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‘India has always been a second home for me’: Former Australian pacer Brett Lee donates 1 Bitcoin, or Rs 41 lac, for oxygen supplies

OpIndia Staff
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‘India has always been a second home for me’: Former Australian pacer Brett Lee donates 1 Bitcoin, or Rs 41 lac, for oxygen supplies

Inspired by the humble gesture shown by Kolkata Knight Riders’ Australian pacer Pat Cummins, the former Australian pacer Brett Lee has also donated 1 Bitcoin, which is worth around Rs 41 lakh (on 27th April, 7:10 PM IST), to Crypto Relief to help purchase oxygen in hospitals across India as the country continues to battle with the surge in Covid-19 cases.

The Australian legendry cricketer took to his official Twitter handle to inform about his decision and thanked Cummins for starting the initiative. 

“India has always been like a second home for me. The love and affection that I have got from the people of this country both during my professional career and even after my retirement, holds a special place in my heart. It saddens me deeply to see people suffering due to the ongoing pandemic,” Lee wrote in a tweet.

“I feel privileged to be in a position of making a difference and with that in mind, I’d like to donate 1 BTC (Bitcoin) to Crypto Relief to help with the purchase of oxygen supplies for the hospitals across India,” he added.

Though not going down well with the assorted gang of ‘liberals’, Cummins became the first overseas cricketer to start the initiative by donating USD 50,000 towards the PM CARES Fund. He had urged others to come forward and help India in the battle against the deadly pathogen which has been wreaking havoc across the country.

Agra: Septicemia patient Irfan’s rumoured death triggers anger, relatives vandalise hospital, assault nurse

OpIndia Staff
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Agra: Septicemia patient Irfan’s rumoured death triggers anger, relatives vandalise hospital, assault nurse

Relatives and family members of a patient named Irfan have ransacked the Lotus Hospital in the Hari Parvat police station area in Agra, Uttar Pradesh and have assaulted staff members too, over a rumour about Irfan’s death. The video of the violence went viral on social media.

In the video, a violent mob, reportedly Irfan’s relatives, is seen vandalising the hospital and brutally attacking a female nurse.

A woman hospital staff, who intervened, was also mercilessly attacked by a group of angry relatives. She was dragged and brutally attacked with a pedestal fan, a helmet and rods. Multiple men were seen assaulting the nurse. The nurse fell unconscious on the floor after she failed to protect herself from the rampaging mob.

Following the incident, Agra Police took to its official Twitter handle to inform about the same. SP City Rohan P Botre informed that the incident happened after rumours of the death of a patient named Irfan spread.

Botre informed that Irfan was admitted to Lotus Hospital as he was suffering from Septicemia disease. After the news of his death spread, his family and relatives started vandalising the hospital’s property and also assaulted the hospital staff. The family members alleged negligence.

For the uninitiated, Septicemia, or sepsis, is the clinical name for blood poisoning by bacteria. Sepsis involves the immune system responding dramatically to an infection. This response can damage organs and become life-threatening in most cases.

Meanwhile, SP City Rohan P Botre informed that a probe has been launched in the matter under IPC sections 147, 307 and other relevant sections. He assured that efforts were bein made the nab the accused.

EC sab record karti hai: TMC’s Anubrata Mondal to be kept under surveillance, yet again

OpIndia Staff
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EC sab record karti hai: TMC’s Anubrata Mondal to be kept under surveillance, yet again

The Election Commission of India (EC) Tuesday issued orders to keep Trinamool Congress leader Anubrata Mondal under the strict surveillance of the executive magistrate and CAPF from 5 pm on April 27 till 7 am on April 30 to ensure free and fair polling.

The decision was taken after the chief electoral officer received “several complaints against Mondal”, an official privy to the development said.

“In view of the feedback received from various sources and as per the report of the DEO and SP, Birbhum, the commission has directed that Mondal, District President of AITC, Birbhum, be kept under the strict surveillance of the executive magistrate and CAPF for ensuring free and fair elections,” the letter to Chief electoral officer of West Bengal said.

In addition, during this period, videography would be conducted “with date and stamping”.

Birbhum is slated to go for polls in the eighth and final phase of the assembly elections on Thursday.

This is not the first time that Anubrata Mondal has been kept under surveillance during the election polls in West Bengal. Due to his troubled history, Mondal was placed under similar surveillance during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and the 2016 assembly polls.

