5 April 2020: 10 Shaban 1441: Vol: 12, No: 173
*CORONA VIRUS - INDIA*
After
COVID-19 outbreak at Tablighi Jamaat conference, fake news targeting
Muslims abounds; Islamophobic hysteria created by false videos
Since
30 March, when news broke that six attendees at the Tablighi Jamaat, an
Islamic religious gathering in Delhi’s Nizamuddin locality, had died of
COVID-19, fact-checking websites have reported a barrage of fake-news
targeting Muslims for the pandemic. Many video clips shared on Facebook
and WhatsApp purportedly showed Muslims actively working to spread the
virus in India. Fact checkers said that despite each of the posts on
social media being easy to disprove, the sheer quantity of
false-information shared made it tough for them to flag all cases of
disinformation. “Ever since Nizamuddin incident is in the public domain,
there is a surge in fake content targeting the Muslim community,”
Rakesh Dubbudu, founder of the fact checking website Factly, said. From
mid-March, Indian social media reported seeing a consistent uptick in
verifiably false message about COVID-19. Most messages on platforms such
as WhatsApp and Facebook surrounding the virus tended to be
false-cures, or “expert tips,” on how to avoid the pandemic. Dubbudu
said that a majority of fake content related to COVID-19 did not have a
religious tone until recently. However, on 30 March, multiple
fact-checking organisations noticed a sudden surge in Islamophobic fake
news on social media.On 30 March, several videos appeared on both
WhatsApp and Facebook that claimed to show Muslims engaging in various
activities to infect others with the virus. #CHECKIT is a WhatsApp group
started by an organisation called Confederation of Voluntary
Associations which works towards maintaining communal harmony in south
Asia. #CHECKIT have been attempting to spot false forwards on the
platform and inform users of the same. Goutham Uyalla, a member of
#CHECKIT, said that they had been working on identifying such content
from 2019. Uyalla said, “Organised communal propaganda wing of the right
and its controversial leaders have been inactive ever since the
COVID-19 outbreak. They are likely to be energised now as Tablighi
Jamaat congregation is making headlines.”On 1 April, one of members of
#CHECKIT found a video on WhatsApp showing a group of men in white robes
and skull caps licking the leftovers from plates and spoons
meticulously. An embedded message read, “Be careful everyone….These are
some people who are preparing to spread Corona Virus…Please be far from
people…Please.” On the same day, an article on Factly pointed out that
the practice of licking cutlery after every meal is a tradition among
the Bohra community of Muslims. The article states, “Entire Bohra family
eats in a single plate ‘Thaal’ and they have a ‘no-wastage’ policy. So
they do not leave a single grain of rice on their plate when it is taken
away.” The website identified that the video preceded the COVID-19
outbreak by at least 2 years.In another video shared in a WhatsApp group
called “Beyond Organic” on 20 March, an employee at a restaurant
wearing a skull cap is seen blowing into a plastic carry bag before
packing food. The accompanying text read, “Muslims are spitting in food
which we give order to purchase to eat. Please. Avoid purchase food from
Muslim shops.” G.R. Sai, one of the members of the group, said that it
was evident that the man in the video was trying to blow open the bag.
Though this might be unhygienic, many people do so irrespective of their
religion. The fact checking website Alt News also found that the video
had been uploaded onto YouTube in April 2019 and had nothing to do with
the COVID-19. Dubbudu said he expects more old video clips of Muslim
communities and their practices to be shared in the coming days, wrongly
linking them to COVID-19. So far, he had come across at least 4 such
videos. One video he found on Facebook showed a group of Muslims sitting
in a mosque, rotating their head and breathing out ritualistically. The
video was accompanied by the caption, “No words, seems they are on
mission.” Many comments below the video also accused the Muslim
community of actively attempting to spread the pandemic. Such
misinformation has been spread not only by social-media users, but also
in broadcasts by some TV channels. Kannada Public TV, in a segment aired
on 14 March, wrongly claimed that 4 Muslim youths from Bhatkal in
Karnataka refused medical screening due to “religious reasons” on
returning from Dubai. Alt News cross-checked the claim with the district
authorities and found out that no such incident occurred. The channel
had based their broadcast entirely on a one local’s statement. In its
report on Public TV’s broadcast, Alt News noted that the “religious”
angle was the contribution of the anchor. Pratik Sinha, founder of Alt
News agreed that misinformation surrounding COVID-19 did not have a
religious tone before Nizamuddin event was covered by mainstream media.
There has also been a clear growth in video content that might not be
fake but attempts to give a communal angle to lockdown. The Alt News
report noted that the images were being used to falsely claim that
people, particularly Muslims, were flouting the lockdown. Islamophobic
hysteria created by such false videos is also evident in twitter hastags
such as #CoronaJihad, which trended. caravanmagazine
Fact Check: Old Video of Muslim Man Spitting on Food Goes Falsely Viral
Saharanpur Police says no truth in Tablighi Jamaat people demanding non-veg food in quarantine, terms it fake news
Saharanpur
Police in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh has said that there was no truth in
the reports of people associated with the Tablighi Jamaat demanding
non-veg food in quarantine. In an extraordinary development, the police
took to Twitter to issue a detailed clarification busting the propaganda
against the Tablighi Jamaat and Muslims.Its statement read, “We wish to
inform that we directed the police station in-charge of Rampur
Maniharan to verify claims made by various newspapers, news channels and
social media platform that Jamaatis had created a ruckus and defecated
in public after they did not get non-veg food in quarantine. After
investigation, it was found that the claims made by various newspapers,
news channels and social media platforms were fake. Therefore, the
Saharanpur Police completely rejects the above-published news
items.”Saharanpur Police also reacted to one news flash of a
little-known Hindi news channel, which made provocative headlines in a
bid to malign Jamaatis and the Muslim community.Ever since the Delhi
Police evacuated members of the Tablighi Jamaat from the Nizamuddin
Markaz, the usual suspects in the Indian media have been consistently
running a motivated campaign against India’s Muslim community. Some had
claimed that Jamaatis spat on doctors and police while others accused
them of misbehaving with nurses.However, a woman claiming to be a
medical officer, who was a part of the team that evacuated the
Nizamuddin Markaz, has revealed that no one had misbehaved with
them.jantakareporter
Talking to Tablighis: ‘Nizamuddin incident distressing and unfortunate, but don’t make it a witch-hunt’
New
Delhi :Tablighi Jamaat has been around for 94 years, born in India but
today spread across different continents. Lakhs of people are associated
with it. Yet, till about a week ago, few outside Muslim world had heard
of it, and the Jamaat did not concern itself much with affairs beyond
its stated mission.Now, as the coronavirus pandemic explodes in India
with Tablighi Jamaat as its startled centre, those associated with it
say there is more to the body than the “oversight”, “irresponsible act”,
and “pure bad luck” of falling victim to, and spreading, COVID-19.“What
happened at Nizamuddin Markaz is unfortunate and irresponsible. There
is no getting away from that. But the kind of spin social media, and
sections of news media, are giving to this is distasteful. Tablighi
Jamaat is not some shadowy, secret get-together of “radicals”. Its aim
is to make Muslims the best possible version of themselves – true to
their faith, contributing to the society, of help to their fellowmen,”
says a 42-year-old employee of a New Delhi private firm, not wishing to
be named.indianexpress
Coronavirus : India turns off lights at 9 pm on PM Modi’s appeal amid rising COVID-19 cases
At
9 pm on Sunday, the country participated in the nine-minutes
‘lights-off’ exercise as per Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to
display the country’s “collective resolve” to defeat coronavirus.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi had reminded people to light up lamps on
Sunday night. “#9pm9minute”, the PM tweeted to remind people of the
exercise. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had appealed to people to light
candles and diyas, or switch on torches or mobile phone flashlights, for
9 minutes at 9 pm today, to “illuminate common purpose we are all
