The Uttar Pradesh police have put out a unique and entertaining video message in order to spread awareness against spitting in public. On January 20, the UP police posted on Twitter a scene from the iconic 1975 movie ‘Sholay‘ with a caption “Gabbar ko mili kis baat ki saza? (Why was Gabbar punished?)” to discourage people from spitting in public.
In the video shared by the UP police, the notorious villain Gabbar Singh (portrayed by late actor Amjad Khan) is seen spitting in the open. Soon after the iconic ‘Thakur’ (a cop portrayed by late actor Sanjeev Kumar) comes chases Gabbar on a horse. Thakur manages to catch Gabbar after he spits in the open. He holds Gabbar by the neck and the video ends with a message appearing on the screen saying that spitting in public places can increase the risk of spread of Covis-19 and that it is a punishable offence.
It is notable here that police forces in different states have been finding unique ways to promote awareness among the public on issues ranging from traffic rules, masks, social distancing and covid restrictions. Last year, police officials in Chennai were seen wearing ‘coronavirus helmets’ to educate people about social distancing and lockdown rules.
Restaurants and meat shops in South Delhi will now have to compulsorily display whether it is selling Halal or Jhatka meat after the municipal corporation passed the proposal it had been mulling since December last year.
Delhi | South Delhi Municipal Corporation has passed a proposal regarding mandatory writing of ‘Halal meat’ or ‘Jhatka meat’ for the meat being served and sold by restaurants and meat shops
“There are thousands of restaurants in 104 wards of four zones falling under South Delhi Municipal Corporation. Out of these, meat is served in about 90 per cent of restaurants but it is not mentioned whether the meat being served by the restaurants is ‘halal’ or ‘jhatka’,” said the resolution passed by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation.
It further read that, “according to Hinduism and Sikhism, eating ‘halal’ meat is forbidden and against religion. Therefore, the committee resolves that this direction be given to restaurants and meat shops that it should be written mandatorily about the meat being sold and served by them that ‘halal’ or ‘jhatka’ meat is available here.”
Legal action against eateries and retailers who violate the guidelines
Narendra Chawla, a member of the municipal corporation, stated that officials have been ordered to take action against the eateries or retailers who flout the guidelines stated in the notice. “Everyone has the right to know what he is eating. Also in Hindu and Sikh religion, there are some prescribed rules or conventions about diet,” read the notice.
SDMC drafts the proposal in December 2020
It is pertinent to note that the South Delhi municipal body was mulling on the proposal since last year. On December 25 we reported that SDMC drafted a proposal which stated that since consuming Halal meat is forbidden for Hindus and Sikhs, it should be their prerogative to know which meat they are being served so that they could make an informed choice.
The resolution which was moved by the Chhattarpur councillor Anita Tanwar was tabled by the medical reduction and public well-being panel on November 9, 2020. Tanwar had cleared then that the intent behind the move was not to stop anyone from eating one form of meat but to respect the religious sentiments of the people.
Moreover, the Standing committee chairperson, Rajdutt Gahlot had said that the target is to let the buyer know in regards to the sort of meat being served, in order that they’ll make a knowledgeable selection.
Recently, it was reported that a restaurateur in Kerala had opened an exclusive non-halal restaurant in Kerala’s Ernakulam district and placed a banner outside her eatery which reads “No Halal, Halal Bakshanam Nishidham” (Halal food is banned here).
Govt of India removes the word ‘Halal’ from its Red Meat Manual
In the beginning of the year, the central government had removed the word ‘Halal’ from its Red Meat Manual issued by Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).
Essentially, the changes in the manual were to ensure that the wording is not misconstrued to mean that the government of India mandates the Halal method in any way, which demands the hegemony of Muslims.
On Wednesday, 20 January, as Joe Biden took oath as the 46th President of the United States, media organisations worldwide had started a frenzy of special coverage, videos and information highlighting how the new US President is going to be different than the previous one.
