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Maharashtra government goes all out against Republic TV, orders CID probe against Arnab Goswami and his channel in a two-year-old suicide case

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra government goes all out against Republic TV, orders CID probe against Arnab Goswami and his channel in a two-year-old suicide case

Continuing its vendetta against the Editor-in-Chief of the Republic TV, Arnab Goswami, the Maharashtra government has dredged up an old case from 2018 and ordered a CID investigation into it. The case is related to alleged non-payment of dues by the Republic TV which allegedly forced two people to commit suicide in May 2018.

A CID investigation has been ordered by the Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh in a case which was already closed by a court after investigation. Republic TV was served notice to appear for interrogation at a time when Maharashtra is struggling to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

Taking to Twitter, Deshmukh said that a CID probe has been ordered against Republic TV network based on a complaint filed by one Adnya Naik who claimed that Alibaug police had not probed the non-payment of dues from Republic TV which allegedly drove her father and grandmother to commit suicide in May 2018.

In addition, the Maharashtra government has also begun a new criminal investigation against Arnab Goswami and his news channel. Sources close to Republic TV reveal that fresh interrogation papers have been served to Republic TV which has been particularly critical of the Maha Vikas Aghadi’s bungled response to the coronavirus outbreak in the state.

The interrogation papers sent to the Republic TV is in connection with its coverage of the chaos in Bandra where a legion of migrant workers had congregated in gross violation of the lockdown restrictions and social distancing norms, presumably for returning to their native places. The Republic TV CFO was also asked to visit Pyndhonie Police Station for interrogation. It is pertinent to note that the police station is located in a containment zone. Last time, a police officer who interrogated Arnab Goswami for calling Sonia Gandhi as “Antonio Maino” on his show had tested positive for the coronavirus.

However, the police seem bent on questioning the Republic TV network as requests regarding medical advice against inquisition during the times of COVID-19 crisis was turned down by them, claiming that will continue to interrogate Republic TV executives in containment areas. This is the third interrogation after Arnab Goswami’s 12-hour marathon interrogation conducted by the Mumbai Police. Far from committing their resources in tackling the ominous spread of coronavirus in Mumbai, the Maharashtra government seems particularly fixated on Republic TV and Arnab Goswami and are in a relentless pursuit of entangling the journalist and his news channel in a labyrinth of legal matters.

The suicide case of Interior Designer and the abetment to suicide case against Arnab Goswami

In May 2018, an FIR was filed against Arnab Goswami in an alleged abetment to suicide case. An Interior Designer had committed suicide in his bungalow in Alibaug.

Based on the suicide note left behind by Naik, police had registered an abetment to suicide case against Goswami, Feroz Shaikh of IcastX/Skimedia and Niteish Sarda of Smartworks.

Naik’s wife had alleged that he committed suicide as Republic TV did not pay his dues. A statement issued by Republic TV said that certain vested interest groups are running a false and malicious campaign and making false statements and innuendos against Republic TV by exploiting a tragic event involving Naik’s unfortunate demise.

Arnab Goswami being hounded by Maharashtra Police

Arnab Goswami has been hounded by the Congress party for weeks now after he referred to their interim President-Sonia Gandhi with her maiden name “Antonio Maino” on his show on Republic TV and questioned her silence on the brutal lynching of the Hindu sadhus in Palghar.

Congress party filed multiple FIRs in multiple places in their attempt to hound Arnab Goswami and the Maharashtra police, which is now under the alliance government of Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP questioned Arnab for over 12 hours. If that was not enough. the police then questioned the group CFO of Republic TV as well. And before the state machinery descended on Arnab, two Congress goons had attacked him and his wife while they were on their way home from the Republic TV studio. The police, in turn, refused to even add Congress’ name in the complaint lodged by Arnab Goswami.

“We don’t have electricity and water for 6 days” Locals in Kolkata suffer, amidst no administrative help from West Bengal Government

OpIndia Staff
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“We don’t have electricity and water for 6 days” Locals in Kolkata suffer, amidst no administrative help from West Bengal Government

In the aftermath of the havoc wrought by the Cyclone Amphan in the State of West Bengal, coupled with indifference of the local administration towards the humanitarian crisis, residents of Baghajatin area in Kolkata have decided to block the roads.

Many have been suffering endlessly in the absence of both electricity and water supply for 6 days. And to add to their woes, the local administration has been indifferent to their problems. With no option left to voice their opinion, the residents of Baghajatin area have decided to block the roads as a mark of protest.