fighting for”. “The light from the lamps will show that we are together
in this battle,” he said.The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases
in the country climbed to 3,577 and death toll rose to 83 on Sunday
after 505 new infections were reported in the past 24 hours, according
to Union Health Ministry. Active COVID-19 cases stand at 3,219, while
274 people were either cured or discharged and one had migrated. Seven
deaths have been reported in the past 24 hours, the ministry data
stated. Earlier today, Indian Council of Medical Research said there was
no evidence of COVID-19 being an airborne infection. “If this was an
airborne infection not droplet infection, every person in a family would
be infected, same would apply for other patients in a hospital,” ICMR
official said.indianexpress
Muslim clerics in UP urge members to back PM’s 9pm call on April 5
Lucknow:
In a video clip, which is doing the rounds in some closed WhatsApp
groups, a Muslim doctor based in US can be seen advising community
members to light a candle or diya (earthen lamp)at 9pm on April 5, to
“remain in the mainstream of the country”. Mufti Obaid-ur- Rahman of
Gorakhpur feels the Nizamuddin incident has dented Islam’s image and
thus it is their (the community’s) duty to correct it. He says, “There
are WhatsApp groups of madarsa teachers, clerics, intellectuals and
commoners, wherein appeals are being made repeatedly to abide by social
distancing rules and join countrymen in lighting candles outside doors
and on balconies on April 5. Earlier too, many Muslims here had joined
the nation in ringing bells and clanging thalis to show their solidarity
with frontline corona warriors. This time, too, we will follow the PM’s
appeal.”In Lucknow, Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali, Imam of Eidgah
(Aishbagh), says: “Muslims love their country and they must come out of
this communal mindset to defeat coronavirus.”Prominent Shia cleric
Maulana Kalbe Jawwad says, “The coronavirus doesn’t differentiate
between Hindus and Muslims, so we must fight it together.”Dr Javed Ahmed
Siddiqui, who runs a clinic in Hussainganj locality of the state
capital, says, “It’s time to prove that everyone is not like the
Tablighis. Muslims are most liberal and scientific in approach. I have
asked all my neighbours to join me in lighting diyas as this disease is a
common enemy of both the communities.”In Agra, social activist and
footwear exporter Nazeer Ahmad says, “PM’s appeal is to Hindustanis and
not Muslims and Hindus. Lighting lamps may not be a treatment of the
coronavirus,but it is a token of the country’s unity to fight
disease.”Prominent lawyer Amir Ahmad says, “Appeals by noted
personalities are being issued through various channels.”In Meerut,
Shahar Mufti Qazi-e-Shariat Darul Qaza Saif-ur- Rehman, in a video
released on social media, can be seen asking people not to move in
groups as it will expose them to the virus and, in turn, cause problems
for others.On PM’s appeal, Zainus Rasheedin, Nayab Shahar Qazi and
Aligarh president of Jamiat- Ulema, says, “It is a personal decision but
one can use a cell phone torch instead of a candle or diya.”HT
Come out on streets to light lamps: Former Maharashtra CM Fadnavis reverses course after faux pas
Former
Maharashtra CM and sitting Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis was
forced to withdraw his appeal asking people to take to the streets to
light a lamp on Sunday evening. Fadnavis landed at the receiving end of
criticism for the statement that was released by his official team.On
Saturday, Fadnavis's social media team uploaded a video where former CM
is appealing to people to participate in the PM's call of 'Light a lamp'
drive on Sunday evening. "Every citizen should participate in the
drive-by lighting a lamp and come to their doors, Streets, terraces..."
Fadnavis is seen saying in the video.indiatoday
“PM slyly asked nation to observe a candle light vigil on eve of foundation day of BJP?: HD Kumaraswamy
Former
Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has slammed Prime Minister
Narendra Modi for asking Indians to switch off lights for nine minutes
at 9 PM on 5 April. Kumaraswamy said that Modi chose 5 April evening
because 6 April was his party’s foundation day.In a series of tweets, HD
Kumaraswamy wrote, “Has the PM slyly asked the nation to observe a
candle light vigil on the eve of foundation day of BJP? April 6 being
its foundation day, what else can explain the choice of date & time
for this event? I challenge the PM to offer a credible scientific and
rational explanation.”
Switching off lights may lead to multi-state grid collapse, blackout: Raut
Mumbai:Energy
minister Nitin Raut Saturday said residents should participate in Prime
Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Diya Jalao’ campaign and light a candles or
flash torch or mobile light for a few minutes Sunday, but refrain from
switching off all house lights.Raut said switching off lights
simultaneously could lead to a multi-state grid collapse and blackout in
the state and even the entire country. He directed the state power
companies to ensure that health and emergency services remain unaffected
Sunday night when the Prime Minister has appealed people to switch off
lights at home for a few minutes.indianexpress
Gujarat: Contradictory messages from state, private power utilities on grid overload ahead of 9 pm event
Ahmedabad:Hours
ahead of the nine minutes lights out event called by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, power utilities in Gujarat have been sending out text
messages to consumers to keep their appliances turned on during the nine
minutes. However, while the private power companies have cited the grid
turning unstable as a concern, government-run Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam
Limited (GUVNL) has sent out messages dispelling fears that consumer
appliances would be affected due to a sudden surge in the
voltage.Private power utilities like Torrent Power Limited have issued
an advisory to their consumers, requesting them to not turn off all
electrical appliances as it could have a cascading effect on the grid
stability. indianexpress
Rajasthan: Doctor refuses to admit pregnant woman because she's Muslim, her child dies after delivery
Jaipur:A
govt hospital in Rajasthan's Bharatpur district has come under scanner
for allegedly citing the religion of a pregnant Muslim woman as grounds
for refusing to admit her at the hospital.The pregnant woman, after
leaving the hospital, delivered the child inside the ambulance but the
infant could not survive."My pregnant wife had to deliver a child. She
was referred from Sikri to Janana Hospital in the district headquarter
but the doctors here mentioned that we should go to Jaipur because we
are Muslim. As I was taking her in the ambulance, she delivered the
child but the baby died. I hold the administration responsible for my
child's death," Irfan Khan, the husband of the woman who was refused
admission, alleged.Vishvendra Singh, Rajasthan tourism minister, lashed
out at the refusal of the doctor, currently posted as the Head of
Department in OBS and Gynae department at the Government hospital in
Bharatpur for refusing admission to woman because of her
religion.indiatoday
Covid-19 cases doubled in 4.1 days, without Jamaat incident it would've taken 7.4: Govt
New
Delhi:The rate of doubling of Covid-19 cases in India is 4.1 days
presently but if the cases linked to the Tablighi Jamaat congregation
would not have happened, it would have been 7.4 days, Health Ministry
said on Sunday.Joint Secretary in the ministry Lav Agarwal said there
had been 472 new Covid-19 cases and 11 deaths since Saturday. The total
coronavirus cases stand at 3,374 and death toll now stands at 79.He said
267 people have recovered. However, a PTI tally of figures reported by
states directly showed at least 106 deaths, while the number of
confirmed cases had reached 3,624. Talking about Tablighi Jamaat
congregation, Agarwal said, "If the Tablighi Jamaat incident had not
taken place and we compare the rate of doubling - that is in how many
days the cases have doubled, we will see that currently it is 4.1 days
(including Jamaat cases) and if incident had not taken place and
additional cases had not come then the doubling rate would have been 7.4
days." India Today
8 Malaysians linked to Tablighi Jamaat deboarded from rescue flight
New
Delhi: 8 Malaysian nationals were intercepted by immigration
authorities and deboarded from a flight to Kuala Lumpur after they were
identified as Tablighi Jamaat members who attended the religious
congregation in Nizamuddin, which is linked to one-third of India’s
coronavirus infections, said officials.The intervention was made on
Sunday afternoon, around 30 minutes past 12, when a Malindo Air Flight
from Delhi to Kuala Lumpur via Mumbai was readying to depart with 30
Malaysian nationals in an evacuation trip.Immigration officers informed
the police and officials of the ministry of health post the
intervention, made in response to a lookout notice against several
