Home Blog Page 1146

Teacher recruitment scam: West Bengal govt moves SC challenging HC order cancelling over 23,000 recruitments

ANI
-
0
Teacher recruitment scam: West Bengal govt moves SC challenging HC order cancelling over 23,000 recruitments

The West Bengal Government on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court against the Calcutta High Court decision that declared the entire panel of 2016 School Service Commission teachers’ recruitment null and void, cancelling all appointments of teachers and non-teaching staff.

“Vide the Impugned Order, the High Court, based oral submissions, without any affidavit on record, has proceeded to in a cursory manner, direction to cancel all appointments of teachers and non-teaching staff, in utter disregard to the fact that the same will lead to a huge vacuum in the State Schools, unless new selection process is completed by the SSC, especially when the new academic sessions is on its brim, leading to the students being adversely impacted,” the petition, moved by West Bengal Govt, said.

The plea was filed through advocate on record Astha Sharma. The plea said that Calcutta HC decision to set aside the selection process affects nearly 23,123 teaching and non-teaching staff in the State of West Bengal.

The High Court had directed the persons who had been appointed outside the panel, after expiry of the panel as also those who submitted blank OMR sheets but obtained appointments, must return all remunerations and benefits received by them to the State exchequer along with interest calculated at 12 percent per annum.

“The High Court failed to appreciate the ramification of cancelling the entire selection process leading to straightaway termination of 23,123 teaching and non-teaching staff from service with immediate effect, without giving sufficient time to the Petitioner State to deal with such an exigency, rendering the education system at a stand-still. That even though as per the CBI enquiry report and the affidavit by the SSC irregularity in appointments were only found for 4,327 teachers and non-teaching staff, the Impugned Order on its own wisdom strikes at the legal and valid selections of 23,123 teachers, which was not found to be riddled with any anomaly as per the chargesheet filed by CBI concluding the investigation,” the petition said.

West Bengal govt said that the High Court further mechanically directed that the SSC shall undertake a fresh selection process in respect of the declared vacancies involved in these selection processes preferably within a fortnight from the date of declaration of results of the ensuing elections, without considering that, till the aforesaid process is completely by the SSC and actual appointments are made pursuant thereto, the Schools in the Petitioner State will be seriously understaffed which will severely affect the students in such schools.

“In an unfortunate turn of events, the issue pertaining to the creation of the conditional supernumerary posts was not raised before the High Court, and at no stage was the state govt called upon to respond to the allegations, either before the Single Judge, Division Bench or the Special Bench which passed the Impugned Order. This lack of opportunity being granted to the petitioners not only vitiates the principles of natural justice, where the petitioners are being condemned without placing their stand on record, but further transgresses the issues which the high court was seized upon to adjudicate and further disregards the proceedings pending before the Supreme Court where the very issue arises and has been stayed by this Court,” WB Govt said.

This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

I.N.D.I. Alliance discussing ‘1 year PM post’ for each big leader if they manage to defeat Modi: Report

OpIndia Staff
-
0
I.N.D.I. Alliance discussing ‘1 year PM post’ for each big leader if they manage to defeat Modi: Report

The I.N.D.I Alliance never managed to declare a PM face before the election and the leadership of the alliance was always under question as to who would be the PM of the country if the motley coalition of Opposition political parties managed to defeat the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections.

As per a report in ANI, it has been discussed among the top leaders of the I.N.D.I. Alliance partners that if they manage to defeat the BJP and somehow win a majority of the seats, they would choose leaders among them to hold the PM post for 1 year each, so that no major partner of the alliance gets upset.

ANI quoted sources privy to the top-level negotiations ongoing among the I.N.D.I. Alliance partners, saying that a ‘one year each’ formula may be decided upon in the eventuality of victory, so none of the top leaders of the largest parties are left out.

The I.N.D.I. Alliance partners could never finalise a seat-sharing formula either, in most Indian states, not just their PM face. Mamata Banerjee got upset with the Congress and left the alliance, and has TMC candidates contesting all 42 seats in Bengal. Similarly, CPM’s Annie Raja is challenging Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad, and in Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti has also left the I.N.D.I. Alliance.

However, the sources cited by the ANI report further mentioned that the current differences and upsets can be easily forgotten if the I.N.D.I. Alliance secures a majority in the Lok Sabha elections.

“Everything is being discussed threadbare. We have to start our ground game now. The country cannot have a situation where the I.N.D.I. Alliance is not sure of who will lead the country in the case of a post-BJP scenario”, the sources said.

In defence of Islamists and Khalistanis: How US State Dept’s Human Rights report on India whitewashed Umar Khalid, Kappan, Nijjar and others

Anurag
-
0
In defence of Islamists and Khalistanis: How US State Dept’s Human Rights report on India whitewashed Umar Khalid, Kappan, Nijjar and others

On 22nd April, the United States State Department released Country Reports on Human Rights Practices including India. The summary of the report talked about the violence in Manipur between 3rd May and 15th November. However, the detailed report has several aspects that need to be discussed specifically where the US State Department conveniently supported the likes of Umar Khalid, Atiq Ahmed, Siddique Kappan and others without devaluing into details why they were jailed.

The arrest of Umar Khalid

The Human Rights Practices report described Umar Khalid as a “student and human rights activist”. As the report was written before Khalid withdrew his bail plea from the Supreme Court, the last update in the report mentioned that his bail was adjourned till January 2024. The report claimed, “His bail hearing was repeatedly delayed since his arrest in 2020 under the UAPA. International and local activists demanded Khalid’s release, noting he had been arbitrarily detained without trial since 2020.” The report, however, failed to mention that seven out of fourteen adjournments in the Supreme Court were sought by Khalid’s counsel. Furthermore, as he has withdrawn his plea from the Supreme Court, the matter was listed at the Sessions Court and the matter is subjudice. Also, as the bail plea is under consideration, the trial in the matters he was booked is getting delayed.

