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As Rahul Gandhi drags kids into his political agenda, read how a young girl raised the slogan ‘Rajiv Gandhi chor hai’ during an All India Radio programme in 1988

OpIndia Staff
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As Rahul Gandhi drags kids into his political agenda, read how a young girl raised the slogan ‘Rajiv Gandhi chor hai’ during an All India Radio programme in 1988

After the profound failure of “Chowkidar Chor Hai” campaign in 2019, Rahul Gandhi has launched a new wave of allegations directed at the central government in yet another desparate attempt to unseat Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Congress-led opposition has started a “vote chori” campaign claiming that the Election Commission of India is working hand in hand with the Modi government and is plotting to disenfranchise Indian citizens to further the interest of the saffron party.

The Mahagathbandhan is similarly outraged by the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drive in poll-bound Bihar which has eliminated at least 65 lakh bogus voters and purified the democratic process. Their anger is rooted in the fact that these fraudulent voters were supporters of the I.N.D.I. Alliance.

Notably, the Gandhi scion was asked to submit an affidavit with evidence or issue a public apology by the Election Commission. However, he insisted, “I am a politician, what I say to the people is my word. I am saying it to the people publicly, take it as an oath. Interestingly, they haven’t denied the information,” in a classic case of shoot and scoot aced by the Indian opposition.

Moreover, the startling admission made by Sanjay Kumar, who serves as the co-director of Lokniti, a research program at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies also busted their agenda. The inaccurate data was treated as a definitive truth by the Congress leadership which used it to amplify their attacks on the ruling party.

Rahul Gandhi uses kids to peddle his political agenda

As expected, the reality pales in comparison to the fabricated political narrative of the Raebareli MP who has now declared that even children are informing him about the fictitious “vote theft.”

“A very interesting thing is coming out which was not there in the last two yatras. Children are coming. It is a very strange phenomenon. They are coming to me. They are saying vote chor gaddi chord (vote thief, leave your chair). These are not adults. They are small. Now, a small child of six years has come to know and not just one, thousands. Now, the Election Commission should go and talk to these children. They will get to know,” he alleged during a press conference in Araria of Bihar on 24th August.

Gandhi added, “The Narendra Modi government after privatising public sector units now wants to steal votes of the poor through the SIR with the help of the Election Commission.” He asserted that the opposition bloc “will not allow this to happen in Bihar. The Constitution guarantees equal rights to every citizen of the country. The SIR is anti-constitutional. People of Bihar will give a befitting reply to the BJP and its allies in the assembly polls.”

When a child actually accused Rajiv Gandhi of being a “chor”

Although this is not the first occasion where Congress leaders have disseminated their deceitful narratives and malicious agendas in the name of children, a notable incident took place in 1988 when a child accused former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on All India Radio.

The former Congress chief might have conveniently forgotten that his father was labeled a thief by a child who declared, “Gali gali mein shor hai, Rajiv Gandhi chor hai” (everyone knows Rajiv Gandhi is a thief) during a live show. Interestingly, the “fascist” BJP government does not take any action on these outrageous statements by the Congress and its ecosystem, however, the “liberal and democratic” Rajiv Gandhi and his party had retaliated in an unprecedented manner.

“Gali gali mein shor hai, Rajiv Gandhi chor hai” slogan gained significant popularity in opposition to his government in 1988. This was due to the disclosure of the major “Bofors scandal.” On 27th May 1988, a program was aired from the Patna Radio Station where a young girl was told to share a joke and she responded with the slogan, reported iChowk.in. According to the claims, the AIR team faced the consequences of organizing the program. Nevertheless, more repercussions were yet to be experienced.

After this event, a question was posed in the entrance examination for the journalism department at Sagar University: “Which All India Radio station broadcast the phrase Rajiv Gandhi Chor Hai?” This turned out to be extremely detrimental for the Head of the Department of Journalism, Professor Pradeep Krishnatreya as the outraged Congress brutally targeted him.

Youth Congress members visited the Journalism Department and assaulted the professor. His face was covered in soot and he was paraded throughout the campus. Sagar University Vice Chancellor Prayag Das Hajela resigned to protest against the instance and pointed out, “This is not merely an issue concerning one individual. There is an effort to add gangsterism to politics in this nation.”

The university came together and all faculty members initiated a strike, boycotting classes until those responsible for the disgrace of their colleague were apprehended. The authorities detained 10 individuals but soon released them on bail. As if this were not enough, the university administration began an investigation against the professor. He was summoned to provide an explanation but police intervened before he could respond to the harassment as it was their turn to torture him.

Professor Krishnatreya was arrested under Sections 294 and 504 of the Indian Penal Code under allegations of indecent conduct, insult and disturbing the peace amid widespread condemnation of the action. “I was unaware of the issues surrounding the question. There was no ill intent behind it. I raised it because it was a significant event, and I aimed to assess the alertness and memory of the candidate,” he submitted in his defence on 8th August.

However, on the morning of 8th August, a group headed by district Youth Congress chief Rakesh Sharma arrived at the vice-chancellor’s office and began to shout at Hajela, demanding the immediate removal of Krishnatreya. The latter declined to comply and asserted, “Any action against him can only be taken after an inquiry is conducted and a report is presented to the university executive council on 17th August. I cannot dismiss him merely because some politicians desire it.”

Meanwhile, Sharma dismissed the horrible actions of his party workers and added that the professor did it to himself and even took photographs. On the other hand, Krishnatreya returned home without washing the paint off his face after his medical treatment. He also attended a teachers union meeting in the same state later that evening. A professor also painted his face black to show support for him there.

