The registration for the next phase of Covid-19 vaccination has started in India on March 1, 2021, at 9 AM. Eligible citizens are required to register on the Co-Win2.0 portal (https://cowin.gov.in) to get the timeslot for vaccination at the nearest vaccination centre. Citizens can also register using the Arogya Setu app. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also got his first dose of vaccination on March 1, morning at AIIMS, Delhi.
Free COVID vaccination at all Government health facilities
All citizens that are aged, or will attain the age of, 60 years or more as on 1st January 2022 are eligible to register#LargestVaccineDrive
Other than government hospitals, the government of India has authorized over 10,000 private hospitals enrolled under Ayushman Bharat PMJAY, over 600 hospitals under CGHS and other private hospitals enrolled under State Schemes as Covid vaccination centres. While government hospitals will provide vaccination for free, private hospitals can charge up to Rs.250 for the vaccine.
The government has provided all the information and required training to the private hospitals enrolled as Covid Vaccination Centers (CVCs) so that the administration of the vaccination and management of adverse events following immunization (AEFI) can be tackled smoothly. The training was provided by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare with the support of the National Health Authority.
Who is eligible for vaccine in this phase?
Those who have attained or will attain the age of 60 years or more as of January 1, 2022, are eligible to register. Also, those citizens that are aged and will attain the age of 45 years to 59 years as of January 2022 and have any of the listed 20 comorbidities can register for vaccination. The comorbidities listed by the government of India are:
Heart Failure with hospital admission in the past one year
Post Cardiac Transplant/Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD)
Significant Left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVEF <40%)
Moderate or Severe Valvular Heart Disease
Congenital heart disease with severe PAH or Idiopathic PAH
Coronary Artery Disease with past CABG/PTCA/MI
AND Hypertension/Diabetes on treatment
AnginaANDHypertension/Diabetes on treatment
CT/MRI documented stroke AND Hypertension/Diabetes on treatment
Pulmonary artery hypertension AND Hypertension/Diabetes on treatment
Diabetes (> 10 years OR with complications) AND Hypertension on treatment
Current prolonged use of oral corticosteroids/ immunosuppressant medications
Decompensated cirrhosis
Severe respiratory disease with hospitalizations in the last two years/FEV1 <50%
Lymphoma/ Leukaemia/ Myeloma
Diagnosis of any solid cancer on or after July 1, 2020, OR currently on any cancer therapy
Sickle Cell Disease/ Bone marrow failure/ Aplastic Anemia/ Thalassemia Major
Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases/ HIV infection
Persons with disabilities due to Intellectual disabilities/ Muscular Dystrophy/ Acid attack with the involvement of respiratory system/ Persons with disabilities having high support needs/ Multiple disabilities including deaf-blindness
How many people will be vaccinated at any time slot?
As per the regulations, there will be one live appointment for a beneficiary at any point in time for each dose. That means if you are going to get the vaccine, you will be the only one to get the vaccine at that particular centre during that time slot. You can register for a timeslot anytime before 9 AM on the day of vaccination, subject to the availability of the slot. The second slot of the vaccination will be booked at the same Covid Vaccination Center on the 29th day of the date of appointment of the first dose. In case you cancel a first dose appointment, the second dose appointment will get cancelled simultaneously.
How to register for vaccination?
If you are eligible for the vaccination, registration can be done at the Co-Win2.0 portal using your mobile number. Up to four persons can be registered under a single mobile number as beneficiaries. You can also remove a beneficiary before the first dose of vaccination. Every beneficiary is required to submit one photo ID Card Number while registering for the vaccination. Any of the following photo ID proof can be used:
Aadhar Card/Letter
Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC)
Passport
Driving License
PAN Card
NPR Smart Card
Pension Document with the photograph
Step by step process of registration
MoHFA and NHA have issued a step-by-step guide [PDF] that citizens can follow for registration and appointment for vaccination. The government has also provided a list of private hospitals enrolled for vaccination that can be accessed here and here.
The central government will supply the vaccine
As per the statement issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Central government will procure the vaccine and supply them for free to the state and Union Territories. The states will disburse the vaccine further to the Government and Private Covid Vaccination Centres. While government hospitals will provide vaccination for free, private hospitals can charge up to Rs.250 for the vaccination. Out of these charges, Rs.150 will be paid by the hospital as the cost of vaccine doses using a designated account of the National Health Authority, and Rs.100 will be operational charges.
The states are required to link CVCs to the nearest cold chain points to ensure smooth vaccination delivery to CVCs.
On 27th February, 2002 a train coming from Ayodhya was set on fire by a Muslim mob in Godhra, Gujarat. 59 karsevaks, who were returning from a pilgrimage at Ram Janmabhoomi, were burnt alive. Subsequently, widespread communal riots took place in Gujarat leaving hundreds dead.
The unfortunate riots, however, were used by the opportunist vultures for dirty politics and defame Gujarat as well as the then chief minister Narendra Modi. Here are some of the things one should never forget.
