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West Bengal: Video of ‘unclaimed decomposed dead bodies’ dragged by KMC goes viral, authorities claim they did not die of coronavirus

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal: Video of ‘unclaimed decomposed dead bodies’ dragged by KMC goes viral, authorities claim they did not die of coronavirus

A video has gone viral on social media with claims that the civic workers of the Kolkata Municipal corporation were dragging out decomposed bodies from the Garia crematorium after local residents protested of bad odour. Social media users have also alleged that these rotten bodies seen being pulled out with ropes, were those of Covid patients.

Video of unclaimed decomposed body being dragged in Kolkata goes viral on social media

Sharing the un-dated video on the microblogging site Twitter, ABP News journalist Vikas Bhaduria also claimed that the Kolkata Municipal Corporation brought 13 decomposed bodies to Garia crematorium to burn them, but they had to take them back after locals objected due to the foul smell these rotten dead bodies were emitting.

Locals claimed that there is only one chimney inside the premises and burning so many decomposed bodies at a time the city is facing Covid-19 outbreak could be detrimental.

NRS called the subject of viral video fake, writes to Kolkata Police Commissioner

Soon after this video went viral, West Bengal Government-run NRS medical College Principal wrote to the Kolkata Police Commissioner calling the subject of the video in circulation “fake”. In the letter, Saibal Kumar Mukherjee, the Principal of NRS medical college said that he was writing the letter to bring to the notice of Kolkata Police that “a video clip has gone viral on social media showing “decomposed bodies being disposed of NRS morgue and the video claims that these are bodies of Covid patients being disposed of furtively.”

NRS called the subject of viral video fake, writes to Kolkata Police Commissioner (image courtesy: Times Now)

Calling the subject of the viral video, fake, Mukherjee wrote: “The fact is 14 unclaimed bodies were being handed over to the KMC authority as per list given by different Police Stations of our Morgue’s jurisdiction. NRS principal added, “none of these bodies was of Covid patients.” Although the letter didn’t refute the claim that bodies were decomposed and were emitting foul smell.

Times Now has quoted Joint CP (Crime), Murli Dhar, as saying: “We have received a letter from Health Department where they have informed us that bodies were basically unidentified/unclaimed bodies. Hospital, as per protocol, sends such bodies for cremation after a period of 15 days if no claimant comes forward.”

“In an order dated 29th May, Kolkata Municipality had given directives to cremate unclaimed dead bodies in Garia Adi Mahasasan furnace number 4, while Dhapa will be exclusively used for cremating Covid-19 Hindu corpse”, read the Kolkata Municipal Corporation order dated May 29, 2020.

Kolkata Municipal Corporation order copy (image courtesy: Times Now)

West Bengal Minister and KMC Board of Administrators’ Chairman Firhad Hakim said the bodies were not of Covid patients. He added that, so far, unclaimed bodies were being cremated in Dhapa but since that infrastructure is being used for COVID-19 fatalities, crematoriums in Kalighat and Garia are being used for unclaimed bodies.

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar who had earlier sought a report on the issue from the Home Secretary and expressed anguish at disposal of dead bodies, has now slammed the West Bengal government for misusing the state police for ‘teaching a lesson’ to those who exposed it rather than “booking those responsible for such inhuman criminality”.

Days after Aakar Patel gave call to violence asking Muslims and Dalits to carry out US like protests in India, his Twitter account is withheld

OpIndia Staff
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Days after Aakar Patel gave call to violence asking Muslims and Dalits to carry out US like protests in India, his Twitter account is withheld

Days after journalist and ex-Amnesty India head Aakar Patel gave a call to violence on Twitter, his account is withheld by the social networking giant.

Aakar Patel account withheld

“Aakar Patel’s account has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand” the landing page of his profile said. Earlier this week, an FIR was filed against him for saying that Muslims and Dalits should do protests like the ongoing protests in the USA againat George Floyd killing.

On 31st May, while quoting a tweet by Colorado Times Recorder featuring a video of thousands of people protesting in Capitol in Colorado, Aakar Patel had tweeted that India Muslims, Dalits, Adivasis, women and poor also need to do protests like these. “We need protests like these. From Dalits and Muslims and Adivasis. And the poor. And women. World will notice. Protest is a craft,” he had tweeted.

