25 March 2020: 29 Rajjab
1441: Vol:12, No:164
*
*Coronavirus india*
Coronavirus | Census-NPR
postponed till further orders
Amid
COVID-19 outbreak, the first phase of Census 2021 and updating of the National
Population Register (NPR) that was to begin on April 1 has been “postponed
until further orders”, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Wednesday.“Due to
the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, high alert has been declared by the
Government of India as well as the States/Union Territories.... Lockdown has
also been declared by many State/UT governments,” the MHA said.On April 1, the
Census and the NPR exercise was to be rolled out in Meghalaya, the Andaman and
Nicobar Islands, Lakshwadeep and the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) area.
President Ram Nath Kovind was to be the first one to be enumerated for the Census,
followed by Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi
as all of them reside in the NDMC area that comprises Lutyens Delhi.The Hindu
first reported on March 21 that Census-NPR exercise was all set to be postponed
due to outbreak. Other States and UTs had notified different dates for the
exercise that entailed door-to-door visit by enumerators and field
representatives and was not possible under ongoing 21-day lockdown, said a
senior govt official.As many as 13 States have opposed the updating of NPR. thehindu
Coronavirus lockdown: Centre
postpones NPR, first phase of Census exercise
Fear, Uncertainty Over Essential
Supplies and Services Marks Day 1 of National Lockdown
New
Delhi: After Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India would go under a
21 day ‘lockdown’ – without mentioning how the supply of essentials would be
ensured – panic took over the streets in most parts of India with people
rushing to grocery stores and medical stores to stock up, with uncertainty
clouding the weeks to come. The Ministry of Home Affairs later released an
order which listed essential services such as grocery stores, vegetable
vendors, medical stores, etc which were exempt from the lockdown. However, in
several parts of the country – which have been on varying degrees of lockdown
since last week – there have been reports of police personnel, residents’
groups and vigilantes harassing and beating up delivery persons, forcibly
closing down grocery stores, and stopping trucks carrying essential
commodities. Prices of vegetables and fruits have also seen a substantial
increase due to the panic and uncertainty around the situation. Like in most
parts of the country, Madhya Pradesh’s commercial capital Indore and state
capital Bhopal saw panic buying of essentials immediately after Modi’s
announcement with people crowding around grocery stores, vegetable vendors,
fruit vendors and medical stores to stock up on supplies. In J&K, spools of
concertina wires and barricades – a familiar sight – are back on the roads in
the city and elsewhere, and contingents of police and paramilitary CRPF have
taken over the Valley to enforce a complete lockdown.These restrictions began
on March 19 – a day after the first case of COVID-19 was reported from
Srinagar. Soon, J&K police and paramilitary forces swung into action and
started arresting people for violating prohibitory orders.At least 49 persons
were arrested from Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir on March 23 and 23
vehicles were also seized. The number of arrests has since gone up.The curbs,
however, led to panic buying with people stocking up essentials and medicines
in many parts of Kashmir. In Telangana and Andhra Pradesh , Modi’s lack of
clarity also led to panic buying of essential commodities. Traders have
resorted to hoarding of commodities leading to artificial scarcity and price
rise. Serpentine queues have been witnessed in front of supermarkets in
Hyderabad with customers eagerly waiting for their turn to purchase food
items. In Vijaywada, prices of
vegetables have increased three and four times, which is turning out to be a
double whammy for the daily wage earners engaged in informal sectors. They have
lost their employment due to the lockdown and are now being required to pay
twice the amount for essentials. Since Kerala
has been in a state of lockdown since Monday, the impact of Modi’s
announcement was minimal. However, life
under lockdown has begun to streamline. Youth organisations have started a
network of young volunteers for delivering essentials to the needy. Rajasthan
government announced that the essential services will remain functional despite
the national lockdown. However, on the ground, the services are available at
the moment but the supply chain is gradually breaking. The grocery stores in
Jaipur remain operational from 8:30 am to 12 noon every day. Most markets
across West Bengal are functioning with curtailed timings. Vegetables markets
across Kolkata are open with huge crowds gathering in them consistently. The
police is not restricting movement of those out to buy essentials.In Guwahati
police personnel beat up people who had ventured out to get their daily supply
of essential commodities.In many places in Delhi, police personnel are forcing
even grocery stores to remain shut. “The cops told us that we could open our
shop only from 7 am to 11 am in the morning,” said Manoj Bisht, a grocery store
owner at Lado Sarai, Delhi. He also said that it is being very difficult to
source supplies for his job.The police also asked the meat and fish shop owners
to remain closed. Meat and fish are among essential commodities. In Patna
people in large numbers gathered outside grocery stores this morning as they
feared that the supply of essentials could run short in the coming weeks. So
far the supply of essentials is being maintained as in most parts of India’s
most populous state, Uttar Pradesh , shops of essentials are opened between 7 and
11 am. Vegetable and fruit vendors are also allowed to set up their carts and
take their carts into colonies. But
prices have increased. For instance, potatoes are now selling at Rs 60 a kilogram
up from Rs 20 just a week ago. Thewire
MHA issues fresh
guidelines, exempts RBI,CAG officers and forest staff from
New
Delhi :Ministry of Home Affairs
Wednesday issued several additional guidelines for essential service providers
after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day lockdown as part of
measures to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.Here are some of the
key additions:🔴All government offices — both state and Centre — shall
remain closed during the lockdown period. Exemptions are: Defence, central
armed police forces, treasury, public utilities (including petroleum, CNG, LPG,
PNG), disaster management, power generation, post offices, etc.Addition: In the
new guidelines, the ministry said that RBand RBI-regulated financial markets,
pay and accounts officers and field officers of the CAG, petroleum products and
supply chain and forest staff are exempted from the purview of lockdown.🔴Hospitals
and all related medical establishments, including manufacturing and distributing
units, both in public and private sector, such as dispensaries, chemists and
medical equipment shops, clinics, ambulance etc will continue to remain
functional. The transportation for all medical personnel, nurses, para-medical
staff, other hospital support services shall be permitted.Addition: This will
also include veterinary hospitals, pharmacies (including Jan Aushadhi Kendra)
and Pharmaceutical research labs.🔴 The government had earlier announced
that all commercial and private establishments will remain close. However,
Bank, insurance offices and ATMs will remain open.Addition: IT vendors for
banking operations, Banking Correspondents and ATM operation and cash
management agencies will also remain exceptions.🔴 Barring manufacturing
units of essential commodities, and production units that require continuous
process, industrial establishments shall remain closed.Addition: Essential
goods will also include drugs, pharmaceutical, medical devices and their raw
material & intermediates.🔴 All transport services — rail, road, and
air, remain suspended to civilians. Exemptions only for transportation of
essential goods, and fire, law and order services.Addition: Those people
handling cargo operations in airports and railway stations, coal mining
activities, officers and staff of resident commissioners based in Delhi and
customs clearance at ports, airports and land borders are also exempted.PTI
Delhi top cop admits to misconduct
by police during lockdown; harassment reported from across country
Delhi
Police Commissioner S.N. Shrivastava on Wednesday admitted that he has received
several complaints about misbehaviour by policemen during the lockdown.
