On Wednesday, the Chhattisgarh Police used water cannons, tear gas shells, and chilli powder shells against the BJP members after the party, led by state president Arun Sao, marched towards the Chhattisgarh Assembly. BJP led the peaceful protest against the state government’s perceived inability to give affordable housing to eligible recipients of the Center’s housing program.
According to the reports, the Chhattisgarh Police increased security and erected barricades to stop the demonstrators from moving towards the Legislative Assembly while the Chhattisgarh government’s budget session was taking place at Vidhan Sabha. As the BJP leaders attempted to scale the barriers and march towards the Vidhan Sabha, clashes broke out between the demonstrators and the Chhattisgarh Police.
Several BJP leaders, including state president Sao, were arrested by the Police. The Police also used water cannons, tear gas shells, and chilli powder shells against the BJP workers. The videos of this went viral over social media. Several BJP members were also reportedly injured amid the clashes.
The protest march was led by BJP Chhattisgarh President Arun Sao, former Jharkhand CM Raghubar Das, and BJP Chhattisgarh in-charge Om Mathur. The BJP maintained that 20 lakh families, including 16 lakh urban families had been kept away from the benefits of the central govt’s ambitious ‘housing-for-all’ scheme. Arun Sao also washed and scrubbed the feet of the beneficiaries who took part in the protest.
“Since 2018, people have been deprived of basic amenities. They (Congress) talk about conducting a survey to identify the beneficiaries. Why can’t they go by the data they collected in 2011 during their rule in the state?” former CM Raman Singh said.
Further taking a dig at Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Raman Singh said, “His health minister T S Singh Deo also resigned because of the massive corruption. Bhupesh Baghel is loyal to the Gandhi family but not to the people of Chhattisgarh. If the BJP comes to power in 2023, our CM will enter the CMO only after the rehabilitation of the poor via PM Awas Yojna.”
BJP state president Arun Sao also tweeted against the Congress-ruled state government and indicated that the people of Chhattisgarh demanded change. “It has become clear from today’s assembly gherao that the people of Chhattisgarh want change and are ready to throw out this corrupt Congress government,” he wrote.
विधानसभा की तरफ़ कार्यकर्ताओं के साथ कूच करते हुए कार्यकर्ताओं के साथ गिरफ़्तारी दिया। आज के विधानसभा घेराव से स्पष्ट हो गया है कि छत्तीसगढ़ की जनता बदलाव चाहती है और इस भ्रष्टाचारी कांग्रेस सरकार को उखाड़ फेंकने के लिए तैयार है। (2/2) pic.twitter.com/0m5o2rnVJu
Meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Sushil Anand Shukla claimed that BJP’s protest was a complete failure. “It was a failure as they claimed to gather 1 lakh people and but the total footfall was not more than 10,000. I appreciate Chhattisgarh police for maintaining the law and order situation. The PM must release 60% funds for the scheme and the BJP should stop blaming us,” he said.
When I first saw video snippets of Eric Garcetti, the US Ambassador designate for India, my reaction was also very similar to other nationalist Indians. I even tweeted that feeling. After all, this guy was talking more like a Governor General Lord Auckland sent by the Viscount of Melbourne to be tough on the coolies. Or sent by Spanish Infanta to take charge of the inquisition and keep the heathens in check.
I had tweeted that in that case, he might as well stay in the US and not come. Or just talk to George Soros, the patron saint of the group he wishes to “engage”. Why travel to India to talk to minions when the boss is right there?
But since then, I’ve had chance to think a bit more and I am now convinced, we are probably being too hasty in judging him and the US Biden administration.
So here is my take in brief: give him the benefit of doubt but keep a Plan B handy.
I’ll elaborate on both.
Benefit of doubt
First, let’s be realistic. He’s appointed by the Biden administration. Given the mental state of Biden or the lack of it, that effectively means the fringe woke left has selected him. What do you expect? A Trumper wearing a MAGA cap? He comes here with all the best that goes with woke left in the US including some links to sexual harassment scandals.
Second, since he needed the votes of Dems who control the Senate and the fringe left that runs the Democratic party. Most Republicans voted against him along with 3 Dems. In the hearing, he had to make the right noises to keep both sides happy. In fact, that’s exactly the job of a diplomat. If the left bloc vetoed him, he was toast.
As the voting numbers show, he needed the Republican’s help to cross the chasm. As we all know, in politics, everything happens behind doors. Who wants to speculate on what he promised them in exchange for support? In fact, one of the Republican Senators that backed him spoke of India’s role in the Quad and the importance of an Ambassador in advancing that agenda.
Third, these “human rights” and other woke ritual mantras are just that – you need to chant them to retain membership at the club. Like BLM banners that suddenly appeared in most corporate web pages in the US. If you don’t have them, you are a bigot. No other proof need to be offered. Why not spend the $20 or whatever it takes to change your home page? When the Ukraine war started, it was replaced with pro-Ukraine banners. Again, the same difference.
