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The Guardian’s biased coverage: Calls India’s lockdown ‘brutal’ but deems Britain’s ‘necessary hardship’, urged Trump to impose a lockdown and gives Australia a free pass

OpIndia Staff
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The Guardian’s biased coverage: Calls India’s lockdown ‘brutal’ but deems Britain’s ‘necessary hardship’, urged Trump to impose a lockdown and gives Australia a free pass

The Western Media is known to peddle negative propaganda against India. In their bid to undermine the NDA government at the center, they regularly publish reports geared towards tarnishing India’s reputation. Western Media often singles India out for negative coverage even when India does precisely the same as a lot of other countries. It was most prominent during United Kingdom-based The Guardian’s coverage of India’s lockdown.

On Saturday, Twitter use @AnkiitKoomar posted a tweet that showed The Guardian’s headlines for reports or opinion pieces published on its website regarding lockdown in Australia, India and the United States of America. The difference in the newspaper’s headlines for the same policy approach lays bare the stark reality of the media’s slanted coverage of India.

On the 4th of April, The Guardian published a report titled “‘I just want to go home’: the desperate millions hit by Modi’s brutal lockdown”. The report said, “The consequences for India, where tens of millions live in poverty, work thousands of miles from home, often living where they work, have been cataclysmic.” While it is true that the lockdown has affected the livelihood of a great many, most prominently the migrant labourers, there is no other way to combat the Wuhan Coronavirus crisis. Lots of other countries have gone into lockdown as well in order to combat the pandemic. Therefore, such proclamations regarding the actions of the Indian Government appear undue as it did not have too many choices to choose from.

Screensht of The Guardian report (Source: @AnkiitKoomar/Twitter)

Amusingly enough, on the 25th of March, The Guardian published an opinion piece addressing US President Donald Trump with the headline, “To beat the coronavirus slump, shut us down now, Mr President”. The author argued, “The economic situation, in my opinion, will only get worse the longer the pandemic is allowed to progress. Most small businesses will not be able to make it to the summer. Even if they’re allowed to reopen, without the public being confident that the virus has been fully contained and that a treatment is either available or on the way, consumers and diners will stay away. “Self-quarantines” and localized shutdowns aren’t going to work fast enough. So what’s the answer? A full shutdown in the US. For three full weeks.”

Opinion Piece on The Guardian calling on the US President to enforce a lockdown (Source: @AnkiitKoomar

The Guardian also published a report on the 24th of March regarding the Australian Prime Minister’s ordered a shutdown of large sections of the country’s economy and social life as he urged his citizens to ‘stay at home’. The report said, “With hundreds of thousands facing unemployment, the federal government has suspended mutual obligations to apply for jobs to obtain jobseeker payments for one week, with further measures to protect renters now expected to be decided on Wednesday not Tuesday, as planned.”

The report on The Guardian regarding the Australian PM’s announcement of a shutdown (Source: @AnkiitKoomar/Twitter)

The most intriguing of all, perhaps, was The Guardian view on the United Kingdom’s decision to impose a lockdown within its own territory. The newspaper called the lockdown “necessary hardship”. It noted in the editorial published on the 23rd of March, “However well-intentioned, a laissez-faire strategy for fighting coronavirus has not worked. Now is the right time for the government to give the public clarity and firm parameters”.

Read: Festivals and political opportunism of media: ‘The Guardian’ and its anti-Hindu agenda

The editorial stated further, “It was imperative that Boris Johnson abandoned the register of exhortation and issued clear instructions that will be enforced, thereby instituting a lockdown. A laissez-faire approach to fighting a pandemic did not work.”

Source: The Guardian

While The Guardian was wise enough to recognize that the hardships for the citizenry that the lockdown has brought about was ‘necessary’ in order to combat the Coronavirus pandemic, it does not afford Narendra Modi the same courtesy. In fact, it goes out of its way to call India’s nationwide lockdown ‘brutal’ while reserving no such criticism for even the Australian Prime Minister. Furthermore, it published an opinion piece urging the US President to impose a lockdown in the United States in order to save the country from ruin. Thus, The Guardian’s motivated agenda against India and the Narendra Modi-led government becomes evidently clear from its coverage of the lockdown in the abovementioned countries.

