India

New Delhi, Apr 5 (PTI) The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) called for a complete ban on the Tablighi Jamaat and its Nizamuddin Markaz on Sunday, after it emerged as a COVID-19 hotspot in the country.

The Tablighi Jamaat's Markaz (headquarters) in Delhi's Nizamuddin West emerged as a coronavirus hotspot as hundreds of people, who attended a religious congregation there in the second week of March, tested positive for COVID-19.

New Delhi, Apr 5 (PTI) The Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan has designed a protocol for its schools in the country to start online classes for students stuck at their homes due to the lockdown and shared "action points" with all principals to implement the programme, an HRD Ministry official said on Sunday.

All Kendriya Vidyalayas have been asked to get in touch with teachers, students and their parents about it through e-mail, WhatsApp and SMS to ensure maximum benefit to students, the official said.

Imphal, Apr 5 (PTI) A 21-year-old man was arrested on Sunday for allegedly raping a woman in Manipur's Thoubal district, police said.

Based on a complaint lodged by the woman, the accused, who hails from Tripura, was arrested from Moidangpok area, Superintendent of Police S Ibomcha said.

The woman alleged that she was raped by the accused, a driver by profession, on Saturday evening, the officer said.

A case has been registered and investigation started, he added.

Mumbai, Apr 5 (PTI) As five more COVID-19 patients in Maharashtra were found to have contracted the infection from the people who had attended last month's event in Delhi's Nizamuddin, state Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Sunday held a meeting with members of Tablighi Jamaat.

Talking to PTI, Tope said this meeting assumed significance as some Tablighi members have been accused of deliberately spreading the infection by not cooperating with the state.

Aizawl, Apr 5 (PTI) A few homes in Aizawl and other parts of Mizoram joined Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai in lighting candles following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call in expressing resolve to collectively fight COVID-19.

Pillai along with his wife and some officials lit candles at Raj Bhavan.

Mumbai, Apr 5 (PTI) Amidst the rising number of coronavirus cases in Mumbai, the Maharashtra government on Sunday announced that it was banning the entry of people without masks to Mantrlaya.

Issuing an official order, the state government stated that the people without masks will not be allowed to enter the Mantralaya.

The decision is also applicable to all the employees of the state government who are currently asked to come to office, said an official.

The state government has been functioning on five per cent workpower since the last two weeks.

Kolkata, Apr 5 (PTI) Virtual classes will be held on a private television channel for students of standards 9-12 of the West Bengal boards for a week beginning April 7, an official said on Sunday.

The classes, which will be broadcast by ABP Ananda, will be held from 3 pm to 4 pm, he said.

"The TV channel's studio will be converted into a classroom. Students will ask questions to the teachers through WhatsApp and phone calls, numbers for which will be given before the classes start," the official told PTI.

Mumbai, Apr 6 (PTI) In a move aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus, some city-based NGOs and political leaders have started free distribution of essential items to people, particularly those residing in slum pockets.

They are distributing packets containing food grains and other essential items to residents of different localities and urging citizens to strictly follow the lockdown and not venture out of their homes.

Aligarh (UP), Apr 6 (PTI) A 20-year-old man has been arrested here for a communally sensitive social media post related to the coronavirus pandemic, police said on Monday.

Mursim Ali was arrested on Sunday from Atrauli, about 35 km from here, for his post that went viral and had the potential to breach the communal peace, Atrauli Station House Officer Dharmenra Singh Panwar said.

Shimla, Apr 6 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh police have booked 97 Jamaat members on various charges, including negligent acts that likely led to the spread of coronavirus and deliberately concealing information from authorities, an official said on Monday.

A majority of them had attended a congregation last month at the organisation's New Delhi centre which has emerged as a COVID-19 hotspot, SP law and order Khushal Sharma said.