From the Newsroom: BJP demands Kerala CM's resignation

In today's episode, BJP Kerala legislator Rajagopal began a one-day fast at the party's state committee office demanding the chief minister's resignation over the recent gold smuggling case; Union Minister of state from Home G Kishan Reddy says states need to emulate “Delhi Model”; An advocate has filed a petition before the Madras High Court seeking the arrest of Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli and actress Tamannaah and BBMP to undertake a major testing programme across several areas of the city.

Here are the top news of today, Saturday: August 1, 2020:

The lone BJP legislator in Kerala, O Rajagopal on Saturday began a one-day fast at the party's state committee office demanding the chief minister's resignation over the recent gold smuggling case.

The fast is part of the protests by the BJP seeking the resignation of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan as he was "morally responsible" for the gold smuggling through diplomatic baggage.

BJP national general secretary Bhupendra Yadav inaugurated the fast through video conference and state party chief K Surendran presided over the meeting.

The saffron party has also decided to organise a virtual rally in the capital city and it will be inaugurated by former state president Kummanam Rajashekharan.

Union Minister V Muraleedharan has also decided to observe a fast at his residence in New Delhi on August 2 seeking the resignation of the chief minister.

The state government has been under heavy criticism on the gold smuggling issue after two former employees of the UAE Consulate here were arrested along with a few others.

The opposition parties have been alleging that the chief minister's office was involved in the matter, a claim which has been dismissed by the state government.

All the states in the country need to emulate the "Delhi model" for controlling the spread of the coronavirus, Union Minister of state from Home G Kishan Reddy said here on Saturday.

"I am requesting the state government (Telangana) to focus on testing, tracing and treatment. There is a need to increase the number of tests (in Telangana). The more number of the tests, the faster the containment of the disease. You know, Delhi as a union territory I am personally monitoring. There is 84 per cent recovery rate in Delhi. All the states should emulate the Delhi model," he told reporters.

The union minister visited Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (TIMS), a 14-storey building at the sports complexatGachibowli which was transformed into a hospital.

Even in future as part of the fight against coronavirus, the Centre will send required quantities of PPE kits and ventilators to Telangana, he further said.

An advocate has filed a petition before the Madras High Court seeking the arrest of Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli and actress Tamannaah for endorsing online gambling sites, which is “taking the lives” of “innocent” youngsters.

A P Suryaprakasam, who is a practising advocate, filed the petition before the Madras High Court on Friday seeking to arrest Kohli and Tamannaah on charges of abatement to suicide for misguiding youngsters on the issue of online gambling and endorsing such sites. The case is likely to be heard on Tuesday.

The filing of the case comes close on the heels of a 19-year-old youth taking his own life, blaming his addiction for online gambling for his suicide.

The PIL is being filed, according to the petitioner, seeking closure of all online gambling sites and prosecution of film and other personalities who have been appearing on the advertisements of such sites.

“…It is just and necessary that authorities have to be immediately directed to close all online gambling sites forthwith and arrest and prosecute Virat Kohli and Tamannaah for their role in abetting the youngsters to gamble online as playing and abatement to play gambling is a criminal offence,” Suryaprakasam said in his petition.

In his petition, Suryaprakasam submitted that online gambling was “unethical and immoral” and said prominently personalities are being used by such sites to constantly pressurise and brainwash the youngsters to “fall in the trap of this evil gambling.”

Worries about community transmission have prompted the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to undertake a major testing programme across several areas of the city. On Saturday, testing began within the Bommanahalli zone.

Captain P Manivannan, IAS, Special officer for the Zone, said that testing activities had begun at two wards: Hongasandra and Uttarahalli on Saturday and would see a total of 500 tests conducted per ward.

According to the State Covid War Room, Hongasandra has had 147 total cases up to July 19, while Uttarahalli saw 241 total cases. More importantly, since July 6, there have been at least 80 identified Covid-19 cases reported from Hongasandra in active containment zones. The ward was hit early by the virus in April when several scrap metal workers were infected. Five of the infected here are apartment dwellers.

A senior BBMP official involved in testing said that they plan to cover all city wards and make free antigen testing available to certain eligible portions of the populations. These include contacts of known Covid-19 cases, people with symptoms of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) or Influenza-Like Illness (ILI), plus anyone coming down with easily identifiable symptoms of the disease such fever cough and cold.

Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh passed away on Saturday. The veteran politician was undergoing treatment at a hospital in Singapore for many months now. He was 64.