On February 19, Sufi singers Sabri brothers Aftab Sabri and Hashim Sabri sang songs praising Allah at the week-long International Shivratri Festival in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu was the Chief Guest at the festival organised by the Himachal Pradesh government.
Apart from the Sabri brothers, other local singers performed Pahari, Hindu and Punjabi songs. A singer from Bilaspur, Rakhi Gautam, sang a number of Bollywood songs including “Bahon mein chale aao”, “Ladka aankh maare”, “Saat samundar paar” and “Ishq di gali vich no entry” at the Shivratri Festival. Other artists included Mohit Kumar, Surajmani, Indrajeet Singh and more.
In a statement, Bharatiya Janata Party condemned the government and said, “After winning the election, the Congress leaders said they defeated Hindutva. Is this act proof of that? What does Congress want to prove by singing Qaeeali of Allah Hu in the Devbhoomi where the Hindu population is 97 per cent, which is called Choti Kashi, and Shivratri is celebrated at International standard.”
हमारा विरोध किसी धर्म से नहीं पर मंच से है जहां हिंदू त्योहार में ये किया गया है। प्रदेश कांग्रेस सरकार को हिंदू भावनाओं के लिए माफी मांगनी चाहिए।
BJP added, “We are not against any religion but the Hindu festival stage where it took place. Congress government of the state should apologise for hurting Hindu sentiments.”
Netizens reacted to the Sufi performance
Netizens criticised the Congress-led Himachal Pradesh government for organising a Sufi concert at Mahashivratri Festival. Twitter user Mr Sinha said, “Trust me, this is not any Qawwali program but the opening ceremony of “International Shivratri Mahotsav” being organised in Himachal Pradesh.”
Trust me this is not any Qawwali program but the opening ceremony of “International Shivratri Mahotsav” being organised in Himachal Pradesh. pic.twitter.com/TCtuUmcmGq
Twitter user StarBoy2079 said, “Enjoy the Mahashivratri festival at Mandi (HP). Organised by Congress Govt of Himachal Om Namah Shivay to Allah Hu for OPS n 300 unit free electricity.”
On Monday, Darul Uloom Deoband, the biggest Islamic seminary in India issued a fatwa warning the students against trimming their beards. The seminary stated that any student who would trim or shave his beard would be ostracized from the institution.
According to the reports, the notice was issued by Maulana Hussain Ahmad Haridwari, who oversees Darul Uloom’s education division. He mentioned in the notice that shaving or trimming of beard is a wrong practice as per Islam and that the students at the college shall never get their beards shaved.
The letter made it quite clear that any current student who shaves would be dismissed from the university. It added that any student attempting to enter the university for the next semester by shaving off his beard would not be admitted to the premises.
Reiterating that the students who shave beards would be ostracized, the notice stated that the university would not tolerate student disobedience. The fatwa further recalled that on February 6, four of the Darul Uloom Deoband students were dismissed for trimming their beards. Reports mention that the students had issued a letter of apology to the seminary, but the latter did not heed.
The fatwa issued by the seminary has been welcomed by the Ulema of Deoband, Maulana Mufti Asad Qasmi. Maulana Mufti Asad Qasmi of Madrasa Jamia Sheikhul Hind, who is also a former student of Darul Uloom said that everything that Hazrat Mohammad Sahib has adopted is Sunnat. “Every Muslim should spend his life by following Sunnat and Shariah principles. It is Sunnah to keep a handful of beards in Islam. If the beard growing more than this is cut, then there is no harm in it. But it should be maintained,” he said.
Earlier, the Ulema had issued a fatwa against Mulsim women and had barred them from taking “unnecessary photographs” and uploading them on social media. Also, Darul Uloom Deoband had issued a fatwa against the Mulsim women from shaping eyebrows or donning a haircut. The seminary had said that any woman who shapes eyebrows or gets a haircut is indulging in un-Islamic behaviour.
