UTK writes to Modi criticizing BJP MP’s attempt to endorse tobacco use in India

[email protected] (CD Network)
April 2, 2015

Mangaluru, Apr 2: Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Minister U T Khader has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing concern over BJP MP Dilip Gandhi’s insensitive remarks that that there’s not enough Indian data to link tobacco to cancer.

ut modi gandhiIn a letter sent to the Prime Minister, Mr Khader expressed shock over the recommendation put forward by Dilip Gandhi to reexamine the health effects of tobacco on an Indian population in concern with pictorial warnings implementation.

Dilip Gandhi, who head’s Parliamentary panel on subordinate legislation examining the provisions of Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003 which had sought deferment of the move, earlier stated that there was no Indian study to confirm that use of tobacco products leads to cancer.

“If this report is true, it is disappointing as the health hazards of tobacco are well established worldwide over the decades. The carcinogenic chemicals in tobacco are the same worldwide and do not differ between countries in nature to harm human life. The same is proven well by the International agency for research on cancer- a wing of W.H.O,” said Mr Khader.

It is shocking that a senior MP is so poorly informed about the facts pertaining to harmful effects of tobacco. It also clearly shows the influence of the tobacco industry on the policy maker in a bid to distort science and influence policy. Tobacco is attributable cause for almost 40 % of cancers in India and majority of lung or heart diseases. It is appalling that Dilip Gandhi is challenging the recommendations of W.H.O, United Nations, UICC, CDC, NCI etc with regards to health effects of tobacco. In December 2010, Supreme Court had directed Ministry of Health to constitute an expert committee to study the harmful effects of tobacco. The committee submitted a damming report proving beyond doubt that tobacco is indeed very harmful, said Mr Khader in his letter.

Mr Khader further said: “This poor and unscientific approach by a policy maker can only make way for Acche Din to the tobacco industry, which contributes to highest deaths from NCD in our country. I strongly urge you to take cognizance of the issue and show your commitment for a Swasth Bharat by intervening in this policy measure that has potential to save lives.”

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News Network
February 28,2020

Suhaana shuddered with fear as she heard violent banging on her door on Sunday. The atmosphere was charged with communal tension after thousands of ruthless goons supporting contentious Citizens Amendment Act (CAA) launched a bloody onslaught against Muslims in the capital of India.

The family consists of Suhaana (name changed), her partially paralysed husband and two daughters. They are the only Muslim family in Madhuban mohalla of North Ghonda locality in north-east Delhi.

Hearts pounded louder than pounding of the door. Then the banging stopped and noises of men talking loudly came.

"I peeped out from a small window near the kitchen and saw our neighbours standing outside our entrance and arguing with 10-15 unknown people," Suhaana said.

It was the first day of the communal violence, worst in the decades, that fanned out to the entire north-east Delhi over the next three days and claimed at least 42 lives, left over 200 injured and properties worth crores destroyed. The death toll is feared to go up.

Later in the night Suhaana's family moved to one of their Hindu neighbour's house. There are about 30 Hindu households in the mohalla who kept vigil as the atmosphere deteriorated.

The next day, the violence escalated. The neighbours decided to shift Suhaana 's family to Gautampuri for their safety.

Suhaana recounted, "Our neighbours assured us that they are with us but as things were deteriorating, they said they wouldn't be able to protect us if a big mob of hundreds came. They advised us to move to the nearby Gautampuri locality and come back only after things become normal."

Rajkumar Bharadwaj brought the family to Gautampuri in the early hours on February 25.

Anil Gupta, 49, said, "It was tough to rescue them. We were asked by the rioters as to why we were saving the Muslims. But we had to, it is the people of my country who are suffering. It cannot be Hindus or Muslims."

Rajkumar Bharadwaj said, "Their youngest clung to me throughout. After I brought them here at Gautampuri, I felt good. Situation till then was not okay."

On Saturday, some semblance of normalcy returned to parts of north-east Delhi with some people opening their shops amid heavy police presence.

