On Friday (June 11), Twitter India suspended the troll account of actor Sushant Singh named ‘Team Saath Official’ for violating rules against abuse and harassment, besides threatening to hack/reveal another individual’s personal information.
In a tweet, Tractor2Twitter informed, “Twitter account of @TeamSaath had been suspended. Team Saath was instrumental in getting accounts of abusers, trollers, hate-mongers suspended. We stand firmly with Team and Sushant Singh. #AntiFarmer Modi.” It must be mentioned that Tractor2Twitter is the social media propaganda arm of farmer protestors.
Screengrab of the tweet via Tractor2 Twitter
The development was confirmed by Team RPD, which was instrumental in the suspension of the vicious account. With over 31.5K followers, Team Saath was found guilty of violating Twitter rules against threats to hack/expose another’s personal information. It was also found involved in violating rules against abuse and harassment of individuals on the micro-blogging site.
Account – Update No – 2️⃣1️⃣6️⃣9️⃣$u$pendêd }—– >> @teamsaath Account
Team Saath run by Sushant campaigned to get nationalist voices silenced
The troll account, which was involved in mass reporting accounts of nationalist handles, was operated by actor Sushant Singh.
Profile of actor Sushant Singh
The account had earlier tried unsuccessfully to de-platform popular Twitter user named Saffron Sniper. In a tweet, Team Saath Official wrote, “A compulsive abuser, a regular harasser and a persistent stalker has been suspended.” However, when the Twitter account of Saffron Sniper was restored, the troll account was quick to delete the tweet.
Screengrab of the tweet
Team Saath Official was the go-to Twitter account for left-liberals and rabid Islamists to silence nationalist voices in the country. The troll account, which would viciously attack other Twitter users in an attempt to embolden its narrative, became the subject of Twitter India’s wrath. Infamous for getting Twitter handles suspended, Team Saath ran into the same trap.
Screengrab of the tweet by former RJ and Islamist Sayema
Sushant Singh and his penchant for fake news
Its founder Sushant Singh has been caught out several times while peddling fake news on the micro-blogging site. He had earlier shared a picture of a deceased elderly man and passed it off as that of a farmer protestor. He had claimed that the ‘farmer’ died at the Haryana-Delhi border during the farmer protests.
Interestingly, it was an old picture of a man, which was first shared on the Facebook page ‘Gareeb jatt’ in September 2018 i.e. 2 years before the farmer protests began. He was also caught sharing fake news pertaining to the release of suspended police cop Davinder Singh, who was arrested last year for his alleged ties with the terrorists.
Update: After outrage by ‘liberals’, Twitter has now resorted the account of Team Saath.
Chetan Kumar Cheetah, a decorated Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) commandant and the recipient of the Kirti Chakra award, known for his unmatched gallantry and extraordinary daredevilry against terrorists, has recently been critical after being infected with the Chinese coronavirus. He has been admitted to the intensive care unit(ICU) at AIIMS-Jhajjar in Haryana.
Though he had tested negative for the coronavirus last week, his condition, nevertheless, remained serious. After nine days, there was a temporary sense of reprieve when his condition improved and he was taken off the ventilator on Wednesday. However, the relief was short-lived as on Thursday morning his oxygen levels dropped to 94 levels and he was again put on a ventilator.
In a recent report in Times of India, AIIMS Jhajjar’s Covid care chief Dr Sushma Bhatnagar had informed that Cheetah is currently under high-flow oxygen. He is conscious and is able to communicate. He has also been taking semi solid food orally. The doctor said that of the soldier’s condition is showing good improvement.
The last few days have been a nightmare for the kin of Chetan Kumar Cheetah, who claimed the CRPF officer had no comorbidities and the only problem that is exacerbating his condition is his hand which took bullets during an encounter. Cheetah had survived a volley of 9 bullets during a counter-terror operation in Bandipora’s Hajin area on 14 February 2017.
In an interview with India Today, Cheetah’s wife expressed optimism over her husband making a full recovery from the grips of COVID-19. “I know he is a fighter. We cannot give up this fight. God cannot be so unfair. We need the nation’s prayers,” she said.