On February 20, Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested the Joint Director of Delhi Jal Board, Naresh Singh, for allegedly siphoning off Rs 20 crores in a water bill scam. He was arrested after ACB questioned him for hours. Reports suggest that Singh received bribes worth Lakhs from the directors of Aurrum and Fresh Pay.
Correction: The name of Delhi Jal Board’s Joint Director is Naresh Singh and not Naresh Sharma as reported earlier.
In a statement, ACB said he allegedly did not reconcile the bill payments with the company, which was his duty as the board’s Deputy Director. In December 2022, an FIR was registered in the alleged e-kiosk water bill scam of Rs 20 crores. During the investigation, several employees of Aurrum and Fresh Pay were arrested.
Reports suggest that the three accused in the case, 56-year-old Raju Nair, 52-year-old Gopi Kumar Kedia and Dr Abhilash Vasikuttan Pillao, are senior officials at an IT company. They were awarded the contract for setting up automotive bill payment collection machines at DJB offices. ACB alleged that the company continued collecting the money until 2020 despite the contract ending in 2019. Though Nair is a resident of Moscow, Russia, he has an Indian Passport.
In a statement, ACB JCP Madhur Verma said that Singh received bribes from the directors of two accused companies, Arrum and Fresh Pay. The contract between DJB and the accused companies for extended for the first time in 2015. Since then, Singh allegedly helped the companies extend the contract to collect bill payments from e-kiosks until 2020. He said, “He allegedly kept silent over the reconciliation of water bills while getting the extension done for the Fresh Pay company.”
The investigation is underway, and the ACB is trying to establish if other government officials or bank employees are involved in the case.
On February 20, son of Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray group) MLA Prakash Phaterpekar’s son Swapnil allegedly attacked singer Sonu Nigam after a concert. In the attack, Nigam’s close associates, Hari Prasad and Rabbani Khan, got injured, and the singer fell on the stairs. A video of the incident has gone viral on social media. A case has been filed under Sections 341, 337 and 323 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
After the concert, I was coming down from stage when a man Swapnil Prakash Phaterpekar held me. Then he pushed Hari & Rabbani who came to save me. Then I fell on steps. I filed a complaint so that people should think about forcefully taking selfies & causing scuffle: Sonu Nigam https://t.co/RVFONXeQ79pic.twitter.com/JxtfCVIaQj
As per reports, when Nigam was leaving the event venue from backstage, Swapnil approached him for a selfie. The singer refused the same, after which he tried to take selfies forcefully. His bodyguard came in between to protect Sonu. Nigam’s associates also tried to stop him, but Swapnil pushed them. In the video, Nigam’s associates could be seen falling off the stairs. Rabbani is the son of Sonu Nigam’s guru and mentor Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan.
Sonu Nigam : “I was coming down from stage when a man Swapnil Phaterpekar (Uddhav Sena MLA’s son) held me. He pushed & then I fell on steps.” pic.twitter.com/sTWBjDWH2Y
Speaking to the media, Nigam said he had filed a complaint as people should understand that forcing someone to get a selfie is wrong. He said, “I was asked to get a selfie, to which I refused. The person grabbed me. Later I came to know he was Swapnil Phaterpekar. My close associate Hari Prasad came to my rescue, and Swapnil pushed him too. I was also pushed. When Rabbani came to save me, he was pushed as well. He narrowly escaped serious injuries. Rabbani was lucky there was no metal [where he fell].”
‘Uddhav’s Sena reduced to Gundo Ki Sena’ – BJP reacted to the incident
Bharatiya Janata Party’s national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, “Once again, the true face of the Uddhav Sena, which has now reduced to Gundo Ki Sena, has come to the fore where MLA of Uddhav’s Sena Prakash Phaterpekar’s son attacking Sonu Nigam and other artists merely for a selfie. This shows the sense of arrogance and entitlement and also the violent politics and violent ways that are pursued by the Uddhav Ki Sena. It also shows that this is not one incident but a serial offender as far as violence is concerned. They have attacked a 60-year-old Navy veteran, and they have attacked other people, also physically and violently. Now they attacked artists, including Sonu Nigam. It only showed the mindset and the approach that Uddhav Sena now believes in.”
