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SC to hear 2010 contempt case against Prashant Bhushan: All you need to know about what he had said in his interview to Tehelka

Dibakar Dutta
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SC to hear 2010 contempt case against Prashant Bhushan: All you need to know about what he had said in his interview to Tehelka

On Friday, the Supreme Court reportedly fixed the hearing of a decade-old contempt case against advocate Prashant Bhushan on August 4. The apex court also refused to make his father Shanti Bhushan, a party in the court proceeding.

In an interview with the Soma Chowdhury of Tehelka in September 2009, Prashant Bhushan had insinuated that Justice Sarosh Homi Kapadia had committed ‘judicial impropriety’ by being a part of the forest Bench that heard the Niyamgiri Mining lease in Orissa and ruled in favour of Vedanta subsidiary Sterlite industries. Reportedly, the contempt plea was moved by Harish Salve, who helped the court as ‘amicus curiae.’

Bhushan had alleged that Justice Kapadia had a conflict of interest in the case as he owned shares of Sterlite. The Judge while acknowledging the fact that he had shares in the said company had clarified that he had revealed about the same at the very onset and that either party had no problem with it. Prashant Bhushan had implied then that a judge cannot hear cases where he had a conflict of interest and that Justice Kapadia had bypassed it.

He had said, “In my view, out of the last 16 to 17 Chief Justices, half have been corrupt. I can’t prove this, though we had evidence against Punchhi, Anand, and Sabharwal on the basis of which we sought their impeachment”.” The advocate had alleged that it was difficult to prove charges of corruption against judges in the higher judiciary and claimed, “This is also for the reason that no investigation is allowed into charges of corruption against the higher judiciary. There is no disciplinary authority which can inquire into or take action against judges who have been charged with corruption any other kind of misconduct.”

Criminal Contempt petition against Prashant Bhushan in 2009 (Photo Credits: Supreme Court of India’s website)

Shanti Bhushan comes in defence of his son

When contempt proceedings were initiated against his son, former Law Minister Shanti Bhushan had come to the rescue of his son. Reportedly, he had submitted a list of 6 ‘definitely honest’, and 8 ‘definitely court’ CJIs in a sealed cover to the apex court. He, however, couldn’t confirm anything on two remaining Chief Justices. Shanti Bhushan had also offered to go to jail, if his son was found guilty of contempt.

Shanti Bhushan appealed to the Court that it was difficult for him to fight the case over video conferencing and requested the case to be deferred for a few more weeks. He said, “I find it very hard to address the court through video conferencing. This matter has waited for 10 years. It can wait for a few more weeks until physical court hearing resumes.” However, the request was turned down.

The Court noted that Shanti Bhushan was ‘too much senior’ to join as a party in the case. “It’s a suo moto contempt petition. We are not impleading you,” the Court reiterated. The apex court remarked that while Shanti Bhushan was willing to go to jail on behalf of his son, out of his love an affection, it could not undermine the responsibility towards the law.

Rajeev Dhavan seeks more time

Rajeev Dhavan, appearing for Prashant Bhushan, informed the apex Court that the case records could not be produced in court as they were located in Kasauli. He urged the Court to provide adequate time to prepare for the case. Dhavan also questioned the role of advocate Harish Salve in the case as he was not ‘officially’ appointed as amicus curiae.

The Supreme Court remarked that Rajeev Dhavan will be provided time ‘as per his satisfaction’. Kapil Sibal, representing molestation accused and former editor of Tehelka Tarun Tejpal, conceded that the case can wait for ‘more time’, since it had already been shelved for 10 years. ““This is not a matter where something impending is going to happen, unlike any demolition matter,” Sibal said. The Court observed that the case hearing will not be deferred as Justice Mishra is set to retire in September. The Court fixed the date of hearing on August 4 and said, “Through the virtual court, we are hearing all matters, including constitution bench cases. We will hear you all patiently.”

Contempt case against Prashant Bhushan over his tweets

Earlier, the Supreme Court of India took Suo Moto against Prashant Bhushan’s reckless behaviour on social media and initiated contempt of Court case against him and Twitter India. The apex court issued a show-cause notice to the senior advocate asking him to explain why actions should not be taken against him on contempt of court charges.

The court has also asked Attorney General KK Venugopal to assist the court, in the case, and a notice for the same has been issued to the AG. A three-judge bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra heard the suo moto case against Prashant Bhushan. The court stated that the case been filed against Prashant Bhushan for his tweet on last 4 CJIs, and another tweet on CJI riding a bike.