Unfortunately, their son has also tested positive for COVID-19.
The family was worried when Chetan’s oxygen levels dropped dramatically on May 9 and he was admitted to AIIMS Jhajjar for treatment. The family was eager to shift him to AIIMS Delhi or a top private hospital. CRPF took the case on a priority basis and consulted AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria on the same.
Dr Guleria assured the family that the CRPF officer was in good hands and shifting him amidst his treatment could prove injurious to his health.
Chetan Kumar Cheetah had sustained multiple bullet injuries in a gunfight with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir
Chetan Kumar Cheetah is one of the most decorated officers amongst the CRPF ranks. His battlefield heroics are the stuff of the legends which continues to inspire his colleagues and motivate his juniors, especially his miraculous survival from a near-fatal injury he suffered during a fierce gun battle in February 2017.
On February 14, 2017, security forces were carrying out a combing operation to weed out terrorists hiding in Jammu and Kashmir’s Bandipora region. However, a gunfight ensued and Cheetah, Commandant of 45 battalion, valiantly fought the terrorists and ended up suffering 9 gunshots. The 45-year-old was riddled with bullets across his brain, right eye, abdomen, arms, left hand and in the back while fighting terrorists. He was in a coma for 1.5 months before he regained consciousness. For his bravery and courage, he was awarded Kirti Chakra in 2017.
Cheetah had also lost an eye in his encounter with the terrorists but this did not deter him from joining the armed forces again after making a full recovery. Just 13 months after the gruesome encounter, Cheetah was roaring to come back and assume his duty. His seniors thought it will take him a year or two to make full recovery but his spirits proved otherwise. Soon after his discharge from the AIIMS in 2017, Cheetah was reported to have expressed his interest in joining the CoBRA battalion, a special operation unit of the CRPF proficient in guerrilla tactics and jungle warfare.
In the aftermath of the February 2017 attack, one of the senior colleagues of the injured CRPF officer described the steely resolve and unwavering determination that characterised Chetan Kumar Cheetah. “At the base hospital in Srinagar, when I first saw his x-ray and other medical reports, I was shocked to see the way the bullet had pierced his skull and other parts of the body. He was badly wounded. But his determination achieved a miracle,” said Cheetah’s senior colleague Rajesh Yadav, Commandant of 161 Battalion of CRPF.
Cheetah, who hails from Rajasthan, had joined the CRPF in 1998. He soon rose through the ranks and became the Commandant of the 45th battalion of the CRPF and ever since he took over the reins of the battalion, the results were there for everyone to see. He participated in a host of terror encounters and achieved impressive results. He was also in the signals (technical) wing of CRPF besides CoBRA. He has undertaken some exemplary operations alongside the Army. Cheetah was a stickler for fitness and when involved in operations, he would busy himself spending hours in physical activity.
‘Eminent intellectual’ Aatish Taseer has chosen to blame Narendra Modi for the trio of Big Khans losing their preeminence in Bollywood. He sees their presumed fall as part of the NDA Government’s efforts to bring about a cultural change in the film industry.
One would have thought that they have fallen from grace due to the disastrous movie that have starred in recently. However, Aatish Taseer, quite clearly, has rather exotic opinions. Before proceeding to dismantle his arguments bit by bit, let us take a look at the recent movies Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Shahrukh Khan have featured in.
The article by Aatish Taseer
Aamir Khan’s last big movie was ‘Thugs of Hindostan’ which bombed at the Box Office spectacularly and was canned by critics and the audience alike. SRK’s last release was ‘Zero’ and that was the score the majority of the audience gave the movie out of 10.
Salman Khan, meanwhile, appeared in ‘Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai’ this year, which received such a stellar review from critic Kamaal R Khan that it appears to have prompted the ‘most wanted Bhai’ to file a case against him.
But according to Taseer here, it’s because of Narendra Modi that the three have fallen off their perch. Prime Minister Modi, like God, appears to work in mysterious ways, which in this case, appears to be through some weird psychic intervention to convince the Khans to feature in such disastrous misadventures.