FIR filed against former Tripura Congress president for using the National Emblem on his letterhead

OpIndia Staff
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FIR filed against former Tripura Congress president for using the National Emblem on his letterhead

A First Information Report (FIR) has been filed against Gopal Chandra Roy, a former Congress MLA from Banamalipur constituency in North Tripura for using National Emblem in his letterhead. Roy is a lawyer by profession and serves as an advisor to the Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee. He is also the owner and editor of Ganasambad Patrika, an Agartala based newspaper.

As can be seen in the image of the letter, Gopal Roy is currently holding no official position, but he is using the national emblem on his letterhead. It mentions that he is adviser to Tripura Congress Committee, president of Tripura Olympic Association, Former president of Tripura Congress, former Congress legislative party leader, advocate at Tripura High Court, and the owner and editor of Ganasambad Patrika. None of these authorises him to use the national emblem as per laws.

The National Emblem is the representation of the Government of India. Under the State Emblem of India (prohibition of improper use) Act, 2005, individuals and private organisations are restricted from using it.

Section 3 of the Act reads, “no person shall use the emblem or any colorable imitation thereof in any manner which tends to create an impression that it relates to the Government or that it is an official document of the Central Government, or as the case may be, the State Government, without the previous permission of the Central Government or of such officer of that Government as may be authorised by it in this behalf.” 

In 2007, the UPA Government gave a clear direction under State Emblem of India (Regulation of use) Rules about who can use National Emblem in their seals. Rule 10(3) states that “No association or body of persons, whether incorporated or not, shall use the emblem on their letter-heads, brochures, house flags or for any other purpose in any manner.”

Rule 10(4) further adds “The stationery, including letter-heads, visiting cards and greeting cards, with emblem printed or embossed on it, shall not bear words, like, Advocate, Editor, Chartered Accountant with the name of the person authorised to use the emblem under these rules on the stationery.”

In January 2017, BJP leader and founder of Virat Hindustan Sangam (VHS) Subramanian Swamy revealed on Twitter that he had written a letter to the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, informing about a possible violation of rules and laws by Arnab Goswami, since the former Times Now editor-in-chief had named his new venture “Republic.” Swamy had a point, as the Emblems and Names (Prevention of improper use) Act of 1950 forbids the use of certain terms ‘for the purpose of any trade, business, calling or profession’. Such terms are explained and included in the act, and under item 6 of the schedule, the term “Republic” is mentioned. After that, the new channel was named “Republic TV”, to avoid any confrontation with law.

TMC supporter issues threat of “marking the houses” of those who would comply with PM Modi’s blackout call, reminds of Nazi’s yellow star markings

Dibakar Dutta
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TMC supporter issues threat of “marking the houses” of those who would comply with PM Modi’s blackout call, reminds of Nazi’s yellow star markings

In a contentious Facebook post, a man named Prasun Bhaumik who is sympathetic to TMC and claims to be a ‘theatre artist’ from Kolkata has warned people to refrain from complying with the request of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ‘light a Diya’ at 9 pm for 9 minutes on April 5.

The post in Bengali loosely translates as, “Whoever will switch off their lights on April 5 at 9 pm, we will mark their houses with chalk. Even if this is not done, all such addresses will be listed.” He ends his veiled threats with “Jai Bangla (Hail Bengal).”

Screengrab of the contentious post

A casual look through his timeline reflects his disdain for the Bharatiya Janata Party and the policies of the Central Government. The ‘theatre artist’ however comes to the rescue of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, whenever anyone questions her stand. It is thus safe to conclude from his posts that he is a Trinamool Congress sympathiser, if not a supporter.

