Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday, 5th August, fact checked Congress president and Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, saying he was “misleading” the House by claiming that CISF personnel had entered the Well of the House. Rijiju said only Marshals were allowed inside, and only Marshals were in the House that day. He asked Kharge to clarify the claims he made both in his letter to the Chair and in the media.
Responding to the allegations, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh refuted Kharge’s claims, stating that the personnel deployed were not from the CISF but from the Parliament Security Service (PSS).
When Kharge tried to insist again that CISF was deployed inside the House, members from the government side, along with the Chair, interrupted him, saying that only Marshals were present.
Huge Ruckus in Rajya Sabha
Kharge asks, 'Why do we bring CISF?'
Union Minister Rijiju responded by saying, 'It is clearly on record that only marshals are allowed in the House, and even on that day, it was the marshals who were present. Therefore, the Leader of the Opposition… pic.twitter.com/mcWgTGpX2u
Following this, Kharge asked whether the Chairman or Union Home Minister Amit Shah is running the House. “Even our previous leaders have maintained that disruptions are also a part of democracy. But I ask you today (Chair), who is running this House? You, or Union Home Minister Amit Shah?” Kharge said. after which loud protests erupted from the Opposition benches.
This heated exchange comes after Kharge’s letter to Deputy Chairman Harivansh, sent on Friday, 1st August. In the letter, Kharge expressed shock over alleged CISF deployment during an Opposition protest. “We are astonished and shocked at how CISF personnel are made to run into the Well of the House when the Members are exercising their democratic right of protest”, he wrote.
Congress MP Pramod Tiwari also slammed the government, saying that male security personnel stopped women MPs. “This is a dark day for democracy,” he told reporters.
“Protestors take over the streets of Dhaka”. “Violent mob barges into Sheikh Hasina’s residence”. “Sheikh Hasina resigns”. “Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina forced to flee Bangladesh”. Such headlines dominated news on 5th August 2024, when ‘student’ protestors and Islamists from the Jamaat-e-Islami wreaked havoc in Bangladesh, unceremoniously ousting their elected Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
With Sheikh Hasina, political sanity and whatever little religious tolerance there was in Bangladesh also left, as minorities, especially Hindus, were looted, raped, killed, and their temples were destroyed with impunity. As the violent regime change in Bangladesh marks one year, here’s a timeline of what preceded the ouster of Sheikh Hasina and Bangladesh’s descent into chaos, rise of Islamism, and the persecution of Hindus.
Student protests or a regime change playbook successfully executed?
In early July 2024, protests erupted in Dhaka, led by the Students Against Discrimination movement. The sequence of events and Sheikh Hasina’s statements regarding attempts being made to destabilise Bangladesh and oust her from power illegally, fuel the speculation that the Awami League leader’s forced resignation and escape from her homeland was not simply a consequence of student protests but that of a US-orchestrated regime change operation.
The turmoil in Bangladesh started in early 2024 and centred on a contentious quota system for government posts. The Court’s decision to keep a sizable proportion of jobs for specific groups, notably descendants of freedom fighters and women, prompted great outrage among university students. It all started over the decision of the High Court to reinstate the 30% reservation in government jobs to the descendants of the freedom fighters of the 1971 Liberation War. What started as peaceful protests soon took a violent turn.
In the first phase of the protests, it was reported that over 32 people died while nearly 1000 were injured as the country was grappling with high inflation, dwindling foreign reserves, and rising unemployment. On the 18th of July 2024, the anti-quota protesters set fire to the headquarters of the state broadcaster Bangladesh Television (BTV) in Dhaka. The police had to fire rubber bullets and use other non-lethal weapons to quell the protests by the students, causing more deaths and injuries.
Notably, until 2018, 56% of government posts in Bangladesh were reserved for certain groups. These groups included people with disabilities (1%), indigenous communities (5%), women (10%), people from underdeveloped districts (10%), and families of freedom fighters from the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War (30%).
With this arrangement in force, there were only 44% of seats open to merit-based selection. In 2018, student groups staged large-scale protests, forcing the Sheikh Hasina-led government to scrap the entire quota system.
In June 2024, the High Court of Bangladesh overruled the government’s decision, which triggered further demonstrations by student groups.
