Former MP and President of Students and Youth for Thiruvalluvar Tarun Vijay has filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission and has demanded a probe by central agencies over the Sathankulam police brutality incident that resulted in the death of Jeyaraj (59) and Bennix (31).
Jeyaraj and his son Bennix had been detained by the police at Sathankulam Police Station of Thoothukudi district, following a dispute over having kept their shop open despite the lockdown.
Mr. Tarun Vijay in his complaint said “It is a national blot on us, it hurts me here in Uttarakhand, sitting in Dehradun as much as it hurts Tamils. Hence I am filing this complaint from Himalayas”.
He expressed his anguish in a strong manner saying that people who were supposed to provide protection and uphold the dignity and spirit of the Constitution became monsters.
He said that the culprits must be given the harshest punishment and must be treated like terrorists.
“Justice has been broken into smithereens. India has been ashamed. Citizenship has been abused. Faith of the citizen in law and order machinery has been broken. They have shamed savages like Pol Pot, Idi Amin and ISIS terrorists.” Mr. Tarun Vijay said in his complaint.
The former MP who is known for his affinity towards Tamil and passionate about Tamil causes quoted extensively from the Iraimaatchi (The Greatness of a King) chapter of Thirukkural to drive home the point of upholding justice.
The complaint was filed through Human Rights Defense International (HRDI), an organisation committed to the cause of Indian Diaspora, minorities, refugees, stateless people, women, workers and other marginalised sections of society, of which Mr. Tarun Vijay is a member.
Speaking to The Commune, Secretary General of HRDI, advocate and human rights activist Rajesh Gogna said that the colonial mindset of police force still exists. He said that the history of police brutality shows that it is the marginalized sections and common citizenry who fall victims. “Police have much more power during emergency situations like this, they should act with a sense of responsibility” he said.
“They are middle class people who had opened their mobile shops to cater to the needs of public. They had just kept their shops open for 30-40 mins extra. What was the crime in that?” Mr. Rajesh Gogna said. He termed the incident a “custodial murder” and said that the culprit officers must be tried as ordinary criminals and not as police officers with privileges. He pressed for the registration of an FIR and arrest of those involved. He called for a judicial enquiry by a sitting Supreme Court or a High Court Judge.
Mr. Rajesh Gogna added that the family should be given a compensation of ₹1 crore. “If police officers who die of COVID19 can be given ₹1 crore, why only ₹10 lakh for those who died at the hands of police officers who were supposed to protect their lives?” he said.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during a Holocaust memorial event at U.N. headquarters, Monday, Jan. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Antonio Guterres, UN’s Secretary General, has expressed that he expects the member countries of the United Nations to uphold their duties to the Security Council resolutions after a report by the United States stated that Pakistan continues to shelter terrorism. This report further included the incident of Pakistan’s inactivity towards the JeM founder Masood Azhar.
The UN 1267 Sanctions Committee designated Azhar as a global terrorist in May last year, slapping an arms embargo, asset freeze and travel ban on him, 10 years after India’s first move to have him blacklisted at the UN. Following the designation, the State Department said that the designation is an “important step” in promoting a peaceful and stable South Asia.
In their Congressional mandated country reports on terrorism for 2019, the United States accused Pakistan of harbouring terrorism and maintained that the suspension of monetary aid to the country remains in effect as of December 2019. It also accused the latter of having taken little to no steps in order to curb terrorism and prevent those groups that specifically targeted India.
It emphasized that groups that were supposedly taken action against were reportedly those that were focused externally, adding that the perpetrators responsible for the Mumbai terrorist attacks still roam free.
Hundreds of Americans who have survived COVID-19 look at a bleak future as President Trump appealed to the US Federal Court to repeal the Obamacare insurance that was put forth by the previous government.
The Affordable Care Act, which was brought into force by the Obama government in March 2010, aims at the provision of affordable healthcare for people. By wrapping up this provision, the Trump government puts the lives of thousands of people who have been availing this scheme for their insurance on the line. This means that anyone applying for insurance who subsequently contracts Covid-19 could also find their insurance invalidated or be denied coverage in the future. If they were allowed to keep their insurance, they could still be charged higher premiums or have future treatment for coronavirus turned down.
The abolition of pre-existing condition coverage is especially difficult for those who have has Covid-19, because so little is known about the long-term health impact of the disease.
Following Trump’s appeal, this issue was debated by the jury of the US Supreme Court. Although the verdict has not been issued in this case, it is expected that the court will not decide until the elections get over in November.
