Hours after the death of veteran actor Rishi Kapoor, a video of him listening to a song in a hospital has gone viral. The video is widely reported to be the ‘last video message’ by Kapoor shot last night, hours before his demise.
India Today sharing video of Rishi Kapoor claiming to be shot at Reliance Hospital
In the viral video, it can be seen that Rishi Kapoor smiling while lying in a hospital bed. Next to him, a man can be singing a rendition of ‘Tere Dard Se Dil’ – a song originally sung by Kumar Sanu. The song was a part of Rishi Kapoor’s film Deewana which also starred the late Divya Bharti and Shah Rukh Khan.
In the end, Rishi Kapoor can be seen wiping tears off his face with a towel. Rishi Kapoor was also seen putting his hand to the man’s head to give blessings.
The Tribune, a newspaper based out Chandigarh also shared the same video his last message.
The Tribune
Awanish Sharan, Collector of Kabirdham, Chhattisgarh, also tweeted the viral video saying that it was Wednesday’s video, a day before Bollywood actor died.
Awanish Sharan, Collector of Kabirdham, Chhattisgarh
Several social media users took to Twitter to share the viral video and claimed that it was the last video of Rishi Kapoor shot on Wednesday, a day before his death.
Social media user tweeting Rishi Kapoor’s video
Fact check on Rishi Kapoor’s ‘last message’ viral video:
A YouTube user named DK Sanu, had uploaded the video on Youtube much before his current hospitalisation. The video was actually shot earlier and was posted on Youtube on February 29 this year.
Here is an image with upload date on it.
February 29 upload date for the viral video on YouTube
Contrary to the claims of various media outlet, the video was not shot on Wednesday, a day before Rishi Kapoor’s death. As can be seen it was shot much earlier, perhaps in February, when he was admitted for treatment after his health had deteriorated.
Rishi Kapoor dies at 67
Film actor Rishi Kapoor was admitted to Reliance Hospital on Wednesday night after he developed breathing problems. He passed away earlier this morning.
The Mamata Banerjee government has finally allowed testing and treatment for coronavirus without prior approval from the government. The West Bengal government issued a fresh advisory Thursday, through which it clarified that government’s prior approval is no longer a pre-requisite for admitting or treating any patient in any healthcare facility or for testing any individual for coronavirus as per ICMR’s testing protocol.
WB Govt’s advisory
BJP IT cell head, Amit Malviya took to Twitter to share the copy of the advisory issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department of the Government of West Bengal, dated April 30, 2020, signed by Principal Secretary of the department, Vivek Kumar, in which the Mamata Banerjee government issues guidelines to all the hospitals and healthcare facilities of the state. It clarifies that “no government approval is required for either admitting or treating any patient in any healthcare facility or for testing any individual for coronavirus as per ICMR’s Testing Protocols.
Big win for the BJP! Finally, after wasting 38 days of lockdown, West Bengal government has finally, officially, removed its firewall requiring doctors to take government approval before testing an individual for Covid. Tragically, Bengal lost many lives to this callous approach. pic.twitter.com/6EYvT6nUCE
BJP had admonished Mamata Banerjee’s previous diktat, requiring doctors to take approval from a government-appointed committee before testing an individual for Covid-19. Amit Malviya said that the West Bengal had to pay a heavy price and lose many lives due to the callous approach of Mamata Banerjee and her government in tackling the crisis in the state and applauded the central government for creating a constant pressure the WB government, because of which the chief minister was compelled to reverse her decision, though almost after wasting 38 days of the lockdown.
Doctors complained govt permission mandatory for testing Covid-19 patients
Speaking about Mamata Banerjee apathy and callousness in tackling the pandemic in the state, many doctors had previously complained that the state authorities’ approval is needed for each test, and is regularly refused. As a result, patients suspected to be suffering from coronavirus are not being isolated soon enough.
“If you suspect coronavirus and send the samples, they are routinely refused, there are times when the report returns after five days,” said Dr Arjun Dasgupta from the West Bengal Doctors Forum, which represents 19,000 doctors.