In the following post, Prasun Bhowmik writes a poem after being miffed over the statement of BJP State President Dilip Ghosh slamming Banerjee for “begging” ₹15000 crores from the Centre.

The Hitler Connection

It was a common practice in Nazi Germany to profile dissidents and Jews using identification marks. For instance, when the Nazis called for a boycott of Jewish shops on April 1 in 1933, they painted yellow stars of David on window panes. In a gross display of Anti-Semitism, they would also inscribe words such as ‘Juden’ as identification marks for people.

A Nazi soldier marking a Jewish shop
A Jewish shop with the Yellow Star of David

By 1941, it was mandatory for all Jews in the Reich, above the age of 6, to wear a badge which consisted of a yellow Star of David on a black field with the word “Jew” inscribed inside the star. This applied to all German Jews and Jews in Germany annexed territories.

A Jewish woman forced to wear the star

In Nazi-occupied Budapest in Hungary, the Jews were forced to have the contentious yellow stars on their house. They lived under house arrest with little provisions. The purpose of such residences was to accommodate all Hungarian Jews in one place so as to make their deportation easier to Nazi concentration camps.

Conclusion

While goons of the Trinamool Congress threat, torture and even kill BJP workers at regular intervals, the veiled threat of “marking houses with chalk” is reminiscent of Adolf Hitler’s identification techniques. While Nazis were involved in racial profiling, a TMC sympathiser now wants to politically profile people and list their addresses. Last year, TMC politician Mahua Moitra had accused the BJP of being fascist while all points raised by her had an uncanny resemblance to Mamata Banerjee’s government in Bengal.

Rajasthan Muslim woman, who was referred to another hospital, was 7th time pregnant with complicated anaemia case

OpIndia Staff
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Rajasthan Muslim woman, who was referred to another hospital, was 7th time pregnant with complicated anaemia case

On Saturday, Rajasthan’s Tourism Minister and Congress leader Vishvendra Singh took to Twitter to claim that a pregnant Muslim woman was refused admission in a hospital by one Dr Muneet Valia in Bharatpur “because she was a Muslim.” He claimed that the doctor said she must go to Jaipur to get her checkup done since she is Muslim.

Many social media users found it odd that the minister was accusing the doctor without any inquiry committee founding him guilty of professional misconduct. However, the transfer slip issued by the said doctor to the patient was soon shared by netizens which suggested a different story.

Journalist Soumyadipta shared the referral slip issued by the clinic which showed that the patient, the Muslim woman, was highly anaemic and on her 7th pregnancy which made it a complicated case.

As per the referral slip, the patient was suffering from Antepartum Haemorrhage (APH), i.e. bleeding prior to delivery. She was anaemic and on her 7th pregnancy. Hence, owing to the complications of the case, she was referred to the bigger hospital in Jaipur since the clinic was not equipped to handle the complicated case.

Another social media user and a doctor himself, Dr Amit Thadani, also explained that the referral slip contained the words “no investigation available” which means this was an unregistered seventh pregnancy of the lady.

Speaking to OpIndia, a doctor said that the woman was 26-28 weeks pregnant and while normal pregnancy lasts 38-40 weeks. So it was indeed a complicated pregnancy which could’ve risked the lives of the mother and child.

Hindustan Times Bureau Chief Rakesh Awasthi took to Twitter to share the byte of a lady who was accompanying the pregnant woman who clarifies that the doctor did not refer them to Jaipur hospital because they are Muslims.

The lady can be heard saying that the doctor asked them to leave, perhaps because the patient was in critical health and delay could have been harmful.

The incident has thus left people wondering if the state government was throwing the doctor under the bus to enable a narrative where they earn liberal brownie points. Truth will come out only once a fair and proper inquiry is done.

Delhi Police constable Imran suspended for helping Tablighi Jamaat members cross Delhi-UP border

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi Police constable Imran suspended for helping Tablighi Jamaat members cross Delhi-UP border

The Delhi Police suspended a constable on Saturday after he had assisted Tablighi Jamaat members to cross Delhi-UP border. The Delhi policeman is identified as constable Imran, who was posted in the security unit of the Delhi Police.