Aatish Taseer accuses PM Modi of trying to bring Bollywood in line
Aatish Taseer writes in his article for The Atlantic, “Bollywood’s influence stretches well beyond India. The BJP knows this, and wants to bring it into line.” He accuses the NDA administration of waging a ‘War on Bollywood’.
In the article, he cites Kangana Ranaut as part of this ‘war’. But Ranaut, as it is, is a lone voice who raises any objection at all to the dominance of the Left clique in the industry. And Taseer, the son of a late Governor of Pakistan, cannot even tolerate that. Even so, her stardom has nothing to do with the current government as her career demonstrates.
She has delivered hits and won multiple awards even before Narendra Modi became Prime Minister. Her stardom has nothing to do with politics just as the fall of the Khans have nothing to do with politics either.
He claims further, “There is a heartbreaking inevitability to the confrontation between Bollywood and Modi’s BJP. Modi does not view India as a composite culture, to which Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians have all contributed, but rather as an essentially Hindu entity whose destiny lies in bringing about a Hindu cultural renaissance.”
He also claims, “The BJP has a very different origin story. The party began in the 1980s as the political face of an organization called the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. The RSS was founded in 1925, at a time when European fascist movements were gaining ground. Its early leaders, men such as M. S. Golwalkar, whose birthday the Modi government recently celebrated with a Twitter announcement, brimmed with regard for Nazi Germany.”
It’s an extremely convenient ruse for Taseer to harp on about Indians allegedly having regard for Nazi Germany. Apart from being a gross mischaracterization, it also ignores the fact that Adolf Hitler, before his fallout with others, used to be quite popular in the Western World. Hitler was even declared the Time Magazine’s ‘Man of the year’ at one point. Therefore, to slander Hindus over it is nothing short of libel.
The true face of Bollywood
Once again, Taseer is playing victim while holding a knife to the neck of his political adversary; metaphorically, of course. The fact of the matter is, Bollywood is as anti-Hindu as ever. Stars such as Swara Bhasker and Tapsee Pannu continue to prosper in Bollywood despite their antics.
Web Series such as Ghoul, Tandav and Sacred Games continue to be made at a breakneck pace. The likes of Anurag Kashyap continue to wield major influence in the movie industry. Mahesh Bhatt continues to be a major player.
Thus, the assumption that Bollywood has suddenly undergone some major ideological transformation does not conform to actual realities. While it is true that the movie industry has attempted to capitalise on the rising nationalist fervour across the country with movies such as ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’ and ‘Kesari’, it is purely an economic decision rather than ideological reorientation.
The absence of ideological reorientation is further confirmed by the fact that celebrities resort to meaningless virtue-signaling during Hindu festivals but refrain from such antics on other occasions.
Furthermore, it was only recently that Deepika Padukone, one of the leading stars of Bollywood, made an appearance at JNU to lend her support to anti-Government protesters, without any damage to her career.
The Rise of ‘Woke’ narratives
Simultaneously, there is also the rise of radical Ambedkarites in the entertainment industry. Only recently, numerous stand-up comedians were either forced to delete their tweets or issue an apology over the same.
Also, there is greater influence of ‘Woke’ politics in the entertainment industry, with numerous web series and movies getting made with decidedly ‘woke’ undertones and some with even decidedly ‘Woke’ themes.
Aatish Taseer here chooses to ignore all of that and conjure a mythical scenario where Bollywood has undergone an ideological shift during the current administration. He also manages to whitewash ‘Bombay Begums’, another web series with extremely problematic scenes.
NCPCR, the child rights body, took objection to scenes that showed minors as young as 13 or 14 taking drugs. There were also scenes that attempted normalise children sending nude photographs of themselves to others.
But Taseer sees objection to such scenes as ‘Hindutva’ as well. Quite clearly, the narrative he seeks to peddle is motivated by his own personal agenda against the government rather than any objective sense of reality.
He is once again playing victim even as ‘Woke’ ideology continues to dominate the entertainment industry. He is playing the victim card so that his ideological compatriots can use the imagined victimhood to further ostracise voices such as Kangana Ranaut from the industry.
