Anyone speaking truth dubbed as traitor, anti-national, repeal farm laws: Shiv Sena
New Delhi: The Shiv Sena on Friday charged that anyone speaking the truth is dubbed as a "traitor" or "anti-national" and that cases of sedition have been slapped against those criticising the government.
Participating in the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President's address in Rajya Sabha, Sena member Sanjay Raut said farmers fighting for their rights have been branded as anti-nationals or Khalistanis.
He said the farmers, who were known as 'warriors' when they fought the Mughals and the British, are now dubbed as anti-nationals when they are fighting for their rights on Delhi's borders.
Raut said farmers from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, who are sitting on the borders of Delhi, are fighting for the peasants from across the country and demanded that their voice be heard and the farm laws be repealed.
"We heard minister Dharmendra Pradhan asking us to listen to the truth. For the last six years, we have been listening to the truth, even the untruth dubbed as truth. The atmosphere in the country today is such that anyone writing the truth is dubbed as traitor and anti-national," he alleged.
"Cases of sedition are slapped on anyone asking questions from the government," he charged, citing examples of MPs like Sanjay Singh and Shashi Tharoor and journalists and writers.
Raut said it seems that the government has changed the Indian Penal Code and replaced all its provisions with only those of sedition.
He charged that cases of sedition are being lodged against everyone these days and people are booked under the law even for domestic violence cases.
The Shiv Sena member further said that the government is trying to defame anyone trying to say something.
"Defaming the farmers' agitation is not a good thing for the country, for farmers and for all," he said.
The Sena member said even though they respected the prime minister, who has got a majority to rule, "but, the majority is not run by arrogance," he said.
He said everyone was ashamed by the incidents of violence that took place on Republic Day and asked why those behind the incidents of disrespecting the national flag have not been nabbed so far.
"Why is Deep Sidhu, responsible for disrespecting the national flag, not been caught yet. At whose behest he is acting?
"Over 200 farmers are lodged in jail after being booked for sedition and not Sidhu. Over 100 youth are missing and whether they have been killed in encounters," he asked.
Raut accused the government of sheltering those who violated the Official Secrets Act by leaking details about the Balakot strike while referring to a journalist and an actress.
On the President saying no one can stop India from progressing if the country unites, he said when thousands of farmers have united for their rights why is the government trying to "break their unity and defaming" their agitation.
"When the farmers are uniting and fighting for their rights, you see anti-national acts in them and you term them as traitors. They are not anti-nationals or khalistanis.Till the time this movement is alive, the nation will remain alive and this 'andolan'," he said.
"If you would have built such barricades at the international borders, as those put up at Delhi borders, China would not have dared to come into Indian territory," the Sena member added.
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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.
