Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated various development projects, including the release of the 14th instalment of the Centre’s flagship scheme Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) at a programme held during his visit to Rajasthan’s Sikar on Thursday.
Funds worth Rs 17,000 crore were released directly into bank accounts of more than 8.5 crore PM-Kisan beneficiaries. PM-Kisan is a central sector scheme launched in February 2019 to supplement the financial needs of all land-holding farmers subject to certain exclusion criteria of higher income status. Financial benefit of Rs 6,000 per year in three equal instalments in every four months is transferred into the bank accounts of farmers.
Further, in a significant move benefiting farmers, PM Modi also dedicated 1.25 lakh PM Kisan Samriddhi Kendras (PMKSKs) to the nation. PMKSKs are being developed to provide a one-stop solution for all farmers’ needs. From information on agri-inputs (fertilisers, seeds, implements) to testing facilities for soil, seeds, and fertilisers, to information regarding various government schemes, PMKSKs are envisaged to become a reliable support system for farmers in the country.
PM Modi also launched Urea Gold – a new variety of Urea that is coated with Sulphur. The introduction of Sulphur Coated Urea will address sulphur deficiencies in the soil.
During the programme, PM Modi also launched the onboarding of 1500 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) on Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) platform.
After taking care of his scheduled engagements in Rajasthan, PM Modi will arrive at Rajkot, Gujarat where he will undertake a walkthrough of Rajkot International Airport. The greenfield airport has been developed in a total land area of more than 2,500 acres at a cost of more than Rs 1400 crore.
Thereafter, he will inaugurate various development projects at Race Course Ground in Rajkot while also inaugurating development projects worth over Rs 860 crore.
On Friday, he will inaugurate ‘SemiconIndia 2023’ at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar. He will also address a gathering on the occasion. The theme of the Conference is ‘Catalysing India’s Semiconductor Ecosystem’.
It aims to bring together global leaders from industry, academia and research institutions. It showcases India’s semiconductor strategy and policy which envisions making India a global hub for semiconductor design, manufacturing and technology development.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
On Tuesday, 25th July 2023, a video from Faridabad, Haryana went viral on social media. In this approximately 3-minute-long video, an individual from the mob can be seen provoking others, urging them to assault police personnel. The person delivering these inflammatory statements encouraged his listeners not to fear anyone. The video was originally shared by DTV News on its Facebook page.
In the said video, the individual making the provocative statement has been identified as Jabir Ghatmika, hailing from Mewat, Haryana. Jabir boldly challenged the Khattar government at the outset of the video, declaring his intention to face any action including being shot by a gun. He further said that he is not afraid of anyone and that he has nothing to do with any politician or leader.
Jabir Ghatmika said, “I am telling the public. If the CIA police enter a village without information, if they are not from your local police station, then break their hands and legs. Cut them apart. Because there is a section for self-defence. Tell me, Sir, how do we know if there are goons? Are there any stars? Is there anything written on their forehead? Are they here to protect us? Because they themselves have become terrorists, my brothers.”
In another part of the same video, Jabir alleged the frequent deaths of Mewat residents in police custody. Questioning the security personnel, Jabir said that the condition of returning was to file an FIR against the policemen.
Jabir further said, “The policemen who killed him, if you know that 2 have killed him, then catch them and give them to us. We also kill them. We will also not file a case. I’ll say they died of the attack.”
Jabir also said that the mob neither needs jobs nor money. As a demand, the mob demanded a ‘section 302 accused’ (murder accused). In the same video, Jabir said that the number of Mewatis in the country is 2.75 crore.
Speaking to OpIndia, Bittu Bajrangi, an office-bearer of an Hindu outfit in Haryana, said that the video is from July 25, Tuesday. He also named the government-run B K Hospital in Faridabad as the location of the video. Bittu Bajrangi described Jabir, who is making provocative statements, as originally from Mewat and also active in the Junaid-Nasir case some time ago in which hatred was incited against Hindus by accusing them of burning Muslims.
Bittu Bajrangi has demanded action from Faridabad Police against Jabir on this statement. According to information received by OpIndia, Jabir came out of jail on bail this month for the offence of Section 307.
Jabir Ghatmika protested against Monu Manesar. Image Source: OpIndia Hindi
What is the case?
This whole case is related to the death of a person named Shekul Khan, a resident of Mewat. According to Haryana Police spokesperson Sube Singh, during the investigation of cyber fraud registered in Faridabad on July 13, 2023, Haryana Police had caught 4 accused from Aligarh. The four had also named Shekul Khan in the interrogation, who was arrested on July 20, 2023. On July 21, the police produced Shekul Khan in the court and took 10-day custody remand.
On July 21, Shekul complained of breathlessness and weakness after which he was admitted to the hospital by the police.
According to the police spokesman, on July 21, the accused was given medicine in the hospital and again brought back with the police. On July 22, Shekul had difficulty in breathing, and was treated at the hospital and then brought back to the police station. On July 23, Shekul was again taken to the hospital due to breathing problems, where he died during treatment.