The services in at least four major government hospitals and two private facilities in Kolkata have been hit after doctors and nurses came into contact with patients who later tested positive. The doctors are unanimous that coronavirus deaths are not being fully reported, with only a state-appointed committee allowed to declare if a patient has died from coronavirus.
West Bengal was also following a completely different approach towards documenting Coronavirus deaths in the state compared to the rest of the world. The state govt has decided that if a Coronavirus patient have other illness and if such a patient dies, the death will not be recorded as Coronavirus related death. Even the cause of the death of patients are also being determined by the committee, and not by the doctors. As most Coronavirus patients die due to complications like organ failure, the committee was recording such deaths as non-coronavirus deaths. But later the state was forced to record those deaths as Coronavirus deaths after the inter-ministerial central team (IMCT) of the union government objected to it.
Doctors had also claimed that some of the whistleblowers were reprimanded by police for warning others about the current crisis in Kolkata. Many were forced to delete their posts, doctors had revealed.
West Bengal sitting on a “time-bomb”
The suppression of facts and fudging of data has become a major worry for authorities and health experts in West Bengal, which has now snowballed into a huge controversy between the Trinamool Congress-led West Bengal government and health-care experts.
The health-care experts believe that the situation in Bengal is very grave as the Mamata Banerjee-led government has not been giving real data to assess the actual seriousness of the pandemic. From threats to doctors for whistleblowing against the state government against lack of facilities to allegations of state government illegally disposing of dead bodies, there have been serious allegations against the Mamata Banerjee government in Bengal.
Congress leader Udit Raj today made a ‘gaumutra’ jibe following the death of veteran actor Rishi Kapoor after a long battle with cancer.
ऋषि कपूर & इरफान खान कैंसर से मरे, बड़े अफसोस कि बात है। तमाम बड़े लोग इस बीमारी का इलाज विदेश में कराये । गोमूत्र और देशी औषधि से इलाज करने वाले कहां गए थे।
“Rishi Kapoor and Irrfan Khan both died of cancer. It is indeed unfortunate. All celebrities go out of India to find cure for this illness. Where are those who use cow urine for such cures?” he tweeted. After the untimely death of the two veteran Bollywood stars – Irrfan Khan and Rishi Kapoor within the span of a single day, Congress leader Udit Raj took to Twitter to mock at their deaths by asking why did not these Bollywood stars use ‘gaumutra’ to cure their cancer.
It is pertinent to note that several Ayurvedic practices consider cow urine to have healing properties. However, some Islamists and Hinduphobics use this fact to deride the believers of Hinduism and the sacredness of cow.
Repeated anti-Hindu, anti-Brahmin propaganda by Udit Raj
Just last week, a complaint was registered against Congress leader Udit Raj at the Cyber Crime Branch in New Delhi for his defamatory statement against the Brahmins.
After the Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami had questioned UPA chairperson and Congress President Sonia Gandhi over her silence on Palghar mob-lynching in which two Hindu Sadhus and a driver were killed by an unruly mob, an organisation associated with Udit Raj – All India Parisangh had made casteist attack on Arnab Goswami by saying. “Itna neeche koi Brahmin hi gir sakta hain, jitna Arnab Goswami gira hain”, roughly translated as (only a Brahmin can fall as low as Arnav Goswami has fallen).
Gaumutra jibe: Language of a terrorist
Last year, in the aftermath of the dastardly attack on the CRPF convoy on February 14, 2019, a video was released by the Jaish-e-Muhammad group in which the terrorist who carried out the egregious attack against the security personnel, killing 40 of them, made a gau-mutra jibe as a reference to Hindus.
The terrorist identified as Adil Ahmed Dar alias Waqas was seen admitting that he had joined the Jaish-e-Mohammad a year ago. In the video, he had referred to Indians as “Gae ka Peshab Peene Wale” (People who drink cow urine).
