Not joining any party; I am a doctor, would like to remain so: Dr Kafeel Khan

News Network
September 7, 2020

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Lucknow, Sept 7: Putting an end to speculation about him joining the Congress after being released from jail recently, Dr Kafeel Khan said that he is a doctor and would like to remain so.

He was recently released from Mathura jail after the Allahabad High Court quashed his detention under the stringent National Security Act (NSA). The court had ordered his immediate release, asserting that his speech at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) didn't promote hatred or violence, rather gave a call for national integrity.

Dr Khan, who is presently in Rajasthan, told news agency over phone that he will "not join any political party".

"I am a doctor and would like to remain the same," he said and expressed a desire to visit flood-hit areas of Bihar and help the victims.

He said that when his release was delayed after the Allahabad High Court order on September 1, it was feared that the Uttar Pradesh government was preparing to implicate him again in a case.

"Because of the apprehension that I could be implicated in any other case by the Uttar Pradesh government, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had helped me on humanitarian grounds," he said but made it clear that it should not be construed as he is going to join the Congress.

Dr Khan said there has been no discussion regarding politics with Priyanka Gandhi, nor has he got any indication as such from the Congress leader.

"As there is a Congress government in Rajasthan and the distance from Mathura to Bharatpur is of just 20 minutes, Priyanka Gandhi offered me to come to Bharatpur".

He thanked the Congress general secretary saying it was due to her he got "security" in Rajasthan.

Dr Kafeel said that he has written a letter to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath urging him to reinstate him to his post at Gorakhpur Medical College so that he can serve the people.

Khan, who worked as a paediatrician at Gorakhpur's BRD Medical College, first hit headlines in 2017 after several children died at the hospital due to the lack of oxygen cylinders.

Initially, he was hailed as a saviour for the children for arranging emergency oxygen cylinders. However, later, he faced action along with nine other doctors and staff members of the hospital, all of whom were released on bail.

A state government probe had cleared Khan of all major charges, prompting him to seek an apology from the Yogi Adityanath government. The doctor had alleged that an institutional failure had led to the deaths of the children.

Khan was again arrested in January this year on the charge of delivering a provocative speech at the AMU during the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) protests. After the Allahabad High Court ordered his release on September 1, he walked out of Mathura jail late in the night.

Comments

Ahmed
 - 
Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020

Dr. Kafeel Khan deserves security guards . Appreciate his courage and dedication on his profession.
Sometimes I feel he was safer in jail than outside, when Gauri Lankesh madam assassination was remembered...

Ahmed
 - 
Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020

Dr. Kafeel Khan deserves security guards . Appreciate his courage and dedication on his profession.
Sometimes I feel he was safer in jail than outside, when Gauri Lankesh madam assassination was remembered...

Ahmed
 - 
Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020

Dr. Kafeel Khan deserves security guards . Appreciate his courage and dedication on his profession.
Sometimes I feel he was safer in jail than outside, when Gauri Lankesh madam assassination was remembered...

Ahmed
 - 
Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020

Dr. Kafeel Khan deserves security Y+ . I sometime feels he was safer in jail than outside. Gauri Lankesh assassination is reminded.

Ahmed
 - 
Tuesday, 8 Sep 2020

Dr. Kafeel Khan deserves security Y+ . I sometime feels he was safer in jail than outside. Gauri Lankesh assassination is reminded.

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News Network
November 10,2024

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The media office in the Gaza Strip, where the Israeli regime has been waging a genocidal war since last October, says as many as 188 Palestinian journalists have been killed since the onset of the brutal military onslaught.

The office provided the figure on Saturday, naming four journalists as the most recent victims of the onslaught.

It identified the foursome as Zahraa Mohammad Abu Sukheil, Ahmad Mohammad Abu Sukheil, Mustafa Khadr Bahar, and Abdel Rahman Khadr Bahar.

The office said it “strongly condemns the targeting, killing, and assassination of Palestinian journalists by the Israeli occupation and holds it fully responsible for committing this heinous crime.”

“We call on the international community, international organizations, and those involved in journalistic work worldwide to take action against the occupation, pursue it in international courts for its ongoing crimes, and pressure it to halt the genocide and the targeted killings of Palestinian journalists,” it said.

Earlier in the day, the office said the Israeli regime had bombed the tents sheltering journalists and displaced persons at the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Hospital in the city of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza for the ninth consecutive time.

The atrocity that claimed the lives of two people and injured 26 others came as part of “the genocidal crimes committed by the Israeli occupation army against hospitals, civilians, and displaced persons,” it said.

The media office held the regime and the United States, its biggest ally, as well as other countries aiding the genocide fully responsible for such systematic crimes.

At least 43,552 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed and 102,765 others wounded since the launch of the war that followed a retaliatory operation by Gaza’s resistance groups.

The fatalities include 44 people, who were killed across the coastal sliver, in the most recent phase of the military onslaught.

As many as 24 of the victims were killed in the northern part of the territory, where the regime has markedly intensified its deadly attacks for weeks.