Reportedly, Imran was illegally crossing the Delhi-UP border on Thursday in his car along with members of Tablighi Jamaat. The constable was stopped by Ghaziabad Police and was taken into custody after he was interrogated. The Ghaziabad Police soon informed the Delhi Police about the incident and now, the Delhi Police is trying to identify how did the members of the Jamaat contact the constable or vice versa.

Imran has been placed under quarantine at a private hospital in Loni along with eight others after he was caught helping to escape to Amroha. Imran is currently suspended by Delhi Police, which also ordered an inquiry.

“The incident took place on Wednesday when Ghaziabad police stopped a vehicle at Tilla Mod. There were nine occupants who on questioning admitted they were coming all the way from Amroha after attending a Tablighi congregation,” said Kalanidhi Naithani, the Ghaziabad SSP.

The Delhi Police have also started an investigation to trace other members who may have crossed the border. All the nine caught at the UP-Delhi border are residents of Loni.

The Tablighi Jamaat is has become the epicentre of the transmission of the Chinese coronavirus across the country. Muslim clerics of Tablighi Jamaat organised a congregation in violation of the government’s lockdown orders, providing a conducive environment for the novel coronavirus to proliferate.

The Jamaat members taking buses and trains to their respective localities all over India has resulted in a massive nation-wide spread within a span of few days. As per government reports, over 9000 Tablighi Jamaat attendees and their primary contacts have so far been quarantined. At least 700 positive cases from Tablighi event has been reported in the last two days and few of them have died.

“We don’t believe in coronavirus, we believe in Allah”: Mosques remain open in Pakistan despite Chinese coronavirus outbreak

OpIndia Staff
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“We don’t believe in coronavirus, we believe in Allah”: Mosques remain open in Pakistan despite Chinese coronavirus outbreak

Even as the Chinese pandemic COVID-19 has spread across the country in Pakistan shutting down most of the country, several mosques have remained opened across Pakistan, especially on Friday. People as usual offered prayers at these mosques despite a government ban on big congregational gatherings in order to curb the spread of coronavirus that has killed 37 people and infected nearly 2,500 others in the country.

“We don’t believe in coronavirus, we believe in Allah. Whatever happens, it is from Allah,” one Altaf Khan, an Islamabad resident believes as per AFP report. Some clerics also encouraged people to attend prayers in mosques. Another Islamabad resident said that the people go to mosque to seek help from Allah as they are scared. The officials added that it was not easy to stop people from visiting mosques unless they willingly cooperate. In fact, as late as March last week, the country’s religious scholars asked only the old and sick to avoid prayers in mosque.

According to the reports, the Sindh government had announced a curfew-like restriction from 12 noon to 3 pm to stop people from visiting mosques, while the Punjab government had issued a fatwa for people to offer prayer in their homes. Similar instructions were issued by other provinces and the federal government.

The mosques have too made announcement urging people to pray at home. However, Pakistanis have found more eagerness to defy the instructions to visit mosques.

“The government and police are making statements to create a sense of fear. Nothing will happen. Karachi is a city of 20 million, the government cannot implement its decision in every nook and cranny,” the prayer leader of the Jamia Mosque Quba said.

A heavy contingent of police and Rangers personnel were also deployed in front of the New Memon Mosque and some other areas in Karachi. In Karachi, the majority of mosques have followed government orders, however, some continued to hold regular prayers.

In other towns and cities of the province, including Sukkur, Larkana, Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas divisions, the mosques have been asked to shut while permission has been given to only four to five people, including the prayer leader to pray.

However, the lockdown has not been strictly implemented in rural areas, especially in villages. “We have offered Friday prayers in our Jamia mosque with the same crowd,” said Abdul Hanan, who lives in a village in the Kamber Shahdadkot district.

