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Tesla interested in coming to India, planning to source auto parts worth $1.9 billion from the country: Minister Piyush Goyal

OpIndia Staff
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Tesla interested in coming to India, planning to source auto parts worth $1.9 billion from the country: Minister Piyush Goyal

On Wednesday (13 September), Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal informed that Elon Musk-led automaker Tesla Inc is interested in coming to India and is planning to procure $1.9 billion worth of auto parts from India this year. The Minister added that Tesla has already acquired auto parts worth $1 billion from India in the last year. 

He said, “..Tesla already last year bought $ 1 bn of components from all of you sitting here. I have a list of companies who supplied to Tesla. This year their target is nearly $ 1.7 bn or $ 1.9 bn.”

He shared this information while addressing the Annual Session of the 63rd Automobile Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA). During the event, Goyal also emphasised that he is convinced that this (EVs) is the future and it is something that we must try to attract.

Goyal added that the country can expect that by 2030, there will be a compulsive economic composition for consumers to buy EVs. 

There was a time when Tesla was asking for huge cuts, but now there have been reports that the government may be considering juicy concessions on completely building up units, Goyal said while adding that this government has a track record of nine years for treating everyone equally without any differentiation and without any preferences. The Union Minister said this is a government that provides equal opportunity to everyone. “We will come up with a policy in consultation with all the stakeholders,” he said.

When asked about foreign firms looking to invest in India as part of their China plus one strategy, Goyal said that global companies are coming to India because of its attractiveness. 

“I totally debunk and reject the China plus one theory. That’s not what is going to drive India. India of today stands on its own feet. The India of today has offerings for the rest of the world both for investment and trade,” he said.

Speaking at the auto conference, the Minister noted that the government may have to take retaliatory action against countries that do not allow access to Indian steel companies but are permitted to send the metal to India. 

As per media reports, he was referring to some companies that import automotive steel from their parent country. While the company dependence may vary, the auto industry still holds a 20% dependence on imports which indicates that some automakers are importing by choice.

He also slammed some companies that route their investments from one geography and import components and inputs from third countries that are “not very” friendly to India. Goyal added that the industry should trust the domestic ecosystem however stated, “I am not against imports per se”.

The Minister also talked about the India Middle East Europe economic corridor signed during the G20 Summit in Delhi. “The UAE is a window towards all of Africa, large parts of the Middle East and some parts of Europe, which is why the India Middle East Europe economic corridor has very strategic importance for us because it mainly opens up through this whole region. Our logistics will become more effective,” Goyal said.

Tesla is in talks with the government to invest in India

In 2021, Tesla made its first effort to enter India and was pushing officials to lower the 100% import tax for EVs. However, last year, the talks broke when government officials conveyed that the automaker would have to first commit to manufacturing locally in India. 

Recently, in May, the talks between Tesla and the Indian government revived after a year-long hiatus. During a recent India visit, Tesla executives talked about the domestic sourcing of parts and incentives with government officials but it didn’t culminate in a proposal to set up a plant.

However, last month, News agency Reuters reported that senior executives of Tesla Inc. met with officials and the minister. They informed them about their interest in building a factory in India that would produce a low-cost electric vehicle (EV) priced at $24,000. This would be roughly 25% cheaper than Tesla’s current entry-level model, for both the Indian market and export.

According to the media report, Tesla’s senior public policy and business development executive Rohan Patel has met top officials privately in recent weeks. The report added that PM Modi who held talks with Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk in June, during his US trip, is closely monitoring the progress.  

After his meeting with PM Modi, Musk announced that Tesla Inc. is likely to make a significant investment in India. 

Regarding this, Musk said, “I’m confident that Tesla will be in India and we’ll do so as soon as humanly possible. We don’t want to jump the gun on an announcement, but I think it’s quite likely that there will be a significant investment, a relationship with India.”

I.N.D.I. Alliance decides to list anchors to be boycotted by member parties, seat sharing to be decided after more discussions

OpIndia Staff
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I.N.D.I. Alliance decides to list anchors to be boycotted by member parties, seat sharing to be decided after more discussions

The Coordination Committee of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance held a meeting at the residence of NCP chief Sharad Pawar in Delhi on 13 September to chalk out strategies to fight the elections together. Out of 28 member parties, there are 14 members in the coordination committee, and 12 of them attended the meeting.

Abhishek Banerjee of TMC could not attend the meeting as he was summoned by the ED, while CPI(M) is yet to name its representative.

Addressing the press after the meeting, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said that the alliance has decided to start the process of seat sharing for the elections. It was also decided at the coordination committee meeting that the member parties will hold joint public rallies at various places in the country.

The first such public meeting of the alliance will be held in Bhopal in the first week of October. Venugopal said that the first public meeting will focus “on the issues of rising prices, unemployment and corruption of BJP government.” The I.N.D.I. Alliance also agreed to take up the issue of caste census.

In an interesting decision, the alliance coordination committee authorised the sub-committee on the media to decide on the names of the TV anchors to be boycotted by the alliance. The I.N.D.I.A. bloc parties will not send their spokespersons to shows hosted by anchors selected by the sub-committee.

