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Haldwani violence- Rioters attempted to throw Journalist into fire: Journalists who once reported on their ‘plight’ were attacked by Islamist mob

राहुल पाण्डेय
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Haldwani violence- Rioters attempted to throw Journalist into fire: Journalists who once reported on their ‘plight’ were attacked by Islamist mob

On 8th February, the Islamist mob launched a vicious attack on the administration team that had reached Banbhoolpura in Nainital’s Haldwani to demolish an illegal mosque and madrasa. The Islamist mob not only torched the police station and petrol pump, but also attempted to burn the Policemen alive.

Women police officers were seen fleeing in distress after the mob misbehaved with them, and their clothes were torn apart. There was stone pelting accompanied with gunfire. Apart from ordinary people and police, the mob even targeted journalists who had earlier reported stories in their favour.

Rajendra Singh Bisht of the ‘Amar Ujala’ newspaper is one of the journalists who was attacked on that day. OpIndia met with the injured journalist to learn about the events that unfolded on Thursday (8th February 2024). An attempt was made to burn Rajendra Singh Bisht alive in the fire. He explained that it was his day off, but around 3:30 PM, he received a call from the office asking him to quickly reach the garden in Malik colony. There, he saw that the illegal madrasa and mosque had been sealed by the police, and the administration was about to demolish it.

Rajendra Singh Bisht told OpIndia that the protest started when the Municipal Corporation team reached there which was covered by the media. He said that at that very moment, arson started from all sides, and the journalists were trapped in the middle. Then stone pelting started, and tear gas shells were also fired. He said that he and his colleague were surrounded when they were returning from the place. They were attacked with stones and beaten with sticks. Rajendra Singh Bisht further told OpIndia that he was thrown into a drain later.

While narrating his ordeal, Bisht said that after that, he was thrown into the burning fire. According to Rajendra Singh Bisht, his head was bleeding profusely, and he was unconscious, so he could not identify the attackers. The rioters also snatched his camera. He mentioned that the sound of gunfire could also be heard. He called his editor and informed him about the incident, then he started getting calls from his acquaintances. With the help of a BJP leader, Bisht somehow came out through the streets.

Rajendra Singh Bisht has a fractured finger. He mentioned that bricks and stones were being pelted at their heads from close range, and the attackers also included small children. Bisht has a wife and two sons in his family. He stated that he had lost hope of getting out of that situation and started chanting God’s name. He said that such incidents had not happened here before, and now even journalists were being attacked.

Rajendra Singh Bisht said, “Whenever there was any event, we used to cover it well. Earlier, we used to stay overnight to provide extensive coverage. We used to show the suffering of everyone, look at the newspaper files. Whatever happened was beyond our expectations. It was something we had not imagined. Almost all the journalists present were beaten.”

Meanwhile, another journalist mentioned that last year when the court ordered the removal of encroachments, they stood with the Muslim community of Banbhoolpura.

The said journalist told OpIndia that the attackers selectively singled out Hindus among journalists, Municipal Corporation officials and police personnel, and conspiracy was hatched to kill them. He said that if the Hindus of Gandhinagar had not saved them, no one would have survived. These are the words of ‘DNN News’ journalist Pankaj Agarwal. He stated that as soon as the JCB arrived, stone pelting started and vehicles were torched by throwing petrol bombs. Agarwal suffered injuries to his leg and had to undergo treatment. He stressed that if he hadn’t worn a helmet, the situation would have been worse.

He said that he had published favourable news for these same people so that the government does not cause any harm to them. Pankaj Agarwal said that there was a conspiracy to target only Hindus. He said that Hindu journalists and sanitation workers were identified and targeted. Pankaj stated that both policemen and journalists were being systematically attacked. Both the journalists said that they were assaulted by the same people for whom they had reported positive news last year.

Earlier, OpIndia spoke to Pankaj Saxena, the injured journalist of ‘HNN News’ who had come to the hospital for treatment. He revealed that the Islamist mob was targeting people after asking their names, and those with Muslim names were being spared and not subjected to violence. Saxena has fractures in his hands and feet. While his foot is plastered, his hand has been bandaged. He was injured in the violence that took place on 8th February 2024.

He said that there was already a planned conspiracy with 8-10 thousand people gathered there, who started pelting stones and throwing petrol bombs. Saxena added that in the evening, the electricity was cut off and stone pelting started again. He said it was a conspiracy to kill through petrol bombs. He stated that they got injured while fleeing.

