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Hemant Soren does a Kejriwal: After announcing free vaccines for all in Jharkhand, now wants center to pay for it

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Hemant Soren does a Kejriwal: After announcing free vaccines for all in Jharkhand, now wants center to pay for it

A little over a month ago, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren had announced free vaccines for all beneficiaries in the 18-45 age group. However, expressing concerns over rates and doing a Kejriwal-style U-turn, the Chief Minister has now written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide free vaccines to the state. 

In April, Soren had announced that his government will vaccinate everyone in the 18+ age group free of cost.

The Delhi CM’s latest U-turn has been asking for the centraliziation of the vaccination program after advocating decentralization. Similarly, Soren cited the state’s incapability to procure vaccines owing to resource crunch after announcing free vaccines for everyone in the 18+ age group back in April. He said that the exorbitant pricing to vaccinate 1 crore 57 lakh beneficiaries in the age group of 18 to 44 years would lead to a burden of 1,100 crores on the state exchequer.

Soren also complained about the shortage of vaccines and their procurement causing major blocks in the vaccination drive of the state. The state had ordered 25 lakh doses from both domestic manufacturers- the Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech each, but the manufacturers are also overburdened, he said. 

However, it is imperative to note that Jharkhand wasted 37.3% vaccines according to the data available with the union health ministry.

Hemant Soren’s letter to the Prime Minister. Image Source: ANI

The letter also mentioned that the states including Jharkhand have always received vaccines free of cost from the Central government for all other programmes such as Pulse Polio and Routine Immunisation and the same should be applicable for Covid-19 vaccines as well. 

Hemant Soren’s letter to the Prime Minister. Image Source: ANI

Soren additionally urged to let states break away from the common framework of prioritizing beneficiaries and allow the state governments the freedom to define the priorities of the vaccination coverage.

So basically, Soren wants the Central government to supply all the vaccines but wants the power to decide who will receive it first for himself.

Coronavirus cases in the state

The state of Jharkhand reported 831 new coronavirus cases and 13 fatalities in the past 24 hours. While the recovery rate in the state improved and stood at 95.27 per cent, the mortality rate remained high at 1.47 per cent. 

Additionally, the lockdown in the state has been extended till June 03 with several restrictions and suspension of intra and inter-city bus services. 

Pakistan: Geo News anchor Hamid Mir taken off air for exposing the Pakistan army’s atrocity on journalists. Here is what he said

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Pakistan: Geo News anchor Hamid Mir taken off air for exposing the Pakistan army’s atrocity on journalists. Here is what he said

In yet another attack on press freedom in Pakistan, a prominent news anchor and journalist Hamid Mir has been taken off air over his critical remarks against the ISI and the Pakistani military establishment. Mir, who works at Geo News, lashed out at the military during a protest on Friday (May 28) after one Pakistani journalist named Asad Ali Toor was attacked and nearly killed at his Islamabad home.

Geo News has confirmed to BBC Urdu that the veteran journalist has been sent on leave for some time and that he will not be hosting the popular program, ‘Capital Talk’ from May 31 onwards. While speaking about the development on Monday, Hamid Mir tweeted, “Nothing new for me. I was banned twice in the past. Lost jobs twice. Survived assassination attempts but cannot stop raising voice for the rights given in the constitution. This time I m ready for any consequences and ready to go to any extent because they are threatening my family.”

In another tweet, the veteran journalist said, “I told them if they arrest the persons who attacked Asad Toor then I am ready to apologize, let alone issue an explanation.” It must be mentioned that Mir’s show has been shelved twice, once in 2007 and once in 2014 for speaking out against the then ISI Chief General Zaheer Ul Islam over a terror attack.

Attack on Pakistani journalist

Last Tuesday (May 25), a Pakistani journalist named Asad Ali Toor was attacked at his residence in Islamabad by three unidentified assailants. In a statement, Toor informed that the attack took place at around 11 o’clock in the morning. When he heard the doorbell, the journalist rushed to open the door. The assailants barged into his apartment at gunpoint and threatened him to step back. They further intimidated him of death if he tried to escape.

The journalist was then reportedly dragged to his bedroom and then brutally assaulted and gagged by the three unidentified men. Toor recounted, “They threw me on the floor hard and told me not to make a sound or they would shoot me. One of the attackers started hitting me repeatedly on the elbows with his pistol butt…I tried to scream but no sound came out.”

