Residents of the Hindpiri locality in Ranchi have now agreed to undergo the health check-ups and screening for Covid-19 after the district administration called for a meeting with religious leaders of the community who convinced the residents to undergo the tests.

The residents of the Hindpiri locality in Ranchi on Thursday had objected to the entry of health workers because of rumours that the screening undertaken to identify people with Covid-19 was actually a cover-up to conduct a survey for the National Register of Citizens (NRC), reported The Telegraph India. Allegedly, they drove away cops and medical teams by erecting barricades in the area not allowing the health care workers and police to enter the area.

It must be noted that the Jharkhand government had passed a resolution against the NRC saying that the same wouldn’t be implemented in the state.

Hindpiri has been named as the epicenter for the virus after the first case in Jharkhand was recorded here. A Malaysian woman who had tested positive for the virus had stayed in the locality, after which the authorities quarantined areas within a 3km radius. Post this, 100 health workers, along with officials from the Ranchi district administration went door-to-door in the area to conduct health check-ups and screen the residents.

However, when this happened, a large group of residents came out of their homes refusing to share the details of their family members and their travel history, apart from refusing to get the health check-ups done.

Due to this, the health workers could not begin the health check-up and screenings till 2:30 PM and were eventually forced to return from the area. Anjuman Islamia, a progressive social outfit that pleaded with residents to cooperate with health workers also couldn’t make a difference.

India Blooms News Service reported Ward councilor of the area, Sajda Khatoon as saying that no one in the area was infected by Covid-19 and on the contrary people were likely to be infected if the medical team went to their homes for screening.

Ranchi Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rai Mahimapat Ray, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Anish Gupta and Traffic SP Peter Dungdung who reached the area after the incident to allay their fears told them that the health check-ups had no connection with the NRC.

The DC told The Telegraph over phone on Thursday evening that they would resume the health drive in Hindpiri “soon”.

He said, “They had some misconceptions that under the guise of a health check-up and screening, the government is carrying out a survey for NRC. That is far from reality. We convinced them this has nothing to do with the NRC. Their health check-up is necessary since Jharkhand’s first case was detected from Hindpiri. We have to move fast for everyone’s health.”

Reacting to the situation Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren had said, ““Everybody should cooperate. People should extend their support. Only through social distancing and awareness can we defeat this pandemic.”

Since the incident, the people in the area have been made to understand the gravity of the situation and the screening for Covid-19 is currently underway in the area.

There was no problem in Hindpiri, certain apprehensions were there which the district team along with learned people of the area allayed, home screening is going on without any problem.#Jharkhandpolice

— Ranchi Police (@ranchipolice) April 2, 2020

Our team of 17 health workers along with community volunteers and police personnel are ensuring each household in Hindpiri is covered for screening. We are taking every possible step to #FightCorona in #Ranchi@PMOIndia@naqvimukhtar @JharkhandCMO @HemantSorenJMM pic.twitter.com/MNuUjZtmHD

— Ranchi Police (@ranchipolice) April 2, 2020

Screening at Hindpiri going on smoothly #Jharkhandpolice pic.twitter.com/mSmuCqWfbH

— Ranchi Police (@ranchipolice) April 2, 2020

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The post After authorities allay NRC fears, residents agree to Covid-19 health check-ups in Hindpiri, Ranchi appeared first on SabrangIndia.

 
Ranchi: Five people have been arrested for beating up Maulana Azhar and Maulana Imran and the accused have confessed to the crime. Sabrang India had reported that Maulana Azhar-ul-Islam and Maulana Mohammad Imran were brutally attacked by a group of men late Sunday night. Both of them were returning home to their village Naya Sarai after visiting the Agdu basti mosque in Ratu, a district in Jharkhand after offering the Taraweeh prayers.
 
Maulana Imran was riding pillion on the motorbike and fled during the attack. It is believed that Maulana Azhar was beaten with hockey sticks because he refused to say ‘Jay Shri Ram.’ Imran said that even before they could respond or realise what was happening, they were beaten up.
 
“Imran said, “When we crossed Daladali Chowk on Ring Road, around 4 km from Agdu, we saw two vehicles — a dark-coloured Scorpio and a white smaller car. We did not make much of it but by the time we reached the petrol pump, barely 500 metres from the Chowk, the white vehicle overtook us and stopped. Four people got off, carrying hockey sticks and rods.” Imran said Azhar was riding at a speed of 30-40 km when one of them shouted Bolo Jai Shri Ram. “Before we could even realise what was happening, or reply, one of them hit Azhar hard on his face with a hockey stick. We fell off the bike. While they started hitting Azhar, I ran away. They chased me for a while but gave up,” Imran said in a report by The Indian Express.
 
“Officer-in-charge of Nagri police station Ram Narayan Singh said, “We have arrested five people. The attack was sudden, and the reason is being ascertained. As far as the allegation that they (victims) were asked to chant the name of a (Hindu) God is concerned, it is still being probed.” A police officer said the accused have confessed to having assaulted the priest, Azhar-ul-Islam,” reported The Indian Express.
 
It further reported that at their home in Naya Sarai, Azhar’s father Nazarul Islam, originally from Purulia in West Bengal and settled in Ranchi since 1970, said, “I had started an English medium school for our children. I was also a Maulana but now I have retired. Everyone in Naya Sarai knows me. There have never been any problems in all these years with anybody. Now, suddenly, this happens to my son.”
 
