Here are the top 5 news updates of January 22, 2022:
Watch video: 6 dead, 23 injured in major fire in building at Mumbai's Tardeo
At least six persons were killed and 23 others injured in a major fire that broke out on the 19th floor of a residential building in Tardeo area of central Mumbai on Saturday morning, officials said. The blaze erupted around 7 am in Sachinam Heights building, a ground plus 20-storey structure located opposite Bhatia Hospital at Gowalia Tank, when many of its residents were still asleep, an official of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the incident and announced on Twitter that ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh would be provided to the family members of each deceased from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF), and added that the injured would be given Rs 50,000 each.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday hit out at the BJP-led Central government and alleged that it is trying to "destroy the rights of the public from the beginnng". The Congress MP in a series of tweets said that the world's largest democracy is nothing without fundamental rights. "What's the point of the world's largest democracy without public rights? The Modi government has been trying to destroy the rights of the public from the beginning. Can you even imagine India without these rights including the fundamental rights?" he said. He further said that transparency is another name of democracy and people have the right to question it.
Goa Elections 2022: Ex-Goa CM Laxmikant Parsekar to resign from BJP after being denied ticket
Former Goa chief minister and senior BJP leader Laxmikant Parsekar, who was denied a ticket by the party for state Assembly elections, on Saturday said he will resign from the ruling party. Speaking to ANI over the phone, the senior BJP leader said, "I would be formally submitting my resignation to the party on Saturday evening." Parsekar is the chief of BJP's manifesto for the upcoming Goa Legislative Assembly election and was also a member of the party's Core Committee. Parsekar was the chief minister of Goa between 2014 and 2017. He was selected to head the state after the then chief minister Manohar Parrikar was inducted into the Union cabinet as the Defence Minister.
Chirag Paswan's party writes to Bihar governor for President's rule to prevent hooch tragedy
Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan on Friday said the party has written to Bihar governor Phagu Chauhan to recommend the President’s rule in the state to prevent deaths due to consumption of spurious liquor. "Bihar CM Nitish Kumar intentionally raises issues like Pegasus, caste census, population control bill & special status to Bihar on which BJP's stand is already clear. He probably wants to be a contender for PM's post by joining the Opposition," Chirag Paswan was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. "We have written to the Governor to recommend the President's rule in Bihar in order to stop more deaths due to consumption of spurious liquor," he added.
As many as 24 legislators in Goa, which is 60 per cent of the total strength of the 40-member state Assembly, have switched parties in the last five years, a report by an organisation has said. The Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) said in its report that with this, Goa has set a unique record, which is "unparalleled" in the history of Indian democracy. Assembly polls in Goa will be held on February 14. "In the five year tenure of the current Assembly (2017-2022), as many as 24 MLAs have changed their parties, which is 60 per cent of the total strength of the House. It has never happened anywhere else in India.
