Breaking News LIVE, April 14:
Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav has tested positive for Covid-19. On April 11, he had met Mahant Narendra Giri Maharaj, president of the Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad, who had also tested positive for Covid-19.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will finally begin his campaign in poll-bound areas of West Bengal on Wednesday (April 14) with two public meetings in Goalpokhar and Matigara-Naxalbari, the party revealed on Tuesday. Meanwhile, BJP National President JP Nadda and leader Smriti Irani are also scheduled to hold numerous election rallies in poll-bound areas of West Bengal today, ahead of the fifth phase of assembly polls.
Domestic financial markets, including stock exchanges and the forex market, will remain closed on Wednesday on account of Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar Jayanti.
President Joe Biden has wished Indians and South Asians on Navratri, Poila Baisakh and other celebrations. In a tweet, Joe Biden said, “Jill and I send our warmest wishes to the South Asian and Southeast Asian communities who are celebrating Vaisakhi, Navratri, Songkran, and the incoming New Year this week. Happy Bengali, Cambodian, Lao, Myanmarese, Nepali, Sinhalese, Tamil, Thai, and Vishu New Year!”
New cases of coronavirus infection in India were recorded above 1,80,000 taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 1,38,73,825 according to the Union Health Ministry data. The COVID-19 active caseload is 13,65,704 which now comprises 9.85 per cent of the total infections.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday stopped short of enforcing a lockdown but announced tough restrictions for the next 15 days that include a ban on gatherings and only essential activities to break the chain of Covid infections that he said were “exploding dangerously” in the state. “The war has begun again,” he said, addressing the state on the massive surge in cases.
