Six people from Uttar Pradesh, who have shown symptoms of Coronavirus, have been shifted to Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital for treatment. While their initial samples have tested positive for COVID-19 at King George’s Medical University more samples have been sent to the National Institute of Virology(NIV) Pune for further confirmation.
In the wake of Coronavirus outbreak, UP Health Minister Jai Pratap Singh on Tuesday also chaired a meeting to check the state’s preparedness to deal with COVID-19. This comes soon after six people have tested positive for COVID-19.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, Singh said: “We have decided to constitute inter-department coordination committees to deal with the deadly COVID-19 outbreak in the state.”
Two new cases of COVID-19 were reported from India on Monday, one each from Delhi and Telangana. Both patients are being monitored and are considered to be in a stable condition, the ministry of health and family welfare said.
The deadly virus that originated in China late last year continues to spread around the world and has caused the deaths of over 3000 people.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday said that his government will request the Centre to reverse the conditions of NPR to those prevailing in 2010 as questions proposed in the register are causing insecurities in the minds of minorities.
“Some of the questions proposed in the National Population Register (NPR) are causing insecurities in the minds of minorities of my state. After elaborate consultations within our party, we have decided to request the Central Government to revert the conditions to those prevailing in 2010,” Reddy wrote on Twitter.
“To this effect, we will also introduce a resolution in the upcoming assembly session,” he added.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday said that he would form a committee to look into various aspects of the NPR.
Addressing a press conference, CM Thackeray said: “I will form a committee of leaders from Shiv Sena, Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to look into the provisions of NPR. We will first study it to make sure that no citizen is hurt by this.”
Shahrukh, the man who brandished a gun before a cop during protests in Delhi, said he did so in a fit of rage, Delhi Police informed on Tuesday and added that he has no criminal background.
Ajit Kumar Singla, Additional Commissioner of Police informed that Delhi Police is trying to recover the pistol which Shahrukh brandished on February 24.
Shahrukh was arrested by Delhi Police Crime Branch from Uttar Pradesh.
“We are trying to recover the pistol he used. Shahrukh said he fired during protests in a fit of rage. He has no criminal background but his father has a narcotics and fake currency case against him. Further investigation underway,” said Ajit Kumar Singla.
He added, “Shahrukh has been charged under Section 307 (attempt to murder), 186, and 353 of IPC and Arms Act. Further sections will be added during the course of investigation if needed. We will try to get his maximum possible remand.”
Meanwhile, Delhi Police sources have stated that suspended AAP councillor Tahir Hussain did not require rescuing.
“On the intervening night of February 24-25, news of the Councillor being stuck was received by police, upon investigation it was found the councillor was safe in his house,” sources said.
Hussain was named in the FIR lodged over the killing of IB officer Ankit Sharma duirng recent violence in Delhi. Sharma’s family had alleged that people pelting stones from Hussain’s building had killed their son.
The councillor, however, had stated that he himself was caught in the violence and had sought the help of the police over it. After the controversy, AAP had suspended him from the party’s primary membership.
Rajya Sabha MP and Congress leader Anand Sharma on Tuesday said that the government should immediately start the discussion on the violence that took place in Delhi in February.
Speaking at a press conference, Sharma said, “In Rajya Sabha, opposition parties have urged the chairman and the government to discuss the Delhi riots. We have also given notice regarding the same. In the Delhi riots, many people lost lives and hundreds were injured and thousands have been rendered homeless and there was loss of properties as well.”
“There is a need for parliament not only to discuss but also fix accountability and that is what parliamentary democracy is all about. The government should give up its rigidity and in the larger interest of democracy and parliament accept the discussion,” he said.
The Congress leader said, “The session is going on and on the second day the whole country is looking forward to what is happening in parliament. The govt should start the discussion immediately. It is disappointing that the government is shy about having a discussion.”
“India is our country and slogans of Bharat Mata Ki Jai and the tri-colour have to be held in high respect by all Indians. But they cannot be used by any political party or a private person to incite polarisation, tension and collision in society,” he added.
A group of concerned
civil society activists started a helpline to aid victims of communal violence
in northeast Delhi. Environmental activist Priya Pillai was a part of the
35-member team that was formed to facilitate rescue efforts. She tells LokMarg
about the harrowing last week.
For the past few days,
my phone has not ceased to ring. Last week was horrific. I would have used a
stronger word if I could. Delhi has been my home for the past many years. And
like many Delhiites, I felt helpless as northeast Delhi burnt and people got
butchered – all in the name of religious identity!
