My Opinion

I write this with anger and sadness. Anger because educated people in cars crowded the Delhi-Noida flyway on Monday morning despite knowing that both the Delhi and Noida authorities had clamped lockdown in entire National Capital Region. Sad because India TV showed visuals of passengers at Patna bus junction crammed inside buses and sitting on rooftops, most of them with family members. All of them were in a hurry to leave for their villages after clamping of lockdown in Bihar.

It is really astonishing that despite appeals from the Prime Minister and Chief Ministers and constant warnings being printed and telecasted through media, some people openly defied lockdown on Monday. Car owners not only jammed the DND flyway but also argued with policemen manning the checkposts who were telling them that only those working for essential services are allowed to come out on the roads.

How can one make people understand that there is no proven cure available for Coronavirus? Only social distancing and lockdowns can prevent the spread of this deadly disease, which till Tuesday morning had crossed the 16,000 mark across the world. India TV showed visuals of overcrowding on buses and flyways on Monday, because we wanted to caution the people. Think about your wife, children and family members, whom you leave at home and go out to defy lockdown.

It is because of these violators that the authorities in Delhi and other states have taken a tough stance. Curfew has been declared in several places and only those holding passes will be allowed to come out. Delhi Police Commissioner has asked police to impound and challan vehicles that come out on roads without valid passes.

Think for a moment: if Parliament, Supreme Court, High Courts, lower courts, flights, buses and train services can be closed in the interest of the people, defying lockdown should not be taken as a joke. My earnest appeal to all is, stay home, stay safe, you and your family will remain safe. We must not commit the same mistakes that countries like Italy, France and Spain committed by delaying lockdowns. Look at the casualty figures in those countries.

India is on the threshold of Stage 3 (community at risk). God forbid, if India enters Stage 3, population in cities, villages and towns will fall prey to this deadly disease. World Health Organisation has praised our Prime Minister for adopting the social distancing strategy in time, because our healthcare system has limited resources and if thousands are found positive, it will be difficult to handle all cases.

While speaking to news broadcasters on Monday, the Prime Minister spoke about a lady doctor who told AIIMS director “I am treating patients of Coronavirus fearlessly, but I have old parents at home,if something happens to me please taken care of them” The Prime Minister had tears in his eyes when he narrated this.

We should think about our doctors, nurses and health care workers. They are doing their utmost to save lives. Let us think about them. The Prime Minister is working round-the-clock. It is our duty to listen to his words. He is not seeking much from you. Stay in your homes for at least a week or two, so that the spread of the virus can be halted.

At least do this for yourself, your family, your community and your country. This country has given you so much and expects you a little bit of cooperation in return. If you do not follow rules, God forbid, the government will have to follow China, which used strong arm methods to lock in millions of people in Wuhan and other cities. So please stay home, stay safe. Let’s sit at home to save our nation.

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On Friday night in my show Aaj Ki Baat, I showed the video of a Coronavirus female patient speaking from her ICU bed and imploring all not to take this deadly virus lightly. She was fighting for her life and there were tubes attached to her body to help her breathe. There were rashes on her face and she was repeatedly coughing.

All of us in India should hear what the lady is saying. She is saying, she was hale and hearty a few days ago, but when the virus struck her, she ignored the telltale symptoms and mixed with her friends. The lady is telling the world never to ignore virus symptoms in the initial stage and refrain from hiding one’s problems from health care authorities. The good part of the story is that she was in a serious condition 10 days ago and she is now recovering.

Our government is trying its best to ensure that India does not enter Stage 3 (community at risk), but due to negligence or callousness or sheer effrontery, some people who have been tested positive are spreading the virus.

One of the latest examples is that of Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor, who returned from London on March 8, met her parents and stayed in a hotel in Lucknow, where she attended Holi and other parties attended by politicians, industrialists and celebrities. She had ignored the advice of airport authorities to stay in self-quarantine.

