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Vax drive needs ‘Har Ghar Dastak’ approach to achieve target: PM Modi

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Narendra-Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the vaccination drive against Covid-19 needs a ‘Har Ghar Dastak’ approach to achieve its target.

“So far you have been working to take people to vaccination centres, now it is time to reach every house for door-to-door vaccine. You can take help of local religious leaders to spread awareness about Covid vaccines and to fight rumours,” PM Modi told District Magistrates of low vaccination coverage districts during a review meeting.

A total of 40 low vaccination coverage districts have been identified across Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Haryana, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tamil Nadu.

The Chief Ministers of these states were also present at the meeting.

The meeting was held via video conferencing and included districts with less than 50 per cent coverage of the first dose and low coverage of the second dose of Covid-19 vaccine.

Launching the new vaccination campaign ‘Har Ghar Dastak, Modi said: “We have showcased our capabilities under the ‘Sabko Vaccine, Muft Vaccine’, now its time to make ‘Har Ghar Dastak’ campaign successful.”

The Prime Minister asked the officials to change gear from arrangements made for taking people to the vaccination centre to administering vaccines door to door.

He urged the health workers to reach every house with ‘Har Ghar Tika, Ghar Ghar Tika’ – vaccine at every doorstep.

“With the mantra of ‘Har Ghar Dastak’, knock on every door, every household lacking the security net of a double dose of vaccine will be approached,” he said.

The Prime Minister thanked the Chief Ministers for participating in the meeting, and said that their attention towards the vaccination numbers will encourage the district officials to achieve the target.

Modi said in this biggest pandemic of the century, the country faced many challenges.

He said “one special thing in the country’s fight against corona was that we found new solutions and tried innovative methods.”

He urged the administrators to work more on new innovative ways to increase vaccination in their districts. He said that even the better performing districts faced similar challenges, but they were met with determination and innovation.

He asked the officials to develop micro strategies, keeping in mind the experience so far to go for saturation vaccination by addressing the gaps at the local level.

The Prime Minister asked the officials to make different strategies for each village, each town in the district, if need be.

He suggested this can be done by forming a team of 20-25 people depending on the region.

Modi also suggested trying to have a healthy competition in the teams formed.

Exhorting the officials to prepare region-wise timetables for local goals, the Prime Minister said: “You will have to do your best to take your districts nearer the national average.”

He added, “One must never underestimate disease and enemies. They have to be fought till the very end. So, I would want that we should not show even the slightest laxity.”

The Prime Minister said the officials present in the meeting should pay equal attention to the second dose along with the first one.

The Prime Minister emphasised that under the Free Vaccine for All campaign, India created a record of administering about 2.5 crore vaccine doses in a day.

He asked the officials to learn from the good practices of their colleagues in the better performing districts and emphasised that approaches suitable for the local needs and the environment should be adopted.

National News

Congress MP Imran Masood calls for banning liquor during Navratri

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Saharanpur, March 29: Congress lawmaker Imran Masood said on Saturday that not just meat shops, liquor establishments should be shut during the nine-day festival of Navratri and called for embracing and promoting the spirit of brotherhood and communal harmony.

“Everybody is demanding a ban on meat shops during Navratri. Why is no one asking for a ban on liquor shops? Why is there no outpouring on the free flow of liquor during Navratri? Will this not spoil the purity and sanctity of the festival?” Saharanpur MP said in a special interaction with media.

The Congress Parliamentarian said that peaceful celebration supersedes everything, and it is incumbent upon all communities to maintain decorum during festivities and also make certain sacrifices, be it Eid or Navratri.

Notably, Eid-ul-Fitr and Navratri are coinciding on the same day this year. Both festivals are set to fall on Monday, with little possibility of change in the Eid schedule on account of moon sighting.

Days ago, the Congress MP also extended support to the demands of a meat ban during Navratri celebrations. In an apparent message to the Muslim community, he said that nothing would change if one did not eat meat for ten days.

“What matters above everything is the peaceful co-existence of communities. At no point in time, the differences over food preferences lead to communal strife,” Masood told newspersons.

Congress MP, when asked questions on the party’s strategy for the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, said that the Opposition is fully prepared to take on the Centre on “partisan legislation”.