After the death of the accused, as per legal procedures, the case is being investigated by the magistrate. According to the police, the post-mortem will also be done under the supervision of the judge.
FIR on police levels murder charges
On July 24, 2023, an FIR was registered against the policemen under sections 302 and 34 of the IPC on the complaint of a person named Sabir, a relative of the deceased. A policeman has also been taken off duty. The post-mortem report is awaited for further action.
FIR copy
Congress declares protests
Politicians have also entered the fray, with Aftab Ahmed Khan, the Congress MLA from Nuh in Haryana, adopting a confrontational stance against the state government right from the outset of the Shekul Khan death case.
हरियाणा की #फरीदाबाद#पुलिस समझ ले कि अन्याय करने वाले पुलिस कर्मचारियों को अन्याय के लिए सजा जरुर भुगतनी पड़ेगी। प्रदेश सरकार से भी स्पष्ट कर दूं कि अगर दोषी पुलिसकर्मियों को सजा व पीड़ित को न्याय नहीं मिला तो सड़क से विधानसभा तक अनिश्चितकालीन धरना-प्रदर्शन के लिए तैयार रहे। pic.twitter.com/6CGTrSf91n
Varanasi has seen eight times the number of tourists as Goa in 2022, according to data shared by ICICI Direct. The holy city received a footfall of 7.16 crore tourists last year as compared to 85 lakh received by Goa.
[4] Tourism
Since the opening of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor,
?Varanasi received 7 cr+ domestic & 80,000 foreign tourist in 2022
?Income of people associated with the tourism sector has increased by 20-65%
In fact, after Kashi, other UP cities including Mathura, Ayodhya, and Prayagraj had more tourists than Goa in 2022, indicating a massive increase in spiritual tourism of India’s ancient holy cities. Kashi also received 80,000 foreign tourists last year according to the statistics.
The holy city of Varanasi located on the banks of the holy Ganga river has been a pilgrimage for Hindus since time immemorial. Devotees have thronged the ancient city in search of God, artists in search of creativity, and scholars in search of knowledge. It is one of the oldest living cities in India and is considered the abode of Mahadev, Lord Shiva.
Varanasi, also known as Benaras and Kashi, has long been associated with spiritual tourism centuries before the term was coined. It houses 4,000 ancient temples and several religious centres including Buddhist and Jain community centres.
Utilizing its deep spiritual appeal, the government has put a specific focus on boosting the economy of Kashi, which is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency. According to the ICICI Direct data, Varanasi hosts around 250 startups becoming one of the rising startup hubs in India in order to achieve CM Yogi Adityanath’s $1 trillion economy dream.
The ancient city of Varanasi is no longer just a spiritual and cultural destination!
Varanasi hosts ~250 startups to fire the state's $1 Tn economy dream?
Uttar Pradesh in total has more than 8,000 startups and 50% of these are run by women. Special Secretary, IT & Electronics & MD, Uttar Pradesh Development Systems Corporation, Kumar Vineet reportedly said that the government is planning to have at least one incubator in every district.
Besides providing a nurturing ecosystem for businesses, Varanasi’s economy has received an impetus across sectors. The ICICI Direct report mainly credits four sectors in this regard namely, Tourism, Manufacturing, Hotel, and Education.
Projects like the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, Tent City on the banks of Ganga, air-circuit pilgrimage, Ganga Ghat revamp, the longest river cruise network, and the ropeway project are some of the completed and ongoing projects directly aimed at increasing not only tourist footfall but also inviting investors.
Tent City in Varanasi by the ghats of Ganga (Source: TentCity.com)
The holy city has attracted big money in the tourism sector. In February this year, Benares received investment proposals worth a whopping Rs 11,500 crore with more than 40 MoUs signed with the tourism department. Local businesses and vendors too have seen a surge in demand for products and services.
ICICI Direct says the income of people associated with the tourism sector has increased anywhere between 20% to 65%. Employment in the tourism sector has increased by 34.18%. Consequently, another sector benefitting out of this and adding to the city’s economic growth is the hotel and hospitality industry.
As per ICIC Direct, the income of hotel owners in Kashi has increased by 65% recording a year-round profit. It said that the hotels in the city are booked for at least 15 days. Oyo founder and CEO Ritesh Agarwal too in December last year noted that Varanasi is outperforming Goa in terms of hospitality as hotel bookings in the city kept increasing by the hour.
Bookings from Goa are rising by the hour. But guess the city that is overtaking Goa?.
Varanasi. ?
PS: We are nearly sold out across 700+ cities globally. ??#CheckIn2023
In a big boost to the hotel and hospitality industry, Japan’s Hotel Management International Company Limited (HMICL) earlier this year signed a memorandum of understanding with the UP government worth Rs 7,200 crore. The chain plans to build luxury hotels across 30 major cities in the state including Varanasi. Ecotourism has also received great impetus with a focus on experience-based green tourism.
