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CNN hoped for higher Covid-19 death toll, hyped pandemic deaths to improve ratings, technical director admits in Project Veritas leak

OpIndia Staff
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CNN hoped for higher Covid-19 death toll, hyped pandemic deaths to improve ratings, technical director admits in Project Veritas leak

US journalism venture Project Veritas has made a series of exposes of the CNN news network in the USA. CNN Technical Director Charlie Chester went on five Tinder dates with a Project Veritas agent where he made a series of shocking revelations.

After the ‘first part’ of the release which showed Chester admitting that CNN ran a dedicated propaganda campaign against then US President Donald Trump, another video has been released where the technical director admits that the news network hyped up the Covid-19 death figures and hoped for more deaths to drive up its ratings.

In the latest video, Charlie Chester says, “Sad news doesn’t do well with ratings. You know, like if you can get someone impassioned, that does really well with ratings. Sad news back-to-back-to-back, doesn’t do really well, unless it affects them directly.”

“Covid? Gangbusters with ratings, right? Which is why we constantly have the (Covid) death toll on the side. Which I have a major problem with how we’re tallying how many die every day. Because I’ve even looked at it and been like, look at it and be like, let’s make it higher. Like why isn’t it high enough, you know, today? Like it would make our point better if it was higher,” he said.

Charlie Chester continued, “And I’m like, what am I f**king rallying for? That’s a problem that we’re doing that. You know?” He claims to have been told by a head of the network, “There’s nothing that you’re doing right now that makes me want to stick. Put the numbers back up, because that’s the most enticing thing that we had. So put it back up.”

The technical director also admits that there is nothing such as unbiased news “It just doesn’t exist,” he said. He also says CNN provides a platform to only those people who will peddle the narrative the network wants them to peddle.

Pakistan on the verge of civil war as it bans TLP for violent protests over the arrest of its leader and Muhammad cartoons in France

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan on the verge of civil war as it bans TLP for violent protests over the arrest of its leader and Muhammad cartoons in France

According to Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, the Pakistan Government has taken the decision to ban Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), whose supporters and members have been violently protesting since the arrest of their chief, Saad Hussain Rizvi, on Monday.

In a post on Twitter, Sheikh Rashid Khan specified that the Islamist political party would be banned under Rule 11(b) of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997. Rashid said that the Punjab Government made the recommendation to ban TLP, of which a summary is being sent to the Federal government.

“…today we’ve decided that [a] ban on TLP [will be placed] and this file is going to the cabinet for the approval from today,” Pakistan’s Interior Minister said.

This ban on TLP comes in the wake of three days of violent protests by TLP supporters and cadre, which have resulted in the deaths of two policemen and left at least 340 injured.

With regard to negotiations with TLP, Sheikh Rashid said, “It was our effort till the last moment to convince them to agree on a resolution to be presented in the assembly, but all of our efforts were unsuccessful.”

Sheikh Rashid added that TLP activists, “wanted to come to Faizabad chowk and Islamabad at any cost”.

Background for TLP’s violent protests

Pakistan was on the verge of a civil war after TLP’s violent protests against two things, the arrest of their leader Saad Hussain Rizvi which took place on Monday, and against France’s defence of Freedom of Expression pertaining to drawing caricatures of Prophet Muhammad. The Islamist group has demanded that the French ambassador be expelled from Pakistan and import of goods from France banned.

On November 14, 2020, the TLP and the police clashed so violently that the government gave in to their demands the following day. 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. The Imran Khan government, through its Interior Ministry, issued a notification to release all TLP workers. On January 3 this year, the new successor of the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan Saad Hussain Rizvi threatened to launch countrywide protests if its demand of expelling the French ambassador is not met by February 17.

“If you have forgotten the promise, see our history… You have got time until Feb 17 to expel the French ambassador,” he had earlier warned. On February 11, the Imran Khan government reached a new agreement with TLP and assured that their demands will be tabled before the Parliament on April 20. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan had told TLP that no other PM had raised the issue of blasphemy on international platforms more than him. However, in his signature U-turn, Imran Khan failed to implement the agreement ahead of the April 20 deadline.

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. Major cities such as Islamabad, Lahore, Gujranwala, and Peshawar were cut off from the rest of the country. The Islamists had also blocked motorways, highways, train tracks and clashed with the police.

