Protest against Vir Das won't stop till he apologises for 'anti-India' remarks, warns Hindutva group
Panaji (PTI): After stand-up comedian Vir Das' show in Bengaluru was cancelled following protests by right-wing organisations, the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) on Saturday said in Goa that it will continue to protest against him till he apologises for his "anti-India" remarks made in the USA.
Talking to PTI, HJS national spokesperson Ramesh Shinde said here that his organisation will keep protesting against Das wherever his shows are scheduled.
Das' monologue "I come from two Indias" that he presented in the USA had triggered a controversy a year ago when he was criticised for allegedly defaming the country.
On Thursday, his show scheduled in Bengaluru was cancelled at the last minute following protests by Hindu right-wing organisations, which alleged that it would hurt Hindu religious sentiments.
"Das should apologise for his statement made against India in the US. If we don't protest against his statement, then it would mean that we support what he had said," Shinde said.
He accused the comedian of defaming India at international level during his performance.
"Das should tender an apology for his statement. If he apologises, then the issue is over," Shinde said.
The HJS did not cancel Das' show in Bengaluru, he said, adding that the organisation had filed a formal police complaint against the comedian at a police station there.
"Police had told us (HJS) that the show cannot be cancelled. So we said we would protest outside the venue peacefully holding placards," he said.
The decision to cancel the show was taken by the organisers and the police, Shinde said.
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.
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.