Haldwani violence- Rioters were attacking after asking names and spared the Muslims: Journalist who suffered fractures in arm and leg

राहुल पाण्डेय
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Haldwani violence- Rioters were attacking after asking names and spared the Muslims: Journalist who suffered fractures in arm and leg

The situation in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, is now under control, but the repercussions of the heinous act committed by the Islamist extremist mob will have to be endured by the people for several months. When the administration reached Banbhoolpura in Haldwani, Nainital, to remove illegal encroachments, the mob launched a vicious attack in which they also set the police station and petrol pumps on fire. Attempts were even made to burn police personnel alive.

During the rioting, people were beaten, and stone-pelting and firing took place. Even female police officers were not spared, it is said that their clothes were torn apart.

Now, a local journalist has revealed that the Islamist mob was targeting people after asking their names, and those with Muslim names were being spared and not subjected to violence. OpIndia spoke with Pankaj Saxena, a journalist from ‘HNN News’ who came to the hospital for treatment after suffering injuries during the violence. He explained that the mob was asking for names before launching an attack on them and those who were Muslim were being spared during the violence. 

Saxena has fractures in his hands and feet. While his foot is plastered, his hand has been bandaged. He was injured in the violence that took place on 8th February 2024.

Saxena told OpIndia that as a journalist, he along with other media colleagues reached the spot to cover the administration team that had gone there to demolish the illegal madrasa-mosque. He said that there was already a planned conspiracy with 8-10 thousand people gathered there, who started pelting stones and throwing petrol bombs. Saxena added that in the evening, the electricity was cut off and stone pelting started again. He said it was a conspiracy to kill through petrol bombs. He stated that they got injured while fleeing.

Saxena said that the rioters surrounded the victims by attacking from both sides. According to Pankaj Saxena, after surrounding the victims, the crowd started pelting stones from above. He confirmed that female police officers also faced misbehaviour. He had become unconscious during this time. He thanked the people of Gandhinagar for saving his life. They were the ones who rescued him and took him to the hospital. The people of Gandhinagar saved many policemen and media personnel and provided clothes to the female police officers.

Injured journalist Pankaj Saxena said that the government is funding his treatment. He mentioned that the rioters were asking for their names, many journalists were spared because they belonged to their community. The journalist mentioned that he also has an 8-year-old son, and if he had not been saved, only his dead body would have been found. He has difficulty walking and has to rely on someone to walk now.

Decoding how PM Modi hacks EVMs, Part 2: Why Sonia Gandhi had a problem with MNREGA reforms and how Modi revolutionised employment, labour sector

S. Sudhir Kumar
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Decoding how PM Modi hacks EVMs, Part 2: Why Sonia Gandhi had a problem with MNREGA reforms and how Modi revolutionised employment, labour sector

In June 2020, Sonia Gandhi wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he is trying to give the Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) “a new appearance, by integrating it with the Prime Minister’s pet programmes like Swacchh Bharat and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.”

I was wondering what is the problem if MNREGA is being “integrated” with other programs. MNREGA is an employment guarantee program. Awas Yojana is a house construction program. Both are government programs. If employment is being provided so that houses can be constructed, how exactly does that amount to giving a “new appearance”? If employment is being provided to keep the country clean (Swachh Bharat), then how does that amount to giving a “new appearance”? Think about it – Isn’t it really efficient if MNREGA is used to speed up the various infrastructure projects of the country? So, what exactly is the problem?

The answer to all these questions is provided by Sonia Gandhi herself in the later part of her letter. “The panchayats, empowered by Rajiv Gandhi’s path-breaking initiatives, must be brought centre-stage as the MGNREGA is not a centralized program.” 

Ah, so the issue is that the funds are distributed at a district level rather than at a panchayat level. Sonia Gandhi was preferring that people dig holes and then fill them in their village, in an infinite loop. Instead, Prime Minister Modi decided to pay to construct houses in other areas of their district, and then later he will allot the same houses for them to live in. This will obviously be a problem for the Congress party no!

Taking a cue from Sonia Gandhi, communist leader Brinda Karat wrote “The scheme should not be diluted in the name of the Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan”. Brinda Karat even tells us that in May and June 2020 when COVID lockdown effects were at their worst, the employment through MNREGA was “much higher when compared to the same months last year”!