According to the journalist, the assailants identified themselves as members of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The attackers questioned him about his source of ‘funding’ and coerced him to shout slogans denouncing Israel, India, and Afghanistan. He was asked to praise Pakistan as he had always been critical of the military establishment in the country.

Hamid Mir’s outburst against the Pakistani military establishment

On Friday, during a large gathering of Pakistani journalists for showing solidarity with Asad Ali Toor, Hamid Mir threatened to reveal the secrets of the military establishment. “Now, if you (Pakistan army establishment) enter our homes with guns and tanks, then, we may not retaliate in the same manner. But, we will reveal your heavily-guarded secrets. And we will reveal whose wife shot whom and who was General Rani in this case,” he warned.

It is believed that ISI Chief General Faiz Hameed had an affair with Aroosa Alam, the daughter of General Rani (the mistress of late Pakistani General Yahya Khan). On learning about the affair, Hameed’s wife had reportedly shot him. Aroosa Alam also maintains a good relationship with Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh. “If you ever enter our houses, then, we will tell the world why did your wife fire bullets at you,” Mir added.

“If you are a man of courage, then, publicly acknowledge that you ambushed the house of Asad Ali Toor. But you are such shameless and cowardly that you cannot accept it. Instead, you claim that he was beaten by the brother of one girl. We are up against a cowardly enemy which believes that we don’t know them. We know who you’re,” he emphasised. Hamid Mir further stated that the establishment is miffed at the media for not giving in to their demands of establishing diplomatic relations with Israel and India.

Hamid Mir has been critical of Pakistani army over ‘forced disapperances’

While speaking to Voice of America (VOA) in July last year, Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir hinted at the role of the Pakistan army and its Intelligence agency ISI in masterminding the abduction of fellow journalist Matiullah Jan. At the very onset, Mir accused the Inspector General (IG) of deliberately not appearing before the Supreme Court of Pakistan in a bid to avoid furnishing the CCTV footage which indicates the role of ‘non-civilian authority’ in the forced disappearance of the journalist.

“IG did not come to Court because he knew that the Chief Justice will ask him to produce the footage of safe city cameras. In the footage, it was clearly visible that Matiullah Jan was abducted from outside a school by people who were dressed in police uniforms. They had even used a police car for the operation. They wanted to give the impression that it was executed by the cops. However, the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) has refuted claims of any police involvement in the case. According to my information, the civilian government, civilian agencies, or the Islamabad police have no role in his abduction.”

Hamid Mir informed that he was too unsure about the role of ‘non-civilian’ authority in the forced disappearance of Matiullah Jan, until segments of his show were ‘censored’ by those who have been ‘historically’ accused of executing such abductions. “The last segment of my show was about Matiullah Jan wherein I talked with Ijaz Shah since he was the first to retrieve the CCTV footage. … First, they edited the opening remarks about the journalist’s disappearance. Then, I learned that more such cuts are being made to the show. And this was done on the behest of a non-civilian authority… The story became crystal clear to me… The accused are those who have been involved in such incidents even in the past,” he had emphasized.

‘Padhe likhe moorkh’: Union Minister Hardeep S Puri’s reply to ex-IAS officers over Central Vista is going viral. Watch

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‘Padhe likhe moorkh’: Union Minister Hardeep S Puri’s reply to ex-IAS officers over Central Vista is going viral. Watch

On May 31, Minister for Housing & Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri held a press conference on the Central Vista project. Towards the end of the conference, the minister marked his objection on one of the statements that were made in an ‘open letter’ by former bureaucrats last year that has been making rounds on social media platforms.

In the statement, the bureaucrats had said, “There is a great deal wrong with the conceptualization of the project. Rather than establishing the necessity of the project with sound prior studies on environmental and technical parameters, this project began, if reports are to be believed, because of a superstitious belief that the present Parliament building is ‘unlucky’, as well as with the thought of leaving a particular government and its leader’s impress on the architecture of Delhi.”

Puri rebutted the statement and laid down several facts about the project. He said being retired civil servants with decades of experience, these former bureaucrats should not have believed the reports in the first place and should have looked for the facts. He said, “These are not educated fools but a disgrace to the country.” He further added, “I will not put my signatures on a letter that talks about superstitious belief.”