What you actually do hardly matters. As the joke goes the only African American in most US CEO gatherings is Elon Musk. That’s the way the USA runs. My point is, don’t judge Eric by the mantras he chants. In fact we Indians are also getting used to upper caste/class in various realms that owe their position to birth using wokeness to erase the sins of birth and continue to enjoy their power, periodically spouting diversity or equality mantras as camouflage.
Third, he’s coming at a time when both sides are getting busy with elections. Both sides not only have other fish to fry but are extra sensitive to soundbites.
That brings me to a major point – does the US admin even care about having Rahul Gandhi as PM? The honest answer is, we don’t know. We can only speculate. Yes, there are strong signals that suggest the extended Soros/Ford ecosystem wants him in the PM chair. And pumping huge money to realise that goal.
Despite the fact that woke left in the US are practically commies, with huge sympathy for murderous thugs like Chavez, to give one example, the fact is also that they are now locked into a multi-year/decade anti-China position. That pretty much sets their foreign policy priorities and outlook for the rest of our lifetime. I am not exaggerating. Republican pressure and US public opinion will keep them there.
They must also know that our clown Prince is practically controlled by JNU Stalinist, Maoist fringe on deputation from Politburo. Unlike US fringe left that is commie but anti-China, our fringe left is commie and pro-China. His recent utterances in UK, where he was almost arguing for the Chincoms must have sent a clear message, if that was in any doubt at all.
I believe other than making some harmless noises, US would really not mind another Modi term even if Biden were to return in 2024. No one in Washington likely wants uncertainty in terms of Quad, defense partnership etc., dealing with a kichdi Indian regime that effectively reports to Beijing.
Of course, it is entirely possible that Rahul has also assured the Americans the left loony Beijing serfs he keeps close to are just useful idiots that can be discarded once back in power so they need not worry too much. We never know.
But any open interference in Indian elections with loose remarks will only destroy whatever little chances Rahul has of returning India to UPA loot era. Rahul Gandhi will have to spend his entire campaign denying his links to the US and Soros.
All of this assures me that we are only watching some drama but the real action is behind the scenes.
Plan B Embrace his Wokeness make it work for all of us
But what if we are wrong?
It is foolish indeed to be without a Plan B. And what is our Plan B? Well, embrace the wokeness of Ambassador Garcetti, and expect him to live up to his own stated ideals. After all we are all people of colour following an indigenous faith is that is facing genocide and cleansing.
Let him “engage” the Ranaas and Zubairs or Owaisis for all he wants. Who cares? But let us make sure he is also kept busy meeting victims of STSJ, their families, anti-Hindu remarks by the “liberals”, hate propaganda against Hindus in sections of media and so on. Just like Ranaa or Saba, we must make a habit of marking him and UN copy on every tweet that highlights bigotry, anti-Hindu hate and Hinduphobia by Stalinist rapist butcher left or its academic serfs, along with murders, beheadings and other crimes against Hindus that are not going to stop just because he has come.
He must also be kept busy with petitions that highlight anti-Hindu hate in the USA and offensive tweets by academics based there, whether of Indian origin or otherwise. He must be asked to cancel them. Or take a stand.
He will have a choice – listen to our voices too, not just Arfa or Ranaa. And stay true to his ideology of equality and diversity – or refuse and confirm his bias and hypocrisy. Either way suits us. We can go to town with it.
He must entirely keep off Indian society and politics, or be neutral and engage all sides. If he wants to enter the muck that is Indian politics, let us get him to enter up to his neck. Not just touch it with a 10 feet stick from a distance. Our democracy can deal with that. There is nothing to be afraid.
What we must NOT do is also clear – no kneejerk reactions. No wallowing in self pity. No drama or foolish acts. Just cold facts.
Chances are he will shut up and go back to chai biscoot in a few weeks.
Paris, the French city of art, fashion, and culture that attracts tourists from all over the world has been stinking as the garbage has been clogging its streets for days. This comes after sanitation workers launched a strike against the pension reforms bill introduced by President Emanuel Macron-led government.
Despite widespread opposition, the bill to raise the retirement age by two years that is from 62 to 64 advanced on Wednesday as a committee of legislators from both houses of the French parliament approved it. With 193 votes in favour and 114 votes against, the bill was approved by the French parliament’s upper house.
The workers’ strike has impacted half of the districts in Paris, Nantes, Rennes, and Le Havre. On Tuesday, the city’s waste piles weighed more than 7,000 tonnes, as per reports. While comparable issues are present in other French towns as well, the shambles in the nation’s capital are drawing attention globally.
The piled-up trash has left entire pavements covered in black bags and overflowing trash has affected three incineration plants outside of the French capital. The household garbage management company in Paris, Syctom, stated that it has not yet turned to call the police and is instead rerouting rubbish lorries to additional storage and treatment facilities in the region.
According to Reuters, the protesting workers stopped fuel deliveries from leaving TotalEnergies and Esso refineries earlier on Friday. This caused a disruption in the power supply and delayed maintenance at some Electricite de France nuclear reactors.
What do the protestors say?
On Wednesday, 1.7 million people, according to the hard-left Confédération Générale du Travail (CGT) trade union federation, while 480,000, according to the interior ministry, took to the streets nationwide.
