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MHA issues show-cause notice to Bathinda SSP over PM’s security breach in Punjab, directs to respond within a day or face action

OpIndia Staff
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MHA issues show-cause notice to Bathinda SSP over PM’s security breach in Punjab, directs to respond within a day or face action

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a show-cause notice to Bathinda SSP on 7th January 2022 in connection with the PM’s security breach incident that took place on 5th January 2022. PM Modi’s convoy was stuck on a flyover when he was heading to Hussainiwala in Ferozepur district of Punjab to visit National Martyr’s Memorial and subsequently address a public meeting. The Bathinda SSP is directed by this notice to respond in writing to the MHA within a day of issuing the notice. The notice asks the SSP to explain why no action should be taken against him for the incident.

Archana Varma, Deputy Secretary to the Centre, has stated in the letter that “since there was grave security lapse during PM Modi’s visit, the Bathinda SSP is directed to ‘show-cause’ as to why action should not be initiated against him under the law including disciplinary action under All India Services (Discipline and Appeal), Rules, 1969, the acts of omission and commission.”

The notice issued to the SSP states, “Your reply should be received in this ministry on or before January 8 by 5 pm, failing which it would be presumed that you have nothing to say and disciplinary action as deemed fit would be initiated against you.”

It was further stated in the letter that “It is abundantly clear that the route clearance was given without adequately attending to all security concerns pointed out in the ASL meetings on January 1 and 2. As per the Blue Book and established procedures as Superintendent of Police, Bathinda, you were mandated to make adequate arrangements for the security and logistics for the VVIP’s visit and also to make contingency plan for movement of VVIP by road with necessary deployment of security forces. It is manifestly obvious that a contingency plan with attendant security deployment was either not made or not put to effect when so required.”

MHA reminded the officer about the contingency rehearsal

In this notice MHA also reminded the officer about the contingency rehearsal prior to the PM’s visit to the state. It said, “The contingency rehearsal for road journey from AFS Bathinda to Ferozepur was also carried out on January 4. Notwithstanding the ASL report emphasising the need to have a strong police deployment for road journey and contingency rehearsal, adequate security deployment for contingency movement by road was not made and the VVIP’s cavalcade was blocked with tractors, trolleys and school buses by a group of protesters about 30 km from National Martyrs Memorial in Hussaniwala”

A short lesson about legal obligations to be followed

The letter also clearly mentioned of what are the legal obligations to be followed by the state agencies during the VVIP visits. It stated that “As provided in Section 14 of the Special Protection Group (SPG), 1988, the state government and every civil authority is legally obligated to provide all assistance to the SPG and, therefore, you as SSP Bathinda were obligated to make adequate security arrangements but available information so far indicates that police at the protest site was found to be inactive, senior police officers present at the site were also found to be ineffective in making efforts to facilitate movement of carcade of the VVIP. Throughout the route only skeletal police deployment was observed.”

Show cause notice issued to 5 more officials

According to reports, show cause notices have also been issued to at least 5 other senior officers of the Punjab Police who were on duty during the prime minister’s visit. Although the identity of those officers has not been disclosed yet, they are said to be police officers on the rank of SSP, DIG and above.

NCPCR takes cognisance of a complaint filed against Jo Chopra for using disabled children of her NGO for political propaganda

OpIndia Staff
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NCPCR takes cognisance of a complaint filed against Jo Chopra for using disabled children of her NGO for political propaganda

The National Commission of Protection of Childs Rights (NCPCR), chairperson Priyank Kanoongo has taken cognisance of a complaint filed against Jo Chopra McGowan, director of NGO Latika Roy Foundation, accusing her of using differently-abled children of her organisation for political propaganda.

Kanoongo had, on December 30, 2021, written to R Rajesh Kumar, the District Magistrate of Dehradun in Uttarakhand asking him to look into the aforementioned matter and submit a report to NCPCR within 7 days of receiving the letter.

Copy fo the letter written by NCPCR chief to Uttarakhand district magistrate

In the letter shared by social media user Alok Bhatt, the NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanoongo wrote that the “Commission is in receipt of a complaint through Twitter post wherein it has been brought to the Commission’s notice through the said tagged post that Latika Roy Foundation’s Executive Director Jo Chopra has been using her organization for disable children for the purpose of political agenda.”

“In view of the allegations. made in the complaint, the Commission deems it appropriate to take cognizance U/s 13/ (I) (j) of the CPCR Act. 2005 and observes a prima-face violation of provisions of .1.1 Act. 2015. Therefore, it is requested that your good offices may kindly look into the said allegations made in the complaint to ensure the welfare and safety of children and further submit an Action Taken Report in regard to the said matter within 7 days of receipt of this letter.”