However, he issued guidelines through an audio statement and asked them to be
more careful.He said: "Several complaints of misconduct by the police
during the lockdown have been received. The police should not do this. They
should, rather, assist people in dealing with the difficulties during the
pandemic outbreak. Delhi Police should not only help the people but also the
animals during this hour of crisis.""It is our duty to understand the
needs of a common man and solve them in a convenient manner," he added.He
asked the police not to unnecessarily stop those who are related with the
healthcare services. nationalheraldindia
85-year-old woman dies of
coronavirus in Ahmedabad. India's death toll now at 12
Ahmedabad: Another patient died of coronavirus
in India on Wednesday, taking the total casualties of the viral infections to
12 in the country. 85-year-old woman in Ahmedabad died of Covid-19 on
Wednesday, Gujarat health department confirmed. The woman had travelled abroad
and was admitted to the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad on March 22 after
developing coronavirus symptoms. Indiatoday
Coronavirus India LIVE : MP reports
first COVID-19 death; cases in India cross 600
2 more
deaths linked to the coronavirus were reported from Madhya Pradesh and Tamil
Nadu on Wednesday while the number of infections soared to 606 from 519 a day
earlier as the country entered into a 21-day lockdown in a bid to break the
chain of transmission of COVID-19. The Health Ministry, however, is yet to
confirm the death of the 65-year-old Ujjain-based woman in Madhya Pradesh.
Meanwhile, interacting with citizens of Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi
warned of tough action against those misbehaving with healthcare professionals
and airline crew. “People in whites in hospitals and clinics are our Gods now;
they should be respected. They are saving us by risking their own lives,” PM
Modi said.Anxious people made a beeline for grocery stores on Wednesday as the
21-day national lockdown kicked in from midnight shortly. As per latest Union
Health ministry update, the number of coronavirus cases in India rose to 606
and 42 who have recovered. indianexpress
Cipla chairman Y K Hamied: Govt
steps encouraging, but don’t ignore chronic ailments
A
watershed moment in the AIDS epidemic was 20 years ago when Indian drug major
Cipla started manufacturing and providing a triple cocktail medicine for AIDS
at roughly $1 a day, a fraction of the existing treatment price at the time.
The company was instrumental in helping control the epidemic, especially in
Africa. When Swine Flu broke out, they immediately started manufacturing
Antiflu (Oseltamivir) to combat it. Now, in the midst of the coronavirus storm,
we caught up with Cipla chairman Y K Hamied to find out how they are preparing
to meet this challenge. Hamied said, "The lockdown is absolutely
essential, but essential services should not suffer. Isolation is the best
thing we can do now. Let us look at it step-wise. First, we have to work on
prevention. What are the maximum precautions a person can take? Other than
isolation people talk of sanitisation. I accept that. If you are sanitising
your hands why aren’t you sanitizing inside your nose and mouth and inside your
lungs? In my personal opinion steam inhalation twice a day is advisable, it
doesn’t cost anything, in addition to that gargling once a day with Listerine
is also good since alcohol kills viruses."indianexpress
A Ludhiana village goes into
self-quarantine to stop NRIs, visiting relatives
Ludhiana
: Four roads from different directions can take you to Hawas, a small village
in Ludhiana with a population of just around 1,200 and a few NRIs who are back
home these days.But with the COVID-19 outbreak and curfew imposed in Punjab, it
is nearly impossible to enter this village, if one is an outsider or even if
one has a friend or a relative living there. While on the main road leading to
the village, barricades have been put up with youths keeping a vigil, on two
other roads iron angles have been put as barricades. On the fourth road,
trolleys have been parked as barricades, restricting entry of outsiders.This is
the villagers’ way of going into self-quarantine to protect themselves from
novel coronavirus.The step, according to sarpanch’s husband, has been taken as
the ‘last resort’ after people failed to abide by lockdown/curfew instructions
and kept flocking village despite being told not to do so. indianexpress
5 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours,
govt to issue e-passes to essential services staff: Kejriwal
Amid
reports of medical staffers being forcibly evicted by landlords to vacate the
premises over fear of infection, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Wednesday
requested house owners not to harass doctors, nurses and other medical staff
fighting the coronavirus outbreak. In a digital press conference, Kejriwal said
the harassment of medical staff cannot be tolerated and warned that strict
action will be taken against the landlords.On Tuesday, the Residents Doctors’
Association (RDA) of AIIMS alleged in a letter to the Home Minister that
healthcare workers are being asked to “vacate their rented homes, and some have
been forcefully evicted from their temporary residence by landlords due to fear
that those healthcare professionals make them more susceptible to the
coronavirus infection”. Following this, Home Minister Amit Shah called up the
RDA and assured them that such instances of ostracisation will be taken
seriously and action will be taken immediately. Shah also spoke to the Delhi
Police Commissioner and asked him to take strict action against such landlords. During the digital press conference, the chief minister
also said that five new coronavirus cases were reported in Delhi in past 24
hours, pushing the number of total cases to 35. Indian express
Coronavirus West Bengal Update: Mamata Visits Govt
Hospitals, Over 1,000 Arrested
Amid a 21
day lockdown in India in light of the coronavirus outbreak, the Mamata Banerjee
government in West Bengal is gearing up for the upcoming weeks with setting up
hospitals and COVID-19 testing labs in the state. Banerjee on Tuesday did the
rounds of all the government-run hospitals in the state This was after she
announced a special package for workers in the unorganised sector in the state.Meanwhile,
over a 1,000 people had reportedly been arrested by the Kolkata police for
violating restrictions.Anandabazaar.com reported that Banerjee visited the
state-run medical college hospitals in Kolkata, the quarantine centre in
Rajarhat and also Kolkata’s Beliaghata Infectious Diseases hospital on Tuesday.
huffingtonpost
Coronavirus lockdown: No system in
place for home delivery of essentials in UP yet
UP Chief
Minister Yogi Adityanath has assured that essential commodities will be
delivered at the doorstep and has asked people not to step out of their home.The
government, however, has no plan in place for doorstep delivery yet and the
police are in an extremely belligerent mood. Minutes after Prime Minister
Narendra Modi announced a 21-day lockdown in the country on Tuesday night,
people in Lucknow, Agra, Meerut, Prayagraj and Kanpur rushed out of their homes
to stock up on groceries.
"We
don't trust the government. They did not ensure supply of essential commodities
during the three-day lockdown and we have no reason to believe that they will
do so now," said R.K. Mishra, a private bank employee who was out shopping
for vegetables on Tuesday night. The Chief Minister has said that those who
need any essential commodities or medicines can call the helpline 112.
