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Nepal: Stones pelted and ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ slogans raised during Eid procession, administration imposes prohibitory orders

OpIndia Staff
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Nepal: Stones pelted and ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ slogans raised during Eid procession, administration imposes prohibitory orders

On 3rd October, the Banke district administration office imposed an indefinite curfew within the Nepalgunj sub-metropolis area effective from 1 PM. The curfew was imposed following reports of stone pelting incidents during a band organised by the Hindu groups over slogans raised during the Eid Milad procession on 1st October. Reportedly, the Islamists in the procession raised slogans such as ‘Sar Tan Se Juda‘. The public property was damaged during the procession. This is the first time in 26 years that communal clashes have been reported in Nepal. Following the reports of violence, the India-Nepal Rupaidiha border has been sealed. Videos of Islamists pelting stones at Hindus went viral on social media.

Chief District Officer (CDO) Bipin Acharya said in a statement that the administration passed the prohibitory orders over concerns about potential risks to the general public’s safety and disruption of peace in the area. CDO added that gatherings, rallies and unrestricted movement of the people would not be allowed in the areas between the Rapti River Bridge in the east, the road leading to Indrapur of Khajura in the west, Ranjha Chowk in the north, and the Jamunaha checkpoint in the south of Banke district. Furthermore, if anyone found in violation of the orders would face legal action.

District Administration Office of Banke issued a notice on 2nd October urging people to refrain from indulging in activities that might hurt religious sentiments. The administration also urged the public not to get into blame games on social media.

Anti-Hindu slogans in Eid procession

An X user, Treeni, shared a detailed thread on what happened in Nepal during the Eid procession. In the video shared by the X user, slogans of ‘Sar tan se juda’ and ‘Labaik labkail’ were heard.

The procession was taken out from the Tribhuvan circle of Nepalganj. The Islamists in the procession indulged in arson and allegedly attacked Hindus. The videos were shared by Nepali Muslim pages on social media.

Furthermore, the X user identified a person named Sharafat Khan, who was leading the procession. He is the ward president of Ward 5 in Nepalganj.

There were videos of Khan allegedly inciting Islamists against Hindus. ‘Sar tan se juda’ slogans were raised in his presence, as per the videos shared by the X user.

Following the Hinduphobic procession and slogans, the Hindu group, The Omkar Family, called for Nepalganj Bandh.

As they were taking out a peaceful protest rally, they were attacked by the Islamists who pelted stones and petrol bombs from buildings.

The attack on Hindus led to communal clashes in the area, after which prohibition orders were issued by the administration.

Pertinently, OpIndia reported in 2022 the gradual change in democracy underway in Nepal with mosques, madarasas, and other Islamic seminaries cropping up in a predominantly Hindu-majority country. The disproportionate change in democracy was meticulously catlogued by OpIndia, which can be read here.

Canada now wants ‘private talks’ with India, after 41 Canadian diplomats were asked to leave Delhi within a week

ANI
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Canada now wants ‘private talks’ with India, after 41 Canadian diplomats were asked to leave Delhi within a week

Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly on Tuesday said that the country wants “private talks with India to resolve a diplomatic dispute” over the killing of Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Reuters reported.

“We are in contact with the government of India. We take Canadian diplomats’ safety very seriously and we will continue to engage privately because we think diplomatic conversations are best when they remain private,” Reuters quoted Joly as saying to reporters. 
The statement by Joly comes after a report said India had asked Canada to withdraw 41 diplomats.

India has told Canada that it must repatriate the diplomats by October 10. Neither Joly nor Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded when asked if the report was accurate, as per Reuters.

There is a strain in India-Canada relations following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations regarding the Indian government’s ‘potential role’ in the fatal shooting of Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Nijjar, who was a designated terrorist in India, was gunned down outside a Gurdwara, in a parking area in Canada’s Surrey, British Columbia on June 18.

Trudeau, during a debate in the Canadian Parliament, claimed his country’s national security officials had reasons to believe that “agents of the Indian government” carried out the killing of the Canadian citizen, who also served as the president of Surrey’s Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara.

However, India has outrightly rejected the claims, calling it ‘absurd’ and ‘motivated’.

Notably, Canada has yet to provide any public evidence to support the claim about the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The country has said it wants to “work constructively with India” regarding the allegations.

Trudeau on Tuesday said that his country was not “looking to escalate the situation with India,” adding that Ottawa wants to remain on the ground in New Delhi to help Canadians, Reuters reported. 

“Canada is not looking to escalate the situation with India, will continue to engage responsibly and constructively with New Delhi. We want to be on the ground in India to help the Canadian families there,” Reuters quoted Trudeau as saying. 

Trudeau had said last week that Canada is still committed to building closer ties with India, despite “credible allegations of the Indian government’s involvement” in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Canada-based National Post reported. India has rejected the claims as “absurd” and “motivated”.

