The mob that pushed Hubballi, Karnataka, into violence now has a new saviour – Anjuman-e-Islami. According to a Republic TV report, the “social organisation” Anjuman-e-Islami has decided to take up the legal fight on behalf of those arrested for the mob violence unleashed in Hubballi, Karnataka recently.
Attributing this information to sources, Republic TV reported that Anjuman-e-Islami was the supreme Islamic body in Hubballi. Post the violence unleashed by the Islamist mob, the Muslim body had decided to offer legal support to the 154 arrested individuals. Reportedly, Anjuman-e-Islami is set to file the bail plea for the 154 Muslims who were arrested post the violence.
Violence had gripped Hubballi on the 16th of April after an Islamist mob had laid siege at the Old Hubli police station. The violence that was unleashed was after the Muslim mob thought the police were not acting against a Hindu man who had allegedly sent an “objectionable post” over WhatsApp, that offended the Islamic sensibilities and religious feelings.
At that time, a mob had gathered outside the Old Hubli Police station demanding action against a person who put an ‘objectionable social media post’. A case was earlier registered against that person and he was subsequently arrested. But the mob still gathered at the police station, they turned violent and started pelting stones at the police station and police vehicles. After this, reportedly the mob also pelted stones at a nearby Hanuman temple and a hospital.
Police Commissioner Labhu Ram informed that four policemen including one inspector were injured during the violence. Section 144 was also imposed in the area. Interestingly, the police were also investigating the role of Raza Academy in the violence that had ensued in Hubballi.
Later, the police had arrested the youth Abhishek Hiremath for sharing the “objectionable” post over WhatsApp.
Anjuman-E-Islami, which is now fighting for the Muslim mob arrested for the violence, had only days ago offered “puja” at the Hanumantha temple in a show of “solidarity” and “brotherhood”.
In Dharwad, Karnataka, offered a special pooja at the Sri Nuggikeri Hanumantha temple where a Muslim vendor’s cart was allegedly vandalised.
After a show of brotherhood, it is interesting that the Islamic organisation would now be helping a mob that had indulged in rampant violence against a Hindu youth merely for sharing a social media post.
Hours after the Punjab police blamed members of the anti-Khalistan march for the Patiala violence instead of the pro-Khalistani mob, they arrested Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray) leader Harish Singla in connection with the case.
As per reports, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had chaired a high-level meeting and directed the arrest of those involved in the violence. He reportedly asked the Police department to not spare the perpetrators of the violence.
He had also sought constant updates about the matter from the Director-General of Police VK Bhawra. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader had claimed that maintaining the law and order situation was of primary concern and none would be allowed to take law into their own hands.
Shiv Sena leader Harish Singla was arrested, in connection with the clash that broke out in Patiala today. pic.twitter.com/6UO9fcPK5D
The violence occurred during Shiv Sena Bal Thackeray’s ‘Khalistan Murdabad‘ march when Khalistan supporters attacked the march with stones and swords. The clashes allegedly erupted as Khalistan supporters chanted shouts in favour of Khalistan while hitting participants in the ‘Khalistan Murdabad’ march.
The armed Sikh mob which was a part of the pro-Khalistan rally organised in opposition to the ‘Khalistan Murdabad’ march attacked the Kali Mata Temple after Hindus had taken shelter inside the temple premises.
A video had also gone viral on social media, wherein the Khalistani supporters could be seen performing Bhangra as the Police officers fired in the air to control the crowd.
While any state police should be focussing on controlling separatist and terrorist elements like the Khalistani mobs, the cops are busy blaming those taking out the march instead of condemning the secessionists.
AAP leader Raghav Chadha, meanwhile, tried to water down the seriousness of the incident by blaming it on ‘political parties’. Interestingly. Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray) had expelled party leader Harish Singla for taking out an ‘anti-Khalistan’ march.
A video of AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi crying at a public rally has become viral on the internet. In this video, the controversial Lok Sabha MP from Hyderabad was seen crying during the speech as he mentioned the recent violence that erupted in Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone and Delhi’s Jahangipuri. Asaduddin Owaisi was addressing a group of Muslims after offering Alvida namaz in Hyderabad’s Mecca Masjid.