He urged those who are raising questions over the central vista project to at least visit the parliament once and see how difficult it is to sit there due to lack of space. He said, “The parliament was designed for fewer people. We are making a bigger parliament building for the people of India.” He further said, “I think some of these guys need to have their head examined before they sign letters like this.”

Puri said they are saying that it was an open letter but I was never made aware of the letter before. It was only on May 31 when he came to know about the contents of the letter. However, it has been making rounds on social media. He further raised question over the alleged news portals that have popped up recently and said, “I do not know what agenda they have but they need to get their facts right.”

Later, he also shared a snippet of the so-called open letter sent by ex-civil servants.

Referring to them as ‘vidvaans’ (intelligent, learned folks), he said that their contention that the new Central Vista will deprive people of the open space which works as an inexpensive place for recreation is misplaced. “Once the Central Vista Avenue redevelopment is complete there will be even more space for recreation & for Mummy, Daddy & Pappu to have ice cream there,” he said.

The problem of the false narrative

Union Minister Puri laid down a lot of facts during the press conference. He talked about the false narrative that is being created and propagated around the Central Vista project. He said that majority of those who are opposing the project are calling it a vanity project, insinuating that it is not needed. In reality, they do not even know the difference between Central Vista and Central Vista avenue.

He added that there are misconceptions that old heritage buildings will be demolished to raise new buildings. The narrative, he said, is completely false and the Government of India has repeatedly stated that none of the heritage buildings would be touched.

Only two projects are under construction

At present, only two projects are under construction. The first is the new parliament building and the second is Central Vista avenue. The aim is to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Independence in the new building in 2022. No other projects have yet commenced including the new official residence for the Prime Minister. The estimated cost of the new parliament building is Rs 852 crores and the estimated cost of Central Vista avenue is Rs 477 crore.

UPA-2 had conceptualized the new parliament

Puri added that in 2012, the UPA government had decided to build a new parliament. In the same year, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, then-Union Minister for Rural Development had said, “We badly need a new parliament building. This one simply isn’t functional and is outdated.” When BJP came to power, the project was not only discussed extensively with every stakeholder but every permission had been sought before the project was started on the ground. 

The current problems with the Parliament building and government offices

The current parliament building is in a seismic zone 4, said the Union Minister. The existing building would be not able to tolerate strong tremors, making it dangerous. Also, when India got independence in 1947, the population was close to 350 million. At present, the population is around 1.35 billion. The current building is not sufficient for the ample representation of the public. Due to lack of space, delimitation is being postponed for decades. In 2026 delimitation would be done based on the 2021 census. The new parliament building is required so that additional MPs can be accommodated.

Puri further added that the government of India is currently spending Rs.1000 crores on rents on government offices which will be saved once the project is completed in the coming years. He said that the project will provide government offices for 51 ministries with proper urban connectivity. However, it has to noted that the construction work of all the other buildings that are part of this project is yet to be started. No tenders have been floated for the rest of the project including the residence of the Prime Minister of India. The main aim of the government is to get the parliament building ready so that it can be put in use for the celebration of the 75th anniversary of Independence in August 2022.

Notably, the Delhi High Court had dismissed a PIL against the Central Vista project and called it a “motivated plea”. The court also imposed a fine on the petitioners Anya Malhotra and Sohail Hashmi for wasting the court’s time in frivolous petitions.

UP govt orders genome sequencing to study virus mutation to be better prepared for the next waves of pandemic

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UP govt orders genome sequencing to study virus mutation to be better prepared for the next waves of pandemic

With multiple states grappling with the raging second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, the Yogi Adityanath government has ordered genome sequencing to study coronavirus mutations to be better prepared for the next waves.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday that the government should involve the Central Drug Research Institute to carry out studies on genome sequencing and put the study to use for planning and preparation in the fight against the pandemic. 

With the recovery rate surpassing 95% and positivity rate at just 0.5 per cent, Uttar Pradesh- one of the most populous states of the country managed to curb the second wave with intensive door-to-door testing, building rapid health infrastructure and now preparing for the next waves.

Health Minister JP Singh informed that the health department has been instructed to carry out genome sequencing of 10% of all positive samples. These samples will be collected from regions that have been reporting a high number of cases.