Speaking to ANI, a local resident informed, “It has been misreported in the media that the supply of electricity and water has been resumed in our area. But, for the last 6 days, we have neither electricity nor water.” Directing towards a lamp post lying unattended on the road, he conceded, “None has come to fix it.”

“A person who is suffering can only understand what we are going through. I have nothing to say. There has absolutely been no help from the administration,” the man sighed.

Relief work languishes in West Bengal

Days after cyclone Amphan wreaked havoc in the state of West Bengal, the simmering tensions among the disenchanted population against the Mamata Banerjee-led government’s inept handling of the relief activities crystallised on the streets as protest mounted against the state administration for its bungled response to the catastrophe.

Several areas in the State saw angry protesters swarming the roads since Saturday against the establishment. Protests were held in prominent areas, including Behala, New Alipore, Regent Park, and Jadavpur. People put up road blockades demanding restoration of power.

Minor girl gang-raped by army constable Shahnawaz Sheikh and his friends in Jharkhand town, one arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Minor girl gang-raped by army constable Shahnawaz Sheikh and his friends in Jharkhand town, one arrested

Three Muslim men accosted a lonely minor girl, gagged her mouth with a piece of cloth while threatening to slit her throat if she tried to scream, dragged her behind the bamboo bushes and took turns to rape her in Rajmahal town of Jharkhand.

The incident happened off the National Highway 80 in Naugachchi-Nawabdori area under Rajmahal police station limits of Shahebganj district around 4 pm yesterday when the 13-year-old victim had gone out to a nearby orchard to pick up mangoes that had fallen off the trees due to a hailstorm.

The incident gained significance after angry villagers gathered at NH-80, Rajmahal-Mangalhat road on Tuesday (May 26) to protest against the incident. The irate villagers set up a road blockade and also set things ablaze as they demanded immediate police intervention in the case. They shouted slogans accusing police of not taking any concrete steps to arrest the miscreants.

The father of the girl said that the incident happened at around 4 PM, and the attackers took away the girl by tying clothes on her face. They took her to a nearby bamboo bushes, and threatened that they will slit her throat if she shouts. He said that one of the accused is Sonu alias Shahmawaz who works in the army, and another one is his cousin, although he does not not know the name of the rest two.

According to the FIR in the case, the accused Shahnawaz Sheikh (son of Tahir Miya), Edgar Sheikh (son of Naeem Khan) and  Ekramul Sheikh (son of Islam Sheikh), who were loitering in the deserted orchard, suddenly spotted the minor girl, kidnapped and violated her.

After committing the crime, the alleged rapists sped away on a bullet bike — that had an Army sticker on its front number plate.

When the girl’s parents, who work as daily wage farm labourers, returned home at night, the girl narrated her ordeal to them.

According to the girl’s statement in the FIR, the incident happened around 4pm on Monday when she had gone to the orchard just behind her house amid an ongoing mild hailstorm to pick up fallen mangoes. ‘Suddenly someone accosted me from behind and threatened to slit my throat if I screamed. They dragged me to the bamboo bushes nearby and pushed me to the ground. There were two other guys — Sonu, son of Islam Sheikh, and Shahnawaz — with the stranger. As the unknown man violated me, Sonu and Shahnawaz held my arms and legs. After that Sonu and Shahnawaz also took turns to rape me. Sensing trouble, they fled from there. When my parents returned from work, I told them about my ordeal,’ the victim stated before sub-inspector Sushma Kumari. 

Sensing the seriousness of the crime, the superintendent of police Anuranjan Kispotta sent SI Kumari to record the victim’s statement.

The incident has created tension in the communally charged town — which has a sizeable Muslim population that has been growing disproportionately due to the influx of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. 

As the news broke, angry mobs took to the street demanding immediate arrest of all the accused. On Tuesday morning, the villagers, led by the girl’s father, blocked the national highway 80 for hours. “I want those rapists to be caught and hanged so that one casts their dirty eyes on our daughters,” said the victim’s father. 

The police which reached the NH-80 road after receiving the information and tried to pacify the furious mob by assuring that the police will do whatever it takes to arrest the miscreants as soon as possible. But the angry people did not end their protest. After which SDO Karna Satyarthi intervened and tried to convince the angry people. But the matter kept escalating. Eventually, seeing the situation go out of hands, the Deputy Commissioner and SP reached the village. DC Varun Ranjan appealed people to maintain peace and assured that the culprits will soon be arrested.