In his speech, Owaisi claimed that Muslims were wronged in Khargone and Jahangirpuri, as their houses were allegedly demolished. He asked them not to lose hope and courage.
“People are calling and telling me about atrocities being done to them, their villages and shops are being demolished. One should not lose hope, there’s no need to worry. We’ll face it with patience but will never raze a home,” Owaisi said in his address.
#WATCH | AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi breaks down while addressing a gathering on the last Friday of Ramzan at Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad pic.twitter.com/GCTjQeU38R
“Muslims will not leave the ground because they are not afraid of death,” Owaisi added.
Owaisi also resorted to fear-mongering as he claimed that there have been attempts to erase the existence of his community. However, he added that all God-fearing Muslims would wait, fight back and not leave the battlefield.
“Listen, Modi and Amit Shah. We will not bow before you. We are those who bow before Allah. Allah is enough for us,” Owaisi said as he broke down during his namaz speech.
On the occasion of Ram Navami, one of the most celebrated Hindu festivals, violence broke out in Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone on April 20 2022. Islamists had attacked the Shobha Yatra processions. Several Hindu devotees had come under attack by an Islamist mob while the Ram Navami procession passed through a lane adjacent to a mosque in Khargone in Madhya Pradesh.
Similarly, on April 16, 2002, another Muslim mob pelted stones and attacked Hindu devotees at the Hanuman Jayanti procession in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri. Similar incidents of attacks were also assaulted in Gujarat’s Himmatnagar. Similar cases of attacks on Hindu processions have been reported from Jharkhand’s Lohardaga, MP’s Khargone, and Karnataka’s Mulbagal.
Former World Number 1 and 6-times Grand Slam singles champion Boris Becker has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison for hiding his assets while he was declared bankrupt. A London court found the 54 years old German guilty on 4 charges under the insolvency act.
Becker was convicted earlier this month, and while handing out the sentence, the judge Deborah Taylor said that the German tennis great had shown no remorse or acceptance of guilt. The case centered around Becker’s bankruptcy in 2017 over an unpaid loan of over 3 Million Pounds on his luxury estate in Mallorca, Spain.
While declaring bankruptcy, Becker was legally obliged to disclose all of his assets so that his trustee could distribute available funds to his creditors, to whom he owed nearly £50m when he was declared bankrupt. However, Becker transferred huge sums of money (over 350,000 Pounds) from his account after declaring bankruptcy. He also failed to declare a property in Germany and concealed over 825,000 euros of debt and shares in a tech firm.
After about two weeks of hearing, jurors found Becker guilty of removal of the property, failing to disclose estate, and concealing debt.
Becker’s lawyer Jonathan Laidlaw tried to argue that the trial has already destroyed his reputation and has left no prospect of future income, however, the jury was unmoved. He said, “Boris Becker has literally nothing and there is also nothing to show for what was the most glittering of sporting careers and that is correctly termed as nothing short of a tragedy. These proceedings have destroyed his career entirely and ruined any further prospect of earning an income.”
Judge Deborah Taylor said that Becker has shown no remorse or taken responsibility for his actions. Referring to Becker’s previous conviction for tax evasion in Germany in 2002, she said, “You did not heed the warning you were given and the chance you were given by the suspended sentence and that is a significant aggravating factor. You have sought to distance yourself from your offending and your bankruptcy.”
Boris Becker: Fall from grace
Boris Becker was once the best tennis player in the world. He shocked everyone as a 17 years old when he turned up and won Wimbledon, the most prestigious tennis tournament in the world. Becker went on to win 5 more Grand Slams, two more Wimbledons, one US Open, and two Australian Opens. Along with Ivan Lendl and Steffan Edberg, Becker was the cream of Men’s tennis during the late 80s.
However, those glory days are a faint memory now as Becker’s financial troubles, which have been mounting over the recent years, have finally sent him on the way to jail.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today met and addressed a Sikh delegation at his residence. Speaking to the delegation, PM Modi praised the contribution of the Sikh community saying, “India and India’s history both are incomplete without Sikhs.”