foreigners, who are believed to have attended Tablighi Jamaat
congregation at Nizamuddin in March in violation of their visa
conditions.HT
Police told to delay Tablighi Jamaat chief’s arrest in view of possible violence
New
Delhi:Noting that violence would be the last thing that the
establishment would want to have at this juncture, senior security
officials indicated that the forces on the ground have been advised to
delay arresting Mohammad Saad, Amir (head) of Tablighi Jamaat, that has
emerged as a corona hotspot.Noting that the possibility of violence by
Jamaatis cannot be ruled out if Saad is arrested now, a top official in
the security establishment said, “As it is, the followers of Tablighi
are getting increasingly aggressive in their behaviour. They are
misbehaving with the medical staff and the cops.”According to
intelligence sources, Maulana Saad is making full use of the “quarantine
period” to muster support for himself among the Jamaatis, who are being
whipped by police to isolation centres to avoid spread of the
infection.Intelligence sources, who are working in coordination with the
police, said that Saad could probably be hiding in the house of one of
his supporters in NCR region.The police forces have been asked to keep
close vigil on his all possible hideouts, which includes his residence
here in Zakir Nagar locality.But the forces have been told not to zero
in on Saad for the time being.Tribune
FSL team collects exhibits from Nizamuddin HQ of Tablighi Jamaat
New
Delhi: A 5-member team from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL)
collected exhibits on Sunday from the Nizamuddin headquarters of the
Tablighi Jamaat in south Delhi, which has emerged as a coronavirus
hotspot in the country, officials said.PTI
Ban Tablighi Jamaat and its Markaz: VHP
VHP
has demanded that Tablighi Jamaat be banned and even alleged that it
has terror links.It alleged that "after being indoctrinated from its
Nizamuddin HQRS, hundreds of thousands of Tableeghis are spreading
obscurantism, wickedness and terrorism all over the world. Most of the
founders of the world's terrorist organizations have also been
associated with the Tableeghi Jamaat."It also demanded that the
Nizamuddin Markaz buildings and its bank accounts be sealed forthwith
and their financial sources be discovered.PTI
Come Forward for Testing by 5pm or Face Action: Himachal CM to Tablighi Jamaat Members
Himachal
Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Sunday asked all Tablighi
Jamaat members who had attended the group's congregation in Delhi's
Nizamuddin, a COVID-19 hotspot, to come forward for testing by 5 pm,
failing which action will be taken against them.PTI
Himachal man commits suicide for social boycott over Tablighi Jamaat links
Shimla:
A 38-year-old man belonging to the Gujjar community in Himachal Pradesh
on Sunday committed suicide owing to social boycott by locals for his
links with those who returned from the congregation in Delhi`s
Nizamuddin Markaz in March.DGPS.R. Mardi told the media that one person
hanged himself at his home in Una district.The victim has been
identified as Dilshad Muhamud who ran a shop in Una town.IANS
Gujarat cops suspended for offering prayers at mosque
Gandhinagar:
Gujarat Police on Saturday suspended two cops for offering prayers at a
mosque in Dang district of the state amid lockdown due to coronavirus
spread in the country."A Police Inspector and a Police Sub-Inspector
have been suspended for offering prayers at a mosque in Dang district
amid coronavirus lockdown," SP Shweta Shrimal said. Earlier in the day, a
COVID-19 patient passed away in Ahmedabad. The death toll in Gujarat
has risen to 10 now.Meanwhile, 10 more persons have tested positive for
coronavirus in the state, taking the total number of cases to 105. ANI
8 nabbed from mosque for violating lockdown restrictions in Bharuch
Surat:
About 8 people were arrested for assembling in a mosque in violation of
lockdown restrictions imposed due to coronavirus threat in Bharuch on
Friday. The arrests have been made due to fear of spread of COVID-19 as
62 people from Bharuch had attended a religious congregation in New
Delhi’s Nizamuddin that led to spike in cases there. These 62
individuals are under home quarantine.Bharuch town police registered an
FIR against 8 people. TOI
Lockdown: About 30 held in Kerala for violating social distancing rule at mosques
At
least 3 cases were registered across Kerala and nearly 30 people were
arrested for violating lockdown protocol and crowding at various mosques
in the state on Friday, police said.Cases were registered at Kozhikode,
Chavakkad in Thrissur district and Peringamala in Thiruvananthapuram
for violating the lockdown."We have registered a case against 14 people
for violating lockdown protocol and crowding at a masjid here for taking
part in the prayers," a senior police official told PTI.At
Thiruvananthapuram, police registered a case against 11 people,
including the president and secretary of the Jamma-aath committee
president and secretary."Today, we received another information from
officials of a mosque, saying people are reaching the mosque despite the
warning of the mosque committee and the health officials not to form a
crowd at the place of worship. We are looking into it also," police
said.PTI
Imam and his aide arrested for conducting prayers in Kerala
Kerala: 11 held for organising prayer at mosque
12 held while hiding in mosques in Mahabubnagar, quarantined
Mahabubnagar:
12 persons who were residing inside two different mosques in
Mahabubnagar town were taken into custody by policemen and were sent to
government quarantine center at Mahabubnagar Government Medical College
on Saturday.Based on specific inputs, police personnel raided a mosque
at Ram Mandir Chowrastha in Mahabubnagar town and found that eight
persons who were natives of Uttar Pradesh were living there.In another
raid at a mosque at Peerlabavi locality, the police have found two more
individuals from West Bengal and two from Makthal mandal of Narayanpet
district staying inside the mosque.telanganatoday
Lucknow’s cantonment area sealed off after 12 Tablighi attendees test positive for Covid-19
Lucknow
cantonment area adjoining Sadar Bazar has been cordoned off, barring
even soldiers, and curfew in the Bazar extended for 48 hours after 12
people living in a mosque in the area tested positive for coronavirus.
The group had attended Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi in March, a
religious event that has turned into the biggest Covid-19 cluster in
South Asia.Lucknow Police Commissioner Sujit Pandey had said that 12
members of Tablighi Jamaat were found staying in a mosque in Sadar area
on Friday. The mosque where the group was discovered is located in Kasai
Bada, a residential area of Sadar Bazar with a population of 50,000
people surrounding the cantonment.P.K. Gupta, police chowki in-charge of
Lucknow Cantonment, said, “Even the soldiers cannot enter without
permission. Out of bound is done when an area is considered unsafe for
the jawans.”ThePrint
Coronavirus: 8 of 12 detained from Latur mosque test positive
Latur:8
out of 12 people found in a mosque in Nilanga in Maharashtra's Latur
district,some 480 kilometres from here, have tested positive for the
novel coronavirus on Saturday, a senior police official said. They were
detained on Friday and their samples were sent for testing to National
Institute of Virology in Pune, said Latur SP Rajendra Mane. "8 of the 12
samples have returned positive on Saturday. These people had come from
Ferozepur. They have been on the move for the past three months for
spiritual purposes," Mane said.PTI
Police constable suspended for helping Tablighi Jamaat members cross Delhi-UP border
Delhi
Police suspended a constabe on Saturday accused of assisting Tablighi
Jamaat members cross Delhi-UP border. Constable Imran is posted in the
security unit of Delhi Police.It is alleged that on Thursday, Imran was
illegally crossing Delhi-UP vorder in his car along with members of
Tablighi Jamaat.The constable was stopped by Ghaziabad Police and was
taken into custody after he was interrogated.Imran is currently in
isolation along with all the pepple who were travelling in Imran's
car.indiatoday
UP man shot dead at tea shop for blaming Tablighi Jamaat for coronavirus spread
Lucknow:Aresident
of Prayagraj was shot dead outside a tea shop near his house after he
allegedly criticized the Tablighi Jamaat for spreading coronavirus in
the country.The victim was commenting on the Tablighi Jamaat
congregation in Nizamuddin which has led to several hundreds of
coronavirus cases being detected across states. He got into an
altercation with another person at the tea shop.According to police, the
incident took place at 9:30 am on Sunday when the two engaged in an
argument and the dispute quickly escalated. The accused opened fire and
killed the man after opening fire.The victim died on the spot. Locals in
the area caught hold of the accused and handed him over to the police.