While speaking about the development, TLP leader Khalid Awan said, “We will not step back from our mission because of Saad Rizvi’s arrest.” A TLP spokesperson, Tayyab Rizvi, vowed, “They (Protests) will continue till the French ambassador is deported.” He added that a total of 12 members of the Islamist party were killed in police firing in cities such as Lahore, Karachi, and Talagang. Keeping in mind the law and order situation, major intersections in Karachi and Islamabad were closed on Sunday (April 13).

Horrific violence across Pakistan

Several videos have now surfaced online that highlights the grim law and order situation in Pakistan. A Pakistani Twitter user (@nighatdad) shared a horrific video claiming to depict the final moments of a constable killed by TLP workers. In the video, the policeman is chased by a mob of violent Islamists, being mercilessly beaten with sticks.

A retired Pakistan Army Major on Twitter shared a video of a Pakistani policeman with a mauled ear barely hanging on by its skin. The video also showcases other injured policemen, sharing their experience of being attacked by TLP activists.

Another video shows a Pakistani policeman being brutally beaten by a mob of TLP Islamists.

In a video shared by Twitter user (@AbdulGJutt), Islamists brandishing skullcaps were seen brutally assaulting security personnel with sticks. Even after the victim bled from his face, the mob continued with the thrashing. Another security personnel could be heard pleading with the TLP supporters to stop assaulting the man.

Popular Pakistani atheist Harris Sultan shared a video of a mob vandalizing a car with sticks, even when the occupants were inside the vehicle. They broke the window panes while the driver tried to desperately back off from the chaotic scene. Haris Sultan tweeted, “Somes lovers of the prophet peaceful letting it out on a blasphemous car.”

In another video, a frenzied mob can be seen gathering around a lone police official and mercilessly throwing blows at him.

In a heart-wrenching video, Islamists are seen pulling a bruised police official while he pleaded with them to spare him. “Are you a Muslim? You must be a Jewish (Yahoodi)agent.” Although the nameplate read ‘Umar’, the mob assumed that he was a Jew and hurled the choicest of expletives at him. In the end, the security personnel collapsed on the ground while the mob chanted, “Labaik Labaik.”

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.”

Last year, TLP Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan released videos where Muslims said that the ‘Badmash’ (naughty) Imran Khan government was instigating the ‘Kalma’ reading forces against the ‘Kalma’ reading Muslims of Rawalpindi when Muslims of Srinagar and Kashmir were hoping that these same forces would rescue them. They lamented the fact that the Pakistani forces were taking action against Namazis instead of “fighting Hindus”.

If we sit quietly, 800 year old history will repeat: Hindu leader explains why he came out on street to support Yati Narasinghanand Saraswati

अनुपम कुमार सिंह
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If we sit quietly, 800 year old history will repeat: Hindu leader explains why he came out on street to support Yati Narasinghanand Saraswati

Ever since the Dasna Devi Temple head priest Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati urged Hindus to be fearless in describing the character traits of Prophet Muhammad, Muslims in many parts of the country have threatened him with dire consequences for insulting their Prophet.

Delhi AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan openly called for Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati’s beheading for his remarks on Prophet Muhammad. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi also criticised the Dasna Devi Temple head priest for his comments on Prophet. Posters calling for the decapitation of Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati sprung up in Kanpur. Similarly, Muslims, online and offline, also issued threats and demonstrated against Narsinghanand Saraswati, demanding both judicial and extra-judicial punishment.

In one such demonstration carried out in Yamunanagar, Panipat, Haryana, Hindus and Muslims came face to face over the issue. In the light of campaigns calling for violence against Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati, Hindu organisations in Panipat planned a sit-in vigil on April 12 to mark their support to the Dasna Devi Temple head priest. Their plan was to sit in peace and submit a memorandum to the administrative authorities.

OpIndia contacted the organisers of the protest to understand what transpired at the event. The organisers claimed that as the discussion on how to organise the demonstration was underway, they received frantic calls from the intelligence department, asking them to postpone the sit-in vigil. The administration then cautioned them to abide by the coronavirus guidelines. The Hindu activists assured that they would follow the rules.

The organisers claim that the Hindus had planned to organise a demonstration in support of Mahant Narsighanand Saraswati at a gate situated close to the court. However, a day before the protest, Muslims also decided that they, too, would protest against Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati at the same place where Hindus were to organise a sit-in vigil.

