NEWS

Controversial posters came up at several ghats of Varanasi including Asi Ghat, stating that entry of non-Hindus to the ghats is prohibited, on Thursday. The posters carry the names of ‘Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal Kashi’.

The posters read, ‘Ganga, ghats of Varanasi and temples here are symbols of Sanatan Dharma, Indian culture and centre of our faith. Those who follow Sanatan Dharma are welcome at the ghats. These are not picnic spots’.

“This is not a request. This is a warning,” said Nikhil Tripathi Rudra, Varanasi convener, Bajrang Dal and accepted that the posters had been put up by them. He said that the Bajarang Dal workers would stage a demonstration if people don’t stop using the ghats as a picnic spot.

Maharashtra is unlikely to undergo a lockdown unless the situation becomes serious and a lot critical cases of Covid-19 get admitted in hospitals, said Dr Gautam Bhansali, advisor member of the Covid Task Force in Maharashtra and head of coordination committee of private hospitals in Mumbai.

Speaking to media, Bhansali said, “There will be no lockdown. Lockdown will be an option only if people start coming to hospitals in critical condition or get critical for longer period in hospitals … then it will affect the health infrastructure.”

The Jammu & Kashmir administration has directed the additional director-general of security to reduce the SSG (Special Security Group) cover for four former chief ministers and withdraw SSG cover provided to the 15 immediate family members of these ex-CMs.

Official sources said the four ex-CMs whose SSG security cover will be reduced are Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti and Ghulam Nabi Azad.

"A decision to this effect was taken at the security review coordination committee (SRCC) meetings held on July 18, 2021 and September 19, 2021," they said.

Chandigarh In yet another spike in Covid cases, Punjab on Thursday registered 2,427 fresh cases with five people losing their lives to the disease. The state’s positivity rate also touch a seven-month high of 10.2%. On Wednesday, 1,811 cases were registered with positivity rate of 7.95%.

Patiala, alone, accounted for nearly 30% of the cases in the state, with 687 persons found to be infected; the district also recorded one of the five deaths in the state, the first here in four months. With 26 cases reported from the National Institute of Sports (NIS) alone, the premier institute, has been declared a containment zone. District epidemiologist Dr Sumeet Singh said Patiala city reported 579 cases; Nabha (19); Samana (17) and 72 in rural areas.