Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena said on Saturday that the rescue operation in the flood-affected southern districts of the state has been completed and the focus is now on the restoration of basic services there. However, communication lines in some districts are still reeling in the aftermath of the flood.
“We have completed the rescue operation. Now, our main focus is on the restoration of basic services. Unfortunately, in these floods, 35 deaths have been reported–22 in Thoothukudi district and 13 in Tirunelveli district,” Shiv Das Meena told ANI.
Heavy rain wreaked havoc in Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, and Kanyakumari during the past few days. The state government and the Centre have jointly mobilised a massive rescue and relief operation to help the affected people.
The worst-affected district is Thoothukudi, where, in some areas, flood water has not receded yet. In Agaram village of the district, visuals show people wading through knee-deep waters.
Railway tracks near Srivaikundam have been damaged due to heavy rains in the Thoothukudi district.
Maruthur Step Dam in Thoothukudi overflowed due to rainfall in the catchment areas of the Thamirabarani River on December 18 and 19.
Adichanallur’s on-site museum and excavation site in the district have been affected by floods. Antiquities and urn burials were submerged and restoration work is underway.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin distributed relief materials to the flood-affected people in Chennai on Saturday.
Meanwhile, 1,000 cubic feet of surplus water were discharged from the Manimuthar Dam, in Tirunelveli through three sluices.
The Indian Air Force dropped over 11 tons of relief materials at 12 different places in Thoothukudi District on Saturday on its fifth day of continued Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations in southern Tamil Nadu, which was hit by heavy rain on December 18 and 19.
Southern Air Command Indian Air Force posted on ‘X’, “On the fifth day of continued HADR operations in south Tamil Nadu, affected by landslides and floods, IAF MI-17 V5 and ALH-Dhruv air-dropped over 11 tonnes of relief materials in 12 different places in Thoothkudi District. This aggregates to an airdrop of 59 tonnes of relief material.”
Srivaikuntam dam was overflowing in Thoothukudi district due to rainfall in the catchment areas of the Thamirabarani River on Saturday.
Shiv Das Meena inspected rain- and flood-affected areas in the Antoniapuram area of Thoothukudi district on Saturday.
A holiday was announced for all the schools and colleges in Thoothukudi district on Thursday after heavy rains continued to pound the regions in southern Tamil Nadu, creating a flood-like situation and throwing life out of gear.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin said that the state government has taken all possible precautions and measures for the welfare of the people due to the floods.
“Heavy rainfall was received in Chennai and surrounding districts. In history, we have never seen this much rainfall in the Thoothukudi district. For rescue operations, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been deployed,” CM Stalin said.
He further said that as many as 12,653 people have been rescued and are staying at the 14 relief camps.”
“I have advised district collectors and the official to immediately provide food and other needful items to those who were staying in relief camps,” he added.
The CM further said that he has requested additional money for the southern districts of the state from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Earlier, Indian Navy personnel distributed food and other relief materials at Srivaikundam railway station in Thoothukudi on December 19.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
On 21st December (Thursday), Lok Sabha MP Ramesh Bidhuri came down heavenly on the opposition bloc I.N.D.I.A. while speaking on ‘The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill 2023’. The speech in which he reminded the alliance partners of their historical antecedents on “Press Freedom” is doing rounds on the internet.
In the 9 min 24-second video, he described the opposition alliance as “Ghamandiya Gatbandhan” and gave instances when the opposition parties took regressive acts and curbed freedom of the press at a time when it has been projecting itself as the beacon of liberalism and Free Press.
(Video Courtesy – ANI)
Taking a jibe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Bidhuri noted that Rahul Gandhi’s great-grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru curtailed press freedom and jailed anyone who dared to criticise the Nehru government. The BJP lawmaker stated that Jawaharlal Nehru brought the Press (Objectionable Matter Act 1951) which however could not be passed. When his government faced criticism, Bidhuri added that Nehru got poet and lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri arrested. The poet had to spend a year in jail for writing a poem critical of Nehru. He inquired Rahul ji is this your freedom of Press?
Further in his address, Ramesh Bidhuri asserted that Kalyan Banerjee besmirched the repute of Parliament by indulging in mimicry of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar adding that “Rajkumar (referring to Rahul Gandhi) ji was filming him”. He argued that it was not only an insult to the Vice President and OBC community but also was an insult to the constitution drafted by Dr BR Ambedkar.
Addressing the Lok Sabha members, Bidhuri also highlighted the coercive steps taken against two magazines RSS-backed English magazine Organiser and another English magazine ‘The Cross road’.
He highlighted that the RSS-backed English magazine, Organiser wanted to print the shortcomings and lapses that took place during the partition. However, when it was in print, the East Punjab Safety Act 1951 was framed and the magazine was ordered to get its prior approval from the Nehru government before publishing even a word, the BJP leader added.
