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Max/Min temp. 40/20ºC deccanchronicle.com, facebook.com/deccannews, twitter.com/deccanchronicle, google.com/+deccanchronicle Vol. 83 No. 115 Established 1938 | 16 PAGES | `6.00

CORONA Project Ranganayaka

C UNT 260 patients in TS
CASES

(+1,403)
DEATHS

(+59) from 44 families

24,434 780 Health minister says hotspots present in
covid19india.org
STATE GOVERNMENT BULLETINS
GHMC area, Suryapet, Vikarabad, Gadwal
DC CORRESPONDENT
(+13)
TS: 983
(+0)
25
HYDERABAD, APRIL 24

Thirteen persons have

tested positive for Covid-
Cases in AP inch
closer to 1,000
19 on Friday, taking the
(+62) (+0) total number of patients
suffering with coron-
AP: 955 27 avirus infection in Telan-
gana to 983.
There are currently 663 N. VAMSI SRINIVAS | DC coronavirus from enter-
WORLD CONFIRMED CASES
active cases, and 29 VIJAYAWADA. APRIL 24 ing their districts.
With the date for the lift-
2,798,763 patients were discharged
during the day.
The state had 96 positive
Andhra Pradesh has
almost touched the 1,000-
ing of lockdown is near-
ing, there was no sign of
DEATHS cases on March 31 and six mark in terms of Covid 19 flattening of the infection
deaths. It crossed the 250 positive cases in just six curve in the state in the
194,994 mark on April 4, 500 cases
on April 11 and the 750-
mark on April 17, when
weeks after the first posi-
tive case reported in
Nellore on March 12.
near future.
Authorities have been
urging the state govern-
COUNTRIES,
AREAS WITH
CASES210 Telangana minister for municipal administration & urban development K.T.Rama Rao and finance minister T. Harish
the toll stood at 18.
Health minister Etala
Rajender said that the
In addition to 955 cases
officially declared as posi-
tive by Friday morning,
ment to form back-up
teams and relieve the
stressed-out health work-
worldometers.info/ Rao watch as Godavari water is released into Sri Ranganayakasagar project of Siddipet district on Friday. hotspots were in the there are at least 30 pre- ers.
coronavirus ■ Page 3: KTR: 1.1cr acres to be irrigated in state Greater Hyderabad sumptive positive cases With 22 health care per-
Municipal Corporation reported in the rapid test- sonnel getting infected

ASTROGUIDE
area, Suryapet, Vikarabad ing, and the samples will with the virus, the offi-
and Gadwal. be tested again using RT- cials have highlighted the
Sarvari; Uttarayana
Tithi: Vaisaka Suddha Dwitiya till
11.49 am
Star: Krittika till 8.55 pm
India cases nearing 25,000 An analysis by the state
government has found
that 44 families had 260
infected people in the
GHMC zone, 25 families
PCR method for the final
confirmation.
Kurnool and Guntur
continued to be the
hotbeds of coronavirus
need for providing them a
better protective gear.
The Covid 19 data of the
state available with
Deccan Chronicle showed
Varjyam: 7.46 am to 9.31 am
Durmuhurtam: 5.57 am to Central teams to visit Telangana, TN, Gujarat as hotspots rise had 83 infected people in
Suryapet, 14 families had
infection with 27 and 11
cases respectively report-
that the cumulative recov-
ery rate in the last six
7.38 am VINEETA PANDEY | DC under treatment, 5,457 ing hotspots like Ahme- an institutional quaran- 38 infected people in ed from these two dis- weeks is 18 per cent as
Rahukalam: 9 am to 10.30 am with agency inputs were cured and 780 dead. dabad and Surat (Gujarat), tine facility for 2,000-3,000 Vikarabad and 30 families tricts. A total of 62 new against 20 per cent nation-
HIJRI CALENDAR NEW DELHI, APRIL 24 The recovery rate in the Thane (Maharashtra), people, besides ramping had caused 45 cases in cases were reported on al average while the fatali-
Ramzan 1,1441 AH country, according to the Hyderabad (Telangana), up the testing capacity and Gadwal. Friday morning. Krishna ty rate is 3.03 per cent,
PRAYERS It is a matter of just a few Union health ministry, is and Chennai (Tamil to increase the strength of In all, 113 families have too contributed to the tally which is just a notch
Fajar: 4.51 am hours when India will 20.52 per cent. Nadu),” the Union home surveillance teams. contributed 43 per cent of with 14 cases. below the national aver-
Zohar: 12.24 pm cross 25,000-mark for coro- While Maharashtra, ministry official said. The central team, which the overall disease load in Political interference age of 3.08 per cent.
Asar: 4.39 pm navirus infections. The Delhi, Rajasthan and Ma- In Mumbai, the ICMT was visiting Kolkata, has the state. and goof-up by local Of the 54,338 people test-
Maghrib: 6.40 pm country has registered dhya Pradesh have contin- has suggested insta-lling questioned the methodolo- The minister, however, administrations led to ed so far, 955 have been
Isha: 7.50 pm 1,403 cases on Friday, ued to report a higher portable toilets in gy of counting the dead in said officials have ensured chaos in districts like found positive for the
according to data collated number of infections, the Dharavi, which has West Bengal and sought a that the infection was con- Kurnool, Guntur and Covid-19 disease, which is
SUNSET TODAY 6.34 PM
by covid19India.org from Centre on Friday decided reported over 200 cases, to detailed report on the fined only to these fami- Anantapur, while officials less than two per cent
SUNRISE TOMORROW 5.53 AM state-wise data, taking the to send four specialised augment the number of functioning of the Covid- lies. The containment in Srikakulam and Vizian- and the spread ratio too
MOONRISE TOMORROW 7.23 AM total nationwide count to teams to TN, Gujarat and community toilets and 19 death audit committee. zones will be under the agaram have shown exem- stood just close to two per
MOONSET TODAY 8.33 PM 24,434. Telangana, where new prevent the spread of The team has sought to surveillance of the health plary efficiency to prevent cent.
On Friday alone, 59 peo- hotspots were emerging. infection due to mobility know the methodology officials who are going to
RAMZAN TIMINGS ple have died from the “The situation is espe- of people. adopted for approving the check for more infected
IFTAR: 6:40 pm coronavirus infection. cially serious in major The team has also sug- declaration of death of cases. A panel was also set minister said some ‘psy- The minister said Union
While 18,197 patients are hotspot districts or emerg- gested the state to arrange Covid-19 patients. up to look into the deaths chos’ were putting these health minister Harsh
(SATURDAY) in TS. It has been found pictures on social media Vardhan appreciated the
SEHRI : 4:28 am that 15 people, who suf- and said hygiene is being government for develop-
MP RUNS OUT OF
Woman Gandhi CHINESE FIRMS
(SUNDAY) fered from co-morbid con- maintained at the hospi- ing the Gachibowli hospi-
ditions, were also counted tal. The state government, tal within a short span of
as part of 25 coronavirus which sought permission time. Mr Rajendar asked
TESTING KITS, SHOCKED THEIR deaths. from the Central govern- all hospitals to look into
respiratory problems

doc shouted at
Referring to some photos ment to treat coronavirus
NINE MORE DIE KITS BELOW PAR of unhygienic toilets and
washbasins at Gandhi
patients using the plasma
therapy, said they have
which are not caused by
coronavirus infections
IN BRIEF RABINDRA NATH
CHOUDHURY | DC
SRIDHAR
KUMARASWAMI I DC
Hospital being circulated
in the social media, the
got verbal permission to
begin the therapy.
and treat them according-
ly.
JAYENDRA ● WHEN THE woman
Thunderstorms
BHOPAL, APRIL 24 NEW DELHI, APRIL 24
CHAITHANYA I DC doctor went to the
Madhya Pradesh on HYDERABAD, APRIL 24 China-based suppliers of
till April 28: IMD apartment to collect

Hyderabad: The Indian

Meteorological Department
has forecast thunderstorms
with lightning, hailstorm and
gusty winds reaching 30 to
40 kmph at isolated places
over Telangana till April 28.
Hyderabad received rain on
Friday. Madhapur recorded
the highest of 7 mm fol-
lowed by Kakatiya Hills,
Jubilee Hills and Vengal-
raonagar with 6.8, 6 and 5.5
mm respectively
Friday sent an SOS to the
Centre seeking testing
kits to fight coronavirus.
Nine more people suc-
cumbed to the pandemic
in the state in the last 24
hours taking the toll to
92.
State health minister
Narottam Mishra drew
the attention of his coun-
terpart at the Centre
Harsh Vardhan to the
shortage of testing kits
while holding discussion
with him through video
A woman doctor working
at Gandhi Hospital com-
plained of being mistreat-
ed and abused by the resi-
dents of an apartment
complex at Vanasthali-
puram.
According to the
Vanasthalipuram police,
the complainant, Dr
Snighda, had been to her
brother’s flat at an apart-
ment complex at Manso-
orabad.
On April 22, when the
her luggage, the resi-
dents of the apartment
complex picked up a
quarrel with her and
abused her.
● THE RESIDENTS at
the apartment complex
had decided against
allowing any outsider
into their building and
threatened her with
dire consequences.
of the apartment resi-
Covid test kits to India
on Friday expressed dis-
belief over the reports of
kits being defective or
Doctors scoff at Trump’s
sub-standard and added
that they will fully coop-
erate with the investiga-
tion by Indian govern-
disinfectant injection idea
ment agencies over it. Washington/London, avirus dies at a much olet (UV) light to combat
“We are shocked to April 24: US President more rapid pace when the deadly viral infection.
receive negative reports Donald Trump has sug- exposed to sunlight and “This is one of the most
... related to poor accura- gested the possibility of humidity. dangerous and idiotic sug-
cy of Covid-19 rapid tests studying injecting disin- “The virus dies the gestions made so far in
made using kits made in fectants into Covid-19 pati- quickest in direct sun- how one might actually
China,” said Livzon ents or using UV light light. Isopropyl alcohol treat Covid-19,” said Paul
Diagnostics, one of the “inside” their bodies to will kill the virus in 30 sec- Hunter, a professor of