Hindu activists claim this was done on purpose to stop from expressing their support to Yati Narsingahanand Saraswati. While talking to OpIndia, one of them said had they been a little late at the venue, they would not have even gotten any place to lay carpet, much less organise a demonstration in support of the Mahant.

We spoke to the local Hindu leader Udayveer Shastri to understand the whole matter, who told us a Muslim mob had gathered near the protest site, dangerously close to Hindu tents. When objected, the administration pushed the Muslim crowd a little farther away. Udayveer Shastri said, “We made it clear to the Hindus that on the holy land of Yamunanagar, we will not let anybody put the garland of shoes on Mahant Narsinghanand’s photo, nor allow anyone to burn his effigy.”

Aditya Rohilla, who participated in the protest, told us that the Muslim crowd had come equipped with a complete sound system and creating noise. It was then that the Hindu leaders went to the Muslim camp to dissuade them from using mics and speakers. For a brief period, the loud music stopped. However, the sound resumed once again as Muslims started chanting “Allahu Akbar” slogans.

The Muslim protesters hurled obscenities at Mahant Yati Narasimhanand Saraswati. As the tempers soared high, the police intervened and stopped Muslims from using the sound system. The Muslim mob was removed from the spot, after which the Hindus submitted their memorandum.

Speaking on the altercation, Udayveer Shastri expressed concerns that Muslim communities have not shied away from taking to the streets while Hindus continue to remain keyboard warriors.

“If anyone puts up with adharma, he is a criminal, even if he belongs to the Hindu community. Bhagavad Gita says: ‘Swadharma Dhanam Shreyah‘, that is, perform your duties. But, I want to ask where they teach ‘Ahimsa Parmo Dharma’, why do they hide ‘Dharma Hinsa Tathaiva Ch’? Just as non-violence is religion, so is violence for religion is also religion. If we sit complacently in our house, the same 800-year-old history will repeat itself. Today, some saints have taken up their duty, so Hindus will wake up soon,” Shastri said.

Speaking on the incidents that motivated Deepak Tyagi into becoming Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati, Shastri said that incidents like Hindu girls being molested by Muslims had a lasting effect on Narsinghanand Saraswati’s mind which eventually pushed him towards spiritualism. Shastri said the repeated molestation of Hindu girls and incidents like this led Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati to study Islam.

Udayveer Shastri, influenced by Mahant Yati, said that the Dasna Devi Temple head priest is only speaking things that he found after studying Islam. He said if anyone is having any problem with his comments, they should counter his arguments or condemn them. Dishing out threats of beheading is not the way, he said.

Source: YouTube

What is Udayveer Shastri’s message to awakened Hindus?

Commenting on the population explosion among Muslims, Shastri pointed out how Muslims are encouraged to produce more and more children, who are later sent to madrassas where they are brainwashed and turned into fundamentalists. He termed Islamic countries as bastions of terror, where children are handed over guns and bombs to become jihadis.

Shastri also concurs with Wasim Rizvi, who recently moved the Supreme Court to get certain verses of the Quran removed. He cites China, where there is a ban on keeping half a beard, wearing short pyjamas and naming children as Mohammed.

Udayveer claims he is doing all this for Islam’s good, for bringing about social reform in the religion. In a conversation with Opindia, he also cited India’s history, stating that those who adopted Islam did so out of fear of being beheaded.

Udayveer Shastri states that those who were the cowards of yesterday are the Muslims of today. Similarly, he cautioned Hindus that those who are cowards today would become Muslims tomorrow. Talking about ‘Veer Bhogya Vasundhara’, he said that this country asks for sacrifices. From historical figures such as Maharana Pratap and Chhatrapati Shivaji to Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, from Lala Lajpat Rai, Sardar Patel to Lal Bahadur Shastri – all have made sacrifices for this country.

Muslims claim they did not abuse Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati

On the other hand, the Muslims who were protesting at the site claimed that they did not make any demeaning comments against Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati. They claimed that they are being vilified and false allegations are levelled against them. The senior officials reached the spot and accepted the memorandum from both sides. Hindu organizations asked the officials to prosecute the Muslim mob for inciting hatred in society.

Brazil is building a new Jesus statue, and it is taller than Rio’s Christ the Redeemer

OpIndia Staff
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Brazil is building a new Jesus statue, and it is taller than Rio’s Christ the Redeemer

A gigantic statue of Jesus Christ is under construction at the Southern Brazilian city of Encantado, and it is going to be taller than its famous counterpart Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro.

