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Kerala will continue to eat beef; BJP has no problem with it: Modi govt’s minister

News Network
September 4, 2017

New Delhi, Sept 4: Kerala is a “beef-eating State” and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has no problem with the people eating beef there, newly appointed Tourism Minister K Alphons has said.

“Kerala is a beef-eating state. It is not going to stop eating beef. It will continue to eat beef. BJP doesn't have a problem,” he said while speaking a news channel after assuming charge of the Tourism Ministry on Monday while replying to a question on the issue.

He rejected all accusations against the BJP on the issue, dubbing them as “absolutely untrue.”

He said that the Chief Minister of Goa, which is a BJP-ruled State, has made it clear that the State would continue to eat beef.

"I am sure there is a lot of propaganda. There is no food emergency They said churches would be demolished and mosques will be burnt if the BJP comes to power but nothing like that happened, he added.

Alphons asserted that the BJP had no plans to impose a “food emergency” in any of the States including Kerala.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi is taking everybody along. He has said 'I will take care of you all. I will protect you'," he added

Alphons also said that he would be “a bridge between Prime Minister and the Christian community,” when asked if his induction into the Narendra Modi's Council of Ministers was a move to reach out to the Christian community.

“I would be a bridge between the Prime Minister and the Christian community. The Prime Minister has talked about the development of all sections of the community," he said.

Earlier in the day, he took over the charge of Tourism Ministry in presence of the outgoing Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma. He also joined the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (IT) as Minister of State to function under Union Minister Ravishankar Prasad.

"There is a lot of potential in our tourism sector but first we will have to love ourselves and love India then we can attract tourists from other countries," he said.

Handing over the charge of the Tourism Ministry, Sharma said Prime Minister “handpicked” Alphons for the job as he had created an image of himself “as an able administrator.”

“He is like a flower that Modi has picked from a bouquet. When the tourism development rate globally is 4.7 per cent India's is 17.3 per cent. I hope next time when these statistics are issued, Alphons would have bettered this,” Sharma added.

Comments

Abdullah
 - 
Wednesday, 6 Sep 2017

Hahahaha.....  Anukoola Shastra.

Kuttan
 - 
Tuesday, 5 Sep 2017

No Problem in kerala beef is not gomatha.

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News Network
July 1,2020

Bengaluru, Jul 1: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief DK Shivakumar on Wednesday said that the state Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa should apologise to the nation for the Ballari incident.

"It is shocking to see the Ballari incident. The way the dead bodies of the corona victims have been treated is very unfortunate. The entire country witnessed it. I request the Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa to apologise to the nation. India is known for its values and traditions," Shivakumar told reporters here.

Earlier, Shivakumar had posted a video which allegedly showed officials 'inhumanly' dumping bodies of those patients who die of COVID into a pit in Ballari, the district administration confirmed it and said that the entire field team involved in the incident has been disbanded.

"It's disturbing to see bodies of COVID patients who have died being dumped inhumanly into a pit in Ballari. Is this civility? This is a reflection of how the government has handled this Corona crisis. I urge the govt to take immediate action and ensure that this doesn't happen again," Shivakumar's tweet, which also had a video of the incident embedded, read.

The Deputy Commissioner, Ballari issued a press note which stated that it had conducted an enquiry after the video surfaced and it was found that the video belonged to the district and "comprises of burial of eight people who passed away after succumbing to COVID-19."

Although, according to the DC, all protocols and SOPs were followed by the team during the burial process, however, the "disrespectful handling of the bodies while being lowered on to the ground by the field staff" led to the entire field team involved being disbanded and will be replaced by a new team trained by the HOD, Forensic, VIMS.

The district administration also issued an unconditional apology to the families of the deceased and to others who were hurt by the incident.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa also termed the behaviour of the staff "very inhuman and very painful" and urged the staff to tread cautiously with humanity in handling the funeral of those affected by the disease, and added, "Let's walk with humanity, and realize that there is no greater religion than humanity." 

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Agencies
July 29,2020

Dubai, Jul 29: Muslim pilgrims on Wednesday begin the annual Haj, downsized this year as the Saudi hosts strive to prevent a coronavirus outbreak during the five-day pilgrimage.

The Haj, one of the five pillars of Islam and a must for able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime, is usually one of the world's largest religious gatherings.

But this year only up to 10,000 people already residing in the Kingdom will participate in the ritual, a tiny fraction of the 2.5 million pilgrims from around the world that attended last year.

"There are no security-related concerns in this pilgrimage, but (downsizing) is to protect pilgrims from the danger of the pandemic," said Khalid bin Qarar Al Harbi, Saudi Arabia's director of public security.

Pilgrims will be required to wear masks and observe social distancing during a series of religious rites that are completed over five days in the holy city of Makkah and its surroundings in western Saudi Arabia.

Those selected to take part in the Haj were subject to temperature checks and placed in quarantine as they began trickling into Makkah at the weekend.

State media showed health workers sanitising their luggage, and some pilgrims reported being given electronic wristbands to allow authorities to monitor their whereabouts.

Workers, clutching brooms and disinfectant, were seen cleaning the area around the Kaaba, the structure at the centre of the Grand Mosque draped in gold-embroidered cloth towards which Muslims around the world pray.

Haj authorities have cordoned off the Holy Kaaba this year, saying pilgrims will not be allowed to touch it, to limit the chances of infection.

They also reported setting up multiple health facilities, mobile clinics and ambulances to cater to the pilgrims.

Saudi authorities said only around 1,000 pilgrims residing in the Kingdom would be permitted for the Haj. Some 70 per cent of the pilgrims are foreigners residing in the Kingdom, while the rest will be Saudi citizens, authorities said.

All worshippers were required to be tested for coronavirus before arriving in the holy city of Makkah and will also have to quarantine after the pilgrimage as the number of cases in the Kingdom nears 270,000.

They were given elaborate amenity kits that include sterilised pebbles for a stoning ritual, disinfectants, masks, a prayer rug and the Ihram, a seamless white garment worn by pilgrims, according to a Haj ministry programme document.

"I did not expect, among millions of Muslims, to be blessed with approval," Emirati pilgrim Abdullah Al Kathiri said in a video released by the Saudi media ministry.

"It is an indescribable feeling... especially since it is my first pilgrimage."

The Haj ministry said non-Saudi residents of the Kingdom from around 160 countries competed in the online selection process but it did not say how many people applied.

Despite the pandemic, many pilgrims consider it safer to participate in this year's ritual without the usual colossal crowds cramming into tiny religious sites, which make it a logistical nightmare and a health hazard.

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coastaldigest.com news network
July 15,2020

Newsroom, Jul 15: At least three students have committed suicide in different parts of Karnataka after failing in II PUC examinations, the results of which were announced yesterday. 

Bhumika, an 18-year-old girl hailing from Mallipattene near Arakalagud town in Hassan district killed herself within hours after the announcement of results. 

Depressed over her failure in the examination, she consumed poison, the police sources said. 

In a separate incident, 18-year-old Chitra, who failed the II PUC examinations, committed suicide at her native Chikkamarasa village in Shivamogga district. 

She was studying in Government PU College in Kumsi and after knowing about her result in the final PU exam, she hanged herself to death at her house.

Similarly, an 18-year-old boy from Harihar taluk in Davanagere district committed suicide in his house after the announcement of the PUC results.

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