Pointing to the increasing influence of India worldwide, Trudeau said that it is “extremely important” that Canada and its allies continue to engage with India.

“India is a growing economic power and important geopolitical player. And as we presented with our Indo-Pacific strategy, just last year, we’re very serious about building closer ties with India,” he had told reporters.
“At the same time, obviously, as a rule of law country, we need to emphasize that India needs to work with Canada to ensure that we get the full facts of this matter,” National Post quoted Trudeau as saying.

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

AR Rahman slaps Rs 10 crore defamation case after surgeons association accused him of not performing at an event despite taking payment

OpIndia Staff
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AR Rahman slaps Rs 10 crore defamation case after surgeons association accused him of not performing at an event despite taking payment

On Wednesday, October 4, reports emerged that renowned music composer AR Rahman has sent a Rs 10 crore defamation notice to the Association of Surgeons of India. He has asked the association to withdraw the complaint against him within three days. 

The defamation notice was in response to a complaint filed against him by the Association of Surgeons of India at the Chennai police commissioner’s office, which stated that the musician received an amount of Rs 29 lakh in 2018 for a concert that he never performed.

His attorney responded and refuted all of the charges and his team has asked for Rs 10 crore as restitution for the attempt to smear the world-famous music director. He addressed a legal notice to the Association of Surgeons of India seeking that they drop their complaint against him within three days. He dismissed all of the accusations and argued that there were third parties involved of whom his client was unaware.

The counsel pressed for an unequivocal apology from the association for tarnishing the Oscar-winning musician’s reputation in the legal notification and to make a reparation payment of Rs. 10 crores for defaming him. If they do not pay the compensation, the ‘Jai Ho’ composer is going to pursue legal and criminal action.

The allegation stemmed from the lawsuit that AR Rahman who had been paid the money to put on a concert presentation in 2018 never did so and has refused to refund it. According to the organisation’s statement, he was approached to perform at an event hosted by the Annual Conference of the Association of Surgeons of India (ASICON) 2018. He consented to the same on one of the three days of the gathering in exchange for an advance payment of the aforementioned amount. Furthermore, it was stated that there would be no return if the function was scrapped.

Later, however, ASICON allegedly terminated the gig and insisted that he give back the sum because the ticket price for the concert was higher. His manager Senthil Velan asserted that the organisers afterwards contacted them and told them to return the deposit following which a complaint was lodged against the record producer.

Music concert of AR Rahman in Chennai turns into a nightmare

Prior to this, the winning music composer received a lot of flak when his Chennai concert turned into a nightmare after the organisers reportedly oversold the tickets which led to overcrowding and mass molestation.

AR Rahman’s ‘Marakkuma Nenjam’ (Will the heart forget) gala took place in Chennai’s Adityaram Palace on 10 September which was marred by multiple molestation reports, a stampede-like situation and bogus tickets. Despite having valid tickets, many people were turned away because of the crowding.

Following the controversy, AR Rahman took to X (formerly Twitter) to inform that refunds would be initiated for those who could not attend the event despite purchasing tickets. He, however, did not address the allegations of mass molestation levelled by the victims.

From KCR’s offer to join NDA to Tribal Uni, a promise made by UPA: Two Telangana visits, explosive revelations by PM Modi will change the political game

S. Sudhir Kumar
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From KCR’s offer to join NDA to Tribal Uni, a promise made by UPA: Two Telangana visits, explosive revelations by PM Modi will change the political game

Even by Prime Minister Modi’s hectic travel standards, it is unlikely that he will visit the same state in a span of 3 days. So, when his itinerary was announced for his visits to Telangana on October 1st and 3rd, it certainly created excitement amongst the cadre and inquisitiveness among the media. And true to the expectations, Prime Minister Modi made some explosive revelations and announced some critical projects that are bound to change the nature of discourse in Telangana politics. 

On October 3rd, Prime Minister Modi revealed that Chief Minister KCR had approached him, after BRS’s loss in GHMC elections in the year 2020, with an offer to join the NDA in exchange for support in the GHMC council. He has also asked the media to check out the dates to validate his claim (the dates do check out. The results were declared on December 5th, and KCR met Modi on Dec. 12th). This offer was rejected by the Prime Minister and the BJP chose to sit in the opposition. 

Prime Minister Modi has also told us that KCR informed him that he plans to make KTR the CM and wanted Modi’s blessings for the same. The timing of this revelation also checks out because there were multiple leaks to the media in January 2021 that the coronation of KTR is right around the corner. The idea had to be dropped by KCR owing to severe resistance from within the party and his extended family too. 

