DELHI HC COMES DOWN HARD ON CENTRE OVER OXYGEN SHORTAGE

Asking why contempt action should not be initiated against it for not complying with judicial orders on oxygen supply to the Capital, the Delhi High Court Tuesday told the Centre that it might choose to “dig its head like an ostrich in the sand”, but the court will not.

As the Centre said that it had submitted an affidavit with data to the Supreme Court on Delhi’s requirement of oxygen, a Division Bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli, addressing Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati and ASG Chetan Sharma said: “Therefore the Central government is going to quibble about these little things so as to justify not supplying oxygen to Delhi and let people die? You are not even giving 500 MT (metric tonnes, of oxygen). While we are going on with the hearing, there are several hospitals and nursing homes saying they are not getting oxygen. Where do you think all that oxygen is going if it’s sufficient?”It continued, “You are part of this city, you know what is happening. You do not know? Are you living in ivory towers? Where are you living? You may choose to dig your head like an ostrich in the sand but we will not… We are not going to have ‘no’ for an answer. There is no way that you are not going to supply 700 MT, by whatever means.”

The court had directed Additional Secretaries of Home and Commerce Ministry, respectively, Piyush Goyal and Sumita Dawra to remain present during the hearing on Wednesday to answer the query regarding initiation of contempt proceedings.

The Centre said that it had met Delhi’s oxygen deficit by increasing its allocation to 590 MT from 490 MT, and that its “compliance affidavit” to be placed before the Supreme Court explained how much Delhi required and a chart showing the demand made by state governments.

The judges also disagreed with the Centre’s submission that the Supreme Court had not directed it to supply 700 MT, adding it was pained that oxygen for treatment of Covid-19 patients in Delhi should be viewed “the way it has been done by the Central government”.

“We are not going to accept this submission. We are bound to ensure compliance of it. We are entitled to go into this aspect. We had also passed an order that, by whatever means, you have to arrange the oxygen. Just because we told your officer that contempt is the last thing on our mind, it does not mean you will take it lightly. It is there. Just don’t drive us there. We mean business. We have said this earlier too.”

The bench also took strong exception to the Centre’s argument that Delhi government counsel Senior Advocate Rahul Mehra’s submission was “always tainted and loaded” and its description of the state’s statement before court that “people are dying”, as “rhetoric” that needed to be eschewed. “Is it only rhetoric?” the court said. “Is it not a fact? This is not fair. It is the reality. We don’t accept your statement. You may be blind. We are not blind. We will not shut our eyes.”

When ASG Sharma said his submission was that this “emotional quotient” be set aside for a while, the court said, “When people die, it is an emotional matter! It is a matter of people’s lives and liberty.”

KEY COVID NUMBERS

Current Active Cases Countrywide: 34,84,824

New Cases in last 24 hours: 3,82,620

Recovered in last 24 hours: 3,37,697

Increase in Active cases in last 24 hours: 41,137

No. of deaths in last 24 hours (Total Covid Deaths so far): 3,786 (2,26,169)

Daily Tests: 16,63,742

Daily Positivity Rate (Proportion of Positives among total Tested): 21.4%

Most Affected States:

(S. No. / State / No. of Active Cases / New Cases in last 24 Hrs / Deaths in Last 24 Hrs)