Aakar Patel’s tweet

The complaint filed by Nagaraja said that Patel called on minorities, backward, poor and women to stage protests like the one seen in the video. He said that several people had objected to Patel’s tweet.

Aakar Patel has been booked under IPC sections 505(1)(b) (with intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public, or to any section of the public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the State or against the public tranquility), 153 (Wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) and 117 (Abetting commission of offence by the public or by more than ten persons).

Although the video posted by Aakar Patel showed a peaceful protest, the ongoing protests in the United States have been marked by widescale violence, rioting, arson and looting. The killing of African American George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis had led to nationwide protests, which soon descended into violence and riots. Protesters have attacked police teams and burnt police vehicles, looted retails stores, and burnt down houses and public places, including historic places. Several left-liberals have been calling for similar violent protests by Muslims in India. As a result, security agencies have become vigilant about such posts promoting violence in India in the line of violence in US.

Amnesty India

Amnesty India, an organisation Patel headed till some months back, defended the violent mobs and rioters of anti-CAA protests and even started a petition claiming India is curbing ‘freedom of expression’. Similarly, one Karthik Navayan, a human rights activist who was associated with Amnesty International India as per his Twitter bio back in 2018, had advocated violence against Brahmins in a tweet.

Amnesty India is currently under scanner for violation of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) laws.

Uttar Pradesh: Samajwadi Party leader Javed Siddiqui and 34 others arrested over setting Dalit houses on fire in Jaunpur, CM Yogi invokes NSA

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Samajwadi Party leader Javed Siddiqui and 34 others arrested over setting Dalit houses on fire in Jaunpur, CM Yogi invokes NSA

Samajwadi Party leader Javed Siddiqui and 34 others have been arrested over setting ablaze the houses of Dalits in the Dalit Basti of a village in Jaunpur. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered the authorities to invoke the stringent National Security Act against the perpetrators.

As per reports On June 9, a minor argument among the children turned into a deadly communal clash in a village of Jaunpur, that led the destruction of more than a dozen houses that were owned by Dalits after they were was set blazed. Massive damage was caused to the scheduled caste community. Even the domesticated animals were not spared. Reportedly, three goats and one buffalo were burned alive.

Cause of the communal clash

As per reports, children from the scheduled caste community in the Bhadethi village took their buffalo to graze in a field near a pond where the children from the Muslim community were also grazing their goats. Reportedly, while grazing the buffalo hit the goat that led to a minor quarrel among the group of children.

The children get back to their homes and narrated the story to their parents. As a result, the people from the Muslim community went to the Dalit locality armed with sticks and rods. After the exchange of words, three men Nabib, Lareb and Habib got injured. At the same time, Aftab aka Hitler, who is also the husband of the Village head, came to resolve the argument.

Around 8 pm, some 100 people from the other village raided the Dalit locality again and attacked the locals in which three Dalit men- Ravi, Atul, and Pawan were injured. The assailants started burning the houses. Many people including Nandlal, Nebulal, Rajaram, Jitendra, Sewlal lost their belongings along with their shelters.

On being informed, the Sarai Khwaja police station house officer reached the spot along with his personnel. The SHO called more cops later sensing that the trouble is big.

Jaunpur DM DK Singh and SP Ashok Kumar reached the spot and later other senior officials including Varanasi Divisional Commissioner Deepak Agarwal and IG range VS Meena came to review the situation.

The police force surrounded the Dalit Basti and admitted the injured people to the district hospital. A 16-year old boy was rushed to the Varanasi hospital after being reported as a critical case.

CM Yogi took cognizance

UP CM Yogi Adityanath took cognizance of the incident and ordered the police officials to invoke the Gangster Act and slam NSA on the culprits- Noor Alam and Javed Siddiqui. The CM also called for strict action against the SHO of the local police station as he failed to control the situation.

According to Varanasi IG VS Meena, 35 people were arrested in connection with the clashes including Samajwadi Party leader Javed Siddiqui. A heavy police force is deployed in Dalit Basti while a team of police has camped inside the village to assess the amount of loss.

The local police registered FIR against 58 people of the Muslim community under the sections of the Indian Penal Code and SC/ST atrocities act. A case is also lodged against 100 unidentified people in connection with the arson.