Punjab’s liquor
shop bid rejected
New Delhi: The home min-
istry rejected Punjab’s
demand to partially open
liquor shops to generate
additional excise revenue. It
reiterated once again that
no State would be allowed
any dilution of guidelines on
what economic activity is
permitted during the dura-
tion of the second phase of
the lockdown.
COUNTER POINT
conferencing.
He said Madhya
Pradesh was running out
of testing
and the Centre should
kits
rush the epuipments to
the state urgently to
ensure that the ongoing
war against the pandem-
ic in the state was not
affected.
Sources in the state
health department dis-
closed to this newspaper
on Friday that the stock
of testing kits in the state
would hardly last a day.
Incidentally, the num-
ber of samples pending
for testing has jumped to
8,843 on Friday.
The number of coron-
avirus positive cases in
MP has increased by 159
in the last 24 hours to
reach 1,846 on Friday.
“Total 1,846 samples
out of 26,233 samples sent
for testing tested posi-
tive. That means seven
per cent of samples test-
ed positive which is
quite high,” noted heath
expert S.R. Azad told this
newspaper.
The minister, however,
drew solace from the fact
that the rate of death has
come down from 10 per-
cent earlier to 4.82 per-
cent in the state now.
woman doctor went to the
apartment to collect her
luggage, the residents of
the apartment complex
picked up a quarrel with
her and abused her.
In view of the Covid-19
pandemic, the residents
had decided against allo-
wing any outsider into
their building.
The police said the
woman also complained
AT | HOME Moulana Shuttari appeals to Muslims to say Taraweeh prayers, avoid congregations
Moon sighted, Ramzan begins today
KANIZA GARARI AND
ATHER MOIN I DC
HYDERABAD, APRIL 24
The Ramzan moon was
sighted in Hyderabad,
Andhra Pradesh, Nagpur
in Maharashtra and other
places of the country,
marking the beginning of
the month of fasting and
prayers in the midst of a
lockdown.
April 25, Saturday, will
be the first day of Ramzan
month.
The Markazi Ruyat-e-
dents threatening her
with dire consequences.
On Friday, she gave a
complaint seeking action
against the apartment
residents, and a case has
been subsequently regis-
tered for the probe, the
police added.
On Friday, the doctor
also brought the issue to
the notice of health minis-
ter Etala Rajender.
Hilaal Committee of Sadar
Majlis Ulema-e-Deccan on
Friday confirmed the
sighting of the moon. A
meeting of the committee
was held at Khankha-e-
Kamil Shuttariya, presided
over by Moulana Syed
Qubool Badsha Shuttari,
the secretary of Sadar
Majlis Ulema-e-Deccan.
Moulana Shuttari said
Taraweeh will begin from
the Juma night and the
first fast will be on
Saturday. He appealed to
the Muslim community to
companies, in its state-
ment.
Rapid test kits which
were manufactured by
“Livzon Diagnostics suit
the requirements of ISO
13485 quality assurance
system.”
Another China-based
kit maker Wondfo said it
took immediate action to
investigate and under-
stand the issue.
say Taraweeh prayers at
home and avoid congrega-
tional prayers in view of
the lockdown imposed by
the government to prevent
the spread of coronavirus
infections.
Chief Minister K.
Chandrashekar Rao greet-
ed the people on the occa-
sion of the beginning of the
holy month of Ramzan and
urged the people to stay at
home and offer their
prayers.
The Muslims are trying
to beat the lockdown blues
kill the deadly virus, dra-
wing immediate flak from
American health experts
who urged people not to
listen to such “dangerous”
advice.
Launching a new scien-
tific study conducted by
his department, Home-
land Security for Science
and Technology, under-
secretary Bill Bryan on
Thursday said the coron-
by resolving to spend max-
imum time in prayers.
However, there is some
frustration among a sec-
tion of people about
Ramzan this year turning
out to be different from
previous years. Coun-sell-
ing is being offered by reli-
gious leaders for such peo-
ple. Though the impor-
tance of the masjid cannot
be undermined, it has been
pointed out people should
stay indoors due to the
threat of Covid-19 disease.
Many YouTube channels of
onds,” he told White
House reporters in the
presence of President
Trump at his daily brief-
ing on the Covid-19 situa-
tion in the country.
Mr Bryan’s remarks left
Mr Trump wondering if
there was a possibility of
injecting the chemical
into a person infected with
Covid-19 as a deterrent to
the virus or using ultravi-
various religious sects
have become active. Youth
have been roped into these
activities on the internet.
It said that the main focus
of people in the month of
Ramzan was to keep them-
selves away from material-
istic desires, which had of
late taken the upper hand
over prayers and ibadaat.
Abid Rasool Khan, for-
mer chairman of minority
commission, said, “This
Ramzan is no doubt differ-
ent and it is also going to
pave a way for many oth-
medicine at Britain’s
University of East Anglia.
He said infecting disinfec-
tants would be likely to
kill anyone who tried it.
Reckitt Benckiser,
which manufactures
household disinfectants
like Dettol and Lysol,
issued a statement warn-
ing people not to ingest or
inject its products.
— PTI, Reuters
ers in future to observe the
holy month in this man-
ner. Most people have
resolved to observe it at
home and keep it as simple
as possible. It was only
heard by us from our great
grandfathers, and we are
now actually going to fol-
low it. Many of them will
face problems and they
have been asked to adopt
technology to reach out in
case of any issues.”
■ Page 2: Pressure to
show-off at Iftar unlikely
 CITY
DECCAN CHRONICLE | HYDERABAD | SATURDAY | 25 APRIL 2020
IN BRIEF
Parcel traffic opens
at Medchal station
Hyderabad: South Central
Railway (SCR) has opened
the Medchal station,
Hyderabad division, for par-
cel traffic in view of increas-
ing local demand. This is the
first time parcels were
loaded into any train from
Medchal; the parcels are
usually loaded from
Kacheguda. On Thursday, a
train with 46 tonnes of
essential commodities and
daily items began its journey
from Medchal to Chennai. In
total, the Hyderabad division
has transported 95 tonnes of
perishable items and 20
tonnes of other goods since
April 8.
Six-feet-long
crocodile rescued
Hyderabad: A crocodile
measuring six foot in length
caught farmers who were
working in agricultural fields
at Srirangapur mandal by
surprise. According to the
district forest officer (DFO)
of Wanaparthy, Babji Rao
Maganti, the reptile was
spotted lazing under a tree.
“The crocodile had come
from the Jurala project.
Maybe due to the lack of
human movement in the
area, it sought shelter under
a tree where it was spotted.
Residents of the village
alerted us,” he said. Forest
officials went to the spot
and shifted the crocodile
back to the Jurala project.
SHRC seeks report
on OGH ICU condition
Hyderabad: Following a
complaint regarding unhy-
gienic conditions in ICU at
Osmania General Hospital
(OGH), the State Human
Rights Commission (SHRC)
has called for a detailed
report. According to peti-
tioner M. Ramchandra
Reddy, who presented a
video to substantiate his
charges, the staff and doc-
tors never addressed the
unhygienic conditions in the
ICU. They acted in a negli-
gent manner and played
with the lives of patients, he
alleged. Subsequently, SHRC
called for a report from the
Superintendent of Osmania
General hospital by May 22.
HC RAPS GOVT
OVER SECURITY
TO DOCTORS
VUJJINI VAMSHIDHARA I DC
HYDERABAD, APRIL 24
The Telangana High Court on
Friday rapped the home
department on filing an
incomplete affidavit regarding
the security provided to doc-
tors and medical staff who are
treating Covid-19 patients. The
court found the affidavit did
not mention the number of
attacks on medical staff in the
state.
A division bench comprising
Chief Justice Raghavendra
Singh Chauhan and Justice A.
Abhishek Reddy while dealing
with three PILs filed by differ-
ent petitioners seeking a direc-
tion the home secretary to
strengthen security at govern-
ment hospitals had asked the
home department to file a
detailed affidavit.
Rajiv Ratan, additional
director general of the legal
wing of the home department,
filed an affidavit stating that
the government had passed an
ordinance saying any person
attacks who doctors or med-
ical staff in hospitals will face
seven years’ imprisonment. It
said four FIRs were registered
regarding such incidents of
attacks. It did not mention
how many such incidents had
occurred and was unclear
about the security provided in
the hospitals.
Expressing anger at the affi-
davit, Chief Justice Chauhan
directed the home secretary to
file an additional counter affi-
davit with details of how
many police personnel had
been deputed at each hospital.
Adjourning the hearing,
Chief Justice Chauhan said, “I
wish the home secretary gives
more details... this is not the
first time wherein doctors and
medical staff have been misbe-
haved with. I hope that not
only our doctors but the entire
medical staff is protected.”
In response to another PIL
which highlighted the alleged
high-handedness of the police
while enforcing the lockdown,
the home department filed an
affidavit stating that there
were no police excesses.
Mentioning a case in
Wanaparthy where a man was
caned in front of his son, Rajiv
Ratan submitted that the per-
son had misbehaved with the
police staff who were trying to
stop him.
He said the man, Murali
Krishna, had abused the police
in filthy language and slapped
a constable.
‘KCR, Owaisi communalised Covid fight’
KCR government is ‘upar sherwani, andar pareshani’, says Telangana BJP chief Bandi Sanjay
Q&A
BANDI SANJAY
T
he K. Chandra-
shekar Rao-led
TRS state govern-
ment was seeing
the entire fight against
Coronavirus through a
communal prism from the
very beginning, and, with
its biased mindset, hiding
facts and not revealing the
true situation to the peo-
ple, said BJP Telangana
state unit president and
MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar.
Making several serious
allegations against the
TRS government’s
approaching to fighting
Covid-19, he said that
because of vote bank poli-
tics, the government was
hiding details of cases. He
said that Chief Minister K
Chandrashekar Rao has a
habit that when some-
thing good happens, he
rushes to claim credit, but
if something goes wrong,
he tries to blame the
Centre.
He said that due to com-
munal fixation of Chief
Minister Rao and MIM
chief Asaduddin Owaisi,
poor Muslims are facing
problems. S.N.C.N.
Acharyulu of Deccan
Chronicle caught up with
Mr Sanjay for an exclusive
interview. Excerpts.
How do you appraise the
fight against Corona-
virus as is being man-
aged by the TRS govern-
ment?
The TRS government has
no sincerity in fighting
Coronavirus. The state
government is not reveal-
ing facts. Since the begin-
ning, they have had a com-
munally tainted view. It is
hiding facts on cases due
to vote bank politics. The
TRS government feels if it
tells the truth, minority
Muslims would distance
themselves away from
TRS. The KCR govern-
ment is ‘upar sherwani,
andar pareshani’.
People are voluntarily
Jawan tests Covid Police surprises elderly Pressure to showoff
+ve after 33 days woman on her birthday at Iftar vanishes
MADDY DEEKSHITH | DC
HYDERABAD, APRIL 24
The extension of the
quarantine period from 14
days to 24 by the state gov-
ernment may not make
much of a difference in
containing the spread of
the Coronavirus, since a
military man tested posi-
tive after 33 days of travel-
ling with 13 Indonesians.
The military man who
returned from Delhi in
the Sampark Kranti
Express on March 14,
along with 13
Indonesians, tested posi-
tive on Thursday. The per-
son had attended several
parties with his childhood
friend in Bandla Nagaram
village in Jangaon dis-
trict. Officials after con-
tact tracing said he was in
touch with 13 persons in
the village, eight of them
his family members. All
of them have been home
quarantined and their
samples sent for testing.
The authorities have
also contained 250 fami-
lies in the village and
about 1,200 persons have
CASH | LESS Some shops buy ration, others refuse fearing it may spread Covid
Beneficiaries selling charity grains to shops
VIKRAM SHARMA |DC
HYDERABAD, APRIL 24
With scores of concerned
individuals playing good
Samaritan and distribut-
ing food grains and other
essentials to needy across
the city on a big scale,
many receivers of ration
kits are flocking to kirana
stores and wholesale deal-
ers to sell them food
grains for whatever
money they can get. While
some shops are buying
such ration for paltry
sums, some are turning
them away in fear that it
could spread Coronavirus
during transit.
“Over last 10 days, sever-
al poor people have come
to our shop to sell stuff.
Five of them had about 10
Telangana BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar addresses mediapersons during a
hunger strike at the state BJP office on Friday.
cooperating to lockdown,
but problem is state gov-
ernment is not acting stri-
ctly in implementing it.
What might be the actu-
al current scenario in
this combat against
Coronavirus?
CM Chandrashekar Rao
said a few weeks ago that
we would become Covid-
free soon. Then again, a
few days ago, he said that
cases are reducing. Now,
the number of
Coronavirus positive
cases is increasing. Mr
Rao has no factual infor-
mation. Officials at the
lower level are feeling the
pressure. Unless the TRS
government acts seriously
and sincerely, the problem
will not come under con-
trol.
Should some activities at
least not be given relax-
ation from lockdown?
Giving relaxation to
some activities from lock-
down, the Central govern-
ment has given a free hand
to the state governments
to take a decision accord-
ing to the local situation.
The TRS government did
not give exemptions to any
activity in view of increas-
ing number of positive
cases.
TRS alleges the Centre is
not giving sufficient
been home quarantined.
The government on
Wednesday instructed the
health department not to
test asymptomatic sec-
ondary contacts of Covid-
19 patients, but they
should be quarantined for
28 days instead of 14 days.
“The asymptomatic sec-
ondary contacts shall not
be tested. However, they
shall be identified,
stamped and placed in
strict home quarantine
for a period of 28 days and
monitored daily by the
local area multi-discipli-
nary surveillance teams,”
Chief Secretary Somesh
Kumar said in a release.
Only the primary con-
tacts of the positive cases
will be brought to the gov-
ernment identified quar-
antine centres and their
samples taken for testing,
it added.
However, the recent case
has caused grave concern
and health department
officials wrote to the state
government to take seri-
ous note of the case of a
man testing positive even
after 33 days.
kg rice each, four to five
kilos of pulses, flour, salt
packets and cooking oil,
which they received at dif-
ferent places. Though it
felt sad, we had to turn
them away,” a trader in
Begum Bazar told Deccan
Chronicle requesting
anonymity.
He said some begged for
any amount of money in
exchange for the items.
“We do not know who is
carrying the virus. They
have been moving from
place to place with food
grain packets. We did not
want to take a chance,” he
said.
Another trader also
admitted that many poor
people have been visiting
his store trying to sell
small quantities of food
CM threatening for
CMRF grant: BJP
funds to fighting the
pandemic?
The Central government
is giving every single
paisa being spent by the
state government. CM Rao
thanked the Central gov-
ernment in the beginning.
It is KCR’s style – claim
credit for all good, pass the
buck for anything that
goes wrong. Where is the
rice and pulses given by
the Central government?
What did the Centre say
about construction and
Singareni workers and
what is the TRS govern-
ment doing? The TRS gov-
ernment must give an
account and clarity over
funds given by the Central
government and how the
state spent it.
Is an all-party meeting
needed to discuss the
pandemic?
Yes, most certainly. The
Chief Minister is taking
decisions without consult-
ing anyone. It is not clear
whether field-level officers
are giving wrong informa-
tion to him, or if after
learning the facts, KCR is
behaving autocratically.
Prime Minister Modi is
regularly speaking to
opposition party leaders,
consulting all Chief
Ministers, media heads
and a large cross-section
of people.
Why is CM Rao hesitat-
MOSES KONDETY AND
JAYENDRA CHAITHANYA T.
I DC
HYDERABAD, APRIL 24
The Rachakonda police
surprised an elderly
woman by greeting her on
her birthday after her son
living in the USA request-
ed help from the police to
do so.
Alfred Asher Paul
Talluri, a resident of
Denver in Colorado, USA,
had sent an email to the
Rachakonda police inform-
ing them that his mother
Kutty Hadassa Paul, a
retired teacher, was turn-
ing 60 on Friday. Alfred
wanted to return home to
surprise her but could not
do so due to the ban on
international travel.
“As my mother lives
alone, I was looking to see
if I could request your
department to send a rep-
resentative to personally
wish her on behalf of my
family. My mother loves
surprises and I am sure it
would make her day. I
would be ever grateful if
● ON DISTRIBUTING
cooked food, officials
say a lot is being wast-
ed as poor have too
many food options
during the day.
grains and other items.
“We see vagabonds and
needy carrying food grain
kits, trying to sell them
across Begum Bazar,
Siddiamber Bazar,
Goshamahal, etc. A lot of
smaller shops to whom we
supply food grains say
they are buying from them
at cheap rates,” he said.
When DC checked with
shop owners across
Begumpet, Punjagutta and
areas in Banjara Hills,
many confirmed that peo-
— R. PAVAN
ing to hold an all-party
meeting? If the CM holds
all-party meeting,
Opposition parties will
bring field-level problems
to his notice. This will give
a good signal to people
that all parties are work-
ing together.
The state government is
distributing rice and
pulses to poor people.
Are you satisfied with its
treatment of vulnerable
sections most impacted
by lockdown?
The TRS government is
distributing rice and puls-
es to poor people given by
the Central government.
The state government has
to give additional help,
which KCR is not giving.
The KCR government is
distributing on basis of
ration cards. If ration
cards are not there, gov-
ernment should distribute
rice and pulses on basis of
Aadhar card. There are
thousands of people who
have applied for white
ration cards and details
are available with state
government. The BJP is
demanding that the gov-
ernment must distribute
rice and pulses to even
those who have applied for
ration cards.
If the CM holds all-party
meeting, we can discuss
all these issues, including
problems of migrant
Kutty Hadassa Paul
receives a birthday gift
from the police on Friday.
you could honour my spe-
cial request in the current
circumstances,” Alfred
said in his email to the
Rachakonda police.
Following this, Malka-
jgiri DCP Rakshitha K.
Murthy, directed Nered-
met inspector A. Nars-
imha Swamy and his team
to personally visit and
greet Alfred’s mother. The
police on Friday turned
up at Kutty Hadassa’s
doorstep and sang her a
birthday song.
“It was such a moment. I
just cannot forget this for
the rest of my life. It has-
ple with food grains have
been trying to sell such
stocks.
“Some shops purchased
with a desire to help the
poor. Others shooed them
away, fearing virus. I
spoke to some of them
who are labourers, who
said they want money,”
one shop owner who iden-
tified by first name alone,
Narsingh, said.
“While food is essential,
poor people also need
money to survive.
Therefore, most of them
are collecting stuff and
when they have stored a
few kilos, they are bring-
ing it to us,” traders
informed, adding that
even money should be dis-
tributed besides food.
Police officials, who are
workers. Due to non-sup-
ply of food grains,
migrant workers are try-
ing to return to their home
states. Chandrashekar
Rao is all rhetoric and no
action. He says migrant
workers are partners, but
he is silently forcing a
massive exodus.
Is the TRS wrong in say-
ing the Opposition shou-
ld not resort to blame
game during a crisis?
No political party is
resorting to the blame
game, except the TRS. The
pink party and media
under its fear or control is
trying to pawn off blame
for its mistakes on to the
Central government.
When Centre announces
some relaxations in lock-
down, the state denies
them. Opposition parties
are giving suggestions, but
Mr Rao and his govern-
ment are taking it as criti-
cism because of their
guilty conscience.
Why has Hyderabad (the
GHMC area) become the
biggest red zone for
Covid in the state?
The TRS government has
encouraged Muslims to go
to Muscat. After returning
from Muscat, the state
government did not make
any appeal to them to be
quarantined because it
fears the MIM. If the CM
would have been able to
ask Asaduddin Owaisi to
appeal to them, the situa-
tion would not come to
this level. Over 95 per cent
of cases in Hyderabad
have happened because of
Muslims, who choose not
to respond to advisories
and precautions.
The communal situation
has worsened so much
because of KCR that
Hindus are wary of buy-
ing anything from
Muslims-owned shops.
TRS and MIM are thus
damaging businesses of
poor. The TRS government
is communal and is view-
ing the problem with a
biased and coloured
prism. It is no surprise
therefore that KCR has
imposed restrictions on
funerals of Hindus but not
mentioned about Muslims.
n’t sunk in yet. I’m simply
going crazy,” Kutty
Hadassa told this newspa-
per. “The police appreciat-
ed my wearing the mask
and got the neighbours to
clap for me as the officer
sang into a mike. These
are the sweetest people I
have ever came across in
life,” she said. “I really
appreciate what the
police, doctors and the
media are doing to keep
the public morale high in
these difficult times.”
Kutty Hadassa is the
wife of late cricket coach
T. Vijay Paul, who is cred-
ited with shaping the
careers of several state
and international crick-
eters, A.T. Rayudu and
Pragyan Ojha being his
famous wards.
The Pauls’ second son is
Aaron, a cricketer who
has represented India at
the U-15 Asia Cup back in
2002. He was the vice-cap-
tain of the national team
led by Piyush Chawla and
included current Team
India player Ajinkya
Rahane.
witness to large-scale food
distribution every day,
said that though there are
hundreds of people dis-
tributing food, many do
not realize that poor peo-
ple have no means of
cooking.
“Many homeless people
do not have any facility to
cook. What will they do
with grains? Therefore,
they are selling it off and
at least getting some
money,” officials said.
“While selling food
grains to shops could be
risky, poor have no other
option, ” the official
remarked.
“People also need some
money to keep lives going.
Merely distributing food is
not helping,” a senior
police official said.
DC CORRESPONDENT
HYDERABAD, APRIL 24
President of the Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP)
Telangana state unit
Bandi Sanjay Kumar
demanded that the TRS
government publish a
White Paper on all expen-
diture, including from the
Chief Minister’s Relief
Fund (CMRF) in fighting
the Coronavirus pandemic
in the state.
Speaking to Deccan
Chronicle, Mr Sanjay
alleged that every paisa
spent by the TRS govern-
ment was given by the
Narendra Modi-led
Central government.
The Lok Sabha MP said
that while some people
were donating to the
CMRF to help fight with
Covid-19, the K.
Chandrashekar Rao-led
government was collect-
ing funds into the CMRF
TRS has failed
farmers, says BJP
IREDDY SRINIVAS REDDY I DC
HYDERABAD, APRIL 24
President of the
Telangana state BJP and
MP from Karimnagar
Bandi Sanjay Kumar
ended his seven-hour fast
at the party headoffice in
Nampally on Friday
demanding that TRS-led
government address
issues faced by farmers.
He demanded that the K.
Chandrashekar Rao gov-
ernment come to the res-
cue of farmers by ensur-
ing payment of minimum
support price (MSP) for
their produce.
On the issue of purchase
of agricultural produce,
he asked why whenever
the Central government
From Page 1
The pressure to show-off
their opulence during
iftar parties, which had
become synonymous with
Ramzan, will not be an
event this year.
Iftar had of late become
a political and social
event. It also had an ele-
ment of upper-class
pride, which had upset
many senior members of
the community.
The senior members are
also happy that there will
not be too much of eating-
out and shopping this
year.
While these will be done
away with this year, peo-
ple are also going to
relearn to carry out iftar
with family and elders.
Mohammed Mushtaq
Malik, the president of
Tahreek Muslim
Shabban, said,
“Youngsters are feeling
the pinch as they would
always be out with
friends during iftar, and
Seeking God’s grace
Devotees perform Taraweeh prayers at home on
Friday honouring the lockdown.
pg 2
by threats and coercion.
Since the state govern-
ment had issued orders
that funds donated to
CMRF would be spend on
fighting with
Coronavirus, Mr Sanjay
said “no one knows how
much money came to
CMRF so far, and how
much money was spent for
what purpose”.
He said the central gov-
ernment was paying every
rupee spent by the state
government for fighting
Coronavirus, adding funds
are coming from Centre
but are being forcefully
collected into CMRF.
In current financial year,
TRS government had bor-
rowed `4,000 crore in cur-
rent month.
The government should
publish a white paper on
all these issues and
explain to people where all
these funds are going, he
added.
was purchasing paddy and
other farm produce, the
state government
announces it will pur-
chase everything.
The BJP leader appealed
to farmers not to resort to
extreme measures, assur-
ing them that the Narendra
Modi-led BJP government
will stand behind farmers,
and the state BJP would be
exerting pressure on the
TRS government. He criti-
cised Chief Minister K.
Chandrashekar Rao for
being in “quarantine
mode” for the past six
years, separated and dis-
tanced from all sections of
Telangana state, even as
people failed to get proper
benefits from the govern-
ment.
they were mostly together
with them in masjids.
This year they have to be
at home with their par-
ents, and it is proving to
be difficult for them. But
they have been told to
abide by the rules of lock-
down and no one would
be allowed to go outside.”
Concerns have been
raised about objections
raised by police in
Mahbubnagar, Kham-
mam, Nizamabad and
Karimnagar about the
use of loudspeakers and
sirens for the announce-
ment of Sehri, iftar and
Azaan.
“There is no order so far.
But local police officers in
districts have approached
masjids and asked them
to refrain from making
public announcements.
But we have told them
that we will not abide by
this request because
these are for the people
and many of them are
dependent on it,” said Mr
Malik.
— P. SURENDRA
 CITY
DECCAN CHRONICLE | HYDERABAD | SATURDAY | 25 APRIL 2020
IN
Mancherial ACP
BRIEF
under scanner
Mancherial: Mancherial ACP
C.H. Laxmi Narayana has
been attached to the DGP’s
office following alleged
irregularities in an emerge-
ncy vehicle pass to a person
in connection with lockdo-
wn. It is learnt that the
person used the pass to go
to Hyderabad. The issue
came to the notice of the
Hyderabad police who ord-
ered an inquiry into the epis-
ode and issued orders atta-
ching the ACP to the DGP
office.
ARMY ENGINEER
AIRLIFTED FROM
AFGHANISTAN
DC CORRESPONDENT
HYDERABAD, APRIL 24
A 44-year-old logistics engi-
neer of the Indian Army was
airlifted out of Afghanistan
into Hyderabad on Tuesday
night for a surgical procedure.
The patient, who was posted
in Afghanistan, had suffered a
fall three weeks ago and fra-
ctured his right hip. He was
unable to get proper medical
attention in the country, and
was unable to travel to India
due to the lockdown.
He was brought to Contine-
ntal Hospital in the city where
he was operated upon for a hip
replacement.
AKSHAYA TRITIYA
GOLD SALES DROP
DUE TO LOCKDOWN
T.S.S. SIDDHARTH I DC
HYDERABAD, APRIL 24
There is no glimmer in gold
sales this Akshaya Tritiya
courtesy the lockdown. This
year, Akshaya Tritya falls on
Sunday.
“Owing to the lockdown,
we have not seen any sales
this year. Earlier, the festive
time used to mark auspicious
beginnings and people would
honour the long-standing
tradition of buying the
precious metal. Amidst the
lockdown, neither are we
meant to open the shops, nor
are customers leaving their
homes,” Boorugu Surya-
prakash Rao, president, AP
Gold and Silver Jewellery and
Diamonds Merchants’
Association, told Deccan
Chronicle.
Most sales are online now,
and customers are only buying
small trinkets or simple jew-
ellery, he added.
“If this continues, it will
take us a long time to recover
from the jolt this has given us.
Even post the lockdown they
say that it will take close to
six months to return to
normal,” Rao said.
People looking to buy silver
have picked up pooja utensils
such as deepams and plates, as
well as payals that do not go
out of fashion.
● MOST SALES are online
now, and customers are only
buying small trinkets or simple
jewellery, he added.
● PEOPLE LOOKING to buy
silver have picked up pooja
utensils such as deepams and
plates, as well as payals that
do not go out of fashion.
Beheaded body of
history sheeter found
JAYENDRA
CHAITHANYA T. | DC
HYDERABAD, APRIL 24
The beheaded body of a man
accused of murdering a con-
stable and peddling fake cur-
rency was found on the out-
skirts of a village on Friday
morning. The police who took
custody of three suspects for
the murder said old rivalry
could be the reason.
Ambati Yellam Goud, a
native of Imambad village in
Chinna Kodur mandal of
Siddipet district, was accused
in 16 cases of counterfeiting
Indian currency notes and sev-
eral robberies. Goud was
arrested by the Cyberabad
police in August 2014.
On Friday morning, villagers
of Ramancha saw a body on
the outskirts of the village and
alerted the local police. The
body lay with the severed head
beside it and a partially sev-
ered hand. A scooter was found
a few metres away from the
body, which was used by Goud.
The police investigation led
them to three people who were
rivals of Yellam Goud’s in the
fake currency racket, and are
suspected of killing Goud.
Commissioner Joel Davis of
KTR: 1.1cr acres to Migrant workers fighting for
be irrigated in state dignity, send them home: Owaisi
KTR, THR inaugurate Ranganayakasagar
S.A. ISHAQUI I DC
● HARISH RAO said the
HYDERABAD, APRIL 24 60-year-old, long-
cherished dream of
IT minister K.T. Rama
Rao and finance minister Siddipet people had come
true only with the resolve
T. Harish Rao on Friday
jointly inaugurated the of Chief Minister K.
Ranganayakasagar proj- Chandrashekar Rao.
ect at Chandrapur village
in Siddipet district by
● K.T. RAMA RAO
assured people that all
releasing Godavari water
into the project from the assistance will be
surge pool. provided to Siddipet,
Both the ministers for-
mally switched on one of
especially for develop-
ment of IT sector and
the four pumps that
released water into the
agro-based industries in
the district.
reservoir.
Speaking on the occa-
sion, Harish Rao said the project and bringing
60-year-old, long-cheris- Godavari waters to
hed dream of Siddipet Siddipet. A railway line
people had come true only too will start soon,” he
with the resolve of Chief assured.
Minister K. Chand- Minister Rama Rao said
rashekar Rao. He thanked they were lucky to inau-
engineers and workers for gurate the project, which
coordinating their efforts should actually have been
in fulfilling the aspira- done by the Chief
tions of the people. Minister. “Thanks to
The finance minister Chief Minister KCR’s per-
said, “Before bifurcation, sistent efforts, Telangana
the area was neglected, will soon be the seed
leading to its people
becoming migrant labour.
But the scenario has
changed now with KCR
bowl of India. Our dream
of irrigating 1.10 crore
acres and seeing green
revolution will come
achieving Telangana,
completing Kaleshwaram
true in the future,” Rama
Rao asserted.
Blissful
A short spell of rain in the evening brought the temperature down across the city on
Friday.
BUSY | SCHEDULE
A day rushing with Hyderabad mayor
T
● AMBATI YELLAM GOUD, a he mayor of
native of Imambad village in Hyderabad Bonthu
Rammohan, despite
Chinna Kodur mandal of a high profile job, does not
Siddipet district, was accused have much of an urban
in 16 cases of counterfeiting connect. However, his rus-
Indian currency notes and tic grounding is making
several robberies. him an important figure
during the city’s fight
● THE POLICE investigation against Coronavirus, in
led them to three people who particular, in dealing with
were rivals of Yellam Goud’s the lockdown and conseq-
in the fake currency racket, uent issues. MADDY
and are suspected of killing DEEKSHITH of Deccan
Goud. Chronicle travelled with
mayor Rammohan for an
the Siddipet police said, entire day, kickstarting it
“Reports emerged that Goud at 8 am with people
was returning home in the thronging to his resident
night after playing cards on in Banjara Hills for dona-
the outskirts of a village, but tions.
police did not find any evi- Along the day, attending
dence related to that. He was numerous events includ-
followed by the rivals, and way- ing an awareness campa-
laid and murdered when he ign for sanitation workers,
was returning home on a receiving personal protec-
scooter,” said the SP. tion equipment (PPE)
On August 2, 2014, Yellam from Hyderabad MIM MP
Goud and his gang stabbed and Asaduddin Owaisi, edu-
killed Armed Reserve consta- cating commuters, attend-
ble Eshwar Rao who had gone ing food donation progra-
with seven policemen to appre- mmes to migrant workers,
hend the gang at Shamirpet. attending TRS internal
Sub-inspector Venkat Reddy of meetings, visiting contain-
the Balanagar police station ment zones and shelter
had also suffered injuries in homes, inspecting progr-
that attack. ess of infrastructure wo-
He assured people that
all assistance will be pro-
vided to Siddipet, espe-
cially for development
of IT sector and agro-
based industries in the
district.
Ranganayakasagar, once
full, will irrigate 1.14 lakh
acres of land in both
Siddipet and Rajana Sir-
cilla districts. The `3,300-
crore reservoir has been
built on 2,300 acres of land
acquired from farmers.
Having a capacity of 3 tmc
ft, the reservoir will fill
400 lakes and check dams
through a network of
canals.
Water has been lifted
from a height of 90 metres
(above mean sea level)
at Kaleshwaram to 490
metres at Ranganayak
asagar.
The ministers offered
prayers at the Rangana-
yaka Swamy temple bef-
ore inaugurating the proj-
ect at a simple ceremony,
where social distancing
was ensured.
Rama Rao and Harish
Rao felicitated engineers
and labourers who were
part of constructing the
reservoir. They also had
lunch with the staff.
—GANDHI
From visiting CZ to looking at construction work, Rammohan had hectic day
rks, attending fake calls
and holding review meet-
ings, DC interviewed him.
The Mayor started his
day with a dose of Ayur-
vedic medicine given by
his mother to increase his
immunity. It was suggest-
ed to her by a doctor, who
is also Mr Rammohan’s
friend from college days at
Osmania University.
Mr Rammohan went
afterwards to Charminar
to participate in a pledge
programme organised by
the Greater Hyderabad
Municipal Corporation.
Addressing about 400 sani-
tation workers, he said,
“We are striving to keep
city clean, risking our
lives. We appeal to citizens
to stay home, till end of
lockdown. If Coronavirus
is villain, sanitation work-
ers are heroes, fighting for
us. More than 25,000 work-
ers join hands to fight the
virus. We will surely win.”
How prepared is
Telangana in fighting
Coronavirus?
Months ago, we were
brooding in panic what
would happen if this dead-
DC CORRESPONDENT
HYDERABAD, APRIL 24
MIM president Asaduddin
Owaisi on Friday said that
migrant labourers strand-
ed across the country are
fighting for their dignity
and requested state gov-
ernments to prepare an
action plan to send them
home to their native
places after May 3.
He also faulted the
Centre’s decision to lock-
down the entire nation. A
lockdown would not
resolve the Covid-19 crisis
and it does not have legal
sanctity, Mr Owaisi said.
Speaking to Deccan
Chronicle after handing
over Personal Protection
Equipment (PPE) kits to
Mayor Bonthu Ramm-
ohan, municipal adminis-
tration and urban develop-
ment principal secretary
Arvind Kumar and GHMC
commissioner Lokesh Ku-
mar at Shastripuram, Mr
Owaisi said migrant labo-
urers do not rely on the
NURSE TESTS
+VE, INFECTS
9-MONTH BABY
DC CORRESPONDENT
HYDERABAD, APRIL 24
A nurse from Nizam’s
Institute of Medical
Sciences, who tested pos-
itive for Covid-19 on
April 18, transmitted the
infection to a nine-
month-old child. Invest-
igation by Covid-19 spe-
cial teams showed that
she had come in contact
with 40 nurses who may
also have been affected.
The special teams have
alerted the NIMS hospi-
tal management, which
quarantined the nurses
immediately.
According to the
Covid-19 teams deployed
at the containment zone
in Mettuguda, the nurse,
who did not show Covid-
19 symptoms, interacted
with several of her neig-
hbours being asymptom-
atic. She often played
with a nine-month-old
child of a neighbour,
who also tested positive.
Both of them were sent
to Gandhi Hospital’s iso-
lation ward. Around 60
households in the area
were put in home quar-
antine and the area was
declared a containment
zone.
“The nurse had come
in contact with a coron-
avirus-positive patient.
She attended to the
patient and helped him
while shifting wards.
Doctors and other nurs-
es who attended on the
patient have been identi-
fied. Since the doctors
are wearing personal
protective equipment
(PPE), they are safe. But
40 nurses have been iso-
lated and their swabs
sent for testing. All of
them will be relieved
from the isolation ward
if they test negative
thrice,” a Covid-19 offi-
cial at Mettuguda said.
City mayor Bonthu Rammohan oversees construction work at a project in Hyderabad.
ly virus enters India. ings with bureaucrats There are several allega-
Unlike China, we are a from all departments tions regarding irregu-
democratic country, a and prepared an extensive larities in ration distri-
developing nation. How plan for lockdown well bution in the city? How
can we contain Covid-19? in advance, without dis- well is government treat-
However, under guidance turbing harmony or creat- ing migrant labourers
of Chief Minister K. ing panic among citizens. and homeless?
Chandrashekar Rao, we We have successfully We have distributed free
have been preparing plans contained
since third week of despite facing several ration cards holders, who
January. challenges during lock- have applied from 76 lakh
We held numerous meet- down.
Asaduddin Owaisi
donations of the governm-
ents but on their earnings.
“I suggest the Telangana
state government prepare
an action plan to send
migrant labourers home
from May 4 to May 7 to
make things simpler post
lockdown,” Mr Owaisi,
the Hyderabad MP, said.
Mr Owaisi faulted the
use of the term lockdown.
“Lockdown is not a legal
term. The term is being
used by government offi-
cials and others to
Congress criticises TRS
on Covid relief measures
IREDDY SRINIVAS
REDDY | DC
HYDERABAD, APRIL 24
Telangana Pradesh
Congress committee pres-
ident and MP N. Uttam
Kumar Reddy has stro
ngly criticised Chief
Minister K. Chand-
rashekar Rao for not
delivering the promised
relief package for those
affected by the lockdown.
He was addressing a
press conference at Nalg-
onda on Friday after hav-
ing review meetings with
the collector and SP on
the anti-Coronavirus
measures taken in the dis-
trict. He inquired about
the relief measures and
the status of the procure-
ment of agriculture pro-
duce.
He also lodged a crimi-
nal complaint against Re-
public TV and its head Ar-
nab Goswami for his high-
ly objectionable, derogat-
ory and defamatory rema-
rks against Congress pre-
sident Sonia Gandhi, and
urged the district SP to
register a criminal case.
Speaking on the occa-
sion, Reddy expressed
worry that not all the ben-
eficiaries got the prom-
ised rice and cash assis-
tance. He alleged that the
quality of rice being sup-
plied to the poor was sub-
standard. He said nearly
80 per cent people who
had received the ration
rice are disposing of it
and buying fine rice for
consumption. He demand-
ed that the state govern-
ment supply good quality
rice to the poor.
The TPCC chief con-
demned the government
for not clarifying whether
the 12 kgs of rice supplied
to white ration card hold-
ers includes the five kgs of
rice promised by the
Centre. He said he gad
` — P. SURENDRA
Covid-19, ration to about 3.35 lakh
card holders in state. We
● ASADUDDIN OWAISI
said, a lockdown would
not resolve the Covid-19
crisis and it does not have
legal sanctity.
● HE ALSO distributed
PPE kits to Asha and
Anganwadi workers in
some areas.
● HE SAID everyone
should follow social dis-
tancing and cooperate
with the employees who
are coming for screening
in the GHMC areas.
describe a situation where
free movement of goods is
restricted, with the excep-
tion of essential items
declared by the Governm-
ent of India under Section
2, 3, 4 of the Epidemic
Diseases Act. Lockdown is
not the same as curfew.
One of the foremost differ-
ences between the two is
that in a lockdown the
state enforcement authori-
ties like the police cannot
TPCC chief Uttam Reddy submitting complaint against
Arnab Goswami to Ranganath, Nalgonda SP for deroga-
tory comments against Sonia Gandhi, AICC president.
PCCchief submits
plaint against Arnab
DC CORRESPONDENT
HYDERABAD, APRIL 24
Telangana Pradesh Con-
gress committee working
president A. Revanth Red-
dy complained against Re-
public TV’s Arnab Gos-
wami with the Lok Sabha
Speaker and the Lok
Sabha Privileges Comm-
ittee his comments agai-
nst Congress president
and MP Sonia Gandhi.He
said he had written to Lok
Sabha Speaker Om Birla
that the attack on Sonia
Gandhi, who had not only
spent 50 years in service
of the country but also
witnessed the sacrifice of
her husband’s and moth-
inquired about it with se-
nior officials but they had
no clarity on the matter.
He urged the state gov-
ernment to restore the
services of field assistan-
ts, who were on strike, to
start NREGA works. He
said despite the field
pg 3
arrest persons for not fol-
lowing the norms without
permission from the com-
petent court. Lockdown is
not a cure to contain
Covid-19,” he said.
He also distributed PPE
kits to Asha and Anganw-
adi workers in some
areas. Speaking afterwa-
rds, Mr Owaisi said, “Peo-
ple should cooperate with
our lifesavers who are doc-
tors, nurses, police and
ASHA workers.” He said
everyone should follow
social distancing and
cooperate with the emp-
loyees who are coming for
screening in the GHMC
areas.
“Now that the Ramzan
season is going to start, I
request you all not to pray
in mosques. Nobody sho-
uld come out after 7 pm as
it is curfew time. All of us
together should stop
Covid-19. We are together,
we can stop the spread of
this deadly disease. This is
a critical situation for the
poor people,” he added.
er-in-law’s lives for the
nation to stay united was
atrocious and highly con-
demnable.
He alleged that the state-
ment made by Goswami
has put decency and the
decorum of the Lok Sabha
at stake. He urged the
Speaker to immediately
intervene in this matter
and move a privilege
motion against Goswami
as he had breached privi-
lege by making sweeping
remarks against a senior
member of the House.
The MP demanded that
the Speaker direct the
police to arrest and take
stringent action against
Goswami.
assistants offering to
withdraw their strike
unconditionally due to the
pandemic, the government
was not responding. He
said the restoration of
MGREGA work would pro-
vide livelihood to lakhs of
rural people.
have been supplying 2.15
lakh meals a day through
Annapurna canteens and
volunteers to migrant lab-
ourers and homeless. We
have been treating mig-
rant labour like citizens.
The journey continues
through awareness pro-
grammes, a review meet-
ing at GHMC headquar-
ters pertaining to land
acquisition, TRS party
meeting in Nampally,
attending food donation at
Exhibition Grounds,
inspecting SRDP works at
Bahadurpura, CRMP
works on Sardar Patel
Road, inspecting shelter
homes at West
Marredpally, and a con-
tainment zone in
Alugadda Bavi.
Mr Rammohan gets num-
erous fake calls. One such
claimed that 40 migrants
were deprived of food at a
waiting room in
Secunderabad. When the
mayor went to the spot,
there were no people at all.
The day stretches till
curfew time, with hardly
time for even a proper
cup of tea, much less so
a meal.
 NATION
DECCAN CHRONICLE | HYDERABAD | SATURDAY | 25 APRIL 2020
pg 4

