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Uttar Pradesh: More than 200 Tablighi Jamaatis disappear to avoid quarantine, switch off their phones: Reports

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In a worrisome incident, more than 200 members of the Tablighi Jamaat, who were under quarantine in Lucknow till now, have suddenly disappeared and their mobile phones have been switched off, reports Live Hindustan.

According to the reports, the Tablighi Jamaatis were put under quarantine in and around Lucknow after it was found that they have attended the event in Nizamuddin Markaz in Delhi last month, which has emerged the largest single source of the Wuhan Coronavirus spread in the country. However, the Uttar Pradesh police have now found that the Jamaatis have disappeared and they have suspiciously turned off their phones leading to a new worry to Uttar Pradesh authorities. Moreover, around 300 people who were in contact with those Jamaatis have also switched off their phones.

The Crime Branch has now begun its investigation to trace the mobile numbers linked to Jamaatis. These members were residing in areas including Kaiserbagh, Sadar, Wazirganj, Madianav, Saadatganj, Gomtinagar.

Reportedly, 24 foreign nationals were found in the mosques of Kakori, Gomtinagar and Kaiserbagh. The detained Jamaatis were from various places outside Lucknow and had joined Delhi’s Jamaat. Following their arrests, the Uttar Pradesh police had put more than 700 mobile numbers under strict surveillance. Due to surveillance, the UP police tracked the location of these Jamaatis who had hidden inside mosques and madrasas.

Addition to the crime branch investigation, an STF surveillance team also started monitoring these Jamaatis. On the basis of their call records, the police have begun interrogating the attendees and their family members. Shockingly, many Jamaatis have deliberately lied to the police regarding their location.

Reportedly, the police have quarantined many of the family members of the Jamaat attendees following their return from Delhi. It is being reported that as police began inquiring into details of their visit to Markaz started increasing, more than 300 numbers have been switched off in last three days fearing that they would be quarantined.

Later, the police became aware that the Jamaatis have started using new SIM cards to avoid surveillance by the police. The police had in fact made contact with hundreds of Jamaatis after they began surveillance.

The Nizamuddin Markaz of the Tablighi Jamaat in Delhi has been the epicentre of the spread of Wuhan Coronavirus all across India. The role of the Tablighi Jamaat in the spreading of the Wuhan Coronavirus in India came to light when thousands of Jamaatis were found holed up in the Markaz Nizamuddin in violation of all guidelines and orders. Subsequently, numerous people across numerous states of India who had attended the Islamic event at the Markaz Nizamuddin tested positive for the virus.

West Bengal: Hundreds of people gather in a mosque in Murshidabad for Friday prayers defying lockdown orders

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Hundreds of people gathered in a mosque of West Bengal’s Murshidabad for Friday prayers despite the nationwide lockdown in the wake of the Wuhan Coronavirus. Mass gatherings increase the risk of transmission of the deadly virus so social distancing is an important preventive measure but hundreds gathered at the Mosque risking their own lives and their contacts.

No complaint has been registered against the Imam of the mosque and anyone who attended the gathering. Young men and elderly people who are at the risk of contracting the deadly virus were seen inside the mosque despite the presence of the police. The cop said that it is not possible to keep an eye on every mosque of that area as it is a Muslim majority area and there are many mosques there.

Earlier, A large gathering of Muslims in Karnataka’s Hubbali district attacked police officials when they tried to stop them from offering namaaz en masse amidst the nationwide lockdown to blunt the spread of coronavirus. 4 police officials, including one woman constable, were injured by Muslim youths as they pelted stones at the police personnel for stopping them from congregating amidst the looming threat of the Wuhan Coronavirus.

In a similar incident, in UP’s Aligarh, a Muslim mob surrounded and pelted stones on when police tried to stop them to offer namaz in a group in a mosque. Around 25 to 30 people had arrived at the mosque in the Sarai Rahman area to offer prayers defying the nationwide lockdown. The Uttar Pradesh police have also registered an FIR against 25 people involved in the mob attack on UP Police during the nationwide lockdown.

Maharashtra cop, who nabbed 21 foreign Tablighi Jamaat members hiding in a mosque, tests positive for Coronavirus

On Friday, a senior police inspector working with the Maharashtra police who held 21 foreign nationals belonging to the Tablighi Jamaat had been diagnosed with the Wuhan Coronavirus. When Maharashtra cop began exhibiting symptoms of the Chinese virus after nabbing members of Tablighi Jamaat, he was tested for it. He is currently admitted to the Apollo Hospital in Nashik in Maharashtra.