Several people believe that this policy is unjust to those who start their jobs early. Now, waste collectors and drivers can retire at 57 years old, but under the reform plans—which still permit early retirement for people who encountered difficult working conditions—they would have to put in more years of work.
According to the CGT, garbage employees’ life expectancy is 12–17 years lower than the national average.
Politics amidst protests
A number of left-leaning politicians have expressed their support for the strike by garbage collectors on social media, and some members of the leftist La France Insoumise (France Unbowed party) have rallied to donate €20,000 to the workers’ strike fund.
Louis Boyard, Member of Parliament for Val-de-Marne has extended support to the protestors.
“We owe this historic movement against #ReformeDesRetraites to the workers. This movement will be held together in solidarity. This morning by handing over €20,000 to the garbage collectors on strike. This afternoon at the demonstration. The government is cracking up. We will win,” Boyard tweeted on March 11.
Ce mouvement historique contre la #ReformeDesRetraites on le doit aux travailleuses et travailleurs.
Ce mouvement tiendra par la solidarité.
Ce matin en remettant 20 000€ aux éboueurs en grève. Cette après midi à la manifestation.
It is pertinent to note that Paris is one of the worst rat-infested cities in the world, with 1.5 to 1.75 rats for every resident. In July last year, the French National Medicine Academy issued a warning regarding the “threat to human health” posed by rats and the diseases they can pass on to humans.
While speaking to Le Parisien newspaper, specialist Romain Lasseur said “The strike triggers a change in rat behavior. They’ll rummage around in trash cans, reproduce there, and leave urine and faeces behind. We have a serious health risk for both the general public and waste collectors.”
President Macron turns down the call by unions for a meeting
On March 9, the French President in a letter addressed to the unions turned down their demand for an urgent meeting saying that the unions had enough time to negotiate earlier. In the letter, President Macron stated that the government had already made concessions, such as raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 years, instead of the 65 initially planned.
President Macron has asserted that he aims to make the French economy more competitive. In order to make the French pension system financially sustainable in the upcoming years, Macron reaffirmed his views and insisted on the necessity of raising the retirement age.
A drive to demolish illegal encroachments in Dwarka is going on in full swing freeing lakhs of square meters of land. However, after this demolition drive, thousands of fishermen are illegally trespassing into the Mul Dwarka port of the Gir-Somnath district of Gujarat. More than 1,000 people with about 200 boats have illegally entered the coastal villages, after which there is a fear among the locals that the peace of the area can get disturbed.
Lakhs of square meters of land in the Dwarka district have been freed of illegal encroachments by bulldozer action at several places in the last few days. The Gujarat government has demolished buildings built by people who lived in those illegal constructions on the coast of Gujarat, including Dwarka. Some illegal structures were also demolished in the Gir Somnath district. After the demolition, thousands of fishermen entered the Mul Dwarka port of Gir-Somnath illegally.
Around 200 boats and more than 1,000 fishermen from different districts have suddenly arrived at the Mul Dwarka port. This created a fear among the locals that the peace of this area can be disturbed. The panic spread in the area very quickly. Locals in Mul Dwarka are demanding that people coming without any kind of permission should not be allowed to settle there. However, according to villagers, these illegal settlers are so adamant that any confronting interaction with them can lead to a quarrel. There has been a demand from the villagers that the government should move these outsiders from the Mul Dwarka area.
While speaking about this issue, a local leader said, “The administration has demolished the illegal settlements of people who made illegal constructions and lived near ports including Naudra, Miana, Bet Dwarka, and Harshad. Since then, these people have reached the Mul Dwarka port of Kodinar with their boats for the last week and have been illegally settling their households here by truck during the night. Communal disharmony is being spread by these people who are looking just for their own self-interest.”
The possibility of communal riots at the Mul Dwarka port is also being expressed. Locals, including leaders and other residents of the Mul Dwarka port, have also petitioned the administration, including the police. In the petition, the people have specifically mentioned that if no strict legal action is taken against those who have come illegally and spread communal disharmony at the Mul Dwarka port, then the locals will be forced to agitate.
On Saturday, March 11, the Dwarka administration ordered the demolition of structures including Mazars in Harshad village of Kalyanpur Tehsil in Gujarat. This came after the Gujarat government ordered to clear of illegal encroachments posing threat to India’s maritime security. During the demolition drive 7 Mazars, 50 commercial establishments, and around 210 residential buildings were demolished by the local administration amidst heavy police deployment.
Notably, a mega demolition drive was conducted in Bet Dwarka in October last year. Religious and private commercial constructions on government lands were demolished using bulldozers in large numbers. The mega operation was jointly carried out by various departments including revenue, panchayat, maritime, police, and power supply department after receiving inputs that the now-banned Islamist outfit PFI’s connections are active in Bet Dwarka and illegal activities are being carried out by grabbing government lands forcefully under the name of religion.
On March 14, Institute for Economics & Peace released its Global Terrorism Index 2023. In its report, the organization listed the twenty most deadly terrorist organizations globally. India’s Communist Party of India (CPI) made it to the list in 12th place.
