News Breakfast @6

01. Morigaon Police Seize Mobile Phone Used To Threaten Journalist Nazrul Islam

The Morigaon Police on Saturday seized the mobile phone through which minister Pijush Hazarika had threatened a journalist of Pratidin Time on Thursday (April 1). The mobile phone has been sent to the Forensic laboratory for voice test. The development comes days after the journalist Nazrul Islam filed an FIR against the minister. The Superintendent of Police also provided security to the journalist after he was threatened by the minister for airing a news against the minister's wife Aaimee Baruah. The minister threatened the journalist of leaving him 'nowhere' and that the journalist will be assaulted badly.

02. NDA Will Form Govt In Assam Again: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the BJP government works for everyone without discrimination but some people divide the country for vote bank, which is unfortunately called secularism. Addressing a rally at Tamulpur in Assam, the PM said that games of secularism, communalism has caused great damage to the country. Campaigning for the mahajot candidate, Modi said, "We work for everyone without discrimination but some people divide the country for vote bank, which is unfortunately called secularism. But if we work for everyone, it's called communal. Games of secularism, communalism have caused great damage to the country." He also said that the 'Mahajhooth' of 'Mahajot' has been completely exposed.

03. ULFA-I Releases Abducted Quippo Employees

The United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA-I) has released two abducted employees of Quippo Oil and Gas Infrastructure limited- Pranab Kumar Gogoi and Ram Kumar. Both the employees of Quippo were abducted by the banned outfit on December 21 from the company's Kumchaikha hydrocarbon drilling site in the Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh. Both the employees were released on a safe note as assured by the ULFA last month.

04. 48-Hour Dry Day Declared In Kamrup Metro From Sunday

In view of the ensuing third phase of assembly elections, the Deputy Commissioner (DC) office has declared dry day in Kamrup Metropolitan district from Sunday for 48 hours. "DRY DAY is declared in Kamrup Metropolitan District w.e.f 6.00 P.M. of 04/04/2021 to  6.00 P.M. of 06/04/2021 including the day of counting of votes which is fixed on 02/05/2021 till the process of counting is over and including the day of Re-poll if any," the order read. During the time period, possession, distribution and sale of alcohol is completely prohibited, the violation of which will result in 'stringent action as per law'.

05. PM Modi Urges Assam Militants To Surrender, Join Mainstream

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing an election rally in Baksa, has made an appeal to militants of Assam to surrender and return to the mainstream as they are needed to create an "Atmanirbhar Assam". "I also appeal to those who are yet to surrender to return for the future of the state and for their own future, too, as they are needed to create an "Atmanirbhar Assam"," he said. The Prime Minister added that the people of Assam has rejected violence and roots for development, peace, unity and stability. He also asserted that the policies formulated by the NDA government are non-discriminatory and for all sections of society. "It's unfortunate that those who divided society and threw crumbs of development at particular sections for their vote bank politics are said to be practising secularism while we, who ensure that development reaches all, are termed communal," PM Modi said.

06. Assam Polls Phase III: 74 Women Candidates In Fray

Political parties have made promises galore to woo the 49.35 per cent strong women electorate but only 74 women candidates are in the fray for the three-phase Assam Assembly elections in 2021. The number of women candidates in this year"s Assembly election is less compared to the last two state assembly polls. In the 2016 Assam Assembly election, there were 91 women candidates in the fray with eight of them winning while in 2011, 85 women contested and 14 made it to the assembly, the highest so far elected to the House. The 74 candidates comprise a mere 7.82 per cent of the total 946 candidates in the fray for the 126 member Assembly.

07. Assam: Magisterial Probe Ordered Into EVM Row

A magisterial probe has been ordered to determine why a polling team in Assam carried an EVM in a vehicle owned by the wife of a BJP candidate, officials said on Saturday. Karimganj District Deputy Superintendent Anbamuthan MP issued an order on Friday night to probe the incident, which has snowballed into a huge controversy amid the ongoing Assam assembly elections, the last phase of which is slated for Tuesday. Additional District Magistrate Rajeshan Terang has been asked to conduct the enquiry and submit a detailed report within three days. "… This incident posed a threat to security of the polled EVMs and has an adverse effect on the law and order situation," the order said.

08. IIT-G Student Allegedly Raped On Campus, 1 Student Arrested

A student of the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT-G) was arrested for allegedly raping a student of the institute on March 28 (Sunday) during a cultural event as part of Holi celebrations. The arrestee, identified as one Utsab Kadam, is a student of the department of Chemistry and hails from Mumbai. A case (53/21) under section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered at Amingaon police station against Kadam. Moreover, four other students were detained for questioning in connection to the case. As per a report, the victim is from Gujarat.

