Unnao (UP), Apr 12: BJP Unnao MP Sakshi Maharaj Friday told people that if they do not vote for him, they will face divine displeasure, prompting the police to lodge an FIR against the priest-turned-politician.

"If you ensure my victory, I will work for you, otherwise do 'bhajan-kirtan' in temple," he said at an election meeting at Sheshpur village in Sihramau area.

"I am a 'sanyasi'. When a 'sanyasi' comes to your door and asks for 'bhiksha' (alms), and is not heard, he takes away all the happiness of the family and transfers his sins onto them," he added.

"I am quoting from sacred scriptures. I am not asking for money or land. I am here to seek votes with which fate of Indians will be changed," he said.

Taking a serious note of the controversial comments, city magistrate Rakesh Kumar Gupta said a case has been registered against the BJP MP at Sihramau police station under IPC Section 171C (undue influence at elections) and relevant sections of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

Unnao will go to polls in the fourth phase on April 29.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



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.