Category: National

PTI

New Delhi: In her Independence Day message, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday said these were “testing times” for Indian democracy and people need to introspect if there is freedom in the country to ask questions, disagree or seek accountability.

Since independence, India has tested its democratic values from time to time and constantly developed them, Gandhi said.

She alleged that “the present government, it seems, is standing contrary to democratic system, constitutional values and established traditions. These are also testing times for Indian democracy”.

Gandhi said today all citizens need to introspect and think what freedom means.

“Is there freedom in the country today to write, to speak, to ask questions, to disagree, to have views, to seek accountability?” she asked, and added that “as a responsible opposition this is our responsibility that we make every effort and struggle to keep India’s democratic independence intact.”

India is not only famous across the world for its democratic values and pluralism of different languages, religions, and sects, but it is also known for facing adversity with unity, she said in her message on the occasion of the 74th Independence Day. Her message was in Hindi.

“Today, as the entire world is struggling with the coronavirus pandemic, India will have to unitedly defeat this pandemic and set an example. I can say with full confidence that all of us together will come out of this pandemic and the state of severe economic crisis,” Gandhi said.

Gandhi also referred to the Galwan Valley clashes in eastern Ladakh in June, saying that 60 days have passed since 20 Indian soldiers, including Colonel Suresh Babu, laid down their lives, achieving martyrdom.

“I pay tributes to them and salute their bravery, and urge the government to honour their valour and give them due respect. Thwarting the Chinese incursions and protecting the sovereignty of motherland would be the greatest tribute to them,” she added.

She wished the countrymen on Independence Day, and hoped for a bright democratic future for the country.

PTI

New Delhi: In a veiled message to China amid the border standoff, President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday asserted that while India believes in peace it is also capable of giving a befitting response to any attempt of aggression as he said “some in our neighbourhood” tried to carry out “misadventure of expansion”.

In his address to the nation on the eve of the 74th Independence Day, Kovind also spoke about the ‘Aatmanirbhar’ initiative launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and allayed fears of foreign investors saying India’s self-reliance means being self-sufficient without alienating or creating distance from the world, with which it would continue to engage.

Touching upon the COVID-19 pandemic, Kovind said the nation is indebted to doctors, nurses and other health workers who have been continuously on the forefront of the fight against the disease which has disrupted all activities world over and taken a huge toll.

He also complimented the Modi government, noting it is very reassuring to note that the Centre while anticipating the tremendous challenge responded effectively and well in time. “For a country so vast and diverse with high population density, meeting this challenge requires super-human efforts.”

Without taking China’s name, the President said “while the world community needs to fight together against the greatest challenge(COVID-19) before humanity, some in our neighbourhood tried to carry out their misadventure of expansion.”

He saluted the brave soldiers who laid down their lives defending the country’s borders.

“Those worthy sons of ‘Bharat Mata’ lived and died for national pride. The entire nation salutes the martyrs of Galwan Valley. Every Indian feels grateful to their family members,” he said. Twenty personnel of the Indian army were killed during clashes with the Chinese PLA in Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on June 15.

“Their bravery in combat has demonstrated that while we believe in peace, we are also capable of giving a befitting response to any attempt of aggression. We are proud of the members of our Armed Forces, paramilitary forces and police personnel who protect the borders, and ensure our internal security.

The President also said construction of the temple at Shri Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya “was indeed a moment of pride for all”. Prime Minister Modi performed the ‘Bhoomi Pujan’ for the Ram temple on August 5.

“People of the country maintained restraint and patience for a long time and reposed unflinching trust in the judicial system. The issue of Ram Janmabhoomi was resolved through judicial process. “

All concerned parties and the people respectfully accepted the verdict of the Supreme Court and displayed before the world, Indian ethos of peace, non-violence, love and harmony, he said.

Pilots have been given an equivalent of one month’s salary, according to sources.

Air India has served termination letters to 48 pilots, weeks after the airline asserted on social media that no employees would be laid off.

It is reliably learnt that Air India tendered termination letters to several pilots on Thursday evening.

The termination comes into immediate effect and “you will stand released from the services of the company w.e.f close of office of August 13,” the carrier has said. A copy of one such letter was reviewed by The Hindu.

Pilots have been given an equivalent of one month’s salary, according to sources.