Coming to Umar Khalid’s history, it has to be noted that he is the son of a former banned terrorist organisation SIMI, which his counsel forgot to tell the court. Furthermore, Khalid was booked in the larger conspiracy leading to the anti-Hindu Delhi Riots of 2020. During the bail hearing, the Public Prosecutor categorically told the court that Khalid has a habit of creating narratives in media and online. The prosecutor presented evidence as WhatsApp chats with several celebrities, media houses and activists where Khalid sent them links to share on social media and they obliged.

Furthermore, the prosecutor pointed out that while Khalid is in jail, several media houses and activists are running campaigns to set a narrative in his favour in media and on social media to affect the judicial proceedings. Interestingly, the US State Department has done the same thing amid his ongoing bail plea.

Accusations against George Soros presented as ‘antisemitism’

In a bizarre move, the report represented accusations against George Soros as ‘antisemitism’. It is a known fact that billionaire George Soros is anti-India and funds media houses, NGOs and other organisations to target Indians, BJP and Hindu leaders. 

The Human Rights Practices report read, “Government officials made public statements and released social media posts alleging certain opposition political party figures and diaspora leaders were connected to George Soros, playing on an antisemitic conspiracy theory of an “all-controlling Jewish individual” who was influencing events in the country. On October 6, the BJP’s official X account posted an edited image depicting Rahul Gandhi being controlled by Soros.” 

This statement in the report is not only factually incorrect but shows how less the US knows about India and its internal affairs. Or the case may be the opposite and the US is trying to create differences between the Jewish community and India. Soros is no one’s friend, especially since he is NOT India’s friend. He has to be treated as a threat to the country without referring to his religion. On the other hand, India has always supported the Jewish community. India stood tall with Israel after the horrific terror attack by Hamas on 7th October. Just because India, Indians and Indian leaders talked about India’s interests and raised questions over George Soros’s intentions against India, that does not mean there is antisemitism in the country.

The murder of Atiq Ahmed

The Human Rights Practices report described Atiq Ahmed as a “convicted prisoner and former parliamentarian from the Samajwadi Party accused of being a mobster”. Atiq Ahmed was not just a mobster. He was a former gangster with 102 cases filed against him including those of threats, murder attempts and kidnapping. The gangster act was brought against him a total of three times. Even while incarcerated in different jails in Uttar Pradesh, he held meetings and ran his criminal empire. The initial complaint was filed against him in 1979. Not only Ahmed, his brother Ashraf, who was mentioned in the report, had 52 cases including planning the conspiracy leading to the murder of Umesh Pal and the murder of Raju Pal.

Arrest of Siddique Kappan and Atikur Rahman

The report described Siddique Kappan as a “Kerala-based journalist” It talked about how he was detained while going to Hathras, Uttar Pradesh to cover the alleged gang rape of a Dalit woman in 2020. “Kappan and Rahman, both Muslims, were arrested and charged with sedition and provisions under the UAPA for allegedly promoting religious enmity between different groups,” the report read.

Siddique Kappan was arrested by the UP Police on October 5, 2020, when he was proceeding to ‘cover’ the Hathras case where a 19-year-old Dalit woman had died. He was arrested along with three other persons, under stringent sections of UAPA and sedition charges for attempting to create a caste conflict in the state amidst the Hathras case controversy.

Apart from Kappan, Siddiqui of Nagla in Muzaffarnagar, Masood Ahmed of Jarwal in Bahraich district, and Alam of Kotwali area in Rampur district were arrested. All the four arrested four had connections with the radical organization Popular Front of India (PFI) and were planning to cause caste-based unrest in the state, the police had stated.

The government in the Supreme Court had stated that Siddique Kappan was an office-bearer of the now-banned Islamist organization Popular Front of India(PFI) and was on his way to Hathras pretending to be a newspaper journalist from a Kerala-based outlet called ‘Tejas’ that was closed in 2018.

Nowhere does the Human Rights Practices report mention how Kappan was connected to a banned terrorist organisation. Furthermore, it completely ignored the fact that reportedly Kappan directed the PFI hit squad to kill BJP leader Kapil Mishra and Parvesh Verma for foiling PFI attempts during the 2020 Delhi anti-Hindu riots. According to a report published on March 19, 2024, by a local Malayalam media outlet Janmabhumi, Siddique Kappan, infuriated by the BJP leader’s efforts that thwarted PFI members’ attempts to target Hindus during the 2020 anti-Hindu riots in Delhi, reportedly ordered the now arrested Popular Front of India (PFI) Hit Squad Commander Kamal KP, a native of Malappuram, to kill Kapil Mishra and Parvesh Verma. The order was given during a meeting held at the banned outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) controlled Green Valley Academy at Manjery in Kerala’s Malappuram district in September 2020. Detailed OpIndia’s report on the matter can be seen here. 

On 22nd April, the United States State Department released Country Reports on Human Rights Practices including India. The summary of the report talked about the violence in Manipur between 3rd May and 15th November. However, the detailed report has several aspects that need to be discussed specifically where the US State Department conveniently supported the likes of Umar Khalid, Atiq Ahmed, Siddique Kappan and others without devaluing into details why they were jailed.

Murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar

The Human Rights Practices report uses Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s murder to propagate that the Indian Government engaged in transnational repression. It read, “On September 18, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his government was investigating allegations of a link between Indian government agents and the killing of a Sikh Canadian citizen, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, whom the Indian government alleged and designated as a terrorist, and who advocated for the creation of an independent Sikh state called Khalistan. The Indian government denied any involvement.”

It is essential to note that while Trudeau accused India of killing Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the country failed to produce any credible evidence of the same. Furthermore, Canada is a known safe haven for terrorists, Nazis, gangsters and criminals. Canada honoured a war criminal in its House of Commons in the presence of the Prime Minister! Canadian government apologised and the speaker resigned after the backlash.

India has been seeking extradition of several criminals who took shelter in Canada but the Canadian authorities failed to provide any assistance. India even sought the extradition of Nijjar multiple times. Notably, Nijjar entered Canada on a fake passport disguised as a Hindu. His citizenship was denied multiple times but for some reason, it was granted a few years before he was killed probably in a gang war. India has categorically denied any involvement in any such actions on the foreign land. OpIndia’s detailed reports on Hardeep Singh Nijjar can be seen here.