Kanika has now been put in isolation ward of Lucknow’s KGMU and the state police has filed an FIR against her for negligence. She was suffering from fever during the parties, but did not disclose this fact. The parties were attended among others by former Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje and her son BJP MP Dushyant Singh, BSP leader Akbar Ahmed Dumpy, Congress leader Jitin Prasad and the UP Health Minister.

Kanika’s family members have also been quarantined. The singer said she had flu symptoms four days back and during test, she was found Corona positive. The room in which she stayed in the hotel has been sanitized and sealed, and her parent’s residence has been sanitized.

The story does not end here. BJP MP Dushyant Singh attended Parliament on Thursday and mixed with several MPs including Nishikant Dubey and Manoj Tiwari. Trinamool MP Derek O’Brien sat near him during the meeting of Standing Committee on Transport. Derek and several other leaders have now opted for self-quarantine.

All those who came in contact with Kanika Kapoor, whether Vasundhara or her son Dushyant, cannot be held accountable, because they did not know that the singer had Coronavirus symptoms. The pertinent question being raised is: why such parties were allowed in the first place at a time when ‘social distancing’ message is being given to the people to stop the spread of Coronavirus.

This virus is very cruel. It does not distinguish between people who come in contact, whether knowingly or unknowingly. Extreme caution is the key. People must avoid parties and dining in restaurants, but some people try to flout these guidelines. It is not ‘Herogiri’, it is suicidal. The most surprising part is that a well educated girl like Kanika knowingly flouted these norms and mixed with people.

One person’s mistake can spread the virus among 10 others, and the ten others may spread it to 100 or 1,000 people without the chain being broken. This is how a pandemic occurs. Think about the unimaginable losses it brings in its wake.

I appeal to everybody to watch the Prime Minister’s address to the nation again carefully, and follow the norms scrupulously. Also please spread this message among all. Tell them that ‘curfew’ also means ‘care for you’.

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In his address to the nation on Thursday night, Prime Minister Narendra Modi neither concealed nor underplayed the enormity of the Coronavirus pandemic that has engulfed the entire globe. At the same time, he did not try to scare the public, but chose to explain and showed the way to deal with this threat.

I fully support his appeal for ‘Janata Curfew’ on Sunday (March 22) from 7 am till 9 pm throughout India. I appeal to all of you to join hands and enforce ‘Janata Curfew’. This will send a strong message to the world at large that India is determined to fight this menace unitedly.

The Prime Minister himself said, “This will, in a way, be a litmus test for us, to see how prepared India is to fight off this global pandemic”.

He also called on people to express gratitude to the doctors, nurses, paramedics, municipal staff, police and airport workers, by going to their balconies and windows at 5 pm on Sunday and express their support by clapping, banging plates and ringing bells. “They are the protectors of the nation”, he said.

In a nutshell, let me list 9 salient points from his speech: 1. Be alert and do not move out of your home unless it is essential 2. Those whose age is more than 60-65 years must stay at home as they are vulnerable. 3. Adhere to Janata Curfew on Sunday 4. Express gratitude to health workers, municipal workers, police and other essential staff on Sunday at 5 pm 5. Avoid going to hospitals unless it is essential. 6. Covid-19 economic task force formed to suggest fiscal measures 7. Businessmen requested not to deduct salaries of their staff 8. Stop panic buying as nation has enough stocks of food and essential goods 9. Do not believe in rumours and exercise restraint.

Never in the past had any Prime Minister gone to the people seeking their cooperation in combating a health threat of this magnitude. Modi patiently explained the magnitude of the threat and gave advice on how to deal with this menace.

The two words which he emphasized repeatedly were “sanyam” (restraint) and “sankalp” (determination). Remember, coronavirus hits large number of people suddenly. Let us not be complacent while thinking it may not hit us with the same magnitude with which it hit other countries.

Finally, do not trust rumours and fake claims. On Wednesday, there was a fake message circulating on social media attributing to National Security Council that a prolonged lockdown will take place. Thousands of people believed this and there was panic buying in several metros. The government had to issue clarification saying the circular was fake.