“You would appreciate that the Company is already severely strained financially. Further, the global pandemic COVID-19 has resulted in extraordinary and exceptional circumstances by gravely reducing the commercial functioning of the company leading to redundancies. The company is incurring huge net losses and doesn’t have the financial ability to pay,” the letter informed the pilots.

In some cases these letters informed employees that an earlier resignation offered by them in 2019, but later withdrawn, was being accepted by the company even though the revocation of the resignation letter was okayed by the airline.

In other cases, the pilots had submitted their resignation letters six months back, but their resignations had not been accepted by the Chairman and Managing Director.

On July 23, following a high-level meeting, Air India had announced on Twitter, “unlike other carriers which have laid off large number of their employees, no employee of Air India will be laid off”.

The move comes at a time the government’s second attempt to privatise the carrier is underway, and the deadline for submission of Expression of Interest by bidders has been extended to August 31.

With inputs from The Hindu

PTI

New Delhi: A 13-year-old girl was allegedly raped by her neighbour when she went outside to relieve herself in southeast Delhi’s Sarita Vihar area, police said on Friday.

The police have arrested the 18-year-old man.

The incident took place on Thursday, they said.

The girl, a class IX student at a government school, was taken to a hospital for medical examination, a senior police officer said.

The father of the minor told the police that the incident took place when his daughter had gone outside the jhuggi to relieve herself.

Her neighbour and one of his friends took her behind the bushes, where the 18-year-old raped her. Later, the accused fled the spot, the officer said.

A case of rape and under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) has been registered at Sarita Vihar police station. Police have also apprehended the friend of the neighbour and is verifying his role in the incident, they said.

The victim said she can identify her neighbour’s friend by face, police added.

African swine fever (ASF) has spread to Meghalaya; more than 17,000 pigs have died due to the highly-contagious disease in adjoining Assam.

Preliminary screening of tissue samples of pigs in Meghalaya at a laboratory in Guwahati confirmed the cause of death as ASF. The samples have also been sent to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal for analysis.

“We had received nine samples of pigs that died in three districts of Meghalaya. These samples tested positive for ASF in our laboratory but we dispatched them to the Bhopal Institute on Tuesday for further confirmation,” said Pradip Gogoi, Deputy Director in-charge of the Animal Health Centre at the North-Eastern Regional Disease Diagnostics Laboratory.

“The samples were received from East Khasi Hills, West Jaintia Hills and Ri-Bhoi districts of Meghalaya on August 9,” Mr. Gogoi told The Hindu.

People of Lamin village in Meghalaya’s West Jaintia Hills had reported the sudden death of 15 pigs in the first week of August. More such deaths were reported later from the other two districts.

February outbreak

Since February this year, ASF has killed at least 17,000 domesticated pigs in Assam and an unspecified number in Arunachal Pradesh. The disease is believed to have been transmitted from China where it has resulted in the death of several animals in 2019.

According to the World Organisation for Animal Health, ASF is an extremely contagious viral disease affecting wild and domestic pigs. It swiftly crosses national borders, spreading through live or dead bodies, even through packaged pork products.

Piggery is a major source livelihood in the northeast because of the high demand for pork. Assam alone has seven lakh pig farmers engaged in the business, worth at least ₹8,000 crore annually.

However, the sale of pork has been restricted in many parts of the northeast since the ASF outbreak. Nagaland, for instance, has banned the import of live pigs or pork products from other States.

With inputs from The Hindu

Bathinda: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director Inger Andersen has said there is no vaccine for climate change. We must embed sustainability into Covid-19 recovery. She was speaking at a webinar organised by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) on Thursday.
Ms Andersen also stated that the economy cannot be revived at the cost of the environment.

“We all know we have to change, but now with Covid-19 and the rise in poverty, we have no more time. Once ecosystems collapse, there is no coming back.” she said.

CEEW is policy research institution, which uses data, integrated analysis, and strategic outreach to explain – and change – the use, reuse, and misuse of resources.

The discussion on shifting sustainability from the margin to the mainstream was the first in a series of sessions being organised by CEEW as part of its 10th anniversary celebrations. The session also included Jamshyd N Godrej, Chairman, Godrej & Boyce and Chairperson, CEEW; Bahar Dutt, Environment Journalist and Associate Professor, Shiv Nadar University; Miniya Chatterji, CEO, Sustain Labs Paris and Founding Director, Anant Fellowship for Climate Action; Archana Soreng, Member, UN Secretary General’s Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change; and Kanika Chawla, Director, CEEW Centre for Energy Finance.

