Fact Check: No Karnataka DGP has not ordered removal of sound systems from mosques
Bengaluru: The Karnataka Police on Thursday disregarded a letter that was doing rounds on social media platforms reportedly issued by the DG/ IGP of Karnataka urging the top police officials to remove loud speakers from mosques.
The document purported to be a letter of DG & IGP Karnataka with instructions to remove sound systems from mosques is being circulated on the social media platform.
A letter, dated November 2, 2020, appeared to be from DG & IGP of Karnataka instructed the removal of sound systems from mosques. The letter appeared legit at first glance, complete with the same format as an official order would have from the Karnataka state government.
Police department’s fact-checking website factcheck.ksp.gov.in on Thursday clarified that the letter was issued “mischievously without proper authorization of superiors by the clerk addressed to all Police Commissioners and Superintendent of Police of the District of Karnataka State”.
“However, no such instructions have been issued to remove the sound systems from the mosques as is being interpreted in the social media. Further enquiry into the matter is underway. Public are advised not to heed to any such rumours or misleading interpretations” the website further added.
Earlier, the letter had triggered confusion among the state after it started doing rounds across social media platforms.
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.
Anbumani asks PM Modi to ban sale of cigarettes for those born after 2009
Chennai (PTI): PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take legislative measures to prohibit smoking and the sale of cigarettes to individuals born on or after January 1, 2009, thereby creating a smoke-free generation.
Anbumani, former Union minister for health and family welfare, said, "Once implemented, it (ban on cigarettes) will ensure that future generations are legally prevented from ever accessing tobacco products", he said in a letter to Modi.
"I write to you with a deep sense of urgency and responsibility, drawing your kind attention to a critical public health issue that continues to endanger the lives of millions of Indians, particularly among the younger generation who are affected by cigarette smoking", he claimed.
Stating that India unfortunately bears a disproportionately high burden of tobacco-related morbidity and mortality, he said, adding that, according to global health estimates, nearly 267 million Indians, approximately one in five citizens, use tobacco.
"Each year, tobacco consumption directly accounts for over 1.35 million deaths, while exposure to second-hand smoke contributes to a total of approximately 2.3 million deaths annually", he said, adding, "these figures are alarming and reflect a public health crisis of immense magnitude".
He pointed out that Scientific evidence unequivocally establishes tobacco use as a leading cause of cancer and numerous non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular ailments, chronic respiratory diseases such as COPD, and multiple forms of malignancies. "In India alone, tobacco is responsible for nearly 40–50 per cent of all cancer cases, with over 4.7 lakh deaths annually attributed to tobacco-induced cancers", he added.
"In this context, I strongly urge the Union government to consider enacting a transformative law similar to that of the United Kingdom, that permanently prohibits the sale and consumption of tobacco products for individuals born on or after a specified year (such as 2009). Such a generational ban would mark a decisive step towards eliminating tobacco use in India over time", he said.
