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Uttar Pradesh: CM Yogi Adityanath self-isolates after staff members test positive for Chinese coronavirus

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: CM Yogi Adityanath self-isolates after staff members test positive for Chinese coronavirus

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has self-isolated after some of his staff members who came in contact with him tested positive for Chinese coronavirus.

Taking to Twitter, Yogi Adityanath informed that some of the staff members at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister’s office have tested positive for coronavirus. “These officers had come in contact with me and hence I have isolated myself. I have resumed all my work virtually,” he informed.

He further cautioned people against believing in rumours. “In illness, fire and floods, prevention is better than cure. The best cure for coronavirus is prevention and we must take all precautionary measures to save our citizens,” he said. He urged everyone to follow Indian government and UP state government guidelines and not to pay attention to rumours.

Popular media personality Neil deGrasse Tyson faces widespread mockery after American meat brand takes potshots at him

OpIndia Staff
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Popular media personality Neil deGrasse Tyson faces widespread mockery after American meat brand takes potshots at him

Famous TV personality and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson was subject to criticism and ridicule on social media today, for unflinchingly asserting that Science is “true, whether or not you believe in it”. The Twitter account of “Steak-ummm”, a company that sells meat steaks, was the ringleader of the criticism, asking Tyson to “log off bro”.

The Steak-ummm account further clarified, explaining the irony of Tyson’s proclamatory attitude towards Science, when it is meant to be a sober process of finding the truth. This attitude leads to more skepticism regarding science and presents the concept of “Science” as more of a dogma, according to the Steak-ummm account.

The Steak-ummm account did not pass up the opportunity to market their products in the wake of their deGrasse criticism going viral, reminding people that they are, “a brand selling products” so everything they do is “based in self-interest” in order to grow their business.

The account further criticized Tyson’s tweet, questioning the TV astrophysicist’s “respect for epistemology” i.e. the philosophical study of the nature, origin, and limits of human knowledge. The Steak-umm Twitter account also accused Tyson of posting “ridiculous sound bites” in order to gain “clout”.

This isn’t the first time the Steak-ummm Twitter account showcased its disagreement with Neil deGrasse Tyson. Back in 2018, in reply to a typical Neil Tyson tweet, the Steak-ummm account simply wrote, “who cares”.

Neil deGrasse Tyson : A History of Annoying Tweets

A major reason as to why criticism against a seemingly beloved TV personality like Tyson went so viral, is because Tyson has a notorious history of “annoying tweets” or pedantic tweets about everything under the sun. Sometimes, the tweets have cross certain boundaries, forcing Tyson himself to apologize.

This tweet from Tyson regarding deaths from gun violence in the United States led to his widespread condemnation, forcing Tyson to apologize.

Tyson has engaged in pedantic behavior on Twitter, often tweeting about the inane and trivial details behind popular expressions or idioms, or stuff in the popular culture like movies, music, TV etc.

Neil deGrasse Tyson, the ‘science communicator’, has often attracted mockery for his tweets on the platform. In this instance, his tweet served as the basis for the American brand’s brand recognition campaign.

Mayor Sadiq Khan vows to bring the Indian Premier League to London to boost his reelection chances: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Mayor Sadiq Khan vows to bring the Indian Premier League to London to boost his reelection chances: Details

The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has promised to bring the exciting Indian Premier League (IPL) to the British capital as he seeks to establish the city as the “undisputed sporting capital” of the world. Khan’s vow came ahead of his re-election bid for the post of London mayor next month.

The 14th edition of the IPL is going on behind closed doors in India, with 8 teams vying for the coveted trophy. Khan hopes future editions of the tournament could be conducted on London grounds such as Lord’s and the Oval, the headquarters of county side Surrey.

“The IPL is an incredible league. Though I’m desperate not just to see Kohli and others here when India come (to England) as they are this year but to see the likes of Dhoni, Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah come here on a regular basis,” Khan said at Kingstonian Cricket Club in south-west London on Friday.

London has organised many sports events, be it NFL, MLB or NBA fixtures in the past, with the support of Surrey. Khan aims to add the IPL to that list.