The foreign Tablighi Jamaat members, 8 Malaysians, and 13 Bangladeshis had attended the Nizamuddin Markaz between March 13 and March 15. They were hiding in a mosque and a school in Mumbra in Maharashtra. The foreign nationals had travelled to Maharashtra via Tamil Nadu. 2 police cases were registered against the mosque and school authorities for withholding information about the foreign nationals by Maharashtra police.

It is important to mention that these foreigners refrained from coming forward and reporting to the government authorities, despite multiple appeals. The foreign nationals and the school trustees were then quarantined at a government facility.

Read: The Life and Crimes of the Tablighi Jamaat amidst the Wuhan Coronavirus pandemic: All You Need To Know

The Maharashtra cop who has been diagnosed with the Coronavirus had nabbed these Tablighi Jamaat members who had refused to come forward.

Earlier, the police in Ramgarh, Jharkhand had received information that some Tablighi Jamaatis were hiding in a camp deep inside the forest in Kuju. The cops raided the location and found a hideout in Orla, Telenia forest in Kuju under the Mundu police station of Ramgarh District.

Kuju OP in-charge of Bharat Paswan led a team for the search operation. They spotted a tent made up of bamboo in the dense forest with the help of villagers. No one was found inside the tent instead there were few blankets for sleeping. The police set ablaze the tent and destroyed it on the spot. As per reports, the police had received information from the locals that several people from Tablighi jamaat have been hiding in the forest of Orla Telenia. There were also reports that food and other provisions are being sent to them from Kuju every day. The Jamaatis had allegedly fled the place before the arrival of the police.

Singapore bans the use of Zoom app for online classes for students following ‘breaches involving obscene images’: Here is what happened

Singapore government has suspended the use of Zoom Video Communications Inc’s conferencing app for online education after hackers hijacked a lesson and showed obscene images to students. Singapore’s Ministry of Education (MOE) said on April 9 (Thursday) that it is currently investigating the breaches, which it described as “serious incidents”.

Singapore teachers are just the latest to be staggered by the act, in which strangers join conversations and shout offensive slogans, show obscene and distressing images or post objectionable messages.

In the latest incident which forced the Singapore government to impose the restriction, in what is known as “Zoombombing”, two hackers hindered a geography lesson just a day after Singapore shut schools as it re-introduced a partial lockdown to stop the spread of coronavirus. Lessons have instead gone online, with teachers using tools such as Zoom to speak with their students.

A parent, who introduced herself as Ms Loh, told CNA that her daughter, who is in Secondary 1, was in a home-based Geography lesson on Zoom when obscene images appeared on the screen. Two men asked female students who were participating in the online class to show themselves, she added.

Read: Taiwan government bans the use of Zoom software over ‘cybersecurity concerns’

Ms Loh said that her daughter, who studies in a school in the eastern part of Singapore, told her about the incident. “I am really glad she shared with me the incident. She seemed to try not to make a big deal of it, but I told her she should be afraid of such incidents, because this is not normal, and maybe even illegal,” she said.

Ms Loh said that the teacher immediately terminated the session, but “the damage was done. The class, or at least my daughter, saw the lewd photos and heard what the hackers asked,” she added.

“As a precautionary measure, our teachers will suspend their use of Zoom until these security issues are ironed out,” said Mr Aaron Loh, divisional director of the Educational Technology Division at MOE. 

Zoom’s popularity in educational institutions, government and private sectors surged during lockdowns in many countries. However, numerous security concerns related to the app have emerged. From “zoombombing” or hackers entering private chat rooms to selling of user data, the app has faced several criticisms.

A host of privacy concerns related to virtual meetings of top government officials during the coronavirus pandemic has compelled India also to turn to Vidyo, a video conferencing application vetted by the National Informatics Centre (NIC).

Prior to this, there were reports that Google has barred employees from using Zoom on company computers. The company had alerted employees last week that it would disable the service, citing security vulnerabilities.

Read: Is China using Zoom teleconferencing to spy on us?

The Taiwan cabinet had also asked its government agencies to stop using Zoom Video Communications Inc’s conferencing app and other video software “associated security or privacy concerns”. An advisory was issued by the Taiwan government on Tuesday proscribing the country’s government agencies from using Zoom while urging the usage of alternative apps from Google and Microsoft.

Besides, the governments of other countries have also forbidden their agencies from using Zoom. The New York City officials have restricted the usage of Zoom by schools for remote teaching and Australia’s Defence forces and its MPs are barred from using the services provided by Zoom.

Acknowledging the security concerns with his services, Zoom founder and CEO Eric Yuan has apologised for the company’s privacy and security flaws and assured that they are looking into each and every one of them and addressing them as expeditiously as they can.

