Defamation case against Rahul Gandhi: UP court sets Sep 5 as next date of hearing
Sultanpur (UP), Aug 23: The MP-MLA court in Sultanpur on Friday could not hear a defamation case filed against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over a 2018 incident as the plaintiff could not appear citing ill health, his lawyer said.
The court has now fixed September 5 as the next date for hearing in the case, plaintiff Vijay Mishra's lawyer Santosh Kumar Pandey said.
"Mishra did not appear in the court today due to ill health. An application was given to the court seeking time to present evidence, which was accepted and the MP-MLA court has given the date of September 5 for next hearing.
"On this date, the plaintiff will have to present evidence in the court through the lawyer," Pandey said.
Gandhi's lawyer Kashi Prasad Shukla said plaintiff Mishra did not appear in the court for evidence due to ill health. Now the court has fixed the date of September 5 for hearing, he added.
During the Karnataka elections in 2018, Gandhi allegedly made objectionable remarks against senior BJP leader Amit Shah. In August 2018, Mishra, a local BJP leader and former cooperative chairman, had filed a complaint in the court leading to the defamation case.
Gandhi surrendered in the court on February 20, 2024 during the 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra'. He got bail on two personal bonds of Rs 25,000 each, after which he was called to record his statement by issuing notices several times by the court.
During the Lok Sabha elections, Gandhi could not reach the court citing poll engagements. Subsequently, the court ordered him in a strict tone to appear.
On July 26, the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha came to the Sultanpur court and recorded his statement.
In this case, the hearing was to be held on August 12 on the basis of evidence, but the hearing could not be held as the judge of the MP-MLA court was on leave.
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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.