Adityanath directed the concerned authorities to compensate the victim with the financial assistance of 1 lakh each to those whose houses and belongings were burnt. They are also ordered to allot accommodation to them under the CM housing scheme to the victim.

India denies visa to controversial USCIRF teams, MEA says the ‘prejudiced’ body has no locus standi in country’s affairs

OpIndia Staff
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India denies visa to controversial USCIRF teams, MEA says the ‘prejudiced’ body has no locus standi in country’s affairs

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has clarified that the government had denied visas to controversial US Congressional body – USCIRF teams that had sought to visit India in connection with issues related to religious freedom.

In a letter on June 1, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar replied to BJP MP Nishikant Dubey stating, “We have denied a visa to USCIRF teams that have sought to visit India in connection with issues related to religious freedom, as we do not see the locus standi of a foreign entity like USCIRF to pronounce on the state of Indian citizens’ constitutionally protected rights.”

Earlier, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey had raised the observations against United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) in Parliament in December 2019 after the body affiliated to US Congress had recommended to the US administration that India be designated a “country of particular concern”.

The minister added that the USCIRF has been known to make prejudiced, inaccurate and misleading observations regarding the state of religious freedom in India. We do not take cognisance of these pronouncements and have repudiated such attempts to misrepresent information related to India, the Minister added.

Minister Jaishankar also noted that the MEA had earlier rejected the USCIRF’s statements as “inaccurate and unwarranted”. The Minister added that India “will not accept any external interference or pronouncement on matters related to our sovereignty and the fundamental rights of our citizens that are guaranteed by the Constitution”.

USCIRF Annual Report on religious freedom

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an advisory body to the US Congress, in April had released its 2020 annual report, where it had recommended that the Trump administration classify India as a “country of particular concern”, along with other countries like Pakistan, North Korea, China and Saudi Arabia.

The USCIRF claimed that India was “engaging in and tolerating systematic, ongoing and egregious religious freedom violations”. The report also stated that the national government allowed violence against minorities and also engaged in and tolerated hate speech and incitement to violence.

The report recommended that the Trump administration should impose targeted sanctions on Indian government allegedly responsible for severe violations of religious freedom by freezing those individuals’ assets and barring their entry into the United States under human rights-related financial and visa authorities, citing specific religious freedom violations.

Interestingly, three out of nine commissioners at the USCIRF have dissented against the commission’s claim against India and have made separate qualifying notes to the report on India.

Responding to the tirade of USCIRF, the MEA had rejected claims made by them on religious freedom in the country and had referred it to as”biased and tendentious”.

USCIRF’s prejudice against India

The controversial US body has always been at the forefront of the misinformation campaign against the country. Ever since Narendra Modi returned back to power in 2019, the USCIRF has been meddling into India’s internal affairs by indulging in one-sided motivated propaganda against the Modi government.

The US congressional body emerged into the scene following the abrogation of Article 370 in the country with its misleading statements and continued to do so even during the implementation of historic Citizenship Amendment Act. It is notable here that the USCIRF has a history of fanning baseless rumours and leftist propaganda against India. They had also ranted against India’s Citizenship Amendment Act, calling it a ‘dangerous turn in the wrong direction’.

Ironically, the USCIRF, which claims to be standing for religious freedom and rights, resorted to peddling false propaganda against Indian government on CAA, a law which was implemented to guarantee rights in the country by granting Indian citizenship.

The Indian government has time-and-again rejected the one-sided prejudiced observations made by the US body. India had earlier said the American body on international religious freedom has chosen to be guided only by its biases on a matter on which it has no locus standi.

The USCIRF is the commission that had recommended the denial of US visa to PM Modi when he was the CM of Gujarat. It had also threatened ‘sanctions’ against Home Minister Amit Shah ‘if the CAB was passed’.

Just weeks back, the self-proclaimed religious freedom body USCIRF, had indulged in a misinformation campaign by falsely claiming that coronavirus patients were being segregated on the basis of religious identity in an Ahmedabad hospital.

Madhya Pradesh: One Aslam, who ‘healed’ people by kissing their hands dies of coronavirus, infects 19 others

OpIndia Staff
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Madhya Pradesh: One Aslam, who ‘healed’ people by kissing their hands dies of coronavirus, infects 19 others

A Muslim ‘godman’ named Aslam who claimed of curing coronavirus patients by kissing their hands had died of COVID-19 in Madhya Pradesh’s Nayapura district in Ratlam on June 4.