The real reason, of course, why the Khan are faring so poorly currently is that the audience wants better movies and greater variety. Meanwhile, OTT platforms provide a better range of products and in this new era, age is not on their side. They are growing old and everything has to come to an end one day. Seeing conspiracy behind such natural development is a sign of an unhealthy mentality.
On Thursday, China lodged stern protests at Japan after its Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga made a rare reference to Taiwan as an independent ‘country’ during a parliamentary meeting.
According to the reports, China has reacted strongly to Japanese PM Suga’s reference to Taiwan as a country and claimed that such references breached Japan’s pledge not to refer to self-ruled Taiwan as a country. Beijing sees Taiwan as a breakaway region to be reunited in the future, if required, by force.
On Wednesday, Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide had referred to Taiwan as a country during a National Diet meeting.
Suga, who leads the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), had participated in a one-on-one debate with the opposition party leaders on Wednesday. While discussing the Covid-19 pandemic, the Japanese PM Suga had cited strategies adopted by different countries, including Australia, New Zealand. He included Taiwan as one of the nations that had adopted strong restrictions on private rights.
Edano Yukio, leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party, also referred to Taiwan as a country during the meeting, referring to Taiwan’s strategy to contain the spread of Covid-19.
China says reference to Taiwan as a nation violated ‘One-China’ principle
Reacting to the Japanese PM’s remarks on Taiwan at the National Diet meeting, Wang Wenbin, Spokesperson of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Japan seriously violated the principles of the four political documents including the China-Japan Joint Declaration and breached the solemn promise of “not regarding Taiwan as a country” made by the various Japanese side many times so far in the past.
He demanded clarifications immediately from Japan to eliminate the damage and asked Japan to ensure that such a thing did not reoccur.
“China seriously urges the Japanese side to earnestly keep its promises on the Taiwan question, to exercise caution in words and deeds, to not damage China’s sovereignty in any way, and to refrain from sending wrong signals to the “Taiwan independence” forces,” Wang said.
The Chinese Foreign Minister spokesperson said that there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is an inseparable part of China’s territory. Wang added that the Taiwan question concerns the political foundation of China-Japan ties, the basic credibility between the two countries, and the international rule of law and justice.
Growing ties between Japan and Taiwan
Taiwan and mainland China have been separately governed since the former split from mainland China in 1949 following the Chinese civil war.
Ever since Japan broke off diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1972, the Japanese government has usually referred to Taiwan as a breakaway region of China in accordance with the “one-China” policy. As China began to flex its muscle in the region, the ties between Japan and Taiwan has considerably increased in the last few years.
With the advent of the Chinese pandemic, the ties between the two East Asian nations grew exponentially, which was also demonstrated by Japan’s donation of 1.24 million vaccine doses last week. The island nation had also released a joint statement with the US earlier this year, placing great importance on peace and stability in Taiwan Strait, irking China.
A video has been doing rounds on social media which shows how tonnes of foodgrains have been lying unutilised and spoiled in a room. The ration appears rotten and unfit for consumption since it seems to have been left there unused for a long time. The sacks of ration have the photo of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal imprinted on them.
While sharing the video clip on Twitter, BJP Delhi-State General Secretary Siddhartan said that the Delhi government had allowed hundreds of tonnes of foodgrains to decay at a primary school in Vasant Kunj. He further alleged that the AAP government had unlawfully stockpiled free rations given to the state by the central government under the PM Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana in other schools and godowns.
शर्म करो केजरीवाल! खुद को गरीब जनता का बेटा बताने वाले,उनके हक का जो मोदी जी ने मुफ़्त राशन भेजा था,वो प्रतिदिन दिन दिल्ली सरकार के स्कूलों,सरकारी गोदोमों में सड़ा हुआ मिल रहा है।वसंत कुंज का यह विडिओ साफ दर्शाता है की केजरीवाल गरीबों का हक़ मार कर,अपनी काला बाज़ारी कर रहें हैं। pic.twitter.com/MXurS2adiM
The BJP leader said that the Arvind Kejriwal government was to distribute this ration amongst the poor people of the city, but instead of delivering it to the needy, the AAP govt has been illegally hoarding and black marketing the ration.
