UP govt banned mobile phones inside COVID-19 hospitals to hide their poor condition: Akhilesh
Lucknow: Questioning the Uttar Pradesh government's decision to prohibit coronavirus patients from using mobile phones inside isolation wards of COVID-19 hospitals, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday said the ban was put in place to hide the "poor condition" of hospitals in the state.
In a tweet in hindi, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said: "If infection spreads through mobile phones, then they should be banned across the country. Mobile phones provide mental support and help cope with loneliness.
In fact, the ban has been put in place, so that the truth about the poor condition of hospitals does reach the common public. The need is to sanitise mobile phones and not impose a ban on them," he said.
Director General Medical Education K K Gupta has directed all the medical universities, institutes, private and government hospitals to ban the use of mobile phones by COVID-19 patients admitted in L-2 and L-3 COVID-19 hospitals.
He also directed in-charge of COVID-19 hospitals be provided two mobile phones, so that patients admitted there could speak to there family members and vice-versa.
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NIA registers case to probe recovery of 79 crude bombs in poll-bound West Bengal
New Delhi (PTI): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday registered a case to probe recovery of 79 crude bombs in poll-bound West Bengal, officials said.
The move came following a directive by the Union Home Ministry in this regard, they said.
In pursuance to the home ministry's order, the anti-terror agency on Sunday registered a case, which was originally filed at Uttar Kashi police station, Bhangar division, Kolkata on Saturday, and took up the investigation, an NIA spokesperson said in a late night statement.
"The case pertains to recovery of 79 crude bombs and other incriminating materials by Kolkata police, which were being stored at a spot, thereby endangering human life and property," the spokesperson said.
Earlier in the day, the Election Commission had directed the West Bengal Police to launch a special drive to arrest those involved in illegal manufacturing of crude bombs in the poll-bound state, an official said.
It asserted that all cases related to the making of any such explosive would be probed by the National Investigation Agency, the official said.
The directive came after the police recovered a large number of crude bombs from the house of a person, allegedly a TMC worker, at Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district, days ahead of the second and final phase of the assembly polls in the state.
The explosives were recovered during a search at the residence of Rafikul Islam following specific inputs, the official said.
The poll panel also issued a warning to senior police officers across the state over any lapse in maintaining law and order before the April 29 polling.
The first phase of the assembly elections in West Bengal was held on April 23, while the second phase will take place on April 29. Votes will be counted on May 4.
A record 93.19 per cent turnout has been recorded in the first round of polling. Bhangar will vote in the second phase.
