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A 73-year-old ‘granny’ deported by the US after three decades: asylum claims, overstaying alien and possible use of the ‘Khalistan card’

Anurag
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A 73-year-old ‘granny’ deported by the US after three decades: asylum claims, overstaying alien and possible use of the ‘Khalistan card’

On 23rd September, 73-year-old ‘granny’ Harjit Kaur landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi and then moved to Punjab after being deported from the United States. Kaur stayed in the US for 33 years. While mainstream media in India and the US painted her story as a tragedy, it is essential to understand the circumstances under which she was handcuffed and sent back to India after being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on 8th September.

Harjit Kaur went to the US in the early 1990s with her two sons. In the US, she made an asylum claim to get citizenship. For almost a decade, she fought with the system in the US to get her application accepted but all the available legal remedies were exhausted by 2005 when a US court ordered her deportation. In 2012, another set of appeals was rejected, and she was bound to be sent back after illegally living in the US for around two decades.

It took US authorities another 13 years to deport Harjit Kaur, who is now 73. Her story must not be seen as some tragedy, but it is a classic case to examine how asylum processes are manipulated, immigrant burdens tolerated, and political narratives exploited.

The deportation unfolds

Harjit Kaur tried her level best to be a model resident of the United States to claim citizenship. She regularly went to the ICE office every six months to ensure she could continue to stay in the country. However, on 8th September, during what was supposed to be a routine check-in with US ICE in San Francisco, she was arrested, handcuffed and chained. She was transferred across multiple detention centres and ultimately deported to Delhi before returning to her native Punjab.

According to her statements given to the media, during the intervening days between her arrest and deportation, she endured indignities. She was forced to sleep on concrete floors without a bed cover or shower. She was denied access to medicines, served non-veg meals despite her religious conviction, and even given a plate of ice when asked for water. While her family bought a ticket for her to travel to India and requested the authorities to let her fly commercial, she was deported before the family could meet her and say goodbye.

In a reply to the question on Harjit Kaur, the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that since January 2025, over 2,400 Indians have been deported or repatriated from the US. MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “In the last several months, since January 2025, so far, we’ve had 2,417 Indian nationals deported or repatriated from the United States. In the case of Harjeet Kaur, she also returned recently. We want to promote legal pathways of migration. At the same time, India stands against illegal migration. Whenever there is a person who does not possess a legal status in any country, and he or she is referred to us with documents if there are claims of being that he or she is an Indian national, we do the background check, we confirm the nationality, and then we are in a position to take them back. And this is what has been happening with deportations from the United States.”

The US authorities, for their part, do not appear to have disputed that Kaur’s removal was legally executed, as she had long since exhausted her appeals.

From unchecked asylum to indefinite limbo

Kaur arrived in the US in the early 1990s, alongside her two sons. She applied for asylum, implicitly invoking fears of persecution she claimed from India. Over the years, her pleas were dismissed repeatedly. In 2012, the final rejection came at the federal appeals court level. After that, she was under a deportation order but lacked a valid passport or travel documents. She remained in the US in a precarious, undocumented status.

Reports suggest that for over a decade, she religiously complied with ICE requirements that included reporting every six months, paying taxes, trying to obtain travel documents, never involving herself in criminal activities and more. Yet despite her cooperation, the machinery of the US immigration system allowed her stay to persist until the enforcement blitz under the Trump administration.

Her case illustrates how an asylum seeker, who lost her rights long ago, leveraged the ambiguity and inertia of the system to remain in the US for decades. The delay in executing her removal speaks louder than her final deportation.

The possibility of using the infamous ‘Khalistan card’ and asylum abuse

Her deportation raises a thorny question. To what extent have asylum frameworks been weaponised by those invoking the Khalistan narrative? In recent years, multiple cases have surfaced, specifically in Western countries, where Sikh migrants claiming persecution are denied refugee status. However, they manage to stay in the host country for years, and sometimes decades, undocumented before getting deported to India.

Consider the case of Pardeep Singh, whose asylum plea in Ontario was recently rejected by a court that explicitly called out the abuse of the “Khalistani card”. The court held that claims of persecution anchored solely in political or separatist narratives without independent corroboration cannot satisfy genuine refugee thresholds. Similarly, in Florida, authorities investigating a crash involving a Punjabi migrant named Harjinder Singh suggested that the individual may have entered using the so-called “Dunki” route and was attempting to leverage a Khalistan persecution narrative as a backdoor to settlement.

These cases, and many others, reflect a clear pattern. Many asylum claims, especially from people going to these countries from Punjab, rooted in generalisation and politically charged narratives, are used to bypass the legal immigration system and get access to citizenship.

The system is strained by such cases because it must parse genuine fear from opportunistic claims, a line that is inherently blurry when political, religious, or separatist identity is the fulcrum of one’s narrative.

In the case of Harjit Kaur, it has been clearly mentioned by US-based and Indian media houses that she claimed asylum in the US to get citizenship but failed. While the base of asylum, which is persecution from the parent country, has not been mentioned in any news report, it is safe to assume that she might have used the Khalistan card, claiming she supported the separatist narrative and ‘feared’ for her life if she came back to India.

Political reactions – empathy or oblivion?

The Indian political establishment has rushed to condemn Kaur’s deportation as inhumane, using emotive rhetoric about her being shackled, the indignities inflicted, and the lack of Indian governmental support abroad. Congress leaders castigated India’s foreign policy for alleged passivity, while regional voices in Punjab decried the humiliation of an elderly diaspora member.

Yet this outrage ignores the inconvenient truth. Kaur was undocumented, had no valid appeal left, and had lived in the US in violation of immigration orders for years. While the Indian government has traditionally extended a soft hand in such cases, the deeper betrayal lies with those who manipulate asylum frameworks by portraying India as unsafe, often invoking Khalistan or persecution narratives. In doing so, they malign their own country abroad, only to seek sympathy decades later when deportation finally arrives.