Meanwhile, the United States reported an all-time high record of cases at 40,000, while the total number of deaths has been 124,000.
BJP National Secretary H. Raja has called for strict action against police officials responsible for the extrajudicial killing of father-son duo Jeyaraj and Bennix. He said that the matter is under investigation by the judicial magistrate and said that strict action should be taken against the culprits based on its orders.
He also said that it would be injustice to defame the entire police force for the crime committed by the 4 police officers at a police station as the police have been helping in the battle against the Chinese virus.
He said that any protest against the entire police force at this time will be considered as anti-people protest. He also questioned the silence of those who remained silent for SI Wilson’s murder. SI Wilson was shot dead by Abdul Shameem and Thoufeeq Yusuf on January 8, 2020 in Kanyakumari.
He added that the intelligence unit must identify the forces driving the protests by trade associations. He also expressed concerns over equating this protests with George Floyd protests in the USA. He struck a note of alarm saying that “one must not forget the protests instigated at the ringing of a Church bell by the Chinese wagers who helped in creating a market for Chinese copper”
“There is no alternative opinion on justice being delivered to the family and the police officers brought to books”, he said adding that this situation cannot be let to take advantage by inimical forces for rioting.
“Let’s keep talking about it, read more about it, and share the information”, he said.
Brazil signed a $127 million deal with AstraZeneca on Saturday, to locally produce the COVID-19 vaccine that has been green signalled for trials. This company’s vaccine is gaining demand globally, as they have already signed a deal with the EU to deliver 400 million doses. According to WHO, this company has become the first to ever have a licensed vaccine formula for the disease thus far.
The British drug maker is already carrying out large-scale, mid-stage human trials of the vaccine, which was developed by researchers at Oxford University.
This vaccine is to be produced locally by Brazil’s Fundação Osvaldo Cruz, also known as Fiocruz, which is the country’s biggest pharma company. Speaking about this, Elcio Franco, Brazil’s No.2 public health official, said in a statement that an agreement has been signed for producing 30 million doses of the vaccine locally by the government. He added that it has been made fully clear while making the payment that another vaccine might potentially be licensed that might have better results.
This comes at a time when the government has been heavily criticised for their delayed response to the pandemic as well as the President’s indifference. The latter has also been criticised heavily for forcing people to consume hydroxychloroquine when the WHO has specifically advised against its mass consumption as a preventive drug.
Meanwhile, Brazil stands second in the world with a record number of 1.5 million cases and more than 55,000 deaths.
Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa laid the foundation stone for the construction of a 108-foot gigantic statue of Nadaprabhu Kempe Gowda, on the occasion of his 511th birth anniversary on Saturday. It is to be erected at the Bengaluru Airport, which is named after him.
This project is touted to cost an estimate of Rs 78 crores, and is to be designed and sculpted by Ram Sutar, who was instrumental is designing the Statue of Unity.
Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, KPCC President D.K. Shivakumar, Deputy Chief Minister Dr. C.N. Ashwath Narayan, who is also the Chairman of Kempegowda Development Authority, Revenue Minister R. Ashoka, as well as Adichunchanagiri Mutt Seer Sri Nirmalanandanatha Swamiji, Suttur Seer Sri Shivarathri Deshikendra Swamiji and Siddaganga Mutt Seer Sri Siddalingapura Swamiji were the dignitaries who graced the event.
Kempe Gowda was born in Magadi, Bengaluru, on June 27, 1510 and was instrumental in the development of Bengaluru as a city. He also developed water bodies, including lakes and tanks for its supply to its people throughout the year.
The government also plans to develop the Kempapura village in the Magadi taluk as a tourist spot, where Kempe Gowda’s tomb lies.
Muthu of Alanganallur near Madurai was arrested after four months in a murder case where he had beheaded his own friend. Muthu’s wife and Muthuvelu were allegedly in an extra-marital affair.
Coming to know of it, Muthu and his friend Nagaraj had taken Muthuvelu for having drinks and later beheaded him four months ago. Nagaraju had carried the severed head of Muthuvelu and surrendered at the police station.
Muthu had by then escaped to Kerala.
Muthu had been hiding at his relative’s place in his native since the lockdown and was arrested by the police.
Tejaswi Ranga Rao is the first woman to be selected as a Weapons Systems Officer in the Indian Air Force’s frontline air-dominance fighter aircraft, Sukhoi-30 fleet. She will be directly involved in all air operations and weapon systems of a military aircraft.
