UP: 60 booked over protest outside Agra's Jama Masjid after animal flesh found on premises
Agra, Apr 13 (PTI): Around 60 people have been booked over a protest staged outside the Jama Masjid here following the recovery of animal flesh from the mosque premises, police said on Saturday.
The protest took place after Friday prayers, with demonstrators demanding strict action against the man who placed the flesh in the mosque premises.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) (City) Sonam Kumar said, "A case has been registered against the man who placed the piece of meat inside the mosque. Additionally, those who created disturbance outside the Jama Masjid have been booked. Around 60 people have been named in the FIR for their involvement in the protest."
The incident occurred late Thursday night when a man, Nazruddin, allegedly placed a packet containing animal flesh inside the Jama Masjid in the Mantola area. The matter came to light on Friday morning, triggering tension in the locality ahead of the weekly Friday prayers.
Police said CCTV footage showed the accused arriving at the mosque on a scooty and placing the packet inside the premises before leaving.
A team of more than 100 police personnel was deployed for investigation and area security. The recovered meat was seized and sent for forensic examination, they said.
The scooty used in the crime was traced to a local meat shop. Interrogation of the shopkeeper led to the arrest of Nazruddin, from Teela Nandram area, police added.
The accused was arrested on Friday and efforts and authorities are now probing whether he acted alone had accomplices, the DCP said.
Additional Police Commissioner Sanjeev Tyagi said that action would be taken under the National Security Act (NSA).
"We are looking into the intent behind the act and whether more people were involved," he added.
A group of people gathered outside the mosque, after Friday prayers, demanding capital punishment for the accused. The situation turned tense and police had to use mild force to disperse the crowd, he added.
Security was subsequently heightened in and around the Jama Masjid, with intensified police patrolling to prevent any further disturbance in the area.
Authorities have appealed to residents to maintain peace and refrain from spreading or acting on rumours.
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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.
