Amidst poll-preparations, IT raids several contractors across Karnataka

May 1: India on Thursday called as "propaganda" certain social media posts from the Arab world alleging harassment of Muslims in several parts of the country in the name of containing the spread of coronavirus.

Strongly rebutting the charges, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said the Gulf countries are deeply committed to friendly relations with India and they are even seeking bilateral talks on the post-COVID-19 economic recovery.

Talking about India's close and traditional ties with the Arab countries, he said New Delhi is ensuring uninterrupted supply of food and essential commodities to the region during Ramzan as part of its deep-rooted friendship.

Srivastava said the countries in the region do not support any interference in India's internal affairs.

"Much of what you see is propaganda by interested parties. Stray tweets can not be used to characterise our bilateral ties with these countries. The real picture of these relations is very much different," he said during an online media briefing.

There has been a wave of angry reactions on Twitter by leading citizens and rights activists from various Arab countries following allegations that Muslims are being blamed for spreading COVID-19 in several parts of India.

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, a powerful bloc of 57 countries, recently accused India of "Islamophobia". India rejected the charges as regrettable.

"We have been making special efforts to ensure uninterrupted supply of food and essential commodities which are required during the Ramzan period in these countries, and this is something which has been greatly appreciated. These countries also want a priority discussion with India on the post-COVID-19 economic recovery," Srivastava said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar have been in regular touch with their counterparts from the region in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

"In these discussions, there have been requests for sending medicines and medical teams to these countries. We already deployed a Rapid Response Team in Kuwait. There is also a request to send doctors and nurses from India," said Srivastava.

"What comes out clearly is that these countries are deeply committed to friendly relations with India. They also do not support any interference in internal matters of India. It is, therefore, important that the friendly and cooperative nature of our relations is accurately recognised and the misuse of social media is not given credence," he added.

Asked about reports of an order issued by Oman's Finance Ministry asking all state-owned companies to replace foreign workers with qualified local Omanis, Srivastava said it is not aimed at Indians working in the Gulf nation.

"The policy is a decades-old one and not specific to India. It does not target the Indians in any way," he said.

There have been apprehensions that the order will render thousands of Indians working in state-run firms in Oman jobless.

"They greatly value relationship with India. Government of Oman is taking special care of Indians which included free testing for coronavirus, its treatment, providing food," the MEA spokesperson said.

Oman government is also extending certain categories of visas of Indians.

Srivastava said India has been in touch with its friends and partners across the world as part of the collaborative approach to dealing with the pandemic.

Bengaluru, Jan 6: The city police commissioner Bhaskar Rao has ordered a special inquiry by the additional commissioner in connection with sexual harassment on a girl hailing from Kasaragod and the allegation that there were attempts to convert her to another religion.

Udupi-Chikmagalur MP Shobha Karandlaje on Sunday met Rao along with the girl and gave a complaint that two youths from Kasargod had raped her and forced her to convert to their religion.

A complaint has been filed in the Kasargod police station, but no action has been taken against them. Since both the accused work in Electronics City police station jurisdiction, she urged the police to arrest them.

Rao said he was yet to gather information about the case and he had directed the additional commissioner to conduct a preliminary investigation and submit a report.

After filing a complaint, Shobha told reporters that she has been sexually harassed ever since she was a minor. 

The MP said that the girl, who was brought from Kasaragod to Electronics City, where the accused youths run a business, was allegedly raped. “I have asked the Police Commissioner to direct the Electronics City police to register an FIR and arrest the youths,” she said.

“I have spoken to the survivor and she said that the youths were also forcing her to convert to Islam and threatened her with dire consequences if she did not,” the MP alleged.

Shobha went on to claim that there was a gang that could be operating to forcibly convert Hindu women to Islam. She also met Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa along with the girl’s family members and gave a petition.

Mangaluru, Jul 11: Deputy Commissioner Sindhu B Rupesh has set up an expert committee to look into the cause of deaths of covid patients in Dakshina Kannada.

The development comes after eight more fatalities including that of a CISF personnel attached to MRPL, were reported in the district on Friday.

The district has recorded 23 deaths since July 1 and 38 death cases have been reported in the district since April 19.

Of the 38 deaths, five were from outside the district. All the eight patients, who lost their battle to the virus in the district on Friday, were suffering from co-morbidities.

According to the govt bulletin on Covid-19 cases, comorbid conditions, like kidney failure, brain tumour, TB, pneumonia, liver damage, high BP, diabetes and others, were the main reasons behind the Covid-19 deaths reported in the district.