The Prime Minister’s revelations have to be seen in the context of the growing narrative in the state that the BRS and BJP are friends and not foes! The mind really boggles at how the Congress party was very successful in spreading this narrative. The chief reason being cited was that despite multiple interrogations by the ED, KCR’s daughter Kavitha has not been arrested yet in the now famous Delhi Liquor Scam. The ED chargesheet does talk about a “South Group” of which Kavitha is a part, that arranged for 100 crores in bribes in exchange for licenses. The BJP cadre was finding it very difficult to counter this argument. And around the same time, the popular and vociferous BJP President Bandi Sanjay Kumar was replaced – thus adding more fuel to the narrative that this was done at the behest of a BRS-BJP understanding! 

The Prime Minister’s revelations have certainly come as a boost for the party cadre, but his announcements on October 1st in Telangana were no less significant and were equally narrative-setting in nature. Until the year 2021, Telangana was the highest turmeric-producing state in India. The people of Nizamabad district had a demand for nearly 15 years that a Turmeric board be set up in Nizamabad so that the turmeric farmers here get better opportunities and rates to sell Turmeric. There is this farmer who took a vow in the year 2011 that he will walk barefoot till the Turmeric Board is set up in Nizamabad. KCR’s daughter, Kavitha fought the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Nizamabad promising them that she will bring the Turmeric board. She failed to do so (among her many failures) and she eventually lost the 2019 election to BJP’s Dharmapuri Arvind.

D. Arvind signed a bond paper to the people of Nizamabad that he would resign if he failed to bring the Turmeric Board and also a good MSP for Turmeric. Though the central government announced the setting up of a Spices Board regional office in Nizamabad, it didn’t cut any ice with the voters. As has been the trend with the Modi government, where long pending issues are resolved quickly, Prime Minister Modi has announced on October 1st, the setting up of the National Turmeric Board in Nizamabad. This took the BRS by surprise because they were all busy making jokes about how Arvind failed to get the Turmeric board and how his bond paper was now a joke. With this announcement, one of the key demands of thousands of farmers in Nizamabad stands fulfilled. In fact, the setting up of a Turmeric board in general has been a demand even in the states of Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. This is the first time in 36 years that a board is being set up specifically for a product. 

The second major announcement was of setting up a Central Tribal University in Telangana. You may be wondering what is so major about setting up a university. This university was promised in the AP Reorganisation Act of 2014 bought by the UPA. Despite swift approvals from the Modi government, the BRS government delayed land acquisition. And yet BRS started shouting from the rooftops that it is the Modi government that is doing grave injustice to Telangana by not granting the university! After 9 years of dilly-dallying by the KCR government (nicely captured in this thread), the Central Tribal University has finally become a reality. 

The Prime Minister had to make repeated mentions of the Congress party (both in his speeches and tweets) in these two days because it was important to remind people of the corrupt and inept Congress party. These steps were necessitated also because of both the stagnating fortunes of the BJP and the rise of the Congress in Telangana. 

No one in Telangana was ready for the political bombshells or the administrative surprises. It is now up to the state BJP unit to take this message forward. Will these get converted to votes? Time will only tell! 

55 Chinese sailors including the captain dead after nuclear submarine got caught in a trap set in the Yellow Sea: What British Intelligence report says

OpIndia Staff
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55 Chinese sailors including the captain dead after nuclear submarine got caught in a trap set in the Yellow Sea: What British Intelligence report says

A British intelligence report has made a shocking revelation that at least 55 Chinese sailors are believed to have died after Beijing’s nuclear submarine got caught in a trap set up for British subsurface vessels in the Yellow Sea.

A “chain and anchor” trap was encountered by the submarine, according to a confidential UK intelligence report. The said confidential report suggests that 55 Chinese sailors, including the captain and 21 officers, may have died due to a “catastrophic failure” in the oxygen systems of the vessel which resulted in the poisoning of the whole crew.

Reportedly, the captain of the Chinese PLA Navy submarine ‘093-417’ and 21 other officers were among those killed.

Meanwhile, China has denied that the incident transpired. In addition, China has also turned down foreign help for the trapped submarine.

According to the UK report, an onboard accident happened on August 21 during a mission in the Yellow Sea, killing 55 crew members, including officers, officer cadets, petty officers, and sailors. The cause is hypoxia, which is said to be triggered by a system failure on the submarine.

The submarine collided with a chain and anchor impediment deployed by the Chinese Navy to trap US and allied submarines, causing system failures and a six-hour battle to surface. The crew was poisoned after the onboard oxygen system failed catastrophically. There is yet to be independent corroboration of the incident. China disputes open-source speculation. Moreover, even Taiwan denies these claims.

“This resulted in systems failures that took six hours to repair and surface the vessel. The onboard oxygen system poisoned the crew after a catastrophic failure,” the report reads.

A British submariner, speaking anonymously about the incident, offered insight into the potential air treatment failures that could lead to such dire situations.