As soon as the news of his death spread, the authorities in Ratlam sprung to action. The district authorities started scrambling to identify the people who had visited Aslam for treatment.

After identifying and sending their samples for testing, the authorities have found at least 19 of his patients to have tested positive for the pathogen. Seeing the number of coronavirus infected people rising steadily in the district, the authorities traced at least 29 other ‘healers’ who had claimed magic treatments for coronavirus and placed them in a government quarantine facility. Only after their tests are conducted would they be allowed to leave the facility, confirmed the authorities.

Aslam had infected 19 others before himself dying of coronavirus

With the rising number of coronavirus positive cases linked to this ‘healer’ Aslam Nayapura district in Ratlam has now emerged as a coronavirus hotspot. Shockingly, Aslam guaranteed to cure coronavirus by kissing the hands of the affected patients. And by doing so, he actually spread the disease to as many as 19 in the district. It is being said that out of the 24 coronavirus positives found in Ratlam on June 9, 2020 (Tuesday), 13 were those who had come in contact with Aslam. Similarly, on June 7 (Sunday), 6 people from Nayapura district who were tested coronavirus positive were all in contact with this healer. Basically, out of the 85 coronavirus positive cases in the district, 19 were those who had come in contact with Aslam.

Nodal officer Dr Pramod Prajapati said that the method these healers use is particularly dangerous as it is a potent virus carrier. These black magic healers generally blow into the water they make their patients drink. This particularly increases the chance of infection as COVID-19 virus is primarily transmitted from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth.

Media outlets calls the Muslim healer a “baba”

While the accused was a Muslim, several media organisations, including Nayi Duniya, Navbharat Times, have tried to give the entire incident a Hindu spin by describing the Muslim healer as ‘baba’. The term baba is generally used for a Hindu priest.

Aaj Tak has even used the illustration of a Hindu Sadhu in their report about Aslam.

However, this is not the first time any media outlet has tried to cover-up the Muslim perpetrators by giving it a Hindu spin to depict that the crime was committed by Hindus.

Media keeps depicting criminal magic healers as saffron-clad ‘Tantriks’

Recently, the Internet was awash with a picture of a report from 2019, where a media organisation unscrupulously endeavoured to cover up the crimes committed by a man belonging to the minority community. The case pertained to a distraught woman in Bilaspur suffering from the agony of an estranged husband and family problems. To overcome her agony, she reached out to a Muslim scholar named Aslam Faizi and sought his help. Aslam first forced her to have a sexual relationship with him and later assured her that all her problems will be solved now.

While the accused here was also a Muslim, several media organisations, including Nayi Duniya, gave the entire incident a Hindu spin by describing the alleged rapist as “Tantrik”– a practitioner of the “tantra vidya“, who is mainly associated with Hinduism, leading to a perception that the crime was committed by a Hindu individual. Moreover, an image of a Hindu priest was used to characterise the Muslim fraudster who had allegedly committed rape by coercing the victim.

Other instances of media’s treachery to give crimes committed by Muslims a Hindu spin

Last year, several media organisations attributed the death of a 10-year-old boy because of the rituals performed by a Muslim healer to a “Tantrik”. While the death of the child occurred due to a Muslim healer, PTI report gives an obvious Hindu slant to the headline and calls the Muslim healer a ‘Tantrik’. This headline was then carried by many media houses such as NDTV, India Today, The Tribune verbatim without changes.

There are several times in the past that the media has resorted to such chicanery. As per a Hindu report, a woman had accused a “Tantrik” of raping her in Ajmer, after taking her their on the “pretext of offering prayers at a Dargah“. In the same month, Times of India had carried an article titled, “Tantrik gets 10 years in jail for rape and extortion”. Like the reports mentioned above, the name of the accused was “Warsi”.

Even vernacular media has been caught using the same tricks. Dainik Jagran for some reason decided to call an accused in a harassment case as “Tantrik Sufi baba” in the headline. He, in the content, was later identified as Aftab. Hindi News18 in its article carried the headline, “Tantrik arrested for committing misdemeanour with a minor, under the pretext of chasing away ghosts”. The Tantrik was later identified as Hafiz Sajid.