09. FIR Against Kamalpur BJP Candidate For Threatening Cong Leader

An FIR has been filed against BJP candidate from Kamalpur constituency Diganta Kalita for allegedly threatening Congress leader Parsojyoti Kalita with consequences for not supporting him. Notably, both the leaders are cousins. As per a report, Parsojyoti Kalita has alleged that Diganta had threatened him with consequences after May 2 when results are out. The Congress leader then filed an FIR against Diganta Kalita after receiving the threat. Further, the Congress leader also alleged that he was being "followed by goons of Diganta Kalita" a few days back. "At least 15 to 20 goons of Diganta Kalita followed me a few days ago," Parsojyoti Kalita said. This comes just days after Assam minister Pijush Hazarika threatened journalists of Pratidin Time with dire consequences for airing a piece of news on his wife and Assamese actress Aimee Baruah, who made controversial remarks on CAA during an election rally.

10. Assam: 68 New COVID Cases

Assam on Saturday reported 68 fresh COVID-19 cases, pushing the active cases to 598. The new cases have been detected out of 16,024 tests conducted in the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, 32 patients have been discharged today. The recoveries have touched 2,15,549 with 98.60 per cent. No death was reported today. The death rate stood at 0.51 per cent with 1,107 deaths. The state's total caseload as of today is 2,18,601.

11. Farooq Abdullah Hospitalized Days After Testing COVID +Ve

National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah has been admitted to hospital in Srinagar days after testing positive for COVID-19. Abdullah had tested positive for coronavirus on March 30 after which he was admitted to a hospital as a precautionary measure. Taking to Twitter, his son and party leader Omar Abdullah on Saturday said, "Based on the advice of doctors to enable them to better monitor my father, he has been admitted to hospital in Srinagar. Our family remains grateful to everyone for their messages of support and their prayers." The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister got diagnosed with COVID-19, weeks after he had received his first dose of vaccine against coronavirus at the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Science in Srinagar on March 2.

12. Chhattisgarh: 5 Security Personnel Killed, Dozens Injured In Naxal Attack

In an unprecedented incident, five security personnel were killed and around 10 were left injured in an encounter with Naxals in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Saturday. Five security personnel died and around 10 others injured in an encounter with Naxals in jungles near Tarrem, Bijapur," Chhattisgarh DGP DM Awasthi told ANI. After the encounter took place, an emergency meeting DGP DM Awasthi, Special DG (Anti-Naxal Operations) Ashoke Juneja and other officers was conducted."In an encounter in Bijapur, Chhattisgarh, initial reports indicate that three District Reserve Guard (DRG) and two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans have been martyred, one Naxal has also been killed, the encounter is on," said the CRPF. As per DM Awasthi, the encounter broke out in the Tarrem area when a joint team of security forces was out on an anti-Naxal operation.

13. Debarment On Himanta's Campaign Reduces To 24 Hours

The Election Commission has reduced the debarment of campaign of Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to 24 hours from 48 hours. The move has come after the minister apologized for his comment to BPF leader Hagrama Mohilary for which the EC has banned his campaigning for 48 hours since yesterday. The EC permitted Sarma to conduct public rallies, public procession or road shows for the third phase of the Assam Assembly polls to be conducted on April 6. However, this will be the last day for Sarma to campaign as the EC has issued a notification to end the poll campaign by 6 pm on Sunday, 48 hours prior to the date of conducting the poll.

14. Assam Polls: 3rd Phase Campaigning To End On Sunday

The campaign for the third phase of the Assam Assembly elections will come to an end on Sunday (April 4) at 6 pm, 48 hours prior to the date of polling which will take place on April 6. This was informed by the Election Commission through a notification. The election authority has banned any kind of poll rallies, processions, display of election matters by means of a cinematograph or similar apparatus after the prescribed time. It also prohibits the propagation of any election matter to the public by holding musical concerts, theatrical performances or other entertainment programs to attract the public in any polling area during the period of 48 hours. Within this period, no result of exit or opinion polls should be published, publicized or disseminated in any manner by print, electronic or other media platforms, said the authority adding that the ban would continue till voting in a single phase, or multiple phases and in all the States where the election commission notified election is over.

15. Congress Can Only Give Guarantee Of 'Scam': JP Nadda

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President JP Nadda attacked the Congress party saying that the guarantee expected from them is that they will do scam wherever they go. Slamming the five guarantees promised by the Congress in Assam, Nadda said, "Their five guarantees also include Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). How can a state law overrule a law passed by the Parliament? The party is misleading people by saying that they will not allow to implement CAA in Assam. The other name of Congress is lie. I can give you one guarantee that wherever the Congress will go, they will do scam. They don't know anything about Lok Sewa." He slammed the previous Congress Government in Assam for not working for tea garden workers and said the opposition party is doing 'political tourism' in the state. "What did they (Congress) do in 40 years. What did Gogoji's (Tarun Gogoi) government do in 15 years? Tea garden workers were there when Congress was in government. They are coming in and doing political tourism here and explaining things to people. Do they know that under the 'Assam Chah Bagicha Dhan Puraskar Mela Scheme', we gave an amount of Rs 8,000 to 8 lakh tea garden workers? But did they do? What is their history?" asked the BJP president.