In shocking visuals that have emerged, Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) leader, D Revathi, was seen slapping a toll plaza worker in Andhra Pradesh.
#WATCH| YSRCP leader D Revathi slaps a toll plaza staff at Kaja Toll in Guntur district after she was stopped when she allegedly refused to pay toll tax #AndhraPradeshpic.twitter.com/NaHAzO6VDm
According to ANI, the incident took place at the Kaja Toll in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh.
The YSRCP leader reportedly refused to pay toll tax and thus, an argument broke out, resulting in her slapping the toll plaza worker.
In the video, it can be seen that D Revathi first forcefully tried to remove the barricade at the toll plaza and gets into a heated exchange with the toll plaza workers. The workers on the other hand, were trying to ensure that the barricade stays in place.
Becoming increasingly violent, Revathi manages to topple the barricade over with her hands and then, when the toll plaza worker objects, she slaps him.
Following her arrogance, an argument again breaks out between her and the toll plaza workers.
YSRCP leaders and their arrogance recently called out by the Court
The arrogance of YSRCP leaders was even called out by the High Court recently. During the hearing of a petition filed by the High Court in-charge registrar, the Andhra Pradesh High Court had expressed displeasure over the Crime Investigation Department (CID) failing to act on the cases of negative social media posts about the High Court judges.
Condemning the social media posts targeting the judiciary, a Bench of Justice Rakesh Kumar and J Uma Devi said that the court would look into the possibility of a larger conspiracy behind such posts against the judiciary in the state.
The court made the above-mentioned remarks after an MP Vijayasai Reddy of the YSRC party made certain questionable remarks against the Andhra Pradesh judiciary. YSRCP leaders have been launching verbal attacks openly against the High Court in recent times. YSRCP MP Vijaysai Reddy had stated in Rajya Sabha, “The AP judiciary is not impartial and it has to be stopped. It is unfortunate that courts are hindering the investigation into scams. As lawmakers, we have the right to raise the issue in Parliament and speak about the functioning of the judiciary in AP”.
The YSRCP leaders have been criticising the HC after its request for a CBI probe into the ‘Amaravati scam’ was rejected by the High Court.
The farmer protest ongoing in Delhi, mostly by Punjab farmers has morphed into another show of strength by those who wish the see the ‘tukde tukde’ of India. While we have extensively covered how the protest was hijacked by Khalistani elements, now, it seems that certain organisations are all set to use the veil of farmers protest to demand the release of those who killed Hindus during the Delhi Riots and Urban Naxals arrested for waging a war against India.
It is now being reported that BKU (Ugrahan) is all set to use the farmers’ protest to demand the release of several urban Naxals like Varavara Rao, Sudha Bharadwaj, Gautam Navlakha, Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira who have been booked under UAPA and others who have been arrested for their role in the anti-Hindu Delhi riots that claimed the lives of over 50 people in the national capital, including that of Ankit Sharma, an IB official who was murdered amidst chants of Allahu Akbar and Dilbar Negi, whose hands and legs were chopped off before he was burnt to death by a Muslim mob.
Jhanda Singh Jethuke, senior vice-president of BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) said, “We will celebrate International Human Rights Day at Baba Banda Singh Nagar, near Tikri border, to raise our voices for the release of intellectuals and human rights activists. Demand for the release of these prisoners has been raised constantly throughout the agitation. Modi government is running a Fascist agenda. On one hand, it is promoting Adani and Ambani and on the other hand, it is pushing intellectuals and activities into jail. Around two dozen activists have been booked under UAPA for Bhima Koregaon and instigating Delhi riots”.
Interestingly, the lawyer of BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) said that the release of these ‘activists’ has been an ongoing one since the beginning of the farmer protest. He also went on to say that Naxalism has helped tribal people claim their rights.
According to Indian Express, the lawyer and coordination of BKU said, “It has been part of our demands from the very first day to release human rights activists locked up in jails”.