The Supreme Court’s Appellate Division upheld the High Court’s decision on the 4th of July triggering widespread protests. After Sheikh Hasina’s appeal, the Bangladeshi apex court directed all petitioners to maintain the status quo till the 7th of August 2024.
During the second phase of the nationwide protests, it was reported that over 150 people were injured, and two people had died. This came just two weeks after the country’s Supreme Court reduced the percentage of reserved government jobs from 56% to 7%. Initially, the anti-quota protestors sought revocation of reservation for families of freedom fighters. However, they then renewed their demands and sought “justice” for the 200 odd-people who were killed during the initial phase of violent protests and immediate release of detained protestors.
In Dhaka, Khulna, Sylhet, Narsingdi, Chattogram and Noakhali, after Jumma Namaz, numerous incidents of violence were reported. The protestors set a police box on fire at the Wasa intersection in Chattogram after Jumma Namaz. The protestors resorted to pelting stones and hurling brickbats. The law enforcement authorities responded with lathi-charge, rubber bullets, firearms, stun grenades and teargas. Several protestors who sustained rubber bullet injuries were admitted to hospitals.
On 18th July 2024, PM Hasina called in the army to manage the escalating protests and violence.
In an attempt to quell the protest, the authorities suspended all internet services, including broadband, banned all Meta platforms, including Facebook, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram, and announced a three-day vacation.
Amidst the violence and anarchy, the protestors demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. By 4th August, over 100 people had died in the clashes between the Awami League supporters and the protestors. The deceased included 14 police personnel. In the wake of the violence in Bangladesh, the Interior Ministry declared a nationwide curfew to try and control the law and order. The government also declared a holiday between 5th and 7th August to pacify the situation.
As Asif Mahmud, heading the ‘Student Movements Against Discrimination’, appealed to protestors to march in Dhaka on the 5th of August, a massive number of people arrived in Dhaka. The protesters started their “Long March to Dhaka” with one sole aim: to oust Sheikh Hasina from power.
Jamat-e-Islami, BNP and the escalation of violent protests
While protests turned violent as conflicts between protestors and police became frequent, the violence worsened when the Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) started to magnify the mayhem, using it to undermine the ruling Awami League government. The inclusion of these opposition parties intensified the severity of the protests, as their supporters joined the fray.
The impact of JeI and BNP on the uprising is not hidden. Both parties saw the protests as an unmissable strategic opportunity to undermine Hasina’s government. They allegedly offered logistical support and mobilised their bases, resulting in larger and more organised protests. Their involvement transformed a student-led demonstration into a larger anti-government campaign. Notably, the BNP has been at the forefront of a vicious anti-India “India Out” campaign calling for the boycott of Indian goods. As PM, Sheikh Hasina had strongly opposed the BNP’s anti-India propaganda.
In an attempt to placate the fury, Bangladesh’s Supreme Court delivered a crucial decision, annulling the quota ruling. However, the judicial intervention proved insufficient to solve this issue. The protestors, now supported by the JeI and BNP, continued their rallies, seeking larger reforms and accusing the Hasina government of corruption and ‘dictatorship’.
Sheikh Hasina’s unceremonious and illegal ouster marked the end of an era
Finally, on the 5th of August 2024, Sheikh Hasina resigned from the post of Prime Minister, ending her 15 years in power. She left for New Delhi in a military chopper after resigning. Ironically, Sheikh Hasina, who once saved Bangladesh from military rule, was compelled to resign after the country’s army gave her just 45 minutes to resign and leave.
Soon after, countless violent protesters, carrying flags and celebrating in jubilation, with some even dancing atop tanks, breached the gates of Hasina’s official residence after she fled the country amid ongoing protests. In what emerged as the most disgraceful image of the anti-Hasina protests was of Islamist mobs ransacking Hasina’s residence and flashing her undergarments on 5th August 2024.
Months before her resignation, Sheikh Hasina had alleged that the United States is attempting regime change in Bangladesh via the opposing BNP and Jamat-e-Islami. Last year, the US also extended support to the Islamist Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its ally Jamaat-e-Islami during its protests against the PM Hasina-led government. In September 2024, Sheikh Hasina accused the United States of orchestrating her removal from the post of PM because she refused to hand over Saint Martin Island to the US, which would have enabled the western superpower to have “sway over the Bay of Bengal”.