It was Congress that moved heaven and earth to concoct the “Saffron Terror” narrative by falsely implicating Sadhvi Pragya and even Lt Col Purohit. It was Congress which wanted to pass the Communal Violence Bill which basically ensured that only Hindus would be considered perpetrators and never a Muslim, should there be any communal violence. The bill was formed by people who were associated with various foreign-funded NGOs.
Far-Left propagandist masquerading as fact-checkers, AltNews, has fallen into a habit of defending the indefensible and spreading fake news in the process. Or perhaps, it was always so. When things are really really indefensible, they attempt to muddy the waters and cast aspersions or misleading conclusions about the content of the claim being made. The same happened when BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia posted a video of Muslims gathering at a Mosque.
यह जाहिलियत नहीं तो और क्या है? देश के कानून से ऊपर हैं यह क्या? आलोचना करो तो कहते हैं कि हमारे धर्म को निशाना बनाया जा रहा है खतरे में आप नहीं हैं आप की वजह से यह देश है देखते हैं कितने लोग इनके समुदाय से निकल कर आते हैं? जिसको बुरा लगता है लगे, गलत है तो गलत है#COVIDIOTSpic.twitter.com/Kvzy3dbSSh
— Gaurav Bhatia गौरव भाटिया ?? (@gauravbh) April 29, 2020
Gaurav Bhatia said while sharing the video, “What is this if not Jahiliyat? Are [these people] above the laws of the land? If you criticize [them], [they] say their religion is being [unfairly] targeted. You are not in danger, the country is because of you. Let us see how many people come forward from their community [to condemn them]. If people feel bad, let them, what is wrong is wrong.” Quite clearly, the spokesperson of the BJP was referring to the manner in which certain Muslims continue to gather at Mosques around the country defying lockdown norms and thus, risking the spread of the Wuhan Coronavirus.
At this, co-founder of AltNews Zubair jumped in and linked an AltNews “fact-check” about the video. The propagandist told Gaurav Bhatia, “What was the compulsion that you have to share a video that is from a day before the lockdown? Did you receive orders from the IT Cell?” Then, he proceeded to link the AltNews ‘fact-check’. As it turns out, however, it does not disprove a word of what the BJP spokesperson said.
हेलो @gauravbh, ऐसी क्या मजबूरी आ पड़ी जो लॉक डाउन से एक दिन पेबल ( मार्च 23rd ) डोंगरी, मुम्बई का वीडियो अभी शेयर करना पड़ रहा है? IT सेल से हिदायत मिली थी क्या? ?@AltNews फैक्ट चेक : https://t.co/EZvKZVbTRE
The ‘fact check’ shared by AltNews co-founder Zubair says that the video was recorded outside a Mosque in Maharashtra, the worst affected state by the pandemic. As per the AltNews report itself, Mumbai Mirror had reported on the 23rd of March that “Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday imposed a curfew across the state as people continued to defy the provisions under section 144 after strictly following a janata curfew on Sunday.” Furthermore, again by the admission of AltNews itself, PTI had reported that the “Police on Monday registered an FIR against the trustees of a masjid where up to 150 people were found offering namaz in violation of government orders issued to check the spread of the coronavirus.” Thus, quite clearly, those who had gathered at the Mosque were defying the orders issued to curb the spread of the pandemic.
The ALtNews report only confirms the point made by Gaurav Bhatia
Gaurav Bhatia, in his tweet, did not mention the date and time of the gathering but only used it as an example to make a larger point. And that point still stands. It is an indisputable fact that the gathering captured in the video was in defiance of orders issue to combat the Wuhan Coronavirus which jeopardised the health of the community. As a potential consequence of the event, the virus could have further spread among the populace, causing much devastation in Maharashtra. Also, it was not a one-off event and instances such as these have been happening at an unfortunate pace.