Dubbed as “Christ the Protector”, the statue is being built by a Brazilian organization called the Friends of Christ Association (AACristo). Made of steel and concrete, the statue will be 43 meters or 141 feet tall, 16 feet taller than Rio’s Christ the Redeemer.

The statue under construction in Encantado will be the third-tallest statue of Jesus Christ in the world, the organisation said, only behind the 249-foot statue currently under construction in Mexico and a 172-foot monument in Poland. The statue is the work of sculptor Genésio Gomes Moura and his son, Markus Moura. Though the construction of the statue started back in 2019, the head and the arms of the statue were installed only recently. However, the organisation believes the construction will be finished by the end of this year.

The project is being funded by donations from individuals and companies. The cost of the project is pegged at $353,000, and AACristo is seeking donations to finish the project. An elevator installed inside will take tourists to a lookout at the height of Christ’s heart.

Read- How the Statue of Unity proved naysayers to be 2700% wrong

According to head project supervisor Artur Lopes De Souza, the viewing gallery at the heart of the statue will be a glass opening from where people will be able to film and photograph the breathtaking views of the valley. The primary aim to come up with a new statue in Southern Brazil is to boost tourism in the country which is largely restricted to the northern and eastern region. The project is intended both to inspire faith and encourage tourism to the area, its promoters say.

For more than 90 years, Christ the Redeemer statue looking down on the city of Rio de Janeiro has been one of Brazil’s most famous tourist attractions.

Amdavad Municipal Corporation introduces ‘drive through’ RTPCR testing as COVID-19 cases surge in the state

OpIndia Staff
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Amdavad Municipal Corporation introduces ‘drive through’ RTPCR testing as COVID-19 cases surge in the state

Amdavad Municipal Corporation in Ahmedabad today launched a drive-through RTPCR testing centre to increase testing in the city as the state grapples in second wave of Chinese coronavirus cases. People reached the GMDC ground in auto rickshaws, cabs, private cars for the drive-through testing centre. The testing will be held from 8 AM to 8 PM.

Over 600 people got themselves tested within just two hours today. The response has been phenomenal, said Rajiv Gupta, IAS. The facility was announced on April 13, 2021. 5 collection stations were set up and people had to take tokens through scanning the QR code at the entrance. Payment could be made via online mode or through cash on the spot. The results will be sent within 24 to 36 hours of collection of samples. The charges for the testing are Rs 800.

As of now, Gujarat has over 34,500 active coronavirus cases of which 8989 cases are in Ahmedabad. 4,922 people have lost their lives in the state to the Chinese virus.

Top Chinese official admits Chinese vaccines “don’t have very high protection rates”, suggests mixing different vaccines

OpIndia Staff
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Top Chinese official admits Chinese vaccines “don’t have very high protection rates”, suggests mixing different vaccines

In a rare acknowledgement, the top Chinese official for disease control said that the current vaccines developed in the country don’t offer a high enough protection rate for the Coronavirus and that China is considering mixing different vaccines in order to boost effectiveness.

“We will solve the issue that current vaccines don’t have very high protection rates,” Gao Fu, director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, told a conference in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu on Saturday.

“It’s now under consideration whether we should use different vaccines from different technical lines for the immunization process,” Gao added. He outlined a couple of options in order to solve the vaccine efficacy issue: one is to increase the number of doses or to adjust the dosage or the interval between shots; the other is to mix vaccines developed from different technologies.

However, as Gao’s comments gained attention on social media and headlines, Gao quickly disavowed his comments, seemingly clarifying that he was speaking about the effectiveness rates for “vaccines in the world, not particularly for China.” However, Gao did not explicitly make clear as to which particular vaccines he was referring to.

“The protection rates of all vaccines in the world are sometimes high, and sometimes low. How to improve their efficacy is a question that needs to be considered by scientists around the world,” Gao said in an interview with the Chinese state-owned publication The Global Times.

China currently has five vaccines approved for use in its mass vaccination campaign, three inactivated-virus vaccines from Sinovac and Sinopharm, a one-shot vaccine from CanSino, and the last from Gao’s team in partnership with Anhui Zhifei Longcom.

The effectiveness of these Chinese vaccines range from just over 50% to 79%, according to various International trials and the companies themselves.