Consequently, starting the following day, teachers decided to boycott classes for a week until the perpetrators were arrested. However, the governor dissolved the university’s executive and academic councils, transferring all authority to the newly appointed vice-chancellor, ML Jain as an unsettling silence enveloped the campus.

Conclusion

Congress is drawing inspiration from the propaganda manual of Joseph Goebbels and is blaming the BJP for all the allegations it has faced throughout its corruption-ridden tenure over the years. The recent attack on PM Modi under the guise of children is merely an extension of the same.

Who defeated Japan during World War II? Taiwan and Communist China fight to claim credit for victory and win the battle of ‘historical narrative’

Shraddha Pandey
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Who defeated Japan during World War II? Taiwan and Communist China fight to claim credit for victory and win the battle of ‘historical narrative’

It has been 80 years since the World War II ended; however, China and Taiwan continue to battle a narrative war over who-did-what during the deadly war. Ahead of Beijing’s 80th Anniversary Parade, this battle of narratives between China and Taiwan has intensified.

Speaking at an event in Taiwan’s Taipei, veteran Pan Cheng-fa recently said that he fought for China against the Japanese in World War Two. When asked about the role of the communists who were in alliance with the Republican government back then, the 99-year-old man said, “We gave them weapons, equipment – we strengthened them.”

The background of China-Taiwan dispute

It all began in 1895. China’s Qinq dynasty was defeated in the First Sino-Japanese War and signed the Shimonoseki, ceding sovereignty over Taiwan to Japan. In 1911, a ‘revolution’ took place in China and the Qinq dynasty was overthrown. A year later, the Republic of China was declared.

A civil war erupted in China in 1927 as the Communist Party began an uprising against the Republican government. In 1931, Japan invaded Manchuria, located in northeast China.

It was in 1936 that the Republic of China leader Chiang Kai-shek was kidnapped by his two generals. This was done to compel him into entering an alliance with Mao Zedong-led communists to suspend the ongoing civil war and to fight against the Japanese.

In 1937, Japan extended its military offensive to the rest of China. However, things did not go well for Japan as in 1943, US President Franklin Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and China’s Republican leader Chiang signed the Cairo Declaration. This declaration stated that Taiwan will be ‘restored’ to the Republic of China.

With Japan’s defeat in the overall World War II, the second Sino-Japanese War also came to an end. Japan’s defeat happened due to multiple factors, especially, the strategy of attrition employed by Chinese forces, strategic miscalculations and ultimately, the entry of US and other Allied powers into World War II. In 1945, the Potsdam Declaration called for Japan’s unconditional surrender and reaffirmed the Cairo Declaration.

After Japan’s surrender, Taiwan was handed over to the Republic of China; however, in 1946, the Chinese communists and republicans scrapped their truce and resumed the civil war. A year later, the Taiwanese people staged an uprising in against the Republic of China, however, their movement was brutally crushed.

In 1949, Republican leader Chiang Kai-shek retreated to Taiwan after Communist leader Mao Zedong won the civil war, established the ‘People’s Republic of China’ and vowed to ‘liberate’ the island of Taiwan.

Why Taiwan remains a disputed territory?

Notably, in 1951, Japan signed the San Francisco Peace Treaty and renounced its claim over Taiwan, however, Taiwan’s sovereignty became an issue that remains unresolved to this day. Since the CCP was not a part of this treaty, it deems it “illegal and invalid”.

In 1952, the Republic of China and Japan signed a Treaty of Peace. This treaty reaffirmed Japan’s renunciation of its claim over Taiwan. Now, the Taiwanese government contends that this agreement confirms that under the previous peace agreement, sovereignty of Taiwan was transferred to the Republic of China (Chinese Republican government) and not to the communists. To this day, both governments, in Beijing and Taipei, do not recognise each other officially.

Source: ABC News

Chinese Republicans fought against Japan; Communists took the credit: Taiwan accuses CCP of distorting facts to push its narrative

Speaking about the Republican government’s retreat to Taiwan after Mao’s victory, Pan Cheng-fa said, “After Japan was taken down, (the communists’) next target was the Republic of China.”

Interestingly, the CCP government in China continues to propagate how it played the key role in defeating the Japanese. In reality, it was the Chiang Kai-shek-led Republican government that played the central role. it was Chiang who signed the Cairo Declaration, which affirmed China’s claim over Taiwan, and the Potsdam Declaration of 1945, which reaffirmed the Cairo Declaration.

On 15th August, marked as the Japanese surrender anniversary, Taiwan’s top China-policy maker Chiu Chui-cheng said, “During the Republic of China’s war of resistance against Japan, the People’s Republic of China did not even exist, but the Chinese communist regime has in recent years repeatedly distorted the facts, claiming it was the Communist Party who led the war of resistance.”

Chiu further claimed that the Communist Party’s strategy at that time was “70% about strengthening themselves, 20% dealing with republican government and 10% about opposing Japan.”

While both People’s Republic of China and Taiwan celebrate the Japanese surrender day, however, their respective events follow their own narratives. During a defence ministry concert in Taipei, performers dressed as World War Two-era republican soldiers, images of the Flying Tigers – volunteer U.S. pilots who flew for the republican Chinese air force, Reuters reported.

“History affirms that the War of Resistance was led and won by the Republic of China,” the Taiwanese Defence Ministry said.

This, however, did not go well with Chinese Communist Party, which alleged that Taiwan is ‘misrepresenting’ CCP’s role in the Second Sino-Japanese War.

Last week, CCP mouthpiece, People’s Daily, lamented that vigilance was needed against efforts to “distort and falsify the Chinese Communist Party’s role as the country’s backbone” in fighting against Japan.