The man has been arrested.Uttar Pradesh govt has announced a
compensation of Rs 5 lakh to family of deceased.indiatoday
Tamil Nadu: Islam convertee bullied on social media, says locals spreading rumour about him getting infected with Covid-19
Chennai:
Amid the prevailing chaos due to COVID-19 pandemic, on Friday, a
24-year-old youth, who had recently embraced Islamic faith, alleged that
some local youngsters have been disseminating misinformation on social
media platforms that he had contracted deadly coronavirus infection. He
approached local police and filed a complaint against the accused.
According to a local cop serving at Karumathampatti Police Station, M
Saravanan, a resident of M Pappampatti in Coimbatore had got adopted
Islamic faith two months ago and renamed himself to Abdul Rahman. The
complainant is a member of TPK organization and is employed with a power
loom unit. His father, identified as Murugan and mother, identified as
Radhamani, work as daily wagers.The officer stated that after the
government imposed 21-day lockdown to contain the spread of the COVID-19
pandemic, the complainant discontinued going to work and stayed with
his parents in their house. Meanwhile, a WhatsApp message has been doing
rounds claiming that he went to New Delhi for attending a meeting and
came back home recently, reported TOI. He approached police and sought
action against two persons named Nandakumar and Mahesh for
rumour-mongering against him on WhatsApp.TOI.TOI
Shots fired at mosque in Gurgaon’s Dhankot village, FIR registered
A
group of unidentified men opened fire at a mosque in Gurgaon’s Dhankot
village late Saturday night. No injuries have been reported. According
to the police, an FIR has been registered in the matter on the basis of
the complaint submitted by Imaam, who was sleeping on the terrace of the
structure when the incident happened.“He has alleged that at least 3
people on a motorcycle opened fire on the structure around 12 am. He was
sleeping on the terrace at the time and woke up to the sound of the
gunshots,” said Inspector Pankaj Kumar, Station House Officer of the
Rajendra Park police station.indianexpress
Hindu outfit leader booked for hate speech in Amritsar
Amritsar
:A leader of a Hindu outfit from Amritsar was booked on Saturday for
giving a provocative speech against those who attended the Tablighi
Jamaat event in Delhi.Sudhir Kumar Soori, identified as a leader of Shiv
Sena (Punjab), has been booked under Section 295(a) for hurting
religious sentiments. FIR was filed at Jandiala Guru police station
under the Amritsar (Rural) police. He has been arrested and sent to
Pathankot jail.“He made a speech in Facebook video advocating violence.
Users commenting on the video were also spreading hate. There was a
danger that his speech could hurt to communal harmony of state,” said
DSP Jandiala Gurinderbir Singh.indianexpress
3 held in Malegaon for communal coronavirus-NRC link video
Mumbai:
3 people were arrested incommunally sensitive Malegaon township in
Nashikfor a coronavirus rant video which they uploaded on Tiktok,police
said on Saturday. In video, 3 accused are seen claiming thatthose who
were demanding documents from people for NRC were now being made to pay
by God through the novel coronavirus. An Azadnagar police station
official identified 3 as Abdul Rahim Qureshi (27), Sayyad Ali (23) and
SufiyanShaikh Mukhtar (24)."They are residents of Raunaknagar in
Malegaon. Theyhave been remanded in police custody for promoting
enmityamong people," he said. PTI
Bajrang Dal worker arrested in Munger for spreading misinformation on Coronavirus
Patna
:A Bajrang Dal worker, who had been spreading wrong information about a
Tarapur family of having attended Tablighi Jamaat and a member of the
family being tested COVID-19 positive, was arrested on Sunday. While
department denied any member of Munger family being on the list of
Tablighi Jamaat attendees from Bihar, the health department also
dismissed social media report on anyone being tested positive from
Tarapur.indianexpress
Maharashtra: BJP MLC booked for violating lockdown, driving to Ahmednagar
Mumbai
:Beed native and BJP MLC Suresh Dhas was booked on Thursday for
allegedly violating the lockdown and crossing over into neighbouring
Ahmednagar district to protest the detention of migrant workers by
police. Dhas, who lives in Beed’s Ashti town, is alleged to have driven
to Khed in Ahmednagar’s Karjat taluka around 1 am on Thursday despite
Beed sealing its borders to all vehicles except those transporting
goods.indianexpress
Tablighi Jamaat members should be booked under NSA: Uttarakhand BJP MLA
Rudrapur: A BJP MLA from
Uttarakhand, Rajkumar Thukral has said members of Tablighi Jamaat
should be booked under NSA for allegedly spitting on doctors and
misbehaving with nurses. Thukral is heard saying in a video, which went
viral on social media, alleged that Tablighi Jamaat members are involved
in spreading the coronavirus disease and making the country hollow from
inside.“It is a conspiracy against our nation that Jamaatis are not
only spreading epidemic but also misbehaving with doctors and nurses in
hospitals. The govt should order to shoot them, they are behaving as
anti-nationals. They are a big threat to our national security,”Thukral,
BJP MLA from Rudrapur area of Udham Singh Nagar, said. Congress said
Thukral’s comments were an attempt of BJP to “communalise the pandemic
to hide its failures in handling it”.HT
A Muslim Marriage solemnised over video call in Maharashtra due to coronavirus lockdown
Aurangabad:A
marriage was solemnised on a video call, the unique method which was
adopted due to coronavirus lockdown.A Muslim man named Mohammad
Minhajudd, based in Aurangabad exchanged marriage vows with a Muslim
woman based in Beed via video call on Friday.The bridegroom's father
Mohammad Gayaz said that the marriage was fixed between the two persons 6
months ago when there was no fear about coronavirus. We got the elders
of the family assembled at our home and conducted the marriage on
phone.Mufti Anis ur Rehman, Qazi who performed the rituals for the
marriage, said that both the families are happy as the marriage got
conducted with the minimal cost incurred and the ceremony was a simple
one.ANI
Mumbai Police files FIR against Mosque trustee, 3 Filipinos for violating orders
Mumbai
Police on Sunday registered an FIR against three Philippines nationals
and six Indians, including a trustee of a mosque in Vashi.The case was
filed against the foreign nationals for violating visa norms and
entering Navi Mumbai illegally, while the mosque trustee was accused of
hiding the foreign nationals in the wake of Covid-19 spread.According to
the police, a person from around the Noor Masjid in Vashi was tested
positive for novel coronavirus. Some locals also spoke about foreigners
staying in the mosque. However, when police reached the spot, they were
met with resistance.Police filed a case against the mosque trustee and
foreign nations. indiatoday
Muslim IAS-IPS officers’ Covid-19 appeal to community: Don’t give anyone reason to blame you
New
Delhi: Nearly 80 serving and retired IAS, IPS and IFS officers
belonging to the Islamic faith have appealed to Muslim community to
adhere to social distancing norms, and not give anyone the opportunity
to accuse it of spreading Covid-19 in India.The officers’ appeal comes
in the light of Tablighi Jamaat event at New Delhi’s Nizamuddin area
last month, which has resulted in about one-third of total Covid-19
cases in India as on 5 April.theprint
S. African Cleric Dies Of Coronavirus After Attending Delhi Mosque Event
Johannesburg:
A South African Muslim cleric, who recently returned from India after
attending Nizamuddin congregation, has died after contracting the novel
coronavirus, according to his family members.Moulana Yusuf Tootla, 80,
attended the March 1-15 Tablighi Jamaat congregation in the Nizamuddin
area, that has emerged as the epicentre for the spread of the
coronavirus in different parts of India and abroad after thousands of
people took part in it.Tootla, who died on Tuesday, was buried after his
body was collected in a bag by the Islamic Burial Council (IBC).PTI
Flight Operations Likely To Be Allowed In Staggered Manner Post Lockdown: Report
The
govt is likely to allow domestic and international flight operations in