Rattled by Bhoomi Pujan of Ram Mandir, AAP leader Syed Asad Abbas hurls sexist abuses at BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma

OpIndia Staff
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Rattled by Bhoomi Pujan of Ram Mandir, AAP leader Syed Asad Abbas hurls sexist abuses at BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma

The Bhoomi Pujan of the Bhavya Ram Mandir set to be built in Ayodhya seems to have rattled several people. In a similar display of contempt, AAP leader and TV panellist Dr Syed Asad Abbas lost his cool and ended up hurling sexist abuses at BJP national spokesperson Nupur Sharma on live TV. Syed Asad Abbas had fought elections on an AAP ticket in the year 2018.

Republic TV was holding a debate on the 24th of July 2020 discussing the rejection of the petition by Allahabad High Court filed by Congress supporter Saket Gokhale. Gokhale had in his petition seeking a stay on the ‘Bhumi Pujan’ ceremony of Ram Mandir at Ayodhya on August 5 saying that during the Coronavirus pandemic, it would be a violation of ‘Unlock 2’ guidelines. On Friday, the Allahabad High Court quashed the plea filed by Congress supporter Saket Gokhale observing that the entire petition was filed on the basis of assumptions.

While debating the issue, Dr Syed Asad Abbas, who is an Aam Aadmi Party leader but is touted as a ‘political analyst’ on television lost him cool and resorted to hurling sexist abuses at BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma.

He first alleged that the BJP was using Lord Ram to ‘appease the majority’. Interestingly, the Ram Mandir is being built after a Supreme Court verdict and hence, the panellists wondered if Dr Abbas was alleging that the Supreme Court was appeasing Hindus by delivering the verdict.

Further, when Nupur Sharma, BJP spokesperson countered him on his comment “Ram Naam Japna Paraya Maal Apna”, Dr Abbas lost all semblance of decency and started hurling abuses.

He went on to say that the had a problem with “you RSS, you goons, you rowdies”. He further said that people like Nupur Sharma were “nothing other than Rakhi Sawant of Prime Time”. As if that was not enough, Dr Abbas went on to tell Nupur Sharma, “Aunty ji, go join an Ekta Kapoor serial” and then, proceeded to call her an “Ekta Kapoor Vamp”.

Several people on the debate took exception to the rants of Dr Syed Asad Abbas. While Arnab Goswami condemned the use of abuses instead of responding to the issue at hand, other panellists like Touseef Ahmed Khan also condemned the conduct of Dr Abbas.

Nupur Sharma took to Twitter to say that she was considering legal action against Dr Syed Asad Abbas for questioning her character on live TV.

Further, Nupur Sharma said, “I’ve come to realise just how sexist, badly brought-up & hateful these ignorant opposition panelists are. But thats why they are losers”.

Apart from abusing Nupur Sharma, Dr Abbas made several other bizarre statements. While he went on abusing BJP and other panellists, he told panellist Shantanu Gupta that while “you people” divide, “we will multiply”.

Ram Mandir Bhoomi Puja all set for 5th August

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely visit Ayodhya for Bhumi Pujan of Shri Ram Mandir on August 5. The ceremony will be graced by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath among several other invitees. However, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has not yet confirmed his visit.

Reportedly, an estimated 100-150 guests will be allowed at the said event. The foundation laying ceremony will mark the beginning of the construction of the grand temple that is expected to take about 3 years to complete. Kameshwar Chaupal who serves as a trustee of the Ram Temple Trust informed that they are expecting the Prime Minister’s arrival in the temple town of August 5. He added that all government standard operating procedures (SOPs) with respect to safety against coronavirus will be ensured during the Bhumi Pujan.

As per the report, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) are organising meetings to promote the ‘Shubhaaram‘ (commencement) of the Ram temple construction under the leadership of RSS joint General Secretary Krishna Gopal. Chaupal stated that a ‘Rashtra Mandir’ (Temple of the nation) will reflect the national spirit and the Hindu consciousness. 

Congress supporter Saket Gokhale says RSS workers protested outside his house, RSS denies involvement, says it is his publicity stunt

OpIndia Staff
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Congress supporter Saket Gokhale says RSS workers protested outside his house, RSS denies involvement, says it is his publicity stunt

After the Allahabad High Court rejected his petition to stop Bhoomi Pujan for Ram Mandir at Ayodhya, Congress supporter and Rahul Gandhi’s aide Saket Gokhale tried a new drama today. Few hours after the High Court order came, Gokhale claimed that RSS was targeting him, but soon it was proved to be a lie.