“We opposed the amendments in the JPC meeting, tooth and nail. We will strongly voice our dissent in Parliament too,” he said.

Notably, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Friday that the Waqf Bill will not be delayed any further and will be reintroduced in the ongoing session of Parliament.

Only four working days of the Budget Session are left, as it concludes on April 4.

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National News

‘PM Narendra Modi Relies On Crutches Of Nitish Kumar And Chandrababu Naidu To Pass Waqf Bill”: AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi

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Hyderabad: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi spoke on the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024 and said that the BJP does not have a majority in the Lok Sabha, and if Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar oppose it, it won’t be passed.

While speaking to media, Asaduddin Owaisi said that PM Narendra Modi is relying on the crutches of Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar. He stated that Union Home Minister Amit Shah is spreading lies in the country regarding the Waqf Bill.

“Amit Shah is the Home Minister of the Government of India and his statement is proof of the fact that you trying to make an unconstitutional law which can be challenged in the court. This is a violation of the articles of the Constitution and the Waqf of the entire country will suffer because of it. You are removing the section of the Waqf property, who will benefit from it. You are omitting the revenue of lakhs of rupees. Amit Shah is lying to the country that you can challenge the Waqf Tribunal in the court. Prime Minister Narendra Modi relies on the crutches of Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu and if they do not support this unconstitutional bill, then this law will not be made”, Asaduddin Owaisi said.

Earlier on Friday, Owaisi supported the ‘black band’ protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. Owaisi, who is also part of the JPC on the Waqf bill, joined in the symbolic protest on Friday by wearing a black armband as he offered prayers.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Friday that Waqf Amendment Bill, on which JPC has given its report, will be tabled in the Budget session of Parliament. The Budget session is slated to conclude on April 4.

“Nobody needs to get afraid of the Waqf Bill. In 2013, the Congress-led government passed the Waqf Bill and made several provisions that are not aligned with our Constitution. We are now trying to align the bill with constitutional principles,” he said.

Asked about Asaduddin Owaisi’s black arm band protest, Amit Shah said people have a right to do so. “Some do it through their clothes, some through their words. In Parliament, one opposes through logic,” he said.

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Crime

Accused in Saif Ali Khan stabbing case files bail plea, claims innocence

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Mumbai, March 29: Mohammad Shariful Islam Shahzad, the accused in the stabbing of Bollywood superstar Saif Ali Khan, has filed a bail petition in the Mumbai Sessions Court, asserting that he is innocent and the case against him is fabricated.

The attack took place in the early hours of January 16 when the accused allegedly entered Saif’s Bandra residence through his youngest son Jeh’s room.

The actor, who was reportedly trying to fend off the assailant, suffered multiple stab wounds. Despite his injuries, Saif managed to go to the hospital on his own, accompanied by his son Taimur.

Shariful Islam Shahzad’s petition, filed through his lawyer, claims that the FIR was wrongly registered and that he has fully cooperated with the police investigation.

His legal team argues that since all evidence is already in police custody, there is no risk of tampering, and therefore, he should be granted bail.

Currently, the case is being handled by the Bandra Magistrate Court, but it falls under the jurisdiction of the Mumbai Sessions Court. Once the police file a charge sheet, the case will be transferred to the Sessions Court. However, the charge sheet is yet to be filed.

According to media reports, doctors removed a 2.5-inch knife from Saif’s wound. The actor sustained six stab injuries, two of which were serious as they were near his spine.

The incident reportedly occurred around 2:15 am on January 16 when the accused broke into the house, attacked the house help, and then stabbed Saif when he intervened.

Saif was alerted by noises from Jeh’s room, where he found the accused in an altercation with the house help. Attempting to protect the staff, Saif fought off the intruder with his bare hands before being stabbed multiple times.

Investigations have revealed that the accused, a Bangladeshi national, intended to rob a wealthy individual to finance his mother’s medical treatment in his home country. He has a history of petty theft and was previously dismissed from restaurants in Worli and Thane for stealing.

It is also reported that the attacker was unaware of Saif Ali Khan’s celebrity status and targeted the residence purely because it was located in an upscale apartment complex.

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