Accounts of IAMC and HfHR withheld in India

The Human Rights Practices report further used the Government of India’s decision to block accounts of organisations like Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR) and the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) on X as examples of transnational repression. The report did mention the reason for the association of HfHR with Soros but in a very questionable tone as if the Indian government “conspired” against these organisations as they were “working to advance human rights and religious freedom”.

OpIndia has detailed reports on both organisations and how they work against India. The Indian Americal Muslim Council has links [pdf] with the banned Islamic terror outfit, Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). Besides, the Indian American Muslim Council has ties with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) through its founder Shaik Ubaid. The IAMC is a Jamat-e-Islami-backed lobbyist organisation claiming to be a rights advocacy group. In the past, it had reportedly collaborated with and even paid money to various groups in the USA to get India blacklisted by the USCIRF (United States Commission on International Religious Freedom). IAMC had been caught spreading fake news and misinformation to further the Islamist cause in India. It had also been slapped with the UAPA in 2021.

OSINT handle ‘Disinfo Lab’ had earlier informed that the HfHR was actively promoting the misleading narrative of ‘Hindu Vs Hindutva’. The same organisation was also seen endorsing the ‘Dismantling Global Hindutva’ conference. As per Disinfo Lab, HfHR was formed in the year 2019 by Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) and the Organization for Minorities of India (OFMI).

Interestingly, the three organisations had formed another outfit called the Alliance for Justice and Accountability (AJA). As per an article in The Hindu, the Alliance for Justice and Accountability had been at the forefront of leading demonstrations against the visit of PM Modi to Houston on September 22, 2019. Sunita Vishwanath, the co-founder of ‘Hindus for Human Rights’ had also tried to create hysteria and panic among Indian Muslims about the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in 2019. She is also the co-founder of an organisation named ‘Women for Afghan Women’, which is funded by George Soros’ Open Society Foundations (OSF)/ Open Society Institute (OSI).

In July 2023, BJP leader and Union Minister Smriti Irani questioned Rahul Gandhi for his alleged connections to IAMC’s president Tazeem Ansari and said Ansari has connections with Jamaat-e-Islami. “Even in Bharat Jodo Yatra in Karnataka, the Global Vice President of the Open Society Foundation funded by George Soros was found accompanying Rahul Gandhi. What is extremely distressing is the link with the Islamic Circle of North America. Those in the public domain who will research how the registration process for NRI interaction with Rahul Gandhi in New York ensued will find the contact of Tazeem Ansari – he has an organisational link with Jamaat-e-Islami,” Irani said. 

Demolition of illegal houses in Nuh following anti-Hindu violence

The Human Rights Practices report mentioned that there were “communal clashes” between Hindus and Muslims in Haryana on 31st July and 1st August. After the “clashes” local authorities demolished houses in “a Muslim-majority district, claiming homes were used by perpetrators of communal violence and were built illegally on government land”. The demolition was stayed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

As the report talks about human rights, let’s discuss the Nuh violence. On 31st July, Hindus, under the banner of Vishva Hindu Parishad, were scheduled to take out a Shobha Yatra or procession in Nuh, Rajasthan. Islamists attacked Hindus in the temple, in the city and anywhere they could find a Hindu. Shops were burnt down, bullets were fired, stone pelting took place and several devotees and police personnel lost their lives or sustained serious injuries. Islamist mobsters not only attacked innocent, unarmed Hindus but also slit the throat of one of the devotees identified as Abhishek. US State Department’s report on Human Rights FORGOT that Hindus HAVE HUMAN RIGHTS too. Our detailed coverage of Nuh violence can be checked here.

The World Press Freedom Index report by Reporters Without Borders

The Human Rights Practices report also mentioned the World Press Freedom Index 2023 by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) to state that “press freedom is in crisis in the world’s largest democracy.” Interestingly, in May 2023, OpIndia explained how the Press Freedom rating of India at 161 out of 187 was faulty. RSF released its annual Press Freedom Report, in which it put India at 161st position out of 180 countries. As per RSF, India slipped 11 ranks in 2022. Interestingly, according to RSF, Pakistan’s press freedom index has improved. From 157th rank in 2022, Pakistan has acquired the 150th position in the list. The same goes for Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, which got its rank improved from 156 to 152.

One of the most bizarre points RSF put in its report is about the money the government of India spends on advertisements. RSF claimed the central government is spending more than 130 billion rupees (Rs 13,000 crores) or 5 billion euros a year on ads in the print and online media alone.

OpIndia had filed an RTI seeking information on the ad spent by the central government on different platforms, including print, outdoor advertisements, social media, radio and television. As per the reply sent by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of the Government of India, the actual figures are nowhere close to what RSF has claimed.

According to the reply sent by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the central government spent only Rs 26.44 crore on television ads and only 1.33 crore on social media ads in the financial year 2022-23. Notably, ad spending has decreased significantly since the Modi government came to power in 2014. The maximum amount the government has spent on television ads was Rs 280.77 crores in FY 2016-17.

Throughout its report on India, RSF made several claims that were nowhere close to reality. RSF claimed Reliance Industries Group led by Mukesh Ambani owns more than 70 media outlets. They also pointed out good relations between Ambani and PM Modi. The claim does not stand strong as it is based on a 2019 statement by Mukesh Ambani where he had said Reliance Industries owned 72 television channels, which includes all genres of channels and not just news channels, with around 800 million viewers.

This includes News18 branded TV news platforms like CNN Worldwide, CNN-News18, CNBC-TV18, CNN-IBN, CNBC Awaaz and more. Other than news channels, it also includes an entertainment portfolio under Viacom18 Media which is the parent company of 50 channels. All these are entertainment channels and do not have any “media outlets” as mentioned by RSF. Reliance’s Jio platform is also a source of news for its subscribers but that is more of an aggregator rather than owner of the channels or media outlet.