Reuters, owned by the UK-based Thomson Reuters group, shared a video on the former US Presidents and their ‘dogs’. Reuters put out a video hailing Joe Biden’s dog ‘Major’, a German Shepherd, as the first rescue dog to be welcomed into the White House. Not just Biden’s dog, Reuters went on to point out that former Presidents too had pets in the White House during their presidency.
In the video, Reuters narrated how Obama had brought two dogs – ‘Sunny’ and ‘Bo’ into the White House, following George Bush’s tradition, who too had two dogs – Beazley and Barney.
“The Clintons’ Chocolate Labrador Retriever – ‘Buddy’, joined cat Socks at the White House; while George H.W. Bush and family had several dogs in the White House, including Millie, the star of a children’s book written by Bush’s wife Barbara,” said the Reuters report as they shared images of ‘First dogs’ next to the respective Presidents.
Reuters takes a cheap potshot at two Asian Prime Ministers
Continuing to shower praise on various former Presidents and current President Joe Biden for carrying out the traditions of bringing dogs to the White House, Reuters said how the outgoing President Donald Trump was the first president since Andrew Johnson in the 1860s not to share the presidential digs with a dog or a cat – or even a raccoon, ‘like the one kept by Calvin Coolidge in the 1920s’.
However, when depicting Trump’s apparent lack of interest in pets, the Reuters video added the clips of two Asian nation heads, Indian PM Narendra Modi and former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe meeting President Trump. From thousands of clips of former President Trump, Reuters chose the one with PM Modi and ex Japanese PM Shinzo Abe while talking about ‘pets’. Interestingly, both these world leaders were awarded ‘Legion of Merit’ – one of the highest military awards of the United States Armed Forces.
There are literally thousands of video clips of ex-President Trump, but Reuters chose to use the one with two Asian leaders on its video on White House pets and dogs.
Here is a video of Trump with Conan, the dog injured in Baghdadi raid. This clip could also have been used to talk about pets in White House.
Joe Biden takes oath as 46th President of the United States
On Wednesday, Joseph Robinette Biden took oath as the 46th President of the United States. “This is America’s day. This is Democracy’s day. The day of history and hope,” Biden said in his inaugural address after taking the oath.
“Today, we celebrate the triumph not of a candidate, but of a cause — the cause of Democracy. The will of the people has been heard and the will of the people has been heeded,” Biden said.
Joe Biden was administered the oath by Chief Justice John Roberts. Just prior to that, Kamala Devi Harris, the first woman, African-American and Indian-American to hold the vice-presidency, was sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor – the first Latina in the US top court.
On January 21, RJD MLA Sudhakar Singh and his followers were sent back to Bihar by Uttar Pradesh police when they refused to follow instructions. The incident took place in Kaimur, where RJD's Sudhakar Singh tried to march through the UP border with hundreds of farmers who reportedly came from Odisha to join protests.
UP Police stopped him saying that Section 144 is in force in UP and protests are prohibited. They asked him to use vehicles instead. However, Singh was adamant that he would only march on foot. The UP Police ordered them to move back into Bihar, barring them from entering UP.
As per the reports, UP police repeatedly urged them to go to their destinations in Delhi on vehicles as there was Section 144 imposed in the region. RJD workers blocked the road and started raising slogans against UP police and administration. UP Police did not pay heed to the slogans and pushed the group back into Bihar.
Odisha farmers were allowed to move in vehicles
ASP Prem Chand of Chandauli district in UP said that Section 144 was imposed in UP and there were restrictions on protest marches and gatherings. The farmers who wanted to go to Delhi on vehicles were allowed to go. He further added that there were some RJD workers, including MLA Singh, who were sent back to Bihar.
RJD blamed UP and the central government for the alleged mistreatment
MLA Sudhakar Singh blamed the UP government and Center for alleged mistreatment by UP police. He alleged that the government claims that the farmers from Bihar are not protesting in Delhi. However, the UP government is stopping the farmers of Bihar from reaching Delhi. “Thousands of farmers entered UP with me but we were stopped by the police.” He also alleged that the UP police used abusive language towards him.
Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut on Thursday in a series of tweets alleged that Sushant Singh Rajput was murdered and put up a chronology that led to his death.
I have said enough about this but still it isn’t enough. Chronology of Sushant murder. 1) Fall out with Aaditya Chopra because self made Sushant refused to be bound by their evil capitalists contracts.Chopra promised to destroy him. 2) KJO and Chopra bound by Nepotism love (cont)
Ranaut alleged that Sushant fell out with Yash Raj Film’s Aditya Chopra as self-made Sushant refused to be bound by contracts. Following the same, Chopra promised to ‘destroy him’, she alleged. After this, Chopra and Karan Johar, who have been accused of propagating nepotism in Bollywood, decided to ‘take matters in their hands’, Kangana tweeted.
Decided to take the matter in his hands, after blockbuster Dhoni KJO promised SSR a franchise but instead dumped him. SSR said he was heartbroken about it. 3) Mafia PR started to circulate obnoxious maligning campaign against him calling him a rapist and drug addict. (Cont)
She said that Karan Johar promised Sushant Singh Rajput a franchise but ‘dumped him’. Sushant was heartbroken about it. She then alleges that the ‘mafia PR’ started to circulate a malicious campaign around him calling him a ‘rapist’ and ‘drug addict’. Sushant Singh Rajput was accused of sexual harassment by his co-star Sanjana, which he denied.
Following his death, there were allegations that he was also a drug addict. His girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty was also under scanner by the Narcotics Control Bureau over alleged drug abuse in Bollywood. Several actors came under the scanner over the allegations of drug abuse.
4) Just then Mahesh Bhatt entred his life and started to psyche him that he is bound to go Parveen Babi way because he was depressed, Bhatt saab if all depressed people go Babi way then your daughter Shaheen should also go that way she is official brand ambassador of depression.
Firing a salvo on filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, Kangana said that he entered his life and started to ‘psyche him’ that he is bound to go Parveen Babi way because he was depressed. Babi was a former lover of Bhatt, who was rumoured to have been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. Kangana then said that if all depressed people go the Parveen Babi way, then his daughter Shaheen should also go that way as ‘she is official brand ambassador of depression’.
Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead on 14th June 2020 at his Mumbai residence. Initial reports suggested he died of suicide. However, his family alleged foul play. A CBI inquiry is initiated to investigate his death. On January 21, the actor would have turned 35.
On January 20, when the power was shifting hands in the U.S. from Trump to Biden, the official Twitter account of the U.S. ambassador to Israel was changed briefly to U.S. Ambassador to Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. It was reverted to U.S. ambassador to Israel quickly but screenshots were already taken, raising speculations over the potential change in the foreign policy.
Several sections of policymakers and media condemned the step.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel account was briefly changed (Images: Twitter user ask0704/Recent screenshot of Twitter account)
Controversial move on day one – Michael McCaul
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said that it was troubling to see that the administration opted to go ahead with the controversial move on ‘Day 1’ that too without consulting with the Congress.
Some have raised concerns that the change may reflect how the Biden administration is planning to deal with Israel, its settlements in the West Bank and the territories under Palestinian control (Gaza). McCaul further added, “It also seems to fly in the face of comments made by Antony Blinken yesterday. I strongly urge the president to clarify this provocative move quickly.”
LR @RepMcCaul: “I’m glad to see this situation has been addressed and am hopeful it was not a signal of the direction this administration plans to take towards its Israel policy.”
In a follow-up, he said that the situation was swiftly addressed, and it “was not a signal of the direction this administration plans to take towards its Israel policy.”
Republican Senator Rick Scott of Florida, a known critic of Biden, accused the new administration of showing hostility to Israel. He said, “There is no country of West Bank or Gaza, only territories that Israel has been willing for decades to negotiate sovereignty over but has been met with only hostility and terrorism.”