Jammu and Kashmir: Massive Pakistan sponsored narco-terror module busted in Handwara, three terrorists nabbed

OpIndia Staff
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Jammu and Kashmir: Massive Pakistan sponsored narco-terror module busted in Handwara, three terrorists nabbed

The Jammu and Kashmir police have busted a huge narco-terror module evidently sponsored by Pakistan in Kupwara. Reportedly, three terrorists of Lashkar-e-Taiba have been arrested along with the drugs and loads of cash in Handwara division.

SP of Handwara Dr. GV Sundeep Chakravarthy said the module was under operation to establish Lashkar-e-Taiba’s terror activity in the Jammu and Kashmir. The police are describing it as one of the massive exposures.

While speaking to media, Handwara SP said, “The three, who were arrested, were peddling drugs to financially help the Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir. It’s a very big hawala racket where the money is transferred without money movement and financed for terrorist activities.”

Reportedly, all the operatives nabbed have been identified. The prime accused is identified as Iftikhar Indrabi. He is a notorious drug smuggler in the valley and is already slammed with several FIRs.

The SP informed, “The second man is his son-in-law Momin Peer and the third is Iqbal-ul-Islam. More arrests are going to take place in this module.”

Google updates Maps to provide real-time crowd information for public transit amid COVID-19 pandemic

OpIndia Staff
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Google updates Maps to provide real-time crowd information for public transit amid COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 has completely changed the way we think, relate and behave around people. Amid the ongoing pandemic, internet giant Google has come up with a new update in the Maps app that will provide real-time data related to the coronavirus pandemic. A few months ago, entering a crowded metro, local train, or a bus was not a big deal for most people. Though some people are not bothered by the spread of the virus, many want to practice social distancing and other precautions to be safe. Those who have medical issues such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc. need to be more cautious.

What’s new with Google Maps?

Google has introduced several features in the latest update that will help in relieving some stress. The latest version of Google Maps on both Android and iOS will help the users to stay informed about possible direct or indirect effects of COVID-19 during your trip. The new updates will be available in many countries, including India, Argentina, Belgium, US, United Kingdom, Australia, Colombia, France, Brazil, Netherlands, Spain, Thailand and Mexico.

In a blog post, Google announced the changes in an elaborate manner. Google has partnered with the local authorities and updated the features while staying on the right side of the laws. Here is a list of all the features that you can use in Google maps while commuting.

Maps will inform you about the checkpoints on your route. It will also notify you about the restrictions you have to follow while staying there. Google will add more locations and information in the coming weeks that will help you plan a safer trip. For example, when you are crossing the borders of Canada/US/ Mexico, the Maps will inform you about the restrictions you have to face, especially if you are from a hot zone or are entering one.

If you try to find medical centers or labs that are providing services related to COVID-19, Maps will alert you to check the facility’s guidelines and verify eligibility. However, these alerts are not available in all locations. Users from Indonesia, Israel, South Korea, the Philippines and the US will get information and restrictions or regulations about the medical facilities. The alerts for testing centers will be available for users in the US.

A blend of crowdedness predictions with new features

Last year Google introduced a feature that tells about the possible crowd in a public transit, aka crowdedness predictions. Google predicts the crowd based on the information users shared in Maps. Google uses non-anonymous data to provide virtually correct information about the crowd. Now users will be able to use this data to decide if they want to go to a crowded place or not.

Back in February, Google Maps introduced new insights like security onboard, accessibility and temperature. They also added a women-centric section in February and now they have rolled these featured for all the users. The experience of the former riders will help users to take a wise decision to save themselves from infection. You can also submit your feedback about the crowd etc. while checking your travel history or during the transit in Maps.

Google has a section for users who use wheelchairs as well. Visiting public places is never an easy task for such users. With new improved features, users who use wheelchairs can see if a particular place is wheelchair friendly or not and it will include information about seating, accessible doors and more.

Using the historical data of other users, you can ensure proper distancing. If the crowd is above average, it will be better not to plan a visit at such a location. One prime example for such a crowd can be Mumbai metros. The users will be able to see if the transit station is crowded in real time. For the next few weeks, Google is planning to strengthen the capabilities of the new features with the help of aggregated and anonymous data.

