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Troubles mount for ‘comedian’ Munawar Faruqui as UP police seeks his custody

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Troubles mount for ‘comedian’ Munawar Faruqui as UP police seeks his custody

‘Comedian’ Munawar Faruqui, who was earlier denied bail by the Madhya Pradesh High Court for his derogatory remarks against Hindu Gods and Goddesses, is in trouble yet again. In a new development, the Uttar Pradesh police have submitted a production warrant for him, in a case registered against him in April last year.

As per reports, the production warrant has been submitted on January 7 before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court in Indore and the Indore Central Jail, where Munawar Faruqui is serving his judicial custody. The said case was lodged at the George Town police station on April 19, 2020, in Praygraj district of Uttar Pradesh, following a complaint by one advocate named Ashutosh Mishra.

Screengrab of the First Information Report against Munawar Faruqi via Newsroom Post

The police had booked the accused under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 153A (Promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion), 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion) and Section 65 and 66 IT Act, 2008. The case is based on the YouTube video, uploaded by Faruqui, wherein he was seen making derogatory remarks against Hindu deities, mocking the deaths of Hindus in the Godhra train burning case and insinuating the role of the RSS and Home Minister in the carnage.

Judicial custody of Munawar Faruqui extended till January 27

Munawar Faruqui, who has been in judicial custody for the last two weeks, will continue to remain in jail as the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Friday adjourned his bail hearing until next week. Indian Express journalist Iram Siddique took to Twitter to inform that the bail hearing at High Court in Indore was adjourned as police failed to produce his case diary.

‘Comedian’ Munawar Faruqui had moved the Madhya Pradesh High Court seeking bail after the magistrate’s court as well as the sessions court had rejected his bail plea on January 5 (Tuesday) and 2 (Saturday) respectively. His bail pleas were not only rejected but, Chief judicial magistrate Aman Singh Bhuria also extended Faruqui’s judicial custody till January 27.

Faruqui’s advocate, Anshuman Shrivastav alleged that it appears to be a tactic by police to harass his client. Advocate Anushman Shrivastav further argued before the court that the police should be ordered to get the diary and matter be heard in the second half. However, the court scheduled the hearing for next week.

Fresh legal trouble for Kangana Ranaut, Kashmir Ki Yodhha Rani Didda author accuses her of copyright violation

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Fresh legal trouble for Kangana Ranaut, Kashmir Ki Yodhha Rani Didda author accuses her of copyright violation

The author of the book ‘Didda-Kashmir Ki Yoddha Rani,’ Ashish Kaul, accused Kangana Ranaut of copyright violation and sent her a legal notice. The notice was sent for the upcoming film ‘Manikarnika-The Legend of Didda,’ and Kaul demanded a reply within 72 hours.

Ranaut has alleged that the claims are baseless, and the film was not based on his book.

Ashish claims sole copyright on the story of Warrior Queen Didda

As per Kaul, he holds the sole copyright of the story of warrior queen Didda who ruled the valley directly or indirectly for over five decades. The author had earlier said that he had shared details of the content of the book with Ranaut in an e-mail and requested her to write a foreword. Kaul had earlier shared the image of copyright notice in his book on Twitter.

The notice added that Kaul was shocked to learn that the storyline that the proposed film follows is similar to the narrative he had shared with Ranaut. It read, “Our Client was further appalled to discover that the nature and treatment of the character of Didda in the Proposed Film, was identical to the Narrative Text, the Book and the information communicated by Our Client in his e-mail of 11 September 2020. To add further insult to injury, Kangana Ranaut and Kamal Kumar Jain have since issued public statements alleging that their proposed film is not based on the book. It is re-iterated that the description of Didda as identified by Kangana Ranaut to promote the film is identical to as set out in the book.”

Trolled and abused by Kangana’s fans – alleges Kaul

Kaul said that Kangana’s followers are abusing and trolling him on social media because of the actions of Kangana Ranaut and Kamal Kumar Jain. The notice said,” [He] has suffered extreme mental anguish.” It further added that there is a risk that Kaul will face financial losses as he was in discussion with major producers and studios for the production of a film based on his book and script that was registered under his name in 2017. “The actions and representations of Ms. Kangana Ranaut, Mr. Kamal Kumar and Ms. Rangoli Ranaut will severely impact all opportunities of commercial exploitation of the Narrative Text, the Book, and the Script by Kaul,” it added.