Other incidents of lockdown violations
Earlier this week, around forty Muslims had gathered at a Mosque in Aurangabad even as the coronavirus continues to ravage through the state. When the Police reached the spot, they were attacked by the mob and even women participated in it. Three policemen were injured as a consequence. Policemen were also attacked in Howrah, West Bengal on Tuesday after they entered the area to enforce the lockdown in the wake of the Wuhan Coronavirus pandemic. It is one of the worst affected areas of West Bengal, second only to Kolkata. An attack was launched on policemen at Gomtipur in Ahmedabad when they went to search for members of the Tablighi Jamaat. Stones were pelted at the policemen one cop was injured. Two were detained over the matter.
What Really Happened Between Gaurav Bhatia and AltNews co-founder Zubair
Thus, Gaurav Bhatia was using the incident in Mumbai from a month as an example to point towards a larger issue. There is no indication from his tweet that he meant anything otherwise or that he intended to convey that the gathering was at an alternate location or time. Zubair, nonetheless, gave the impression that it was a misleading comment, insinuating that it had been made under pressure from the IT Cell of the BJP. In doing so, he was also trying to whitewash the gross lockdown violatiosn certain sections of the Muslim community have been indulging in. In reality, the AltNews report itself only further affirms the point the BJP spokesperson was trying to make.
Amdavad Municipal Corporation has installed a 20 KL capacity LMO tank at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Civil Hospital where over 2,200 patients have undergone coronavirus treatment.
— Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Hospital (@svphospital) April 30, 2020
As per a press release issued by SVP Hospital, owing to high number of coronavirus patients undergoing treatment at the hospital, there has been an increase in demand of medical oxygen supply. Hence, to meet that demand, a tank with capacity of 20 kilolitre liquid medical oxygen was constructed on war footing. This tank will help not only coronavirus patients who may need oxygen support but it will also make the hospital self sufficient going forward in terms of oxygen supply. The cost of construction of the tank was approximately Rs 1 crore.
Coronavirus in Gujarat
After Maharashtra, Gujarat has been worst affected in terms of coronavirus. As official ministry data, Gujarat has recorded 4,082 coronavirus patients as of 30th April, 2020. Of these, 522 have recovered while 197 have passed away. In Gujarat, too, Ahmedabad has been worst affected with as many as 2,777 patients who have tested positive. Senior Gujarat Congress leader Badruddin Sheikh died days after testing positive for coronavirus. Recently, Gujarat State Health Secretary Jayanti Ravi had said that ‘L’ strain of coronavirus may be possibly responsible for higher death rate in Gujarat.
The Crime Branch of Delhi police on Thursday slapped a fourth notice to the chief of Tablighi Jamaat, Maulana Saad Khandalvi to get him tested for Wuhan coronavirus in a government laboratory.
As per reports, Maulana Saad’s lawyer Fuzail Ayubi had informed the Crime branch that Maulana Saad had tested negative for Covid-19 in the report of a private laboratory.
According to the Delhi police, the fourth notice has been sent after the religious leader did not respond to earlier notices posted by the department. As per reports, three sons of the Maulana Saad were interrogated by the Crime Branch.
Maulana Saad still absconding
Tablighi Jamaat chief Maulana Saad is still absconding. The Delhi Police crime branch had sent two notices to Maulana Saad under Section 91 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The police have asked Maulana Saad to provide some documents. The second notice was sent after the reply to the first notice was found “unsatisfactory”. While Maulana remained untraceable Delhi police slapped another notice with 36 questions at his farmhouse in Shamli near Delhi.
There were reports that the head of the Tablighi Jamaat, Maulana Saad, who claims to have quarantined himself in the wake of the Wuhan Coronavirus outbreak, was reportedly using his time to gather support and mobilise the Jamaatis. Saad, a resident of Zakir Nagar is allegedly hiding on the outskirts of Delhi at a supporter’s house. Reportedly, the Islamic cleric had hidden in a densely populated area, knowing well that it could help evade arrest.
Maulana Saad charged under Culpable Homicide, Money Laundering Act
On March 31, the Delhi police had registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Maulana Saad under the Epidemics Act 1897 for allowing religious congregation in the month of March, despite repeated warnings from the center and the state government. On Wednesday, the Tablighi Jamaat Chief was booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder under Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
On April 16, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had registered a money laundering case against the Maulana Saad and nine others under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) based on predicate offence that was registered by Delhi police. The agency had begun investigating the trust and the transactions of the trust that belonged to the Tablighi Jamaat chief.
