Modi "uttering lie" on Sabarimala issue, says Vijayan

Agencies
April 14, 2019

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 14: Sharpening its attack on the Prime Minister, the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF in Kerala on Sunday accused Narendra Modi of "misleading" the country on the Sabarimla issue and dubbed his statement as "utter lie."

Leading the onslaught, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan claimed Modi during his campaign meetings in neighbouring Tamil Nadu and Karnataka Saturday had said invoking the name of Lord Ayyappa or Sabarimala in Kerala would land devotees in jail and described it as "utter lie" and "misleading."

"This is an utter lie. How can a Prime Minister make such a wrong remark?" Vijayan asked while addressing an election rally in Kollam.

"If anyone was arrested, it was because they have gone against the law. In other states, Sangh Parivar activists may not land in jailor there may not be any cases against them, thanks to the blessings of Modi. But that will not happen in Kerala," the chief minister warned.

Accusing Modi of practising "double standards", he said it was the Centre which had asked the state government to impose Section 144 in Sabarimala during the frenzied protests last year over the entry of women of all age groups into the hill shrine.

It had also offered to send central forces to put down the protests, he added.

The state had witnessed violent 'namajapam' protests by a section of devotees, Right wing outfits and the BJP after the LDF government decided to implement the September 28 Supreme Court verdict allowing women of all age groups to offer worship at the Lord Ayyappa shrine in Sabarimala.

Modi, who was in Kozhikode on April 12, while not mentioning Sabarimala or Lord Ayyappa directly, had said the BJP government would ensure that the centuries old beliefs of devotees would be protected.

The Prime Minister was more direct in his campaign meetings in Tamil Nadu, where he alleged the Communists, Congress and Muslim League were playing a dangerous game on the Sabarimala issue.

"They are using brute force to strike at the roots of faith and expression. Sadly for them, as long as the BJP is there, nobody will be able to destroy our faith and culture," he had said.

The prime minister had also mentioned that the BJP candidate in Kozhikode, Prakash Babu, was arrested and jailed on the Sabarimala issue.

Hitting back, Vijayan said: "Whoever does any wrong, action will be taken", adding those arrested on the Sabarimala issue had gone against law.

The model code of conduct was applicable to the prime minister also, Vijayan said campaigning for the LDF candidate K N Balagopal in Kollam.

The state's Chief Electoral Officer, Teekaram Meena, had earlier made it clear political parties cannot invoke the name of Lord Ayyappa or Sabarimala to seek votes.

Vijayan said the BJP had given a call to its followers saying no one should put any offerings in hundis.

"Why did they send people to the hill shrine to attack devotees? The attackers even reached the Sannidhanam... the policemen were hit with coconuts. Police had great difficulty in controlling the attackers," he alleged.

CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan also lashed out at the BJP, saying the saffron party was allegedly dividing people on communal lines.

The prime minister himself was defying the Election Commission, he alleged.

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News Network
January 18,2020

Kanpur, Jan 18: Kanpur has witnessed an Unnao-like incident as the out on bail accused in rape case attack the family members of the victim. The mother of the victim, who later died in the hospital, was brutally attacked by the accused. The accused reportedly attacked the victim's mother and her aunt on January 8.

The actual rape case goes back to 2018 when a group of men abducted a minor girl from her own society. The accused had reportedly raped her and also beaten up her mother.

A video of mother being beaten up reportedly went viral soon after.

The mother of the victim had reportedly filed a complaint against one of the accused for abducting and molesting her daughter two years ago at a tannery falling under jurisdiction of Chakeri police station. The main accused along with five others was booked under section 354 of the IPC (sexual assault of children) and sent to jail. Around two weeks ago, the accused got bail and on January 9 they attacked the deceased and her sister.

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Agencies
April 24,2020

New Delhi, Apr 24: The Central government said on Wednesday that the number of COVID-19 cases in the country is now doubling in every 10 days, adding that had the lockdown not been imposed on time, the number of cases would have sky-rocketed to over one lakh by now.

"Had we not taken the decision to impose nationwide lockdown, we would have had around one lakh COVID-19 cases by now. This is a reasonable estimate," said Niti Aayog member V.K. Paul.

Paul, who is also the Chairman of the government's Empowered Committee- 1, said the "cases are now doubling in every 10 days."

"As on March 21, our doubling time of cases was three days. Results started showing on March 23, due to travel restrictions imposed earlier. On April 6, further slowing of doubling rate became visible, thanks to the nationwide lockdown," he added.

He further added that the decision to impose the lockdown was timely and asserted that the curve has begun to flatten.

"Nationwide lockdown helped take us away from the exponential growth curve and thereby contain the growth of COVID-19 cases," he said.

Paul further added that surveillance has been a great strength in containing the spread of the virus.

"Besides containing the spread, augmenting testing and improving preparedness, the nation has brought about a massive behavioural change through a ‘Jan Andolan' (mass movement)," he said.

Meanwhile, the number of confirmed cases in the country has crossed the 23,000-mark, with 718 deaths. Globally, the number of cases has crossed 2.7 million while the death toll has mounted to 1.9 lakh.

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News Network
February 28,2020

Feb 28: Life was limping back to normalcy in some parts of the riot-hit northeast Delhi, with police and paramilitary personnel maintaining strict vigil in view of Friday prayers at mosques.

Police officers said they were also making extra efforts to quell rumours, and holding regular flag marches and interactions in the neighbourhoods of affected areas as confidence-building measures.

In some areas of northeast Delhi, signs of normal life were witnessed with opening of shops. In violence-hit areas also, shops in streets and bylanes were open.

Nearly 7,000 paramilitary forces have been deployed in the affected areas of the northeast district since Monday. Besides, hundreds of Delhi police personnel are on the ground to maintain peace and prevent any untoward incident.

At least 38 were killed and over 200 injured in the communal clashes that broke out in northeast Delhi on Monday after violence between citizenship law supporters and protesters spiralled out of control The areas affected include Jaffrabad, Maujpur, Chand Bagh, Khureji Khas and Bhajanpura..

The Union Home Ministry had said on Thursday night that no major incident was reported from the northeast district in the past 36 hours, It had said that prohibitory orders imposed under Section 144 would be relaxed for 10 hours in view of improvement in the situation.

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