PM Modi has been meeting people of the Sikh community continuously for some time now. Recently, he addressed a gathering on the 400th Prakash Purab of the 9th Sikh Guru, Guru Teg Bahadur ji, from the Red Fort.
PM Modi said, “Going to gurudwaras, giving time in service, getting langar, staying at the homes of Sikh families, these have been a part of my life. Here, even in the Prime Minister’s House, the Sikh saints visit me from time to time. I have been blesssed by their company.”
गुरुद्वारों में जाना, सेवा में समय देना, लंगर पाना, सिख परिवारों के घरों पर रहना, ये मेरे जीवन का हिस्सा रहा है।
यहाँ प्रधानमंत्री आवास में भी समय समय पर सिख संतों के चरण पड़ते रहते हैं। उनकी संगत का सौभाग्य मुझे मिलता रहता है: PM @narendramodi
Underlining the teachings of the Gurus, PM Modi said, “Our gurus have taught us courage and service. The people of India went to different parts of the world without any resources and achieved success through their labor. This is also the spirit of new India today.”
हमारे गुरुओं ने हमें साहस और सेवा की सीख दी है।
दुनिया के अलग अलग हिस्सों में बिना किसी संसाधन के हमारे भारत के लोग गए, और अपने श्रम से सफलता के मुकाम हासिल किए।
PM Modi did not forget to mention the success story of India’s COVID-19 vaccination drive during this event. He said, “Earlier it was being said that with such a large population of India, from where will India get the vaccine, how will the lives of the people be saved? But today India has emerged as the largest vaccine manufacturer.”
पहले कहा जा रहा था कि भारत की इतनी बड़ी आबादी, भारत को कहाँ से वैक्सीन मिलेगी, कैसे लोगों का जीवन बचेगा?
लेकिन आज भारत वैक्सीन का सबसे बड़ा सुरक्षा कवच तैयार करने वाला देश बनकर उभरा है: PM @narendramodi
Describing how India fought the pandemic and came up as an ideal example in front of the world, he said, “New India is touching new heights, leaving its mark on the whole world. This period of the corona epidemic is the biggest example of this. At the beginning of the pandemic, old-fashioned people were expressing concerns about India but now people are giving the example of India.”
नया भारत नए आयामों को छू रहा है, पूरी दुनिया पर अपनी छाप छोड़ रहा है।
कोरोना महामारी का ये कालखंड इसका सबसे बड़ा उदाहरण है।
महामारी की शुरुआत में पुरानी सोच वाले लोग भारत को लेकर चिंताएं जाहिर कर रहे थे।
लेकिन, अब लोग भारत का उदाहरण दे रहे हैं: PM @narendramodi
Praising the start-ups in India, PM Modi said, “It is during this period that we have emerged as one of the largest startup ecosystems in the world. The number of our unicorns is constantly increasing. This growing stature of India, this growing credibility, if someone makes us proud the most, then it is our diaspora.”
इसी कालखंड में हम दुनिया के सबसे बड़े स्टार्टअप ecosystems में से एक बनकर उभरे हैं। हमारे unicorns की संख्या लगातार बढ़ रही है।
भारत का ये बढ़ता हुआ कद, ये बढ़ती हुई साख, इससे सबसे ज्यादा किसी का सिर ऊंचा होता है तो वो हमारा diaspora है: PM @narendramodi
Remembering Guru Nanak Dev Ji, PM Modi said, “Guru Nanak Dev Ji had awakened the consciousness of the entire nation, brought the entire nation out of darkness, and showed the way to light. Our gurus traveled from east to west, north to south all over India. Everywhere there are their signs, their inspirations, there is faith for them. Our gurus inspired the people and sanctified this land with their feet. Therefore, the Sikh tradition is truly the vibrant tradition of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat.”
हमारे गुरुओं ने लोगों को प्रेरणा दी, अपनी चरण रज से इस भूमि को पवित्र किया।
इसलिए, सिख परंपरा वास्तव में ‘एक भारत, श्रेष्ठ भारत’ की जीवंत परंपरा है: PM @narendramodi
On Thursday (April 28), the leftist media portal ‘NewsClick‘ courted controversy after it tried to stir emotional appeal for Rohingya Muslim immigrants, who are illegally staying in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir in India.