1          Maharashtra     6,41,910           /           51,880  /           891

2          Karnataka                     4,64,363           /           44,631  /           288

3          Kerala              3,56,868           /           37,190  /           57

4          Uttar Pradesh   2,72,568           /           25,770  /           351

5          Rajasthan                     1,97,045           /           16,974  /           154

6          Andhra Pradesh            1,59,597           /           20,034  /           82

7          Gujarat             1,48,297           /           13,050  /           131

8          Tamil Nadu       1,25,230           /           21,228  /           144

9          Chhattisgarh     1,24,459           /           15,785  /           210

10        West Bengal     1,20,946           /           17,639  /           107

11        Bihar                1,10,430           /           14,794  /           105

12        Haryana                       1,08,830           /           15,786  /           153

13        Delhi                90,419  /           19,953  /           338

14        Madhya Pradesh           86,639  /           12,236  /           98

15        Telangana                    79,520  /           6,876    /           59

16        Odisha             67,384  /           8,216    /           15

17        Punjab              61,935  /           7,514    /           173

18        Jharkhand        59,706  /           5,974    /           132

19        Uttarakhand      56,627  /           7,028    /           85

20        JnK                  37,302  /           4,650    /           37

21        Assam              28,060  /           4,475    /           41

22        Goa                  26,731  /           2,814    /           52

23        Himachal Pradesh         23,572  /           3,824    /           48

24        Puducherry       10,849  /           1,138    /           17

25        Chandigarh       8,170    /           780       /           11

26        Manipur                        2,391    /           433       /           2

27        Meghalaya        2,019    /           339       /           0

SEVERE POST POLLS VIOLENCE IN BENGAL, SAY BJP; LEFT HAS ITS SAY TOO

Calling upon Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee to play the role of the Chief Minister of the entire state and not just of her party, the BJP on Tuesday sought stringent moves to end the violence in West Bengal after a bitterly fought, highly polarised election campaign.

The central BJP leadership, said to be worried that the violence could possibly force its cadre to switch ranks to the TMC, is trying to pull out all the stops — from Prime Minister Narendra Modi dialling West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar and expressing serious anguish to BJP president J P Nadda rushing to the state to meet families of workers killed and injured in the clashes. On Tuesday, the party also approached the Supreme Court seeking a CBI probe into the violence.

Calling the situation alarming and an attempt to “scare” party workers, BJP general secretary and West Bengal in-charge Kailash Vijayvargiya said, “What we are seeing in Bengal right now is unprecedented. I have never seen or heard of such violence on people. This is state-sponsored. Mamata Banerjee and the TMC should be graceful in their party’s victory.”

The TMC, meanwhile, alleged that its workers, too, have been attacked, and that reports of violence are an exaggeration.

A senior TMC leader said, “There is a huge amount of propaganda that is doing the rounds in the state, including fake videos and photographs. There is violence, yes, but it is being controlled. But the BJP wants to turn this into a communal situation. This is the same model they used in Delhi after they got defeated. Look at the demands for President’s rule. Thousands are dying due to Covid. They have just found something to distract the country with.”

On Tuesday, both the Congress and the Left, too, alleged attacks on their cadres, but blamed the BJP, too, for not being able to accept its defeat.

“This has been the practice of the Trinamool…what we have been seeing for the last ten years…. In the last 10 years, we have lost 300-odd party members… False cases have been hoisted and people have been unable to go home for the last 10 years… this is the politics of terror and violence that has been the trademark of the TMC,” CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury said.

Yechury’s CPI counterpart D Raja said, “Political violence has been happening there for quite some time. Both the BJP and the TMC must be held responsible for the continuing violence,” said Raja.

Asking both the TMC and the BJP to show restraint, Yechury said the BJP, unable to come to terms with the verdict of the people, will try to impose President’s Rule in the state.

MODI-JOHNSON HOLD VIRTUAL SUMMIT

India and the UK on Tuesday adopted an ambitious ‘Roadmap 2030’ during the virtual bilateral summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Boris Johnson that will elevate bilateral ties to a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership”.

The two leaders discussed the Covid-19 situation and ongoing cooperation in the fight against the pandemic, including the successful partnership on vaccines. Modi thanked Johnson for the prompt medical assistance provided by the UK in the wake of the severe second wave of Covid-19 in India.

They also launched Enhanced Trade Partnership, and announced their intent to negotiate a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA), including consideration of an interim trade agreement to deliver early gains. “They agreed to continue removing trade barriers on the path to an FTA, and an ambitious target of more than doubling India-UK trade by 2030,” a joint statement said.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

======================

AUSTRALIA FACES IRE, BACKTRACKS ON BAN

Australia’s prime minister fended off accusations of racism and having blood on his hands on Tuesday, as he retreated from a threat to jail Australians trying to escape Covid-hit India.

PM Scott Morrison’s government moved to ban travellers from India from entering Australia until May 15, threatening rule-breakers - including Australian citizens - with prison time.