As per a report in Jagran, the ration stored in the govt school in Delhi was meant for labourers from other states who did not have Delhi ration cards or Delhi resident documents. It was sent by the central government last year to be distributed among those migrant labourers who were leaving Delhi and planning to go to their native villages, in order to stop the virus spread. However, the ration was hoarded and kept decaying in a government school.
It is pertinent to note here that on May 31, BJP leader Ruby Yadav had also levelled similar allegations against the AAP government and demanded an investigation into the same. She had claimed that BJP leaders have personally visited the school and found that hundreds of tonnes of foodgrains were stored and are rotting.
She has filed a police complaint against the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his government at Vasant Kunj police station and demanded a detailed investigation.
This ration was given to the Delhi government by the Centre to help the public during the pandemic,” she said, adding that the city government didn’t distribute ration in the time of crisis among the families of daily wage labourers, migrant workers, slum dwellers.
While tonnes of ration decay in godowns, Kejriwal Govt announces two months of ‘free ration’
On one side, the Delhi government is accused of illegally stockpiling and wasting rations sent by the central government under the PM Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana, while on the other hand, the Kejriwal government is announcing that all ration card holders in Delhi will receive “free ration” for a period of two months.
Interestingly, this announcement comes two weeks after the Central Government had already promised free ration for two months till June.
Kejriwal govt’s announcement came two weeks after Central govt already announced it
On April 23, the Central Government had announced that it will provide free food grains under the PM Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana for the months of May and June 2021. Under this plan, 5 kilograms of free food grains would be provided to the beneficiaries which amount to around 80 crore people in the nation.
An 18-year-old girl then who went missing a decade ago was reportedly residing just 500 meters from her parent’s home with her lover in Kerala. In a strange incident, Sajitha (now 29) spent the past decade living in a room with her lover Rehman in Ayalur village in Palakkad while her family gave up hopes of finding her.
According to the police, Sajitha eloped with Rehman a decade ago but since Rehman couldn’t afford to rent a house, the couple decided to stay at his house, without coming to anyone’s notice. They were found only after they had left Rehman’s house and started living in a rented house in a nearby village.
Nenmara Police Station House Officer Deepa Kumar said, “Their story sounds unusual, but we took the couple to Rehman’s house and they told us how Sajitha had lived secretly in a single room for all these years.”
Rehman made a hole in the wall for Sajitha to step out
The couple started living together in Rehman’s small room which was well guarded by him. Rehman lived with his parents, sister, and nephew but warned the family members against entering or going near his room.
Gradually, startled by his anger, his family started avoiding Rehman or venturing near the small room. Rehman skipped work often and spent most of the time inside the room. However, every time he stepped out, he would leave a packet of food for Sajitha.
Rehman’s elder brother Basheer informed that Rehman worked as a house painter and stayed locked in his room most of the time. “Sometimes he behaved like a mentally deranged person, would turn violent if someone tried to get into his room. He would even take his food in to eat… During the day, as everyone was at work, Rahman and Sajitha would have the house to themselves,” he said.
Rehman also created a small opening in the room through which Sajitha used to step out for a bath and sit outside for a while at night. Since most of the family members stepped out for work regularly, Sajitha remained unnoticed during the day.
While in the room, Sajitha kept herself entertained with a small TV, using earphones.
Sajitha during an interrogation informed police that she would come out of the room through a window and narrated every incident that happened in the house including marriage functions, visitors, and their interesting conversations during the last 11 years.
‘Hide-n-seek’ comes to an end
The 11-year ‘hide-n-seek’ ended in June after Rehman had gone missing in March this year. His family had filed a missing report, and as a police search was going on for him, he was spotted by his brother at a police checkpoint which was set up as part of Covid related lockdown. He then informed that he has been staying with Sajith at a rented house since he went missing.
As per reports, three months ago Sajitha finally left the house and on the very same day Rehman picked up a quarrel with his family members and stomped out. The couple then settled in a nearby village.
When taken to the police station for further inquiry, Rehman revealed that he was living with Sajitha at a rented house nearby. A further probe into the matter led to solving Sajitha’s disappearance 11 years ago.