India in a staggered manner post the 21-day lockdown period which is
expected to end on April 14, officials said today.The aviation sector
has been hit hard by coronavirus pandemic. Today, Air Deccan became the
latest casualty of the crisis as it announced indefinite suspension of
flight operations and asked all employees to go on sabbatical without
pay."As the virus is still spreading in India, we are thinking to permit
domestic and international flight operations post April 14 in a
staggered manner. Airlines are free to take bookings for any date post
April 14," senior Civil Aviation Ministry official said.PTI
Coronavirus Outbreak: Section 144 extended till 30 April in UP's Gautam Buddh Nagar; state has recorded total of 227 cases
Section
144, which prohibits assembly of five or more people at a time, has
been extended in Gautam Buddh Nagar until 30 April, informed Additional
DCP utosh Dwivedi.The decision has been taken in an effort to contain
the spread of the highly contagious coronavirus.The district
administration has also ordered all educational institutes to not
collect the fee from students during the lockdown.So far, Uttar Pradesh
has recorded a total of 227 COVID-19 cases, out which 19 people have
been cured and two have lost their lives.firstpost
Lockdown to be Lifted on April 15, Need Mechanism to Ensure No Crowding:UP CM
Uttar
Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Sunday the lockdown to
contain coronavirus spread will be lifted on April 15 and called for a
mechanism to ensure crowding doesn’t take place, else all efforts will
go in vain.Holding a discussion with Members of Parliament from the
state through video-conferencing, chief minister sought their suggestion
for smooth movement of people and services after the lockdown
period.PTI
Maharashtra CM spotlights communal virus, then a warning on Covid-19 messages
New
Delhi: As the number of cases of coronavirus disease spiked beyond 500
in Maharashtra, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday cautioned
people against ‘wrong messages’ about Covid-19 on social media
platforms. CM warned of strict action against those spreading communally
divisive messages amid reports that several such videos have been doing
the rounds on WhatsApp, TikTok and Twitter.“Like Covid-19 virus, there
is a communal virus too. I am warning those who are spreading wrong
messages to citizens and uploading such videos even for the sake of fun.
This Covid-19 virus sees no religion,” Thackeray said on Facebook
Live.“We didn’t let what happened in Delhi happen in Maharashtra. It
(Tablighi Jamaat event) was permitted earlier, but later looking at the
situation we denied permission. Authorities now have traced all those
went to the Delhi event from our state,” Thackeray said.HT
Maharashtra: Out on bail, undertrial prisoners have no means to reach home
Mumbai
:Even as the state prison department has begun releasing undertrial
prisoners on bail to decongest prisons, many of them are finding it
difficult to reach home due to the nationwide lockdown.A woman in her
20s, who was released by the Byculla prison in Mumbai on April 1, could
not reach her family in Palghar district. A jailor of the prison gave
her shelter to her for a day in her house, hoping to make arrangements
the next day at a state shelter home for women. But with entry to such
homes currently restricted, another inmate, who was also being released,
ultimately had to step in to take the woman home with her.indianexpress
Lckdown effect: From deficit, dairies suddenly grappling with excess milk supplies
New
Delhi:Before the nationwide lockdown to curb coronavirus, Dodla Dairy
Ltd was selling around 13.5 lakh litres per day (LLPD) of pouch liquid
milk, curd and butter milk, while planning to step it up to 15 LLPD
during the peak April-June summer consumption period.Hyderabad-based
company, however, was struggling, with its average milk procurement at
only 9 LLPD. To meet the gap, it was sourcing 2-2.5 LLPD of milk from
other private as well as cooperative dairies, apart from buying skimmed
milk powder (SMP) and ghee/white butter for reconstitution.But post the
lockdown, the equation has completely changed — Dodla Dairy’s sales are
today down to just 8.5 LLPD, below even its procurement of 9 LLPD. “Till
15 days ago, we were paying Rs 330-340 per kg for SMP. Those rates have
now dropped to Rs 220-230, but we no longer need any third-party milk,
SMP or fat. Coronavirus has helped restore balance and what our own
farmers are supplying is more than enough to take care of demand,” says D
Sunil Reddy, managing director of the company, which recorded Rs 169
crore of sales in 2018-19.indianexpress
Only Medicine, Milk To Be Available As Bhopal Goes For Tougher Lockdown
Bhopal
became the second district in Madhya Pradesh to shut down all shops
barring those selling medicine and milk. So far, 15 cases of coronavirus
have been detected in the capital.Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while
announcing the lockdown roughly two weeks ago, had said all essential
goods and services will be available during the lockdown.But on March
31, the state's new Shivraj Shingh Chouhan government - which came to
power last month after Congress government led by Kamal Nath collapsed
-- declared a complete clampdown on Indore district. The
government order issued today said starting midnight, no one will be
allowed on the streets, except police, medical personnel and government
servants involved in emergency services. ndtv
‘I just want to go home’, desperate millions hit by Modi’s brutal lockdown: The Guardian
For
more than a decade, Begum Jan had managed to survive on the streets of
Kolkata. A longtime wheelchair-user, she had a specific spot on a busy
street. Rickshaw drivers and passers-by always made sure she had
something to eat.But last week, for the first time since she became
homeless after falling ill with tuberculosis and losing her job as a
housemaid, 62-year-old was in danger of starving.“For the past week,
none of these people who usually help me have come in sight,” she said,
her voice cracking with sadness. “They are all at home because of the
lockdown; they don’t have any job and so they cannot help me any
more.”The consequences of countrywide lock down for India, where tens of
millions live in poverty, work thousands of miles from home, often
living where they work, have been cataclysmic.For those like Jan, who do
not have a home, the edict to stay indoors and maintain social distance
for 21 days has been particularly cruel. Her son, Raja Khan, also now
lives on the streets with his 3 children after his work as a railway
porter dried up.Every day since the lockdown was declared, Khan has been
pushing his mother as much as 25 miles a day in her wheelchair in an
attempt to find food for her and his children. Manoranjan
Ghosh, who worked – and slept – in a roadside tea shop in Kolkata, is
another of the new homeless.He made a temporary home in a small space on
floor of the railway station and still dresses as smartly as he can
every morning, but said things were getting harder:“I bought food and
used up all my savings in the first 2 or 3 days of the lockdown. Then I
sold my mobile phone to a vegetable seller to be able to sustain myself
for a few more days. But now I have no money.“I worked well and lived
with dignity. Suddenly I have turned homeless and been made a
beggar.”Most critics say Modi’s 21-day lockdown was too sudden – people
were only given 4 hours’ notice and millions had no time to get back to
their villages before transport and work shut down. This prompted a wave
of mass migration across India unlike anything seen since partition, as
people began walking for hundreds, sometimes thousands of miles.
Authorities swiftly put a stop to that by closing all state borders,
leaving thousands stranded. In one of the more worrying developments,
police barricaded parts of one of Asia’s biggest slums on Friday.
Dharavi in Mumbai, where almost a million people live in cramped,
unsanitary conditions, had recorded just two Covid-19 related
deaths.Kolkata-based NGO Bangla Sanskriti Mancha , which works with
migrant labourers, said it had received tens of thousands of calls for
help since the lockdown and had identified at least 30,000 workers
across the country who were stranded and facing imminent starvation.
