North India

The Rajasthan government has termed the restrictions till May 3 as ‘Jan Anushashan Pakhwara’ (public discipline fortnight) rather than calling it a lockdown.

At a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal suggested that the Centre should take over all oxygen plants through Army, reports PTI.

Outside GTB Hospital, the second largest Delhi government hospital, it's an open-air ICU now with COVID-19 infected patients seen lying in the hospital courtyard.

Small COVID-19 hospitals in the state have started shifting their admitted patients and referring others to big hospitals for want of uninterrupted supply of liquid medical oxygen.

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, a renowned Islamic scholar and peace activist, died of COVID-19 late on Wednesday.

Malayalam journalist Siddique Kappan, lodged in Mathura Jail in Uttar Pradesh under draconian UAPA in Hathras conspiracy case, tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Haryana health minister Anil Vij on Wednesday claimed that one of their oxygen tankers was looted by the Delhi government amidst acute shortage in the national capital. Vij has ordered that all vehicles carrying oxygen cylinders will be escorted by police.

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday suggested some reduction in steel and petroleum production to divert oxygen to COVID-19 patients and said that economic interests can not override human lives.

Though Kejriwal said that the present lockdown was a relatively 'short' one, and promised that the government will 'take care' of the migrants, the migrant workers told reporters that this time they are prepared to handle the situation in advance so that they are not stuck in the capital city with no money and food.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Monday requested Central government to give special attention on keeping the supply of medical oxygen smooth and also import the medicines and oxygen so that supply is not disrupted in the hospitals across the country.

“I wish Khalid was here to see that his children are now old enough to fast in Ramadan," says Nargis Saifi, wife of the jailed Muslim activist, Khalid Saifi. Saifi and a dozen other Muslim activists booked under UAPA for the Delhi pogrom conspiracy case will be spending their Ramadan in Tihar jail.

Jailed Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and ex-union minister Lalu Prasad Yadav was granted bail in a case linked to the Bihar fodder scam by the Jharkhand High Court on...