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Pet dog brutally killed with sharp weapon, hind legs cut off in Ambala, police initiates investigation

ANI
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Pet dog brutally killed with sharp weapon, hind legs cut off in Ambala, police initiates investigation

A pet dog was brutally killed in the Laxmi Nagar of Ambala. After the forensic investigation, the doctor confirmed that the dog was assaulted with some sharp weapon and it died due to excessive bleeding. 

The owner of the dog went to the market when the incident happened. He said to ANI, “my pet is called ‘shadow’. My neighbours informed me that some people killed it.” Initially, the case was not registered by the police. But some social organisations, which work for the protection of street dogs and animals, wanted legal action in the case. Late at night in sector nine, people from different organisations gathered and started demonstrations. They shouted slogans, and sat on a ‘dharna’. A member of such an organisation told ANI, “the dog was killed brutally. This act can’t go unpunished. We have made it a point that the police needed to take stern actions against the offenders.” 

The doctor, who performed the forensics, told the reporter “the pet’s post-mortem was done. He informed me that the back legs of the dog had been cut with a sharp weapon and the head had also been hit with a stick. It had multiple injuries in internal organs. It died due to excessive bleeding.” 

The owner of the dog alleged that the accused was bitten by the dog once. To avenge that, he inflicted such cruelty upon the dog. 

SHO Rajesh Kumar said, “the case is already registered against two people. The investigation is underway.” 

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Rajiv Gandhi Foundation’s FCRA licence suspended as it took money from China and Zakir Naik – Home Minister Amit Shah

OpIndia Staff
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Rajiv Gandhi Foundation’s FCRA licence suspended as it took money from China and Zakir Naik – Home Minister Amit Shah

On December 13, the opposition forced the adjournment of the question hour during the Lok Sabha winter session. Displeased by the way the opposition leaders, especially the members of the Congress Party, Home Minister Amit Shah lashed out at them in the press brief.

While speaking to Media, Home Minister Amit Shah said, “Today, the opposition interrupted the question hour. I strongly object to the disruption caused by the opposition, especially the Congress Party. While mentioning the incidents that took place at Arunachal Border on the intervening night of December 8 and December 9, the opposition got the important question session adjourned. It was unnecessary as the Parliamentary Affairs Minister had already stated clearly that at 12 PM, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh would address the house on the matter. When it was already announced that the statement [by the Defence Minister] was scheduled, there was no need to disturb the house.”

He added, “When I checked the list of questions for the question session and saw question number 5, I realised why they were so irked. The question was related to the suspension of the FCRA licence of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation. A Congress party member raised the question. The answer was clear, and I would have said it in the house, that Rajiv Gandhi Foundation received Rs 1.35 crore from the Chinese Embassy in the 2005-06 and 2006-07 financial years. It was not in accordance with the FCRA regulations. A notice was issued, and the Home Ministry cancelled the FCRA licence.”

Questioning the motive behind funding from the Chinese Embassy, HM Shah said, “The Foundation was registered for social work. However, the funds received from the Chinese Embassy were allegedly used to research India-China relationships. Were the thousands of hectares of land grabbed by China in the 1962 war included in their research? What did the report say? Did they research how Nehru’s love [for China] led to India’s inability to be part of the UN’s Security Council? If they did, what was the outcome of the research? When our soldiers were fighting with Chinese soldiers in Galwan, who was hosting dinner for Chinese Embassy officials? Was it part of their research? If yes, what was the outcome of the research?”

He said, “When they were in power in 2006, the Chinese Embassy claimed Arunachal Pradesh and Nephi. Was it part of their research? If yes, what was the outcome? On May 25, 2007, China refused to give visas to Congress CM Dorji Khandu. They claimed Visa was not needed as Arunachal Pradesh was China’s part. On October 13, 2009, during Manmohan Singh’s Arunachal visit, China objected. Were these incidents part of their research?”

HM Shah added, “In 2010, China started issuing stapled visas to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Was it part of your research? In 2011, after China’s warning, the Congress government stopped working on construction of roads, and vital modern infrastructure was stopped. Why was it stopped? Did they research it? I want to inform the Congress party that such a dual face does not work in front of the public. They are watching you.”