Students Islamic Organisation of India said it was providing food to
over 25,000 people in acute crisis.“We totally support the decision of
the lockdown. It’s badly needed to stop the spread of the virus,” said
Syed Azharuddin, national general secretary of SIO. “But the lockdown
should have been implemented after ensuring that migrant labourers had
reached their homes.”Shekh Sujauddin, 21, from West Bengal’s Birbhum
district, is among 60 casual construction workers currently living on a
building site 2,000km away in Mumbai, where they had travelled to work.
‘Employers have refused to pay us, all that’s left to eat is roti and salt’
Panchkula
:IN BURJ Kotia, a small village in Panchkula, lies a pocket of almost
80 migrants, who had moved in search of work and stayed. They don’t know
much about the current global pandemic. All they understand of it is
hunger and neglect.These people, hailing from Aligarh, used to work as
daily wage earners and have nothing to their name. They live on borrowed
land under temporary huts. With the industries shut and ration running
short, they live in constant fear of having nothing to eat very soon.“We
have run out of almost all supplies and are only living on roti. I have
my wife and a small boy, both of who do not understand what is
happening,” said 30-year-old Bhola, who had come to the village with his
father almost 15 years back. While his father left to become a farmer
at his own village, Bhola stayed back to work. indianexpress
Assaulted by police constable, Dalit youth in quarantine killed himself:Family
On
31 March, Roshan Lal, a 22-year-old Dalit man, took his own life after a
police constable beat him up, according to his family members. Roshan’s
native place was the Faria Pipariya village in Uttar Pradesh’s
Lakhimpur Kheri district. He worked as an electrician at a factory in
Haryana’s Gurugram, before the government imposed a 21-day countrywide
lockdown to combat COVID-19. The lockdown began on 25 March, and Roshan,
like thousands of other migrants who found themselves out of work and
without money, was soon forced to go home. Upon his arrival at Faria
Pipariya on 29 March, the village authorities placed him under a
quarantine at a government primary school. According to Roshan’s family
members, 2 days later, Anoop Kumar Singh, a police constable, saw
22-year-old in a public place and beat him up. Humiliated by this
treatment, his family members said, Roshan went to his family’s farm
that night and hung himself from a tree. caravanmagazine
FIR against DSGMC: Takht Patna Sahib jathedar’ seeks PM’s intervention
‘Jathedar’
of Takht Patna Sahib on Sunday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi
and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to direct the police to quash the FIR
registered against Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee for
allegedly violating lockdown orders.Giani Ranjit Singh — ‘jathedar’ of
Takht Sri Harmandir Sahib in Patna, one of the five takhts (the highest
seats of religious authority for the Sikhs worldwide) — said
Punjab-bound people stranded in Delhi due to the lockdown had come on
their own to seek shelter in the Gurdwara Majnu Ka Tila and DSGMC had
informed authorities about it well in time. DSGMC has been serving
‘langar’ to the needy while adhering to social-distancing measures, he
said.PTI
India Bans All Exports of Trump’s ‘Game Changer’ Virus Drug
India
banned all exports of hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug that President
Donald Trump has repeatedly touted as a “game changer” in the fight
against Covid-19.Exports of the drug and its formulations are prohibited
“without any exceptions” and with immediate effect, India’s Directorate
General of Foreign Trade said in an April 4 order on its website. The
trade regulator had last month restricted overseas shipments of drug,
allowing only limited exceptions such as on humanitarian grounds and for
meeting prior commitments. At a press conference on Saturday, Trump
said he spoke to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and appealed for
the release of shipments U.S. has already ordered. India is giving his
request “serious consideration,” he said.bloomberg
Decision on reopening schools, colleges on April 14 after reviewing COVID-19 situation: Union HRD Minister Pokhriyal
The
govt will take a decision on reopening of schools and colleges on April
14 after reviewing the coronavirus situation in the country, Union HRD
Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ said on Sunday.In an interview to
PTI, he said the safety of students and teachers is of utmost importance
to the government and his ministry is prepared to ensure there is no
academic loss to students if schools and colleges needed to remain shut
beyond April 14.thehindu
As schools switch to online classes, students from weaker sections get cut off from learning
A
couple of days ago, a teary-eyed Vaishali, a student of class VI at
Maharashtra Aikyavardhak Mandal in Tilak Nagar, called her school
teacher Sangita Patil. Amid the lockdown, Vaishali, whose parents are
construction workers, has been living out of a half-built construction
site in Tilak Nagar. “She broke down on the phone, and said her father
beats her mother, and there was nowhere to go. The boredom of staying
put was constant. I asked her to refer to a section of math problems and
focus on English spellings. “‘Prepare as though you still have exams’, I
told her,” said Patil. As more and more stories of migrants struggling
to fend for themselves emerge, education has taken a backseat for
children who are a part of these groups. Here, the struggle for survival
has overtaken other aspects of growth, with education coming to be
considered a privilege. The digital divide has grown wider, with many
private schools, switching to online classes as well as exams. There are
66,033 schools under the state school education department, run by
zilla parishad and local independent bodies. With schools being shut,
the access to virtual classrooms and other facilities has been cut for
all its students. As of Sept.2019, 2,71,892 students study at BMC
schools, most of whom are from underprivileged backgrounds. Out of
nearly 200 students who study at Maharashtra Aikyavardhak Mandal in
Tilak Nagar, only about 2% students would have laptops or computers at
their homes, said Patil.indian express
UP-based rural bank issues loan recovery notices to farmers a day after COVID-19 lockdown was announced
A
day after PM Narendra Modi announced a nationwide lockdown to curb the
spread of COVID-19, Prathma Rural Bank in Lalitpur district of Uttar
Pradesh issued recovery notice to farmers, asking them to repay the loan
sanctioned under KCC scheme within 5 days.Stating that if farmers do
not repay their loans within the stipulated time, the bank will take
stern action, the notice also warned that “they (farmers) will be
deprived of other benefits announced by the government also” in case
they fail to repay their loans.nationalheraldindia
1.5 lakh IT professionals might lose jobs due to Covid-19
1.5
lakh employees in India's IT industry might lose their jobs over the
next 3-to-6 months.Majority of these layoffs will happen in small IT
firms, said HR experts. The industry employs about 45-50 lakh, of which
and smaller firms account for about 10-12 lakh.Top 5 IT firms alone
employ close to 10 lakh people. As novel coronavirus outbreak
intensifies, employees have become the casualty.nationalheraldindia
Covid-19: Darjeeling tea industry says it has almost lost first flush, which accounts for 20% output
Darjeeling tea industry has said
that it has almost lost its first flush production due to the 21-day
lockdown imposed to stop the spread of the coronavirus disease.
