Clear who Pak wants as India's next PM: Left parties attack Modi
New Delhi: The Left parties Wednesday lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over comments made by his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan in support of the BJP and said with this statement the neighbouring country has made it clear who it wants as India's next PM.
CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said that Khan's statement raised concerns over foreign governments "influencing" the outcome of the general elections in India.
In an interview to foreign journalists, Khan has said he believed there was a better chance of peace talks with India and settling the Kashmir issue if the BJP wins the general elections.
"Pakistan has been the only issue of Modi's election campaign, where he has scurrilously tried to link it to opposition. Now, we know who Pakistan actually wants as PM, the only Indian PM to have invited ISI to a military base, and the only one who went to Pakistan uninvited," Yechury tweeted.
"We have serious concerns about foreign governments influencing our democratic election process. Last year, it was reported that ISI wants Modi as PM. Now Pakistani PM says it," he said.
Khan said other parties would be afraid of right-wing backlash in case of a settlement on the Kashmir issue.
"Perhaps if the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party)....wins, some kind of settlement in Kashmir could be reached," Khan told a small group of foreign journalists in the interview.
CPI leader D Raja questioned Khan's locus standi on commenting on the government of a neighbouring country.
"It is not his business to comment on the government of India. It will be decided by the people of this country. How does Khan know that the other governments will not support the peace process between the two countries? Now, it is for Modi to answer why Imran Khan is batting for him. Has Modi asked him to bat for him and his party?," Raja asked.
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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.