Meanwhile, the morbid sight outside GTB Hospital's mortuary, agonising groans in the hospital wards burnt down houses and shops remind Suhaana and others what they have been spared of.

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News Network
April 13,2020

Kundapur, Apr 13: The city police, burdened with the enforcement of COVID-19 lockdown decided to undertake door delivery of essential items to ensure people remained indoor, official sources said here on Monday.

According to them, the police would be delivering items to the houses in Kumdapur, Byndoor, Gongolli, Shankara Narayana, Kundapur Rural, Kota and Amavasebail.

The police will start spreading awareness with this regard for three days starting from today (April 13).

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News Network
January 15,2020

Davangere, Jan 15: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on January 14 threatened to resign when the seer of 'Panchamasali Guru Peetha' warned that the community will leave him, if a BJP MLA from the community is not made the minister during the upcoming cabinet expansion.

The chief minister, who is awaiting the BJP high command's nod to expand his cabinet, amid intense lobbying by the aspirants, wanted the seer Vachanananda swamiji and the 'Panchamasali' community to understand his "situation." Yediyurappa pointed out that he has come to power because of the Congress-JD(S) legislators who rebelled against the then coalition government.

The incident took place when Vachanananda swamiji, while addressing an event at Harihara, near here, said "chief minister, you are a good person, Murugesh Nirani (BJP MLA)has helped you a lot, he has stood by you..if you leave his hands this time, the united Panchamasali community will leave your hands." As the swamiji was making this statement, Yediyurappa, who was seated next to him, rose and threatened to leave the stage.

"If you speak like this I will go away...what are you speaking...kindly pardon me, I will leave, you should not speak like this, if you speak like this I can't work..you can give me suggestions, you cannot threaten me," he said, as the swamiji tried to convince Yediyurappa and asked him to take his seat.

As Yediyurappa acceded to his request, the seer said he was not threatening him but was putting forward the rights of the community. The chief minister, who was visibly upset, was seen talking to Home minister Basavaraj Bommai next to him, who even tried to convince the seer not to continue with the topic. Nirani, a MLA from Bilgi who was Industries minister in the previous Yediyurappa government, was seated on the stage when the incident occurred.

Later addressing the event, Yediyurappa said he was not "selfish" and was even ready to resign.

"Vachanananda swamiji has spoken, through you I request him to understand my situation also. If 17 legislators (Congress-JDS), few even as ministers, had not resigned and stayed away, Yediyurappa could not have occupied this Chief Minister position.

You (swamiji) need not make people raise their hands on any demand, if you tell me, I'm ready to listen to you," he said.

Stating that he was ready to take suggestions from the swamiji on all issues, including on how to run the administration for the next 3 years, Yediyurappa said "I'm ready to bow my head and listen to it, if you don't want I'm even ready to resign and go home, I'm not someone who wants to stick to the chair."

Further noting that if he says that the financial condition of the state is not good it will become headline in papers tomorrow, he said he will have to wait till March for the situation to improve.

"I dont have selfishness, I'm aware that if the Panchamasali-Lingayat community had not stood by me, I could have not sat on this chair (CM)... but kindly understand my situation also," he added.

Yediyurappa is expected to expand his ministry later this month after discussing with BJP national president Amit Shah during his visit to the state on January 18.

As the chief minister has already made it clear that 11 of the disqualified JDS-Congress MLAs who got re-elected in the bypolls on BJP tickets will be made ministers, lobbying has been on within the party for the remaining ministerial berths.

Currently there are 18 Ministers, including the chief minister in the cabinet that has a sanctioned strength of 34.

The cabinet expansion will not be an easy task for the chief minister as he will have to strike a balance by accommodating the victorious disqualified legislators as promised and also make place for the old guard, upset at being "neglected" in the first round of the induction exercise.

He also has to give adequate representation to various castes and regions in his cabinet and also deal with allocation of key portfolios.

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