In what is being considered a major milestone in the world of science and technology, NASA’s experimental Mars helicopter has achieved the first-ever powered flight on another planet beyond Earth.
Video data shows the helicopter taking off a few feet from the ground, hovering in the air for about 20 to 30 seconds, and landing back on the dusty red surface of Mars. The US space agency had previously postponed the flight attempt after an issue was flagged during a high-speed test of the rotor blades.
The triumph was hailed by NASA after it received the video data of the same. “Altimeter data confirms that Ingenuity has performed its first flight, the first flight of a powered aircraft on another planet,” said the helicopter’s chief pilot back on Earth, Havard Grip, his voice breaking as his teammates erupted in cheers.
“A dream takes flight: The Ingenuity #MarsHelicopter has flown in the thin atmosphere of the Red Planet”, Tweeted NASA Mars celebrating the big achievement.
A dream takes flight: The Ingenuity #MarsHelicopter has flown in the thin atmosphere of the Red Planet.
More test flights are planned for the coming days. In the future, flying robotic scouts may join new rovers and even astronauts in their explorations. https://t.co/b4vJBvVP06pic.twitter.com/5f3wCpLCQW
Ingenuity is a mini 4-pound (1.8 kg) robotic helicopter located on Mars since February 18, 2021. On Monday (April 19), the ultra-lightweight robot was scheduled to lift off at 07:30 GMT. According to reports, the first data revealing whether the chopper experiment worked started arriving back at Earth some three hours later. This information was relayed through Nasa’s Perseverance rover and a satellite at Mars that was beaming it to JPL.
After today’s success, Ingenuity becomes the first aircraft on Mars to successfully complete the first powered and fully controlled atmospheric flight, from vertical takeoff to landing, on any planet beyond Earth.
Today efforts mark the second time NASA poised to fly Ingenuity on Mars. The Mars helicopter’s first flight attempt on April 11 was delayed by a timing glitch in its systems, which mission engineers have addressed.
Now, after the successful take-off and landing of Ingenuity, the team will attempt additional experimental flights of incrementally farther distance and greater altitude.
India is in the midst of battling a resurgent wave of the coronavirus outbreak as the country continues to report a sharp rise in the number of new cases. While the second wave of COVID-19 has affected many states of the country, it has most severely affected the states of Maharashtra and Delhi, which are among the top contributors to the recent upsurge in the coronavirus caseloads.
In the light of the worsening coronavirus crisis in the national capital, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today announced a strict 6-day lockdown in Delhi. The lockdown, he said, will come into effect at 10 pm on Monday, and be in force till 5 am next Monday.
“Delhi’s health system has reached its limits. I don’t say that the system has collapsed but it has reached its limits,” Kejriwal announced in a press briefing. The AAP supremo reiterated that Delhi was facing the fourth wave of the pandemic, remarking that the city’s health system has reached its limits. “I won’t say that the health system has collapsed but it has reached its limits,” he said.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s announcement of imposing a lockdown came a day after nearly every third sample in the national capital tested positive for the coronavirus disease. Delhi on Sunday reported 25,462 new cases, the highest since the beginning of the pandemic. The spike in cases is particularly sharper this year, and Sunday’s cases are 812.6% higher than the number of new cases on April 1.
Migrant workers make a beeline to leave Delhi in the wake of Kejriwal’s lockdown announcement
No sooner did Arvind Kejriwal announce a rigorous lockdown in Delhi, panic set among scores of migrant labourers and they queued up at various terminal stations across the city to return to their native places.
After having borne the brunt of the first coronavirus induced lockdown, when many of them had to walk all the way to their villages, the migrant labourers this around did not want to take any chances of being stuck in a city amidst a lockdown and where the infection is galloping at a breakneck speed.
Delhi: Migrant workers gather at Anand Vihar Terminal to return to their native places
“I do a job in Delhi and work is yet to resume, so it’s better to return home than to sit here”, says Navin, a native of Nepal. pic.twitter.com/i47VgbeIIA
As migrant labourers prepared themselves to leave the national capital, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal made a desperate appeal to the workers to not leave the national capital. Kejriwal implored the workers to stay put, alleging that he is hopeful that this time the lockdown would not be extended.
“I appeal to you with folded hands. It’s a small lockdown, only for six days. Don’t leave Delhi and go. I’m very hopeful that we won’t need to further extend the lockdown…Govt will take care of you,” Kejriwal said.
However, as the coronavirus outbreak in Delhi comes to a head, the migrant labourers have little faith in assurances made by Kejriwal, who had days ago stated that there won’t be any further lockdowns in Delhi.
At a time when the infections in Delhi are surging at an alarming rate, the migrant labourers have decided to go back to their natives, lest they get stuck again in the middle of a lockdown. The swift reaction to head to their native places back is spurred by the unpleasant experience they had had in the previous lockdown in 2020 when they were forced by the Delhi government to walk all the way to the state border where UP government buses were waiting to ferry them to their respective villages and towns. Many of them even streamed all the way back to their villages on foot.
The sense of helplessness and anxiety once again seemed to engulf the migrant labourers after the Delhi chief minister announced a 6-day lockdown earlier today. The migrant labourers, having endured the difficulties in the past, no longer want to position themselves in the same predicament—once bitten, twice shy.