The CCP asserts that the victory against Japan belongs to all, including the Taiwanese. The CCP stresses that the 1945 peace agreement (Japan’s surrender), resulted in the return of Taiwan to China, which was a Japanese colony from 1895.

However, Taiwan states that the peace agreement was signed by the Republic of China and its leader Chiang Kai-shek not CCP or Mao Zedong, in fact, the CCP-run People’s Republic of China was founded in 1949. Meanwhile, CCP argues that it is the successor of the Republican government and that Taiwan is an inseparable part of modern-day China.

While CCP and Taiwan have long been indulged in war of words over their history, this renewed intensity of their narrative war comes at a time when China is flexing its military muscle and threatening indirectly to invade Taiwan. Meanwhile, Taiwan is also repeatedly asserting that it will counter CCP’s aggression. The geopolitical developments and the rhetoric unleashed by both the parties indicate that a military conflict between PRC and Taiwan in the coming times is not unlikely, only this time the US will not side with the CCP but Taiwan.

Modi government pushes for first dedicated count of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups in upcoming Census, will help implement focused welfare schemes for the group

OpIndia Staff
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Modi government pushes for first dedicated count of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups in upcoming Census, will help implement focused welfare schemes for the group

In a big move for India’s most marginalised tribal groups, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) has asked the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (RGI) that Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) be enumerated separately in the next Census.

According to a report by The Indian Express, this step will mark the first time that PVTGs are distinctly enumerated in India’s Census history, if finalised.

The separate enumeration will help the government design and implement more focused welfare schemes for these groups, who have long been left behind in terms of education, health and development.

Who are PVTGs?

India boasts 75 PVTGs distributed over 18 states and one Union Territory (Andaman and Nicobar Islands). The groups were identified years ago on the basis of criteria such as low literacy, economic backwardness, geographical remoteness and a pre-agricultural mode of life.

But so far, all of them were simply enumerated under the larger Scheduled Tribes (STs) category, which did not provide any concrete information on their actual number or way of life. For instance, during the last Census of 2011, some 40 PVTGs were listed as part of notified STs, but the others went unnoticed in official documents.

Experts say this lack of data makes it difficult to plan effective schemes for them. “Many PVTGs are actually sub-groups within bigger ST communities. Since they are not separately recorded, the government does not get accurate numbers on their population or living standards,” said Professor A. B. Ota, a retired IAS officer and former director of Tribal Research Institute and Odisha State Tribal Museum.

Modi government’s push for better Data

The Tribal Affairs Ministry has now asked the Census Commissioner to make special arrangements in 2027 Census to capture not just the number of PVTG households, but also their cultural and socio-economic details.

This comes at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already announced some efforts to raise PVTGs. In November 2023, the Prime Minister introduced the PM-JANMAN (Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan) program in Jharkhand. This program will saturate core facilities in PVTG habitations in three years, ranging from road construction and electrification to establishing health centres and schools.

It is being implemented through nine ministries and covers over 200 districts across the country. The Prime Minister had also emphasised that the development of these tribal groups is a priority for his government, and that no community should be left behind in India’s growth journey.

Rising population estimates

When PM-JANMAN was launched, the Centre had estimated the total population of PVTGs at 28 lakh. But after a special survey using the PM Gati Shakti mobile app, the figure turned out to be much higher. Based on habitation-level data collection, MoTA recently informed Parliament that the PVTG population is now estimated at 45.56 lakh.

Madhya Pradesh leads the count with 12.28 lakh PVTGs, followed by Maharashtra with 6.2 lakh and Andhra Pradesh with 4.9 lakh. This new data itself indicates why a thorough Census count is needed in a hurry, so that government policies can be supported by proper figures.

Experts view on the move

Experts in tribal affairs have welcomed the move to separately count PVTGs but also suggested that the criteria for identifying them should be reviewed.

Professor Kamal K. Misra, former director of the Anthropological Survey of India, said, “There are overlaps across states due to nomenclature, and in some cases, omission of certain groups. Currently, there are 75 groups identified in PVTGs, and this number could have increased or decreased. Thus, only a revision of the criteria can help update the information.” 

He also added that once the Census provides data, a development index should be created to identify which PVTG groups require the most urgent support, since not all of them face the same level of deprivation.

The government has already notified that the 2027 Census will be conducted in two phases, house listing and housing Census from April 2026, followed by the main population enumeration. Along with this, a caste-based survey will also be carried out.

If the Census does include PVTGs in a separate enumeration, it will be a milestone move. Not only will it enable the government to refine such welfare schemes as PM-JANMAN, but it will also provide these communities, long underprivileged, a long-awaited recognition and assistance.

Syeda Hameed, Planning Commission member during Congress govt, says Bangladeshis can live in Assam because Allah made the earth for humans and they are also humans

OpIndia Staff
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Syeda Hameed, Planning Commission member during Congress govt, says Bangladeshis can live in Assam because Allah made the earth for humans and they are also humans

Activist Syeda Saiyidain Hameed, who was a member of the Planning Commission during the Manmohan Singh government, has said that Bangladeshis have the right to live in India. She made the comment while visiting Assam in the backdrop of ongoing efforts of the state government to evict illegal encroachers from government lands and push-back illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Syeda Hameed is visiting Assam as part of the team comprising well-known leftist activists like Prashant Bhushan, Harsh Mandar, Jawahar Sircar and others. Talking to reporters, she said that Assam government has brought doom on Muslims in Assam, accusing them of being Bangladeshis.