She said, “As we move towards the delayed COP26 UN Conference on Climate Change, we are calling for all countries, including India, to take earnest efforts to make real the promise of Paris and to also stretch their commitments in the new Nationally Determined Contributions. Humanity’s best bet is to minimise the risks and impacts of crises such as Covid-19 by putting sustainability at the heart of Covid-19 recovery.”

She further added, “We have seen sustainability move closer to economic decision making and while we have made many promises, legislatures and commitments, action is missing. We are facing a triple planetary crisis — the loss of nature, climate change and pollution, which has led to millions of premature deaths, disability and diseases amongst the poor, who are often those living closest to sources of dirty air, power plants, waste dumps and so on.”

Jamshyd N Godrej said, “CEEW has been contributing deep analytical insights that have aimed towards plotting low-carbon pathways to inform India’s mid-century strategy, driving low-carbon industrialisation through its pioneering work on green hydrogen, creating a democratic demand for clean air, assessing climate risks, and championing the energy transition”.

Archana Soreng said, “For shifting Sustainability from the Margin to the Mainstream, it is important to promote the process of dialogue between the two stakeholders – those at the ‘Margins’ and those in the ‘Mainstream’, enable dissemination of knowledge and experience, and develop a common strategy that would perpetuate sustainability.”

Miniya Chatterji said, “up to 18 million children in India are homeless. They need shelter, food and care so that they can become champions for the environment. Empty stomachs cannot save the planet. We need to incentivise social good and environmental sustainability for the private sector.” (TOI)

A Muslim mob went on a rampage and unleashed extreme violence in Bengaluru on Tuesday evening over a Facebook post that was allegedly derogatory to Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).

According to the reports, the Muslim mob hit the streets near DJ Halli and KG Halli police station areas on Tuesday evening and attacked a Congress MLA’s house after one of his relatives had allegedly made a derogatory Facebook post.

Over a 100 people had gathered around the residence of Congress MLA Akhanda Srinivasamurthy around 7:00 PM on Tuesday. Congress MLA Akhanda Srinivasamurthy represents Pulikeshinagar constituency which is reserved for the Scheduled Caste (SC). The Muslim mob, armed with sticks, iron rods, sharp metal objects and other weapons, went berserk and barged into the house of the MLA.

The angry Muslim pelted stones and began to torch vehicles, ATMs, shops near the locality while protesting against the alleged derogatory post made by one of the relatives of Dalit Congress MLA Akhanda Shrinivasamurthy. Social media posts of few people involved in the mob violence indicate that the riots could have been pre-planned as calls for the mobilisation of Muslims were allegedly made on social media platforms on Tuesday evening.

Further, the mob also set two cars on fire. The violent mobsters forced the shopkeepers to down shutters in Pulakeshinagar, Bharatinagar, Commercial Street and Tannery Road.

DJ Halli, along with Tannery Road, Shampura, Davis Road, Frazer Town and Coles Park are one of the most sensitive areas in Bengaluru city. The majority of the population in these localities are Muslims. The Bilal Bagh area in DJ Halli had become the anti-CAA and NRC protest site on the lines of Shaheen Bagh in Delhi.

Angry mob shouted Allah-hu-Akbar, Nara e taqbeer, torched police station

Soon, the situation took an ugly turn after two separate Muslim mobs gathered in front of KG Halli and DJ Halli police stations. The Muslim mobs locked the gates from outside and pelted stones at the police station. At least 10 vehicles, including Innovas of two DCPs, were damaged in front of the stations. The mob also set fire to the vehicles in front of the DJ Halli police station.

In what seems to be a pre-planned attack by the Muslim mob, the Muslim mob, carrying petrol and other weapons, also barged into the nearest police quarters and attack the premises.

The Muslim mob was seen raising Islamic slogans like ‘Allah-hu-Akbar’ and ‘Nara-e-Taqbeer’ outside the police station.

Visuals outside the police station. pic.twitter.com/TJYKEfJvO8

— Bangalore Mirror (@BangaloreMirror) August 11, 2020

The mob even attacked media persons, who were capturing the violent incident on their phone cameras and Suvarna News journalists have been injured. The cameras and mobiles were snatched and damaged completely.