In her statement, she said, “I resigned so that I did not have to see the procession of dead bodies. They wanted to come to power over the dead bodies of students, but I did not allow it; I resigned from the premiership. I could have remained in power if I had surrendered the sovereignty of Saint Martin Island and allowed America to hold sway over the Bay of Bengal. I beseech the people of my land, ‘Please do not be manipulated by radicals.”
Following Hasina’s ouster, violent Jamaatis and other Islamists attacked Awami League leaders, government officials they accused of being pro-Hasina and singled out Hindu officials for their religious identity and assaulted, humiliated and forced them to resign. On 5th August alone, over 119 people, including 25 police officials, were killed by the violent mobs.
While Sheikh Hasina took refuge in India, Bangladesh fell into the hands of Islamists and violent Jihadis, and then began the persecution of Hindus and other religious minorities in the country, which continues till now.
On one hand, Islamists were looting Hindu houses, raping Hindu women, killing Hindu men, and desecrating Hindu temples; on the other, they were wiping out the legacy of “Bangabandhu” Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, pissing on his statue and the sacrifices of the Bengali freedom fighters. This wiping out of Bangladesh’s founding father’s legacy and persecution of Hindus made the country’s pivot towards full-fledged Islamisation evident and inevitable.
In Meherpur, an ISKCON temple was vandalised by jihadist mobs and idols were smashed on 5th August 2024. Meherpur ISKCON Temple’s spokesperson, Sumohan Mukunda Das, had back then said that the current situation for Bangladeshi Hindus is akin to how it was in the 1970s. He said that Hindu politicians, traders and Mandirs were being targeted by the Islamist mobs. On just 5th August, more than 54 attacks on Hindu temples, houses and establishments were carried out by Islamist mobs.
Hindu temples were targeted in Natore, Dhamrai in Dhaka, Kalapara in Patuakhali, Shariatpur, and Faridpur, as well as houses in Jessore, Noakhali, Meherpur, Chandpur, and Khulna. Dinajpur saw the vandalisation of 40 Hindu shops. In addition, one Ahmadiyya mosque in Taraganj, Rangpur, was attacked and vandalised. OpIndia reported how Muslim mobs looted Hindu houses, stole cattle and jewellery, demanded money, read Jizya, to spare their lives.
Such attacks were unleashed on Hindu houses and shops in Sultannagar, Monirampur and Khatuadanga market, Dhalgram Union, Bagharpara Upazila and other areas. In Noakhali’s Hatiya, three houses and four shops of the Hindus were attacked, vandalised and plundered. In Dhaka’s Dhamrai, a mob comprising 100 to 150 people marched and attacked the house of local Meena Rani Das in the Barbaria area of Gangutia Union. In Lalpur in Natore, around six houses, including the house of the Puja Udyapan Parishad president and a temple, were vandalised and plundered. n Dinajpur, at least 40 Hindu-owned shops were vandalised and robbed in the Chowrangi market of the Isania Union of Bochaganj Upazila.
In Chandpur, the Muslim mob attacked the house of Puranbazar Degree College Principal Ratan Kumar Majumdar in the city’s Adalt Para, and the house of Gallak Adarsh Degree College Principal Haripad Das in Faridganj was attacked, vandalised, looted and set ablaze. In Shariatpur, a temple in Dhanuka Mansa house was attacked. The Muslim mob broke the idol of Lord Krishna and fled the spot. Similarly, in Khulna, 11 Hindu houses were attacked in different unions of Dakop Upazila
While numerous temples of Maa Durga, Maa Kali and other Hindu deities were destroyed across Bangladesh while Indian Islamo-leftist media spun the ‘Muslims forming human chain to save Hindu temples’ narrative.
These are just a few reported incidents during the initial phase of the jihadist onslaught against Hindus in post-Hasina Bangladesh. Hindus sought help from the police and army; however, their wails and cries for help fell on deaf ears, and their persecution continued unchecked.
OpIndia reported numerous verified incidents of target attacks by Muslim mobs on Hindu temples and Hindu houses. While there have been incidents wherein the mob targeted Hindu leaders of the Awami League, the attacks are not confined to political rivalries or revenge. While attacks on Hindu temples themselves make it evident since temples don’t have any political affiliation but are simply the abode of Hindu deities, Hindus, regardless of their political leanings, were singled out and attacked.