“The coordination committee authorised the Sub-Group on Media to decide upon the names of the anchors on whose shows none of the INDIA parties will send their representatives,” said the joint statement issued after the meeting.  It is notable that there are 19 members in the working group for media.

SP leader Javed Ali Khan said after the meeting that seat sharing of the alliance will be finalised at the earliest. Other members like AAP’s Raghav Chadha also said the same, assuring that parties will start discussions on seat sharing soon. He added that there was consensus from all parties on the matter of caste census.

CPI leader D Raja said that the issue of seat sharing will be negotiated at the state level for the upcoming elections, including Lok Sabha and Assembly polls.

Assam forms committee to draft legislation to end polygamy, asked to submit a report in 45 days: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Assam forms committee to draft legislation to end polygamy, asked to submit a report in 45 days: Details

On Wednesday (13 September), the Governor of Assam formed a committee to draft appropriate legislation for banning Polygamy and other related issues in the state. The major decision taken towards ending polygamy was conveyed by an official notification issued by the government of Assam.

According to the notification, apart from polygamy, the committee will also draft legislations on matters like inter-religious marriage by false identity and the role of Kaji in the matter of child marriage among others. 

The government notification states, “The Governor of Assam is pleased to constitute a Committee to draft an appropriate legislation for banning Polygamy and other related issues such as tackling inter-religious marriage by false identity, the role of Kaji in the matter of child marriage, etc. with the following members with immediate effect.”

The committee will be headed by Devajit Saikia who is the Advocate General of Assam and other appointed members of the committee include – 

1. G.P. Singh – IPS, Director General of Police, Assam 

2. Nalin Kohli – Senior Additional Advocate General, Assam 

4. Romen Baruah – Legal Remembrancer and Secretary, Judicial Department, Assam 

5. Biswajit Pegu –  IAS, Secretary, Home and Political, Department, Assam – Member Secretary

According to the National Family Health Survey-5, around 2.4% of the marriages in Assam are polygynous. The state has the widest gap between Hindu and Muslim women admitting to being in such a marriage.

Earlier, the state Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that by December 2023 the state will witness the end of polygamy. 

During an interaction with the media in Silchar, CM Sarma said, “The draft is under preparation, and by December Assam will see the end of polygamy and another round of arrest the state will see after September 15 on child marriages.”

In line with his announcement, the state government earlier formed an expert committee to look into this matter. In its report, the committee stated that the state assembly has the legislative competence to enact a law prohibiting polygamy in the state. 

This was informed by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma after the four-member committee led by Justice (Retired) Rumi Phookan handed over the report of the committee to him.

The committee was formed in May 2023 and it included Advocate General Debajit Saikia, Additional Advocate General Nalin Kohli, and lawyer Nekibur Zaman as its other members.  

Although the CM stated that his government is considering whether to introduce the bill in the upcoming autumn session in September or the Budget session next year, he confirmed that the bill will be finalised this year itself.

Mumbai: FIR filed against Udhayanidhi Stalin for ‘Sanatana Dharma needs to be eradicated’ remark

OpIndia Staff
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Mumbai: FIR filed against Udhayanidhi Stalin for ‘Sanatana Dharma needs to be eradicated’ remark

A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin in Mumbai over his remarks insulting Sanatana Dharma on 2 September. The FIR, registered by the Mira Road police, was filed under Sections 153A and 295A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

A BJP delegation in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday (12 September) handed over a memorandum to the police demanding registration of an FIR against the DMK leader for his remarks. On 2 September, the son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin addressed the “Eradicate Sanatan Conference” in Chennai. He not only likened Sanatana Dharma to mosquitoes, dengue, flu, malaria, and coronavirus but also called for its eradication.

The hateful statement sparked nationwide outrage. Sources reportedly said that Prime Minister Modi asked his ministers to counter the Opposition’s narrative on Sanatana Dharma with facts.

Udhayanidhi was backed by I.N.D.I alliance leaders including the Congress. Earlier, an FIR was filed in Uttar Pradesh against the son of Tamil Nadu CM for his disparaging remarks about Sanatana Dharma.

Udhayanidhi Stalin through his statement has given a free run to the leaders of his Hindu-hating party who are on a spree to insult the Hindu faith.

On Monday (11 September), a Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MLA from Thiuvarur, K. Poondi Kalaivanan, courted controversy for asking female students of a college to speak at an anti-Sanatan Dharma event.

On 6th September, DMK MP A Raja added fuel to the controversy by saying that Udayanidhi was soft while commenting on Sanatan Dharma and added it should have been compared to HIV and social stigmas.

Again on 6th September, DMK leader Constantine Ravindran was heard saying that “no one is educated in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar because of Sanatana Dharma”. “They are brainless. They don’t have rational thinking about life,” said the DMK spokesperson.