Today evening, Saket Gokhale tweeted a video from his Twitter handle, claiming that RSS workers were chanting Jai Sri Ram outside his house. He also claimed that they had threatened his mother. He tagged Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh and Thane Police requesting ‘urgent assistance’.

Although around 7-8 people are heard chanting Jai Sri Ram in the video taken from several floors above the building, they were not in familiar RSS uniform, nor were they holding any banners of flags to identify them with any organisation. Moreover, those people were on the ground, while Saket Gokhale seems to be living in a floor several floors above the ground, so it is not clear how would they threaten his mother.

Later Saket Gokhale informed that police have registered an FIR on the matter after his complaint. He also informed that he has been provided protection by Thane Police. According to reports, a police team visited his home, and a case was being filed against those who protested outside his house.

After his tweet, several people on social media questioned his claims, asking how did he know that they are RSS workers. Some people said that they are his neighbours, and they don’t belong to RSS. To clarify the matter, we contacted RSS office bearers.

OpIndia talked to Jeetendra Jore, RSS official in Thane district. Dismissing the allegations made by Saket Gokhale, he said that RSS has nothing to do with the incident. He said that at present RSS workers are busy with volunteering for Coronavirus, and they have no time to get involved with such a person who issues threats and gets scared himself on Twitter.

Jeetendra said that they don’t even have time at present to even focus on such matters. ‘Who is Saket Gokhale, we don’t know. May be he wants some publicity by taking the name of Sangh, may God give him the wisdom to do noble things,’ he said.

Read: “Somebody had to do it, then why not me”, account of a ‘liquidator of Corona’ participating in Coronavirus screening conducted by RSS and ABVP

It is ironical that Saket Gokhale keeps criticising Hinduism and Hindutva, keeps threatening RSS and BJP. He keeps saying about fighting against RSS and BJP, but when half a dozen youths from his neighborhood chant Jai Sri Ram, he got so scared that he immediately sought assistance from police and the state home minister, and takes police protection.

It may be noted that those people outside Saket’s Mira Road house were only protesting against him by chanting slogans, a basic democratic right in a democracy. But in Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress ruled Maharashtra, an FIR was registered just for this, because the complaint was filed by a well-known Congress supporter.

While the Congress supporter is busy maligning RSS, the organisation is running a massive operation to combat Coronavirus in his state, the state worst hit by the Chinese virus, apart from other states on the country. During the pandemic, lakhs of Swayamsevaks are giving their services in the fight against the disease. Apart from distributing foods to those who have lost livelihood due to the lockdown, RSS and its affiliate organisations are also conducting screening for Coronavirus symptoms. Several Swayamsevaks have even got infected with COVID-19 while volunteering.

Papad may not sell more, but India sold more spices thanks to Coronavirus

OpIndia Staff
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Papad may not sell more, but India sold more spices thanks to Coronavirus

In a video that had gone viral on social media platforms today, Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal was seen launching a ‘papad’ brand and claiming that it contains some ingredients that help develop antibodies against the new coronavirus pathogen.

Little did the union minister know that by making this claim he was exposing himself to a litany of insults. Many took to the micro-blogging site to poke fun at the minister for the claims made by him. The liberal ecosystem was quick to jump at the opportunity. The honorary member of this gang, Prashant Bhushan, used this as an excuse to mock the BJP government and also take a dig at Baba Ramdev, who was recently in news for his ayurvedic medicine, Coronil.

Sahil Tripathi, associated with far-left website ‘The Caravan’ and Mint, was also quick in mocking the minister. He wrote that “Oxford and Astra Zeneca should give up their meaningless trials for vaccine which may or may not work as India has already found the answer”.

The outbreak of the Wuhan Coronavirus, the likes of which the world has not witnessed in decades, has been spreading at an alarming speed, infecting millions across the world. India has also been witnessing a steep surge in numbers. While accurate medical treatment is yet to be discovered to deal with this pathogen, people in India are looking at alternative treatments to boost their immunity.

Export of India spices rise as people resort to them to help build immunity to fight coronavirus

While we are not sure about the claims made by the union minister, as it may or may not be true, but this is for sure that the demand for Indian spices have gone up considerably, not only in India but throughout the world, as people are using these spices to strengthen their immunity, which might help them keep away from infection.