The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council reported 205 incidents across 52 districts by August 15, including 190 cases of looting, 32 homes set on fire, 16 temples desecrated, and two rape cases.
Speaking to OpIndia, several Bangladeshi Hindus said that Jamaat-e-Islami members had prepared a list of Hindu businesses and Hindu houses since the fall of Sheikh Hasina. In one of the most horrifying incidents, Islamists encircled a dead victim lying on the ground while several men were gathered around the deceased. With the aid of a stick, one of the Islamists strips the deceased person naked and checks the victim’s private part for circumcision. The happiness of the Islamist had no bounds, and he started shouting ‘Hindu, Hindu’ over the corpse. The crowd hovering over the dead body laughed, realising that the man was a Hindu because he was not circumcised.
Foreign media tries to whitewash the Islamist violence and persecution of minority Hindus
It must be recalled how the foreign media, especially Qatar state-owned Al Jazeera, New York Times, BBC, DW, CNN as well as Indian lslamo-leftist propaganda outlets like TheWire, Scroll, among others, contextualised Islamist violence in Bangladesh and also tried to whitewash their crimes. In their reportage of the anti-Hindu onslaught, these propaganda outlets attempted to downplay the Islamic jihadist nature of the attack against Hindus for their religious identity and pass it off as mere political retribution for supporting Sheikh Hasina’s party, Awami League. OpIndia, however, countered the falsehoods peddled by these outlets on multiple occasions and questioned how destruction of Hindu temples can be called ‘political revenge’, not Islamic jihadist hatred for Hindus on display.
After President Muhammad Shahabuddin dissolved parliament on 6th August and paved the way for an interim government, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, whom Sheikh Hasina once called a “blood sucker”, was picked as Chief Advisor. While initially, Yunus emphasised preserving human rights and not targeting minorities, he too changed tunes and began downplaying anti-Hindu violence and blamed India and Indian media for exaggerating minority persecution in Bangladesh, in addition, projecting the government as Islamist radicals. This came after India raised concern over blatant violations of human rights and targeted attacks on Hindu and other religious minorities.
By September-October 2024, over 2000 attacks on Hindus across 45 districts in Bangladesh were documented by several minority rights groups in the country. The religious persecution of minorities by the Muslim majority sparked global outrage and protests in many countries.
In addition to mob violence, rape, loot, arson, and temple vandalism, Islamists in Bangladesh also harassed Hindu intellectuals and professionals and forced them to resign from their jobs. Some are also being pressured to leave Bangladesh solely because of their religious identity. In August 2024, it was reported that as many as 60 teachers/professors/govt officials, who are Hindus, were forced to resign. In many cases, these Hindu officials were surrounded by mobs, slapped, forced to wear garlands of shoes, and black ink rubbed on their faces.
Hindu teachers and government officials forced to resign
In November 2024, ISKCON monk Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu, aka Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, who was also the spokesman of BSSJJ, was arrested by the Bangladesh Government in November on charges of sedition since he was leading the protests demanding security and protection of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh. His arrest sparked outrage among Bangladeshi Hindus, who took to the streets to demand his release. Meanwhile, India also registered a strong protest over the Hindu monk’s arrest on bogus charges. Despite his illness, Das was allegedly mistreated in prison. Months later, Das was granted bail by a high court; however, the Islamist regime continues to hound him with several other cases, since Das has been a fierce voice of Hindus.
Under Yunus’s watch, the banned anti-India and Islamist outfit Jamaat-e-Islami was unbanned, Islamist leaders were released from jail, while the crackdown on Awami League leaders intensified. The Yunus-led Islamist interim government targeted intellectuals who raised concerns over the persecution of Hindus. In the same vein, on 9th July 2025, Abul Barkat, a renowned Bangladeshi economist, was arrested from his residence in Dhammondi area. He was implicated by the authorities in an alleged corruption case. In November 2016, Abul Barkat wrote a book titled ‘Political economy of reforming agriculture-land-water bodies in Bangladesh.’ He warned that if the rate of exodus of the minority Hindu community continued, then there would not be any Hindus left after 30 years, i.e. 2046.