Famous for its Benarsi silk sarees, the holy city generates a significant percentage of its revenue from silk weaving. While the city’s silk products are exported globally, products from pottery, wooden toys, brassware, carpets, wall hangings, and more have a special appeal amongst tourists. Modi government’s vocal for local pitch, too, has given a much-needed boost to local artisans and silk weavers.
A Banarasi silk saree weaver (Source: HT)
The Yogi government in UP also plans to set up a silk exchange project called Integrated Silk Complex for the weavers of Benares for Rs 8 crore under One District One Product scheme. The city also houses heavy metal giants like Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited (BHEL), and Diesel Locomotive Works.
Education is another key contributing sector to the economy of Varanasi. The holy city has historically been a center of knowledge for saints, priests, subject scholars, intellectuals, and students. This learning center is home to the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) which sees an influx of students from across Uttar Pradesh and beyond. Varanasi’s average literacy rate is 79.27%.
IIT (BHU) has signed MoUs with many foreign universities in Japan, France, Finland, and others. It has also been at the forefront of implementing the National Education Policy, 2020. In March this year, PM Modi laid the foundation stone of ‘Centre of Excellence on Machine Tools Design’ at IIT (BHU).
Sitar maestro Ravi Shankar, and Ustad Bismillah Khan are all sons of the blessed city or have lived here for a major part of their lives. Mrs. Annie Besant chose Varanasi as the home for her ‘Theosophical Society’ and Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, to institute ‘Benares Hindu University, the biggest University in Asia. Ayurveda is said to be originated at Varanasi and is believed to be the basis of modern medical sciences such as Plastic surgery, cataracts, and Calculus operations. Maharshi Patanjali, the preceptor of Ayurveda and Yoga, was also affiliated with Varanasi, the holy city.
Banaras Hindu University, representational image, courtesy: BHU
Moreover, Varanasi exports around three tonnes of green peas & green chillies daily to Persian Gulf countries. Fruits & vegetables are being exported to Nepal & Bangladesh. Its ‘langda’ mangoes, Ghazipur’s okra and green chillies, Jaunpur’s radish and melons have started reaching foreign markets. Agro-food parks in the city have also generated export quality food products thereby exposing the city to global markets.
Not only sarees and other traditional products but food also has aided the brand Varanasi. GI tag to Banarsi paan among other delicacies from various UP cities gives a “must try” message to domestic and foreign travelers introducing them to tastes and experiences specific only to Kashi.
In March, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the clarion call for “Developing Tourism in Mission Mode”. He said that “events like global conferences and sporting events have the potential to create a stupendous level of infrastructure”. He cited the example of the recent FIFA World Cup 2022, which benefitted Qatar’s economy massively.
Ganga Aarti
Two months later, in June, Varanasi hosted the three-day G20 Development Ministers’ Meeting. In April, the city also hosted the G20 meeting of the Agriculture Working Group. Earlier this year, the city also hosted Khelo Banaras competition wherein more than one lakh youth participated across various sports disciplines. PM Modi also inaugurated the Sigra International Stadium in Varanasi in March.
While Varanasi is widely known as a spiritual tourism destination, the various development projects in the city across sectors have made it a center of amalgamation for the more modern tourism industries too.
On Wednesday, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) meeting witnessed a heated exchange between Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and the BJP leaders as the former accused the latter of turning the meeting into a ‘political battlefield’. The CM then adjourned the meeting and attempted to ‘run away’ from answering the questions posed by the BJP members.
This is after the BJP members during the meeting raised the issue of CM Kejriwal engaging in ‘political tourism and alliances’ at a time when the nation’s capital was witnessing devastating floods.
Notably, the video of the ruckus went viral over social media in which CM Kejriwal could be seen having no answers to questions put forth by the BJP members during the meeting. Later the CM who was chairing the meeting in the absence of Union minister and New Delhi MP Meenakshi Lekhi, adjourned the session for Thursday without any discussion on the other listed matters.
According to a representative of the NDMC, Kejriwal presides over council meetings when Lekhi is absent. When neither is present, the sessions are presided over by NDMC Chairman Amit Yadav, a national government-appointed bureaucrat.
The BJP council members charged Kejriwal with continuing to engage in “political tourism” while the city was under water at the beginning of the meeting on Wednesday. Satish Upadhyay, the vice chairman of the NDMC and a prominent member of the BJP, stated that party members spoke out about the difficulties that New Delhi residents were having amid the rains and ensuing flooding in the second week of July.
“Members raised concerns over the delay in holding the apex meeting on flood control in Delhi, which played a significant role in worsening the rain and flood situation across Delhi as well as the New Delhi area. Timely desilting of drainage systems was not done, which increased the problems of floods in various areas of NDMC, and the overflow of sewers in MCD areas resulted in backwater flooding the New Delhi area, causing further hardship to the citizens of the New Delhi area. VIP areas like Connaught Place, Bharti Nagar, Golf Link, Lodhi Road were also highly affected due to this mismanagement,” he said.
Also, BJP Council member Kuljeet Singh Chahal criticized AAP saying that Kejriwal was busy attending alliance meetings with other political parties in Patna and Bengaluru at a time when Delhi was flooded. “NDMC organised more than 70 suvidha camps in its area, but Kejriwal, as the area’s representative, has not participated in any camp,” he could be heard saying.