Famous singer #SonuNigam reportedly attacked by #UddhavThackeray‘s MLA Prakash Phaterpekar’s son and his men ! THIS HAS BECOME A GUNDON KI SENA
Not the first time such an incident has come to the fore! Earlier a veteran was beaten up!
“This is complete political frustration and something that the people of Maharashtra have totally rejected. Today, Uddhav Ji should tell us whether he will take action on this MLA. Whether he will take action on his son? Whether such kind of politics is condoned by him or condemned by him. This is the true face of Uddhav Ji Ki Sena, and unfortunately, today, we once again witnessed the politics of violence and gundagardi that has now become a norm for these people,” he added.
Police statement
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Hemrajsingh Rajput said, “After a live concert, Sonu Nigam was coming down from the stage when a man held him. After objection he pushed Sonu Nigam & two other men with him from the steps, one of those two men sustained injuries. The accused’s name is Swapnil Phaterpekar.” He added, “As per interaction with Sonu Nigam, the incident didn’t seem to be intentional, it was done by a single person. The volunteers then controlled the situation. Only one name in FIR. It’s just a case where the singer was held by the accused maybe due to the intention of having a photo.”
As per interaction with Sonu Nigam, incident didn’t seem to be intentional, it was done by a single person. The volunteers then controlled the situation. Only one name in FIR. It’s just a case where the singer was held by accused maybe due to intention of having photo:DCP, Zone 6 pic.twitter.com/U0nfBhuOJj
Nigam was performing at the Chembur Festival, organised by MLA Prakash Phaterpekar. MLA’s son allegedly misbehaved with Nigam’s manager Saira and asked her to leave the stage. When Nigam was leaving the stage, he asked for a selfie, which the singer refused. The agitated son of the MLA pushed the bodyguard and then pushed the singer. Rabbani sustained injuries and was rushed to Zen Hospital in Chembur.
On February 20, Alt News’ co-founder and dubious fact-checker Mohammed Zubair shared a screenshot of the Times Now report. He sarcastically wrote, “*Viewers! Exclusive information coming in here. Here’s how Mohammed Zubair is linked to George Soror*. Meanwhile Yashaswi Ji”
Zubair mocked Times Now for establishing link between Alt News and Soros. Source: Twitter
The screenshot was from a program where the media house showed that Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) and The Poynter Institute for Media Studies, which runs International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), were both funded by George Soros’s Open Society Foundations. Both PRIO and IFCN have some connection to Alt News and Mohammed Zubair. Here is the video from Times Now that was broadcasted on February 17.
IFCN recognised Alt News as an established media house to fact-check claims on the internet in 2019. The association between IFCN and Alt News made it possible for Alt News’ co-founders Pratik Sinha and Mohammed Zubair to run propaganda as per their choice on the internet for one year as a signatory of IFCN. In 2020, Alt News’ signatory was not renewed at IFCN for unknown reasons. It is listed under expired signatories on Poynter’s website.
As per the Open Society Foundations’ website, Poynter received four grants. The first grant of USD 25,000 was given in 2016 for Global Fact-Checking Summit. The second grant of USD 300,000 was given in 2017 to “expand support for fact-checkers around the world by increasing reporting, writing, teaching, convening and thought leadership of the International Fact-Checking Network, a project of the Grantee’s”.
In 2018, a grant of USD 122,000 was provided “to provide salary support for the International Fact-Checking Network so the grantee can continue their charitable and educational work”. In 2019, another grant Of USD 45,000 was given to establish a pan-European fact-checking network.