Anubrata Mondal has a history of being kept under surveillance by the Election Commission

Mondal was kept under surveillance during the 2019 General elections after the representatives of the poll workers expressed fear of the leader and said they would feel threatened if the TMC Birbhum district president keeps moving from one booth to the other on the polling day.

In 2016 too, during the West Bengal Assembly polls, Anubrata Mondal had been put under 24-hour surveillance by the Election Commission.

In July 2013, he had asked his supporters at a public meeting in Birbhum to hurl bombs at the police and burn down houses of rebel TMC candidates in panchayat elections.

In September 2018, he was caught on camera allegedly instructing TMC workers to get a party rebel and a woman BJP leader arrested on a false case of possessing cannabis.

In April 2019, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Anubrata Mondal made an appeal to the Election Commission (EC) officials to let him rig the polls and allow his people to “manage” 500-600 votes per booth.

Delhi HC makes startling revelations, says they never requested for rooms at 5-star hotel, hint at ‘appeasement’ by AAP Govt: Read what they said

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi HC makes startling revelations, says they never requested for rooms at 5-star hotel, hint at ‘appeasement’ by AAP Govt: Read what they said

The Delhi High Court has slammed the Delhi Government over its order to reserve a hundred rooms at a five star hotel for the Judiciary for Covid-19 treatment. The AAP Government in Delhi had claimed that the order was passed at the request of the High Court. The Court has denied that it ever made such a request.

“We have not made any such request that you set it up at this hotel or that hotel. Purpose of the meeting was that the judiciary specially subordinate courts.. We’ve already lost to two judicial officers,” the Delhi High Court said.

Delhi High Court slams AAP Government
Source: Bar & Bench/Twitter

“All that we wanted was in case they need hospitalisation, that facility should be given. It has translated into this order,” it added. Shockingly enough, the Delhi High Court asked senior advocate Rahul Mehra, representing the Delhi Government, whether the intention was to ‘appease’ them.

“You are passing orders left right and centre without meaning to do anything about it.. We have not even asked for it. That hospital has no manpower, no equipment, no ventilator, no medicines,” the Court said. “What is the protection? That …it is to benefit ourselves or that you have done to appease us,” it added.

Delhi High Court slams AAP Government
Source: Bar & Bench/Twitter

Mehra blamed the media instead and claimed that the media was playing a “mischievous role”. But the Court said it was not the media which said that but the order itself. “Can we as an institution say that you create a facility for us.. such and such beds for us. Would it not be patently discriminatory?”

“Media is not wrong, order is wrong,” the Court observed.

It was reported in the media late on Monday initially and subsequently covered widely since then that a hundred rooms had been reserved for judges and judicial officers of the court and their families for a Covid health center at the Ashoka Hotel, a five star facility.

The news had gathered much outrage and was criticised heavily across the board. It was reported that the Delhi Government had passed the order following a request by the Delhi High Court. The Court said today that they never made such a request as the order implied.

For the past few days, the Arvind Kejriwal-led government has been regularly slammed at the High Court for its gross mismanagement of the medical oxygen supply, leading to an oxygen crisis.

Congress MP wants PM Modi to allow oxygen corridor with Pakistan to tackle COVID-19 crisis in Punjab

OpIndia Staff
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Congress MP wants PM Modi to allow oxygen corridor with Pakistan to tackle COVID-19 crisis in Punjab

On Monday (April 26), Punjab Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla sparked a controversy after he asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to open an ‘oxygen corridor’ with Pakistan. As of Tuesday, the State has recorded 49894 active cases and a total of 8,530 fatalities.

In a letter to PM Modi, he talked about the ‘shortage’ of ventilators, oxygenators, PPE kits, liquid oxygen in hospitals caused due by a drastic increase in Coronavirus cases. “In response to this emergency, our neighbouring countries have offered help which should be welcomed with open arms. The government of Pakistan and Edhi Foundation has offered to provide relief support to India to help us fight this deadly wave of Covid-19,” the Congress MP added.

