I dared to ask Modi tough questions, says Siddiqui

July 30, 2012

Siddique

New Delhi, July 30: A day after the Samajwadi Party disowned him for his interview of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, Shahid Siddiqui, Editor of Urdu weekly Nai Duniya, hit back on Sunday, saying the party had shot the messenger.

Defending his decision to interview Mr. Modi, Mr. Siddiqui said he asked the Chief Minister tough questions on his role in the 2002 riots, which none had done so far. “I asked questions which nobody poses to Mr. Modi. People are scared even to see him in the eyes, but I asked him tough questions. So there is no question of my favouring anyone.”

“They have shot the messenger. They are suffering from guilt as they have inducted into the party people like Kalyan Singh and Sakshi Maharaj, who were responsible for the demolition of the Babri Mosque, and still there are such elements there,” Mr. Siddiqui told PTI.

Terming a “white lie” the party’s claim that he was not its member, Mr. Siddiqui, a former Rajya Sabha member, said he was re-inducted into the party by [president] Mulayam Singh Yadav in January and made its spokesperson. “They are telling white lies about my not being a party member. This year, on January 6, Mulayam Singh introduced me to the media as party spokesperson.”

Asked about his future course of action, he said political outfits were “family affairs and have no respect for the freedom of speech, and that is why I will stay away from party politics and continue to write and speak for a secular India.”

Mr. Siddiqui alleged that ever since the SP came back to power in Uttar Pradesh, it had done nothing for Muslims, “and by portraying me as pro-Modi, it is trying to win back the support of the community” to strengthen its vote-bank.


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News Network
March 29,2020

New Delhi, Mar 29: The total confirmed coronavirus cases in India rose to 979, including 48 foreigners, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Sunday.
There are 867 active cases of the disease as of Sunday, out of the total confirmed cases, while 87 persons have also been cured and discharged or migrated.
The number of deaths due to the infection rose to 25.
Maharashtra and Kerala, with 186 and 182 cases, have two of the highest number of positive cases in the country, with Maharashtra also recording six deaths due to the disease.
The Central government has taken many stringent measures to prevent the further spread of the disease with a 21-day nationwide lockdown being imposed.
The disease which originated from Wuhan, China has so far close to 6 lakh reported cases from around the world with more than 25 thousand deaths being reported due to it, as per World Health Organisation on March 28. 

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Agencies
February 25,2020

New Delhi, Feb 25: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday called a meeting to discuss the prevailing situation in the national capital after violence in Northeast Delhi over the amended citizenship law left four people dead.

Delhi's Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and representatives of different political parties were invited for the meeting.

Follow live updates of clashes among CAA protesters in Delhi here

The home minister has convened a meeting to discuss the current situation in Delhi, a Home Ministry official said.

The move came after the home minister reviewed the law and order situation in the national capital on Monday night as violence rocked Northeast Delhi.

Frenzied protesters torched houses, shops, vehicles and a petrol pump, besides hurling stones.

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News Network
May 29,2020

New Delhi, May 29: More than 38,000 doctors, including those retired from the Armed Forces Medical Services, have volunteered to help the government in its fight against COVID-19 pandemic, a senior official said on Friday.

On March 25, the government had made an appeal to doctors, including the retired ones, to come forward and join the efforts to fight the pandemic.

"38,162 volunteer doctors, including retired government, Armed Forces Medical Services, public sector undertaking or private doctors have signed up with the government to battle COVID-19 pandemic," the official said.

The official further said Niti Aayog has sent a list of names of these doctors to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

In a statement posted on Niti Aayog's website on March 25, the government had said those who wish to contribute to this noble mission may register themselves through a link provided on the Aayog's website.

"The Government of India requests for volunteer doctors who are fit and willing to be available for providing their services in the public health facilities and the training hospitals in the near future.

"We appeal to such doctors to come forward at this hour of need. You could also be a retired government, Armed Forces Medical Services, public sector undertaking or a private doctor," the statement had said.

It had noted that in case the outbreak leads to a high number of infected individuals, India's public health facilities will face tremendous load to take care of a large number of patients.

Many countries, including the US, Italy, the UK and Vietnam, had also urged retired health workers to come back to work amid the pandemic.

The number of COVID-19 cases in India has climbed to 1,65,799, making it the world's ninth worst-hit country by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Health Ministry on Friday said the death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 4,706 in the country.

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