“This is distorting our market”: EU launches anti-subsidy probe into China-made electric vehicles amid charges of unfair trade practices

OpIndia Staff
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“This is distorting our market”: EU launches anti-subsidy probe into China-made electric vehicles amid charges of unfair trade practices

The European Union has launched an anti-subsidy inquiry into the Electric Vehicles (EVs) coming from China. The announcement was made by the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during her State of the Union speech in Strasbourg, France.

Asserting that the EV sector is a “crucial industry for the clean economy with a huge potential for Europe, Ursula von der Leyen said that global markets are flooded with cheaper Chinese electric cars and huge state subsidies are provided to keep their price artificially low.

“This is distorting our market. And as we do not accept this from the inside, we do not accept this from the outside. So I can announce today that the Commission is launching an anti-subsidy investigation into electric vehicles coming from China,” the European Commission President said.

She added that “Europe is open to competition but not to a race to the bottom. We must defend ourselves against unfair practices.” The decision was met with applause from the EU Parliament.

Notably, of the new EVs sold in Europe this year, eight per cent were reportedly made by Chinese brands. This is a two per cent rise from 2022 and four per cent from 2021. The shares of Chinese EV producers have dropped after the EU announcement.

The decision was welcomed by France which has helmed the demand for the inquiry into Chinese EVs. French Europe Minister Laurence Boon said the move was important to protect the bloc’s market.

Leyen further underlined how European markets are bearing the brunt of unfair trade practices. “Competition is only true as long as it is fair. Too often, our companies are excluded from foreign markets or are victims of predatory practices. They are often undercut by competitors benefitting from huge state subsidies.”

She pointed out how the European solar industry has suffered owing to China’s unfair trade practices. This comes a day after the solar industry in Europe warned of bankruptcies over Chinese imports and sought a €100 million bailout.

“We have not forgotten how China’s unfair trade practices affected our solar industry. Many young businesses were pushed out by heavily subsidised Chinese competitors. Pioneering companies had to file for bankruptcy. Promising talents went searching for fortune abroad,” von der Leyen said.

SolarPower Europe, a group comprising solar sector industrialists, wrote to the European Commission on 11th September raising the red flag that soaring stockpiles and “fierce competition” among Chinese manufacturers to gain market share in EU had pushed down the prices of solar modules by over a quarter since the start of this year.

“It’s pretty severe,” CEO of SolarPower Europe Walburga Hemetsberger reportedly said.

China’s debt trap strategy and exploitative trade practices have prompted some severe reactions from the West which is a stakeholder in key Chinese projects in the bloc.

The same was reflected rather massively when Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reportedly hinted at leaving the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Meanwhile, President of the European People’s Party (EPP), Mandred Weber welcomed the probe announced by von der Leyen saying, “We want a European Green Deal, not a Chinese one. We don’t want to see Chinese electric vehicles benefiting from our ambitious climate approach”.

‘Find other ways to celebrate’: SC refuses to interfere with Delhi govt’s decision to ban firecrackers ahead of Diwali

OpIndia Staff
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‘Find other ways to celebrate’: SC refuses to interfere with Delhi govt’s decision to ban firecrackers ahead of Diwali

On Wednesday, September 13, the Supreme Court declared that it wouldn’t interfere in the ban on the production, sale, storage, and utilization of all types of firecrackers in Delhi during this Diwali season. The ban has been re-imposed by the Delhi government.

A bench comprised of Justices AS Bopanna and MM Sundresh indicated that some different ways to celebrate Deiwali should be adopted. This is after BJP Lok Sabha MP Manoj Tiwari stated before the court that the ban had been re-imposed despite the court allowing the bursting of green firecrackers.

“There are many states imposing complete ban despite the orders of this court,” counsel representing Tiwari argued. The court responded to this by saying, “Locally if there is a ban, there is a ban. We will not interfere. You can find other ways to celebrate.”

A writ petition had been filed by Tiwari challenging the ban on firecrackers imposed by the Delhi government ahead of Diwali 2022. The court had back then also declined to interfere in the ban. “Spend on sweets. Let people breathe clean air,” the Court was quoted as saying.

The court happened to reiterate its stand today saying, “Where the government has banned firecrackers, it means a complete ban. People’s health is important. If you want to burst firecrackers, go to states where there is no ban.”

The counsel meanwhile argued that his client being an MP was responsible towards his constituents and that the court had allowed the bursting of green firecrackers. “You should make the people understand that they should not burst firecrackers. You should not burst firecrackers during victory processions after elections. There are other ways of celebrating the victory,” the Court then added.

This is a couple of days after the Delhi government on September 11, declared a full ban on the manufacture, storage, sale, and bursting of firecrackers in the national capital to tackle high pollution levels during the winter months.

The broad regulation, which includes a prohibition on the sale of firecrackers online, arrives just in time for the holiday season. During the previous two years, a similar blanket restriction had been imposed. However, there have been instances of people setting off firecrackers during the Diwali celebrations.

The issue of a ban on firecrackers appears every year ahead of Diwali, blaming the Hindu festival for the grave air pollution faced by Delhi and neighboring areas during the fall season. Every year Diwali is targeted despite studies showing that the festival’s contribution to air pollution is negligible and temporary, while the major causes are stubble burning by farmers in nearby states, vehicles and construction activities, weather patterns, and the geographical location of the area.