IANS
India may see 13 lakh cases by
mid-May, claims scientists group
While
India seems to have done well in controlling the number of confirmed cases
compared to other countries in the early phase of pandemic, country may see up
to 13 lakh cases by mid-May if the numbers keep growing like this,a group of
scientists has warned.According to researchers with the COVID-19 Study Group,
an interdisciplinary group of scholars and data scientists, the frequency of
testing has been very low in India only 11,500 subjects have been tested as of
March 18."When there is no approved vaccine or drug for treating COVID-19,
entering phase 2 or phase 3 of escalation will have devastating consequences on
the already overstretched healthcare system of India," scientists wrote in
a post on Medium. IANS
India Lockdown: Panic buying across
country, cops step in
NOTWITHSTANDING PM Narendra Modi’s appeal for calm
and that there were adequate supplies of essential items, his call for a 21-day
lockdown triggered panic buying across states.In Mumbai, soon after his speech
ended, residents rushed out in droves to grocers and vegetable vendors to stock
up on foodgrains, snacks, milk, eggs, bread and cleaning material. Policemen
used batons to enforce the ban on gatherings. “I had to return home
empty-handed because some policemen were beating people ahead of us,” said
Pooja Gala, a working professional who went with her father to a grocery store
near the Bhayander police station. In Juhu, a vegetable cart was chased by
people, in turn with police in hot pursuit.A policewoman in Lokhandwala
Township, Kandivali, said crowds grew even before the PM’s speech ended. “They
just ran down as soon as the PM said lockdown,” she said.In Kolkata, New
Alipore Market saw people coming in cars to lift sack-full of items. Shops
selling chicken were forced open by panic-stricken customers. “We want to buy
as many things as possible as I have too many mouths to feed at home,” said a
man in his 40s, shopping with his wife and driver. Soon, Kolkata Municipal
Corporation officials arrived to close the shops, and when that did not work,
switched off the power supply to the market. indianexpress
Several parts of Punjab go milk-less
as lockdown hits supply chain, lakhs of litres wasted
The
supply-chain management of milk in several parts of Punjab has gone awry due to
district administrations not cooperating with the milk producers, supplying
agency Verka and distributers leading to lakhs of litres of milk going waste
and costing several crores to the dairy farmers.Sources in Cooperatives
Department of Punjab government say that despite instructions being given by
the Chief Minister Amarinder Singh as well as the Centre not to obstruct the
delivery of essential items, administrations in several districts have
persisted in stopping the movement of milk products. indianexpress
Food, money running out, Delhi’s
daily wagers start heading to villages— on foot
Antresh
Kumar started walking at 3 am on Wednesday. After thinking about what a 21-day
lockdown would mean for him and his fellow daily-wagers, the 21-year-old
decided that heading home to Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh would be his best
option. Even if it means walking 175 kilometres, a journey likely to take at
least two days and convincing police to let them keep walking.Since Delhi
announced a lockdown on Monday, followed by a nationwide lockdown announced by
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, hundreds of migrant labourers have— in
the absence of public transport and with borders sealed— decided to walk home
to escape hunger, insecurity and, in Antresh’s case, his landlord.“We have no
income anymore. We would earn Rs 200-250 daily. Since the gradual shutting down
of the city, work has come to a standstill. I was not earning but the landlord
kept asking for rent,” he said. With no food, water or money, the group left.
At Anand Vihar, they drank from a canal. “All shops are closed. We can’t even
buy water if we want,” he said.Like pilgrims, the men bundled up their clothes
and walked through deserted roads to their villages in Uttar Pradesh. With
clothes in his small bag and a few rotis with salt as sustenance, 25-year-old
Aram Singh, a labourer, started from Preet Vihar in East Delhi for Badaun in
Uttar Pradesh. He, along with a few others who live in Preet Vihar as well,
said they had no option but to cover the 215-kilometre distance on foot. indianexpress
Coronavirus: Kerala suspends sale of
liquor at state-run stores amid nationwide lockdown
Kerala
government on Wednesday closed all outlets of its state-run liquor corporation
as a 21-day coronavirus lockdown began across the country, The Indian Express
reported. Despite the lockdown in the state and police presence, people had
continued to line up outside the outlets, sparking fears about the spread of
Covid-19 infection. Kerala has 109 coronavirus cases so far, of whom four have
recovered.While announcing a lockdown in Kerala on Monday, Chief Minister
Pinarayi Vijayan had refused to shut down the liquor outlets, saying that the
decision would lead to the flow of illicit liquor into the state and have
“social repercussions”. The government has now shut down more than 300 outlets
of the state-run Kerala State Beverages Corporation. latest
India has 8,432 ventilators and
9,512 ICU beds to fight Covid-19, ‘rapid upgrade’ needed: Report
Indian
health ministry’s internal data showed that the country has a capacity of
37,618 isolation beds, 9,512 intensive care unit beds and 8,432 ventilators as
of Tuesday to tackle the crisis brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic,
reported The Hindu BusinessLine.On Wednesday morning, the Union health ministry
confirmed that 562 people have been infected with Covid-19 in the country. Of
these, 512 are active cases. Nine patients have died due to the virus,
according to the ministry’s latest update. The death of a 10th person, in Tamil
Nadu, has not yet been confirmed by the Centre.
Covid-19: India bans export of
malaria drug, sanitisers, ventilators and masks
Indian government on March 25 banned export of
anti-malarial drug hydroxycloroquine to ensure that enough stock is available
in the domestic market. Hydroxycloroquine has been recommended for treating
healthcare workers handling coronavirus cases and the asymptomatic household
contacts of laboratory-confirmed cases.“The export of hydroxycloroquine and
formulations made from hydroxycloroquine is prohibited with immediate effect,”
read the Directorate General of Foreign Trade notification. It, however, said
the government will allow export of the medicine on humanitarian grounds on
case-to-case basis on the Ministry of External Affairs’ recommendation. scroll
Coronavirus outbreak | CJI urged to
order release of detained declared foreigners
A
representation has been made to Chief Justice of India Sharad A. Bobde to order
the immediate release of declared foreigners detained at the six detention
centres in Assam in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.The representation
made by the NGO, Justice and Liberty and Initiative, also urged the CJI to
order that there should not be any fresh detention of declared foreigners till
the health situation returns to normalcy.The NGO appealed on humanitarian
grounds, saying there are many old and ailing among the detainees who have been
in these centres for over a decade.“Being human beings, they [detainees] also
have at least the basic right to live and to not die of COVID-19 in the
precincts of a prison which has despicable living conditions,” the
representation said.The representation said the detainees were neither
criminals nor a threat to the society. Their detention is akin to civil
imprisonment. thehindu
Islamic bodies ask people to offer
‘namaz’ at home
PATNA: In
view of the Covid-19 pandemic, several Islamic religious organizations on
Tuesday urged the Muslim community not to gather at mosques for prayer
services. They also advised people to offer ‘namaz’ at home.Only the ‘imam’
(one who leads the prayers), ‘muezzin’ (one who proclaims the call to prayer)
and the mosque administrators will offer prayers at mosques five times a day.The
Imarat-e-Shariah, a leading Islamic body which has jurisdiction over Bihar,
Jharkhand and Odisha stated that the ‘azan’ (prayer calls) would continue to be
intoned from mosques and community prayer held five times a day.According to a
statement signed by Imarat-e-Shariah head Maulana Wali Rahmani arrangements
should be made at mosques for enough space between two people and handshakes
avoided.Meanwhile, the Bihar State Shia Waqf Board has ordered that ‘jummah’
(Friday prayers) in all Shia mosques across the state will remain suspended.