According to reports, there has been a huge rise in the exports of Indian spices like pepper, cardamom, ginger, turmeric, coriander, cumin, celery, fennel, fenugreek, nutmeg, spice oils, which are particularly proving to be beneficial as it provides the required anti-oxidants and supplements to our body. It has been reported that the exports of these spices have risen by almost 34 per cent in the month of June.

Spices used to make Papad have been proven to have many heath benefits

While we are not endorsing the union minister’s claims, Papad, which is a very common accompaniment with Indian meals, is made by combining many Indian spices, which have multiple health benefits.

For example, black peppercorn, also known as the king of spices, has loads of health benefits and it is used generously in preparing papads. This versatile spice is high in antioxidants. It has anti-inflammatory properties and helps detox the body. Similarly, turmeric, which is also an important ingredient used for making papads and almost every other Indian dish has been touted as a superfood that can fight dangerous diseases like cancer, ease depression, and many more. Likewise, red chilly is a rich source in vitamin C that helps in supporting the immune system and combat chronic diseases. There are also very powerful antioxidants.

If you have a healthy immune system, your body can safeguard you from any disease, even the novel coronavirus or COVID-19. While as of now, there is neither any vaccine available nor proven home remedy to protect you from the COVID-19, these natural food items which provide your body with the necessary supplements which could enhance the immune system and in turn, fight the infectious disease along with any other infection and disease.

16 years after not letting his mortal remains enter its headquarters, Congress suddenly wakes up to ‘pay tribute’ to P V Narasimha Rao

OpIndia Staff
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16 years after not letting his mortal remains enter its headquarters, Congress suddenly wakes up to ‘pay tribute’ to P V Narasimha Rao

After almost 16 years, the Congress party, which did not shy away from humiliating the former prime minister PV Narasimha Rao even in his death by not allowing his mortal remains to enter its headquarters, has suddenly decided to co-opt the forgotten leader in what appears as an attempt to turn their declining political fortunes.

Former Prime Minister and senior Congress leader Manmohan Singh sang praises to PV Narasimha Rao, addressing him as “father of economic reforms in India”. While speaking at the inaugural session of birth centenary celebrations of PV Narsimha Rao, former PM Singh hailed him as “great son of the soil” who had the vision and courage of ushering the country into the era of economic reforms. Singh had served as the Finance of Minister of India under PV Narasimha Rao.

Ascribing the credit of opening up the Indian economy to PV Narasimha Rao, Singh said, “It was a hard choice and a bold decision and it was possible because prime minister Narasimha Rao gave me the freedom to roll out things, after he fully understood what was ailing India’s economy at that time.”

P V Narasimha Rao was the first prime minister outside the Nehru-Gandhi family to complete a full term of five years. He had become the PM in 1991 due to the assassination of former PM Rajiv Gandhi during the elections.

Indignities meted out to PV Narsimha Rao under Congress

While Congress is falling over itself to pay homage to the former prime minister, it is an opportune time to revisit the indignities meted out to Rao by the Congress party. Congress’ sudden change of heart for the former Prime Minister betrays the hatred its senior leadership harboured for Rao 16 years ago when he was not accorded the due respect even in his death and his mortal remains were not allowed from entering the Congress headquarters.

Former Congress President and Rahul Gandhi’s mother Sonia Gandhi loathed former Prime Minister and Congress President P.V. Narasimha Rao enough to not allow his mortal remains to enter the AICC (All India Congress Committee) compound. His body stayed parked in a carriage outside the gate.

PV Narasimha Rao, who Manmohan Singh hails as the “father of economic reforms in India” did not even receive a state funeral. In fact, leaders like Sanjay Gandhi, who presided over horrendous programs such as forced sterilisation during the Emergency was honoured with a state funeral and a samadhi in Delhi. However, PV Narasimha Rao was not considered by the Congress leadership, headed by Sonia Gandhi, of worthy enough to deserve a state funeral and a samadhi in Delhi. Sonia Gandhi, it is believed, was ‘upset‘ about the way the investigation on Rajiv Gandhi assassination had proceeded.

Even before his demise, Rao was subjected to the humiliation and abasement that did not seem proper for a senior AICC member and the former Prime Minister of India. Rao passed away on 23rd December 2004. On 27th December 2004, M D Nalapat, Indian academic and columnist wrote (emphasis added): “In fact, despite being a former AICC president and a prime minister, Narasimha Rao was not just excluded from the Congress Working Committee since the current heir to the Nehru dynasty took charge of the party in 1998, he was not even allowed to become one of the numerous ‘special invitees’, most of whom get selected for their cheerleader skills rather than any other contribution.”