Similarly, he likened the developments undertaken by the Nehru government regarding the ban on magazines like Cross Road and Organiser to that of the Saha Bano case that took place decades after under the Rajeev Gandhi government.
Bidhuri noted that the Cross Road magazine was banned in 1953-54, afterwards the editor went to court and secured relief but the Nehru government brought a law in the parliament to continue the ban on the magazine.
Click here to read the details of the cases raked by BJP leader Ramesh Bidhuri including all other major violations of press freedom committed by the Congress party.
He added that the Times of India journalist AD Gorwala who was a civil servant wrote a weekly column with the name ‘Vivek’. In his weekly column, Vivek criticised some policies of the Nehru government after which he was banned from publishing any editorial in the newspaper. Notably, A. D. Gorwala also faced hardships during the Indira Gandhi government.
Continuing on the list of Congress’ governments excessive measures against the Press, Bidhuri added that in 1980, the Congress government had arrested editors Ajay Mitra and Guru Sharan Singh of Singhbhum Ekta and Samata respectively. Similarly, Hindustan Times editor BG Varghese was sacked by the publication after he had written critically against Sanjay Gandhi and his pet project Maruti, the BJP leader raked in his address.
He then went on to highlight the recent example of Congress and its alliance partners’ coercive measures against the Press by highlighting the case of Arnab Goswami during the Mahavikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra.
Bidhuri pointed out that Republic TV Chief Arnab Goswami was jailed and faced hundreds of FIRs after he had questioned Congress President Sonia Gandhi over her silence on the Palghar lynching case.
Referring the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as “Baune Duryodhan”, he painted a then-and-now picture of AAP Supremo Kejriwal.
He stated that during his initial days, Kejriwal used to promise that he would bring “democracy and transparency” in the same breath calling Sonia Gandhi corrupt, Sibal is corrupt and Congress is synonymous with corruption.
The BJP leader added that now the AAP Supremo is cradling in the lap of those same people.
Bidhuri further stated that while Kejriwal targeted former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit arguing that the Chief Minister should reside in a two-room house, he himself had built Sheeshmahal in Delhi with over Rs 50 crores, during the COVID crisis.
“Baune Duryodhan…” Lok Sabha MP Ramesh Bidhuri rains fire at Opposition with ‘hard-hitting’ facts pic.twitter.com/9vjHFBcmmZ
Slamming the opposition bloc’s claims of championing press freedom, he reminded the Lok Sabha that the AAP government jailed a female journalist, Times Now’s Bhavana Kishore, in Punjab for reporting on these facts under the SC/ST act. The High Court quashed the FIR and her bail was a slap on their faces, Bidhuri added.
In his Lok Sabha speech on the Press Bill, Bidhuri also took a jibe at Kejriwal for skipping the ED summons for the second time recalling that Kejriwal was one who used to say that he would practice transparency but is now running from ED.
Concluding his speech, he asserted that the people of the country bestowed their trust on PM Modi so as to launch a crackdown on those who have been looting from the government coffers like Lalu and mafia elements in UP and Bihar.
He added that I urge the agencies that they should not spare anyone who plunders the resources meant for the poor, irrespective of the ideology they belong to or how prominent they may be.
Bidhuri stressed that when the agencies act against such leaders, they allege misuse of ED. He argued that the Ghamandiya Gatbandhan doesn’t look at its history and track record before making any allegation against the Modi government.
The Indian Army said on Saturday that it is conducting an inquiry into the deaths of three civilians in the Poonch-Rajouri sector, where militants launched an attack on army personnel on December 21, killing four soldiers.
The matter is under investigation, said the Indian Army in a post on social media.
Taking to X, the Indian Army posted, “Search operations by the security forces are continuing in the area of operations after the incident of December 21. Reports have been received regarding three civilian deaths in the area. The matter is under investigation.”
Terrorist Initiated Incident at Bafliaz in Poonch-Rajouri Sector (21/ 22 Dec 23).
Search operations by the Security Forces are continuing in the area of operations after the incident of 21 Dec 23. Reports have been received regarding three civilian deaths in the area. The matter… pic.twitter.com/KLwtC2C2nm
“The Indian Army stands committed to extending full support and cooperation in the conduct of investigations,” the army posted on X.
Earlier in the day, the Jammu and Kashmir administration announced compensation and jobs to the families of three civilians who were found dead near the site of an anti-terrorist operation in Poonch district.
As per the JK government, “After the deaths of three civilians were reported yesterday in Baffliaz, Poonch district, the medico-legal formalities were conducted and legal action in this matter has been initiated by the appropriate authority.”
The death of three civilians was reported yesterday in Baffliaz of Poonch District. The medico legal formalities were conducted and legal action in this matter has been initiated by the appropriate authority. Government has announced compensation for each of the deceased.…
The government also announced compensation and jobs for the next of kin of each deceased.