Neighbouring Congress states did not send help
Narendra Modi had taken charge as Chief Minister just four months prior to the carnage. He reached out to three neighbouring states for help to control the law and order situation. Ashok Gehlot, Digvijaya Singh and Vilasrao Deshmukh of Congress were chief ministers of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra respectively.
None of them sent help.
Never forget.
Fake news on atrocities on Muslims
Haven’t we all read the horrifying story of Kausar Bano, who was allegedly raped by a Hindu mob, her pregnant belly slit open and her foetus flung into fire. Some versions also included that the above act was done with a sword. This story has been perpetuated through years and even nearly after two decades, this story is used as anecdotal evidence to claim that Muslims were targeted in Gujarat.
However, that is not true. A 2010 report states that the doctor who conducted post-mortem on Kauser, found the foetus intact. Dr J S Kanoria, who had conducted the autopsy on 2nd March, 2002 presented supporting documents to the special court and said that the foetus was intact in the woman’s womb. The foetus weight 2,500 gms and was 45 cms long.
Kausar Bano’s unfortunate death was used to further bitterness amongst communities.
Never forget how Muslims were pitted against Hindus to deepen the fault lines.
How media fanned riots and now plays holier than thou
When the riots broke out, the 24-hour news channels were taking baby steps. Multiple media houses had launched their own channels and some had split from existing networks to start their own 24-hour platforms. Riots were the first big breaking news for most. So, obviously, in the mad rush to get the ‘exclusive scoop’, some celebrity journalists of today indulged in spreading fake news.
For years, Narendra Modi was demonised and accused of inciting and encouraging riots. Ahead of 2019 general elections, India Today employee Rajdeep Sardesai, who during the 2002 riots was associated with NDTV, had revealed how PM Modi was not responsible for the same.
Responding to a question by journalist Manu Joseph, on whether Narendra Modi the then Chief Minister of Gujarat in 2002 was in any way responsible for the incident, Rajdeep Sardesai admitted that he personally believed that Modi was not responsible for the 2002 riots that followed after Godhra massacre.
“It is unfair of us to say that Mr Modi or anyone was responsible for the riots. He did not ask or incite violence,” said Rajdeep Sardesai.
Here is what then Gujarat Chief Minister told journalist Madhu Kishwar in an informal interview regarding the riots.
“If you see the data you will see that within 72 hours we had put down the riots and brought the situation under control. But these TV channels kept on playing up the same incidents over and over again. At the time, Rajdeep and Barkha were in the same channel NDTV.
During those inflamed days, Barkha acted in the most irresponsible manner. Surat had not witnessed any communal killings, barring a few small incidents of clashes. However the bazaars were closed (as a precautionary measure). Barkha stood amidst closed shops screaming “This is Surat’s diamond market, but there is not a single police man here.” I called her up and asked her if she is providing the address of this “unprotected” bazaar to the rioting mobs? Are you inviting them to come and create trouble there by announcing that there is no police here so you can run carry violence safely?”
Modi then further talks about another incident of reporting by Barkha. “In a second incident in Anjar, she played up the news that a Hanuman mandir had been broken and vandalised. I told her, “What are you up to? You are in Kutch which is a border district. There you are showing the attack and destruction of a temple. Do you realise the implications of broadcasting such news? We haven’t yet recovered from the earthquake. Have you actually done proper investigation into the riots? Why are you lighting fires for us? Your news takes a few minutes to broadcast that such and such place is unprotected or a mandir has been vandalized. But it takes for me a few hours to move the police from one disturbed location to another since these incidents are breaking out in the most unexpected places.”
Modi further said that when he inquired about the said incident, the administration found out that it was a small, insignificant structure under a tree which had been damaged a little bit by some crazy individual. “But NDTV presented it as an attack on a Hanuman mandir. When the fires were raging these journalists were pouring fuel on those fires,” he said.
Subsequently, the channel was banned temporarily from broadcasting news in Gujarat as it would only lead to flaring up of communal tension. Modi had called up Rajdeep Sardesai and said, “I will have to put a temporary ban on your channel if you continue with the provocative coverage. There is a well-established regulation that media should not name communities during communal riots nor identify a damaged placed as a mandir or masjid. Why are you violating that code and well set protocol about not naming communities or identifying places, of worship? You are going against established norms.”
Never forget how media acted irresponsibly because they could.
More lies
Know how disgraced IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt is the posterboy of ‘liberals’? In 2011, Bhatt alleged that during the 2002 post-Godhra carnage, the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi had called a meeting at his residence on 27 February 2002 to “let Hindus vent out their anger against Muslims so that repeat of Godhra-like incident never happens in the state”.
This was also picked up and perpetuated by celebrity journalists and various professional activists. Bhatt, in an affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court, had claimed that this meeting took place following the Sabarmati Express burning incident in which 59 Ayodhya Kar Sevaks had died. At that time, he was the deputy commissioner in the state intelligence bureau.
He further stated in the affidavit that the meeting was attended by eight top police officers. Bhatt also alleged that the SIT constituted to probe the riots was trying to protect the Gujarat government.