The Kerala government on Wednesday promulgated an ordinance to override Kerala High Court decision to put a stay on deferment of the payment of salary of government employees for six days every month from April to August.
According to the reports, the Kerala government miffed by Kerala High Court order decided to float a new ordinance which will enable it to defer payment of salary up to 25 per cent. The decision to deduct the salary of employees was to ostensibly help the state tide over the financial strain emerged due to the Chinese pandemic coronavirus.
Speaking to the media, state Finance Minister Thomas Issac said that the government has decided to come out with Disaster and Public Emergency Special Provisions Act which will give it the power to defer payment of salaries, up to 25 per cent of all state government employees. The deferred salaries will be paid on a later date that will be decided after 6 months by the government.
“The central government should come out with a package for interstate and international migrant workers for their rehabilitation and relief. Center should take their responsibility as it comes under the union list,” he added.
Six days’ salary to be deducted
The government will be deducting a six days’ worth salary every month of all categories of government employees including teachers, university staff, workers of all public sector units in the next five months as a temporary measure. However, the deduction proposal is for those government employees whose salary is more than 20,000.
Opposition, govt employees protest
However, a section of government employees has shown disagreement with CM’s decision. The state’s medical officers’ association and the medical college teachers’ association have asked the chief minister to exempt frontline workers from the cut.
A group of teachers belonging to a pro-Congress trade union has protested by burning copies of the ordinance to postpone the payment of salaries.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Mullapally Ramachandran has rejected the ordinance stating it as a challenge to the judiciary. He said it reflected the ‘Janus-faced nature’ of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government.
“The government had no qualms about hiring expensive lawyers at tax payer’s expense to defend its dubious decisions in the High Court. It had splurged money on hiring a helicopter for VVIP movement. The State had dismally failed in collecting revenue, an estimated Rs 43,000 crore, even before the outbreak struck, ” Ramachandran said.
About 20 people were caught by the Jharkhand police who were moving unnecessarily violating the lockdown on Thursday at Mufassil Police station area. The police directed them to get off the two-wheelers and stand on the road. Then all of them were directed to do yoga asanas for some time. When it was all over the police directed them to leave and stay at home. The police also warned that if anyone in the future is found violating the lockdown then his vehicle will be confiscated.
Police made them take an oath of not leaving their place unnecessarily
Around 20 bike riders were stopped near COD bridge on the road leading from Giridh to Deoghar in Mufassil police station area on Thursday, the 16th day of the second phase lockdown. After they were caught, Pramod Prasad, ASI of Mufassil police station, get them to pledge that they will not go out on the road without any reason without helmets and masks.
During this, they also asked to promise to not do triple riding. Along with this, they were made to do many types of yoga exercises on the road. While conducting the yoga procedure, the police especially took care of social distancing and kept everyone at a reasonable distance.
ASI said that perpetrators were warned
ASI Pramod Prasad said that about 20 bike riders were stopped on Thursday near the COD bridge on the road from Giridih to Deoghar. Then as a punishment, all were asked to practice yoga and administered the oath. They were also instructed that if anyone of them were found on the road without any reason in the future, their vehicle would be confiscated.
On the 24th of April, it was announced the Law Faculty of Jamia Millia Islamia would be organising an online lecture series where notable dignitaries from diversified fields will be taking online lectures. The Lectures started from the 25th and on the 30th of April, Supreme Court advocate J Sai Deepak was slated to speak on the issue of Minority Rights and the issue of reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Universities like Jamia Millia Islamia and the Aligarh Muslim University. On the morning of 30th April, Mr J Sai Deepak was informed that his online lecture was cancelled. However, there is a string of events that happened between the invite being extended to the lecture being cancelled.