Speaking about another reason behind the cancellation of the license, HM Shah said, “Rajiv Gandhi Foundation lost its FCRA licence for one more reason. Islamic Research Foundation of Zakir Naik also gave Rs 50 lakhs to the foundation on July 7, 2011. I want to ask the members of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, who are the members of the Congress Party, why Zakir Naik gave you the funds. The public deserves an explanation.”

HM Shah further added that till the time, BJP remains in power, no one will be able to grab even an inch of the land. Praising the soldiers for their valour on December 8 and December 9, he said, “On December 8 and December 9, our soldiers showed great valour and they pushed all the intruders within a few hours and saved our land.”

Question in the parliament on cancellation of FCRA licence of Rajiv Gandhi Foundation

It is notable that the Ministry of Home Affairs cancelled the FCRA licence of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation on October 23, 2022. It was reported that the decision was made based on investigations conducted by an inter-ministerial committee constituted by the ministry of home affairs (MHA) in July 2020. A notice regarding the termination of the licence was sent to the office-bearers of the foundation. In July 2020, the MHA formed an inter-ministerial committee led by an Enforcement Directorate (ED) officer to investigate Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF), Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust (RGCT), and Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust, for alleged violations of the Money Laundering Act, Income Tax Act, and FCRA. The committee, which included officers from the union home and finance ministries in addition to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), was tasked with investigating whether the trusts run by the Gandhi family and other Congress leaders tampered with documents when filing income taxes or misused and laundered money received from foreign countries.

On December 7, the question on the cancellation of the license was raised in Rajya Sabha by Digvijay Singh and Amee Yajnik. In the reply, Nityanand Rai, Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs said that under section 14 of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 (FCRA, 2010) due to violation of provisions under section 11 and conditions of registration under section 12(4)(a)(vi) of the FCRA, 2010. The FCRA licence of the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust (RGCT) was cancelled under section 14 of the FCRA, 2010 due to violation of provisions under sections 8(1)(a), 11, 17, 18, 19 and conditions of registration under section 12(4)(a)(vi) of the FCRA, 2010.

On December 13, the question was raised in Lok Sabha by VK Shreekandan and Benny Behanan. Rai submitted the same answer in the house. In both cases, the reasons mentioned by HM Shah during the media brief were not mentioned. As per the reply submitted by Home Ministry, the foundation will not be eligible for the license for another three years.

Uttar Pradesh: Maulvi Lallu arrested for attempting the forced conversion of a Hindu girl, 9 others booked

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Maulvi Lallu arrested for attempting the forced conversion of a Hindu girl, 9 others booked

The Uttar Pradesh Police booked a Maulvi and nine others for attempting to convert an 18-year-old Hindu girl to Islam and perform her nikah with a man named Ahmad Ansari. The incident took place on December 9 in the Fatehpur district of the state. The Police meanwhile have arrested Maulvi and the man Ansari, and are conducting further investigations into the case.

According to the reports, the girl had mysteriously disappeared from the Fatehpur Sadar Kotwali area around 8 months ago. After that, the mother of the girl filed a missing person report at the Police station. The girl, on the other hand, somehow managed to tell her mother that she would be converted and wedded to Ansari on Thursday evening in Satonpeet village.

The mother then rushed there and tried to rescue her daughter. Ansari and his family abused, groped, and assaulted the mother when she reached the spot to save her daughter. The police were informed about the brawl by the locals, after which the authorities booked 10 people on the charges of kidnapping, assault, and molestation of a woman.

The booked persons include Maulvi Lallu, Ahmed Ansari, Ansari’s mother Sahroon Nisha, his brothers Naushad Ali and Dilshad Ali, sisters-in-law Soni Bano and Yasmeen, sister Badki, Tahkan Nisha, and Bhola Masood. They have been booked under UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act. The accused were also booked on charges of abusing and rioting.

The Police meanwhile have arrested Maulvi and Ahmad Ansari based on the complaint filed by the girl’s mother. The duo is being interrogated by police. Deputy Superintendent of Police (CO) Dineshchandra Mishra confirmed the incident and said that about eight months ago (when the girl was possibly a minor), Ahmed Ansari, a resident of Asothar police station, had lured the woman from the Hariharganj area of Fatehpur Sadar Kotwali and had taken her away with him. Her mother had filed a missing report in this connection, he said.