Kaul has demanded a reply from Kangana in 72 hours, failing to which he will take further legal action against her. The movie is set to hit the floor in Jan 2022.

Watch: Akshay Kumar announces donation towards construction of Ram Mandir through a heartwarming video message

OpIndia Staff
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Watch: Akshay Kumar announces donation towards construction of Ram Mandir through a heartwarming video message

Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar has announced that he will make a contribution towards the construction of the Bhavya Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. In a heartwarming video message, the actor also appealed to people to contribute as per their capabilities so that coming generation continue to be inspired by Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram.

During the video message, Akshay Kumar narrated the story of the famous squirrel which etched itself across the memories of the Hindu Civilization by contributing towards the construction of the Ram Setu.

Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has already announced that the Temple will be built through voluntary donations by Hindus. A campaign has also been launched to invite donations for the construction of the Bhavya Ram Mandir.

Producer Manish Mundra has also donated Rs. 1 crore towards the same and donations are pouring across the country for the Ram Mandir. One can also contribute towards Ram Mandir construction through the official website of the trust.

Aurangabad vs Sambhajinagar: Shiv Sena continues to lock horns with alliance partner Congress

OpIndia Staff
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Aurangabad vs Sambhajinagar: Shiv Sena continues to lock horns with alliance partner Congress

Friction between the coalition partners in the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance in Maharashtra widens as Shiv Sena on Sunday took a jibe at its ally Congress and attacked it for being “secular” and opposing the name change of Aurangabad into Sambhajinagar.

Taking a dig at its own alliance partner Congress, Shiv Sena in its mouthpiece “Saamana” said that the renaming of Aurangabad might affect the vote bank of “secular parties” as the renaming will upset the Muslim society.

“India’s constitution was secular… Aurangzeb had a strong hatred for other religions. He tortured Sikhs and Hindus. Why should we pay attention to their relics? Who was Aurangzeb? At least Maharashtra does not need to explain this… Therefore, there is no reason for a true Marathi and hardcore Hindu person to have an attachment to Aurangzeb,” it said.

The article further said that a political controversy has erupted over the renaming of ‘Aurangabad’ to Sambhajinagar in the official documents of Marathwada. However, Secular parties like the Congress are not in favor to rename Aurangabad as Sambhajinagar. The renaming of Aurangabad will upset the Muslim society, that is, the minority and will affect the vote bank, which means that its secular image will be questioned, it read.

Aurangzeb was never secular, leaders opposing the name change should read history: Saamana

The editorial further asserted that there is a large section of people in Maharashtra who are in favour of the renaming. Does naming Aurangabad solve the problem of people’s development? the editorial questioned the Congress party saying that no trace of Aurangzeb should be kept, at least in Maharashtra.

“On the orders of Aurangzeb, Raja Sambhaji of Maharashtra was tortured and killed by Mughal chieftains and his dismembered body was thrown into an abandoned condition on the road near Pune,” the editorial said.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, who is the Executive Editor of the newspaper said even though he did not know why Congress is opposing, but Maharashtra CM has clearly said that it is Sambhajinagar and will remain so. It is a matter of people’s feelings, so we can discuss it but the decision has been taken, he added.

The editorial further said that leaders of Maharashtra to read Aurangzeb’s history again and highlighted that Aurangzeb was never secular.

“Aurangzeb was never ‘secular’. He wanted to expand the empire based on Islam… There cannot be a single city in Maharashtra in the name of such an Aurangzeb… Call it the pride of Maharashtra, otherwise, the history is known but if such an Aurangzeb is loved by someone, then prostrate him from the corner! This behaviour is not ‘secular’!” the editorial highlighted.

Controversy surrounding the renaming of Aurangabad to ‘Sambhaji Nagar’

An internal rift has erupted within the MVA alliance in Maharashtra over the renaming of Aurangabad to Sambhajinagar. The controversy was kicked up after the Shiv Sena, one of the parties of the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance of the Maharashtra government, dredged up the decades-old demand of renaming the city of Aurangabad to Sambhajinagar.

However, Shiv Sena’s alliance partner, Congress, opposed the demand, stating that it did not come under the ambit of the Common Minimum Programme(CMP) agreed upon by the Maha Vikas Aghadi partners.