PRIO’s funders’ list has Soros’s foundation all over
On the income page of PRIO, the Open Society Foundations has been mentioned four times. The last payment to PRIO was made in 2021. The amount was not mentioned on the page. PRIO got payment from OSF in 2020, 2019 and 2018. Information on previous years was not available on the website. On Open Society Foundations’ website, one grant worth USD 140,000 was found that was given in 2017.
OSINT Twitter user The Hawk Eye shed more light while commenting on Zubair in his tweet. He said, “PRIO:nobel nominator for Harsh Mander & Alt New, funded by OSF, RAND etc. IFCN: approved “non-partisan” Alt News as a signatory in 2018 is funded by OSF, Omidyar etc.” He added, “Don’t assume yourself so important to be linked with Soros. They fund an ecosystem, not individuals.”
PRIO : nobel nominator for Harsh Mander & Alt New, funded by OSF, RAND etc. IFCN : approved “non-partisan” Alt News as signatory in 2018 is funded by OSF, Omidyar etc.
+ don’t assume yourself so important to be linked with Soros. They fund in ecosystem, not individuals. pic.twitter.com/8QwVwB1wiQ
Speaking to OpIndia, he said, “The org PRIO that nominated Karwan-e-Mohabbat, Harsh Mander’s NGO and co-founders of Alt New, Pratik Sinha and Md Zubair are supported by Open Society Foundation, RAND Corporation etc. Similarly, the international fact check Network (IFCN), a project of Poynter, approved Alt News as a signatory in 2019. The assessor was left-leaning Kanchan Kaur. A point must be noted here that being a “non-partisan” fact-check body is an important criterion. There was a huge outrage over this approval, and people questioned the credibility of such an assessment. The badge has to be renewed every year, but Alt News didn’t apply for the reason best known to them & IFCN. Now Poynter is also funded by OSF, Omidyar etc.”
“Despite hardly any possibility of contesting for a Nobel peace, such favours are done strategically to add credentials at international forums. Now they are known as “Nobel Peace Prize nominees”. Imagine! The orgs like OSF, Ford Foundation or Omidyar are policy & governance-controlling proxies. They invest in their assets to develop a favourable ecosystem,” he added.
The Human Rights Law Network link
Investigative journalist Vijay Patel also added to the information on links between Alt News and Soros’ foundation. As per his tweet, Advocate Colin Gonsalves, who represented Mohammed Zubair in the court, has a foundation named Human Rights Law Network (HRLN). Open Society Foundations funded it along with Ford Foundation and others.
Furthermore, Pratik Sinha’s mother, Nirjhari Mukul Sinha, used to run a branch of HRLN in Gujarat. She is one of the directors listed in the company details of Pravda Media Foundation, the parent company of Alt News. Alt News has not disclosed its funding and expenditures on its website for years. The links to Archived pages of the screenshots can be seen here and here.
On Sunday, February 19, a man in Hyderabad named Mohammad Zakeer called off his wedding, claiming that the bride’s family was giving him second-hand furniture as dowry, reports Times Now. A case has been filed against him, and an investigation is currently underway.
According to the report, the marriage of the 25-year-old Zakeer, who works as a bus driver in Moulali, was fixed with 22-year-old Heena Fatima, who lives in Bandlaguda’s Rehmat Colony.
On Sunday, the wedding was scheduled to take place at a mosque, and all preparations were made accordingly. The place was decorated, guests were invited, and a variety of dishes were prepared.
The bride’s family waited a long time for the groom’s family to arrive, but they never did. The bride’s father inquired and discovered that Zakeer and his family had canceled the wedding.
The bride’s father informed the media that when he arrived at the groom’s house and questioned the family, they expressed dissatisfaction with the furniture that had been provided to them. They said the furniture was used and demanded more things in dowry, he added.
The bride’s father has filed a police complaint alleging that Mohammad Zakeer refused to marry his daughter because he claimed he was offered secondhand furniture as dowry. He further claimed that when he went to question the family, he was abused and turned away.
The Hyderabad Police said that a case had been filed against the groom under Sections 420, 406, and 3 and 4 of the Domestic Violence Act. Further probe is underway, the police added.
