India reports 38,792 new Covid-19 cases, 624 deaths; tourists warned against flouting protocols

New Delhi, Sept 17: Atishi will be the new Chief Minister of Delhi. The decision came after a legislative party meeting was chaired by Arvind Kejriwal at his Delhi residence earlier today.

Kejriwal is expected to tender his resignation later today, and will also meet Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena at 4.30 pm.

On September 13, Arvind Kejriwal was released from Tihar Jail, where he had been lodged for his alleged involvement in the Delhi liquor policy case. Nearly two days after his release, on Sunday, Kejriwal said he would resign as the Chief Minister within 48 hours.

He also sought early polls in Delhi, and vowed not to sit in the chief minister’s chair until people gave him a “certificate of honesty”.

On Monday, the AAP held a series of meetings as Kejriwal sought feedback from members of the political affairs committee, the party’s highest decision-making body, on his successor in one-on-one meetings at his official residence.

Names of Delhi ministers Atishi, Gopal Rai, Kailash Gahlot and Saurabh Bharadwaj were making the rounds as contenders, news agency PTI had quoted party insiders as saying and added that Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal and Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel were also the probables.

Mangolpuri MLA Rakhi Birla, who is also the deputy speaker in the assembly, and Kondli legislator Kuldeep Kumar were also potential candidates, they added.

Earlier, sources with the AAP had told PTI that the surprise candidate could also be a member of the minority community as the party has witnessed its support among the community wavering since the 2020 Delhi riots.

Israel began a third day of strikes in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, hours after Hezbollah confirmed the death of a senior commander in an airstrike on Beirut and a Lebanese minister said only Washington could help end the fighting.

Lebanese media reported that Israeli airstrikes had targeted several areas in the country’s south, beginning at around 5am, causing unspecified casualties.

Hezbollah meanwhile said it had launched a rocket targeting Mossad headquarters near Tel Aviv. Sirens had sounded in the Israeli city early on Wednesday, sending residents into bomb shelters, however the Israeli military later said it had intercepted the missile and no casualties or damage were reported.

Earlier on Wednesday, Hezbollah had confirmed that senior commander Ibrahim Qubaisi was among six people killed by an Israeli airstrike on an apartment block in the Lebanese capital Beirut on Tuesday, as Israel had claimed earlier. Israel said Qubaisi headed the group’s missile and rocket force.

Israel’s offensive since Monday morning has killed 569 people, including 50 children, and wounded 1,835 in Lebanon, health minister Firass Abiad told Al Jazeera Mubasher TV. Tuesday’s attacks came after Monday’s barrages racked up the highest death toll in any single day in Lebanon since the 15-year civil war that started in 1975.

Israel’s new offensive against Hezbollah has stoked fears that nearly a year of conflict between Israel and the militant Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza is escalating and could destabilise the Middle East. Britain urged its nationals to leave Lebanon and said it was moving 700 troops to Cyprus to help its citizens evacuate.

The UN security council said it would meet on Wednesday to discuss the conflict.

“Lebanon is at the brink. The people of Lebanon – the people of Israel – and the people of the world – cannot afford Lebanon to become another Gaza,” UN secretary general António Guterres said.

At the UN, which is holding its general assembly this week, US President Joe Biden made a plea for calm. “Full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest. Even if a situation has escalated, a diplomatic solution is still possible,” he said.

Lebanon’s foreign minister Abdallah Bou Habib criticised Biden’s address as “not strong, not promising” and said the US was the only country “that can really make a difference in the Middle East and with regard to Lebanon.” Washington is Israel’s longtime ally and biggest arms supplier.

The US “is the key … to our salvation,” he told an event in New York City hosted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Up to half a million people are estimated to have been displaced in Lebanon, said Bou Habib. He said Lebanon’s prime minister hoped to meet with US officials over the next two days.

In Lebanon, displaced families slept in shelters hastily set up in schools in Beirut and the coastal city of Sidon. With hotels quickly booked to capacity or rooms priced beyond the means of many families, those who did not find shelter slept in their cars, in parks or along the seaside.