However, the Nanavati-Mehta Commission rubbished his allegations. The Commission said that Bhatt used a false document, a fax message, to support his presence at the meeting. “On consideration of the evidence, it clearly appears that Bhatt is not telling the truth with regards to what happened in the meeting held on February 27, 2002, at the CM’s residence. Claims made by him of being present in the meeting appear to false”, stated the second part of the report of the ‘Commission of Inquiry’ by Justice G T Nanavati and Justice Akshay Mehta.
The Commission stated that the copy of the fax message, which Bhatt had used to claim he was present in the February 27, 2002 meeting with the then Gujarat CM Modi, was, in fact, sent on March 2, 2002, by one PP Upadhyay, about an incident in Pandarva, Panchmahal. Bhatt had claimed that he had reached to the meeting accompanying K Chakravarthy, the then Gujarat DGP in his car. However, Chakravarty had refuted Bhatt’s claim.
Years later, Bhatt managed to establish himself as a Twitter troll and continued to spread lies where had been caught several times spreading fake news.
Never forget these ‘andolanjeevis’ and ‘brave and courageous people’ who ‘speak truth to power’ because their ‘truth’ is more likely far from reality.
Falsely painting Hindus as conspirators
Ahmedabad resident Shashikant spent 15 years in jail owing to mistaken identity. Shashikant, who had actually saved 17 other Muslims during the Gujarat riots, was falsely implicated by Abdul Sattar, an autorickshaw driver, over personal enmity. Shabana Bano, who had also given a statement against Shashikant, admitted that she gave a false statement because she was paid Rs 10,000.
Widow of Shashikant says he actually saved a few Muslims from Bihar and Bengal who were caught in the Gujarat riots. Despite this, his shop was burnt and looted. Shashikant got bail in 2005 but was again sent back to prison because Sattar claimed he was getting threats from Shashikant. The family claims that when a neighbour tried to take Shashikant’s side and tell police that he had not gone out of house, Sattar filed a complaint against that neighbour too.
Sattar died a few years ago and Bano has reportedly left Gujarat. Shashikant, who spent 15 years in prison, died of twin heart attack in 2018.
Never forget the pain of hundreds of Shashikants.
“Army deployment was delayed, police did nothing”
Yet another lie perpetuated by the propagandists. Lt. General (Retd.) Zameeruddin Shah, brother of actor Naseeruddin Shah, in his autobiography ‘The Sarkari Mussalman’ claimed that when riots broke the Gujarat government led by Narendra Modi failed to provide immediate transport to the Army, thereby delaying Army deployment in the riot-affected state.
Lt. Gen. Shah claims that the “3,000 troops had landed at the Ahmedabad airfield at 7 am on 1st March but had to wait for a day before the Gujarat administration provided transport.” He says since the crucial time was lost, it led to more deaths in the state. He claims that had Modi government would have provided necessary logistical support, the damage and loss to life would have been contained. However, a simple glance at media reports from 1st March shows how he is lying.
As reported by India Today in 18th March 2002 issue, Modi had called officially called for the Army by 4 pm on 28th February and by 6:30 pm a formal request for the Army landed in Delhi. On 1st March at 1 am, the then defence minister George Fernandes reached Ahmedabad and at 11:30 the Army was staging a flag march.
The same fact is also reflected in the note submitted by ACS (Home), Ashok Narayan as part of the investigation.
Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi requesting for Army on 28th February 2002
The note further states that in wake of the terrorist attack on the Parliament in December 2001, there was a war-like situation on the border. Hence, the whole force was deployed in the forward/border areas of the country. The state government then requested for Army personnel in the cantonment of Ahmedabad, but no force was available there either.
Note giving details of deployment of Army in Feb-March 2002 in Gujarat
The note says Army personnel were airlifted by using about 40 aircrafts from the border and landed in Ahmedabad by 28th February midnight. 6 buses, 9 trucks and 15 jeeps were sent for use by the Army by 2:30 am on 1st March 2002. During the day 39 additional vehicles were provided. A total of 131 vehicles were provided to the Army. Additional executive magistrates were provided to the Army. Escort officers from the police force were provided to the Army.
Never forget how a man who donned the uniform and vowed to protect the nation chose to lie about something that could easily be fact-checked. Of course, the ‘fact-checkers’ never bothered.
Never forget how you are being taken for a ride by these very ‘liberals’.
Forgetting the carnage
Whenever the riots are talked about everyone conveniently forgets those 59 people who were burnt alive in the train. Those Hindus, returning from pilgrimage, killed. Never forget how the ‘liberals’ tried to implicate these Hindus for their own murder.
‘Liberals’ blaming 59 Hindus burnt alive by Muslim mob for their own death
Apparently, Karsevaks were burnt alive for refusing to pay for their tea and snacks. One of the many “Independent fact-finding missions” the kinds which have Harsh Mander in their team, published this. No proof, no evidence, just ‘informants’. The ‘liberals’ did not think twice before spreading rumours about the dead Karsevaks, did not hesitate to paint them as hateful bigots and eveteasers and thereby responsible for their own death.
Arundhati Roy, the favourite child of international protestors, even claimed that the karsevaks who were burnt alive by Muslim mob in 2002 were returning after 1992 Babri demolition.