Over 200 Chinese PLA troops came armed with spiked clubs, taser guns and monkey fists during a face-off along LAC in Tawang: Reports

OpIndia Staff
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Over 200 Chinese PLA troops came armed with spiked clubs, taser guns and monkey fists during a face-off along LAC in Tawang: Reports

Clashes broke out between the Indian and Chinese troops on December 9, 2022, in the border area of the Tawang sector in Arunachal Pradesh. Now, a report by India Today has confirmed around 200 Chinese soldiers were involved in the attack. As per the report, the Chinese PLA came heavily prepared with spiked clubs with nails on them, monkey fists (a crude weapon made of iron that is worn on the wrist), and taser guns and sticks.

The PLA troop was challenged by a group of roughly 50 Indian soldiers who confronted them and stopped their advances in a location. According to a report by The Print’s Snehesh Alex Philip, a backup Indian squad arrived at the location within a half-hour, following which a clash ensued. According to sources cited by the media outlet, this conflict began with stone-pelting before troops from both sides engaged in hand-to-hand combat.

The source was quoted as saying that while the Indian troops were not armed with taser guns, they had “everything and more than what the Chinese had” to be able to retaliate.

According to sources, the PLA troops sustained more injuries as a result of the Indian troops’ ability to quickly outnumber the Chinese troops. According to sources who spoke to The Print, at least 15 Indian soldiers were hurt in the clash, including those who sustained fractures. The source added that the Chinese were attempting to gain “morale superiority” because there was a change in the Army unit that was deployed along the front lines on the Indian side at the time.

Def Min Rajnath Singh addresses LS over Arunachal clash

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday addressed the lower house of the Indian Parliament over the scuffle that broke out between Indian and Chinese troops along the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang sector on December 9. Singh said that the attempt of PLA troops was contested by the Indian army in a firm and resolute manner. He added that the contestation led to a face-off between the two forces, resulting in a minor scuffle which prevented the PLA from transgressing into the Indian territory and compelled them to return to their posts.

Singh confirmed that none of the Indian soldiers was seriously injured or killed during the clashes with the Chinese PLA troopers.

Indian and Chinese PLA soldiers face off at Arunachal LAC

Clashes broke out between the Indian and Chinese troops on December 9 in the border area of the Tawang sector in Arunachal Pradesh, an official statement by the Indian Army said.

There have been reports of multiple injuries on both sides. There have been no reports of deaths. Chinese had come heavily prepared with around 300 soldiers but didn’t expect the Indian side also to be well prepared, ANI quoted sources as saying.

Galwan Valley clashes

The scuffle assumes significance given that it is the first such incident since the Galwan Valley clashes between India and China more than two years ago, heightening tensions between the two countries. On June 15, 2020, the Chinese troops attacked the Indian troops along the LAC near the Ladakh border. The clashes resulted in India losing 20 of its soldiers. Estimates suggest China had lost 43 of its men. However, after months of denial, China officially acknowledged the loss of at least 5 of its soldiers.

Jalandhar: Amritpal Singh supporters create a ruckus at Gurudwara, break the chairs and sofa inside, and burn them

OpIndia Staff
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Jalandhar: Amritpal Singh supporters create a ruckus at Gurudwara, break the chairs and sofa inside, and burn them

On December 13, Sikh supporters of preacher Amritpal Singh Khalsa of ‘Waris Punjab De’ created a ruckus at the Gurudwara Singh Sabha, Model Town, Jalandhar. They broke the chairs and sofas, took them outside, and set them on fire. The incident took place late evening on Monday during Amritpal Singh’s visit to the Gurudwara. Notably, he has been on a state-wide march, ‘Khalsa Wahir’ march.

A similar incident took place on December 9 at a Gurudwara in Biharipura village of district Kapurthala. At that time, Amritpal had issued a warning against using chairs inside Gurudwaras. He claimed that putting up chairs inside holy shrines is against “Maryada”, or the dignity of Sikhism. As per Dainik Bhaskar’s report, when Amritpal Singh reached the Gurudwara, he paid respect to the Takht and then passed a remark that the management has turned the Gurudwara into a palace by placing chairs inside the hall. He questioned, “Can we sit at the same level as Guru Sahib?”

Following the remarks, his followers started creating a ruckus. They tore the cushions of the sofas and took the furniture outside. They poured fuel on the pile of broken furniture and set it on fire. 