The discussion before the invite was extended
A representative of the Student Body of Jamia Millia Islamia, that is organising this lecture series, spoke to Advocate J Sai Deepak and requested him to be a part of the lecture series. Initially, the student body representative wanted Mr Sai Deepak to speak on the issue of ‘Mob Violence’. This request was turned down by Mr Deepak saying that he wanted the discussion to be academic instead of discussing issues that have political undertones. He said that while the discussion will be academic, any overlapping political issues can be discussed, however, he would want to stay clear of political undertones.
After much discussion, Mr Sai Deepak suggested that he would like to speak on Minority Rights and also touch upon the issue of reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Minority institutions like Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University.
The student coordinating with Mr J Sai Deepak spoke to the Student Council and confirmed via email the event to Mr J Sai Deepak on the subject of minority rights and secularism as discussed previously.
A poster to that effect was released on the 29th of April itself.
Poster by Jamia Millia Islamia
The protests – Some students start protesting, say won’t allow lecture by J Sai Deepak in Jamia Millia Islamia
As soon as the invite was extended to Mr J Sai Deepak, sections of students from Jamia Millia Islamia started protesting and demanding that the talk be cancelled.
This was confirmed by several students from Jamia Millia Islamia itself.
On 29th, a student confirmed that his friends in the Students Committee had convinced the University to proceed with the lecture, however, it remains to be seen whether they will be able to convince the “students” (who were protesting).
@jsaideepak sir thank you for accepting the Jamia invite. My friends in the Committee did convince the University. Will they be able to convince the students, that remains to be seen.#outrageisstarting
Soon, J Sai Deepak started getting messages from Jamia students informing him of the brewing protest against him and the demand for his lecture to be cancelled.
At this point, Mr Sai Deepak reached out to the Student Council via email informing him of his continued availability for the lecture subject to the condition that none of the student organisers would be harmed, either physically or otherwise, as a consequence of the invitation. Mr Sai Deepak emphasised that his priority was the safety of student organisers.
30th April 2020 – Jamia cancels lecture by J Sai Deepak
Despite the confirmation, on the 30th of April, the day the lecture was set to take place, the Law Faculty of Jamia Millia Islamia University cancelled the lecture by J Sai Deepak. A notice that cited no specific reason for the lecture being cancelled was put up, specifically naming J Sai Deepak and informing the students the specific lecture was cancelled.
Notice informing students that lecture by J Sai Deepak was cancelled
It is pertinent to note that this notice to students did not cite any reason for the cancellation of the lecture. It can be safely presumed that the lecture was cancelled due to the pressure on the University by the protesting students who were also against the Citizenship Amendment Act.
Owing to Mr J Sai Deepak’s public positions on the Citizenship Amendment Act, Article 370 and on illegal migration, some students of Jamia Millia Islamia were demanding that his lecture be cancelled.
The student who had alerted about the protests first, informed on Twitter too that the event was cancelled due to the pressure by a few protesting students.
The event now stands cancelled. @jsaideepak sir was invited for a session in Jamia’s Faculty of Law and after few calls of boycott, the spineless administration is rattled. And the same lot lectures people on intolerance and Free Speech. #intolerantJamiapic.twitter.com/Vgz3YBRMBN
The strange reason provided by Jamia Millia Islamia to J Sai Deepak
While the notice by Jamia to its students did not provide any reason for the cancellation of the lecture, an email to Mr J Sai Deepak said that his lecture was being cancelled because the wife of an employee of the Law Faculty of Jamia had passed away due to old age.
Email sent to Mr J Sai Deepak
It was on 30th itself that J Sai Deepak was informed of the event being cancelled. However, the reason provided was suspect as one sees no reason for an online lecture to be cancelled by a university due to the death of the wife of an employee due to old age and illness.
Freedom of Expression only for chosen ones? UpWord steps in
Branding it intolerance and the administration cowering to the demands of intolerant students, UpWord has decided to host the lecture by Advocate J Sai Deepak on its platform, which is set to be attended by the Jamia students who had signed up to attend the previous lecture.
However, from Minority Rights, the subject has now been changed to ‘Freedom of Expression’ (or the lack of it).