Further, many media reports and more such ‘fact-finding missions’ claimed that the train was not set on fire but ‘it caught fire’ from inside. Because obviously the Karsevaks self immolated to trigger communal riots in Gujarat <sarcasm>.
Never forget that these Karsevaks were not given the basic dignity in their death.
Never forget that the ‘liberals’ propagated ‘Dara Hua Musalman’ narrative while piggybacking on the dead bodies of 59 Hindus killed by Muslim mob.
In October last year, Mumbai and suburban areas had witnessed a power outage because of a grid failure bringing the city, including its local trains, to a complete halt. The power outage that occurred across Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai was suspected to be the result of a sophisticated sabotage attempt to target the country’s power utilities.
According to a report by New York Times, the power outrage in Mumbai and the surrounding areas last year may have been the handiwork of the Chinese, who wanted to launch a widespread cyber campaign against India’s power grid as to send a message that “if India pushed too hard, the light could go out”.
The Mumbai blackout had come just a few months after Chinese and Indian troops had clashed in Galwan Valley. The India China standoff had lasted months and had caused casualties on both sides.
The new research quoted by NYT showed that the two incidents might have been related as China may have played a role in Mumbai blackout by initiating a malware attack against the power grid. The research shows that as the stand-off continued between the two sides at the Himalayas, the Chinese had hacked the power grid’s control systems through malware.
The malware stream was summarised by Recorded Future in Somerville, Massachusetts, a company that studies the use of the internet by state actors. According to Recorded Future, most of the malware infused into the power grid was never activated. As Recorded Future was unable to enter the Indian power system, they could not look into the details of the code placed in strategic power distribution systems across the country. It has notified Indian authorities, but so far, they have not reported what they have found.
Stuart Solomon, the Chief Operating Officer of Recorded Future, said a Chinese national support group named Red Echo “systematically leverages advanced cyber intrusion technology to reach nearly 12 key nodes across India quietly. It was seen to build a foothold. Power and transmission infrastructure.”
Beijing could have acted more aggressively, says the study
The finding raises serious questions about the security of the country’s strategic assets, especially in a city like Mumbai, and hints at whether it was a message from Beijing about what would happen if India pushed hard more aggressively.
As per the report, Indian officials had cautioned about the cyberattack originating in China against a nearby power load management centre. They had also launched a formal investigation. The Indian officials were also concerned with the malware intrusion into the country’s power grid. However, one has to see whether the evidence provided to them by the Recorded Future will result in any action.
Some suggest that acknowledging its insertion and blaming China for the blackout may complicate the diplomacy in recent days as there have been attempts to ease tensions between the two countries, and the matter is less likely to be featured in their talks.
The “suspicious link between the outage and the discovery of unspecified malware” in the system “remains unfounded”, said an investigator who wrote the Recorded Future survey. However, the Indian investigators said that the additional evidence suggested coordinated targeting at the Load Dispatch Center in India that balances electricity demand across its regions.
Responding to the findings, Lt Gen DS Hooda (Retd.) said, China “I think China is doing the signalling to indicate that we can, and we have the capability to do this in times of a crisis. It’s like sending a warning to India that this capability exists with us.”
Chinese hackers continue to attack, CERT-In looking to attacks
Till recently, China was mainly focusing on information theft. However, Beijing has now become more and more aggressive in terms of infiltrating into infrastructure systems.
In India’s case, Recorded Future has sent the findings to the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) in India. The CERT has confirmed the information receipt twice but is yet to reveal anything about whether it found the code on the power grid, said the NYT report.
In addition to an infusion of malware into the power grid, the Chinese hackers have unleashed a swarm of 40,300 hacking attacks on India’s technology and banking infrastructure in just a span of five days. According to Mumbai police, some were denial-of-service attacks that knocked these systems offline, while some were phishing attacks.
The security experts at the Cyber Peace Foundation, an Indian nonprofit that follows hacking efforts, reported a new wave of Chinese attacks on Indians. They found out that the attacks originated in China’s Guangdong and Henan Provinces, to an organization called Fang Xiao Qing. Such attacks aimed to obtain a beachhead in Indians’ devices, possibly for future attacks.
“One of the intentions seems to be power projection,” said Vineet Kumar, the president of the Cyber Peace Foundation.
Since last year, the foundation has also recorded an increase of malware directed at India’s power sector, from petroleum refineries to a nuclear power plant.
Meanwhile, India’s military experts have renewed their demands to the government to replace the Chinese-made hardware for India’s power sector and its critical rail system. “The issue is we still haven’t been able to get rid of our dependence on foreign hardware and foreign software,” General Hooda said.
With attacks continue to increase, the Indian government authorities have said a review is underway of India’s information technology contracts, including with Chinese companies. However, the reality is that ripping out the existing infrastructure is expensive and difficult.
On March 1, 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took his first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi. In his inimitable style, PM Modi reached AIIMS early just so he could ensure that his security protocol would not disturb the general public, and took a jab of the made-in-India COVAXIN.