Following his death, Nalapat claimed that despite calling a special Union Cabinet meeting at 3 pm to discuss the subject of Rao’s funeral, no arrangements were made at his 9 Motilal Nehru Marg to receive the body and place it on a platform, nor flowers, nor any laying out of carpets by the administration for the mourning crowds to sit down on, nor even a shamiana on the lawns were arranged by the Congress leadership.

PV Narasimha Rao’s grandson slams Congress leaders for accusing the former PM of sideling Nehru-Gandhi dynasty

PV Narasimha Rao’s humiliation by the Congress party and its leaders did not end with his demise alone. Long after he died, the former prime minister was an object of scorn and contempt for the Congress leaders. Last year, NV Subhash, the grandson of former Prime Minister and senior Congress leader late P V Narasimha Rao had slammed a senior Congress leader and the party for making allegations against the former Prime Minister and also demanded an apology from the Gandhi family for “injustice” done to him.

NV Subhash reacted after AICC Secretary G Chinna Reddy had issued a statement accusing former Prime Minister Rao of trying to “sideline” the Nehru-Gandhi family during his tenure. NV Subhash said G Chinna Reddy’s accusations were “not true and condemnable”.

“Rao was the most trusted and loyal leader for Gandhi family and always guided the family on many issues”, he claimed.

It is pertinent to note that ten years after his death, the former Prime Minister finally got a memorial in Delhi in 2015, that too by the NDA government led by PM Modi.

India and China conduct 17th WMCC meeting virtually, both sides agree on early and complete disengagement of the troops along LAC

OpIndia Staff
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India and China conduct 17th WMCC meeting virtually, both sides agree on early and complete disengagement of the troops along LAC

India and China Friday held the 17th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on India-China Border Affairs to revolve the current standoff between the two sides. In the virtual meeting, representatives from the foreign affairs, defence, immigration and other departments of the two countries participated.

The statement by Chinese authorities read that in a candid and in-depth discussion both the countries fully affirmed that they would disengage from contact at the border and ease the situation on the ground. “Will properly handle remaining issues on ground and promote further cooling of the border situation,” confirmed China.

The two sides reviewed the situation in the India-China border areas and the ongoing disengagement process along the Line of Actual Control (LAC )in the Western Sector. They agreed that early and complete disengagement of the troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and de-escalation from India-China border areas in accordance with bilateral agreement and protocols and full restoration of peace and tranquillity was essential for smooth overall development of bilateral relations.

Both sides agreed that it was necessary for both sides to sincerely implement the understandings reached between Senior Commanders in their meetings till date. The two sides agreed that another meeting of the Senior Commanders may be held soon so as to work out further steps to ensure expeditiously complete disengagement and de-escalation and restoration of peace and tranquillity in the border areas.

The statement said that there has been positive progress at the border areas in disengagement from conflict areas by both sides. It furthered that the two countries emphasised that they will maintain military and diplomatic dialogue and consultation in accordance with the consensus reached by the two sides.

Reiterating that it won’t accept any unilateral attempt by China to change LAC, India on Thursday said it “expected” China to “sincerely work” with it “for complete disengagement and de-escalation and full restoration of peace and tranquillity in the border areas”. 

On Thursday, MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said: “I have made clear the position of the Government as regards the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) along India-China border areas through a number of statements in the last several weeks. … In my statement of June 26th, I had noted that the conduct of Chinese forces this year, including the deployment of large body of troops and changes in behaviour, accompanied by unjustified and untenable claims, has been in complete disregard of all the mutual agreements. We have also made it clear that India is fully committed to observing and respecting the LAC and that we will not accept any unilateral attempts to change the status quo along the LAC,” said the Spokesperson.

International support for India grows amidst LAC standoff

Amidst the recent LAC standoff with China, India had managed to garner immense global support. Many countries around the globe, like the USA, France, Japan, Australia and the United Kingdom, have also raised their voices against China’s imperialistic and expansionist impulses in its neighbourhood.

Though the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) have refrained from overtly blaming China for the current LAC standoff in Eastern Ladakh fearing retribution, the leaders of the 10 states in the group recently rejected China’s claim to the whole of the South China Sea. The group said that the 1982 UN oceans treaty should not be violated and held as a basis of sovereign rights and entitlements in the disputed waters.