The blockade was removed after the police officers assured the aggrieved family and the villagers that one of the accused has already been arrested.

SP Anuranjan Kispotta told OpIndia: ‘The incident happened yesterday. They informed the police in the morning. An FIR has been lodged against three accused today. We already detained one of the accused, but we are not sure of his age as he is claiming to be a minor. Only after we get his medical done, we would be able to decide whether he is a minor or an adult. Of the absconding accused, we have raided the house of Shahnawaz and impounded the bullet bike that was used in the crime. We will soon catch hold the absconding accused. We will arrest them and bring them to justice.”

‘Shahnawaz works as a constable with the Indian army and is posted at army base hospital in Baghdogra,” said Kispotta who is camping at the site. 

Social activist Bhudeo Kumar, who hails from Rajmahal, said: “Shahnawz’s family has been accused of similar incidents in the past. I can recall at least four such incidents when they managed to hush up the matter either using the money or muscle power and the matter would be settled even before it could reach the police. In the past three decades, Rajmahal area has seen massive demographic changes. This has led to normalisation of crime in the society. You tend to ignore such incidents until it hits you or your loved ones. It is high time, we stop sleep-walking and take cognizance of these sweeping changes in our society.”

Rourkela: Clashes erupt between locals and police personnel over lifting of coronavirus containment order

OpIndia Staff
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Rourkela: Clashes erupt between locals and police personnel over lifting of coronavirus containment order

Fresh skirmishes broke out between members of a minority community and the police officials over the demand of lifting of containment order that was imposed on a certain location in Rourkela city last month after coronavirus cases were detected from the region.

A scuffle erupted after locals removed barricades in the area that was recently de-contained by the police on May 26. At least 40 people have reportedly been hurt in the scuffle that ensued after the Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC) Commissioner ordered on Monday night to withdraw restrictions from the buffer zone and reduced the containment zone to half the previous size. Among those injured, more than 12 are police officials.

The locals staged a protest on Tuesday demanding relief from curbs as they were not getting essential commodities. They also alleged that the city administration was not doing enough to alleviate their concerns.

According to the sources, the protesters came out on the streets at 2 AM in the intervening night of May 25-26 but were placated by the police as they asked for time from the protesters to address their grievances.

However, before any decision was taken by the administration, the restive mob of over 2000 people, many whom were residents of the Mahtab Road locality, broke police barricades and chairs at the police camps and ran riot, attacking those who came on their way and erratically resorted to stone-pelting. The police acted against the miscreants by baton-charging them and hurling tear gas shells at them but the rampage by the violent mob continued unabated.

The protesters were pacified after DIG (Western Range) Kavita Jalan reached the spot and assured them that their grievances will be addressed. Sundargarh Collector Nikhil Pawan Kalyan also reached the location and held discussions with the senior administrative and law enforcement officials to bring the situation under control. He assured that appropriate action will be taken as per the law.

As per the new order, the containment zone has been trimmed down to half of its earlier size and the southern side of Rourkela’s main road from Janata Nivas Lane to AB Lane has been earmarked as containment zone. Restrictions have been lifted from the other side of the containment zone and the entire buffer zone.

Past attacks on front-line workers in Rourkela

This is not the first time that the people from the minority community had resorted to violence and stone-pelting against the police personnel. They have frequently entered into skirmishes with the police.

Earlier this month, residents of a Coronavirus containment zone (Nala Road) in Rourkela, Odisha, reportedly attacked ground-level health workers who had gone to take away the contacts of a 29-year-old female Coronavirus patient for quarantine.

The patient had tested positive for the Chinese virus on May 4 and was subsequently admitted to Hi-Tech COVID Hospital in Rourkela. The team of health workers came under a volley of stones when they went for contact tracing of the said patient. Barricades that marked the points of entry and exit in the Coronavirus hotspot were also damaged. 

When the police team went to tackle the situation, the police team was reportedly attacked too. Locals gathered to pelt stones at the police team.