They included an eight-year-old child and a five-year-old one, who lost their lives after Israeli warplanes targeted a group of minors filling up jerry cans with water alongside their mother at the Jabalia Refugee camp.

Gaza’s heath ministry, meanwhile, said a number of victims remained under the rubble and in the streets following Israeli airstrikes, saying ambulances and civil defense teams could not reach them due to the sheer extent of the destruction caused by the raids and obstruction caused by the regime.

Also on Saturday, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report, a United Nations-backed assessment, warned that famine was looming in northern Gaza amid escalated Israeli aggression and the regime’s near-total siege of the targeted areas.

The alert from the Famine Review Committee warned of "an imminent and substantial likelihood of famine occurring, due to the rapidly deteriorating situation in the Gaza Strip."

On October 17, the body projected that the number of people in Gaza facing "catastrophic" food insecurity between November and April 2025 would reach 345,000, or 16 percent of the population.

The IPC report classified that figure as Phase 5 -- a situation when "starvation, death, destitution, and extremely critical acute malnutrition levels are evident."

The Israeli military, however, questioned the report's credibility.

"To date, all assessments by the IPC have proven incorrect and inconsistent with the situation on the ground," the army said in a statement, denouncing "partial, biased data and superficial sources with vested interests."

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News Network
November 19,2024

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In the wake of the tragic drowning of three students at a resort near Ullal on the outskirts of Mangaluru city, the tourism department in Dakshina Kannada is set to implement comprehensive safety guidelines for properties with swimming pools or beach access. This initiative aims to ensure guest safety and prevent similar incidents in the future.

New Safety Mandates for Resorts and Homestays

Rashmi S.R., deputy director (in-charge) of the tourism department, announced, “We will instruct all homestays and resorts to enforce precautionary measures, especially those with pools or direct beach access. Properties must ensure 24/7 supervision, particularly during guest hours. This tragedy highlights the importance of having trained personnel on-site.”

Key Safety Guidelines

The district, home to around 150 homestays and 130 resorts, will see the following measures enforced:

  • Clearly displaying pool depths.
  • Installing adequate safety equipment, such as life buoys.
  • Employing trained lifeguards at all times.
  • Establishing clear pool operating hours.
  • Reviewing and implementing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for pool and beach usage.

Booming Beach Tourism Calls for Vigilance

Manohar Shetty, president of the Association for Coastal Tourism (ACT), Udupi, highlighted the growing popularity of beachside resorts, particularly during peak seasons. Properties in Udupi, often fully booked with tourists from Bengaluru, Mysuru, Kodagu, and Shivamogga, face increasing pressure to maintain safety standards.

Udupi district boasts 22 beachside commercial properties catering to this rising demand.

Shetty emphasized, “Authorities must scrutinize safety measures and carefully evaluate guidelines before issuing new resort licenses. Panchayats should rely on the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act when handling such cases.”

Long-Term Solutions for Water Safety

Recognizing the need for a cultural shift in water safety, Shetty proposed integrating swimming lessons into school curricula. This move would not only equip students with essential skills but also encourage safe participation in water-based activities.

A Safer Tomorrow for Coastal Tourism

As the tourism sector thrives, Mangaluru’s proactive approach underscores its commitment to visitor safety. The tragic incident serves as a wake-up call, propelling the industry towards stricter regulations and better preparedness, ensuring that coastal vacations remain both enjoyable and safe.

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News Network
November 15,2024

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Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has killed or captured 69 terrorists linked to the Israeli spy agency Mossad during a major counterterrorism drill in the country's southeast, its spokesman says.  

General Ahmad Shafaei, the spokesman for the “Martyrs of Security” drill, said Friday that a total of 23 terrorists have been killed and another 46 arrested in various clean-up operations ever since the IRGC Ground Force launched it in the Sistan and Baluchestan province on November 1.

Seven terrorists have also turned themselves in during the period.

“The undeniable fact about terrorists is that they rely on arrogant powers, particularly the intelligence service of the wicked and vicious Zionist regime," Shafaei said.

“Unfortunately, weapons and munitions at terrorists’ disposal are among the most sophisticated ones in the world. This accounts for their heavy dependence.” 

The official stated that several members of the disbanded terror teams were non-Iranian nationals, who had been hired by foreign intelligence agencies to carry out acts of sabotage and terror inside Iran.

In a most recent operation, six terrorists were arrested and four others were eliminated, three of whom were non-Iranians, he added. 

On October 26, ten members of Iran's law enforcement forces were killed in a terrorist attack in the Gohar Kuh district of Taftan in the Sistan and Baluchestan province.

The so-called Jaish al-Adl terrorist group claimed responsibility for the assault, which was one of the deadliest in the province in recent months.

The group has carried out numerous terrorist attacks in Iran, primarily in Sistan and Baluchestan.

Its tactics include the abduction of border guards as well as targeting civilians and police stations within the province to incite chaos and disorder.

In January, Iran launched a military operation during which the headquarters of the Pakistan-based terrorist group was targeted in missile strikes, destroying its infrastructure.

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