PM Modi’s vaccine was administered by sister P Niveda from Puducherry. The second nurse present was from Kerala. Two vaccines will be available for now, Covaxin by Bharat Biotech and Covishield by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca. The vaccine will be available for free at government hospitals. Private hospitals that are authorized to provide the Covid-19 vaccine can charge Rs.250 for the vaccine.
A master statesman, for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, every event is an opportunity to give a subtle message to the people he governs. In January itself right after the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) approved the emergency use of COVAXIN (along with Covishield), ‘liberals’ had started almost immediately to discredit the vaccine. Not because there was evidence that the vaccine did not work, but because it was made in India and because it had been given approval by the Modi government.
The ultimate aim was obviously to discredit PM Modi, but as is the modus operandi of the ‘liberal’ cabal, they chose to do it by discrediting India. The world has suffered for over a year from a pandemic that seemed to have no end. Kids got robbed of an entire year of their lives, adults were cooped up in the house with nowhere to go, several lost jobs, economies plummeted and while it is a less talked about the side-effect of the pandemic, mental health issues also peaked. Add to that, nations that touted themselves to be the leaders of the free world, could just barely manage to transfer power without completely burning their country and their cases of COVID-19 continue to rise to this date.
While travelling through a dark tunnel and no end in sight, India emerged as a leader. Two vaccines born out of India – COVAXIN and Covishield got approval and started flying off the shelves. India managed to send vaccines to over 60 nations, saving countless lives. While that move was also criticised by the liberals, they could not really do much. The world was hailing PM Modi and the nation he governed. What was the next best move? To tarnish the Made-in-India Bharat Biotech’s COVAXIN vaccine. They were indirectly telling the world that their praise for the nation is futile since we are not even capable of developing a vaccine that is not trash.
With one jab, those rumours, those nasty, ill-motivated rumours have been crushed by the Prime Minister. The leader of over a billion people, who got more votes than Donald Trump and President Biden combined, took a jab of the India-made COVAXIN. The boost of confidence, in not just the population, that had been, in part, scared into doubting the effects of the vaccine by the constant fear-mongering in the media, but also the world community have been allayed and there is nothing much the ‘liberals’ can really do about it. They can continue to mouth platitudes, which they will, as sampled by this tweet, but that is merely a product of their hate with frankly, zero effect of the larger narrative. It is done.
Which means Mr Gandhi trusts doctors and scientists, not patriots. Only scoundrels love patriots.
The vaccine is safe. The Bharat-made COVAXIN is safe. It is time to get well. It is time to move on. It is time to get back to life. The message was loud and clear. Louder than the rage of the Left.
That was, however, not the only message that was delivered to the people of India.
While taking a jab of the COVAXIN vaccine today, PM Modi showed up in an Assamese gamosa and took the Bharat-made vaccine from a Puducherry and Kerala nurse.
Of course, the ‘liberals’ would insist that these are ‘election gimmicks’ since Assam goes to election soon, but this is not the first time that PM Modi was seen sporting the gamosa and it certainly won’t be the last. So why was it symbolic today?
Only a few days ago, Rahul Gandhi had gone on a tirade against the North.
Congress leader and Member of Parliament from Wayanad, Rahul Gandhi, who was on a two-day visit to Kerala claimed that representing a constituency in Kerala has been a refreshing change for a person like him who has represented a constituency in Northern India for the first 15 years of his career. Addressing the public in Trivandrum, Kerala, the senior Congress leader said that “people in Kerala are interested in issues and not just superficially but going into detail in issues”.
Clearly, Rahul was trying to fan the North-South divide after fanning Khalistani sentiments with the farmers protest recently.
And it is not just Rahul Gandhi. All opposition parties and politicians have attempted to fan some divide or the other. North, South, East, West, Khalistan, Kashmiri separatism and the list simply goes on. In fact, even Mamata Banerjee has chosen to fan the divide by claiming that PM Modi is an ‘outsider’ to Bengal, fanning the east-divide.
When the Prime Minister, who they try to defeat by humiliating a billion people then wears an attire from the east, taking a vaccine made in Bharat from nurses from the south in a hospital in the north, the message resonates – Bharat is one and nothing that the opposition throws at him will phase him from his path.
In the following days, weeks and months, the moans of the ‘liberals’ would get louder. They would claim that the PM used the vaccination to play politics. To whistle to people of Assam ahead of elections. To give a message to the people of the south that he is not an outsider – the list of make-believe criticism would be long and arduous.
But that would just be a product of their frustration.
PM Modi has given a message to the people of the country that the left can simply not undo with their shrieks – India is one and India is ready to surge ahead.
On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the first shot of the Coronavirus vaccine at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi.
Dressed in the traditional Assamese gamosa and a white kurta, PM Modi reached the hospital on Monday morning to get his vaccine shot. Health worker P Niveda, who hails from Puducherry, administered the first dose of the vaccine to PM Modi. A second nurse from Kerala – Sister Rosamma Anil from Kerala was also seen standing behind them.
#WATCH: Prime Minister Narendra Modi took his first dose of the #COVID19 vaccine at AIIMS Delhi today. He was administered Bharat Biotech’s COVAXIN. pic.twitter.com/VqqBYZDTFU
The Prime Minister reached AIIMS at 6.25am on Monday morning and did not take any special routes. PM Modi was administered with Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin.