Further, he reportedly said that the “Government has said that the farm agitation is provoked by urban Naxals, Congress and Khalistanis. Urban Naxal is an excuse to prosecute people. In Punjab, people are sandwiched between state terrorism and terrorists…Naxalism has helped tribal people claim their rights”.
In a further shocking statement, the lawyer and coordinator of the BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) organisation, NK Jeet, said that it is their conscious decision to support these ‘accused’. While he denounced Khalistanis saying that they were never a part of the farmer protest, he said that “The Naxal movement was always a farmers’ movement all over India. Releasing these accused is a demand of BKU. We made it part of memorandum to government related to farm Bills”.
It is being reported that pictures of more than 20 accused will be installed on a stage near the Tikri border. Many “human rights groups” are also expected to participate.
The revelation that the release of those accused in the anti-Hindu Delhi Riots and urban Naxals arrested under UAPA has ‘always’ formed a part of the farmers’ demand and that it was, according to NK Jeet, made it a part of the memorandum to government reveals that from the very beginning, the demands were not about farmers bills and the protests are fuelled by something far more sinister than the supposed issues that they foresee with the bills passed by the government.
Interestingly, a screenshot of the farmer’s demands had gone viral on the internet a few days ago. In the screenshot, there were 6 demands of the farmers that had been mentioned.
Screenshot of the farmers’ demands that had gone viral on the internet
The sixth demand in the screenshot, was the demand to release ‘Intellectuals, poets, lawyers, writers and activists’ and the withdrawal of cases against them.
What is interesting in the screenshot, is that an additional demand of repealing the law that penalised stubble burning, the main cause of pollution in the National Capital Region.
Since there was no official confirmation on whether these indeed were the demands made to the government by the farmers, this screenshot was mostly limited to social media shares, however, with the comments of the BKU, it becomes evident that these demands were indeed made to the government by the so-called farmers.
Further, the true intention of these organisations is revealed when BKU co-ordinator openly defends Naxalism and says that it had always been a ‘farmers movement’.
Yesterday, the agitating farmers from Punjab rejected the proposals sent by the union government, remaining adamant with their demand that the new farm laws must be withdrawn. The farmer organisations have decided only to continue the protest, but also to intensify the same. Announcing the decision, Darshan Pal, President of Krantikari Kisan Union, said that they are rejecting the proposals of the govt. He also announced that the farmers will block the Delhi-Jaipur and Delhi-Agra highways on 12th December as part of the agitation. They will also capture the toll plazas on the highways across the country, freeing them.
Clearly, the demands that they want met have less to do with the farm laws and more to do with the release of those who wanted to break India, like those accused in the Delhi anti-Hindu riots and the accused urban Naxals. With these elements now rejecting the proposal by the government and planning to block more highways, it becomes evident that these protests are being modelled after the Shaheen Bagh protests, where the aim is to disrupt the nation and create unrest.
A research paper titled “Lipid residues in pottery from the Indus Civilisation in northwest India” published by the Journal of Archeological Science gives an insight into what the prehistoric people who lived during the Indus Valley Civilisation ate. As per the study, about 80% of the faunal assemblage (animal fossil) from various Indus sites belonged to domestic animal species, with cattle/buffaloes being the highest at almost 50-60%. Sheep and goats accounted to about 10% of animal remains.
The study suggests that the high percentage of cattle bones found suggest that there was a cultural preference for beef across Indus Valley Civilisation which was supplemented by mutton/lamb. Pigs make up about 2–3% of total faunal assemblages across Indus sites as per the research. Further, remains of wild animals like deer, antelope, gazelle, hares, birds, and riverine/marine resources are also found in small proportions at these sites.
For the study, as many as 172 pottery fragments which were recovered from the sites were analysed. These fragments were recovered from 7 rural and urban settlements located in northwest India. Various fats and oils which were absorbed into the ancient ceramic vessels during their use were extracted and identified.
The scientists believe the findings highlight the resilience of rural settlements in northwest India during the transformation of the Indus Civilisation, and during a period of increasing aridity. In conclusion, despite the limitations, this study constitutes an important starting point which could broaden our thinking about Indus Valley Civilisation.