She then added, “What is wrong if they are Bangladeshis? Bangladeshis are also humans. Earth is so large, Bangladeshis can live here. Not depriving anyone’s rights.” She claimed that to say that illegal immigrants are depriving rights of legal citizens is very very troublesome, extremely mischievous and very detrimental to humanity.

Syeda Hameed further added, “Allah has made this earth for humans, not for devils, if a person is standing on earth, to evict them is quamat on Muslims.” She added that everyone have stand together for ‘Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb’ and composite culture of India.

While Syeda Hameed acknowledged that Assam government is deporting illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, Prashant Bhushan alleged that Indian Muslims are being sent to Bangladesh. He said, “It is clear that the Assam government of Himanta Biswa Sarma is engaged in every kind of lawless and illegal activity, particularly illegally pushing out citizens to Bangladesh and outside this country, illegally evicting people from their land and demolishing their homes.” 

Bhushan said they visited Assam to talk to the local people to find out what is happening. However, he alleged that they were prevented from going to Goalpara district, where evictions have taken place from forest land.

The team has visited the state on the invitation of a group called Asom Nagarik Sanmilan. Rajya Sabha MP Ajit Kumar Bhuyan, who is a member of the forum, said they invite eminent personalities from outside to deliver talks and present their views on various recent developments.

Earlier in the day, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that Aafter Jamaat-e-Hind’s outburst demanding his dismissal yesterday, a Delhi-based team is camping in Assam. He said that Harsh Mander, Wajahat Habibullah, Fayaz Shaheen, Prashant Bhushan, and Jawahar Sircar are part of the team.

He said, “Their sole aim is to paint the lawful evictions as so-called “humanitarian crisis.” This is nothing but a planned attempt to weaken our fight against illegal encroachers. We are alert and firm — no propaganda or pressure will stop us from protecting our land and culture.”

UP: Conspiracy to implicate BJP leader Virendra Shukla in false gangrape case busted, police arrest 3 including his brother and a woman

OpIndia Staff
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UP: Conspiracy to implicate BJP leader Virendra Shukla in false gangrape case busted, police arrest 3 including his brother and a woman

In Bhadohi district of Uttar Pradesh, the police have exposed a conspiracy to implicate a BJP leader in a fake gangrape case. The police have attested three persons including a woman for filing a false rape case against BJP leader Virendra Shukla and government advocate Pravesh Tripathi. 

Bhadohi SP Abhimanyu Manglik, while giving information about the case in a press conference, said that this case was part of a completely planned conspiracy. This plan to implicate BJP leader Virendra Shukla was hatched by his own brother Ashok Shukla and nephew Kailashpati Shukla. His associate Sushil Dubey was also involved in this conspiracy. Police said that the accused had used a woman named Suman Pandey, a resident of Ayodhya, to file a false complaint.

During the investigation, it was found that the allegation was false, and there were two motives behind it. The accused persons planned to extort money from the BJP leader, and they also wanted to pressurise him in a property dispute.

According to the police, this gang used to extort money from people by trapping them in false cases in a professional manner.

As part of the plan, the woman Suman Pandey was continuously threatening Virendra Shukla over the phone. At the same time, other conspirators were trying to create pressure by making an old obscene audio viral. However, instead of surrendering to the threats, Shukla lodged a complaint in Gopiganj police station against the conspirators.

He told police that his brother Ashok Shukla, nephew Kailashpati Shukla and brother’s friend Sushil Dubey have filed a fake gangrape case against him and advocate Pravesh Tiwari through a woman Suman Pandey.

When the police investigated the matter deeply, it became clear that the whole matter was a well-planned ploy to trap the BJP leader and advocate in a false case.

The police have arrested conspirator Ashok Shukla, his associate Sushil Dubey and woman Suman Pandey and sent them to jail. Ashok Shukla’s son Kailashpati Shukla, another accused in the case, is absconding. A case against the four accused under sections 217, 351(3), 308(7) and 61(2)A of the BNS.

According to Virendra Shukla, the gang had tried the same conspiracy earlier also, as they had filed a false rape case against him and Pravesh Tiwari in 2014. During investigation, that case was found to be false.

Gujarat: Hindu student beaten by four Muslim classmates in Sabarkantha School – Victim’s father and school principal narrates the incident to OpIndia

ભાર્ગવ રાજ્યગુરુ
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Gujarat: Hindu student beaten by four Muslim classmates in Sabarkantha School – Victim’s father and school principal narrates the incident to OpIndia

A few days after the shocking case in Ahmedabad, where a Hindu student was murdered by a Muslim minor, another disturbing incident has now come to light from Sheth C.J. High School in Vadali of Sabarkantha district in Gujarat. 

This time, a Hindu boy studying in Class 7 was attacked by four Muslim minors inside his school premises in Vadali. The boy’s family has said that the attackers not only assaulted their child but also threatened to kill him.

Coordinator of Vadali Bajrang Dal, Rameshbhai Sagar told Opindia that the attack took place on the evening of Thursday, 21st August, shortly after school hours. The victim’s family and Hindu organisations claim that around 4:30 pm, four Muslim minors cornered the Class 7 boy inside the campus of the School and assaulted him. The accused warned the boy that they would kill him if he dared to resist them in the future.

The incident instantly angered the community. Upon the circulation of news of the assault, Hindu groups and locals assembled outside the school, calling for severe action against the accused.

Protests by locals and Hindu groups

On Saturday, 23rd August, two days after the attack, protests were held at the school. Residents, along with Hindu groups, accompanied the victim’s family and sought action against the accused students. The protesters asserted that the school authorities had first assured them of giving a Leaving Certificate (LC) to the accused minors, practically getting them out of the school. Nevertheless, no solid action has been taken up to now, which has further infuriated the locals.