The progress of Rajasthan Police’s investigation into the double homicide in Bhiwani has come to light in a sting operation by news TV9 Bharatvarsh. The sting dubbed, ‘Operation Loharu,’ revealed that the police had not found Monu Manesar’s location at the place where they had uncovered Junaid and Nasir’s skeletons.
Ram Naresh, Station House Officer (SHO), Gopalgarh, can be heard stating, “Monu Manesar’s location was not discovered there (at the spot). In the video, he asserted, Junaid (one of the two deceased cow smugglers) was a “wanted felon”.
The SHO further said that Rinku Saini, who was arrested in this case, is a member of Monu Manesar’s group. He claimed, “Rinku’s location was traced to the spot of the crime.”
The sting unveiled that Rinku had received a message on his phone which carried the license plate information of the car in which Junaid and Nasir’s charred bodies were discovered. This is being treated as evidence by the police against him. He is currently on a five day police remand.
Together with Monu Rana, the SHO mentioned two other Haryana residents, Anil Murthal and Vikas Arya in the sting. However, the FIR makes no mention of their names, he added. Monu Rana is said to be a native of Bhiwani. His house is just a few blocks away from the crime scene.
Monu Manesar has vehemently denied any involvement in the murders. He has said he was in a Gurugram hotel on the day of the event. CCTV footage and other proof are also available confirming the same. Monu asserted that his name was being dragged into the controversy because of Bajrang Dal’s opposition to cow slaughter in Mewat.
In a car in Bhiwani, Haryana, burnt dead bodies of bovine smugglers Junaid, 35, and Nasir, 25, were found, on Thursday, February 16. The police claimed that the two were kidnapped by cow vigilantes and burned alive in Bhiwani’s Loharu region, based on an FIR filed by their family in Rajasthan.
On Sunday, 19th February 2023, D Roopa Moudgil, an IPS (Indian Police Service) officer, shared private photos of an IAS (Indian Administrative Service) officer, Rohini Sindhuri, on social media, alleging that by sending her pictures to male IAS officers, Rohini Sindhuri had broken the rules of service conduct.
On Monday, 20th February 2023, Karnataka’s Home Minister Araga Jnanendra termed this behavior of the officers bad and warned them of action. Many in the Karnataka administration were surprised by a public argument between two senior female officials.
D Roopa published the photos on her Facebook page, alleging that Ms. Sindhuri shared them with three IAS officers in 2021 and 2022. D Roopa had issued a long list of corruption allegations against Ms. Sindhuri a day before that. She stated she had also approached Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Chief Secretary Vandita Sharma with her concerns.
Ms. Sindhuri, enraged, issued a statement on Sunday accusing D Roopa of waging a “false, personal vilification campaign” against her and warned her of legal action. Ms. Sindhuri said, “She collected photos from social media and screenshots of (my) WhatsApp status to defame me. As she has alleged that I sent these pictures to some officials, I urge her to reveal their names.”
She added, “Mental illness is a huge problem, it needs to be addressed by medication and counseling. When it affects people in responsible positions, it becomes all the more dangerous. She has been driving false, personal vilification campaigns against me which is her standard modus operandi.”
The Karnataka Home Minister stated that he had talked about the incident with the chief of police and that the Chief Minister was also aware of it. Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said, “We are not sitting quiet, action will be taken against them. They both are behaving in such a bad way – not even normal people speak on the streets like this. Let them do whatever they want on their personal issues, but coming before the media and behaving the way they are is not right.”
Ms. Sindhuri is the Commissioner of the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowment Department, and D Roopa is the Managing Director of the Karnataka Handicrafts Development Corporation. Images of Ms. Sindhuri dining with Janata Dal (Secular) Legislator Sa Ra Mahesh in a restaurant recently went viral, sparking the conflict. When Ms. Sindhuri was appointed in Mysuru in 2021, the two had multiple public disputes accusing each other of corruption. D Roopa questioned why an IAS official would meet with a politician, implying that the two had formed a pact. The allegation was dismissed by Ms. Sindhuri.