Earlier on Thursday evening, four Army personnel were killed while three others were injured in the forest area of Dera ki Gali in the Rajouri district after two Army vehicles were ambushed by heavily armed terrorists.
The terrorists ambushed two Army vehicles carrying troops in Thanamandi, Rajouri.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
The US State Department on Saturday condemned the vandalism of the Shri Swaminarayan Temple in California. It welcomed the Newark Police Department’s efforts to ensure that those responsible are held accountable.
In a post shared on X by the official handle of the US State Department for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs stated, “We condemn the vandalism of Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Hindu Temple in California. We welcome efforts by the Newark Police Department to ensure that those responsible are held accountable.”
We condemn the vandalism of Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Hindu Temple in California. We welcome efforts by the Newark Police Department to ensure that those responsible are held accountable.
The US State Department’s statement comes after the suspected pro-Khalistan activists allegedly defaced the Swaminarayan Temple in California’s Newark, police said, adding that the incident came to light on Friday (local time). The exterior wall of the Hindu temple was defaced with anti-India graffiti.
The Consulate General of India in San Francisco on Saturday condemned the defacement of the Swaminarayan Mandir in California with anti-India graffiti It called for quick investigation and prompt action on the matter from the US authorities.
In a post shared on X, the Consulate General of India in San Francisco stated, “We strongly condemn the defacing of SMVS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir at Newark, California with anti-India graffiti. This incident has hurt the sentiments of the Indian community. We have pressed for quick investigation and prompt action against the vandals by the US authorities in this matter.”
The Newark Police Service has started an investigation into the incident. According to the temple administration, the vandalism took place on Thursday night.
“One of the devotees, who lives close to the shrine, discovered anti-Hindu and anti-India graffiti in black ink on an exterior wall of the building, and the local administration was immediately informed,” Bhargav Raval, the spokesperson for the temple administration, told ANI. The spokesperson further said the temple authorities were ‘shocked’ to find the anti-Indian graffiti on its wall.
Sharing more details regarding the incident, Jonathan Arguello, a police captain for the city of Newark, said the ‘targeted act’ was being investigated.
“Based on the graffiti, we believe it was a targeted act, and it’s going to be investigated with full thoroughness. I can also tell you that as a member of the Newark Police Department and the Newark community, we’re deeply saddened when these types of acts occur, and we think they’re senseless and they have no room. We won’t tolerate them here in Newark. So today, I wanted to make sure that you understand how seriously we take these situations and know that we will investigate as thoroughly as possible with utmost care and sensitivity. I can also tell you that officers are currently investigating this via evidence collection,” the captain told reporters during a press conference.
The police official said to piece together the chain of events leading to the act of defacement, the footage from surveillance cameras in the neighbouring residences was being looked into.
“Our policies that any acts of violence or threats of violence, property damage, harassment, intimidation, or other crimes motivated by hate or bias are considered very serious and given the utmost care. We’re handling this investigation as a hate crime at this point, based on our conversations with you and the physical evidence we’ve seen,” he said.
This is not the first such incident where a temple has been defaced with such graffiti in the recent past. The incident comes close on the heels of the US Justice Department unsealing an indictment against an Indian national for his alleged involvement in a foiled plot to assassinate India-designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil.
The Justice Department claimed that an Indian government employee (named CC-1), who was not identified in the indictment filed in a federal court in Manhattan, recruited an Indian national named Nikhil Gupta to hire a hitman to carry out the assassination, which was foiled by US authorities, according to prosecutors.
Gupta is currently in custody and has been charged with murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Czech authorities arrested and detained Gupta on June 30, pursuant to the bilateral extradition treaty between the US and the Czech Republic.
Reacting to the Justice Department’s indictment, the Ministry of External Affairs said the case filed against an individual in a US court, allegedly linking him to an Indian official, was a “matter of concern” and is contrary to government policy.
“We cannot share any further information on such security matters. As regards the case against an individual that has been filed in a US court allegedly linking him to an Indian official, this is a matter of concern. We have said and let me reiterate that this is contrary to government policy” the MEA spokesperson said.
Earlier in September, Khalistanis allegedly attacked the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. Videos of supporters breaking the doors and barging into the office surfaced on social media.
Visuals shared online showed a mob brandishing Khalistan flags mounted on wooden poles, using them to smash the glass doors and windows of the consulate building. They raised pro-Khalistan slogans as they broke through makeshift security barriers raised by the city police and installed two Khalistani flags inside the premises.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav asserted that India established the global standard time approximately 300 years ago, mentioning that an instrument used for determining time still exists in Ujjain. Additionally, Yadav announced that his government in Madhya Pradesh is committed to an initiative aimed at relocating the Prime Meridian, the longitudinal reference line central to global timekeeping, from its current position in Greenwich, England, to Ujjain. Responding to the Governor’s address in the Assembly, Mohan Yadav added that his govt will start a study at the Ujjain’s observatory to shift the Prime Meridian to India.