The Minister added, “We carried out a similar exercise in the first wave as well, where 10% of the samples were picked up for genome sequencing. Now, because of the massive spread of the virus, we need to make sure that the virus has not mutated or if it has, then the government needs to keep abreast of any changes and ensure that if there is any sequence of concern, then we have it on record.”

Additionally, the state will be undertaking sero survey to determine how many people have already been infected with the virus.

“The government will be able to determine the percentage of infection in the population, collated on the basis of gender and age. We are expecting the results of the survey to be in by the end of June,” informed a government spokesperson.

Emphasis on pediatric health infrastructure 

In view of reports by experts that suggest the possible third wave might affect children, Chief Minister Adityanath has directed the health department to complete the setting up of pediatric ICUs (PICU) and mini PICUs in hospitals by June 20.

The medical colleges have also been directed to set up 100 bed PICUs and 50 bed neonatal ICUs. PICUs are also being set up in district hospitals and community health centres. 

No extension will be given for the completion of work with inspections of the health facilities to be carried out regularly. 

To add to the preparations, the government will also start pediatric care training from June 01.

Covid-19 situation in the state

With the declining test positivity rate, the number of active cases has also come down drastically in UP. On May 31, the state recorded 1472 new covid cases. An order by the state government said that the economic activities will be allowed to resume in zones/ districts which have less than 600 active cases from Tuesday onwards.

6-year-old Kashmiri girl’s cute appeal to ‘Modi Sahab’ gets online class load reduced

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6-year-old Kashmiri girl’s cute appeal to ‘Modi Sahab’ gets online class load reduced

With the onset of the pandemic, not just work but even schools and colleges have shifted online. In a video that has now gone viral on social media, a 6-year-old girl from Kashmir addressed a video to Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagging the long hours of online classes.

The girl in the video questions ‘Modi Sahab’ as to why the young children of lower grades are made to attend long hours of class and burdened with homework just like her higher grade counterparts. She also informed that she has to attend online classes from 10 am to 2 pm, which starts with English, then Math followed by Urdu, EVS, and Computer.

The video went viral on social media, winning hearts, bringing a smile to everyone’s face amid the gloom and doom of the pandemic.

The video has since received over 450k views garnered a response even from the LG of Jammu & Kashmir who in his tweet said, “Very adorable complaint. Have directed the school education department to come out with a policy within 48 hours to lighten burden of homework on school kids. Childhood innocence is gift of God and their days should be lively, full of joy and bliss.”

Covid-19 cases in Jammu & Kashmir

Jammu & Kashmir reported 1525 new coronavirus cases with 525 from the Jammu division and 1000 from the Kashmir division and 37 fatalities on Monday. As per official reports, Jammu district recorded the highest number of cases at 278 followed by 253 in Srinagar. 

The lockdown in Jammu & Kashmir has been extended till further notice with fresh set of guidelines. 

Maharashtra: 41 animals including cows, calves rescued in illegal slaughterhouse raid, five arrested

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Maharashtra: 41 animals including cows, calves rescued in illegal slaughterhouse raid, five arrested

Neral Police on Monday raided an illegal slaughterhouse and rescued at least 41 animals including cows, calves and buffaloes. The rescued animals were sent to a gaushala (cowshed) in Bhiwandi, Thane district. Five men, Imtiaz Latif Saire (51), Sameer Latif Saire (32), Shoaib Shakil Bubere (20), Taslip Aziz (40), and Shakeel Mustaq Bubere (42) have been arrested in the matter.

As per the report, the illegal slaughterhouse came to light after Raigad district superintendent of police Ashok Dudhe received an anonymous tip off. The illegal slaughterhouse was situated in Salokh village, Karjat taluka in Raigad.

According to a police officer, when the cops reached the place, they saw three animals being taken away for being slaughtered. All five accused were caught. The police said that the illegal slaughter would take place in the night so that no one could know about it.

Further investigation is currently underway.