SHORT
SC RELIEF FOR
ARNAB IN
TAKES
DEFAMATION CASE
PARMOD KUMAR | DC
NEW DELHI, APRIL 24
The Supreme Court on Friday
protected Republic TV’s editor-
in-chief Arnab Goswami from
any coercive action for three
weeks during which he can
approach a Mumbai court for
anticipatory bail in an FIR
filed in Nagpur against him
alleging defamation in the
wake of a programme relating
to Palghar lynching of two
sadhus that was telecast on
April 21.
Justice D.Y. Chandrachud,
heading the bench comprising
Justice M.R. Shah, said that
speaking for himself “there
should be no restraint on the
media. I am averse to imposing
any restrictions on media.”
Transferring the FIR that
was lodged at Nagpur to a
police station in Mumbai
located at N.M. Joshi Marg,
where Goswami had lodged a
complaint of attack on him
and his wife by two people rid-
ing on a bike while they were
returning home past mid-
night on Wednesday-
Thursday, the court stayed fur-
ther action in the FIRs and
complaints lodged in
Maharashtra, Rajasthan,
Chhatisgarh, Madhya
Pradesh, Jharkhand,
Telangana and Union territo-
ries of Jammu and Kashmir.
Goswami invited the wrath
of Congress supporters for tar-
geting party president Sonia
Gandhi in the course of a pro-
gramme on the lynching of
two sadhus at Palghar ques-
tioning her alleged silence
when people from majority
community are killed.
WITHDRAW CASES
AGAINST SCRIBES IN
Migrants will be brought home: Yogi
Labourers who have completed 14-day quarantine to be brought back in a phased manner
Lucknow, April 24: The
Uttar Pradesh government
will bring back labourers
stranded in other states
because of the coron-
avirus-forced lockdown,
Chief Minister Yogi
Adityanath said on Friday,
and directed officials to
prepare an action plan in
this regard.
At a review meeting with
senior officers here,
Adityananth asked them
to prepare a list of people
stuck in other states and
have completed 14-day
quarantine there so that
they can return home in a
phased manner.
“Uttar Pradesh will
bring back its labourers
● THE CHIEF MINISTER
directs officials to prepare
a list of people stuck in
other states
stuck in other states.
“The labourers who have
completed 14-day quaran-
tine there should be
brought back in a phased
manner,” an official
release quoted the Chief
Minister as saying.
“The labourers, after
being brought up to UP
border by the states con-
cerned after screening and
testing, will be sent to
their villages. But first,
they will be kept in quar-
antine in their districts for
14 days. For this, arrange-
ments should be made and
the places should be sani-
tised,” the chief minister
said.
Those who have complet-
ed 14-day quarantine in
the state should be sent
home with ration and
`1,000, he said.
A decision has been
taken to send two senior
officers to districts which
have 20 or more coron-
avirus cases.
These officers will camp
there for a week and
ensure that lockdown is
strictly followed,
Adityanath said at the
review meeting.
Stressing that spread of
infections in hospitals and
medical centres should be
prevented, the chief min-
ister said personal protec-
tive equipment kits, N-95
masks and sanitisers
should be made available
to check this.
He said that the “identifi-
cation of hotspots” and
policy regarding it is prov-
ing effective and this
“Uttar Pradesh model” is
becoming popular in the
country.
“It should be ensured
that public movement is
totally restricted in
hotspot areas and,
only medical teams and
sanitisation workers
should visit,” Adityanath
said. — PTI
Cannot bring back students
from Kota, Bihar govt tells HC
NAYEAR AZAD | DC outside Bihar as per the is extremely sensitive
PATNA, APRIL 24 guidelines issued by towards the plight of stu-
the ministry of home dents stranded outside the
The Bihar government affairs. state.
has informed the Patna The matter was heard in The Bihar government
High Court that it cannot the High Court through in coordination with other
bring back students who video-conferencing where state governments is try-
are stuck in Rajasthan’s the government responded ing to extend all possible
Kota due to lockdown. to the notice issued by the help as per the guidelines
The state government, Registrar General after a issued by ministry of
however, clarified that petition was filed by advo- home affairs, government
efforts are being made to cate Ajay Thakur regard- of India,” principal secre-
extend all possible support ing the issue. tary Pratyaya Amrit said
to students stranded “The Bihar government in a letter.
4-MONTH-OLD
BABY DIES OF
CORONAVIRUS
GILVESTER ASSARY | DC
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM,
APRIL 24
A four-month-old baby, who
had tested positive for
Covid–19, died at the
Kozhikode Government
Medical College on Friday.
According to the doctors,
the baby had congenital
heart ailments. The health
officials have not yet been
able to find out as to how
she contracted the virus.
The test results of her par-
ents are expected to be out
soon.
Meanwhile, five doctors
of a hospital which treated
the baby have been quaran-
tined. Health minister K.K.
Shailaja said though all
efforts were made to save
the baby but due to congen-

J&K: PRESS CLUB ital heart complications

DC CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, APRIL 24
The Press Club of India has
rallied behind the journalists
facing action in Jammu and
Kashmir saying it is all too
easy to treat a criticism as
anti-national activity intended
to comfort the enemy.
A statement issued on Friday
said, “Events of the past week
underline the fact that the new
norm in Kashmir is for the
police to call journalists to
police stations in connection
with their published reports,
her condition kept deterio-
rating leading to death.
She said the baby’s last
rites will be conducted
complying with protocol
laid down for Covid-19. The
child was admitted to the
isolation ward of the
Women and Child wing of
the hospital.
Locals commute in a crowded boat across Mahananda in Katihar on Friday during the nationwide lockdown imposed to curb the spread of The baby tested positive
Coronavirus. — PTI for SARS Cov-2 on April 22.
Earlier, one of the relatives
of the baby who returned
from abroad, had tested
positive for Covid-19.The
Under pressure, Bengal Chennai to have relative who has now been
cured of the infection, did
not have ny direct contact

revises Covid toll to 18 ‘total civil curfew’

photographs, or their social
media posts, and to file FIRs
against journalists.”
“A case under the draconian
Unlawful Activities
(Prevention) Act has been filed
against a young photo-journal-
ist. The correspondent of a
prominent national daily has
had a case registered against
him for reporting that the
police buried bodies of two
men killed in an encounter
when the family of at least one
of them was ready to identify
the alleged terrorist. Another
journalist is being sought to be
prosecuted for his social
media output where he ques-
tions current methods against
the media.”
“All this is very surprising.
Under the normal rules and
practices of a democracy, per-
ceived news errors are dealt
with through official denials
or writing a letter to the editor.
The Cyber Police appear to
be super-active in the Valley,
parsing every word written
and then summoning journal-
ists to the police station. We
demand that the Governor’s
administration devise open
and transparent norms to
address perceived questions
relating to journalists’ posts
on social media. Currently, it
is all too easy to treat a criti-
cism as anti-national activity
intended to comfort the
enemy. “We demand that the
criminal cases registered
against journalists be with-
drawn right away,” the state-
ment added.
RAJIB CHOWDHURI | DC
KOLKATA, APRIL 24
Buckling under the
Opposition’s pressure of
allegations of the Covid-
19 death toll cover-up in
West Bengal, the Mamata
Banerjee government on
Friday put the statewide
figure to 18 from 15 while
revealing of 39 more
deaths in which the dead-
ly virus was “incidental
finding.”
State health department
advisor Dr. B.R. Satpati
stated, “The expert com-
mittee for conducting
audit into the death of
Covid-19 patients which
was set up on April 3 has,
till this date, examined 57
cases of death of persons
who had tested positive
for Covid-19. This
Committee examined all
the relevant documents
including Bed-Head-
Ticket, treatment history,
Laboratory investigation
reports, death certificates
and other documents by
the hospitals concerned.
The committee has found
that 18 deaths were due to
Covid-19 infections. The
remaining 39 deaths were
due to severe co-morbid
conditions which were the
immediate cause of death,
and Covid-19 was the inci-
dental finding.”
He then listed a series of
ailments as “co-morbid”
conditions which, health
department sources said,
prompted the panel not to
certify the deaths due to
Covid-19 although the
patients were earlier
detected with the deadly
virus in “incidental find-
ing.”
The development came
after Apurva Chandra,
leader of the two visiting
Inter-Ministerial Central
teams, sought to know
from state chief secretary
Rajiva Sinha about the
formation, purpose and
functions of the health
experts committee, specif-
ically to ascertain the
cause of deaths of the
infected patients.
“The principal secretary
(health) in his presenta-
tion on April 23 gave some
reasons for establishment
of the committee of doc-
tors and also mentioned
that if a Covid patient
dies in a road accident, he
can not be said to have
died of Covid. The IMCT
did not find the reasoning
convincing as there is no
comparison between a
road death and a death in
a hospital due to disease.
The IMCT also seeks
interaction with this com-
mittee to understand their
methodology,” Chandra
wrote in his letter to
Sinha.
Meanwhile, rebutting
West Bengal Chief
Minister Mamata
Banerjee’s accusations,
Governor Jagdeep
Dhankhar tore into the
Trinamul Congress supre-
mo on 37 counts in his sec-
ond letter to her within 24
hours of the attack. He
also ruled out of weaken-
ing ‘Consti-tutional
morality’ or crossing
‘Lakshman Rekha.’
Dhankhar told Banerjee,
“In the state as a farsight-
ed move all political par-
ties have pledged unquali-
fied support to the govern-
ment. Time also
for you to shun politics. I
can figure out that your
entire strategy is crafted
to deliberately divert peo-
ple’s attention from your
abject failure in combat-
ing and containing
Coronavirus in West
Bengal. Your appease-
ment of the minority com-
munity was so explicit
and awkward that as
regards a question about
the Nizamuddin incident
by a journalist, your reac-
tion was “Do not ask com-
munal questions.” This is
most unfortunate.”
DC CORRESPONDENT for three days from
CHENNAI, APRIL 24 April 26 to April 28, an
official release here
Tamil Nadu on Friday said.
imposed tighter lock- The review meeting
down measures as part found it necessary to
of Covid-19 contain- make the lockdown ru-
ment, by deciding to les implementation m-
enforce ‘total civil cur- ore rigorous in the ab-
few’ in major cities ove mentioned densely
including Chennai, populated urban clus-
Coimbatore and ters including the thre-
Madurai for four days e major cities in Tamil
from April 26 to April Nadu, as they faced the
29. risk of the coronavirus
Chief Minister, infections surging in
Edappadi K. Palani- the coming days.
swami decided on The meeting noted
these select, but more that the spread of
tougher measures Covid-19 has been con-
after a review meeting tained to a significant
on the overall coron- extent in the rural
avirus prevalence situ- parts of Tamil Nadu,
ation in the state with but the pattern was
top officials and different in the major
experts here on Friday. cities and two of the
As per the decisions smaller cities includ-
announced under the ing Tirupur and
National Disaster Ma- Salem.
nagement Act, 2005, The decisions were
the civil curfew will be taken on the basis of
in full force in the advice by the medical
cities of Chennai, Coi- and public health
mbatore and Madurai experts, Mr.
for four days (April 26 Palaniswami said.
to April 29) from 6 am The essential servic-
to 9 pm daily. es exempted from the
In the smaller munic- purview of the ‘total
ipal corporations of T- civil curfew’ include
irupur and Salem, the hospitals, testing labs,
civil curfew will be pharmacies, besides
fully implemented fr- essentials related to
om 6 am to 9 pm daily health like ambulance.
with the child.
The baby was referred to
the medical college from a
private hospital in Manj-
eri. This is the third Covid-
19 death in Kerala. The fir-
st death was reported on
March 28 in Ernakulam di-
strict when 69-year-old m-
an who returned from Du-
bai, died at the Ernakulam
Medical College. On March
21, a 68 year old man with
no travel history , succum-
bed to ailments at the Tri-
vandrum Medical College.
While three positive
cases were reported, 15
recovered from the infec-
tion, said Chief Minister
Pinarayi Vijayan at a press
conference after presiding
over a high level review
meeting. All three cases
are from Kasargod and
they contracted the infec-
tion through contact.
The state currently has
116 active cases, 21, 243
under home quarantine
and 452 in hospitals.
Kannur has highest num-
ber of Covid–19 cases at 56
while Kasargod has 18.