Similarly, do not trust claims by babas and self-proclaimed healers that drinking cow urine, camel urine, boiling peepal leaf in oil, eating tulsi, neem leaves, drinking water mixed with honey, ginger and lemon will protect one from this virus. These claims are not scientifically proven. Practising social distancing and following Health Ministry’s guidelines are the keys to tackle this global scourge.

While thanking our health workers on Sunday evening, we should also thank our Prime Minister who took timely action through proper planning to stop this virus from spreading in India. He truly deserves our salute.

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Today I want to share with you some instances of how Indians returning from abroad are trying to evade quarantine and are deliberately putting themselves and others at risk from the deadly Coronavirus. The first video relates to a group of Indian passengers returning from abroad and creating ugly scenes at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, when they were asked by airport and health care staff to go into quarantine.

These passengers not only protested but shouted slogans at security guards saying “Shoot Us, Kill Us”. Civil Aviation Minister Hardip Puri clarified that the incident took place a few days ago when compulsory quarantine for all incoming travellers from outside India was ordered. Puri said, the situation has now normalized. Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, on Wednesday midnight went to Delhi airport to personally check quarantine facilities.

It is now time to change our mindset. Passengers all over the world are being subjected to health checks at airports. In airports across the globe, in London, New York, Beijing, Chicago and Texas, travellers silently stand in queues waiting for their turn for health check and quarantine. There was no point in creating a ruckus at the Delhi airport.

India has done phenomenally well in curbing the spread of Coronavirus in communities, because of timely action taken by our Prime Minister Narendra Modi. World Health Organization has appreciated the efforts of our government. Coronavirus has spread in India only because of negligence and callousness on part of some Indians who came from abroad but jumped the quarantine, and mixed with others.

In Palghar, Maharashtra, passengers of Garib Rath Express, on Wednesday noticed four Indians having self-quarantine stamps on their arms. Railway authorities promptly deboarded them and they were taken to the district hospital for quarantine. These four persons had come from Germany and were going to Surat.

In another instance of callousness, the mother of a teenager, who had returned from UK and was tested positive for Coronavirus, came to the secretariat and met the Home Secretary, triggering a rush to identify all the people she came in contact with, including security personnel. The mother is a joint secretary level officer.

The Home Secretary, his wife, who happens to be the Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University, 20 members of the staff were sent to 14 days’ self-quarantine. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her unhappiness over this serious lapse. The entire secretariat had to be sanitized. Banerjee said, there would be no discrimination on the basis of VIP or LIP (Less Important Person).

Extreme caution is the need of the hour. We must stop the Coronavirus from spreading. Everybody, whether he or she has come from abroad, or anybody who has come in contact with persons having virus symptoms must undergo 14 days’ self-quarantine and submit for tests.

The government is making all out efforts to stop the spread of the virus. Private firms have been given the nod to carry out Coronavirus tests and private hospitals have been asked to keep isolation wards ready. Almost all famous religious shrines, tourist spots like the Taj Mahal and Qutab Minar, schools, colleges, universities, hostels, cinema halls have been closed. This is the time for all of us to cooperate in our collective war against Coronavirus. Let India become a model for other countries to follow.

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Concealing facts about one’s travel history can lead to serious consequences for Coronavirus victims. The third Coronavirus death that took place in India on Tuesday was in Mumbai, where a 64-year-old man, who had returned from Dubai was being treated.

The most disturbing aspect was that this patient never told his doctors that he had returned this month from Dubai. According to Maharashtra health department sources, when he had returned from Dubai 12 days ago, he had no virus symptoms for two days, but later he had breathing problems. He was taken to a private hospital, where he concealed his travel history from doctors.

The doctors gave him respiratory treatment but when his condition deteriorated he was sent to a government hospital for Coronavirus test, but by that time, it was too late. He passed away on Tuesday.

India TV reporter Sachin Chaudhary collected details about this man. He was part of a group of 40 persons who had returned from Dubai on March 5. The man had returned with his wife and son, and took a taxi to Ghatkopar. Authorities are now trying to trace the persons who came in close contact with him for medical surveillance.