The Delhi government has been wavering on its stand on lockdown in the last few days. After claiming that Delhi won’t have a lockdown, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal dropped subtle hints at enforcing restrictions if the cases in the city continue to swell. However, with no clarity on how long the lockdown will be in place and no announcements by Arvind Kejriwal to alleviate the economic hardships that accompany lockdowns, the migrant labourers have decided to proceed towards their native villages rather than heeding Delhi CM’s entreaties.
Maha Vikas Aghadi turns a blind eye to the plight of the migrant population in Maharashtra
Delhi’s Arvind Kejriwal-led government is not the only administration that has abandoned the migrant labourers during such testing times. In the western state of Maharashtra, the migrant labourers were left to fend for themselves as the Maha Vikas Aghadi government announced a state-wide lockdown till April 30.
Even before the lockdown was announced in Maharashtra, which was pummelled by the second wave of the coronavirus outbreak, the mismanagement of crisis by the state government forced the migrant labourers to go back to their respective villages before the situation worsens.
As Maharashtra witnessed a resurgent second wave of COVID-19 outbreak, with daily coronavirus caseloads touching a new high, there was a palpable sense of panic set in among the migrant population that was arguably the worst-hit by the pandemic when it started in March last year. The growing uncertainty, coupled with the bungled handling of the outbreak, forced a raft of migrant labourers in the state to board buses and trains to get back to their native places before the imposition of an inevitable lockdown.
Several reports claimed that migrant labourers left Mumbai, Pune and other parts of Maharashtra for their native places, fearing a second round of complete lockdown in the state. A large number of migrant workers had flocked to CST and LTT stations in Mumbai to board a train back to their villages before they are stuck in the lockdown. Similar was the condition in Pune, where the hoteliers association claimed that 50 per cent of the migrant workers in the city were planning to go back.
After braving a tumultuous year, the migrant laborers were back in Maharashtra to pick up their lives once again that were upended by the onslaught of the coronavirus pandemic. As it turned out, their relief was short-lived as Maharashtra government announced a new lockdown, in a bid to stop the inexorable spread of the coronavirus. Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray announced that the state would go under complete lockdown starting 8 pm from April 14 till the end of the month.
Just like the Delhi government’s shocking indifference to the plight of the migrant workers, the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra also showed little concerns for the migrant population in its state.
The unfortunate exodus of migrant workers in Delhi and Maharashtra not only reflects the disastrous handling of the coronavirus outbreak by the respective state governments but also reveals that addressing the problems of the migrant population is not among their priorities.
Amidst rising Coronavirus cases in the country, pro-Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) vlogger Dhruv Rathee blamed the BJP for risking the lives of people by continuing with its election campaigning in West Bengal.
In a Facebook post on Monday (April 19), Rathee alleged, “Rahul Gandhi, Left Parties and Mamata Banerjee have all stopped their election campaigns now.” Furthermore, he added, “Only Modi and Shah are shameless enough to continue playing with people’s lives. For them, politics >your life.” His remarks were directed against the BJP for conducting large gatherings ahead of the 6th phase of polls in West Bengal.
Screengrab of the Facebook post by Dhruv Rathee
While Dhruv Rathee had made the allegations on Facebook, he did not re-upload the post on his Twitter timeline. However, his post about an actor named Nakuul Mehta supposedly ‘exposing the harsh reality’ in India can be found on both social media platforms. Dhruv Rathee has a history of peddling fake news and has often been called out on Twitter. As such, he perhaps planned to evade backlash over his baseless allegations by simply not re-posting it on the microblogging site.
Dhruv Rathee uploaded the same post about Nakul Mehta on both Facebook and Twitter
Exposing the fake claims of Dhruv Rathee about Mamata Banerjee
In order to cross-verify his claim that all parties with the exception of BJP have stopped their election campaigns, we first visited the official Facebook page of Mamata Banerjee. The first post on her Facebook timeline was a live stream of an election rally at Hemtabad in Uttar Dinajpur district. A simple search debunked the claim that the Trinamool Congress supremo has stopped conducting election campaigns.
Screengrab of Mamata banerjee’s FB post
As a matter of fact, Mamata Banerjee was accompanied by thousands of Trinamool Congress workers during her massive roadshow from Dhakuria Bridge to the Kalighat crossing yesterday. While the West Bengal CM remain seated in her wheelchair, her supporters followed her with complete disregard to social distancing guidelines.
We had also exposed how Mamata Banerjee and the ruling Trinamool Congress dispensation has been able to successfully evade public scrutiny by shrewdly avoiding live streaming of political rallies on Twitter. While a ‘concerned’ Mamata Banerjee tweets to Election Commission about rising Coronavirus cases on Twitter, her Facebook timeline is filled with videos of election rallies violating social distancing guidelines.
This strategy also seems to be working as a quick scan of major mainstream media coverage will show how they have not been covering most of her rallies while they have been going hammer and tongs against the BJP rallies.
Congress continues with election campaigning despite virtue signalling by Rahul Gandhi
Dhruv Rathee had also explicitly mentioned the name of Congress scion Rahul Gandhi in a bid to target the BJP and give a clean chit to the Congress. It must be mentioned that on Sunday, Gandhi attributed election rallies to the rising Coronavirus cases in the country. This is despite the fact that he had addressed a large gathering in Goalpokhar in West Bengal ahead of the 5th phase of Vidhan Sabha polls just a few days back.