It may be noted that a social media user, Alok Bhatt, had on December 28, brought the matter to the fore and requested the National Commission of Protection of Childs Rights (NCPCR) to take required action against Jo Chopra McGowan.

Bhatt had shared a screenshot of a Tweet posted by the NGO operated by McGowan on September 27, 2021, when the so-called farmer’s protest against the central govt’s three farm laws was at its peak. McGowan had tweeted a photo of her NGO’s main door closed, with two banners emblazoned on it reading “Aaj Bandh Hai” and “Jai Kisan.” She captioned her Tweet: “@LatikaRoyFound1 is closed today because #disabled kids support farmers. #JaiKisan.”

In his subsequent Tweet, Alok Bhatt tagged the NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanoongo and wrote: “But @JoChopra, exuding a typical missionary behaviour, she used a deed to win the trust of autistic kids and then guess what – she used those differently-abled kids for her propaganda/criminal it is – @KanoongoPriyank sir, this is criminal behaviour”.

Responding to Alok Bhatt’s Tweets, the NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanoongo wrote to the Uttrakhand district magistrate on December 30, asking him to look into the issue.

Jo Chopra rose to prominence after she was caught peddling fake news about the Uttarakhand government banning Christmas celebrations in the state.

In a classic example of how the left-liberal intelligentsia has always spread hatred maligning Hindus, the NGO founder had Tweeted on December 25: “Shopping yesterday in Dehradun – this state where #Christmas has been banned. In every shop, every person I met greeted me with a smile and a “Merry Christmas, Ma’am”. Sorry, #Hindutva. You can’t win. Indians are too open, too kind, too cool for your silly agenda of hate.”

As it turned out, McGowan was lying and her lies were promptly called out by the Uttarakhand police, which rejected the claims made by the NGO director. Spooked by reactions to her deceitful post and possibly fearing police action, McGowan later removed the tweet and issued an apology, though it appeared an insincere attempt to pacify criticism.

OpIndia had also published a detailed report on the sordid shenanigans of Jo Chopra and her husband Ravi Chopra. From propagating canards about the Uttarakhand government in order to malign Hindus to her anti-CAA propaganda to her husband’s dubious links with China, the article highlighted how the husband-wife duo has been engaging in anti-India activities.  

Uttarakhand: AAP’s CM candidate Col Ajay Kothiyal uses minor children to paste election campaign posters, NCPCR takes note

OpIndia Staff
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Uttarakhand: AAP’s CM candidate Col Ajay Kothiyal uses minor children to paste election campaign posters, NCPCR takes note

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) on Friday demanded strict action against the AAP’s CM face of Uttarakhand Col Ajay Kothiyal for misusing minor children in political campaigns. This is after Col Ajay Kothiyal’s political campaign on January 2 in Uttarakhand’s Kamad village where he made minor children glue posters all over the village.

Col Ajay Kothiyal happened to share a video of his campaign in Kamad village on Twitter. “This is our army of little soldiers of Kamad village”, he tweeted as he asked the minor children of the village to glue the campaign posters at night. “Your task is to fix these posters in clean, good places all over the village. Remember, you have to do this in the dark, at night. It should be done by tomorrow morning”, he said while addressing the minors.

He called the 12 minors together an ‘army of soldiers’ and asked them to get ready for the task assigned. In its official letter to the DGP Uttarakhand, NCPCR said that Col Ajay Kothiyal has violated the provisions under Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 and Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act by using children in political campaigns as labour.

The NCPCR letter states that Colonel Ajay Kothiyal is misusing children in his election campaign by using them to stick political posters and calling them ‘faujiyon’ and ‘sena’.

“We request you to look into the matter and initiate necessary inquiry to ensure the welfare and safety of children”, the letter read. In the run-up to Uttarakhand Assembly elections early February-March, AAP released the first list of candidates on Friday where it named 24 candidates. According to the list, Colonel Ajay Kothiyal will contest from the Gangotri Assembly.

Kerala CM P Vijayan to undergo medical treatment in the US on state exchequer

OpIndia Staff
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Kerala CM P Vijayan to undergo medical treatment in the US on state exchequer

Kerala CM P Vijayan will leave for the US on 15th January 2022 for his medical treatment scheduled at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. On 6th January 2022, the state government issued an order sanctioning the US visit of Vijayan, his wife Kamala and Vijayan’s personal assistant V M Suneesh from January 15 to 29. The order says that all the expenses in connection with the medical check-up will be borne by the state government.