The moral of the lesson is: never conceal your travel history from doctors, and do not run away from quarantine. By doing that, you would be unknowingly putting others at risk.

According to guidelines issued by Health Ministry, people who have returned from Corona-hit countries in the last 14 days, must put themselves in home quarantine for the next 14 days.

Similarly, those who have come in close contact with people who had returned from abroad must also impose home quarantine for the next 14 days in order to stop the spreading of virus. One has to follow strict procedure while staying in home quarantine. Stay in strict isolation in your room and keep close contacts with your family members to the minimum. If you have symptoms of cough, breathing problems and high fever, get a Coronavirus test done. If there are no such symptoms, there is no need to get a test done.

I may also add that all those who have common cold or breathing problems need not go for a test. Only those who have returned from China, Italy, Iran, South Korea, France, Spain, Germany, UAE, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait are required to get the test done. They are at risk of contracting Coronavirus, hence priority is being given to them for carrying out test.

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There is not an iota of doubt that timely steps taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi contributed a lot in containing the spread of deadly Coronavirus across India in recent weeks. The Prime Minister himself monitored the evolving situation and the Prime Minister’s Office coordinated all efforts to prevent the spread of the virus.

Steps were taken at lightning speed to bring back Indians from Wuhan, Iran and other places. Quarantine centres were set up in and around Delhi, and now the state governments are ready with their own quarantine centres. A network of virus testing centres was activated and measures to close down shops, shrines, national parks, cinema halls and shopping malls were taken to prevent the spread of the virus.

Though there is a general sense of relief, the oncoming challenge is a huge one and the risks are deadly. All of us will have to cooperate with the Centre and state governments to stop the spread of the virus.

On Monday, India TV reporters from Maharashtra filed reports on how Coronavirus suspects fled from hospitals in Panvel, Navi Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur causing more risks to those who have not been affected. Extreme caution is the need of the hour and we cannot afford Coronavirus suspects to move around.

Let me tell you how other countries dealt with similar situations. When the Coronavirus originated from China, the countries that were on the radar were Singapore, Hong Kong (autonomous part of China), Taiwan, Japan, North and South Korea, and Thailand, because mostly people of Chinese origin travel to these places. These countries had already experienced the fallout of the 2003 SARS epidemic and they knew what precautions to take. They immediately clamped lockdowns and ensured social distancing to stop the spread of Coronavirus.

In faraway Italy, the warning was not heeded in time, and within a matter of two weeks, the number of Coronavirus cases jumped from 300 to 10,000. The deaths were mainly due to delay in testing the patients and thousands of people did not even know that they had been infected. The point to note is that the virus spread to Italy and South Korea almost at the same time, but the Koreans conducted massive tests and checking and controlled the spread of the virus.

In India too, we conducted checks on all incoming travellers and quarantined all those who showed initial symptoms. Our authorities traced the travel history and contacts of those whose cases were found positive. That is why we in India can at least heave a sigh of relief for the time being, but the threat in the coming weeks is still looming.

My appeal to all of you is: please do not run away from hospitals, if you or your friends or relatives show symptoms of the virus. By fleeing hospitals, you would be putting more people at risk. The next two weeks are vital. If one is put in isolation, he or she should remain so and avoid mixing with others. That is how we can save ourselves, our family members, and in a larger sense, our society.

On precautions, I have spoken to a number of doctors and their first advice was: Avoid travel, whether domestic or international, by air or by train or by bus. Travel is the biggest carrier of this virus.

Secondly, avoid going to places where more than 10 to 50 or 100 people congregate in a closed space. The virus can spread there easily. These places could be temples, mosques, shrines, shopping malls, weekly markets, departmental stores, popular tourist spots, sporting events, bars and clubs, and political or social gatherings that include weddings.