Questions that Karnataka govt, especially Priyank Kharge, need to answer about the Swawalambi Sarathi scheme and the FIR against Sudhir Chaudhury

Nupur J Sharma
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Questions that Karnataka govt, especially Priyank Kharge, need to answer about the Swawalambi Sarathi scheme and the FIR against Sudhir Chaudhury

On the 8th of September 2023, a fresh controversy surrounded the Congress government in Karnataka. BJP leaders Tejasvi Surya and Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar took to Twitter to post a screenshot of a newspaper ad which spoke about the Swawalambi Sarathi scheme by the Karnataka government which was meant specifically for the minority communities. It appears that the advertisement was not placed by the govt but by a private organisation called AR-Raheem Trust.

As soon as Rajeev Chandrasekhar posted the newspaper clipping and questioning the Karnataka government about a scheme which is specifically for the minorities only, Mohammad Zubair of AltNews, who is in the habit of spreading misinformation and painting a target on people’s backs, attempted to “fact check” the minister.

As per an advertisement attached by the minister in his tweet, a subsidy of 50% of the vehicle’s value with a maximum of 50% is being offered to religious minorities to purchase Auto Rikshwas, Taxis and Goods vehicles. The Swavalambi Sarathi Scheme was launched by Karnataka Housing and Minorities Welfare Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan last month. 

Taking to X, Minister Chandrashekhar said that the scheme is meant exclusively for the non-Hindus keeping even the financially deprived Hindu communities out of it. The union minister said that it is a brazen discrimination and violation of Article 14 of the Constitution from a party that goes abroad and talks of Bharat’s constitution being under threat. He called it “State sponsored Conversion inducement”.

He called the scheme an ‘example of shameless, lazy, appeasement politics of bribing certain communities by Rahul Gandhi’s Congress in Karnataka.’

In the aftermath of this tweet by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, several media outlets covered the scheme and the minister’s criticism of it on the 8th of September itself. On the morning of 12th of September, Priyank Kharge, Congress minister in the Karnataka government, tweeted threatening legal action against Sudhir Choudhary – the AajTak anchor – for covering the news of the Swawalambi Sarathi Scheme and how it was only notified for minorities, not SC/STs or OBCs.

At 11:36 PM on the 12th of September, Mohammad Zubair, who Priyank Kharge calls “chief’, was the first to tweet that an FIR had been filed against Sudhir Chaudhury.

On the 8th of September itself, when Rajeev Chandrashekhar tweeted about the scheme and criticised it, Mohammad Zubair, who works in an official capacity with the Karnataka government, specifically Priyank Kharge, attempted to fact-check the news with misinformation. OpIndia covered the story extensively and listed the misinformation which was spread by Mohammad Zubair.

Zubair had claimed the following on the 8th of September:

  1. The scheme Swawalambi Sarathi Scheme was available to minorities, SC/STs and OBCs – he attached the screenshot of an innocuous, privately run website trying to pass it off as official government guidelines.
  2. That similar schemes were there during the BJP govt’s tenure and that the Congress was merely continuing those schemes – he used selective screenshots from the official handles of the Minority Welfare Department, leaving out a tweet where in 2022, they had admitted that the scheme had been put on hold.
  3. This would mean that the Congress government had repackaged and restarted the scheme after it was put on hold by the BJP – a fact that Zubair did not bother mentioning.

OpIndia found:

  1. The website of the Minority Welfare Department of the Karnataka government specifically mentioned that to be eligible for this scheme, one would have to belong to a religious minority community.
  2. The scheme was open for registration on the Minority Welfare Department of Karnataka website.
  3. There was no similar notification on the Social Welfare Department website or anywhere else.
  4. There was no notification for the scheme to be applicable to SC/STs and OBCs on any of the websites.
  5. OpIndia spoke to the Social Welfare Department and we were categorically told that the scheme is only valid for those belonging to the minority community, not SC/STs.
  6. AajTak confirmed from the Ambedkar Development Corporation. They said that the scheme was currently only valid for minorities and they were discussing how they could make it available for SC/STs and OBCs.
  7. During the Karnataka budget after coming to power, the Congress govt had said that this scheme would be made available for SC/STs, but no notification to that effect was issued – registration had only been made live for minorities.

OpIndia’s report on the misinformation spread by Mohammad Zubair and the FIR against Sudhir Choudhury can be read here.

While all of this was in the public domain, there was still an FIR filed against AajTak’s Sudhir Choudhury for covering a news merely asking questions.

What needs to be especially noted here is that had the Congress government announced a scheme specifically for the minority community, these questions would not have been raised. The fact remains that the Congress govt announced in its budget that the scheme would be implemented for SC/STs, OBCs and Minorities, however, when it came to implementation, it only notified it for minorities and not SC/STs and OBCs.