Certain countries’ advanced CO2 absorption and oxygen generation capabilities, he highlighted in a Daily Mail report, may not be as readily available to others, compounding the vulnerabilities at sea.

Reports suggest that the Type 093 submarines, which have a 351-foot length and are among China’s modern and quietest fleets, entered service within the last 15 years when the incident took place, rendering it all the more serious.

The alleged sinking happened off the coast of China’s Shandong Province, and if proven, the scenario could have repercussions for maritime policies as well as global ties.

Why 52% of Muslim voters want Rahul Gandhi as their PM while Indians in general prefer PM Modi

OpIndia Staff
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Why 52% of Muslim voters want Rahul Gandhi as their PM while Indians in general prefer PM Modi

The Indian General Election is likely to be held in India between April and May 2024 to elect the members of the 18th Lok Sabha. Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, India TV-CNX conducted an opinion poll. The poll results revealed that while 61% of general voters and 70% of Forward Caste voters want PM Modi to continue as the Prime Minister of the country, 52% of the Muslims in India want the Congress scion Rahul Gandhi to take up the position.

The survey was performed in 48 Lok Sabha seats across 12 states in the country post-Bihar’s caste census. 

The survey conducted by India TV-CNX further stated that 14% of Muslims think that Arvind Kejriwal should become the Prime Minister of the country while 8% would vote for West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, 6% for Nitish Kumar, 8% for Akhilesh Yadav and 5% to Asaduddin Owaisi. Meanwhile, only 3% of the Muslims want current Prime Minister Narendra Modi to continue as the PM.

Speaking of the Forward Caste voters, 70% of them want PM Modi to continue as the Prime Minister of the country while only 12% of them want to see Rahul Gandhi as the PM. Furthermore, 4%, 6%, and 1% of forward caste voters wish to see Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal, and Nitish Kumar as the PM. Nobody wants to see the President of the Samajwadi Party Akhilesh Yadav and President of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Asaduddin Owaisi as India’s PM in the upcoming elections.

Image courtesy: India TV

According to the poll, 61% of overall voters want Narendra Modi to serve as Prime Minister again. Among the other options, 21% want Rahul Gandhi, 3% each want Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal, 2% each voted for Nitish Kumar and Mayawati, and 6% want some other leader as the future Prime Minister.

Muslims supporting Congress in Karnataka and Telangana

Notably, the Congress party has always used Muslims and favoured them as they assisted them in the elections by becoming a strong vote bank. This was evident in the recently happened Karnataka elections in which the Congress party emerged as the single-largest party with 135 seats—well past the majority mark—to form a government in the state.

While the campaign for election saw alarming levels of polarisation, with opposition parties raising the matter of hijab and the Congress party declaring to ban the Hindu activist group, Bajrang Dal, it is worth taking into account how polarisation helped Congress to consolidate Muslim voters and divide Hindu votes in order to win the assembly elections in May this year.

The Muslim communities also banded together behind the Congress party, possibly to protect their religious interests, and voted en masse for the great old party’s candidates. During the election campaigns, the SDPI which is the political wing of the banned PFI had clearly stated their intention of campaigning for the Congress Party. Earlier it had decided to field 100 candidates, but a few days before the elections, the party said that it would field only 16 seats. The SDPI also later asked its workers to go door to door and campaign for Congress.

Also, in Telangana, the Muslims are firmly backing the Congress party. Md Ali Shabbir, a senior Congress leader in June this year stated that Muslims of Telangana were firmly backing the party and that the AIMIM would fail to make a dent in that vote bank.

Rahul Gandhi furthering anti-India stance at global level

The entire Congress party has been using Muslim voters to win the elections in the country, whether the general or assembly elections. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi especially has always favoured and extended support to the Muslim community. He has several times defamed India and Hindus on global platforms peddling lies that ‘Minority communities in India are under attack’. He made such statements against India in Washington, the Cambridge University, and also in New Delhi recently in September this year.

Rahul Gandhi and the Congress Party have long sought to maintain the “minorities are in danger” rhetoric in order to solidify minority votes in an increasingly fragmented opposition, where each party is trying to build up its own vote bank in order to take on the Modi juggernaut, which draws its strength from broad support from all sections of society.

Aside from polarising the country’s political climate, the ‘minorities are in danger’ narrative is also used to portray the Centre as communal. Ordinary crimes are given a religious spin in order to either discredit and demean the Centre or consolidate the minority vote bank.

Non-Muslims, for example, accounted for more than 80% of those killed during the Nuh conflict. The violence began after Hindu pilgrims of the Jalabhishek Yatra were attacked by Islamists in Nuh, which is located in Haryana’s Muslim-majority area of Mewat. Even Hindus who did not take part in the parade were victims of the horrific dance of death that took place in Nuh and surrounding areas in late July and early August of this year.

