Signs of emergency, says AAP as it claims 80% of its leaders arrested since Sunday
New Delhi (PTI): The Aam Aadmi Party has alleged that 80 per cent of its leaders were arrested by Delhi Police since Sunday, and questioned whether anyone can be detained for more than 24 hours.
The CBI on Sunday arrested Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in connection with alleged corruption in the now-scrapped excise policy while police detained 50 people, including AAP MP Sanjay Singh and minister Gopal Rai, who were protesting near the CBI office where Sisodia was being questioned.
According to police, the leaders detained on Sunday were being released today.
Addressing a press conference, AAP national spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj said the long detention was illegal and drew a parallel between former prime minister Indira Gandhi's emergency era and the present.
"Since yesterday, the Aam Aadmi Party has been repeatedly saying that not only has Manish Sisodia ji been arrested, but almost 80 per cent of the leadership of the party has been arrested by the police. When asked, the central government is saying that they have only been detained," he said.
"I want to know whether the detention is of one hour, two hours or three hours. Now it will be 24 hours, can police detain such big leaders for 24 hours? There is no such provision in the law," he opined.
Noting that it is 'illegal' to detain someone for such a long duration, he said by now, the leaders should have been presented in the court.
"By now you should have presented them in the court and told under which sections and for what reason you have arrested a Rajya Sabha MP? Delhi's senior leader Gopal Rai has been detained. Adil Ahmed Khan who looks after the work of the organization has also been arrested. Dozens of MLAs and elected councilors have been arrested by the police since yesterday. They spent the whole night in the police station. The police hasn't released them yet," he said.
Bhardwaj said these are "signs of emergency" and the Narendra Modi government at the Centre is doing what former prime minister Indira Gandhi did when she imposed emergency in 1975.
"These are very dangerous signs. These are signs of emergency. You have put all the leaders behind bars without any reason and this is wrong. The central government should answer on what basis did it arrest our top leadership and put them behind bars," he said.
Talking about Sisodia's arrest, he wondered what new development had taken place that prompted the agency to arrest him.
"Today, I read all the newspapers to understand whether anything new was found against him (Sisodia). It was the same stale story that CBI has been narrating since May last year," he claimed.
Questioning the need for Sisodia's arrest, he said CBI has all the files but nothing was found against him.
"I want to know what was the need to make the arrest now. Was he running away from the country? He didn't run in the last 10 months, why would he run now? Was he influencing anyone or destroying evidence? He had many opportunities in the last eight months and he could have done it but when he didn't do it then why would he do it now," he said.
Bhardwaj said that former LG Anil Baijal, who approved and notified the liquor policy, should also be questioned.
"The biggest thing that we came to know in the newspapers is that there is corruption in the policy that has been made. Everyone knows that it was former LG Anil Baijal who had approved and notified the policy. Baijal was was appointed by the Centre itself. If he approved this policy then what is CBI doing for the last 10 months. Why didn't the CBI interrogate him?" he asked.
Reiterating that the Centre is "torturing" the AAP, he said the party will hold a peaceful protest outside BJP headquarters to protest against the developments.
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.
SC asks states, UTs to prepare action plan to implement guidelines for intensive care services
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court has asked all the states and Union Territories to prepare a "realistic and practical" action plan to implement the guidelines necessary as a minimum standard for intensive care units.
The apex court was informed that "Guidelines for Organisation and Delivery of Intensive Care Services", on which there is consensus and which is practical, implementable and necessary as a minimum standard for an ICU, has been prepared.
A bench of Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and R Mahadevan said copies of the guidelines should be shared with all the states and UTs.
"Moving further, as an immediate measure, let all the additional chief secretaries/secretaries ... heading the department of health and medical education in the states and the UTs, convene a meeting of all experts involved in this exercise to prepare an action plan for implementation of the guidelines. Such a plan shall be realistic and practical," the bench said in its April 20 order.
The top court was hearing a matter relating to healthcare services, including guidelines for the treatment of patients in the ICU or critical care unit.
The bench said five basic issues shall be identified and prioritised in the first instance.
"The challenge ... lies in determining what ought to be treated as absolutely essential and mandatory; accordingly, an initial list of five basic requirements, in terms of priority, relating to both manpower and equipment/logistics, shall be prepared," it said.
It said a methodology should also be formulated for implementation on the ground, and more importantly, a mechanism to ensure compliance and monitoring of the implementation.
"We expect the exercise to commence immediately and the first meeting to be held within one week from today. We direct that the meeting shall be attended personally by the concerned additional chief secretary/secretary ... heading the department of health and medical education in the states and the UTs," the bench said.
It said the report prepared pursuant to the deliberations should be forwarded by the respective states and UTs to the Secretary of the Department of Health, Government of India, who in turn would circulate it to all the states and UTs.
The bench said thereafter, a meeting of all concerned should be convened where a final common agreed draft shall be prepared and circulated.
"A final report/blueprint/recommendation shall be prepared, which shall be placed before this court on the next date," it said, adding that the entire exercise should be completed within three weeks.
"Let the Ministry of Health, Government of India, formally issue the guidelines placed before us today, to the states and UTs concerned by way of an advisory. A copy of it shall also be uploaded on the website of the Ministry of Health, Government of India," the bench said, while posting the matter for further hearing on May 18.
During the hearing, it was suggested that for future requirements, the nursing staff should be trained to handle such situations since they remain with the patient round the clock, unlike doctors who may visit periodically.
"We fully endorse the suggestion, which is not only pragmatic but also imperative. Accordingly, the Indian Nursing Council and the Para Medical Council of India are impleaded as party respondents," the bench said.
It said on the next date, the newly added respondents shall come up with a plan indicating how they propose to augment the courses or curriculum and training imparted by them so that persons emerging from institutions recognised by them are capable of managing and handling situations in the ICUs.