In an attempt to ridicule Prime Minister Modi’s efforts, Sonia Gandhi and Brinda Karat inadvertently ended up praising him for making the program more meaningful and impactful. Prime Minister Modi tactfully modified this program to include the construction of houses, toilets, and other infrastructure at a district level. The beneficiary list for these infrastructure programs runs into crores, and I need not elaborate further as to why they will vote for Modi on election day!

If you thought these were the only reforms bought into the employment guarantee MNREGA, then you are mistaken. Corruption was weeded out by bringing in new rules. This report suggests how the Bihar government had to weed out nearly 1.23 crores of inactive cards before the central government released any more funds to that state. Modi government has considerably increased the spending on MNREGA over the years.

The green bars in the graph below represent the actual amounts released till 2023 (which have often been much higher than the initial estimates in the budget (blue bars)). The COVID years have seen the highest-ever allotments. This is money that has gone directly to the accounts of the beneficiaries, and not down the drain! Now, imagine folks – why wouldn’t all these beneficiaries want to vote for Modi on election day?

The labour or employment reforms don’t stop at just the MNREGA. To help give social security benefits such as accidental and life insurance to workers of the unorganised sector, the e-SHRAM card project was launched. A total of nearly 2.9 crore cards were issued to workers in the unorganised sector. Take a look at the registrations across the unorganized sectors, that is publicly available to view on their website. Is it therefore any wonder that many of these crores of people will vote for Modi? 

You would now be tempted to ask the obvious. What about the organised sector? What did the Modi do there? Speaking in the Lok Sabha in February of 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told us a startling figure – the past 10 years have seen an addition of 18 crore new entries into EPFO! 

If you are an employee, I don’t have to explain to you the importance of being enrolled in the Employee Provident Fund. You can nitpick, but 18 crore additions in 10 years mean an average of 1.8 crore new jobs or formalization every single year (plus a fund on which you will get an 8% return year-over-year, until your retirement!). So many jobs don’t get automatically created without an active government working to create such a positive environment.

In addition, the Prime Minister announced a massive recruitment of 10 lakh jobs in 18 months, starting October 2022. Within 6 months of that announcement, nearly 3 lakh appointments were already made! Outside of these recruitments, the government also announced a brilliant short-term scheme – the Agniveer scheme. Here’s a brilliant article on OpIndia on why the Agniveer scheme is very important for India. Congress opposed this very strongly and even tried to create unrest in the country. This very fact is enough to understand the brilliance of the Agniveer scheme. 

Not stopping at these reforms, the Modi government has enacted 4 new Labour and Industrial laws that strengthen both employers and employees – minimum wage has been generalized to all sectors now; overtime pay is mandatory; more money saved for the future; much-needed clarity on fixed-term employment & trade union rules; gratuity eligibility for short periods; easing rules for lay-offs; more flexibility in eligibility for leaves; special provisions for certain worker types; increased focus on health of workers! 

With so many benefits that workers see in their day-to-day lives because of so much work by Prime Minister Modi’s government, is it any wonder that most of them will want to vote for him? In the first article of this series “How Modi hacks EVMs”, we discussed the impact on small-scale entrepreneurs and industries. In this article, we have discussed the impact on unorganized and organized sector employees. The series will continue to other areas, one after the other!

Remembering Darshan Solanki on his death anniversary: How leftists wove a ‘fairy tale’ of caste discrimination and went into hiding after Arman Iqbal was arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Remembering Darshan Solanki on his death anniversary: How leftists wove a ‘fairy tale’ of caste discrimination and went into hiding after Arman Iqbal was arrested

The day was 12th February 2023. An 18-year-old student of chemical engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay by the name of Darshan Solanki took his own life. He was a Hindu Dalit, who hailed from Ahmedabad city of Gujarat.

He jumped to death from the 7th floor of his hostel building. It had only been a day since the semester exams ended. Solanki had even called his mother before committing suicide and discussed plans about having a family get-together on 14th February that year.

Soon after the incident, speculations began about the cause of Darshan Solanki’s untimely death. A notorious organisation on campus named ‘Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle (APPSC)’ alleged that the victim took his own life due to ‘caste discrimination.’

