| Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day's biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. We hope you are staying safe. Bharat bandh: Support us but leave your flags at home, farm unions tell political parties On the eve of the 'Bharat bandh' that they plan to observe tomorrow, farmer leaders tried to find a balance between highlighting Opposition party endorsement as a sign of the widening support, and refuting the government's allegation that the protests have been hijacked by vested political interests. "We want to thank political parties for their support, but we appeal to them to leave their own flags and banners at home, and stand solely in support of farmers," said Krantikari Kisan Union president Darshan Pal, during a press conference called by Punjab farmer leaders at the Singhu border on Monday. So far, 24 political parties have come out in support of the bandh, according to farmers' groups. The list includes the Congress and Left parties, and regional outfits such as the DMK, TRS, SP, BSP, RJD, Shiv Sena, NCP, SAD, TMC, AIMIM, AAP, JMM and the Gupkar Alliance. Pal dismissed the Centre's accusations of party politics overtaking the farmers' agenda. "Even Kejriwal saab came this morning, but we did not give him our stage. We have been here from November 27. You cannot give even one example of the farmers taking funds from political parties, or allowing them to speak from our stage. We are very firm on it," he said. "The BJP may have its own narrative. But they must answer why we have support from such a wide section of society." "When political parties respond to a widespread demand from citizens, it should not be seen as the opposition versus the government. Every party, including the one in government, should be responding, and taking cues from citizens. That is how democracy works," said Kavitha Kuruganti of the Mahila Kisan Adhikaar Manch, speaking after the press conference. "No one can hijack the movement as lakhs of farmers are on the ground. But political party support is natural, and should not be seen as or made into a double-edged sword," she added. Tuesday's bandh includes plans for a chakka jaam, or road blockade, between 10 am and 3 pm. Supplies of milk and vegetables will also be stopped during this period, although emergency services will not be affected, said farm leaders, appealing for peaceful protests. Centre asks states to tighten security for Bharat bandh  Farmers listening to the address given by various leaders ahead of the Bharat Bandh called by the protesting farmers at the Singhu Border in New Delhi on December 7. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued an advisory to all states and union territories that no untoward incident should occur during Tuesday's all-India strike called by farmers' unions. It asked them to tighten security and ensure that all Covid-19 guidelines are strictly followed. The 'Bharat bandh' is against the three farm laws passed by Parliament in the September monsoon session. The strike call has received support from many political parties, including the Congress, DMK, NCP, SP, Trinamool Congress and the Left parties. The union leaders have said the strike will be effective from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. but no kind of essential or emergency services will be disrupted. An MHA official said additional security personnel have been deployed across the national capital. "The advisory has asked the States to ensure that no violence or untoward incident takes place during the Bharat bandh. Emphasis has been laid on implementation of all Covid-19 protocol such as social distancing and mandatory use of masks," the official stated. Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and other parts of the country have assembled at Delhi's borders to protest against the three farm laws. Cannot build the coming century with laws of the last century: PM Modi  In this videograb made out of @narendramodi Twitter account, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates the construction of the Agra Metro Project via video conferencing on December 7, 2020. India cannot build the coming century with laws of the last century, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday, stressing the significance of "reforms". His remarks come a day before a proposed Bharat bandh called by farmer groups to protest against the Centre's agri-reform laws. "For new facilities and systems, reforms are necessary. We cannot build the coming century with laws of the last century," he noted. Launching the construction of Agra Metro through video-conferencing, he said that the laws that were beneficial in the last century will become a "burden" in the next century. For this reason, there must be continuous process for reforms, he asserted. People often wondered why "reforms are working better today" in comparison to the past. "The reason is simple. Earlier, reforms would take place in fragments, keeping some sectors and departments in mind. Now reforms are being brought with a thought of entirety," he said. SC allows laying of foundation stone for new Parliament complex  Artist's impressions of the proposed redevelopment of Central Vista. Photo: Special arrangement The Supreme Court on Monday allowed