New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Saturday alleged that Rahul Gandhi had a meeting with "enemies of India" during his visit to Germany and asked the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha as to what kind of "conspiracy" he is hatching against the country by joining hands with such forces.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here, party national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia showed a purported picture of Gandhi with Berlin-based Hertie school president and professor Cornellia Woll and called it "proof" of the Congress leader meeting "anti-India forces in Germany".
Bhatia claimed that Woll is one of the trustees of the Central European University, which is funded by US-based billionaire investor George Soros's Open Society Foundation.
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There was no immediate reaction from Rahul Gandhi or the Congress.
Last year too, the BJP had alleged that top Congress leaders had links with Soros-funded organisations that were involved in "anti-India" activities.
"If anyone meets anti-India forces and insults Bharat from foreign soil, it's none other than Rahul," Bhatia charged on Saturday, adding, "George Soros and Rahul Gandhi are two bodies but one soul."
The BJP spokesperson asked why Gandhi goes abroad during or ahead of almost every session of Parliament and "meets enemies of India, who are jealous of India and attack its integrity".
"What kind of anti-India agenda is it that the Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi is hatching a conspiracy against Bharat by joining hands with such anti-India forces," he asked.
Bhatia alleged that Gandhi met "anti-India" forces during his previous foreign visits also, and "defamed and insulted India" with his remarks.
"This is not the first time Rahul Gandhi is indulging in such anti-national activities," he said, adding, "Rahul Gandhi has become Mir Zafar".
Bhatia alleged that Soros makes anti-India statements and also provides funds to create unrest in India and attack the country's integrity and sovereignty.
"George Soros is not an Indian; he is a foreigner. But, Rahul Gandhi has taken the oath of protecting the Constitution," he said.
"These snakelets within India need to be treated. People of the country are demanding it," Bhatia added.
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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.