COVID | IMPACT The detainees were declared foreigners and had been in Assam for two years

224 detainees released from detention centres

MANOJ ANAND | DC
GUWAHATI, APRIL 24
After the direction of the
Supreme Court, at least 224
detainees who were
declared foreigners have
been released from six
detention centres in
Assam.
Inspector General of jail
Dasarath Das told this
newspaper that 224
detainees of the total
declared foreigners lodged
in six detention centres at
Tezpur, Jorhat, Dibrugarh,
Silchar, Kokrajhar and
Goalpara, were released
following the direction of
the Supreme Court.
Relaxing its earlier condi-
tions in view of the coron-
avirus pandemic, the
Supreme Court in a fresh
order on April 14 had
directed the release of
those detainees who were
declared foreigners and
have been lodged in the
detention centres of Assam
for two years or more.
A bench of Chief Justice
S.A. Bobde and Justices
L.N. Rao and M.
Shantanagoudar, referring
to the top court’s May 10,
2019 order, also lowered the
personal bond amount
from `1 lakh to `5,000 while
● THE SC also lowered
the personal bond amount
from `1 lakh to `5,000
while reducing the mini-
mum period of detention
from three years to two
years.
● THE DETAINEES were
lodged in six detention
centres at Tezpur, Jorhat,
Dibrugarh, Silchar,
Kokrajhar and Goalpara.
reducing the minimum
period of detention from
three years to two years.
Earlier, the top court had
imposed certain conditions
while directing the release
of such detainees includ-
ing that they should have
spent more than three
years in detention, and
were to be released upon
furnishing a bond of
`1 lakh along with two
sureties.
The April 14 order had
come on intervention
application filed by Justice
for Liberty Initiative, a
Assam-based Public
Charitable Trust, seeking
the release of detainees
lodged in six Assam deten-
tion centres in view of
coronavirus pandemic.
The IG prison said that
they have also released
1,900 Undertrial prisoners
and 15 convicts from 31
jails of the state.
Informing that the under-
trials were released after
the high-power committee
headed by a justice of the
Gauhati High Court
reviewed the situation of
the jails in the wake of
Covid-19 pandemic and
lockdown, Das said that 15
convicts were released on
parole.
Out of the 1,900 inmates,
243 inmates were released
from Guwahati central jail,
51 from Tezpur central jail,
89 from Silchar, 161 from
Dibrugarh, 89 from Jorhat
and 75 from Nagaon cen-
tral jail. Several hundred
undertrial prisoners were
released from various dis-
trict jails for which a crite-
ria was prepared by the
apex court which had
asked states to form the
high-power committee to
review situation and
release the prisoners.
Sources said that some of
the prisoners could not be
released as they were from
other states and districts
and in view the lockdown,
they were not in position to
reach their respective
homes.
 WORLD
DECCAN CHRONICLE | HYDERABAD | SATURDAY | 25 APRIL 2020
pg 5

IN
Inmates help to
BRIEF
combat Covid-19
Tokyo: In Japan, inmates will
be joining the fight against
the spread of the Coronavirus
from behind the bars, by mak-
ing protective gowns for med-
ical workers. Inmates will be
assigned to the production of
protective medical gowns that
are in dire shortage at many
hospitals, putting many med-
ical workers at risk and fear of
getting infected, Justice
Ministry officials said Friday.
The ministry said manufactur-
ing of protective gowns will
begin in mid-May at 41 of 75
prisons across Japan, with a
production target of 1.2 mil-
lion gowns by October, or
about 200,000 per month.
Oz PM supports
changes to WHO
Canberra: Australia’s prime
minister says his government
will cooperate with like-
minded countries to change
the World Health Organis-
ation. Australian agrees with
the United States that the
United Nation’s agency
needs to be reviewed, but
Australia continues to sup-
port the agency’s valuable
work in the Pacific. President
Donald Trump has directed
his administration to freeze
WHO funding, claiming it
didn't deliver adequate early
reports on the coronavirus.
Prime Minister Scott
Morrison told reporters on
Prayer in solitude Virus pushes US
unemployment
to highest level
New York, April 24:
Unemployment in the US
is swelling to levels last
seen during the Great
Depression of the 1930s,
with one in six American
workers thrown out of a
job by the coronavirus,
according to new data
released Thursday.
In response to the deep-
ening economic crisis, the
House passed a nearly
$500 billion spending pac-
kage to help buckled busi-
nesses and hospitals.
More than 4.4 million
laid-off Americans app-
lied for unemployment
benefits last week, the
government reported. In
all, roughly 26 million
people — the population
of the 10 biggest US cities
combined — have now
filed for jobless aid in five
weeks, an epic collapse
that has raised the stakes
in the debate over how
and when to ease the shut-
downs of factories and
other businesses.
In the hardest-hit corner
of the US, evidence eme-
rged that perhaps 2.7 mil-
A Palestinian Muezzin, who calls Muslims to prayer, reads the holy Quran in an almost empty mosque in Gaza City on the first Friday prayers of lion New York state resi-
the holy fasting month of Ramzan on Friday as mass prayers are suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic. —AFP dents have been infected
by the virus — 10 times
● ROUGHLY 26 million
people — the population
of the 10 biggest US cities
combined — have now
filed for jobless aid in five
weeks.
the number confirmed by
lab tests. A small, prelimi-
nary statewide survey of
around 3,000 people found
that nearly 14 per cen had
antibodies showing they
had been infected, Gov.
Andrew Cuomo said.
Just in New York City,
with a population of 8.6
million, Health Commis-
sioner Oxiris Barbot said
as many as 1 million may
have been infected. A
near-unanimous vote sent
it to President Donald
Trump in the evening.
Anchoring the bill is the
administration’s $250 bil-
lion request to replenish a
fund to help small- and
medium-size businesses
with payroll, rent and
other expenses. Trump
said the bill “will help
small businesses to keep
millions of workers on
the payroll.” Abroad,
there was mixed news
about the epidemic. — AP

Biden backs mail votes China ‘will pay a

Friday: “What happens at
the upper echelons of these
organisations, and how they
operate, I think is in need of
change.” “Australia will con-
tinue to advocate for that

for Prez elections in Nov price’: Pompeo

change with like-minded
countries who share our
concerns,” Morrison said.

Bangladesh bans Washington, April 24:

Iftar gatherings
Dhaka: Bangladesh on Friday
banned Iftar gatherings dur-
ing the holy month of
Ramzan to curb the spread
of the Coronavirus infections
as the Muslim-majority coun-
try recorded the highest sin-
gle-day spike of 503 positive
cases, increasing the total
cases to 4,689. Bangladesh’s
Ministry of Religious Affairs
in a statement said that in
order to maintain social dis-
tancing during the coron-
avirus outbreak, no individu-
als or institutions will be
allowed to arrange or partici-
pate in any gathering over
Iftar meals. The ministry said
legal action will be taken
against those who fail to
comply with the order. The
government has also decided
not to allow more than 12
people in mosques for
Ramzan evening prayers as
the Coronavirus outbreak
continues to escalate.
Blasts Trump for working to block emergency funding
Atlanta, April 24:
Presumptive Democratic
presidential nominee Joe
Biden is calling on
Congress to provide
enough money for every
state to allow voters to cast
a ballot by mail this
November amid the
Coronavirus pandemic.
In making that pitch dur-
ing an online fundraiser on
Thursday night, Biden
blasted President Donald
Trump for working to block
emergency funding for the
cash-strapped US Postal
Service, which would han-
dle tens of millions of bal-
lots this fall. Biden said it’s
evidence that Trump
already is trying to “under-
mine” the election and
make it more difficult for
Americans to vote.
“We have to make it easi-
er for everybody to be able
Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice
President Joe Biden.
explicit call for a national
mail election since Covid-
19 upended the 2020 cam-
paign and every aspect of
American life. The former
vice president doesn’t pro-
— AP
Postal Service. Trump,
who voted by mail in
Florida’s presidential pri-
mary last month, recently
said he believes mail vot-
ing allows voters to
to the US Postal Service,”
Biden said. “What in God’s
name was that about other
than trying to let the word
out that he's going to do all
that he can to make it very
hard for people to vote.”
Biden’s remarks suggested
that the Postal Service had
already received some tax-
payer funds.
It has not. Nonetheless,
Biden described trump's
approach as “un-Ame-
rican” and said “that's the
only way he thinks he can
possibly win.” Going fur-
ther, Biden predicted with-
out evidence that Trump
will attempt to postpone
the election altogether.
“Between he and the
Russians, there’s going to
be an attempt to interfere,”
Biden said.
“This President, mark
my words, I think he's
Blaming China for the
Coronavirus pandemic,
US Secretary of State
Mike Pompeo said it has
caused a “huge chal-
lenge” for the global as
well as the US economy
by not sharing the infor-
mation they had and the
ruling Communist Party
“will pay a price” for it.
China has come under
increasing pressure from
nations across the world,
including the US, over the
lack of transparency in
its handling of the
Coronavirus pandemic,
which has so far claimed
more than 190,870 lives
globally, with America
leading the tally with
nearly 50,000 deaths.
President Donald
Trump had said his
administration was look-
ing into reports that the
Coronavirus “escaped”
from a Wuhan virology
laboratory before it
spread to the world. “I am
I am very confident
that the Chinese
Communist Party will pay a
price for what they did here,
certainly from the United
States. I don’t know exactly
what form that will take
— MIKE POMPEO
US Secretary of State
control the virus and
revive the American
economy.
“It’s on making sure we
keep Americans safe, take
down the health risk,
keep people healthy as we
can, and get this economy
going back,” he said. “But
I am very confident. I talk
to business people all
around the country. I talk
to ordinary citizens —
people who have put their
lives at risk over the last
weeks. They know that
this is a result of this
virus that originated in
Wuhan, China, and they
know that the Chinese
Boris Johnson
JOHNSON SET
TO RETURN TO
OFFICE SOON
London, April 24:
British Prime Minister
Boris Johnson is “on the
mend in a big way” and
preparing for his return
to full-time duties at 10
Downing Street soon,
according to reports
from his Cabinet and
government insiders on
Friday.
While a UK newspaper
report claimed that
Johnson could be back
at the helm after his
Covid-19 recovery as
early as next Monday, a
senior Cabinet minister
indicated that no deci-

Nasa develops
to vote, particularly if we pose eliminating in-person “cheat.” Separately, the going to try to kick back very confident that the government didn’t do the sion had been taken on
are still basically in the voting. administration maneu- the election somehow, Chinese Communist Pa- things it needed to do. the date of his return to

potent ventilators
Washington: Nasa engineers
have developed a new, easy-
to-build high-pressure venti-
lator tailored specifically to
treat Covid-19 patients. The
device, called VITAL (Ven-
tilator Intervention Tech-
nology Accessible Locally),
passed a critical test this
week at the Icahn School of
Medicine in New York, an
epicentre of Covid-19 in the
US, Nasa said. VITAL is
designed to treat patients
with milder symptoms, the-
reby keeping country's limit-
ed supply of traditional ven-
tilators available for patients
with more severe Covid-19
symptoms, it said. “We spe-
cialise in spacecraft, not
medical-device manufactur-
ing,” said Michael Watkins,
Director of Nasa’s Jet
Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
kind of lockdown circum-
stances we are in now,”
Biden told about 650
donors. “But that takes a
lot of money, and it's going
to require us to provide
money for states and insist
they provide mail-in bal-
lots.”
It’s perhaps Biden’s most
Africa dangerously behind
in global race for virus gear
Johannesburg, April 24:
As Africa braces for a
surge in Coronavirus ca-
ses, its countries are dan-
gerously behind in the
global race for scarce med-
ical equipment. Ten nati-
ons have no ventilators at
all.
But he said state and
local officials must do
more to make polling loca-
tions conform to public
health protocols, while
steering voters toward
other options. Biden chid-
ed Trump for denigrating
mail balloting and for
opposing direct aid for the
by the continent’s 1.3 bil-
lion people this year. ‘
Very few are in hand.
“We are competing with
the developed world,” said
John Nkengasong, direc-
tor of the Africa Centers
for Disease Control and
Prevention.
vered to ensure that the
Postal Service got no direct
assistance in the $ 2 trillion
Coronavirus aid package.
“He’s already trying to
undermine the election
with false claims of voter
fraud and threatening to
block essential Covid assis-
tance if any extra funds go
Federation of Red Cross
and Red Crescent
Societies, urging an equi-
table approach to help
developing nations.
The crisis has jolted
African nations into creat-
ing a pooled purchasing
platform under the Afri-
come up with a rationale rty will pay a price for There will be a cost asso- full-time work.
why it can’t be held.” It what they did here, cer- ciated with that,” Pompeo “I spoke to him yester-
would be virtually impossi- tainly from the United asserted. day (Thursday), he’s
ble for Trump to succeed States. I don’t know exact- Pompeo said there will cheerful, and he's ebul-
with such a move. Con- ly what form that will be a time to make sure lient and he’s definitely
gress sets the Election Day take,” Pompeo said. that “we get this right” on the mend in a big
statutorily, and the Dem- However, he underlined and to make sure that the way,” said UK Health
ocratic-controlled House that the focus was not on US is not dependent on Secretary Matt Hancock.
would never agree to move China now but the US China for its pharmaceu- “When exactly he comes
it back.’’ — AP administration’s goal is to tical goods. — PTI back is a matter for him
and his doctors,” he
said. — PTI
U.S. TOLL CROSES 50,000
● The worldwide death toll from the ● Spain recorded 367 people
TOM HANKS WRITES
TO BULLIED BOY
Coronavirus pandemic crossed
1,90,000 on Friday, with nearly two-
thirds of the fatalities in Europe.
deaths from Coronavirus over the
past 24 hours, the lowest daily
number of fatalities in four weeks, NAMED ‘CORONA’
● A total of 1,90,089 people have died the government said on Friday.
and 2,698,733 been infected since the ● About 79 per cent of the total Los Angeles, April 24:
virus emerged in China in December. Hollywood veteran Tom
Coronavirus cases in Pakistan are Hanks has penned a
● The growing use of export restric- now locally transmitted, health heartfelt letter to an
tions by governments can be “danger- authorities said on Friday as the Australian boy who was
ously counterproductive” as the world number of people affected by the bullied by his peers over
deals with the pandemic, the IMF and deadly virus rose to over 11,000. his name — Corona. The
According to the Ministry of 63-year-old actor and his

S. KOREA TO Outbid by richer coun-

tries, and not receiving
“The very future of the
continent will depend on
can Union to improve neg-
otiating power.
WTO warned Friday. “We are con-
cerned by supply disruptions from the National Health Services, 13 more
patients died due to the
wife, Rita Wilson, were
among the Hollywood

PROVIDE 1M
medical gear from top aid
donor the United States,
African officials scramble
how this matter is han- Within days of its forma- growing use of export restrictions and celebrities who were diag-
dled.” Politicians instinc- tion, the AU landed more other actions that limit trade of key Coronavirus, taking the toll to 237 nosed with the Coron-
tively try to protect their than 100,000 test kits from
medical supplies and food”. and another 2,527 recovered. avirus. The couple recent-

FACE MASKS for solutions as virus

Seoul, April 24: South Korea
on Friday said it will send one
million face masks to foreign
veterans of the 1950-53 Korean
War as it expands efforts to
help other countries deal with
the Coronavirus epidemics
while its own caseload slows.
cases climb past 25,000.
Even in the best scenario,
the United Nations says 74
million test kits and 30,000
ventilators will be needed
GLOBAL | DEMO
own people and “we know
that sometimes the worst
in human behaviour
comes out,” said Simon
Missiri, Africa director
with the International
Student group Fridays for Future, attracts thousands onto streets worldwide
a German source. The
World Health Organis-
ation is pitching in, appr-
oaching manufacturers
for supplies.
— AP
● An Italian cruise ship docked in a southern Japanese port city of
ly returned to the US after
recovering from the dis-
ease. The eight-year-old
Nagasaki had 43 more new cases in an outbreak that erupted this week, boy, Corona De Vries, first
bringing the total infected to 91, local officials said Friday. wrote to Hanks, asking
the actor about his and
Wilson’s health.
He then said that he
loved his name but people
in his school are calling
Coronavirus, which made

Climate activists take global protest online

South Korean Prime
Minister Chung Sye-kyun dur-
ing a virus meeting on Friday
said the country could send
more masks overseas at a level
that doesn’t disrupt domestic
supply. South Korea since
early March has banned the
exports of masks and channe-
lled most domestically produ-
ced masks to pharmacies, wh-
ere people have been limited to
buying two masks per week.
The nationwide rationing
program was a drastic attempt
at calming public anger over
shortages and reduce hour-
longs lines that formed in
stores across the country in
previous weeks as infections
soared.
Berlin, April 24: Youth
groups are staging a long-
planned global climate
demonstration online
Friday because of restric-
tions on public protests
during the Coronavirus
pandemic.
The student group
Fridays for Future, whose
past rallies have drawn
hundreds of thousands
onto the streets world-
wide, is using a livestream
to call on world leaders to
act against global warm-
● SOME GROUPS have
found creative ways to
stage very limited demon-
strations despite the lock-
down. In Berlin, activists
placed thousands of
protest placards in front
of the German parliament.
ing. Some groups have
found creative ways to
stage very limited demon-
strations despite the lock-
down.
In Berlin, activists
placed thousands of
protest placards in front of
the German parliament.
Swedish activist Greta
Thunberg, 17, the most
prominent face of the
youth climate movement,
said Wednesday during an
online Earth Day event
that the climate crisis
“may not be as immediate
as the corona crisis but we
need to tackle this now,
otherwise it will be irre-
versible.” — AP
him “sad and angry”. In
his response, Hanks wr-
ote, “Your letter made my
wife and I feel so wonder-
ful! Thank you for being
such a good friend —
friends make friends feel
good when they are do-
wn.” “I saw you on TV, ev-
en though I was back in
the USA already — and all
healthy. Even though I
was no longer sick, get-
ting your letter made me
feel even better. You know,
you are the only person
I’ve ever known to have
the name Corona — like
the ring around the sun, a
Luisa Neubauer of Fridays for Future movement lays out protest posters for climate pro- crown,” the actor added.
tection in front the German parliament building the Reichstag in Berlin on Friday. — AP — PTI
 EDIT
DECCAN CHRONICLE | HYDERABAD | SATURDAY | 25 APRIL 2020
pg 6

25 APRIL 2020

The undesirable job of Subhani

saving Arnab Goswami
T
he alacrity with which the Supreme Court has granted Arnab
Goswami, who heads a television station owned by a prominent ruling
party individual, reprieve from arrest for three weeks is an object les-
son in the protection of individual liberties. It would be great to see the
apex court follow its own injunction in the case of other individuals in a sim-
ilar position. Ordinary Indians, including journalists, usually find themselves
helpless in the face of executive excess, as the judiciary remains preoccupied
with other matters. In Kashmir, to take but one example of high-handedness,
the police routinely pull in journalists for questioning and have legal provi-
sions relating to terrorism thrown at them. The judiciary is known to look the
other way, even when matters are brought before it, as in the recent case of a
former Union finance and home minister.
Our judicial system has a sterling history of independence as well as of cav-
ing in. Which prevails in the present era, when national institutions are
falling like ninepins, is being widely watched. So will be the judiciary’s con-

Corona shock lays bare LETTERS

duct in the Goswami case.
The founder-editor and focal anchor of the deeply controversial television
channel, who acts as the spear for the present government and its ideological
confreres, and lances their critics with obsequious abandon, does make the
cut in a very broad definition of journalism. This is because unlike science or
BIAS TO TENANT
geography, journalism embraces a wide ambit. The state government has
However, its conventional, common sense, objectives — whose lodestar is

pretensions of Indians
gone overboard to help
objectivity and fair play — are well understood by non-journalists. While Mr
Goswami is likely to have his fan following, his output appears to be seen by tenants while forgetting
a growing set of people as falling more appropriately in a realm that may be the house owners. It could
indistinguishable from divisive propaganda which derives approbation from have asked tenants to keep
a recently generated ecosystem sustained by the powers-that-be.
The coverage of the lynching on April 16 in Maharashtra’s Palghar district
paying 50 per cent rent so
of two saffron-wearing individuals believed to be sadhus and their driver Official propaganda economy cannot be con- that everyone is happy.
called for sensitive handling. In a video clip, Maharahtra CM Uddhav sidered “sound” if there Every house has to run.
Thackerary has revealed that Union home minister Amit Shah had told him
has sought to play are serious structural
that there was no “communal” angle in the highly regrettable incident. Even up select facts to limitations. India’s GDP
Will the government
so, the Republic Bharat television channel, the Hindi-language platform of
Republic TV, played it in a deeply polarising and disturbingly partisan politi-
Anand K. Sahay give ordinary
Indians a sense of
per capita (the share of
GDP notionally avail-
machinery help landlords
collect rent after three
cal manner, with Mr Goswami doing the anchoring. Its object seemed to be to able to each individual)
achievement, and months if some unscrupu-
personally traduce Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. It is noteworthy that in the
Palghar incident the putative sadhus were lynched by fellow Hindus. That Far & Near to buoy them with
gives the game away. It
mocks the self-adulation lous tenants won't pay the
eliminates the religious divide. Since dubiously manufacturing such a divide the false feeling summoned by citing rent and walk away?
is the stock-in trade of sections of the media (increasingly referred to as the that while they may total GDP figures or Shahbaz Husain