She completed her schooling in Chennai and joined the National Cadet Corps (NCC) while pursuing her BSc in Biotechnology, Chemistry, and Genetics from Bangalore. She trained at the Navigation Training School of the Indian Air Force for a year and graduated from the Air Force Academy.
She is also a recipient of the president’s plaque for not only acing but topping the navigation course. This achievement is a first among women in the history of the navigation course.
“Another glass ceiling shattered. A woman in control of the Su-30 cockpit for all mission-related weapon systems is definitely a first for the IAF. In a multi-crew fighter cockpit, it is essential that the pilot and the WSO work in tandem towards mission accomplishment. Having a good WSO doing her job takes off half the mission pressure from the pilot in front who now can direct his spare mental capacity towards flying the airplane,” said Wing Commander AR Giri (retired), who is a former IAF pilot.
She expressed gratitude to her parents who helped her realize her dream. She also thanked her mentors and instructors for being supportive and guiding her to achieve her goals which have paved the way for opportunities for women to play a vital role in this field.
Air India will carry more than 100 Indians including people from six states of Northeast India stranded in Kyrgyzstan on 30 June 2020 under the third phase of the Vande Bharat Mission.
The Government of India started the third phase of the Vande Bharat mission on 11 June 2020 which will last till 2 July 2020. The mission is to bring back stranded Indians from different parts of the world.
The Law and Education Minister of Tripura, Ratan Lal Nath said that the flight would land at the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati. He added that a great number of residents of north-east Indian states had returned from Kuwait, Bangladesh, and other parts of the region.
Out of these, 70 people are from Manipur, 67 from Assam, eight from Arunachal Pradesh, and two each from Tripura and Mizoram, and one from Meghalaya.
Health officials said that they were sent in institutional quarantine for seven days, after which they had to undergo home quarantine for another seven days. Most of the residents who returned were tested positive for COVID-19.
The fourth phase of the mission will begin on July 3. In this phase, stranded Indians from Gulf countries, Singapore, and Malaysia will be brought back to India.
The Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM-CARES) was established by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on 28th March, 2020, as a dedicated national fund to deal with exigencies created by emergency situations like the COVID19. Since the setup of the fund, it has received both donations and criticism in equal vigour. What was the need for a separate fund exclusive of Prime Minister National Relief Fund? What are the problems with PMNRF? Here is an explainer breaking down the issues surrounding PM-CARES and PMNRF.
What is the purpose stated by the two funds?
Contrary to the popular notion that it is a fund created exclusively for COVID19, it is to be noted that the PM CARES has been set up to provide for relief support and assistance to ‘any kind of emergency’ – be it natural or man-made. In a way, it is an alternative to the Nehruvian relic PMNRF.
The PMNRF was set up in 1948 by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to assist those displaced due to partition. It gradually became a fund for providing relief during natural or manmade calamities. Assistance is also provided to acid attack victims and to partially defray expenses for medical treatments like heart surgeries, kidney transplant, cancer treatment, etc.
While the objective of PMNRF stops at providing immediate relief to those affected by disasters, accidents, riots, the PM-CARES takes a giant leap forward by providing for upgradation of healthcare facilities, other necessary infrastructure and also fund relevant research.
How are the two funds constituted?
PMCARES has been registered as a Public Charitable Trust registered under the Registration Act, 1908. The Prime Minister of India serves as the ex-officio Chairman of the PM CARES Fund with the Minister of Defence, Minister of Home Affairs and Minister of Finance serving as the ex-officio Trustees of the fund. Apart from them, the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees (PM) has the power to appoint 3 eminent persons from the field of research, health, science, social work, law, public administration and philanthropy.
PMNRF is recognized as a Trust under Income Tax Act and is managed by the Prime Minister or multiple delegates. However, when it was constituted by Nehru, the following were included in the management committee : Prime Minister, President of Indian National Congress, Deputy Prime Minister, Finance Minister, 1 representative of Tata Trustees, 1 representative of Industry and Commerce chosen by FICCI.
So, unlike the PMNRF, the PM CARES has no representation from any political party.
What are the inflows?
Both PMCARES and PMNRF accept voluntary contributions from individuals and institutions. Donations made by companies and individuals to PM CARES and PMNRF are completely tax exempt. Donations made by companies are classified as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities under Companies Act 2013 in both PM CARES and PMNRF. Both funds accept contributions from individuals and companies based in foreign countries. Both the funds do not accept contributions flowing out of budgetary sources of the PSUs. However, donations made by PSUs are considered as part of CSR under PM CARES.
