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Nirav Modi made a ‘scapegoat’, will not get a fair trial in India: Former SC judge Markandey Katju defends the bank scam accused in London court

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Nirav Modi made a ‘scapegoat’, will not get a fair trial in India: Former SC judge Markandey Katju defends the bank scam accused in London court

In a shocking disposition before a London court on Friday, former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju alleged that fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi will not get a fair trial if he is extradited back to India.

According to the reports, former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju appearing before the Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London, claimed that the judicial system in India has collapsed as investigative agencies such as the CBI and Enforcement Directorate were acting at the behest of political masters.

During the hearing, Katju cited several cases to substantiate his allegations including the 2019 Ayodhya judgement by former chief justice Ranjan Gogoi and his subsequent nomination as a Rajya Sabha MP. Katju also highlighted the post-retirement appointment of judges, media trials and alleged corruption in the judiciary.

Katju also said before the Westminster Magistrates’ Court that the Ayodhya case judgment, which he termed the “most shameful verdict in 50 years”, was nothing but judiciary’s surrender.

Nirav Modi being made a ‘scapegoat’ for economic collapse

The former Supreme Court judge also claimed that Nirav Modi was being made a “scapegoat” for India’s economic collapse in the same way Jews were blamed for the economic troubles in Nazi Germany during the 1930s.

“Even before the corona pandemic the Indian economy was collapsing, GDP is going down, businesses are closing down and hundreds of millions are losing jobs. The BJP has no idea how to solve it so they must find some scapegoat. They want to blame all economic collapse that the government of India has created on Nirav Modi,” former Justice Katju said.

He added that Nirav Modi is BJP’s scapegoat and this is why they are so adamant to get him back and convict him but he will not get a fair trial in India.

Katju also alleged that people were afraid to appear as witnesses for Nirav Modi as Indian government would apply criminal laws against them and they would be put behind bars.

Crown Prosecution Service calls Katju a ‘self publicist’

The UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which argued on behalf of the Indian government, countered Katju’s claims that Nirav Modi would not receive a fair trial in India.

Helen Malcolm, the lawyer representing CPS, referred to Katju as “self-publicist” as he gave evidence in the extradition case. Helen asked Katju whether his statements were anything to do with his being a “self-publicist” keen to exploit the high-profile case.

On the final day of a five-day hearing, Justice Samuel Goozee heard Katju’s detailed argument before adjourning the case until November 3.

In May, retired Bombay High Court judge and Congress leader Abhay Thipsay had defended fugitive businessman Nirav Modi in a London court via video conference and claimed that the charges levelled by the CBI against Nirav Modi will not hold in India.

Nirav Modi, his wife Ami Modi, brother Nishal Modi, and uncle Mehul Choksi are accused of defrauding Punjab National Bank to the tune of Rs 14,356 crore by fraudulently obtaining Letter of Undertaking without furnishing any guarantee.

 

J-K: Restoration of centuries-old Raghunath Temple in Srinagar begins almost 3 decades after terrorists vandalised and burnt it down

OpIndia Staff
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J-K: Restoration of centuries-old Raghunath Temple in Srinagar begins almost 3 decades after terrorists vandalised and burnt it down

A year after the effective abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A and the administrative reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir, the government has decided to restore the lost glory of the centuries-old heritage shrine- Raghunath Temple situated near Fateh Kadal in the heart of Srinagar city, reported the Hindi daily, Jagran.

The renovation work of the temple has been entrusted to the State Tourism Department. Along with the temple, the ghats of river Jhelum will also be beautified. This long-pending decision has lifted the mood of the Kashmiri Hindus in the valley who have remained devoid and oppressed for years due to adverse circumstance, created by radical Islamists, which also compelled many Hindu families to migrate from Kashmir.

Centuries-old Raghunath Temple vandalised, burnt down by Kashmiri terrorists in early 1990s

The historic temple which was one of the most revered by Hindus was vandalised and burnt down by Islamic terrorists in the early 1990s- the time when the valley witnessed mass genocide and exodus of Kashmiri Hindus at the hands of the blood-thirsty Islamic terrorists who were ready to do anything to convert Kashmir into an Islamic state.

In the early 1990s, the terrorists had initially burnt a school which was located on the premises of the temple. This had led to the Dharamshala of the temple being gutted in the fire. The Hindus were forbidden by Islamists from worshipping in the temple. However, when the devotees refused to stop visiting the temple, the entire temple premise was set on fire and destroyed.