The US crackdown in context

Harjit Kaur is not an isolated case. Since Donald Trump assumed office for the second term as the President, the immigration enforcement push has seen thousands of long-residing Indians or Indian-origin persons deported or repatriated this year. There was de facto tolerance towards undocumented immigrants who kept a low profile for years, not anymore.

While being empathetic considering Harjit Kaur’s age is fine, the question remains, what exactly did she write in her asylum application? Did she claim she feared for her life because she supported the Khalistan movement? Another question arises, if she lacked proper travel documents, how did she enter the US in the first place? Why did they fail to secure the documents from the Indian government for over a decade?

Not to forget, hardcore terrorists like Hardeep Singh Nijjar had also sought asylum in the 1990s in Canada but failed for decades. It was only after his death that the Canadian government revealed they had granted him citizenship. The asylum mechanism is being misused in almost every country that is sympathetic towards the separatist narrative.

The moral and legal fault lines

Kaur’s ordeal raises moral, legal and political questions that go beyond her personal story. There is the moral dilemma of deporting elderly, non-criminal woman who has spent decades building her life around family in the US, only to be uprooted without notice. There is also the legal problem of how immigration systems allow such multi-decade limbos, where deportation orders remain pending and travel documents are indefinitely delayed.

Source: richmondside

Politically, the case underscores how asylum provisions, meant to protect the genuinely persecuted, are often manipulated by narratives of separatism or exaggerated claims of persecution abroad. At an institutional level, both the US and Indian governments tend to respond with symbolic outrage rather than addressing the deeper inconsistencies that allow such cases to fester. In that sense, Kaur’s journey exposes how legal loopholes and political posturing can sustain undocumented lives for decades, only to end in sudden deportation cloaked in emotion where no one dares to ask the real question, “What was in her asylum application?”.

Madhya Pradesh: Severed body parts of a cow found by locals in a river in Rewa, FIR lodged

OpIndia Staff
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Madhya Pradesh: Severed body parts of a cow found by locals in a river in Rewa, FIR lodged

Tensions flared up in the Lakshman Bagh colony of the Bichhiya police station area in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, on Saturday (27th September) after locals found the severed body parts of a cow in a river, amid the festival of Navratri.

Angry locals placed the severed head of the cow on the road and protested. Members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) demanded stringent action against the culprits. Condemning the incident, VHP member Balkrishna Dwivedi said, “Our religious sentiments are hurt. The administration should not neglect such incidents. If the accused are not caught soon, we will protest”.

Police assured strict action

An FIR, accessed by OpIndia, was filed by the police on the same day against unnamed persons under sections 196(2), 299, and 365 of the BNS, section 11(1) of  the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and rule 6/9 of the Madhya Pradesh Govansh Vadh Pratishedh Rules, 2004. Police are looking for the culprits. Chief Superintendent of Police Rewa, Rajiv Pathak, took stock of the situation and assured the locals of swift and strict action.

Police are examining the CCTV footage to identify the culprits. SHO Bichhiya, Manidha Upadhyay, said that the police are looking for the culprits and that legal action will be taken against them. She appealed to the locals to cooperate with the police and maintain peace. Two suspects, Mohammad Ismail and a minor, have reportedly been detained by the police in connection with the incident.

Several such incidents have happened in the area in the past: Locals

Locals said that some suspicious people were seen roaming in the area at night. OpIndia spoke to a local named Vishal Singh, who said that this is not the first time that such an incident has taken place in the area. He said that many such incidents have happened in the area in the past and that complaints were filed regarding the same, but the incidents have not stopped.

Narrating the entire incident, Singh said that last night, the culprits slaughtered the cow at the bank of the river. When the locals noticed their activities, they informed others. However, by the time people arrived, the culprits had run away. Thereafter, they informed the police and started looking for the chopped body parts of the cow in the river. After searching, the severed head of the cow was recovered from the river and her skin found nearby.

Vishal Singh said that there is a gang of around 15-18 people who roam around in the area looking for cows to slaughter. He added that these people sell beef after slaughtering cows. Singh demanded strictest action against the culprits, who have become a menace in the area.

UK-based ‘The Guardian’ backs Sonam Wangchuk while questioning the Modi government’s handling of violence

शिव
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UK-based ‘The Guardian’ backs Sonam Wangchuk while questioning the Modi government’s handling of violence

Foreign media outlets often wait for opportunities to paint India in a negative light. This time, the UK-based newspaper The Guardian has reported the recent violence in Ladakh and the arrest of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk in its own way.

On 24th September, violence broke out in Ladakh, leading to the deaths of four people and over 60 were injured. Following the clashes, Wangchuk was detained under the provisions of the National Security Act (NSA) on Friday (26th September). But instead of presenting the violence and its aftermath in context, “In a report, The Guardian has blindly condemned the arrest of the Ladakh violence as part of action against the “dissent” of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.”

Right from the beginning of The Guardian’s report, it is clearly visible that it is not a report, but propaganda against India and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Guardian tried to portray the arrest as an attack on free speech.

Screengrab from The Guardian’s report

The initial part of the report has tried to show that the Modi government, cannot hear its protest, implying that Wangchuk was jailed only because he had raised his voice against the authorities.

After this claim, the Guardian also introduced Wangchuck and wrote that he was leading the ‘long agitation against the Modi government’. He was leading the long agitation, but even after his long protests he was not jailed by the government. In fact, rather than suppressing his movement, the Modi government had formed a high-level committee to engage with his concerns.

The Indian government’s attempt was not to suppress the voice of dissent, but that their voices should be heard, action should be taken. He has been arrested after the violence in Ladakh, in which 4 people have died. The Guardian has deliberately concealed the beginning of its news in the information.

And it is not just the only propaganda. There has been an attempt to write a fabricated story.

The report also argues to justify violence. “This territory(Ladakh) was part of the Jammu and Kashmir before it was unilaterally dissolved by the Modi government and brought fully under its control, to the anger and frustration of the local population,” the Guardian wrote.