PM Modi’s stern message to China

The sudden shift in China’s stance is being primarily credited to PM Modi’s surprise visit to Ladakh soon after the Galwan Valley standoff. PM Modi had given a stern message to China that India will no longer acquiesce to its hegemony and territorial expansionism and resolutely stand up against it along the border. Following PM Modi’s high-voltage visit to the regions close to flashpoints, several countries have come forward to express their support for India.

Rajasthan political crisis: Rebel Congress MLAs debunk claims made by CM Ashok Gehlot of being held hostage by the BJP

OpIndia Staff
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Rajasthan political crisis: Rebel Congress MLAs debunk claims made by CM Ashok Gehlot of being held hostage by the BJP

On Friday, rebel Congress MLAs dismissed the outlandish claims made by Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot in which he accused the BJP of holding the rebel members hostage. While speaking to ANI, Neem Ka Thana MLA Suresh Modi clarified that he had come to Delhi on his own accord over disagreements with the incumbent Congress dispensation in Rajasthan. He reiterated that the rebel Congress MLAs are under no pressure from the BJP. Modi is a Congress MLA belonging to the camp of Sachin Pilot.

Referring to the failure of Ashok Gehlot in fulfilling his promises, Modi stated, “He has not done anything in my constituency for the past 1.5 years… The people of my constituency are struggling due to the shortage of water… I had demanded that my constituency be transformed into a district. However, none of my demands were met. And now he (Gehlot) is making baseless allegations against us. This is wrong. These unfounded claims made by him are a disgrace to the post of the Chief Minister. Retain your seat but at least do it in the right way.”

Ashok Gehlot must leave CM seat for Congress’ unity, says rebel leader

Another rebel MLA Murari Lal Meena claimed that he was disheartened by the bizarre claims made by a three-time chief Minister aka Ashok Gehlot. “We have neither left the Congress party nor have joined hands with the BJP”, he emphasised. Meena reiterated that the rebel MLAs had come to Delhi to communicate with the party high command about the inefficiency of the current political dispensation in Rajasthan.

“He said that we are being detained by the BJP. However, we have not communicated with BJP leaders until now. Sadly, our family members are scared after he chose to intimidate us with SOG. This is the treatment meted out to fellow members of the Congress fraternity. He needs to mend his ways else the Congress party will suffer,” the Dausa MLA was quoted as saying.

Meena further emphasised that Ashok Gehlot must step down from his Chief Ministerial position in the larger interest of the Congress party. He said, “If he feels that he has been loyal and dedicated to the party for a long time and has been a CM for 3 terms, then, he must resign for the sake of party’s unity. Why is he still stuck to the seat?”

Political crisis in Rajasthan

The divide with Rajasthan government became public after former Deputy CM Sachin Pilot moved to Delhi with a group of MLAs, claiming that the Gehlot government has lost majority. As the speculations of government collapse grew louder, Gehlot had over his loyal MLAs to the Fairmont Hotel in Jaipur. On July 14, the Congress party sacked the rebel Congress leader Sachin Pilot from the post of Deputy Chief Minister of the state for allegedly conspiring to topple the government, in collusion with the BJP.

The rebel leader has recently moved the Rajasthan High Court challenging the disqualification notices issued to them by the state Assembly speaker on the behest of the State CM. Earlier, Ashok Gehlot had also mocked Pilot for being “nikamma and nakaara’ (useless) and revealed that the duo had not been on talking terms for 1.5 years.

Constructing a Hindu temple in an Islamic state is ‘haram’, even non-Muslim citizens cannot spend their money on it: Zakir Naik on proposed Islamabad temple

OpIndia Staff
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Constructing a Hindu temple in an Islamic state is ‘haram’, even non-Muslim citizens cannot spend their money on it: Zakir Naik on proposed Islamabad temple

After Islamic extremists and fundamentalists impeded the construction of Hindu temple in Islamabad, slamming the Imran Khan government’s decision to fund the project, controversial radical Islamist Zakir Naik has voiced his discontent with the Pakistani government for allowing construction of a temple in Islamabad.

Naik said that the Imran Khan government has committed a sin, as it is haram (forbidden) according to Sharia (Islamic law) for an Islamic nation to pay or donate to a worship house of a non-Muslim, be it a temple or a church.