The Shiv Sena, however, upped the ante, stating that the demand for the renaming of Aurangabad does not need to be in the CMP as it a popular demand and enjoys public support. It also published a scathing article in its mouthpiece Saamana wherein it remarked that Muslims in India do not regard Aurangzeb as their uncle and they would have no problems in renaming Aurangabad just like they had no issues with the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray also jumped into the controversy, referring to Aurangabad as Sambhajinagar. The CM’s official Twitter account repeatedly referred to Aurangabad as ‘Sambhajinagar’.

Pista Dhakad, talent manager with reality show Bigg Boss, dies in road accident: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Pista Dhakad, talent manager with reality show Bigg Boss, dies in road accident: Details

Talent manager Pista Dhakad, who was part of popular TV show Bigg Boss, passed away in a road accident on Friday.

According to reports, Pista Dhakad met with an accident near Film City while returning home from the Bigg Boss 14 Weekend Ka Vaar shoot. She was 24 years old.

Pista Dhakad had been associated with the production house Endemol Shine India for a long time and was also involved in other shows such as Khatron Ke Khiladi.

Several actors and former Bigg Boss contestants expressed their grief over the untimely demise of Bigg Boss talent manager Pista Dhakad. Bigg Boss 9 winner Prince Narula mourned the demise of Pista in an Instagram post. “Last night she met with an accident,” the actor wrote along with a heartfelt tribute to Pista.

“RIP @pista_dhakad. You were a person whom nobody can ever forget. You reside in our heart in a way that it seemed we knew you since childhood. I haven’t seen a positive person like you. Someone who always wanted good of everyone and who used to always stay happy. We didn’t know that the Goa trip that you, Yuvika and I took would be our last together. No one can fill your void in our industry and our life. Love you always (sic),” he said.

Besides Prince Narula, former Bigg Boss contestants like Shehnaaz Gill, Yuvika Chaudhary, Devoleena Bhattacharjee, and Kamya Panjabi mourned her loss. Bhattacharjee said that she was shocked by the news. “You will be missed by everyone whose life you touched (sic),” said Gill.

The curious case of Steve Jarding: How the specialist in failure Harvard Professor failed Nidhi Razdan

OpIndia Staff
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The curious case of Steve Jarding: How the specialist in failure Harvard Professor failed Nidhi Razdan

Numerous questions regarding the Nidhi Razdan Harvard fiasco still remain answered. She penned a blog on the matter on Saturday, however, it raised more questions than it answered. One of the questions that still remain unanswered is how nobody from her circle informed her that it could be a possible scam. There were Harvard Alumni and Harvard professors in her circle as well. One of them is Steve Jarding.

Steve Jarding is on the advisory board of the Kautilya School of Public Policy (KSPP) along with Nidhi Razdan. He is a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School. He has appeared on NDTV as well to comment on American politics. NDTV, true to its character, introduced him as a professor and a political analyst and attempted to hide his long time associations with the Democratic Party.

Steve Jarding has been part of the US Senate, gubernatorial and presidential campaigns of numerous Democrat candidates. According to reports, he has held a post in the Democratic party on at at least one occasion. He is reported to have worked in the disastrous presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton in 2016 as well. And as per reports, he has worked in the campaigns of Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and others.

Steve Jarding is also remarkably inconsistent, if one goes by his previous comments, and makes quite drastic U-turns. He will say one thing one day and two months later, he will say something precisely the opposite of it. A pertinent case here is his comments on Jim Webb, someone he had advised in 2006.

In September 2014, when former Virginia Senator Jim Webb said that he is looking at the possibility of running for president in 2016 from the Democrat party, Steve Jarding was quoted as saying by the Washington Post, “In this climate, there is a thirst in the electorate for someone who can shoot straight, and Jim knows that. I don’t think he’s intimidated by the long odds. It’s not in his makeup to be fearful, and I think he’s putting a trial balloon out there because he is probably going to run.”

Two months later, he had something entirely different to say about the possible trial balloon. In November, Jarding was quoted saying in a Daily Beast report, “Jim is not a trial-balloon guy. A lot of people send trial balloons up because they want to see if they have a chance, or if people like them. That’s not Jim. He says ‘I have a message and I am going to move that message.’ He challenges the Democratic Party to say what it stands for.”

From “I think he’s putting a trial balloon” to “Jim is not a trial-balloon guy” in two months. That is quite the leap. As it so happens, Steve Jarding has dabbled in Indian politics as well. He had provided his services to Akhilesh Yadav and the Samajwadi Party for the 2017 Uttar Pradesh elections. That is two back to back political campaigns he was involved with that ended in spectacular disaster. First, Hillary and then, Akhilesh.