Screengrab from The Guardian’s report

The Guardian saw the anger and disappointment of the people, but the newspaper  forgot to highlight that there were demonstrations in this Ladakh for decades to become a Union Territory. When the decision was finally announced in 2019, residents celebrated with drums and dancing. Even Wangchuk himself had publicly thanked the government at that time. Today, his demands are for full statehood and greater autonomy, but that doesn’t mean the UT status was imposed against the will of the people of Ladakh. 

It is clear that the aim of the Guardian’s piece was less about reporting facts and more about pushing a narrative that life in Ladakh has worsened under Modi’s leadership.

The Guardian report further criticised over India’s military construction and infrastructure construction in Ladakh. The Guardian is concerned that India’s military construction is having an impact on the environment. While environmental concerns are valid, what the piece ignored is the reason behind these projects, the military needs and the growing threat from China.

Screengrab from The Guardian’s report

Foreign media outlets like the Guardian repeatedly target India’s military construction and infrastructure as an environmental crisis. But this media rarely raises questions about the construction of large military bases, roads, tunnels and airbases of other countries.

PM Modi launches BSNL’s indigenous 4G stack: What is Bharat Telecom Stack, and why it is strategically important for Atmanirbhar India

Raju Das
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PM Modi launches BSNL’s indigenous 4G stack: What is Bharat Telecom Stack, and why it is strategically important for Atmanirbhar India

In a landmark moment for India’s technological sovereignty, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited’s (BSNL) fully indigenous 4G stack, propelling the country into the select league of nations that build their own telecom infrastructure. The launch, coinciding with BSNL’s silver jubilee, also saw the commissioning of over 97,500 new 4G towers of BSNL, including 92,600 advanced sites, at an investment of around ₹37,000 crore.

While BSNL is late to introduce 4G, private telecom operators in India are already running 5G networks, the introduction is important because the entire network is based on equipment and technology developed in India, not based on foreign network equipment.

This indigenous full-stack 4G network solution, known as Bharat Telecom Stack, marks India’s entry into the elite club of nations capable of designing and manufacturing their own complete telecom infrastructure, joining Denmark, Sweden, South Korea, and China as the fifth member. Developed entirely within the country, the Bharat Telecom Stack embodies the spirit of Atmanirbhar Bharat, by reducing dependence on foreign technology and fostering innovation in critical sectors like telecommunications.

What is the Bharat Telecom Stack

The Bharat Telecom Stack is a comprehensive, homegrown telecommunications ecosystem designed, developed, and deployed in India. It represents a “Swadeshi” 4G network stack that operates on a cloud-based architecture, enabling seamless scalability and future upgrades to 5G without overhauling the entire system. Unlike traditional telecom setups that rely on imported hardware and software from global vendors, this stack integrates every layer, from core network functions to radio access and edge computing, using Indian intellectual property and manufacturing.

At its heart, the stack prioritises security, efficiency, and inclusivity. It is the first time India has achieved a “full-stack” telecom solution, meaning it covers the end-to-end process of signal transmission, data processing, and user connectivity. This innovation is the result of a collaborative effort between public and private entities, including Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), and Tejas Networks.

While C-DOT developed the core technology, TCS set up data centres, deploying base stations and radio infrastructure developed by Tejas Network. The entire network has been integrated under AI-driven Cognitive Network Operations (CNOPS) platform Cognitive Network Operations (CNOPS) for round-the-clock monitoring.

The development of the Bharat Telecom Stack is a testament to India’s evolving R&D capabilities in telecom. Initiated under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, the project addressed long-standing vulnerabilities in India’s telecom sector, which has historically imported over 90% of its equipment from foreign suppliers. The stack’s creation involved rigorous testing and integration, culminating in a Rs 37,000 crore investment to commission over 97,500 towers nationwide.

The entire system was completed within just two years, making it one of the fastest 4G deployments globally. 

The rollout is ambitious and targeted. Initial deployment focuses on underserved regions, with over 18,900 sites funded under the Digital Bharat Nidhi scheme. These include solar-powered towers in remote, border, and insurgency-affected areas, aiming to connect 26,700 villages that previously lacked reliable internet access.

Why is the Bharat Telecom Stack Crucial for Atmanirbhar Bharat

The Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign, launched in 2020 amid global supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic, emphasizes self-reliance across five pillars: economy, infrastructure, systems, demography, and demand. The telecom sector, vital for all these pillars, has been a prime target for indigenization. The Bharat Telecom Stack aligns perfectly with this vision, offering multifaceted benefits that extend far beyond connectivity.

Enhancing National Security and Digital Sovereignty

In an era of escalating cyber threats and geopolitical tensions, reliance on foreign telecom gear poses significant risks. The stack eliminates these vulnerabilities by ensuring that core infrastructure is “Made in Bharat,” free from backdoors or supply chain interruptions. This is particularly critical for border regions and defence applications, where secure communication can be a matter of national security.

As Prime Minister Modi noted, the project “symbolises the strength of Atmanirbhar Bharat” by guaranteeing resilience and control over India’s digital backbone. It echoes the other successful indigenous stack, India Stack, which has resulted in services like Aadhaar, FASTag, DigiLocker, UPI etc, creating a unified ecosystem of sovereign tech.

Driving Economic Growth and Job Creation

Economically, Bharat Telecom Stack is a game-changer. Instead of importing expensive telecom technology and gears, India can now export this technology globally, potentially generating billions in revenue. This initiative represent a giant leap towards Atmanirbhar Bharat, transforming India into a global telecom equipment manufacturing hub and boosting the GDP through value-added exports. India has already become a major producer of mobile phones, now the country will also produce the equipment that connect those phones.

Bridging the Digital Divide for Inclusive Development

The stack is also about empowerment. By connecting rural villages not served by private operators, it brings high-speed internet to millions, enabling rural entrepreneurs to access e-commerce, farmers to use precision agriculture apps, and students to pursue online learning. This digital inclusion aligns with the Viksit Bharat goal by 2047, ensuring that no citizen is left behind in the digital revolution.

As the stack is 5G ready, BSNL will be able to upgrade its network from 4G to 5G without large investment. The public telecom company plans to rollout 5G network by the year-end.