It is noteworthy to mention that P Vijayan has taken the medical treatment in the US on state’s money earlier too. In September 2018, he had visited the same clinic. The nature of his ailment is not disclosed. Vijayan will leave only after he receives the formal approval from the Union Ministry Of Finance and the Union Ministry Of External Affairs.

Kerala model of availing US treatments on state’s money

CPM government in Kerala tirelessly praises its model of healthcare citing its work in coping with Nipah. It was also hyped in earlier stages of COVID-19 which was actually miserably failed. CPM on the other hand has always touted Cuba as the model to be followed for best practices in healthcare. The Kerala government had also earlier announced that it was exploring possibilities of getting its doctors trained in Cuba. However, it has been a regular practice of the ministers in CPM-ruled Kerala to avail best possible medical treatments from the US and leave the burden of expenses to the state.

In December 2021, the sports, Wakf and Haj pilgrimage minister of Kerala, V Abdurahiman was given clearance to travel to the US for 20 days for medical reasons. He will be undergoing treatment in the outpatient centre of The Johns Hopkins Hospital in New York.

In 2019, CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan underwent treatment in a hospital in United States’ Houston. His wife Vinodini has accompanied him. He is known to be a close associate of Kerala Chief Minister (CM) Pinarayi Vijayan. He began receiving treatment at a hospital in Houston in Oct 2019. Even after returning to Kerala, he continued his treatment in an upscale Thiruvananthapuram hospital.

He later returned to Houston for follow up treatment. In 2018, CM Vijayan underwent a 17-day-treatment in Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, in the United States for his undisclosed ailment. It is notable that the expenses of medico-tourism in all these cases were borne by the state.

Ghaziabad police arrest Yunus, Azad and 5 others for making fake currency notes, machinery and counterfeit currency recovered

OpIndia Staff
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Ghaziabad police arrest Yunus, Azad and 5 others for making fake currency notes, machinery and counterfeit currency recovered

The SWAT team and Narcotics Cell of Ghaziabad police in Uttar Pradesh Friday busted a fake currency racket and arrested 7 people from the Kavi Nagar police station in this connection. The Ghaziabad police said that the accused included one Yunus, whose house was being used to manufacture fake currency notes and Azad, who was masterminding the entire racket. The other accused, who were identified as Rehbar, Sonu, Aman, Alam and Furkan, were in charge of circulating the counterfeit cash notes in the market.

The police raided Yunus’ house based on a tip-off. Besides arresting the 7 accused from Yunus’ house, the Ghaziabad police also seized two printers that were being used to print the counterfeit currencies, 3 bundles of paper used to print the fake notes, 3 cutters used to cut the notes, two frames used for printing and fake currency worth Rs 6,59,600 in the denomination of Rs 100, 200, 500 and 2000.

Ghaziabad police took to its official Twitter handle to share a press note giving details of the raid. Besides naming the accused the press release read how Azad, the mastermind of the racket, devised the entire operation.

Azad learnt how to make fake currency by watching videos on YouTube: Ghaziabad police

During interrogation, Azad informed the cops that he had met someone at a petrol station a few months back and requested some change from him. Some of the notes that the stranger offered Azad were fake. Azad got the idea to print fake notes when those false notes were accepted easily in the market. He learned how to make counterfeit currency by watching videos on YouTube. At Yunus’s house in Islam Nagar, Kaila Bhatta, Ghaziabad, he then began printing counterfeit notes along with his accomplice- Rehbar, Sonu, Aman, Alam and Furkan.

Divulging further details about the case, the Ghaziabad police said that Azad masterminded the racket with the help of Yunus and Aman. Others eventually joined in. All 7 accused were assigned specific tasks, like printing, cutting, pasting the security tape on the notes etc. Once the fake currency was manufactured at Yunus’s house, Azad’a aides- Aman, Alam and Furkan circulated them in the market, where the designated shopkeepers mixed these fake notes with legal currency and utilised it further. This way the counterfeit currency was being disseminated across the market.

Rs 15-17 lakh worth of fake currencies have been printed out of which almost 11-12 lakh worth has been distributed in the market

Ghaziabad police added that Azad confessed that he started the operation in May 2021 and until now, his gang has printed almost 15-17 lakh worth of fake currencies out of which almost 11-12 lakh worth has been distributed in the market. Police stated that the quality of the fake notes printed by Azad and his group is so refined that it’s difficult to differentiate between them and genuine ones.