T
“godi” media or poodle media), in the absence of that schism the anchor in he Covid-19
question decided to strike at a well-known opponent of the ruling dispensation pandemic has
in fairly obsessive and obscene terms — no holds barred. In some quarters, exposed the
language used in the programme could be seen as being akin to incitement. uncertainties
On the liberties question, it is important to protect even “bad journalism”, of major world
as the somnolent Press Council of India reminds us. We hold our nose and economies, but in India
do so. it has laid bare many of
our pretensions. The
developing country they
have also “arrived” and
may now be counted
alongside those in the
big league whose wealth
we had so far envied
from afar.
The contrived gratifi-
be a developing
country they have
also ‘arrived’...
city. Not since the
Partition of India over 70
years ago have such
pointing to the economy
in terms of purchasing
power parity.
World Bank data for
2018 suggests that India
ranks a lowly 139th in
the world in terms of
GDP per capita, which
Hyderabad
ACT FASTER
The Centre and state administra-
tions need to get their act together
(Time to take stock after one month
of lockdown, DC, April 24). It is

Grim challenges reality is sinking in

slowly as hundreds of
thousands of Indians
cation took a beating
when thousands upon
thousands of the poorest
images of mass migra-
tion been seen. At least
then there may have
stood at a measly $2,010.
In contrast, China was
around $9,000, Indonesia
extremely disappointing that doc-
tors have to complain that they are
not adequately equipped with

T
hirty-one days into an unprecedented lockdown amid a crisis set to have been forced, in the Indians and their fami- been hope in some $3,900 (to say nothing of appropriate protective suits, etc. It
change the world, it is demoralising to see the government failing to act absence of governmental lies fled India’s big cities bosoms; now there was the major Western is extremely disturbing that the
urgently and instead falling back on old tricks and tired measures. support, to make do with on foot for destinations only trepidation. economies, many of hospitalised patients are deprived
On the 29th day of the lockdown, an ordinance was issued to punish attack- short-term charity from hundreds of kilometres No tabulation is yet which rank behind India of basic amenities, apt treatment
ers of health workers. The punishment entailed a maximum jail term of seven private individuals and away. They aimed to available of how many in PPP or total GDP and proper medical attention. The
years. That such a move became necessary was a shame, no doubt, and it dou- voluntary agencies to head back to their vil- people ran away from terms). For perspective, ground realities do not tally with
bly increases the duty of doctors not to deny treatment to patients, but will it stave off hunger in the lages (in Rajasthan, the cities and headed the India-China gap (one loud promises and budget allot-
lead to better tracing of infected, that is key to containing the pandemic as the past 30-plus days, the Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, home on hearing Prime is to 4.5 approximately) ments.
Kerala and South Korea lessons teach us? Could the government have duration of the lock- Chhattisgarh, Jhar- Minister Narendra is similar to the India- Moses
increased the salary of the Asha worker who is paid no more than `2,000 a down so far. khand, Madhya Pra- Modi’s flash announce- Afghanistan gap since Secunderabad
month but faces the same stigma and violence as the doctor? These are open The Central govern- desh) from New Delhi, ment of a national lock- the latter’s GDP per capi-
ta stood at a meager $500
POIGNANT PICTURE
questions. Also pertinently, what can explain the confusion and speaking in ment has proved itself Mumbai, Surat, Ahmed- down. But it is reason-
voices when it came to partial easing of the lockdown, the second big step of unwilling (and is quite abad, and many places able to assume that they in 2018.
the government in fighting coronavirus? It led to the loss of four business days. possibly also incapable) in Kerala and were from the vast pool While many of India’s People with a genuine reason to be
Now, in relief to industry owners some of whom raised concerns following cir- to extend them succor Karnataka. variously referred to poorest left for their vil- on the road must be let off with a
culation of a WhatsApp message warning them of consequences if they even in an hour such as These were daily (with small definitional lage homes on hearing stringent warning (Breaks down,
resumed commerce and production, the government has “revised” its policy this. On the ground — in income earners. When differences) as informal the PM’s instruction for DC, April 24). The city police com-
and will not hold them responsible for any isolated case of Covid-19 found on the districts and in the the lockdown came, they sector workers, migrant an immediate lockdown, missioner had also instructed cops
premises. Holding out this assurance in a set of reworked guidelines sent to villages — it is the state knew they didn’t stand a labourers, or casual a very large number to go easy and be lenient with peo-
business heads, the Union home secretary wrote to chief secretaries to allay governments that must chance in the big city (to (non-agriculture sector) (again, no data exists) ple in view of lockdown. Some cops
fears. This is even as information and broadcasting minister Prakash deal with the unprece- which they had fled from workers. According to stayed behind because are unnerved and unleashing their
Javadekar maintained that there had been no such directive announced in the dented situation. And their impoverished vil- an ILO estimate of 2011- the government, having wrath on poor people.
first place. With recession knocking on the door and Fitch Ratings slashing they are struggling. lage homes to eke out a 12, of the total labour now turned wise, Laeeq Ullah
India's growth projections in the ongoing fiscal to 0.8 per cent, this clarity is The state of their living). Dick force in India of 495 mil- blocked them from leav- Hyderabad
welcome, but why so late? And, critically, what next? Running at a fiscal finances is far from sat- Whittington was not lion, the overwhelming ing. In very large mea-
deficit ready to touch 6.2 per cent of the GDP this year, the government has no isfactory. It’s been made wanted in London any- bulk (90.7 per cent) is sure, these poorer than Email your letters to info@deccan-
money either for investment or for welfare. For its 1.3 billion population, it has worse by the Centre’s more! from this category. Ten poor people have been mail.com, editor@deccanmail.com.
a daily testing capacity of 10,000. It must work within these grim parameters. unexplained delay in For our poorest citi- years on, as a rule of sustained for the past You can also send them to Editor,
paying the `32,000 crores zens, life is lived at the thumb, it seems plausi- month or so mostly Deccan Chronicle, 36, Sarojini Devi
DECCAN CHRONICLE owed to them as GST most basic level. If they ble that around 500 mil- through personal dona-
tions from thousands of
Road, Secunderabad-500 003.
backlog, and that’s just don’t have earnings at lion Indians live day-to-
one of the issues on the the end of the day, they day, which means that good samaritans and the
ADITYA SINHA T. VENKATESWARLU table. If things turn out are invited to starve. they pretty much go heroic voluntary efforts
Editor Printer & Publisher poorly, it is the states And when the exodus hungry on days they of many. UNICEF’s water
DECCAN CHRONICLE offices are located at: that will be made the fall
guy, politically speak-
began, it was clear to
them that they didn’t
cannot earn.
If this means that close
Having been associated
with this effort in a tri-
supply for India
Hyderabad: 36, Sarojini Devi Road, Secunderabad - 500 003, Ph: 040-27803930-4; Fax : 040-27805256 ing, while the good and have money for rent to half the population fling way for a while, NEW DELHI, April 24
Vijayawada: No.C-3 & 4 Patamata, Industrial Estate, Auto Nagar, Vijayawada (A.P.), Ph: 0866- the great at the Centre either. They were better (taken to be around 1.3 this writer can attest
2555284/2555287; Telefax: 0866-2555234 will probably busy them- off on the road, march- billion) is on the brink of from personal experi- THE United Nations Children’s
Visakhapatnam: Survey No.1/3A Beach Road, Near Kailasagiri Ropeway, Sector-9 MVP Colony, selves with theatrics. ing in the hot sun, than anytime starvation, then ence that a week’s pack fund (UNICEF) will soon launch
Visakhapatnam - 530 017 (A.P), Ph: 0891-2552333/2552334; Fax: 0891-2755285 Such is the state of in staying back in the it is an indictment. It is of the most basic food- in India its largest water supply
Rajahmundry: Vemagiri, Dhawaleswaram Rd, Rajahmundry, Ph: 0883-2417618/2417208; Telefax: 0883- affairs in the world’s also an index of the seri- stuffs for a week for a project in the world.
2417208 ous structural infirmity family of six or seven
ninth largest economy in The pro-
Anantapur: Thapovan colony, Bangalore By-Pass Road, Anantapur - 515004, Ph: 08554-276903; Fax:
08554-276904 nominal GDP terms, and If things turn of India’s economy, no persons can cost any- ject, is to be 50 YEARS AGO IN
Karimnagar: Survey No.1341, Vavilalapally Colony, Jagityala Road, Karimnagar - 505 001, Ph: 0878- the fifth largest in terms out poorly, it is matter how much we where between `750 to completed
of purchasing power par- have begun to praise its around `940. (And we over the
2228908; Telefax: 0878-2220433
Nellore: Survey No.527/2, Burranpur Village, Venkatachalam (M), Chemmudugunta Panchayat, Nellore, ity, a notional landmark the states presumed strengths. speak of zero cash trans- next four
Ph: 0861-2348581/82; Telefax: 0861-2348580 reached last year when that will be made Whatever our finance fers.) That’s the scale of years (1970-74) consists of drilling
Chennai: SP-3 Developed Plot, Industrial Estate, Guindy, Chennai - 600 032, Ph: 044-22254747/ India pushed ahead of the fall guy, ministers since Dr the most basic effort the tube wells in the hard-rock water-
48/50/51; Advt Fax: 22254765/22254766/42305325 Britain and France. politically speaking, Manmohan Singh may Centre ought to have scarcity areas of 11 States to sup-
Bengaluru: 5th Floor, BMTC Commercial Complex, 80 Feet Road, Koramangala, Bengaluru-560 095 Ph: In recent years, official have said to shore up made. What it did, ply safe drinking water to about
080-43460500; Fax: 080-22960552.
propaganda has sought while the good and morale, and to assure instead, was to transfer a 12,000 villages.
Coimbatore: 77, Vivekananda Road, Ramnagar, Coimbatore - 641 009, Ph : 0422 2231255
Kochi: No.3-B, 3rd Floor of DD TRADE TOWER, Kaloor-Kadavanthara Road, Ernakulam, Ph: 0484- to play up these facts to the great at the foreign investors that total of `500 in every Jan Implemented in co-operation
4039408 give ordinary Indians a Centre will budget deficits will be Dhan account when the with the Central and State
Thiruvananthapuram: St Joseph�s Press, TC 15/1040, Cotton Hill, Thycaud (PO), Thiruvananthapuram sense of achievement, probably busy tightly managed so that storm broke. How does Governments, the project will get
and to buoy them with the country remains in this look for the world’s UNICEF assistance of about Rs
695 014
Kozhikode: Door No 6/1002 E, First Floor of City Mall, Opp. YMCA, Kannur Road, Kozhikode - 673 the false feeling that
themselves with investment grade, “the fifth largest economy in 4.5 crores.
001, Fax : 0495 4019 018 while they may be a theatrics fundamentals” of our PPP terms?
Gram: CHRONICLE Postal registration no: No. H/SD-348/2006-08

R
eflecting a few decades later
on the events of April 1917,
British historian (and prime
minister) Winston Churchill
spoke of the Germans turning “upon
Russia the most grisly of weapons.
Mahir Ali They transported Lenin in a sealed
truck like a plague bacillus from
Switzerland to Russia.”
The Germans were keen back then
to facilitate further chaos in Russia,
as what has become known as the
First World War was about to enter
tual circles. His arrival at
Petrograd’s Finland Station did not
merely help to change the course
Russian history. It served as the
starting point of a world-historical
transformation.
The revolution in February 1917
had taken Lenin by surprise but he
was willing to make the most of it.
He returned home by the only means
possible, incubating radical ideas
that were initially anathema even to
some of his closest comrades, all too
Born into a middle-class milieu 150
years ago today in Simbirsk,
Volodya was by most accounts a pre-
cociously sensitive child, radi-
calised not so much by his personal
circumstances but by the misery he
witnessed around him. As a 17-year-
old, he was traumatised by the exe-
cution of 21-year-old Sasha, his
beloved eldest brother, for
Alexander Ulyanov’s role in a plot to
assassinate tsar Alexander III.
Soviet hagiography depicts the
organised the military aspect of the
October Revolution and effectively
engineered a hard-won victory in
the civil war that followed.
Arguments still rage in some
spheres about whether Stalinism
was a natural outgrowth of
Leninism. They often tend to over-
look the fact that a Lenin debilitated
by an assassination attempt and at
least two subsequent strokes unsuc-
cessfully strove in his dying years to
remove Joseph Stalin from his role
formaldehyde and being put on dis-
play for posterity as a poster-boy for
a reality he neither envisaged nor
endorsed.
Lenin’s so-called ‘last testament’
wasn’t made publicly available in
the Soviet Union until it was includ-
ed in his collected works in the 1970s.
Given he rarely hesitated to
acknowledge his own mistakes or
resile from criticising the party that
postulated him as a father-figure, I
suspect he would have empathised

Evolution, along its denouement. Lenin, as the

Russian exile Vladimir Ilyich
Ulyanov was known among circles
with revolution,
familiar with his polemics, was an
implacable opponent of that war,
relentless in his criticism of social
democrats — not least in Germany
many of whom were willing, in the
turbulent confusion of the times, to
operate within the bounds of the
shaky bourgeois-democratic dispen-
sation that had displaced centuries
of tsarist autocracy. Lenin had other
ideas, and by October they had been
teenage Lenin as proclaiming, with
his hand on his distraught mother’s
shoulder: “We will not follow that
path.” Another possibly apocryphal
account has him declaring: “I’ll
make him pay for this!” What’s
undoubtedly true, though, is that
as general secretary of the
Communist Party, or that he tried in
those same years to reverse some of
the repressive policies that civil war
exigencies had dictated.
Perhaps he would have tried much
harder had he envisaged even in his
with Mikhail Gorbachev’s glasnost-
perestroika project. Gorbachev’s
“we cannot go on living like this”
catch cry resonates these days as a
socialistic response and is trotted
out in so many parts of the world to
rescue capitalism. If it is to go