At that time, Amritpal was addressing the congregation inside the Gurudwara Hall. He was informed about the incident that was taking place after he reportedly asked his followers not to destroy the furniture. However, by the time he ‘urged’ them to stop, the furniture was already burnt. As per reports, he said he would have questioned the Gurudwara management committee in front of the Sangat why there were chairs inside Gurudwara Hall since it was against ‘Sikh Maryada’.

The Police were also informed about the incident. Gurudwara management committees officials and Police reached the spot, and a probe was initiated into the matter. SHO Sukhdev Singh said in a statement that the matter would be thoroughly investigated and appropriate legal action would be taken. As per Jagbani’s report, the committee did not file a complaint till late at night.

Amritpal’s statement against chairs

In a statement during his address to the congregation, Amritpal Singh spoke against the use of chairs inside Gurudwaras. He said, “The poor who are hungry do not think about chairs. All these are just excuses. Everyone is responsible for the revival of the Code of Conduct inside Gurudwaras and not me alone. If someone tells me something is happening somewhere, I tell them, ‘are you wearing bangles?’ If I go to any Gurudwara, I will either not pay my respects or pay respects only after removing chairs.”

Akal Takht’s stand on the use of chairs

It is notable that on several occasions, the issue has been raised by the Akal Takht and Sikh leaders not to allow chairs and sofas inside Gurudwaras. In November 2013, Akal Takht issued regulations against the use of chairs, sofas, and other similar sitting arrangements inside Gurudwaras. As per a report in The Tribune, Akal Takht banned the use of sofas, chairs, or benches installed for elderly people and differently-abled persons in the main hall of the Gurudwaras. It was termed as disrespect to the holy book.

Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh of Akal Takht urged the Gurudwara Management Committees to make arrangements outside the main hall for those who cannot sit on the floor. Jathedar spoke to the media on the matter and said that in 2009, it was decided to have two sitting arrangements inside Gurudwaras, but details about which sitting arrangement would be placed inside the hall and which would be allowed outside the hall were not discussed.

Notably, on April 20, 1998, Jathedar Ranjit Singh of Akal Takht issued a Hukumnama prohibiting Sikhs from using chairs and tables while partaking of ‘langar’, which was a common practice in foreign countries. The Hukumnama stirred controversy, and later, in October 1998, Five High Priests relaxed the regulations and allowed handicapped or sick devotees to use chairs and tables while partaking of ‘langar’.

‘No Indian soldier seriously injured or killed, they foiled Chinese bid to unilaterally change the status quo’: Def Min Rajnath Singh in LS

OpIndia Staff
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‘No Indian soldier seriously injured or killed, they foiled Chinese bid to unilaterally change the status quo’: Def Min Rajnath Singh in LS

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday addressed the lower house of the Indian Parliament over the scuffle that broke out between Indian and Chinese troops along the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang sector on December 9. Singh said none of the Indian soldiers was seriously injured or killed during the clashes with the Chinese PLA troopers.

“Our army valiantly fought back & forced Chinese troops to go back to their post. They foiled China’s bid to unilaterally alter the status quo along the LAC in the Tawang sector. Both sides have suffered some injury, none of our soldiers is seriously injured or dead,” Singh said in Lok Sabha.

Singh said PLA troops tried to transgress the LAC in the Yangtse area of the Tawang Sector on December 9 and unilaterally change the status quo. However, their attempt was contested by the Indian army in a firm and resolute manner. He further added that the contestation led to a face-off between the two forces, resulting in a minor scuffle which prevented the PLA from transgressing into the Indian territory and compelled them to return to their posts.

“Due to the timely intervention of Indian military commanders, PLA soldiers went back to their locations. As a follow-up of the incident, the local Commander in the area held a Flag Meeting with his counterpart on 11 December 2022 to discuss the issue in accordance with established mechanisms. The Chinese side was asked to refrain from such actions and maintain peace and tranquillity along the border. The issue has also been taken up with the Chinese side through diplomatic channels,” Defence Minister further added.

Copy of statement made by Rajnath Singh in Lok Sabha

Indian, Chinese troops face off in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang Sector

Clashes broke out between the Indian and Chinese troops on December 9 in the border area of the Tawang sector in Arunachal Pradesh, an official statement by the Defence Ministry said on Monday. 

There have been reports of multiple injuries on both sides. According to reports, the Chinese had come heavily prepared with around 300 soldiers carrying clubs wrapped with spikes and other weapons, but they had not expected the Indian side to mobilise quickly for their surreptitious attack, ANI quoted sources as saying.