Nonetheless, Congress, armed with its well-oiled ecosystem and an army of online trolls and supporting journalists, many of whom have turned into YouTubers after being unceremoniously fired for peddling propaganda under the guise of honest and upright journalism, blamed the Centre and Hindus for inciting the violence.

Congress has historically been a pro-Muslim party

Despite, donning the ‘pro-Hindutva’ hat from time to time, as per convenience, the Congress has historically been pro-Muslim, with appeasement programs topping the priority chart of the party. After all, it was the Nehruvian ‘visionary policy’ of Islamism in Congress that gave birth to the unwanted problem child called ‘Muslim Minority’.

Islamism in Congress politics started in a big way just after independence around 1950, when Congress started inducting, in its fold, the Muslim League leaders, members and supporters who did not migrate to Pakistan. Many of those ex-Muslim Leaguers rose to the level of Cabinet Minister at Central and State levels under Congress rule later.

Under Congress Rule, the ‘Waqf Act’ first came into being in India in 1954 and in 1964 Central Waqf Council was constituted under that Act. In August 2022, it came to light that the Congress-led-UPA government gifted 123 government properties in Lutyens’ Delhi to Waqf.

Rajiv Gandhi’s handling of the Shah Bano case (1986), to appease Muslim clerics, was another strong assertion of Islamism in Congress politics. In the Shah Bano case, Rajiv Gandhi allowed Sharia to crush the Indian Judiciary. 

In the recent past one of the most glaring glimpses of the Congress party’s submission to Islamism was its decision to review AFSPA should it come to power in 2019.

Notably, the demand for the removal of AFSPA has long been the focus of radical Islamic organizations and far-left institutions inimical to Indian interests. These organizations have peddled the most nefarious of propaganda which has only served as a tool to radicalize the youth of Kashmir.

In addition to this, the 2019 Congress manifesto made other promises to the Muslim community as well. It said on page 42, “The Waqf Properties (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Bill, 2014 will be re-introduced and passed. Waqf properties will be restored to the legal trustees.” In addition to that, “Congress promises to uphold the character of Aligarh Muslim University and Jamia Millia Islamia as minority educational institutions.”

Additionally, Congress’ support in Wayanad emanates from the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) which in turn is tied up with Jammat-e-Islami and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), both accused by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) of conducting arms training camps across the state under the pretence of health awareness camps. In several police raids in the offices of PFI and SDPI in Kerala, weapons and arms stockpiling came to light in 2014. As many as 24 accused arrested belonged to these two parties.

Given all these incidents, it is clearly evident why around 52% of Muslims want to see Congress’ Rahul Gandhi as India’s next Prime Minister and why only 3% of them think that PM Modi should continue to serve in the position.

The next Indian general election in India is expected to be held between April and May 2024 to elect the members of the 18th Lok Sabha.

TMC leaders detained during dramatic nighttime protests, Mahua Moitra carried out by policewomen, cry foul as MNREGA funds blocked over corruption charges

OpIndia Staff
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TMC leaders detained during dramatic nighttime protests, Mahua Moitra carried out by policewomen, cry foul as MNREGA funds blocked over corruption charges

Leaders of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) were detained on Tuesday night (3rd October) while staging protests at the Union Rural Development Ministry office in Delhi. The TMC was staging dramatic protests demanding a meeting with the Rural Development Minister over MNREGA funds to West Bengal.

As reported by Times Now, the TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee had demanded to meet MoS Rural Development Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti at Krishi Bhavan along with a large group of over 40 TMC leaders. However, the MoS stated that she would meet only 5 leaders. On this, the TMC leaders got agitated and demanded to meet her with the entire group of 40+ people. TMC leaders sat on a Dharna when the MoS didn’t give in to their demands and created a ruckus. Following this, they were escorted out by security personnel stationed at the premises of Krishi Bhavan.

As per the latest reports, MoS Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti has stated that she did want to meet the TMC leaders, but they chose to waste her time by staging Dharna and not agreeing to sending a delegation of fewer people instead of all 40+ of them.

TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee alleged that the TMC MPs were manhandled by the Delhi Police. He termed the detention of TMC leaders as a “black day for Indian democracy”. Furthermore, the TMC leader called for a campaign “Raj Bhavan Abhiyan” in Kolkata on 5th October.

MP Mahua Moitra posted a video of herself being carried by women security personnel while she thrashes around and shrieks.

The matter pertains to the blocking of MNREGA funds by the Centre to West Bengal. Abhishek Banerjee claimed that Union Minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti did not meet them even after giving an appointment. The detained TMC delegation was released after three hours.

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee accused the Central government of “withholding funds for the poor of Bengal” and of brutality against its delegation.

On October 2, TMC leaders had tried to stage a Dharna at Raj Ghat as a part of their strategy to blame the Centre for withholding funds in the face of rampant corruption in Bengal. As a response to the claims of manhandling made by TMC, the Delhi Police had stated that the TMC leaders had refused to vacate the place despite repeated requests.

