The Tamil Nadu government on Saturday moved the Supreme Court challenging a Madras High Court order for closure of state-run liquor outlets on the ground that there was total violation of guidelines meant to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Madras High Court had on Friday ordered closure of liquor outlets noting that there were huge crowds and no social distancing was being maintained by tipplers. It, however, allowed doorstep delivery of booze through online mode.
A freewheeling interview, some banter thrown in, and careful attention to the fact that no personal attacks on PM Narendra Modi are made while questioning the government over the coronavirus pandemic crisis was the template of Gandhi’s press conference.
A freewheeling interview, some banter thrown in, and careful attention to the fact that no personal attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi should be made while questioning the government over the coronavirus pandemic crisis and how it is being handled.
Rahul Gandhi’s press conference, addressed on Friday via video conference, was packed with suggestions and the most important related to an economic package. Gandhi suggested a cash transfer into everyone’s account as a bailout.
“Call it ‘nyay’ (justice) or call it by any other name but do it,” he urged the central government.
But the most important advicefrom Gandhi was that the fear factor of the pandemic must be reduced.
“Only a few people die, only about 1%-2% of the affected, so we shouldn’t panic,” he said.
It is this fear factor that has scared and stopped many state governments within the country and many governments abroad from opening up and lifting their lockdowns. But now experts are beginning to advise that endless lockdowns do not help as they hurt the economy and do irreparable damage. Despite a stringent lockdown, the number of infections is not showing signs of reducing anytime soon.
The idea behind these press conferences is simple. One is to show that Modi doesn’t hold such briefings and that transparency isn’t the hallmark of the BJP. It’s not on these grounds that Gandhi has raised objections to the Aarogya Setu mobiel app.
The Congress wants to project itself as a positive alternative, one with real ideas and which will not just rant against the government and the Prime Minister. Even while criticising the government, Gandhi tried to take care to temper it with suggestions.
The reality which the Congress is and should be aware of is that during a crisis, criticising the government can boomerang. No one wants an opposition that criticises without caring to be careful.
Govt.’s apathy towards migrant labour to blame for 16 being run over by train’
Opposition parties on Friday held the Centre responsible for the death of 16 migrant workers, who were run over by a goods train in Aurangabad, contending that the sudden announcement of the lockdown in March coupled with the government’s apathy towards the stranded labourers had led to the tragic incident.
Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi, in a post on Twitter, slammed the government for the treatment meted out to the migrant workers. “I am shocked by the news of the killing of our labourer brothers and sisters as a result of being crushed by a goods train. We should be ashamed of the treatment being meted out to our nation builders. My condolences to the families of those killed and prayers for the early recovery of the injured,” he tweeted in Hindi.
मालगाड़ी से कुचले जाने से मजदूर भाई-बहनों के मारे जाने की ख़बर से स्तब्ध हूं। हमें अपने राष्ट्र निर्माणकर्ताओं के साथ किये जा रहे व्यवहार पर शर्म आनी चाहिए। मारे गए लोगों के परिवारों के प्रति संवेदना व्यक्त करता हूं और घायलों के शीघ्र स्वस्थ होने की प्रार्थना करता हूं।
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 8, 2020
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that the lockdown had robbed the migrant workers of any means to make a living and demanded that the government should pay compensation and extend all possible help to those affected by the incident.
The “heartbreaking incident” had occurred due to “criminal” neglect by the government, CPI (M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury asserted. “The death of these poor labourers is solely due to the sudden announcement of a lockdown and denial of transport to them for weeks, while not providing a substantive relief package. It is criminal what has been done to them by the Central govt,” Mr. Yechury tweeted.
The death of these poor labour is solely due to the sudden announcement of a lockdown and denial of transport to them for weeks, while not providing a substantive relief package. It is criminal what has been done to them by the Central govt. https://t.co/IEOMMugHtg
— Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) May 8, 2020
“The migrant workers are being treated in a most inhumane manner by the government,” CPI General Secretary D. Raja said, terming the deaths in the accident a “deliberate killing”. “They have practically left them to fend for themselves without any aid or help,” he added.
Former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram in a series of tweets asserted that the Central and State governments appeared to be oblivious of the fact that thousands of migrant workers were still walking back to their home States. “The decision to provide buses and trains was hopelessly belated. Meanwhile lakhs of persons had begun their trek to their home states.” Asserting that the transport policy was “poorly designed, planned, coordinated and implemented” he said, “Once the policy was announced, government should have gone to the rescue of the trekkers and provided buses or trains to them to continue their journey”. The tragedy could have been avoided if governments had gone to the rescue of the migrant workers in time, the Congress leader added.
The decision to provide buses and trains was hopelessly belated. Meanwhile lakhs of persons had begun their trek to their home states.
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) May 8, 2020
It is obvious that the transport policy of providing buses and trains to transport migrant workers was poorly designed, planned, coordinated and implemented.
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) May 8, 2020
Once the policy was announced, government should have gone to the rescue of the trekkers and provided buses or trains to them to continue their journey.