RSF used data from different years to claim that 1/3 of COVID-19-related deaths of media personnel were from India. RSF linked a report of Dhaka Tribune from June 2021 that noted 1,500 media persons died of Covid worldwide. Dhaka Tribune used data from the Press Emblem Campaign.

RSF claimed the Indian government misbehaved and unlawfully arrested media persons who covered farmer protests. Interestingly, they mentioned the time when Twitter handles of media persons were suspended for sharing fake news about violence. They included the case of The Wire’s Siddharth Varadarajan was booked for reporting the death of a protester. Not to forget, even after repeated clarification from the Police and the doctor who did an autopsy of the deceased, Varadarajan continued to share fake reports about the death of the protester. It must be noted that The Wire was forced to remove multiple reports related to Tek Fog and Meta as they were based on false evidence. This report of RSF was published in 2021 and appeared in the 2023 ranking.

They also mentioned the arrest of so-called journalist Siddique Kappan who was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh police for allegedly plans to instigate the public during the Hathras case in 2020. Details revolving around Kappan can be read here. RSF also linked a report where it extended its support to propaganda journalist Rana Ayyub. Notably, Ayyub is known for making false claims on international platforms. She is accused of financial fraud. The case against her is sub-judice. Recently, she downplayed gangster Atiq Ahmed’s crimes at a UNESCO event.

The raids on BBC

The Human Rights Practices report also mentioned the Income Tax Department’s raid on BBC. The report claimed it took place after the screening of a controversial documentary falsely accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of having a role in the 2002 Gujarat Riots when he was Chief Minister of the state. Notably, the Supreme Court has already given a clean chit to PM Modi in the matter. Despite the court orders giving a clean chit to PM Modi, BBC went ahead and released the documentary and then claimed suppression of media after the Government acted to ban the documentary in India. 

In short, the Human Rights Practices report by the US State Department is no less than a witchhunt against India. Several cases were mentioned without context and represented as if India was losing its status as a democratic country.

Is Congress eyeing to snatch the inherited properties of only Hindus? Read how the party has promised they will never touch Muslim personal laws

Amit Kelkar
-
0
Is Congress eyeing to snatch the inherited properties of only Hindus? Read how the party has promised they will never touch Muslim personal laws

Even as Congress finds itself cornered over its ill-conceived wealth redistribution scheme, popularised by senior party leader Rahul Gandhi, another controversy has erupted after the Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress and Rahul Gandhi’s advisor, Sam Pitroda, suggested that a US-like inheritance tax should be brought in India.

Pitroda while explaining the inheritance tax claimed that in the US, 55% of the wealth is grabbed by the government when a person dies and the rest goes to the family, suggesting that Congress can bring a similar policy under its wealth redistribution promise.

“In America, there is an inheritance tax. If one has $100 million worth of wealth and when he dies he can only transfer probably 45% to his children, 55% is grabbed by the government. That’s an interesting law. It says you in your generation, made wealth and you are leaving now, you must leave your wealth for the public, not all of it, half of it, which to me sounds fair. In India, you don’t have that. If somebody is worth 10 billion and he dies, his children get 10 billion and the public gets nothing…,” Pitroda said on Wednesday.

“So these are the kinds of issues people will have to debate and discuss. I don’t know what the conclusion would be at the end of the day but when we talk about redistributing wealth, we are talking about new policies and new programs that are in the interest of the people and not in the interest of super-rich only,” he added.

Pitroda’s statements instantly went viral, with several social media users and politicians, including those from the BJP, criticising the Congress party for what they consider to be a larger part of the ‘wealth redistribution’ scheme Rahul Gandhi has been vigorously advocating in his numerous public rallies. 

In the face of severe backlash and its potential ramifications on the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Congress distanced itself from Sam Pitroda’s comments on inheritance tax. Pitroda himself, too, back-pedalled from his stand, claiming that he had used inheritance tax only as an example during his conversation on TV and that his comments were twisted “out of context” by Godi media—a pejorative term that left-leaning supporters and ‘intellectuals’ use for media organisations that confront them with uncomfortable questions.

Congress party’s historical stance on inheritance tax

While the Congress party and Sam Pitroda would have us believe that his statements on inheritance tax were just off-the-cuff remarks, history tells us that Congress had long been toying with the idea of imposing taxes on inheritance. 

In 2012, the then Finance Minister, P Chidambaram, urged for a discussion on the necessity of implementing an inheritance tax in India, questioning whether enough focus has been given to the concentration of wealth among a select few. 

Speaking at the Dr Raja J. Chelliah Memorial Lecture hosted by the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP), Chidambaram emphasised the importance of addressing the issue of wealth accumulation in the hands of a minority. 

“Have we neglected the growing concentration of wealth in a few hands? I remain cautious about broaching the topic of intergenerational fairness and thus, the implementation of an inheritance tax,” the Finance Minister stated, encouraging institutions like NIPFP to engage in a thorough debate on the matter.

A year before that, in 2011, P Chidambaram had floated the idea of imposing an inheritance tax as a part of the government’s attempt to raise the tax-GDP ratio. 

Therefore, to claim Pitroda’s views on inheritance tax are his personal opinion is nothing but an attempt to brush aside the harsh reality that the Congress party had been actively mulling over introducing inheritance tax as early as 2011, three years before Modi came to power in 2014. 

Though the financial ramifications of such a tax, considered in isolation, cannot be overstated, what makes it even more dangerous is the Congress party’s historical stand on other issues that have the potential of causing grave social implications for the country. Congress has long opposed the Universal Civil Code and passionately championed the Muslim Personal Law. The Muslim Personal Law governs among other things inheritance-related matters for Muslims in India.

The Muslim Personal Law Board was established under Indira Gandhi’s leadership, which went directly against the letter of Article 44 of the Constitution, which demanded a uniform civil code. And since then, the Congress on various occasions has quite eloquently extended its support to the Muslim Personal Law Board, often citing secular principles of the country when its critics pointed out the irony of its existence in a secular republic. The party has staunchly opposed any suggestions put forth over the implementation of the UCC in the country and has been a vociferous defender of personal laws. 