After taking the vaccines shot, PM Modi tweeted saying he took the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine as the country kicked off the second phase of its vaccination drive. He also praised the doctors and scientists and also urged those eligible to take the vaccine.
“Remarkable how our doctors and scientists have worked in quick time to strengthen the global fight against COVID-19. I appeal to all those who are eligible to take the vaccine. Together, let us make India COVID-19 free!” said PM Modi in his tweet.
Speaking to media later, AIIMS nurse P Niveda stated that she has been working in AIIMS for the last 3 years. She added that the PM had exclaimed he could not even feel the prick, in a praise of her skills.
"Vaccine laga bhi diya? Pataa bhi nahin chala!" is what PM Modi is reported to have said after getting his first @BharatBiotech#Covaxin shot. AIIMS nurse Sister P. Niveda talks about her experience of vaccinating @PMOIndia@narendramodi earlier today morning. pic.twitter.com/viaKVmL7I6
From Monday, India will begin the next phase of the world’s largest vaccination drive. The vaccination drive will cover the next priority group – over the age of 60 years and those between 45 and 59 years suffering from pre-specified co-morbidities.
The vaccines will be provided free at the government health facilities while private facilities will charge Rs 250 per person per dose. The Rs 250 charge includes Rs 150 for vaccines and Rs 100 as operational charges.
Ahead of the upcoming West Bengal Legislative elections, a gruesome incident of political violence has shaken the conscience of the state. On Friday, a BJP worker and his aged mother were brutally thrashed allegedly by Trinamool Congress (TMC) goons.
The victim, identified as Gopal Mazumdar, and his 85-year-old mother were at their residence in Ward No.6 in Nimta in North DumDum city. The BJP worker recounted, “A total of 3 people barged into my house at around 1:30 am in the morning. First, they hurled the choicest of expletives at me and then inquired whether I am associated with the BJP. They then began assaulting us.” The accused men attacked him with the hood of a gun and pushed his mother, following which they sustained grave injuries to their head and face.
North 24 Paraganas: BJP worker Gopal Majumdar has alleged that three TMC workers entered his house and attacked his mother in Nimta, North Dumdum on 27th Feb; FIR registered #WestBengalpic.twitter.com/lYdOYXNYxM
One of the locals said that the area has been terrorised by Trinamool Congress goons. He informed that prior to assaulting Gopal Mazumdar, they have targetted other BJP workers. “My son is a BJP worker and so they assaulted him. They thrashed him mercilessly,” the elderly mother of Gopal Mazumdar broke into tears as the reporter inquired about the incident. The plight of the bruised and battered woman sent shockwaves across the country and raised eyebrows about the increasing political violence in West Bengal.
Political violence and brutality by political goons have long been a part of Bengal politics. This barbaric practice of physically harming and eliminating active supporters of rival political parties began almost 50 years ago. And the horrific torture and murder of Congress supporters at the hands of CPI(M) goons (the Sainbari incident) on March 17, 1970, is a testimony to it.
The horrific murders at Sainbari by CPIM-led-mob
The Sain family, who lived in Burdwan during the 1970s, were well-known for their association with the Congress party. On March 17, a Communist party member by the name of Khokon Sen led a mob of his party workers to the ancestral house of the family. The Sains had been celebrating the ‘naming ceremony’ of a newly-born baby at their home. They had turned down threats and offers to join the CPIM, following the ouster of the second United Front government in West Bengal and the resignation of incumbent CM Ajay Kumar Mukherjee on March 16.
But the emerging Communist regime in the State was miffed. On that fateful day in 1970, hundreds of CPIM goons gathered outside the ancestral home of the Sains and began shooting arrows and pelting stones. They then barged into his house and committed one of the most horrific political murders that the state had witnessed until then. The CPIM mob attacked the eldest son Naba Kumar Sain and gouged out his eyes. They also killed his two brothers, namely, Pranab Kumar and Malay Kumar, in front of the victims’ mother Mrignayana Devi.
Even a private tutor by the name of Jiten Ray, who happened to be at Sainbari during the attack, was also hacked to death. The new-born child was thrown into the Puja fire (Havan) by the CPIM goons but was successfully rescued by the family members. His body still has burn marks from the incident. However, the barbaric attack did not stop there. In a horrendous act of violence, the mob force-fed rice to Mrignayana Devi, which was mixed with the blood of her two sons Pranab and Malay. They also rubbed the blood on her forehead.
The incident wreaked havoc on her mental health and she died 8 years later in 1978. The elder son, Naba Kumar Sain, whose eyes were gouged out during the attack, was killed by CPIM goons the following year. NSUI activist Gunamoni Roy, an eye witness to the attack, was killed before he could go and depose before Tarapada Roy Commission that was constituted to probe the murders. Although 83 CPIM workers were named in the FIR, including Khokon Sen and one CPIM leader Benoy Konar, the files miraculously went missing after CPIM came to power.