“They Came With Weapons Before Too”: Victim’s father said

The victim’s father, Manibhai, told Opindia that the four Muslim minors had been harassing his son repeatedly. When the boy objected to their behaviour, they attacked him after school. He further claimed that when his family approached the accused minor’s parents, they refused to take responsibility. According to him, the main accused’s father dismissed the matter by saying that his son was not under his control.

The victim’s family also alleged that this was not the first such incident. They claimed the same group of Muslim minors had earlier come to school carrying sharp weapons like knives. Six months ago, they had reportedly attacked the Hindu boy once before. At that time, teachers gave verbal assurances that such an incident would not be repeated, but no action was taken.

Currently, the injured student is undergoing treatment and since the child was brutally beaten, he has sustained serious injuries on his back and is currently unable to walk. “Despite repeated complaints, the school administration has done nothing. They promised action but never kept their word,” the father said.

School’s principal denied the boy’s family’s allegations

When Opindia contacted, Amitbhai, the principal of Sheth C.J. High School’s primary section, admitted that four Muslim minors had indeed assaulted the Hindu student. However, he described the incident as a “small fight among children” and denied the family’s allegations that the accused had previously brought weapons to school.

The principal also rejected claims that the school had promised to issue Leaving Certificates to minor Muslims. He further explained that under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, primary school children cannot be expelled unless their parents request it or a higher authority orders it. “We cannot simply give an LC. There is a legal process under RTE which has to be followed,” he said.

The incident has created tension in Vadali, with Hindu groups pressing for strict action. The victim’s family is demanding that the accused minors be removed from the school. They have also warned that they will lodge a police complaint if the administration continues to remain inactive.

Bihar SIR: ECI receives documents of 98.2% electors with 8 more days remaining till the deadline

OpIndia Staff
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Bihar SIR: ECI receives documents of 98.2% electors with 8 more days remaining till the deadline

The Election Commission of India (ECI) said on Sunday (24th August) that it has received documents of 98.2% voters, while 8 more days are left till the deadline of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar.

In its statement, the ECI praised the efforts of the Chief Electoral Officer, District Election Officers, Electoral Registration Officers, and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers and lakhs of volunteers in the state in the humongous exercise. “The Election Commission of India commends the ongoing efforts by the CEO of Bihar, DEOs of all 38 Districts, 243 EROs, 2,976 AEROs, 90,712 BLOs, lakhs of volunteers and involvement of the field representatives of all the 12 major political parties, including their District Presidents and as many as 1.60 lakh BLAs appointed by them,” said the ECI statement.

Verification of documents of voters likely to be completed ahead of time

The ECI said that between June 24, 2025 and August 24, 2025, i.e. in 60 days, 98.2 % electors submitted their documents, and therefore, just like the collection of the Enumeration Forms was completed before time, the work related to the collection of documents is also likely to be completed ahead of time. “This means an average of about 1.64 % per day. There are still 8 days to go till 1 September, with just 1.8 % Electors remaining for submission of the documents,” the poll body stated.

The Enumeration phase, which was the first phase of the exercise, commenced on June 24, 2025 and ended on July 25, 2025. This was followed by the publication of draft Electoral Rolls on August 1, 2025. The period of submitting claims, objections and documents started on August 1, 2025 and will continue till September 1, 2025. The verification of documents will go on till September 24, 2025. And lastly, after the final checking of the documents, the final Electoral Rolls will be published on September 30, 2025.

The ECI explained that the period of submitting claims and objections provides an opportunity to the voters for the correction of any mistakes in the Electoral Roll. Besides, voters can submit their necessary documents, which they might have failed to furnish at the time of submitting their Enumeration Forms.

Over 3 lakh young voters to be enrolled this time

The Block Level Officers (BLOs) and volunteers are currently engaged in the collection of documents. Concurrently, the verification of the collected documents is being conducted by the EROs and the AEROs. According to the ECI statement, out of a total of 7.24 crore voters in the draft rolls, 0.16% have submitted Claims and Objections so far, of which 10 have been submitted by the Booth Level Agents (BLAs) of 12 recognised political parties in Bihar and 1,21,143 by Electors within their Assembly Constituency. Over 3 lakh (3,28,847 precisely) young voters, who have attained the age of 18 years and above on 1 July or will attain the age of 18 years and above on 1 October, have also submitted their Enumeration Forms and Declaration.

The SIR is a routine exercise conducted by the Election Commission to update the Electoral Rolls and remove bogus, deceased or ineligible voters to ensure fair elections. But the opposition parties have been vehemently opposing the SIR in Bihar, alleging that this was the ruling BJP’s conspiracy to disenfranchise their voter base. Several opposition leaders and some so-called social organisations moved the Supreme Court to stop the constitutionally-backed exercise. To their disappointment, the top court refused to stay the exercise, citing the ECI’s competence to conduct it.

Rahul Gandhi peddles lies about the Constitution of India, MK Gandhi and Nathuram Godse

OpIndia Staff
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Rahul Gandhi peddles lies about the Constitution of India, MK Gandhi and Nathuram Godse

Rahul Gandhi on Saturday was heard peddling lies on the Constitution of India, MK Gandhi and Nathuram Godse. Speaking at an event in Katihar, he claimed Godse killed Gandhi because Godse hated the constitution. Rahul Gandhi also claimed that MK Gandhi gave his live for the constitution. He was holding his trademark red cover constitution copy while making the comments.

However, these comments by Rahul Gandhi as completely false and baseless, and Godse killing Gandhi had nothing to do with the constitution. In fact, the constitution of India didn’t even exist when Gandhi was killed. Moreover, Godse was also executed before the constitution was adopted by Republic of India.

