CPI(M) leader Saji Cheriyan sworn-in as Kerala Minister
Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 4: CPI(M) leader Saji Cheriyan was on Wednesday again sworn in as Minister in the Pinarayi Vijayan government, nearly six months after he had resigned from the Cabinet following a furore over his alleged remarks against the Constitution.
Cheriyan was administered the oath of office by Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan at the Raj Bhavan where MLAs of the Congress-led UDF opposition were absent in protest against the reinstatement of the CPI(M) leader.
Speaker A N Shamseer, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, members of his Cabinet, few MLAs of the ruling LDF and some Left leaders were present at the simple and brief swearing-in ceremony where Cheriyan took solemn oath to uphold the Constitution and perform his duties according to it.
After attending the tea party hosted by the Governor at Raj Bhavan, Cheriyan drove to his old office at the Kerala Secretariat Annexe where he met mediapersons and expressed hope that he would get the same portfolios he was holding before his resignation.
He held the portfolios of Fisheries, Culture and Youth Affairs prior to his resignation.
Both the Congress and BJP held protests against reinstatement of Cheriyan.
Several Congress activists marched to Raj Bhavan and the party also announced a series of protest programmes across the State against Cheriyan's swearing-in.
Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly V D Satheesan said Cheriyan had to quit his ministership as he had insulted the Constitution.
"There is no change in the circumstance even now and no court has exonerated him till date. Cases against him are pending before both the magistrate court and high court," he said.
The decision to re-induct him in the Cabinet before a final decision comes from the court amounts to insulting the Constitution, the Congress leader said adding that the party could not accept this at any cost.
The BJP also staged protests in several parts of the State against the ruling CPI(M)'s decision to re-induct Cheriyan in the Cabinet.
Senior BJP leader Prakash Javadekar inaugurated the party's 'Constitution Protection Day' programme here against the swearing-in of the Minister.
The CPI(M) leader had resigned in July last year from the State Cabinet over his alleged remarks against the Constitution during a speech in Pathanamthitta district and the lodging of a criminal case against him in that connection.
The CPI(M) decided last week to bring him back into the Cabinet and sent a letter to the Governor on Saturday seeking his convenience for administering the oath of office to the MLA on January 4.
Khan on Tuesday said he has approved Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's recommendation to re-induct Saji Cheriyan as a Minister.
However, a day before that he had created a bit of a flutter when he raised some concerns regarding Cheriyan's reinstatement saying "it was not a normal case".
On the very next day, Khan said that he was bound by the advice of the Chief Minister and therefore, he has approved the government's recommendation to swear-in the CPI(M) leader as a Minister.
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‘India well-prepared’: On HMPV, govt says situation in China is not unusual
New Delhi, Jan 4: In the wake of recent reports of an outbreak of Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) in China, India is keeping a close watch over the situation through all available channels and has also requested the WHO to share timely updates, the Health Ministry said on Saturday.
As a precautionary measure, the number of laboratories testing HMPV cases will be enhanced and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) will monitor trends of HMPV for the entire year, it said.
A Joint Monitoring Group (JMG) meeting was held under the Chairmanship of the Directorate General of Health Services here on Saturday to discuss the situation.
Experts from the World Health organization (WHO), the Disaster Management (DM) Cell, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Emergency Medical Relief (EMR) Division and from hospitals, including AIIMS-Delhi, participated in the meeting.
After the detailed discussions, and based on the currently available information, it was agreed upon that the situation in China is not unusual in view of the ongoing flu season, said the ministry.
The reports also suggest that the cause of the present surge is Influenza virus, RSV and HMPV, the usual pathogens that are expected during the season, according to the ministry.
"The government is keeping a close watch over the situation through all available channels and WHO has also been requested to share timely updates regarding the situation in China," the ministry said.
These viruses are already in circulation globally, including India, the ministry said, adding physicians from hospitals also confirmed there is no surge in respiratory illness cases over the last few weeks other than the expected seasonal variation.
A robust surveillance system for Influenza Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) for Influenza is already in place in India through both ICMR and IDSP networks, and the data from both indicates no unusual surge, said the ministry.
The ICMR network also tests for other respiratory viruses such as Adenovirus, RSV, HMPV etc. and these pathogens also do not show an unusual increase in the tested samples, the ministry said.
Data from the recently conducted preparedness drill across the country indicated that India is well prepared to deal with any increase in respiratory illnesses, the ministry said.
The health systems and surveillance networks remain vigilant, ensuring the country is ready to respond promptly to any emerging health challenges, it stated.
