Rohingya Muslims are terrorists, they killed Hindus; should be deported: VHP

Lucknow, Apr 13: Muslims in Uttar Pradesh are now worried that the intense communal profiling of the Corona patients by the official agencies could lead to lynching incidents once the lockdown is lifted.

Muslim scholar and former SP spokesman, Abdul Hafiz Gandhi, on Monday said, "The manner in which the government agencies are identifying persons belonging to Tablighi Jamaat in the list of Covid-19 patients is now translating into intense communal profiling which has been prohibited by the World Health Organization and the central government. A very small percentage of Muslims subscribe to the Tablighi Jamaat ideology but the impression going around is that the Muslim community, in general, is spreading coronavirus."

He said that there was a strong possibility of Muslims, in general, being attacked after the lockdown is lifted.

"This is exactly what happened on the cow slaughter issue. Even a small rumour led to people being lynched by mobs across the country. Corona is a pandemic and should be treated like one. We should fight against the virus together instead of creating a communal divide. Every day, the government spokesman lays down the number of Corona positive cases and then goes on to say how many of them are from Tablighi Jamaat," he explained.

Amir Haider, a social activist and also a veteran Congress leader, echoed similar sentiments when he said, "We strongly condemn the Tablighi Jamaat for ignoring the protocols and holding the congregation but why is the state government repeatedly harping on the religious angle. Shia and Sunni clerics are repeatedly asking the people to adhere to government guidelines and follow safety protocols.

He said that efforts to create a communal divide on the corona issue could have dangerous ramification after the lockdown is lifted."

A retired IAS officer, who did not wish to be named, said, that people have already started objecting to taking home deliveries from Muslim employees.

"My neighbours refused to take delivery of groceries from a Muslim boy. This is just the beginning of the narrative that is being drilled into the minds. We must check this before it explodes into something very dangerous," he said.

Jan 31: A bunch of fishermen in Kerala is being praised for releasing an endangered shark back into water. A video posted on Twitter shows the fishermen releasing the whale shark that was trapped in their nets back into the sea.

The video was posted on Twitter by InSeason Fish - a group working towards environmental conservation, sustainable fisheries and healthy oceans. Filmed in Kerala's Kozhikode, it shows fishermen on a fishing vessel with the huge whale shark.

Whale sharks are the largest fish in the ocean and can reach up to 40 feet in length. Distinguished by their white spots, this shark is on International Union for Conservation of Nature's list of endangered species.

In the video, at least seven fishermen are seen working together to lift the thrashing whale shark up with the help of ropes and releasing it into the water.

Watch the video below:

Fishermen from Kozhikode, #Kerala release an Endangered #WhaleShark. Respect! We should celebrate their actions. Please RT! Make them Heroes!@dhanyarajendran @Advaidism @jamewils @vivek4wild @wti_org_india @BittuSahgal @SanctuaryAsia @SwatiWild @GargiRawat @bahardutt @rickykej pic.twitter.com/uRz9eqPgG9

— InSeason Fish (@InSeasonFish) January 28, 2020

Mangaluru, Feb 20: A wild tusker was spotted in Kukke Subrahmanya town here, in the early hours of Thursday.

Range Forest Officer (RFO), Kukke Subrahmanya Tyagaraj said that it was seen walking from Kashi Kattte in the town to Nuchila around 0530 hours without creating any havoc.

The same elephant was spotted some days ago at Harihara, a small village town near Kukke Subrahmanya.

It has been roaming around in the forests nearby for some time now. So far, it had not caused disturbance to people nor had it damaged any property, Mr. Tyagaraj said.

Kukke Subrahmanya is on the foot of the Western Ghats.