Kokhon Sen went on to change his name to ‘Nirupam Sen’ and became Industries Minister in the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee-led-government. Years later in 2011, Trinamool Congress dug up the old files and resumed the investigation in the case. Sen, who had led the violent mob, won the MLA seat from Bardhaman South Assembly constituency thrice in 1987, 2001, and 2006. He was also a member of the Central Committee of his party in 1998 and the CPIM politburo in 2008. He died on December 24, without facing any legal consequences for his crimes while the Sains still await justice.
On February 27, 2002 59 Hindu pilgrims, returning from Ayodhya were burnt alive after a Muslim mob set the train on fire. Subsequently, communal riots gripped Gujarat. Multiple media outlets at that time had ran a story that a pregnant Muslim woman was raped by a Hindu mob, her pregnant belly slit open and her foetus flung into fire. Some versions also included that the above act was done with a sword.
Most reports cited Saira Bano, Kausar Bano’s sister-in-law’s version who claimed “What they did to my sister-in-law’s sister Kausar Bano was horrific and heinous. She was nine months pregnant. They cut open her belly, took out her foetus with a sword and threw it into a blazing fire. Then they burnt her as well.” Some versions of the story narrated horrific version of the fate of the foetus. In some versions the foetus was slaughtered with the sword, in some the foetus was swung on the point of the sword and then thrown into a fire.
Such narratives continue to be told on social media even today.
Tweet claiming Babu Bajrangi perpetrated the heinous act on Kausar Bano
However, the postmortem of Kausar Bano told a different story.
A 2010 report states that the doctor who conducted post-mortem on Kauser, found the foetus intact. Dr J S Kanoria, who had conducted the autopsy on 2nd March, 2002 presented supporting documents to the special court and said that the foetus was intact in the woman’s womb. The foetus weight 2,500 gms and was 45 cms long.
Further, during the postmortem and cross examination of witness, it had come to light that Kausar Bano died of suffocation, fear and shock and her body bore no external or internal injuries. As per reports, during his deposition, Kanoria stated that Bano’s body bore no internal or external injury; moreover, there was no sword injury on her body. Dr Kanoria was working at the government civil hospital during the riots and had given statement that Kausar Bano’s foetus was removed after the post-mortem. The post-mortem was conducted on 1st March 2002.
While Kauser’s death was unfortunate, the lies surrounding it only fanned the bitterness in an already embittered environment.
On March 1, 2021 Prime Minister Narendra Modi took his first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi.
#WATCH: Prime Minister Narendra Modi took his first dose of the #COVID19 vaccine at AIIMS Delhi today. He was administered Bharat Biotech's COVAXIN. pic.twitter.com/VqqBYZDTFU
In a tweet, he wrote, “Took my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at AIIMS. Remarkable how our doctors and scientists have worked in quick time to strengthen the global fight against COVID-19. I appeal to all those who are eligible to take the vaccine. Together, let us make India COVID-19 free!”
Took my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at AIIMS.
Remarkable how our doctors and scientists have worked in quick time to strengthen the global fight against COVID-19.
I appeal to all those who are eligible to take the vaccine. Together, let us make India COVID-19 free! pic.twitter.com/5z5cvAoMrv
Reports suggest that PM Modi went to AIIMS early morning to avoid any inconvenience to the public.
Nurse from Puducherry administered the vaccine
PM Modi’s vaccine was administered by sister P Niveda from Puducherry. The second nurse present was from Kerala. Two vaccines will be available for now, Covaxin by Bharat Biotech and Covishield by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca. The vaccine will be available for free at government hospitals. Private hospitals that are authorized to provide the Covid-19 vaccine can charge Rs.250 for the vaccine.
By choosing the Bharat Biotech vaccine, Prime Minister Modi has addressed the hesitancy towards the Covid-19 vaccine as it had run into a controversy after it was approved by the regulatory authority for emergency use without phase-3 trial results.
Over 10 million Covid warriors vaccinated so far
The first phase of the nationwide vaccine had begun on January 16, and the second dose had begun on February 13. So far, over 10 million Covid warriors have been administered doses of vaccine. Those who are eligible for the vaccine will be able to register on the CoWin platform and get the vaccination done at the allotted Covid-19 vaccine centre near them.
PM Modi waited for the second phase of vaccination to begin as while he is a senior citizen, the first phase of vaccination was for frontline workers, like doctors, nurses and others who are more vulnerable to catching the virus.
The BJP Government in Madhya Pradesh is preparing to change the names of numerous places at once, Zee News has reported. The places whose names are to be changed include Bhopal and Minto Hall at the capital city.
The government is planning to change the names of Bhopal, the city’s Minto Hall, Idgah Hills, Obedullaganj in Raisen district, Gairatganj, Begumganj, Gauharganj, Burhanpur, Sultanpur and other places. It is intended that the names are changed in one clean sweep.
The demands to change the names of the places have been gathering momentum for quite some time. BJP MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur had called for the names of Islamnagar, Lalghati, Halali Dam and Halalpura in Bhopal to be changed. Former Chief Minister Uma Bharti had made the same demand.
The protem Speaker of Vidhan Sabha Rakesh Sharma had also said that the name of Islamnagar in Bhopal should be changed to Gurunanak Tekri. The proposed name for Bhopal itself is bhojpal. Only days earlier, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had announced that the name of Hoshangabad will be changed to Narmadapuram and Nasrullahganj to Bhairunda.
