Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Thursday confirmed that 29 were tested positive for Coronavirus in the country till March 4.
Speaking at the Rajya Sabha, Vardhan said: “Till 4th March, there have been 29 positive cases of Coronavirus in India. I am daily reviewing the situation. A Group of Ministers is also monitoring the situation.”
Highlighting steps taken by the government to deal with Coronavirus scare, he said: “Since January 17, an action has been taken in this regard and we started preparing ourselves to deal with for such scenario. It was even before the advice of the World Health Organisation (WHO).”
The Union Minister also spoke on revised travel advisory issued by the government and said: “All arriving from abroad, including the United Nations officials and others exempted from visa restrictions, will also undergo airport screening.”
He added that self-declaration forms mandatory for all passengers arriving from abroad.
He informed that border crossing in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal are also being monitored by specific teams.
Giving details of the evacuation of Indian citizens by Air India and Indian Air Force, he said: “The government is also monitoring matter of Indians stranded in Iran.”
“More than 9,200 calls have been attended on the helpline number on Coronavirus,” he said.
Once again rescheduling the hanging of four rapists in the Nirbhaya case for March 20 at 5:30 am, a Delhi court on Thursday issued a fresh death warrant to the convicts.
This is the fourth death warrant issued for the execution of the convicts in the matter.
Advocate AP Singh, appearing for the convicts, sought more time claiming that another mercy petition of a convict — Vinay Singh Thakur — is pending before the President.
This comes after President Ram Nath Kovind, on Wednesday, rejected the mercy petition of Pawan Gupta, one of the four death row convicts in the case.
By now, mercy petitions of all the convicts in the case have been rejected by the President. However, a “complete” mercy petition of convict Akshay Singh Thakur was recently filed claiming that the previous one, which was turned down by the President on February 5, did not have “complete facts”.
A plea was on Wednesday moved in the court seeking a fresh death warrant for the convicts in the case contending that the convicts have exhausted all the legal remedies.
Asha Devi, the mother of the victim, expressed satisfaction on the issuance of the fresh death warrant and said that her struggle will continue till all the four convicts in the matter are hanged.
A Delhi court had on Monday stayed for the third time the death sentence of four convicts in the case observing that they cannot be executed while a mercy petition is pending before the President.
The case pertains to the brutal gang-rape and killing of a 23-year-old paramedical student in a moving bus on the night of December 16, 2012, by six people including a juvenile in Delhi. The woman had died at a Singapore hospital a few days later.
National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on Thursday said that if police fail to enforce laws then democracy fails.
“Law making is the most sacrosanct job in democracy. And you are the enforcers of that law. If you fail to enforce laws, democracy fails. Law is as good as it is executed on the ground,” Doval said while addressing young police officers here.
“You have to first identify the problem, define the problem, and find ways of solution, think how technology can be used. A beat constable should get technology gadgets,” he said. (ANI)
Bhavya
Gautam, a 27-year-old lawyer, in Brahmpuri, northeast Delhi was hit by a bullet
when he along with local youth tried to stop a mob from attacking a local
temple
I lost my mother at a young age and was raised
by my maternal uncle, Shankar Lal Gautam. My uncle tells me that our family shifted
from Haryana to Brahmpuri in 1962. I was born here and have always considered Brahmpuri
as home. Even the bullet that I received in my stomach on February 25 during
communal riots is not going to change that.
Till a few weeks ago everything in Brahmpuri was normal. Peaceful life, friendly neighbours and life as usual. Then we heard about protesters occupying the area near Jaffrabad Metro station to create a Shaheen Bagh-style demonstration (on February 23). Brahmpuri is less than a kilometre from the protest site and as traffic issues cropped up due to the protest, the ripples reached our area too.
Things flared up on February 24 around 10
am and by the night, things had taken a scary turn. What started as a fight
between pro- and anti CAA protesters soon took a communal colour. Our mohalla also became tense after news of
a fight near Maujpur Metro station reached us. We were already taking preventive
measures like guarding the entry points to our colony and keeping an eye on
outsiders since morning. However, a mob still managed to reach a temple near my
house and started throwing stones at it.
As local gathered to counter the mob, they took
out firearms and shot at us multiple time to scare us away. Several of those trying
to protect the temple go injured. I was also hit in my stomach. Thankfully,
unlike as reported by other riot-hit areas, police reached our colony within
10-15 minutes of our making a distress call.
My friends were worried at my condition and one of them rushed me to Jag Pravesh Hospital (Shashtri Park, East Delhi) on a bike. I was bleeding during the journey but held on. Thankfully, we didn’t meet any mob or obstructions on the way. After initial treatment, I was referred to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital at Dilshad Garden.
Shankar Lal Gautam (left) is thankful that his nephew Bhavya Gautam is safe
The hospital was already reeling under a
rush of injured. Each of the bed was shared by two, even three victims for
treatment. I was writhing in pain but there was not enough space to even turn
on the bed. I kept on pleading with doctors to either discharge me or give me a
proper bed as I had a bullet injury. Irked they discharged me but tagged my
status as an “absconder”. Since I am an advocate myself I know how serious this
charge can be and I have put in an RTI application to know why this happened.