the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the new Parliament building to go ahead as scheduled on December 10, after the government gave an undertaking to keep in abeyance any construction or demolition of buildings and shifting of trees in the Central Vista area for the time being. A Bench led by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar expressed displeasure with the Centre for "aggressively" continuing with the construction, demolition and shifting of trees even as questions concerning the legality of the Central Vista project were in court. "We thought we are dealing with a prudent litigant and deference will be shown...We have shown deference to you and expected that you will act in a prudent manner. The same deference should be shown to the Court and there should be no demolition or construction," Justice Khanwilkar addressed Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, for the Centre. Mehta, after receiving instructions from the government, apologised to the court and gave an undertaking that no physical changes would be made to the area. "I can make a statement that there will be no construction, demolition or felling of trees. Foundation stone will be laid. But, no physical change," Mehta assured. "We take that statement on record. In view of the above, we clarify that the authorities would be free to continue with procedural processes without altering the status of the site(s) in question in any manner, including to continue with the scheduled programme of foundation stone-laying on December 10, 2020," the court order said. Sushil Kumar Modi elected to Rajya Sabha  Sushil Kumar Modi receives the election certificate from Divisional Commissioner on being elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha. Photo: Twitter/@SushilModi Senior Bihar BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi was today elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha. The seat had fallen vacant after the death of Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) leader Ram Vilas Paswan in October. The election was scheduled to be held on December 14 but since no Opposition candidate had filed nominations, Modi was elected unopposed. His election was considered a formality as the NDA had got a majority in the Assembly in the recently concluded elections. Modi is likely to be inducted into the Union Cabinet in the next expansion of the Council of Ministers. Iran's planned centrifuges 'deeply worrying': France, U.K. and Germany  In this March 30, 2005 picture, the Iranian nuclear research centre of Natanz, is pictured 270 km south of Tehran. France, Germany and Britain said today that they were alarmed by an Iranian announcement that it intended to install additional, advanced uranium-enriching centrifuges. "If Iran is serious about preserving a space for diplomacy, it must not implement these steps," the three powers, who along with China and Russia are party to a 2015 nuclear containment deal with Tehran known as the JCPoA, said in a joint statement. A confidential International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report obtained by Reuters said Iran planned to install three more cascades, or clusters, of advanced IR-2m centrifuges in its enrichment plant at Natanz, which was built underground apparently to withstand any aerial bombardment. Iran's nuclear deal with major powers says Tehran can only use first-generation IR-1 centrifuges, which refine uranium much more slowly. "Iran's recent announcement to the IAEA that it intends to install an additional three cascades of advanced centrifuges at the Fuel Enrichment Plant in Natanz is contrary to the JCPoA and deeply worrying," the three powers said, reacting to the U.N. watchdog's report, which is yet to be made public. "Such a move would jeopardise our shared efforts to preserve the JCPOA and also risks compromising the important opportunity for a return to diplomacy with the incoming U.S. administration," they said, referring to Joe Biden, who defeated President Donald Trump in the November 3 election. Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments The number of coronavirus cases reported from India stood at 96,93,164 at the time of writing this newsletter, with the death toll at 1,41,035. In Brief: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday morning reached the Singhu border between the capital and Haryana, with members of his Cabinet. He claimed that the Delhi government had to "fend off pressure" from several quarters to ensure that a "plan" to "end the agitation" by lodging agitating farmers at Delhi stadiums did not materialise. Last week, the AAP government said it supported the call for a Bharat bandh by the protesting farmers. Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Monday said police were preventing him from travelling to Kannauj to attend a scheduled programme in support of farmers. Yadav, who sat on a dharna on the street against the security cordon, has been detained by the police. The SP chief said several of his party's leaders and workers were also detained across Uttar Pradesh to prevent them from leading a march in support of the protesting farmers. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. | 
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