The Defence Ministry issued a statement over the media reports on clashes between Indian, and Chinese forces along the Line of Actual Control in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh. “In certain areas along the LAC in the Tawang Sector in Arunachal Pradesh there are areas of differing perception, wherein both sides patrol the area up to their claim lines. This has been the trend since 2006, the statement said.

The Defence Ministry said both sides immediately disengaged from the area. “As a follow up of the incident, own Commander in the area held a Flag Meeting with his counterpart to discuss the issue in accordance with structured mechanisms to restore peace and tranquility,” it added.

India hits out on OIC for PoK visit, calls it mouthpiece of Pakistan and says it has no locus standi in matters relating to Kashmir

ANI
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India hits out on OIC for PoK visit, calls it mouthpiece of Pakistan and says it has no locus standi in matters relating to Kashmir

India on Tuesday condemned the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha’s visit to Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and his comment during the visit to Pakistan, Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. 

“We strongly condemn the visit of the OIC Secretary General to Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) and his comments on Jammu and Kashmir during his visit to Pakistan,” Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi replied to the media queries regarding Taha’s visit. He further said, “Let me reiterate that OIC has no locus standing in matters related to Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral and inalienable part of India. Any attempt of interference and meddling in India’s internal affairs by OIC and its Secretary General is entirely unacceptable.” 

Regarding OIC, Bagchi said that the organisation had lost its credibility by taking a blatantly communal, partisan and factually incorrect approach to issues. He also said that OIC’s Secretary-General has become a mouthpiece of Pakistan, according to the statement. 

India hoped that Taha would refrain from becoming a partner in carrying out the ‘nefarious’ agenda of Pakistan of promoting cross-border terrorism in India, especially in Jammu and Kashmir, Bagchi said. 

Earlier, on Monday, OIC General-Secretary met Pakistan’s Prime Minister during his three-day visit starting from December 10 to 12, OIC said in a statement. 

Both sides exchanged views on the question of Palestine, humanitarian challenges faced by the people of Afghanistan, and efforts towards countering rising anti-Muslim hatred and Islamophobia across the globe. 

The meeting also reviewed aspects of cooperation between OIC and Pakistan, in particular, on the implementation of the resolutions of the Council of Foreign Ministers during ongoing Pakistan’s chairmanship of the Council, according to the statement. 

Earlier, on Saturday, Taha held a working session with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. Both sides discussed relations between the OIC and Pakistan as well as issues related to Jammu and Kashmir dispute, Islamophobia and the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Uttar Pradesh: Brawl breaks out between two factions of Congress workers during Bharat Jodo Yatra, video goes viral

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Brawl breaks out between two factions of Congress workers during Bharat Jodo Yatra, video goes viral

On Monday, December 12, two factions of Congress workers came face to face in Uttar Pradesh. The brawl took place when the party’s Bharat Jodo Yatra was passing through Uttar Pradesh’s Kaushambi district’s Bharwari block. The workers reportedly engaged in fist fights and attacked each other with sticks and lathis in the presence of senior Congress leaders. Videos of the fight have since gone viral on social media.

The Kaushambi police, meanwhile, have taken to Twitter to confirm the incident. The police said that the brawl started between the leaders of the two rival factions over who gets to accompany the chief guest when the Bharat Jodo Yatra was on its way from Rohi village in Manjhanpur.

As the argument heated up, the members from the two camps began hitting one another with sticks and lathis. A team was dispatched to the scene as soon as the Kaushambi police station received the information about the brawl. The two Congress workers were arrested and the mob was dispersed.

Speaking about the incident, a senior party leader said, two opposite factions of party leaders and workers clashed over the issue of poor attendance and accompanying chief guest during the yatra and accused each other for it”.

He added, “Initially, the leaders exchanged heated arguments over the issue in full public view and they along with their supporters attacked and assaulted each-others with sticks”.

He further justified by saying that senior party leader Ajay Rai was far away from the spot when the altercation between party members broke out.

Interestingly, a similar scene was witnessed in Assam when Congress’ Bharat Jodo Yatra passed through the state’s Dhubri town in the month of September this year.

On September 26, a furious fight over who will be in charge of leading the march at the district level broke out between two factions after state party members had assembled to settle on the strategy for the Assam leg of the Bharat Jodo march. When words fell short, the leaders turned on one another and got into a fight.