NewsClick, which had received funding from US-based companies and entities associated with the Communist Party of China, posted a 5 minute 53 second long video about Rohingya Muslims on its Youtube channel.
The video began with the story of a man named Rabiul Alam, who illegally immigrated to India in 2010 from the Rakhine State of Myanmar. NewsClick alleged that Alam, a Rohingya refugee, was forced to sell his belongings due to harassment and intimidation from law enforcement authorities in the Jammu region.
“We will go where destiny takes us. We may go back to our country and die there,” an emotional Alam told the propaganda news outlet. NewsClick pointed out that around 10,000 Rohingya Muslims have been illegally living in Jammu. It claimed that about 150 Rohingya Muslims were detained in ‘verification drives’ in the past 2 years.
The news outlet claimed that the wife of an illegal Rohingya immigrant Johar Ali was detained in March 2021. She was allegedly separated from her 3 children and deported to Myanmar in March 2022.
NewsClick then claimed that the Jammu police had detained another illegal Rohingya immigrant, which forced his wife Hazra Khatun to raise a total of 7 children on her own. “We only had one earning hand, my husband and they detained him”, the woman was heard as saying.
One of the illegal Rohingya went on to claim that he and his family are facing more persecution in India than in Myanmar. To create hysteria about a ‘migrant crisis’, the leftist media outlet alleged, “There is uncertainty and fear of detention and deportation among the refugees. Because of that, most refugees remain confined to their camps. Some spend their days in the forests, hiding from authorities.”
News Click propaganda fails to make a mark
Far from achieving its desired objectives, NewsClick ended up exposing the security threat of illegal Rohingyas living in the country. The news outlet revealed that as many as 10,000 of them are staying in the Jammu region of India. It also showed how many of the illegal immigrants are hiding in forests and leaving for unknown destinations within India, thereby making them untraceable to the Indian government.
Opindia had earlier reported how in 2012, the erstwhile UPA government had turned a blind eye to the illegal immigration of Rohingya Muslims, due to domestic political pressure and international concern over human rights. As a result of this inflow, their numbers are pegged at about 40,000, which is excluding the 14,000 odd Rohingyas who are registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Their involvement in the recent Janhagipuri violence is also being probed. In November 2019, even the Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina conceded that Rohingyas were a threat to the security of the entire region. She had therefore appealed to the international community to help resolve the issue.
Hasina had said, “In terms of regional security, I would like to say that more than 1.1 million Rohingya citizens of Myanmar fled to Bangladesh in the face of persecution and they are a threat to the security of not only Bangladesh but also the entire region.”
NewsClick also tried to portray the law enforcement authorities in Jammu as ‘villains’ for weeding out illegal immigrants from the Rakhine region of Myanmar. It is a common practice around the world to detain illegal immigrants and deport them with the consent of the host nation.
In April 2021, even the apex court of India refused to grant relief to illegal Rohingya immigrants who were detained in Jammu. Even the Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta had also submitted that deportations in India are done in accordance with the procedure established by law, and therefore it cannot violate Article 21 of the Constitution.
News Click received foreign funding, ED revealed
On February 9 last year, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided the home of News Click founder and Editor-in-Chief Prabir Purkayastha. According to the sources in ED, NewsClick had received ₹10 crores under Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from an American company.
Interestingly, Purkayastha had no idea why the American company had transferred the money to his company’s account. He could not give any proof of work that he had done for the particular company.
Further investigation revealed that another US-based company gave NewsClick ₹20 crores and marked it as ‘Export Remittance’. The money was transferred because NewsClick had uploaded content on a portal named People’s Dispatch.
Sources revealed that Purkayastha also took ₹1.5 crore rupees in the name of maintenance. Interestingly, he had hired a ninth-class pass electrician for maintenance at his office. The money he took was without any documentation, which made it impossible for him to explain the transaction to ED.
In July 2021, the ED informed that the investigation into the money laundering case against ‘NewsClick’ had revealed that the promoters of the media outlet received nearly ₹38 crores from entities, which might be associated with the Communist Party of China.