Soon after the usage of Zoom increased multifold in the wake of coronavirus lockdown in most part of the world, “ZoomBombing” became an issue as people started using the software’s screen-sharing feature to interrupt meeting with inappropriate content, including violent images and pornography. According to The Intercept, Zoom video calls are not end-to-end encrypted as the company claimed and are linked to China. A few days ago, Citizen Lab researchers discovered that some of the calls through the service were routed through China.

No dearth of stocks of Hydroxychloroquine in Maharashtra: Press Information Bureau debunks fake news about the scarcity of HCQ

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Days after India heeded to US President Donald Trump’s request and allowed the exports of Hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug touted to have salutary effects in treating the Wuhan Coronavirus, a news portal, Indiatimes, ran a story alleging that while India agreed to export the medicine, its own reserves of the said medical drug are depleting.

In an article, that has now been pulled down, Indiatimes had alleged that stocks of Hydroxychloroquine(HCQ) had run dry for Mumbai doctors who are battling the coronavirus on the frontlines. However, the fact check arm of the Press Information Bureau has rubbished the unsubstantiated claims made by Indiatimes. Taking to its official Twitter page, PIB fact-check posted a tweet stating that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare(MoHFW) had allocated 34 lakh tablets of HCQ to Maharashtra up to 9 April, adding that the supply far exceeds the present requirement. It further added that it had made its own procurement as well.

Earlier today, Indiatimes had published an article which claimed that there is a paucity of HCQ stocks in Mumbai for the treatment of coronavirus patients even the country permitted the export of the crucial medical drug to the United States a few days ago. The article titled “After India Exports Hydroxychloroquine to the US, Stocks runs dry for Mumbai Doctors on Frontlines“(The article has been pulled down) cited a report by Times of India claiming that some patients who were prescribed HCQ drug for the treatment of coronavirus couldn’t procure it since the stocks of the drugs with the pharmacists in Mumbai had run dry.

The article further speculated that the scarcity of the coveted drug in India may have happened as the stockists would have hoarded the anti-malaria drug due to the US demand.

However, the Press Information Bureau busted the unfounded claims made in the article, asserting that the supply in Maharashtra is more than sufficient than the current requirement.

Read: Hydroxychloroquine helps coronavirus patients, but here is the list who should not use it

Earlier this week, India had formally announced that it was easing the blanket ban on exports and would consider its export on a case-by-case basis with approval from the ministry of external affairs. The exports were allowed after ensuring sufficient stock for domestic usage. The easing of exports of Hydroxychloroquine to the United States came after US President Donald Trump on Saturday had requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to supply hydroxychloroquine tablets that are believed to be effective in treating coronavirus patients.

India Times has a history of publishing fake news. One of their ‘esteemed’ journalists Shweta Sengar has been at the forefront of peddling fake news. It is owned by the Times Group.

Madhya Pradesh: 40 booked for offering prayers at Mosque despite lockdown

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The Madhya Pradesh police have registered an FIR against 40 men for violating the prohibitory orders of the government and gathering at the mosque in Kharikhurd village of Chhindwara Seoni road for their Shab-e-baraat ceremony. Chourai police Inspector Mukesh Dwivedi told the Indian Express that the police entered the mosque with adequate force at 7 pm after a receiving information that many have gathered to perform their religious acts.

The lockdown violators included the sarpanch of Khairikhurd village. An FIR has been registered under sections 188 and 269 of the Indian penal code, in addition to provisions of the Disaster Management Act, Epidemic Act, and Madhya Pradesh Public Health Act. Inspector Dwivedi said that all the 40 people who belonged to the same village were later released on bail. They were aged between 25 and 60. They also apologized for gathering to offer prayer on the occasion of Shab-e-Baraat.

Read: Gulabi Bagh residents object to Tablighi Jamaat members being quarantined in their locality, which houses 2500 govt employees and their families

Earlier Shia Waqf board had decided to shut all the graveyards amid the occasion of Shab-e-baraat in view of the lockdown imposed due to the Wuhan Coronavirus pandemic in the country. Muslim religious leader Syed Umer Ilyasi had also appealed to all the Muslims to remain inside their homes on the occasion of Shab-e-baraat as the 21-day lockdown is still in force in the entire country. Despite that, the Muslims gathered to celebrate the festival completely defying the social distancing norms and disrespecting the guidelines issued by the government.

Here, our law works, not Modi’s: Muslim neighbours who attacked and killed Revant Singh for lighting a lamp on Ram Navami

In a shocking incident from Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer, a resident of Madwa village, a Hindu man Revant Singh was attacked and killed by his Muslim neighbours for lighting a lamp on Ram Navami. On the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami, like many Hindus across the globe, Revant Singh had lit a lamp and kept it outside his house.