I am a part of the
Citizens Collective for Peace, a joint initiative by the civil society in
Delhi. When violence broke out we decided to help out the victims in whatever
little way possible. A team of about 35 people was formed, of which, three
sub-teams worked on rescue operations, medical support (which also included
lawyers to help with the documentation of medico-legal cases) and information
verification. I was a part of the rescue team.
There was no way that we
could go on the ground to facilitate the rescue operations, so we decided to
act as a bridge between the police and the complainants and ensure rescue
efforts were carried out smoothly.
On February 25th, we
circulated our personal numbers, which acted as helplines for the next few days
(we never got the time to get dedicated numbers for the helpline). Initially,
we had circulated the numbers in our private circles, but looking at the scale
of violence, we had to publicly post the numbers. The numbers were posted on
multiple WhatsApp groups and Facebook and Twitter.
Result: Our phones rang
incessantly. People called us and we called the Police Control Room (PCR) to
file the complaints and facilitate the evacuation. But the first six hours were
very challenging for us.
We could not get any headway with the police. While we desperately tried to reach out to them, but were faced with a lackadaisical response. We reached out to senior police officers, but it was appalling how despite repeated requests, they failed to act for more than six hours. Even after giving them a proper address, they kept dilly-dallying, saying things like: “Aap exact location toh bataiye. (Give us the exact location).”
Relief workers distribute essential food items to the victims of communal violence in northeast Delhi
The people at the PCR
even asked me questions like what my marital status was! It is apparently a
part of a routine procedure for registering a complaint. But at the time of an
emergency, can we afford to go into these banalities?
That night, we got
several more distress calls from people who were trying to take their bloodied
and burnt kin to the hospital but a wild angry mob was blocking their passage.
Two people had succumbed to their injuries, on the road, awaiting medical
attention.
Private as well as
government ambulances carrying victims were not being allowed to reach Al Hind
Hospital in Mustafabad. The Police was a mute spectator.
However, as a result of
a petition filed by civil society activists, the DCP East was ordered by a
two-judge bench of the Delhi High Court, to escort ambulances to ensure safe
passage for the injured. The order was passed by Justice
Muralidhar and Justice Bhambani post-midnight after attempts to seek help
from Delhi Police failed.
Within minutes of the
order, the Delhi police evacuated several critically injured people and carried
out rescue operations. Thus proving that the Delhi Police can work efficiently
and effectively, if it has the will to do so. They could have easily quelled
the riots within 24 hours, but the police and political class, let the city
burn. They let down the city they were mandated to protect and nurture.
The next two days, we
worked round the clock coordinating and facilitating rescue operations with the
police. People in the rescue team got the calls, the information verification
team, verified the details to ensure it wasn’t a hoax call. If the caller was
looking for medical help, we would connect them to the medical support team,
who would coordinate with the victims and ambulances. Members of the medical
team were there at the hospitals making sure the victims had reached safely and
were receiving medical attention.
We got all kinds of
calls from both Muslims and Hindus.
Many muslim families
were trapped in their homes or teraces, telling us that there was a mob outside
chanting slogans and likely to burn down the house if they left. Some of them
called us saying their homes were being looted. We had to counsel them and talk
them into evacuating the premises. We told them that the mobs will burn down
their house anyway, so why stay and risk your life.
In some cases the
callers did not want to give their numbers to the police, so we had to constantly
coordinate with the police and the complainants to facilitate the rescue. When
the police asked us for the phone number of the victims, we were forced to tell
them that people did not trust them. They feared that they would be harassed by
the police. So we were coordinating with them until we were sure that they had
been escorted to a safe place.
Many Hindus called us
saying that they were living in Muslim dominated areas and were fearing for
their lives — they were mostly calling out of panic.
Certain calls made us
wonder if communalism and intolerance had taken over all of humanity. Was there
no thread of humanism left in these people? People asked us: “Kya aap sirf Mussalmanon ko bachate hain?
(Do you just save Muslims?)” and “Achha
toh aap Hinduon ko bhi bachaate hain? (So you rescue Hindus too?)” Our
response was the same every time, we said that we help everyone who is affected
by the violence.
We also got calls from
people who started asking: “Aap kaun
hain, kya kaam karte hain, aapka naam kya hai?” We firmly refused to
divulge our personal details, and politely asked them not to waste our time.
We have taken a risk to
circulate our personal numbers. With apps like TrueCaller, it is very easy to
track people down. But we couldn’t just sit and do nothing, while people
butchered each other and the state machinery failed to act.
Then there were some
moments of encouragement, when people called us (from even outside Delhi),
showering praises and blessings. Such messages kept us going.