Fatima Chehab, who came with her three daughters from the area of Nabatieh, said her family had been displaced twice in quick succession.

As the Modi-led NDA government completes the first 100 days of its third term, the Congress party has launched a scathing attack, dubbing it as the "U-Turn Sarkar" for its failures and policy reversals.

At a press conference in Delhi, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate highlighted what she called "100 days of instability, indecisiveness, and immaturity," accusing the Modi government of damaging critical sectors of the economy and public infrastructure.

Shrinate criticised the government's handling of the economy, which she described as being in "dire straits".

She argued that under Modi's leadership, sectors such as agriculture, youth employment, and infrastructure have been neglected. "These 100 days have been very heavy on the country's economy, farmers, youth, women, infrastructure, railways, and institutions," she said, adding "It has become clear that Narendra Modi has no vision to deal with the country's problems."

She went on to debunk the government's claims of progress in infrastructure development, citing multiple instances of structural failures in key projects.

“The airports inaugurated by Narendra Modi--from Jabalpur to Delhi and Rajkot--could not even withstand a single monsoon,” Shrinate pointed out. She also referenced failures such as:

•    Atal setu: Constructed at a cost of Rs18,000 crore, the bridge developed cracks soon after its inauguration.

•    Sudarshan setu in Gujarat: Opened in February 2024, it also developed cracks within months.

•    Shivaji statue collapse: The iconic statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was destroyed within eight months of being unveiled, an event Shrinate described as an "insult to Shivaji Maharaj."

•    Ram mandir water leakage: The sanctum sanctorum of the Ram Mandir, a symbol of faith for millions, was found to be leaking during the monsoon.

•    "Who will take accountability for these incidents?" Shrinate asked, questioning the government's competency in executing large-scale projects.

•    On railway safety, Shrinate accused the government of overseeing a period marked by frequent accidents and derailments.

•    "There have been 38 railway accidents in 100 days, resulting in 21 deaths," she stated. Despite the public outrage following the tragic Balasore accident, which killed nearly 300 people earlier this year, the Congress spokesperson said that the government has failed to take effective measures to improve rail safety.

•    She criticised the slow implementation of Kavach, an anti-collision device, stating, “The reality is that even after 21 deaths, Kavach is being installed at a pace of 2 km per year, while the Railway Minister shamelessly calls these 'minor' incidents.” Shrinate’s remarks come amidst mounting public concern over the Modi government’s inability to secure rail travel in one of the world’s largest railway networks.

In addition to infrastructure and safety concerns, Shrinate accused the Modi government of making hasty policy decisions, only to later backtrack under public pressure. "If any of your decisions affect the country negatively, it won’t become law because the government will take a U-turn on it," she said. Among the key policy reversals Shrinate cited were:

•    Lateral entry: A controversial policy of hiring private-sector professionals for bureaucratic roles, which was quietly shelved.

•    Broadcast Bill: Withdrawn after fierce opposition, highlighting the government's poor handling of policy legislation.

•    Waqf Board Bill: Another example of the government's failure to gauge the impact of its decisions.

•    NPS to UPS: Indexation policy changes that were hastily reversed after protests from key stakeholders.

"Narendra Modi's first 100 days symbolise not just U-turns, but a government that is fundamentally unsure of its direction," Shrinate remarked.

"In 100 days, 104 heinous crimes have been committed against women, in which there are 157 victims. Women are raped publicly in BJP ruled states but Narendra Modi doesn't say a word on this. But how will you speak, because you are the one who stood with those who sexually exploited the daughters of the country," she added.

The Congress's sharp critique of the Modi government's first 100 days has set the tone for the coming months, as the opposition gears up for a series of state elections and prepares for the 2024 general election.

"The country cannot afford this level of instability, immaturity, and incompetence," Shrinate concluded, calling on citizens to hold the Modi government accountable for what she described as its "endless U-turns and policy failures."

In these 100 days, Congress has made clear that it will focus on highlighting the government’s missteps in the economy, public safety, and governance, presenting itself as a viable alternative in the face of what it calls "a government in retreat."