Mohan Yadav said, “We need to work in a way so that the respect and glory of our state, country, and Indian Sanatan Culture should grow in front of the world. I am very happy to share that we are moving ahead with firm actions on multiple such issues since our government was formed.”
He added, “For your information, I would like to tell you that just before 300 years from now, India’s time standard was followed in the world. As we were enslaved over time, this time standard was decided as per the capital of France – Paris – for fifty years. After that, around 250 years ago, when the British people became powerful, they took the time standards to their place in Greenwich. And then they started to decide the world’s standard time according to the Greenwich time. Despite we are called an eastern country, the time standard is set there.”
CM Mohan Yadav further said, “This (Greenwich) is a very weird centre for calculating standard time. Just imagine what kind of contradiction it is. There are only two kinds of animals in the world. One kind of animal that dwells in the daytime – which means they start their activities at sunrise and conclude them with sunset. The other type of animal is nocturnal who start their activities at sunset and concludes in the morning. Who are these animals starting their daily routine right in the middle of the night? What kind of standard this is that changes the date to midnight? What kind of parameter this is?”
The Madhya Pradesh chief minister continued, “I would like to explain more about this parameter. It is a parameter that was deployed to shame the Indian culture. I will just come to the point. You visit the observatory of Ujjain on 21st June and 22nd December at 12 o’clock (noon). Open your eyes and see. There is a conical apparatus made 300 years ago. Talking in terms of modern science, it is kind of a GPS made to determine the centre point of the world.”
Mohan Yadav also mentioned, “You would be astonished to know that it is Ujjain’s Dongla that you get exactly 23 degrees and 16 minutes latitude. This is confirmed by modern science which our ancestors have known for thousand years. We just started following the West and forgot the glorious things we already had. We will now reverse the direction of the time wheel and bring these mysteries in front of the world. Our government is working to prove that Ujjain is the global Prime Meridian and we will push to correct the time of the world.”
According to ancient Hindu astronomical knowledge, Ujjain was historically regarded as the central meridian of India, playing a crucial role in determining the nation’s time zones and variations in time. Additionally, it forms the foundation for timekeeping in the Hindu calendar.
In a touching gesture, BJP Anuppur District President Ramdas Puri’s pledge was fulfilled by former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who helped him put on shoes for the first time in six years. Ramdas Puri took off his shoes in 2017, vowing not to wear them again until the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) formed the government in Madhya Pradesh. Puri vowed to stick to his pledge even after the party lost the state to Congress in 2019 but regained power in 2020 as the then CM Kamalnath-led Congress government collapsed.
#WATCH | Anuppur: Former Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chauhan made Anuppur BJP District President Ramdas Puri fulfil his resolve by making him wear shoes.
Ramdas Puri had not worn shoes and slippers for the last 6 years. He had pledged in 2017-18 that he would not wear shoes… pic.twitter.com/zC7tbBuzi1
Taking to X on Saturday (December 23), Shivraj Singh Chouhan shared a video of this heartwarming moment and lauded Ramdas Puri for his commitment towards the BJP. “Workers like Ramdas Puri are the strength and capital of the party…Anuppur BJP District President Shri Ramdas Puri ji had pledged that he will not wear shoes and slippers until the BJP government is formed in the state. BJP government was formed in the state and after fulfilling their pledge, we made them wear shoes today. BJP is proud of such dedicated and hardworking workers and such workers will also contribute to making their country prosperous and developed by fulfilling the resolve of respected Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji. I salute Ramdas ji!” Chouhan posted.
रामदास पुरी जैसे कार्यकर्ता पार्टी की शक्ति और पूंजी हैं…
अनूपपुर के भाजपा जिला अध्यक्ष श्री रामदास पुरी जी ने संकल्प लिया था कि जब तक प्रदेश में भाजपा की सरकार नहीं बनेगी, तब तक वे जूते चप्पल नहीं पहनेंगे।
The BJP won 163 of the 230 assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh, returning to power in the Hindi heartland. The opposition Congress was relegated to a dismal second place after securing 66 assembly seats, while the Bharat Adivasi Party won one seat. Even though the BJP brought about a historic change by appointing Mohan Yadav as the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, Chouhan remains enormously popular among the general public in the state. The BJP stalwart is now touring the state and holding public events to boost the party’s position ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
On 21st December, an overwhelming majority of state and UT wrestling associations elected Sanjay Singh as the New President of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). Sanjay Singh defeated former grappler Anita Sheoran in this court-monitored election for the sporting body by 40-7 votes.
The ‘rebel’ wrestlers including Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, and Sakshi Malik, who led the protests against former president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, had supported Anita Sheoran. Unhappy with the results of the election, wrestler Sakshi Malik announced her retirement from the sport claiming that Sanjay Singh is a business partner and aide of Former WFI President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
A day later, Bajrang Punia announced that he was returning his Padma Shri award to Prime Minister Narendra Modi which was awarded to him in 2019.