Further giving details of how the entire operation was being carried out for the last 8 months, the police said that the ratio in which they worked was 3:1, which meant that they delivered counterfeit notes for Rs 3000 in exchange for original notes worth Rs 1000. According to the police, the facilitators were offered a 20% commission.

Punjab govt’s FIR in Jan 5 incident makes no mention of PM Modi’s security breach; includes IPC Sec with only Rs 200 penalty: Report

OpIndia Staff
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Punjab govt’s FIR in Jan 5 incident makes no mention of PM Modi’s security breach; includes IPC Sec with only Rs 200 penalty: Report

Hours before the apex court of the country heard a petition seeking a court-monitored probe into the security breach of PM Modi’s convoy in Punjab, the Channi government on Thursday filed an FIR in the case, a report by The New Indian said.

However, the FIR made no mention of a security lapse in PM Modi’s cavalcade on January 5 when his convoy was stuck for over 20 minutes at a flyover about 30 km away from Hussainiwala after protesters blocked the road.

The incident had led to a face-off between the ruling BJP and Congress party which is currently in power in Punjab. The Congress government in Punjab was under the firing line of the BJP leaders, who accused the Channi regime of deliberately endangering the life of PM Modi by providing inadequate security measures and leaking details of his travel route to the public.

In the FIR accessed by the New Indian, the Punjab government has invoked only IPC section 283 which deals with the offences related to “taking a property in the possession or under the charge that causes danger, obstruction or injury to any person in any public way or public line of navigation.”

Besides being a bailable offence, the maximum penalty a culprit can get under this section is just Rs 200.

The FIR makes no mention of PM Modi’s cavalcade being forced to stop because of the presence of political party workers, activists, protesters or unions. Furthermore, the FIR is also solely based on the statement of Punjab Police’s own DSP Mahendar Bansal, who is linked with Crime Against Women(CAW).

“On reaching the Krishi Bhawan route on Ferozepur-Moga, I was told that some unidentified men had blocked the route which was seeing the movement of VIPS and those who wanted to attend the rally. This happened from 2:30 pm-3 pm. When I reached the police station, there was a protest there…” the FIR contents read.

Interestingly, the FIR does not mention the name of any particular farm union or outfit responsible for the blockade witnessed on January 5 and whose details were shared by Punjab’s security and intelligence teams for the last one week while they were having dialogues with Special Protection Group(SPG) on PM Modi’s visit to Ferozepur.

Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi downplays breach in PM Modi’s security

Interestingly, the FIR was filed following outrage from several quarters, with some blaming the Punjab government’s negligence over PM Modi’s security while others accusing them of hatching a conspiracy to bring bodily harm to the Prime Minister. Amidst the ensuing imbroglio, Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi tied himself in knots by making a series of contradictory statements following the incident.

As reports of a breach in PM Modi’s security started to trickle in, CM Channi tried to abdicate himself from his responsibility of ensuring that the Prime Minister of the country remains safe in a state under his governance. Speaking to the media, CM Channi admitted to a security breach by claiming that it was ‘Kudrati’ or occurred naturally.

However, within a few hours time, Channi backtracked from his comments, asserting that there was no security lapse in PM Modi’s cavalcade. From ‘Kudarati’, in a matter of a few hours, Channi said the security breach did not exist. As his government started facing criticism for not providing adequate security to the Prime Minister of the country, Channi went on to pass the buck on Prime Minister for the quagmire.

Channi govt endangers PM Modi’s security, allows protestors to block his convoy

In a major lapse and seemingly deliberate act to endanger the Prime Minister’s security, the Punjab government on January 5 allowed political protestors to block the Prime Minister’s convoy. As per reports, the PM’s convoy was blocked for over 20 minutes by protestors at a flyover about 30 km away from Hussainiwala.

In a statement, the Home Ministry said that the PM was scheduled to visit the National Martyr’s Memorial in Punjab’s Hussainiwala by helicopter. However due to adverse weather conditions, the helicopter ride was cancelled and the PM chose to go by road, which would take more than 2 hours.

As per protocol, necessary confirmations were done with Punjab DGP and the PM’s convoy started after confirmation for security arrangements was provided by Punjab Police. However, at a flyover about 30 km away from Hussainiwala, the road was found to be blocked by some protestors.

The Prime Minister’s vehicle was struck in the flyover for 15-20 minutes, as per the statement. Calling this a major lapse in the security of the PM, the Home Ministry stated that the PM’s travel plan was communicated well in advance to the state government. The state government is required to make necessary arrangements for security, logistics and also make a contingency plan ready in case of unexpected issues.