The AAP meanwhile refuted to the allegations and blamed the BJP for not allowing Kejriwal to conduct the session. In the video that has been going viral on social media, Kejriwal can been seen keeping mum while asked by BJP members to answer and later the CM adjourned the meeting.
Kejriwal walked away in May, 2023 too after he was questioned about renovation at CM’s residence
Well, this is not the first time when Kejriwal has opted to keep shut and ‘run away’ from the questions posed by the BJP. Earlier in May this year, Kejriwal walked out of a New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) meeting after BJP leaders raised the issue of the renovation of his official residence at the expense of taxpayers’ money.
BJP leader and NDMC member Kuljeet Singh Chahal raised the issue of the alleged irregularities during the renovation of Kejriwal’s Flagstaff Road bungalow as he narrated the story of a ‘Dhongi Raja’. Chahal apparently referred to CM Kejriwal as a Dhongi Raja and went on to talk about the expenditure on the renovation of Kejriwal’s official residence as he said that the money used in renovating Kejriwal’s residence was taken from Delhi’s exchequer. He added that marble worth Rs 6 crore was used in Kejriwal’s residence.
Calling Kejriwal ‘dhongi’ and ‘chor’, Chahal asserted that Kejriwal will have to give an account of the public’s money squandered for his personal comfort.
Chahal had started narrating the story of “Dhongi Raja” in CM Arvind Kejriwal’s style. If one recalls, in April, Arvind Kejriwal had targeted PM Modi without naming him, by narrating a story about a less educated King in the Delhi Assembly. Chahal took a cue from the CM and narrated a similar story in his style about a Dhongi Raja.
“He (Kejriwal) used to say that I will not take a big bungalow, big car or jeep, but has spent every penny of the hard-earned money of the people of Delhi in revamping his house” Chahal said.
Kejriwal walked away in 2022 also after he was questioned about funds used for school development
Also, in September 2022, Kejriwal was seen running away from a New Delhi Municipal Corporation meeting after Bharatiya Janata Party’s New Delhi General Secretary and NDMC member Kuljeet Singh Chahal confronted him over the AAP government’s claims about school development. Chahal cited an RTI query where multiple questions were asked, and one of them was if Kejriwal utilized funds from his MLA quota for development in NDMC schools.
Chahal raised questions over the claims made by CM Kejriwal and the Delhi government about the development of the Schools. Chahal cited the RTI during the meeting and questioned Kejriwal over his inactions towards the development of the schools.
Instead of answering Chahal, Kejriwal got irked and left the meeting in a hasty manner. The video of the meeting had gone viral on social media platforms back then too.
On Wednesday, July 26, a special POCSO Court in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, awarded a death sentence to a 35-year-old man named Mohammed Faheem for raping and killing a four-year-old girl child. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1.2 lakh on the accused which would be paid to the victim’s family. According to reports, the incident happened in April this year in the Jahagirabad area of Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh.
Calling a “rarest of rare” case, Dhruv Rai, special judge (POCSO) said, “Such a crime is not only a violation of law, human and social relations but also destroys the social structure. The person committing such a crime deserves maximum punishment.”
After the court pronounced the verdict, the additional district government counsel Bharat Sharma said, “Dhruv Rai, special judge (POCSO), has ordered that the accused be hanged till death under IPC section 302 and section 6 of POCSO Act with a fine of Rs 1 lakh; seven-year imprisonment under section IPC 201 with Rs 20,000 penalty.”
The perpetrator, according to SSP Bulandshahr Shlok Kumar, lured the little girl to his home as she was playing outside, raped her, and strangled her to death.
“The girl’s family reported her to the police after she vanished while playing inside the house. When the police arrived, the neighbours told them that they had seen the girl with Faheem, who lived nearby. The girl’s body was found in Faheem’s home later that evening. He had hidden the body, which was covered in many bite marks, under a bed, the SSP continued.
The SSP added that the accused was arrested the same night he committed the heinous crime. The autopsy report of the little girl confirmed that she was raped and murdered. The accused has been lodged in jail since his arrest in April.
In an unprecedented move, the Prime Minister’s Office called out Congress leader and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot for his unfounded accusations. The matter pertained to PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Rajasthan’s Sikar which is scheduled for July 27 (Thursday). The Chief Minister of Rajasthan claimed that he could only extend his welcome to the Prime Minister through Twitter as the PMO had cancelled his speech at the event.
Refuting the allegation, PMO tweeted, “In accordance with protocol, you have been duly invited and your speech was also slotted. But, your office said you will not be able to join. During PM Narendra Modi’s previous visits as well you have always been invited and you have also graced those programmes with your presence.”
The PMO reiterated the invitation and stated, “You are most welcome to join today’s programme. Your name is very much there on the plaque of the development works as well. Unless you have any physical discomfort owing to your recent injury, your presence will be deeply valued.”