An internal email of his that was leaked also showed that the apparent conflict between Akhilesh Yadav and his father Mulayam was orchestrated as part of a political strategy as part of Jarding’s advise. On a side note, the Democrats and their history of self-goals with emails is the stuff of legends, indeed.

Leaked email from Steve Jarding, Rahul Kanwal shared the image in December 2016
Leaked email from Steve Jarding, Rahul Kanwal shared the image in December 2016

Not just Akhilesh Yadav, Steve Jarding attempted to advise Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party on the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections as well. There were rumours that he was indeed working with the Congress party but he is reported to have said that the two had only had a meeting which did not develop into any working relationship.

Judging from his recent track record, it might be one of the rare few smart decisions Rahul Gandhi has taken in his political career. It was also reported that he would be working with Janasena chief Pawan Kalyan for the 2019 elections. That also ended in spectacular disaster. In the Nidhi Razdan fiasco, it is rather incomprehensible that the Harvard professor and the Democrat poll consultant failed to alert her that she might be the victim of a possible scam.

He is a well connected individual in the United States and one would have expected him to be aware of basic details about the University such as the fact that Harvard had announced a freeze on hiring in April 2020, two months before Nidhi Razdan announced she was joining the University. But as her luck would have it, she remained uninformed until she heard back from the University this month.

PM Modi invited to UK for G7, British PM Johnson to visit India ahead of the summit

OpIndia Staff
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PM Modi invited to UK for G7, British PM Johnson to visit India ahead of the summit

The United Kingdom has invited PM Modi as a guest in the G7 summit to be held in June 2021. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he will visit India ahead of the summit. Hailing India as ‘pharmacy of the world’, British PM appreciated how India supplies over 50% of world’s vaccine. He further added how India and the UK have worked together during the pandemic.

Earlier this month, the British PM cancelled his India visit as a guest during India’s Republic Day celebration on 26th January 2021. He cancelled it amid the rising cases of coronavirus in UK to oversee the vaccination drive and other pandemic-crisis related work. The UK had also seen increased number of coronavirus cases with mutated strain which was highly transmissible.

In December last year, the British Prime Minister had written to PM Narendra Modi to accept his invitation and to invite India to attend the UK’s G7 Summit as one of three guest nations alongside South Korea and Australia. The invitation was a part of Johnson’s endeavour to work with a group of like-minded democracies to promote shared interests and tackle common challenges.

India Vs Australia: How Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar saved the day for India in Brisbane test

OpIndia Staff
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India Vs Australia: How Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar saved the day for India in Brisbane test

One of the key highlights of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has been the grit and resilience displayed by the Indian cricket team, especially the tailenders, in the face of adversity. With the quick dismissal of Cheteshwar Pujara and skipper Ajinkiya Rahane in the morning session of India’s first innings on Day 3 of the Brisbane Test, India had a mammoth task at hand.

Although Mayank Agarwal played some exquisite shots and Rishabh Pant looked promising, the duo failed to hold on to the crease for a long time. India were 6 wickets down in the 66th over at just the halfway mark. The Indian fans conceded a defeat, without realising what tailenders Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar had in store. In an extraordinary display of determination, they went on to put a partnership of 121 runs for the 7th wicket.

Shardul Thakur displays his batting prowess

The said partnership between the two became India’s highest partnership for the 7th wicket at the Gabba cricket stadium, surpassing the earlier record held by Kapil Dev and Manoj Prabhakar in 1991. The duo beautifully paced their innings and showed the right intent from the very onset.

Shardul Thakur took his Australian counterpart, Patt Cummins head-on with a pull shot for a boundary off a short-pitched ball. Similarly, he played an astounding cover drive off Mitchelle Starc, that reminded Mike Hussey of the legendary Australian skipper Steve Waugh. He went on to face 115 balls and put up an individual score of 62 runs.

Washington Sundar delivers a batting masterclass

Shardul Thakur was adequately supported by Washington Sundar on the other end. Facing 144 balls, he recorded his personal best performance of 62 runs. As per statistics, his score happens to be the highest score made by a visiting number 7 debutant in Tests in Australia.