Board chairman Irshad Ali Azad regations at mosques had also been banned with
immediate effect. Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Bihar president Maulana Rizwan Ahmed
Islahi told this newspaper that an advisory had been issued asking Muslims to
offer prayers at home, instead of going to a nearby mosque. “We have asked
people to follow the advisory of the health department to maintain hygiene. The
Friday prayer have also been called off,” he said, adding, “Only the ‘imam’,
‘muezzin’ and administrations will offer prayers at mosques. Prayer calls will
be made by the ‘imam’ five times a day.” Islamic bodies have also instructed
all ‘imams’ to ensure that the sanitization of mosques is carried out daily. In
many areas of Patna, the ‘imams’ are using loudspeakers to ask people to offer
prayer services in their houses.toi Offer
Namaz at Home in View of Coronavirus Pandemic: Shariah Council of Jamaat,
Renowned Clerics Ask Muslims
COVID-19: Social organisations
provide food to needy
Mumbai:Various
social organisations and NGOs have come forward to provide food to daily
wagers, homeless and other people affected by the curfew imposed in Maharashtra
in view of the coronavirus pandemic.Some Sikh community members have been
organising ''langar'' (free kitchen) at a gurudwara in suburban Mumbai since
last two days.Besides, some NGOs distributed food packets to homeless people at
Kalyan and Dombivali in neighbouring Thanre district on Monday.The
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Students'' Islamic Organisation of India and some other
organisations also distributed around 1,000 food packets to people in the last
two days in Madanpura, Jogeshwari, Andheri, Oshiwara, Kurla and Vikhroli areas
of Mumbai and Mumbra and Kalyan in Thane.Volunteers reached out to people
affected by the lockdown, especially daily wagers, and provided them food.On
Monday afternoon, food packets were provided in Anna Nagar to truck drivers who
were working in the city and did not have lunch.Some volunteers of
Jamaat-e-Islami, Alliance Against CAA-NRC-NPR and Memon community members
provided lunch in the last two days to daily wagers who were stranded at the
Kurla terminus while waiting for trains to return to their home towns.A similar
help was extended by the Jamaat-e-Islami to the needy in various parts of
Vikhroli as well as slum localities near Hiranandani, Powai.In Kalyan, nearly
10 social organisations have joined these Mumbai-based NGOs, who plan to
provide around 600 ration kits to the needy families.The volunteers have been
taking necessary hygiene precautions by wearing gloves and face masks and using
hand sanitisers during food distribution."We feel that as human beings,
it''s our responsibility to help the most vulnerable amongst us in their time
of need. We appeal to all citizens of Mumbai and Thane to join in our efforts.
We also request the state government to put in place a safety net for those who
have lost work during the lockdown," Jamaat-e-Islami''s Mumbai head Haseeb
Bhatkar said. PTI
Amid the lockdown to curb the
outbreak of Covid-19, citizens are doing their
COVID-19: Islamic scholar urges
Muslims to refrain from attending congregational prayers
Aligarh
(UP) : Noted Islamic scholar and leading
theologian, Maulana Shaikh Khalil-ur-Rahman Sajjad Nomani on Tuesday urged the
Muslim community to refrain from attending congregational prayers in mosques
till the (COVID-19) pandemic recedes.The scholar's appeal is the first
categorical announcement by a top Muslim cleric to the faithful to prevent the
spread of coronavirus. Nomani, considered the tallest cleric of the Naqshbandi
Sufi order, is also an official spokesman of the All India Muslim Personal Law
Board.He said that he was issuing this appeal only after conferring with
leading Islamic jurists and theologians.PTI
‘Sarcasm and reality’: Omar
Abdullah’s response to Covid-19 lockdown leaves netizens in splits
New Delhi
:Released after almost eight months in detention, former chief minister of
Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah quickly updated his Twitter bio to “Former PSA
Political detinue”. However, soon after his release, a 21-day nationwide
lockdown was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to combat the spread of
Covid-19.Tweeting about the lockdown in a humourous way, Abdullah shared a meme
with a caption, “These are serious & scary times so a little humour doesn’t
hurt.” In the meme was a picture of the politician himself along with a tagline
that read, “When you spend 236 days in lockdown, and on the day you get out,
the govt imposes 21-day national lockdown.”Earlier too, following his release,
Abdullah had tweeted if anyone wanted “tips on surviving quarantine or a
lockdown” as he had “months of experience” at his disposal.Since being shared
online, the tweet has garnered over 6,500 retweets and has been flooded with
netizens praising the politician’s humour.indianexpress
Bengal Imams' body restricts entry
of people into mosques
With the
coronavirus outbreak triggering lockdown across the country, an organisation of
Imams of West Bengal on Tuesday asked authorities of mosques to restrict entry
of people to prevent large gatherings and conducting prayers with very few
devotees. While regular namaz and other religious practices should continue
with 4-5 people, entry of others into mosques will have to be restricted,
Chairman of Bengal Imams Association Mohammed Yahia said in a statement."Others
will conduct their namaz prayers at their houses," he said adding that it
is only an emergency measure in view of the present situation. As of now,
arrangements will be in force to hold the Shab e barat festival on April 9 and
the decision will be reviewed afterwards, Yahia said.
Imam of
Nakhoda Masjid here, one of the prominent mosques in the state, Shafique Qasmi
said, "We have already restricted entry of people inside the mosque even
during prayers to prevent large gatherings and while the Imam will conduct the
namaz prayers within the premises on a microphone, others will do the same at
their houses." He said this practice will continue till the situation
improves as "our country is faced with a grave danger." PTI
*Coronavirus World*
Coronavirus : As global toll touches
20,000, Spain overtakes China with 3,434 deaths
More than
20,000 people across the world have died due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with
over 4.5 lakh confirmed cases globally, say reports.Spain reported 3,434 deaths
over taking China’s toll. Meanwhile, Prince Charles tested positive for
coronavirus Wednesday, according to a statement released by Clarence House this
morning.The total number of positive cases spiked to 436,159 across the world
on Wednesday. While Italy has reported the maximum number of deaths at 6,820,
Spain took over China’s toll with 3,434 deaths as against the latter’s 3,160.
In Iran, 1,934 have died, 1,100 in France and 422 in the United Kingdom.
Meanwhile, Netherlands has seen 276 deaths and 192 people have died in New
York, according to a report John Hopkins University report.IMF and World Bank
on Wednesday called for governments to put a hold on debt payments from the
world’s poorest nations so they can battle the coronavirus pandemic. “The World
Bank Group and IMF believe it is imperative at this moment to provide a global
sense of relief for developing countries as well as a strong signal to
financial markets,” Washington-based development lenders said in a joint
statement. indianexpress
Spain
sees steep rise in single-day toll, reports 738 deaths
Italy reports 683 more coronavirus
deaths
Italy has
reported 683 new deaths in the coronavirus pandemic, bringing the total to
7,503 as the confirmed cases rose to 74,386, appearing to level off but not
dropping dramatically from previous days. The hardest-hit northern region of
Lombardy reported a sharp fall in the number of deaths compared with the day
before, but remained in a critical situation, with a total of 4,474 deaths and
32,346 cases. aljazeera
As Russia postpones vote on changes,
it allows Putin to stay in power until 2036
Russian
President Vladimir Putin delayed a public vote on constitutional amendments
which allows him to stay in power until 2036, AP reported. Putin’s move comes
amid the coronavirus outbreak in Russia. “I believe the voting must be
postponed to a later date,” Putin said of the April 22 plebiscite in a rare
televised address in which he called on Russians to show solidarity.The
reforms, proposed by the President and approved by lawmakers over the previous
months, would reset presidential term limits, which potentially allow him to
stay in power for 20 years. He also declared next week as a ‘non-working week’.
US Federal officials reach deal on
$2 trillion aid package
The White
House and Senate leaders of both parties have struck an agreement on a sweeping
USD 2 trillion measure to aid workers, businesses and a health care system
strained by the rapidly spreading coronavirus outbreak. The agreement came on
late Tuesday after days of often intense haggling and mounting pressure and
still needed to be finalised in detailed legislative language.
UN Council meets by videoconference—
with a few hiccups
The UN
Security Council met for the first time in its history via videoconference on
Tuesday due to the coronavirus crisis — but diplomats said the meeting was not
without technical difficulties. The ambassadors and deputies all logged in from
home, and the media had no access.