Rahul Gandhi said, “this constitution was not brought by RSS and BJP. The person who gave his life for this constitution, Gandhiji, he was assassinated. Godse shot Gandhiji to death, Godse was against the constitution. When he shot Gandhiji, why he had hatred for Gandhiji in his heart, because Gandhiji gave his entire life for this constitution, the ideology behind it”.

Every line in this paragraph Rahul Gandhi is a lie. BJP didn’t exist when the Constitution was written, therefore the claim that it didn’t bring the constitution is meaningless. RSS is a social organisation and it could not have any role to play in drafting the constitution.

But Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha was part of the Constituent assembly. Godse was a member of the organisation. Therefore, contrary to Rahul Gandhi’s claims, Godse’s organisation actually took part in the debates of the constituent assembly.

Nathuram Godse killed MK Gandhi on 30 January 1948. He was executed for this crime on 15 November 1949. Both these events occurred before the adoption of the constitution of India. The Constitution of India was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India on 26 November 1949, and it became effective on 26 January 1950.

The drafting committee of the constitution headed by Ambedkar was appointed in August 1947, days after the independence. The committee took almost 3 years to complete the constitution, which was extensively debated at the constituent assembly. Therefore, at the time of assassination of MK Gandhi by Godse in January 1948, not even preliminary draft of constitution was ready. The first draft was presented a month after Gandhi’s assassination, on 21 February 1948.

Therefore, Nathuram Godse could not hate something that did not exist at that time. Similarly, MK Gandhi could not defend something that did not exist when he was alive. It is notable that after it was announced that British will leave India, MK Gandhi was completely sidelined from the transition process. He was not part of the interim government, not part of the constituent assembly.

Importantly, Gandhiji had made some specific proposals for the constitution, which were ignored. This included for a village-based governance model.

Florida crash case: Harjinder Singh, dunki route entry, and Khalistan link; Read how he played the ‘Khalistan card’ in asylum claim

Anurag
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Florida crash case: Harjinder Singh, dunki route entry, and Khalistan link; Read how he played the ‘Khalistan card’ in asylum claim

On 12th August, three people lost their lives in Florida, when an 18-wheeler trailer truck driven by Harjinder Singh, an ‘asylum’ seeker in the US, made an illegal U-turn on the Florida Turnpike. The people in the minivan that slammed into the truck had no chance of survival. The video of the crash went viral across social media, not only because of the horrific impact but also because Singh appeared almost unfazed as he calmly switched off the engine after blocking the entire highway.

28-year-old trucker Harjinder Singh hails from Tarn Taran, Punjab in India. He was denied bail following the incident. Singh has been labelled an “unauthorised alien” and a “substantial flight risk”. He now faces three counts of vehicular homicide which will put him in prison for decades and eventual deportation. However, Singh’s story is not merely about the reckless road accident. It also throws light on how the immigration loopholes in America, particularly during the Biden administration, allowed an illegal entrant to work for years despite his asylum being earlier rejected during Trump administration 1.0.

Furthermore, there is another uncomfortable lurking question beneath this case which, if exposed during the investigation, will throw light on the use of the ‘Khalistan card’ by Punjabi youth to secure asylum abroad. By using the ‘Khalistan card’, Punjabi youth often exploit Western concerns about religious persecution in India. Notably, there are videos on his TikTok account that directly links his ideological leaning towards

The use of ‘Khalistan card’

There is a strong possibility that in his asylum application, Harjinder used the ‘Khalistan card’. Though there are no asylum documents available publicly, when he claimed he might face persecution, it leads to the belief that he might have claimed he was a ‘pro-Khalistani’ and that going back to India would lead to his persecution by the Indian government. The belief gets stronger by going through his TikTok account which connects him directly to Sikhs for Justice (SFJ). The connection was first discovered by Independent journalist who goes by “OnTheNewsBeat” on social media platform X.

For those who are unaware, SFJ, a Khalistani terrorist outfit, is banned by the Government of India. Its founder Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is a designated terrorist in India and wanted for several crimes.

On 29th January 2024, Harjinder posted a video which was shot at SFJ’s so-called ‘Khalistan referendum’ held at Civic Center Plaza in San Francisco.

Soure: TikTok

In another post, he shared a video about Khalistani terrorist Gurbachan Singh Manochahal, who was Jathedar of Akal Takhat Sahib and founder of the Bhindranwale Tiger Force of Khalistan in 1984. He was responsible for over 1,000 murders and was killed in a police encounter by Punjab Police in March 1993.

Source: TikTok

Notably, tens of thousands of Punjabi youth have played the same trick. They apply for asylum by citing fear of persecution in India on religious or political grounds, even if they have no connection with separatist movements.

Former Sangrur MP Simranjit Singh Mann himself once boasted of issuing nearly 50,000 letters supporting such asylum pleas in exchange for money. These letters claimed that the applicants faced possible persecution in India as sympathisers of the Khalistan movement. For many, it was nothing more than a ticket to bypass the legal immigration process.

Singh’s asylum case fits this pattern. Though we could not confirm it and no court filings spell it out in black and white, it is not unreasonable to assert that he might have invoked the same Khalistan-linked persecution narrative that thousands of others have used successfully. Such claims often gain sympathetic ears, especially in countries where governments are keen to present themselves as protectors of minorities.

This abuse of asylum, cosplaying as human rights protection, has now become full-fledged in several countries including the US, Canada, Australia and many others. Agents in Punjab guide youths on which story to tell, which vocabulary to use, and which community organisations abroad will back their claims. There are many attorneys in those countries who help such “asylum seekers” to file their applications, of course in exchange for hefty fees.