The majority of Chinese vaccines are made by Sinovac, a private company, and Sinopharm, a state-owned firm. These vaccines have also been distributed to several dozen countries around the world including Mexico, Turkey, Indonesia, Hungary, Brazil, Pakistan and Turkey.

Back in January, Sinovac’s CoronaVac vaccine was found to be only 50.4% effective in Brazilian clinical trials, with the efficacy rate of the vaccine ranging from around 50% to over 83%.

Liu Peicheng, a Sinovac spokesman, acknowledges that varying levels of effectiveness have been found in different trials around the world but said that can be due to the age of people in a study, the strain of the virus, or other factors. China has so far not approved any foreign vaccine for use in mainland China.

The Sinovac spokesman, Liu, said that studies find protection “may be better” if the time period between vaccination doses is longer than the current 14 days but gave no indication that there might be a change made in the standard practice.

UP govt ramps up measures to fight the resurgent COVID-19 outbreak, airlifts 25,000 doses of Remdesivir using govt plane from Gujarat

OpIndia Staff
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UP govt ramps up measures to fight the resurgent COVID-19 outbreak, airlifts 25,000 doses of Remdesivir using govt plane from Gujarat

As the number of coronavirus cases in the state rise at an alarming pace, the Uttar Pradesh government has stepped up its efforts to blunt the new wave of COVID-19.

According to the sources, Uttar Pradesh is working on a war footing to tackle this sudden spike in the number of coronavirus cases. The government has released hundreds of crores of funds for procuring essential drugs, testing kits, N95 masks and PPE kits in its fight against the coronavirus.

The CM himself is reviewing the availability of medicines in the districts, and ensuring that there is adequate supply. The govt also arranged a large shipment of Remdesivir from Surat. The big consignment of Remdesivir vials arrived in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had ordered 25,000 doses of the injection keeping in view the spiralling cases of COVID-19 infection in the state recently.

It is noteworthy that CM Yogi Adityanath had sent a government aircraft to Ahmedabad to bring medicines to save the lives of people from Covid-19 for the third time since last year. Earlier, on June 9 last year, he had sent a government aircraft to Goa to bring TruNet machines. The UP Chief Minister had also brought medical equipment from Bangalore on April 7.

The Chief Minister has also directed the Health Department to ensure that the vaccines are provided at prescribed market rates, while ensuring that there is no shortage of other medicines. The Chief Minister has ensured the availability of Remdesvir, Ivermactin, Paracetamol, Doxycycline, Azithromycin, Vitamin C, Zinc Tablet, Bitamine B Complex and Vitamin D3 in every district of the state. The officials of the Health Department have ensured that there is no shortage of these medicines in any district of UP for treatment of COVID-19 patients

According to Drug Controller Dr AK Jain, seven Indian companies in the country are producing Remadecivir injections under a voluntary licensing agreement with Messrs, Gilead Sciences America. The companies have assured to provide more injections as per the need of the state at the earliest. At present, there is a sufficient amount of Remdesivir injection and its dose is being given to serious patients.

Yogi Adityanath government has also ensured that the state has enough oxygen capacity to provide to those in need of supplemental oxygen. Out of 507 MT of oxygen, only 232 MT has been used so far. In less than 24 hours, the state government has added about 121 ICU and HDU beds in various medical colleges and institutes across the state.

Sources claim CM Yogi Adityanath is personally supervising the state’s preparedness against the second wave of the coronavirus, despite being tested positive for the virus. Taking to Twitter, he informed that after noticing initial symptoms, he got himself tested and the tests came back positive. He is currently in self-isolation and undergoing treatment.

Though the resources and beds in Uttar Pradesh are adequate to meet the current level of infection, CM Yogi Adityanath has directed the authorities to further expand the capacities.

While the L1 hospitals are not yet started because of the permission of home isolation granted by the Health and Family Welfare department, the L2 and L3 hospitals have started accepting patients infected with the coronavirus.

There are 25,764 (normal beds with oxygen) and about 7000 ICU beds in L2 and L3 hospitals in the state so far. Special Secretary Pranjal Yadav said that the availability of oxygen in the state is 507 metric tons. While the utilization of oxygen is 232 MT, the industrial usage is 99.6 MT. There are more than 5000 ventilators in the state. The state government has sent a proposal to the Government of India, asking for additional 1500 ventilators.