After realising that election rallies won’t be of much help to the party’s prospects, Rahul Gandhi decided to call them off. But despite the Congress leader’s diktat, party MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury continued to attend crowded rallies. On Sunday, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had shared pictures from his rally at the Naoda Vidhan Sabha Constituency in support of the alliance-backed candidate. He also shared pictures from a rally in Malda in support of another candidate.
This runs counter to the claim of Dhruv Rathee that Congress has stopped conducting election campaigns. At the same time, Gandhi’s announcement of ‘cancelling’ his rallies in West Bengal appears to be a tactic only to earn plaudits on social media. The reality on the ground is quite different.
Debunking claims of the pro-AAP vlogger about Left parties not conducting ‘election campaigns’
On April 16, CPI(M) leader and former Rajya Sabha member Md Salim posted a tweet declaring that since the Coronavirus is raging across the country, the CPI(M) had decided not to hold any big political event. In his tweet, he even urged the Prime Minister of India and West Bengal chief minister to act ‘responsibly’ and put the country before the party.
However, hours after taking the moral high ground and pompously announcing that his party would not be organising any big political event, Md Salim took part in a huge political roadshow organised by CPI(M) at Hemtabad in Bengal for canvassing support for Sanjukta Morcha supported CPI(M) candidate Bhupen Barman. In a tweet dated April 17, the party presided over a big political roadshow where participants were seen flouting basic social distancing protocols and not wearing masks.
In another instance, on April 18, two days after Md Salim claimed that CPI(M) had called off big political events in the light of the coronavirus outbreak, a public meeting was organised by the party in support of Fuad Halim, CPI(M) candidate from the Ballygunj constituency.
It’s clear that the claims made by pro-AAP vlogger Dhruv Rathee are false and motivated. Although he tried to make a case against the BJP through his shrewd Twitter strategy and the art of cherry-picking, it only exposed his bias.
Yesterday, comedian Rohan Joshi, most known for being part of the now-defunct comedy company All India Bakchod (AIB), took to Instagram in order to mock “Bhakts” i.e. supporters of PM Modi, for losing their family members to the Coronavirus pandemic.
In a highly distasteful Instagram post, Joshi mocks the supporters of the nation’s Prime Minister for losing their loved ones to the pandemic and also manages to vilify the construction of the sacred Ram Mandir, hurting Hindu sentiments in general. It is of note that Joshi lives in Maharashtra, which is in a COVID-19 crisis right now under the Uddhav Thackeray government. Rohan Joshi is supposedly a comedian speaking “truth to power” through chastising Modi supporters and Hindus whose family members died from the Coronavirus pandemic.
Rohan Joshi’s Instagram post
As crass as the “joke” was, it could still be dismissed as “edgy humour” in a most charitable interpretation by those who secretly harbour such feelings in all seriousness. However, the next post from Joshi completely exposes the ideology which fuels Joshi’s “comedy” and his self-proclaimed “fury and contempt” towards regular Indians. In his Instagram post which is supposed to be an explanation for his offending post earlier, Joshi makes it perfectly clear that he holds regular Modi-supporting Hindus “directly responsible” for the death and loss from the Chinese coronavirus.
“I have nothing but contempt for them and not a shred of sympathy. Fuck the high road”, writes Joshi, making it crystal clear in this angry rant that his earlier “joke” did not come from his funny bone, but rather a place of anger and deep resentment/contempt towards PM Modi and his supporters.
Rohan Joshi, whose past venture AIB was shut down in May 2019 after being rocked with multiple sexual assault allegations, has described himself as an atheist.
“My parents always encouraged me to ask questions and read things and be scientifically minded,” Joshi said. “As a result, I came to a position of atheism naturally. The existence of God on a scientific basis just seemed impossible to me.”
In the 2010s, with the advent of social media, various comedy groups and comedians have come to the limelight. Part of this trend was AIB, which quickly rose in prominence due to their YouTube channel going viral. However, this quick rise to fame was cut short with credible sexual assault allegations lobbed at the two senior members of AIB, Tanmay Bhatt, and Gursimran Khamba, resulting in AIB shutting down.
It is important to note the “Us vs Them” mentality of Joshi’s explanatory Instagram post, which gives us an insight into Joshi’s ideology. Joshi explicitly states that he blames “Bhakts” for the Chinese coronavirus and its various consequences, whom he holds “directly responsible”. It would be one thing if Joshi’s goal was to critique the policies of PM Modi through comedy, however, that is not the case here. What Joshi is trying to do is to lay the blame for Coronavirus and all of its negative consequences at the feet of pious Hindus who wish to worship at the sacred Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir.
What compels someone like Rohan Joshi to just straight-up attack “Bhakts”? Certainly not for comedic value, with Joshi literally writing, “Fuck Bhakts. They are directly responsible for this”, without any hint of irony or joke. Joshi is an atheist, so it’s not religion motivating him. All of this seems to stem from a very corrosive strain of the Liberal/Leftist ideology, which confuses punching down at Modi-supporting “Bhakts”, who themselves are suffering because of the pandemic, as is the rest of the world, with somehow speaking truth to power.
Joshi defiantly declares that he has “nothing but contempt” and “not a shred of empathy” for “Bhakts” i.e. Indians just like you and me who chose to vote for a leader they think can deliver, and frankly, has delivered. However, we are still supposed to pretend that these Bombay liberal elite types of people are somehow our moral superiors. In many ways, Joshi’s Instagram post was illuminating, as it shined a light on the very real class and religious contempt that urban liberal elites in India frequently exhibit towards lower social classes, ironically in the name of tolerance and liberalism.