“The results demonstrate that the use of organic residue analysis in South Asia, combined with other bioarchaeological approaches, will facilitate a new understanding into the enormous diversity of prehistoric South Asian foodways and the relationship between pottery and foodstuff over time,” the study concludes.
NDTV had yesterday reported that the union government has ‘rejected’ the proposal by Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech for the emergency approval to their respective vaccines ‘for the lack of data’. However, it was fake news. The Union Health Ministry had categorically dismissed the claims made by NDTV.
News I8 had also carried the fake news. Both had cited unnamed “sources” for their fake news. However, even after more than 12 hours of the government categorically denying their claims and calling it fake news, Twitter continues to spread the misinformation that was started by NDTV and News 18.
MoH debunking NDTV’s fake news
On Twitter’s home page, the right hand ‘explore’ panel that displays current trending topics and hashtags for the day, shares an update about the vaccines of SII and Bharat Biotech, except the update is fake, it is based on false claims that have already been debunked. The ‘news headline’ announces “Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute of India’s vaccine not considered for emergency approval due to the lack of data, News 18 and NDTV report.” The news update was displayed under the COVID-19 category.
For an uninformed reader, who has not read the government’s ‘fact-check’, the ‘news’ of the proposals being rejected carry an element of shock, with all the coverage regarding vaccinations starting in the UK and the world’s desperate wait for a vaccine for the Wuhan virus. However, by propagating a fake-news that has been already debunked by the government, it is not clear what exactly Twitter India is trying to achieve here. Do they want to mislead Indian citizens?
Screenshot from Twitter
Upon clicking the dubious ‘news update’, one sees the same fake, misleading headline highlighted in bold letters, further spreading the false claims that SII and Bharat Biotech’s proposals have been ‘rejected’ by the government for the lack of data.
It is not that Twitter has not got the news that the fake news have been debunked. They are aware of it. They have, however, chosen not to highlight the actual news and perpetuate the false claims instead. So, the fact that the government has dismissed the claims made by NDTV and News 18, finds a place in the bottom, below the headline.
Further, Twitter again emphasises on the fake claim, by adding that ‘journalists’ have claimed that the request for emergency use was not considered due to lack of data. As evident here, Twitter considers the fake claims to be the actual ‘news’ and helps spread it as a news update. But the truth about the incident, that the government had asserted that the claims were baseless and the requests by the companies have not been rejected, is hidden below the headline.
The misleading ‘update’ was displayed on Twitter even till 9.30 am in the morning of December 10. More than 15 hours after the government’s fact-check.
Why is Twitter India trying to mislead Indian citizens about the Made In India vaccines?
The Nagpur Police on Wednesday arrested a man in the Sitabuldi area in the city for allegedly duping Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad Arvind Bobde’s mother to the tune of Rs 2.5 crore.
According to the reports, the accused, identified as 49-year-old Tapas Ghosh was employed by Mukta Bobde as her manager to look after her company that owns a party venue in the Civil Lines area in the city. The accused has been arrested by Nagpur police on Tuesday.
Maharashtra: Man booked and arrested for allegedly duping Mukta Bobde, mother of CJI SA Bobde, of Rs 2.5 crores, in Sitabuldi area of Nagpur. "Tapas Ghosh was working as the manager of the victim's Seasons Lawn for past 13 years," says DCP Vinita Sahu. (09.12) pic.twitter.com/PC36rbylv6
“Tapas Ghosh had been working as the manager of the victim’s Seasons Lawns for the last 13 years. The accused used to look after the bookings and financial matters of the lawn,” said DCP Vinita Sahu.
In the complaint, it has been alleged that the accused did not deposit the money received from bookings of the lawn, had forged bills and cheated the owners, the Nagpur DCP said. A case under Sections 409 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (Cheating and dishonestly), 467 (forgery of valuable security), and other relevant section has been booked against him.
