Archives for May 2020

New Delhi: Over 80,000 passengers have booked tickets worth over Rs 16 crore on the special trains so far, the Indian Railways said on Tuesday, hours before the first such train is scheduled to depart from the New Delhi station for Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh.

The bookings for these special trains began at 6 pm on Monday.

So far, 45,533 bookings (PNRs) worth Rs 16.15 crore have been recorded for the special trains for the next seven days, the railways said, adding that around 82,317 passengers will travel against these bookings.

The railways issued guidelines on Monday for 15 special trains, which will be operated from Tuesday, asking the passengers to carry their own food and linen, and arrive at stations at least 90 minutes before departure for a health screening.

On Tuesday, the national transporter said installing the Aarogya Setu mobile application was mandatory for the passengers.

The railways will run eight trains on Tuesday — three from New Delhi terminating at Dibrugarh, Bengaluru and Bilaspur, and one each from Howrah, Rajendra Nagar (Patna), Bengaluru, Mumbai Central and Ahmedabad, which will terminate at Delhi.

These special trains will only have air-conditioned coaches.

Since the trains will be operated amidst the ongoing nationwide lockdown, only the passengers with confirmed e-tickets will be allowed to enter the stations.

The fares of these trains will be equivalent to that of the Rajdhani trains and passengers can book tickets up to seven days in advance. However, no RAC, wait-list ticket or on-board booking by the ticket-checking staff will be permitted, the railways said.

The national transporter had suspended its passenger services in view of the lockdown imposed to check the spread of coronavirus.

Naqvi’s remarks come days after a wave of angry reactions on Twitter by citizens, activists from various Arab countries following allegations that Muslims are being blamed spreading COVID-19 in India.

NEW DELHI” Minorities are “flourishing” in India and have been an equal partner in development without discrimination under the Modi government, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Tuesday, dismissing allegations of Islamophobia as an attempt to defame the country.

The “Narendra Modi phobia club” has been unable to digest the inclusive growth under the prime minister and is engaged in a “nefarious campaign” in India and abroad through fake propaganda alleging “intolerance, communalism and discrimination” against minorities in India, Naqvi said.

In a blog titled “Islamophobia — Bogey of Bogus Bashing Brigade”, the minority affairs minister argued that the “Modi phobia club” is playing the “Islamophobia card” to harm the pluralistic fabric of India, but will not succeed.

Naqvi’s remarks come days after a wave of angry reactions on Twitter by citizens and rights activists from various Arab countries following allegations that Muslims are being blamed for spreading COVID-19 in parts of India.

Also, the 57-member prominent international Mulim grouping, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, recently accused India of “Islamophobia”.

India has dismissed all such allegations.

“Minorities in India are flourishing equally with all the citizens with a sense of equality, security and prosperity.

Misinformation against such a gracious and tolerant country and its effective leadership is nothing but the height of ignorance and mental bankruptcy,” Naqvi said.

He claimed that no riot took place in last 5 years of the Modi government and it was after “nefarious preaching” by those who were irked by this that the Delhi riots happened.

Naqvi said the women who sat on protests at Shaheen Bagh cannot be termed “anti-nationals” but they had been “misguided by the bogus bashing brigade”.

This brigade pushed these women on a path which had an “entry gate” but no “exit gate”, the minister said.

This was a “calculated conspiracy” by the brigade that wants to defame and disgrace Modi and India, Naqvi said.

He also argued that for the “first time since Independence”, India has forged close and strong ties with nearly all Islamic nations and countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Afghanistan, Russia, Palestine, Mauritius and the Maldives have conferred Modi with their highest civilian awards.

“The United Nations has also conferred Narendra Modi with the prestigious ‘Champions of the Earth Award’.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s global acceptance and popularity doesn’t need any certificate,” Naqvi said.

The Modi government never planned development on the basis of Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians or on region and caste, and its priority has been the poor and deprived, Naqvi said, adding that still some people with a “prejudiced mindset” are trying to defame India by raising the bogey of Islamophobia.