In a report by Newsclick, Manzarul Islam, Maulana Azhar’s brother maintains that nothing like this has happened in Naya Sarai village before and the whole village is in a state of shock after this incident. “My brother is an Imam. He also used to teach children. He has a good relationship with everyone. People are scared now. They think if Imam can be attacked then even they can be attacked any day. I don’t know who the attackers were, but whoever they are, they must be punished. We don’t want anything else,” Manzarul said.
 

The post Five arrested for attacking Maulana in Ranchi appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Question: Who loves the ‘Gau Mata’ most of all? Pick any one of the following:

(a) Yogi Adityanath, whose top priority as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh is to go after not only those who dare kill a cow or its progeny (that in any case was banned in UP) but even those selling mutton and chicken?

(b) Vijay Rapani, Chief Minister of Gujarat, whose government successfully piloted an amended law in the state prescribing life in prison for anyone engaged in cow slaughter?

(c) The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) which has demanded that the BJP government in Maharashtra replicates the new Gujarat law?

(d) The BJP ruled states of Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, MP or Jharkhand who, took their cue from the Yogi of UP promptly started a crackdown on slaughter houses and retail shops in their respective states.

If you picked any one of the above, you could be mistaken. Perhaps no one loves the holy cow more than Raman Singh, Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh. Granted, he was a bit late on the uptake. But when he spoke on Saturday, he seemed to leave all others behind in his love for the bovine. Anyone who kills a cow in his state will be hanged, he declared.

Responding to a question from reporters whether his government was contemplating a tougher against cow slaughter, he queried in turn: "Is cow slaughter happening anywhere in the state? Have any cows been killed in our state in the last 15 years?" Then, with a smile, he said: "Jo gai ko marega, unko latka denge (We will hang those who kill a cow)."

Rubbishing the CM’s claim, the state Congress general secretary, Shailesh Nitin Trivedi said cow slaughter is rampant even in places close to the state capital but no effective action seems to have been taken. 
     
Trivedi even alleged that people associated with the ruling BJP were involved in the transportation of cattle for slaughter.

"The talk about hanging those who kill cows is just an attempt by the chief minister to go with the flow of BJP”, he remarked.
 

The post Who loves ‘Gau Mata’ most of all? Will hang anyone who dares kill a cow in the state, says Chhattisgarh CM appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Last week top BJP leaders from the Christian-predominant states of Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland issued statements claiming that a ban on cow slaughter is not on the party’s agenda in the three north-eastern states where Assembly polls are due next year.

During the Atal Behari Vajpayee-led NDA government’s rule at the Centre, BJP leaders from Nagaland had threatened to walk out of the party if any attempt was made to ban cow slaughter in the state.

PTI has reported Owaisi as saying that the BJP's hypocrisy is that in Uttar Pradesh cow is revered as a mother but in the Northeast the animal's meat is part of the normal diet.

In the past week, following in the footsteps of UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath, the BJP-ruled states in Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand have targeted slaughter houses and even retail shops selling mutton and chicken

On Friday, the Gujarat government amended an existing law, making cow slaughter punishable with a life sentence. In Maharashtra, the VHP and the Bajrang Dal have demanded that the BJP-led government replicates the new Gujarat law in the state.
 

The post Owaisi to BJP: How is cow ‘Mummy’ in UP but ‘yummy’ in Northeast? appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The Gujarat government on Friday amended the Animal Preservation Bill providing for stringent punishment for cow slaughter. Whereas the earlier law provided for punishment ranging from three to five years, the punishment now will be 10 years at the minimum to life term at the maximum. The offence has been made non-bailable.

Speaking in the Assembly during the debate, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said that while he was “not against any food” he wanted to turn Gujarat into a fully shakahari (vegetarian) state. Gujarat, he added, was a “unique state” which followed Mahatma Gandhi’s tenets of “truth and non-violence”.

“This is not a bill but a feeling of crores of Indians. It is my humble attempt to give voice to the cows being killed by butchers. A single drop of cow blood falling on earth pains Hindus”, said Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja while introducing the Bill in the House.

Adding that he was “proud to be a Hindu”, Jadeja turned to the visitors’ gallery to pay his respects to the “Hindu saints” around 300 of whom were there to witness the passage of the Bill.  

The House however was bereft of the Opposition since the Speaker had suspended the Congress MLAs for creating a ruckus.

The punishment for illegal transportation of cows, beef or beef products in the new Act has been increased from three years to seven years. The vehicles used for transportation will be confiscated by the government and the penalty for the offence has been increased from Rs. 50,000 earlier to from Rs 1 lakh-5 lakh now.  

Meanwhile, the Times of India reports that with the Ranchi Municipal Corporation having refused to renew the license of all meat shops until new regulations are drafted, Jharkhand’s capital city Ranchi will turn vegetarian from Saturday.

The chief executive officer of the city corporation, Prashant Kumar told the Times of India that all existing licenses expired on March 31 and renewals have been put on hold. “We are framing new regulations, following which all meat shops and slaughter houses for new licenses.

A separate report in Times of India says hardline Hindu organizations in Bengaluru want 1,700 meat shops in the city to close down. They are taking their cue from the BJP-ruled states of Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, MP and Jharkhand who following in the footsteps of the Yogi Adityanath-led UP government have been targeting slaughter houses and meat shops in their respective states.

Meanwhile VHP and Bajrang Dal activists from Vidarbha have called on the Maharashtra government to replicate the new Gujarat law making cow slaughter punishable with a life term.
 
 

The post Life in jail for cow slaughter: New Bill passed as CM roots for ‘vegetarian’ Gujarat appeared first on SabrangIndia.