Darjeeling Tea Association Chairperson Binod Mohan said that first flush
amounts to 20% of 80-lakh-kg annual production of tea in the hills and
is also exportable.scroll
*CORONA VIRUS - WORLD*
Satan is trying to keep us apart, church is last force resisting Antichristsay, say Americans who refuse to shelve Palm Sunday gatherings
Washington:Her
house sits on a tidy, peaceful suburban street outside Cincinnati. For
the past few weeks, she has been doing everything right: sheltering at
home and working out of her makeshift office to help stop the spread of
COVID-19. Ohio megachurch down the road, Solid Rock, has charted a
different course. Despite warnings from local and state officials, Solid
Rock has been holding its 1,000-strong gatherings in person, and plans
on keeping the church open on Palm Sunday, the beginning of the Holy
Week in Christian churches.“I think they should obey the laws of the
land, like the way the Bible tells us to,” said Sandra, who lives a few
miles from the site and asked not be identified by last name. Reuters
was able to independently corroborate her address and identity.The local
mayor and health officials have asked the church to close, so far to no
avail.Millions of American Christians will observe Palm Sunday at home
this weekend, as the vast majority of US churches have moved services
online to comply with stay-at-home rules.But, like Solid Rock, pockets
of churches from Florida to Texas and across to California are keeping
their doors open and inviting worshipers to attend services this
weekend.“We're defying the rules because the commandment of God is to
spread the Gospel,” Louisiana pastor Tony Spell said in an interview
with Reuters.Mr. Spell, 42, who plans to hold three services at his
1,000-member Life Tabernacle megachurch in a Baton Rouge suburb on Palm
Sunday, has defied official orders against assembling in large groups
and has already been hit with six misdemeanors. “The church is the last
force resisting the Antichrist, let us assemble regardless of what
anyone says,” he said.For Spell and others, public health orders are a
threat to religious freedoms and constitutional rights.“Satan's trying
to keep us apart, he's trying to keep us from worshipping together. But
we're not going to let him win,” Kelly Burton, pastor at Lone Star
Baptist Church in Lone Star, Texas, wrote in a post on Facebook.Others
in California are defying the ban.REUTERS
Pakistan mosques stay open in even amid coronavirus lockdown
Mosques
were allowed to remain open in Pakistan on Friday, when Muslims gather
for weekly prayers, even as the coronavirus pandemic spread and much of
the country had shut down. Prime Minister Imran Khan is relying on
restricting the size of congregations attending mosques and advice to
stay at home from religious groups like the Islamic Ideology Council.
However, some provinces have issued their own lockdown orders to prevent
Muslims from gathering for Friday prayers. In southern Sindh province, a
complete lockdown is being enforced from noon until 3 p.m., the time
when the faithful gather for prayers. Anyone found on the streets will
be arrested, according to the provincial local govt minister in a
statement. Mosques remain open in Pakistan, even as they have been shut
down across much of Middle East.AP
Pakistan: Lal Masjid cleric booked for defying Friday congregation ban
ISLAMABAD:
Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) in the federal capital once again echoed with
anti-state slogans as its administration flouted the ban on
congregational prayers on Friday meant to prevent the spread of
coronavirus (Coivd-19).e Abpara police have registered a FIR against the
Red Mosque former khateeb (ex-prayer leader) Maulana Abdul Aziz and
seven others on charges of provoking people against the state, playing
jihadi anthems and organising congregational prayer despite ban.The
police officials said that they were on-duty near the mosque when they
heard an announcement from the mosque’s loudspeakers for Friday prayers
congregation.tribune
Dubai,Saudi impose lockdowns as Gulf states battle spread of coronavirus
Dubai
imposed a two-week lockdown Saturday night and Saudi Arabia sealed off
parts of Red Sea city of Jeddah as Gulf states tightened measures in big
cities to contain the spread of the coronavirus, reported Reuters.Dubai
had been under an overnight curfew along with the rest of UAE since
March 26. Its Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management said
lockdown would now run around the clock for two weeks, state news agency
WAM said.In neighbouring Saudi, authorities announced a lockdown and a
partial curfew in seven neighbourhoods of Jeddah also starting on
Saturday as part of measures to contain the outbreak, the interior
ministry said in a statement.MEMO
As coronavirus spread, 430,000 people arrived in US on direct flights from China: Report
In
the days after China made the disclosure about its coronavirus
outbreak, nearly 430,000 people arrived in the US on direct flights from
the country, including thousands who travelled directly from Wuhan, the
epicenter of the pandemic, a report in New York Times said.Over 1,300
direct flights from China to 17 US cities brought back hundreds of
thousands of people before President Donald Trump imposed travel
restrictions."Since Chinese officials disclosed the outbreak of a
mysterious pneumonia-like illness to international health officials on
New Year's eve, at least 430,000 people have arrived in the US on direct
flights from China, including nearly 40,000 in 2 months after President
Trump imposed restrictions on such travel, according to an analysis of
data collected in both countries, the report said.PTI
Spain coronavirus deaths fall third day in a row
The
rate of coronavirus deaths in Spain slowed for a third straight day as
the European nation reported 674 deaths compared to 809 a day earlier,
as the country began its fourth week under a near-total
lockdown.Meanwhile, Iran's president announced that "low-risk" economic
activities would resume from April 11 in the Middle Eastern country
worst-affected by the new coronavirus.US President Donald Trump has
warned the United States is entering what could be its "toughest" week
yet as the number of coronavirus cases in the country surged past
300,000.Globally, the death toll surpassed 65,700, according to data
compiled by Johns Hopkins University, and the number of infections rose
above 1.2 million.
UK death figures rise by 621
United
Kingdom's death toll from the coronavirus rose by 621 to 4,934 on April
4, the health ministry said.A total of 195,524 people have been tested
of which 47,806 tested positive, the ministry said. Aljazeera
Ex-head of Libya's anti-Gaddafi revolt dies of coronavirus
Mahmud
Jibril, the former head of the rebel government that overthrew Libya's
Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, died of coronavirus, his party said.Jibril, 68,
died in Cairo where he had been hospitalised for two weeks, said Khaled
al-Mrimi, secretary of the Alliance of National Forces party founded by
Jibril in 2012.
*OTHERS*
Jamia PhD student falsely implicated in anti-CAA case:Jamia Coordiniation Committee
DELHI:
Jamia Coordiniation Committee has maintained that Meeran Haider, a PhD
student of Jamia Millia Islamia, was being “falsely implicated and
targeted” because of his involvement in anti-CAA protests.“He was
involved with the anti-CAA protests hich took place over the last few
months and is now being targeted for this reason. Hopefully, the
investigation will reveal the truth. We have no option but to fight a
legal battle and firmly believe in the judiciary,” said a member of JCC.
Demanding his immediate release, JCC had on April 2said, “It is
shameful that even in circumstances like these, voices from minority
communities are targeted by the State. The country is facing a massive
health crisis, however, the state machinery is busy in harassing and
framing student-activists in false cases to suppress voices of dissent.”
In a series of tweets, it said: “He [ Haider] is being falsely framed
and implicated by State. If you think this scares us, it doesn’t. It
makes us stronger, bolder...arresting him is a failed attempt by the
fascist State to intimidate the students of Jamia and suppress anti-CAA
protests. We will not be silenced by this.”thehindu
J&K: BJP and JKAP tussle for credit over changes to new domicile rule
Srinagar
:A day after Centre issued amendments to the domicile clause introduced
in Jammu and Kashmir on March 31, the Altaf Bukhari-led J&K Apni
Party and the BJP state unit tussled for credit over the move.The BJP
state unit credited its state leadership for its “hectic lobbying” to
bring about changes to the domicile clause for Union Territory. Without
naming J&K Apni Party, BJP said that it was “unfortunate to see some
people claiming undue credit” for the developments.JKAP said that party
president Altaf Bukhari “lost no time and took an initiative to get the
changes made.” Bukhari, on Friday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and
NSA Ajit Doval in New Delhi on Friday and told them that the “new order
is not in the interest of J&K residents”. indianexpress
Restore statehood, conduct elections: Omar Abdullah on domicile law
In
a significant departure from its stand, National Conference vice
president Omar Abdullah, in his first political statement after the
revocation of PSA against him, shied away from talking about Jammu and
Kashmir’s special status and demanded only the “restoration of
statehood” and “conduct (of) elections”.“It is high time the people of
J&K get to decide the laws that will govern them rather than being
subjected to the whims and fancies of the centre where orders are issued
in the morning and changes to the same order issued in the evening.