As violent protests in Kazakhstan over LPG price continue even after rollback and fall of govt, president orders to shoot protestors calling them terrorists

OpIndia Staff
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As violent protests in Kazakhstan over LPG price continue even after rollback and fall of govt, president orders to shoot protestors calling them terrorists

President of Kazakhstan said Friday that he has authorised law enforcement to open fire on “terrorists” and shoot to kill, following days of extremely violent protests in the former Soviet nation. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev blamed the unrest on “terrorists” and “militants” in a televised address to the nation, and said he had authorised the use of excessive force against them. The violent protests continue in the country despite the fact that the government has resigned and the price control on LPG, the main reason for the protests, has been restored.

He also slammed some countries’ calls for talks with protesters as nonsense. “What kind of bargaining can be done with criminals and murderers?” he said.

Kazakhstan is witnessing the worst street protests since the country’s independence three decades ago. According to police in Almaty, the country’s largest city, dozens of people have been killed in attacks on government buildings. At least eight police officers have been killed and hundreds injured.

Kazakhstan: The richest central Asian republic

Kazakhstan is by far the largest and wealthiest of the five Central Asian countries that attained independence after the fall of the Soviet Union. It covers an area the size of Western Europe and lies atop massive oil, natural gas, uranium, and precious metal reserves.

While Kazakhstan’s natural resources have helped it develop a strong middle class and a sizable group of ultra-wealthy tycoons, financial hardship is prevalent. The average monthly wage is just under $600. Non-performing loans have triggered major financial crises in the banking system. Petty corruption is common in this region, as it is in much of the rest of the world.

Countrywide protests sweeping Kazakhstan

The gathering that sparked the current crisis took place in Zhanaozen, a dusty western oil town. A notion that the region’s energy riches haven’t been equitably distributed among the local populace has long fuelled resentment in the area. At least 15 individuals were shot dead by police in the city in 2011 while protesting the dismissal of oil workers after a strike.

Patience was challenged when the price of Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG), which most people in the area use to run their cars, increased overnight Saturday after the govt lifted price control on it. Residents in surrounding cities swiftly followed in, and huge protests erupted across the country within days. The entire regime is now in the crosshairs of tens of thousands of people who have taken to the streets in more than a dozen cities and towns.

In Kazakhstan, the silencing of critical voices has long been the standard. Any potential opponents of the regime have been repressed, marginalised, or co-opted. So yet, no protest movement leaders have emerged, despite the fact that these demonstrations have been exceptionally large, with some reaching more than 10,000 people, a large figure for Kazakhstan.

Former President Nursultan Nazarbayev wielded power for the majority of Kazakhstan’s recent history. That changed in 2019, when Nazarbayev, now 81, stepped down and named long-time ally Tokayev as his successor. Nazarbayev continued to wield considerable power in his capacity as head of the security council, which oversees the military and security services. Tokayev announced on Wednesday that he would succeed Nazarbayev as head of the Security Council.

Much of the rage on the streets in recent days has been directed at Nazarbayev, who is still widely regarded as the country’s ultimate ruler. “Shal ket!” (“Old man go”) has become the main slogan.

Administrative Response

Kazakhstan is venturing into unexplored territory. Major protests have occurred in the country before: After the passage of a contentious land law in 2016. And again in 2019, following the contentious election that cemented Tokayev’s hold on power. But never on this grandiose scale.

Tokayev pledged to pursue reforms and hinted at political liberalisation in one of his public appeals on Wednesday. His darker remarks toward the end of the day, on the other hand, suggested he would instead take a more repressive path. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is looking increasingly desperate. He first tried to appease the crowds by dismissing the entire government on Wednesday morning. But by the end of the day, he’d changed his mind. First, he referred to protesters as terrorists. Then he turned to the Collective Security Treaty Organization, a Russian-led military alliance, for assistance in crushing the uprising.

Still, because the street protests are so disorganised, at least for the time being, it’s difficult to predict how they will end. Even if they fail to destabilise the government, they appear to have the potential to bring about profound change.

International concern

Kazakhstan’s two powerful neighbours, Russia and China, are concerned about the outbreak of instability. The country exports the majority of its oil to China and is a key strategic ally of Moscow. There’ some discussion about the situation in other countries also.