Madhya Pradesh cabinet minister and BJP MLA from Indore Usha Thakur had said, “If something wrong happened in the past, and if somebody has evidence of that, then the Constitution permits us to correct those mistakes. If there is evidence, then the names of places should be changed.”
The restoration of ancient names of cities and towns has come to embody BJP rule since the advent of Yogi Adityanath as Chief Minister. Since the Mahant of Gorakhnath Muth assumed the seat of Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, a host of places have had their names restored; the most prominent being Ayodhya. Other Chief Ministers have also followed suit.
On Wednesday, Sameera Fazili, the Deputy Director of National Economic Council in the Biden administration, made her appearance at a White House press briefing. Fazili, an Indian-American, participated in the White House Press Briefing wearing a ‘Hijab’, evoking a mixed response on social platforms.
Sameera, who originally hails from Kashmir, shared the press briefing with White House spokesperson Jane Saki and addressed various issues on the Biden administration’s move to secure critical US supply chains and create jobs in the country. The images and videos of Sameera wearing the ‘Hijab’ at the press conference have now gone viral.
The left-liberals and Muslim social media users hailed the Biden administration for celebrating diversity and appointing Muslim woman in his administration. They also hailed Sameera Fazili for addressing the press conference with her ‘Hijab’.
One user Aymann Ismail wrote, “Trump invited Islamophobes like Brigette Gabriel into the WH. Today, sister @sameerafazili delivered a press briefing”.
“A proud moment. Sameera Fazili, the first American Muslim woman to brief the press at White House. She is the deputy director of the National Economic Council. I hope the French government learn a lesson in democracy and respecting diversity. #hijab”, wrote Nihad Awad, the Chief of radical Islamic organisation CAIR.
Another Twitter user Imraan Siddiqui said, “A month after Trump is gone and we have a sister in hijab giving the press briefing at the White House”.
According to the Islamists in the US, Donald Trump was an Islamophobic president, while the Biden administration has been an enabler for Muslims to achieve great things.
For the uninitiated, Sameera Fazili is one of two Kashmiri-origin Indian-American members inducted into key positions in Biden’s team alongside Aisha Shah, the partnership manager at the White House Office of Digital Strategy.
Fazili, like fellow Islamists and pro-Pakistan sympathiser, has been a vocal critic of India’s Kashmir policy which aims to foster peace and development in the terror infested region. Fazili is also an outspoken proponent of Kashmiri separatism and has often backed radical terror groups in the valley.
Just days after the Indian government had abrogated Article 370, Fazili had organized a terror-tied anti-India protest within the USA. The event was sponsored by Islamic terror groups such as Muslim-Brotherhood front groups, al-Qaeda sympathizers, along with left-wing elements both in India and outside.
Most importantly, she has ties with Hamas-linked Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). The CAIR has been vocal about Fazili’s participation in the radical-led protests in India. Unsurprisingly, the CAIR has also expressed its glee over Fazili addressing the press conference with her Hijab.
Ironically, the Islamists in the US celebrated Sameera Fazili’s ‘Hijabi’ appearance just a day after the US administration had killed several Muslims in Syria and Iraq by carrying out airstrikes.
Social media users highlights the irony
As Islamists thronged on social media to hail both Biden administration and Fazili for flaunting her hijab in public to make a political point, the social media users descended on the internet to expose the hypocrisy of the Biden administration and its Muslim supporters over their Muslim appeasement on the one hand and state-sponsored violence on the same community members on the other.
Several social media users had a field day on Thursday, who mocked Biden administration and its supporters for propping up the ‘Hijabi’ woman Sameera Fazili at a press conference just a day after bombing innocent Muslims in Syria. The US had carried out airstrikes in Syria, targeting groups affiliated with an Iran-backed militia in retaliation to rocket attacks on American troops in northern Iraq.
Taking a dig at the Islamists cheering Fazili, a user asked whether she was at the press conference to explain why the US bombed Islamic countries such as Syria and Iran.
Another user asked whether the ‘hijab’-clad Fazili replaced the 22 Muslims that Biden had killed in the recent past.
Desi Trump, a social media user, said that tomorrow Biden administration would drop hijab wrapped SOWs hinged to an F15 and kill dozens in Syria and Iraq. Pointing out the irony of the so-called ‘diversity’ of Biden administration, he/she said that the killing in Syria was ‘halal’ king.
Exposing the hypocrisy of the ‘Muslim appeasement’ of Biden administration, a user said that more ‘Hijabi’ women are operating drone strikes now.
A social media user Sarah pointed out how Biden refuses to recognise the persecution of Uyghur Muslims by China and calls it a ‘cultural thing’, while his administration indulges in photo-ops with ‘Hijabi’ women to claim they respect ‘diversity’.
Similarly, another user pointed the irony of the Biden administration to send Sameera Fazili to appear before the press conference in Hijab even as it continues to implement policies that fail to recognise the alleged atrocities carried out against Uyghur Muslims in China.