Privacy concerns

Those who have opted out from Google Maps do not want Google to store their information in any way. However, under these features, Google will aggregate the data marking it as from anonymous source. In the past, Google has been called out for using personal data of the users to show relevant ads based on personal choices. There will be some concerns among users about how Google is going to use this data.

Reservation is not a fundamental right, says Supreme Court, rejects petitions by political parties over NEET admission in Tamil Nadu

OpIndia Staff
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Reservation is not a fundamental right, says Supreme Court, rejects petitions by political parties over NEET admission in Tamil Nadu

While pronouncing judgment in several cases on OBC quota in medical colleges of Tamil Nadu, the Supreme Court has said that the right to reservation is not a fundamental right. The three-judge Bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao, Krishna Murari and Ravindra Bhat objected to the petitions filed under Article 32 of the Constitution of India by political parties DMK, AIADMK and others.

Lack of quota benefits is not a violation of constitutional rights

Justice Rao categorically stated that no one has the right to claim reservation as a fundamental right. Thus, if the state does not provide quota benefits, it is not a violation of any constitutional right. He added that as per the current law right to reservation is not a fundamental right. The bench was hearing petitions against the Tamil Nadu government for not keeping reserved seats for OBC students in the medical colleges.

Petitioners asked for 50% OBC reservation in medical and dental courses

CPI, DMK, AIADMK and others had filed several petitions and asked for 50% OBC reservation in colleges for undergraduate, postgraduate medical and dental courses in 2020-21. The petitioners said that Tamil Nadu provides 69% reservation for SC, ST and OBCs out of which 50% seats are reserved for OBCs. They asked the court to ensure that 50% of OBC candidates get admission in medical colleges out of the seats that Tamil Nadu surrendered under All India Quota.

The petitioners said in their pleas that if OBC candidate is denied admission, it is a violation of his or her fundamental right. They mentioned in their petitions that the OBCs did not get appropriate representation in the past academic years. The petitioners requested the court to stay the counseling under NEET till the court decides on the reservation.

SC objected to petitions filed under Article 32

The Supreme Court was not impressed with the submissions made by the petitioners. The bench questioned the petitioners under which law they filed a petition under Article 32 as the right to have reservation benefits is not a fundamental right. The court further asked the petitioners to explain whose fundamental rights are being violated by denying reservation.

The court added that they appreciated the efforts political parties in Tamil Nadu putting in for the cause, but they refused to entertain the plea. The court further asked them to file the petition in Madras High Court. The petitioners asked for permission to withdraw the petitions to which Supreme Court obliged.

In February 2020, the Supreme Court had passed a verdict in which they said that no one could claim reservation in public jobs stating it as a fundamental right. The judgment also noted that no court has the right to order a state government to provide reservation to SC/STs.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan wants to give India its ‘cash transfer program’ to help, Indian Twitterati say, no thank you

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan wants to give India its ‘cash transfer program’ to help, Indian Twitterati say, no thank you

After using Coronavirus outbreak to whine about the economic crisis back home, urging the international community to consider for a debt waiver for poor and vulnerable countries like his, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has now audaciously offered help to India. Taking to Twitter, Imran Khan said “I am ready to offer help & share our successful cash transfer prog, lauded internationally for its reach & transparency, with India.”

Prime Miniater Imran Khan offers financial help to India

Sharing a report by a Pakistani news daily The Express Tribune titled: “84% Indian households suffered a decrease in monthly income since lockdown”, Imran Khan’s heart went out for the “34% of households across India”, who according to him would “not be able to survive for more than a week without additional assistance”. The Pakistani PM offered to help Indians by means of its “successful cash transfer program” through which his government has supposedly “successfully transferred Rs 120 billion in 9 weeks to over 10 million families in a transparent manner to deal with the COVID19 fallout on the poor”.

The outlandish proposal by Prime Minister Imran Khan leaves Twitterati in splits

This outlandish proposal by the Prime Minister of a cash-strapped nation left Indian Tweeterati in splits. Rebuffing the proposal, netizens were quick to remind Imran Khan of how he and his country are more in need of help.

Pointing out how his government did not have money to clear his offices’ electricity dues, a Twitter user asked him to first use the fund to clear his electricity bill.

Others shared memes to poke fun at Pakistani Prime Minister.