In a statement, the Delhi police said that the TMC leaders were requested to vacate the Samadhi Sthal peacefully. “On this very important day of the birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi, thousands of people were visiting Rajghat – the Samadhi Sthal – to pay homage,” it noted.

“TMC leaders were requested not to sit at Samadhi Sthal. Despite repeated requests, they were not listening. Due to that public entry was affected and that resulted in a gathering of people around Samadhi Sthal. Therefore, to avoid public inconvenience as well as in the interest of their own safety, TMC leaders were requested to vacate the samadhi Sthal peacefully,” the statement read.

Marred with allegations of large-scale corruption linked to MNREGA funds, Mamata targeted the BJP for “abandonment of democratic values”. On 6th September, the Bengal government had written to the Delhi police seeking to hold a protest rally in the national capital against the Centre’s decision to hold back MNREGA funds.

Meanwhile, the BJP has alleged that TMC did not turn up for the meeting with the Minister at the scheduled time. BJP leader Amit Malviya wrote on X, “the Central Govt is not holding back any funds. It is because of widespread corruption in the implementation of MNREGA and lack of compliance with guidelines, that the funds have been held up. Despite several reminders, since 2019, Govt of West Bengal failed to submit a satisfactory compliance or Action Taken Report. No steps have been taken to eliminate corruption and ensure transparency.”

Why has the Centre withheld MGNREGS funds from West Bengal?

In March this year, the Union Rural Development Ministry decided to withhold Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) funds for West Bengal for the fiscal year 2023-24.

The Ministry extended the imposition of Section 27 of MNREGA, which allows for the suspension of funds for violations of rules in the implementation of the scheme by the state. West Bengal is the only State in the country against whom this Section 27 of the MNREGA was invoked.

The MNREGA funds to West Bengal were halted owing to large-scale anomalies in the implementation of the Central welfare schemes by Trinamool Congress (TMC) functionaries, especially in the rural areas.

A large number of TMC officials in rural areas of Bengal have been accused of placing ineligible people including family members on PMAY beneficiary lists.

The list of PMAY beneficiaries in Bengal was discovered to be filled with wealthy individuals with ties to the ruling party, as well as children, wives, and close relatives of Trinamool functionaries.

Similarly, Trinamool employees in rural organizations have been accused of distorting MGNREGA beneficiary lists, generating bogus job cards, and misrepresenting records of assets produced under the scheme in order to siphon off funds, among other violations. The union administration suspended fund disbursement after central audit teams discovered these large-scale errors and malfeasance.

In 2022, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari had written to Union Rural Development Minister Griraj Singh seeking an investigation against Mamata Banerjee administration in West Bengal.

Asking for a CBI probe or a probe by any central agency, the BJP leader alleged that the WB Govt was creating ‘fake’ jobs and misusing the job holder details to create false employment data.

Alleging that the details of the Job Card holders are being used arbitrarily and at whim by the Mamata Banerjee administration, the BJP leader listed the charges which he said would emerge if an audit is conducted.

  • The Jobs/Works against such “so-called employment” that have been generated are mostly fake. The Administration won’t be able to provide the Work Orders or Tender Details of the Jobs/Works to tally such employment.
  • The mode of payment to the labourers is questionable & lacks clarity. An inquiry must be done whether the payment has been made in cash. If so, then who made such payment & for which job? Whether the person/agency making such payment has been actually assigned to execute such a job. And if the payment has been made through account transfer, in that scenario the Administration must come clean regarding the money trail.
  • A large number of Job Card holders’ details seem to be fake. The figures for the Job Card holders are hugely exaggerated. If compared to the 2011 Census it would be found that the job cards issued in a Block seem to outnumber the people residing in that area.

Moreover, in 2019, Mamata Banerjee herself had inadvertently admitted that ‘cut money’ was taken by members of her own party, for implementing the welfare schemes of the government.

Mamata Banerjee’s MNREGA lie

In 2013, two years into office, Mamata Banerjee made big claims of development, especially about providing 100 days of work to unemployed adults under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

Her government claimed that the state topped the chart in 2012-13 with the implementation of projects worth Rs 4475.80 crore, which is the highest in the country and generated employment for 57.76 lakh families.

TMC government’s ad in a local newspaper made tall claims of topping the development scale. This also turned out to be nothing but a deception. The national statistics then suggested that West Bengal ranked 24th on the list.

The then Union Minister of State for Urban Development Deepa Dasmunsi had said in a statement: “The state has ranked 24th on the list, whereas the (Trinamool) government very boastfully claimed otherwise. It easily nailed the lie of the state administration as they are misleading people with wrong information ahead of the panchayat elections”.

The national statistics also suggested that West Bengal dipped to the 35th position in the list in the year 2019.