There is not a single incident of discrimination against any section of the society, including minorities under the Modi government, the minister asserted.

All sections, including minorities, are strongly moving forward on the path of “development with dignity” under the Modi government, he said.

When the challenges due to the coronavirus were in initial stages across the world in early January and several countries, including Pakistan, had not taken care of their people abroad, it was the Modi government that brought back thousands of Indians stranded in Wuhan (China), Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and other countries, Naqvi said, adding that a majority of these people were Muslims.

In the recent Vande Bharat Mission also, the Indian government is bringing back thousands of Indians from countries such as the Maldives, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Qatar and other countries which include a large number of Muslims, he pointed out.

“Strong eternal commitment of my country will defeat and demolish the fake and fabricated Islamophobia card of the ‘India bashing brigade’,” Naqvi said in his blog.

The 87-year-old Congress leader was discharged around 12:30 pm, hospital sources said. Singh was shifted to a private ward in the Cardio-Neuro tower on Monday night.

NEW DELHI: Former prime minister Manmohan Singh, who was admitted to the AIIMS here after suffering reaction to a new medication, was discharged on Tuesday.

The 87-year-old Congress leader was discharged around 12:30 pm, hospital sources said.

Singh was shifted to a private ward in the Cardio-Neuro tower on Monday night.

He was also tested for COVID-19 and his results had come out negative, the sources said.The Congress leader was admitted to the hospital on Sunday evening after he complained of uneasiness.

The sources said that Singh had developed a reaction to a new medication and was admitted to AIIMS  for observation and investigation.

Singh is currently a Member of Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan.

He was the prime minister between 2004 and 2014.

In 2009, Singh underwent a successful coronary bypass surgery at the AIIMS.

PM Modi had hinted in yesterday’s meeting that the lockdown would continue, but with far less restrictions.

PM Modi has asked states to send in suggestions for changes to the current rules by May 15

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation at 8 pm today, a day after his six-hour meeting with Chief Ministers on the road ahead after May 17, when the nationwide coronavirus lockdown is due to end. This will be his third such address since he announced the lockdown in late March to slow the spread of the highly infectious COVID-19.

The Prime Minister may speak on the crisis of thousands of migrants on the move, desperate to reach home after losing their jobs during the lockdown. Walking, cycling, hitching rides on trucks or even riding autorickshaws, many have lost their lives in accidents or because of hunger and exhaustion.

Yesterday, in his online meeting with Chief Ministers, the PM had said while their movement would impact states, if they were determined, they should be able to return home in the next 10 days. “It is human nature to want to go home,” he had said.

“We know that this will lead to a spike in infections, but this will help free the country from coronavirus,” he added, urging states to prepare a plan for the migrants and to boost economic activity.

PM Modi had also hinted in the meeting that the lockdown – extended twice – would continue, but with far less restrictions.

“I am of the firm view that the measures needed in the first phase of lockdown were not needed during the second phase and similarly the measures needed in the third phase are not needed in the fourth,” the Prime Minister said, according to a statement released after the meeting.

Restrictions like a night curfew and limited public transport may continue in areas worst affected by COVID-19, sources said.

All Chief Ministers spoke at the meeting and while some favoured continuing the tough restrictions, many talked about easing restrictions significantly except in the red zones, or those with maximum infections. Transport, shops and other economic activity should be reopened gradually in zones designated green or orange, with relatively less virus cases, the Chief Ministers said.

PM Modi has asked states to share by May 15 (Friday) a broad strategy on how they would want to deal with the lockdown regime. “I want states to make a blue print on how to deal with various nuances during and after the gradual easing of the lockdown”, he said.

After his last meeting with Chief Ministers in April, the government had relaxed the rules for businesses and ctransport.

Coronavirus cases in India crossed 70,000 today.

The lockdown, the world’s biggest, was enforced on March 25, with the government asking people to go out only for food and medicines.