The rescue operations
are now over, with no new fresh clashes. We were not as effective as a
government machinery would have been, but we still managed to play a role in
saving a few hundred lives. It is now up to the Delhi government to provide
relief to the victims.
Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Monday informed that two new cases of COVID-19 have been reported, one each in Delhi and Telangana, taking the total number of positive cases in India to five.
“Two positive cases of COVID-19 in Delhi and Telangana. Their travel history is from Italy and Dubai. Total positive cases in India till now is five,” Dr Harsh Vardhan told media here.
“We are already prepared in advance and are closely monitoring other countries. We are also discussing if we have to revise any of our decisions, amplify it or focus in any particular direction,” the Health Minister added.
He stated that as the situation develops, the travel restrictions may be further extended to other countries also.
“Screening of passengers is being conducted at 21 airports, 12 major seaports, and 65 minor seaports. As many as 5,57,431 passengers have been screened so far at airports and 12,431 passengers have been screened on minor and major seaports,” the Union Minister informed.
Under the travel advisory, the existing visas including e-visas will remain suspended for China and Iran, the Health Minister said. “We advise Indians to avoid non-essential travel to China, Iran, Korea, Singapore, and Italy,” he added. (ANI)
The Lok Sabha was on Monday adjourned till 4 p.m. soon after it met after an earlier adjournment as Opposition members created ruckus in the House over Delhi violence and raised slogans against the BJP-led government.
Congress members came to the well of the House with placards soon after the House met at 2 p.m. following an adjournment earlier. Parliament met on Monday, the first day of second half of budget session, after a recess.
Speaker Om Birla asked the members to take their seats but the Opposition MPs continued with their protest. The House was first adjourned till 3 pm and later till 4 pm.
Congress members demanded resignation of Home Minister Amit Shah and sought an answer from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the violence. Members of some other Opposition parties also joined the protest against the government.
Amid sloganeering, the Speaker went ahead with the listed business for the day. He told Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury to ask members of his party to take their seats and follow the rules. The Speaker said that members have been elected to discuss issues in the House. But the Opposition members continued with their protest.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman moved the Direct Tax Vivad Se Vishwas Bill, 2020 for consideration and passage in the House amid sloganeering by Opposition members.
While BJP member Sanjay Jaiswal was speaking on the bill, the Speaker again referred to protest by Opposition members and said that the MPs were responsible members of the House.
“It should be our collective responsibility that peace and amity is maintained,” he said and added that the members should directly and indirectly contribute to the process.
“All of you make collective efforts. It is my appeal to leaders of various also,” he said.
The Speaker assured the Opposition members that the House will take up discussion the violence in Delhi once the situation normalises.
He said the members do not have the right to raise slogans in the House.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi attacked the Congress and accused it of involvement in the anti-Sikh riots of 1984 in Delhi in which over 3,000 people were killed. He said the Congress did not act against those responsible for the violence.
Pointing towards Opposition members, Joshi said Congress members had torn papers in the House. “I strongly condemn it,” he said.
“The priority is normalcy but they are behaving in an unruly manner. Let the peace be restored and discussion can be taken up. I condemn their attitude,” he said.
Jaiswal also slammed Congress President Sonia Gandhi for her remarks against the Citizensihip Amendment Act at a rally in Delhi.
“There should be a probe against Congress leaders,” he said.
Amid the ruckus, the Chair adjourned the House till 3 pm. When the House reassembled, BJP member Rama Devi was in the Chair. She said the behaviour of Opposition members was inappropriate and adjourned the House till 4 pm.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday condemned the violence which had broken out in North-East district of Delhi.
“We are sad and depressed and condemn the incident that happened in Delhi. I think it is a planned genocide. We have to reach out to more people. We need to keep our ego aside,” Banerjee said at an event here.
Banerjee further said that she had gotten three people arrested for raising provocative slogans in Kolkata.
“In Delhi, BJP leaders who gave provocative slogans have not been arrested, but I got three of the BJP workers arrested (on charges of raising ‘desh ke gaddaron ko…’ slogans in Kolkata) last night,” she said.
“These words are provocative, strong action will be taken. This is not Delhi, this is Bengal,” Mamata added.
“In the name of caste and religion the country is being set on fire,” she said, accusing the ruling party of divisive politics.
She further urged party MP Derek O’Brien to collect money from the state to help victims of the violence in Delhi and added that “our door is open for them on humanitarian grounds.”
During the event in Kolkata, the Trinamool Congress chief launched an over two-month-long campaign to reach out to the masses.
(ANI)
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