Pakistanis and their Indian agents share manipulated video of cabinet meeting to claim Modi govt is planning to remove Sikhs from Indian Army

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistanis and their Indian agents share manipulated video of cabinet meeting to claim Modi govt is planning to remove Sikhs from Indian Army

On Friday (January 7), a propaganda Twitter handle of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) tweeted a doctored video to claim that the Indian government is planning to remove Sikhs from the Indian army. The development comes amidst the ongoing conflict between the Centre and the Punjab government over PM Modi’s security breach on January 5 this year.

The Twitter handle (@heyanjaliii), which goes by the name of Anjali Kaur, had claimed, “Cabinet Committee on Security Meeting Minister Anurag Thakur, S Jaishankar calls for removal of Sikhs from the Indian army.” The said account was created in October last year and has about 987 followers at the time of writing. In the video, someone was heard advocating removing all Punjabis from Indian Army. ‘All generals, all soldiers, remove all of them from top to bottom’, the male voice can be heard saying.

However, it is a doctored video, because the audio from a different source was added to the visuals of the cabinet meeting, and it was not said during the meeting.

The propaganda handle used visuals from a Union Cabinet meeting and superimposed an audio transcript from a Clubhouse discussion. It was pointed out by several social media users on Twitter.

Reportedly, the audio belongs to one “Khal”, who had called for the removal of Punjabis from the Indian army during a Clubhouse discussion over alleged bragging by Khalistanis. The audio clip was already being shared on social media slamming the suggestion by many people. But the Pakistanis went ahead and added it to a Cabinet Committee of Security meeting to make baseless allegations against the Modi government.

Journalist Shiv Aroor dismissed the doctored video as ‘laughable’. He wrote, “Laughable fake rubbish in the form of morphed audio doing the rounds by bots. Wouldn’t normally need to call out such obvious crap, but when the ‘Khali-Pindi Desk’ is in overdrive, must step in.”

The original video dates back to December 9 last year, during which Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a high-level Cabinet Committee meeting in the aftermath of the death of CDS General Bipin Rawat.

The official handle of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) had also debunked the claims made by the fake handle. “A tweet referring to a viral video claim that in a #Cabinet Committee meeting on Security, there was a call for the removal of Sikhs from the Indian Army. The claim is fake. No such discussion/meeting has taken place.”

Bollywood actor Ranvir Shorey pointed out how the anti-India propaganda was being disseminated by the use of identical, sock puppet accounts. He tweeted, “Go through the TL of this handle @heyanjaliii to get a taste of how propaganda wars are unleashed by enemies of #India, within and outside. A pathetic and dangerous doctored video, that many gullible people will fall for. Please report all these accounts.”

Shorey also pointed out how the accounts, retweeting the contentious tweet by the ISPR bot, was were identical in nature and even had the same Twitter bio.

India’s COVID-19 vaccine coverage surpasses the 150-crore mark; 25% of the eligible teens register in the first week: Details

Gopal Tiwari
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India’s COVID-19 vaccine coverage surpasses the 150-crore mark; 25% of the eligible teens register in the first week: Details

COVID-19 vaccination drive in India has reached a new milestone on 7th January 2022. The total number of vaccines doses given in India has now surpassed the 150 crore mark. Teens of the age group 15 to 18 were allowed to register for their first dose of vaccine from 3rd January 2022. More than 2 crore teens have already registered for their doses which is about 25 per cent of the total number of eligible teens. This is seen as a major milestone in India’s fight against the pandemic. India had started its COVID-19 vaccination drive on 16th January 2022. Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin and Serum Institute’s Covishield were the vaccines adopted by India to roll on and carry out this vaccination drive.

Initially, front line workers including doctors, paramedical staff, security persons and sanitation workers were the ones to be vaccinated on priority. A major part of the eligible citizens out of these was vaccinated before 1st March 2021, when the vaccination drive was opened for other common citizens with priority given to senior citizens and the people with co-morbidities this time.

PM Modi himself led this initiative from the front, taking his first dose of Covaxin – the made in India COVID-19 vaccine. This gesture proved to be a mass motivator as citizens across the nation showed keen interest in getting vaccine doses on prescribed schedules. As the number of total doses administered crosses the 150 crore mark, here is a brief recap of how did we achieve this.

Data as recorded on the Cowin portal on 7th January 2022 at 5:09 PM

Made in India vaccines

Made in India vaccines have been the salient feature of India’s vaccination drive and its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. This drive is specifically carried out with two vaccines namely Covaxin and Covishield. Covaxin is India’s indigenous COVID-19 vaccine by Bharat Biotech is developed in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) – National Institute of Virology (NIV). Covishield is the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine which is manufactured under license by Serum Institute of India under the tradename Covishield. India has been very confident and vocal about the made in India vaccines.

