Asaduddin Owaisi slams RJD, JD(U) over CAA, NRC
Sheikhpura (Bihar): Lok Sabha MP and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi Sunday slammed Bihar's ruling JD(U) and opposition RJD over the issues of amendments in the citizenship act and the NRC as he addressed a poll rally here.
While the Centre has said it will implement both the measures, the RJD has remained "silent" and BJP ally JD(U) has given "misleading" statements, Owaisi said.
He said the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) will not only "trouble" Muslims and Dalits, but would impact 50 per cent of India's population.
"Assam is a case in point. As many as 20 lakh people don't find themselves in the NRC list there. Out of which only 5 lakhs are Muslims, the rest 15 lakhs are Hindus," he said.
He said the government should focus on issues such as education, employment and health rather than the CAA and the NRC.
The Hyderbabad MP's All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is a part of the multi parties alliance in the Bihar polls with Uttar Pradesh leader Mayawati's BSP and former union minister Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP).
Kushwaha, who was present at the rally, said Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar pushed Bihar back in the 30 years of their respective rules in the state.
He appealed to the people to vote for their candidates, promising a bright future for the state if given the chance to govern. Kushwaha has been declared as the chief ministerial candidate of the grouping.
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.
