From Mamata to Owaisi, KCR's call for non-Cong, non-BJP front gains support

Agencies
March 5, 2018

Hyderabad, Mar 5: Within days of proposing a "non-Congress, non-BJP front, Telangana Chief Minister and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief K Chandrasekhar Rao has received support from several political parties including the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress.

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Hyderabad lawmaker Asaduddin Owaisi were the other leaders who have extended their support to the TRS chief.

The chief minister, on Saturday, had expressed his wish to join national politics to effect a "qualitative change", while accusing successive governments ruled by the Congress and the BJP at the Centre of having "miserably failed" to ensure development."Since morning, I have been receiving many calls from various places in India.

Today afternoon, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee called me and said that I have taken the right decision and she will be supporting me," Chief Minister Rao said while addressing a huge crowd at his official residence, Pragati Bhavan in Hyderabad."Farmers, Dalits, most backward classes are neglected.

 This situation should be changed. How long do they need to face problems.

 This has to change and this is not possible from these two parties. Hence, a non-Congress, non-BJP front should be formed in the country," Rao said.JMM leader Hemant Soren and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi have also expressed their solidarity.

"Former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren also called, telling me that he is standing behind me. Soren also told me that he is trying to speak with many other people in India and will meet up soon and speak on the issue," said Rao.

He was addressing a gathering of prominent TRS leaders, ministers and elected representatives of the party at Pragathi Bhavan, his official residence in Hyderabad.

The TRS chief further said he would talk with all like-minded parties and leaders for creating an agenda for the country's growth."I will soon meet like-minded leaders and we will also hold consultations with economic experts, social scientists and farmers for creating an agenda for the country's growth," Rao said.

The Congress failed to get a majority in Meghalaya and did not win a single seat in Tripura or Nagaland, for which elections were held last month.

In a press conference on Saturday after the BJP decimated the Left and Congress in the three states, Rao hinted at forming a third front-like platform.

The TRS chief said he was keen to participate in national politics to bring about a "change"."There is need for qualitative change in national politics... There is a serious need. People are vexed now. No qualitative change is seen by people even after 70 years of democracy.... China developed in less than three decades. What both the Congress and the BJP did all these years?" Rao had asked."People are looking for change. Can we expect something new to happen if the Congress comes to power after the BJP? It can be a third front or any front... Are we not part of the country? Discussions are going on. There is no secret about it," he had said.

In the gathering today, Rao underlined the need to implement "truthful cooperative federalism" and delegation of powers to states for their development."Such initiative would spread across country from Telangana," he said.Rao alleged that the BJP at the Centre had failed to do anything for developing the country in the last four years."The national parties, the BJP and the Congress, should change their attitude towards states.

Federal system is for a namesake (now). Is there federalism in this country?The agriculture system, education, urban development should be handed over to the states. But it is not being handed over but kept at Delhi (with the Centre)," Rao said.

He said states should be allowed to frame norms regarding quotas.Batting for decentralisation, the chief minister said that even states can launch and implement schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)."Can't state governments do it (undertaking such measures). Change should start and it starts from Telangana for the development of India. Change has to be brought... You cannot threaten me. You can threaten those who resorted to scams not me," Rao said.

He said the Constitution should be amended for the sake of the people."I spoke to some people in Delhi and they say the law and constitution in China is different.

 I say then you become different. Constitution and the governments, the PM, CMs all are for the public. You bring in changes in law and also amendments in the Constitution.

The countrymen will be with you," Rao said.The TRS chief also referred to the "fleeing" of liquor baron Vijay Mallya, wanted in loan default cases, and diamantaire Nirav Modi, an accused in the PNB fraud case, from the country."Is there no one to question.

Vijay Mallya fled the country and now Nirav Modi... What is this?" he asked.Rao said farmers were committing suicide because the BJP and the Congress did nothing for them."My countrymen, you know and understand the 'chamatkar' of both the parties who ruled the country for over 60 years. The price of every essential commodity is increasing but not the minimum support price on agriculture produce. GDP growth is not reflecting in the lives of farmers and their income is not increasing," Rao said.

What the countries like China, Japan and Singapore have achieved in terms of growth can be achieved by India as well, he said.Revealing his national ambitions, Rao had said people were yearning for change and he would not mind leading the movement for effecting the "change".He said he had recently met CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury and discussed a lot of issues.

Yechury's party had officially rejected any tie-up with the Congress for upcoming elections.Rao had also said he had nothing against the prime minister.

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Agencies
June 19,2020

Kota, Jun 19: In a shocking incident, a COVID-19 patient in Rajasthan's Kota district died after his family disconnected the ventilator to plug in the air cooler to combat the scorching heat.

The incident happened on June 15 in the Maharao Bhimsingh Hospital (MBS) hospital.

A committee was formed soon after the death was reported, which will submit its report on Friday at 4 p.m., hospital Medical Superintendent Naveen Saxena told media persons.

He said, "We have set up the committee to investigate the incident based on the primary information. The committee includes deputy superintendent of the hospital, nursing superintendent and CMO. We will look into the matter and then shall explore further action for a need to go to the police."

The family members of the COVID-19 patient, who came to meet him in the MBS hospital unplugged the ventilator and had put on the cooler switch which they had brought from outside. The ventilator worked for some time on the battery but later it collapsed and the patient turned critical.

The doctors were reported of the patient's critical condition who came rushing and did all they could do to save his life, but the result was unfavourable and the patient died.