The situation in Balochistan was not much different. A big crowd came to attend Friday prayers in Qandhari mosque of provincial capital Quetta, located near a police station. In other areas of the province. Most of the mosques were open, but attendance was low.

In Punjab, mosques have made announcements requesting people to pray at homes. In cities, the orders were mostly followed but the situation in the rural areas was different as people came out in big numbers to offer prayers.

Dar ul Iftah Jamia Naeemia, an Islamic university in Lahore, issued a fatwa (religious edict) saying that people who are stopped by the government from coming to mosques were not obliged to perform the prayers in congregation.

There have been cases of confrontation between police and Muslims on the issue of going to mosques. People gathered near Ghousia Mosque in Liaquatabad area of Karachi and pelted stones at police when stopped from entering the mosque. The police said that the official vehicle of the local Station House Officer was slightly damaged in the attack.

Vadodara: 35-year-old Abrar Shaikh arrested for sharing fake news amidst coronavirus outbreak

OpIndia Staff
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Vadodara: 35-year-old Abrar Shaikh arrested for sharing fake news amidst coronavirus outbreak

A 35-year-old Muhammad Abrar Hussain Shaikh was arrested by Vadodara Police for sharing fake news on social networking site Facebook claiming 145 out of 400 people stuck in Vaishnodevi temple tested positive for Chinese Coronavirus.

Abrar Shaikh’s Facebook post from April 2, 2020.

As reported by online web portal DeshGujarat, Shaikh has been booked under IPC section 502(2) and Disaster Management Act 2005, section 54 by city’s cyber cell police station.

Shaikh had shared a Facebook post by Islamist Ali Sohrab, who has a history of spreading fake news. None of the devotees are stuck at the temple and in fact, the temple has been shut since March 18. After the Tablighi Jamaatis were found to be super-spreaders leading to an increase in COVID-19 positive cases, Islamist Ali Sohrab took to social media to spread the fake news. In a bid cover up the Islamist’s transgression and to make Hindu’s appear to be as much in fault as these Islamists, implying that not only Muslims but even Hindu’s have partaken in disseminating coronavirus across the country, Ali Sohrab concocted this imaginary story.

Moreover, Vaishno Devi Shrine Board has also refuted such claims. They have confirmed that no Vaishno Devi pilgrim is stuck anywhere in the temple nor in Katra, Jammu and Kashmir where the holy shrine of Vaishno Devi is located.

Gujarat: Two cops who skipped duty to offer group namaz in madarsa suspended and arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Gujarat: Two cops who skipped duty to offer group namaz in madarsa suspended and arrested

On Saturday, the Gujarat Police suspended and arrested two cops for skipping duty and offering prayers at a mosque in Dang district of the state amidst lockdown due to coronavirus spread in the country, reports Desh Gujarat.

According to the reports, Circle Inspector of Ahwa IB Ajmeri and Police Sub Inspector SS Daraiya have been suspended after they skipped the duty and went to a local mosque near Ahwa to offer Namaz along with few other Muslim clerics. The two cops were suspended for defying government’s order of not assembling more than four persons during the lockdown.

The two cops and three others including the Maulana have been arrested by the Gujarat police. A case has been registered against all the accused under IPC Section 188 and section 51(B) NDMA Act 2005.

“A Police Inspector and a Police Sub-Inspector have been suspended for offering prayers at a mosque in Dang district amid coronavirus lockdown,” Superintendent of Police Shweta Shrimal confirmed.

The others arrested are identified as Zabbar Kureshi, Abdul Vanzara and Shabbir Vani. Seven people were present inside the mosque when a police team jumped the gates of the local mosque to apprehend the cops. Five people were caught while offering Namaz including the two cops.

Donald Trump requests PM Narendra Modi to supply hydroxychloroquine tablets to treat COVID-19 US patients

OpIndia Staff
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Donald Trump requests PM Narendra Modi to supply hydroxychloroquine tablets to treat COVID-19 US patients

US President Donald Trump on Saturday said that he has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to supply hydroxychloroquine tablets that can be used to treat the Chinese coronavirus patients. Reportedly, US President Trump announced at the White House Coronavirus task force briefing that he requested PM Narendra Modi for more Hydroxychloroquine tablets.