It has been nine days and I am just about
beginning to put back the pieces of my life together. Let’s hope my ordeal gets
over soon and life gets back to normal for everyone.
(At
the time of this copy being uploaded, Bhavya’s uncle Shankar Lal Gautam who has
access to the CCTVs in the area has been watching the footage minutely to
observe if they can identify anyone from the attackers. The residents are weary
and hurt but not scared. Gautam feels it will take a long time before life gets
back to normal again in the area but he has faith in God.)
As many as 22 new cases of coronavirus cases have been reported in India taking the tally of persons infected with the deadly virus in the country to 28, the government said on Wednesday.
The new cases have been reported from Agra (6) and Jaipur (16). Meanwhile, two cases with high viral load have also been detected in Telangana. Out of 28 cases, 15 are Italian nationals.
“28 positive cases of the disease have been identified to date in the country. Out of these 28, three are from Kerala, one each from Delhi and Telangana, six from Agra, an Italian group which had come to India for travelling and their Indian driver,” said Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan during a press conference here.
In Jaipur, the wife of the already confirmed coronavirus patient has been confirmed for COVID-19. Also, the Italian national’s team member and their Indian driver have also been tested positive with the disease.
Similarly in Agra, six family members of the Delhi patient were found infected with the virus.
Earlier, there were five confirmed cases in the country– one each in Telangana and Delhi along with three in Kerala. Those from Kerala who were hospitalised last month after their return from China in January, have since then recovered.
The cases in Delhi and Telangana were identified on Saturday.
The Delhi patient had traveled to the national capital on February 25 by Vienna-Delhi flight.
Air India has asked crew members to self-quarantine for a period of 14-days. It has also asked the passengers on the flight to follow the protocol notified by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for prevention of coronavirus spread.
A Congress party delegation led Rahul Gandhi will visit the violence-hit north-east Delhi and would meet the affected families, party leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said on Wednesday.
Talking to reporters, Chowdhury said, “A delegation of our party leaders led by Rahul Gandhi will visit the violence-affected parts of north-east Delhi today.”
“We will continue our protests within and outside Parliament until there is a discussion on Delhi violence,” he added.
At least 47 people have died and more than around 200 people sustained serious injuries in the violence that raged for four days in north-east Delhi. (ANI)
Advocate Seema Kushwaha, lawyer of the parents of the December 2012 gang-rape and murder victim, on Wednesday said that they are moving an application seeking a fresh date for the execution of the four convicts.
This comes after President Ram Nath Kovind, earlier today, rejected the mercy petition of Pawan Gupta, one of the four death row convicts in the case.
“We are moving a fresh application in Delhi court to fix a fresh date for the execution of the four convicts. All the convicts have exhausted their complete rights. The date which will be fixed now will be the final date,” Kushwaha told ANI here.
A Delhi court had on Monday stayed for the third time the death sentence of four convicts in the case observing that they cannot be executed while a mercy petition is pending before the President.
The President has rejected the mercy petition of all the convicts in the case. However, a “complete” mercy petition of convict Akshay Singh Thakur was recently filed claiming that the previous one, which was rejected by the President on February 5, did not have “complete facts”.
Meanwhile, Pawan Gupta’s curative petition seeking commutation of his death sentence to life imprisonment was also dismissed by the Supreme Court on Monday.
The case pertains to the brutal gang-rape and killing of a 23-year-old paramedical student in a moving bus on the night of December 16, 2012, by six people including a juvenile in Delhi. The woman had died at a Singapore hospital a few days later.
The United States conducted an airstrike against Taliban in Nahr-e Saraj of Helmand district, said US military spokesperson on Wednesday.
This was a defensive strike to disrupt the attacks, Pajhowk Afghan News reported citing the spokesperson.
“The US conducted an airstrike on March 4 against Taliban fighters in Nahr-e Saraj, Helmand, who were actively attacking an Afghan National Security Forces checkpoint. This was a defensive strike to disrupt the attack. This was our 1st strike against the Taliban in 11 days,” the spokesperson said.
“To be clear- we are committed to peace, however we have the responsibility to defend our Afghan National Security Forces partners. Afghans and US have complied with our agreements,” he added.
This comes hours after more than 20 Afghan soldiers and police officers were killed in northern Afghanistan overnight in the latest Taliban attack.
The increase in the violence comes follows the US President Donald Trump a telephonic conversation with Taliban leader c where the latter promised to reduce the violence in the country.
The violence by the Taliban and counter-attack by the US jeopardise the peace deal signed four days back. The United States and Taliban signed a historic agreement with an aim to bring peace to Afghanistan by the withdrawal of US forces.
Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia interacts with local residents during his visits to riots affected area of north-east Delhi at Shiv Vihar in northeast Delhi on Tuesday.
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