An officer probing the money laundering case revealed that NewsClick had financial dealings with a Sri Lankan-Cuban based businessman named Neville Roy Singham, who allegedly funnelled Rs 38 crore to PPK Newsclick Studio Pvt Ltd between 2018 and 2021 from abroad.
The officials, who had traced the money flow of the media outlet, said that Singham is associated with the propaganda arm of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
On April 16, 2022, an Islamist mob stormed a Hanuman Jayanti procession in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri area. Hindu organisations accused illegal Bangladeshis and scrap workers in the Jahangirpuri area of being involved in the rioting, which included stone-pelting from a mosque in the C Block. Following this occurrence, the MCD launched an anti-encroachment campaign against unlawful construction in the area. However, the Supreme Court stopped the MCD’s operation shortly after it was initiated. The OpIndia team visited the locality on April 28, 2022 (Thursday) to analyse the present status in the area.
One-third scrap left in the area
A lot of junk and encroachment has been cleared, but one-third of the scrap is still lying around in the open in Jahangirpuri. In addition, the region is littered with debris and scrap that has been strewn here and there.
The garbage in the C Block area.
Scrap now shifted to G Block
According to information obtained from locals, the scrap has been taken from the C block and relocated to the G block of Jahangirpuri. The OpIndia team discovered a large amount of scrap lying on government land in the open in front of the Dhobighat area in the G block. In the G block, trucks and other small vehicles were constantly moving. This location is approximately one kilometre away from the scene of the violence.
The Dhobi Ghat area.
Police and Paramilitary forces camping in the locality
After roughly 12 days, the situation had returned to normalcy to a large extent. Even after this, the police and paramilitary are still camped out in the area. There are barriers all along the route where the violence erupted in C Block. Police are also stationed near the Jamia Masjid. A sizable number of women were also visible in the security forces. The C block and nearby regions have been partitioned into sectors by the police. Locals are only permitted to move within the barriers. Extra strictness is being observed during the night.
The barricade outside the main street to C Block.
Debris still lying in front of Masjid and bulldozed structures
The debris, which was left after the MCD initiated an anti-encroachment campaign approximately a week ago, was still visible on the side of the road. The destroyed wall in front of Jamia Masjid is still there. The exterior of the lawyer’s office, which is close to the mosque, was also observed laying in a damaged state, where the scrap bikes were stored before the incident. These are all the places shown during political tours by different parties.
The demolished entrance of the Masjid.
With this, more than half of the stores selling veggies, milk, and other necessities were found to be open. The majority of the establishments on the street in C block, where the violence occurred, remained closed. The rest of the shops that had been bulldozed under the guise of encroachment were found to be shuttered. There was some market activity between 6 PM and 9 PM. Following that, the markets were closed.
Slums on an empty ground in front of the Masjid
The slum opposite the Masjid.
Just across the street from the mosque, there is a patch of unused land. Even before the riots, there were slums in the area, which are still in the same state. It is stated that the majority of persons living in the slums in Jahangirpuri are scrap workers. Despite the anti-encroachment effort, those slums on C block’s unoccupied land remain in the same condition.
Earlier today, clashes erupted in Punjab’s Patiala after Khalistani supporters attacked a protest march called ‘Khalistan Murdabad’ in opposition to an announcement made by SFJ chief, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who had given a call to observe ‘Khalistan Sthapna Diwas’ to his followers.
As tensions gripped the city, political party Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray) found itself in the eye of a raging storm as the Khalistan supporters ran amok, hurling stones, brandishing swords at the ‘Khalistan Murdabad’ rally, and allegedly desecrating the Ma Kali Temple in Patiala.
Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray) is the Punjab unit of Shiv Sena, a regional party from Maharashtra. Harish Singla, who claims to be the working president of Sena’s Punjab unit, on Friday said the party had launched an anti-Khalistan march that came under attack from pro-Khalistan sympathisers and supporters.
‘Khalistan Murdabad’ march was carried out by Harish Singla in his personal capacity, the party has no role in it: Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray) state chief Yograj Sharma
However, Yograj Sharma, the state chief of the Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray), stated that his party was not behind the ‘Khalistan Murdabad’ march and asserted that it was carried out by Harish Singla in his personal capacity. He further added that Singla has been expelled for “anti-party activities” after orders from party chief Uddhav Thackeray, youth wing chief Aditya Thackeray and national secretary Anil Desai.