Yogi Adityanath government forms Commission for employment and welfare of migrants returned to the state

OpIndia Staff
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Yogi Adityanath government forms Commission for employment and welfare of migrants returned to the state

The Uttar Pradesh government has formed a commission employ the people who have returned to the state due to the Coronavirus lockdown. The Yogi Adityanath govt took several decisions related to generating employment of the migrant workers who natively belong to Uttar Pradesh but were earning their livelihood in other states till the recent developments. The Kaamgar, Shramik (Seva Ayojan and Rojgaar) Kalyan Ayog has been formed in this regard, which will look after the employment and welfare of the returned migrants.

Yogi Adityanath chaired a meeting of Team-11 to decide on the formation of Kaamgar, Shramik (Seva Ayojan and Rojgaar) Kalyan Ayog, and its responsibilities. A press release of the state government has stated, “The skill mapping of 16 lakh workers has been completed so far. The government will give all the facilities including shops at a lower rate and electricity, water, sewerage to the buildings for providing jobs and shelter to workers.”

The press release further added, “Priority of the government will be to arrange employment through employment office at district level through skilling of workers. The government will provide help in arranging residential facilities for those working outside the district. Government buildings and government land will also be identified for shops.”

Yogi enlists steps taken by the state government

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath went live on Facebook on May 25 and enlisted the measures taken by the state government to contain the spread of coronavirus pathogen in the state. CM Yogi informed that at least 25 lakh migrant workers had returned to Uttar Pradesh from other states.

The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has been working relentlessly to provide employment and various other facilities to the migrant workers who have returned to the state amidst the nationwide lockdown imposed by the central government to curb the scourge of the deadly Chinese virus.

As of now 23 lakh migrant workers have returned home in Uttar Pradesh who will be quarantined and given food kit along with help in the preparation of ration card. Over and above, Rs 1,000 would also be provided, CM Yogi Adityanath informed.

He further added that a ‘Migration Commission’ will be set up so that those migrants who have come back home in Uttar Pradesh could be facilitated in providing employment opportunities.

Caravan India journalist spreads lies that 10 migrants have died due to hunger while going back in Shramik Express

OpIndia Staff
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Caravan India journalist spreads lies that 10 migrants have died due to hunger while going back in Shramik Express

On Tuesday, Caravan India journalist Vidya Krishnan took to Twitter to claim that 40 Shramik Express trains got lost and that the government ‘forgot’ to feed the passengers which led to death of at least 10 people.

Vidya Krishnan’s tweet

Krishnan provided no proof to back this claim of 10 people dying due to hunger because the government ‘forgot’ to feed them. Press Information Bureau’s fact-checking arm took to Twitter to call out her falsehood.

PIB Fact-check

PIB confirmed that no such deaths due to hunger of individuals was reported. The Indian Railways had earlier today clarified that the report of trains being delayed by 9 days are incorrect. Similarly, the Railways spokesperson also stated that the cause of death of those who died is not yet known. The PIB also confirmed that the reports of people dying due to hunger are incorrect. The cause of deaths of those individuals can only be ascertained once postmortem is carried out.

Moreover, earlier this week, the Indian Railway officials have categorically stated that due to the increased traffic on railways routes, especially on those routes where more trains are being run to transport the migrant workers, some trains are being diverted through other routes to ease congestion on main routes.

“There will be no change or delay in travel time. This is normal practice,” said a senior Railway official refuting claims made by some other journalist earlier.

Vidya Krishnan and fake news

This is not the first time Krishnan has been caught spreading complete falsehoods and misleading reports on the current healthcare crisis in India. She had earlier conjured up anonymous members of ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) to claim that the Modi government had not consulted the experts before extending the nationwide lockdown. Then, too, ICMR had refuted her claims and clarified that in the month of April, the Task Force met 14 times and that all decisions taken involve the members of the Task Force. 

In March, the online magazine tried to defame the government by maliciously claiming that India is trying to conceal the real situation the country while tackling the novel Coronavirus spread. Even in this article, it was the same writer Vidya Krishnan who had resorted to spreading falsehood. Krishan falsely claimed that “at two separate press briefing held on Friday, both the health ministry and the Indian Council of Medical Research—also a government body—rejected the possibility of local transmission”. But that is a completely false claim, because the Indian Council of Medical Research has already stated that by March 14, 2020, India was already at stage 2 of transmission, which means local transmission.