The tragedy is that, while genuine asylum seekers do exist, the sheer volume of fraudulent cases undermines them and sometimes leads to disastrous outcomes for host countries, just as the case of Harjinder Singh has turned out to be.

Illegal entry through the dunki route

Notably, Harjinder Singh did not enter the United States via the legal channel of a visa. He chose the ‘dunki route’ and spent one and a half months to reach the US via Mexico. The dunki route is basically a human smuggling network that ferries desperate migrants through countries like Dubai, Nicaragua, and Mexico before slipping them across the porous southern border into the US.

According to family and friends, Singh paid around Rs 22 lakh to an agent. His journey reportedly took a month and a half. He first reached Dubai, then Nicaragua, and finally Mexico, from where he crossed into California on foot. Like thousands of young men from Punjab who dream of an American life, Singh did not flee poverty or persecution. His family owns between 12 and 13 acres of farmland which is enough to have a healthy and luxurious lifestyle in India. His friends admit he went abroad simply to “build a better life”.

His family has urged not to subject him to harsh punishment. His relative, Dilbagh Singh, said, “His age is 28 years, and if he gets 45 years of jail, then you can imagine what will be the condition of his family. We are also saddened over the death of three persons in the accident. Similar incidents have taken place earlier as well.”

This is the story of countless Punjabi families. Their sons are sent overseas by any means possible, debts pile up, and there is an unspoken hope that remittances will justify the risks.

Trump administration denial of asylum and work papers

When Singh reached the US, he applied for asylum, as it is a standard practice for illegal entrants hoping to avoid deportation. Under the Trump 1.0 administration, he did not succeed.

By 2019, Singh had already been processed for fast-track deportation. He was detained and later released on a $5,000 immigration bond. In September 2020, his request for work authorisation was flatly rejected by the then Trump administration.

It is not a surprise that his application was rejected as, according to media reports, he could barely respond to basic English questions. He managed to identify only 2 answers correctly out of 12 in a language proficiency test. Furthermore, on a driving test, he recognised only 1 out of 4 traffic signs. Yet, somehow, while his asylum application lingered, he managed to slip through cracks at the state level and secure commercial driving licences in Washington and later California.

Biden administration reversal and approval

What changed was the arrival of Joe Biden in the White House. On 9th June 2021, the very same asylum application that had been effectively frozen under Trump was suddenly given a new life. Singh’s work permit was approved, which gave him access to lawful employment. That authorisation opened the door for him to apply for state-level commercial driver’s licences or CDLs.

Another post on his TikTok account shows him holding s certificate with a person. In the background, it says, “PNW CDL Training”. The post is from 18th July 2023.

Source: TikTok

PNW CDL Training LLC is a Washington-based training institute owned by Brandon and Crystal Tatro. The person Harjinder is standing with looks strikingly similar to Brandon, whose photograph is available on the website.

Source: pnwcdltraining

This is where policy laxity led to dangerous, life-ending consequences. While it is the duty of the federal government to withhold work permits until asylum claims are granted, the Biden-era Department of Homeland Security extended such permissions anyway. This effectively armed an illegal immigrant with the right to operate a 40-ton truck across American highways.

In this reversal lies the real controversy. Singh was on the path of deportation. However, it was stalled not because he proved genuine grounds of persecution but because he claimed that returning to India would endanger his life.

Life in the US and work as trucker

Once Harjinder’s work permit was cleared in June 2021, Singh slipped further into the American system. California issued him a commercial driver’s licence. Later, even Washington gave him one, despite his questionable immigration status.

According to federal law, only US citizens or lawful permanent residents are supposed to obtain such licences. But in practice, several states have allowed anyone with work authorisation to apply. Since Singh had Biden-era work papers, states like California had no barrier in issuing him a licence. The result… an illegal entrant from Tarn Taran was suddenly driving a 40-ton truck across American highways.

Ironically, despite his newfound “legal” work life in America, Singh remained an outsider in both worlds. He never returned to India, not even for his father’s funeral in 2020. That tells its own story, that the fear of losing his asylum status outweighed the pull of family duty. According to family members, he was planning to come back to India to visit after another two years, which means he had hopes his asylum status would have been cleared by then.

Florida crash and aftermath

Following the 12th August accident, Singh and his brother, who was travelling with him, initially fled Florida for California. They were later arrested in Stockton and extradited back. Judge Lauren Sweet denied him bail and called him an “unauthorised alien” and “flight risk”. He now faces up to 50 years in prison before deportation proceedings begin.

The fallout has been swift. The US suspended visas for foreign truck drivers, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio warning that “foreign workers on American roads” were endangering lives and undercutting local livelihoods. There are around 1.5 lakh Punjabi truckers in the US. The crackdown could be devastating.

Meanwhile, petitions in favour of Harjinder have surfaced. One of them has over two million signatures seeking “fair sentencing” for him. Counter-petitions demand deportation not just for him but for those defending him.

Interestingly, Punjab MP from Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Harsimrat Kaur Badal, came in support of the Punjabi drivers in the US and urged Minister of External Affairs (MEA), Dr S Jaishankar, to intervene. In a post on X, she claimed that “Any mass level action against them would be discriminatory in nature considering the fact that Punjabis have built and sustained trucking logistics and trucking networks over decades” and added, “Also stressed that a grave mistake by one driver which had resulted in a fatal accident should not be used to punish the entire community”.

Asylum abuse and its dangers

Harjinder’s case is no longer just about the tragic crash. It is about the immigration system that let asylum seekers slip in without following the lawful process, based on convenient stories of persecution.