Caste-baiters exploit the death of Darshan Solanki

It was also quick to dub the tragic incident as an ‘institutional murder.’ APPSC even tried to falsely implicate Darshan Solank’s roommate for ‘abetment of suicide.’

The usual suspects joined the fray and declared that the victim died due to ‘caste discrimination.’ This was prior to the conclusion of internal investigation by IIT-B and the Powai police in Mumbai.

Mission Ambedkar, another Twitter account with penchant for purveying fake anti-Hindu claims, called the suicide of Darshan Solanki as “caste-based institutional murder”.

Subhajit Naskar, an Assistant Professor with Jadavpur University, took to Twitter to make sweeping claims that higher caste students in elite colleges lack “social empathy” and “moral solidarities”, alleging that Darshan Solanki was a victim of “caste supremacist mechanism”.

Jignesh Mewani, who was arrested for spreading malicious fake news, also propagated the disinformation that Solanki ended his life due to alleged caste discrimination.

Internal panel ruled out caste discrimination but leftists continued their propaganda

In March 2023, an internal committee commissioned by the IIT-B found “no specific evidence of direct caste-based discrimination” resulting in the death of Darshan Solanki. The panel also alluded to his “deteriorating academic performance” as a possible reason for taking his life.

Despite this, leftist portal Newslaundry used the unfortunate incident to claim ‘caste discrimination’ because students were asked about their JEE rank at the institute.

Arrest of Arman Iqbal

On 9th April 2023, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Mumbai Police arrested a 19-year-old batchmate of Darshan Solanki named Arman Iqbal Khatri in connection to the former’s suicide. 

The SIT had recovered a suicide note on 3rd March 2023 from Solanki’s room that read, “Arman has killed me.” During the inquiry, the investigators discovered that harassment by Arman might have forced the victim to end his life. Handwriting experts had confirmed that the suicide note was indeed written by Darshan Solanki.

A senior police officer told the media, “Based on the statements of other students we have recorded, it has come to light that nearly five days prior to the suicide, Solanki had passed a communal remark which had irked Khatri. The latter had threatened him with a cutter and said he would not spare him. Since then, Solanki was petrified and had also apologised to Khatri on a couple of occasions and the two had hugged as well. However, it appears he continued to be scared and had also developed a fever a day before he committed suicide.”

Darshan Solanki feared for his life

It later emerged Arman Malik and Solanki stayed on the same floor of the IIT-B hostel. In April 2023, the Mumbai police recorded the statement of a batchmate of Darshan Solanki whom Solanki confided that he felt threatened by Arman Iqbal a day before his suicide.

In his statement to the police, the student said that when he met Darshan Solanki on February 11, the latter told him to “not be seen with him or else Khatri would harm him as well”.

An SIT source was quoted by media houses as saying that the student had met Darshan Solanki in his hostel room. “The latter told him to go away since if Khatri saw them together, he would harm him as well. When the student asked Solanki why Khatri would harm him, Solanki told him that he had made a communal remark, which had irked Khatri, who threatened him,” the officer added.

Notably, a report by Mid-Day suggested that the SIT has learnt that Solanki had apologised to Arman Iqbal multiple times in the week leading up to his suicide on February 12. “We believe that due to the threats, he apologised and wanted to mend his relationship with his classmate, or something else happened to him that led him to take such a drastic step,” the officer added.

Conclusion

After Arman Iqbals role in the unfortunate death of Darshan Solanki emerged, the leftist cabal that was lampooning on ‘caste discrimination’ theory went into hiding.

Even the APPSC stopped discussing his suicide case and moved on to other issues for ‘caste baiting.’ In the end, it became clear that the untimely death of the 18-year-old boy was never their concern.

They exploited his case for their agenda and stopped seeking justice when it did not suit their nefarious intentions anymore. Sources told OpIndia that the accused Arman Iqbal is out on bail. Justice still awaits Darshan Solanki as we observe his first death anniversary.

Mufti Salman Azhari, infamous for “aaj kutton ka waqt hai” speech, arrested by Modasa Police in another hate speech case

OpIndia Staff
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Mufti Salman Azhari, infamous for “aaj kutton ka waqt hai” speech, arrested by Modasa Police in another hate speech case

Controversial Islamic cleric Mufti Salman Azhari has been arrested again, and is facing legal action in Gujarat for making provocative remarks. Modasa police arrested him within 24 hours of the Bhachau Court of Kutch granting him bail.