On Monday, two separate Indigo flights received hoax bomb threat calls. The first flight that received the hoax threat call was an Indigo Airlines flight from Mumbai to Delhi, while the second one was another Indigo flight operating from Delhi to Deogarh.
The second Delhi-Deogarh bound flight was diverted to Lucknow following a specific bomb threat.
IndiGo flight 6E 6191 operating from Delhi to Deogarh was diverted to Lucknow following a specific bomb threat today. All necessary security protocols were followed & the aircraft was cleared for takeoff. IndiGo is following the rules of the security agencies in the probe: IndiGo pic.twitter.com/85gis2UUpV
According to statements published by the airline, security agents rushed to do the necessary checks and followed all relevant security processes.
Regarding IndiGo Airlines flight 6E-2051 from Mumbai to Delhi, a statement from the airline said, “As per protocol, the aircraft was taken to a remote bay for search by the security agencies on arrival at Delhi airport. The passengers left the airport after all the necessary security protocols were followed. IndiGo is following the rules of the security agencies in the investigation. We regret the inconvenience caused to the passengers.”
In the second instance, the IndiGo aircraft 6E 6191 from Delhi to Deogarh was diverted to Lucknow due to a specific bomb threat. According to an Indigo statement, all appropriate security measures were followed, and the aircraft was cleared for flight.
“Indigo flight 6E-6191 flying from Delhi to Deogarh got diverted to Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, due to security reasons. The flight landed safely at CCSIA at 12:20 pm and was taken to the isolation bay,” CCSIA Spokesperson said.
“The airport security followed necessary checks to verify the threat and after proper investigation, the threat turned out to be a hoax and the aircraft was released for the onward journey at 14:55,” the spokesperson added.
Last year, the Chennai Police arrested a man who made a fake call to the city police station to inform them that there was a bomb planted in the Indigo flight flying to Dubai. The man was in an inebriated state when he made the hoax bomb threat.
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has been at the helm of anti-India propaganda for several years. It has cast aspersions on the integrity of Indian institutions and peddled hysteria about an impending genocide in India.
USCIRF, which was created in 1998 by the Clinton administration, has been reporting on religious freedom in India for the past two decades. The US federal government commission has been interfering in India’s internal affairs and portraying a falsified image of India to the rest of the world.
As per the website (archive) of USCIRF, a civil rights lawyer named Anurima Bhargava served as the Chair of the Commission between December 11, 2018, and May 19, 2020. She was appointed to the position by Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi.
Screengrab of the profile of Anurima Bhargava on the USCIRF website
Interestingly, Bhargava was the recipient of the ‘Leadership in Government Fellowship’, which was provided by the Open Society Foundations (OSF) run by Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros.
Anuima Bhargava and her views on Article 370, NRC
In a statement, Anurima Bhargava claimed, “We remain troubled by any government policies or actions that have the effect, whether intentional or not, of undermining religious freedom for vulnerable religious minorities.”
The USCIRF Chair alleged, “The National Register of Citizens verification process must not become a means to target and render stateless the Muslim community in northeastern India.”
She also insinuated that NRC will put ‘a higher burden for verification’ on Muslims and foster a dangerous climate for the community in India’s north-east region.
Anurima Bhargava runs a strategic advisory and consulting firm ‘Anthem of us’. The firm lists a number of partner organisations. One of them – Sorors’s Open Society Foundations. Bhargava herself is a OSF Fellowship winner. 5/7 pic.twitter.com/99MmXfPiH1
— Stop Hindu Hate Advocacy Network (SHHAN) (@HinduHate) June 4, 2022
Arunmia Bhargava also made similar contentious remarks about the Indian government’s landmark decision to abrogate Article 370 of the constitution. She had claimed, “The restrictions in Kashmir impacted the ability of people to practice their faith, visit their places of worship and exercise their rights.”
