BJP has tactical understanding with Pak on Kashmir issue: Moily
Chikballapur: Claiming that the BJP has a tactical understanding with Pakistan on the Kashmir issue, senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily demanded to know the basis of Imran Khan's support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the ongoing elections.
The former Union Minister also charged Modi with adopting a "Hitler-kind of attitude", stoking an "atmosphere of hatred in the country and thereby destroying all institutions".
If the Congress comes to power, Moily said it will initiate probes into the functioning of the BJP government during the past five years in which the "nation was misled and kept in the dark" over several important issues like Rafale deal.
"Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has openly supported Narendra Modi as a pre-condition for talks on bilateral resolution of the Kashmir dispute which clearly shows that there is a tactical understanding between the BJP and the Pakistan Prime Minister," the Congress leader told PTI.
Khan's support and also the suggestion that Modi would bring in better ties between the two nations indicate a secret understanding, perhaps compromising the interest of India on Kashmir, he said.
Observing that a war-kind of situation always prevailed during the BJP regime, Moily said, "Everytime the BJP comes to power, there is an escalation of hostility between India and Pakistan, it may be Kargil or attack on Indian Parliament under the Vajpayee government or Balakot and Pulwama under the current regime."
Ridiculing Modi for his 56-inch chest claim, the former Karnataka chief minister said, "Where is the need to demonstrate even if he has one? Politics of love is totally alien to him which has vitiated the political atmosphere in the country."
As a result of the 56-inch chest narrative, Pakistan has for the first time openly admitted that it has an atom bomb, he added.
Asserting that the Congress will probe functioning of the Modi government if it comes to power, Moily said, "We will investigate all actions taken during the current BJP's tenure, that include demonetisation, the Balakot attack and sacking of intelligence chief and ferrying of CRPF personnel in a bus despite intelligence input to the contrary."
On Congress's prospects in the current Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka, Moily said the party will win at least 21 seats out of 28 in alliance with the JD(S).
"The Congress and the JD(S) will win at least 21 seats. It could be possible to repeat 1971 when all 27 seats were won by the Congress. This is mainly because the Modi wave is fast waning and he is assuming a Hitler-kind of personality which will be devastating for the country in case he is put in any position of authority," he said.
Both the Congress and the JD(S) are working as a team forgetting differences with a sole aim to defeat the BJP, which has terribly failed to implement its 2014 election promises and created an atmosphere of "fear" among people, he said.
The Congress and the JD(S) are in alliance contesting in 21 seats and 7 seats respectively in the current Lok Sabha elections.
Moily, however, refused make any assessment on the number of seats that the BJP or the Congress would win at the national level saying it will definitely be a Congress-led government in which regional parties may have a say based on pre and post-poll alliances.
Expressing concern over the possibility of EVMs being rigged in this election, the former union minister said the Supreme Court judgement on VVPATs is "too little to check manipulation" as monitoring five machines in a constituency is too less.
He accused the BJP of introducing "politics of hatred" and said, "This must end and pave way for politics of love. This can only be started by Rahul Gandhi."
Modi, he said, has all qualities like "false ego and anger", which is not desirable from a national leader.
He further said that the BJP talks of corruption but is least interested in checking it.
"It was during my tenure as Union Law Minister that the Congress brought in a Lokpal bill but it has taken five years for the BJP to implement it and that too under pressure of the impending elections," he said.
"Rahul Gandhi has been consistently fighting on the issue of corruption by bringing the issue of Rafale deal. Now even the apex court sees something amiss and agreed to the probe," he said.
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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.