Accused used forged receipts to cheat Bobde’s mother
Mukta Bobde, CJI Bobde’s mother, is the owner of Seasons Lawn located near Akashwani Square in Nagpur which is rented out for marriages and other events. According to the officials, the Bobde family had appointed Ghosh as the caretaker of the property in 2007 and he was being paid for taking care of the property and bookings.
However, taking advantage of Mukta Bobde’s advanced age and frail health, Ghosh and his wife allegedly kept her in the dark about transactions and failed to deposit the entire rent which they collected and used forged receipts to cheat the owners.
The cheating by husband-wife duo came to light when several customers began to ask for a refund of the booking amount from them after their events were cancelled due to the coronavirus lockdown.
After Mukta Bobde lodged a complaint of cheating, the SIT looked into the case and revealed that Ghosh had duped the Bobde family of around Rs 2.5 crore, the CP said.
The other day, Indian liberals seized upon an ill chosen phrase from NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant to mount a social media offensive on one of their favorite themes. The accusation that the BJP does not believe in the Indian democratic system. On their part, the Government clarified thus:
“We are proud of our democracy,” Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, closing the subject.
But perhaps people should not close the subject. Maybe we the people should open it up instead for a national discussion. The ‘democracy in danger’ meme has been pervasive since 2014. From the losing side only. Perhaps the other side should wade right in and take them by the horns.
Let us have an honest conversation in this country. About which side is a product of democracy. And which side is existing in spite of democracy, surviving purely on its relationships with powerful, well-connected people.
Get this! Yesterday, prominent leaders of the opposition met the President of India and submitted their demand for a rollback of the new farm laws. Now tell me, do you know who are these two people?
Opposition delegation met President on Wednesday
In case you are wondering, the person to their right, the one whose face has does not even appear in this media image, is the formidable Sharad Pawar. By the way, Rahul Gandhi, leader of India’s largest opposition, spoke last.
Of course you know the names of these two people. That’s D Raja of the CPI and Sitaram Yechury of the CPI(M). You know them because these people are ‘everywhere.’ Take the 2018 occasion of the swearing in ceremony of the JDS-Congress alliance government in Karnataka. Here is Sitaram Yechury, standing right between Rahul Gandhi and H D Kumaraswamy.
Karnataka’s Mahagathbandhan
Now, that’s power! Remember the historic press conference by four Supreme Court judges in early 2018? Here is D Raja, shaking hands with Justice Chelameswar immediately afterwards.
D Raja shakes hands with Justice CHelameswar
Again, that’s the kind of power and privilege that would make our skin crawl.
Okay, so we know their names and their faces. But who exactly are they? What did they do? Who do they represent, exactly?
In a democracy, we the people are supposed to own the corridors of power. So who gave the hall pass to these people? We know they can’t win elections. In fact, D Raja’s Rajya Sabha seat was a gift from the AIADMK. And Rahul Gandhi personally offered to send Sitaram Yechury to the Rajya Sabha. Incidentally, D Raja was second in the ‘merit’ list of Rajya Sabha MPs who spent public money on their travels in FY 2016-17. I thought I would remind you, since you paid for part of this. The first position in the same ‘merit’ list also belonged to someone from CPI(M). You must be so grateful.
You might be surprised to know that both the CPI and the CPI(M) continue to enjoy the status of “national party.” The Election Commission sets minimum standards of electoral performance in order to achieve this coveted status. And both Communist parties manage to fail these standards after almost every General Election. No worries, the EC always updates the rules after every round of elections. They lose elections, but never their status. People’s verdict does not matter so much.
Would it therefore be wrong to say that the Left exists not because of democracy, but in spite of it?
Take a character like Yogendra Yadav. I don’t think his Swaraj India, supposedly a political party, has even one MLA anywhere in India. But that does not prevent him from being a farmer leader on television and an expert for all seasons. If India was really a democracy, where would this man be? What would be his position in public discourse?