West Bengal also always has the highest percentage of delayed MGNREGA payments and it is plagued by TMC’s cut-money across the state, where workers are forced to pay hefty sums to avail work under the scheme.

PUCL, with links to Urban Naxals, comes out in support of China-funded NewsClick, had earlier supported Jihadi PFI as well: Details

OpIndia Staff
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PUCL, with links to Urban Naxals, comes out in support of China-funded NewsClick, had earlier supported Jihadi PFI as well: Details

After raiding 30 locations connected to China-funded NewsClick and interrogating 43 employees for hours, the Delhi Police arrested NewsClick founder and its editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha and Amit Chakravarty, the organisation’s human resources head, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Before the arrests were made under UAPA, the Delhi Police had raided several locations and seized the laptops and phones of journalists involved with NewsClick. The raids and arrests come after an investigation into illicit foreign funds received by the portal. The investigation by the Enforcement Directorate started in the year 2021 and subsequently, there was evidence that NewsClick also got funds from China for pro-China, anti-India propaganda.

After the raids and subsequent arrests, several Leftists and Islamists have come out in support of NewsClick – calling the investigation an assault on the freedom of the press. Interestingly, none of these ‘journalists’ who came out in support of NewsClick bothered to talk about the assault on the democratic process of India when a hostile power funds a so-called news platform to undermine national interest and indulge in pro-China propaganda.

Keeping in tune with the propaganda that was unleashed after the investigation against NewsClick and its employees, The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), an organisation linked to Urban Naxals, Maoists and Jihadis like PFI came out in support of the China-funded propaganda outlet.

According to a report in The Hindu, PUCL leaders Kavita Srivastava and V. Suresh condemned the search on journalists connected with Newsclick and other media professionals. “It is shocking that the police are investigating a case under draconian terror sections 13,16, 17, 18 and 22C of the UAPA and sec. 153 (A) (hate speech) and 120 (B) (conspiracy) of IPC against media professionals. The searches have happened in more than 30 locations in Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad today (Tuesday),” the statement said. 

The statement further said that these raids and arrests were a part of a larger witchhunt that had been unleashed against NewsClick by the government of India. It also said that the raids and have arrests have taken place a week before the cases are listed in the Delhi High Court in order to influence public opinion on the matter.

“What is alarming is the manner in which the Delhi Police seized all the data in the journalists’ electronic devices, in several instances, without even providing a hash value, thereby compromising the integrity of their data and violating their privacy and the identity of their sources. This is an egregious assault on the right to privacy, the right to dignity, as well as the freedom of journalists to practice their profession fearlessly,” it added. 

PUCL and its antecedents – Links to Urban Naxals, Maoists and Jihadis

PUCL is a fraternal organization of the People’s Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR). The People’s Union for Civil Liberties is the same organisation that has extensive links to Maoists. ‘Urban Naxals’ who were arrested in the Elgar Parishad case and in connection with an alleged assassination plot against the Prime Minister are intimately linked with the PUCL. 

The PUCL and its associate organisations have a history of ties to Naxals and separatists in Kashmir as well as Manipur. Over the years, numerous members of the organisations have been arrested for their links to Maoists. One of those raided in connection with the violence at Bhima Koregaon, Sudha Bharadwaj, is the General Secretary of the Chhattisgarh unit of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL). 

Father Stan Swamy was also associated with the PUCL. The narrative that PUCL propagates is quite often antithetical to a layman’s idea of civil society. On the website of the organization, it can be seen that it condemned the hanging of the Islamic terrorist Afzal Guru.

As per the report of Delhi PUCL for 2016-17, they assisted Islamist outfit PFI “in the matter relating to violation of their right to protest and their freedom of speech violated by the Delhi police on 5th Nov. 2017 in Delhi”.

‘Naxalite’ Binayak Sen was also the Vice President of the PUCL even after his conviction by the Raipur Sessions Court. The West Bengal unit of PUCL also published a book exonerating Sen of all his crimes and branded him a “victim of state atrocity”.

Also recently, the organization published an article in which it condemned the killings of gangster Atiq Ahmed and his brother in law and slammed the UP police for not assuring proper security measures during the incident. Ahmed and his brother in law were shot dead by three persons who posed as media individuals and fired around 22 bullets at the gangster. “PUCL is outraged by and strongly condemns the cold-blooded shooting down by a 3-member gang of politician and former minister, Atiq Ahmed and his brother, Ashraf Ahmed,” the article read. 

Further downplaying the criminal activities of the gangster, PUCL wrote, “The killing is not just a security lapse on the part of the police, who failed to check the identity of the killers posing as media persons; a much more disturbing issue is how the killer gang knew that a media meeting would be held in the open, outside the hospital.