In fact, in the 2024 election manifesto or Nyay Patra, as the Congress leaders call it, the party has promised “freedom for personal laws”, meaning minorities can have their own laws to govern their communities. The inclusion of freedom of personal laws attracted fierce criticism, with many criticising Congress as a political party that has extended its support to Sharia Law in India.

Congress party’s past stand on inheritance tax and support for Muslim Personal Laws indicate they are eyeing Hindu properties only

Taken together, it offers a grim outlook. On one hand, Congress leaders are rooting for the imposition of an inheritance tax in India while on the other, the party has made it clear it won’t touch personal laws, including Muslim personal law, which governs all the Muslims in India. According to the Muslim Personal Law, inheritance received by a Muslim falls directly under its purview, and they are alone the competent authority to govern it.  

This, in essence, would mean that if inheritance tax is introduced in the country before the passage of the UCC Bill, Hindus will stand to lose their inherited property and assets to the government, while it will have no impact on the Muslims as they fall under the ambit of the Muslim Personal Law. 

Is the Congress party aiming to seize inherited property and assets from Hindus while allowing Muslims to retain them? Judging by their past stance on inheritance tax and the longstanding support for Muslim Personal Law, which governs inheritance-related matters for Muslims, it does indicate that Congress is considering appropriating only Hindu properties and assets, which could then be used to fund Rahul Gandhi’s “redistribution” project among minority groups.

Sheikh Shahjahan seen crying in custody: Sandeshkhali criminal in tears during court appearance, BJP mocks saying ‘swag has disappeared’

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Sheikh Shahjahan seen crying in custody: Sandeshkhali criminal in tears during court appearance, BJP mocks saying ‘swag has disappeared’

Former All India Trinamool Congress (AITC or TMC) goon Sheikh Shahjahan broke down while meeting his family from inside a police vehicle following a court appearance in Basirhat Sub-Divisional Court on 23rd April. The Sandeshkhali strongman was remanded to judicial custody for 14 days in connection with sexual assault and land grab cases against him.

Central Bureau of Investigation officials in Basirhat produced him in front of a local court where he spotted his wife, daughter and supporters through the window of the van as he was leaving and started crying. He reportedly told his family to “pray to Allah” and the scene was captured on camera as he wiped his tears. He is currently being held at Kolkata’s Presidency Jail after being transported there from Basirhat.

Notably, the footage showed how the present state of affairs contrasted sharply with the time the TMC leader strolled proudly as cops followed him after his initial arrest. The stark difference was also pointed out by Bharatiya Janata Party IT cell chief Amit Malviya who took to social media to mock the man and warned that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee won’t be able to protect anyone “when the law catches up to them.”

He stated, “The swag has disappeared. Mamata Banerjee’s poster boy, rapist Sheikh Shahjahan is weeping like an inconsolable child. Criminal Anubroto Mondal is in jail. This is the fate that awaits the likes of Saokat Mollah, Jehangir Khan and others, who have unleashed a reign of terror across Bengal. No one will come to save them when the law catches up. Not Mamata Banerjee for sure. She couldn’t even save her ministers. The clock is ticking.”

Sheikh Shahajahan enjoyed strong patronage in the TMC and rose to the status of ‘Betaj Badshah‘ from a mere truck driver and has engaged in various illegal activities since 2006 including the murder of Bharatiya Janata Party members. However, as a precautionary measure against potential legal action, he has consistently surrounded himself with influential individuals. He grabbed national headlines after he perpetrated an attack on Enforcement Directorate officials on 5th January this year.

Sandeshkhali Horror

Hundreds of women from Sandeshkhali staged a protest on 8th February this year, over the land grab, unpaid wages and sexual harassment committed by Sheikh Shahjahan and his two assistants, Shiba Prasad Hazra and Uttam Sardar. The women stormed the premises that he had unlawfully acquired and destroyed Shiba Prasad Hazra’s chicken farm. Additionally, they encircled the Sandeshkali police station and made demands for the trio’s quick arrest. The village experienced three days of unrest.

The cops watched in silence as the TMC thugs retaliated. The police themselves mistreated the women in multiple instances. It had been revealed that the party leaders had been abusing the locals sexually for a considerable amount of time. The TMC leadership expelled Uttam Sardar from the party for six years in an effort to appease the irate Sandeshkhali residents. On 10th February, the suspended TMC leader and Zilla Parishad member was subsequently taken into custody in the vicinity of the Sandeshkhali police station.

TMC politician Shibu Prasad Hazra was apprehended by the police on 17th February for allegedly stealing land and abusing women in Sandeshkhali. The main offender, Sheikh Shahjahan, who had been at large for 55 days was eventually taken into custody by the authorities on 29th February 29 in Minakhan, North 24 Parganas district following widespread protests and the involvement of the Calcutta High Court. The TMC administration had initially refused to hand him over to the Central Bureau of Investigation but was forced to comply after the high court intervened.

Western media criticises our democracy because they think they are also political players in our election: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Western media criticises our democracy because they think they are also political players in our election: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar

On Tuesday (23rd April), External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar slammed Western media, emphasising that they criticise our democracy because they think they are also political players in our election and not because they lack information. Notably, he made these remarks while speaking at ‘Foreign Policy The India Way: From Diffidence To Confidence’ in Hyderabad, Telangana on Tuesday.

Addressing the forum, EAM Jaishankar said, “I get a lot of these noises from the Western press and if they criticise our democracy, it’s not because they lack information. It is because they think they are also political players in our election.”

Further, Jaishankar said that in an article by the Western media, they stated that in such a heatwave in India, why are they holding elections? “Now I read that article and I wanted to say listen, in that heat my lowest turnout is higher than your highest turnout in the best run,” Jaishankar said. He added that these are games that are being played with us.

“These are politics. These are our domestic politics which is going global, global politics which feels they must now intrude in India. How can these chaps decide who should be ruling them without consulting us?” he said. Moreover, Jaishankar stressed that “They (West) actually think they are part of our electorate”, adding, “I think it’s time today that we disabuse them and the best way that we do that, is by confidence.”