Again in the year 2002, the temple had witnessed two terrorist attacks in the months of March and November. Islamic terrorists had hurled grenades and indulged in indiscriminate firing which resulted in the death of 20 Hindu devotees and injuring over 40 others.

Abandoned Hindu temples in the valley were turned into garbage dumping sites

From the last 30 years, the temple site remains abandoned and ignored. Police failed to nab the terrorists responsible for the attacks and also failed in tracing 23 precious idols, 40 kilograms of silver, gold and other valuables worth lakhs of rupees which was looted from the temple. Over the years the beautiful heritage site was turned into garbage dumping site like other Hindu shrines in the valley.

Raghunath Temple which is dedicated to Lord Ram is one of the most revered temples in the valley. The temple was constructed by Maharaja Gulab Singh who was the founder of the kingdom of Jammu & Kashmir and the work on the temple began in the year 1835. After his death, the work was completed by Maharaja Gulab Singh’s son, Maharaja Ranbir Singh in 1860.

The main temple’s inner wall was covered with gold sheet on the three sides of the temple. The temple also had a vast gallery which had various “lingams” as well as “saligrams” that are placed for the general public as well. 

Hours after Mumbai Police arrested six Shiv Sena workers for assaulting former Navy officer, they manage to secure bail

OpIndia Staff
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Hours after Mumbai Police arrested six Shiv Sena workers for assaulting former Navy officer, they manage to secure bail

Hours after Mumbai Police had arrested six Shiv Sena goons for attacking a 65-year-old former Navy officer for sharing a satirical cartoon on WhatsApp, all six men were released on bail on Saturday.

According to the reports, Shiv Sena leader Kamlesh Kadam and five others were granted bail just a day after they had brutally assaulted Madan Sharma for sharing an image that had allegedly mocked Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. After they obtained bail, they were released from the Samta Police Station.

The six accused were arrested by Mumbai police overnight after an FIR was registered in connection with the incident. Following the release, Mumbai Police said that the accused were charged under bailable sections and hence they could easily secure a bail.

Retired naval officer Madan Sharma, who was brutally assaulted by Shiv Sena goons, had registered a case against them on Friday at Samta Nagar Police Station. In the FIR, Sharma had stated that he was attacked by Shiv Sena workers earlier in the day for sharing a cartoon that had taken a dig at Maharashtra Chief Minister and Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray.

BJP protests against the release of all six accused

Following the release of Shiv Sena goons by the Mumbai Police, the opposition party BJP held protest against the release of the accused.

Meanwhile, the daughter of the veteran also joined the sit-in protest against the Maharashtra government.

Navy veteran brutally attacked by Shiv Sena goons for sharing Uddhav Thackeray cartoon

On Friday, a veteran of the Indian Navy – Madan Sharma was attacked by Shiv Sena goons in Maharashtra on Friday for sharing a cartoon on WhatsApp.

The WhatsApp forward was allegedly a satirical cartoon featuring Uddhav Thackeray and his allies Sharad Pawar and Sonia Gandhi.

In the CCTV footage of the incident that has gone viral on social media, one can see how the veteran was brutally attacked by a bunch of goons.

Speaking to the media after the incident, Madan Sharma had said that he had received a phone call from an unknown person earlier in the day. A person, who identified himself as Kamlesh Kadam, had asked him to come down at his society’s gate.

As Sharma reached the gate, Kadam and other Shiv Sena goons attacked him brutally and injured him. They assaulted me, punched me and kicked me. My right eye sustained injuries, Sharma had said.

Here is what Suresh Chavhanke said during Sudarshan News’ first episode on ‘UPSC Jihad’

OpIndia Staff
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Here is what Suresh Chavhanke said during Sudarshan News’ first episode on ‘UPSC Jihad’

Sudarshan News aired its first episode on the ‘UPSC Jihad’ which embroiled the channel in great controversy recently. Editor-in-Chief Suresh Chavhanke spoke on the unfair advantage that members of the Muslim community have over non-Muslim citizens of the country in recruitment to civil services and also spoke on the links between the Zakat Foundation with Islamist organisations.