Looking forward, the Bharat Telecom Stack sets the stage for India to lead in 6G research and beyond. With its export-ready design, it could soon power networks in developing nations.

The Bharat Telecom Stack is more than a technical achievement, it’s a declaration of India’s arrival as a technology powerhouse. It fortifies Atmanirbhar Bharat against external shocks and unlocks unprecedented opportunities for growth and equity. As Prime Minister Modi aptly said, this is India’s journey “from dependence to confidence,” ensuring a digitally empowered future for the nation.

In an interconnected world, a sovereign telecom stack isn’t just strategic, it’s essential.

The tragedy of India: Leftist rag The Wire gives space to former J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti to whitewash two Islamic terrorists

Aditi
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The tragedy of India: Leftist rag The Wire gives space to former J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti to whitewash two Islamic terrorists

Jammu and Kashmir’s People’s Democratic Party president, and former J&K Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, wrote an article published in the leftist media portal The Wire on September 22, 2025, whitewashing the heinous acts of terrorists Afzal Guru and Yasin Malik and putting the blame on the Indian state. The politician accused the Indian state of showing “institutional duplicity” in dealing with terrorists Afzal Guru, who was executed for attacking the symbol of India’s sovereignty, the Indian Parliament, and Yasin Malik, who was convicted of waging war against the Indian state.

Screenshot from the Wire

Describing the convicted terrorists as “whistleblowers” and “peace-builders”, Mufti accused the Indian state of convicting the two terrorists through “a deeply flawed legal process”. She alleged that the Indian state did not properly investigate the case against Afzal Guru and “executed him to satisfy the collective conscience of the country”. She further alleged that Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) terrorist Yasin Malik was convicted not for waging war against India, but for a “peace process”, which the state allegedly directed him to be a part of.

“This is not just about two men; it is about how we, as a nation, choose to confront our past and whether we’re willing to learn from it. Do we want peace or permanent punishment? Do we seek truth or only what is politically convenient?” wrote Mufti, who once refused to unfurl the Indian flag. Drawing a parallel between Afzal Guru and Yasin Malik, she wrote, “Separated by time, context, and ideology, both men now stand united not only in memory, but in what their cases expose: how the Indian state has used individuals to serve short-term goals and then discarded or punished them once they outlived their usefulness”.

Afzal Guru was a whistleblower: Mufti

In her article, Mufti expresses her deep sympathies for Afzal Guru, who was hanged in 2013 after being convicted in connection with the 2001 Parliament attack. Mufti said that Afzal had written a letter from jail, in which he named a senior officer in the Special Task Force, Davinder Singh, who allegedly forced Afzal into “helping the very people later accused of the parliament attack”. According to Mufti, the fact that Davinder Singh was later caught by the Indian agencies while transporting terrorists in Kashmir should absolve Afzal of his crime. She accused the Indian government of giving differential treatment to “whistleblower” Afzal Guru and Davinder Singh just because the former was caught before the latter.

“Afzal was branded a terrorist. Singh was quietly sidelined. One was executed and the other, protected,” Mufti lamented. Completely ignoring the fact that Davinder Singh is facing the same judicial system as did Afzal Guru, Mufti questioned the Indian justice system, saying, “What does it say about our justice system when a man names a police officer who is later arrested for terrorism, and yet, it is the whistleblower who is hanged, while the officer remains shielded?” It is Mufti’s logic that a criminal who discloses the name of another criminal should not be considered a criminal merely for naming the other criminal. The fact that Davinder Singh is undergoing a fair judicial trial, as did Afzal Guru, does not matter to Mufti, or rather doesn’t help her narrative. Afzal Guru was hanged for his acts, and Davinder Singh is being tried for the charges levelled against him and will face punishment if convicted.

Yasin Malik is a peace-builder: Mufti

Mufti also feels for convicted terrorist Yasin Malik, who had kidnapped her sister Rubaiya Sayeed in 1989 and was charged in the killings of four Indian Air Force personnel, besides being convicted under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in a terror funding case. Mufti claims that Yasin Malik was ‘used’ by the Indian government for some peace outreach program. “Yasin Malik, once a militant, renounced violence in 1994 and committed himself to political dialogue. For more than two decades, he was embraced by the very state that would later condemn him,” Mufti wrote. She believes that Yasin Malik “was asked by Indian Intelligence Agencies” to meet Pakistan-based terrorist Hafiz Saeed in Pakistan to convince him “to urge a shift from violence to dialogue.” And therefore, as per Mufti, his conviction under UAPA, which was based on evidence, including his links with Hafiz Saeed, was unfair.

Mufti wants the Indian state to believe terrorist Yasin Malik, whose criminal acts were proved in a court of law, when he says that he has renounced violence and has chosen the path of dialogue. Using the examples of convicted terrorists Afzal Guru and Yasin Malik, Mufti tries to prove that it is the Indian state and the Indian judicial system which are at fault for convicting these terrorists, and not the terrorists who engaged in anti-national and terrorist activities when they liked and later adopted the path of dialogue when it looked convenient. Mufti, who said that she wouldn’t raise the Indian flag until the flag of Jammu & Kashmir was restored, wants the Indian State to see the so-called “wrongs” alleged by her, “not as Kashmiri grievances but as Indian failures”.

Mufti is right that something unites Afzal Guru and Yasin Malik, but it is not their alleged “use” by the Indian state, but by the fact that they were both terrorists who saw the Indian state and the Indian people as enemies and attacked India’s integrity and sovereignty.

Terrorists Afzal Guru and Yasin Malik

On the 13th of December, 2001, around 24 years ago, India witnessed one of its darkest days when a terrorist attack was carried out on the Indian Parliament. Nine people, including eight security personnel and one gardener, lost their lives in the attack, and 16 people, including 13 security personnel, sustained injuries. Among those arrested in connection with the attack was Afzal Guru. After about a year-long trial, Afzal Guru was granted capital punishment in August 2002. He was executed in February 2013.