Then too, a video showing chaotic scenes in the meeting room at Rajiv Bhawan where leaders clashed against each other went viral leaving the party leadership in embarrassment.

IAF jets scrambled multiple times in the past few weeks, Chinese drones had moved aggressively towards Indian positions on LAC

ANI
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IAF jets scrambled multiple times in the past few weeks, Chinese drones had moved aggressively towards Indian positions on LAC

Before the recent clash between India and China in the Yangtse area near Tawang, Chinese drones had moved very aggressively towards the Indian positions on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh forcing the Indian Air Force to scramble its fighter aircrafts deployed in the region.

The Chinese military has been behaving aggressively over issues in the Yangtse in the vicinity of the Holydip and Parikrama area on the LAC where the Chinese side has been opposing Indian positions. “In the last few weeks, there have been two to three occasions where our fighter jets had to be scrambled to tackle the Chinese drones moving towards our positions on the LAC. The Su-30MKI jets had to be scrambled to tackle the air violation threat,” defence sources told ANI.
The Indian Air Force keeps a close watch on Chinese drone activities along the LAC in the northeast. The actions have to be taken as the drones or any aircraft can not be allowed to violate the airspace, they said.

The sources said if the drones fly parallel to the LAC, the Indian side does not have any issues with it but if the aircrafts or drones are picked up by radars flying towards Indian territory, necessary actions have to be taken to prevent any violation, they said.

The Indian Air Force has a strong presence in the northeast with squadrons of Su-30 fighter jets deployed at multiple locations including Tezpur and Chhabua in Assam.

The Rafale combat jets have also been deployed very close at Hashimara in West Bengal.

The Indian Air Force has also strengthened its air defence coverage in the area with the operationalisation of the S-400 air defence system in the Assam sector only. The system can take care of any aerial threat over almost the entire area.

The Chinese and Indian side recently agreed on multiple measures to prevent any aerial escalation after the violation of air space by Chinese in Ladakh sector earlier this year.

After the provocations by the Chinese in the area, the Indian side strongly took up the issue at military talks and it was decided that the fighter aircraft of both sides would remain much behind their perceived Line of Actual Control in the area.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Twitter Files 5.0: Employees cheered as Trump banned despite no violation of policies, Yoel Roth and Vijaya Gadde were the driving force

Dibakar Dutta
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Twitter Files 5.0: Employees cheered as Trump banned despite no violation of policies, Yoel Roth and Vijaya Gadde were the driving force

The fifth tranche of internal documents, also known as ‘Twitter Files 5.0’, reveals the strategies adopted by the top executives of the social media platform to legitimise the permanent suspension of US President Donald Trump.

Journalist Bari Weiss covered the story and exposed how Twitter employees went all-out to de-platform Donald Trump on January 8 last year. This was despite the fact that the content moderation team did not initially find any violation of Twitter policies.

‘Twitter Files 5.0’ also unearthed how the likes of Vijaya Gadde and Yoel Roth made decisions based on their whims and fancies. The revelations were made in a 46-tweet-long thread on Monday (December 12, US local time) morning.

As pointed out earlier by American author Michael Shellenberger in ‘Twitter Files 4.0’, the Twitter Safety team had initially decided to give US President Donald Trump, a little breather.

The employees formulated new rules, under which Trump had a remaining strike before he could be permanently ousted from the social media platform. On the morning of January 8, 2021, Donald Trump posted two tweets wherein he referred to his supporters as ‘American patriots.’

He said that the mandate given to him by his voters could not be disrespected and that he would skip the Presidential inauguration of Joe Biden. The tweets were not received well by an overwhelming majority of Twitter employees.

Demands of Twitter staffers

Since the US Capitol riots of January 6, 2021, there was a growing resentment against the former US President within the Twitter team. Many employees had openly advocated for his ouster from the social media platform.

“We have to do the right thing and ban this account,” one staffer was seen as saying. Another employee insinuated, “…Pretty obvious he’s going to try to thread the needle of incitement without violating the rules.”

Even the leftist news outlet, The Washington Post, published an open letter, directed at Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey and signed by 300 employees, calling for a permanent ban on Donald Trump.

According to journalist Bari Weiss, who unearthed the fifth tranche of Twitter Files, only a handful of Twitter employees voiced their opinion against censoring Donald Trump.