As Ram Mandir construction begins, communist leader, National Herald editor share 2018 report to peddle ‘Buddhist site’ narrative

OpIndia Staff
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As Ram Mandir construction begins, communist leader, National Herald editor share 2018 report to peddle ‘Buddhist site’ narrative

Last year, the long-awaited Supreme Court verdict had finally ended the decades-long battle and has entitled Hindus to build a temple for Ram Lalla at the Ram Janmabhoomi site that had been defiled centuries ago by Islamic invaders. After the establishment of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust, the construction of a grand Ram temple has finally been started.

However, even after decades of relentless efforts to stall the court case and keep Hindus away from their claim at the Ram Janmabhoomi site, leftists are still trying to weave new narratives.

CPIM leader Subhashini Ali has taken to Twitter today to share an article by the Economic Times captioning her tweet as “New twist: Supreme Court accepts Buddhist claim in Ayodhya dispute”, insinuating that the Ram Mandir matter has once again been caught in some legal dispute.

CPIM leader Subhashini Ali Tweet dated May 26, 2020

However, the article the CPIM leader has shared today with the misleading “new twist” is one which was written two years back in the year 2018.

The 2018 Economic Times report shared by CPIM leader Subhashini Ali today

National Herald editor shares CPIM leader’s misleading tweet

In 2018 when the legal battle over the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute was in full swing, a writ petition filed by one Buddhist petitioner- Vineet Kumar Maurya, an Ayodhya resident, was admitted and tagged along with the 13 other appeals pending then against a 2010 verdict of the Allahabad High Court. This particular report by The Economic Times speaks of that old petition filed by Vineet Kumar Maurya in 2018.

Mrinal Pande, the chief editor of Congress mouthpiece National Herald also shared Subhashini Ali’s tweet with a Hindi text, insinuating that the 2-year-old report was a fresh development.

Tweet by Mrinal Pande

Construction of Ram Mandir begins

Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust chairman Mahant Nritya Gopal Das has announced the construction of the Ram temple from today. After decades, on March 25, 2020, Ram Lalla was moved out of the makeshift shed in Ayodhya and the idol was shifted in a palanquin to Manas Bhawan in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Earlier the work on removing debris and land levelling was underway at the site.

Another ploy to delay Ram Temple?

Recently, several Hindu sculptures were unearthed from the Ram Janmabhoomi site when initial excavations were carried out for the construction. A 5 feet Shivling, 7 carved pillars of Black touchstone, 6 carved pillars of red sandstone and broken idols of Hindu gods were found.

Soon, leftists, Naxal sympathisers and their supporters had started dismissing the findings. Some leftists had also run social media trends claiming that the Ram Janmabhoomi site was a Buddhist temple and the unearthed structures are all Buddhist.

The legal battle for the Ram Janmabhoomi was fought for decades. During the prolonged battle, every aspect of the historical claims, demands and pieces of evidence were debated extensively in court. The ASI had in its findings asserted that there was a huge temple beneath the site. The recent claims by the leftists are nothing but another round of the false claims to derail the Ram Janmabhoomi temple project and deny Hindus their right.

The SC had dismissed all review petitions against November 2019 Ayodhya verdict.

Two people criticise Uddhav Thackeray, Rahul Gandhi and Sharad Pawar, not only is an FIR filed, but their shop is vandalised by Shiv Sainiks too

OpIndia Staff
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Two people criticise Uddhav Thackeray, Rahul Gandhi and Sharad Pawar, not only is an FIR filed, but their shop is vandalised by Shiv Sainiks too

An FIR has been filed against two individuals in Yavatmal district of Maharashtra for making offensive remarks against chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Besides, Shiv Sainiks also barged into the shops of the aforesaid individuals and vandalised them for their critical posts against the senior leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra.

Following Maha Vikas Aghadi government’s bungled response to the coronavirus outbreak in the state, there is a simmering discontent brewing among the people for the government’s inability to stem the spread of the virus. Social media platforms are rife with scathing remarks for the state government’s failure in handling the crisis. In line with this, Satish Pimpre on the Wani Grameen Samachar Whatsapp Group and Vivek Pandey on Facebook uploaded posts criticising Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar and Rahul Gandhi.

However, the disparaging remarks were unpalatable for the local Shiv Sainiks who couldn’t bear their leaders being subjected to criticism for their inadequacies in fashioning a reasonable response to the raging pandemic. Enraged local Shiv Sainiks rushed to the police station to file a complaint against them for their offensive social media posts. Subsequently, the livid Shiv Sainiks, led by former Shiv Sena MLA and current district chief Vishwas Nandekar, proceeded towards the commercial establishments of the concerned individuals and vandalised their shops.