The term “Bhakt” itself, which the liberal elites now uniformly use as a slur for conservative Indians, refers to a pious Hindu who is an unquestioning follower of God. This entire Liberal worldview, which seeks to demonize Hindu religiosity and then blame the people demonized for a worldwide pandemic, comes across as virulently anti-Hindu.
This worldview seems to stem from the complete rejection of a Hindu identity in favor of a Leftist one. For Leftists, their leftist ideology defines their core and moral values, not religion. Leftists tend to incorporate unquestionable dogmas as time passes on, which are sanctioned by the Leftist High Priests i.e. the woke activists. They are puritans, unable to feel empathy for the deplorable “Bhakts”, even if the “Bhakts” lose their loved ones to the Chinese pandemic because that goes against the tenets of the modern Left.
Rohan Joshi gives us accurate insight into the mind of a typical liberal elite, who is atheist, has no qualms “joking” about the dead family members of “Bhakts”, but will give you some sort of weird and morally grandstanding justification as to why we should hold the “Bhakts” in contempt without “any shred of empathy”. The average liberal elite is deracinated, irreligious, and cannot be functionally called an Indian in any sense except for the “Place of birth” section in their birth certificates.
Interestingly, what Rohan Joshi has said is also the perfect example of what comes of the lofty ideals that the ‘liberals’ believe they espouse. While the self-proclaimed fascists who claim to be liberals talk about the tenets of democracy, they would crush the very people who dare to exercise their agency in a manner they don’t approve of. Essentially, they like the tenet of democracy till the result goes their way and the moment it does not, they prefer that those who exercised their agency rather be dead. It comes as no surprise that they would rather see Hindus dead, because, in their view, it is Hindus who elected PM Modi to power, discarding the power that persecuted Hindus with their policies.
There is a famous picture that several “bhakts” use to define what the “liberals” are really after. It is a picture of Prime Minister Modi and the caption reads ‘They are not after me, they are after you, I am just in the way”. Many dismiss it as overt hero-worshipping, however, when ‘liberals’ go after Hindus just because they seem to hate the man they voted for, one is forced to wonder if it actually PM Modi who they despise, or Hindus, because they cannot believe that for the first time, they are standing their ground and refusing to take hate lying down.
The second wave of the coronavirus pandemic has left many states grappling for essential health infrastructure. From a shortage of oxygen to ventilators to critical drugs, states are working in tandem with the Centre to rebuild the state health infrastructure to tackle the surge in cases at the earliest.
Amidst several initiatives by the Centre, the Railway Ministry has assured aid by running ‘Oxygen Express’ trains for the quick transportation of liquid medical oxygen and oxygen cylinders across the country after several states reported a shortage.
The Indian Railways has charted out key corridors in the country and has created a green corridor at the railway stations for the fast movement of the train to ensure uninterrupted supply of oxygen as the nation battles the surge in new coronavirus cases amid the second wave.
The Railway Ministry released a press note detailing the arrangement.
Railways getting fully ready to Transport Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) and Oxygen Cylinders
The Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra state governments had approached the Railways Ministry to explore whether liquid medical oxygen tankers could be moved by the rail network, considering the acute shortage in oxygen supply faced by the states.
At the behest of the state governments, the Railways immediately sprung into action and explored the technical feasibility of transporting liquid medical oxygen using trains. “It has to be transported through roll-on-roll-off service with road tankers placed on flat wagons”, informed an official.
Subsequently, on April 18 a trial was organized by the Western Railway at Boisar where a loaded tanker was placed on a flat DBKM wagon and all the required measurements were taken.
Here’s how the ‘Oxygen Express’ will work
As per official statements, empty tankers will begin their journey from Kalamboli and Boisar railway stations near Mumbai on Monday to load liquid medical oxygen from Vizag, Jamshedpur, Rourkela and Bokaro.
Sharing a video of the transportation process on Twitter, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal wrote, “Roll-on-Roll-off oxygen trucks getting loaded for Oxygen Express. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the Government of India is committed to doing everything possible to help COVID-19 patients.”
Roll on Roll off Oxygen trucks getting loaded for Oxygen Express. Under PM @NarendraModi ji’s leadership, Govt of India is committed to doing everything possible to help COVID-19 patients. pic.twitter.com/dFgHeKLRxr
A railway official shared, “It was decided that the tankers would be organized by Transport Commissioner, Maharashtra. These empty tankers would be moved from Kalamboli/Boisar, Railway stations in and near Mumbai, and sent to Vizag and Jamshedpur/Rourkela/Bokaro, for loading of liquid medical oxygen tankers from there.”
“Since the first empty tankers will move on April 19, we hope to begin operations of Oxygen Express over the next few days. We would be able to send oxygen wherever there is such demand. Green corridor is being created for fast movement of Oxygen Express trains,” announced the official.
Instructions have been issued to zonal railways to ensure readiness to receive the trailers and load them. Ramps have to be built at Vizag, Angul and Bhilai and the existing ramp at Kalamboli is to be strengthened.
Over 4000 coaches converted to ‘corona care’ units
In a bid to tackle the sudden surge in the new coronavirus cases, Indian Railways has turned 4,002 railway coaches into Covid care units. The Railways informed that 4,002 Covid care Coches are available in 16 zones and can be made available for the state governments on request.