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) May 8, 2020
08-May-2020 | PTI
COVID-19 | INDIA TRACKER
Confirmed Cases: 57155
Total Deaths: 1897
Active Cases: 38250
The COVID-19 cases in India are likely to peak in June-July according to data released by experts and going by the current trend, said All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) director Randeep Guleria.
Meanwhile, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said that in comparison to other countries, India was in a better condition as the fatality rate was 3.3% and recovery rate was 28.83%.
Pending CBSE class 10, 12 board exams, which were postponed due to the COVID-19-induced lockdown, will now be conducted from July 1 to 15, Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ announced on Friday.
“The students have been impatiently waiting for the schedule for pending exams. It has been decided today that the exams will be conducted from July 1 to 15,” he said.
The cases have been reported from units posted in Delhi, Jodhpur, Kolkata and Ambassa in Tripura.
Thirty more BSF personnel tested positive to COVID-19 on Friday, six in Delhi and 24 others in Tripura.
The total number of infected persons stood at 235 in the 2.5 lakh strong force, two others have recovered.
So far two BSF personnel have died.
The cases have been reported from units posted in Delhi, Jodhpur, Kolkata and Ambassa in Tripura.
He also added that Congress CMs said that they are not getting funds from the Centre.
Addressing the media on May 8, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi appealed to the Prime Minister to work with Chief Ministers as a colleague.
“If we speak fairly, the situation we are in today is not a normal situation. So, we can’t have normal solution. We need to decentralize and take it to the district level, we will win. If we keep it in PMO, we will lose the fight. PM should talk to CMs more, not as a boss but as a colleague,” said Mr. Gandhi.
“In the Congress party, we have been having discussions internally. We are now into lockdown for 45 days and we are beginning into a bit of problem. There is this feeling that we need to immediately get this package for small and medium businesses, help migrants and exit the lockdown.
“These suggestions are in the spirit of helping the government. The central government needs to give a sense of transparency about their plan or action. Government needs to tell the people these are the criteria that needs to be ticked off and then this is what we will do.
“This is not the time to criticize and I won’t do it. We need to get out the situation we are in right now. If you ask any businesses, they say our supply lines that run through red, orange and green. But there is a problem there. We need to restore these chains.
“I would urge the Prime Minister to treat the States and District Magistrates to treat as partners. We have been talking about cash transfers. Migrants need the money now. There are pushes and pull with regard to migrant workers. Start implementing NYAY and put it in 50% of the households. It won’t cost much.
“PM Modi has a style and that’s alright. But in such a situation, I would want many strong CMs, strong DMs and a strong PM working together. For example, these zones of red, green and orange. Our CMs say what they think is green has been marked red by the Centre. So, there is a mismatch between what the States think and Centre marks,” he said.
He also added that Congress CMs said that they are not getting funds from the Centre.
In a video conference on May 6, the Chief Ministers of the party-ruled States accused the Union government of taking decisions without consulting the States and not providing them with adequate funds to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pilot ejects safely; court of inquiry ordered
A MiG-29UPG of the Indian Air Force (IAF) from an airbase near Jalandhar crashed on Friday. The pilot, however, ejected safely.
“On May 08 at 1045h, one MiG-29 aircraft airborne on a training mission from an Air Force base near Jalandhar met with an accident. The aircraft had developed a technical snag and the pilot ejected safely as he was unable to control the aircraft,” the IAF said.
The pilot has been rescued by a helicopter, it added.
A court of inquiry has been ordered.
The Supreme Court Friday asked states to consider non-direct contact or online sales and home delivery of liquor during the lockdown period to prevent the spread of coronavirus on account of crowding at the shops. A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, Sanjay Kishan Kaul and B R Gavai, which took up the matter through video conferencing, disposed of the plea challenging the guidelines issued by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on May 1, allowing sales of liquor through direct contact sales during the lockdown period.
The Bench directed that States may consider allowing non-direct contact sales or online sales or home delivery of liquor during these times, advocate Sai Deepak, appearing for petitioner Guruswamy Nataraj said after the hearing.
–PTI
Country is also fulfilling global obligations, notes PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said India was taking all possible steps to save lives during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as responding to calls for help from other countries.
“Today, India is making every effort to save the life of every Indian and is also fulfilling its global obligations equally seriously,” he said.
Mr. Modi was delivering the keynote address during a virtual Buddha Purnima celebration organised by the Culture Ministry and the International Buddhist Confederation.
He said the teachings of Buddha were more relevant today as the world went through an upheaval. “The message and resolve to remove the difficulty of every life have always shown direction to India’s civilization and culture. Lord Buddha has further enriched this culture of India…Buddha is synonymous with service and dedication…And look at the good fortune of all of us, at this time we are seeing many people around us who serve others, treat a patient, feed a poor person, clean a hospital, maintain law and order on a road… they are all working round the clock. In India, outside India, every such person deserves a salute, a tribute.”
Buddha’s teachings were “even more relevant” today when there was “turmoil in the world”, he noted and and cited those related to mercy, compassion and acceptance.
“You are also seeing today that India is standing firmly in selflessness, without any distinction, with the person in distress, both in the country and throughout the world. Beyond the profit and loss, able and unable, for us, this hour of crisis is to help others as much as possible to forward the hand of help,” he said.