is an aspect of — who had succumbed to the siren

song of nationalistic ‘patriotism’.
The kaiser’s underlings may well
have entertained second thoughts
Lenin’s legacy about their enterprise had they even
an inkling of what their decision
would entail.
At the time, Lenin was largely an
unknown entity even among his
compatriots, at least outside intellec-
honed into the determination that
even the bourgeois phase of the post-
feudal transformation ought to be
overseen by a socialist government.
It was Lenin, and not subsequent
left-wing critics of the Soviet Union,
who coined the term ‘state capital-
ism’ — in his case not as a critique
but as a necessary concession to a
particular stage of development.
the young Vladimir’s high-school
headmaster, who admired his
pupil’s diligence, was Fyodor
Kerensky, the father of Lenin’s reac-
tionary bête noire Alexander
Kerensky in 1917.
There’s potentially another irony
of history in the fact that in that year
Lenin’s most indispensable com-
rade-in-arms was Leon Trotsky, who
most dreadful nightmares that
Stalin would go on exterminate his
closest comrades, culminating in the
beyond that, though, it must heed
Lenin’s warning against one step
forward, two steps back.
assassination of Trotsky in Mexico Lenin has innumerable biogra-
80 years ago. It’s safe to say that
Lenin would have been appalled by
the death cult that placed him on a
phers, and even the most hostile
among them tend to acknowledge
his greatness. It would be a shame to
pedestal made of sand. His devoted let his legacy go to waste.
widow deeply resented the idea of
her husband being soaked in By arrangement with Dawn
 DECCAN CHRONICLE | HYDERABAD | SATURDAY | 25 APRIL 2020
quick
Debt to become
BITES dearer for firms
INDICATORS
Sensex 31,327.22 -1.68
Nifty 50 9,154.40 -1.71
S&P 500* 2,800.64
Dollar (‘) 76.45 -0.48
Pound Sterling (‘) 94.07 91 -0.20
Euro (‘) 82.19 -0.048
Gold (Oz)* ($) 1,741.80 0.49
Brent crude ($/bbl)* 21.50
IN 10-Yr bond yield 6.167 1.735
US 10-Yr T-bill yield* 0.606 -0.982
As of 8:00 PM IST
Forex reserves
surge $3.09 bn
to $479.57 bn
The country's foreign exchange
reserves surged by $3.09 billion
to $479.57 billion in the week to
April 17, due to an increase in for-
eign currency assets (FCA). In
the previous week, the reserves
had increased by $1.81 billion to
$476.47 billion. The reserves had
touched a record $487.23 billion
in the week to March. During
2020-21, the forex reserves had
risen by almost $62 billion. In the
reporting week, FCA rose $1.55
billion to $441.88 billion.
Banking declared
public utility
service till Oct. 21
The government has declared
banking industry as a public
utility service for six months till
October 21 under the provisions
of the Industrial Disputes Act.
This bars the banking sector
from strikes during the opera-
tion of the law, starting from
April 21. In a circular dated
April 20, the Department of
Financial Services said the
labour ministry has declared
"banking industry as a public
utility service" for six months.
Shilpa launches
cancer therapy
drug at `6,440
Shilpa Medicare said it has
launched its generic version of
cancer drug Dasatinib at a
monthly therapy cost of Rs
6,440 under the brand name,
Dasashil. The drug substance
patent on Dasatinib was owned
by Bristol-Myers-Squibb and had
expired on April 12, 2020. The
current monthly therapy cost is
about Rs 1.65 lakh, Shilpa said in
a regulatory filing. Dasashil will
be available in dosage strengths
of 20/ 50/ 70/ 100 mg.
Use of pre-printed
packaging
material allowed
In the wake of Cvoid-19 pan-
demic, the Centre has allowed
companies to use till Septem-
ber their inventories of packag-
ing materials or wrappers with
pre-printed manufacturing
date. However, manufacturers
of packaged commodities will
have to stamp or put stickers
declaring details of the correct
month and year of manufactur-
ing and packing on the pre-
packaged products, said a con-
sumer affairs ministry order.
Regd. No. H/SD/509/2018-20
Printed and Published by
T. Venkateswarlu on behalf of
Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited.
Printed at Deccan Chronicle Press
situated at Plot No. 9 Alwal Village,
Vallabh Nagar Taluk, Medchal
Malkajgiri Dist. Telangana and
Published at 36, S.D. Road,
Secunderabad-3.
RNI Registration No. 3081/1957.
Editor: Aditya Sinha
 Franklin crisis to widen credit spread
% Facebook's $5.7 billion
FALAKNAAZ SYED
MUMBAI, APRIL 24
0.10
The Franklin Templeton
crisis is a double whammy
for the country's credit/
debt markets. Companies
already hit by the nation-
wide lockdown to contain
the spread of Covid-19 pan-
0.80 demic will find it expensive
to raise money, with the
lower rated entities getting
the most impacted.
According to experts, the
credit spread would widen
for all corporate bonds but
hit the lower rated compa-
nies the most.
Experts believe credit
risk funds are going to face
redemption pressure from
investors worried about
the safety of their money
and several experts even
expect the central bank to
announce a liquidity win-
dow to NBFCs and mutual
funds similar to the one it
had extended in 2008 at the
time of the global financial
crisis and then again in
2013 when mutual funds
faced a similar situation.
With banks in a risk-off
mode, non-banking finance
companies (NBFCs) and
microfinance institutions
(MFIs) are currently facing
multiple challenges follow-
ing the spread of Covid-19,
given the stretched liquidi-
ty and frozen operations, a
significant impact of the
event is likely on their
asset quality in the near
future. Many banks have
remained undecided on
providing moratorium to
such firms while the latter
have already extended a
moratorium to their bor-
Stock, debt markets shaken
over Franklin Templeton act
RAVI RANJAN PRASAD
MUMBAI, APRIL 24
Franklin Templeton
India Mutual Fund's clo-
sure of six debt MF
schemes over declining
bond prices and rising
redemptions, has sent
shock waves across the
mutual fund industry
and tripped the stock
market on Friday.
The Sensex closed 535
points, or 1.7 per cent,
down at 31,327.22.
Financial services com-
panies were among the
hardest hit on the BSE.
Shares of two listed
mutual funds
sharply, with Nippon
fell
India Mutual Fund
crashing 17.82 per cent
and HDFC Asset
Management Company, -
6.38 per cent. Other big
losers included Bajaj
Finance (-9.14 per cent)
and promoters of top
mutual funds HDFC (-5
per cent), ICICI Bank (-
5.09 per cent) and Axis
Bank (-5.96 per cent) and
SBI(3.80 per cent).
Franklin Templeton
Mutual Fund (FTMF), in
its statement issued on
Thursday, cited "severe
market dislocation and
illiquidity caused by
Covid-19" and "unprece-
dented level of redemp-
tions" (about Rs 7,000
crore in last one week) as
reasons behind the dras-
tic step to wind up six
debt funds.
Traders plan e-com platform as biggies integrate traders
SANGEETHA G All India Traders
CHENNAI, APRIL 24 (Cait) in the launch of
the national e-com-
Amidst the standoff merce platform.
between e-commerce Various companies
players and small and startups in the
traders, the traders supply chain business
are launching their are being roped in to
own national e-com- help the local kirana
merce marketplace stores take orders
while some of the e- online and ensure last
com giants are mile contactless deliv-
increasingly integrat- ery. Accor-ding to Cait,
ing kirana stores on Startup India, Invest
their platform. India,
The Department for Consumer Products
Promotion of Industry Distri-butors
& Internal Trade Federation and Avana
(DPIIT) is reportedly Capital are promoting
supporting trader this venture. Manufac-
body Confederation of turers, distributors,
rowers, which would result 25,000 crore it offered
in negligible collections at under its revised Targeted
least till May. Long Term Repo
Mihir Vora, chief invest-
ment officer at Max Life
Operations (TLTRO), indi-
cating that banks are reluc-
Insurance, said, "Credit tant to lend to NBFCs.
spreads will further go up "This week a BBB+ rated
and make it more expen- NBFC raised Rs 25 crore
sive for smaller and lower-
rated companies to raise
money. The low appetite for
through NCDs offering a
coupon rate as high as 12-13
per cent while we saw a
lower rated papers or so is AAA-rated entity raising
only going to get worse. at slightly above 7 per cent,
The tepid response to the both were under the
latest round of LTRO just TLTRO," said an expert.
proves the point. We need Catching investors off
to wait and see whether guard, Franklin Templeton
mutual funds will see Mutual Fund late on
redemptions and whether Thursday announced
there is an appetite for winding up six debt
such supply." schemes, citing redemp-
Ashutosh Khajuria, exec- tion pressure and lack of
utive director at Federal liquidity in bond markets
Bank, said, "In case the due to the coronavirus pan-
Franklin Templeton inci- demic.
dent leads to more redemp- 'The negative senti-
tions in the debt scheme of ment...coupled with the
mutual funds they (funds) pessimism emanating
would be compelled to sell
their portfolio bonds. This
from the Covid-19 pandem-
ic, created a situation
may result in widening of
spreads across the spec-
where a large number of
investors started redeem-
trum. However, the lower ing from fixed income
rated bonds are likely to be funds, of which Franklin
affected the most." Templeton MF saw
The Reserve Bank of amongst the highest out-
India has received bids for flows,' according to
only about half the Rs Morningstar
Franklin Templeton
Mutual Fund closed six
schemes, namely,
debt mutual funds has
been shattered post the
IL&FS crisis.
Franklin India Low "Such an extreme step
Duration Fund, Franklin by FTMF has created a
India Ultra Short Bond panic among their
Fund, Franklin India investors as well as
Short Term Income mutual fund investors in
Plan, Franklin India other debt schemes,
Credit Risk Fund, across asset manage-
Franklin India Dynamic ment companies
Accrual Fund and (AMCs). We humbly
Franklin India Income request the Ministry of
Opportunities Fund. Finance and Sebi to take
Despite many liquidity- swift action for protect-
boosting measures taken
by the Reserve Bank, liq-
ing the hard earned sav-
ings of lakhs of
uidity in the bond mar- investors who have
ket, especially in the invested in FTMF," said
lower credit space, has Raghavendra Prasad,
come down substantially.
Though the fund house
CEO, Anmi.
Reassuring Investors
had taken measures to in debt mutual funds ,
meet the redemption the mutual fund indus-
pressure by getting bor- try body Association of
rowers to pre-pay debt, Mutual Funds in India
selling bonds to banks (Amfi) assured investors
and using the credit line that a majority of fixed
provided by banks, these income mutual funds'
became inadequate to assets are invested in
meet the redemption superior credit quality
requests without com- securities and schemes
promising on returns. have appropriate liquidi-
For instance, in March ty to ensure normal
alone, these funds wit- operations.
nessed a cumulative net Nilesh Shah, chair-
outflow of Rs 9,148 crore, man, Amfi, said, "The
said US-based mutual mutual fund industry
fund data managing firm remains fully committed
Morningstar. to investor interests and
The Association of there is no need for them
National
Members
Exchanges
of India
to panic and redeem
their investments. The
(Anmi) sought the gov- industry continues to
ernment's action to pro- remain robust like in the
tect hard earned savings 2008 sub-prime crisis or
of investors as the confi-
dence of investors in
2013 taper tantrum cri-
sis."
wholesalers, retailers
of all verticals of
domestic trade and
consumers will be
part of the e-com-
merce platform.
The traders' decision
on the platform comes
in the aftermath of the
confusion between
traders and e-com-
merce players over the
lockdown guidelines.
After giving verbal the trader body, which
All-India permission to e-com- claims to represent
merce players on seven crore small
delivering non-essen- traders.
tial goods, the govern- "During the current
ment has taken a U- crisis, customers in
turn after coming tier- 2 and 3 cities, who
under pressure from are highly dependent
Facebook-Jio Platforms
deal a blow to Paytm
SANKALP PHARTIYAL &
NUPUR ANAND
NEW DELHI/MUMBAI, APRIL 24
investment in Reliance
promises to be the biggest
headache yet for Paytm, a
SoftBank-backed pioneer
in India’s digital pay-
ments market but which
has been losing ground to
rivals with deeper pock-
ets.
Facebook's WhatsApp,
which has been working
on gaining regulatory
approval for payments
services in India, is gear-
ing up for a full rollout of
those services by June,
according to a source
familiar with the matter.
The partnership with
Reliance, announced on
Wednesday, will give
WhatsApp an inside track
on payments for Relian-
ce's retail unit, which
aims to serve tens of mil-
lions of small shops
across India. It will also
be able to link up with
Reliance's telecoms busi-
ness, which has taken the
market by storm since its
launch in late 2016, and
WhatsApp itself has an
enormous presence in
India with more than 400
million users.
"If someone would have
lost sleep as the Facebook-
Reliance deal was annou-
nced, it must be Vijay
Shekhar Sharma," said a
second source, referring
to Paytm's founder.
The source, who has
close ties to both Reliance
and Paytm, declined to be
identified to protect busi-
ness interests.
Compared to other
major players in India's
digital payments markets,
Olectra
Greentech
bags more
e-bus orders
MICHAEL GONSALVES
PUNE, APRIL 24
Olectra Greentech, the
BSE-listed manufacturer
of electric buses, having
confirmed orders for 765
units, is confident of deliv-
ering them to clients
across 10 cities in the
country by December.
The Secunderabad-based
e-bus leader imports high
tension connector, motors
and other electric equip-
ment from Chinese firm
BYD Company, which is
one of the largest electric
bus manufacturers in the
world.
Olectra recently bagged
40 electric buses order
from the Nagpur
Municipal Corporation.
The order is placed
under the Rs 10,000-crore
FAME II (Faster Adoption
and Manufacturing of
Electric and Hybrid
Vehicles) scheme
announced by the Centre
in 2019, which aims to sup-
port through subsidies
about 7,000 e-buses, 5 lakh
e-3 wheelers, 55,000 e-cars
and 10 lakh e-2 wheelers.
"Since the last two weeks,
components exports from
China to other countries
have been normalised. But
we are in a lockdown
mode," N. Naga Satyam,
executive director
Olectra Greentech told
at
Financial Chronicle.
on these kirana stores
for their daily sup-
plies, are now facing
challenges and to over-
come this situation,
the national e com-
merce marketplace
has been perceived by
Paytm is seen as more vul-
nerable to attack, already
on the backfoot amid com-
petition from Alphabet's
Google Pay and Walmart's
PhonePe.
While having previously
attracted investments
from the likes of Japan's
SoftBank, China's Alibaba
and US-based Berkshire
Hathaway, it lacks its own
wells of capital for fund-
ing, putting it at a disad-
vantage.
Paytm also remains
unprofitable, with its par-
ent firm reporting a loss
of over $500 million in the
year ended March 2019.
Launched a decade ago
as a platform for mobile
recharging, Paytm grew
quickly after ride-hailing
firm Uber listed it as a
quick payment option. Its
use swelled further in 2016
when a ban on high-value
currency notes spurred
digital payments.
But it underestimated
the impact of a state-
backed digital payment
system that was rolled out
in 2016. On that network,
Google Pay and PhonePe
together accounted for
nearly 80 per cent of 1.31
billion transactions in
Huge drop in life
insurance policies,
premia in March
SANGEETHA G
CHENNAI, APRIL 24
Life insurance companies
saw a 32 per cent decline
in new business premium
in March, though they
clocked a growth of 20 per
cent for the entire finan-
cial year. The number of
policies sold in March
also dropped by 66 per
cent for the companies.
Most companies lost
part of the year-end rush
for life policies due to the
lockdown, which was
announced on March 25.
As a result, the total new
business premium dipped
to Rs 25,409.30 crore in
March against Rs
37,459.36 crore in the
same month last year.
While private life insur-
ers registered a decline of
34.22 per cent in their new
premiums, Life Ins-
urance Corporation saw a
dip of 31.12 per cent, as
per the data from the
Insurance Regulatory
and Development
Authority.
"Many of the processes
are manual in the sale of
policies, like handing
over forms and physical
transportation of docu-
ments. These get accumu-
lated by the month-end
and year-end and proba-
bly due to the lockdown
physical transportation
DPIIT and Cait. The
operations will not be
restricted to the pres-
ent crisis, but will be a
permanent e-com-
merce platform, which
will digitise the entire
trading community,'
Praveen Khandelwal,
secretary general of
Cait, said.
Meanwhile, Amazon
has launched 'Local
Shops on Amazon', a
programme that helps
customers discover
products from local
shops in their city.
This is expected to be a
win-win, as customers
can benefit from
January. Paytm was a dis-
tant third with about 10
per cent, according to data
from payments firm
Razorpay.
India's digital payments
market is expected to
more than double in size
to $135 billion in 2023 from
2019 levels, according to a
study by PwC and Indian
industry lobby group
Assocham.
Individual market share
can, however, be difficult
to assess. Paytm has
branched out into servic-
es including insurance
and gold sales, movie and
flight ticketing, and bank
deposits and remittances.
Paytm has long seen the
threat posed by
WhatsApp, and when the
messaging service laun-
ched a trial of its payment
services in early 2018,
Sharma accused Face-
book of "cheap tricks".
Paytm was also part of a
lobbying campaign
against US firms over
local data storage----an
issue now mostly resolved
but which had been an
impediment to WhatsApp
gaining regulatory
approval. With Reliance
behind it, WhatsApp's
could not have happened.
There could be business
still in the pipeline," said
R. M. Vishakha, MD and
CEO of IndiaFirst Life
Insurance.
Among the large private
insurers, SBI Life's pre-
miums fell by 41.36 per
cent, ICICI Prudential by
32.26 per cent, HDFC Life
by 19.26 per cent and Max
Life by 27.44 per cent.
However, for the entire
fiscal, life players grew
business by 20.60 per cent
to Rs 2.5 lakh crore from
Rs 2.1 lakh crore in FY19.
LIC grew by 25.17 per cent
and private players grew
by 11.64 per cent. At the
end of the fiscal, LIC had
a market share of 68.74
per cent and the remain-
ing private players
together 31.26 per cent.
The number of policies
sold in March dropped by
66 per cent for the life
industry, with a decline
of 73 per cent for LIC and
41 per cent for private
players. For the entire fis-
cal, growth in the num-
ber of new policies was
flat. While LIC registered
a growth of 2.29 per cent,
private players saw a
decline of 4 per cent,
indicating that the
growth in value of premi-
ums could mainly be
attributed to the growth
in ticket size.
access to greater selec-
tion and faster deliver-
ies while local shops
can transform them-
selves into digital
stores and expand
their catchment area.
Amazon had piloted
this programme for
six months with over
5,000 local shops and
retailers from about
100 cities, including
Bengaluru, Mumbai,
Delhi, Hyderabad,
Pune, Jaipur,
Ahmedabad, Coim-
batore, Surat, Indore
Lucknow, Saharanpur,
Faridabad, Kota and
Varanasi.
pg 7
path to final approval for
the payment service is
now expected to be
smooth.
On the one hand, the
market is expanding, and
sources say Paytm has
seen a boost in transac-
tions as the Covid-19 cri-
sis pushes commerce
online. But the Reliance-
Facebook combination
represents a Goliath-like
opponent, given Relian-
ce's track record in deci-
mating rivals when it
entered the telecoms mar-
ket with Jio Infocomm
and cut-throat pricing.
"This is a formidable
combination of band-
width and platform player
so it will easily shake up
the payments industry,"
said Ashvin Parekh, a
financial consultant.
He added that in any
bruising battle over digi-
tal payments, a telecom
firm like Reliance's Jio
would be hard to beat as it
has far more insight into
consumer data habits and
a greater number of
stores to reach potential
customers.
Paytm has raised more
than $3 billion since it
was founded, with the
most recent infusion of $1
billion coming last
autumn. But should it
need more, fundraising
now looks far more diffi-
cult. SoftBank, its biggest
investor, has problems of
its own and has backed
away from pouring more
funds into money-losing
startups.
A recent move by India
to intensify scrutiny of
Chinese investments
could also complicate any
future fundraising efforts.
—Reuters
Covid-19 crisis
may hit 29 lakh
jobs in Indian
aviation: IATA
New Delhi, April 24: The
coronavirus pandemic is
expected to impact more
than 29 lakh jobs in the
Indian aviation and
dependent industries,
global airlines' grouping
IATA said on Friday.
Commercial flight serv-
ices in the country remain
suspended till May 3 amid
the nationwide lockdown.
The International Air
Transport Association
(IATA) said its latest esti-
mates indicate a worsen-
ing of the country impact
from the Covid-19 crisis in
the Asia-Pacific region.
About India, IATA said
the pandemic is expected
to potentially impact
29,32,900 jobs in the coun-
try's aviation and its
dependent industries. The
passenger traffic has
declined 47 per cent.
Besides, the grouping
noted that the revenue
impact for airlines operat-
ing to and from the Indian
market would be $11.221
billion (over Rs 85,000
crore) This refers to the
fall in passenger revenue
compared to 2019.
The "passenger demand
impact (origin destination
volumes)" is a fall of more
than 8.97 crore.
All the figures are for
the period of 2020 so far
compared to the whole of
2019.
IATA is a grouping of
nearly 290 airlines, includ-
ing Air India, Vistara,
IndiGo and SpiceJet.
On April 14, IATA said
Covid-19 crisis would see
global airline passenger
revenues drop by $314 bil-
lion this year, a fall of 55
per cent compared to 2019.
Airlines in the Asia-
Pacific region would
record the largest revenue
drop of $113 billion in 2020
compared to last year.
—PTI
 GAMES
DECCAN CHRONICLE | HYDERABAD | SATURDAY | 25 APRIL 2020
pg 8

TAKES
Just another day
DOUBLE DECKER
SHORT

Pak pins former

captain Malik
Karachi: Former Pakistan cap-
tain Salim Malik cannot take up
any cricket activities in the
country despite a lower court
overturning the life ban
imposed on him for match-fix-
ing as he has failed to provide
to the PCB, details of a few
meetings he had in the UK.
A source in the Pakistan
Cricket Board said Malik has
still not responded to a notice
issued to him in 2013 to explain
the meetings he had after he
was banned in 2000.
“Malik, to date, has not
responded to the notice and
that is why the PCB and ICC are
not willing to give any clear
statement on why Malik is not
allowed to engage in any crick-
et activities. After the Board
banned him for life in 2000 on
the recommendations of Justice
(Retd) Qayyum judicial com-
mission, Malik had some meet-
ings in the UK, the transcripts
of which were obtained by the
ICC and which raised doubts
over the purpose of these
meetings,” the source said on
conditions of anonymity. — PTI
Match-fixers get
jail term in Spain
Madrid: A court in Spain sen-
tenced nine former soccer
executives, players, and busi-
nessmen to prison on Friday
India in driving seat for two World Cups: Rohit
New Delhi, April 24:
India limited overs vice-
captain Rohit Sharma
wants his team to win at
least two out of the next
three World Cups and says
the management is mak-
ing a conscious effort to
give young players ade-
quate chances to prove
themselves.
Rohit spoke his mind in
an Instagram live session
with former India spinner
Harbhajan Singh.
“My personal aim is that
we as a team should be
able to win at least two
World Cups out of three
coming up,” he said refer-
ring to the T20 World Cup
in 2020 and 2021 and 50-
over World Cup in 2023.
India have not won a
global event since the 2013
Champions Trophy. Rohit
had hit a record five hun-
dreds in the 2019 World
Cup but India could not go
beyond the semifinals.
“Probably, if we did not
lose wickets in the that
opening half hour
(against New Zealand), we
could have won the game.
Those 10 overs were really
for boxer Nadine
Washington, April 24:
With tears in her eyes,
Nadine Apetz asked herself
“why not one more day?”
The German boxer had
waited four years, and a
ticket to the Tokyo
Olympics was tantalisingly
close when the qualifying
tournament in London was
suspended because of the
coronavirus outbreak.
“One day longer and I
might have had it,” said
Apetz, a 34-year-old welter-
weight who is studying for
a doctorate in neuro-
science.
“I was crying because I
was so disappointed. You
are so close to your biggest
goal, and it’s all stopped,”
she added.
The pandemic has forced
many Olympic hopefuls to
wait it out, but the delay is
particularly painful for the
European boxers who were
on the verge of qualifica-
tion last month. Several
were only one victory
away.
The competition at the
Copper Box was suspended
after three days. A short
time later, the Tokyo
Games were postponed for
one year and are now set to
open on July 23, 2021.
Indian captain Virat Kohli (left) and his deputy Rohit Sharma share a light moment in this file photo. They probably shouldn’t
have started it in the first
place, Apetz said, citing
● German boxer
Nadine Apetz had
waited four years,
and a ticket to the
Tokyo Olympics was
tantalisingly close
when the qualifying
tournament in
London was
suspended because
of the coronavirus
outbreak.
Likewise, lightweights
Luke McCormack of
Britain and Nikolai
Terteryan of Denmark can
qualify in their next bout,
while their welterweight
twin brothers Pat
McCormack and Sebastian
Terteryan can guarantee
spots with two more wins
each.
The London competition
lasted long enough for 16
boxers to qualify. Among
them was British feather-
weight Peter McGrail.
“Tokyo 2020 see ya there,”
he wrote on Instagram, fol-
lowed by an expletive
about the virus.
Sixty-one European spots
remain available.
“It was so painful for me.
It’s difficult because we
have to go back to training.
It’s a lot of work, a lot of

Sachin turns 47, wishes pour

after finding them guilty of col-
luding to fix the result of foot-
ball matches.
It is the first time someone
has been sent to prison for
match-fixing in Spain.
The investigation focused on
two matches at the end of the
2013-14 season in which
Osasuna's executives paid two
Real Betis players to influence
the outcomes.
A court in the region of
Navarra issued a sentence on
Friday that declared that for-
mer Osasuna executives paid
former Betis players Antonio
Amaya and Xabier Torres to
encourage them to beat Real
Valladolid in the penultimate
match and then lose against
Osasuna in the last match of
the season. The court sen-
tenced Amaya and Torres to
one year of prison. — AP
Child rapist
Hewitt out of jail
Johannesburg: Former tennis
champion and convicted child
rapist Bob Hewitt on Friday
walked out of jail after he was
granted parole, the South
African correctional services
ministry said.
Australia-born Hewitt was
convicted in May 2015 of raping
two girls aged 12 and 13 in the
early 1980s, and of indecently
important,” said Rohit,
recalling India's batting
collapse in the all-impor-
tant semifinals.
In the recent past, India
have tried many players
in the middle-order but
that department still
looks unsettled, though
Shreyas Iyer has emerged
as a solid number four.
“We keep talking about
backing players in the
team so that they can
cement their places.
There is a lot of pressure
on captain and coach to
pick the players and back
them.
“It is important to give
them enough chances. We
have heard about how
dada (Sourav Ganguly)
backed you (Harbhajan)
and Yuvi (Yuvraj Singh).
How they backed you and
then you delivered. Same
way we should do it, the
process is on. Whoever is
being backed at the
moment will get adequate
chances.”
Rohit recollected the
time when he got into the
Indian team.
“When you don't get a
consistent run, the play-
er’s confidence is hit. It
happened with me also. It
depends on the individual
how he utilises that oppor-
tunity.
New Delhi, April 24: A
name synonymous with
most things good and per-
fect in Indian cricket,
Sachin Tendulkar on
Friday turned 47 and was
flooded with flattering
wishes from the sporting
fraternity.
The diminutive
Mumbaikar, the greatest
accumulator of runs in
the game's history, decid-
ed not to have any elabo-
rate celebrations this year
owing to the devastation
caused by the Covid-19
pandemic.
“Started my day by tak-
ing blessings from my
Mother. Sharing a photo of
Ganpati Bappa that she
gifted me. Absolutely
priceless,” he tweeted on
Friday well past after-
noon.
A former Rajya Sabha
Member of Parliament,
Tendulkar has slipped
into the retired life after
calling it quits in 2013,
offering perspective on
the game when sought
and staying busy with
social work.
“Happy birthday to the
man whose passion for the
game of cricket has
moments with him were:
1) Sharing the match win-
ning partnership at
Sydney against Australia
in the first final. 2)
Receiving my Test cap at
the Eden Gardens,” he
recalled.
Pace spearhead Jasprit
Bumrah called Tendulkar
“a true inspiration on the
cricket field and off it,
happy birthday Sachin sir,
I hope you have a great
day.” on Twitter.
The sentiment was
shared by several other
cricketers who posted
their wishes on their
respective social media
pages.
“Even though that the
battles on the cricket field
have now ceased, the
friendships will last forev-
er! Stay safe mate and
have a wonderful celebra-
tion Party popper,” tweet-
ed Brett Lee.
Ace table tennis player
A. Sharath Kamal was
also among those who
posted an elaborate mes-
sage for the maestro and
even had an interesting
proposal for him.
“To dominate a sport
Former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar (left) takes consistently over a long
public health risks. sacrifice,” the 31-year-old
Fighters including Apetz, Sonvico, who like Apetz
Emilie Sonvico of France was scheduled to fight
and Charley Davison of again on day four, said of
Britain won their opening leaving London empty-
bouts. If they win their handed.
next one, they’ll qualify. — AP
DENMARK’S SHUTTLER
BOE HANGS HIS BOOTS
New Delhi, April 24: Denmark’s ace doubles expo-
nent Mathias Boe, a silver medallist at the 2012 London
Olympics and 2013 World Championships, called time
on his illustrious career.
In his career spanning two decades, the 39-year-old
Danish shuttler has partnered the likes of Michael
Jensen, Thomas Hovgaard and Michael Lamp, before
striking up a successful long-term combination with
Carsten Mogensen.
“Throughout my career, I have demanded of myself
that I would do everything I could to become the best
badminton player I could. But I have not been able to
do that lately. That is why it is time to stop,” Mathias
was quoted as saying by THE Badminton World
Federation (BWF).
“After announcing in February that the Thomas Cup
or Olympics would be my last tournament, I thought it
might give me the motivation to give me a 100 per cent
over the last few months, but unfortunately, it has had
the opposite effect. I have noticed that I have not been
there completely, neither for training nor for matches.
I have not had my thoughts in the right place. Mentally,
I am simply too exhausted,” he added. — PTI

assaulting a 17-year-old girl in
1994. He was sentenced to six
years imprisonment and has
been incarcerated at a jail in
Gambhir performs
“We should back the inspired many. Wishing the blessings of his mother on his 47th birthday in span of time is truly
players till the time you you an amazing year Mumbai on Friday. incredible. A wonderful
are absolutely sure that he ahead paaji,” tweeted role model for all young

final rites of help

the coastal Eastern Cape
province. Hewitt, 80, served the
minimum sentence period
required before he was consid-
ered for parole. “We can con-
firm the parole placement and
is not in the scheme of
things in the long run,”
the vice-captain added.
— PTI
India captain Virat Kohli
and, like everyone else,
shared a picture with the
iconic right-hander,
Not to be left behind was Tendulkar moments. athletes. Wishing you the
his white-ball deputy “Many happy returns of best on your birthday,
Rohit Sharma, who also the day to the great @sachin_rt,” he said.
listed his favourite man...My two best — PTI
New Delhi, April 24: Taking care of my little
India’s World Cup-winning