Bhargava has also been connected to the Doc Society, which in turn is associated with the Open Society Foundation of George Soros and the American private foundation Ford.
Open Society Foundations has extended support to the likes of ‘journalist’ Rana Ayyub over a withheld tweet. Doc Society, supported by George Soros, has also funded the documentary film on NDTV News anchor Ravish Kumar titled ‘While We Watched’.
So Arunima Bhargava is active with Kejriwal, Ravish Kumar, Rana Ayyub, Hindus for Human Rights, Indo American Muslim Council, FIACONA, Ford Foundation, Doc Society, USCIRF, she is close to Biden Administration & is woman behind pic.twitter.com/bXYp9x8UZf
Prior to the legislation on the Citizenship Amendment Bill in 2019, USCIRF appealed to the US government to impose sanctions on India.
In a statement, USCIRF said, “The CAB is a dangerous turn in the wrong direction; it runs counter to India’s rich history of secular pluralism and the Indian Constitution, which guarantees equality before the law regardless of faith.”
It further threatened, “If the CAB passes in both houses of parliament, the US government should consider sanctions against the Home Minister and other principal leadership.”
In reality, Citizenship Amendment Bill (now an Act) is meant to fast-track the citizenship of religious minorities (from nearby Islamic Republics of Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan) living illegally in the country on or before December 31, 2014.
From 2020 onwards, USCIRF has continued to categorise India as a ‘country of particular concern.’ In November 2022, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) published a report citing the ‘dubious’ Tek Fog allegation as an example of a lack of religious freedom in India.
The report claimed, “The BJP has also been accused of using ‘Tek Fog,’ a highly sophisticated app utilized by online operatives to hijack major social media and encrypted messaging platforms to amplify hate speech and exacerbate sectarian divides.”
This was despite the fact that the original purveyor of the fake claim i.e. The Wiretook down the story a month prior to the publication of the USCIRF report. It thus becomes evident that the Commission is highly prejudiced against India and will stoop to any level to further its baseless claims.
George Soros and his nefarious anti-India agenda
George Soros has several intellectuals on his payroll, including the former PM Manmohan Singh’s daughter Amrita Singh. Not to forget the curious case of ‘author’ and ‘social activist’ Harsh Mander who had been at the forefront of creating civil unrest during the Anti-CAA protests.
In 2018, George Soros-funded NGO, Sherpa, had attempted to thwart India’s defense deal with France and stall the delivery of Rafale fighter jets.
Moreover, Open Society Foundations (OSF) run by the billionaire had funded the Socio-Legal Information Centre (SLIC), which had been active in seeking the repeal of the sedition law currently used against anti-India elements.
In September 2019, George Soros also met Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan shortly after US President Donald Trump attended Narendra Modi’s ‘Howdy Modi’ event in Houston, Texas.
Interestingly, he is also friends with prominent Congressman Shashi Tharoor, who also happens to have a Pakistani connection. In 2021, there was a hullabaloo in India over allegations of snooping by the Modi government through the use of Israeli spyware, Pegasus.
These allegations stemmed from a report by the leftist-propaganda news outlet, The Wire, which in turn was fed the story by ‘Forbidden Stories (FS). Coincidentally, George Soros’ Open Society Foundation (OSF) happens to be one of the donors of the organization.
George Soros had been unabashed in his attempt to fuel a dangerous anti-India narrative through media and ‘civil society. Organizations funded by him played a key role in creating chaos and unrest under the pretext of anti-farm law protests.
In 1999, the Open Society Foundation began activities in India by providing scholarships and fellowships to pursue studies and research at Indian colleges. Through the OSF, George Soros made significant contributions towards the spread of instability in India.
The Hungarian-American billionaire has also tried to use international institutions, which are funded by him, including Freedom House and V-Dem (Varieties of Democracy) Institute to tarnish the image of India at a global level.