If we can exercise self-restraint on these lines, we would be fortunate enough to avoid the virus, but do not for a moment think that there is no use only isolating myself. Do not be under the false impression that the severe heat of Indian summer beginning next month will save people from this virus.

Also, do not be under the false impression that since we are Indians and have different lifestyles and food habits, we can save ourselves. Do not think we are Bahubalis and can counter this virus threat easily. Social distancing is a must and a slight mistake on our part can not only endanger ourselves but can also pose a big risk to others in society.

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in two tweets on consecutive days complained that “the government is not taking this (Coronavirus) threat seriously” and that “The Indian economy will be destroyed if strong action is not taken”.

Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan responded to this by posting on Twitter the audio of his telephonic talk with Rajasthan Health Minister Raghu Sharma, where the latter was heard saying that he was fully satisfied with the steps taken by the Centre.

Dr Harsh Vardhan commented: “India has pulled out all full stops as far as action on COVID19 goes! Nation stands together in critical health emergency #CoronavirusPandemic but @RahulGandhi ji continues to play petty politics & demoralize people. Check our video I’m talking to Raj Health Min Dr Raghu Sharma.”

Several senior political leaders have reacted to Rahul’s tweets raising questions about his maturity level. I think most of the political leaders harbour similar views about Rahul Gandhi, and this is neither good for his image, his party nor for our democracy.

On Coronavirus scare, I would like to appeal to all not to react in panic but exercise precautions. People must not listen to baseless rumours being spread on social media, and if they have doubts, they should contact NCDC (National Centre for Disease Control) Control Room on 011-23978046. They can get correct and authentic updates from this control room.

I will again like to repeat: this virus spreads very fast and through close contact. Try to avoid touching your nose, face and mouth frequently, wash your hands with soap frequently and avoid crowded places. Wear mask, and if not available, tie a handkerchief over your nose and mouth, and stay away from people who cough frequently. These precautions are adequate to avoid the deadly virus.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in two tweets on consecutive days complained that “the government is not taking this (Coronavirus) threat seriously” and that “The Indian economy will be destroyed if strong action is not taken”.

Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan responded to this by posting on Twitter the audio of his telephonic talk with Rajasthan Health Minister Raghu Sharma, where the latter was heard saying that he was fully satisfied with the steps taken by the Centre.

Dr Harsh Vardhan commented: “India has pulled out all full stops as far as action on COVID19 goes! Nation stands together in critical health emergency #CoronavirusPandemic but @RahulGandhi ji continues to play petty politics & demoralize people. Check our video I’m talking to Raj Health Min Dr Raghu Sharma.”

Several senior political leaders have reacted to Rahul’s tweets raising questions about his maturity level. I think most of the political leaders harbour similar views about Rahul Gandhi, and this is neither good for his image, his party nor for our democracy.

On Coronavirus scare, I would like to appeal to all not to react in panic but exercise precautions. People must not listen to baseless rumours being spread on social media, and if they have doubts, they should contact NCDC (National Centre for Disease Control) Control Room on 011-23978046. They can get correct and authentic updates from this control room.

I will again like to repeat: this virus spreads very fast and through close contact. Try to avoid touching your nose, face and mouth frequently, wash your hands with soap frequently and avoid crowded places. Wear mask, and if not available, tie a handkerchief over your nose and mouth, and stay away from people who cough frequently. These precautions are adequate to avoid the deadly virus.

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As stock markets crashed across the world, including India, after the World Health Organization declared Coronoavirus a pandemic affecting 118 countries, there is some good news: scientists in Israel have achieved a breakthrough in understanding the biological mechanism and qualities of the virus and are on the verge of inventing a vaccine. The development process involves a series of tests and it may take several months for carrying out tests and trials.

In India, the first Coronavirus death was reported from Karnataka, where a 76-year-old man with a travel history to Saudi Arabia, died due to this virus. Delhi government ordered closing of all schools, colleges and cinema halls till March 31. So far, 80 confirmed cases have been reported across India.