“I have iterated it many times before. I want to see London restore its place as the sporting capital of the world. I want this to be the undisputed sporting capital of the world,” Khan added.

“We have had major sporting events in our city. The Major League Basketball, NFL for 10 years, all happened here. You saw the impact of Joshua v Klitschko,” said Khan, adding that the benefits of organising sporting events rubs off on hotels, restaurants and bars as well.

Sadiq Khan also highlighted the investment done by India in London. He claimed India is a massive investor in the city and the number one city in Europe that India invests in.

“Indians love cricket, we love cricket, we love Indians. We want this to be a bridge between India and London and Surrey deserve huge credit in being pioneers and with their vision to get IPL here,” Khan said.

The London mayor also added that not just London, but he would like to take the game in other parts of the country as well, to Leeds and Birmingham. He said Surrey are beggining their conversation with the Indian cricket authorities (BCCI) to get the IPL in England.

“Surrey are speaking to teams in India and colleagues in the BCCI and IPL. The first step will be friendlies and exhibition matches. We want to get them going, maybe even this year if we make progress as we are doing with the pandemic. It has to be Covid-safe, of course. We have to bang the drum for our city, and sport is one way to do this,” Khan said.

However, there has been no indication from the BCCI that it intends to take the Indian Premier League out of India. Besides, in the post-COVID world, such a move could prove to be a logistical nightmare.

So far, the IPL has been conducted twice outside India—one in 2009 when it was staged in South Africa due to security issues and last year in the United Arab Emirates because of the coronavirus pandemic.

How Islamism is sinking the boat of Pakistan: The recent violence by TLP provides a good example

Dibakar Dutta
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How Islamism is sinking the boat of Pakistan: The recent violence by TLP provides a good example

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. The founder of the hardline party was a radical Islamic cleric named Allama Khadim Hussain Rizvi. Following his death in November 2020, his son Saad Hussain became the successor or the Ameer of TLP.

As per reports, the arrest of Saad Hussain came at the backdrop of the party’s ultimatum to the Imran Khan government to fulfil its four demands before the deadline of April 20. The demands were originally made in November last year, following the beheading of 46-year-old Samuel Paty by a teenage Jihadi terrorist in France and the subsequent criticism of Islamists by French President Emmanuel Macron. TLP also took offence to the display of caricatures of Prophet Muhammad in public in one city in France.

Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan was the frontrunner in mobilising an army of Islamists to protest against France in Karachi last year. The former Ameer Allama Khadim Hussain Rizvi had even asked the Imran Khan government to launch a jihad against France. The federal government responded by placing blockades on roads to prevent TLP workers from entering Islamabad. About 181 people were detained by the security forces and 65 of them were sent to Adiala jail.

The background of the violence

Violence between TLP workers and police intensified on November 15 last year so much so 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.

The arrest of TLP leader Saad Hussain Rizvi

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).

TLP Islamists unleash violence in Pakistan

Several videos have now surfaced online that highlights the grim law and order situation in Pakistan. 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 vandalising 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.”

Although the Karachi police dispersed the mob from a large part of the city, TLP leader continued with their violent protests in three areas namely Hub River Road, Korangi 2.5 and Orangi Town No. 5. While speaking about the violence in Hub River Road, ASI Farooq Ahmed said that TLP mob pelted stones at the law enforcement officials when they tried to clear the area.

Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid informed that the violent protestors had disrupted oxygen supplies for Coronavirus patients on Monday night. She requested, “Please do not block roads for ambulances and for visitors to the hospitals. Some ambulances are carrying oxygen cylinders, which are extremely essential for Covid patients.” The crisis of oxygen cylinders was stabilised on Tuesday after roads were cleared by law enforcement authorities.

TLP earlier regretted that the Pakistani government was fighting Naamazis and not Hindus

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”.

Tata Communications denies data leak claimed by hackers: Here is what we know so far

Anurag
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Tata Communications denies data leak claimed by hackers: Here is what we know so far

We reported on Monday that Tata Communications had suffered a data breach, and the hackers had claimed they had sold access to Tata’s servers to someone. A Tata Communications representative approached OpIndia over the report and denied any data leak. Since the last report was published, we further investigated the alleged data breach and discovered more information.