Although Washington Sundar hit 7 boundaries, the key highlight of his batting was a spectacular six that he hit off Nathan Lyon’s ball, despite taking the eyes of the ball. Sundar, who began his career in the U-19, as a batsman went on to show that the batsman in him still lives on, despite his full-fledged transformation into an ace spin bowler.

Screengrab of the scorecard of India’s 1st innings via Crickbuzz

Experts hail the duo for their exemplary performance

Hailing the grit and determination shown by the Indian cricket team during their Tour of Australia, former England skipper Michael Vaughan tweeted, “Full credit to India … The character they have had to show on this tour has been remarkable … also the resilience with so many injuries … a team is only as good as its bench many say … Well, India have a very strong bench of players now.”

Indian captain Virat Kohli, who is on paternity leave, applauded the outstanding performance and composure of Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar. “Outstanding application and belief by @Sundarwashi5 and @imShard. This is what test cricket is all about. Washy top composure on debut and tula parat maanla re Thakur,” he wrote.

Cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle also seemed to be in awe of their performance at the Gabba cricket stadium. He tweeted, “Extremely impressed with the fighting attitude shown by Washington Sundar and Shardul Thakur. They have symbolised what India has been in this series, consistently punching above their weight. It is so satisfying to see.”

India has dismissed for a total of 336 runs in the 1st innings. With a lead of 54 runs, it will be interesting to see how the match pans out tomorrow with the Australian opening batsmen Marcus Harris and David Warner facing the Indian pace attack in the morning session of Day 4. But, the clear winner on Day 3 has been the spectacular performance of Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar, who saved the match for India.

PM Modi flags off eight trains from various places in the country to Kevadia to boost connectivity to Statue of Unity

OpIndia Staff
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PM Modi flags off eight trains from various places in the country to Kevadia to boost connectivity to Statue of Unity

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off eight trains connecting different regions of the country to Statue of Unity (Kevadia) on January 17 at 11 AM via video conferencing. PM Modi also inaugurated several projects in the Railways sector in Gujarat. On occasion, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and Chief Ministers of the respective states including Yogi Adityanath, Shivraj Singh Chauhan and others, from where the trains will originate, were also present.

The details of the trains being flagged off are as follows: Kevadiya to Varanasi – Mahamana Express (Weekly), Dadar to Kevadiya – Dadar-Kevadia Express (Daily), Ahmedabad to Kevadiya – Janshatabdi Express (Daily), Kevadiya to H. Nizamuddin – Nizamuddin – KevadiaSamparkKranti Express (Bi-Weekly), Kevadiya to Rewa – Kevadia – Rewa Express (Weekly), Chennai to Kevadiya – Chennai – Kevadia Express (Weekly), Pratapnagar to Kevadiya – MEMU train (Daily) and Kevadiya to Pratapnagar – MEMU train (Daily). The Jan Shatabdi Express from Ahmedabad will have the latest “Vista-dome tourist coach” with a glass roof that will provide a panoramic view of the skyline.

List of trains and projects inaugurated by PM Modi

Today is the amalgamation of Indian Railways Mission and Sardar Vallabhai Patel’s Vision: PM

PM Narendra Modi during his address on the occasion said that this is the first time in India that eight trains to the same destination are being flagged off. Talking about Kevadiya, he said, “Kevadia is fast emerging as a prime tourist destination in India. Tourists from various countries are visiting Kevadia. Statue of Unity has more tourists than Statue of Liberty.”

One of the trains will run from Kerala. He said, “one of the trains leaving for Kevadia is coming from Purchachi Talavar Dr. MG Ramachandran Central Railway Station. It is a happy coincidence that today is the birth anniversary of Bharat Ratan MG Ramachandran.” Earlier, PM Modi has paid tribute to on his Twitter account. He said, “Bharat Ratna MGR lives in the hearts of several people. Be it the world of films or politics, he was widely respected. During his CM tenures, he initiated numerous efforts towards poverty alleviation and also emphasised on women empowerment. Tributes to MGR on his Jayanti.”

He further added that the Indian Railways is using new Aatma Nirbhar technologies while ensuring that they are environment friendly.

Employment in Adivasi villages

PM Modi said that these projects will boost the economy in the Adivasi villages and generate employment. He mentioned that over 200 rooms in nearby Adivasi villages have been turned into homestays. He further said that Kevadiya is one of the best examples to demonstrate how economy and ecology can be developed while protecting the environment in a planned manner.