In fact, take most of the so called intellectual class. Where would they be without their St. Stephens, JNU and Doon School mutual aid societies? If they didn’t have a buddy at the Washington Post or an uncle who was a Nehru era top bureaucrat, where would these people be? Some of them have lived in a world so far removed from actual people that they don’t even know their accents are fake! Without their diplomatic connections, bureaucratic connections and/or links to Pakistani royalty, they would have struggled to make a living. Selling tea or pakodas is harder than selling opinion pieces. For one, nobody buys tea or pakodas as a favor. If you want customers, you have to make it worth their time and money.
Finally, let us turn this around. Where would PM Modi be if he did not have 230 million people who voted for him? Does he have a safety net of friends in high places? A backup career lined up, writing opinion pieces in the New York Times? Anyone out there who would offer him a free Rajya Sabha seat? If he had not been four term Gujarat CM and two term Prime Minister, you probably would not even have remembered his name. Would the media have put a microphone in front of him if he had not won so many elections?
The only reason BJP is heard anywhere in media is because they keep winning elections.
Just think about it. Ten years ago, how many people in India had even heard of Amit Shah? Then, Amit Shah earned a place on the national scene by winning Uttar Pradesh. And subsequently, state after state in an astonishing series of victories. How many elections did Sitaram Yechury win in the meanwhile? Yet, you probably knew about Yechury ten years ago. He is still prominent on the scene.
Sitaram Yechury and folks like him are not product of democracy. They exist in spite of it. They have contempt for democracy and it shows. Here, let me transcribe for you this enlightening exchange between Yechury and Samdish of Scoopwhoop (watch from 21:13 here)
Samdish : There must be some affinity that you or any other Communist has towards China?
Yechury: Absolutely. We have an affinity towards Communists all over the world.
Samdish: Isn’t it a bit impractical in today’s geopolitics?
Yechury: What?
Samdish: To have such an affinity across border lines.
Yechury: Why? In fact, this is a good thing. It should happen. According to me, it’s not just with China or Russia … I have gone to China multiple times.
Samdish: Do you think it is truly a Communist state or do you see their faults?
Yechury: They are adapting today’s conditions to their society, and they are doing it very successfully.
Samdish: But human rights violations, comrade. They are doing organ harvesting of Muslims.
Yechury: If you ask them, they say these claims are rubbish.
Keep it up, comrade.
PM Modi and Amit Shah are products of Indian democracy. They are where they are because they won the confidence of people. Of hundreds of millions of Indian voters who braved the blazing May sun, stood in long lines and voted for them. Not once but twice.
The BJP is the harvest of Indian democracy. Asking them if they are in favor of democracy is like asking the paddy crop if they can “tolerate” the rain water that nourishes them. The Leftists are like the middlemen of democracy. Nobody knows who voted for them or who wants them around. But we know that if you try to break their cartels, they can create a big ruckus.
In a disturbing incident that reportedly took place in Uttar Pradesh, a man lost his job over a Facebook comment. The victim named Vijaypal Singh had been working at the post of vice-principal in a private school named Akal Academy in Kajri Niranjanpur in Uttar Pradesh before he was sacked for a Facebook comment that he made on a viral video relating to the ongoing farmer protests.
Talking to UP Tak, Singh narrated his harrowing tale. He told that he saw a video on November 30 in which a protestor was seen threatening that Prime Minister Modi would meet the same fate as former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Commenting on the video Singh warned against making such threats of assassination. Singh’s counter did not go down well with extremist elements including some locals who started harassing him and threatening him over the phone.
Singh, a resident of Puranpur, said that he had worked on various positions in the schools run by the particular community. He alleged that being a Hindu he was subjected to extreme harassment by the members of the community. They took him to the school and forced him to apologise. They recorded a video of his apology and circulated it online. They snatched his phone and posted an apology on social media account.
Held captive for hours and forced to resign
Singh has alleged that this did not end at the apology, he was held captive for hours and was tortured. He was also made to write a resignation letter. Singh said that he was still receiving threat calls from national and international numbers. “I am terrified and even scared to leave my house. I worked there for 18 years with utmost dedication and honesty. I consider myself a part of the community (Sikhs)”, said Singh. Expressing helplessness Singh said that he even worked during lockdown when people did not receive salary for months but now after losing his job he faced the challenge to feed his family.