However, this did not sit well with violent Muslim youths in his neighbourhood who grievously assaulted Singh for observing a ritual concomitant to Ramnavami. After battling for his life in a comatose condition, Singh breathed his last on April 9, 2020.

Revant’s death has left his entire family destitute. While talking to Opindia, Sang Singh (District President of Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena Jaisalmer) and Mool Singh Rathore (Madwa President, Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena) said that Revant Singh’s had an extremely poor background and his wife was suffering from a mental ailment for which she had to be taken to a hospital for treatment. Besides his wife, he is survived by a brother, whose mental condition was also not well. Being the only breadwinner in his family, Singh also had the responsibility of raising his four small children.

Children of Revant Singh
Children of Revant Singh
Where they stayed

A case of assault was lodged against Dildar Khan, Feroz Khan and Iqbal at Bhaniyana police station by Revant Singh’s nephew. Singh was attacked when he was returning from a ration shop. Being financially weak, local Hindu families and Karni Sena members pooled in money and admitted Singh to a local hospital where he died on April 9 after remaining in a state of coma for 5 days.

In a conversation with OpIndia, Hindu organizations said that Revant Singh had no enmity with anyone. His only fault was to observe the Hindu festival of Ramanavami by lighting a lamp. The incensed Muslim neighbours, who were already holding a grouse against him for supporting PM Modi’s call to applaud the healthcare workers from one’s balcony/terrace on March 22 during the Janata curfew.

District Chief of National Karni Sena informed that the body of Revant Singh is still in Mathuradas Mathur Hospital in Rajasthan. He also added that out of 8 people involved in this incident, only one has been arrested so far. Hindu organizations have demanded stringent action against those who assaulted Revant Singh. They have said that the area is dominated by Muslims and Saleh Mohammad of Ashok Gehlot’s cabinet is the MLA from the region.

It is worth noting that Singh was earlier allegedly threatened by the same Muslim youths on March 22, when he heeded to PM Modi’s call for clanging utensils and clapping in balconies, to express solidarity and gratitude for the doctors, nurses, policemen and all others who were continuing with the essential services to help the country battle the fight against coronavirus.

Since Singh lived in a Muslim dominated locality. On the day of Janata curfew, 7-8 goons, who harboured hatred for PM Modi, accosted Singh for heeding to PM Modi’s call to clang utensils and clap for healthcare workers. They threatened him for following PM Modi’s request. Manhandling him, they said in their area, their rules work, not PM Modi’s.

Angered by Singh’s death, BJP leader Mahant Pratappuri said, “The fight was due to hostility. These people were angry with Revant Singh because he followed PM Modi’s request. That’s why they accosted and severely injured him.”

Mahant Pratappuri has appealed the district administration to register a case of murder against the accused, saying that the accused should be put behind the bar at the earliest. SSP Kiran Jung said that a case of murder has been registered after the investigation.

16,002 samplings conducted in a day, of which only 2 percent of cases have tested positive for Wuhan Coronavirus, no traces of community transmission

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Joint Secretary of Union health ministry, Luv Agarwal revealed that yesterday, on 9 April, the ministry had conducted 16,002 tests for Wuhan coronavirus infection. He asserted that on the basis of samplings collected, the infection rate is not high. He confirmed there was no community transmission in the country yet.

Luv Agarwal said that “Yesterday, we conducted 16,002 tests. Only 0.2% of cases tested positive. On the basis of samples collected, the infection rate is not high; rapid diagnostics kit also has been sanctioned.”

Punjab Chief Minister Amrinder Singh had said earlier on Friday that with the new cases emerging it shows the possibility of community transmission in the state of Punjab, as some of the patients who have been diagnosed have no travel history from abroad. He said, “27 cases are there with no travel history. It can be said that most of the cases are of community transmission.”

Read: After Odisha, Punjab to extend coronavirus lockdown, to remain in place till May 1

Union Health secretary has refuted the claims of community transmission in the state and said that there is no need to panic. Aggarwal said, “Today the challenge is not local or community transmission. Whenever the community transmission stage will arrive we will inform you. There is no community transmission in the country so no need to panic.”

As per World Health Organization, community transmission is a stage of infection which is evidenced by the inabilities to relate confirmed cases through chains of transmission for a large number of cases. 101 cases have been reported by the state of Punjab. 6412 cases have been diagnosed across the country while 503 have been recovered and discharged. 206 people succumbed to the disease.