The Congress stalwart had posted early on Thursday morning that the PMO has removed his address from the program. “Today you are visiting Rajasthan. Your office PMO has removed my pre-scheduled 3-minute address from the program, so I will not be able to welcome you through speech, so I heartily welcome you to Rajasthan through this tweet.”
Gehlot further added, “The inauguration and foundation laying of 12 medical colleges taking place today is the result of the partnership between the Government of Rajasthan and the Centre. The project cost of these medical colleges is Rs 3,689 crore, of which Rs 2,213 crore is the share of the Center and Rs 1,476 crore of the state government.”
He also extended congratulations to everyone on behalf of his administration and listed certain demands including the withdrawal of the Agniveer scheme, caste census and funding to three medical colleges in tribal predominant areas, among others that were part of his reportedly deleted speech.
However, according to government sources, one of the events was planned specifically for the veteran Congres leader to attend. “However he wanted to join the physical program in Sikar through videoconference, which is not as per normal process or protocol”, the sources said
PM Modi is headed to Rajasthan and Gujarat on the 27th and 28th of July. Notably, this is his seventh visit to Rajasthan in the past six months for PM Modi.
He will lay the cornerstone and dedicate multiple development projects at a public event in Sikar, including 1.25 lakh PM Kisan Samriddhi Kendras (PMKSKs). He will introduce Urea Gold, a new type of urea coated with sulphur, inaugurate five new medical colleges, and deliver the 14th instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) programme, among other significant initiatives.
On 26th July, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla filed a police complaint against Aam Aadmi Party’s chief national spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar for labelling him as ‘Mujahideen’ during a debate on Republic TV. The incident took place on 25th July 2023, when Shehzad was part of a debate along with other party leaders, including AAP’s Kakkar, over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks on the newly formed I.N.D.I.A. alliance of the opposition parties.
Criminal defamation notice has been served upon AAP Chief National Spokesperson for calling Indian Muslim community & me an extremely objectionable hate inciting words during a Live TV debate by my lawyer Shri Namit Saxena ji
In his complaint, Shehzad says that Kakkar abused him and his faith by making extremely communally loaded remarks. He said during the course of the debate, Kakkar was unable to answer the questions raised by him and restored to labelling him as Mujahideen, which is now known for terrorism. He said, “She kept using that word against me merely because I am a Muslim. In the past, too, she has made such comments on-air and off-air against my faith against Islam and against Muslims in general; such comments only reflect the poisonous and hate-filled mindset of the Aam Aadmi Party towards Muslims.”
Today the AAP chief national spokesperson was asked full form of I.N.D.I.A
She obviously did not know it! After making a laughing stock of herself she resorts to the only thing she is capable of.. Without any hesitation makes a completely communal, abusive remark
He requested Noida Police to issue a show cause notice to the AAP seeking an explanation over derogatory remarks. He also requests to file a case against Kakkar under Sections 153A, 153B, 505, 295A and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) so that such incidents of hate and communal speech do not happen in the future.
Shehzad sent a legal notice to Kakkar
Earlier, Shehzad Poonawalla shared on Twitter that he had sent a legal notice to Kakkar over the same. In the tweet, Shehzad said, “Criminal defamation notice has been served upon AAP Chief National Spokesperson for calling Indian Muslim community and me an extremely objectionable hate inciting words during a Live TV debate by my lawyer Shri Namit Saxena ji. It has caused me mental and emotional trauma & has incited hatred towards me. Earlier, I have taken up the said matter with National Minority Commission for constant hate speech by AAP.”
Police complaint against AAP Chief National Spokesperson has been filed in Noida , praying for speedy & quick action, against her hate speech directed at Indian Muslims in general & me in particular @Uppolicepic.twitter.com/hHVysAwRoU
In the notice, Shehzad’s lawyer asked AAP’s spokesperson to immediately withdraw all the allegations and aspersions made against Shehzad and tender an unconditional public apology to him via print, social and electronic media. He also asked her to immediately refrain and desist from ‘defaming, harassing, hampering the reputation of Shehzad and spreading any uncalled rumours and stop indulging in such activities. Failing to do this, a defamation case against Kakkar may be filed under sections 499 and 500 of the IPC. Kakkar was asked to reply to the notice in seven days.
Kakkar questioned if “Mujahideen” meant terrorist
Kakkar did not reply to the notice as of now. However, she did quote Shehzad’s tweet, where he shared a police complaint copy. She questioned if the words ‘Shehzad’, ‘Mujahideen’ or ‘Shehzad Mujahideen’ mean terrorist. She also questioned why he was allowed to refer to a Chief Minister as ‘Jihadi’ on national media and if it was okay to refer to a political opponent as ‘Shishu’.