Who has the power to take decisions?
The PM CARES Trust will take decisions on allocation of funds based on the discussions and collective wisdom of the ministers and nominated members. On the other hand, the decision of allocating money and selecting beneficiaries was done based on the discretion and recommendations of the PM.
What happens to the surplus funds?
The surplus funds of PMNRF are invested in various scheduled commercial banks. In the past, the fund had been putting money in good old savings accounts, invested in fixed deposits and earning interest worth crores from them. The fund instead of serving as a means to handle emergency situations has turned into an investment vehicle with individuals and companies using the fund to claim tax exemption. The year 2018-19 saw ₹534 crores as contributions from individuals and companies (2/3rd of total receipts).
So far, the PM CARES does not have any surplus funds as they are being given to states to tackle the fight against corona virus. It is not clear as to what will happen to the surplus funds post the pandemic period.
Who audits the funds?
The PMNRF is audited by an independent auditor outside the government. Currently, SARC & Associates Chartered Accountants are engaged as auditors.
The government has stated that PM CARES fund would be audited by one or more independent authorities appointed by the trustees. However, there is no clarity on this yet.
What has been the outcome of PM CARES?
The Prime Minister Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) has allocated 2000 crores to supply 50,000 Made-in-India ventilators to government run COVID hospitals in all States and Union Territories. Apart from this, the Centre has disbursed ₹1000 crore from the PM CARES fund for the welfare of non-resident workers of different states.
The misgivings of PMNRF
The Congress had appointed Thakur, Vaidyanath Aiyar and Co. to audit the PMNRF funds during its rule. The founder of this company Rameshwar Thakur, was a lifelong Congressman. It is noteworthy that he was made an MP from the Rajya Sabha in 1984 by the Congress party who also went to become Minister of State for Finance and then the Governor of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh. So during the Congress regime, the PMNRF comprising of Prime Minister, Finance Minister, Deputy Prime Minister from Congress party along with INC President was audited by a firm founded by a Congress party member.
When the opportunity to eliminate the audit firm came up in fiscal year 2017-18 under the Companies Act 2013, the Central government removed them and hired SARC & Associates. It was alleged by members of the Congress that its founder Sunil Kumar Gupta was close towards the BJP and posted pictures of him with BJP leaders. However, Mr. Sunil Kumar Gupta rubbed shoulders with many Congress leaders as well as seen below and hence can be seen as someone having friends across party lines.
Sunil Kumar Gupta with former Congress CM of Uttarakhand Harish RawatSunil Kumar Gupta with Congress leader Manishankar AiyarSunil Kumar Gupta with former Delhi CM Sheila DixitSunil Kumar with former President Pratibha PatilForeword by P. Chidambaram for book ‘Big Business India Guru’ co-authored by Sunil Kumar Gupta
The funds of PMNRF under the Congress regime went for purposes other than providing relief and support. It had donated multiple times to Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF) – an extension of the Congress party with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, P Chidambaram, Dr. Manmohan Singh, Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi as board members. In the year 2005-2006, the Annual Report of RGF makes a disclosure that the foundation received a donation from the PMNRF. The same disclosure is also made in the 2006-2007 and in 2007-2008 annual reports. The amount of such donation is not clear yet. RGF is currently in news due as it had received funds to the tune of 1 crore from the Chinese government in three years.
It is to be noted that during the period when Dr. Manmohan Singh was Prime Minister, he had little control over the affairs of the government as Sonia Gandhi ran the show from her residence in 10 Janpath. Since Antonia Maino of Italian origin was not allowed to become Prime Minister (thanks to the timely intervention of Dr. Subramanian Swamy and the late former President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam), the National Advisory Council (NAC), an unconstitutional decision making body for the Gandhi family to exercise control over the administration was created. In fact, the NAC files reveals that it was Sonia Gandhi who was indeed the ‘Super PM’ having complete control on the decisions taken by Manmohan Singh. So, it is possible that the misappropriation of funds from PMNRF to RGF is a doing of Sonia Gandhi.
The PMNRF is a fund comprising of contributions from the citizens of India. In essence, the public money that was meant for providing relief during calamities and to assist acid attack victims, heart patients, cancer patients, etc was diverted to a private foundation that has links with the Communist Party of China.