Alok Kumar, the Principal Secretary of the Medical Department, said that 121 ICUs and HDU beds have been added in various medical colleges and institutes in the last 24 hours. Era Medical College in Lucknow has been declared a complete COVID-19 Hospital.

Department of Medical Education, Kanpur, Agra, Meerut, Prayagraj, Jhansi, Gorakhpur, Banda, Azamgarh, Ambedkaranagar, Kannauj, Jalaun, Saharanpur and Badaun Medical Colleges, Autonomous State Medical Colleges in Ayodhya, Basti, Bahraich, Firozabad and Shahjahanpur, KGMU Lucknow, North State Medical University Saifai, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, Super Specialty Children’s Hospital and Post Graduate Educational Institute, Noida, SGPGI Lucknow and Government Institute of Medical Sciences, Greater Noida have sent an amount of one hundred crore rupees each as a part of the strategy to fight the second wave of the coronavirus.

As per UP government sources, 200 beds will be added at the Integral Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow, taking total beds to 400, including 120 ICU beds. Efforts are underway to add another 500 beds, including 150 ICU and HDU beds at TS Mishra Medical College by tomorrow. Mayo Institute Barabanki has more than 200 operational beds, while the Cancer Institute also has 100 such beds. Sources suggest another 300 beds, including 50 ICU beds, will be added at the Career Institute this evening.

Covid-19 surge: No space to bury dead bodies in graveyards, graves being dug in advance to save time, crematoriums break down due to overload

OpIndia Staff
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Covid-19 surge: No space to bury dead bodies in graveyards, graves being dug in advance to save time, crematoriums break down due to overload

India has recorded over 1,85,000+ Covid-19 cases in a single day. 1,026 people have lost their lives due to the complications associated with the infection yesterday. Though the average death rate is on the lower side, the number of dead bodies per day is increasing, which has created a problem for the graveyards in several cities.

The largest graveyard in Delhi can accommodate only 150 more bodies

As per reports, the largest graveyard in Delhi, Jadid Qabristan Ahle Islam, can accommodate only 150 more dead bodies. Mohammad Shamim, the caretaker of the graveyard, said that the number of dead bodies is on the rise since April 4. On April 12, 25 dead bodies were brought to the graveyard. Out of 30 dead bodies that were brought on April 13, 18 were non-Covid. Shameem added that he is the third generation of caretakers, and he has never seen so many dead bodies in a single day.

Labour is not ready to dig graves amid Covid-19 fear in Ranchi

As per regulations, the dead body has to be buried at 7 or 8 feet instead of the normal 3 feet to ensure infection cannot escape from the grave. Digging such deep graves take time and manpower. However, in cities like Ranchi, people are unable to find the labour to dig graves as they are afraid of the infection. They are arranging JCB machines to dig the graves. Mukhtar Ahmed of Anjuman Islamia said that the number of dead bodies has increased in the last few days. People have to wait for hours to bury the deceased. However, he ensured that there was no shortage of space.

The price of digging graves increased by 60% in Lucknow

In Lucknow, as the number of dead bodies increased, the price to dig the grave has also gone up. As per a report published in Hindi Daily Amar Ujala, 210 dead bodies were buried in the largest graveyard in the city, i.e. Aishbagh graveyard. Out of these 210, 14 were infected, according to Hafiz Mateen, caretaker of the graveyard. In the Hazratganj graveyard, 40 dead bodies have been buried in the last four days.

Price of digging grave increased by 60%. Left: Old price Rs.500. Right: New price Rs.800. (Image: Amar Ujala)

However, Hafiz Salimuddin, caretaker of the graveyard, assured that none of them was infected. The price to dig the grave has gone up by 60% from Rs.500/- to Rs.800/-.

Graveyards in Surat are digging graves in advance

In Surat, those who had died of Covid-19 are being buried in three graveyards that are located in Rander and Rampura. Ibrahimbhai, the caretaker of Mora Bhagal graveyard, said that before Covid, 2-3 dead bodies used to come on any given day. However, nowadays, around 10-12 dead bodies are arriving daily. They are digging graves in advance so that people do not have to wait to bury the deceased. He added, if they wait for someone to come and ask to dig the grave, people may have to wait for two days to bury the deceased. JCBs are also being used in Surat to dig graves.