After Odisha, Punjab to extend coronavirus lockdown, to remain in place till May 1

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The Punjab government has decided on Friday to extend the lockdown in the state till May 1 to contain the spread of the Wuhan Coronavirus. The decision was taken following a state cabinet meeting today. In a video conference with cabinet ministers today, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said, “Prediction by experts about the spread of the virus are horrendous and frightening.” He added that the government is preparing itself and gearing up for such a situation.

This decision comes at a time when Punjab is seeing a spike in the number of coronavirus cases in the past few days, pushing the total count to 132 so far with 11 deaths. In the last 24 hours, 21 fresh coronavirus cases have been reported.

Read: Coronavirus pandemic worsened in the Kashmir Valley after over 800 people hid their travel history: Reports

Keeping in mind the present harvesting season, the CM said Punjab will allow district-wise relief from the lockdown only to farmers in order to allow them harvesting of Rabi crop.  Yesterday, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had announced a similar extension in his state till 30 April. The nationwide lockdown is set to continue till 15 April amid various states and experts recommending an extension.

Whether to extend the 21-day national lockdown after it ends on 14th will be decided after a meeting of Prime Minister Modi with all the Chief Ministers through video conferencing on the 11th of April. Several states have requested to extend the lockdown, while some others have favoured a limited lockdown after 14th April. The PM is expected to announce a decision after the meeting and before the current lockdown ends.

Amid coronavirus lockdown, molestation accused ‘journalist’ Vinod Dua warns about ‘civil disobedience’, compares police to ‘Jallad’

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To contain the spread of the virulent Wuhan coronavirus, the government has taken a tough decision of putting the country under complete 21-day lockdown. Researchers are trying their best to come up with vaccines and treatments for the virus, but until then extreme social distancing is pretty much the only intervention available to help individuals stay healthy, and to break the chain of transmission.

The government, police and security personnel have been doing everything possible to keep people indoors. At a time like this, when journalists and influencers should be dutybound to educate masses about the merits of staying home and the seriousness of the pandemic, media person, accused of sexual harassment and stalking, Vinod Dua, through his show titled The Vinod Dua Show on HW News, is almost inciting people to take to the streets.

In episode 253 of the program, the veteran journalist says that though Coronavirus is a ‘social emergency’, the ‘real’ social emergency would be if people start defying lockdown. He incites viewers by casting aspersions on the government and police personnel who have been in the forefront fighting the pandemic. While on one hand, Vinod Dua rebukes the police by calling them ‘Jallad’- brutal and ruthless, on the other hand, he accuses the Modi government of being insensitive towards the masses.

However, it is beyond a normal persons’ intellect, that how stopping people from violating rules, in turn saving them from the pandemic makes police brutal and ruthless and how a tough decision taken, to save millions of lives, makes the government insensitive. This only a cynical misanthrope like Vinod Dua could explain.

And this is why, perhaps in a situation like this, when the masses are extremely vulnerable and sensitive, Dua attempts to instigate public by accusing Prime Minister Modi of giving them merely four hours before the announcement of the lockdown to prepare themselves for the same. He says that the Prime Minister announced at 8 pm that the lockdown would begin at 12 midnight giving barely 4 hours for the public to prepare, which led to panic, Dua says.

Invoking the demonetisation decision taken by the centre in 2016, a hot topic which the leftist and opposition have thrived on for years, he said that there are two things, implosion and explosion. Implosion, he says, is what happened at the time of demonetisation, when people slowly stopped following rules and regulations set by the government. And, now, during the lockdown, if people are deprived of food, medicines, basic amenities there would be an explosion, exhorts Dua in his video.

Read: Mumbai lockdown: Speeding biker drags on-duty policeman posted at a checkpoint, one Sheikh Naeem arrested

Apart from this, at the beginning of his latest video (Episode 261), he says that civil disobedience could break out if the lockdown continues. In a veiled instigation, he says that the masses could reject the lockdown and take to streets because lockdown is not enough to fight the coronavirus. He asks people how long can they sustain on staples provided by NGOs and the government? He says people could reject this and get out of their homes defying the government imposed lockdown.

Moreover, Vinod Dua shamelessly fearmongers in the name of unemployment during this time of crisis. He also chides whatever the government is doing in terms of providing relief packages, schemes which are being put in place for essentials like food, healthcare and income support, the social welfare policies for households, the financial policies are not enough and all the other efforts being put in by various voluntary organisations to help people at the time of this global crisis. He incites by saying that whatever they are doing is not sufficient.

It’s appalling that a veteran journalist like Vinod Dua cannot for once keep his hate for Modi aside and speak judiciously and sensitively, especially at the time when the entire country is battling with a global concern as poignant and disturbing as this one. But for such paid leftist stooges no time is inappropriate to spread filth against Modi and his government.