India has cleverly kept away the foreign vaccine makers like Pfizer who were demanding access to military bases and federal reserves as collateral while providing vaccines to nations like Brazil and Argentina. India also ignored all the doubts raised about Indian vaccines by some self-motivated individuals and trusted its might to carry out large scale vaccination drives which were well proven in drives like that of Pulse Polio vaccination drive in the last three decades.

Beginning in the middle of the second wave

As the nation was hit by the second wave of the pandemic, the vaccination drive was picking up the pace simultaneously. Indian citizens also observed Vaccination Festival in the second week of April to boost each other’s confidence in the vaccines amidst the second wave which was then rising upwards. Though the number of daily new cases was increasing, the lines of citizens on the vaccination booths were bolstering the trust in the efforts taken by India’s health workers across the nation. On 21st June 2021, when the central government took over the monitoring of the vaccination drives which were monitored by the states till then, India witnessed the onset of its major push back to the pandemic.

Turning the tide

After this point right in the middle of the second wave, the vaccination drive geared up even faster. All the adults above the age of 18 were now eligible for the vaccination as the health workers had by then vaccinated a major part of the eligible senior citizens already. As the youth showed an enthusiastic approach towards the drive, the vaccination centres were running at full capacity. India finished 40 crore doses in the month of July. By the end of August, the number was 60 crore doses. Amidst various doubts and criticism, the people of India were busy turning the tide.

Unique way to thank the supreme leader

In the month of August Indian healthcare systems for the first time administered more than one crore jabs in a day which was a record in this vaccination drive. But in the very next month, India showcased something very phenomenal. On 17th September 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated his 71st birthday. On this occasion, the central government and various state governments decided to celebrate the Prime Minister’s birthday in the service of the country—aiming to vaccinate a record number of Indians. Over 2.5 crore doses of COVID vaccine had been administered by midnight on September 17 making this the highest single-day vaccination tally by then.

PM Modi preferred Covaxin which is developed and manufactured in India.

One billion within ten months

On 21st October 2021, India’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage crossed an important milestone of the 100 crore mark. With this, India became the second country after China to have administered over 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine to its population. It took less than 10 months for the country to dispense over 100 crore doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

As easy as it seems from hindsight, in reality, it was a herculean task. There were so many unexpected difficulties. There were so many roadblocks in the way. From opposition parties’ attempts to fuel vaccine hesitancy to the disruption in the global supply chain, India’s vaccination drive suffered a few setbacks but the central government’s resolve to vaccinate the country trumped all difficulties. Response by the people of India wiped out the vaccine hesitancy which was initially being spread by the opposition.

Indian doctors and healthcare workers have visited remote locations to ensure that nobody goes uninoculated.

The journey ahead

The government of India identified hurdles people living in remote areas were facing in order to reach the vaccination centres. There still are some misconceptions and fears about vaccines that keep the unvaccinated or partially-vaccinated people away from the health centres. Elderly people and Divyang citizens find it difficult to visit the hospitals for vaccination. Taking all these things into consideration, the government of India started the ‘Har Ghar Dastak’ campaign in which health workers reached out to people living in even remote areas and inoculated them against the COVID-19 pandemic. This step proved to be a game-changer as India managed to successfully vaccinate 50 per cent of its eligible population by 4 December 2021.

Indian teens are now getting vaccinated.

Safeguarding the future and caring the elders

PM Modi has been very keen about focusing his attention on the youth of the country. Even while interacting with the Olympic players of the Indian squad he had insisted they visit the schools to motivate the students for fitness and make them aware of the importance of nutrition. Then how would he miss out on the vaccination of teens and kids? When more than 90% of the eligible adult Indians were vaccinated with at least the first dose, it was decided to introduce teens into the vaccination drive.

Registration windows for the teens of the age group 15 to 18 were opened on the 3rd of January 2022. A provision for the booster dose of senior citizens was also made and their registration windows for the third dose of the vaccine is about to open on 10th January 2022. There are about 7.5 crore teens in India who are in the age group of 15 to 18. Out of these more than 25% have already registered in the first week itself. India’s achievement to cross the 150 crore mark of the total vaccine doses administered, has a golden shade of this bubbling enthusiasm.