OpIndia spoke to Mr Yograj Sharma, who reiterated his stand that his party had nothing to do with the anti-Khalistan march organised in Patiala earlier today. He said the march which saw violence was organised by Singla in his personal capacity and not by the party. He also said that police were already informed in advance that the party had nothing to do with the call given by Harish Singla and that it was Singla’s personal programme and not a party programme.
“We had already informed the police that we have got nothing to do with the march and if god forbid, any untoward incident takes place, our party won’t be responsible for it. About 10 days ago, I had written to the police to inform them about our party stand,” Sharma told OpIndia.
Shiv Sena Bal Thakeray had expelled Harish Singla, in the centre of storm today in Patiala, a day after he had announced program for today. Patiala Police was also informed about this decision.
“However, the police did not do anything to stop the anti-Khalistan march. I went to meet higher officials in Chandigarh three days ago, asking them to not allow the march to take place, but they did not take any action,” Sharma further added.
Talking about Singla’s expulsion from the party, Sharma said, “We got orders from the party high command to expel Harish Singla for indulging in anti-party activities.”
The call for the anti-Khalistan march was announced 15 days ago: Harish Singla
But Singla says Sharma has no right to “expel” him. “As chief of the Sena in Punjab, he can only induct new members but cannot expel a senior leader like me,” Singla was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.
For his part, Singla asserts that the call for the anti-Khalistan march was announced 15 days ago after Gurpatwant Singh Pannu of SFJ had urged his followers to observe “Khalistan Sthapna Diwas at district police offices in Haryana.”
“We had organised a ‘Khalistan Murdabad’ march to mark our protest against a minuscule section of people who are still harbouring secessionist ideology and support the idea of Khalistan. This march was against proponents of Khalistan who have caused grave pain to the people of Punjab, who were victims of Khalistani terrorism and had lost their loved ones to it. Our protest was against Khalistan and we will never allow Punjab to become Khalistan,” Sangla said while speaking to OpIndia.
According to political observers, factionalism is the distinctive feature of Shiv Sena’s presence in Punjab, where leaders with sufficient political heft form their own coteries to advance their personal agendas. Reports claim that there are several factions of Shiv Sena currently active in Punjab, namely, Shiv Sena (Kesri), Shiv Sena (Bhagwa), Shiv Sena (Taksali), Shiv Sena Punjab, Rashtravadi Shiv Sena, Shiv Sena (Amritsar), Shiv Sena (Inquilab), Shiv Sena (Hind) and the Shiv Sena (Hindustan).
National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI), on Friday 29th April 2022, approved Serum Institute’s anti-COVID-19 vaccine, Covovax, for children in the age group of 12 to 17 years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently stressed the need to vaccinate all eligible children at the earliest through special campaigns in schools, calling it a priority for the government.
Times Now reported that the Covovax vaccination course consists of two separate doses of 0.5 ml each. After receiving one dose of the vaccine, the second dose should be administered after 3 weeks. Protection against COVID-19 starts approximately 7 days after the second dose of Covovax ao individuals will be fully protected after 7 days of the second dose. The Covovax vaccine will be given as an intramuscular (IM) injection only, preferably in the deltoid muscle.
On 17th December 2021, the World Health Organisation(WHO) approved the emergency use of Serum Institute of India’s Covovax, a vaccine developed by the Serum Institute of India (SII) in partnership with the US-based Novavax, for showing excellent safety and efficacy. With this approval, Covovax became the 9th Covid-19 vaccine to be permitted for emergency use, providing a boost to ongoing efforts to vaccinate people in lower-income countries.
Covovax is a subunit of the vaccine developed by Novavax and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). It is stable at 2 to 8 °C refrigerated temperatures. The vaccine uses a novel platform and is produced by creating an engineered baculovirus containing a gene for a modified SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.
In an interview with news agency ANI earlier this month, Serum Institute of India (SII) CEO Adar Poonawala said that the Covovax will be used for children. He said, “It has been approved by DCGI and we’re waiting for the Government of India to allow us to put it on the CoWIN app to make it available for everyone.”
