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Top Muslim cleric drops bombshell on Mamata Banerjee, says she could go with Congress

March 18, 2014

Imam_BarkatiKolkata, Mar 18: After the Anna Hazare fiasco, a Muslim cleric who is close to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has now dropped a bomb.

Imam Barkati, the Shahi Imam of the Tipu Sultan mosque in Kolkata, says he approves of the strong words Rahul Gandhi uses against Narendra Modi and the BJP and wants Mamata Banerjee to make sharper attacks on them too.

The Imam, who had said at a massive Trinamool Congress rally on January 30 that Ms Banerjee should be PM, has now suggested that if necessary, she should support the Congress after the general elections beginning next month.

"Just like Rahul Gandhi who is saying the BJP is poisonous, that they are dangerous. Mamata also has to speak more strongly. That's what many Muslims are feeling. I also think if there is a coalition government, Mamata should go with the Congress," Imam Barkati said.

Ms Banerjee's Trinamool banks on the over 25 per cent Muslim vote in Bengal and has reacted with caution. "Again and again, time and again Mamata Banerjee has said she doesn't want to see the face of any dangabaj (rioters)," said Mukul Roy, Trinamool general secretary and close Mamata aide, referring to the West Bengal chief minister's assertion that she will not support Narendra Modi for PM.

The BJP is outraged. "An imam of a masjid is dictating to the chief minister and the chief minister is working according to his dictates. Nothing more unfortunate than that," said BJP state president Rahul Sinha.

Ms Banerjee will have to do a fine balancing act. Her political partnership with Gandhian activist Anna Hazare came undone almost before it began. Mr Hazare, she has reportedly said, is already a closed chapter. She cannot afford to shut the door on the Shahi Imam.

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Agencies
July 28,2020

Ghaziabad, Jul 28: Days ahead of Eid-ul-Adha, Nand Kishore Gurjar, a BJP MLA from Loni assembly constituency in Ghaziabad, has stoked controversy as he asked people celebrating the festival to "sacrifice their children instead of animals" on the occasion. He also claimed that "meat spreads coronavirus" so people should not be allowed to sacrifice innocent animals.

"People who want to sacrifice on Eid should sacrifice their children. I will not let people consume meat and alcohol in Loni. We will not let people sacrifice innocent animals because meat spreads coronavirus," the BJP legislator said while speaking to reporters.

"The way people have followed the guidelines of the government by not offering prayers and namaz at temples and mosques to contain COVID-19, in the same way, they must not give the sacrifice of animals on this Eid," he added.

"Earlier, sacrifices of animals used to be done in Sanatan Dharam as well. However, now coconut is offered instead. I request the Muslim brothers not to give 'qurbani' of animals. We will stop those who will perform the ritual animal sacrifice. We will not let this happen in Loni," he said.

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Agencies
May 9,2020

New Delhi, May 9: Home Minister Amit Shah today tweeted to say he is healthy and not suffering from any disease, dismissing recent rumours on social media about his health. "I want to make it clear that I am completely healthy and do not suffer from any disease," the Home Minister wrote.

The 55-year-old home minister said for the last few days, some people on social media have been spreading rumours about his health. "In fact, many have tweeted even wishing for my death," he said.

मेरे स्वास्थ्य की चिंता करने वाले सभी लोगों को मेरा संदेश। pic.twitter.com/F72Xtoqmg9

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 9, 2020
Mr Shah said with the country fighting the coronavirus pandemic, that has affected nearly 40,000 people and killed more than 1,900, he did not pay attention to these rumours as he was busy performing his duties as the home minister. He said he was clarifying today because lakhs of BJP workers have expressed concern over the last two days.

The Home Minister, taking a jibe at those spreading rumours, said such speculation about his health will only make him stronger. "I request people to stop indulging in such talks and let me do my work, they should also go about their business," he added.

Amit Shah thanked well-wishers and workers of the BJP for enquiring about his health. He signed off by saying he has no hatred towards those who spread the rumours.

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News Network
June 19,2020

New Delhi, Jun 19: India on Friday added 13,586 new COVID-19 cases for the first time in a single day, pushing the tally to 3,80,532, while the death toll rose to 12,573 with 336 new fatalities, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

In some positive news, the number of recoveries crossed the two lakh-mark and stands at 2,04,710, while there are 1,63,248 total COVID-19 active cases, according to the updated official figure at 8 am.

One patient had migrated.

"Thus, around 53.79 percent patients have recovered so far," an official said.

The total number of confirmed cases include foreigners. 

India registered over 10,000 cases for the eighth day in a row.

Of the 336 new deaths reported till Friday morning, 100 were in Maharashtra, 65 in Delhi, 49 in Tamil Nadu, 31 in Gujarat, 30 in Uttar Pradesh, 12 each in Karnataka and West Bengal, 10 in Rajasthan, six in Jammu and Kashmir, five in Punjab, four each in Haryana and Madhya Pradesh, three in Telangana, two in Andhra Pradesh and one each in Assam, Jharkhand and Kerala.

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