Corona Care coaches in Nandurbar
Out of the 4000 coaches, around 94 coaches have been deployed at Nandurbar, Maharashtra. Union Minister Piyush Goyal in a tweet informed with a video about the isolation coaches built in Nandurbar, Maharashtra with extensive provisions like independent isolation wards and temperature-controlled coaches for COVID-19 patients. The facility makes use of the railway station premises.
Railways has started operating isolation coaches in Nandurbar, Maharashtra with extensive provisions for COVID-19 patients
This will ensure:
? Ease of movement of ambulances ? Complete medical facilities ? Independent isolation wards ?Temperature controlled coaches pic.twitter.com/brs10dkWWT
As per a Financial Express report, the Delhi government has urged Piyush Goyal-led Indian Railways to arrange up to 5,000 beds by deploying COVID-19 care coaches at the Shakur Basti railway station and Anand Vihar railway station in Delhi, as the cases surge in the national capital.
Delhi Chief Secretary Vijay Kumar Dev in his letter to the Chairman of Railway Board Suneet Sharma has requested to convert the premises of the two railway stations to Covid centres with full logistical support, oxygen facilities, requisite medical as well as paramedical staff gen facilities etc. on an emergent basis.
Govt under PM @NarendraModi leading the fight against COVID-19: 50 COVID-19 isolation coaches with 800 beds ready at Shakur Basti Station & 25 coaches will be available at Anand Vihar Station in Delhi. Railways can setup >3 lakh isolation beds across the country on States’ demand pic.twitter.com/b9ehFnEgfI
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal informed that acting upon the request, 50 COVID-19 isolation coaches with 800 beds have been readied at Shakur Basti Station & 25 coaches will be available soon at Anand Vihar Station in Delhi.
Congress supporter and habitual liar Saket Gokhale today filed a complaint with state home minister Dilip Walse Patil against Devendra Fadnavis in connection with the “illegal hoarding” of Remdesivir procured through Bruck Pharma.
Gokhale, who was recently caught peddling lies to defend Maharashtra govt’s harassment of Bruck Pharma director over Remdesivir supply, lodged a complaint with Maharashtra Home Minister as to how Leader of the Opposition Devendra Fadnavis or the BJP, as private players, could obtain a crucial drug when its sale is allowed only to the state government.
Saket Gokhale lies to defend Maha govt’s harassment of Bruck Pharma director over Remdesivir supply
Earlier yesterday, Gokhale took to Twitter to do what he does best—spreading lied and fear-mongering. In a series of baseless tweets, the RTI activist for hire alleged that the BJP hoarded Rs 4.75 crores worth of Remdesivir in their party office in Maharashtra, without providing any evidence to substantiate his allegations. The Congress supporter also alleged that BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis bypassed the state government for procuring the drug.
The allegations were made after the Mumbai Police on Saturday detained and questioned a director of Daman-based pharma company Bruck Pharmaceuticals over the supply of Remdesivir vials. Maharashtra unit of BJP had ordered Remdesivir from the company to be supplied to people in Maharashtra, but after the company had readied the product for delivery, the police had detained the director accusing them of hoarding the drug. The director was later released when Devendra Fadnavis raised the issue on Saturday night.
The leader of opposition Devendra Fadnavis in his media interaction had clearly stated, “Four days ago our leaders Pravin Darekar and Prasad Lal had gone to Daman to Bruck Pharma and requested them to supply the drug to Maharashtra. They obliged but said they did not have the license. Then I spoke to (union minister) Mansukh Mandaviya and got them the license.”
The arrangement was made by the opposition party in Maharashtra after observing an acute shortage of the critical drug used in the treatment of Covid-19 in the state. It is also clear that the Union Minister of State for Chemical and Fertilizers had approved the delivery of the drug to Maharashtra, hence it was not a private deal unknown to the government.
Praveen Darekar of the Bhartiya Janta Party who had accompanied Devendra Fadnavis to the police station had informed that the state minister for Food and Drugs Rajendra Shingne was in the know of the plan as the procurement and transportation of the drug required state govt’s permission.
Nevertheless, being truthful is the least concern of Mr Gokhale, who made unsubstantiated claims in his tweets. Gokhale also displayed his poor knowledge of geography when he asked how private individuals could procure Remdesivir stock from Gujarat when the sale is allowed only to the government. To Saket’s dismay, the Bruck plant is in Daman in the Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Union Territory, and not in Gujarat as he claimed.
Complaint filed against Saket Gokhale for waging a war on state during pandemic
Meanwhile, a complaint has been filed against Saket Gokhale by the President of BJP Uttar Bhartiya Morcha Sanjay Pandey. In a post on Twitter, Pandey alleged that he had filed a complaint at Oshiwara police station in Mumbai against Saket Gokhale for causing a public nuisance, panic & fear by spreading false information.
Describing Saket as ‘destructive minded’ and ‘habitual liar’, the complaint sought strict action against him for waging a war against the state in the midst of a pandemic.
Lodged complaint against destructive minded,habitual liar @SaketGokhale at Oshiwara police station for causing public nuisance,panic&fear by spreading false information. Demanded strict action against him for waging a war against State during pandemic#ArrestSaketGokhalepic.twitter.com/wnQNvCVj48
In his complaint, Pandey alleged that Saket Gokhale had lied through his Twitter account and published fake news about the procurement of Rs 4.75 crores of Remdesivir by the BJP.