Speaking at a live session on his Islamic YouTube channel, BelievingBeings, the terror influencer, who fled India to Malaysia in 2016, said that all Muslim scholars, imams and ulemas stood united in their views that “a Muslim cannot donate, support or construct a house of worship of non-Muslims”, and by using Muslim taxpayers money to fund the Krishna temple in Islamabad, Pakistan is committing shirk (sin).

Naik’s YouTube video

“There are several fatwas (rulings) that a Muslim cannot donate or build or support a house of worship of a non-Muslim. Over the ages, scholars have maintained this,” Naik said while answering to questions from his followers and others on his weekly programme.

He furthered that the Quran, the holy book of the Muslims also discourages cooperation “in sins and transgressions”, therefore, if any Muslim associates with the building of any non-Muslism worship place, he is committing a sin.

Even a non-Muslim living in an Islamic nation cannot donate for a place of their worship: Zakir Naik

The fugitive Islamic hate preacher furthered that while there was no question of a Muslim living in an Islamic nation spending from his wealth to build a temple, even a non-Muslim living in an Islamic nation should not be allowed to use his money for building a place of worship (for non-Islamic religions).

“Fuqaha (experts in Islamic law) have agreed that even a non-Muslim’s money cannot be used to build a temple in a Muslim land. So where is the question of using Muslim money or taxpayers money (to construct a temple)?” he wondered.

The radical Islamic preacher said that if a non-Muslim house of worship is expanded by a Muslim rule, there is complete justification in destroying it. The Islamic government has no right to build new places of worship for the non-Muslims, but can only protect the existing ones, said Naik.

Politics over the proposed Hindu temple in Islamabad

The politics over the construction of a Krishna temple in Islamabad exposed the hypocrisy of the Imran Khan-led Pakistani government. Days after giving a ‘go-ahead’ for the construction of the Hindu temple in Islamabad and announcing a sanction of 10 crore Pakistani rupees (approximately Indian Rs 4.47 crore) for its construction, the Imran Khan government stopped construction of the boundary wall of the Hindu temple being built in Pakistan’s capital city Islamabad citing legal reasons. The Pakistan assembly speaker also batted against the temple construction on Islamic land saying that it is against Islam and an insult to the Islamic kingdom.

It even faced the wrath of the radical Islamists and fundamentalist, who went out of the way to stop the construction of the Hindu temple. A Fatwa was issued against the under-construction temple. Thereafter the radical extremists destroyed the under-construction boundary wall of the temple. Azan was read at the temple site. Videos of Muslim citizens of Pakistan issuing threats and warning against the temple were flooded on social media sites.

If constructed, the temple would have been the first Hindu temple in the Pakistani capital.

Arvind Kejriwal says Delhi is moving towards herd immunity, experts caution saying antibodies may fade away quickly

OpIndia Staff
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Arvind Kejriwal says Delhi is moving towards herd immunity, experts caution saying antibodies may fade away quickly

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said that has said Delhi is moving towards “herd immunity” and claimed that at least one-third of its population had developed antibodies against the coronavirus, reports Economic Times.

According to the reports, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said his main objective now was to make sure there are no more lockdowns in the national capital. The Chief Minister also said that Delhi is now prepared to restart metro services as the city is crawling back to normalcy.

Citing the recent Sero survey conducted across 11 districts in Delhi by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and Delhi government, Arvind Kejriwal said that the survey conducted between June 27 and July 10 showed almost 24% people had antibodies against coronavirus.

“If it was almost 24% early June, it must have crossed 30-35%. Whether we have achieved herd immunity or not, only experts can say. But we are moving towards herd immunity,” said Arvind Kejriwal.

Arvind Kejriwal said that the downward trend in coronavirus in Delhi was achieved due to his three-pronged strategy – home isolation, testing and significantly increasing oxygen-supported beds. He said home isolation was the most significant takeaway from the Delhi Model.

Kejriwal said that migrant labourers were returning. “Earlier, they left as numbers in Delhi were rising, now they are returning as numbers in their native states are rising,” he added.

On the resumption of metro services in Delhi, the CM said, “I feel Delhi is ready to open its Metro seeing the number of cases today. We will talk to the Centre.”

Delhi sero-survey results

According to the newly published survey conducted by the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) across Delhi, the prevalence of IgG antibodies is 23.48 percent, indicating that a large number of infected persons remain asymptomatic. The survey was conducted from 27 June 2020, to 10 July 2020.