It is pertinent to note that after the tweet by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, only on the 11th of September did the Karnataka Govt issue a notification extending the scheme to OBCs. Interestingly, this notification has still not been uploaded to any govt website yet. Also, there is no SC/ST notification yet either – if there is one, it has not been uploaded on any govt website.

This notification which has been obtained by OpIndia was passed only 3 full days after the tweet by Rajeev Chandrasekhar and on the very day that Sudhir Choudhury did his report.

Given these developments, the Congress government and especially Priyank Kharge need to answer several questions.

  1. The issue was raised by Rajeev Chandrasekhar on the 8th of September. At the time this issue was raised, there was clearly no notification in the public domain which extended this scheme to SC/STs and OBCs. The notification extending it to OBCs was only passed on the 11th of September, a full 3 days after the issue was raised. Why did the Congress govt not pass this notification earlier?
  2. If a notification was passed on the 11th of September extending this scheme to OBCs, why has it not been passed for SC/STs yet – as was promised in the budget?
  3. If it has been passed, why has it not been uploaded to any government website or made public by Karnataka govt?
  4. The notification extending it to OBCs was clearly passed as a damage control measure after the issue was raised by Rajeev Chandrasekhar. In that case, the story was accurate and there was no misinformation that had been spread either by Rajeev Chandrasekhar or by the media. If that is the case, Mohammad Zubair, who works officially with the Karnataka govt as informed by Priyank Kharge himself, had spread misinformation calling this as fake news, based on an innocuous, inauthentic website. Will Priyank Kharge then rethink his association with ‘Chief’ Mohammad Zubair?
  5. Since Mohammad Zubair was himself spreading misinformation in an effort to fact-check Rajeev Chandrasekhar, will the Karnataka government now file an FIR against Mohammad Zubair, whom Priyank Kharge calls “chief”?
  6. The FIR was filed only against Sudhir Choudhury for his AajTak show. The AajTak show aired on the 11th of September – the very day that the notification was issued by the govt. Did the Congress govt wait till some media organisation covered this news after they secretly passed this notification so they could make that media house/journalist/anchor into a scapegoat?
  7. Mohammad Zubair also tried to discredit the news by using selective screenshots of the responses by the minority department in 2022 to claim that the scheme was active during the BJP tenure as well. While the scheme was indeed active, it had been halted in 2022 – a screenshot that Zubair selectively refused to publish. Since Priyank Kharge claims that his “fact-checking unit”, which Zubair is a part of, is non-partisan, will it be taking action against Zubair for spreading misinformation?

The Karnataka government and Mohammad Zubair have clearly used the malicious FIR against Sudhir Choudhury to discredit accurate news which was published on the 8th of September. Essentially, the news published on the 8th of September was accurate and continues to be accurate since no notification for the SC/ST community has been notified yet. After the news got traction, the Karnataka govt stealthily notified the scheme for OBCs 3 days after the news. It refused to make it public and when Sudhir Choudhury covered the news, they filed an FIR against him so they could then use the FIR to claim that all news, since the 8th, about this scheme, was fake news.

There appears to be a clear nexus between Priyank Kharge and Mohammad Zubair of AltNews, to spread half-baked ‘fact-checks’ in order to discredit adverse news against Congress and then launch a witch-hunt against those journalists and activists who don’t agree with them politically or publish authentic news that does not suit their political ends.

The modus operandi seems simple – First, Mohammad Zubair uses selective screenshots and half-truths to “fact-check” the news which does not sit well with Congress. Based on that “fact-check”, which is actually misinformation, Priyank Kharge jumps into action and starts threatening people with legal action. Thereafter, FIRs are filed against the individual to intimidate them, thereby discrediting the news completely and ensuring that others who might talk about the news are silenced. There seems to be a lot that the Congress party, the Karnataka govt and especially Priyank Kharge need to answer. While one is not surprised that Congress is taking the help of Islamists and their sympathisers to seemingly indulge in a political witchhunt and silence those who speak up against them, the impunity with which dissidents are being silenced certainly makes one wonder what the tropes about “pyaar ki kheti’ were all about.

Private School Principal in Goa suspended for taking students to Mosque under the pretext of workshop, students were asked to offer Namaz, wear hijab

OpIndia Staff
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Private School Principal in Goa suspended for taking students to Mosque under the pretext of workshop, students were asked to offer Namaz, wear hijab

The principal of a private school named the Keshav Smriti Higher Secondary School in Goa who took students to a mosque in Dabolim on the pretext of a school workshop, has been suspended. The principal is accused of making the students offer namaz in the mosque and do other Islamic activities. Hindu organizations raised objections over the incident and said that one organization linked to the banned Islamist, terrorist organization, Popular Front of India (PFI) was behind organizing the event of calling school students to the mosque.

The members of the Hindu organization stated that the program was part of a plot to brainwash young children and carry out religious conversions.

The State Education Department has also taken cognizance of the event and has sought answers from the school management on this incident that is said to have happened on Saturday, September 9. The incident took place involving Class 11 students of the school in Alto-Dabolim.