As per the report, in 61 attacks initiated by CPI, 39 people lost their lives, and 30 were injured.
?Global Terrorism Index 2023: Terrorist attacks more deadly, despite decline in the West.
— IEP Global Peace Index (@GlobPeaceIndex) March 14, 2023
Notably, the Communist Party of India is a political party, and it is possible that IEP got confused with the banned communist parties. As per the Ministry of Home Affairs website, the Communist Party of India (Maoist) all its formations and front organizations and the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), People’s War, All formations and front organizations were banned in India.
Source: IEP Global Peace Index
34 parties in India, functional and defunct, have the “Communist Party of India” in their name. These parties are:
Communist Party of India
Communist Party of India (Marxist)
Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation
Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Class Struggle
Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Red Star
Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) New Democracy
Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Somnath
Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Shantipal
Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Praja Pantha
Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Jan Samvad
Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Nai Pahal
Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) New Proletarian
Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Maharashtra
Communist Party of India (Maoist)
Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Janashakti – Koora Rajanna
Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Janashakti – Ranadheer
Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Janashakti – Chandra Pulla Reddy
Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Mahadev Mukherjee
Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Bhaijee
Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Prajashakti
Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Prathighatana
Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Praja Pratighatana
Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Second Central Committee
Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Central Team
The list of defunct parties:
Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist)
Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Bolshevik
Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Central Team
Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) New Initiative
Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Unity Initiative
Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Naxalbari
Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) People’s War
Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Red Flag
Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) People’s War
A brief introduction to the Communist Party of India
The Communist Party of India, or CPI, is the oldest communist party in India. It was founded on December 26, 1925, by MN Roy, Abani Mukherji, MPT Acharya and Evelyn Trent. It is a recognized political party by the Election Commission of India as a National Party. In 2019, the ECI questioned the party’s poor performance in the Lok Sabha elections and warned that its national party status would be revoked if a similar performance is repeated. They were also warned in 2014, but ECI amended rules in 2019 allowing CPI and two other parties to retain national party status until after the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections. That means if the party fails to perform in Lok Sabha 2024 elections, it may no longer be deemed a national party.
Notably, in the 2019 elections, CPI contested 49 seats and won only two. K Subbarayan from Tiruppur (Tamil Nadu) and Muniyan Selvaraj Nagapatthinam (Tamil Nadu) are the sitting members of the 17th Lok Sabha.
In 2019, a US govt report on global terrorism ranked the Communist Party of India (Maoist) as the 6th ost dangerous terror organisation in the world. In 2018, the US state department, based on 2017 data, declared the Maoists as the world’s fourth-largest terror organisation.
On Thursday, the Khalistani supporters gathered outside the Honorary Indian Consulate in Australia’s Brisbane and chanted anti-India slogans at the entrance for some time. Australian media also reported that the consulate was forced to shut down for a short period after Khalistani supporters impeded entry into the consulate by yelling anti-Hindu slogans outside it. However, the Ministry of External Affairs has denied it and said that the consulate continued to function normally. This comes days after the Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese pledged to stop the spread of anti-Indian animosity in the nation.
According to the reports, the Khalistani activists raised anti-India slogans at the Consulate and called the Hindus as ‘supremacists’. The Consulate is located on Swann Road in the Taringa suburb of Brisbane.
“Indian Consulate was forced to close today due to safety concerns after Sikhs for Justice targeted them with their propaganda. They have been shouting Khalistan Zindabad slogans,” Sarah L. Gates, Director of Hindu Human Rights was quoted as saying.
In the videos of the incident, the Khalistanis are seen carrying placards saying that “Hindu mobs killed 570 Sikhs, injured 13,000” in 1966.
Consulate of India, Brisbane Australia was targeted by Khalistanis.
The consulate was forced to shut down after unauthorized gathering of Khalistani supporters blocked the entry. pic.twitter.com/eMiy1MXeLI
According to the Queensland Police, it was an unauthorised gathering by the Khalistanis, but still, they were allowed to enter the consulate premises and block the entrance. As a result, people who had appointments with the consulate had to reschedule their appointments, according to Australia Today.
Responding to queries regarding the incident, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that the issue was raised with Australian authorities, and they should take action. “PM already spoke about such issues when Australian PM was in India,” he added.
Arindam Bagchi clarified that it is an honorary consulate of India located in Brisbane, and it is not a Consulate General of India. He further refuted media reports that it was closed down due to the Khalistanis. He said that a small number of protestors had gathered outside it and chanted slogans for some time, but the consulate continued to function normally. He said that there were some disruptions for a while, but the consulate was not shut down as claimed in media reports.
Arindam Bagchi refused to comment on video footage of the incident, saying it is not possible to comment on unverified videos. He added that teams of India and Australia are in touch, and the matter was raised immediately with the Australian authorities.
It is notable that an honorary consulate is a type of consulate that is headed by an honorary consul, who is not a professional diplomat and does not receive a salary. Honorary consuls are typically citizens or residents of the host country where they live. They are designated by a foreign government to look after the affairs of its citizens.