Amid a widespread backlash, Morrison has said it was “highly unlikely” that Australians who skirted a ban would be jailed. “I think the likelihood of any of that occurring is pretty much zero,” Morrison said in a breakfast-time media blitz.

Around 9,000 Australians are believed to be in India.

Among those trapped are some of Australia’s most high profile sporting stars - cricketers playing in the Indian Premier League. Commentator and former Test cricket star Michael Slater was among those who pilloried Morrison’s decision, saying it was a “disgrace”.

THE REST

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CENTRE, STATES MAY CONSIDER IMPOSING LOCKDOWNS: SC

Concerned over surge in COVID-19 cases in the country, the Supreme Court said the Centre and state governments may consider imposing a “lockdown to curb the virus in the second wave in the interest of public welfare”.

However, the apex court put a caveat before them saying if they decide to go for lockdown then arrangements must be made beforehand to cater to the needs of the poor people.

A 3- judge bench headed by Justice D Y Chandrachud, in its order passed in the suo motu case for ensuring essential supplies and services during the COVID-19 pandemic, also asked the Centre and state governments to put on record the efforts taken and to be taken by them in future to ensure that the disease does not spread further.

“At the same time, we would seriously urge the Central and State Governments to consider imposing a ban on mass gatherings and super spreader events,” Justice Chandrachud, writing the order for the bench, said.

DEATHS DUE TO OXYGEN SHORTAGE NO LESS THAN GENOCIDE: ALLAHABAD HC

The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday directed the district magistrates (DMs) of Lucknow and Meerut to verify news of Covid-19 patients dying due to oxygen shortage. The court observed that “death of Covid patients just for non-supplying of oxygen to the hospitals is a criminal act and not less than a genocide” by those responsible for ensuring the continuous procurement and supply of medical oxygen.

A Bench of Justices Siddhartha Varma and Ajit Kumar asked “how can we let people die in this way” when medical science had advanced so much that heart transplantations and brain surgeries were now a reality. The judges made the observations while hearing a PIL, and said they “find it necessary to direct for immediate remedial measures to be taken by the government”.

The court asked the DMs to look into the news reports within 48 hours and submit their reports by Friday, the next date of hearing. The officials were also instructed to appear for the hearing.

The court said stories of oxygen shortage going viral on social media were showing “harassment meted out” by the district administrations and the police “to those poor citizens who were begging for an oxygen cylinder to save the life of their near and dear ones”.

HOW DOES COVID-19 SPREAD? WHO'S LATEST GUIDELINES

Transmission of Covid-19 from an infected person to a healthy one has been a matter of intense debate ever since the disease broke out in China in December 2019.

The growing chorus among health experts and researchers for identifying Covid-19 as an airborne disease saw the WHO updating its scientific brief on April 30.

The WHO now includes the possibility of airborne transmission of Covid-19 in an indoor or non-ventilated setting.

" Current evidence suggests that the virus spreads mainly between people who are in close contact with each other, typically within 1 metre (short-range). A person can be infected when aerosols or droplets containing the virus are inhaled or come directly into contact with the eyes, nose, or mouth.

" The virus can also spread in poorly ventilated and/or crowded indoor settings, where people tend to spend longer periods of time. This is because aerosols remain suspended in the air or travel farther than 1 metre (long-range).

" People may also become infected by touching surfaces that have been contaminated by the virus when touching their eyes, nose or mouth without cleaning their hands.

" Further research is ongoing to better understand the spread of the virus and which settings are most risky and why. Research is also under way to study virus variants that are emerging and why some are more transmissible.

BJP LOSES GROUND, SP GAINS IN UTTAR PRADESH RURAL POLL

Coming ahead of the 2022 Assembly poll, the results of zila panchayat elections in Uttar Pradesh are not so encouraging for the Yogi Adityanath government.

Of the 40 zila panchayat seats in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency Varanasi, the SP won 15 seats, BJP eight, BSP five, Apna Dal three, Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party one and Independents three.

The latest trends indicate that not only has the Samajwadi Party given it a good fight, the saffron party has also lost considerable ground in Varanasi, Ayodhya, Mathura, and Lucknow districts.