A case was filed against Azhari at Modasa Town Police Station, and action was subsequently taken by the police. The court granted five days remand after Mufti Azhari was produced in the court.

Right after Mufti Salman Azhari was granted bail in Kutch, Modasa police intervened and took him into custody from Kutch police. Azhari was taken into custody by Aravalli police and brought before a court asking for a 10-day remand. However, the court ordered a 5-day remand after hearing both sides’ arguments.

It is noteworthy that Mufti Salman Azhari was recently the subject of a formal complaint filed in Modasa, Aravalli. In an interview with OpIndia, Modasa Police verified the information and stated that the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) is in charge of the investigation.

Mufti Salman Azhari’s inflammatory speech in Modasa

Mufti Azhari addressed a gathering at Modasa in December of last year. Police appointed a prosecutor and registered an FIR against him after they obtained a video of his speech upon learning about the Junagadh case and discovering that he had made outrageous statements. Furthermore, the event’s organiser, Ishaq was identified as an accused party. He was later nabbed, taken to court and placed under three days of remand. On Sunday (February 11), a Bhachau court granted him conditional bail and the judge released him on a Rs 30,000 bond. After that, Aravalli Police took him to Modasa Town Police Station.

Meanwhile, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has also said that an investigation will be conducted in the terror angle in the case. As reported earlier, Gujarat ATS SP Om Prakash Jat said that ATS will probe the financing of Mufti Azhari’s trust in addition to his activities.

On 31st January, Mufti Salman Azhari made derogatory remarks against the Hindu community during his 56-minute-long speech in Junagadh city of Gujarat. In the contentious video that went viral on social media, the radical Islamic preacher was heard saying, “The final battle of Karbala is yet to come… a moment of silence, then there will be noise again. The dogs are having their time today. Our time will come tomorrow.”

As soon as the video of Azhari’s inflammatory speech went viral online, the police took cognisance of the matter and filed a case at Junagadh B Division Police Station. On 4th February, a team of Gujarat police arrived at Ghatkopar in Mumbai and arrested Azhari even as a large mob of frenzied Islamists gathered outside Ghatkopar police station.

Stone pelting on the ‘Aastha Special’ train from Surat to Ayodhya: Ram Bhakts share their ordeal with OpIndia

Krunalsinh Rajput
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Stone pelting on the ‘Aastha Special’ train from Surat to Ayodhya: Ram Bhakts share their ordeal with OpIndia

On Sunday, 11th February, the ‘Aastha Special’ train carrying 1,344 Hindu devotees left for Ayodhya from Surat. Notably, the government started the train to celebrate Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha. When the train was about to reach Nandurbar Station, a stone pelting incident took place.

Government Railway Police (GRP), and Railway Protection Force (RPF) have initiated an inquiry into the matter. OpIndia reached out to the devotees to take stock of the incident.

As per reports, Minister of State for Railways, Darshana Jardosh, flagged off the train at 8 PM on 11th February. When the train was about to reach Nandurbar Station in Maharashtra, unknown attackers started pelting stones at the train. Though the doors were closed, some stones entered the compartments. The train reached Nandurbar Station for a slight halt and continued its journey without delay.

Speaking to OpIndia, Vishva Hindu Parishad’s Surat chief and in-charge of the journey, Nilesh Akbari said, “The train reached Nandurbar Station at around 9:45 PM. Before reaching the station, stones were pelted at coaches S7, S11 and S12. Stones entered in the S7 coach.”

He added, “When the train reached Nandurbar Station, we informed GRP about the incident. Police swung into action and initiated an investigation into the matter. The train halted for a while and continued its journey.” He asserted that some anti-social elements took advantage of darkness and attacked the train.

Akbari spoke about the devotees on the train and said, “There are 1,344 Ram devotees on the train. They are members of RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal, among other Hindu organisations. The journey is peaceful, and we will reach Ayodhya at around 9 PM.” Speaking to the media, GRP said an investigation into the matter has been initiated.

Speaking to OpIndia, Hindu devotees said there was no fear among them, and they would continue the journey enthusiastically to worship Ram Lalla in Ayodhya. Furthermore, they added that no one got injured. The train stopped at Nandurbar Station for investigation and was let go once investigation completed.

