Congress faces criticism for fielding Kathua rape case supporter in J&K elections
Jammu: On Monday, Congress announced 19 more candidates for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, including Chaudhary Lal Singh for the Basohli constituency. Lal Singh, a former BJP leader, led a Tiranga rally supporting the accused in the infamous 2018 Kathua rape and murder case of an 8-year-old Muslim girl, which had shocked the nation.
Lal Singh, a former Forest Minister in the PDP-BJP coalition, resigned after national outrage over his support for the accused. His candidacy has drawn criticism from within Congress, and social media has been abuzz with condemnation.
Despite the controversy, Lal Singh has remained an influential figure in his region and was also given a ticket by Congress in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Many within the party, especially Muslim leaders, have expressed concern over the nomination, with some questioning the decision in light of Singh's past actions. The move has also been criticised by other political parties in Jammu and Kashmir, such as Ghulam Nabi Azad’s Democratic Progressive Azad Party, which called it a shameful decision.
Lal Singh, who began his political career with Congress, returned to the party in 2019 after a stint with BJP, during which he founded the Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan Party.
Congress has fielded Chaudhary Lal Singh from Basohli. Lal Singh is the same former BJP minister who courted controversy by supporting some of the accused in the Kathua gang rape case.
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) September 10, 2024
This is shameful to say the least. @priyankagandhi @RahulGandhi @kharge pic.twitter.com/cRp2vSxIXZ
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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.
