Bharat Jodo Yatra's impact forced RSS chief to visit madrasa and mosque: Digvijaya Singh
says, soon PM Modi will start wearing 'topi'
Indore, Nov 15: Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Tuesday said RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat was "compelled" to visit a madrasa and a mosque due to the impact of Rahul Gandhi-led 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' and soon Prime Minister Narendra Modi will start wearing a "topi" (cap).
Singh, who heads the organising committee for the Yatra, claimed PM Modi wears a "topi"- an apparent reference to the skull cap worn by Muslims- in Saudi Arabia and other countries but avoids doing so after returning to India.
"The BJP is targeting Rahul Gandhi these days because (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan) Bhagwat started visiting madrasa and masjid within a month of the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra'. PM Modi will also start wearing a topi in a few days," Singh told reporters.
Narendra Modi had refused to put on a skull cap offered by a Muslim cleric during his sadbhavna fast in Ahmedabad in September 2011 when he was chief minister of Gujarat.
Bhagwat visited a mosque and a madrasa (Islamic seminary) in Delhi in September and held discussions with All India Imam Organisation chief Umer Ahmed Ilyasi.
Within two months of the Yatra, which started from Kanyakumari on September 7, a senior Sangh leader had to say the poor of the country are becoming poorer and the rich are getting richer, Singh said.
"You will see what happens when this yatra reaches its final destination, Srinagar," he said.
On President Droupadi Murmu attending the state government's 'Janjatiya Gaurav Divas' event in Shahdol district, Singh alleged the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party relied only on gimmickry in the name of the welfare of people belonging to SC and ST communities.
"We are proud that Droupadi Murmu is the President of our country. We hope she will speak about atrocities committed on tribals in Madhya Pradesh. If she does not want to speak on this subject, she can give some time to our delegation to discuss this issue with her," the Rajya Sabha MP said.
Singh said earlier Ramnath Kovind, who belongs to Scheduled Caste, became the President.
"The Prime Minister should tell what benefit his government provided to crores of Dalits of the country during President Kovind's tenure," he said.
On the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and All India Majlis-e-Ittehad ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) canvassing for the next month's Gujarat assembly elections, the Congress veteran reiterated these parties are parts of the "Sangh's vision of 'Congress-mukt Bharat'. "They are the B team of BJP," he alleged.
He claimed AAP and AIMIM, led by Asaduddin Owaisi, contested elections only to cut the votes of other parties in a bid to help the BJP.
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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.