While honorary consuls do not receive a salary for their services, but they may receive certain privileges and benefits associated with their position, such as diplomatic immunity, tax exemptions, and access to official functions and events. The main role of an honorary consulate is to promote trade, cultural exchange, and other types of cooperation between the host country and the country they represent. They may also provide consular services, such as issuing visas, assisting citizens of their home country who are travelling or living in the host country, and handling legal and administrative matters.
Honorary consulates are typically established in cities or regions where there is a significant population of nationals from the country they represent, but where there is not enough demand or resources to justify a full-fledged embassy or consulate. They may also be established in remote or less developed areas where a full-fledged consulate would be impractical or too expensive.
The development in Brisbane occurs only days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed India’s worries about the attack on several Hindu temples by demonstrators calling for Khalistan during his meeting with Albanese in Delhi.
On March 11, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also condemned the anti-India and anti-Hindu activities happening in Australia and said that the country won’t tolerate any extreme actions and attacks on any religious buildings. “I gave him the assurance that Australia is a country that respects people’s faith. That we don’t tolerate the sort of extreme actions and attacks that we’ve seen on religious buildings, be they Hindu temples, mosques, synagogues, or churches. This has no place in Australia,” he had said.
“And we will take every action through our police and also our security agencies to make sure that anyone responsible for this faces the full force of the law. We’re a tolerant multicultural nation, and there is no place in Australia for this activity,” the statement further quoted him saying.
Earlier last month, after the visit of India’s foreign affairs minister S. Jaishankar, Khalistani flags were discovered affixed to the Indian embassy in Brisbane. EAM Jaishankar then talked about the matter with his Australian colleague Penny Wong during their meeting.
“Noted the forward movement on our bilateral agenda. Emphasized the need for vigilance against radical activities targeting the Indian community,” Jaishankar tweeted. Yet, on the same day, some Khalistani followers attacked two Hindu temples while they were celebrating Mahashivratri,
Further, in the last two months, Australia has seen four separate anti-Hindu attacks on Temples initiated by pro-Khalistani elements living in the country. On March 4, Shree Laxmi Narayan Temple in Brisbane’s Burbank suburb was vandalized with anti-Hindu and anti-India graffiti defacing its walls. According to local media reports, the vandalism was carried out by pro-Khalistani supporters. The miscreants wrote anti-Hindu, anti-India, and pro-Khalistani slogans on the walls near the temple during the vandalization.
On February 16, 2023, in Melbourne, a Kali Mata temple received a warning against holding a Bhajan program. A woman priest of a Kali Mata temple in the northern suburbs of Melbourne in Australia received threats from Khalistani terrorists for organizing a Bhajan program of Indian singer Kanhiya Mittal.
On January 23 a similar attack by Khalistani elements took place at the Hare Krishna Temple located at Albert Park in Melbourne city of Australia. The temple served as the centre of the Bhakti Yoga movement in Melbourne and is run by the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). As per reports, temple walls were defaced with anti-India slogans of ‘Khalistan Zindabad’ and ‘Hindustan Murdabad.’ The miscreants had also hailed slain Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale as a martyr.
On January 17, Khalistani supporters vandalised the historic Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple in Carrum Downs in Melbourne. During the vandalisation, the miscreants wrote anti-Hindu and anti-India slogans on the walls near the temple. ‘Target Modi’, ‘Modi Hitler’, and ‘Hindustan Murdabad’, read the slogans that were painted on the walls of the temples during vandalization.
On January 12 (local time), the Hindu community living in Melbourne woke up to a shockas the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir, located in the northern suburb of Mill Park, Melbourne, was vandalised by Khalistani attackers. The walls of the temple were defaced by spray painting anti-India and anti-Narendra Modi slogans.
On Thursday, March 16, a wanted criminal reached Mansoorpur Police station in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar district to surrender before the police, because he was scared of getting killed in an encounter. The accused carried a placard in his hand when he reached the PS, which read in Hindi, “Yogi ji, forgive me, I made a mistake.”
— MUZAFFARNAGAR POLICE (@muzafarnagarpol) March 16, 2023
The accused, who was identified as Ankur aka Raja, was a member of a gang of motorcycle thieves. He was a wanted criminal.
Speaking to the media, Mansoorpur SHO said that the accused reached the police station with the village head and members of his family, fearing an encounter. “He also sought forgiveness and pledged that he would never commit any crime again. He has been taken into custody and sent to jail. He is wanted in several cases, including attempted murder (IPC section 307) and loot (IPC section 390),” the SHO added.
Significantly, the criminal surrendered a day after a police encounter with his gang. According to Deputy Superintendent of Police (Khatauli) Ravi Shankar Mishra, two members of the notorious gang were arrested on Tuesday while one managed to escape.
“We have recovered three bikes and illegal weapons from the accused,” he added.
Notably, after Yogi Adityanath took over as CM of UP, the state has seen a severe crackdown on criminals by the police. Law and Order was one of the main focuses of Yogi Adityanath’s poll campaign and his government has taken it seriously. UP has seen several encounters in recent months where many dreaded criminals were eliminated and hundreds have been arrested. Despite repeated notices from the National Human Rights Commission, Yogi Adityanath’s government has maintained its stance on encounters.