“Equally worrisome is the question why Atiq Ahmed and his brother were not transported by ambulance, why the medical check-up was at such an unusual time late at night and why despite the security concerns, the police permitted such a media meet in an open space and in public.  The other question is as to why the police did not seek police custody of those who did the shooting. The answer to these questions will tell us whether it was a question of mere negligence by the UP police or a deeper conspiracy by the UP police and the UP administration, in the murders themselves?” it added. 

It is rather evident that PUCL not only has inextricable links with Naxals and Maoists but Jihadi elements as well. After the Jihadi outfit PFI was banned by the Government of India, PUCL had gone on the record demanding a revocation of the ban. The PUCL stated in a release that a dialogue with the PFI should be started. The organisation demanded that the authorities refrain from using their arrest powers arbitrarily to target Muslim youths based on their involvement or support of the PFI and its affiliates.

The statement by PUCL reads, “The PUCL is deeply concerned about the implications for democracy and the constitutional rights of freedom of speech and association in the light of the ongoing ‘Operation Octopus’ which is being carried out against the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its affiliates, across the country as a joint operation of the CRPF, the home ministry, ATS, NIA, ED, RAW, State police, and other agencies. It has consisted of mass raids being carried out in two rounds, in more than 16 states of India over hundreds of locations and with over 300 arrests.” 

“The raids, which have been conducted as a media spectacle showcasing massive state power, bodes ill for a constitutional democracy based on the rule of law, pushing the Muslim community further into fear, intimidation, alienation, and silence,” it further adds.

NewsClick founder-editor Prabir Purkayastha and HR Amit Chakravarty arrested after interrogation, sent to 7-day custody in UAPA case

OpIndia Staff
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NewsClick founder-editor Prabir Purkayastha and HR Amit Chakravarty arrested after interrogation, sent to 7-day custody in UAPA case

On 3rd October (late at night), a Delhi court sent Newsclick founder and editor Prabir Purkayastha to a 7-day police remand. HR head of the controversial news portal, Amit Chakravarty, has also been sent to police custody for seven days after being quizzed for hours.

The Delhi Police arrested both of them on 3rd October under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The special cell of the Delhi Police had registered an FIR in the matter on 17th August under Sections 13, 16, 17, 18, and 22 of the UAPA and Sections 153A and 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the news portal.

Reportedly, they were produced before the court on the night of 3rd October, after which they were sent to police custody.

Delhi Police raided the Newsclick office and journalists

On 3rd October, the NewsClick office was raided and sealed by Delhi Police in connection to the case regarding foreign funding from China to propagate anti-India narratives. Apart from locations linked to NewsClick, the residences of 40 journalists and activists were also raided by Delhi Police across the country as they were connected to the news portal. Teesta Setalvad, Abhisar Sharma, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yetchury, Sanjay Rajoura, and others were among those who faced action by the Delhi Police.

Reports suggest that around 46 people were questioned by the Delhi police, and their electronic devices and documents were seized during the raids for examination. The investigation against Newsclick for allegedly receiving funds from China started in 2021. In August 2023, a New York Times investigation also revealed that the portal received funds from China via businessman Neville Roy Singham.

Sikkim: Glacial lake outburst causes flash floods, 23 Army personnel missing in Lachen Valley

ANI
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Sikkim: Glacial lake outburst causes flash floods, 23 Army personnel missing in Lachen Valley

The South Lhonak Lake, situated in North West Sikkim experienced a glacial lake outburst and triggered flash floods due to incessant rainfall in the region on Wednesday morning. Areas near River Teesta have been put on high alert, said an official.

According to the Legislator of Tumin–Lingee Assembly constituency, Sikkim, Ugyen Tshering Gyatso Bhutia, “The South Lhonak lake situated in North West Sikkim experienced an outburst in the early hours of Wednesday morning due to incessant monsoon rainfall. Areas near River Teesta have been put on high alert.”

Giving information about the outburst, the Gangtok District Administration said, “The flash flood made its way through River Teesta sweeping Indreni Bridge in Singtam town, some 30 kilometres from Gangtok. A connecting bridge of the Balutar hamlet was also swept away around 4 am.”

So far, 23 army jawans have been reported missing. As per sources, army and paramilitary personnel, as well as labourers working in low-lying areas may have been swept by the flash flood taking the course of the river.

As per information from Mangan District Administration, Chungthang town, some 90 kilometres north of Gangtok, houses the Teesta Stage 3 Dam. Upon high alert, the local residents have been evacuated in the area.

“Similarly, the Teesta Stage 5 dam at Dikchu in Mangan district was opened up for water disbursement after a high alert. It is reported that the control room of the dam has been severely damaged,” they informed.

Many homes near the River Teesta, situated in Gangtok’s Singtam have been evacuated. Additionally, temporary relief facilities have been established in the town’s Singtam Senior Secondary School, added officials.

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

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