I am scared for my life: Vijaypal Singh
“I am afraid that some untoward incident might happen with me”, said a scared Vijaypal Singh. “I never considered their religion different from mine. I served their religion and this is what I get. I am scared for my life. How will my children survive if something happens to me. I have a teenage daughter and an aged mother with diabetes and heart ailment. My mother is not able to eat, I am not able to eat as I have been receiving threat calls late in the night”, Singh narrated. “How will I live? Is it a crime to be a Hindu? They point out that I belong to a different community”, he added.
Singh broke down narrating the tale of his suffering and said he along with his family will commit suicide. Singh said that said he being portrayed like a villain while the person in the video was bragging about assassinating Indira Gandhi. He said that they could have suspended him instead of firing him. The police have reportedly been investigating the matter. CO Puranpur, Pradeep Kumar said that a case has been registered at Puranpur police station at the complaint of the victim. He added that necessary action will be taken after collecting the evidence.
The Indian government on Wednesday sanctioned the provision of a universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) scheme, paving the way for providing mobile coverage in a large number of uncovered villages in Arunachal Pradesh and in two districts of Assam. The Union Cabinet took the decision under the Comprehensive Telecom Development Plan (CTDP) for the North Eastern Region (NER).
As per the project, about 2374 uncovered villages—1683 in Arunachal Pradesh and 691 in two districts of Assam, namely Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao—would be getting mobile coverage. The implementation cost of the project is pegged at about Rs 2,029 crore, including operational expenses for five years, as per an official release. The project will be financed by USOF, and the deadline for the project completion is December 2022.
The USOF envisions providing widespread and non-discriminatory access to quality ICT services at affordable prices to people in rural and remote areas. It acts as an effective and powerful linkage to the hinterland thereby mainstreaming the population of rural and remote parts of the country. The Fund also ensures in providing universal service in an economically efficient manner.
Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took to Twitter to express his gratitude to PM Modi and the Cabinet for the approval for the provision of a Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) Scheme.
My gratitude to PM @narendramodi & Cabinet for the approval for provision of a Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) Scheme for providing Mobile Coverage in 2374 uncovered villages (1683 in Arunachal Pradesh & 691 in 2 districts of Assam) at an estimated cost of Rs 2,029 cr.
Approval of USOF scheme would unlock new opportunities for hitherto uncovered areas
The work related to the deployment of 4G mobile services in identified uncovered villages will be awarded through an open competitive bidding process as per existing USOF procedures. The provision of mobile services in remote areas of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, will strengthen digital connectivity important for self-reliance, facilitate learning, dissemination of information and knowledge, skill upgradation and development, disaster management, e-governance initiatives, the establishment of enterprises and e-commerce facilities.
The advent of mobile services would provide support to educational institutes for knowledge sharing and enhance job opportunities, fulfilling the vision of Digital India, promoting domestic manufacturing and accomplishing the objective of self-reliant India(Atmanirbhar Bharat).
Undersea fibre optic cable link with Lakshadweep approved
The union government also approved an undersea optical fibre cable link to connect 11 islands of Lakshadweep with Kochi in mainland India under the USOF scheme. The project will cost an estimated amount of ₹1,072 crore, including operational expenses for five years. The Lakshadweep-Kochi project was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Independence Day this year. In August, PM Modi inaugurated India’s first undersea cable line between Chennai and Port Blair, the capital of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The 11 islands of Lakshadweep that will be linked with Kochi using the undersea fibre cable are Kavaratti, Kalpeni, Agati, Amini, Androth, Minicoy, Bangaram, Bitra, Chetlat, Kiltan and Kadmat. The Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) funded project will be be executed by state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) will execute the project. Telecommunications Consultant India Ltd (TCIL) has been appointed as the technical consultant for the project that will assist USOF.