The above case, in fact, is not the first of its kind in UP. The surrendering of miscreants and tainted criminals has become the new normal in Uttar Pradesh. OpIndia reported last year how at least 50 criminals had surrendered within 15 days after the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government returned to power in Uttar Pradesh on 10th March 2022.
Interestingly, many of these criminals walked into the police stations holding placards with a message written on them – ‘I am surrendering, please don’t initiate an encounter.’
On March 15, Delhi Police cancelled the permission for a propaganda event scheduled for 3 PM on Wednesday at Gandhi Peace Foundation, Delhi. Titled “Let Kashmir Speak”, six speakers were mentioned on its poster, Former Justice of J&K High Court Justice Hussain Massoodi, Prof. Nandita Narain, Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami, Mir Shahid Saleem, Sanjay Kak and Anil Chamadia.
Source: Aditya Raj Kaul/Twitter
The Delhi Police cited the anonymity of the organisers as the reason behind the event’s cancellation. Notably, Pakistani media has extensively talked about the event in the past few days, hinting towards a possible link between Pakistan and the organisers of the event.
#BreakingNow: दिल्ली पुलिस का बड़ा एक्शन..’Let Kashmir Speak’ प्रोग्राम रद्द.. गांधी शांति प्रतिष्ठाान में होना था कार्यक्रम
Demanding the release of “all political prisoners” in Kashmir, it appeared the speakers would have talked about the so-called “media blackout and repression in Kashmir”. Several netizens, including journalist Aditya Raj Kaul and media houses, mainly Times Now, alerted the authorities through their reports. In his tweet, Kaul said, “Gandhi Peace Foundation in New Delhi on March 15 to host an anti-India propaganda event which has been widely reported in Pakistan media. An investigation needs to be carried out about the funding of such an event and who is behind it. This is no civil society movement. Pak ISI?”
In the order, SHO Sanjeev Kumar, IP Estate Police Station, wrote to Kumar Prashant of Gandhi Peace Foundation that it received information/local input that some anonymous group was planning/organising a public meeting on “Media Blackout in Kashmir” at 3 PM on March 15, 2023, at Gandhi Peace Foundation.
“Efforts to get the details of members of the anonymous group have been made, but the same could not be verified. There is discreet input of disturbance in law & order situation in view of organizing this above public meeting. In view of the above, you are requested to cancel the booking & intimation may kindly be sent to undersigned at the earliest,” the order read. OpIndia tried reaching out to SHO Kumar but could not connect.
Source: Aditya Raj Kaul/Twitter
In a press release, Campaign Against State Repression (CASR), which organised the event said, “The program was to address the question of continuing harassment and incarceration of Journalists in order to suppress the grim realities of state repression in Kashmir. This undemocratic action of cancelling the event on the frivolous pretext of “law and order situation” is also part of the same attempt at creating information blackout and narrative building.” The organisation added it was not anonymous and “renowned” personalities were speakers and progressive organisations were behind the event.
Statement by CASR. Source: Facebook
The speakers of the event
National Conference (NC) party leader and Former Justice of J&K High Court Justice Hasnain Masoodi
Hasnain Masoodi is an NC MP from the Anantnag constituency. He served as J&K High Court judge from 2009 to 2016. Hasnain’s name was mentioned as Hussain on the event poster. In 2021, after the Government of India repealed three agriculture laws, Masoodi demanded that the abrogation of Article 370 should be reversed as well.
Former DUTA president Prof. Nandita Narain
Professor Nandita Narain is the former president of the Delhi University Teachers’ Association. She often propagated the “Free All Political Prisoners” campaign via her Twitter handle and echoed the same for Professor Sai Baba, who was arrested for his alleged Maoist links. From supporting anti-CAA protests to Teesta Setalvad and Mohammed Zubair of Alt News, Narain has sided with anti-India forces on several occasions. In a social media post, she said, “CANCELLED!!! The police tried the same thing with the Bharat Bachao programme at HKS Surjeet Bhavan on 11th and 12th March, but the organisers managed to get a court order allowing the programme to be held. This outrageous cancellation at the last minute only serves to reinforce the widely held belief about suppression of free speech, not only in Kashmir, but all over India, including in its capital Delhi.”
Source: Facebook
J&K CPI(M) leader Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami
Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami is a J&K CPI(M) leader and spokesperson at Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (JKPAGD), an alliance of the National Conference, People’s Democratic Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Awami National Conference. Tarigami was put under house arrest following the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
United Peace Alliance Chairman Mir Shahid Saleem
Mir Shahid Saleem is the Chairman of the United Peace Alliance. Saleem often raises his voice against the abrogation of Article 370 in the valley. While speaking at an event in February this year, he claimed the Central Government took several steps to intimidate and frighten the people of Kashmir. He further claimed that the Central government had oppressed the people in Kashmir since August 5, 2019.