EAM emphasised the need to stand up to these kinds of attacks and criticisms and rankings and reports because they will question everything. “They will question your election system, your EVM, your election commission, even the weather,” he said.

“And one complaint is…BJP is so unfair, BJP thinks it’s going to win very big,” he said, adding that, in a kind of way, today, we are at a very important inflection point. Jaishankar said that the decisions, the government will be making, are not just for the next five years, and will give our nation, our society, and our coming generations a very big vote of confidence.

“It is the guarantee, the guarantee is an expression of confidence. It is an expression of confidence based on what we have delivered for the last ten years,” he added. He highlighted how India has been regarded across the world in the last ten years, how the country is today preparing for the next 25 years is the mindset with which we need to approach the world.

Foreign Media’s ‘interference’ in Indian elections and falsehoods about concerns of ‘sliding democratic credentials’ of the country

Jaishankar’s critical remarks about foreign press coverage of Indian elections come at a time when a lot of Foreign Media publications while covering India’s ongoing elections displayed its usual Hinduphobic and anti-Modi tropes against the Modi government. The foreign media reports played on the palpable insinuation that somehow Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi’s victory is inevitable and the democracy and the minorities, essentially Muslims are in danger.

The foreign media’s coverage of the Lok Sabha elections has been centred around Modi’s Hindu nationalism, so-called divisive politics, oppression of minorities, and suppression of political opposition and media voices. While PM Modi talks of making India a $5 trillion economy, semiconductors, Digital India, Atmanirbhar Bharat, a prominent player in global decision-making, the foreign media wants to project Modi as a ‘Hindu hardliner’.

The intent of overtly emphasising Hindu nationalism is to limit Narendra Modi’s stature as a ‘Hindu nationalist’ leader who retains power by stoking Hindu religious sentiments and polarisation, despite the fact that PM Modi has emerged as a global leader with an impact on international politics over the last decade. Whether it is the anti-Modi parties, the left-liberal ecosystem, a major segment of Western media, or the enemies of India in general, they want a weak government and a docile leader at the helm of power in India.

Apart from falsehoods about Modi’s anti-Muslim trope against the Modi government, Foreign media outlets have also made unsubstantiated allegations of wrongdoings in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), Indian legislations particularly CAA, and so-called extraterritorial killings at the behest of the Indian government among others. Additionally, in several cases, they have spread lies about certain schemes or policies to allege corruption like the Rafale deal ‘scam’ fiasco, or authoritarian functioning of the Modi government like conspiracy theories on Pegasus, the crackdown on journalists, and dissenting voices. However, all these lies have fallen flat in the court of law and before the voters.   

Meanwhile, while addressing the forum in Hyderabad, EAM Jaishankar slammed the Western media by specifically highlighting their false concerns about Kashmir and the abrogation of Article 370. 

The Foreign Minister said, “Please understand the importance of what we did with the abrogation of Article 370. We have corrected an enormous mistake, we made in 1947. We created a lobby, we created a vote bank lobby, we created a Kashmiri lobby, some people were arbitraging.” 

“I would show to everybody in the Western press one page of the Constitution called temporary provision. You know the meaning of the word temporary, it comes to an end. There is nobody as blind as someone who doesn’t want to see,” he added.

World wants to connect to India: Dr. Jaishankar

Moreover, recalling the G20 Summit, Jaishankar said that during the presidency, several countries wanted to connect to India. “During our G20 presidency, a number of countries, but particularly this was an initiative called IMEC through Saudi Arabia, they wanted to connect India to Europe. Russia and Iran also want a connectivity passage to Europe. In the east, countries like Vietnam, and Cambodia, want a passage through Myanmar to India,” he said.

Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Jaishankar said, “It is the combination of all of this and, as I said, the stature which the prime minister personally commands…I see that because I travel with him often.”

The fact is, when the G20 met, there was a lot of respect in the rest of the world for PM Modi personally and for Modi’s Bharat, Jaishankar stressed.

(With Inputs from ANI) 

Congress has given reservations to all Muslims under OBC quota in Karnataka, confirming what PM Modi had said; NCBC blasts Siddaramiah govt

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Congress has given reservations to all Muslims under OBC quota in Karnataka, confirming what PM Modi had said; NCBC blasts Siddaramiah govt

The National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) has criticised the CM Siddaramiah-led Congress government’s decision to classify the whole Muslim community as a backward caste for reservation under OBC quota in Karnataka, saying that such blanket categorization contradicts the ideals of social justice.

As per the data submitted by the Karnataka Backward Classes Welfare Department, all Muslim castes and groups have been classified as socially and educationally backwards under Category IIB on the State List of Backward Classes.

This decision of the Congress govt in Karnataka to include all Muslims as OBC has confirmed what PM Narendra Modi had said just a couple of days ago. On Sunday (21st April), PM Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress party for including the ultra-leftist agenda of ‘Wealth redistribution’ promised by Rahul Gandhi.

While addressing an election rally in Banswara, Rajasthan, PM Modi said that if it comes to power, the Congress party will snatch gold, silver, ornaments like Mangalsutra, property, etc and distribute them among people having more children, illegal immigrants and Muslims. He also reminded how Congress leaders earlier had claimed that Muslims have the first right to resources in the country.

During a field visit last year, the NCBC looked at the state’s OBC quota policy in educational institutions and government jobs.

In its statement the NCBC said on Monday (22nd April), “All castes/communities of Muslim religion of Karnataka are being treated as socially and educationally backward classes of citizens and listed as Muslim Caste separately under Category IIB in the State List of Backward Classes for providing them reservation in admission into educational institutions and in appointments to posts and vacancies in the services of the State for the purpose of Articles 15(4) and 16(4) of the Constitution of India.”

This classification has resulted in the allocation of reservation benefits to 17 socially and educationally backward castes under Category I and 19 castes under Category II-A.