When asked about the mix-and-match trials of COVID vaccines where Covovax can be used as a booster, Poonawalla said, “We will do that trial. Covovax, in about two or three months, can also be made available as a booster. But at the moment, it is approved for children of the age of 12 and above.” It should be noted that Covovax is the first Covid vaccine made in India and sold in Europe.
Within a month, Maharashtra has witnessed the third incident of recovering arms in heavy numbers. This time, Maharashtra police caught as many as 25 sharpened swords from an autorickshaw in the Gokul Nagar area of Nanded on 29th April 2022. It has been learnt these swords were brought from Amritsar in Punjab for selling in Nanded. The discovery of such a huge quantity of swords has created a stir in Nanded.
The police searched the rickshaw as they suspected while it was passing by the railway station. As many as 25 swords were found in the search. Police detained two persons in connection with the case. A case has been registered at the Shivaji Nagar police station in Nanded. Amidst increasing crimes, guns and deadly weapons are being found in the search operation of the police, but this is the first time that such a huge cache of swords is found.
It is notable that in a similar case that took place earlier this month in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area of Pune, 92 swords were recovered and all of the weapons were brought to Maharashtra from Amritsar. Similarly, 37 swords were recovered in Aurangabad on 30th March 2022, from the office of a courier company in a parcel sent to Akash Patil of Ahmednagar in Maharashtra by someone named Maninder who lives in Punjab.
Therefore, the Maharashtra police are also looking for this ‘supply from Punjab’ angle which is common in the recent sword recoveries. The police are trying to get to its roots. Why are swords coming to the state in such large numbers? Or is it an attempt to incite major violence? These questions have become a major worry for the Maharashtra police. The challenge now is also before the police to stop this as swords are being caught every other day.
Swords caught in Dhule
This is the third time in the month that the Maharashtra police have recovered a huge cache of weapons. Earlier, 90 swords and daggers were recovered from a Scorpio car while it was passing by the Songir village in the Dhule district on 27th April 2022. These swords were brought from Rajasthan and they were being shipped to the Jalna district of Maharashtra. The Dhule police arrested four accused Mohammed Sharif Mohammad Shafiq (age 35), Sheikh Ilyas Sheikh Latif (age 32), Syed Nai Syed Rahim (age 29), and Kapil Dabhade (age 35) in the case. All four are residents of the Jalna district.
Swords caught in Pune
In the Pimpri-Chinchwad of Pune city in Maharashtra, the police had recovered weapons from the godown of a private courier company in the Dighi area on 5th April 2022. The weapons were kept in two wooden boxes. 92 swords, 2 daggers, and 9 knives were recovered. The boxes were allegedly sent by Umesh Sood, a resident of Amritsar, to Anil Hoon, a resident of Aurangabad. The police had registered a case against the duo under the IPC and the Arms Act.
The matter came to light when the courier company employees scanned the parcels through electronic machines on April 1 and found out that swords were being sent via courier. The employees informed the police about the matter. A team of police officials then reached the spot and recovered 92 swords, 2 daggers, and 9 scabbards. The price of all the weapons seized has been estimated at Rs 3.7 lakhs.
The Pimpri Chinchwad Police commissioner informed that the consignment was supposed to be sent to Aurangabad in Maharashtra. The Police had asked the courier companies to scan the parcels carefully after a similar incident had occurred on 30th March 2022.
Weapons caught in Aurangabad in March 2022
The Aurangabad Police on March 30 had confiscated 37 swords and a dagger from the office of a leading courier company. The Police had then begun the investigation in the case to know that the box filled with swords was sent from Maninder, a resident of Punjab to Akash Patil of Ahmednagar. The Police had also booked them under the relevant sections of the IPC and the Arms Act.
It is worth mentioning that amidst the ongoing controversy over azaan and Hanuman Chalisa over loudspeakers in Maharashtra, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray is soon scheduled to hold a public meeting in Aurangabad of Maharashtra. Aurangabad is situated at a distance of 42KM from the Jalna city where the arms caught in the Dhule district were being shipped.