According to reports, on Monday (11 September 2023), Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) lodged a police complaint against Shankar Gaonkar, the principal of the private school named Keshav Smriti Higher Secondary. The complaint mentioned that Shankar had taken the students with him to Masjid-E-Noor in Dabolim.

The program was organized at the Mosque by Jamaat-e-Islami Hind. As per the VHP members, the organizer of the event has links to the PFI. It is alleged that in this program the students were not only made to offer Namaz, but also the girl students were pressurized to wear hijab. However, the girl students refused to wear the hijab.

According to the complaint, several Maulanas delivered speeches in the program held in the mosque. Around 22 students were brought to the Mosque under the pretext of some workshop. Apart from Keshav Smriti School, students from a government school had also been invited to the event held in the mosque. The program organized was named ‘Masjid Open for All’ (Masjid is open to all). Hindu organizations further have also revealed that the now-suspended Principal, Shankar Gaonkar, is involved in anti-national activities. They also reiterated that the organizer of the said program is associated with PFI.

Upon becoming aware of the event, Shailesh Jhingade, Director of the Directorate of Education, requested an explanation from the school administration. Principal Shankar Gaonkar has been suspended, according to the school’s managing president, Pandurang Korganokar. He has also apologized to Hindu organizations claiming that the intention of the school behind taking the students to the Mosque was not ill.

Suspended Gaonkar meanwhile has also clarified the allegations leveled against him. He has described it as an action done to foster communal peace. “On the invitation of the Student Islamic Organisation of India (SIO), a visit to a mosque in Dabolim was organized to promote communal harmony. Students of a government school from Baina had also been invited. A total of 21 students from our school, including three girl students and a teacher, were taken to the mosque. Students were shown where the prayers were conducted and entry-exit areas at the mosque. Some students may have covered their heads out of respect. The claim that students were forced to wear hijab or perform rituals is false,” he was quoted as saying.

“In the past also, we have organized visits of students to temples, churches, and mosques. Children from all faiths study at the school. Some students from another school had also visited the mosque. I do not know why I have been suspended,” he added.

The event was organized by Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, the parent body of the Student Islamic Organisation of India (SIO). Asif Hussain, the Goa President of this organization, stated that students visit the Noor Masjid of their own free will. According to Asif, the students were shown the part of the mosque where prayers are offered. He admitted that the students were offered sweets in the Mosque but called the allegation of forcing the children to attend the event as baseless.  

“A workshop had been organized for students at Masjid-E-Noor in Dabolim as part of our routine initiatives to promote communal harmony and for a better understanding between communities. Such events at the mosque have been an annual feature and often students visit of their own accord. The school students were shown the area where prayers are conducted and they were given sweets. All these claims of religious conversion are baseless,” he said.

The VHP members stated that the program was part of a plot to brainwash young children and carry out religious conversions. “The principal did not inform parents of the students or seek their permission for the workshop. We have been informed that at least two students had refused to go, but they were taken forcibly. Some photos of school children performing rituals at the mosque and wearing hijab have been circulating on social media. We have lodged a complaint with the police,” he said.

Ghaziabad rabies death: Accused woman yet to show vaccination documents for all her pets, locals scared of stray dogs as victim family awaits justice

OpIndia Staff
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Ghaziabad rabies death: Accused woman yet to show vaccination documents for all her pets, locals scared of stray dogs as victim family awaits justice

On 4 September, in a tragic incident in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad, a 14-year-old boy identified as Shahvez lost his life after exhibiting symptoms consistent with rabies. The deceased boy had been bitten by a dog around one and a half months prior to his demise. However, as per reports, the boy didn’t inform about the dog bite at home and failed to take the anti-rabies vaccine, as a result, the family was completely unaware of his deteriorating health.  

This tragic incident came to public attention only after a heart-wrenching video surfaced online in the first week of September. In the video, the boy is seen in agonizing pain and distress in the embrace of his hapless father. The video was reportedly recorded four hours prior to Shahvez’s death in a hospital.

After the tragic death of their child, the family filed a complaint against Sunita and other residents of Charan Singh Colony, Ghaziabad, alleging that their dog had bitten the child. On 5 September, a case was lodged at Vijay Nagar Police Station (FIR number 696) under IPC sections 289 (negligent conduct with respect to an animal) and 304-A (causing death by negligence) on the basis of Matlub Ahmed, a relative of deceased kid Shahvez. Sunita, Aakash, Shivani, and another woman named Rashi were named as accused in the FIR.

Swarajya report highlights stray dog menace in the area and updates on the police investigation

As per a Swarajya Magazine ground report by Swati Goel Sharma, the victim Shavez’s house is located in the ‘masjid wali Gali in Charan Singh colony. The house comes under the jurisdiction of the Vijay Nagar police station. However, the house has been locked and the family has gone to their native place.

Street dogs in the colony pose risk specially to kids (Image Source – Swarajya)

In the street, it was clear that the residents were fearful of a substantial population of stray dogs. After getting information from neigbours, the Swarajya team visited a nearby junk shop owned by a relative of the deceased boy named Matlub Ahmed, who filed an FIR in this matter.