As the DCP Bheemashankar Guled visited the spot to take control of the situation, the angry mob stopped him in front of the police station gate and also pelted stones at him. Even as the police personnel were escorting the DCP to a safe location, the mob attacked the car and damaged it. They also assaulted the driver of the vehicle.

Our media friends inform me that @DCPNEBCP vehicle has been attacked and driver is injured.
Sir are you safe? Can someone from @CPBlr @BlrCityPolice confirm that he's safe?#Bengaluru #Riots

— Chiru Bhat | ಚಿರು ಭಟ್ (@mechirubhat) August 11, 2020

The Muslim mob, armed with all dangerous weapons and petrol, took control of the area and sealed five to six crosses barring access to police personnel and fire and emergency service personnel. The Muslim mob did not allow fire engines to enter the street and douse the fire.

The residents of the localities now gripped by panic, starting to leave houses along with kids and women to other areas in an attempt to save their lives from the Muslim mob.

The mob has burnt down the DCP’s vehicle outside KG Halli police station and have attacked the police personnel. The police are using tear gas outside the police station to bring the mob under control.

— Bangalore Mirror (@BangaloreMirror) August 11, 2020

Two hours after the Muslim mob unleashed the riots, the Bengaluru police attempted to control the situation and began dispersing the mob. The police fired in the air in front of the KG Halli police station. Despite the firing, there was no sign of control as the mob continued with their violence protest.

In the resulting firing, at least two people have died while a few others were injured severely. At least 60 police personnel including an Additional Commissioner of Police have sustained injuries in the clashes, said Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Pant. The police have now imposed restrictions under CrPC Section 144 and curfew has been imposed in DJ Halli and KG Halli police station limits of the city.

Reportedly, the relative of the Congress MLA, Naveen, has been arrested for his allegedly offensive Facebook posts on social media, the Commissioner added. More than 100 Muslim mobsters have been arrested on Tuesday evening for unleashing riots in the city.

The senior police officers, including Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Nath have arrived at the spot. The situation has been brought under control and the mob has dispersed.

Dalit Congress MLA appeals to Muslims for peace

Amidst all the violence, the Congress MLA Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy appealed to the people to maintain peace and said action will be taken against the person, who allegedly posted the post.

“I appeal to all my Muslim brethren to maintain peace and not to get carried away by the rumours and miscreants’ words. Be it a Hindu or Muslim, we all are equal. Whoever it may be trying to disrupt the harmony, they will be dealt with seriously and will be punished by the police as per the law. But let us not resort to this violence and I request all of you to keep calm,” the Congress MLA said.

The police have opened fire in air to warn the mob. Both KG Halli and DJ Halli police stations have been vandalised. The mob has burnt down several vehicles of police. pic.twitter.com/PbjGm0qMtF

— Bangalore Mirror (@BangaloreMirror) August 11, 2020

Following the incident, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa spoke to Home Minister Basavaraja Bommai and asked him to take all necessary steps to contain further spread of violence. Home Minister Bommai urged people to must maintain peace and those who resort to violence will be dealt with an iron fist.

With inputs from the OpIndia

(This story has not been edited by Kashmir Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

ANI

• AIIMS director Randeep Guleria also said that India has the capacity for mass production of vaccine
• The Health Ministry said earlier in the day that the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration will meet tomorrow

New Delhi: All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi Director Dr Randeep Guleria on Tuesday said that there was a need to assess the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccine developed by Russia if it is successful.

He also said that India has the capacity for mass production of vaccine.

“If Russia’s vaccine is successful, then we will have to see critically whether it is safe and effective. There should not be any side effects of the vaccine and it should provide good immunity and protection. India has the capacity for mass production of vaccine,” Dr Guleria told ANI.

The Health Ministry said earlier in the day that the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration will meet tomorrow.

“Government has constituted the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration which will meet tomorrow. Their terms of reference constitute all matters related to logistics of vaccines, ways to address issues of equity etc,” Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said at a media briefing.

He was asked if the government was planning for a tie-up with Russia for the vaccine developed by it.

“This expert group will continue its engagement with all state governments and vaccine manufacturers in India,” Bhushan said.

Countries are racing against time to develop a vaccine against coronavirus since its outbreak. The disease has killed over 7.37 lakh people in the world.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), two indigenous vaccines are in the stage of human trials.