Singh was asked to resign on 20th January after allegations of sexual harassment by wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Ravi Dahiya, Bajrang Punia, and his wife Sangita Phogat and Sakshi Malik and her husband Satyavart Kadian. His term was anyway ending, and he was not eligible to contest in the just concluded elections as he has already held the post for 3 terms, which is the maximum allowed.
Later in the day on 22nd December, Sakshi Malik said that govt should intervene to overrule the election, claiming that the govt has the power to do so. While talking to Rajdeep Sardesai on India Today, she said that the protesting wrestlers wanted a female WFI chief to take over from Brij Bhushan Singh. She claimed that the government had assured the protesting wrestlers earlier in the year that the sporting body would have a female President.
In the interview with Rajdeep Sardesai who highlighted that elections were conducted fairly under monitoring, Malik argued that the government should have intervened in this election. The wrestler argued that the government should have mandated the sporting bodies to elect a Woman for the top post, seemingly hinting that the Union government should have “appointed” rebel wrestlers-backed female grappler Anita Sheron as the WFI President.
While she didn’t she said, she essentially meant that govt should override the WFI elections and sack Sanjay Singh, and appoint a woman as the new president.
However, the announcements of Malik’s retirement or Punia’s return of the Padma award, as signs of protest and exerting pressure against the election outcome and claims that the government can intervene to ‘override’ the concluded elections are completely wrong. Sporting bodies run outside direct govt control, and any attempt to interfere in the election or its results will result in an immediate ban from the United World Wrestling, the global wrestling body, or in this case, the continuation of suspension as WFI is already suspended by UWW because of not holding elections on time.
The rules for sporting bodies and past precedences point out that any interference in running sporting bodies by governments or even courts, including the selection of officials or changes in the “constitution” of sporting bodies in violation of the Olympic Charter or other sporting global bodies as the case may be, irrespective of the intent, attracts immediate suspension of the sporting body in its entirety. Thus, if govt interferes in the WFI elections, it will cause more harm to the wrestlers.
Past precedences and a well-laid-down rule for all sporting bodies globally
Stressing the need for “political neutrality” in sporting bodies, the Olympic Charter states the following –
Recognising that sport occurs within the framework of society, sports organisations within the Olympic Movement shall apply political neutrality. They have the rights and obligations of autonomy, which include freely establishing and controlling the rules of the sport, determining the structure and governance of their organisations, enjoying the right of elections free from any outside influence, and the responsibility for ensuring that principles of good governance be applied.
Conspicuously, it is important to note that if a sporting body is suspended, it ceases to receive funding from the IOC, and its officials are prohibited from participating in Olympic meetings and events. Additionally, athletes of that country may be prevented from competing in Olympic events under their national flag, unless the IOC decides to allow them to participate under the Olympic flag.
There are numerous examples of national sporting bodies suspended by the global bodies for interference by governments. In many of these cases, governments and courts had stepped in to remove irregularities in the running of such bodies, but even those were considered undue interference.
Indian sporting bodies suspended over the years for “government interference”
In 2012, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) suspended India’s national Olympic committee because of government interference in its election process. The IOC executive board imposed the sanction when the Indian Olympic Association failed to comply with the world body’s demands for holding independent elections.
Back then, the Indian sporting body had been embroiled in disputes over the elections to succeed Suresh Kalmadi, who had been imprisoned for nine months due to corruption charges related to the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. Kalmadi, who had led the IOA for 16 years, opted not to seek re-election.
At the time, media reported that the IOC had repeatedly told the Indian body to adhere to its own constitution and the Olympic Charter and not follow the government’s sports code for that year’s elections for the sporting body. It warned that it would not recognise the results if the elections were held under government rules. Even though a clean-up was needed after the mess created by Kalmadi, IOC ruled that the govt could not do that.
Subsequently, in the same year, the Taekwondo Federation of India was suspended by the international body citing the Indian Olympic Association’s suspension from its parent body for not following the Olympic Charter.
In August 2022, FIFA banned the All India Football Federation (AIFF) stating “undue interference by a third party.” This “third party” was a reference to the actions of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators.
As per reports, the Court-appointed administration wanted 36 ’eminent’ footballers to be part of the Electoral College that would vote in the elections. This meant a 50-50 representation of players and state body assembly members. However, the roadmap and the inclusion of 50% players was construed by the Bureau of the FIFA Council (constituting the FIFA president and the six confederation presidents) as “undue interference by a third party” and promptly suspended AIFF. Even though there was good intention behind the administrator’s decision, given that politicians dominated AIFF for years, FIFA decided that it was undue interference by the court.