Nearly six months into the epidemic, over 43 lakh people may have been affected in Delhi, which has several pockets of dense population. It is being said that the proactive efforts taken by the Modi government to prevent the spread of infection, including a prompt lockdown, effective containment and surveillance measures like contact tracing and tracking, addition to the citizen’s compliance to regulations has helped in limiting the spread.

Experts says antigens may not provide long lasting immunity

As Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is eager to get back to normalcy claiming that at least one-third of Delhi’s population has achieved ‘herd immunity’, experts have advised the authorities to be cautious stating that antibodies in mildly symptomatic coronavirus patients will fade away quickly, which may not provide lasting immunity to them.

Reportedly, the antibodies of the mildly affected coronavirus patients may not offer much lasting protection against future infections, indicating that herd immunity may not provide safety against another onslaught of the pandemic.

According to a study published by the New England Journal of Medicine, the antibodies taken from the blood of 34 patients who had mild symptoms did not require intensive care but only needed two supplemental oxygen and received HIV medication.

The researchers found that the antibody levels fell quickly after they recovered, with a half-life of about 73 days between the infection and recovery frames. The loss of antibodies occurred much faster than with SARS, an earlier type of coronavirus infection that caused an outbreak in 2002-03.

Most importantly, the mildly infected people may not have lasting COVID-19 antibodies and most cases of COVID-19 around the world are mildly symptomatic – which means that most population in the world may have the risk of contracting the infection one more time.

Coronavirus outbreak: Despite 10-day lockdown, Pune’s COVID-19 woes turn from bad to worse

OpIndia Staff
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Coronavirus outbreak: Despite 10-day lockdown, Pune’s COVID-19 woes turn from bad to worse

As the scourge of coronavirus sweeps across India, the city of Pune has emerged as one of the most potent COVID-19 clusters in the country. The situation in Pune in Maharashtra is particularly dire as the number of caseloads continues to rise sharply.

Despite enforcing a strict 10-day lockdown to arrest the precipitous rise in the coronavirus cases, the penultimate day before the lockdown got over saw a record highest single-day spike of 3,218 in the number of case. The 10-day lockdown in Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad drew to an end on Thursday, July 23.

However, the inexorable surge in the number of coronavirus cases is a testimony to the spectacular failure that the lockdown had been, notwithstanding the economic losses induced by the restrictions.

While the spike in the case can also be attributed to the increased capacity of testing conducted in the city, but the mounting number of cases during a 10-day lockdown period demonstrates that Pune’s coronavirus outbreak is in acute state.

The decision to go on a 10-day lockdown from July 14 to July 23 was taken by Pune district administration with the view to break the transmission cycle of the virus. The decision to impose a lockdown was taken at a review meeting on the Covid-19 situation, attended by Deputy Chief Minister and Pune District’s Guardian Minister, Ajit Pawar, and senior officials.

However, the increased number of cases reported from Pune reveal that lockdown imposed in the city and its exurbs did little to stifle the relentless march of the contagion. While the administrators claimed that the lockdown will help the city in curtailing the number of cases, data from the eight locations that witnessed total lockdown during this month showed that the restrictions had little impact on reducing the spread of the virus in the city.

BJP MLA wrote a letter to PM Modi accusing Maha Vikas Aghadi of negligence towards Pune

A letter written by BJP MLA from Shivajinagar constituency in Pune forewarned the central government and PM Modi of the looming threat of coronavirus crisis facing Pune. In a scathing criticism of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra, Shirole said that the Maharashtra government has left Pune to fend for itself from the surging coronavirus spread. He has accused the government of gross negligence which has pushed the city on the cusp of a medical calamity.

“Pune is just a few days away from a catastrophe. The state government has failed on multiple levels and the citizens are left to fend for themselves. Hence behalf of every citizen of Pune, I seek your intervention and support from the Central Government to provide our city much needed medical infrastructure it needs including large COVID centre,” Shirole requested the centre in a letter marked to PM Modi.

Shirole has further added that the chief minister of the state has till date not called for an update or review meeting via phone/video conference with the elected representatives of Pune and with the ground authorities. Accusing the Maharashtra government of abdication of their duty, Shirole has claimed that even emails from his office have not elicited a response from the establishment.

“Leadership that is paramount in times of crisis is acutely missing. Honourable Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray ji has not made a single visit to Pune in the last 100 days either to oversee the preparedness of the administration or even to encourage the COVID warriors fighting on the frontlines,” the letter read.

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