But what was most humourous was that even Pakistani’s didn’t let go of this opportunity and asked Imran Khan to first focus on his own country. “The whole health system is in tatters and you have to behave like a fake global leader. There are people literally dying on the streets right now in Pakistan. No hospital beds are available. But no, let’s mediate in affairs of others”, wrote a Pakistani Twitter user.

Indian Government launched mega cash transfer to fight Covid

Perhaps it important for Imran Khan to realise, that when his government was busy begging richer economies to write off the debts of the world’s poorer countries which includes Pakistan, the Indian government had launched one of the largest ever cash transfer schemes, which included the deposit of over Rs 30,000 crore into the account of woman Jan Dhan account holders. Moreover, Rs 5,000 crore was deposited into the linked accounts of eight crore poor households with LPG connections provided under ‘Ujjwala’.

FM Nirmala Sitharaman had announced direct cash transfers to help poor during the covid crisis.

  • Direct Benefit Transfer Scheme: Poor widows poor pensioners and poor disabled will be given ex-gratia an additional amount of Rs 1000 over the next three months
  • Old age, Divyang, pensioners: 3 crore people covered, one-time amount of additional Rs 1000 in two instalments through DBT (hence no middlemen) over 3 months to be given
  • Increase in MNREGA wage to Rs 202 a day from Rs 182 to benefit 5 crore families.
  • 20 crore women Jan Dhan Yojana account holders will get Rs 500 per month for the next three months.
  • Cash transfer based on DBT: Farmers who get Rs 6,000 annually under PM-Kisan got the first instalment of Rs 2,000 in addition which was given immediately in the first week of April.

On Day 1 of the PM Jan Dhan transfer scheme, Rs 500 was deposited into the accounts of 4 crore women, with the government ordering banks to ensure that the dormant accounts were reactivated to ensure that no beneficiary was left out.

According to reports, during the lockdown period, the India Post has achieved a new milestone in the history of Indian banking as postmen across the country have delivered Rs 1,000 crore in cash to various account holders of different banks at their doorstep across the country. In addition to this, the transactions of the post office savings bank amount to another Rs 66,000 crore in nearly four crore transactions during the lockdown period.

According to the reports, nearly Rs 1,051 crore have been delivered in as many as 59 lakh transactions during the lockdown between March 23 and May 11.

50,000-year-old Lonar Lake in Maharashtra turns pink, experts claim salinity and algae responsible for colour change

OpIndia Staff
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50,000-year-old Lonar Lake in Maharashtra turns pink, experts claim salinity and algae responsible for colour change

The Lonar crater Lake in Maharashtra has suddenly changed its colour as it turned pink from its earlier greenish hue.

It is believed that the lake was formed after a meteorite struck on that place some 50,000 years ago, during the Pleistocene epoch. The Lonar Lake in Buldhana, Maharashtra is a popular tourist destination and the chemical changes in the lake often attract scientists from across the globe.

Salinity and algae

The crater lake, spread on 113-hectares is also known as the Lonar crater. It has saline water with pH 10.5. A member of the Lonar lake conservation and development committee, Gajanan Kharat was quoted by the PTI saying, “There are algae in the water body. The salinity and the algae can be responsible for this colour change.” He clarified, “There is no oxygen below one meter of the lake’s water surface. There is an example of a lake in Iran, where water becomes reddish due to an increase in salinity.”

Kharat further said, “The low level of water may lead to increased salinity and change in the behaviour of algae because of atmospheric changes. This may be the reason for the colour change. This is not the first time that the colour of water has changed.”

The forest department has been ordered to collect samples of the water and find out the reason behind this change.

Lack of pollutants cited as a possible reason

As per a report in the Zee News, the Head of Geography department of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathawada University, Dr Madan Suryavanshi said that due to lockdown the lake did not witness any kind of disturbance or pollutant which led to this change.

As per reports, in 2006, the water of the Lonar lake had suddenly evaporated. The villagers around witnessed some shining crystals of salt and other minerals in the dried-up lake. Some research scientists working on the lake have stated that due to changes in the chemical and physical environment, the growth in numbers of certain fungal species may have contributed to the increase in carotenoid levels in the lake water.

The Lonar lake comes under the 383-hectare Lonar Wildlife Sanctuary that was established in 2000. The area was also declared National Geo-heritage Monument in 1979.

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