Cowering to intolerant forces, administration of Jamia Millia Islamia has canceled the lecture of J Sai Deepak scheduled today at 8:00 PM. @jsaideepak will now interact with the students live on Upword at the same time. Join at https://t.co/lKp6fDjaNn at 8:00 PM. #IntolerantJamiapic.twitter.com/8p9XrPLLmD
It is worthy to note that Jamia Millia Islamia was at the heart of the anti-CAA protests that turned violent in November with Islamists joining in and indulging in unbridled stone-pelting, arson and vandalism. Ironically, the ‘protests’ were launched in the name of defending Constitutional values.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has come up with a strange ‘warning‘ for the media. She has asked journalists to “behave properly”, otherwise her government could take action against them under the present Disaster Management Act, which she was choosing not to.
“Please behave properly. Under the present Disaster Management Act, we can initiate action. But we don’t, because Bengal has a culture; we believe in humanity. Toleration is our dharma,” Mamata Banerjee said.
Accusing media of falling for BJP propaganda during the coronavirus outbreak, she added, “I just have one request for the media. When there’s an incident, you don’t bother to seek the government’s response. Rather, they become one-sided, negative, and a destructive virus carrier by listening to the BJP,” said the CM.
Eager to criticise the Modi government at the drop of a hat, she accused BJP of spreading “fake news” and “amplifying” the recent mob attack on police personnel in the red-zone Howrah district.
Castigating Mamata Banerjee for her intolerance, West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar asked the CM as to why at the time of distress was she is wanting to “enhance bickering” and muzzle media. Taking to Twitter Dhankar said in a series of Tweets: “Why put media in fear? There should not be anything to hide. Independent media is spine, essential element of democracy. Why stress this asset!”
“We are in ‘roof falling’ situation and must shun petty politicking”, the Governor shared a piece of advice for Mamata Banerjee.
Appeal all parties to be in sync in combating Covid 19. Pained @MamataOfficial ‘opposition behaving like “vultures waiting for the dead”. We are in ‘roof falling’ situation and must shun petty politicking.
Why enhance bickering in times when people face untold miseries.(1/3)
— Governor West Bengal Jagdeep Dhankhar (@jdhankhar1) April 30, 2020
The mob attack on police personnel in Howrah
The Howrah incident, which Mamata Banerjee claimed was a piece of “fake news” and “amplified” by BJP, had actually occurred at the Belilious Road in Howrah, West Bengal on April 28, 2020. Policemen were attacked after they entered the area to enforce the lockdown in the wake of the Wuhan Coronavirus pandemic. It is one of the worst affected areas of West Bengal, second only to Kolkata. In a video shared by a journalist associated with Times of India, security personnel can be seen running for cover after the mob came after them.
In a different video shared by an associate editor at India Today, the mob was seen dragging a policeman, apparently, to safety. A voice in the video says that the face of the policeman has been injured. Another voice agrees. The voices appeared angry with the mob and wanted the Police to crack down on the mob.
As per reports, two to three policemen were injured in the mob attack. The incident occurred at the Belilious Road in Howrah when the Police asked people defying the lockdown to go back to their homes. The mob also attacked the Tikiapara Police Station and pelted stones at the policemen. Bottles were also thrown at the Police.
Allegations against Mamata Banerjee in handling the coronavirus outbreak
The health-care experts believe that the situation in Bengal is very grave as the Mamata Banerjee-led government has not been giving real data to assess the actual seriousness of the pandemic. From threats to doctors for whistleblowing against the state government against lack of facilities to allegations of state government illegally disposing of dead bodies, there have been serious allegations against the Mamata Banerjee government in Bengal.
Mamata Banerjee rants against Centre
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister herself is engaging in rants against the Central Government and a lack of cooperation on her part with authorities at the centre has been reported on numerous occasions. She is busy making false claims about the central government and accuses them of undue political interference in the affairs of her state. Mamata Banerjee has also asked Coronavirus positive patients to quarantine themselves at home, indicating that the spread of the virus is much greater than admitted by the state government.
