NE exodus: Govt orders blocking of more than 250 websites

New Delhi, May 1: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Friday issued an order under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 to further extend the lockdown for a further period of two weeks beyond May 4.

The current lockdown period is scheduled to end on May 3.

"After a comprehensive review and in view of the lockdown measures having led to significant gains, the COVID-19 situation in the country, Ministry of Home Affairs issued an order under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, today, to further extend the lockdown for a further period of two weeks beyond May 4, 2020," read the order of the Home Ministry.

In red zones and outside containment zones, certain activities including plying of cycle rickshaws and auto-rickshaws, taxis and cab aggregators, intra-district and inter-district plying of buses and barber shops, spas and salons will be prohibited in addition to those prohibited throughout India.

A limited number of activities will remain prohibited across the country, irrespective of the zone, including travel by air, rail, metro and inter-state movement by road, running of schools, colleges, and other educational and training/coaching institutions, the order said.

This came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with chief ministers of several states last month where some of them suggested extension of lockdown.

Bengaluru, Mar 3: Minister of Medical Education K Sudhakar on Tuesday said that there is no need to panic as appropriate measures have been taken by the state government to tackle a possible Coronavirus outbreak.

"I request the media not to spread panic and support the government in dealing with any possible Coronavirus outbreak. With the help of the Centre we have taken all required precautionary measures to deal with any situation," Sudhakar told reporters.

Talking about the first confirmed case in Telangana, who had stopped over in Bengaluru, the Minister said, "His flatmates and 23 people who travelled with him from Karnataka are being screened. Both the state (Karnataka and Telangana) government are taking care of them."

"Out of the 295 samples collected so far, 240 tested samples tested negative. We are awaiting more results as of now. There are two labs. One in RGICS and another in Bangaluru Medical College where tests are being carried out," he said.

On Monday, the first confirmed case of a Novel Coronavirus in Telangana was reported from Hyderabad when a 24-year-old man, who had come in contact with some Hong Kong citizens, while he was in Dubai on February 17, tested positive for the virus.

After arriving in Bengaluru on February 20 and travelled to Hyderabad by bus on February 22.

Meanwhile, Telangana Health Minister Eatala Rajender on Sunday said that the state government is on a high alert since the confirmation of one Coronavirus positive case here.

The Health Department has also issued an advisory to all educational institutes.

Mangaluru, July 23: Lavanya Ballal, national co-coordinator for social media department of Indian National Congress, has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of destroying the nation by misleading the youth.

In an interview with a regional Kannada news paper, the Dakshina Kannada based activist, lamented that instead of using social media for the welfare of the nation, BJP leaders used it to spread lies for their political gains. 

On one hand BJP fooled people through false promises and colourful dialogues, while on the other hand it misled crores of youth by spreading fake news, twisted facts and false information, she said.

Ms Ballal went on to accuse BJP of following the footsteps of the British. “BJP is following all the methods employed by the British invaders to divide the people of India and make them hate each other,” she said.

She said that Congress always used the social media for the benefit of the country. If the new generation realises this fact, the country will once again turn its direction towards development, she asserted.