Unfair Benefits to Muslim Community

Suresh Chavhanke said during the show that Rs. 1 lakh is granted to members of the minority community through the Udaan Yojana to crack entrance exams for UPSC while Hindus do not receive any such benefits. Similarly, for gazetted posts in state public service commission (PSC), the minority community receives Rs. 50,000 and for non-gazetted posts in state PSC and SSC exams, they receive Rs. 25,000.

Source: Sudarshan News

Sudarshan News also revealed that the overwhelming majority of those availing the benefits of the schemes for the minority community are Muslims. After the Muslim community, Christians come a distinct second; followed by Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis respectively.

Source: Sudarshan News

The other unfair advantages that Muslim candidates appearing for civil services receive are higher number of attempts and higher upper limit for the age of candidates. Suresh Chavhanke said that some Muslims take advantage of OBC categories and are included in them. Consequently, a Hindu can appear for the civil services till 32 years of age, Chavhanke said, while Muslims can appear for the exams till 35 years of age. Also, Hindus can make only 6 attempts while Muslims can make 9.

The Urdu Advantage and Interviews

Suresh Chavhanke said in the episode that the rate of success for candidates who opt for Urdu is disproportionately high when compared to other languages. For instance, in the year 2011, the success rate for Urdu candidates was 40.9% while the same for Sanskrit and Hindu were 11.8% and 13.1% respectively. In 2017, the success rates for Urdu, Sanskrit and Hindu were 19.2%, 7.1% and 7.1% respectively.

Source: Sudarshan

The Sudarshan News editor said that in Urdu, the question paper is prepared by people from the same community, the answer sheets are checked by the same community and those who choose the language also belong to the same community. Suresh Chavhanke also revealed that Muslims on an average score higher than non-Muslims in interviews, which is bound to attract suspicion as assessment during interviews can be highly subjective.

Source: Sudarshan

In 2018, the difference in the marks for interviews between Muslims and non-Muslims was as high as 9.5 per cent. A similar trend has followed since 2013. Suresh Chavhanke also gave the example of Shah Faesal, the infamous Kashmiri bureaucrat who had quit in protest against the Modi government, who had secured the top rank solely due to his superior marks in interviews.

The Zakat Foundation and Islamist Links

The episode also spoke on the Zakat Foundation’s links to Islamist organisations and radical Islamic preacher Zakir Naik. He mentioned Zafar Hussain Qureshi, the Zakat functionary who has links to Zakir Naik and various other Islamist organisations. Zakat Foundation helps Muslims get recruited into civil services. They believe that bureaucrats rule the country and through the civil services, Muslims could capture the PMO and all other ministries. We had reported on the matter in detail.

Source: Sudarshan

Suresh Chavhanke also spoke out against the critics who slammed him for raising questions against the civil services. He said that in this country, no one is above criticism. From the Courts to the laws passed by the Parliament, everyone and everything is criticised. Therefore, there is no reason why the civil services should be beyond reproach. He said that asking such questions was his right and answering them was the duty of authorities.

Bombay High Court allows activist Sunaina Holey to approach the court in case of any urgency, assures immunity from arrest for two weeks

OpIndia Staff
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Bombay High Court allows activist Sunaina Holey to approach the court in case of any urgency, assures immunity from arrest for two weeks

In the matter relating to the Maharashtra government’s action against a Twitter user named Sunaina Holey for allegedly making remarks against CM Uddhav Thackeray and his son Aditya Thackeray, who is the Environment Minister of the State, the Bombay High Court allowed Holey to approach the court in case of any urgency or exigency while assuring her that she will be not be arrested for at least two weeks.

Holey had approached the court seeking interim relief from arrest in the three cases that have been slapped against her by the Maharashtra government for allegedly making remarks against the CM and the Environment Minister. Three FIRs were registered against her in the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) police station, Azad Maidan police station and Tulinj police station. She was first arrested on August 6 but was released on bail on the same day.

The Bombay High Court did not grant her interim relief from arrest as requested by her but, on the state’s assurance, said that she will not be arrested for at least two weeks. The court directed police to give her prior notice of at least 48 hours in case they intended to arrest her. Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) JP Yagnik was also directed by the court to file an affidavit before the court within two weeks.

The court accepted the assurance of Holey’s lawyer, Dr Abhinav Chadrachud, that she will be appearing in the police station whenever required for the purpose of investigation. APP Yagnik told the court that Holey did not appear before the Investigating Officer to which her lawyer replied that she was apprehensive of being arrested if she visited the police station. Holey was earlier arrested by Tulinj police a day after getting bail when she had gone to visit the BKC police station to cooperate in the investigation as was required by her bail order.