Rajasthan: VHP disrupts ‘Changai Sabha’, foils bid to convert 350 people to Christianity in Bharatpur

OpIndia Staff
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Rajasthan: VHP disrupts ‘Changai Sabha’, foils bid to convert 350 people to Christianity in Bharatpur

In Rajasthan’s Bharatpur, an alleged attempt to convert hundreds of people to Christianity in a hotel on 11th February has come to the fore. Following a protest from Hindu organisations, some people were taken into custody and interrogated. These organisations alleged that people linked with Christian missionaries gave Rs 500-500 to the women. In addition, these people were offering to deposit Rs 40-50 thousand in the bank accounts of those converting to Christianity.

According to media reports, hundreds of people gathered for a prayer meeting on Sunday at a hotel along the highway in Bharatpur. When Hindu organisations learned about this, they also went to the hotel. Following this, the two sides clashed. Soon after, the police arrived at the scene and apprehended some persons allegedly linked to Christian missionaries and took control of the situation. Subsequently, Hindu organisations filed a complaint with the Atal Dam police station.

According to the Rajasthan Patrika report, the Bharatpur CO has stated that several people are being probed. If found guilty, action will be taken. According to a Rajasthan Tak report, no one has been arrested yet, but 20 persons have been taken into custody. The police have said that all of the details of the matter will be disclosed once the investigation concludes.

According to Dainik Bhaskar, Vishwa Hindu Parishad District President Lakhan Singh stated that when they arrived, a Christian Changai Sabha was in progress. People linked with Christian missionaries were making disparaging comments about Hindu Gods and Goddesses and claiming that Jesus Christ alone offers the solution to all problems. They claimed that embracing Christianity would solve all of their problems.

He stated that when Hindu activists protested this, many present at the meeting attempted to assault him. Lakhan Singh further stated that women received Rs 500 for attending the event. The missionary workers also promised assistance for family issues such as getting their children married etc. Multiple reports have made varying assertions about the number of attendees at the gathering. The media reports say that around 300-500 people attended the Christian missionary’s conversion event.

Supreme Court takes cognisance, agrees to examine the matter of women prisoners getting pregnant in West Bengal jails

OpIndia Staff
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Supreme Court takes cognisance, agrees to examine the matter of women prisoners getting pregnant in West Bengal jails

The Supreme Court on Monday, February 12, agreed to examine the matter of women inmates getting pregnant in correctional homes and jails across the state of West Bengal. A bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and Ahsanuddin Amanullah has asked senior advocate Gaurav Agrawal to look into the matter and submit a report on the same.

The apex court had reportedly taken cognisance of the issue after it was brought up at the Calcutta High Court on Thursday, February 8 by lawyer Tapas Kumar Bhanja, who was appointed amicus curiae in a 2018 suo motu case on overcrowding in jails.

Bhanja had informed the Calcutta High Court about the fretting issue of women inmates getting pregnant while in custody. This prompted the court to express grave concerns about the condition of female inmates in West Bengal jails. An estimated 196 babies have reportedly been delivered in different jails throughout the state, according to the Amicus Curiae.

As a preventive approach to address the problem, the amicus curiae proposed a ban on male staff members entering enclosures housing female inmates.

Additionally, the amicus curiae offered other recommendations that were detailed in a note dated January 25 to enhance the circumstances and guarantee the well-being of prisoners housed in correctional facilities.

The amicus also recommended that all District Judges, who chair the Board of Visitors, be permitted to tour the correctional facilities under their respective purview to ascertain the number of women inmates who have gotten pregnant during their stay in correctional homes.

Additionally, to prevent sexual exploitation of women inmates, the Chief Judicial Magistrates of each district may be instructed to require all women convicts to undergo pregnancy tests before being sent to correctional facilities. To this end, all West Bengali police stations ought to conduct pregnancy testing.

The Calcutta High Court division bench, presided over by Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Supratim Bhattacharya, took a serious view of the case and ordered a hearing before a division bench that specialised in criminal cases.

Influx of Bangladeshis, demographic change and business of settling illegal immigrants in India: Bengali author reveals how Sandeshkhali violence is just the tip of the iceberg

OpIndia Staff
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Influx of Bangladeshis, demographic change and business of settling illegal immigrants in India: Bengali author reveals how Sandeshkhali violence is just the tip of the iceberg

Amid the ongoing chaos and tension in Sandeshkhali village in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, Bengali author Diptasya Jash on Sunday (11th February) revealed how the area had become the hotbed of illegal migration, smuggling and demographic change.

