“It is an attack on a herd of sheep by wolf,” was how former Minister Eatala Rajender described the meeting of Civil Supplies Minister Gangula Kamalakar with the former’s supporters in his native constituency Huzurabad to extract a promise from them that they would stand by TRS and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.
Mr. Rajender released a video saying Mr. Kamalakar was threatening his supporters who were all elected representatives that they would lose their posts, their bills would not be paid and that works in their villages would be stopped if they continued to toe his line. He also asked if Mr. Kamalakar was given an exemption from the Chief Minister’s instructions to Ministers that they should focus solely on anti-Covid measures in their respective districts. Instead of complying with the instructions, Mr. Kamalakar was up to poaching his supporters.
By another video, Mr. Rajender said he had protected his followers in the last two decades like a hen spreading its wings over the chicks. Now, Mr. Kamalakar who was nowhere in the separate Telangana movement tried to separate him from followers.
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Politicians have their way in lockdown
Politics pervades every sphere of life nowadays in the Telugu States and the present lockdown imposed to contain the spread of Covid-19 in Telangana is no exception. Irrespective of the police efforts to enforce the lockdown in tune with the guidelines, some individuals and groups get their way somehow! However, the police appear to have a tricky job on their hands when it comes to politicians. On Sunday, the police prevented Congress MP A. Revanth Reddy from proceeding to Gandhi Hospital to supervise a food court that he started for the attendants of Covid patients. On the other hand, faraway in Huzurabad a political opponent of former minister Eatala Rajender reportedly had his way in holding a press conference and in Manthani birthday celebration of ZP Chairperson P. Madhu was held flouting the lockdown and mocking social distancing!
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Confusion over vaccination timeline
Upsurge of Covid-19 has definitely stirred the proverbial hornet’s nest in the political circles with opposition parties raising a hue and cry over the government's alleged failure to take steps to universalise vaccine administration. Political exchange of words apart, medical regulators and experts on their part have thrown people into confusion. The change in the timeline for admission of second dose of Covishield is the latest trigger.
The deadline has been extended from six to eight weeks in the past to twelve to sixteen weeks now giving rise to a fresh bout of uncertainty over vaccination of Covishield. This was compounded by an announcement that the jab of those who already booked slots for second dose would remain unchanged whereas fresh bookings would be rescheduled in CoWIN as per the new interval. Further adding to the confusion, late in the night on Sunday, the government announced no vaccination programme in the State from Monday without setting the date for resumption.
N. Rahul, B. Chandrashekhar and M. Rajeev