“Pakistan’s involvement has been exposed in the ‘Let Kashmir Speak’ event,” @MeenakshiUpreti says.
This is an attempt to disrupt the peace & harmony, which has been established in J&K: @deepduttajourno
A left-leaning filmmaker, Sanjay Kak is often seen siding with Father Stan Swamy, Professor Sai Baba and others. In an op-ed on The Kashmir Files, he refused to accept that Kashmiri Hindus faced genocide leading to their exodus from the valley. He also claimed that blood-soaked rice was never fed to Ganjoo’s wife. Interestingly, he conveniently skipped the horrific story of Girija Tickoo, a Kashmiri Hindu woman cut in half with a chainsaw while alive.
In a statement to The Wire, he said, “People need to take note that this silencing does not – and will not – stop at discussions of Kashmir alone: it has already fallen on various expressions of democratic rights in India. And this silence is not simply a matter of choking self-expression. It is fast becoming the throttling of democracy itself.”
Journalist Anil Chamadia
Senior Journalist Anil Chamadia often sides with the left ideology. He has spoken in favour of the anti-CAA protests and was one of the signatories who wrote against UAPA imposed on Gautam Navlakha.
Organisations supporting the event
The organisations that were behind the event were part of an umbrella group called Campaign Against State Repression (CASR). There are 32 organisations under this group.
AIRSO: All India Revolutionary Students Organisation (AIRSO) is a left-leaning student organisation that often holds events with AISA and other left organisations. It is one of the organisations that criticised Jamia Millia Islamia university for cancelling admission of anti-CAA violence accused Safoora Zargar.
AISA: All India Students Association (AISA) is a CPIML(L). It is infamous for left-leaning politics in universities across India. AISA was one of the frontrunner student organisations in anti-CAA protests.
AISF: All India Students’ Federation (AISF) is another left-leaning student organisation. It was allegedly involved in JNU violence during anti-CAA protests.
APCR: Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) was founded in 2006 by KA Siddique Hassan, former vice president of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, that recently organised a “get-together” for non-Muslim girls. The Police’s permission for the event was denied after Vishwa Hindu Parishad intervened. APCR has extensively worked against CAA-NCR and challenged CAA in the Supreme Court which can be checked here.
Bhim Army: It is an Ambedkarite organisation and a political party founded by Chandra Shekhar Azad ‘Ravan’ and others. Bhim Army‘s Azad allegedly created trouble during Delhi Riots, Hathras case and farmer protests.
Bigul Mazdoor Dasta: A left-wing group which often organises protests and campaigns for the “suppressed” voices. The group members were involved in anti-CAA protests and were questioned by the security agencies. The left media made a lot of noise when Bigul Mazdoor Dasta and other organisations’ members were questioned for their alleged involvement in the Delhi riots.
BSCEM: Bhagat Singh Chhatra Ekta Manch is a student political organisation that follows left ideology. It protested against the ban on the propaganda documentary by BBC against PM Modi and has called for the “death of Brahmanism” in its social media posts and protests. The organisation also called for rebuilding the disputed structure in Ayodhya. It was also involved in anti-CAA protests.
DISSC: Dayar-I-Shauq Students’ Charter is a student political organisation that follows left ideology. The organisation supported Safoora Zargar when her admission at Jamia was cancelled. The organisation was involved in anti-CAA protests.
Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan: A left-leaning organisation that often organises protests on different issues. It has protested against Agnipath Scheme as well.
NAPM: National Alliance of Peoples Movements is a left-wing organisation. It participated in anti-CAA protests and demanded the release of those arrested for involvement in the violence, including Sharjeel Imam.
NTUI: New Trade Union Initiative is a left-wing organisation. It is one of the organisations that protested against the new labour laws.
People’s Watch: Founded in 1995, the organisation claims to be actively engaged in the protection and promotion of human rights. It was one of the organisations involved in anti-CAA protests.
Rihai Manch: It is a political front that claims to resist repression. It was involved in an array of protests including anti-CAA and farmer protests.
SFI: Students’ Federation in India is a left-wing student organisation. OpIndia has covered the organisation extensively. It can be checked here.
United Against Hate: It is a Muslim organisation that was accused in Delhi Riots case. United Against Hate was involved in farmer protests as well.
Other organisations in the group include BASF, BCM, CEM, CRPP, CTF, Disha, DSU, DTF, Fraternity, JAPL, Karnataka Janashakti, LAA, Mazdoor Patrika, Mehnatkash Mahila Sangathan, Morcha Patrika, Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan, NBS, Nowruz, Samajwadi Janparishad, Smajwadi Lok Manch, Satyashodak Sangh, WSS, and Y45.
‘Let Kashmir Speak’ – The Pakistan connection
Coming to the ‘Let Kashmir Speak’ campaign, it is important to note that it goes back to August 2019 after the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. ‘Let Kashmir Speak’ had some online presence before August 2019 but was limited to only a few social media posts.
On August 16, 2019, Amnesty International, the dubious organisation whose India office was shut after it was found that the organization illegally sent money to India without FCRA approval, released a video titled “Let Them Speak”. The 59-second-long video propagated against the security measures taken by the Government of India in view of possible law and order situations after the abrogation of Article 370.