Gurjeet Singh Aujla said that the daily oxygen requirement in his constituency of Amritsar is 30 tonnes. He claimed that the allotted oxygen supply for Punjab is ‘too less’ with a ‘feeble supply’ line. He argued that the nearest oxygen plant is 350 km away in Panipat in Haryana whereas Lahore in Pakistan is just 50 km away. “Amritsar is presently receiving oxygen supplies from Panipat in truck-tankers which is not a reliable system of uninterrupted supply as there are not enough and spare truck tankers available to cover for breakdowns,” he added.

“The oxygen reserves at Amritsar have already been exhausted and we are on the mercy of this unreliable chain tankers. Accessing the present state and forthcoming spike in this wave; I implore your good self to consider accepting all the help needed from our neighbours as you yourself had offered in the past in form of vaccination and make arrangements for the purchase & transportation of oxygen from Pakistan via the land route of Attari Wagha border post,” he emphasised.

Gurjeet Singh Aujla claimed that such an ‘oxygen corridor’ with Pakistan will reduce pressure on Indian oxygen plants, ease the transport system and reduce the distress caused due to the ongoing ‘oxygen crisis.’ To further justify his suggestion of importing medical oxygen from Pakistan, the Congress MP claimed that the oxygen can then be supplied at a fast pace to other parts of Punjab such as Pathankot, Bathinda, Jalandhar, Tarn Taran, and other districts.

“I am aware of the political and diplomatic state of affairs but at the times of such pandemics and calamities all the nations must join hands and share resources to defeat this common enemy,” he continued. Lastly, the Congress MP concluded that just like the inauguration of ‘Kartarpur Sahib Corridor’ on 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the development of the oxygen corridor with Pakistan will be a great gift to humanity.

Delhi: Woman out on parole shot dead by husband Waseem who had affair with victim’s sister

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi: Woman out on parole shot dead by husband Waseem who had affair with victim’s sister

A pregnant woman named Shaina who was out on parole was shot dead outside her home in the Nizamuddin area of Delhi by her husband on Tuesday morning.

The gory incident got captured on a CCTV camera installed close to the house. The killer also shot dead Shaina’s servant. He was then seen brandishing his gun at a young child who was visibly petrified by the cold-blooded murder.  

The video was shared on Twitter by Times of India journalist Raj Shekhar Jha.

Waseem was Shaina’s 3rd husband, had affair with her sister

TOI journalist Raj Shekhar Jha further informed that Shaina was earlier married to a gangster named Sharafat. She was currently married to a person named Waseem. Waseem is the third husband of Shaina. While Shaina was in jail, Waseem had developed an affair with Shaina’s sister Rihana.

Shaina, who was pregnant and was in jail in a drugs case, had reportedly fought with Waseem when he did not come to meet her after she came out on parole. Waseem had taken a gun and shot Shaina and her servant at her Nizamuddin residence earlier today. 

Waseem has been arrested by the police.

Coronavirus crisis in Maharashtra: Ambulance forced to stuff 22 dead bodies together, police stop eyewitnesses from taking pictures

OpIndia Staff
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Coronavirus crisis in Maharashtra: Ambulance forced to stuff 22 dead bodies together, police stop eyewitnesses from taking pictures

On Sunday (April 25), an ambulance was found ferrying 22 dead bodies of Coronavirus patients from a hospital to the crematorium in Ambajogai in the Beed district of Maharashtra. The incident came to light at a time when the State has been worst-hit by the pandemic.

As per reports, the officials have claimed that the ambulance is a Mobile Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The bodies of the 22 deceased Coronavirus patients were picked up from the Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada Government Medical College (SRTMGMC) in Ambajogai. They were then stashed one above another in body bags and left in the ambulance.

The vehicle, which bore the number plate MH29AT0299, had bodies of 14 patients who died on Saturday and bodies of 8 others who died on Sunday. A total of 9 patients had died at the Lokhandi Savargaon jump COVID centre. It has also come to light that the police stopped eyewitnesses from filming the vehicle. Reportedly, the cops were standing in the vicinity of the ambulance.

Maharashtra police stop eyewitnesses from filming the dead bodies

When two relatives of a deceased began filming the ambulance and taking pictures of the dead bodies, the police seized their phones. They said that the phones would only be returned only after the dead bodies are cremated. After the incident sparked outrage on social media, a team was sent to Ambajogai immediately by the Beed district administration.