The Shiv Sainiks first reached Satish Pimpre’s Raswanti shop on Nandepera Marg on Tuesday and ransacked it. Later, they marched towards Jatashankar chowk where they vandalised Vikas Pandey’s mobile phone shop.

Shiv Sainiks have a history of exhibiting intolerance towards dissenting voices

This is not the first instance of intolerance exhibited by fervid Shiv Sena supporters and workers. In the past too, they have been displayed dangerous bigotry against those who dare to criticise Shiv Sena supremo and Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray.

In December 2019, Shiv Sainiks had allegedly beaten up a man and forcibly shaved his head for making disparaging remarks against Uddhav Thackeray over his statements on the Jamia Millia issue. The video of Shiv Sena goons first thrashing the said man and later tonsuring him had gone viral on the Internet.

In the post, the man, Rahul Tiwari, had criticised Thackeray for comparing the action against Jamia Nagar rioters with that of Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919. After he got threats from some people, Tiwari deleted his Facebook post. However, on Sunday, a mob led by Shiv Sena functionaries Samadhan Jukdeo and Prakash Hasbe beat him up and tonsured his head outside his residence in Shanti Nagar area.

India’s coronavirus fatality rate among the lowest in the world: Union Health Ministry

OpIndia Staff
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India’s coronavirus fatality rate among the lowest in the world: Union Health Ministry

The Union Health Ministry on Tuesday revealed that India is among the countries with the lowest coronavirus fatality rates. Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal informed that a total of 60,490 patients in India have recovered so far from COVID-19 and the recovery rate continues to climb and is currently at 41.61%. The fatality rate in India is 2.87%, down from 3.38 per cent in April, Agarwal said.

The deadly coronavirus has thus far claimed 4,167 lives in the country. Maharashtra has been the worst-hit by the menace of coronavirus, with the highest number of COVID-19 deaths at 1,695. A large chunk of it, more than 1000 of them have been reported from the state capital—Mumbai.

According to Agarwal, prompt decision to enforce lockdown and early detection of coronavirus cases were crucial reasons behind the low fatalities in the country. While 4.5 deaths per lakh population have been reported across the world, India has witnessed about 0.3 deaths per lakh population, Agarwal said while briefing the media about the COVID-19 crisis in India.

“In terms of mortality rate, we have astonishingly found low death rate in India, which is a good sign. There are several factors why India has a low fatality rate but we can’t say anything definitively on them. Hope this trend continues,” Dr Balram Bhargava, Director General, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said.

Agarwal said that the total number of coronavirus caseloads in India stood at 145,380 with states and union territories registering over 6,500 coronavirus cases for the last three days. As of today, India has 10.7 COVID-19 cases per lakh population in comparison to 69.9 cases per lakh population worldwide, Agarwal said.

The ICMR has significantly scaled up the daily testing of COVID-19 in the country. At present, about 1.1 lakh cases are tested per day at 612 labs scattered across the country.

Talking about the recovery rate which has gone past 40 per cent-mark, Agarwal said, “Recovery rate is continuously improving. When the first lockdown started, the recovery rate was around 7.1%. The recovery rate during the second lockdown was 11.42%, which further rose to 26.59%. Now, it is 41.61%.”

 

Serving the people of Bharat when they need it the most: Here is why the Left is left behind

Ganesh Turerao
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Serving the people of Bharat when they need it the most: Here is why the Left is left behind

Tough times bring out the best in people, it is during such times that the character of a person is tested. The Corona outbreak is one such event in the history of mankind that has affected all beings, rich and poor alike. It has tested the most developed of countries and their healthcare systems. India, thankfully, has responded timely and efficiently, thereby containing the spread of the virus to a large extent. 

During any pandemic, there is only so much that a Government can do, if a community has to fight the pandemic, then individuals and welfare organisations have to come together and do their bit. What Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and their countless swayamsevaks have shown during the Corona outbreak with their selfless service, is how an organisation despite being the most maligned by a section of English media, continues to work for the betterment of India and helps all those in need, regardless of the community they come from.

One of the finest examples of RSS Swayamsevaks taking along all sections of the society is how they distributed food kits to 986 sex workers in New Delhi, that contained 2,500-kilogram flour and 1,250-kilogram rice. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad, slandering which has become a profession for many, launched nation-wide helpline numbers for all those who needed any help during the lockdown. This helpline was launched on 30thof March, merely 5 days after the Lockdown began.