It was soon converted into “Let Kashmir Speak” mainly with Pakistan’s involvement. Let Kashmir Speak became full-fledged Pakistani propaganda and it found space on the official websites of Pakistani embassies and media houses. For example, Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party Tehreek-e-Insaf propagated the campaign.
A dedicated page for Let Kashmir Speak is on the website of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Athens, Greece.
Let Kashmir Speak campaign by Pakistan Embassy, Greece. Source: Pakistan Embassy, Greecce.
A similar section is on the Embassy of Pakistan in Japan.
Let Kashmir Speak campaign by Pakistan Embassy, Japan. Source: Pakistan Embassy, Tokyo.
It also found its way to Pakistan Embassy in Thailand.
Let Kashmir Speak campaign by Pakistan Embassy, Thailand. Source: Facebook.
Pakistan’s media has also covered the now-cancelled event. Pakistan Observer wrote, “Demand for release of all Kashmiri political prisoners and lifting of media restrictions and repression in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir will be raised by participants of a seminar scheduled to be held in India’s capital New Delhi on Wednesday.”
As the Lok Sabha elections are approaching, such campaigns and propaganda-filled events or protests are more likely to take place across India.
In a recent interview, actress Taapsee Pannu discussed the 1984 Sikh genocide. She described how her father was the lone Sikh in Shakti Nagar, Delhi, at the time, and what might have happened if there had been no Hindus around.
Taapsee revealed in an interview with The Lallantop that she never grew up believing that her family had gone through anything bad despite what had occurred to them during the riots. Nonetheless, she claimed that once she was old enough, she realized that she belonged to a minority religion.
She responded in Hindi when asked about her memories of the riots, “My parents weren’t married then. My mother used to live in East Delhi. My father used to reside in Shakti Nagar. Everything I know about that time, I’ve heard from my parents. My mother told me that it was safe on her side of the town. But in Shakti Nagar, we were the only Sikh family. At that time, we had a Jonga parked outside our house, not many people owned cars.”
The Indian Army used a Nissan-designed vehicle called the Jonga. Jabalpur Ordnance and Guncarriage Assembly were referred to as Jonga.
Moreover, Taapsee describes how a car parked in front of her father’s house helped the rioters identify their residence.
“When people arrived brandishing swords and petrol bombs, the Jonga was discovered. They were aware that our family was the only Sikh family in the area. There was no point in trying to escape because our family knew they were being surrounded, so they turned off all the lights and hid. Four tenant families used to reside in the house where we used to stay. All of the others were Hindus. As the rioters arrived, they protected us. They had seen the car and knew it belonged to us, so they had come to our door. Our neighbours, however, informed them that we had left town. The automobile was destroyed by fire. We survived because our neighbours protected us.”
It is notable that before the Sikh genocide in 1984, Operation Blue Star was conducted. The purpose of this operation was to drive out the Khalistani terrorists who had taken over the Harmandir Sahib premises and were regularly targeting Hindus. The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by Khalistani terrorists and just after her death, anti-Sikh riots, where many Congress leaders were involved, engulfed Delhi.
The Canadian Border Security Agency (CBSA) has issued deportation notices to over 700 Indian students after their admission offer letters from educational institutions were found to be fake. These fake offer letters were used to get a Canadian visa on the pretext of entering for studies.
The racket came to light when these students applied for permanent residence in Canada after the completion of the duration of their course.
As per reports, about 700 students applied for study visas through Education Migration Services, Jalandhar, headed by one Brijesh Mishra. These visa applications were filed from 2018 to 2022.
Each student was charged between 16 to 20 lakh rupees for all expenses, including admission fees for a premier institute. Air tickets and security deposits were not included in the payment to the agent.
One of the students, Chaman Singh Batth told IndiaNarrative, “After the students landed in Toronto and were heading to Humber college, they received a telephone call from Mishra telling them that all seats in the courses offered to them got filled, adding that they would now have to wait till the start of the next semester after 6 months or else they could get admission to some other college.”
However, Mishra returned their Humber college fee which further made students believe his genuineness. Unsuspecting students did what Mishra had asked them to do, they went to another college, and took admission in available 2-year diploma courses. The classes started and after completing their respective courses, these students got work permits. On becoming eligible for permanent resident status in Canada, the students, as per the rule, submitted relevant documents to the immigration department.
Batth further adds, “The trouble started when CBSA scrutinised the documents on the basis of which visa was granted to the students and found admission offer letters to be fake. Deportation notices were issued to all the students after granting them an opportunity for a hearing.”
Many of these students are now facing an uncertain future after investing significant time and money in Canada. Some have also expressed anger at the fact that they were not aware of the fraudulent nature of their visas, and are now paying the price for the actions of others.
The CBSA has refused to consider the students as victims because they do not have any evidence to prove that they were duped by Mishra.
When the parents of cheated students tried to contact the agent in Jalandhar, his office was found locked and the calls to his number went unanswered.
