NEWS

At least 42 police cases have been registered against Union Minister Narayan Rane’s Jan Ashirwad Yatra in Maharashtra in the last four days for breaking COVID-19 rules. Holding public gatherings in Maharashtra is currently banned due to the prevalence of coronavirus even though the daily cases have been going down gradually. Bharatiya Janata Party’s Jan Aashirwad Yatra is mostly concentrated in Mumbai and nearby areas in view of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation polls due early next year.

Rane, a former Shiv Sena leader, started his yatra on Thursday from Mumbai by paying floral tributes at the Bal Thackeray Memorial. However, numerous FIRs have been registered against the organisers and BJP workers, though Rane has not been named, reported Indian Express.

Haryana government will set up a committee to probe possible negligence by hospitals in treating Covid patients, CM Manohar Lal Khattar said on Monday.

He made the statement in the ongoing assembly session after Congress tried to corner him for “misleading the House” with his remark that no death in the state was reported due to oxygen shortage during the second wave of Covid-19.

The Bombay high court on Monday frowned at the Centre and state over use of the term ‘mental retardation’ in statutes and even in official use.

“Lunacy, mad man, mentally retarded are antiquated... I’m not going to, even if required, look at these statutes. In my court if these words are used, an order of cost will follow,” said Justice Gautam Patel. He heard a suit by the son of a physician (57) from Byculla to appoint him his legal guardian to manage his movable and immovable assets, bank accounts and affairs.

The father has been in a vegetative state since June 28, 2018 after a massive stroke that resulted in acute brain injury due to oxygen deprivation. He was discharged on August 5, 2018. The neurologist’s January 2021 report confirmed his condition and said he is bedridden and though conscious, not oriented with time, place and person. He has severe comorbidities like diabetes and hypertension. He is hemodynamically stable, but he is not able to perform any task or take a decision.

The Centre is considering a ban on both the factions of the All Party Hurriyat Conference under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), government sources said on Sunday. The ban will allow security agencies to arrest any office bearer for being associated with the Hurriyat, and block flow of funds.

According to sources in the Union Home Ministry, while discussions to declare both the hardline and moderate factions of the Hurriyat as “unlawful association” have started, file movement in this regard is yet to begin. The hardline faction is currently led by Ashraf Sehrai, and the moderate faction by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.