in Nagaland’s Mon district on December 4. The law first came into effect in 1958 to deal with the uprising in the Naga Hills, followed by insurgency in Assam. The AFSPA gives unbridled power to the armed forces and the Central Armed Police Forces deployed in “disturbed areas” to kill anyone acting in contravention of law, arrest and search any premises without a warrant and protection from prosecution and legal suits without the Central government’s sanction. Currently, the Union Home Ministry issues periodic “disturbed area” notification to extend the AFSPA only for Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh, where it is applicable in the districts of Tirap, Changlang, Longding and areas falling under Namsai and Mahadevpur police stations bordering Assam. The notification for Manipur and Assam is issued by the State governments. Tripura revoked the Act in 2015 and Meghalaya was under the AFSPA for 27 years, until it was revoked by the Ministry from April 1, 2018. The Act was implemented in a 20-km area along the border with Assam. Jammu and Kashmir has a separate J&K Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1990. Pakistan Parliament session adjourned till April 3 without debate on no-trust motion [Pakistan’s National Assembly session was on Thursday adjourned abruptly till Sunday]( after opposition lawmakers demanded an immediate vote on a no-confidence motion against embattled Prime Minister Imran Khan who has effectively lost majority in the lower house. As soon as the National Assembly session began at the Parliament House, Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri asked lawmakers to discuss items listed on the agenda. However, Opposition lawmakers demanded an immediate vote on the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Khan. Deputy Speaker Suri then adjourned the House till 11 a.m. on Sunday, amid vociferous protest from opposition lawmakers. The resolution against the embattled premier was tabled by the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif on March 28 and it was approved for debate the very same day. The assembly secretariat had earlier issued a 24-point agenda for Thursday’s session and the no-confidence motion was fourth on the agenda. Opposition Leader in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif had tabled the motion under Article A-95 of the Constitution, and it had 161 members as signatories. While tabling the motion, Sharif had said he was presenting the no-confidence motion against prime minister Khan. The voting is expected on April 3 and before the crucial day, the two sides would use the assembly forum to debate the matter. The position of the opposition parties has strengthened after two main allies of the government, including Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), joined the front against the government. The government lost its majority after the allies ditched it and pressure is mounting on the cricketer-turned-politician. His ministers, however, have said that Khan would fight until “the last ball of the last over”. Khan needs 172 votes in the lower house of 342 to foil the Opposition’s bid to topple him. However, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, chief of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Fazl (JUI-F), said that the Opposition has the support of 175 lawmakers and the prime minister should resign. No Pakistani Prime Minister has ever completed a full five-year term in office. Also, no Prime Minister in Pakistan’s history has ever been ousted through a no-confidence motion, and Khan is the third premier to face the challenge. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Imran Khan strictly directed his party lawmakers to either abstain or not attend the National Assembly session on the day of voting on the no-confidence motion against him, which is likely to be held in the first week of April. Khan came to power in 2018 with promises to create a ‘Naya Pakistan’ but miserably failed to address the basic problem of keeping the prices of commodities in control, giving air to the sails of opposition ships to make war on his government. His chances of survival are getting slimmer and the easiest way to end the uncertainty is to get back the support of all allies and win back dissidents within his own party. Congress, BJP spar in Lok Sabha over cuts in MGNREGA budgets  The Lok Sabha on Thursday [witnessed sharp exchanges between Congress members and BJP Ministers]( after Congress president Sonia Gandhi expressed concern over reduction in budgetary allocations for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme. Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Gandhi said there has been a 35% reduction in allocation in the current budget compared to the 2020 Budget and several States are left with negative balance in their MGNREGA accounts to the tune of ₹5,000 crore. This has led to delays in payments to workers, she added. Responding to her statement, Rural Development Minister Giriraj Singh and Information & Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said the allegations were “far from the truth” and charged the Congress chief with politicising the issue. Opening her speech, Gandhi said though some in the government had ridiculed MGNREGA few years ago (a reference to an earlier statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi), the rural job guarantee scheme had helped the poor during the COVID pandemic and had come to the government’s rescue in the wake of repeated lockdowns. “Still there is regular reduction in the budgetary allocation for MGNREGA. This year the budget for MGNREGA is 35% less than that of 2020. This comes at a time when unemployment is rising continuously,” she said. The budgetary cuts were weakening the legal guarantee of timely payment and employment, Gandhi said, pointing out that the Supreme Court had compared the delay in MGNREGA payments with ‘forced labour’. The Congress chief also pointed out that States have been told that their annual labour budget will not be approved unless they meet conditions related to social audit and appointment of Lokpal. “Social audit should be made effective but workers can’t be punished by stopping the money for this. I request the Central government to allocate adequate funds for MGNREGA, ensure payment of workers within 15 days of work, and pay compensation in case of delay in payment of wages,” the Congress leader said. Responding to Gandhi, the Rural Development Minister said, “The issue raised by the honourable member is far from the truth. The budgetary allocation for MGNREGA in 2013-14 (UPA years) was ₹33,000 crore, whereas under Prime Minister Narendra Modi it had reached ₹1.12 lakh crore. No need to show us the mirror”. Thakur added that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) couldn’t even spend the allocated amount in full and the scheme was mired in corruption. He said under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, geo-tagging of assets created under MGNREGA was introduced and payments were directly made to workers in their Jan Dhan accounts. The attack on the UPA by the ministers triggered protests from Congress members, provoking many them including party’s Lok Sabha leader, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, to troop into the well of the House. For several minutes, Congress members like Gaurav Gogoi, Hibi Eden, Ramya Haridas, Benny Behanan, Manickam Tagore and K. Suresh kept targeting the ministers. As the commotion continued, Thakur said it was ironic for the Opposition to criticise when a Union minister had responded immediately to an issue raised by Gandhi. In brief Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday [announced lifting of all COVID-related restrictions from April 2]( marking Gudhi Padwa, the Marathi new year. The use of mask would also be voluntary. The decision to lift all restrictions was unanimously taken at the Cabinet meeting. “We thank each and every one for cooperating with the government in these difficult times. It is new year and we embark on a new beginning,” said Thackeray. “While we lift all the restrictions, we urge citizens to voluntarily follow measures such as use of mask and physical distancing,” he said. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow  Today‘s Top Picks [[Tamil Nadu’s 10.5% Vanniyar quota without substantial basis, says Supreme Court] Tamil Nadu’s 10.5% Vanniyar quota without substantial basis, says Supreme Court]( [[IOC subsidiary to release 6,000 MT diesel to help ease power crisis in Sri Lanka] IOC subsidiary to release 6,000 MT diesel to help ease power crisis in Sri Lanka]( [[Delhi HC rejects Chirag Paswan’s plea against eviction from 12 Janpath] Delhi HC rejects Chirag Paswan’s plea against eviction from 12 Janpath]( [[Sci-Five | The Hindu Science Quiz] Sci-Five | The Hindu Science Quiz]( Copyright @ 2021, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. If you are facing any trouble in viewing this newsletter, please [try here]( If you do not wish to receive such emails [go here](