Details and claims made in the FIR

Ahmed identified himself as the uncle (chacha) of Shahvez’s father Yaqoob. He told Swarajya that the grieving family had temporarily shifted to their ancestral home in Bulandshahr. The tragic loss greatly affected the family, and the team learned that Shahvez’s grandfather, Mehboob, who is the elder brother of Ahmed, had suffered a stroke two nights ago.  

Matlub Ahmed – Grandfather who lodged a complaint in this case. (Image Source – Swarajya)

A day after Shahvez’s death, Ahmed lodged a police complaint in which he stated that about a month ago, Shahvez was attacked by a dog owned by a local resident named Sunita. 

When the child’s family confronted Sunita and her children Aakash and Shivani, they were assured that all their dogs were vaccinated. Sunita reassured them that there was nothing to fear and that nothing would happen to the child.

After receiving reassurance from Sunita’s family, which later turned out to be incorrect, the child’s parents stopped worrying about the dog bite. However, a month later, the child started showing symptoms consistent with rabies. His mouth started drooling, he started to bark like a dog, and began fearing water. 

FIR copy (Image Credit – Swati Goel Sharma’s X handle )

The family immediately rushed Shahvez to a hospital, where doctors informed the parents that their kid could not be saved. The doctor added that it was best for the family to stay away from him. The infection happened to spread so fast that he could not breathe properly and suffered a painful death on Monday (4 September).

In the meantime, Yakub, the father of the boy, is said to have consulted 4-5 doctors and took him to several hospitals in Delhi and Bulandshahr to save his son’s life. He couldn’t receive any help as the rabies virus has a 100% fatality rate. 

After the child’s death, the family again confronted Sunita but she dismissed the matter. In the FIR, Ahmed further added that Sunita (one of the accused in this case) domesticates around six to seven dogs which he claimed are not vaccinated. These dogs often bark at children as they are in need of food. As per the FIR, Rashi, who identifies herself as an animal welfare advocate, opposes any attempt to relocate these street dogs from the area.

Speaking to Swarajya, Ahmed mentioned that Sunita lives four streets away, and after the dog bite incident, the child referred to her as the ‘aunty who keeps dogs’ when speaking to his mother.

During the interaction, he painted a painful picture of Shahvez’s condition in the week leading to his demise. According to him, the child grew increasingly fearful of both light and water which are known symptoms of rabies.

On 3rd September, the family had to rush him to six different hospitals in a single day, as per the report. Despite their frantic efforts to seek medical help in both Delhi and Bulandshahr, they were unable to save his life.

The victim’s family was accused of ‘molestation’ by the accused Sunia’s family

The grief-stricken family was aghast when allegations of molestation were levelled by the accused, lamented Danish Khan who is an uncle (chacha) of the boy, as per the Swarajya. 

Khan added that Sunita and other women in her family gave statements to news channels that men in “masjid wali gali” molest women from other colonies.

He claimed that Mehboob, the deceased boy’s grandfather, suffered a stroke when he saw the allegations on a news channel a few days ago. According to him, the allegations of molestation and the pain of the boy’s demise were a double shock which was too much for the old man to bear.  

Another relative Mahir told Swarajya that the boy’s family had moved to Ghaziabad from Sikandrabad town of Bulandshahr only two years ago to seek better opportunities.

The deceased boy Shahvez was a student of Class VIII and he is survived by three sisters and a younger brother.

Facts of the case

Following the incident, the Ghaziabad Police took to X to issue a statement stating that the boy had been bitten around two months ago. They added that the boy hid this crucial detail from his parents. By the time symptoms of rabies began to manifest, it proved to be too late for effective medical intervention. They added that the accused were being questioned.

Initial Police Statement on Ghaziabad Rabies death case (Image Source – Police Commissionarate Ghaziabad’s X handle)

Accused family fails to show vaccination records for all their dogs

When Swarajya approached the family who has been named in this case, they declined to comment. Two female family members refused to reveal their identities and asserted that they had already presented vaccination documents for their pets to local authorities and had nothing more to say.

However, they argued that there were a lot of stray dogs in the area, and there was no evidence that it was their dog that had bitten the boy.

According to media reports, the Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation had issued a notice to the accused family to check for vaccination records of the canine following the demise of the child. 

Speaking to The Indian Express, GMC Deputy Chief Veterinary, Anuj Kumar Singh said that a team visited the family and checked the dogs’ vaccination records. 

The officials found that the family had three pet dogs of the Pomeranian breed and they did provide the vaccination proof for these three dogs. However, they had also domesticated dogs of Indian breeds and had not shared the details of their registration.

In his conversation with Indian Express, Singh said, “It is not clear which dog bit the child. WHO guidelines state that in case of rabies, the victim dies within a few days. However, in this case, the family said that the boy was bitten by the dog around 45 days before. The dogs are physically fine. We can know the actual cause of death after proper probe.”

While the investigation is still ongoing, the fear of stray dogs and unvaccinated domesticated animals has not only alarmed the local residents but has also raised concerns across Ghaziabad and the entire nation. 