‘Not possible to cremate dead bodies quietly,’ Yogi refutes allegations of Covid data fudging, explains tradition of Jal Pravah

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‘Not possible to cremate dead bodies quietly,’ Yogi refutes allegations of Covid data fudging, explains tradition of Jal Pravah

Yogi Adityanath has strongly rejected the allegations of Covid data being under-reported and misrepresented in his state. Slamming those who are indulging in spreading misinformation based on assumptions, the Uttar Pradesh CM while speaking to Economic Times said that those who are oblivious to facts and ground realities are bound to make such allegations.

Yogi Adityanath response to allegations of Covid date being under-reported in the state

Negating the claims, Yogi said that all the data entry is taking place online, linked through national software. He furthered that not only state machinery, but organisations like the UNICEF and WHO, besides central agencies, also have their officials working on the field. WHO has positioned as many as 2000 workers all around the state, so in such a situation when you are constantly being watched, fudging data is quite implausible, said Yogi.

Besides, the CM said that Uttar Pradesh has been applauded for its continuous efforts to contain the pandemic. In fact, Niti Aayog has asked other states to replicate the UP model of door-to-door survey, testing and provision of medicine in rural areas. The CM asserted that it is impossible to develop a model unless there is some substance to it, so the question of manipulating data was impossible.

Yogi rubbishes claims that the number of Covid deaths are being undercounted

Further putting to rest the speculation of Covid deaths being undercounted in the state, Yogi Adityanath asserted that if people are dying and numbers are being hidden, then someone will come out to speak up against it. “Aisa nahi hai ki koi mar jaaye aur chup chaap uska daah sanskar kar diya jaaye. That just cannot happen. The entire system is transparent.

Speaking on how UP is probably the first state where all hospitals are under central CCTV surveillance, Yogi said that he can personally monitor the happenings in a hospital in Gorakhpur while sitting in Lucknow through his tablet.

Rebuking the opposition and their friendly media, who are trying to milk the pandemic to garner political mileage, the Uttar Pradesh CM asserted that such opportunists will eventually get a befitting reply from the citizens of India. “Look, we are facing a rare global pandemic. But still, some people want to use it to play politics. People will give them a befitting reply”, said Yogi Adityanath.

When the interviewer nudges him to comment on the videos and visuals of dead bodies floating in the Ganga and buried in the sands that recently emerged from the state, Yogi explained how this is a Hindu tradition, which is being followed from ancient times.

Media created similar hullabaloo over bodies floating in rivers in 2014, 2015: Yogi Adityanath

“Floating dead bodies in the river is seen as a means to salvation by some. If you look at traditions followed by monks, all three types of tradition co-exist — cremation, burial as well as jal pravah. These traditions exist even among those who are married, as well as in communities like Dasnami Sampradaya, Giri, Puri. Communities residing by the rivers especially take to this kind of practice,” said Yogi, as he reminded how media had created a similar hullabaloo over bodies floating in rivers in years 2014 and 2015.

“We had run awareness campaigns under the Namami Gange regarding these traditions”, said Yogi.

The CM added here that during the first wave of the pandemic, the state government had given funds to gram panchayats and municipal corporations to conduct proper cremations, which was somehow missed during the second wave as the state’s administrative machinery got pre-occupied in Covid management, given that the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic affected the country on a much larger scale as compared to the first wave last year.

However, Yogi asserted that the state has now formed committees headed by gram pradhans and heads of municipal corporations to make sure bodies are not floated in the river. Besides starting a campaign, we have deployed SDRF units, PAC flood units to patrol these areas.

How the Uttar Pradesh government has been handling vaccine and testing hesitancy in villages

Confirming that hesitancy to both testing and vaccination in villages is prevalent, Yogi said that that was why the state government tasked gram pradhans, Anganwadi and Asha workers. “We are putting up posters in villages of people who have vaccinated themselves. We have set up common service centers (CSCs) in each of the 58,000 gram panchayats, manned by skilled personnel for documentary and online work. Basically, people can get themselves registered and vaccinated at one place”, confirmed Yogi Adityanath.

How UP is prepping up for the anticipated third wave

Asked on how he plans to ramp up the vaccination drive and prepare for the third wave, Yogi asserted that the preparations to tackle the anticipated third wave is already underway.

“I just toured the state for that purpose. UP has built post-covid wards in every district for free treatment to those reporting complications even after their Covid report came negative. We are also building 100-bed and 25-bed pediatric ICUs in medical colleges and district hospitals, respectively. We have also begun to train manpower for the same”, confirmed the CM.