In the midst of this worldwide scare, some unscrupulous people have tried to make a killing in the market by recycling used masks and manufacturing fake sanitizers. They were taking advantage of rampant profiteering that is going on in the sale of masks and sanitizers.

I got a video of recycled masks being made on my WhatsApp on Thursday. On getting it checked through our reporter, we found that these were seized by police in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra. The local police have arrested one Imran, who claimed that he was asked by one Amit Thakker to dispose of these recycled masks by throwing them away on the roadside. According to Imran, Amit Thakker, who used to deal in electronics, had started recycling used masks on a large scale, and had been selling 50,000 to one lakh masks daily. When the video of this shady business went viral, he asked Imran to dispose them of and that was when the police stepped in.

In Manesar, near Haryana’s Gurugram, fake sanitizers were being made in a factory that used to make car lubricants. Blue coloured chemical filled in tubs, were being packed into bottles labelled as ‘Viro’ sanitizers. The Food and Drugs department raided the factory and seized nearly 5,000 bottles.

Similarly, in Srinagar, drug inspectors raided and seized more than 50 litres of fake sanitizers being prepared with thinner, glycerine, water and lemon flavour.

People who indulge in such nefarious activities are enemies of society, and they should be given the most stringent punishment at a time when the entire world is striving to fight the deadly coronavirus. These people are committing a sin. I have sent details of such raids to the higher authorities and I expect the government to take exemplary measures against those who are playing with people’s lives.

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Home Minister Amit Shah, speaking on Delhi riots for the first time, told the Lok Sabha on Wednesday that action against rioters would go down as an example for future rioters across the country. “I promise no one, irrespective of religion, caste and political affiliation, will be spared”, he said.

Shah said the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court has been requested to spare a sitting judge who will head a Claims Commission that will determine the amount of damages to be recovered from those who indulged in arson, looting and damage to properties during the riots.

Alleging that the Delhi riots were pre-planned to coincide with the visit of US President Donald Trump to bring disrepute to India, Shah said, police have identified 60 social media accounts that were created on February 22 and 23, and were closed on February 26.

Shah said, police have identified nearly 1,000 rioters using facial recognition software. Out of them nearly 300 rioters had come from Uttar Pradesh. The Home Minister refused to identify the riot victims on the basis of religion saying that he considered all the victims as Indians.

I think the exemplary punishment that Amit Shah has promised will definitely have an impact on future riots, provided the policy is implemented with vigour. I also welcome the steps taken by his ministry to identify those anti-national elements who provided funds to the rioters. Three such hawala financiers have already been arrested.

The people of India will now await what exemplary action police takes against the rioters and their handlers. The most unfortunate part of the five-hour-long debate in Lok Sabha was that the main opposition party Congress walked out when Shah was replying. A walk out on such a sensitive issue does not augur well for our democracy.

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After keeping the Congress leadership on tenterhooks for an entire day, senior party leader Jyotiraditya Scindia sent in his resignation to party interim president Sonia Gandhi saying “it is now time for me to move on”. In his letter, Scindia said, “this is a path that has been drawing itself out over the last year”.

The resignation came shortly after Scindia met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah in a clear indication that he, along with his MLAs, are going to join the BJP before the end of this week. In a face saving effort, the Congress leadership “expelled” Scindia with immediate effect on charge of “anti-party activities”.

So far, Madhya Pradesh Raj Bhavan sources have said, 21 Congress MLAs, all supporters of Scindia, have sent their resignations from the Assembly. There are reports of another five or six Congress MLAs ready to send resignations. Most of these MLAs are presently in Bengaluru.

In day long hectic political activity, senior BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan reached Bhopal to keep the flock of party MLAs intact. There were reports of several BJP MLAs flown out to Delhi and lodged in a hotel in Gurugram.

With a trial of strength looming large, the 15-month-old Kamal Nath government appears to be teetering on the brink of collapse. Only 80 MLAs attended a meeting held on Tuesday at the chief minister’s house, while efforts are on to rope in others.

