Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 20 Jul, 2021 11:00 AM
Chandigarh, July 20 (IANS) Toughening his stance, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday clarified that he won't meet new state party chief Navjot Singh Sidhu till he publicly apologises to him.
"Reports of @sherryontop seeking time to meet @capt_amarinder are totally false," Chief Minister's media advisor Raveen Thukral said in a tweet.
"No time has been sought whatsoever. No change in stance...CM won't meet #NavjotSinghSidhu till he publicly apologises for his personally derogatory social media attacks against him," he added.
Earlier in the day, state Cabinet minister Brahm Mohindra welcomed the appointment of Sidhu as the new state unit chief but ruled out a personal meeting with him till he resolves his issues with the Chief Minister.
In a statement, Mohindra said the decision to appoint Sidhu had been taken by the high command and is welcome.
"However, I will not meet him (Sidhu) till he meets the Chief Minister and resolves his issues with him," said Mohindra, adding that Amarinder Singh is the leader of the Congress Legislative Party and he is duty bound to follow him.
An adamant Amarinder Singh, who is reportedly upset with Sidhu for targeting his government over the power crisis and the sacrilege issue, had categorically told state party in-charge Harish Rawat on July 17, a day before Sidhu's appointment, that there would be no rapprochement between the two until Sidhu apologises in public for his "derogatory tweets and interviews".
At several places including outside the Delhi borders, the farmers burnt effigies of the Central government, hoisted black flags on their homes, farms or vehicles to condemn the farm laws and demanding their rollback as over 470 farmers' lives have been lost in the past six months.
Doctors suspect that the sudden surge in mucormycosis, or “black fungus” infection, may be linked to the use of steroids to treat COVID-19. It can result in breathing problems and coughing blood.
India broke its own previous record of Covid deaths in 24 hours after the the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday said the nation recorded 4,529 deaths -- the highest number of fatalities from Covid infection.
Cyclone Tauktae has claimed the lives of at least 12 people and close to 200,000 have been evacuated. The impact of the cyclone so intense that it has uprooted trees and electricity poles.
According to Swaminathan, B.1.617 variant of Covid-19, which was first detected in India last Fall, was a contributing factor in the COVID explosion that India is witnessing right now.