1. Does “Shehzad” mean terrorist? 2. Does “Mujahideen” mean terrorist? 3. Does “Shehzad Mujahideen” mean terrorist? 4. Is the Complainant allowed to refer to a Chief Minister as “Jihadi” on national media? 5. The previous conduct of the Complainant. 6. Is it okay to refer a… https://t.co/mTpHH9w5xB
Kakkar called Shehzad ‘Mujahideen’ during a debate
On 25th July, a debate was held by Republic TV following remarks by PM Modi where he slammed the opposition bloc during BJP parliamentary meeting. PM Modi argued that merely using the word ‘India’ would not work. Going ahead, he highlighted that a foreigner founded the colonising power East India Company, the same was the case with the Indian National Congress. He stressed that just like EIC, the opposition is presenting itself in the name of India. He added that even banned terror organisations like the Indian Mujahideen and Popular Front of India have also added the country’s name.
During the debate, Kakkar was unable to say the full form of the acronym I.N.D.I.A. to which Shehzad laughed. Irked by Shehzad, Kakkar started calling him Shehzad Mujahideen repeatedly. Not only Shehzad and Arnab Goswami, editor-in-chief of Republic TV, objected to it, but AAP’s alliance partner Congress’s leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam also raised objection in a lower voice directly to Kakkar.
Kakkar called Shehzad ‘Mujahideen’ and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of not hoisting the National Flag for 52 years. She also called BJP the “Half Pant Party”. Notably, half pants used to be part of the official uniform of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) which is not a political party. Senior and prominent members of the organisation have been part of the BJP for a long time, including former Prime Minister Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, LK Advani, PM Modi, Nitin Gadkari and others. However, hundreds of BJP members and leaders, including Shehzad Poonawalla, were never part of the RSS. So far, RSS has not reacted to the remarks passed by Kakkar.
Definition of the word “Mujahideen”
According to Britannica, the word Mujahideen means a Muslim who fights on behalf of the faith or the Muslim community, aka Ummah. It was also used as a personal name during the early Islamic period. However, in recent times the word Mujahideen has been associated with terrorist organisations, especially due to its early association with the Taliban in Afghanistan, which was a coalition of guerrilla groups that opposed the Soviet forces and eventually toppled the communist government during the Afghan War that was fought between the 1978 and 1972. Islamic terrorists broadly used the words Mujahideen and Jihad to refer to any Muslim groups engaged in terrorist activities.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan laid down specific rules for Mujahideen that allow suicide attacks. According to ‘The Layha for the Mujahideen: an analysis of the code of conduct for the Taliban fighters under Islamic Law‘ by Dr Muhammad Munir, an Associate Professor in Islamabad, Pakistan, the code of conduct allows suicide attacks provided Mujahideen follow certain conditions. For example, the suicide bomber should be trained well to execute the mission. The attacks should be carried out only against high-value targets. Killing ordinary people and property damage “should be avoided as far as possible. The provincial authority must provide permission for the suicide attack.
Terrorist organisations in India that have the word ‘Mujahideen’
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, there are seven terrorist organisations banned by the government of India that have ‘Mujahideen’ in their names. These organisations are Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, Hizb-Ul-Mujahideen, Al-Umar-Mujahideen, Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen, Indian Mujahideen, all its formations and front organisations, Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen and Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh.
The incident where Hindu girls in Udupi district’s Netra Jyoti college were secretly videographed by their Muslim classmates has again brought to light how a certain section of Indian media, and so-called ‘secular liberals’ use all the tactics in their arsenal to downplay, and even whitewash crimes when the perpetrators are from a ‘particular religion’.
From the day the incident gathered limelight on social media, Alt News’ Md Zubair has been busy dog-whistling against the voices who tried to raise the issue. Zubair used The News Minute’s report on the issue as his tool to label Right Wing voices like Rashmi Samant and Shefali Vaidya as liars.
TNM’s editor Dhanya Rajendran was called out by many on social media for the twisted coverage the portal did on the issue. TNM had tried to trivialize the incident where Hindu girls of an institution were secretly filmed while using the toilets, by their Muslim classmates.
The whole narrative of trivializing and dismissing the incident as a ‘prank’ sprouted from a TNM report where careful words were used by the editors to shift the blame from the perpetrators and downplay the incident as a playful joke between some squabbling girls.
In a tweet, Rajendran said that the college chairman and three accused women said it was a ‘prank’ and that the TNM simply reported their defense. She further added keeping a camera to record in a bathroom amount to bullying and harassment.
Tweet by TNM’s Editor in chief Dhanya Rjendran
Interestingly, in an incident where unsuspecting Hindu girls were secretly filmed in the college washroom by their own Muslim classmates, the entire focus of the TNM report was stressing how it was a trivial incident and how it was only gaining attention because of ‘right-wing groups’.
This was the context. The chairman of the college *SAID* the three women *SAID* it was a prank. *They said*. Their DEFENSE. How difficult is it to understand this?
The very first lines in the TNM report declare the incident as a case of ‘bullying’ and how it is being given a communal color by outsiders. In the first paragraph itself, there have been assertive sentences thrown in with confidence, like “right-wing groups have been mobilizing public opinion”, and “spreading the rumor”. The only part that does not get assertive words, and gets diluted with dismissive vocabulary is the actual crime itself.
For TNM, the act of videographing the Hindu girls was an “alleged” incident’.