On January 7 last year, a Twitter employee remarked, “Maybe because I am from China,” said one employee on January 7, “I deeply understand how censorship can destroy the public conversation.”

“But voices like that one appear to have been a distinct minority within the company. Across Slack channels, many Twitter employees were upset that Trump hadn’t been banned earlier,” Bari Weiss emphasized.

Failed conclusion of incitement of violence

While the overwhelming majority of Twitter employees wanted Donald Trump banned, they were scratching their heads over the lack of pretexts to justify censoring the elected Head of State.

The internal documents revealed that the said employees were increasingly finding it difficult to label the harmless tweets of Donald Trump as ‘inciting violence.’

One employee lamented, “It’s pretty clear he’s saying the ‘American Patriots’ are the ones who voted for him and not the terrorists (we can call them that, right?) from Wednesday.”

A senior Twitter official, Anika Navaroli, informed that after a rigorous assessment, she did not find any violation of the platform’s policies by Donald Trump.

Later, she did a complete U-turn and testified before the January 6 Committee of the US House of Representatives.

“For months I had been begging and anticipating and attempting to raise the reality that if nothing—if we made no intervention into what I saw occurring, people were going to die,” Anika Navaroli had alleged.

On the morning of January 8, 2021, the Safety Team of Twitter also concluded that Donald Trump did not violate any of the platform’s rules. “Just dropping in to say he (Trump) tweeted again, but it’s a clear no vio. It’s just to say he’s not attending the inauguration,” an employee emphasised.

However, things began to change over the following 1.5 hours and top executives such as Vijaya Gadde (former Head of Legal, Policy, and Trust at Twitter) and Yoel Roth (former Global Head of Trust & Safety) found ways to circumvent existing rules to treat Donald Trump’s tweets as an exception case.

“The biggest question is whether a tweet like the one this morning from Trump, which isn’t a rule violation on its face, is being used as coded incitement to further violence…,” Gadde had sought refuge in the use of the term ‘American patriots’ by Trump to lay the foundation of an imminent ban.

Immediately, Twitter employees who were part of the ‘scaled enforcement team’ started ‘observing’ violations of Twitter’s Glorification of Violence policy. Determined to oust the sitting US President, the Twitter team remain fixated on the use of the term ‘American patriots’ by Trump.

According to journalist Bari Weiss, many employees began to compare the former US President to Christchurch mass shooter and Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.

Soon after, a meeting was conducted by Jack Dorsey and Vijaya Gadde with Twitter staffers and answered their questions about not banning Trump until then. Yoel Roth stepped in to add fuel to the fire and claimed that Twitter employees were now questioning the decision-making process of the top executives.

He went on to claim that they were being compared to Nazis (for allegedly not de-platforming Donald Trump) and how his family members had actually suffered during the reign of Hitler in Nazi Germany.

The ‘Twitter Files’ has exposed how Yoel Roth has justified the censorship of the infamous New York Post story about Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden.

In the third tranche of Twitter’s internal communications, it came to light that the former Safety Head at Twitter had regular meetings with federal agencies. He lamented that he could not conceal his meetings with the FBI.

Yoel Roth was also seen patting himself on the back for quickly censoring Donald Trump. The top Twitter executive was also found siding with the Democrats and calling for the removal of warning labels from misleading tweets of party members.

And within just a span of the following hour, Donald Trump was banned from Twitter. It was a historic moment in modern-day censorship exercise where a private company silenced a sitting Head of a State. This left the ‘Trump-hating employees in a jubilant mood.

As early as 2018, Twitter’s Public Policy department had argued against suspending/ silencing world leaders in the interests of public discourse. By January 8, 2021, the social media platform had backtracked on its own policy.

Fearing backlash, former Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal suggested the team go into a damage-control mode. “I think a few of us should brainstorm the ripple effects of Trump’s ban…centralized content moderation IMO has reached a breaking point now,” he had alarmed.

As expected, the decision of the Twitter team was criticised by prominent world leaders.

Journalist Bari Weiss pointed out, “Ultimately, the concerns about Twitter’s efforts to censor news about Hunter Biden’s laptop, blacklist disfavored views, and ban a president aren’t about the past choices of executives in a social media company.”

She further added, “They’re about the power of a handful of people at a private company to influence the public discourse and democracy.”

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