Trump hopes to reopen economy by
Easter
The
number of coronavirus cases in the United States jumped by nearly 10,000 while
about 150 Americans died in a day even as President Donald Trump hoped to
reopen the country’s economy by Easter, April 12. With millions of Americans
under a lockdown, the National Guard as well as the armed forces were pressed
into service in several states such as New York which saw at least 53 deaths
and about 5,000 new cases on Tuesday. New York has so far reported more than 25,000
COVID-19 cases and 210 fatalities.
Malaysia’s key medical glove
factories cutting staff 50% amid virus
Malaysia’s
medical glove factories, which make most of the world’s critical hand
protection, are operating at half capacity just when they’re most needed, AP
reported. Health care workers snap gloves on as the first line of protection
against catching COVID-19 from patients, and they’re crucial to protecting
patients as well. But medical-grade glove supplies are running low globally,
even as more feverish, sweating and coughing patients arrive in hospitals by
the day. Malaysia is by far the world’s largest medical glove supplier,
producing as many as three out of four gloves on market.
Italy new virus infections drop to
lowest point in crisis
Italy on
Tuesday received more reassuring evidence that its coronavirus infection rate
was slowing thanks to a painful lockdown that other nations are starting to
apply at great economic cost. Health officials across the ravaged Mediterranean
country are poring over every new piece of data to see whether two weeks of
bans and closures have made a dent in the crisis. The harshest restrictions are
theoretically due to expire on Wednesday evening — although the government is
all but certain to extend them in some form for weeks or even months. Italy’s
743 new deaths broke two days of successive declines that had taken the number
down to 601 on Monday. It set a world record of 793 fatalities on Saturday.
Blessing or Curse: Olympians now
have another year to prepare for Tokyo
Steele
Johnson, a diver who won a silver medal for the United States at the 2016 Rio
Games, woke up Tuesday morning to texts from friends saying they were so sorry
that the Summer Olympics had been postponed. They knew how hard it had been for
Johnson, 23, and his wife, Hilary, to make ends meet as he pursued a gold medal
in Tokyo. When he read the news, Johnson said, he felt a pit in his stomach.
Pakistan to suspend domestic flights
as coronavirus cases near 1,000
Pakistani
authorities have decided to suspend all domestic flight operations from
Thursday until April 2 as part of efforts aimed at curbing the spread of the
new coronavirus. Last weekend, Pakistan banned all international flights.
According to civil aviation spokesman Abdul Sattar Khokhar, the ban will not
apply to cargo and special flights. Usually the president, prime minister and
other top government officials travel in special planes. The measure comes as
overall cases of the new virus in Pakistan jumped to 990, with seven deaths
reported. The crisis has prompted the government to enforce a nationwide
lockdown for two to three weeks.
Caught in US-China Diplomatic Spat on 'Labelling'
Coronavirus, India Chooses Silence
New
Delhi: As India along with the rest of the world struggles to combat the
COVID-19 threat, Chinese State Councillor Wang Yi on Wednesday called External
Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.The call came at a time when China and the United
States are engaged in a raging diplomatic tussle over who is responsible for
the coronavirus pandemic. China asked India to oppose America’s move to push
for accountability of the Chinese regime over the outbreak.Amid the biggest
global health crisis, Wang asked India to “oppose the narrow mindset” to “label
the virus and stigmatise China”. US President Donald Trump has been referring
to the coronavirus as the “Chinese virus” and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
calls it “Wuhan virus”.While Jaishankar tweeted to say he and Wang discussed
working together to combat COVID-19 and also that the global challenge requires
global cooperation, he said nothing about agreeing or disagreeing with China on
opposing the term “Chinese virus”. However, the Chinese media press release
said, “The Indian side does not agree with the practice of labelling the
virus…” Ministry of External Affairs refused to add anything more to the
minister’s tweet when asked specifically to respond to this statement.Continuing
its denial of the virus originating in Wuhan, Councellor Ji Rong, spokesperson
of the Indian Embassy in Beijing, said the origin of the novel coronavirus is a
matter of science requiring professional and scientific assessment.In an
interview to a US media outlet, Mike Pompeo said, “The virus began in Wuhan,
China. There’s no doubt about where it began. Indeed, the Chinese Communist
Party itself acknowledged that that’s where the virus began. And unfortunately,
the Chinese Communist Party covered it up and delayed its response in a way
that has truly put thousands of lives at risk.Meanwhile, Russia reacted sharply
to Pompeo. Russian first deputy Permanent Representative to UN tweeted, “Make
America sane again, blaming others is mean tactics…” This was specifically in
response to Pompeo calling CCP, Russia, Iran “ bad actors around the world”
spreading misinformation and lies about coronavirus. news18
China Didn't Create or Transmit
Coronavirus Intentionally, Terms like 'Wuhan Virus' Wrong, Says Spokesperson
China on
Wednesday said it has neither created the coronavirus nor intentionally
transmitted it and that usage of terms like "Chinese virus" or
"Wuhan virus" is wrong.Ji Rong, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy
here, said the international community should focus on China's "swift
response" to pandemic rather than "stereotyping the Chinese
people".Elaborating on the cooperation between India and China in efforts
to fight the disease, Ji said both countries have maintained communication and
have lent support to each other in coping with the pandemic through difficult
times.He said the Indian side has provided medical supplies to China and
supported its fight against the contagion in various ways. "We express
appreciation and thanks for that," Ji said.Pointing out that the WHO has
stressed that linking China and Wuhan with the virus must be corrected, the
spokesperson said, "Those people who are trying to stigmatise China's efforts
have ignored the huge sacrifices the Chinese people made in safeguarding the
health and safety of all mankind".Ji added that although Wuhan city in
China first reported the outbreak, there is no evidence that China is the
source of the virus that caused COVID-19.He stressed that the origin of the
novel coronavirus is a matter of science that requires professional and
scientific assessment.On Tuesday, China's National Health Commission reported
78 new confirmed cases of coronavirus, including 74 imported infections, while
the death toll from the novel coronavirus increased to 3,277 after seven more
fatalities.The overall confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland reached 81,171
on Monday. This included 3,277 people who died of the disease, 4,735 patients
who were still being treated and 73,159 patients discharged after recovery.PTI
U.S. CDC reports 54,453 coronavirus
cases, 737 deaths
https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/health/976795-us-cdc-reports-54453-coronavirus-cases-737-deaths
U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday reported 54,453
coronavirus cases, an increase of 10,270 cases from its previous count, and
