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Hello and welcome to the ABP News Blog. Follow this space to get the latest developments and breaking news from India, including Mamata Banerjee’s Delhi visit, Congress protest, Covid’s latest update, Monkeypox and other developing stories across the country and abroad.

Mamata Banerjee Scheduled To Meet PM Modi, Prez Murmu Today

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee arrived here on Thursday on a four-day visit and is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday to discuss multiple issues, including GST dues for her state.

Banerjee, who is also the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo, met her party’s MPs and discussed with them the current session of Parliament and the road to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, sources close to news agency PTI said.

She also sought from them suggestions for the names of the seven new districts in West Bengal announced by her recently, they said. On Friday, Banerjee is also scheduled to meet President Droupadi Murmu. In her meeting with Modi, she is likely to discuss the GST dues for West Bengal, sources said.

Traffic Movement To Take Hit In Delhi As Congress To Stage Mass Protest

Traffic movement will be affected on some stretches of Lutyens’ Delhi on Friday as the Congress is all set to stage a mass protest against price rise, unemployment and GST hike, officials told news agency PTI.

The city traffic police on Thursday said special arrangements have been made and diversions will be suggested as per expected spots of congestion on major roads. Vehicular traffic will be affected on Akbar Road and parts of Ashoka Road and Raisina Road, traffic officials said.

The Congress has planned a mass protest against price rise, unemployment and GST rate hike on essential items on August 5, wherein it will take out a march towards the Rashtrapati Bhawan and gherao the prime minister’s residence.

RBI Likely To Raise Interest Rate Today After MPC Meet

The Reserve Bank of India’s rate-setting panel earlier this week began its three-day deliberations on the next bi-monthly monetary policy amid expectations of at least a 35-basis-point hike in the interest rate to check high inflation.

If raised, it will be the third consecutive hike in the repo rate – the short-term rate at which the RBI lends money to banks. The central bank has already announced to gradually withdraw its accommodative monetary policy stance.

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), headed by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, is scheduled to announce its decision on August