According to the NCBC, categorising Muslims as a backward caste violates social justice principles, particularly for marginalised Muslim castes and groups that have been categorised as socially and educationally backward.

The NCBC, however, underlined that, while there are disadvantaged and historically marginalised groups of the Muslim community, presenting the entire faith as backward ignores the diversity and intricacies of Muslim society.

“The religion-based reservation affects and works against ethics of social justice for categorically downtrodden Muslim castes/communities and identified socially and educationally backward Muslim castes/communities under Category-I (17 Muslim castes) and Category II-A (19 Muslim castes) of State List of Backward Classes. Hence, socially and educationally backward castes/communities cannot be treated at par with an entire religion,” the NCBC said.

The NCBC also expressed concern about the influence of such reservations on the entire framework of social justice, particularly in relation to local body elections.

Since Karnataka provides 32% reservation for backward classes in local body elections, including Muslims, the Commission emphasised the importance of a sophisticated approach that takes into account the diversity of these communities. As per the 2011 Census, Muslims account for 12.92 percent of the population of Karnataka.

‘Congress ki loot, zindagi ke saath bhi, zindagi ke baad bhi’: PM Modi on inheritance tax proposed by Rahul Gandhi’s advisor

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘Congress ki loot, zindagi ke saath bhi, zindagi ke baad bhi’: PM Modi on inheritance tax proposed by Rahul Gandhi’s advisor

On Wednesday (24th April), Prime Minister Narendra Modi lambasted the Congress party over the ‘Inheritance tax’ plan by proposed Sam Pitroda, the aide and advisor of Rahul Gandhi and the grand old party. Addressing the Vijay Sankalp Shankhnaad Maharally in Surguja, Chhattisgarh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that Congress has taken loot (corruption/extortion) to such an extent that it continues during life and then after death of Indian citizens. 

Notably, earlier in the day, the Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress and Rahul Gandhi’s advisor Sam Pitroda suggested that a US-like inheritance tax should be brought in India. As per the Congress leader, under this tax regime, more than half of the Wealth of a citizen will be grabbed by the government once a person dies leaving only the remaining portion with their bereaved family. He claimed that in the USA, 55% of the wealth is taken by the govt after a person dies, and only 45% can be transferred to children. He proposed such a plan in India, to fund the Congress promises of giving huge cash handouts to people.

Addressing the rally in Chhattisgarh, PM Modi hit back at the Inheritance tax plan charging the Congress party with over-burdening the taxpayers and rampant loot. He emphasised that the Mantra of the Congress party is Congress ki loot, zindagi ke sath bhi, Zindagi ke baad bhi. (Translation – Congress ki loot, during life and after death too.)

Without naming Rahul Gandhi and his advisor Sam Pitroda, PM Modi said, “The royal family’s prince’s advisor and the royal family’s prince’s father’s (Rajeev Gandhi) advisor had said that more taxes should be imposed on the middle class. Now these people have gone one step further than this, Congress says that it will impose an Inheritance Tax, and it will also impose tax on the Inheritance received from parents. The property you have accumulated through your hard work will not be given to your children. The claws of Congress will snatch that too from you.” 

PM Modi, who has been critical of the dynastic takeover of political parties, stressed that those who consider the Congress party as their ancestral property want Indians to not pass their property to their children after their death.  

He added, “As long as you are alive, Congress will impose higher taxes and when you are no longer alive, it will burden you with Inheritance Tax. Those people who considered the entire Congress party as their ancestral property and handed it over to their children, now do not want Indians to pass on their property to their children.”

Inheritance tax plans by advisor of Congress party

Amidst a strong criticism of the Congress party’s ‘wealth redistribution’ poll promise, the Chairman of Indian Overseas Congress and Rahul Gandhi’s advisor Sam Pitroda on Wednesday morning (Indian Standard Time) suggested a US-like inheritance tax as a way to redistribute wealth. 

He said, “In America, there is an inheritance tax. If one has $100 million worth of wealth and when he dies he can only transfer probably 45% to his children, 55% is grabbed by the government. That’s an interesting law. It says you in your generation, made wealth and you are leaving now, you must leave your wealth for the public, not all of it, half of it, which to me sounds fair. In India, you don’t have that. If somebody is worth 10 billion and he dies, his children get 10 billion and the public gets nothing.” 

“So these are the kind of issues people will have to debate and discuss. I don’t know what the conclusion would be at the end of the day but when we talk about redistributing wealth, we are talking about new policies and new programs that are in the interest of the people and not in the interest of the super-rich only,” the advisor to Congress party added.

However, soon after his remarks drew widespread criticism and condemnation, the Congress party tried to distance itself from his remarks in a bid to control the damage. 

Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications, Jairam Ramesh argued that while Sam Pitroda is a ‘very respected’ man, his statement should not be taken seriously. Additionally, Sam Pitroda himself stated that whatever he talked about had nothing to do with Congress and that the statements he made were in a personal capacity. He further blamed the media for ‘twisting’ his statement. However, Pitroda’s statement about inheritance tax was not twisted, but presented as it is.

Congress’ wealth redistribution plan

As reported earlier, a major outrage erupted over Congress’s plans to do an economic survey to find out who owns how much wealth and redistribute it. PM Modi recently attacked the Congress party over this and asserted that Congress will redistribute the wealth to the infiltrators. He warned the voters that according to the Congress party’s announcement if they form the government, gold, silver, ornaments like Mangalsutra, property, etc of Indians will be surveyed to be taken away and redistributed. 

Nonetheless, Sam Pitroda is not a featherweight leader in the Congress party but a very senior leader and close to the Gandhi family. He was earlier in the news for asking the middle class ‘not to be selfish’ and to be ready to pay more taxes to fund freebie plans of the Congress party. Before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he courted controversy, when he shrugged off the 1984 Sikh genocide as ‘Hua to Hua’ — ‘84 happened, so what?’. 