The couple was produced in court when Rehman informed that he was afraid of his family objecting to Sajitha and hence kept her hidden for 11-years. However, the court allowed Sajitha to go with Rehman.
On Thursday (June 10), the provincial government of Punjab in Pakistan announced that it would block the SIM cards of those individuals reluctant to get vaccinated against the Wuhan Coronavirus. It was decided during a high-level meeting of civil and military leaders, with Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid as the Head.
The decision was confirmed by the Specialised Healthcare Department (Punjab) spokesman Syed Hammad Raza. He informed, “Final decision has been taken to block the mobile SIM cards of people not getting vaccinated.” The measure comes following criticism of the ‘dead slow’ pace of vaccination in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Until June 1, the government had vaccinated only 4.2 million people (6.3%) out of the total target of 67 million.
Reportedly, vaccinated individuals will be allowed to go to malls, restaurants, and cinema halls. At the same time, individuals with terminal illnesses will be vaccinated on priority. Besides, walk-in-vaccination centres and mobile vaccination camps will be set up outside major shrines in the Punjab province. Businesses will be allowed to fully open in districts where over 20% population has been vaccinated.
Mandatory vaccination for public and private sector employees in Pakistan
Earlier on June 9, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) announced that all public and private sector employees need to be vaccinated mandatorily. At the same time, all government employees need to be fully vaccinated by the end of the month. The Sindh government had also warned to stop the salaries of government employees who refuse to get vaccinated. Pakistan hopes to vaccinate 70 million (7 crores) people by the end of December 2021.
Pakistan launches new Covid vaccine with the help of China
On June 1, Pakistan launched a Chinese Covid-19 vaccine- ‘PakVac’ developed with Chinese help. The Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Faisal Sultan announced that the mass production of the vaccine will begin soon. Thanking China, Sultan said, “China was already a friend and came forward when coronavirus hit Pakistan.” He also lauded the National Institute of Health (NIH) for its pathbreaking development.
“Developing the vaccine from raw materials is not an easy task. (We are) proud of the people that developed the vaccine at the NIH,” Dr Sultan added. PakVac is the localised version of China’s Cansino vaccine. The vaccine will be filled and packaged in Pakistan and sold under the brand name PakVac.
After former minister Navjot Singh Sidhu and Jalandhar Cant MLA Pargat Singh waged a war against CM Captain Amarinder Singh, the AICC was forced to constitute a committee to address the grievances of the Punjab leaders. The committee has proposed a compromise solution, but the dissident party leaders are in no mood to relent.
The panel comprising of senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress’ Punjab in-charge Harish Rawat and former MP JP Aggarwal had reportedly recommended that Sidhu could be suitably accommodated in the cabinet by making him the Deputy Chief Minister, saying that Capt Amarinder Singh should remain at the helm. The recommendation was made at a meeting held on Thursday, however, the dissident party leaders are not agreeing to this.
Justifying that it is not about the differences between Capt Amarinder Singh and Navjot Singh Sidhu, the dissidents said that they have raised genuine concerns like getting justice in the sacrilege case, making public a report on drugs submitted to the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2018 and renegotiating the power purchase agreements.
“The CM hasn’t fulfilled poll promises, so we are convincing more MLAs to come together to press for a change in leadership, and nothing less,” remarked a senior Congress leader.
The committee will be called by Congress president Sonia Gandhi in the coming days. The dissident are hopeful that their views will be considered before the party high command takes a decision.
Congress leader alleges that the CM has maintained a ‘dossier’
Widening the divide further, MLA Pargat Singh alleged that the Chief Minister in his meeting with the panel submitted ‘dossiers’ listing the wrongdoings of the MLAs and cabinet colleagues.
“The chief minister has been making dossiers of his senior party leaders. Instead of doubting his own leaders, he should concentrate on administration,’’ Singh told the media, adding that such dossiers should be made on the officers working in the CMO.
The opposition did not miss the chance to take a dig at CM Amarinder Singh. Senior Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal Tweeted, “Showing a sackful of dossiers on corruption of his colleagues has failed to save @capt_amarinder. The 3-men panel report confirms that Congress MLAs are in full agreement with public opinion in Punjab that Captain has proved an utter failure as CM — an inaccessible non-performer.”