Hacker claimed it was not direct access to Tata Communications servers

We contacted the hacker on Telegram on the ID he had mentioned in the thread to get more information about the data he was selling on the hackers’ forum. During the conversation, when we questioned the authenticity of the data and if he actually has access to the Tata Communications servers, he sent a few server logs that can only be accessed if someone has partial or complete access to the server admin. The IP mentioned in the server log was, in fact, of Tata Communications. However, there is more to the story.

Server log allegedly obtained from Tata Communications’ server by the hacker. The image was shared with the covered lines in the bottom with red. We have hidden some more information on the file.

Server logs can be accessed by anyone who has access to the server root. It is not essential that the breach was from the main company, but it could have been via a contractor that manages the servers. In this case, according to the claims made by the hacker during the conversation, it was Route Mobile.

He said that he first got access to the Route Mobile servers after hacking into the subdomains of Route Mobile. He then allegedly installed Web Shell to gain continued access. He took the data dump from their servers and got access to employees emails. From those emails, he allegedly fetched login information to the Tata Communications servers and took a data dump from there.

It has to be noted that Route Mobile also denied the data breach, according to news agency IANS.

While the hacker still claims that the data dump belongs to Tata Communications and Route Mobile, both the companies are maintaining the stand that there was no breach at their ends. It is a matter of further investigation to confirm the hackers and the tech giants’ claims. OpIndia is keeping track of the story and will update it accordingly.

BBC Urdu documentary reveals how state-sanctioned Pakistani textbooks demonize Hindus

OpIndia Staff
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BBC Urdu documentary reveals how state-sanctioned Pakistani textbooks demonize Hindus

BBC Urdu published a video on YouTube on Monday highlighting the inherent prejudice against Hindus that textbooks in Pakistan advocate. The video features several Pakistani Hindus who point out the rampant anti-Hindu propaganda peddled by school textbooks in Pakistan and narrate the painful humiliation they had to endure at the hands of their friends, colleagues and classmates, simply for being Hindus.

The video also demonstrates the normalisation of anti-Hindu bigotry in school textbooks officially sanctioned by the Pakistani government. Children, early on from their tender age, are conditioned to hate Hindus as state-sanctioned textbooks demonise them, refer to them ‘kafirs’ (derogatory slang for non-believers), and hold them responsible for all the evils besetting Pakistan.

The Pakistani Hindus in the video quote various school textbooks to showcase how school textbooks endorse hate against Hindus and Hinduism. These youths belonging to varying fields chalked up the intolerance towards Hindus in Pakistan to the state textbooks that carry prejudicial content against Hindus and characterise them as the source of all evils. They cited excerpts from school textbooks of different standards that perpetuated anti-Hindu bias and relegated Hindus to second-class citizens.

One of them, who identified himself as Rajesh Kumar, cited a Pakistani school textbook that described Hindus as ‘Kafirs’, meaning idolaters or those who worship idols, and alleged that Hindus were misogynists who buried their newborns alive if they happened to be girls.

Kumar cites the 11th and 12th-grade books of the Sindh Text Book Board to highlight the use of epithets like “enemies of humanity” to describe Hindus and Sikhs. He further adds that the book claims that Hindus and Sikhs killed thousands of women, men, and children.

Like Rajesh, others interviewed by the BBC also felt that Pakistani textbooks portrayed their faith incorrectly. Dr Rajwanti Kumar, a Hindu girl in Pakistan, said she was often jeered at by her classmates because she was a Hindu. Some of her classmates even asked her to celebrate the independence day not on August 14 but on August 15, India’s independence day.

The books in Pakistan tend to push a narrative that Hindu minorities in the country are loyal to their neighbouring country and arch-nemesis India. In this way, perception is raised among the Muslim students that Hindus in their country are traitorous and have no patriotic feeling for Pakistan.

Dr Kumar cited the 9th and 10th-grade books to point out how Pakistani books characterise Hindus as treacherous and deceitful. She says the books claim that Muslims and Hindus joined hands to fight against the oppressive British regime. However, the association could not last long because of the perpetual hostility displayed by Hindus towards Muslims.