JCB digging graves (Image: ABP News)

Crematorium grounds facing similar problems

The situation is no different on crematorium grounds. In Surat, dead bodies are being burnt day and night. At one place, the walls of the electric crematorium melted due to constant high heat. Ashwini Kumar and Ramnath Ghela crematorium grounds are getting the majority of the dead bodies. As per reports, around 100 dead bodies are reaching daily for cremation, which is much higher than normal. The administration has restarted Kailash Mokshdham to accommodate the increase in demand. Notably, Kailash Mokshdham was close for 14 years.

In Ranchi, the electric crematorium in Harmu broke down. While the administration was trying to fix it, the dead bodies were being buried in the open, which is not safe as per the protocols. A team from Delhi was called to repair the crematorium.

One more video of a mob calling for beheading Yati Narsimhanand Saraswati for ‘insulting Prophet Muhammad’ goes viral

OpIndia Staff
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One more video of a mob calling for beheading Yati Narsimhanand Saraswati for ‘insulting Prophet Muhammad’ goes viral

On April 13, one more video calling for the beheading of Yati Narsimhanand Saraswati for ‘insulting Prophet Muhammad’ went viral on social media. The video was from Bareilly, and it was shot sometime during the last week on Friday. A large group of men from a particular community were seen walking in large groups on both sides of the road. Similar videos from the same day were making rounds last week.

In the video, some of them could be heard raising the slogan, “Gustakh-e-Nabi ki ek saza, sar tan se juda sar tan se juda (The one who disrespected the prophet, should be punished by beheading)”.

In another video, a man was seen raising slogans from a stage in which he said, “Uncha bolo kya chahiye, gustakh-e-nabi ka sir chahiye (Say it loud what do you want, head of the one who disrespected the Prophet)”.

Bareilly Police claimed the crowd was dispersed peacefully

In its reply, Bareilly Police said that two videos were viral on social media in which a man was seen raising communal slogans. Out of the two videos, Delhi Police has registered a case in Parliament road police station. In another video, a group gathered a large group of people and demanded action against the person. The Police further claimed that they accepted the memorandum keeping the law and order situation in mind, and dispersed the crowd peacefully.

In the reply, Police did not mention what action they took against the crowd that was asking to behead Yati Narsimhanand Saraswati. They did mention that a case was filed against the Dasna priest in Delhi, and they also registered a case based on the memorandum given by the leader who had gathered the crowd, but nowhere there was any mention if they took any action against the slogans raised by the crowd.

US Navy dismisses first-ever woman commander of missile destroyer USS Hopper, cites ‘leadership issues’

OpIndia Staff
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US Navy dismisses first-ever woman commander of missile destroyer USS Hopper, cites ‘leadership issues’

The U.S. Navy has reportedly removed its first-ever woman commander of the USS Hopper, a guided-missile destroyer vessel based in Pearl Harbor, seemingly because of leadership issues and problems with ‘crew morale’.

Commander Kathryn Dawley took command of the USS Hopper in April 2020 and was the first-ever woman to do so. According to the Pacific Fleet, her removal from command was “due to a loss of confidence in her leadership.”

According to the U.S. Pacific Fleet Spokesman Lt. James Adams, the decision was “based on her overall performance in this critical leadership billet. Morale of the crew played a large factor in the decision to remove her from command.”

The US Navy has, however, stated that no misconduct was associated with her removal.

Ever since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic, morale issues have become a frequent cause of concern for the U.S. Navy. Back in January, there was a COVID-19 outbreak aboard the USS Chafee, which became public after crew members of the vessel leaked documents to a Navy-focused news outlet. A Chief Petty officer on the Chafee told the outlet that “the morale is like nothing I’ve ever seen on board. Sailors on board are just defeated and don’t know what to do.”

The USS Hopper is named after Rear Adm. Grace Hopper, who became an important figure in computer science, developing one of the earliest programming languages.

Kathryn Dawley, the dismissed Commander, had enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1997 and dreamed of commanding the USS Hopper, according to the press release at the time of her assumption of command.

“Hopper has been my dream since I commissioned,” she was quoted as saying at the time. “As a role model, Rear Adm. Grace Hopper embodied the qualities of a naval officer that I strive to be; strong, confident, and fearless.”

The USS Hopper (DDG-70) is currently undergoing modernisation in Hawaii after leaving dry dock last year.

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