The ‘political neutrality’ rule transcends all sports and various countries penalised under this provision
In October 2015, the IOC suspended Kuwait for the second time in five years over government interference in the country’s Olympic movement. The IOC had said, “The Olympic Movement in Kuwait has faced a number of issues to preserve its autonomy, in particular due to recently amended sports legislation in Kuwait.” The ban lasted for more than two years.
Kuwait was also banned in 2010 over a similar dispute but was reinstated before the 2012 London Olympics. Prior to that, the IOC had also suspended the national Olympic bodies of India, Ghana, and Panama for political interference, though all were eventually reinstated, the Guardian reported back then.
Additionally, in 2015, FIFA alleged third-party interference in Indonesia’s local soccer association by the government. The ban was later lifted in 2016.
In February 2022, FIFA suspended Zimbabwe and Kenya for “government interference.” FIFA suspended the two countries’ associations after their governments pushed aside the associations’ leaders. In July 2023, FIFA lifted the ban on Zimbabwe, 18 months after it had penalised it for “government interference” in its sporting body.
In January 2023, FIFA banned the Lankan FA for violations of FIFA rules in administration for factional fighting and political interference in the sport’s body’s administration. The suspension was eventually lifted in August, this year.
Apart from the Olympics and Football, in 2019, the International Cricket Council (ICC) suspended Zimbabwe over a failure to keep the sport free from government interference after the government commission “installed temporary leadership”.
Regarding its decision, ICC chairman Shashank Manohar had said, “We do not take the decision to suspend a member lightly, but we must keep our sport free from political interference.”
(The ‘non-government interference’ rules have been invoked in several sports, Cricket, Football, Olympics, Wrestling etc against a host of countries for several years)
Sri Lankan Cricket Board suspended by ICC
The most recent example of a sporting body suspended/banned for “government interference” is that of Sri Lanka Cricket. It was suspended by the ICC for ‘excessive government interference’ after the Sri Lankan team’s exit from the ongoing World Cup in India. On 10th November, ICC suspended SLC with immediate effect, after the board was sacked by the minister and then was reinstated by a court.
The Sri Lankan parliament had unanimously asked Sri Lanka Cricket’s elected board members to resign, accusing them of unprecedented corruption. The allegations of corruption against the board were made by the sports minister, and the parliament agreed with him. However, the board didn’t resign.
Afterward, Sri Lanka’s sports minister Roshan Ranasinghe sacked the SLC board and installed an interim committee headed by Arjuna Ranatunga on 6th November. But a court of appeal stayed the minister’s order for 14 days on 7th November, reinstating the current board, after SLC president Shammi Silva filed an appeal against the minister’s sacking order.
However, this was seen as excessive government interference in the sporting body by the ICC, and it suspended the Sri Lanka Cricket.
The way forward for protesting wrestlers in India
Strikingly, the election of a new president means that the suspension of WFI by the global wrestling body United World Wrestling will be lifted. UWW had suspended WFI for failing to hold elections before the August deadline, and the Indian wrestlers had been competing as neutral athletes at international events after that. WFI elections were originally scheduled for July, before the deadline, but it was deferred multiple times due to court cases.
As a result, Indian wrestlers lost the right to play under the Indian flag at the World Championships 2023 in September.
The past precedence and a similar well-laid-out rule transcending across all sports globally underscore that the government can’t appoint the WFI President or any head of any sporting federation in the country, as claimed by protesting wrestlers. As highlighted above, any attempt of interference by the government results in the suspension of such a body by the parent global body, jeopardising the career of athletes and sports in the country.
If overwhelming majority of a sporting body elected a chief who is not capable or deserving in your eyes, you are left with very few choices. You can't even go to court or ask the govt to interfere, because any interference even with good intentions, ends up hurting the athletes…
The fact remains that Sanjay Singh won the election which was monitored by the court, and there are no allegations of any irregularities in the elections held in Delhi. The protesting wrestlers are not contesting the election, they are not alleging any malpractice, they are contesting only the result alleging that the winner is close to the former president. However, that is not a valid argument to remove the elected president.
The protesting wrestlers wanted Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh out, and wanted WFI elections. Now that the federation has a new president, they have to accept the election result. Sanjay Singh can’t sacked because they want him sacked, he got 40 out of 47 votes.
However, if the protesting wrestlers insist that they will not play under WFI led by Sanjay Singh, the only option they have is to form a rival body. The rebel wrestlers can form a parallel ‘wrestling’ body to WFI and apply to UWW for recognition challenging the authenticity and legality of WFI. The parallel body getting backing from Olympic medal winners could be given a chance by UWW to air and assuage their grievances.
In fact, the protesters could have formed a rival body when Brij Bhushan was the president, or when WFI was suspended. However, international sports bodies recognise only one federation in a country.
Incidentally, they could seek the government’s assistance in getting the pre-requisite infrastructure for carrying out sporting activities rather than making a case for the government to intervene or override the election outcome, which is barred as per Charters of global international federations. However, it will be up to the govt to decide if wants to assist such a rival body.