Others who were interviewed for the documentary also highlighted specific excerpts from Pakistani textbooks where Hindus and Hinduism were vilified.

Hindus villainised in textbooks to justify the decision of partitioning away from India: Pak Educationist

According to well-known Pakistani educationist AH Nayyar, hatred against Hindus is couched in a subtle way in Pakistani books. He explains when the history of Pakistan is taught, the battle between the Muslim league and Congress is portrayed as a fight between Muslims and Hindus.

In a sense, Nayyar says, Hindus are projected as villains in Pakistani textbooks, in a bid to justify the founding of Pakistan and the politics behind it.

He highlights another key problem in the Pakistani textbooks. He says while the history of Muslim rule is prominently presented in these books, there is no mention of Hindu history. The history of the subcontinent, for example, begins with the arrival of Muslims in the region. There is no mention of past Hindu rulers who preceded the Muslim rule in the region.

Hindus and minorities in Pakistan live under a constant threat of persecution

This unadulterated hatred against Pakistani Hindu ultimately manifests in the crimes carried out against Hindus in Pakistan. Minorities in Pakistan, especially Hindus, live in a perpetual fear of persecution. Hindus are implicated in fake cases of blasphemy. Their daughters are abducted, forcibly converted to Islam and married off to their captors.

Even the courts fail to do justice for Hindus in Pakistan. In fact, in some cases, the courts have actively participated in perpetuating injustice to the Hindu and Christian minorities. In June 2020, a district magistrate allowed a Muslim man to keep his Hindu wife even after the parents of the girl alleged that their daughter was kidnapped and forcibly married off to the man.

‘Everybody is in such a haste to have their names appear in LiveLaw and Bar & Bench’: Delhi HC schools law student on PIL for door-to-door vaccine

OpIndia Staff
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‘Everybody is in such a haste to have their names appear in LiveLaw and Bar & Bench’: Delhi HC schools law student on PIL for door-to-door vaccine

Delhi High Court on the 13th of April dismissed a plea seeking door-to-door Covid-19 vaccine in the city. The PIL was filed by a law student Mrigank Mishra whose father is also an advocate. A two-Judge Bench comprising of Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw and Justice Amit Bansal heard the plea. During the hearing, the court pointed out that the petitioner had not done his homework before submitting the plea.

‘We don’t have the wherewithal to decide all this’

The court was not pleased with the plea from the very beginning of the hearing. When advocate Ashish Mohan, appearing for the petitioner, sought directions from the court to widen the involvement of private players, the court asked if similar petitions were considered by the court before or not. The court said, “We don’t have the wherewithal to decide all this.”

Petitioner came without any homework on vaccine data

During the hearing, the court noticed that the petitioner had not done his homework on the Covid-19 vaccine availability. The court asked the petitioner if he knew how many vaccines per day are being administered. Adv Mohan replied 100 per session, and there are four sessions.

It has to be noted that the petitioner did not mention how many total vaccines are being administered in the state of Delhi. As per the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Delhi has administered vaccines to over 22,35,000 people so far, out of which 18,55,000+ have got 1st dose while 3,80,000+ have got both the shots.

The court said, “We are prima facie of the view that court doesn’t have the wherewithal to deal with such matters which require empirical data. Not sure if petitioner did his homework before filing the petition.”

‘Campus law centre is not keeping you busy, it seems’

When the court noticed that the petitioner was attending the hearing, they asked him about his education. He informed me that he was a final year student at Campus Law Centre. The court asked him if he thinks a law student can decide what the government should do about the vaccination program. The court remarked, “Campus law centre is not keeping you busy, it seems”.

‘Petition is drafted for the sake of publicity’

In its order, the court said that the petitioner seems to have not done his homework about the vaccine availability and expressed anguish over the shallowness with which the petition was drafted for the ‘sake of publicity.’ The court added, “Since Petitioner has understood the consequences and in future would not indulge in such litigation, we are not imposing cost.”

When Advocate Mohan requested the court to tone down the order as it may hamper the future of the ‘young lawyer’, the court agreed and said, “We will tone it down. Everybody is in such a haste that their names (appear) in LiveLaw and Bar & Bench.”