TNM report of the incident
The report even goes to great lengths to insinuate that the victims themselves had dismissed the incident and that the video was deleted before them. They achieve this insinuation by repeatedly stressing how the matter only gained public attention because “outsiders” got involved and tried to give it a communal colour. They even note down how a right-wing student organization demanded police action even after the accused students were suspended, trying to further paint the perpetrators as more victimized than the victims themselves.
‘Appears to be’, ‘allegedly’ etc for the actual crime while ‘said’, maintained’ etc for dismissal of the perpetrators’ act
In the TNM report, anything related to the actual crime, of secretly filming unsuspecting Hindu girls inside the female washroom in a college, is ‘alleged’, not even substantiated. However, anything that dilutes the crime, and dismisses the intentions of the perpetrators involved is stressed with strong words, like ‘maintained’, or ‘said’. The college administration “maintains” and “says” that the act was a “prank”, but the Hindu girl “alleged” that she was being filmed.
Further in the article, it is mentioned that there is tension in the area ‘because the right-wing groups are mobilizing public opinion’, not because the fact that Hindu girls were filmed without consent while using the washroom, by three Muslim students.
The gravity of the situation is expertly diluted by the TNM’s editorial wordplay. The fact that video recording someone during their private time, without their consent is a crime, has no importance here, not for TNM because what is most important for them here is the protection of the perpetrators involved.
The Muslim girls who video-recorded their Hindu classmates are painted as playful pranksters who ‘allegedly’ filmed someone. The added worry of the TNM editors is about how the incident may cause communal tension in the area, not about how the privacy of some innocent young Hindu girls was grossly violated and endangered by their Muslim classmates.
Dhanya’s priorities were noted by many on social media.
This is understandable considering the context of filing the report seemed less around reporting the actual nature of the crime and more around airing what the defense of the perpetrators was.
Report was on ‘defense’ and response. Not the crime. The lens is clear to all ? https://t.co/8IoSICB4MM
Not just TNM, a plethora of ‘secular liberals’ are out to whitewash the crime
Apparently, because the perpetrators are Muslims and the victims are Hindus, the ‘secular’ narrative is to focus on how the crime was trivial, even childish, a mere matter of kids being mean to each other and playing pranks.
How a mean act by classmates deemed a "prank" by college authorities & police in Udupi was given a communal colour with exaggeration & malice in Karnataka. As misinformation peddlers play victim card & add more communal tone, they get backing by BJP.https://t.co/n9IXO4jAsf
TNM and Dhanya Rajendran were outraged when a girl from the Hijab protests was filmed by a hidden camera
Interestingly, while TNM and its editor seem to be very inclined to dismiss the secret filming of Hindu girls inside a college washroom as a ‘prank’, they were very outraged when a student participating in the hijab protests a year ago was allegedly filmed by a news channel without her consent.
In February 2022, Dhanya Rajendran shared another TNM report that described how a hidden camera used by a Kannada news channel has left a student distraught. The report described how the Suvarna news staff entered the girl’s house and filmed her grandmother and cousin while falsely claiming to be from an NGO. The report described in great detail how the incident left the hijab girl traumatized and shaken.
For some reason, Dhanya Rajendran and her news portal do not think the Hindu girls who got secretly video recorded inside their college toilet deserve the same respect for their privacy and dignity.
A detailed chronology of the Udupi case can be read here. A detailed article on the police FIR and the college’s response can be read here.
A Delhi Court on Wednesday, July 26, sentenced former Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Darda, his son Devender Darda, and businessman Manoj Kumar Jayaswal to four years in prison in a case involving abnormalities in the distribution of a coal block in the state of Chhattisgarh. The court stated they got the block by defrauding the government. After the court order, all three were taken into custody without delay.
In the same case, Special Judge Sanjay Bansal sentenced former coal secretary H C Gupta, along with two other ex-officials, K S Kropha and K C Samria, to three years in prison. However, they have been issued bail so they could appeal their conviction before the High Court.
The court also fined JLD Yavatmal Energy Pvt Ltd, who acquired the coal block, Rs 50 lakh. The Dardas and Jayaswal were each given a fine of Rs. 15 lakh by the court. Each of the other three convicted individuals has also been ordered to pay a fine of Rs 20,000.
Delhi's Special Court sentences 4 years imprisonment to former Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Darda. His son Devender Darda, M/S JLD Yavatmal Energy Pvt Ltd's Director Manoj Kumar Jayaswal also sentenced to four years imprisonment in a case relating to irregularities in the allocation of a… pic.twitter.com/An6uzLPVow
“The present case relates to the allocation of a coal block. The convicts had obtained the said block by committing cheating with the Government of India. The prosecution is justified in saying that the loss to the nation was huge,” the judge said.
The court found them guilty on July 13 in accordance with IPC Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating), as well as the applicable provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
In order to thwart the probe, Darda and his son allegedly met with the then-CBI director Ranjit Sinha at his home, according to the CBI, which had asked for the maximum penalty of seven years.