APP Yagnik made it clear before the court that the Mumbai police was not focused on arresting Holey and not wanted the investigation to proceed. Some media portals, however, attempted to selectively represent the proceedings that happened in the court insinuating that the court rebuked Holey. Apparently, the media portals selectively picked up an observation made by the court regarding the freedom of speech. When Holey’s lawyer was explaining before the court how his client is on the target of the government despite she having the freedom of speech and expression under Article 19 of the Constitution, the court had clarified that the right under Article 19 was not absolute and had certain restrictions. Dr Chandrachud had however assured the court that his client was aware of it.

‘Will be denied heaven if he worships other gods’: Islamic preacher Mujahid Balussery calls for turning Kerala into Islamic Caliphate in 10 years

OpIndia Staff
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‘Will be denied heaven if he worships other gods’: Islamic preacher Mujahid Balussery calls for turning Kerala into Islamic Caliphate in 10 years

Controversial hate speech peddler Mujahid Balussery has once again come under the scanner for making a clarion call for turning the southern Indian state of Kerala into an Islamic state in the next 10 years.

In one of his provocative videos that have gone viral on the Internet, Balussery was allegedly heard calling out “Mujahid”(Arabic term for Jihadis) to turn Kerala into a caliphate. He had said in the video of sending all the Muslims of Kerala to Mujahid mosques just on Fridays to turn Kerala into an Islamic State in 10 years.

He further adds, “We have a duty to perform here. If we close down some of the other Muslim religious branches in Kerala and bring them under Mujahids, we can turn Kerala into Islamic State within 10 years. A man can be morally perfect in every way but will be denied heaven if he worships other gods. Because saying ‘Guruvayurappa save me’ is shirk and is a bigger sin than adultery, homosexuality or lending money for interest and the person will go to hell.”

Mujahid Balussery had earlier compared Hindu temples and festivals to brothels

Christian and Hindu minorities in the state have raised alarms over the increasingly provocative statements made by Islamic preachers in Kerala. Earlier too, the controversial leader had made disparaging remarks against Hinduism and Hindu festivals and made an abominable comparison of Hindu temples with brothels.

“If you donate money to a Hindu temple or festival, you’re encouraging shirk, which is the gravest sin. You wouldn’t donate money to a brothel or a pub,” the preacher had said in a video that surfaced in 2017 and which had triggered angry reactions from Hindus.

A case was filed against the Islamic preacher for his despicable remarks against the Hindu festivals and temples. However, while deposing in the court, Balussery defended his remarks, claiming it was his duty as an Islamic preacher to inform his followers about things which are allowed and forbidden in Islam. Eventually, he managed to secure conditional bail, which included submission of his passport and assurance of not repeating such offences in future.

China hands over 5 Indian nationals who had gone missing from Arunachal Pradesh, were hunters and not Indian Army personnel

OpIndia Staff
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China hands over 5 Indian nationals who had gone missing from Arunachal Pradesh, were hunters and not Indian Army personnel

Amidst the worsening India China standoff along the Line of Actual Control in India’s eastern Ladakh region, the Indian Army on Saturday released a press statement in connection with the 5 youth from Arunachal Pradesh, who had gone missing days ago from the border region. The Indian Army said that the Chinese PLA has handed over all the 5 individuals to them.

The handover took place at Wacha near Kibithu border personnel meeting point after completing all the necessary formalities. They will now be kept under quarantine for 14 days as per COVID-19 protocols and will thereafter be handed over to their families.

While it was widely reported initially that the Indian Army personnel were captured by the Chinese Army, the statement released by the Indian Army said that they were hunters, who during their adventurous forays, inadvertently strayed into the other side of the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh.

The statement further added that such incidents of accidentally crossing the LAC have happened quite often in the past and the Indian Army had proactively been associated in tracing the lost locals and aiding their return back home. About three such incidents have already happened in the current year in the Upper Sabansiri District and West Siang District, including the latest one. All strayed individuals were brought back home through consistent efforts and coordination by the Indian Army.

“In the latest case, five individuals from Upper Subansiri District had also inadvertently strayed across the LAC recently. Indian Army approached PLA on hotline to trace and return them. On September 8, response on hotline confirmed that the missing individuals had been traced,” the statement read.