Posters appear supporting Robert Vadra as Congress candidate in Amethi, Smriti Irani tells locals to hide land documents because ‘Jijaji is coming’

Rukma Rathore
-
0
Posters appear supporting Robert Vadra as Congress candidate in Amethi, Smriti Irani tells locals to hide land documents because ‘Jijaji is coming’

A few days after Robert Vadra, the husband of Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra indicated that he was interested in running for Lok Sabha from the Amethi seat, the Gandhi family’s former stronghold, his posters were displayed at multiple places including at the Congress headquarters in the Gauriganj area of the region on 24th April.

Posters with the slogan “Amethi Ki Janta Kare Pukar, Robert Vadra Ab Ki Baar (Amethi’s people call for Robert Vadra this time)” were displayed which demanded him to be the party’s candidate for the Amethi Lok Sabha seat in the general election.

The 55-year-old ‘businessman’ recently expressed his desire to run for the Lok Sabha in an interview and voiced that he meets MPs from different political parties who offer to help him join their party and guarantee his victory in the elections. “I always wanted that Priyanka (Gandhi) should become an MP first and she reaches parliament, and then I feel, I can also come. I feel that I should become (MP) with my hard work, with blessings of Sonia Gandhi and the Congress party.”

‘Jijaji is coming, hide your land documents’: Smriti Irani tells locals in Amethi

Interestingly, on 24th April, Union Minister Smriti Irani took a swipe at both the Gandhi scion and his brother-in-law in a public meeting and stated, “One thing is worrying that Rahul Gandhi may or may not know anything, but his brother-in-law knows Jagdishpur. The people of Jagdishpur need to be careful now. If his brother-in-law knows Jagdishpur, then every village, every house, every person now needs to hide their property papers,” alluding to Robert Vadra’s suspicious land deals during Congress governments.

The Bharatiya Janata Party leader mocked, “Jijaji ki nazar hai, saale sahab kya karenge [brother-in-law is eyeing the seat, what will he (Rahul Gandhi) do]? There was a time when people travelling in buses would leave their handkerchiefs to mark their seats so that no one sat on them. Rahul Gandhi will also come to mark his seat with a handkerchief because his brother-in-law is eyeing this seat.”

She also charged, “Has this ever happened? Just 27 days left for election, but Congress has not announced its candidate. Such arrogance. What I could do in five years, Rahul Gandhi could not do in 15.” Smriti Irani emerged as a “giant slayer” in the 2019 general election after wresting the Gandhi bastion seat away from Rahul Gandhi, who had been winning in Amethi since 2004.

The minister pointed out, “After the voting in Wayanad on April 26, Rahul Gandhi will come here to tell everyone that Amethi is his family and stoke the fire of casteism. Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party rejected the invitation for the consecration ceremony of Lord Shri Ram in Ayodhya, but he will be seen roaming around the temples in Amethi. So there is a need to be careful and alert.”

Robert Vadra’s dubious land deals

Robert Vadra’s marriage into the Nehru-Gandhi family in 1997 brought him into the spotlight but since then he has been linked to allegations of land grabs and unethical business conduct. The year 2007 was exceptionally profitable for him. He formed numerous businesses in less than a year, including Sky Light Realty, North India IT Parks, Sky Light Hospitality, Real Earth Estates, and Blue Breeze Trading, which provides aircraft charter services. With a Rs 80-crore loan from DLF, his companies were able to purchase 29 high-value properties by 2010, in addition to Bedarwals Infra Projects, VRS Infrastructure and Nikhil International.

A 10,000-square-foot penthouse at the DLF Aralias complex for Rs 89.41 lakh, seven apartments at DLF Magnolia for Rs 5.2 crore, apartments at DLF Capital Greens for Rs 5.06 crore, and a DLF-owned plot in Delhi’s ultra-posh Greater Kailash-II area for Rs 1.21 crore were also obtained. Saket Courtyard Hospitality owns the 114-bed Hilton Garden Hotel in New Delhi. The acquisition cost Rs 31.7 crore. The investment amounts are all listed in the balance statements that his firms filed with the Registrar of firms, despite the fact that DLF’s press release asserted that some of these prices were “completely incorrect.”

In September 2018, Surendra Sharma, a resident of Rathiwas village in Gurugram, submitted a First Information Report (FIR) against Robert Vadra, former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and others. According to him, Robert Vadra’s company, Skylight Hospitality, purchased 3.5 acres of land in Shikohpur village (now Sector 83) in Gurugram from Omkareswar Properties for 7.5 crores in 2008. The official complaint noted that Bhupinder Hooda had favoured Robert Vadra in the contract, causing significant losses for the exchequer.

Bhupinder Singh Hooda was charged in 2018 by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in relation to a significant land purchase scandal. The charge sheet was submitted to Panchkula, Haryana’s special CBI court. The Haryana government authorized the state police to look into the 1500 crore Manesar land deal scandal that same year. Additionally, hundreds of acres of agricultural land in Bikaner, Manesar, Palwal, Hasanpur, and Mewat were purchased by companies linked to Vadra. His land deals in Rajasthan are also under scanner.

A complaint was filed in Karnataka Lokayukta in 2023 against Robert Vadra and Siddaramaiah about the unlawful seizure of 1,100 acres of land in and around Bengaluru, valued at Rs 9,600 crore and an investigation was started. N.R. Ramesh Bengaluru South District BJP unit president lodged 120 distinct complaints regarding the matter. He had filed ten different complaints, along with supporting documentation consisting of 3,728 pages of paperwork, 62 hours of video and over 900 photos.

According to the charge, the DLF Company of which Robert Vadra is a partner, embezzled Rs 9,600 crore, or 1,100 acres of government land during the Congress government’s rule from 2013 to 2018. The land is situated in the Bengaluru South Taluk villages of Peddanapalya, Varturu Narasipura, Varturu and Gangenahalli, based on the lawsuit. 

Notably, Robert Vadra had angrily pushed away the mic of a reporter when he was asked about his land deals in Haryana in 2014 and infamously snapped, “Are you serious? Are you serious? Are you nuts? What is wrong with you?”

1...1,1451,1461,147...7,657Page 1,146 of 7,657