Meanwhile, it is worth noting that the Union government is under no obligation to extend support to a rebel body, or even recognised bodies. The government extends support for the sporting federations to strengthen sporting bodies in order to promote sports. However, it is not bound to do so, and some sports are striving without much govt help. For example, BCCI owns several stadiums, but most other sporting bodies that lack adequate finance use government and public facilities.
Weeks after DMK leader Senthil Kumar insulted the Hindi heartland ‘Gaumutra states’, another party leader, Dayanidhi Maran, recently made disparaging remarks against migrants coming from Hindi-speaking states to Tamil Nadu.
“Hindi-speaking people are cleaning toilets and roads for us,” Dayanidhi Maran, a leader of DMK, one of the members of the INDI alliance, said at a public meeting in Tamil Nadu.
DMK leader and MP @Dayanidhi_Maran calls Hindi speaking people toilet cleaners.
There's no meaning of condemning their bigotry as they've become shameless but I'm eager to know the opinion of @NitishKumar & @RahulGandhi on it!
Earlier this month, Senthil Kumar, the DMK MP from Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu made the pejorative ‘gaumutra’ remark to mock the Hindi-speaking states in the Northern part of India. While addressing the Parliament on ‘The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill 2023’, the DMK leader referred to states in the Hindi heartland as “Gaumutra states”.
Addressing the Lok Sabha members, he said, “The people of this country should think that the power of this BJP is only winning elections mainly in the heartland states of Hindi, what we generally call as the ‘Gaumutra states’.”
The insulting remarks were passed after the BJP swept to power in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh.
INDI alliance leaders’ insulting remarks on Sanatana Dharma
Earlier this year, DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin went on a tirade against Sanatan Dharma on social media. On September 2, the Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development of Tamil Nadu said, “Mosquitoes, dengue, flu, malaria, corona – we should not oppose these things. They’ve to be eradicated.”
“The same is the case with Santanam (Hinduism). Our first work should be to abolish/eradicate Sanatanam instead of opposing it. So, my appreciation to you all for giving an apt title to the meeting,” he stated.
The comments sparked a massive controversy following which several INDI alliance leaders rushed to the defence of the DMK leader over his comment on Sanatana Dharma.
Congress leader Karti Chidambaram extended his support to the DMK leader on Saturday (September 2). “Sanatan Dharma is nothing but code for a Caste Hierarchical Society. All those batting for it are hankering for the Good Ole Days! Caste is the Curse of India,” he went on a vitriolic rant against the Hindu civilisational religious philosophy.
Similarly, Congress leader Priyank Kharge also came out in support of Stalin. Speaking to the media personnel, the Congress leader had said, “Any religion that does not promote equality or does not ensure you have the dignity of being human is not religion, according to me. Any religion that does not give equal rights or does not treat you like humans is as good as disease.”
After announcing that his administration is immediately going to cancel an order that effectively forbade Muslim women from wearing Islamic headscarves in schools, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has made a U-turn saying that the matter is still being considered. He said that he talked about lifting the government order banning religious clothing in educational institutions having dress codes when he was asked a question about it, and no decision has been taken yet. However, he asserted that the govt order will be revoked soon.
Talking to media the Karnataka CM stated, “The ban on the hijab hasn’t been lifted yet. I was questioned about lifting the prohibition on the hijab. I informed them that the government is thinking about taking it away. We’ll talk about it.”
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah takes a U-turn on withdrawal of hijab ban orders.
"We haven't done it (revoking the #HijabBan) yet. Someone asked me a question (on revoking hijab ban), I replied that the government is contemplating to revoke it. We will discuss it," says #Karnataka CM… pic.twitter.com/MJerWLnBax
“We will withdraw the order. Hijab can be worn. Alright? I’ve asked for that order to be withdrawn,” the chief minister declared at the inauguration of the Kavalande, Antarsante and police stations in Nanjangud, Mysuru. “Dress, eating habits, they’re your choice. Why should I come in the way? Wear whatever dress you want. Eat what you want. What’s that to me? I’ll eat my food. You eat yours. You have your right and I have mine. It’s that simple,” he stressed.
Karnataka Govt decides to withdraw #Hijab ban. " You can wear Hijab and go. Have instructed for the order to be withdrawan," says Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah. The matter is pending before the Supreme Court. Govt will withdraw the education dept order passed on Feb 5, 2022 pic.twitter.com/dl9GCxI6SW
The Congress leader added, “We (Congress) don’t discriminate based on caste or faith. BJP says ‘Sab Ka Saath, Sab Ka Vikas.’ Where are they practising this? Those sporting a beard, skull cap and wearing a burqa are asked not to welcome. They keep lying. We’re not like that,” earlier in a program. He claimed, “We help the poor of all castes and faiths – Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains. Politics shouldn’t be done for the sake of votes. We don’t do that.”