Sachin humbled
one can never be
the parolee is now home,” the former opener Gautam
ministry spokesperson
Singabakho Nxumalo said.
KOHLI, ABD TO Gambhir performed the
last rites of his deceased
domestic help. She was
family. Performing her
last rites was my duty.
The disgraced former tennis
AUCTION GEAR, domestic help after her

me, says Saqlain

Always believed in digni-
star’s previous attempts to get mortal remains could not
his sentence reduced were be sent to her home in ty irrespective of caste,
creed, religion or social
thrown out. — AFP

New Delhi, April 24: I was new when I

Sachin Tendulkar and
Saqlain Mushtaq were
WADA WANTS involved in umpteen
intense battles in the
sledged him for the first
time. If I recall correct-
ly, it was the 1997 edi-
tion. Sachin quietly
RAISE FUNDS Odisha due to the coron-
avirus-forced
lockdown.
national status.
— GAUTAM
New Delhi, April 24: Gambhir, also a Lok GAMBHIR
India skipper Virat Kohli Sabha MP from the BJP,
and former South Africa
batsman AB de Villiers
posted a tribute on his
Twitter page for his
former Indian
cricketer

ANSWERS 1990s but one such duel

FROM CHINA
Shanghai: The World Anti-
Doping Agency demanded
answers on Friday after reports
that Chinese swimming star Sun
Yang was called up for national
training for the Tokyo Olympics
in an apparent breach of his
left the star Pakistan off-
spinner deeply embar-
Chennai Super Kings captain M. S. Dhoni (left) and his
rassed.
In one of his early bat-
teammate Harbhajan Singh in this file photo. tles with Tendulkar dur-
ing the Sahara Cup in
Canada, Saqlain thought
Dhoni won’t play it would be a good idea to
sledge the champion bats-
man. As it panned out, the
wily off-spinner sledged to
came up to me and said
‘I never misbehaved
with you, why are you
misbehaving with me’? I
got so embarrassed
that I did not know
what to say to him. I
never sledged him
again. I apologised to
him after the game.
will auction their cricket-
ing gears, including the
bats with which they
scored hundreds for Royal
Challengers Bangalore
during an IPL match in
2016, to raise funds for the
fight against Covid-19
pandemic.
The items to be auc-
tioned also include their
respective gloves and
employee Saraswati Patra,
who was working at his
residence for the past six
She breathed her last while
undergoing treatment on
years.
“Taking care of my little
April 21.
Union Minister of
one can never be domestic Petroleum and Steel
help. She was family. Dharmendra Pradhan
Performing her last rites appreciated Gambhir.
was my duty,” he tweeted.
“Always believed in digni-
ty irrespective of caste,
creed, religion or social
“Taking care of Saraswati
throughout the course of
her illness, he also ensured
her dignity in death by per-

for India: Bhajji

doping ban.
The latest incident in the
colourful career of the three-
time Olympic champion comes
two months after he was given
an eight-year ban for refusing
to provide a doping sample.
Unless he is successful with an
appeal, the 28-year-old will not
be eligible for the Tokyo Games
in 2021 and his career is effec-
tively over.
However, Chinese media said
on Thursday that Sun had been
included on a list of swimmers
called up for national training
between April 1 and June 30.
Media published a notice pur-
porting to show Sun’s name on
the list for preparations for the
Olympics, which have been
moved to 2021 because of the
coronavirus pandemic. — AFP
Regd. No. H/SD/509/2018-20
Printed and Published by T.
Venkateswarlu on behalf of Deccan
Chronicle Holdings Limited. Printed
at Deccan Chronicle Press situated
at Plot No. 9 Alwal Village, Vallabh
Nagar Taluk, Medchal Malkajgiri
Dist. Telangana and Published at 36,
S.D. Road, Secunderabad-3.
RNI Registration No. 3081/1957.
Editor: Aditya Sinha
New Delhi, April 24:
Veteran off-spinner
Harbhajan Singh said he
doesn’t think Mahendra
Singh Dhoni will play for
India again, adding to the
guessing game over the
future of the superstar
former captain.
Dhoni, 38, has not
appeared for club or coun-
try since last year’s 50-
over World Cup and
India’s coronavirus lock-
down could threaten his
chances of getting back
into the national team.
The Indian Premier
League, the main plat-
form before this year's
scheduled T20 World Cup,
is likely to be truncated or
cancelled because of the
pandemic.
Harbhajan, who plays
with Dhoni at IPL side
Chennai Super Kings,
said international retire-
ment was on the cards for
Dhoni and that he was
increasingly being asked
about his teammate.
“It’s up to him. You need
to know whether he wants
to play for India again,”
Harbhajan said in an
online forum.
“As far as I know him, he
won’t want to wear India’s
blue jersey again. IPL he
will play, but for India I
think he had decided the
(2019) World Cup was his
last,” he added.
Dhoni, who gave up Test
cricket in 2014, started
training for the Super
Kings in March but has
not commented on his
international future.
Dhoni led India to win
the inaugural Twenty20
World Cup in 2007. He hit
a six to seal the 2011 World
Cup final victory and,
along with it, his status as
a national hero. He has
amassed 10,773 runs from
350 ODIs.
— PTI
never sledge the then
Indian captain again.
“I was new when I
sledged him for the first
time. If I recall correctly,
it was the 1997 edition.
Sachin quietly came up to
me and said ‘I never mis-
behaved with you, why
are you misbehaving with
me’? I got so embarrassed
that I did not know what
to say to him,” Saqlain
said on Tendulkar's 47th
birthday.
“He said to me ‘I rate you
high as a person and play-
er’. I was so embarrassed
that I never sledged him
again. I can’t tell you what
I said to him but I apolo-
gised to him after the
game.
“Thereafter, even when
he was smashing me all
over, I never thought of
sledging him,” recalled
the 43-year-old.
After the Sahara Cup,
which ran from 1996-98,
both were in the middle of
arguably their most mem-
orable battle during the
Chennai Test of 1999,
— SAQLAIN
MUSHTAQ
former Pakistan
spinner
when Pakistan eked out a
12-run win despite an
“unbelievable” 136 from
Tendulkar.
Saqlain got the better of
Tendulkar in both the
innings and his match
haul of 10 wickets made
all the difference.
Tempers were running
high in that high stakes
game but even then
Saqlain said he never
tried to engage Tendulkar
verbally.
“In that 1999 Test, no
words were exchanged.
We both were determined
and focused to win the
game for our countries.
We put our heart and soul
in it (on Day Four). I con-
sider myself lucky that
my name was attached to
Sachin’s cricketing career
with that match. The only
difference that day was
that god was on my side,”
he added. — PTI
shirts from that particu-
lar game where both of
them had scored cen-
turies to power RCB to a
challenging 248 for 3
against Gujarat Lions.
RCB had won the match
by 144 runs.
“We had a few nice
knocks together. There is
a particular one in 2016
IPL against Gujarat
Lions. I got 129 and you
also got 100 right at the
end, that doesn’t happen
always when two batters
get 100s. It is a special
memory for me,” De
Villiers said during an
Instagram live chat.
RCB skipper Kohli, who
had scored 109 in that
match, said he would give
away anything for the
cause.
“It sounds amazing. I
don't think I will be able
to score that many runs
in a single season. I have
kept most of the things
from that season. For this
cause I will give anything
away,” Kohli said in
response. — PTI
status. Only way to create a forming her last rites him-
better society. That’s my self since her mortal
idea of India! Om Shanti,” remains could not be sent
said the 38-year-old to her family back home in
Gambhir, who played 58 Odisha,” Pradhan, who
Tests for India between also belongs to Odisha,
2004 and 2016. tweeted.
Media reports in Odisha “His act of compassion
said the 49-year-old Patra will enliven the faith in
hailed from a village in humanity for millions of
Jajpur district. poor, who are working far
She was admitted to Sir from their home for liveli-
Ganga Ram Hospital a few hood and will garner
days ago and was battling respect from all folds of the
diabetes and high blood society,” Praddhan added.
pressure for a long period. — PTI
FIFA TO RELEASE $150M TO MEMBERS
Lausanne, April 24: FIFA will release $150 million (139
million euros) to its member football associations to help
handle financial troubles caused by the coronavirus, the
global governing body said on Friday.
FIFA said that “all operational funding” for 2019 and
2020 would be distributed amongst the 211 member asso-
ciations in the next few days “as the first step of a relief
plan to assist the football community impacted by the
Covid-19 pandemic”. Each national governing body will
receive $500,000, that FIFA says would normally be deliv-
ered “upon fulfullment of specific criteria”, but will
release those funds and any “remaining entitlement for
2019 and 2020”. — AFP
 cmyk cmyk

glam sham
Kangana’s
legal trouble
hyderabad tollywood
Tiny hands give
Mahesh a head
massage

3 >>
CHRONICLE SATURDAY | 25 APRIL 2020
5 >>

‘I didn’t dream

PHOTO CREDIT: INSTAGRAM

that I’d ever
play kabaddi’
Tamannaah says she underwent a
total transformation for Seetimaar
SASHIDHAR ADIVI
DECCAN CHRONICLE
In the lockdown period, Tamannaah Bhatia has
been coming up with innovative forms of work-
ing out — using fruits and buckets! Calling it a
‘fruitful workout’, she tells us, “After filling a bucket
with watermelon, muskmelon, and random heavy
fruits, I am lifting the bucket and doing the exercises.
It’s the perfect way, under the circumstances, to keep
the workout sessions exciting. I am using the bucket
Karan with kids Yash and Roohi and mother Hiroo Johar
for bent over rows, high pulls, front raises, swings,

Daddy
squats and lunges!”
Talking about her role of Jwala Singh, a
Telangana Kabaddi coach, in the Sampath Nandi
directorial Seetimaar, she says a major portion of
her part was shot before the lockdown. She admits
she had never imagined

diaries
that she would get to
play kabaddi in her life,
let alone in a film.
Stressing that Kabaddi
is very disciplined sport,
the actress said “I learnt
to be vigilant and
focussed on physical and
physiological aspects Fathers around the country
such as strength,
endurance, flexibility and cherish the family time they’re
agility. I was in training getting with their kids, courtesy
mode for close to two
months.” the lockdown
“It is imperative that I
look extremely fit and GAYATRI REDDY BHATIA
lean and strong for such
a character. So I trained DECCAN CHRONICLE
hard and intensely for
One of the biggest luxuries of this lockdown
Tamannaah’s look for the role. It was physi-
has been the unlimited quality time men
the role of Jwala Singh, cally and mentally
have got with their kids, participating in all
in Seetimaar challenging. The only
their day-to-day activities — something their other-
issue was that I’ve
wise busy work schedules never allowed before.
never played the sport
While new-borns have a paternal aura around
before. But I did everything I could to look the
them, teenagers with their unending dramas have
part,” she said.
their dads to help them deal with those.
She had to learn the Telangana slang. “It’s
Suddenly, dad is available to help with home-
challenging, but Sampath Sir helped me with
schooling, regularly play a sport, enjoy mealtimes
the dialogue delivery. The fact that I am familiar
together and just bond better. Some men might even
with Telugu came in handy,” she shared,
consider this lockdown a staycation, in which they
adding, “I underwent a complete transforma-
can enjoy family-time without worrying about hotel
tion for this particular role, right from the lan-
bills, shopping budgets, restaurant tabs and airline
guage, to acquiring technical knowledge about
tickets.
the game, maintaining a good fitness regime,
Even in Bollywood, with no hectic shooting sched-
attending special training sessions etc.”
ules, promotions or other work commitments,
actors and filmmakers are reconnecting with their
Kabaddi is a disciplined sport. I paternal side. Actor Saif Ali Khan, for instance, we
hear, has been spending time teaching his young
learnt to be vigilant and focussed son Taimur gardening skills.
on physical and psysiological aspects Filmmaker Karan Johar also seems to be con-
stantly hanging out with his twins, Yash and Roohi,
such as strength, endurance, all about which he regularly updates his Insta fol-
flexibility and agility. I was in training lowers using the hashtag, #lockdownwithjohars.
mode for close to two months.” TURN TO PAGE 2
 Saturday 25 April 2020 2

buzz CONTINUED
FRM PAGE 1

Then there is actor Hrithik

Deccan Chronicle
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ex-wife Suzzane to move in with him
and the kids so that they can give their

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around the time of my ing focus e it r is u to ter no s
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planned my work accord- do dau n my in t ed th ids a s,
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ed lockdown put an absolute up d I pu at ni r at e ven rk- s.
standstill to all manufacturing an ll as gethe n, o ng
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chose to arrive a few weeks early, I a , now the ’d ha in t ime, ts by s.
quite serendipitously. The best part of too efore e, I lising ily t omen ideo ls
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this situation has been the amount of time e an
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pering duties to being able to just spend quiet time watching her
No turi nes o g a
with the hush of a quiet city is surreal. Many a time, our profes- p A E
sional demands cause a dilemma in parenting duties. More so for ca ton
ing AL, TH
dads! I am grateful for this opportunity so I can be present physi- A O RW W
cally and take it all in. I’ve been photographing her and capturing
VIN
AG
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ASH T
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these moments for posteriority.
TTI
RAJIV KRISHNA, Advisor to Govt GE
of AP (Investments & Industries)
‘SPEND TIME TEACHING HIM RANDOM STUFF’

B
efore the lockdown, I used to meet my 10-year-old son
practically once a week, given both our timings.
Moreover, I was usually out about 5-6 days a week.
Obviously, it was hard. Since the lockdown began,
however, I still have official duties but only for 2-3
days a week. So, the rest of the four days of the
week I get to completely spend with my son. In
that sense, it has been great. He and I spend a
couple of hours a day together while he’s with
his schoolwork.
I also spend a day teaching him random
stuff he does not usually learn in school
and spend about an hour a day play-
ing with him, be it soccer in the
garden, board games, etc.
So overall, it’s been
great, and I’ve had
some very good
quality time
n’s
with the
o me
family. W
go
, I ndi ogist
INA col
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IT B ic ON
K SH osmet B
A A
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DR tre a R
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he best part is that I’ve got to spend a lot more time
E
Cen C OV with my family during this lockdown, which I wasn’t
DIS
getting otherwise because of my packed travel and
RE work schedule. Watching movies, reading loads of books
together, exercising with them and sometimes just sit-
ting together and not doing anything at all or laugh-

A
s a doctor, the best part about this lockdown for me ing at the silliest things has not only been the high-
has been the time I get to spend with my daughter light but also a daily ritual now.
now. Before the lockdown, we were both simply too I’ve also been doing a lot of work from home, and my
tired when we got back home from our days. Now, we have love and respect for my kids has grown by leaps and
so much more time and we have a closer bond. bounds even more now because of their sheer
It’s a constant discovery each day about the other. I feel patience and understanding, which allows me to work
fathers must be as hands-on as mothers. That way, your kids without them disturbing me.
get to have two role models. This quarantine has taught me
how beautiful the father-daughter bond can be too.”
 Saturday 25 April 2020 3

glam sham Deccan Chronicle

Anushka admits Kangana in

Virat knows it all legal trouble
The actress joins the latest Insta
“Guess the Gibberish” challenge, After the actress’ flop
and guess who’s better? attempt to make sense
While the cricket- of her sister Rangoli’s
ing community is
all indoors thanks
controversial state-
to the lockdown, Team
Blue captain Virat
ments, a police
Kohli and his actress complaint has been
wife Anushka
Sharma have been filed against her
regularly dishing
out entertainment DC CORRESPONDENT
bytes.
The latest one was for A week after Rangoli Chandel’s
Anushka’s followers on her Twitter account was suspended for
Instagram Stories. The allegedly spewing hate speech, trouble has
actress was participating in again come knocking at the Ranaut house-
the ‘Guess the Gibberish’ hold. However, this time, it’s in the form of
challenge trending on the a police complaint filed against her sister
platform. One is required to and Bollywood star Kangana Ranaut for
make sense of the gibberish coming out in support of Rangoli and
that followers post in under referring people of a particular religious
10 seconds. While she man- A screen grab of Anushka’s aghast sect as “terrorists”.
aged to guess a couple of face after Virat answered them all It can be recalled that Rangoli called for
them correctly, trying to shooting the media and a particular reli-
speak out the gibberish own lee leaf ones”. Even as gious sect dead for attacking the frontline
words aloud in various the actress struggled with the workers in a tweet after which the suspen-
accents to try and gibberish, followers could lis- sion of the account was enforced. And
understand what it ten to Virat’s voice from the thus, defending her sister’s controversial
added up to, most of other side, speaking out what statement, Kangana had released a video.
the times, she he made of the gibberish, She had said, “My sister Rangoli Chandel
realised, her hubby “You only live once!” had specifically mentioned that people
(who was close by Anushka is seen wearing an who have attacked doctors and police per-
and apparently aghast expression at his get- sonnel should be shot dead,” adding that
working out with ting the gibberish right even celebrities like Farah Ali Khan and Reema
weights), got it while she was struggling. Kagti falsely accused “that Rangoli's com-
before (and better But the actress guessed ment was community-specific.”
than) she did. some other gibberish, one of But the bizarre video managed to fire
For instance, which was, “Wok aim aisle more shots, spearheading Mumbai-based
one of the gib- enema chews”, which she advocate Ali Kaashif Khan Deshmukh to
berish words managed to translate to file the complaint against the actress. “It
lined up for “Walk a mile in my shoes.” is pertinent to note that one sister calls for
her was No matter what she got or not, genocide killings, violence, and the other
“hue Virat could be heard in the sister not just support her for the same
background, voicing the cor- despite nationwide criticism and suspen-
rect ‘translation’ for each of sion of her Twitter account but also gives
the gibberish, prompting a label of terrorist to a sect...,” reads the
Anushka to leave a caption on complaint.
one of her stories in the Further, the complaint also accuses the
series, saying, “Ladke ko sab Manikarnika actress and her sister of
pata hain (the boy knows it “misusing their stardom, fanbase, fame,
all!)” with a grinning emoji. money, power, and influence with an aim
and intent to promote hatred, disbalance,
fights in the country for their personal

Irish quarantine
benefits and gains.”

for Matt Damon

DC CORRESPONDENT
While most of Hollywood has
been quarantining in their
home cities on the East Coast,
Matt Damon has found solace in a
small town in Ireland. The actor
along with his wife and three chil-
dren are currently self-isolating
in Dalkey, Ireland — a seaside
hamlet southeast of Dublin.
According to various reports,
Damon’s attraction towards
Dalkey began when he arrived in
the area to shoot scenes for The
Last Duel, a medieval drama
directed by Ridley Scott.
However, the shooting of the film
was later suspended amid the
pandemic.
Reportedly, the Contagion star
has rented a gated residence that
is Formula 1 driver Eddie Irvine’s
former bachelor pad and is one of
the priciest neighbourhoods in
Ireland. Various portals also
reported that the locals have
started to playfully refer to the
actor as Matt O’Damon, and the
actor is going about his usual
business just like other villagers
at the same time obliging those
asking for photos.
The actor along with his wife
and three children are currently
self-isolating in Dalkey, Ireland
— a seaside hamlet southeast
of Dublin Rangoli Chandel and Kangana Ranaut
 Saturday 25 April 2020 4

lifestyle Deccan Chronicle

Are you over

While sport and
exercise are
fundamentally

exercising?
healthy, it is
possible to overdo
it — and harm your-
self both physically pain shouldn’t be taken lightly.
and mentally along “Pain is always an important sig-
the way. Here are nal that serves to protect your
body,” notes Dr. Valentin Z
some signs you’ve Markser, chairman of
the German Society
been going too hard for Sports Psychological ly intense individ-
effects of exercise
with training Psychiatry
S p o r t s
and
burnout can include
ual workouts, but
by the sum of
The physical signs that you’ve
P s y c h o t h e r a p y. restlessness and such workouts
been exercising too much include
You’re restless and ner- “You can get away nervousness, trouble and by rest peri- increased susceptibility to
vous, constantly have an with ignoring it 2 sleeping, disinterest in ods that are too infections, warm joints — and,
ache here or a pain there, kilometres before working out, and even short,” says of course, pain
and haven’t been keen on work- the finish of an F r o b o e s e ,
ing out for weeks. Take these important race, but depression, health adding that the
signs seriously, because they’re a over the long term it experts warn better your physi-
warning that you’ve been exer- To avoid harming yourself through
excessive exercise, it’s important is dangerous.” cal condition, the
cising excessively. to take breaks Psychological effects of shorter your breaks
Although sport and exercise exercise burnout can include can be.
are fundamentally healthy, over- adapts to the added physical restlessness and nervousness, While resting, you should
doing it can have serious physi- strain in two to four weeks, he trouble sleeping, disinterest in replenish your body with water
cal and psychological conse- says, “Tendons, ligaments, and working out, and even depres- and energy, the latter mainly in
quences, health experts warn. bones need three to four sion. Physically, constant over- the form of protein. “Between 1
Generally speaking, a workout months.” training can lead to a fatigue and 1.5 grams of protein per kilo-
must leave you knackered to The signs of excessive exercise fracture, also known as an gram of body weight,” Froboese
have any benefits, says Ingo are many. Among the physical overuse fracture, Froboese says. advises.
Froboese, of the German ones are increased susceptibil- Markser advises exercise new- As for the recommended
Sport University ity to infections, warm bies, especially those past the length of the breaks, he draws
Cologne. “But many joints and reddened age of 35, to have a sports med- on empirical values from sports
beginners, in par- skin around them, ical examination before starting science — to wit, 12 to 18 hours
ticular, do too The signs of and a heart rate out. It checks heart, circulation after a run for trained athletes,
much,” he excessive exercise are that is still ele- and lung function, includes an and 24 to 36 hours for the non-
r e m a r k s . many. Among the physical vated in the orthopaedic examination, and trained. After a muscle-building
Froboese rec- ones are increased morning after a also tests your blood and urine to workout, you should rest for 72
ommends that susceptibility to infections, warm workout. Not to see whether you have any seri- to 84 hours.
beginners joints and reddened skin around mention pain. ous underlying illnesses. Ideally, “You should never do two
work out only them, and a heart rate that is “If pain aris- recreational athletes should strength workouts in a row,”
every other day es between 18 have a sports medical examina- Froboese emphasizes. And after
at a level of
still elevated in the morning and 24 hours tion performed regularly. a workout focusing on coordina-
after a workout. Not to Experts recommend that fitness
exertion that after exercising, To prevent overtraining, it’s tion or new techniques, you newbies should train only every
they feel is too low. mention pain. then your workout very important to take sufficient should rest for up to 72 hours. other day, and at a level of
While the cardio- is responsible,” breaks. “The greatest risk of exertion that they feel is too low
vascular system Froboese says. And overtraining isn’t posed by over- (Asia Features) for them

Excessive hand washing can cause skin problems!

