Security tightened in Mangaluru for PM Modi’s visit

Bengaluru, Mar 28: Karnataka has reported 10 new positive cases of COVID-19 between 5 pm yesterday and 8 am today, taking the tally to 74 in the state.

"Ten new COVID-19 cases have been reported between 5 pm yesterday and 8 am today, taking the total number to 74 in Karnataka, which includes three deaths and five cured/discharged persons," said the State Health Department on Saturday.

The total number of active COVID-19 cases in the country has climbed to 873, including 78 cured, discharged and migrated cases and 19 deaths, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Saturday.

Bengaluru, Feb 22: Student activist Amulya Leona, who was arrested on sedition charge after she raised ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans during an anti-CAA event at Bengaluru’s Freedom Park on Thursday evening, has now criticised the organisers of the event for snatching away microphone from her hand.

The event was organised by ‘Hindu Muslim Sikh Isaai Federation’. Soon after she started pro-Pak slogans All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi rushed and tried to snatch mic from her hand. When she continued to speak, her microphone was deactivated.

According to police, the 19-year-old BA journalism student blamed her predicament on the organisers of the protest for not allowing her to complete what she wanted to say on stage.

"Maybe she had intended to say what she had recently posted on her Facebook page where she has said ‘Zindabad’ to all the countries, including India and Pakistan. But it went awry. She was not answering any of our questions, but kept saying she had not done anything wrong," a senior police officer was quoted as saying by a news paper.

The police have booked Leona for sedition and promoting enmity between groups. After her arrest, she was thoroughly questioned by the police for over two hours. After recording her statement, the police produced her before a magistrate in the wee hours of Friday. When she was taken to the judge’s residence, located at the National Games Village in Koramangala, Leona pointed towards the TV cameras and flashed a victory sign.

As the police did not seek her custody, the judge remanded her to judicial custody and she was subsequently taken to Bengaluru Central Prison at Parappana Agrahara. Her advocate is expected to file a bail application in the court on Monday.

When the police took her into custody at Freedom Park and quizzed her, she reportedly did not answer any of their questions but kept insisting that she had not done anything anti-national to be charged with sedition.

"It was the organisers’ mistake to snatch the mike from me before I completed what I had to say. Because of them, I have been arrested today. If they had given me a chance to complete what I had to say, nothing like this would have happened. Now, there is no point in telling you what I intended to speak there. But I can say that there was nothing anti-national in what I did. You can initiate action against me and my advocate will fight the case," a source, citing Leona, said.

The police recorded whatever she said as her voluntary statement and submitted it to the magistrate. "We tried to find out why she did what she did and whether there was anyone else behind her making such a statement. But it appears she had done it on her own," the police official said.

Mar 5: The government on Thursday asserted that there is no shortage of raw ingredients or medicines in the country as it has taken various initiatives to tackle the challenge posed by the coronavirus outbreak.

All initiatives are also being taken to ensure that there is no impact of the disease in India, Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers D V Sadananda Gowda said.

"There is no shortage of any APIs in the country. We have sufficient APIs (active pharmaceutical ingredients) and medicines in the country," he said.

Gowda was addressing the 5th international exhibition and conference on the pharmaceutical and medical industry organised by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Gujarat government and industry chamber Ficci here.

For another three months there is no shortage for undertaking production in the pharma sector, he added.

"Our government has taken all initiatives to ensure that as far as our country is concerned the coronavirus should be stopped, and there is no hazard as far as this issue is concerned," Gowda reiterated.

Coronavirus is a challenge and "we should make all efforts that need to be taken..., " he added.

On Tuesday, India, the world's largest maker of generic drugs, restricted the export of common medicines such as paracetamol and 25 other pharmaceutical ingredients and drugs made from them, as it looks to prevent shortages amid concerns of the coronavirus outbreak turning into a pandemic.

Besides over-the-counter painkiller and fever reducer paracetamol, drugs restricted for exports included common antibiotics metronidazole, and those used to treat bacterial and other infections as well as Vitamin B1 and B12 ingredients.

A notification by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) had said the export of 26 active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and formulations would require licence.