Even the student wing, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and its karyakartas, have done a commendable job in reaching out to the needy during the Lockdown. Students from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, who were studying in Jaipur, were fast running out of supplies. With a mere phone call to those in positions of responsibility at ABVP Jaipur, all essential supplies reached these students within a day.

In the finest traditions of the Sangh, the ABVP Jharkhand unit opened ‘Aahar Kendra’ in various parts of the state and ABVP Karyakartas themselves prepared food for thousands of people since the lockdown. Even in its Awadh unit, karyakartas of ABVP have been providing food packets to 800 people on a daily basis in the lockdown period. Within two days of Lockdown, ABVP launched its helplines numbers to help students across the country who were stuck due to the Corona Outbreak. It is important to understand here, that a student organisation had the kind of organisational acumen and the will of its karyakartas to help people at the height of the Corona pandemic. It is surely something that we don’t see often in other student organisations in India.

For the longest time, the RSS has been accused of being anti-minority. Swayamsevaks have been dehumanised by a section of media and the Left ecosystem as people who are bloodthirsty and violent by nature. However, their selfless service to all sections of the society in the last two months, when Corona was spreading at an alarming rate, has brought out the true nature of RSS in front of the people of India. In Samba district of Maharashtra, RSS Swayamsevaks were informed of some Muslim workers needing essentials, within no time, help reached these Muslim workers, many of whom were migrants from various parts of the country.

The sheer magnitude of the relief work carried out by RSS during the Lockdown is something worth pondering on. Until the 20th May, RSS had served in 85,701 places in India. With 4,79, 949 volunteers, RSS donated 1, 10, 55, 450 ration kits, served 7, 11, 46, 500 food packets, 27, 98, 091 migrants workers were helped in different ways, 39, 851 blood donations camps were organised and 62, 81, 117 masks were distributed to people across India.

One incident that caught the attention of the public, was when Pune Mahanagar Palika reached out to RSS Jankalyan Samiti, Pune for conducting testing of people showing symptoms in containment zones of Pune district. This was after RSS Jankalyan Samiti voluntarily offered their service for testing of people.

These statistics show the massive organisational effort made by RSS and the ability to mobilise people whenever the country is in need. It speaks volumes about the organisational structure of RSS, considering how a big country like India is divided on many lines, to get people to work for a single objective in such a short span of time, is admirable and praiseworthy.

Not only in India, but even in the United States, which is the worst affected of all countries, Sewa International, has been helping authorities by providing masks and other essentials.

The lockdown due to the outbreak of Corona was an opportunity for people cutting across ideological lines to come together. However, there is very little that we see, of the Left helping the needy. Only in their traditional strongholds, of Kerala and West Bengal, has the Left done some relief work. They have been absent in most states of India, certainly, with a series of losses politically, it has rendered the Left with little to no presence in most districts of India. In no way, has the Left been able to even provide a fraction of aid and assistance as the RSS has, over the past two months. 

Last month, authorities found free food kits meant for distribution amongst the poor from Left party offices in Kottayam, Kerala. A similar incident was reported from TV Puram, near Vaikom, Kerala. Such instances make people wonder if the Left is even serious about the efforts it needs to put, while helping people during Lockdown.

It is a known principle in Law that the deity is minor and the entire wealth of the temple belongs to the deity. KB Mohandas, a functionary of CPI(M) All India Lawyers Union and Chairman of the Guruvayoor Devaswom, that manages the Guruvayoor Sree Krishna Temple in Thrissur district, handed over a cheque of Rs.5 Crore to Kerala Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund, in open violation of established laws. At a time when temples are finding it hard to pay salaries for their staff, the Communist regime in Kerala decides to misappropriate funds meant for the deity and upkeep of the temple.

One can make out, that perhaps today’s Left is more into politicising of issues and providing intellectual cover for radical elements who break rules and harass the medical staff treating them. It is time for India to see through the vicious game that the Left has played over these years, their lack of intent in helping people even during a pandemic and their brazen attempts to lie to the people of India. RSS and Left, over the past two months, have shown what they can do in testing times, it is for India to choose, either selfless service for all or propaganda for some. 

(The article has been written by Ganesh Turerao, the National In-Charge of Think India and Ajay Kashyap who is a graduate from Gujarat National Law University)

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