said the death toll had risen by 193 to 737. The CDC reported its tally of
cases of the respiratory illness, COVID-19, caused by a new coronavirus, as of
4 p.m. ET on March 24 compared to its tally a day earlier. Reuters
Coronavirus: Herat emerges as
Afghanistan's epicentre
Kabul,
Afghanistan - As the number of coronavirus cases in Afghanistan steadily
climbs, the western province of Herat has emerged as the epicentre of the
country's outbreak with at least 54 of the 75 total cases reported in the
country.Thousands of Afghans have returned to Herat from neighbouring Iran,
where at least 1,800 people have died due to the pandemic.But most of them do
not seem to have been quarantined in order to check the spread of the virus.Government
efforts to persuade people to maintain social distancing have proven futile
amid the rush of returnees from Iran and a general lack of adherence to safety
guidelines. aljazeera
*ANTI-CAA,NPR,
NRC STIR*
Shaheen Bagh protestors urge SC to
order probe into 'forcible removal and destruction' of protest site
New
Delhi: A day after Delhi Police removed anti-CAA protestors from Shaheen Bagh,
the agitators have written a letter to the Supreme Court seeking an
investigation into the alleged forcible removal and destruction of the protest
site.Amid Delhi government’s announcement of imposing a lockdown across the
national capital to contain the spread of coronavirus, police personnel ended
the 101-day long Shaheen Bagh protest early Tuesday (March 24). For more than
three months the protesters had occupied a critical road connecting Noida and
south Delhi.In their letter, the Shaheen Bagh protestors sought a direction
from the apex court for citizens' rights.Delhi Police on Tuesday also cleared
the anti-CAA protest site in Hauz Rani, Turkman Gate and Jaffarabad. A few
protestors were detained as they refused to vacate the place. Senior advocate
Sanjay Hedge and advocate Sadhana Ramachandran, interlocutors appointed by the
apex court to hold talks with the Shaheen Bagh protesters, appealed to the
agitators not to escalate the matter following the police action.timesnownews
Asked to move due to lockdown, Shaheen Bagh protestors say 'will
be back to fight CAA'
NEW
DELHI: Hours after the Delhi Police cleared the sit-in site at Shaheen Bagh on
Tuesday, anti- CAA protesters pledged to resume their “fight” against the
contentious citizenship law after the COVID-19 crisis is over.Expressing their
annoyance, volunteers associated with the Shaheen Bagh protest said the police
intervention was inevitable.“Our protest was an idea. The police have just
removed people physically from the
location. The tents and posters and all the symbolic protest material that we
had kept were removed. At a time when we were obeying and cooperating amid such
a pandemic, the police took advant age and cl e a red everything,” said a woman
protester, requesting anonymity. Another volunteer Asif Mujtaba pledged to
continue the stir later.“We will plan accordingly. The road blockade is just a
part of the protest. We have not called off the protest yet,” he said.A Twitter
handle, being managed by a group of volunteers, declared that the movement
would continue but its physical manifestation will evolve. “Although the sit-in
by the women of Shaheen Bagh was the fundamental form of the protest, its
essence, however, transcends its physical form. Shaheen Bagh is no longer just
a sentiment space, but an idea, a warm sentiment, a symbol of indefatigable
spirits and democratic force. The movement will go and only its physical
manifestation will evolve,” read the statement posted on social media
platform.After clearing protest sites at Shaheen Bagh and Jamia Millia Islamia,
the police dismantled all art installations placed at two locations. Later,
workers were seen painting the walls that had full of slogans and messages in
the about three-month agitation. A senior police officer said all paraphernalia
at protest sites near Okhla and Shaheen Bagh were removed but denied giving
order to whitewash artwork on the walls. newindianexpress
'Shaheen Bagh Was Not an Event or a
Tent, it Made Indian Muslim Women Partners in National Affairs'
New
Delhi: The women of Delhi's Shaheen Bagh locality are aware of the threat of
novel coronavirus. So they modified their mode of protest to ensure social
distancing as they were wary of withdrawing completely with their demands
remaining unmet. The Delhi police on Tuesday evicted the protesters, and
removed every art installation put up by the demonstrators over the period of
three months.Gone are the tall map of India rejecting the CAA, NRC and NPR, the
library at the bus stop, the detention centre model, the India Gate image,
portraits of freedom fighters and makers of modern India, and the stage from
where the women spoke and resisted the controversial changes by the Centre in
the country's citizenship rules.“We didn’t know that the government considers
us also as some kind of a virus. Every piece of art and installation has been
removed but they don’t realise the attack has been made on the symbols of idea
of India,” said Shaista Bano, who has seen the visuals of police evicting the
protesters and packing away or whitewashing every article of protest. She has
participated in most of the demonstrations in the past three months."The
government thinks we are too naive to understand the underlying intentions
behind the eviction and vandalism at the protest site in the name of the
coronavirus… inke liye toh shayad hum virus hain (for them, perhaps we are like
virus too),” she added.The women have left the spot, for now – and some have
been detained. “But at this moment, it is expected of us to ensure safety for
all … we will not go back on our demands and see how to continue the struggle,”
Shaista said. COVID-19 pandemic is closing down the world. Syeda Saiyidain
Hameed, ex planning commission member and women's rights activist, is aware
about the eviction following the outbreak, and invested faith in the movement
saying is “not just an event”."It was a vibrant movement, something unseen
in the history of Muslim women. We were hoping for it to not become an event
and it did not. With this the Muslim women became the partners in the development
paradigm. They were not an instrument in anyone’s hands. They are in the
mainstream upholding the Constitution. They are not relegated to a the corner
of an Urdu daily column.”The eviction has also brought the destruction of the
site. But the gain is, Syeda said, “The Muslim women have achieved their
identity and participation in the affairs of the country. They must not go back
in the ghetto no matter how much other people try to get them.” news18
Jamia students claim policemen
defaced anti-CAA graffiti on walls of university
New Delhi:The
Jamia Coordination Committee (JCC) on Tuesday alleged that policemen defaced
their anti-CAA graffiti on the walls of the university, a charge denied by
police.The graffiti had been painted while the protest against the Citizenship
Amendment Act (CAA) was underway outside the gate of Jamia Millia Islamia.The
students claimed that their protest-related graffiti and verses of Faiz Ahmed
Faiz and Manto were specifically targeted. JCC, a group comprising Jamia Millia
Islamia students and alumni of the university, had called off its sit-in
protest against the new citizenship law last week in the wake of coronavirus
outbreak. JCC members claimed that policemen came along with painters on
Tuesday morning and defaced the graffiti."Are paintings also violating
lockdown? Susceptible to Coronavirus infections? So why are these at Jamia
being painted over? Such vindictivenes in the garb of locking down. Shame!
