Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha files petition in Agra court against observing 'Urs' In Taj Mahal
Agra, Feb 3: A right wing organisation has filed a petition in an Agra court seeking prohibitory injunction against the observation of the 'Urs' at the Taj Mahal.
The petitioner, Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha, has also challenged the free entry for 'Urs' inside the Taj Mahal.
The court accepted the petition and fixed March 4 as the date of hearing.
The three-day 'Urs' event will take place this year from February 6 to February 8.
The period is observed to mark the death of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, who got the Taj Mahal constructed in 1653 on the banks of of the Yamuna river.
Petitioner's counsel Anil Kumar Tiwari said, "On Friday, the petitioner ABHM through its divisional head Meena Diwakar and district president Saurabh Sharma filed a petition in the Court of IV Additional Civil Judge (Junior Division) Room No 4 at Civil Court premises in Agra.
"They have sought for a permanent prohibitory injunction against the committee celebrating the 'Urs. The petitioner has also objected to having free entry for the Urs at the Taj Mahal."
ABHM spokesperson Sanjay Jat contended that the body had filed the petition on the basis of an RTI which revealed that neither the Mughals, nor the British allowed Urs to take place inside the Taj.
"The petition has been filed on the basis of an RTI filed by a Raj Kishore Raje, an historian of Agra city. In the RTI, he asked ASI who permitted 'Urs' celebration and 'Namaz' in Taj Mahal premises. The ASI replied that neither Mughals, nor the British government or the Government of India have allowed 'Urs' celebration in the Taj Mahal," Sanjay Jat told PTI.
"So, on that basis we have filed a petition seeking the prohibitory injunction, stopping the organisers of Shahjahan 'Urs' Celebration Committee, headed by Saiyyad Ibrahim Zaidi, from celebrating the 'Urs' at the Taj Mahal."
The three-day 'Urs' sees the rituals of 'chadar poshi', 'sandal', 'gusul', 'kul' among other events.
On the last day of the 'Urs', a 'chadar', measuring 1,880 metre or more, is offered.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
