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IUML minister's speech evokes sharp reactions in Kerala

[email protected] (PTI)
October 7, 2012
VK_IBRAHIM_KUNJU

Thiruvananthapuram, October 7: The Congress-led UDF government in Kerala today found itself in an embarrassing position after facing attacks from several quarters over a remark by an IUML minister suggesting that the UDF rule was going on along his party's diktats.

Along with opposition CPI(M) and BJP, two major Hindu organisations came out heavily against the statement which they said "exposed" IUML's supremacy in the coalition.

The controversy was sparked off by Indian Union Muslim League leader and Public Works Minister V K Ebrahim Kunju's speech in a party meeting at Palakkad on Saturday that the League was controlling the rule in the state.

He said there were charges that League was controlling the government. "Though we are not openly saying that, it is a reality. Only those things in the interests of our party will be allowed to be done in the state," he said in the speech aired by TV channels yesterday.

Though Kunju clarified he had only exhorted party workers to be more responsible as they had a prominent role in the government, the media came out with only a portion of his speech which triggered the row.

Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan and CPI-M state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan were quick to grab the opportunity, saying that the statement reflected the unquestioned supremacy of IUML in the ruling UDF dispensation.

Vijayan said some ruling Front partners had already complained about the IUML's excessive clout in administration, which had now become clear.

The UDF also came under attack from the Nair Service Society and Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam, which represent the powerful Nair and Ezhava communities, saying minorities were trying to establish their hold over the majority community.

NSS general secretary G Sukumaran Nair even went to the extent of saying that Congress should seek re-election if Kunju's statement was made with the permission of the IUML leadership. The government had no right to continue in office if it was being run on the diktats of IUML, he said.

SNDP Yogam leader Vellappally Natesan said their stand that minorities, especially Muslim League, are gaining the upper hand in all sectors of governance stood vindicated. Those who came to power on a secular platform were exposing their communal colour, he said.


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Agencies
May 24,2020

Lucknow, May 24: The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has banned Corona patients from keeping mobile phones inside isolation wards of COVID-19 hospitals in the state.

Patients admitted in dedicated L-2 and L-3 COVID hospitals will no longer will allowed to take mobile phones along with them in the isolation wards in order to check the spread of the infection.

According to an order issued by the state government late on Saturday night, two mobile phones will now be available with the ward in-charge of the COVID care centres so that patients and talk to their family members and administration if required.

Further, the orders specify that the mobile numbers should be communicated to the family members of the patients also.

Director General Medical Education, K.K. Gupta, who issued the order, has informed all concerned officials and directors of dedicated COVID hospitals.

"To facilitate the communication between COVID-19 patients admitted in clinics, with their family members, or anyone else, ensure that two dedicated mobile phones while adhering to infection prevention norms, are kept with ward in-charge of COVID care centre," the order said.

According to the latest data available on the website of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Uttar Pradesh now has 5,735 cases of Corona positive patients and the numbers have been growing steadily since the past ten days.

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News Network
January 29,2020

Jan 29: Multiple organisations have called for a Bharat Bandh today in order to protest against the recently passed Citizenship Amendment Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC). The Bharat  Bandh today has been organised in Surat in Gujarat, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh. Increased security measures have been put in place in the three states keeping in view the call for shutdown.

According to media reports, the call for Bharat Bandh was given by Maulana Sajjad Nomani of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB). This was to protest against the controversial CAA-NRC. This call is supported by an NGO based in Surat, Versatile Minorities Forum (VMF). Apart from the VMF, the call for strikes has been supported by organizations such as Bahujan Kranti Morcha, National Association of Street Vendors of India Surat chapter and the Textile Market Workers' Union.

The workers of the VMF were also spotted distributing pamphlets and urging people to support the strike. Several shopkeepers have also put up notices stating that their shops will be shut for the day.

Earlier, Bharat Bandh was called by 10 trade unions and several bank employees in order to protest against the "anti-people policies of the government" on January 8 and 9. A few violent incidents during this Bharat Bandh were reported in West Bengal.

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News Network
June 11,2020

Washington, Jun 11: Observing that historically India has been a tolerant, respectful country for all religions, a top Trump administration official has said the US is "very concerned" about what is happening in India over religious freedom.

The comments by Samuel Brownback, Ambassador-At-Large for International Religious Freedom, came hours after the release of the "2019 International Religious Freedom Report" on Wednesday.

Mandated by the US Congress, the report documenting major instances of violation of religious freedom across the world was released by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the State Department.

India has previously rejected the US religious freedom report, saying it sees no locus standi for a foreign government to pronounce on the state of its citizens' constitutionally protected rights.

"We do remain very concerned about what's taking place in India. It's historically just been a very tolerant, respectful country of religions, of all religions," Mr Brownback said during a phone call with foreign journalists on Wednesday.

The trend lines have been troubling in India because it is such a religious subcontinent and seeing a lot more communal violence, Mr Brownback said. "We're seeing a lot more difficulty. I think really they need to have a - I would hope they would have an - interfaith dialogue starting to get developed at a very high level in India, and then also deal with the specific issues that we identified as well," he said.

"It really needs a lot more effort on this topic in India, and my concern is, too, that if those efforts are not put forward, you're going to see a growth in violence and increased difficulty within the society writ large," said the top American diplomat.

Responding to a question, Mr Brownback said he hoped minority faiths are not blamed for the COVID-19 spread and that they would have access to healthcare amid the crisis.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has criticised any form of discrimination, saying the COVID-19 pandemic affects everyone equally. "COVID-19 does not see race, religion, colour, caste, creed, language or border before striking. Our response and conduct thereafter should attach primacy to unity and brotherhood," PM Modi said in a post on LinkedIn in February.

The government, while previously rejecting the US religious freedom report, had said: "India is proud of its secular credentials, its status as the largest democracy and a pluralistic society with a longstanding commitment to tolerance and inclusion".

"The Indian Constitution guarantees fundamental rights to all its citizens, including its minority communities… We see no locus standi for a foreign entity/government to pronounce on the state of our citizens' constitutionally protected rights," the Foreign Ministry said in June last year.

According to the Home Ministry, 7,484 incidents of communal violence took place between 2008 and 2017, in which more than 1,100 people were killed.

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