Showing a sackful of dossiers on corruption of his colleagues has failed to save @capt_amarinder. The 3-mem panel report confirms that Congress MLAs are in full agreement with public opinion in Punjab that Captain has proved an utter failure as CM – an inaccessible non performer.
— Harsimrat Kaur Badal (@HarsimratBadal_) June 10, 2021
While Amarinder Singh has rubbished all the allegations, MLA Pargat Singh has dared the Chief Minister to make public the dossiers hours after the panel submitted the report to Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi.
After poster wars, online campaigns begin
We reported how the Punjab Congress has unleashed a ‘poster war’ in the state in the run-up to the 2022 state assembly elections.
With this, the online war is also catching steam with the official page of “Punjab Da Captain” (dedicated campaign page for Captain Amarinder Singh) launching the campaign “Captain for 2022” and declaring Singh as the CM face.
Profile Picture of “Punjab da Captain” Facebook page
On the other hand, a dissident and senior party leader Charanjit Singh Channi, who is among one CM’s “unfulfilled” poll promises camp, has come up with a campaign, “Ghar Ghar Vich Chali Gal, Channi Karda Masle Hal” (There is a discussion going on in every house that ‘Channi’ solves everyone’s problems).
Ocugen, a US-based biotech firm has declared that it will pursue full approval for Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin based on the recommendation from the US Food and Drug Administration(FDA). The decision was taken after the US FDA asked the company to launch an additional trial so that the company can file for a Biologics Licence Application (BLA), which is a full approval.
On June 10, the US FDA had rejected Bharat Biotech’s application for Emergency Use Approval (EUA).
Ocugen had signed an agreement with Bharat Biotech to manufacture, supply and distribute ‘Made in India’ Covaxin, an advanced stage whole-virion inactivated COVID-19 vaccine, for the United States market. It is seen as one of the major steps in getting the WHO and the United States’ approval for the use of Covaxin as a credible vaccine candidate. Covaxin is currently being used in India in the vaccination program but is yet to get an approval from WHO.
“The FDA provided feedback to Ocugen regarding the Master File the Company had previously submitted and recommended that Ocugen pursue a BLA submission instead of a EUA application for its vaccine candidate and requested additional information and data,” said a statement from Ocugen to NYSE.
Under BLA submission, the FDA review process needs longer-term follow-up data for acceptance and approval. The company said it is in talks with the FDA to understand the scope of documents required to expedite the BLA submission process and seek approval for the vaccine. The company anticipates that data from an additional clinical trial will be required to support the submission, it added.
Shankar Musunuri, the chief executive of Ocugen said his organisation was committed to bringing Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin to the United States.
“Though we were on the verge of filing for a EUA approval, we received a recommendation from the FDA to pursue a BLA path. While this will extend our timelines, we are committed to bringing Covaxin to the United States. This differentiated vaccine is a critical tool to include in our national arsenal given its potential to address the SARS-CoV-2 variants, including the delta variant, and given the unknowns about what will be needed to protect the US population in the long term,” Musunuri said.
Recently, Ocugen had announced that it had bagged the exclusive rights to commercialise Covaxin in Canada and initiated discussions with Health Canada for regulatory approval. The company will hasten authorisation for Covaxin under the ‘Interim Order Respecting the Importation, Sale and Advertising of Drugs for Use in Relation to COVID-19 in Canada’, the statement said.
On Thursday (June 10), a violent clash broke out between two communities in Chandannagar and Ballygunge Tiljala areas in Kolkata.
Hindustan Times reported that a large contingent of police was deployed to pacify the situation after the outbreak of violence. DCP (South-East Division) Sudeep Sarkar and other senior officials also rushed to the spot. Although the police did not make any official statement, an official informed that a peace meeting was held to bring the law and order situation under control. “There is communal tension in Tiljala. We are holding a peace meeting”, a cop was quoted as saying.