“After call today with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is giving serious consideration to releasing the hold it put on a US order for hydroxychloroquine,” he added.

President Trump also added that he too will take a tablet of hydroxychloroquine after announcing that he has requested Prime Minister during his telephonic conversation on Saturday to lift a hold on the US order of the medicine.

“India makes a lot of it. They need a lot too for their billion-plus people. The hydroxychloroquine, the anti-malaria drug will be released through the Strategic National Stockpile for treatment,” he said.

“I said I would appreciate if they would release the amounts that we ordered” of hydroxychloroquine, he said.

Hydroxychloroquine is in a class of drugs called antimalarials. It is used to prevent and treat acute attacks of malaria. The malaria drug hydroxychloroquine has been lately used to speed the recovery of patients who were mildly ill from the coronavirus.

The Indian government has put on hold the export of anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine and its formulations.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter, “Had an extensive telephone conversation with President @realDonaldTrump. We had a good discussion, and agreed to deploy the full strength of the India-US partnership to fight COVID-19.”

Prime Minister conveyed deep condolences for the loss of lives in the United States and his prayers for the early recovery of those still suffering from the disease.

The United States has been one of the hardest hit due to the Chinese pandemic COVID-19. According to the latest figures, at least 301,902 cases of coronavirus has been reported in the US. 8,175 people have died in the US from coronavirus.

There was a steep rise in the number of cases in the last 24 hours. At least 23,949 new cases were reported, and at least 1,023 new deaths in the US have been reported in the last 24 hours alone.

COVID-19 brought under Ayushman Bharat Scheme, testing and treatment to be available for free at private labs and hospitals

OpIndia Staff
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COVID-19 brought under Ayushman Bharat Scheme, testing and treatment to be available for free at private labs and hospitals

The Ministry of Health and Family welfare has now put COVID-19 under the national health scheme, the Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY). In a joint statement of the National Health Authority and Health Authority, it was declared that COVID-19 will be covered under the AB-PMJAY.

The joint statement said, “The testing and treatment of COVID-19 is already available for free in the public facilities. Now, more than 50 crore citizens, eligible under the government of India’s health assurance scheme will be able to avail free testing through private labs and treatment for COVID-19 in empanelled hospitals. The empanelled hospitals can use their own authorized testing facilities or tie-up with an authorized testing facility. These tests would be carried out as per the protocol set by Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) and by private labs approved or registered by ICMR. Similarly, the treatment of COVID-19 by private hospitals will be covered under AB-PMJAY.”

The National Health Authority is the apex body which designs, roll out, implementation and management of AB-PMJAY across the country.

The testing and treatment of the novel coronavirus infection are being provided at government-run laboratories and hospitals freely as the fear spread of the deadly epidemic. As the Ayushman Bharat scheme is the world’s largest health insurance, this move is expected to grab more private players for providing testing and treatment for COVID-19.

As per reports, the private sector health insurance providers including ICICI Lombard Health Insurance and Star Health and Allied Insurance, have started providing dedicated covid-19 health insurance policies to their customers that led the government update the column and expand the opportunities for the citizens to avail the scheme.

Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Harshavardhan said that, “In this unprecedented crisis we have to very actively involve the private sector as a key partner and stakeholder in the fight against COVID-19. Making testing and treatment available under Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY will significantly expand our capacities by including private sector hospitals and labs and mitigate the adverse impact of this catastrophic illness on the poor.”

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDAI) in a press release on Wednesday (1 April) had said that the standard health insurance policy “Arogya Sanjeevani” for all 29 general/health insurance companies will now cover hospitalisation under Covid-19.

Coronavirus cases in India till 4 April have been surged to 3072, while 213 have recovered and 75 have succumbed to the deadly contagious disease.

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