JKLF leader Yasin Malik is in prison after being sentenced to life imprisonment by the Special NIA court for terror funding activities in Jammu and Kashmir in May 2022. He was convicted under the UAPA after he pleaded guilty in the case. He was awarded two life imprisonment sentences, in addition to five 10-year sentences, all to run concurrently. Malik is also facing charges for the kidnapping of Mufti’s sister, Rubiya Saeed, and killing 5 IAF personnel in early 1990. He is also allegedly involved in the killing of Justice Neelkanth Ganju, the judge who had ordered the death sentence for JKLF terrorist Maqbool Bhatt, and the murder of the former director of Doordarshan Kendra in Srinagar, Lassa Kaul.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi goes on a foreign trip yet again before crucial Bihar Assembly election: Read why this unserious, part-time politician cannot be trusted to serve the masses

Shriti Sagar
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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi goes on a foreign trip yet again before crucial Bihar Assembly election: Read why this unserious, part-time politician cannot be trusted to serve the masses

Opposition leader in Lok Sabha and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has embarked on yet another foreign trip. This time, he has gone on a four-nation tour in South America, where he will be meeting political leaders, university students, and members of the business community.

Gandhi will be travelling to Brazil and Colombia, as informed by the  Congress’s media and publicity department head, Pawan Khera. There, he will be addressing students in universities, meeting with presidents and top leaders, and talking to businessmen on topics like trade and technology.

The Congress party has described this tour as an important step to strengthen India’s ties with South America, especially as the region and India share a historical connection through the Non-Aligned Movement and the Global South.

While the Congress party is presenting this trip as an effort to build democratic and strategic partnerships, the timing of Rahul Gandhi’s tour has once again raised questions back home.

A foreign visit when Bihar elections are around the corner

Rahul Gandhi, the Opposition Leader in the Lok Sabha, but he is not the Prime Minister of India nor a government delegation. Yet, he has assumed the function of giving talks overseas at a time when an important Bihar poll is at hand.

This has also triggered criticism that his priorities are in the wrong place. A responsible leader would, under normal circumstances, use his time to prepare for strategies, relate to the people on the ground, and consolidate his party ahead of a large election. Rahul Gandhi, however, has opted to go on another foreign trip.

His choice to engage with overseas university students also seems questionable. He is neither an academic nor a subject expert, yet he has scheduled lectures and debates with overseas students and thinkers. Critics allege that rather than giving speeches in Colombia and Brazil, he ought to be addressing the voters in Bihar, where the Congress is struggling hard to stay relevant.

This yet again brings forward the criticism levelled regularly against Rahul Gandhi, that he does not take politics seriously as a politician and tends to approach politics as a part-time activity instead of a full-time one.

Seen chilling in Malaysia just weeks ago

Adding to this impression is his recent vacation in Malaysia. Earlier this month, Rahul Gandhi had just finished his so-called Voter Rights Yatra in Bihar. But instead of continuing his political outreach, he flew off to Malaysia soon after the yatra ended.

His trip became a matter of controversy after pictures surfaced on social media showing him vacationing in Langkawi, Malaysia. BJP leaders and people on social media slammed him for once again disappearing during an important political season.

Amit Malviya, head of the BJP’s IT cell, posted on X, “Rahul Gandhi has slipped away yet again—this time on a clandestine vacation in Langkawi, Malaysia. Looks like the heat and dust of Bihar’s politics was too much for the Congress Yuvraj, who had to rush off for a break. Or is it another one of those secret meetings that no one is supposed to know about? Either way, while people struggle with real issues, Rahul Gandhi is busy perfecting the art of disappearing and vacationing.”

Besides, Gandhi’s Malaysia trip is surrounded by controversy because Islamic fundamentalist Zakir Naik took Malaysian citizenship after leaving India. This had led to speculations that Gandhi might have gone to Malaysia for a ‘special meeting’. An X user wrote, “He has gone to Malaysia to meet his guru, Zakir Naik”.

The Malaysia trip, which came immediately after his Bihar yatra, only reinforced the view that Rahul Gandhi treats political events like assignments, something to be quickly completed before heading abroad to relax.

A secret trip to Uzbekistan before state polls

This is not the first instance Rahul Gandhi has opted to travel out of the country before elections. In October 2023, he clandestinely left India for a visit to Uzbekistan ahead of crucial Vidhan Sabha elections in several States. 

When he did come back, the media learned about it only when he was seen at Delhi International Airport. He still did not reveal what the purpose of the trip was. This secrecy has been a habitual aspect of his foreign trips, which are usually done under a veil of secrecy.

This kind of conduct, critics argue, is not fit for a senior Opposition leader who ought to be showing the way, particularly in the midst of critical political seasons.

The Congress prince has a history of going abroad during elections

Rahul Gandhi has a track record of going on holidays without informing the public, either during election season or at a time when his party needs him the most. Gandhi is famous for his foreign travels during a crisis in his party, and also for promoting foreign interference in India’s internal affairs.

His Bangkok trip in 2019 was equally controversial. At that time, too, he left in the middle of the elections and went on a trip. The questions raised on his foreign trips are not without ground, as many times during his foreign trips, he has met anti-India elements. 

For example, in 2023, during his visit to the US, he met Sunita Vishwanath, co-founder of Hindu for Human Rights (HfHR). HfHR is an Islamist advocacy group which accuses Hindus of indulging in discrimination in India.

In April 2022, when the Congress party needed leadership and there were rumours of including Prashant Kishor in the Congress, Gandhi went abroad, showing a lack of concern. And, soon after Prashant Kishor refused to join the party, Rahul Gandhi again suddenly disappeared for about 10 days, without giving any information. During that time, despite being in a deep crisis, the Congress party had to work without any leadership.

Earlier, in December 2021, when the Congress party was defeated very badly in assembly elections held in five states, Rahul Gandhi was on a personal trip to Italy. Due to his trip, election activities in Punjab were dealt a significant setback as a majority of rallies were postponed until his return. This trip of his became the cause of the Aam Aadmi Party’s victory and the defeat of his own party.