The Biden Admin title change for the @USAmbIsrael shows the Democrats’ hostility to Israel. There is no country of West Bank or Gaza, only territories that Israel has been willing for decades to negotiate sovereignty over but has been met with only hostility and terrorism. https://t.co/8TIjQQrxJO
Biden’s pick for secretary of State, Antony Blinken, had said that the USA would not change its embassy from Jerusalem. The sudden inclusion of West Bank and Gaza was noted as a contradiction to what Blinken had said. NPR’s Daniel Estrin reported the whole series of events and said that a spokesperson from the U.S. Embassy in Israel said it was an inadvertent edit and it does “not reflective of a policy change.”
Tweet thread by Daniel Estrin of NPR (Image: Twitter)
Change of power
At 11:51 AM, David Friedman, President Trump’s ambassador to Israel, issued final goodbye to the account. It was taken over by the office of Jonathan Shrier, at the U.S. Embassy in Israel. The whole controversy erupted during that period. The account was reverted within two hours of the change. The Statement Department did not provide any official statement on the account change.
It has to be noted that Biden has stated that he intended to restore relations with the Palestinian Authority. The name change has angered the Palestinians as well. Salem Barahmeh, Executive Director, Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy, questioned if the U.S. administration has ‘reduced’ them to the West Bank and Gaza.
Have we been reduced to the West Bank and Gaza? Not even the courtesy of the occupied Palestinian Territories, which is in accordance with int’l law?
Shame on us if we expect any more from this administration. Shame on us for letting our national project get to this point. pic.twitter.com/7K7pYcbgDU
Trump administration had recognized Israeli establishments in West Bank as part of Israel
In 2019, the Trump administration had recognized Israeli settlements in the West Bank as part of Israel. It contradicted the U.S. policy in place that viewed the communities as in conflict with international law. At present, the U.S. does not have any diplomatic relations with the Gaza strip and has designated Hamas, which controls the area, as a terrorist organization.
The 30-stock benchmark of the Bombay Stock Exchange crossed the 50,000 mark for the first time on Thursday morning. The SENSEX soared past the 50,000 mark with global inflows and fuel surge. As it crosses past the historic 50,000 mark, it has created another history, as this is the fastest 10,000 points climb.
The official Twitter handle of the BSE India shared a info graph depicting the journey of the SENSEX. It shows the SENSEX crossing 1000 points for the first time in 1990, and the subsequent rises and falls throughout the years.
As per a Deccan Herald report, the SENSEX breaching the 50,000 mark created another record of the fastest 10,000 points climb. Earlier, the SENSEX had taken 633 days to go from 10,000 points to reach 20,000 points back in 2007. It had crossed the 40,000 mark 610 days back.
The SENSEX had taken 7507 days to go from 100 points to 10,000 and 633 days to reach 20,000. From 20,000 to 30,000 the journey had taken 2,680 days and from 30,000 to 40,000 it had taken 1,541 days.
Many economists and experts have shared celebratory messages and have congratulated the BSE for reaching this milestone.
BSE Sensex at 50k & Nifty almost 15k!!
I usually refrain from commenting on financial markets, but am making an exception here.
Whatever one thinks of valuations, this is quite a milestone given the events of the past year. pic.twitter.com/2pvxs5tlu1
The SENSEX had opened at a record high today. Yesterday, with a global rally along with the US Presidential inauguration, the index had surged 394 points and had closed at a record high of 49,792. The surge is being attributed to foreign funds buying into the Indian market.
Soon after Joe Biden took oath as the 46th President of the United States, China released a statement imposing sanctions of several former officials of Trump administration. Over 28 former Trump administration officials reportedly have been subjected to sanctions on Wednesday.
The statement was released by China minutes after Biden’s oath. Sanctions including travel ban and business restrictions have been imposed on the former officials including former secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, former national security advisor Robert O’Brien and former UN ambassador, Kelly Craft. The list of former Trump administration officials sanctioned by China include former President’s economic adviser Peter Navarro, his top diplomatic for Asia, David Stilwell, health and human services secretary, Alex Azar, former national security advisor John Bolton and former strategist Stephen Bannon.