Jyotiraditya Scindia is not new to BJP. His grandmother Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia was a founding member of BJP, and his father Madhavrao Scindia was in Bharatiya Jana Sangh, when he switched sides and joined the Congress during the Seventies. His aunt Vasundhara Raje is a senior BJP leader and former chief minister of Rajasthan. Another of his aunts, Yashodhara Raje, has been BJP MLA for five terms and was a minister in Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s government.

This is the first time that the entire Scindia family has come into the fold of BJP. Congress leaders may have their own gloomy prognostications, but Jyotiraditya is definitely going to carve out a special place for himself in the BJP. His aunt Yashodhara welcomed his decision with a tweet in Hindi, ‘The blood of Rajmata has taken a decision in the national interest. We will work together to build a new nation.”

It is sheer coincidence that the BJP has got a big Holi gift in the form of Jyotiraditya Scindia on the occasion of his father Late Madhavrao Scindia’s birth anniversary. And for the Congress, it is a big shock from which it may find it difficult to recover. The party leadership regarded Kamal Nath as a shrewd manipulator and go-getter, but 24 of his MLAs ditched the party under his very nose.

The manner in which these MLAs left the Congress raises questions about the party leadership and its style of functioning. On Holi, one of my friends sent me a WhatsApp message saying “Tamaso Ma Jyotirgamaya, this means Rahul telling his mother Sonia, while you were sleeping Jyotiraditya left.”

Now that Kamal Nath is busy in last-ditch efforts to save his tottering government, let me say this. The common Congress party worker in Madhya Pradesh and in other states is feeling bewildered. When the party returned to power in MP, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, people thought it was a message of revival for the party. But within a span of 15 months, due to lack of proper leadership and correct policies, the party will now lose power in MP.

A young leader, who always stood like a rock behind Rahul Gandhi, has left. This was plainly due to Rahul Gandhi’s incapability.

The most interesting part is that while power in a big state like MP is being recaptured by BJP, and a big leader is joining the BJP, fingers are being pointed at the weak Congress leadership. This is a serious challenge to Sonia Gandhi, who had been trying to reinforce Rahul’s leadership in the party, but with Jyotiraditya’s departure, I doubt whether party leaders will accept Rahul has their leader.

The hopes are few and Congress leaders from UP, Rajasthan and Haryana have already started raising questions about the party high command. The high command’s attitudes are being held responsible for the imminent loss of power in Madhya Pradesh. The indications are clear. After Jyotiraditya, there may be fresh troubles for the Congress in other states.

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India TV reporters on Friday conducted a reality check on anti-CAA protest venues at Shaheen Bagh (Delhi), Nagpada (Mumbai), Ghanta Ghar (Lucknow), Bhopal, Nagpur and several other cities and almost all of them found that the numbers of women protesters sitting on dharna are fast dwindling.

At Shaheen Bagh, only 10-12 women protesters were present, and the tents appeared to be desolate. On seeing India TV cameras, a hooter was sounded by the organisers and soon more women came to the venue. The protesters tried to physically stop our female reporters Meenakshi Joshi and Disha Pandey from telecasting the visuals live, prevented our camerapersons from doing their work and were very aggressive.

Shaheen Bagh was supposed to be the epicentre of anti-CAA protests across India.

Our reporters did a reality check at several other protest sites across India. At Iqbal Maidan in Bhopal, a big tent that was erected for women protesters for the last 66 days was almost empty. As news spread about our reporter arriving with a camera, a crowd of nearly 60 protesters, mostly males, collected and shouted slogans against India TV. They heckled and physically shoved our reporter Anurag Amitabh away from the protest site. Only three women along with 8-10 males were found sitting at the protest site, while the crowd had collected outside the tent.

A similar scene was witnessed at Ghata Ghar in Lucknow, where the tent for protesters was erected 48 days ago. Only a handful of women protesters was present and they gave various excuses for the dwindling number. At Mumbai’s Nagpada, it was the 41st day of protest, and there too, the number of protesters had dwindled. Some of the protesters cited blazing sun as one of the reasons for the dwindling number.