In a series of videos uploaded on X (formerly Twitter), Jash was heard saying, “These are the remote and core areas of Sundarbans. It is spread over both India and Bangladesh and separated by a ‘river border.'” He pointed out that the route is famous for the smuggling of cattle, gold and even women.

He added that due to the complicated nature of the terrain, the Indian government could not fence the area or deploy coast guards. “The Bangladeshi dacoits come to Sundarbans, loot the people and return back. This has been happening for almost 30- 40 years.”

Diptasya Jash said that there is a possibility that the absconding Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan is not an Indian citizen. Citing locals, he added that Shahjahan came to India from Bangladesh with his maternal uncle and occupied land in Sandeshkhali.

“Now, the situation is so grave that these areas are geographically in India, but demographically it has become almost Bangladesh”, the Bengali author informed. He added that the janjathis (tribals) constituted the majority population in the area till the 1980s but land reforms by the Left government facilitated the settlement of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

“So, what did these people who came from Bangladesh do? Either with money or by force, they started occupying the lands of the locals and the then Left regime was in their favour,” he continued. Jash said that before Sheikh Sajahan of the Trinamool Congress, two goons named Issa Lashkar and Mujid Master of the Left ruled Sandeshkhali.

He informed that through a systematic strategy, the leftist goons were able to acquire the area and force the original inhabitants to move to urban areas such as Kolkata in search of jobs.

“Nowadays, in a few blocks of Sundarbans, Hindus are the minority with less than 20 per cent population…When the Muslim population increased, they started occupying the land of Hindus,” Diptasya Jash continued.

While giving the example of Sheikh Sahajahan, the Bengali author stated, “He has occupied their farming land and pond forcefully. They (villagers) cannot go fishing in the river without paying him cut money.” He added how the indigenous people were not paid lease money after Sheikh Shahjahan and his men took their land.

“Another thing that has happened is the torture on the (Hindu) women. People will come and say that tonight you need to send your wife or your daughter to the party office meeting. Now nobody knows what meeting takes place at 10 o’clock or 12 o’clock. The lady has to stay there for the whole night and the next day if they wish they will return or they will take her,” he was heard narrating the plight of sexual violence.

Diptasya Jash informed that in the year 2000, Left Front goon Issa Lashkar had announced in Sonakhali village that no Hindu can perform their rituals without his permission.

“If you wanted to do a puja at home, then you had to get his permission. If you were getting married, first you need to send your wife to Isha Laskar or his men. They would keep her for one day/ week and only then you could take your wife back home,” he recounted.

“They used to come to the houses (of Hindus) and find the number of girls. Later, they would order the family to send their girls. And if they went to the police station, the police would never file a complaint against Isha Laskar,” he added.

Diptasya Jash said that Issa Lashkar burnt down an entire village and wiped out 15 members of a family for observing the Hindu ritual of ‘Jamai Shasti‘. He also narrated how the Left Front goon would take away the cattle of Hindus, slaughter them and destroy the livelihood of the Hindu community.

The Bengali author stated that Issa Lashkar was eventually assassinated for his actions and the Hindus in the village kicked out the illegal Bangladeshis from Sonakhali village.

Diptasya Jash emphasised, “Sheikh Shahjahan is just carrying out the legacy. And the government has just changed from the Left to the TMC. The TMC is systematically changing the demographic of the area,”

He said that once an illegal immigrant comes to West Bengal, the local TMC leader helps the individual get a ration card, voter card, Aadhar card and passport. He stated that only illegal Muslim immigrants get this facility since they serve as the permanent vote bank of the TMC.

The Bengali author pointed out that Sheikh Shahjahan is not evading the Enforcement Directorate summons over the ration card scam but for the illicit money he made by helping illegal immigrants fraudulently obtain Indian ID cards.

“This is why TMC government is not arresting him because then many things will open up if he gets into the hands of the NIA,” he added. Diptasya Jash lamented that Hindus are living in slave in their homeland and are facing similar exodus faced by Pandits in Kashmir Valley in the 1990s.