The doctors were reported of the patient's critical condition who came rushing and did all they could do to save his life, but the result was unfavourable and the patient died.

The relatives, on the other hand, attacked the resident doctors after the patient died.

Doctor Varun, on duty, submitted a written complaint to the officials, alleging that the patients' relatives misbehaved with the staff. Other resident doctors also supported him and boycotted work very briefly, but then later resumed work.

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Agencies
June 6,2020

United Nations, Jun 6: The coronavirus disease has not "exploded" in India, but the risk of that happening remains as the country moves towards unlocking its nationwide lockdown that was imposed in March to contain the Covid-19, according to a top WHO expert.

WHO Health Emergencies Programme Executive Director Michael Ryan on Friday said the doubling time of the coronavirus cases in India is about three weeks at this stage.

“So the direction of travel of the epidemic is not exponential but it is still growing,” he said, adding that the impact of the pandemic is different in different parts of India and varies between urban and rural settings.

“In South Asia, not just in India but in Bangladesh and...in Pakistan, other countries in South Asia, with large dense populations, the disease has not exploded. But there is always the risk of that happening,” Ryan said in Geneva.

He stressed that as the disease generates and creates a foothold in communities, it can accelerate at any time as has been seen in a number of settings.

Ryan noted that measures taken in India such as the nationwide lockdown have had an impact in slowing transmission but the risk of an increase in cases looms as the country opens up.

“The measures taken in India certainly had an impact in dampening transmission and as India, as in other large countries, open up and as people begin to move again, there's always a risk of the disease bouncing back up,” he said.

He added that there are specific issues in India regarding the large amount of migration, the dense populations in the urban environment and the fact that many workers have no choice but to go to work every day.

India went past Italy to become the sixth worst-hit nation by the COVID-19 pandemic.

India saw a record single-day jump of 9,887 coronavirus cases and 294 deaths on Saturday, pushing the nationwide infection tally to 2,36,657 and the death toll to 6,642, according to the health ministry.

The lockdown in India, was first clamped on March 25 and spanned for 21 days, while the second phase of the curbs began on April 15 and stretched for 19 days till May 3. The third phase of the lockdown was in effect for 14 days and ended on May 17. The fourth phase ended on May 31.

The country had registered 512 coronavirus infection cases till March 24.

The nation-wide lockdown in containment zones will continue till June 30 in India but extensive relaxations in a phased manner from June 8 are listed in the Union home ministry's fresh guidelines on tackling the Covid-19 pandemic issued last week.

WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan said the over 200,000 current coronavirus cases in India, a country of over 1.3 billion people, "look big but for a country of this size, it's still modest.”

She stressed that it is important for India to keep track of the growth rate, the doubling time of the virus and to make sure that that number doesn't get worse.

She said that India is a “heterogeneous and huge country” with very densely populated cities and much lower density in some rural areas and varying health systems in different states and these offer challenges to the control of Covid-19.

Swaminathan added that as the lockdown and restrictions are lifted, it must be ensured that all precautions are taken by people.

“We've been making this point repeatedly that really if you want behaviour change at a large level, people need to understand the rationale for asking them to do certain things (such as) wearing masks,” she said.

In many urban areas in India, it's impossible to maintain physical distancing, she said adding that it then becomes very important for people to wear appropriate face coverings when they are out, in office settings, in public transport and educational institutions.

“As some states are thinking about opening, every institution, organisation, industry and sector needs to think about what are the measures that need to be put in place before you can allow a functioning and it may never be back to normal.”

She said that in many professions working from home can be encouraged but in several jobs, people have to go to work and in such cases measures must be put in place that allow people to protect themselves and others.

“I think communication and behaviour change is a very large part of this whole exercise,” she added.

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News Network
April 20,2020

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 20:  Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday said that the government would revoke the order, which allowed the opening of barbershops and restaurants in the State.

The development comes after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) objected to the move.
When asked about the letter issued by the MHA terming certain decisions as to the dilution of guidelines, Chief Minister Vijayan said: "There is no confrontation between the State government and the Centre."

"Kerala is following all directions issued by the Centre. Barbershops will not be opened and restaurants will only provide online delivery," he told the reporters, adding that public transport would not be allowed.

"There was a decision to open barbershops but many experts have pointed out against the decision. So the Kerala government is withdrawing the decision," he said.

Earlier, Chief Secretary Tom Jose said that if needed, then the State government will make necessary modifications to the lockdown guidelines in the wake of a communication received from the Central government.

The MHA had objected to the decision of Kerala government to allow services like barbershops, local workshops, restaurants, etc., and had urged the State government to revise its lockdown guidelines.

The Government of India had said that violation to lockdown measures reported posed a serious health hazard to the public and risk the spread of COVID-19.

Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla wrote to all Chief Secretaries and a separate letter had been sent to the Kerala Chief Secretary asking them not to dilute lockdown guidelines in any manner.

In his letter to the Kerala Chief Secretary, Bhalla had stated that the consolidated revised guidelines on the measures to be taken by the Ministries/Departments of the Government of India has been circulated on April 15 for containment of COVID-19.

Kerala Minister Kadakampally Surendran had said that relaxations have been given abiding by the direction issued by the Central government. He had added that the Centre may have asked for an explanation due to some misunderstanding.

India is under a nation-wide lockdown that came into force on March 25 to contain the spread of coronavirus, which has claimed 559 lives in the country. Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the extension of lockdown till May 3.

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