This will boost tourism & generate employment in the region – Piyush Goyal

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal in his tweets said that PM Modi has launched eight trains providing connectivity to Kevadia, Gujarat. This will provide seamless connectivity to Sardar Patel’s statue at Kevadiya. “This will boost tourism & generate employment in the region., Gujarat,” he added.

Other projects inaugurated by PM Modi

During the event, Prime Minister also inaugurated the Dabhoi – Chandod Gauge converted Broad Gauge railway line, Chandod – Kevadiya new Broad Gauge railway line, newly electrified Pratapnagar – Kevadiya section and the new station buildings of Dabhoi, Chandod and Kevadiya. As per the statement released by the Indian Railways, these buildings are aesthetically designed, incorporating the local features with modern amenities for the passengers.

It has to be noted that Kevadiya station is the first railway station in India that has a Green Building Certification. These projects will help speed up the development activities in the tribal regions close to the stations and help boost domestic and international tourism.

West Bengal: TMC’s Katwa MLA, others take coronavirus vaccine out of turn

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal: TMC’s Katwa MLA, others take coronavirus vaccine out of turn

On Saturday, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLAs flouted government protocol to get vaccinated against Coronavirus in Burdwan in West Bengal, despite being well aware that the vaccines were meant for frontline workers only.

As per reports, TMC politicians, namely, Rabindranath Chatterjee and Subhash Mondol, went out of turn to get inoculated while several healthcare workers, risking their lives amidst the pandemic, failed to get the shots.

While Katwa MLA Rabindranath Chatterjee took the jab on the very first day in Katwa subdivision hospital, another TMC MLA from Bhatar, Subhash Mondol, got vaccinated at the Bhatar Regional Hospital. Besides the duo, ex MLA MLA Banmali Hazra, Zila Parishad member Zahar Bagdi, and public health in-charge of Bhatar Panchayat Samiti namely Mahendra Hazar were also inoculated.

(Video Courtesy: Youtube/India Today)

This is despite the fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has clarified that the public representatives should allow the frontline workers to get vaccinated, instead of using their influence to jump the queue. While speaking about the incident, Chatterjee said, “I just took the vaccine… Everyone will get the opportunity to do so. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee is ensuring that everyone gets the vaccine. In the first round, 100 people will get vaccinated and later a mass immunisation programme will be conducted.”

TMC MLAs deprive health workers of vaccination

As a result of the high-handedness of the ruling Trinamool Congress party, a nurse from Bardhaman Medical College lamented that she was not vaccinated, although she was called for the same. Similar allegations have also been levelled, under the condition of anonymity, by several other nurses in the hospital. However, the Chief Medical Officer of the district, Pranab Rai, claimed that the said MLAs were part of Rogi Kalyan Committee and were eligible for the first round of vaccination.

BJP condemns high-handedness of Trinamool Congress

While condemning the incident, BJP National General Secretary referred to the incident as loot. “Coronavirus vaccine has been looted. The Prime Minister of the country sent the vaccine for Coronavirus warriors, health workers and frontline workers. But in West Bengal TMC MLAs and their goons forcibly took the vaccine.” He further added, “Shame on Mamata Banerjee for claiming that PM sent fewer vaccines.”

Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy said that it would have been better if the party MLAs had not taken the vaccines. Interestingly, another TMC MLA from Alipurduars, Saurabh Chakraborty, had his name on the top of the list of individuals who were supposed to be vaccinated. In his defence, he said, “I am not getting any vaccine right now and I have informed the health department about it.”

PM Modi launches Coronavirus vaccination drive

PM Narendra Modi launched the world’s biggest inoculation drive in the country today at 10:30 am via video conferencing. The COVID-19 vaccination drive has been planned in a phased manner, identifying priority groups. The first phase of India’s coronavirus vaccination drive started at 11 am across several cities in India and ended at 5:30 pm.

In the first phase of the vaccination drive, around 3 crore frontline workers including doctors, healthcare workers, Safai Karamcharis etc will be given the vaccine. After that, people above 50 years of age, and people below 50 with co-morbidities, estimated around 27 crore, will be selected for vaccination. Therefore, around 30 crore people will be vaccinated in this round.

According to the Health Ministry, by the end of day-1 of the coronavirus inoculation drive, 1,91,181 beneficiaries were vaccinated at 3,352 sites in the country. In a press briefing, Additional Health Secretary M Agnani added that 16,755 personnel were involved in the drive.

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