‘Kafir Kafir Shia Kafir’: Sunni extremists of Sipah Sahaba lead anti-Shia ‘protests’ in Karachi, pelt stones

OpIndia Staff
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‘Kafir Kafir Shia Kafir’: Sunni extremists of Sipah Sahaba lead anti-Shia ‘protests’ in Karachi, pelt stones

On Friday, thousands of Sunni extremists hit the streets of Karachi to lead anti-Shia protests, thereby escalating tensions between the two Islamic sects and sparking fears of a series of violent events. The demonstrations took place in the backdrop of blasphemy allegations against Shiite Pakistani leaders for allegedly making objectionable comments about historic Islamic personalities during the live broadcast of Muharram procession on TV.

The rally took place near the Jinnah Mausoleum, also known as Mazar-e-Quaid. The Sunni extremists, affiliated with anti-Shia groups such as Sipah-e-Sahaba and Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan, referred to Shias as ‘infidels’ (Kafirs). Reportedly, Sipah-e-Sahaba has been responsible for killing hundreds of Shia Muslims in Pakistan in the past.

Sunni Muslims refer Shias as ‘Kaffirs’

Several videos of the said protests have come to light. In one such video, Sunni extremists atop buses can be seen waving flags and shouting Anti-Shia slogans. “Kafir, Kafir Shia Kafir (Infidels, infidels, Shia infidels)”, the demonstrators were heard as saying.

Twitter user Syed Hussain Mujtaba Rizvi wrote, “So this all has started. Sipah Sahaba & Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan chanting Kafir Kafir Shia Kafir in Karachi. Imam Bargah Imamia at Lines Area under attack by the same goons, some pelting on Bargah reported.”

Stone pelting at Imambargah by Sunni extremists

In another video, Sunni extremists associated with Sipah Sahaba can be seen pelting stones at an Imambargah (congregation halls for Shia Muslims during ceremonies) during their demonstrations in Karachi.

During a recent speech, a politician from the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam political party, Qari Usman, said, “We will not tolerate any more defamation.” Shias, who constitute 20% of the Muslims in Pakistan, have been targeted during Muharram processions. While there has been a general decline in violence against Shiites since 2013, sectarian attacks continue unabated in several pockets of the country.

Blasphemy in Pakistan

Blasphemy in Pakistan is an offence, punishable by death. The archaic law is often misused to target religious and ethnic minorities to settle personal scores. Even if charges of blasphemy are not proved, the accused may be lynched to death by Islamist mobs.

The blasphemy law states, ”Whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by visible representation or by any imputation, innuendo, or insinuation, directly or indirectly, defiles the sacred name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) shall be punished with death, or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine.”

Pakistani Sunni Muslims refer to Coronavirus as ‘Shia virus’

Earlier, several Pakistanis took to social media to blame the Shias who returned from pilgrimage from Iran for spreading coronavirus. Some even said that more than China, the country where the deadly virus originated, Shias are responsible and the Chinese virus should actually be called ‘Shia Virus’. Some also accused the Shia Muslims of ‘intentionally’ bringing the virus to Pakistan. Some even accused Shias of being enemies of Islam.

Islamic terror group Al-Qaeda threatens Charlie Hebdo with a ‘2015 like massacre’ for deciding to republish Prophet Mohammad cartoons

OpIndia Staff
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Islamic terror group Al-Qaeda threatens Charlie Hebdo with a ‘2015 like massacre’ for deciding to republish Prophet Mohammad cartoons

Threats have been looming over the French weekly satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, ever since it has announced that it will republish cartoons of Prophet Mohammed. After Islamists from countries like Pakistan and Iran admonished the French Magazine’s decision, terror organisation Al-Qaeda has also joined in to threaten Charlie Hebdo of a ‘2015 like massacre’ if it does not reevaluate its decision to reprint the controversial pictures.

Earlier, Charlie Hebdo had announced that it will republish cartoons of prophet Mohammed that had caused Islamic Terrorists to launch a terror attack against them in 2015 as the trial against the perpetrators gets underway.

The November 2015 Paris massacre was a series of coordinated terrorist attacks by Islamic State terrorists who launched a brutal attack in Paris in France and the city’s northern suburb, Saint-Denis, leaving France reeling for months, dredging up sorrows, fury and horror. It began with three suicide bombers striking outside the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, during a football match, followed by several mass shootings and a suicide bombing, at cafés and restaurants. The attack had left almost 130 people dead including 90 at the Bataclan theatre and as many as 413 injured.