He alleged that even people connected to the Bharatiya Janata Party are profiting from the assurances made by the Congress government. He discussed the hijab following suggestions from audience members. Using the microblogging platform X, he asserted that the decision of what to wear is a personal one. Additionally, he charged that the Bhartiya Janta Party was segregating society and people based on clothes, outfits and caste. He charged that PM Narendra Modi’s ‘Sab Ka Saath, Sab Ka Vikas’ is bogus and he would scrap the hijab ban.
ಪ್ರಧಾನಿ @narendramodi ಅವರ ಸಬ್ ಕಾ ಸಾಥ್-ಸಬ್ ಕಾ ವಿಕಾಸ್ ಎನ್ನುವುದು ಬೋಗಸ್. ಬಟ್ಟೆ, ಉಡುಪು, ಜಾತಿ, ಆಧಾರದ ಮೇಲೆ ಜನರನ್ನು ವಿಭಜಿಸುವ, ಸಮಾಜವನ್ನು ಒಡೆಯುವ ಕೆಲಸವನ್ನು @BJP4India ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದೆ. ಹಿಜಾಬ್ ನಿಷೇಧವನ್ನು ವಾಪಾಸ್ ಪಡೆಯಲು ತಿಳಿಸಿದ್ದೇನೆ.#Hijabpic.twitter.com/EIHU5V7zas
On 5 February 2022, the Bharatiya Janta Party administration issued an order that prohibited the wearing of the hijab in classrooms and required students to attend schools and pre-university campuses in the designated uniform. Early in 2022, the hijab became a contentious issue when several Muslim girls were barred from attending class due to their head covering being incompatible with the uniform. The directive issued by the BJP government commanded that students wear the uniform.
The Karnataka High Court upheld the order in March 2022 and determined that donning the headscarf was not a mandatory Islamic religious practice. When the case reached the Supreme Court, it issued a divided verdict in October 2022 over the legality of the aforementioned prohibition in the educational institutions deferring to a higher bench to make a decision.
The Karnataka hijab debate garnered international attention. Ayman Al-Zawahiri of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda exploited the controversy to attack India’s democracy and sided with the demonstrating Muslim pupils.
It is important to note that while many call it ‘hijab ban in Karnataka’, there is no such ban, and the previous BJP govt didn’t ban hijab in the state, as alleged by many Islamists and left-liberals. The govt order had banned hijab only in educational institutions that have prescribed dress codes. There is no restriction on hijab or even burqa in public places in the state.
On Saturday (23rd December), a drone reportedly struck an Israeli merchant ship in the Arabian Sea. The attack was carried out via an Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS), causing a fire on board.
As per reports, no group has claimed responsibility for the drone strike, which took place 200 nautical miles southwest of Veraval City of Gujarat.
In a statement, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said, ” (We) received a report of an attack by Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) on a vessel causing an explosion and fire. Incident 200NM South West of Veraval, India. Fire extinguished, no casualties. Authorities are investigating.”
— United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) (@UK_MTO) December 23, 2023
“Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO,” it further added. Citing government sources, News18 reported that the site of the attack was far from the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
According to WION journalist Sidhant Sibal, the Indian Navy is responding to the situation. An Indian naval aircraft and a warship have been dispatched to provide assistance.
Breaking: Indian Navy responds to the incident involving a drone attack off the coast of India; Navy Officials tell @WIONews that Indian naval aircraft is already overhead and "safety of the ship and the crew has been ascertained" https://t.co/0bS7meawTo
According to ANI, the Indian Coast Guard ship ICGS Vikram was dispatched by the Navy to assist the merchant ship, identified as MV Chem Pluto. The vessel was reportedly carrying crude oil and going towards Mangalore in Karnataka from Saudi Arabia.
All crew including 20 Indians onboard the merchant ship are reportedly safe.
Indian Coast Guard ship ICGS Vikram is moving towards a merchant vessel MV Chem Pluto in the Arabian Sea 217 nautical miles off Porbandar cost after it reported a fire incident suspected to be caused by a drone attack. The vessel has crude oil and was going towards Mangalore from… pic.twitter.com/a8JQevOn1Z
They are ascertaining the safety of the merchant ship and its crew. It must be mentioned that there has been a recent surge of attacks on Israeli-linked vessels by Lebanon-based Houthi rebels.
The intensified attacks on commercial and merchant ships in the Red Sea by Iran-backed Shiite Houthi rebels could drastically surge prices of oil, and insurance premiums for ships and other goods, creating a domino effect for inflation, as warned by experts.
Following these attacks, several major oil and shipping firms have announced to either suspend or re-route the trade away from the Red Sea creating a major disruption in the maritime trade. It is important to note that this disruption poses a higher risk than the one recently faced during the 2021 Suez Canal blockade crisis.