Supreme Court had expressed displeasure over filing frivolous PILs

In May 2020, a Supreme Court bench headed by Justice NV Ramana and comprising Justices SK Kaul and BR Gavai said the concept of the PIL had been forgotten, as lawyers keep filing petitions on “what they feel is possible”. “This is not public interest litigation,” observed the bench.

The observation from the apex court came after a batch of petitions were filed citing gaps in the RBI circular issued on March 27, granting a three-month moratorium on repayment of term loans by borrowers, which meant they would not have to pay loan EMI instalments during the moratorium period. The bench junking the PILs said there was no aggrieved party before it.

Nashik woman drives to crematorium with the dead body of her mother, could not find an ambulance

OpIndia Staff
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Nashik woman drives to crematorium with the dead body of her mother, could not find an ambulance

The second wave of the coronavirus pandemic has put people in tragic circumstances. In Maharashtra’s Nashik city, a woman was forced to drive to the crematorium with the mortal remains of her mother as she could not find any hearse or ambulance to carry her body. Her mother had succumbed to Covid-19 infection, as per a TV9 report.

The woman received no help and was forced to carry the dead body of her mother in the backseat of her car and drive to the crematorium to perform the final rites. The passersby who witnessed the unfortunate incident were moved to tears.

In another heart-wrenching incident, the locals had to perform the last rites of an old man whose son lives abroad and grandson was stuck in Maharashtra’s Dombivali.

Corpses wrapped in garbage bags

Earlier today, Maharashtra BJP leader Kirit Somaiya shared harrowing visuals of corpses being taken for cremation from the Saket Global Hospital in Thane, wrapped in garbage bags and polythene. 

8 Coronavirus dead bodies burnt on a single pyre in Maharashtra

Last week horrifying reports emerged from Beed district in Maharashtra where corpses of 8 coronavirus patients were burnt on a single pyre due to a lack of space in a makeshift crematorium. 

“It was a big pyre and the bodies were kept at a certain distance from each other,” informed Ambajogai Municipal Council’s chief officer Ashok Sabale.

Lack of space in Aurangabad crematorium, no wood for the pyre in Bhusawal

A shortage of space was reported in a crematorium in Aurangabad last week. As per a TV9 report, pyres have to be set on fire even before the previous one extinguishes completely. 

The city of Bhusawal located in Jalgaon district reported a shortage of dry wood to light the pyre of the deceased. The relatives of the deceased have to queue up and wait for hours to perform the final rites. 

Sanjay Raut says Maharashtra government is the best, blames Kumbh Mela and Uttarakhand for Covid-19 mess

OpIndia Staff
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Sanjay Raut says Maharashtra government is the best, blames Kumbh Mela and Uttarakhand for Covid-19 mess

The state of Maharashtra is exploding with new corona cases every single day. 51,751 new cases and 258 deaths were recorded by the state in the past 24 hours. Amidst rising concerns, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut while addressing the media blamed people coming from other states for the spike in Covid-19 cases in the state.

He further claimed that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray leading the Maharashtra government is the most efficient authority governing the state right now. Raut while declaring Maharashtra’s health infrastructure to be the best in the country said that despite the rise in cases, the situation will be brought under control at the earliest under the leadership of CM Uddhav Thackeray. 

Sanjay Raut went a step ahead to blame the Uttarakhand government for permitting Kumbh Mela while on the other hand, lauded the Maharashtra government for imposing stringent restrictions on the festival of Gudi Padva which is being celebrated today across the state.

“It is painful for the Shiv Sena to put restrictions on our festivals and religious celebrations but the party dares to do so to save the lives of people. Our priority is to save as many lives as possible. I believe that people coming from the Kumbh mela will cause further spread of COVID-19 cases, which will cause havoc,” Raut said.

Maharashtra Cabinet minister Aslam Sheikh was also heard singing the same tune. In a video interaction, he compared the congregation at Kumbh Mela to Tablighi Jamaat. Citing devotees returning from Kumbh Mela as a potential threat, he said, “There will be strict SOPs for upcoming festivals. Otherwise, you can see how there is a rise in COVID-19 cases due to permission by a government for Haridwar Kumbh. They are the same people who defamed Tablighi Jamaat and accused them of spreading the disease.”

