BJP's Sikh cell members protest against Rahul, demand apology over his remarks
New Delhi (PTI): Members of the Delhi BJP's Sikh cell staged a protest against Rahul Gandhi near his 10, Janpath residence here on Wednesday, demanding an apology from the Congress leader over his remarks in the US concerning the community.
Raising slogans and carrying placards, the protesters, including women, tried to approach Gandhi's residence from Vigyan Bhawan, but were stopped by police at a barricade.
Speaking at the protest Delhi BJP's Sikh cell in-charge Tarvinder Marwah said Gandhi should learn the history of his family and acknowledge the atrocities inflicted on Sikhs by his grandmother and father.
"Refrain (from such comments) Rahul Gandhi otherwise you will have the same fate as your grandmother," Marwah said addressing the protesters.
Indira Gandhi, former prime minister and grandmother of Rahul Gandhi, was assassinated by her bodyguards in 1984 soon after Operation Blue Star in Amritsar, that led to anti-Sikh riots in northern India soon after.
"No other political party has wronged the Sikh community as much as the Congress," said Marwah, a three-time former MLA of Congress from Jungpura seat in Delhi. He joined the BJP in July 2022.
Addressing a gathering of several hundred Indian Americans in Washington DC on Monday, Gandhi accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of considering some religions, languages and communities inferior than others and said the fight in India is about this and not about politics.
Asking the name of a turbaned person in the gathering, Gandhi said, "The fight is about whether a Sikh is going to be allowed to wear his turban in India or a kada in India. Or he, as a Sikh, is going to be able to go to a gurdwara. That is what the fight is about. And not just for him, for all religions."
At the protest against Gandhi in Delhi, demonstrators raised slogans against the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, demanded his apology for "humiliating" Sikhs and held the Congress responsible for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in the country.
Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) national spokesperson R P Singh alleged that Gandhi has "insulted" Sikhs through his statement.
"Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, the Sikh community is witnessing progress and the members of the community feel safe in India.
The 1984 massacre, where Sikhs were beaten up and killed, occurred during the Congress rule," he said.
Delhi BJP's Sikh cell convenor Charanjeet Singh Lovely said Gandhi's "small-mindedness is evident from his statement, claiming that Sikh turbans are not safe in India and that Sikhs lack religious freedom".
"The Congress has historically been the political party that caused the most harm to Sikhs," he said, citing the 1984 riots.
The BJP has come down heavily on Gandhi over his remarks in the United States about Sikhs, saying the Congress leader is trying to create a "dangerous narrative" by speaking on "sensitive issues" abroad.
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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.