Covid vaccination drive in full swing in Uttar Pradesh: CM

Speaking on the ongoing vaccination drive in the state, Yogi confirmed that until today almost 2 crore doses have been administered in Uttar Pradesh. He also confirmed that the vaccines for age 18 to 44 will kickstart in all 75 district of the state on June 1.

Additionally, the state has started building special booths for parents of children below 12 years. This category is more exposed to the virus as they go to work and must be inoculated in preparation for the third wave, said the CM.

Yogi’s take on Delhi govt’s politics over oxygen

When asked to comment on the oxygen shortage in Delhi, which snowballed into a major political issue, Yogi said that UP has a 25 crore population but was allotted 700 MT of oxygen per day. Delhi has a population of 1.75 crores but was forcefully allotted 700 MT of oxygen. When the issue of an audit came up, the Delhi government pulled back.

The CM expressed shock at the dirty politics which was played around the supplies of oxygen that too at a time as critical as this one. “A situation of panic was created due to which even those who did not need it, became desperate for oxygen, opined Yogi Adityanath adding that people should try to be calm and show restraint in a crisis, not increase panic through irresponsible statements.

Yogi Adityanath lauds central government’s oxygen management

At this point he lauded the central government’s oxygen management, saying that initially, we did face acute shortages for a few days but soon, the Centre started allocating oxygen through rail and air force.

UP CM slams opposition for resorting to hair-splitting and propaganda

Besides speaking on the state’s Covid preparedness and steps adopted to contain the coronavirus outbreak in the state, Yogi Adityanath also touched upon varied other subjects like the state’s plan to spur economic growth, BJP’s performance in the Panchayat elections and his take on holding the Panchayat elections at a crucial time when the state was grappling with and overcoming the pandemic.

“Now, I have a question to ask. Panchayat elections in UP are the most difficult elections to hold but polls were also held in Tamil Nadu as well as in Kerala and West Bengal. You can compare their positivity and recovery rate with that of UP and see the difference. Secondly, there were no elections in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh or Rajasthan or Delhi. Therefore, we must understand the ground realities and make a strategy instead of resorting to hair-splitting and making propaganda”, asserted the state’s CM.

House aides of Sushant Singh Rajput turn witnesses in drugs case against Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik and others

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House aides of Sushant Singh Rajput turn witnesses in drugs case against Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik and others

House aides of Sushant Singh Rajput have turned witnesses in an NCB case against actress Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik and others. Keshav Bachner and Neerav Singh have been summoned to join the investigation against more than 30 individuals.

The statements of both, Bachner and Singh, have been recorded. The two were present at the Bandra residence of Sushant Singh Rajput when the actor was found dead on the 14th of June, 2020. A total of 35 individuals have been charged in the case, including Rhea Chakraborty and Showik.

Bachner and Singh were reportedly taken to the agency office and questioned late into Sunday night.

The Narcotics Bureau Control had earlier arrested Siddharth Pithani, friend and flat-mate of Sushant Singh Rajput, from Hyderabad in the drugs case linked to the Bollywood actor’s death.

Actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead at his house last year under mysterious circumstances. After his death, a lot of questions were raised related to his death and involvement of Rhea and her family in Sushant’s alleged emotional and financial exploitation was mentioned in a complaint filed by Sushant’s father KK Singh in Patna.

The case eventually got transferred to CBI on Bihar Police request and the Supreme Court’s orders. The case that was intended to be a simple open and shut situation for Mumbai Police has turned into a much bigger conspiracy that includes drug dealings, money laundering and the alleged murder of the actor.

Shiv Sena MLA gets 6 months jail in connection with 2018 communal riots in Aurangabad: Details

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Shiv Sena MLA gets 6 months jail in connection with 2018 communal riots in Aurangabad: Details

Pradeep Jaiswal, the Shiv Sena MLA of Aurangabad Central Constituency, has been sentenced to six months imprisonment and a Rs 2,500 fine on Monday in connection with the communal riots that rocked the city in May 2018.

The conviction pertains to a case in which Jaiswal was accused of vandalising the Kranti police station and browbeating the on-duty police officers to release the arrested youth accused of fomenting violence.