An SIT had been established by the Supreme Court to look into allegations that Sinha had attempted to sway the investigation into the coal scam cases. A Covid-related illness claimed the life of Sinha, an IPS officer from the 1974 batch, in 2021.
On November 20, 2014, the court rejected a CBI closure report and ordered the agency to reopen the case after finding that the former MP had “misrepresented” the truth in letters to the then coal minister, former prime minister, Manmohan Singh.
According to the court, Vijay Darda, the chairman of the Lokmat Group, took these actions to guarantee JLD Yavatmal Energy Pvt Ltd. access to the Fatehpur (East) coal block in Chhattisgarh. According to the court, private parties orchestrated a plot to cheat public employees by engaging in the offence of cheating.
The CBI in its FIR had stated that JLD Yavatmal had wrongfully hidden the previous allocation of four coal blocks to its group companies in 1999-2005, but the agency later submitted a closure report, saying no undue benefit was extended to JLD Yavatmal by the coal ministry in the allocation of coal blocks.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) criticised the government in 2012 for its improper allocation of 194 coal blocks to public sector organisations and private businesses between 2004 and 2009 for captive usage in a secretive manner. This case had shaken the Manmohan Singh administration.
The CAG said that the government ought to have used competitive bidding procedures rather than allocating priceless natural resources. It was reported that many politicians lobbied on behalf of private organisations and assisted them in obtaining these blocks. Several organisations received more mining blocks than they required and made large profits by selling the extra coal in the open market.
The CAG initially estimated a loss of Rs 10.6 lakh crore to the exchequer, but its final report tabled in Parliament put the figure at Rs 1.86 lakh crore.
On Wednesday, July 26, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma called the horrific triple murder in the Golaghat district a result of Love Jihad. CM Sarma assured that a chargesheet would be filed within 15 days, in order to expedite the trial of accused Najibur Rahman. Accused Najibur Rahman Bora had killed his 24-year-old wife Sanghamitra Ghosh along with her father Sanjeev Ghosh and mother Junu Ghosh at their residence on 24 July.
“It is a case of love jihad.” The family of the deceased was Hindu, while the accused is Muslim. He initially introduced himself on Facebook with a Hindu name. The wife learned to use drugs after the couple fled to Kolkata,” CM Sarma said.
#WATCH | Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma meets family members of triple murder case victim Golaghat. pic.twitter.com/rnsYiWOlYM
According to the Chief Minister, the accused, a 25-year-old mechanical engineer named Najibur Rahman Bora, was a drug addict who was involved in the trafficking of illegal drugs. “The woman was given injectable drugs, in the influence of which she was impregnated. The victim was tortured when she went to live at the accused Najibur’s home and later returned to her maternal home,” CM Sarma said.
Moreover, CM Sarma voiced his concern about incidents in which religious identities are concealed in order to persuade women to marry, resulting in situations in which societal acceptability becomes complicated if the victim woman decides to come back to her family. “In such a scenario, she inevitably changes her religion, sacrifices everything, and assimilates into a different life,” he explained.
The Assam chief minister who also oversees the Home Department, called it a “open-and-shut case,” and said the chargesheet would be filed within the next 15 days. Later, he tweeted to underline the Assam government’s resolve to turn the society into a zero-crime zone, stressing that “no criminal shall escape justice.”
In Assam, be it Nazibur Rahman or any other individual, we stand firm in our commitment that crime has no place in our state. Our resolve remains unwavering – no criminal shall escape justice.
On July 24, a 25-year-old Muslim man named Nazibur Rahman Bora murdered his 24-year-old wife Sanghamitra Ghosh, her father Sanjeev Ghosh, and her mother Junu Ghosh at their home.
The old couple tried to protect their daughter, but they were all stabbed to death. The accused is a mechanical engineer who graduated from the Central Institute of Technology in Kolkata and grew up in the same neighbourhood. On the evening of July 24, he surrendered to police and was arrested on various charges, including murder.
As reported earlier, a case has been registered under Sections 302 (murder) and 448 (trespassing) of the Indian Penal Code and an investigation is being conducted into the matter.
‘Love Jihad is a true and real concept’: CM Sarma
The Assam CM further stressed that Love Jihad is a real and true concept as he compared the gruesome triple murder in Golaghat with the popular movie The Kerala Story.
CM Sarma told the media today in Golaghat, “I would advise our daughters’ parents to be vigilant and cautious about our culture and traditions.” Likewise, I would caution my sisters and daughters not to take things lightly. They should think multiple times before dating a boy from a different faith community whom they met on Facebook or other social media sites. They should further proceed with caution while becoming friends with someone over social media.”
CM Sarma emphasised that since the Hindu dharma and Islam differ in culture and tradition, there are relatively few cases where such interfaith marriages prove successful.
“Previously, there were no instances of religious conversion in Assam when interfaith marriages were conducted under the Special Marriage Act; however, these days, conditions are imposed on the girls to change their religion. Such Love Jihad cases demonstrated that it is a real concept. Films like ‘The Kerala Story’ are not fabricated or baseless,” CM Sarma stated.