“Accused Saket Gokhale in the series of tweets through his verified Twitter account named @SaketGokhale, published, circulated false and frivolous reports stating that Mumbai Police seized Rs 4.75 crores of Remdesivir and the stock was sneakily procured by the BJP and Shri Devendra Fadnavis to be distributed through their party office and thereby playing with the lives of the innocent people,” the complaint said.
The complaint further said, “The accused Saket Gokhale has posted and circulated false and frivolous tweets without verifying the facts at the time when Disaster Management Act has been implemented across the country. The said tweets are absolutely false and frivolous and made with an intention to create fear and alarm in the general public with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic and the availability of Remdesivir in the state.”
Owing to the escalating Covid crisis in the national capital, CM Arvind Kejriwal has announced a complete curfew in Delhi. The lockdown will begin tonight from 10 pm till next Monday (April 26), in view of the rising Covid-19 cases in the city, officials from the LG’s office said.
Essential services, however, will be exempted during the weeklong curfew, official sources have said, adding that all private and government offices will work remotely.
Subsequently, long queues started forming outside liquor stores as people thronged to replenish their stock.
Delhi: People gather in large numbers outside a liquor shop in Khan Market; social distancing norms flouted.
Lockdown to be imposed in the national capital from 10pm tonight to 6am next Monday (26th April). pic.twitter.com/Fq1iNGJo1d
A Delhi resident outside liquor shop said that she had come to buy alcohol as it may help her since medicines may not be useful.
#WATCH Delhi: A woman, who has come to purchase liquor, at a shop in Shivpuri Geeta Colony, says, "…Injection fayda nahi karega, ye alcohol fayda karegi…Mujhe dawaion se asar nahi hoga, peg se asar hoga…" pic.twitter.com/iat5N9vdFZ
She said she has been having a peg every day since 35 years and this is all the medicine she has.
According to official sources, the decision was taken at a meeting held between Lt Governor Anil Baijal, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi Police Commissioner SN Srivastava, Delhi’s deputy CM Manish Sisodia, Health Minister Satyendra Jain and other officials on Monday. India TV reported that the decision on extending the curfew for one more week was proposed by the Delhi CM which the L-G approved.
“Delhi is facing the fourth wave of Covid-19. 25,000 cases have been reported now. Delhi’s health system has been stretched to its limit, is under stress. Harsh measures will have to be taken to prevent a collapse of the health system”, Arvind Kejriwal was quoted by ANI as saying as he announced the complete curfew in Delhi.
Delhi’s health system has been stretched to its limit, is under stress. Harsh measures will have to be taken to prevent a collapse of the health system: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal pic.twitter.com/D1otUXmPq8
It may be noted that the national capital witnessed the biggest surge in the daily coronavirus caseload as 25,462 fresh cases were reported on April 18(Sunday).
Yesterday, the Chief Minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal had informed that Delhi was facing an acute shortage of oxygen.
Del facing acute shortage of oxygen. In view of sharply increasing cases, Del needs much more than normal supply. Rather than increasing supply, our normal supply has been sharply reduced and Delhi’s quota has been diverted to other states.
Owing to the alarming situation in the national capital, Kejriwal has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal urging them to ramp up bed capacity in central government-run hospitals and to ensure uninterrupted supply of medical oxygen.
In a Tweet, Kejriwal levelled some baseless allegations on the central government, saying that the quota of medical oxygen that was meant for Delhi has been ‘diverted’ to other states.
A senior official in the Commerce Ministry, however, rubbished the allegations and called them “blatant lies”.
Delhi police have booked and arrested a couple after the duo misbehaved with the personnel when they were stopped for not adhering to COVID-19 protocols in central Delhi’s Daryaganj on Sunday. The couple, identified as Pankaj and Abha, residents of Patel Nagar, were seen screaming at the police personnel after they were stopped for not wearing face masks inside their car. The video of the purported incident went viral on social media.
In the viral clip, Pankaj Dutta at first reprimands the police for stopping his car. “Why did you stop my car? I was inside my car with my wife,” the man told the policemen. When the cop asks them the reason for not wearing masks, he shouts “aapni gaadi mein kaisa mask?”
The lady also starts aggressively shouting at the police personnel. “Apni bezzati bina baat karwa rahe ho. Agar mein seedhi padi to tum, tumhare CM aur PM channe bechtain nazar aaoge. Aukat mein raho”, roughly translated as (Why would you want to get humiliated, if I show my true personality, you, your CM and PM will have nowhere to go. Stay in your limits).
The lady further yells: “If I kiss my husband now, can you stop me?” She goes on to call the police ‘beggars’ for issuing challans for not wearing masks.
The couple continued their arguments aggressively even after a policeman tells them about a recent High Court ruling that even one person inside a car must wear a mask.
The duo dares the police to record and upload their altercation with the personnel on social media and take action against them.
According to reports, the traffic police then called a policewoman on the spot who took the woman to the nearest police station, where she is being interrogated. Pankaj Dutta was also arrested and taken to the Daryaganj police station. He was produced before the court today morning.
‘My wife instigated me’, arrested Delhi man pins the entire blame on his wife
Interestingly, after his arrest, Pankaj pinned the entire blame on his wife. He said that he was asking his wife to wear a mask but she refused to wear one and even stopped him. “Na khud pehan rahi thi na mujhe pehane de rahi thi”, rued Pankaj Dutta.