Singh entered illegally, failed in tests, was denied by one administration, but managed to survive in the US by playing the persecution card, quite possibly the ‘Khalistan persecution’ narrative. Under Biden, he was granted a work permit. That single act opened the door for him to obtain state licences, take up a high-risk job, and ultimately cause a tragedy that claimed three innocent lives.

The cost of such loopholes is borne by host societies. Three Americans died. Thousands of Punjabi truckers now face an uncertain future. US-India diplomatic channels are being dragged into the mess. And Harjinder Singh himself, once a farmer’s son from Tarn Taran, is staring at decades behind bars before an inevitable deportation.

However, the larger question remains. How many more such “asylum success stories” are out there, built not on genuine persecution but on exploitation of Western guilt narratives?

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma hits back at Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind for demanding his removal, says “Jamiat leaders should also be sent to Bangladesh”

OpIndia Staff
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Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma hits back at Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind for demanding his removal, says “Jamiat leaders should also be sent to Bangladesh”

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has brushed aside calls for his removal by the Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind, saying he does not care about what the Muslim organisation wants. Sarma made the comments on Saturday, 23rd August, while reacting to the group’s demand that he be removed and booked under hate speech laws following the recent eviction drives in the state.

“If I get Jamiat President Mahmood Madani, I will send him to Bangladesh,” Sarma told the media on the sidelines of a programme in Morigaon.

He went on to show his “burha anguli” (thumb) and added, “I’m showing the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind a thumbs-down officially, right now. In this thumb, there is an Assamese blood, strength and courage.”

CM slams Congress and Jamiat

The Chief Minister said that the Congress had become the “B team” of the Jamiat and was siding with them against the people of Assam.

“If anyone attacks the Assam Chief Minister, whether from Congress or any other party, we will protest. Because it is the people of Assam who elected me, not the Jamiat,” he said.

Sarma also criticised the Congress leadership in the state, calling them “sardars of unknown people” and not representatives of indigenous Assamese communities. He pointed to earlier protests by Congress leaders against a new semiconductor plant in Jagiroad, saying this exposed their misplaced priorities.

He further claimed that Jamiat President Mahmood Madani had, during the Congress regime, blocked appointments of teachers who had cleared the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) by putting pressure on officials. He said, “This Madani, at one point, when I was the education minister, he didn’t allow TET teachers to be appointed.”

“We Are Protecting Assam’s Land”

Defending the eviction drives that have affected thousands, Sarma said the action was necessary to protect Assam’s land for indigenous people.

“Indigenous people have the right to their lands, and those who need to be evicted are being removed. We are clearing encroachments from forest areas, grazing reserves, prayer houses, and monasteries. This land belongs to Assam and cannot be taken away,” Sarma stated.

The CM revealed that since his government took office in May 2021, more than 160 square km of land has been cleared of encroachments, affecting around 50,000 people, most of them Bengali-speaking Muslims.

“These people wanted to occupy Assam with the help of the Congress. Now they are frustrated because we have stopped Aadhaar cards for people above 18 who don’t deserve it and directly push back identified Bangladeshis without sending them to courts or detention centres,” he added.

What triggered the row

Sarma’s sharp response came after the Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind passed a strong resolution against him on Thursday, 21st August.

In the meeting of its Working Committee chaired by Mahmood Madani, the Muslim organisation accused Sarma of running eviction drives in an “inhuman and discriminatory manner.” 

The Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind said, “…The Committee emphasised that the current actions in Assam are being carried out in an inhumane and discriminatory manner, motivated by religious prejudice and hate-filled rhetoric.”

The Jamiat demanded that the Assam Chief Minister be immediately removed from office and that criminal proceedings under hate speech laws be initiated against him. They also appealed to India’s constitutional authorities, including the President of India and the Chief Justice of India, to step in.

Jamiat’s concerns over evictions

The Jamiat claimed that more than 50,000 families, mostly Bengali-speaking Muslims, had been rendered homeless due to the state’s eviction drives. They argued that while the organisation has always opposed illegal encroachments on government land, the current operations were being carried out in a discriminatory way.

Their view was that the evictions did not conform to Supreme Court rules, and that the government should rather rehouse and rehabilitate those displaced, particularly the Miya Muslim community.

The eviction problem is now one of Assam’s hottest political controversies. Sarma maintains that the drives are needed to save land owned by indigenous people and religious institutions such as Satras (Vaishnavite monasteries) and Namghars (community prayer halls). Critics, though, say that the actions unfairly target poor Muslims who live in flood-prone riverine belts, many of whom say their families inhabited these areas decades ago after being driven out of land lost to erosion from the Brahmaputra River.

 “I don’t even compare the Jamiat to my thumb”: Sarma

Despite the uproar, Sarma made it clear that he is not backing down. “I don’t even compare the Jamiat to my thumb. They can say what they want, but it is the people of Assam who will decide,” he stated.

The CM has time and again presented the eviction and Aadhaar policies as part of an overall initiative to protect the rights of original Assamese and ward off illegal migration from Bangladesh. His position has won him widespread support from nationalist groups within Assam but also irate criticism from Muslim organisations and human rights activists.

Jamiat’s wider resolutions

Additionally, the Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind passed a resolution on Palestine and dubbed Israel’s counter-offensive as ‘genocide’ in Gaza.

“The Committee called upon the Arab world and the international community to unite against Israeli aggression, block its expansionist agenda, safeguard sacred sites, and compel Israel to open humanitarian corridors, allow unrestricted aid delivery, and implement an immediate ceasefire,” it brazened out.

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