Internet speeds of up to 400 gigabyte (Gb) per second will be provided at Port Blair and 200 Gb per second for other islands. Presently only medium of providing telecom connectivity to Lakshadweep is through satellites, but the bandwidth available is limited to 1 Gbps. Lack of bandwidth is a major constraint in providing data services, which is a pre-requisite for providing e-governance, e-education, e-banking etc. for inclusive growth of society.
The ownership of the asset under the project will rest with USOF, the funding agency, under DoT, a statement issued by the Ministry of Communications said.
Months after exporting the highly contagious coronavirus across the world, China held a ‘fashion show’, showcasing what it claimed to be the latest trends in personal protective gear, equipment that is critical in containing the spread of the infection.
In a bid to capitalise on the raging pandemic which has forced several countries into panic buying of protective equipment, China organised a fashion show of the PPE kits where it displayed an array of COVID-19 protective gears that the Chinese companies manufactured.
Over the last weekend, a variety of personal protective equipment (PPE) was featured on the ramp walk at China-Dandong Fashion Week in China’s northeastern province of Liaoning.
It is notable to mention that COVID-19, which has wreaked havoc across the world, with rarely any place that has not yet been touched by the contagion, is believed to have been originated in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. The Chinese government is also accused of not being transparent and forthcoming about the coronavirus in its initial days, which ultimately helped the local contagion transform into a global pandemic. Throughout the world, more than 68 million people have been affected by the coronavirus, and 1.56 million people had lost their lives.
While China organised an exposition of the hazmat suits and other protective equipment, it is pertinent to note that at the start of the pandemic, the protective gears exported by China to several nations had failed to pass the safety test and turned out to be faulty.
PPE kits and other COVID protective equipment imported from China failed safety standards
Several nations including Spain, Turkey, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Britain and India had reported that the PPE kits imported from China were found to be faulty. In April 2020, India received about 63,000 COVID protection kits from China failed the quality test. According to the reports, the kits were reportedly donated to the Indian officials.
The health authorities in Spain, Turkey, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Britain reportedly paid millions of dollars to Chinese companies to secure the protective equipment but the kits received by them turned out to be defective. The Netherlands snapped up 600 thousand masks from China, only to find out later that they did not meet the required quality standards.
The pandemic provided a fresh opportunity to China’s robust counterfeiting industry to dupe buyers into selling fake PPE and other COVID-19 protective equipment. As per a report, by March 12 Chinese officials had already seized millions of pieces of faulty equipment. They included more than 80 million faulty masks and 37000 defective or fake disinfectants.
The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has warned the country’s health services not to administer the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to people with a significant history of allergic reactions. The warning was issued after two people who were administered the vaccine yesterday developed allergic reactions. The UK became the first country to roll-out a fully tested vaccine after hospitals had started administering the vaccine to patients and medics since yesterday.
According to TIME, the advisory of the MHRA said that any person with a history of significant allergic reactions to vaccines, medicine or food should not be vaccinated with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. The advisory said that vaccinations should be done in places where resuscitation facilities are available. While hospital trusts have already been informed the MHRA was expected to issue a press release today.
The Chief of the MHRA reportedly said at a Parliamentary hearing today that two people, both medical staff, who were administered the vaccine had developed allergic reactions. These two people had histories of anaphylactoid reactions but they were recovering. Medical Director of National Health Service (NHS), Stephen Powis said in a statement, “As is common with new vaccines the MHRA have advised on a precautionary basis that people with significant history of allergic reactions do not receive this vaccination after two people with a history of significant allergic reactions responded adversely yesterday. Both are recovering well”.
The vaccine was approved by the MHRA for emergency use based on preliminary data from phase 3 human trials that showed it to be safe and highly effective. The first 800,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be administered to people over 80 years of age who are already hospitalised or are scheduled for outpatient procedures and nursing staff. The NHS workers, especially those administering the vaccine will also get the first doses of the vaccines. However, the vaccine has not been made mandatory for anyone.