In September 2021, when the Congress was in trouble because of Captain Amarinder Singh’s resignation in Punjab, the Gandhi family was on leave in Shimla. 

In December 2020, when the 136th foundation day of the Congress Party was being celebrated, Rahul Gandhi once again flew to Italy. Likewise, in October 2019, only 15 days before the elections in Haryana and Maharashtra, he flew off to Bangkok.

Similarly, soon after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, he flew off to London and began vacationing, without holding back for the outcomes. He did not even join a crucial meeting convened by his mother, Sonia Gandhi.

 Apart from this, Rahul Gandhi often did not take SPG security (Special Protection Group) during his foreign trips and kept violating security rules. Due to this, the government withdrew his SPG security. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also raised questions on this in Parliament.

A pattern that shows misplaced priorities

With the Bihar elections around the corner, Rahul Gandhi’s decision to go on a South American tour has only revived these old criticisms. Instead of spending time in Bihar, where his party has a lot at stake, he is once again abroad, speaking to foreign students and leaders.

For many observers, this reflects misplaced priorities. At a time when the Congress party is struggling to find its feet in one of India’s most politically important states, its leader is thousands of miles away. Rahul Gandhi’s pattern of vanishing abroad before major elections raises serious doubts about his seriousness as a politician and whether he truly sees himself as a full-time leader.

As Naxals face a near-wipeout, two senior leaders on loggerheads about surrendering: Telangana Intelligence report says panic amid Maoist cadre

Rukma Rathore
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As Naxals face a near-wipeout, two senior leaders on loggerheads about surrendering: Telangana Intelligence report says panic amid Maoist cadre

The Modi government has launched an unparalleled campaign against red terror in India with Home Minister Amit Shah repeatedly asserting that the country will be free from this threat by 31st March 2026. The assertive measures undertaken by security forces have not only drastically decreased the number of active Naxalites and their leadership through elimination but have also prompted many to surrender in response to the no-tolerance policy and the development efforts undertaken by the central government.

Two factions within the Maoist party are at odds over whether or not to give up their weapons and integrate into society, according to the most recent development. The news was shared by high-ranking officials in the Telangana state intelligence wing, reported The Indian Express. The groups are headed by Mallojula Venugopal Rao, also known as Sonu and Thippiri Tirupathi alias Devuji.

Sonu is the ideological leader of the party and supports surrender while Devuji wants the continuation of the “armed struggle” and serves as the current general secretary of the Central Military Commission. It is the armed wing of the Communist Party of India (Maoist). Devuji is from Jagtial and Sonu hails from Peddapalli in Telangana and both have a ₹1 crore bounty each.

Three letters unveil significant split

Three letters that were swiftly made public revealed the internal division. According to the first, which Sonu wrote on 15th August and published on 17th September, the party is “ready for peace talks” with the centre and is willing to “temporarily surrender arms.” He revealed that Basavaraju, their former general secretary supported putting down weapons. The latter carried a reward of ₹1.5 crore and was killed alongside 26 other Naxals in an operation in the Abujhmad area of Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district in May.

The letter read, “In view of the changed global and national circumstances, as well as the continuous requests from the Prime Minister, Home Minister and senior police officials to give up arms and join the mainstream, we are ready to give up arms and join the mainstream.”

On 19th September, the Maoist party’s Telangana state committee issued a second letter signed by its spokesman Jagan, claiming that Sonu merely voiced his personal view. Another letter denouncing Sonu’s stance as “treason” was then sent on behalf of the party’s Central Committee, Politburo and Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee. “It is not our policy to betray the oppressed people by surrendering weapons to the enemy and joining the mainstream,” it announced, ruling out the possibility of a complete surrender.

The letter further stressed, “The changing international and domestic circumstances do not indicate an abandonment of the armed struggle. On the contrary, they demonstrate and prove the necessity of continuing armed struggle.”

What did the official sources say

“One needs to understand the context from which these letters stem. The letters reveal the ‘two-line struggle’ within the party – one section is saying it is time to lay down arms and the second saying it is time to fight with more gusto,” disclosed a senior intelligence official. “It is with the blessings of Devuji that this central committee letter has come out in favour of continuing the armed struggle,” the source added.

According to sources, the conflict between the two camps within the party has persisted for the past 12 months. A year ago, Sonu’s spouse Tarakka surrendered n Maharashtra and in September, P Padmavati, the wife of his brother Kishenji followed suit in Telangana. The party released a Politburo memo in 2024 stating that it should “retreat” since its rungs are “weak.”

“A section of the party – its ideological backbone – has been contemplating surrendering and adopting democratic means. The other section, however, has been staunch supporters of armed struggle,” another official mentioned. The person pointed out that a number of armed groups have previously embraced democratic methods and added, “The most prominent example is CPI (Marxist, Leninist),” the person added.

The party’s split coincides with an increased security campaign against its cadre and members. There are now only 10 members of the central committee down from 19 at one time. The officer stated, “There is a crisis and two wings of the party are responding in two different ways.”

Modi government’s war on left wing terrorism

Naxalism encountered a major setback after the central government implemented a forceful approach to dismantle their strongholds in various parts of the nation. It unleashed “Operation Kagar” in January 2024 as part of its zero-tolerance stance against Naxals. It is a multifaceted approach that aims to address the underlying causes of naxalism by combining vigorous military operations, improved coordination between Central and State troops and development initiatives.

Notwithstanding the bold declarations from the aforementioned group, the fact remains that areas which had devolved into significant centers of Maoist violence are again seeing progress and are being reintegrated into the mainstream. Furthermore, several Naxalites are requesting dialogue with the government, fearing for their lives and the total eradication of their movement.

The discord between the two factions of CPI(M) similarly exemplifies how even the senior leaders of the Maoist movement are unsure about their future and are inclined to surrender leading to a crisis within their shrinking organizations as ideological unity seems to weaken in light of government intervention.