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said, “The Samajwadi Party is the voters’ first preference. The BJP’s poor show in the constituencies of the PM and CM shows the people have rejected the saffron party.”

EX-J&K GOVERNOR JAGMOHAN PASSES AWAY, 3-DAY MOURNING TO BE OBSERVED

Former civil servant and ex-Jammu and Kashmir Governor Jagmohan Malhotra, 94, died on Monday night in Delhi after a brief spell of illness.

Known by his first name, Jagmohan’s death was widely mourned.

Jagmohan served J&K as Governor twice, first in 1984 and later in 1990, when militancy peaked. He was honoured with Padma Shri in 1971, Padma Bhushan in 1977 and Padma Vibhushan in 2016.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration announced a three-day mourning as a mark of respect to Mr. Jagmohan.

'NO NEED FOR RT-PCR TESTS IF...': ICMR ISSUES NEW TESTING GUIDELINES

Though the Centre repeatedly asked states and Union territories to increase the proportion of RT-PCR tests to at least 70 per cent of all Covid-19 tests being conducted, the Indian Council of Medical Research, in its new testing guideline issued on Tuesday, has talked about reducing RT-PCR tests to take the load off the existing laboratories.

ICMR has recommended no RT-PCR tests if

> An individual has tested positive by rapid antigen test.

> An individual has tested positive once by RT-PCR test.

> One has completed 10 days home isolation period with no fever for the last three days.

> At the time of hospital discharge.

> A healthy individual is undertaking interstate domestic travel. While this is a requirement imposed by states, ICMR said this can completely be removed to reduce the load on laboratories.

At a national level, India can test close to 15 lakh tests in its 2,506 molecular testing laboratories, including RT-PCR, TrueNat, CBNAAT and other platforms. But with a sudden surge in the number of RT-PCR tests and many staff testing positive and thus being relieved from duties, the laboratories are overburdened. It is taking over 72 hours to process one RT-PCR test now.

While getting tested first was recommended before, in the current upsurge of Covid-19 cases, the ICMR says, any individual presenting with fever (with or without cough), headache, sore throat, breathlessness, body ache, the recent loss of taste or smell, fatigue and diarrhea should be considered as a suspect case of Covid-19 unless proven otherwise by confirmation of another etiology.

KANGANA RANAUT’S TWITTER ACCOUNT PERMANENTLY SUSPENDED

Twitter on Tuesday permanently suspended the account of actor Kangana Ranaut.

The actor had tweeted about the West Bengal BJP leadership alleging that party supporters were being targeted after the results of the Assembly elections were announced. She urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “tame” Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee using his “virat roop” or destructive side from “early 2000s”. She was purportedly referring to the 2002 Gujarat riots.

Her tweet sparked outrage and social media users called Twitter to take action.

Ranaut released a statement criticising the social platform for its action. “Twitter has only proved my point they are Americans and by birth, a white person feels entitled to enslave a brown person, they want to tell you what to think, speak or do,” she said. “I have many platforms I can use to raise my voice including my own art in the form of cinema. But my heart goes out to the people of this nation who have been tortured, enslaved and censored for thousands of years and still their is no end to the suffering.”

COVID FORCES IPL SUSPENSION

The IPL was suspended indefinitely yesterday after several Covid-19 cases were reported from multiple IPL teams on Monday and Tuesday.

The decision was taken after an emergency meeting of the BCCI and the IPL Governing Council.

“These are difficult times, especially in India, and while we have tried to bring in some positivity and cheer, however, it is imperative that the tournament is now suspended and everyone goes back to their families and loved ones in these trying times,” the IPL said in a statement, adding: “The BCCI will do everything in its powers to arrange for the secure and safe passage of all the participants in IPL 2021.”

IPL chairman Brijesh Patel said that they would try to resume the event “in the next available window but this month is unlikely”.

The announcement came after Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Wriddhiman Saha and Delhi Capitals’ Amit Mishra tested positive for Covid-19. This brought the number of Covid-affected teams to four, after two Kolkata Knight Riders players and three Chennai Super Kings officials/staff members tested positive on Monday

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine; it's lethal. - Paulo Coelho