Hospital Dean laments about lack of ambulances

While speaking about the matter, Beed district collector Ravindra Jagtap claimed, “I have ordered the Ambajogai additional collector to probe the matter. We will initiate action against anyone found guilty.” Dr Shivaji Sukre, the Dean of the SRTMGMC hospital lamented that there were only 2 ambulances to ferry the dead bodies of Coronavirus patients to the crematorium.

He said, “We have demanded more ambulances. Our responsibility is to hand over bodies to the Ambajogai civic body to perform the last rites. What the civic body does is not in our control.” He had also informed that three more ambulances, which were functional during the first wave of Coronavirus, had been withdrawn. As of April 27, Maharashtra has reported 676647 active cases and a total of 65,284 fatalities.

Amidst the COVID-19 surge, French President Emmanuel Macron shares a message in Hindi with Indians: Here’s what he said

OpIndia Staff
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Amidst the COVID-19 surge, French President Emmanuel Macron shares a message in Hindi with Indians: Here’s what he said

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday took to Facebook to express solidarity with India amidst the resurgent COVID-19 outbreak. The post, which was uploaded in Hindi, said that solidarity is at the heart of friendship between the two countries.

The French President said France would send medical equipment, ventilators, liquid oxygen containers and oxygen generators to augment India’s capabilities in fighting the pandemic.

“No one is untouched by the pandemic we are going through. We know that India is going through a difficult period. France and India have always been united and we are ready to provide our support,” said Emmanuel Macron’s FB post.

He added, “France will send medical equipment, ventilators and oxygen and 8 oxygen generators to India. Each generator can make a hospital self-sufficient for 10 years by producing oxygen from the ambient air.”

“Solidarity is at the heart of our nation. It is at the centre of friendship between our countries. We will win together,” Macron wrote.

Earlier, French Ambassador Emmanuel Lenain had stated that in the next few days, France will help India with not just immediate relief but also long-term capacities including 8 high capacity oxygen generators, each providing yearlong O2 for 250 beds – Liquid O2 for 2000 patients for 5 days – 28 ventilators and equipment for ICUs.

Meanwhile, India reported over 3.23 lakh fresh COVID-19 cases on Monday, taking the country’s total caseloads to 1.76 crores. India is in a midst of a second COVID-19 outbreak and now has over 28.82 lakh active cases.

Watch the ad that made Congress workers go on a rampage, vandalising Storia Foods office in Mumbai

OpIndia Staff
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Watch the ad that made Congress workers go on a rampage, vandalising Storia Foods office in Mumbai

Mumbai based beverage company Storia Foods & Beverages Pvt. Ltd has come in the line of fire for its recently launched ad campaign for its new range of milkshakes.

The company recently launched its first-ever 360-degree marketing campaign “Wish it never gets over” for their range of Storia Shakes. The company recently released 3 ads films. Each of the three 45-second ad films focus on promoting one specific Storia Shake flavour.

The first ad released as a part of the campaign is set in a cricket league press conference setting. The second ad promotes Storia mango shake wherein the actor is disappointed because there’s no more shake left for him after his workout session. The most recent of the ads promote Storia chocolate shake, which is set against a political backdrop.

While all three ads are designed as humorous parodies, the last one which had characters resembling Sonia and Rahul Gandhi has particularly come in the firing line.

In the ad, the ‘son’ consoles his mother who is upset that her milk shake got over and says he will make a machine in which you give grass as input and you get milk as output. ‘Aage se ghaas, peechhe se doodh’, he said. To this, the frustrated mother says that this ‘machine’ is a ‘gaay’ (cow) to which the son asks if the ‘gaay’ is empowered.

Irked by the parody, Congress workers went on a rampage, vandalising the Mumbai-based beverages’ Andheri East office in Mumbai on Tuesday.

According to reports, several Congress supporters, despite strict COVID-19 restrictions being in place in Maharashtra, barged into the office of the Mumbai based beverage brand and vandalised the entire office premises. The glass windows of the office were shattered, while the office chairs and table were tossed around.

The Congress supporters raised Congress flags and chanted slogans in support of Congress leaders Rahul and Sonia Gandhi inside the office premises. This was not all, the Congress workers were also seen clicking themselves inside the office, gloating over the vandalism. 

Even outside the office, the Congress workers continued to raise slogans with the Mumbai police stationed there to prevent any further damage. The workers were seen sloganeering ‘Mumbai Congress Zindabad’, ‘Sonia Gandhi Zindabad’ and ‘Rahul Gandhi Zindabad’.