@DelhiPolice ..An absolute shame. #WeWillRiseAgain #jamia #Inquilabliveson
#inquilabzindabad," JCC tweeted.JCC members also alleged that essential
supplies, which were to be sent to riot-hit northeast Delhi, kept in the tents
were stolen.PTI
Kolkata’s anti-CAA protesters leave
placards, shoes
“Imran, I am here only”, “I am Nuzhat, I am
present here 24X7”, “Saad Abdullah, No NRC, No CAA no NPR” — these are among
the placards left at the Park Circus Maidan in Kolkata, which has been central
to the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) protests in West Bengal since
January 7, 2020. Shaheen Bagh protest site cleared by Delhi Police. 9 held |
Lucknow protest against CAA suspended as city comes under lockdown | Muslim
outfits vow to come back stronger against citizenship law . Besides placards,
there are dozens of pairs of shoes, scarves and dupattas kept at the ground,
with the names of the people who have left them behind. On Wednesday afternoon,
there were only five to six people left at the ground, including two elderly
women on the stage with face masks, sitting a few meters apart. “About five to
seven people are at the ground every hour, including during the night. The
police has allowed only this kind of crowd here,” Abid Rana Karim, one of the
protesters, told The Hindu. The youth, who was taking a selfie, explained that
the protest at the ground was now “symbolic”.A chair next to the stage has the
name of Asmat Jamil, a driving force behind the anti-CAA movement since it
began here. Ms. Jamil said that it was a conscious decision on the part of
organisers to keep placards, shoes and clothes. thehindu
Coronavirus Fears Are a Double
Whammy for Displaced Victims of Delhi Riots
New
Delhi: “They killed my brother and broke both my hands, my house is burnt. I
have no money and nowhere to go if they throw me out of here” said Nizamuddin,
whose address for the last one month has been Tent-11, Idgah Relief camp – but
maybe not for too long.Delhi witnessed its worst communal conflict in decades
between February 23 and February 27, 2020. Fifty-three people were killed,
hundreds were injured and numerous houses and cars were burnt. The riots broke
out in North East Delhi.After the riots, hundreds of people who had been
affected by the violence fled what they called their homes for decades in the
fear of violence from the brethren of Delhi. Some of them left Delhi, moving to
different cities to their relatives. People who were unable to go elsewhere
were forced to live in the relief camps built by the Delhi government and the
Delhi Waqf Board.For the last month, about 870 people have been calling this
relief camp their home. Amidst the coronavirus pandemic in India, the future of
the residents of the camp is in darkness. Delhi Waqf board and the state
government has ordered that the camp be vacated on an immediate basis to keep
the virus from spreading.“The coronavirus pandemic is a serious issue and we
don’t want to endanger the health and lives of the people in the camp,” said
Mohammed Imran, media coordinator and nodal officer of Delhi Waqf Board. “We
also don’t want these people to take the relief services for granted.” thewire
Coronavirus | No shelter for riot
victims as Delhi clears Eidgah relief camp: Report
Following
the outbreak of novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, in India, the governments –
both at the Centre and the states – are trying to ensure citizens abide by
advisories on basic hygiene and social distancing to curb its spread. As a
result, mass gatherings of any nature have been banned for the coming weeks,
typically until the deadly disease has been eradicated.In an effort to ensure
that, Delhi’s Eidgah relief camp, located in Old Mustafabad, had to abruptly
drive out riot victims too. More than 600 riot victims had been residing there
since their homes were ravaged by the communal violence that killed more than
50 persons in North East Delhi in February.Now, they have nowhere to go.
Authorities have begun clearing the camp and the inmates have about 24 hours to
look for an alternate accommodation, Indian Express reported.Shabana is one
such riot victim who had sought refuge in the Eidgah relief camp. A mother to
five daughters, she has no house to return to, no spare clothes to wear, no
food or medicine either and is worried about how she would sustain herself in
coming days.On March 24, the riot victims were offered cash assistance of Rs
3,000 each to help them pay rent and buy ration for a few days. While some don’t
have a home to go back to, others are still worried about being attacked by
their neighbours. Meanwhile, some families have claimed they haven’t received
the rent amount either, the report said.Some volunteers helping out at the camp
told the paper that several riot victims have already vacated the camp and only
30 to 40 families remain. They too have been planning on leaving the place as
it has got difficult to arrange for food and healthcare. moneycontrol
After riots, now virus: N-E Delhi
residents struggle to put life back together
On
February 25, 75-year-old Sanjay Kaushik’s three-storey home in north-east
Delhi’s Brijpuri was gutted in the worst-ever communal clashes that Capital had
seen in decades.Last week, he had restarted his business of supplying cooking
oil and other essentials to nearby grocery stores. But then the Covid-19
pandemic demanded the government take stern measures.Delhi government responded
with the announcement of a lockdown that sealed the city’s borders and
requested citizens to avoid non-essential travel. The Union government stopped
the Railways as many started to leave for their homes in other states.Kaushik
had to stop work.“There is no labour available due to the lockdown. I don’t
know where to start from,” he said.
After
staying at his relative’s place for over two weeks, the family recently shifted
to a small flat in Ganga Vihar. With no business, Kaushki finds it difficult to
support his staff of 10 people. The ₹2.5-lakh compensation he got from the
Delhi government is almost spent.“After the riots, I gave them money so that
they can support their families. But now due to coronavirus scare, I’m not able
to restart my business. I don’t know how to pay my staff,” he said.Five-kilometers
away in Shiv Vihar, one of the worst affected areas in the riots, 42-year-old
Shehzad Ahmed, who supplied waste paper for recycling to mills, is struggling
to start afresh too.His godown that also served as his office, and the trucks
parked outside were gutted along with several shops, schools, houses in the
lower-income group locality. hindustantime
Anti-CAA protests ‘take a break’ in western UP, to resume
after Covid-19 is defeated
Meerut/Agra/Bareilly: After Delhi and Lucknow, women protesters staging
round-the-clock sit-in against CAA and NRC withdrew their stir in all cities of
western UP, but with a rider that they will resume it once the novel
coronavirus is wiped out. The “conditional break” was achieved after a lot of
persuasion by police, authorities and religious leaders who termed large-scale
gathering as unsafe amid the threat posed by novel coronavirus.In Deoband, a
town in UP’s Saharanpur district housing one of the world’s largest Islamic
seminaries, a protest was going on for the last 57 days. On Tuesday, it was
discontinued. However, the protesting women left their bangles and ‘burqas’ at
the protest site, Eidgah ground, under the “guard of CCTV cameras”.“We will
resume the stir from April 5. Until then, no one will touch these burqas and
bangles or else we would resume our agitation, then and there,” one of the
protesters said. Over 500 women were at the sit-in site at any given time for
the last almost two months in Deoband’s Eidgah, making it the largest protest
site in UP.According to Vidyasagar Mishra, Saharanpur superintendent of police
(rural), “We had been talking to the representatives of this agitation for some
time. On the day of janata curfew, the attendance became thin. And on late
Monday night, they finally agreed with some conditions.”Fozia Usmani, a member
of Mutahida Khawatin Committee (MKC), the organising committee of the ‘dharna’,
said, “We are leaving our bangles and burqas behind as our symbolic presence.
We are only leaving the place for time being to mitigate chances of community
spread of novel coronavirus.”In Aligarh’s Shahjamal area, another major protest
site in the state, the agitation was called off on Tuesday. The protesters were
staging the sit-in for the last 57 days. They vacated the protest site after
getting a “written” assurance from police that their tents and other items will
not be removed from ‘dharna’ site, as they will resume the sit-in after spread
of the virus is controlled. In Moradabad
also, Eidgah was cleared of protesters. Additional superintendent of police
(city) said that tents and other things have been removed from the sit-in site.
Similarly, superintendent of police in Sambhal said that all protesting women
have gone back to their homes calling off the protest there.