The local residents told Swarajya’s ground reporting team that stray dogs had become a menace in the area. They alleged that certain families fed stray dogs and are responsible for the rising population of these canines in the locality. 

Several locals in the area took Sunita’s name and claimed that she has six to seven dogs. A local vendor named Lalu shared a similar concern adding that the residents were constantly scared of the canine population in the area that “terrorises outsiders”.

The menace of stray dogs is such that Ghaziabad saw an alarming 25 dog bite incidents in just a day (Saturday 9 September), according to a local Hindi daily Hindustan. 

India: The ‘world leader’ in Rabies deaths

Rabies is a preventable viral disease most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. The RABV virus infection is the root of the ailment. The virus infects the central nervous system of mammals which ultimately results in brain disease and death. It causes encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) in humans and other mammals. 

According to doctors, rabies is incurable. However, if the infected person gets a dose of PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) within 24 hours, it could potentially save his life. 

The number of human deaths globally due to dog-mediated rabies is estimated to be 59,000 annually. India is responsible for 36% of rabies-related deaths worldwide, according to the statistics of the World Health Organisation. Moreover, India is responsible for 65% of the such fatalities in South-East Asia. The National Rabies Control Programme recorded 6644 medically suspected cases and fatalities of rabies between 2012 and 2022.

The unexpected increase in rabies infections in India is a serious public health issue that needs urgent intervention. 

‘Prime Minister Modi is doing the right thing’: Russian President Vladimir Putin lauds ‘Make in India’

OpIndia Staff
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‘Prime Minister Modi is doing the right thing’: Russian President Vladimir Putin lauds ‘Make in India’

Russian President Vladimir Putin lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ policy while speaking at the 8th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Russia’s port town of Vladivostok. He noted that Russia should “learn from India” and that PM Modi was “doing just the right thing” by encouraging Indians to use products made in India and promoting the programme.

He stated, “You know, we did not have domestically made cars then (in the 1990s) but we do now. It is true that they look more modest than Mercedes or Audi cars, which we bought in vast amounts in the 1990s, but this is not an issue. I think that we should learn from many of our partners, for example, India,” to a query regarding Russian-manufactured cars.

He mentioned that domestically manufactured automobiles should be used and countries like India have already set examples through their policies under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. “They are focused on the manufacture and use of Indian-made vehicles. I think that Prime Minister Modi is doing the right thing in promoting the Make in India programme. He is right.”

The Russian President voiced, “We have (Russian-made) automobiles, and we must use them, this is absolutely fine. This will not lead to any infringements of our World Trade Organization (WTO) obligations, absolutely not. It will concern state purchases. We must create a certain chain regarding what cars different classes of officials can drive so that they will use domestically-made cars. You probably know about the proposals to continue buying these cars. It would be easy to do because the logistics are streamlined.”

He also spoke on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and observed that there was nothing in the major project which was announced on the sidelines of the G20 leaders’ summit in New Delhi that could hinder Russia and he only saw it benefiting the country. He also pointed out that he doesn’t understand the association of the USA with it.

The former KGB official proclaimed, “First, this project has been discussed for a long time, maybe for the past several years. Truth be told, the Americans joined it at the last minute. But I do not really see why they would want to be part of it, except maybe in terms of some business interest. In the meantime, the additional traffic of goods along this corridor will be in fact an addition to our North–South project. We do not see anything here that could harm us in any way.”

He observed, “The North–South corridor goes to the Persian Gulf and then to India. If there is another route, I believe it includes Israel, we will be able to reach the Mediterranean through the Black Sea and use this corridor. I do not know, the colleagues who presented this project need to consider it carefully. This is only a memorandum of intent so far.”

He conveyed that the economy of the project should be “thoroughly calculated” and asserted, “Cargo shipment volumes are growing every year, and I think that the more such routes the better.”

President Putin and Make in India

Notably, this isn’t the first time President Vladimir Putin has praised the Modi government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative. He emphasised the importance of providing support tools for Russian companies to market their products much more effectively by articulating their mission, the value of the good and a sense of positive emotion and pride among Russians regarding the products made in Russia while addressing the audience at an event organised by Russia’s Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI) in June.

He used Prime Minister Narendra Modi as an example and stressed how the impact of his ‘Make In India’ plan which was introduced a number of years ago, on the Indian economy has been significant. He highlighted, “Our friends in India and our great friend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, launched the ‘Make in India’ initiative several years ago. It has had a truly impressive effect on the Indian economy. It would do no harm to emulate what is working well, even if it was not us but our friends who created it.”

“A lot has been done under the leadership of PM Modi. He is a patriot of his country. His idea of ‘Make in India’ matters both economically and in ethics. Future belongs to India, it can also be proud of the fact that it’s the largest democracy in the world,” he remarked in his annual address to the Valdai Discussion Club, a Moscow-based think tank in October 2022.

He complimented India’s independent foreign policy and commented that India’s transformation from a British colony to a modern state was “tremendous.” He added that the country’s 1.5 billion people and visible development results deserve everyone’s respect and admiration.

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