Meanwhile, ten states and roughly 106 districts were categorised as Naxal-affected as of 2015. This number had dropped to 38 and then to 18 by 2024. Twelve of them were deemed to have been most affected by Naxal activity but now there are only six, signifying the effectiveness of the strategies and efforts implemented by both security forces and the Modi government.

Kolkata flooding: Mamata Banerjee’s politics drowns the city along with its people

Dr. Prosenjit Nath
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Kolkata flooding: Mamata Banerjee’s politics drowns the city along with its people

In my recent visit to Kolkata, I witnessed a city that once prided itself on its rich culture and vibrant energy, now gasping for breath under water. The relentless overnight downpour, the heaviest in nearly 40 years, turned the “City of Joy” into a city of despair. The disaster unfolded at the peak of Durga Puja preparations, when Kolkata is usually lit up and alive with millions of people visiting pandals and celebrating Bengal’s biggest festival. Instead, this year, Kolkata’s streets resembled rivers, and its people were left stranded and hopeless.

The numbers speak for themselves. The India Meteorological Department (IMD)reported that Kolkata received 251.4 mm of rainfall in less than 24 hours, the highest since 1986. In southern areas like Garia, the downpour reached 332 mm, while the northern parts received 195 mm. At its peak, the rain came down at a staggering 98 mm per hour, almost like a cloudburst. For the city’s 15 million residents, it was a night of panic. Cars floated away, homes were inundated, and eleven people lost their lives, nine of them due to electrocution from live wires left unattended by authorities.

The tragedy was compounded by the timing. Durga Puja is not merely a festival; it is Bengal’s soul. It represents community, tradition, and celebration. But this year, over 3,000 pandals were submerged, leaving volunteers heartbroken and struggling to save idols and decorations. Streets where people should have been dancing and celebrating were instead flooded with waist-deep water. The rain didn’t just disrupt the festivities; it symbolically drowned Kolkata’s spirit, exposing how fragile and neglected the city has become.

Metro services on the Blue Line between Dakshineswar and Shahid Khudiram were suspended, local trains from Sealdah were halted, and even runways at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport were waterlogged. Kolkata’s essential transport systems came to a complete standstill. Roads were jammed with abandoned vehicles, and flights were delayed indefinitely. For a city that claims to be modern and global, the sight was nothing short of shameful.

Mamata blames Centre, geography, UP, Bihar, and everything else, except her own Govt

And yet, when faced with this colossal disaster, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s first instinct was not to take responsibilitybut to deflect blame. She pointed fingers at everything and everyone except her own government’s failures. According to Mamata, the flooding was caused by water flowing in from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and other states through the Ganga, as well as mismanagement by central agencies like the Farakka Barrage authorities and the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC). She even went as far as accusing the Centre of not dredging the Farakka Barrage properly, saying, “When the Ganga’s holding capacity goes down, where will Kolkata’s water drain out?”

While upstream factors may have played a role, Mamata’s excuses fall flat when we look at the core issue: Kolkata’s crumbling drainage system and lack of urban planning, both of which fall squarely under her government’s jurisdiction. For over a decade, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has ruled Bengal, controlling the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC). And what has been the result? Rampant corruption, zero modernisation of infrastructure, and a complete lack of vision.

Kolkata’s crumbling infra

The city’s drainage network still relies on British-era systems, built over a century ago. In these 15 years of TMC rule, the government has spent crores on flashy festivals, politically motivated subsidies, and populist freebies—but has failed to invest in basic infrastructure like stormwater drains, pumping stations, and flood-prevention mechanisms. The result? A few hours of heavy rain turned a metropolis into a disaster zone.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rightly slammed Mamata’s government on social media, stating: “Durga Pujo celebrations are starting this week. Yet, due to Kolkata’s extremely poor drainage system, Puja pandals are submerged under water. Years of anarchy under the CPM and nearly 15 years of corruption under TMC have forced Bengalis to suffer even during their biggest festival.”

This is not mere rhetoric; it reflects the frustration of countless citizens who have seen no real improvement in their lives. Under TMC, Kolkata has become a city of tokenism, where cosmetic projects like painting walls blue and white take precedence over real development.

The deaths due to electrocution are perhaps the most heartbreaking aspect of this tragedy. Nine people died because live wires were left exposed in flooded streets. This is not “nature’s fury”; this is human negligence and administrative apathy. Instead of proactively cutting power in vulnerable areas and ensuring public safety, the state government and Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation (CESC) waited for disaster to strike. After the tragedy, Mamata promised compensation and jobs for victims’ families, a typical afterthought in her administration’s playbook. Compensation is not justice; accountability and systemic reform are what Bengal needs.

Why ‘lack of funds from Centre’ cannot be an excuse

Mamata also played the victim card, accusing the Centre of taking away Bengal’s rightful GST share and not providing financial aid during disasters. While this fits neatly into her narrative of “Delhi vs. Bengal,” the truth is that disaster management and local governance are primarily state responsibilities. If funds were genuinely lacking, why has TMC consistently poured money into political rallies, party patronage, and even controversial schemes that benefit only vote banks? The real problem is misallocation and corruption, not a lack of resources.

The Farakka Barrage issue, while important, has been a convenient scapegoat for successive governments. Yes, dredging and proper water management are crucial, but they do not explain why Kolkata’s internal drainage collapsed. Blaming Bihar and Uttar Pradesh for Kolkata’s misery is a distraction tactic, not a solution.

The time has come to recognise that Bengal’s problems are political as much as they are environmental. Decades of communist rule left the state economically crippled, but nearly 15 years of TMC governance have been equally disastrous. Instead of reversing the damage, Mamata has entrenched a culture of corruption and political appeasement. The KMC, once a respected civic body, has now become a TMC stronghold used for patronage and vote bank politics.

If Kolkata is to survive future crises, political reform is essential. This means replacing the entrenched political elite with leaders focused on governance rather than theatrics. Bengal cannot afford another decade of tokenism and festival politics. It needs serious investment in infrastructure, strict urban planning to stop illegal constructions that block drainage, and a comprehensive disaster management strategy.