While speaking about the matter, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar said, “Administration (of) Mamata Banerjee must take all steps to maintain peace and calm in Chandannagar and in Ballygunge Tiljala area. Stern message to Kolkata Police, West Bengal Police, and Home Ministry must be sent to contain the sliding situation. Time to hold concerned accountable.” He had shared a disturbing video wherein a frenzied mob, welding batons, were seen vandalising a police van. The miscreants were also seen destroying glass panes in the vehicle with bricks and sticks.
Administration @MamataOfficial must take all steps to maintain peace and calm in Chandannagar and in Ballygunge Tiljala area.
— Governor West Bengal Jagdeep Dhankhar (@jdhankhar1) June 10, 2021
Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar emphasised, “Anarchy, lawlessness, and violence are enemies of democracy. Appeal to Mamata Banerjee to contain the volatile situation from worsening. Those responsible must be sternly dealt with (by Kolkata Police, West Bengal police) in an exemplary manner. Time to rise above partisan interests. “In another video shared by him, it could be seen that the police officials were thrashing the accused to pacify the chaotic situation.”
Hindu temple attacked, idols vandalised
BJP worker, Devdutta Maji, informed that a Shani Kali temple was vandalised by Islamists in broad daylight in the Tiljala neighbourhood on Tuesday (June 8). He added that idols were desecrated and temple gates were broken. According to Maji, another temple was attacked on Thursday (June 10). “Hindus are stuck in Hazarigali”, he urged for immediate action to save Hindus in the area. In a video shared by him, people were seen running on roads while the street lay covered in the smoke of country-made bombs.
Temple Broken in Kolkata by Jihadis in DayLight, Tiljala, before Tarikhana more. ShaniKali Temple attacked by Jihadis on 8/6/21, broke IDOLS & Gate, 2day again Ms attacked Temple & Hindus. Hindus r stuck in Hazarigali@CPKolkata plz take immediate action & save Hindus@AmitShahpic.twitter.com/YXkyh8nbSP
— Devdutta Maji (President of SinghaBahini) (@MajiDevDutta) June 10, 2021
A Twitter account named ‘Hopeless Bengali Hindu’ had shared visuals from a Kali Mandir in Masjid Bari lane in Tiljala in Kolkata. From the video footage, it became evident that the idols were desecrated while the miscreants tried to forcibly break open the gate. According to the Twitter user, the attack took place on Wednesday (June 9). OpIndia, however, could not independently verify this footage.
29A TILJALA MASIID BARI LANE KOLKATA 39 Ward no:66 Yesterday night it happened ….
— Hopeless Bengali Hindu (@kuntal28695281) June 9, 2021
Journalist assaulted brutally in Tiljala
BJP MLA and leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal State Legislative Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, informed about the ordeal of a journalist in Tiljala. He tweeted, “While covering the news journalist Sanjeeb Basu was brutally attacked. I strongly condemn this incident which is an onslaught on people for exercising their democratic rights and attacks free journalistic liberties.”
In a tweet in Bengali, he further added, “Trinamool-sponsored goons brutally assaulted journalist Sanjeeb Basu while he was trying to gather news about violence in Tiljala. This is how the Trinamool Congress is consistently murdering democracy in the country. I strongly condemn the incident.”
(3/3) তিলজলায় দুষ্কৃতী দৌরাত্ম্যের খবর সংগ্রহ করতে গিয়ে তৃণমূল আশ্রিত দুষ্কৃতীদের হাতে আক্রান্ত সাংবাদিক সঞ্জীব বসু । এভাবেই বারবার গণতন্ত্রকে হত্যা করে চলেছে তৃণমূল সরকার । এই ঘটনার তীব্র ধিক্কার ও নিন্দা জানাই । pic.twitter.com/nn2lkGS9TY
— Suvendu Adhikari • শুভেন্দু অধিকারী (@SuvenduWB) June 10, 2021
On being asked to narrate the incident, journalist Sanjeeb Basu informed, “We had received a tip-off about a law and order situation in Topsia Hazaribagh. When we reached there, I and my co-worker were beaten black and blue by the miscreants. I was badly hit in the eye (pointing towards his sore eyes). Then, a few local men intervened and rescued us.”