“After the 2019 election, this Sheikh Shahjahan killed seven people. Five bodies could not be found to date. One person, Pradeep Mandal, Sheikh Sajahan’s people shot him in his eyes at point-blank range. He died. No investigation has been done by the TMC government. No investigation. Sheikh Sajahan or any of his associates were never arrested. No action was taken against them. Media, they put it under the carpet very efficiently,” he was heard saying.

While seeking support for the protestors of Sandeshkhali, the Bengali author concluded, “So we need to stand with them. We need to give them backup. We need to be with them. We need to raise our voices in support of them. So it is a plea to all of you, please stand with the Hindus of Sandeshkhali.”

Violence in Sandeshkhali

Hundreds of women residents of Sandeshkhali took to the streets on Thursday (8th February) with brooms, sticks, and farming tools, and blocked the roads. They demanded the immediate arrest of TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his two aides Shiba Prasad Hazra and Uttam Sardar.

The women had accused the trio of making their lives miserable for quite some time. The tension intensified on Friday (9th February) after angry villagers, led by women, in and around the Sandeshkhali area of North 24 Parganas, attacked the properties of Sheikh Shahjahan including a poultry farm owned by Shahjahan’s close confidant and Trinamool Congress leader Shibu Hazra.

The locals said that the poultry farm was set up on a plot of land that the Trinamool Congress leader had forcefully usurped. They also said that the poultry farm had developed into a centre for several illicit operations.

Locals also stated several other instances where Sheikh Shahjahan and his aides had forcefully grabbed lands from poor villagers.

On Saturday (10th February), the local police imposed Section 144 in various areas in Sandeshkhali and also banned the use of the internet in 16 panchayats scattered over the two blocks of Sandeshkhali-I and Sandeshkhali-II.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Archana Majumdar has said that TMC members and the local police “jointly raided” the houses of protesting women and BJP workers. Majumdar said that the police even arrested and tortured them.

In a bid to pacify the angry villagers of Sandeshkhali, the TMC leadership suspended Uttam Sardar from the party for six years. The suspended TMC leader and Zilla Parishad member was subsequently arrested in the Sandeshkhali police station area.

In the meantime, the Mamata Banerjee-led-TMC government arrested a former CPI(M) MLA named Nirpada Sardar in connection to the case on Sunday (11th February).

The Communist party leader was taken from his residence in Tollygunge to the Babsdroni police station. Thereafter, he was transferred to the Basirhat police station in North 24 Parganas district.

Nirpada Sarkar was arrested under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 120 B, 147, 148, 149, 379, 427,435, and 436. The family of the CPIM MLA, who won from the Sandeshkhali constituency in 2011, said that the arrest of Nirapada Sardar was made without any prior notice.

Uttarakhand govt to build a police station on the land Islamists had encroached, CM Dhami announces in Haridwar that no rioter will be spared

OpIndia Staff
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Uttarakhand govt to build a police station on the land Islamists had encroached, CM Dhami announces in Haridwar that no rioter will be spared

Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami has announced that his government will not only make sure that the encroached land in Haldwani’s Banbhoolpura is freed but a police station is built at Malik Ka Bagicha. In this spot, an Islamist mob attacked, assaulted, and tried to burn policemen alive.

Several women personnel of the Uttarakhand Police were attacked too.

Speaking at a public event in Haridwar, CM Dhami stated, “The spot where our police personnel, especially women personnel and journalists were brutally attacked and assaulted by an unruly mob for doing their duty, we will build a police station. On the place of the same ‘Malik ka Bageecha’, we will build a police station. It is my clear message to rioters and anti-social elements. We will not spare anyone who tried to disturb the peace in Devbhumi Uttarakhand.”

The Nainital Police have arrested 30 rioters and seized pistols, guns, and other ammunition from them. Speaking to ANI, SSP Nainital said that police have recovered 99 of the police ammunition looted by the rioters when they attacked Banbhoolpura police station on 8th February. He added that efforts are on to arrest the main accused Abdul Malik.

On 8th February, the civic authorities in Haldwani went to demolish an illegal madrasa built on government land in Banbhoolpura when they were attacked by a Muslim mob. It resulted in a wave of violence across Uttarakhand’s Haldwani, leaving at least six people dead and over 300 police personnel injured. Superintendent of Police Harbans Singh confirmed the same on 9th February. Uttarakhand authorities have registered three First Information Reports (FIR) against 5000 unnamed, and 19 known individuals.

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