As I walked through waist-deep water during my visit, I saw ordinary citizens helping one another while the state machinery remained largely absent. Volunteers carried food and medicine to stranded families, while neighborhood groups tried to organize relief. The people of Kolkata showed remarkable resilience, but their spirit should not be exploited by politicians who have failed them repeatedly.

Durga Puja symbolizes the triumph of good over evil. This year, that symbolism takes on a bitter irony. The real evil Kolkata must defeat is political corruption and misrule. Mamata Banerjee’s government has turned natural disasters into political spectacles, where blame is shifted and responsibility is dodged. But nature will not wait for politics to settle.

If nothing changes, Kolkata will continue to drown not just in water but in apathy, mismanagement, and political arrogance. It is time for the people of Bengal to demand more than excuses. It is time for true reform, accountability, and leadership that prioritizes lives over votes. Only then can the City of Joy truly rise again, instead of sinking deeper into despair every monsoon.

‘I Love Muhammad’ row: Muslim supporters of Maulana Touqeer Raza Khan pelt stones amidst chants of ‘Allahu Akbar’, Bareilly Police conduct lathi-charge

OpIndia Staff
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‘I Love Muhammad’ row: Muslim supporters of Maulana Touqeer Raza Khan pelt stones amidst chants of ‘Allahu Akbar’, Bareilly Police conduct lathi-charge

Amidst the ongoing ‘I Love Muhammad’ campaign, major unrest erupted after Jummah prayers on 26th September, in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly district. A Muslim mob comprising supporters of Islamist leader and president of the Ittehad-e-Millat Council (IMC), Maulana Touqeer Raza Khan, wanted to go to Islamia Maidan, and when police tried to stop them, the extremists pelted the police with stones.

The Muslim rioters are also reported to have done stone pelting on the police while chanting “Allahu Akbar” slogans.

According to reports, the police then resorted to lathi-charge to control the situation and chased and beat the Muslim rioters. Hundreds of people took to the streets in various areas of the city, carrying posters and banners reading “I Love Muhammad.”

The Muslim mob had gathered to submit a memorandum when the crowd suddenly turned violent. The administration has deployed 12 companies of the RAF and the RRF have been deployed in the area.  The IG, SP, and DM have conducted flag marches in sensitive areas to take stock of the situation.

There was also unrest in the Baradari and Premnagar areas. Police closed markets in the city. Currently, police have detained Maulana Tauqeer Raza. The Islamist leader is also accused of instigating riots in Bareilly in 2010. The case is currently in court.

Notably, a  significant controversy has emerged following the alleged removal of an “I Love Muhammad” banner in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur. The members of the Muslim community have launched agitations in multiple regions across the country, from Bihar to Hyderabad. The incidents have even led to violence in Godhra, where extremists have vandalised a police station. As OpIndia reported earlier, this matter is not limited to the “I Love Muhammad” poster, which represents only a fraction of the issue. The core matter is related to the destruction of Hindu religious posters at the hands of the Muslims.

Delhi HC awards ₹5 lakh compensation to Rajdeep Sardesai in a defamation case over a Twitter user’s remarks on his interview with Rhea Chakraborty

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi HC awards ₹5 lakh compensation to Rajdeep Sardesai in a defamation case over a Twitter user’s remarks on his interview with Rhea Chakraborty

Journalist Rajdeep Sardesai was granted ₹5 lakh compensation by the Delhi High Court on September 3, 2025, in a defamation suit filed in 2020 by the TV Today Network Ltd over certain defamatory remarks made by a social media user against him. The defendant, named Anurag Srivastava, had posted certain defamatory comments on Twitter (now ?) about Sardesai on August 8, 2020, after Sardesai’s exclusive interview with actress Rhea Chakraborty, who was an accused in a case relating to the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput.

The interview was aired on the plaintiff’s news channels, India Today and Aaj Tak.

The defendant posted certain defamatory tweets against Sardeai

Criticising Sardesai, Srivastava had written on X, “When Rajdeep Sardesai was born, the nurse said …Badhai ho… Apko dalla hua…” The plaintiff had also objected to some earlier posts made by Srivastava. On June 7, 2020, the defendant had uploaded a video on X, accompanied by a comment alleging that Rajdeep Sardesai was involved in spreading fake news. In another post, the defendant had compared Sardesai with fugitive radical Islamic preacher Zakir Naik. “There is no difference between Rajdeep Sardesai and Zakir Naik #ShameOnAajTak”, the defendant posted on X on August 26, 2020. And lastly, a comment posted by the defendant on X on September 9, 2020, saying, “Rhea Chakraborty allegedly gave Rs. 8 crores to Rajdeep Sirdesai and India Today for her interview. RIP 4th Pillar of Democracy”, was also the subject of the defamation suit.

The TV Today Network claimed that their reputation was affected and their total income declined following the defendant’s defamatory remarks. In the defamation suit, the plaintiff demanded compensation of ₹ 2,00,00,100. The defendant had removed the defamatory posts from his social media profile in compliance with a court order and assured the court not to re-post them.

Holding that the comments made by the defendant were highly defamatory, Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav ruled the suit in favour of the plaintiff with compensation. “Having considered the overall facts and circumstances, the Court finds that the objectionable tweets were highly defamatory and remain unsubstantiated by the defendant, despite having been afforded sufficient opportunity to do so,” the High Court said in its judgment.

“Having considered the overall circumstances, this Court deems it just and proper to award ₹5,00,000 as general compensatory damages to the plaintiff, to redress the reputational harm, emotional hardship, and loss of professional credibility caused by the conduct of the defendant,” the court added.

Sardesai faced backlash for interviewing Rhea Chakraborty, who claimed during the interview that late actor Sushant Singh Rajput was suffering from a mental disorder, insinuating that his tragic death had a connection with his poor mental health. Rhea, who was the live-in partner of the deceased actor, was facing a probe at that time in connection with the mysterious death of Rajput. The interview received a negative response from viewers who alleged that Sardesai was trying to whitewash the allegations against Rhea by interviewing with an accused in the case.

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