*OTHERS*
UP CM Leads Ram Temple Rituals at
Ayodhya Day after PM Announced Nationwide
LUCKNOW, : Ayodhya: Ram Lalla idol here was
shifted to a temporary new location on early Wednesday morning in the presence
of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, clearing the site to allow
construction of a Ram temple.The idol of Ram Lalla was placed on a 9.5-kg
silver throne in the new structure where the idol would remain till the
construction of the Ram temple is completed on the site, allotted for it by the
Supreme Court in a landmark verdict in November..After the idol was placed, the
chief minister offered special prayers in the presence of Ram Mandir Trust Secretary
Champat Rai. Even after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced complete
nationwide lockdown from Tuesday midnight in view of the Coronavirus endemic
and Union Home Ministry announced closure of all religious places for public
and banned all religious congregations “without any exception”, Uttar Pradesh
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath led Ram Temple rituals in Ayodhya early
Wednesday morning. He went to Twitter and himself announced about the event. He
also shared photos.“Ayodhya has made a call…The first phase of construction of
grand Ram Temple concluded today, Lord Ram has moved from tirpal to new
place…Shifted the idol of ‘Ram Lalla’ to a temporary structure near Manas
Bhawan. Donated Rs 11 lakh for construction of grand temple,” tweeted UP CM at 6:45
AM today along with three pictures of the event wherein he is seen leading the
rituals. A few senior leaders of RSS and VHP were present on the occasion.The
event was earlier scheduled but reports had come that in view of the lockdown
due to the Coronavirus, this could be deferred. However, according to NDTV,
Yogi reached Ayodhya late Tuesday night after the PM announced nationwide
lockdown. Along with Yogi, at least 20 people attended the ritual Wednesday
morning, TV channel said. Besides CM Yogi, many prominent saints from the town,
senior government officials including Ayodhya's DM and SP were in attendance.Soon
after PM’s Tuesday 8 PM address, Union Ministry of Home Affairs had issued
three-page guidelines regarding the lockdown. The ministry announced shops,
markets, offices and institutions except those engaged in essential services. Indiatomorrow/ PTI
Ayodhya:
Ram Lalla idol shifted to temporary structure to allow temple construction
Cruel to continue to detain Mehbooba
Mufti: Omar Abdullah
A day after he was released from jail, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief
Minister Omar Abdullah appealed to the Centre to release PDP chief Mehbooba
Mufti who continues to be under detention ever since the government abrogated
special status to the erstwhile state and imposed a lockdown and restrictions
on communications in the Vlaley.Taking to Twitter, the National Conference
leader said, “It’s callous and cruel to continue to detain Mehbooba Mufti and
others at a time like this.There was never much justification to detain
everyone in the first place and none at all to keep them detained as the
country enters a 3-week lockdown.” indianexpress
*WORLD*
Kabul Sikh temple siege: Dozens
killed in gunmen attack
Afghan
forces have killed gunmen who attacked a Sikh religious complex in the capital,
Kabul, ending an hours-long siege that killed 25 people, the Ministry of
Interior has said.The attack on Wednesday was claimed by the ISIL (ISIS) armed
group. Earlier, the Taliban armed group denied it was behind the siege that
left at least eight others wounded. Witness Raju Singh Sonny told AFP that a
man dressed in a police uniform burst into the temple in central Kabul, shot a
guard and started attacking worshippers in the main hall."Several other
attackers also entered the building and they were going from room to room
shooting people," Sonny said.Later in the day, interior ministry spokesman
Tariq Arian said in a message to journalists the operation by the security
forces had concluded and all attackers were killed.Security forces cordoned off
the area, located in old Kabul, after gunmen stormed the complex, the
government said.Narindra Singh Khalsa, a parliamentarian from the minority Sikh
community, told AP news agency he had been near the Gurdwara - the Sikh place
of worship - when the attack happened and ran to the site.
aljazeera
Netanyahu ally resigns, deepening
Israeli political turmoil
Israel's
parliament speaker has abruptly resigned, dealing a blow to Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu and deepening the country's political turmoil as the
embattled leader tries to cling to power amid a fast-spreading outbreak of the
coronavirus and a looming corruption trial.The resignation of Knesset Speaker
Yuli Edelstein on Wednesday clears the way for the opposition to move forward
with efforts in parliament to topple Netanyahu.But by resigning, Edelstein, a
member of Netanyahu's Likud party, also defied a Supreme Court order to hold a
vote for his successor, throwing down a new obstacle that could delay the
opposition from proceeding with its agenda for several days. aljazeera
Bangladesh releases jailed
opposition leader Khaleda Zia
Bangladesh's
ailing former prime minister and opposition leader Khaleda Zia has been released
from prison on humanitarian grounds, her party said.74-year-old was freed on
Wednesday for six months to allow her to undergo urgent medical treatment.Zia's
release was granted on the condition that she will stay in the capital, Dhaka,
for treatment of her diabetes and arthritis.Her family had appealed for her to
be allowed to go to the United Kingdom for treatment."She will now be
treated by top Bangladeshi doctors," Zahid Hossain, vice chairman of
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), told AFP news agency.Hundreds of Zia's
supporters greeted her in Dhaka - defying a government ban on public gatherings
to contain the coronavirus pandemic - as she emerged in a wheelchair from a
hospital where she had been kept in a special cell. aljazeera
Sudan Defence Minister dies at Juba
peace talks
Sudanese
Defence Minister Lieutenant General Jamal al-Din Omar died of an unspecified
illness on Wednesday while in neighbouring South Sudan for peace talks with his
country’s main rebel groups, the military announced.Mr. Omar had “suffered from
a number of chronic illnesses,” armed forces spokesman Amer Mohamed al-Hassan
said without elaborating.The government delegation in the South Sudanese
capital Juba said Omar died at 2:30 a.m. (2330 GMT ) “after a sudden heart
attack during the performance of his sacred duty”. AFP
More than 60 people found dead in
cargo container in Mozambique
More than
60 people believed to be migrants from Ethiopia have been found dead in a cargo
container in Mozambique's northwest Tete province, according to officials.Police
and immigration authorities stopped the truck en route from Malawi in the early
hours of Tuesday morning in the province of Tete, bordered by Malawi on one
side and Zimbabwe on the other. aljazeera
Istanbul prosecutor indicts Saudi
suspects for Khashoggi killing
The
Istanbul prosecutor's office said it had prepared an indictment against 20
suspects over the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, including the
former deputy head of Saudi Arabia's general intelligence and a former royal
adviser.Khashoggi's killing in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018
caused a global uproar, tarnishing the image of Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS).Five sentenced to death over Jamal
Khashoggi's murderSome Western governments, as well as the CIA, said they
believed MBS ordered the killing - an accusation Saudi officials have denied.The
prosecutor's office said the indictment accuses the former deputy head of Saudi
Arabia's general intelligence, Ahmed al-Asiri, and the former royal court
adviser, Saud al-Qahtani, of having "instigated premeditated murder with
monstrous intent". aljazeera
92 Chad soldiers killed in
'deadliest' Boko Haram attack
At least
92 soldiers from Chad have been killed in the deadliest-ever attack by the Boko
Haram armed group on the country's military forces, President Idriss Deby said
on Tuesday."We lost 92 of our soldiers, non-commissioned officers and
officers," the president said of the attack overnight on Sunday in Boma."It’s
the first time we have lost so many men," he added, after visiting the
site of the incident in Lac province, which borders Niger and Nigeria. The
attack on soldiers on the Boma peninsula lasted at least seven hours and
reinforcements sent to help out were also hit, one soldier told AFP news
agency.He said 24 army vehicles were destroyed, including armoured vehicles and
Boko Haram carried off weapons stolen from the military in speedboats."The
enemy has hit at our defences hard in this zone," a senior officer said.
aljazeera
*views,
Articles, FEATURES*
We need to build more bridges, as in
Northeast Delhi’s relief camps:Apoorvanand
The view that corona crisis marks a
turning point for globalisation is historically ill-informed,
self-defeating:Sanjaya Baru
Floor test has become a farce, as we
witness constitutional anarchy:Kapil Sibal
The Revolving Door for Ranjan Gogoi
Does the Supreme Court and Parliament No Credit:by Rajeev Dhavan
India's Coronavirus Testing
Controversy Points At US Start-Up With No Track Record:By Aman Sethi
Compiled and edited by
Anwarulhaq (Released at: 8:22 PM).
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