As per reports, the Mumbai police have detained these Congress workers.

Storia and its new ad campaign

Vishal Shah, Founder & Managing Director, Storia® Foods & Beverages Pvt. Ltd had recently said, “We, at Storia, feel a great responsibility towards our consumers because what we serve affects their health and lives directly. Hence, we find it imperative to deliver our value systems of wellness, convenience and sustainability with everything we do. We are excited to reach out to our consumers this summer through our first-ever 360-degree campaign, in a fun yet very impactful way”.

“With the ongoing pandemic, we look to lighten the mood, in a category that is already very serious and usually only promotes health. This campaign is a great way to increase significant brand consideration with our millennials and Gen Z, in a format they relate to best, parodical yet impactful”, added Shah. 

However, despite its innovative approach, the Mumbai based beverage company was compelled to pull down its third ad, which had characters resembling Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, following the uproar.

China’s U-turn: A day after suspending cargo flights to India, Chinese airlines to ‘discuss’ new plan to resume services

OpIndia Staff
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China’s U-turn: A day after suspending cargo flights to India, Chinese airlines to ‘discuss’ new plan to resume services

China’s state-run Sichuan Airlines has on Tuesday stated that it is withdrawing its decision to suspend cargo flights taking crucial medical supplies like oxygen concentrators to India. While announcing the decision, China said that it was working out a new plan to resume the services.

“We are re-evaluating the original plan of suspending cargo services to India, and actively discussing a new plan to guarantee cargo services to the region,” a report by the state-run Global Times quoted the airlines as saying.

China’s decision is being seen as a complete 180 degree turn from its previous decision to suspend all-cargo flights to India for 15 days because of the surge in Covid-19 cases in the country.

In a letter to its agents on Monday, Sichuan Airlines’s Logistics arm had announced that the company has suspended cargo flights from China in six routes, amid hectic efforts from India to source oxygen concentrators and other medical supplies.

According to a report in The Hindu, China’s U-turn came after Indian media criticised Sichuan Airlines’ move to suspended all its cargo flights to India for 15 days, and said that such a move brings “major disruption” to private traders’ efforts to buy medical supplies, including oxygen concentrators, from China.

In a statement, the state-run airlines had said the reason why it suspended cargo flights to India was the recent sudden change in Covid-19 cases in the country.

Speaking on this sudden suspension, Siddharth Sinha of Sino Global Logistics, a Shanghai-based freight forwarding company said that the suspension of the flights owing to the coronavirus situation in India is surprising as there is no crew change in India and the same crew flies the aircraft back.

He said that China’s decision to suspend the cargo flights was especially shocking as the country has time and again expressed its willingness to assist India to fight the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

China had recently offered support to India

It becomes imperative to remember here how on April 23, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Zhao Lijian had told a media briefing that China is in communication with India to provide necessary support and assistance. “China expresses sincere sympathies to India over the deteriorating situation in the country recently,” he said.

“The Chinese government and people firmly support the Indian government and people in fighting the coronavirus. China is ready to provide support and help according to India’s need, and is in communication with the Indian side on this”, he added.

India is currently struggling with a second wave of the pandemic with more than 3,00,000 daily new coronavirus cases being reported in the past few days, and hospitals are reeling under a shortage of medical oxygen and beds.

Global allies come together to help India fight the Coronavirus pandemic

Amidst China’s flipflops, it was reported how India’s global allies have extended support to India to tide over the second wave of the pandemic.

In a press release on Monday (April 26), the Indian Embassy in Thimphu informed that an oxygen plant in Eastern Bhutan will supply liquid oxygen to India. 

On Saturday (April 24), the Singapore embassy in India informed that 4 cryogenic oxygen containers were transported to India from Changi airport in Singapore via an Indian Air Force (IAF) carrier. In a tweet, the German embassy in India informed that Germany will supply 24 oxygen transport tanks to India.

Similarly, French President Emmanuel Macron has said that France stood by the Indian people amidst the resurgence of Coronavirus cases in the country.

After massive criticism and NSA-level talks, the USA had also decided to lift the export ban over vaccine raw material and send raw material needed for Covid-19 vaccines being manufactured in India. It will also send medical equipment and protective gear to support India amidst a massive surge in Covid-19 infections.

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