As per the details of the case, the Kranti Chowk police had arrested two youths from the Gandhinagar area for their involvement in the riots that took place on May 11 and 12, 2018, in Aurangabad. Jaiswal had gone to the police station at around 11 pm after receiving this information. Head constable Chandrakant Pote was on duty. The Shiv Sena MLA reportedly asked him to release the arrested youth.

However, Pote refused to release the accused, arguing that assistant police inspector Shaikh Akmal had arrested them, and he will call the police officer for their release. API Shaikh quickly rushed to the police station. In the meanwhile, Jaiswal asked Pote to stop his work and started abusing and misbehaving with other police officers. Jaiswal was accompanied by 8 to 10 activists, who then went to vandalise the police station.

When the personnel on duty denied permission, he smashed the glass on the table and threw chairs around the station. Based on the directives from the senior officials, Pote filed a complaint against Jaiswal, accusing him of obstructing the government work, threatening the government employees, and other relevant sections.

Jaiswal was booked under Sections 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC.

2018 Aurangabad riots

Two persons died and around fifty others, including a dozen policemen, were injured as clashes broke out between two communities in Aurangabad city in central Maharashtra on May 11, 2018. The riots started in the Moti Karanja area around 10 in the night and spread to Gandhi Nagar, Raja Bazaar, Shah Ganj and Sarafa areas. More than 100 shops and 80 vehicles were torched by the rioters.

According to the reports, tensions were running high in the Moti Karanja area for a few days before the riots amidst the drive carried out by the municipal corporation against illegal water connections. The riots were triggered when an illegal water connection at a place of worship in the area was removed, a report said. Following the riots, Shiv Sena leaders accused Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM of fomenting violence and creating ruckus in Aurangabad.

Mamata Banerjee announces retirement of Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay, will continue as Advisor to CM

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Mamata Banerjee announces retirement of Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay, will continue as Advisor to CM

Amidst the tussle between the Central government and West Bengal over Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has now stooped down to playing petty games. After refusing to relieve Alapan Bandyopadhyay, Mamata Banerjee announced his retirement from the post of the state’s chief secretary. This move was clearly taken to ignore the central government’s order to release him for further posting at the Centre. 

“Since Alapan Bandyopadhyay has retired today on May 31 from his service, he is not going to join in Delhi,” Mamata said, adding that he will continue as the chief advisor to CM for the next three years.

“I will not allow him (Alapan Bandyopadhyay) to leave Nabanna. He is now the Chief Advisor to Chief Minister. We have appointed HK Dwivedi as the new Chief Secretary and BP Gopalika as the new Home Secretary,” Mamata Banerjee told the media.

Centre issues show cause notice to Alapan Bandyopadhyay

This move came after the Centre issued a show-cause notice to Alapan Bandyopadhyay after he failed to report to the department of personnel, public grievances and pensions (DoPT) in New Delhi today (Monday). The Centre had asked the top bureaucrat to join tomorrow (Tuesday).

Evidently, since the central government had recalled West Bengal Chief Secretary to Delhi and asked the state govt to release him with ‘immediate effect’, Mamata Banerjee, according to her whims, decided to suddenly retire the WB chief Secretary only to appoint him as her advisor from Tuesday.

Mamata Banerjee refuses to relieve Chief Secretary

Earlier in the day, Mamata Banerjee, in her 5-page letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi refused to relieve Alapan Bandyopadhyay, Chief Secretary, West Bengal. In her letter, she called the union government’s order asking Bandyopadhyay to report to North Block by 10 AM on Monday ‘wholly unconstitutional’. She said, “I have been shocked and stunned by the unilateral order sent to us by the Government of India, asking us to release Sri Alapan Bandyopadhyay IAS, Chief Secretary, West Bengal, so that he may join the Government of India on May 31, 2021.”

Mamata Banerjee had requested to let Alapan Bandyopadhyay continue as the Chief Secretary

Interestingly, Mamata Banerjee herself had requested the central government to allow Alapan Bandyopadhyay to continue as the Chief Secretary of the state for another three months. Accordingly, Bandyopadhyay’s tenure was extended as the chief secretary by the central government on May 24.

On May 24, Banerjee, while announcing the extension, had said: “Our chief secretary has got an extension for three months. We are happy because he has got the experience of working during last year’s Amphan as well as during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic”.

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