“My wife was instigating me,” said Pankaj on how the events transpired. He further added that it was his wife Abha who called the personnel ‘beggars’. He added that the couple even picked up a fight when he pleaded with her to wear a mask at the red light.
“What she did was wrong. I had been telling her for long that we should wear our masks, but she refused to wear one and even did not let me wear a mask,” said Pankaj, blaming his wife for the incident and admitting that the behaviour was wrong on their part.
Pankaj Dutta went on to say that he always wears his mask when he is not with his wife. He appealed to Delhi residents to follow the guidelines.
The COVID situation in Delhi is extremely precarious. On Sunday, Delhi reported 25,462 new cases, the highest since the beginning of the pandemic. To curb the menace, CM Arvind Kejriwal has announced a lockdown from 10 pm tonight till 5 am next Monday.
Days after Islamist outfit Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) unleashed violence and terror in several cities of the country, videos have now surfaced on social media wherein Pakistani army personnel are seen threatening rebellion against the government. The threats of mutiny come in the backdrop of the Pakistani government’s failure to expel the French ambassador from the country.
On Sunday (April 18), journalist Taha Siddiqui shared a video of a Pakistani soldier cautioning the Imran Khan government over its crackdown on TLP. The man said, “More than 45 lovers of the Prophet have died. I am calling upon you to enter the battlefield.” He has also asked the Pakistani Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa to solve the issue at hand. “If you don’t do this, then all forces including Pak Rangers, Pak FC, Pak Army, Punjab police and youngsters will hit the battlefield,” he threatened.
The Pakistani soldier added that all of them are gulam (slaves) of Prophet Mohammed and are willing to sacrifice their lives in his honour. Quoting Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin, he emphasised, “I am not miffed with the Yazidis for the Battle of Karbala but with the Kuffars (comparing Muslims to infidels who remained silent).” He said that the Army is with the protectors of Islam (referring to Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan) and claimed that they are happy to die millions of times for the love of their Prophet Muhammad. “This uniform, and the flag is for the Prophet’s honour”, he reiterated.
This is REALLY scary. A #PakistanArmy soldier appeals to the army chief General Bajwa to stop action against TLP. He says 45 lovers of Prophet have been killed. He also says if Bajwa doesnt intervene, then all serving soldiers, who are lovers of Mohammad, will go towards mutiny pic.twitter.com/5AbB4fpjIL
“Gustaak-e-Nabi ki ek hi saza sarr tann se juda (The punishment for dishonouring our Prophet is separating the head from the body),” he continued. The Pakistani army personnel claimed that the Muslim ‘Ummah’ has come forward after the French government insulted the Prophet and caused great pain to Muslims.
He thanked the founder of the hardline party, Allama Khadim Hussain Rizvi, for producing such Aashiq-e-Rasool (lovers of Prophet Muhammad). The man said that Rizvi and other such Islamist organisations had asked the government to wage Jihad against France. “If you cannot do this, expel the ‘impure’ French ambassador from this land of the ‘pure’. This was the agreement between Rizvi and the government. However, after his death, the dates have been extended (to take this matter up before the Parliament),” he lamented.
? [Part 2] Pakistan Army soldier questions: Despite agreement with TLP, why govt did not expel @FranceinPak ambassador over blasphemy #France govt committed. He alleges Pakistani govt is controlled by Jews & Christians. He appeals everyone to join lovers of Prophet & protest pic.twitter.com/nX0XWtAzFn
“Then the government forged an agreement with Rizvi’s son (Saad Hussain). They had demanded an extension till April. But they arrested Saad Hussain and said that they cannot honour the agreement (made between Imran Khan and TLP). This is because we are the puppets and dogs of the Jews of the world. So when lovers of prophet hit the streets, the government cracked down on them with lathi-charge, firing, shelling and water cannons adulterated with acid.”
‘Why are you doing this to please infidels?’ asks Pakistani army personnel
In another video shared by Kashmiri journalist Aditya Raj Kaul, another Pakistani army personnel warned, “Please ask the Prime Minister to pull a chain on the ‘haramkhor kutta’ (unfaithful dogs) in the police force. They have thrashed our Ulemas (clerics). They have brutally assaulted a young boy today so much so that he has now been martyred. Allah is watching.”
Pakistan Army in rebellion mode against Imran Khan after several radical TLP protesters killed by police and security forces in Pakistan during protests. A soldier of the Pak Army asks Army Chief in a public video to ask Imran Khan to control his ‘dogs’ (Police) or face action. pic.twitter.com/zq0E7YrXw1
He further continued, “Why is Niazi (referring to Imran Khan) unleashing atrocities on our clerics? They talk about the protection and honour of Islam. They are asking you to get rid of the French dog (referring to the ambassador). Why are you not doing this? The French government has insulted our Prophet. Why don’t you remove him using government legislation?… Why are you doing this to please infidels? What will you answer to Allah? What will you answer to Prophet Muhammad (on the judgement day)?”
Pakistani army raised Islamist slogans alongside TLP
Despite the violence wrecked by the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan in the country, the Pakistani army personnel were seen raising Islamist slogans along with the party members. Journalist Shama Junejo tweeted, “This video gives a clear message to the world from our armed forces that where do they stand, who they are with, & what kind of social structure they will support in Pakistan. Yet we wonder about #FATF & being a high-risk country for the UK.”