The vaccine candidate developed by Bharat Biotech International in collaboration with ICMR is in phase one and phase two trials as is vaccine candidate developed by Zydus Cadila.

Serum Institute of India has got permission for phase two and three human trials of vaccine developed by Oxford University.

The COVID-19 case count in India has risen to 22,68,676 and 45,257 deaths have been reported due to the virus.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.

He was also found to be COVID-19 positive.

Former President Pranab Mukherjee. File | Photo Credit: V.V. Krishnan

Former President Pranab Mukherjee’s health condition has worsened and he continues to be on ventilatory support following an emergency life-saving surgery for a brain clot, the Army’s Research and Referral (R&R) Hospital said on Tuesday.

Mr. Mukherjee was admitted to R&R hospital at 12:07 p.m. on Monday in a critical condition.

“The former president who underwent lifesaving emergency surgery for brain clot on August 10 has not shown any improvement and his health status has worsened. He remains on ventilatory support,” the Hospital said in an evening health bulletin. He was also found to be COVID-19 positive, it stated.

“On a visit to the hospital for a separate procedure, I have tested positive for COVID-19 today. I request the people who came in contact with me in the last week, to please self isolate and get tested for COVID-19,” Mr. Mukherjee had tweeted on Monday afternoon.

With inputs from The Hindu

PTI

New Delhi: With a highest single-day spike of 64,399 cases, India’s COVID-19 tally zoomed past 21 lakh on Sunday, while the death toll climbed to 43,379 with 861 more fatalities, the Health Ministry said.

The number of recoveries surged to 14,80,884 with record 53,879 more people recuperating in the past 24 hours, taking recovery rate to 68.78 per cent,. The case fatality rate has dropped 2.01 per cent, according to the ministry data.

There are 6,28,747 active cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), comprising 29.20 per cent of the total caseload in the country. The total coronavirus cases have mounted to 21,53,010, including 43,379 deaths, it said.

This is the third consecutive day that the COVID-19 cases have increased by more than 60,000. India had crossed the 20-lakh mark on Friday.

As many as 7,19,364 samples were tested on Saturday, the highest in a day. A total of 2,41,06,535 samples have been tested so far, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research.

“India is performing around 500 tests for detection of COVID-19 per minute and the per-day testing capacity has increased over five lakhs,” scientist and ICMR media coordinator Lokesh Sharma said.

Of the 861 more deaths, 275 are from Maharashtra, 118 from Tamil Nadu, 97 from Andhra Pradesh and 93 from Karnataka.

Fifty-one more people died from the pathogen in West Bengal, 47 in Uttar Pradesh and 23 each in Punjab and Gujarat.

Delhi registered 16 more fatalities, followed by 15 in Madhya Pradesh, 13 in Bihar, 12 each in Telangana and Odisha, 11 in Rajasthan and 10 in Jammu and Kashmir.

Eight fatalities have been reported from Assam, seven from Haryana, five each from Puducherry and Uttarakhand, and four each from Jharkhand, Kerala and Tripura.

Two persons each succumbed to the contagion in Chhattisgarh and Goa, while Chandigarh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Manipur and Meghalaya have registered a fatality each.

Of the total 43,379 deaths, Maharashtra has reported the maximum of 17,367, followed by 4,808 in Tamil Nadu, 4,098 in Delhi and 3,091 in Karnataka.

There have been 2,628 fatalities in Gujarat, 2,028 in Uttar Pradesh, 2,005 in West Bengal, 1,939 in Andhra Pradesh and 977 in Madhya Pradesh.

A total of 778 people have died in Rajasthan due to the pandemic, followed by 627 in Telangana, 562 in Punjab, 474 in Haryana and 459 in Jammu and Kashmir.

There have been 382 COVID-19 deaths in Bihar, 259 in Odisha, 155 in Jharkhand, 140 in Assam, 117 in Uttarakhand, 106 in Kerala.

Chhattisgarh has registered 89 deaths, followed by 80 in Puducherry, 72 in Goa, 41 in Tripura and 24 in Chandigarh.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands reported 20 deaths, Himachal Pradesh 14, Manipur 11, Ladakh nine and Nagaland seven.

There have been six coronavirus deaths in Meghalaya and three in Arunachal Pradesh, while Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu reported two and Sikkim one.

The Health Ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities.

“Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research,” the ministry said, adding that state-wise distribution of figures was subject to further verification and reconciliation.