At the Commisionerate ground in Jaipur, only 21 women protesters were found present on the 40th day of protest. There were mattresses, blankets, chairs and food packets in place, but the number had dwindled fast. One of the protesters cited bad weather as one of the reasons.

For the last 83 days, there had been anti-CAA protests across India. People had been making speeches about defending the Constitution. So long as the crowds were present, these protesters revelled in publicity, but now that their numbers have dwindled, they are preventing the media from doing a reality check.

The question is: who has given these protesters the right to put others to inconvenience by blocking main arterial roads? And what are the excuses that are being offered? Some women said they had to go home to perform namaaz, some said they were busy with their children appearing for exams and some even cited coronavirus scare as the reason.

Two months ago, these protesters were insisting that they would allow reporters to come to protest sites only if it was telecast live. On Friday, it was the opposite. The same protesters were objecting to why the scenes at the protest venue were being shown live.

People who were alleging that the media was not showing the truth about their protests, were now angry over the truth that was being telecasted. Those claiming to be followers of truth and non-violence, appeared to be violent on Friday and trying to hide the truth.

Those who vowed to defend the Constitution, by holding tricolour flags and putting up pictures of Mahatma Gandhi, were themselves trying to hide the truth. Those who were speaking about freedom of expression were themselves trying to muzzle the media.

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The death toll in Delhi riots has gone up to 53 with Guru Teg Bahadur hospital reporting six more deaths on Thursday. Nearly 300 injured people are still in hospital. The grief has been compounded with the emergence of two fresh videos on Thursday which showed a 2,000-plus mob targeting Delhi policemen in Chand Bagh locality.

The videos clearly show that policemen were outnumbered, with rioters throwing stones at them and even firing, with policemen trying to shield themselves over a road divider, while trying to escape the fury of the mob. This was the spot where Head Constable Ratan Lal was shot dead by rioters, the area DCP Amit Sharma was critically wounded along with ACP Anuj Kumar and more than a dozen policemen.

The video clips show several women were part of the protest march that soon became a rioting mob. The videos may help Delhi Police in nabbing the attackers. Police have sought the help of cyber cell and forensic lab to develop the pictures in order to identify the rioters.

One of the videos was probably shot from the roof of a gym in Yamuna Vihar, while the second video was shot from Chand Bagh side. Police are trying to contact the persons who shot the video clips. There are also reports of a third video showing a rioter shooting at police. The rioter has been identified and he may be nabbed soon.

Now please try to realize the compulsions under which our policemen have to work. Our National Security Adviser says, government makes laws and policemen have to enforce them responsibly. But, in reality, what actually happened on the ground?

There was rioting and rioters had clearly outnumbered the police. The mob had put policemen on the run, and they were trying to save themselves from rioters. In any democratic country of the world, if police fires at rioters, nobody raises questions, but, in India, police is allowed to fire only in self-defence, because there are many busybodies who raise questions.

The videos clearly show that rioters had used women and children as their shield, and when they attacked the police, the women protesters also threw stones. Our policemen exercised maximum restraint. They bravely faced the stones and bullets, but did not fire a single bullet at the women and children. Their senior police officers, critically wounded, had to be taken to hospitals, and one of them laid down his life. Should we not praise their sense of restraint?

I felt sad watching our policemen cornered by mobs, stoned by rioters and shot in cold blood by assassins in this manner. Imagine what one should do in such a critical situation. Had the police used lathis or bullets on women and children, they would have been suspended, a judicial inquiry commission would have been set up, and the policemen would have to spend the rest of their lives making the rounds of courts, without getting any relief.

I think our civil society needs to decide what to do when faced with such situations. Those who allege violation of human rights must watch these videos and learn a lesson. On one hand, our brave policemen showed utmost restraint, while on the other hand, on Thursday, our opposition lawmakers threw papers at the Lok Sabha Speaker. These errant MPs have made a spectacle (tamasha) of the temple of our democracy. Time to think.

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