Concerned officials and their families banned from entering China
China’s foreign ministry said in the statement, “Over the past few years, some anti-China politicians in the United States, out of their selfish political interests and prejudice and hatred against China and showing no regard for the interests of the Chinese and American people, have planned, prompted and executed a series of crazy moves which have gravely interfered in China’s internal affairs, undermined China’s interests, offended the Chinese people, and seriously disrupted China-US relations”. As a result of the sanctions, the named officials, their families and companies and institutions associated with them are prohibited from entering the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao of China.
Trump administration had called out China for committing atrocities on Uyghur Muslims
The outgoing Trump administration had reportedly said that China was committing genocide against Uyghur Muslims and other Muslims in Xinjiang. Former secretary of state Pompeo had directed the Department of State to continue to investigate and collect information regarding the Chinese atrocities against Muslims in Xinjiang. However, Antony Blinken, secretary of state in Biden’s administration had said that he agreed with Pompeo’s stand regarding China’s treatment of Muslims.
On Wednesday, Pakistan Army claimed that it successfully test-fired a nuclear-capable surface-to-surface ballistic missile – Shaheen-III, that can carry out strike targets up to 2,750 kilometres.
Soon after the launch, the Pakistan Army’s propaganda arm – the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that the ‘successful’ launch of Shaheen-III missile was “aimed at revalidating various design and technical parameters of the weapon system”.
However, contrary to Pakistani Army’s successful Shaheen-III Missile tests, several reports coming from Pakistan suggest that the test carried out by Pakistan was a massive failure as the missile landed in a civilian area in Balochistan destroying several houses and injuring civilians.
Baloch Republican Party, one of the most influential political parties in the Balochistan, revealed the Pakistan Army’s latest test of the Shaheen-III missile, fired from Rakhi area of Dera Ghazi Khan landed at the civil populated area of Dera Bugti’s Matt region.
Taking to Twitter, Baloch Republican Party said that the security forces had evacuated all their posts in the area last night, but the missile was detonated in the presence of civilians in the area. The blast destroyed many houses and injured several people.
Baloch Republican Party’s tweet
Sher Mohammad Bugti, the central spokesman of BRP, also alleged that the Pakistani Army has turned Balochistan into a laboratory.
As per local sources several casualties among civilians due to this failed missile test of Pakistan Army. #Balochistan has become laboratory for Pakistani punjabi army. May God save the people of Balochistan.#MissileAttackinDeraBugtihttps://t.co/pM1oqb892H
As per social media reports, there were several injuries in the testing of Shaheen 3. The injured were not yet taken to hospital for treatment as per Bugti.
The injured have been identifies as Hevat Bugti, Janat Bugti, Gul Khato Bugti her daughter Mehr Bugti, son Sanaullah Bugti. The injured have not been taken to any hospital yet. #MissileAttackinDeraBugtihttps://t.co/66v3HzNQLa
Another Baloch leader, Fazila Baloch, too said how in 1998 Pakistan had test-fired a nuclear missile in Chaghi which left many severely injured.
#MissileAttackinDeraBugti Balochistan has always been place for experiments of Pakistani army's deadly weapons. Today they tested 3 Shaheen missiles which landed in Dera Bugti causing so many injuries
1998 Pakistan tested it's nuclear missile in Chaghi & Here are the results ?. pic.twitter.com/HkgENJPzYz
On his first birth anniversary after his sudden demise in June 2020, Sushant Singh Rajput’s sister today announced Sushant Singh Rajput Memorial Fund in Physics. The scholarship is worth USD 35,000 which equals to approximately Rs 25.5 lakh.
The fund provides graduate student support in the Department of Physics at the University of California, Berkeley with preference for students studying Astrophysics. Along with being an actor, Rajput was National Physics Olympiad winner and had a passion for astronomy and astrophysics.
Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead on 14th June 2020 in his apartment in which appeared to be death by suicide. However, later questions were raised and a CBI inquiry was initiated into his death.