Restore statehood, conduct elections. #Democracy,” Omar tweeted on
Saturday while reacting to the centre’s new domicile law.This was Omar’s
first political statement ever since his release on March 24. Omar’s
statement is in complete departure from the ‘Gupkar declaration’ issued
jointly by the mainstream political parties of J&K on August 4 last
year, a day before the abrogation of the special status. In their joint
declaration, the mainstream political parties of the erstwhile state
had resolved to be united to “protect and defend identity, autonomy and
the special status of Jammu and Kashmir against all attacks and
onslaughts” and called the “modification, abrogation of Article 35A and
Article 370, unconstitutional delimitation or trifurcation of the state”
as aggression against the people. Indianexpress
3 security personnel, five militants killed in encounter near LoC
5
militants and three soldiers have been killed in an ongoing
anti-infiltration operation near LOC in Kashmir, the army said on
Sunday. This is the first major operation that has taken place near LOC
this year in Kashmir.“In an ongoing anti-infiltration operation in Keran
Sector of North Kashmir, alert troops braving inclement weather and
hostile terrain have so far eliminated five terrorists attempting to
infiltrate across LOC taking advantage of bad weather,” Srinagar-based
defense spokesperson Col. Rajesh Kalia said in a statement. Earlier on
Sunday morning, Col Kalia said that “evacuation of the injured is
hampered due to heavy snow and rough terrain conditions.”indianexpress
No progress on Panama Papers in which over 1800 Indian names had been disclosed
Panama
Papers illuminate a key aspect of why the system isn’t working –
because globalization has allowed the capital and assets of the 1 % (be
they individuals or corporations) to travel freely, while those of the
99 % cannot.Globalization is supposed to be about the free movement of
people, goods, and capital. But in fact, the system is set up to enable
that mobility mainly for the rich (or for large corporations).The result
is global tax evasion, the offshoring of labor, and an elite that flies
35,000 feet over the problems of nation states and the tax payers
within them.nationalheraldindia
*WORLD*
Israeli police kidnap J’lem mayor Adnan Ghaith from his home
O.Jerusalem,
(PIC) Israeli occupation police on Sunday morning kidnaped Jerusalem
mayor Adnan Ghaith from his home in Silwan district, south of the Aqsa
Mosque in the holy city.According to local sources, police forces and
intelligence officers stormed and ransacked the house of mayor Ghaith
and detained him, with no known reason.Ghaith has been arrested and
interrogated several times since he became the Jerusalem mayor. He is
also banned from entering the West Bank and communicating with certain
people.
Israeli forces storm towns in J’lem and Qalqilya, attacks local residents
Israeli
occupation forces (IOF) on Saturday evening stormed Anata town,
northeast of Jerusalem, provoking clashes with local young men.According
to local sources, IOF blocked the main entrance to Anata town and
obstructed the movement of citizens during the events.IOF also stormed
Kafr Qaddum town in Qalqilya and attacked the weekly march protesting
settlement activity and the closure of the main road, which has been
closed since 2003.Local sources said that clashes broke out between
participants in the march and Israeli soldiers.Kafr Qaddum’s road is the
main route to the nearby city of Nablus, the nearest economic
center.Israeli army blocked off the road after expanding the illegal
settlement of Kedumim in 2003, forcing local residents to take a bypass
road in order to travel to Nablus, which has extended the travel time to
Nablus from 15 minutes to 40 minutes, according to Israeli rights group
B’Tselem.PIC
Israeli settlers storm Silwan town in Jerusalem
Israel holds 200 Palestinian children in its jails
Israeli
occupation authorities are holding 200 Palestinian children from West
Bank and Jerusalem in inhumane conditions in 3 prisons: Damon, Megiddo
and Ofer. Palestinian Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs Commission in a
statement marking Palestinian Child's Day, 5 April, slammed UN and
international human rights organizations for failing to ensure the
safety of 200 children who are subjected to physical and psychological
abuse in Israeli jails.
Hamas renews appeal to Saudi to release Palestinian detainees
GAZA,
(PIC)Hamas Movement has renewed its appeal to the Saudi authorities to
release Mohamed al-Khudari, his son and other Palestinian detainees in
their jails.In a statement on Saturday, Hamas stressed the need for
releasing all Palestinian detainees in light of the spread of
coronavirus and the real risks it poses to their lives.“It has been a
year since the arrest of Dr. Khudari and his son Hani in addition to
dozens of our citizens and their Saudi sponsors — not for a crime they
committed, but because they did not forget the Palestinian question and
worked on supporting it with legal and legitimate means and in
compliance with their national duty and the Saudi policy that always
dealt with the Palestinian issue as the nation’s central cause,” Hamas
said.
Pominent Hezbollah commander illed in Lebanon
A
prominent Hezbollah commander, Muhammad Ali Yunis, was killed by
unknown gunmen on Sunday morning in southern Lebanon, Iranian and
Lebanese media reported.Iranian semi-official Fars news agency reported
that the slain commander was “responsible for tracking spies and
collaborators”.It also said that sofar there is “no additional
information on how he was killed”. Some Lebanese media outlets close to
Hezbollah group said that Yunis was pursuing a suspect when he was
ambushed by three cars in Zoutar area.MEMO
OPEC+ meeting delayed as Saudi and Russia row over oil price collapse
OPEC
and Russia have postponed a Monday meeting to discuss oil output cuts
until April 9, OPEC sources said on Saturday, as a dispute between
Moscow and Saudi Arabia over who is to blame for plunging crude prices
intensified, reports Reuters.The delay came amid pressure from US
President Donald Trump for OPEC led by Saudi Arabia and its allies, a
group collectively known as OPEC+, to urgently stabilise global oil
markets.Oil prices hit an 18-year low on March 30 due to a slump in
demand caused by lockdowns to contain the coronavirus outbreak and the
failure of OPEC and other producers led by Russia to extend a deal on
output curbs that expired on March 31.MEMO
Afghan forces announce arrest of local ISIL leader
Afghan
forces announced they have arrested the leader of the country's ISIL
(ISIS) affiliate along with 19 other fighters. 2 high-ranking commanders
were among those arrested in addition to the leader of the Islamic
State of Khorasan Province (ISKP), Abdullah Orokzai, also known as Aslam
Farooqi, a statement by Afghan intelligence agency National Directorate
of Security (NDS) said on Saturday.The arrest comes after ISKP claimed
responsibility for the attack on a Sikh religious complex in the capital
Kabul on Wednesday, killing 25 people. ISKP has been on its back foot
in recent months following continued operations by US forces and
separately by the Taliban.aljazeera
*VIEWS, ARTICLES, FEATURES*
Publication of COVID-19 quarantine lists violates the right to privacy:SANYA KUMAR, SHRUTANJAYA BHARDWAJ, caravanmagazine
No, Shameful Attack on Sikhs in Kabul Still Doesn’t Justify the CAA:Angshuman Choudhury, thewire
Tablighi Jamaat, Coronavirus and Muslim-Bashing:Syed Ubaidur Rahman
BJP
MP Subramanian Swamy called ‘fascist’ for comments on Indian Muslims,
Twitterati drag journalist daughter’s marriage to Muslim
Eight takeaways from Shaheen BaghMani Shankar Aiyar By Mani Shankar Aiyar ,theweek
Lockdown stories from a Kolkata slum, far away from social distancing:indianexpress
Covidnomics will force Government to buy or bail-out airlines, forget about selling Air India:Aakar Patel, nationalheraldindia
COVID-19 is a secular devil, beyond God, godmen, religion or voodoo magic:Sujata Anandan, nationalheraldindia
PM Modi brandishes Hindutva amid Corona lockdown in his video talk:Abid Shah, nationalheraldindia
COVID-19 Fears Are a Double-Edged Sword for the Elderly and Those Who Care for Them:Suchitra, thewire
'Third World Region of a Third World Country': How Kashmir Struggles With the Coronavirus:Peerzada Sheikh Muzamil, Wasim Nabi; thewire
Tablighi Jamaat Coronavirus Hotspots Is Media Coverage Biased?Shuma Raha, thequint
From Kolkata to Shirdi, Temple-Goers Flout Social Distancing Norms on Ram Navami: thewire
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