Earlier in January 2015, Islamic terrorists belonging to al-Qaeda had attacked the Charlie Hebdo office in Paris with assault rifles and other weapons, killing 12 people and injuring many.

The announcement by Charlie Hebdo has rubbed the Islamists the wrong way

The announcement of reprinting the cartoons has triggered Islamists from several countries like France, Nigeria, Indonesia, Iran, Chechnya, Yemen and especially Pakistan.

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had taken to Twitter to call out the ‘unforgivable sin’. Expressing his anger, Khamenei opined that the Islamic nations – in particular West Asian countries – should never forget the hostilities of western politicians and leaders against Islam and Muslims.

Prior to this, the Islamists in Pakistan had taken to the streets on September 4 to agitate against the cartoons that depict Prophet Muhammadin. Led by the hardline Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan party, the Muslims protestors chanted “Death to France” as calls for a boycott of French products were hollered. “Decapitation is the punishment of blasphemers,” one placard at the protests read. The protesters demanded that the French ambassador to the country be expelled.

France’s President Emmanuel Macron voiced his support for the French magazine

Earlier, Charlie Hebdo had announced that it will republish cartoons of prophet Mohammed that had caused Islamic Terrorists to launch a terror attack against them in 2015 as trial against the perpetrators gets underway. “We will never lie down. We will never give up,” its director Laurent “Riss” Sourisseau said in an editorial to be published along with the cartoons in the latest edition.

France’s President Emmanuel Macron had also spoken in support of the French satirical weekly saying that it had not broken any law by republishing the cartoons. “There is… in France freedom to blaspheme that is linked to freedom of conscience. It is my job to protect all these freedoms”, Macron said during a visit to Beirut last week.

China secretly administers experimental Coronavirus vaccine to 100,000 people

OpIndia Staff
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China secretly administers experimental Coronavirus vaccine to 100,000 people

Even before rigorously testing the vaccine for use on the humans, a Chinese pharmaceutical company has reportedly administered thousands of people with an experimental Coronavirus vaccination.

The state-owned pharmaceutical company Sinopharm told on Monday that it had vaccinated more than hundreds of thousands of Chinese citizens against coronavirus, even though the crucial phase 3 clinical trial is yet to be concluded.

Three Coronavirus vaccine undergoing Phase 3 trials in China

Two experimental vaccines by China National Biotec Group Co., a subsidiary of state-owned Sinopharm, have been given to people under an emergency-use condition approved by Beijing in July. China has also authorised the third coronavirus vaccine dubbed as ‘CoronaVac’, developed by the privately-owned Chinese drugmaker Sinovac Biotech. The company has claimed that it has vaccinated 3,000 of its employees and their family members with its experimental vaccine.

The three vaccines are still under the scrutiny with Phase 3 trials, which determine the efficacy of the vaccine in preventing the virus from community spread. Besides these 3 Chinese vaccines on the anvil, the World Health Organisation claims that there are six other leading COVID-19 vaccine candidates that are in the final phase of preparation.

The emergency domestic approval for urgent use of coronavirus vaccine in China came on the heels of its overseas testing. In July, Sinopharm had started phase 3 trials of its two vaccines in the United Arab Emirates while one of the two vaccines also began trials in Morocco and Peru in August this year. The privately-owned Chinese drugmaker Sinovac initiated its phase 3 testing for ‘CoronaVac’ in Brazil in July and later in Indonesia the following month.

Authoritarian regimes like China and Russia have shown little regard for the completion of the phase 3 trials

It is usually the regulatory bodies in the individual countries who decide if the vaccine is safe enough to be tested broadly on a larger population, especially when the Phase 3 clinical trials were yet to be concluded. Democratic countries such as the US, UK and Germany, where few of the vaccine candidates have emerged, have not yet permitted the vaccination of people outside of clinical trials.

The only countries which have provisionally allowed the vaccination outside the clinical trials are authoritarian regimes of China and Russia. While China has not reported any roadblocks in its vaccination program, analysts claimed that cutting short or bypassing the phase 3 trials might prove risky and could subject citizens to unforeseen complications. The perils are even graver in China, where the vaccine producers have antecedents of scandals which were hushed up by the media controlled by the Chinese Communist Party.

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