Madras HC refuses to quash FIR against Catholic priest who had used offensive language against Bharat Mata and Hindus

OpIndia Staff
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Madras HC refuses to quash FIR against Catholic priest who had used offensive language against Bharat Mata and Hindus

The Madras High Court has refused to quash the FIR filed against the Tamil Nadu Catholic priest named Father George Ponnaiah who was arrested in July last year for his hate speech targeting the Hindu community. The Madras HC observed that offensive words used against ‘Bharat Mata’ and ‘Bhumi Devi’ attract offence under Section 295A of the IPC, reports Live Law. 

The Madras HC bench of GR Swaminathan was hearing pastor George Ponnaiah’s plea seeking to quash the FIR filed against him under various sections including 143, 153A, 269, 295A, 505(2), 506(1) of IPC and Section 3 of Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 for making derogatory remarks against ‘Bharat Mata’, Hindu religious beliefs, and against PM Narendra Modi and HM Amit Shah, during a meeting at Arumanai on July 18.

George Ponnaiah, the Catholic priest from Kanyakumari had moved the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court in August last year, seeking bail and quashing of the FIR registered against him.

Justice GR Swaminathan observed that the offensive words used against “Bharat Mata” and “Bhumi Devi” attract the offence of hurting religious sentiments under Section 295A of the Indian Penal. Thus, quashing the plea, the Madras HC observed: “The petitioner poked fun at those who walk barefoot out of reverence for Mother Earth. He stated that Christians wear shoes so that they won’t catch sources of infection and filth. Nothing can be more outrageous to the feelings of the believing Hindus”.

He further added that when religious feelings and beliefs of any class of individuals are attacked, Section 295A of the IPC is invoked. It is not necessary for all Hindus to be incensed. The punitive penalty would be invoked if the offensive words offend the religious sensibilities or beliefs of even a small section of Hindus.

Having said this, Justice GR Swaminathan added: “Bharat Mata evokes a deeply emotional veneration in a very large number of Hindus. She is often portrayed carrying the national flag and riding a lion. She is, to many Hindus, a Goddess in her own right. By referring to Bharat Mata and Bhumi Devi in the most offensive terms, the petitioner has prima facie committed offence under 295A of the IPC.”

The Court dismissed the Father’s claim that he was making religious criticism, noting that the speech was punishable under Section 153A of the IPC for promoting communal disharmony. The Madras HC judge said, “a reading of the petitioner’s speech as a whole does not leave anyone in doubt. His target is the Hindu community. He is putting them on one side and the Christians and Muslims on the other. He is clearly pitting one group against the other. The distinction is made solely on the ground of religion. The petitioner repeatedly demeans the Hindu community”.

Speaking on the rampant religious conversions taking place in the region at the behest of Father George Ponnaiah, the Madras HC bench came hard on the petitioner stating that religious conversions cannot be a “group agenda”. In this context, the court referred extensively to an article by Aravind Neelakandan in which he examined Kanyakumari’s changing demographics.

The offences of Father George Ponnaiah under Sections 143, 269, and 506(1) of the IPC, as well as Section 3 of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, were annulled by the Court, while the charges under Sections 295A, 153A, and 505(2) of the IPC were upheld.

Catholic priest in Tamil Nadu arrested for hate speech against Hindus

It may be recalled that on Saturday (July 24, 2021), the police arrested a Catholic priest named Father George Ponnaiah from the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu for his hate speech targetting the Hindu community. The pastor had made the contentious remarks during a meeting on July 18 at Arumanai.

During the meeting with his followers, Ponnaiah condemned the closure of churches and the ban on conducting prayer meetings amidst the Coronavirus lockdown. He paid tribute to late Maoist sympathiser Stan Swamy and also criticised the move to deny permits to build new churches on patta land.

During the public meeting in Arumanai, Father George Ponnaiah also lambasted PK Sekar Babu, the Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department (HRCE). He also took potshots at the BJP at the expense of the local Nadar community.  

Fr Ponnaiah had further insulted Bharat Mata by claiming that she is dirty and can cause diseases. During his public address, he mocked MK Gandhi for not wearing footwear out of respect for Mother Earth (Bhumidevi/Bharat Mata). 

Fr Ponnaiah had also reportedly made derogatory remarks regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah.

Ponniah’s speech had sparked outrage on social media. Many Hindu organisations denounced his remarks and requested that he be detained. Over 30 complaints were filed in several cities in the state, following which he was arrested on July 24 from Madurai in Tamil Nadu.

On August 9, 2021, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court had granted conditional bail to the Kanyakumari Catholic priest, following which he moved the same bench seeking bail and to quash the FIR registered against him.

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