It is imperative to note that the Kumbh Mela under the Uttarakhand government is taking place with strict rules and regulations. A Covid-19 negative RT-PCR report, not more than 72 hours prior to arrival, has been mandatory for attending the festival. In addition, all entry-points to Uttarakhand have Covid-19 testing points.

it is pertinent to mention here that Maharashtra has been consistently far ahead than any other state in contributing to the Covid-19 tally in the country. They have consistently managed to contribute over 30% of daily new for months on end. Therefore, Sanjay Raut to turn around and blame others for the situation in Maharashtra does not make any sense.

Prepare for lockdown says Maharashtra’s Health Minister

No amount of curbs or restrictions has been able to flatten the curve in Maharashtra. As a result, Maharashtra’s Health Minister Rajesh Tope has confirmed that a lockdown will be imposed in the state soon.

“Prior information will be given to people before the lockdown is implemented. At this point of time all that I would want to say to the residents of the state is that they should mentally prepare themselves for a lockdown,” informed Tope. 

Last week, the state government imposed additional restrictions, including weekend lockdown and night curfew, to contain the spread of COVID-19 but nothing seems to be working. The state has been unsuccessful in getting the public to abide by the Covid-19 restriction norms.

BJP, which is the opposition party in the state, is still opposing a full lockdown.

Opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis remarked, “I can understand locking and unlocking (to contain the spread of coronavirus) is important but when a lockdown is imposed, people lose their jobs. Unfortunately, the state government is not at all conscious about providing financial help to the (vulnerable) people.”

The MVA government is likely to announce its decision on lockdown after the state cabinet meeting which is scheduled for April 14.

Mumbai police initiate process to dismiss tainted cop Sachin Vaze without conducting departmental probe: Report

OpIndia Staff
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Mumbai police initiate process to dismiss tainted cop Sachin Vaze without conducting departmental probe: Report

Troubles for suspended ASI Sachin Vaze only seems to be mounting. Mumbai Police has initiated the process of dismissing from service suspended cop Sachin Vaze, arrested by the NIA in the case of an explosives-laden SUV found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence and the murder of businessman Mansukh Hiran.

According to reports, the process of dismissal has been initiated under Article 311 of the Constitution, which enables the competent authority to dismiss the erring officer in larger interest without conducting a departmental enquiry.

In the normal course, the competent authority has to hold a departmental inquiry and get charges proved before dismissing an officer. But in some cases, this condition can be waived. In order to do so, the city police will invoke Article 311 of the Constitution, which deals with the dismissal, removal or reduction of the rank of those employed in civil capacities under a state or Union.

“We have received the report from NIA on Vaze’s role and invoking of UAPA. Vaze was involved in anti-national activities (planting explosives), which is enough material to proceed for dismissal. We have started the process and are taking legal opinion”, said an IPS officer, adding that Vaze’s past including his involvement in the custodial death of 2002 blast accused Khwaja Yunus and suspension of 17 years will also be taken into account.

The decision of Vaze’s dismissal was taken following a report submitted by NIA on his involvement in planting the gelatin sticks in the SUV found outside Mukesh Abani’s residence.

Besides, the report from NIA, the Mumbai police had written to the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and sought documents pertaining to the case. It also procured a copy of the FIR registered in connection with Hiran’s murder and the statement of the businessman’s wife in which she raised suspicion over Vaze’s role in his death.

After receiving all the documents, the special branch recently initiated the process to dismissing Sachin Vaze from service under Article 311 of the Constitution. Based on the documents received from the ATS and the NIA, the Mumbai police special branch will send a proposal to the government to dismiss Sachin Vaze from service and a decision will be taken accordingly.

Prior to this, Sachin Vaze’s close aide API Riyazuddin Qazi was suspended from service on Monday after he was arrested by the NIA in connection with the investigation into the Antilia Bomb Scare case. The suspension was reportedly issued by DCP (Local Arms) on Monday.

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