The TLP protests
On Monday (April 12), violent protests broke out in several cities of Pakistan after security forces arrested Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) leader Saad Hussain Rizvi. TLP is a radical Islamist party that was founded in 2015 to prevent any changes to the existing blasphemy law in the country.
In their charter of demands, TLP directed the ouster of the French ambassador within 3 months. They demanded the release of arrested members of the TLP and said that no further cases should be registered against the party’s workers. TLP also demanded that Pakistan would not appoint its ambassador to France, else they would continue their sit-in protests.
In a video message on Sunday (April 11), TLP leader Saad Hussain Rizvi urged his followers to protest and hit the roads against the government if demands are not fulfilled. This call for a countrywide protest led to his arrest at around 2 pm on Wahdat Road in Lahore. Following his arrest, a large mob of his supporters blocked the Grand Trunk Road at several junctions.
On April 16, the Imran Khan-led Pakistan government took the decision to shut down social media websites and messaging applications like WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter throughout Pakistan from 11 AM to 3 PM, according to Pakistani media sources. Meanwhile, the French embassy in Pakistan advised all French citizens and companies in the country to temporarily leave Pakistan which is staring at a violent civil war. This move comes in the wake of violent anti-France Islamist protests led by the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) affecting several parts of the country.
On April 18, news agencies and a considerable number of social media users shared a report that suggested that the Government of India has decided to terminate the life insurance policy for healthcare workers who succumbed to covid infection in the line of duty.
As per the reports, the center has decided to cancel the existing insurance scheme of Rs 50 lakh for those healthcare workers who die in the line of Covid duty. The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package was launched last year to provide financial support to the family of Covid warriors, including Safai karmcharis, ward-boys, nurses, ASHA workers, paramedics, technicians, doctors, specialists and other health workers.
Many journalists had also jumped on social media to share the half-baked information about the update without confirming it from any official source. The Hindu’s Political Editor Nistula Hebbar wrote, “Centre quietly withdraws Rs 50 lakh insurance coverage for healthcare workers.”
Misleading tweet by Nistula Hebbar
Executive Chairperson of Biocon Limited, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw questioned, “If this true it is immoral and wrong – can Govt explain why?”
Misleading tweet by Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw
Teena Thacker, Health Journalist at Economic Times wrote, “The scheme promising 50 lakhs to deceased HCWs has ended. What an eyewash.”
Misleading tweet by Teena Thacker
Other netizens too jumped into questioning the alleged “ill-timed” step taken by the government of India.
Doctors and health sector ko Salam !! But what is this ? Corrigendum: Centre cancels existing insurance policy for healthcare workers who succumbed in the li – The New Indian Express https://t.co/Z4v7pbwIwY
Congress prince Rahul Gandhi shared the fake news too, along with a screen shot of the misleading headline.
Rahul Gandhi spreading misinformation
New India Express, one of the news agencies that reported it yesterday, updated the report with correct information. In a tweet, it said, “A correction has been made to the original story: The Centre has decided to cancel the existing insurance scheme of Rs 50 lakh for healthcare workers who die in the line of COVID19 duty. The government is in talks with a new insurance firm.” Notably, The New Indian Express reported that the majority of the liberal gang had shared.
Tweet suggesting the story has been corrected by The Indian Express
What did the Ministry say in the circular?
The circular issued in March by Rajesh Bhushan, Health Secretary, Government of India, and dated 24 March, talked about the scheme and mentioned that it had been extended for one month. It was mentioned in the circular that the insurance scheme acted as a safety net to the health workers fighting Covid-19.
Circular issued by Health Secretary (Source: Twitter)
“Under the scheme 287 Claims have so far been approved/paid by the Insurance Company. The Scheme has also played a very important psychological role in sending the right signals to the Health Care Workers and in keeping their morale high,” it added.
Ministry of Health’s statement on the insurance scheme
On April 18, in a tweet thread, the Ministry of Health, Government of India, said that the scheme was extended thrice till March 24, 2021.
#Unite2FightCorona Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package(PMGKP) was announced on March 2020, and was extended thrice till 24 April ’21. It was launched to provide safety net to Health Workers to ensure that in case of any adversity due to #COVID19,their families are taken care of.
It further added that the claims under PMGKP would be settled by the Insurance Company till April 24 2021. “Thereafter, a new dispensation will be provided to cover the Corona Warriors, for which the Ministry is in talks with the Insurance Company (New India Assurance),” it said.
The Scheme has played a crucial psychological role in boosting the morale of the Health Workers fighting #COVID19.
The claims under PMGKP will be settled by the Insurance Company till 24th of April 2021. Thereafter a new dispensation will be provided to cover the Corona Warriors, for which the Ministry is in talks with the Insurance Company (New India Assurance).
Though Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw thanked the Ministry of Health for clarifying the situation, she did not delete her misleading tweet till the time this report was published.
Thanks for your response. Please communicate this misinformation by media to the public as it will otherwise demoralise HCW.
Verdict: The Government of India has extended the insurance for health workers who died during the line of Covid duty till April 24, 2021. The government is discussing new insurance plans for the Covid warriors with another insurance company. So the Government of India is not withdrawing or canceling the life insurance cover, they are just looking for a new insurance provider to settle the claims. News reports and social media posts claiming that the government of India quietly canceled the insurance for Covid warriors are FAKE.
