Hindu Mahasabha, KRV leaders arrested for blackmailing, kidnapping, robbing 76-yr-old man

Kochi, Apr 18: The Centre on Friday informed the Kerala High Court that there was no immediate plan to bring back the Indian citizens stranded in the Gulf countries due to the novel coronavirus outbreak and that the expatriates had been granted visa extension.

The counsel for the central government made the submission before a division bench comprising justices Rajavijayaraghavan and T R Ravi during the hearing of a plea seeking a direction to bring back Indians stranded in the UAE.

Permission of the Gulf countries was required to send medical teams there to carry out medical examination of the stranded Indians, the counsel said when the court sought to know the Centre's view on Kerala government sending medical teams to the Gulf countries to deal with the issue of COVID-19 disease among Malayalees there.

The court posted the plea for April 21 for consideration after the Central government informed that a similar petition is under consideration of the Supreme Court.

In its plea, Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre (KMCC) in Dubai, the organisation for non-resident Indians from Kerala, sought directions to the Ministries of External Affairs and Civil Aviation to provide exemptions in the international air travel ban to bring back Indians stranded in the UAE.

The petitioners noted that those who return could be kept in quarantine as per the protocol of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The Ayodhya police booked a senior journalist on Wednesday for raising questions on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's visit to the Ram Janmabhoomi for a religious ceremony amid the lockdown over the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The FIR mentions a tweet by Siddharth Varadarajan, editor of news portal 'The Wire', where he said: "On the day the Tablighi Jamaat event was held, Adityanath insisted a large Ram Navami fair planned for Ayodhya from March 25 to April 2 would proceed as usual and that 'Lord Ram would protect devotees from the coronavirus."

Varadarajan had clarified in another tweet that it was "Acharya Paramhans, Hindutva stalwart and head of the official Ayodhya temple trust, who said Ram would protect devotees from coronavirus, and not Adityanath, though he allowed a public event on 25/3 in defiance of the lockdown and took part himself".

Taking the suo-motu cognizance, Faizabad Kotwali police station incharge Nitish Kumar Shrivastava registered an FIR under sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 505(2) (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code for doing "disreputable" comment against the chief minister.

Statement by the Founding Editors of The Wire: pic.twitter.com/frw5oRxw18

— The Wire (@thewire_in) April 1, 2020
Reacting to it, Varadarajan termed the FIR "politically motivated, saying that the offences invoked were not even remotely made out.

With an aim to provide water to stray animals in Mangaluru, an animal activist announced a project 'Jal' under which free water bowls will be distributed to the people across the city.

Tauseef Ahmed believes many animals and birds do not find source to drink water which leads to death.
"Finding clean and safe drinking water has been a major issue in a lot of places. We humans when we face some scarcity we manage by taking the water out from the well," Ahmed told ANI.

"Unfortunately, that's not the case with when it comes to animals and birds. They do not find sources for water to drink so they eventually end up drinking sewage water and they fall sick. In some cases, even that is not available and due to dehydration, they die," he added.

Under the "Jal" project, Ahmed will distribute free water bowls to the people and expects them to make equal efforts in saving the lives of the animals.

"So, this project "Jal" will be providing 100 free water bowls all over Mangaluru. We are distributing it free of cost. All you have to do is keep the bowls outside in the garden or any places where animals frequently visit. Every day, we just have to fill the bowls with water for the animals. It will help a lot of animals to survive in the harsh weather of summers," Ahmed highlighted.

"We have used cement to make the bowls which will keep the eater really cool. We are spending close to 74 rs per bowl. We have made around 100 bowls and will continue making it. We are trying to cover as many animals as we can," he said.