Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has accused the BJP of using communal hatred as a weapon and spreading it across the country to divert the attention of people from real issues.
Addressing a rally outside the Red Fort as the Congress’s Bharat Jodo Yatra entered the national capital, Gandhi said he did not see violence or hatred anywhere in the country while walking hundreds of kilometres from Kanyakumari to Delhi, but it was being spread on television all the time at the behest of the powers controlling the media.
The former Congress chief also alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling BJP spent thousands of crores of rupees to destroy his image, but he has shown the truth to the country in just a month.
Gandhi also thanked people for the love and support showered on him so far during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, which entered its 108th day on December 24, and said after his request made in Rajasthan, people have opened lakhs of shops to spread love across the country.
Hatred in the name of Hindu-Muslim is being spread through television 24x7 to divert the attention of people from the real issues, he alleged.
“After doing Hindu-Muslim 24 hours, they will hand over your money and sell all your ports, airports, roads and other assets to their crony friends... They try to divert your attention all the time,” he said. “This is not a Narendra Modi government, it is the Ambani-Adani government,” he further alleged. “Thousands of crores are being given to big industrialists but not to common people. These are not policies, but weapons to destroy small businessmen, traders, farmers,” he said.
Gandhi said the Bharat Jodo Yatra aimed at uniting India and will spread awareness against price rise, unemployment, communal hatred and violence. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Sonia Gandhi were also present during the event outside the Red Fort.
Mathura court seeks survey report of Shahi Idgah mosque complex
A district court in Mathura has sought a survey report by a revenue department official of the Shahi Idgah mosque complex on January 20, according to the counsel for petitioners who have sought its shifting claiming it was built at the birthplace of Lord Krishna.
The order by Civil Judge Senior Division (III) Sonika Verma came in the suit Bal Krishna and others Vs Intezamia committee and others, petitioners’ counsel Shailesh Dubey said.
“The learned judge had ordered Amin (term used to refer to a revenue department official) on December 8 to inform both the parties and submit a survey report on the next hearing”, the counsel said.
The hearing in the case could not take place on December 22 as the judge was on leave on that day. The court has now fixed January 20, 2023 as the next date of hearing.
He said Bal Krishna and others had filed the suit in the court of civil judge senior division (3rd) on December 8 for shifting of Shahi Masjid Idgah constructed on a part of 13.37 acre land of Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi trust allegedly by demolishing Katra Keshav Dev temple by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. The “compromise” between Sri Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sansthan and Shahi Masjid Idgah made in 1968 was also challenged in the suit, according to lawyers.
RTPCR test to be mandatory for passengers from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand: Mansukh Mandaviya
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya haas said that RTPCR test for the detection of COVID-19 would be made mandatory for international passengers arriving from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand. Any passenger from these countries found symptomatic or testing positive for coronavirus would be quarantined, the Minister said.
He also said filling up of the ‘Air Suvidha’ form to declare the health status will be made mandatory for passengers coming from these countries.
With China and other countries witnessing a surge in Covid cases, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had cautioned against complacency, called for a strict vigil and directed that the ongoing surveillance measures, especially at the international airports, be strengthened.
The Union Health Ministry has already asked the Civil Aviation Ministry to ensure random post-arrival COVID-19 testing at airports of 2% of the passengers arriving in India in each international flight from Saturday to minimise the risk of ingress of any new variant of the coronavirus in the country.
Centre asks States to ensure availability of oxygen, functional life support equipment at hospitals
With some countries witnessing a surge in COVID-19 cases, the Centre has urged States and Union Territories to ensure the availability of Liquid Medical Oxygen, adequate inventory of cylinders and functional life support equipment such as ventilators at hospitals to face any challenge.
The Health Ministry asked the States and UTs to ensure that Pressure Swing Adsorption oxygen generating plants are kept fully functional and regular mock drills are conducted to check them.
In a letter to all States and UTs, Additional Secretary in the Health Ministry Manohar Agnani said the operationalisation and maintenance of these medical infrastructure is of utmost importance to meet any eventuality even though the number of cases in the country is low now.
He said medical oxygen is an important and vital resource in all clinical settings, particularly during pandemic management and that reliable oxygen supply is critical for saving lives during patient care and COVID-19 management.
Shells pummel Ukraine’s Kherson
Russian shells pummelled the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, killing at least seven people and injuring 58 more in the city that Moscow’s forces abandoned last month.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted pictures of the wreckage on his social media accounts and noted the destruction came as Ukrainians were beginning Christmas celebrations that for many Orthodox Christians will culminate in the traditional celebration January 7.
Cars burn on a street after a Russian military strike in Kherson, Ukraine. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
“This is not sensitive content — it’s the real life of Kherson,” he tweeted, with images of cars on fire, bodies on the street and building windows blown out.
The deputy head of the presidential office, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, said seven people were killed in the shelling of Kherson on December 24 and 58 were injured, at least 16 of them seriously.
Ukraine has faced a blistering onslaught of Russian artillery fire, missiles, shelling and drone attacks since early October, much of it targeting the energy infrastructure in a bid to cut electricity and heating services as the freezing winter advances. The shelling has been especially intense in Kherson since Russian forces withdrew and Ukraine’s army reclaimed the southern city in November.
Earlier Saturday, the Donetsk regional governor, Pavlo Kyrylenko, said two people were killed and five wounded in shelling there over the past day. The deaths were in Kurakhove, a town of about 20,000 that is 30 kms west of Russian-controlled Donetsk city.
In Brief:
The Income Tax department has issued an advisory that those permanent account numbers which are not linked with Aadhaar by the end of March next year will be rendered “inoperative”. The ‘exempt category’, according to a notification issued by the Union Finance Ministry in May 2017, are those individuals residing in the states of Assam, Jammu and Kashmir and Meghalaya; a non-resident as per the Income-tax Act, 1961; of the age of 80 years or more at any time during the previous year and a person not a citizen of India.
Evening Wrap will return tomorrow.