Soaps and SUREKHA S. Hospital, cites a case she and dissolves the lipid struc- Gleneagles Hospital.
encountered last week dur- ture of the skin, which is
sanitisers ‘Hand Hygiene is one of ing her video consultations. the protective layer of the SOAP BETTER THAN
cause dryness the most effective “A woman, about 36 years of
actions you can take to age, had complaints of
skin. This makes it easy for
outside allergens, fungal ele-
SANITIZER
Most dermatolo-
in the skin reduce the spread of extreme dryness and black ments and microbes to enter gists believe when it
and, over a pathogens and prevent discolouration between her
infections, including the fingers and the back of her
the skin, thus compromis-
ing the immune barrier of
comes to skin protec-
tion, it is better to use
prolonged COVID-19 virus’, states the hand. This was mainly due the skin,” Dr Furtado soap and water for
period, also WHO. And with the current to excessive use of soaps
rise in Covid-19 cases, wash- and detergents.” Dr Furtado
explains.
“When the barrier func-
reducing risk than using
sanitisers. “Sanitisers have
compromise ing hands is our only way to advised her to moisturise tion of the skin is compro- alcohol, which dissolves
reduce risk. her hands frequently and mised, there are fissures fat, thus destroying the pro-
its immune But washing hands or avoid the use of harsh and cracks, thus increasing tective layer of the skin. So, water, it is important to use
barrier. So sanitising our hands multi- soaps. risk of infection,” adds Dr it is always preferable to sanitisers to reduce risk.
ple times a day also has an “Such cases of dermatitis Rinky Kapoor, cosmetic der- use soap and water,” says But when at home, please
keep your impact on the skin, often have been on the rise since matologist and dermato-sur- Dr Kapoor adding that use soap and water,” avers
hands well leading to dryness, and even the lockdown,” says Dr
dermatitis. Dr Shireen Furtado. Skin rash, mild
geon, The Esthetic Clinics.
“But this does not mean
sanitisers are not effective
against all types of germs.
Furtado.
Alcohol-based sanitisers
moisturised Furtado, Consultant- discolouration, redness and one should stop washing “Soap and water is more and soap and water are both
post washing Medical & Cosmetic itchiness are problems that
Dermatology, Aster CMI can be caused by increased
hands and expose oneself to
risk during a pandemic.
effective than sanitisers,”
she says. “Sanitisers kill
effective in killing germs.
And according to the
soap use. Post washing, you should both the good and bad bac- American Food and Drug
But dermatitis is not dry your hands and mois- teria and hence can impact Administration (FDA),
Excessive use of anti-bacterial soaps or the only problem exces- turise them well. When you immunity when overused. there isn’t enough scientific
sanitisers causes dryness and dissolves the lipid sive exposure to anti- moisturise your hands, the Also, sanitisers can cause evidence to suggest that
structure of the skin, which is the protective layer of the bacterial soaps can gaps in the layer get filled,” irritation to the eyes and antibacterial soaps are any
skin. This makes it easy for outside allergens, fungal cause. Prolonged use stresses Furtado. “It is also nose when inhaled or better than plain soap and
elements and microbes to enter the skin, thus can even lead to compro- important to choose the sprayed,” adds Dr water for preventing illness.
compromising the immune barrier of the skin mised immunity. right kind of soap that suits Shyamsunder. So, just regular soap and
“Excessive use of anti- one’s skin,” adds Dr Shylaja “Of course, when one is water for washing your
— Dr Shireen Furtado, Consultant-Medical & Cosmetic bacterial soaps or sani- Shyamsunder, consultant, out and about and does not hands should help reduce
Dermatology, Aster CMI Hospital tisers causes dryness internal medicine, BGS have access to soap and risk.
 Saturday 25 April 2020 5

tollywood Deccan Chronicle

Puri in a dilemma
Director Puri Jagannadh is a wor-
ried man. His upcoming film star-
ring Vijay Deverakonda and Ananya
Pandey was shot on a set in Mumbai till
the lockdown was announced. It’s been a
month since then, and the present situa-
tion could continue. The director is wor-
rying about what to do once the lockdown
is lifted.
“He wants to Puri’s upcoming
shift the shoot to film was shot on a
Hyderabad,
because Mumbai set in Mumbai till
is among the the lockdown was
worst affected by announced. It’s
the coronavirus,
and the filmmak- been a month since
ers may not get then, and the
permission to present situation
Sitara giving a head massage to her father Mahesh Babu shoot there. So,
he may plan to could continue

Tiny hands
shoot the rest of
the movie in Hyderabad,” says a source
from the unit.
The story is set in Mumbai, and Vijay is

give Mahesh a
playing a boxer. At present, all the actors
and the director are in their respective
homes.

head massage ‘Lockdown has

‘Nice while it lasted’, says fond father
Mahesh Babu is one who
makes sure he spends
quality time with his fam-
ily, especially his children. He
takes a break from his film
shooting during his children’s
school holidays. Now, during the
lockdown, he is having a great
time with his kids. Mahesh’s
wife Namrata has been posting
pictures of him playing games
and watching movies with their
children. The latest is a photo of
their daughter Sitara giving
Mahesh a head massage.
During the two-minute mas-
sage Mahesh watched his son
Mahesh Babu’s wife
Namrata has been posting
pictures of him playing
games and watching movies
with their children
playing a game. “Watching GG
play his game! MB had a head
massage volunteer, only to fin-
ish in 2 mins. Feedback says it
was great while it lasted”, says
Namrata on her Instagram page.
brought our
family closer’
Actor Akhil
Akkineni is
working on his
mind and body
Actor Akhil Akkineni was
supposed to be shooting for
his film Most Eligible Bachelor,
but is at a loose end, thanks to the
CLASSIFIEDS
lockdown. He is using the time to SITUATION VACANT POULTRY
watch films and work on his body VENCOBB CHICKEN rich in
and mind. ADVT. SALES & MKTG. protein, great in taste eat & enjoy.
“I’m going back to basics. I am WORK FROM home during COVID
Vencobb’s Broiler Hyderabad Zone
rewatching all the films that price per kg. Farm Gate Rs.100,
Lockdown. Need Sales and Marketing Retail Live Bird Rs.122, Dressed
inspired me to become an actor. I People who can sell Face Masks, PPE with skin Rs.177, Skinless Rs.201,
kits for Medical Stores, Hospitals,
haven’t had so much time to Corporate Office, Schools and etc. in
Ph:27992239. (HOPE)
myself, so I’ve taken this as an (S/2021/C00006)
your network. Smily Kiddos Face
opportunity to work on my mind Mask Manufacturing, Hyd. Contact:
7680001000, 7032666513.
and body,” he says. (HYCL/2021/C00002) NOTICE
The actor is also thinking about Readers are advised to make appro-
MULTIPLE VACANCIES
priate enquiries while responding to
how hard he can work once things advertisements in these columns.
get back to normal. Deccan Chronicle Holdings Ltd.
MARKETING, SALES Executives,
“I’m getting myself fired up to Team Leaders, Managers, Associates,
does not vouch for any claims made
by the Advertisers. The Printer,
work as hard as I can. This lock- Agents, PRO’s, Networking People Publisher, Editor and Owner of
down has really made me realise Immediately Required for a Reputed Deccan Chronicle Holdings Ltd. shall
Real Estate Company. Good Salary+
that no matter how young I am, I Commission+ Benefits.
not be held responsible / liable for
any consequences, in case such
don’t have all the time in the P h : 9 1 2 1 7 9 4 2 0 6 . claims are found to be false.
world,” he shares. (HYCL/2021/C00003)
Akhil’s father Nagarjuna is
also a busy actor, working in
both Telugu and Hindi. His
mother Amala is busy with her
Blue Cross work and has also
been acting in films recently.
This lockdown has brought
the actor closer to his par-
ents.
“Of course, I haven’t spent
much time with my parents
since I was a child. So, this
lockdown time has brought
us closer,” says Akhil.

— Snippets by Suresh Kavirayani

 Saturday 25 April 2020 6

coffee-break Deccan Chronicle

Your day today QUICK CROSSWORD
Across 2. Social outcast (6)
By Dr C.V.B. Subrahmanyam
1.Became invalid (6) 4. Mature (4)
Aries: You’re a spendthrift; don’t
get carried away with others 3. Curved support (4) 5. Recluse (6)
pushing you to spend. You’d end 7. Father (4) 6. Moves out of (7)
up losing money. Luck brings you
a win-win situation. 8. Tent user (6) 9. Starch (7)
Taurus: Foreign opportunities 10.Showing favouritism 11.Clinging marine
come your way. Be quick to grab snail (6)
them. You’re humane and thrive (7)
on love; there’ll be plenty of it cur- 13.Misdemeanour (7) 12.Petrol rating (6)
rently. Career looks good.
16.Grey lead alloy (6) 14.Graceful bird (4)
Gemini: Past insecurities begin to 17.Formal dance (4) 15.Drama (4)
disappear. You’d emerge more
confident. Fine arts professional 18.Prong (4)
sign on new projects. You may YESTERDAY’S ANSWER
consider reuniting with a past love. 19.Only just (6) Across: 1. Trousseau, 6. Owing, 7.
Bliss, 9. Tone, 10. Malign, 12. Manual,
Cancer: Family relations feel 14. Fell, 17. Mogul,
18. Orbit, 19. Starboard.
strained. Overindulgence in person- Down Down: 2. Reign, 3. Urge, 4. Subway, 5.
al problems inhibits making your Alibi, 6. Optimum, 8. Singlet, 11.
Sailor, 13. Night, 15. Ember, 16. Solo.
mark. Enjoy romantic ecstasies to 1. Heel over (4)
avoid disappointments.
bridge Word Mine
Leo: Friends may not help at crucial
junctures. Romance takes backseat HE DID NOT SEE THE
because of other engagements.
Convey romantic feelings, so a
PHILLIP ALDER
IMPENDING FALL Y
trustworthy relationship grows.

T
he Senior Life
Virgo: Colleagues may envy your
rising popularity. People might
Master instantly
recognized any new-
comer. “Young man, wel-
misunderstand your helpful
nature. Use your communication
skills to ease up colleagues. Your popularity
come to our humble
bridge club. Have you just
moved to town?”
among peers increases significantly.
“Actually, I'm here for
two days on business. But
You share your b’day with I'd like to play some
Alfredo James Pacino bridge this evening.”
is an American actor “It is our pleasure to
have you, but the game
and filmmaker. He is doesn't begin for an hour.
one of the performers Buy us a couple of
who received the drinks, then sit here and
Triple Crown of tell me a bit about your-
Acting. He is self.”
famously known for When the young man
his role in the films returned with the drinks,
God Father and its he opened his mouth to
sequels. say something, but the
SLM beat him to the
word:
Libra: Enjoy your newfound
We have a friendly club
respect and popularity; don’t tar-
(began the SLM). We have
nish your image. Friendship bonds
even had several mar-
become stronger—something
riages between members.
you’ll remember for long. Celebrate your
And we might have had
successes despite the highs and lows.
another one but for this
deal. (The SLM passed the
man a sheet of paper.)
South was Augustus
Masterson, playing with
his fiancee, Eleanor
Weeburn-Smythe. We
were surprised when they
became engaged because
she was a much stronger
player than he. Perhaps
she had been distracted
by his muscular
physique.
West cashed two top
spades, East echoing to
show a doubleton. Then
West shifted to the club
10. Augustus won in hand
and ran the heart queen.
But disaster struck when
East took the trick and
gave his partner a club
ruff to defeat the game.
Eleanor looked at her
handsome partner, but
then the scales fell from
her eyes. “What weren't
you thinking?” she cried.
O T U
A R V N L
TODAY’S RATINGS: 31 AVERAGE; 34 GOOD; 37 OUTSTANDING
How many words of four or more letters
can you make from the letters shown in
today’s puzzle? In making a word, each
letter may be used once only. Each word
must contain the letter at the top of the
pyramid. There should be at least one
nine letter word. Plurals, foreign words
and proper names are not allowed.
“West passed as dealer
and then showed up with
the four top spades. How
can he have the heart
king? Just play the ace
and another heart.”
“I'm sorry, darling.”
“Don't 'darling' me. Our
engagement is at an end.”
Copyright United
Feature Syndicate
(Asia Features)
VOLUNTARY, yarn, your
ANSWERS: nary, navy, notary, only, outlay, ovary, rayon, royal, tray, truly, vary,

Scorpio: Encourage and appreci-

scrabble brand | G2 R1 As Ms S1
ate your kids. Your calm and
determined attitude wins every- SU◆DO◆KU SU◆DO◆KU 2
one’s hearts. You may feel slight-
ly uneasy about life.
Sagittarius: Familial relationships
may feel slightly strained, with
small but frequent squabbles.
Beware if a loved one seems to be
in a particularly bad mood; steer clear.

Capricorn: Some family members

will shine today. Today, fuss over
family members who need a little
extra attention. Show loved ones
how much you care.
DIRECTIONS: Make a 2 to 7-letter word from
Aquarius: Don’t shove work-life bal- the letters in each row. Add points of each
ance under the carpet; confront it. word, using scoring directions at right. 7-
Reconciliation isn’t the answer; try YESTERDAY’S ANSWER Did you think the YESTERDAY’S ANSWER letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks”
WHAT used as any letter have no point value. All
building harmony between the two TO DO SU◆DO◆KU Judd’s words are in the Official Scrabble
— whether in love or married life. Fill in the grid on the left was easy? Players Dictionary (Merriam-Webster) and
so that every Try this. Check the OSW Official Scrabble words (Chambers).
solution tomorrow. JUDD’S Solution Tomorrow
Pisces: You’ll be gentle with loved row, every
Tips available at
column, and
ones. Today’s about a positive every 3x3 box
www.sudoku-xls.com
DC-AGE SU DO KU
mindset and a will to work hard. contains the FORUM: Discuss the
You’d try to accomplish too much, digits 1 to 9. SU DO KU puzzles
too soon. Your positive outlook ensures har- Every puzzle printed and con-
has only one tribute mind teasers
mony and good cheer at home and work, correct of your own at
helping finances too. solution.
www.sudexel.com/
forum
 Saturday 25 April 2020 25
7

coffee-break Deccan Chronicle

CALVIN AND HOBBES|Bill Watterson Dennis the Menace

THE WIZARD OF ID|Parker and Hartsd

ARCHIE|Bill Henry Scarpelli & craig boldman hocus focus

BLONDIE|Dean Young and John Marshall

ANDY CAPP |Reg Smythe

jumble

TARZAN|Edgar Rice Burroughs

 Saturday 25 April 2020 8

matinee Deccan Chronicle

Weight and watch for

Abhishek
With the pandemic stalling shoots across
the industry, the actor will have to maintain
his weight gain for the film’s continuity
We told you how film saw him bulk up. “Now the
Shah Rukh Khan issue is that Abhishek has to keep
being a part of the himself in the same weight group
Bob Biswas project — if he exercises too much, he may
helped Sujoy Ghosh lose too much weight or he if does-
get the No Objection n’t and puts on more weight — he
Certificate (NOC) will need to work harder to shed it.
from the producer of The earlier diet and regimen need-
Kahaani — ed to be followed to the ‘T’ without
Jayantilal Gada. even knowing when the film will go
But well, that is not on the floors again and that is diffi-
necessarily the end cult for anyone,” says a source.
of Ghosh babu’s Whether the Guru actor loses or
stress. Ghosh’s gains weight or follows a regimen
daughter Diya knowing well that the process
A n n a p u r n a could take a few more
Ghosh who is months, remains to be
helming seen. Abhishek had
the film anyway put in a lot
Whether
h a s of weight when he
been he loses or was working in
wor- gains weight or Mani Rathnam
r i e d follows a regimen directed Guru as
about knowing well that the well.
t h e process could take a Abhishek is
continu- few more months, also acting in
ity issues remains to be the Ajay Devgn
of her lead seen. produced The Big
s t a r Bull as well in

‘Don’t have
A b h i s h e k which he has a bulki-
Bachchan who er frame than normal.
toplines the cast along Abhishek’s next release,
with Chitrangada Singh. however, will be the Basu directed
So, Abhishek had put on Ludo.
some weight to play the role of The actor, who will be seen in the
Bob Biswas in the film. This is second season of Breathe, has also
his second film shoot in Kolkata greenlighted a project with direc-
insecurities’
in recent times after he shot for tor Tushar Jalota and actress Yami LIPIKA VARMA
Anurag Basu’s Ludo there. Gautam for producer Dinesh Vijan.
Abhishek had shot there for Mani Randeep Hooda, who was shooting in
Rathnam’s Yuva as well, but this —Sanskriti Media Karnal when the lockdown was
announced, has an interesting line-up of films
in the pipeline. But the actor isn’t sure when
those films will release. “First of all, we will
have to clear the backlog of the films that are

Bunty Aur Babli’s wait

Bunty Aur Babli starring Rani Mukerji
and Saif Ali Khan has a song sequence
and short stunt pending. The unit has shot
two long schedules of the film before the lock-
down came into place. The first leg was shot
in Mumbai and the second one was shot in
UAE.
Now, a small schedule is left to be shot for
the film directed by Varun Sharma, a former
hand with Shaad Ali who directed the first
part of the film. It starred Abhishek
Bachchan along with Amitabh Bachchan as
well as Aishwarya Rai in a cameo. “A song
which needs to be filmed is stuck now. Once
the lockdown lifts that song will be planned
and shot. Thankfully, the producers have
their own studios in which they can ensure
that there is a lot of safety precautions taken
and the song can be shot properly and safely,”
says an industry source.
—Sanskriti Media
ready. There has to be a collective decision by
the industry,” he says. The actor who is a part
of an action flick, Extraction hopes that the
film “Takes off the darkness we are subjected
to during this pandemic.” Hooda is happy that
he got a chance to work in a Hollywood action
film. “Here, Indian actors are not shown as
props and everyone has a proper role. This
movie will make Indians proud,” he adds.
The film also has Hollywood heartthrob
Chris Hemsworth reuniting with Russo broth-
ers for a high-octane thriller. When asked if
that made him insecure or apprehensive,
Hooda reveals that he only believes in doing
his bit. “I have no insecurities. I never con-
cern myself with such things. You do your
work and get out of the way. You got to cheer
for the film; it’s teamwork,” says the actor
adding that the pre-production schedules of
Hollywood films are very elaborate. “The
amount of rehearsals before the shoot is very
rigorous and that makes a difference. If we
had just turned up on the shoot and practised
and shot it the same day, then it would not
have come out so well.”