Rape, killing and human rights violations have become a new normal in Bangladesh
Under Yunus’s rule, 2.81 lakh rape complaints were made in less than a year. It was reported that there has been a significant rise in cases of sexual violence in madrassas by Islamic clerics.
The recent brutal rape of a Hindu woman in Muradnagar in Cumilla by BNP leader Fazor Ali and subsequent attempts to character assassinate the victim left the minority Hindu community of Bangladesh in a state of shock and trauma.
In March 2025, the Human Rights Support Society (HRSS) published its report exposing the deteriorating law and order situation in Bangladesh. The report revealed the grim human rights situation in Bangladesh. Human rights violations highlighted by HRSS include mob lynching, extrajudicial killings, political violence, child abuse, harassment of women and journalists and attempts to suppress freedom of speech. It also highlighted an atmosphere of anxiety and fear among the common people due to an increase in crimes such as murders, rapes, extortion, theft, snatching, and robbery.
The human rights body reported that at least 9 people were killed and 755 others were injured in political violence in February. A total of 104 incidents were found by HRSS for the same period. HRSS also reported 10 deaths and 13 injuries in 17 different incidents of mob violence. It also pointed out that at least 107 children and women were tortured. 53 (comprising 38 children) of them were subjected to brutal rape.
On 12th February 2025, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) published a 104-page report detailing atrocities committed against vulnerable Hindu minorities in Bangladesh. The report titled ‘Human Rights Violations and Abuses related to the Protests of July and August 2024 in Bangladesh.’ Its publication becomes crucial since the interim government in Bangladesh, led by Muhammad Yunus, is pandering to Islamists.
The findings of the OHCHR expose the grim reality that Muhammad Yunus tried to brush under the carpet. He has largely remained a ‘mute spectator’ to targeted attacks aimed at erasing the history of the Awami League in the context of Bangladesh’s independence and politics.
Bangladesh is witnessing a drastic rise in vigilante Muslim mobs, unleashing violence under the pretext of protecting the tenets of Islam. These mobs are largely unorganised but they call themselves ‘Tawhidi Janata (meaning Revolutionary People).’
From LGBTQ patron to appeaser of Islamic extremists: Muhammad Yunus became the supporter and enabler of Islamism in Bangladesh
Bangladesh witnessed a drastic rise in Islamism and anti-India sentiment after Yunus came to power. He first revoked the ban on the radical Islamist outfit ‘Jamaat-e-Islami.’
Thereafter, he released the leader of the radical outfit ‘Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT)’, Muhammad Jasimuddin Rahmani.
At the same time, Muhammad Yunus downplayed the targeted attacks on the Hindu community by violent Muslim mobs. He has gone on record, from lamenting about attacks on Hindus to saying that the claims of atrocities are ‘exaggerated‘.
In that way, the controversial US asset was able to placate Islamic extremists. Given that the Awami League was against Islamism, the interim government first banned its student wing, ‘Chhatra League,’ and then the parent party.
Under the watch of Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh saw a drastic rise in vigilante Muslim mobs, which unleashed violence under the pretext of protecting the tenets of Islam.
These mobs were largely unorganised and called themselves ‘Tawhidi Janata (meaning Revolutionary People).’ They came under the spotlight over acts of vandalism and harassment of people.
The Yunus regime introduced new textbooks for primary and secondary students, which falsely claimed that the first declaration of independence of Bangladesh was made by Ziaur Rehman (a favourite icon of Muslim hardliners in Bangladesh).
The interim government also appointed a Hizb ut-Tahrir terrorist named Mohammad Azaz as the administrator for the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC).
The situation had become so grim that Bangladeshi ambassador to Morocco Mohammad Harun Al Rashid was forced to slam the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government in a scathing Facebook post in March this year.
Islamist leaders and ex-army officials like Fazlur Rahman publicly made anti-India remarks, with some even daydreaming about capturing India’s northeast states. Similarly, an ‘adviser’ to the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government of Bangladesh named Mahfuz Alam had threatened to capture India on the occasion of Vijay Diwas on 16th December 2024.
In June this year, Muhammad Yunus made an audacious attempt to shift blame onto New Delhi for strained Indo-Bangladesh relations. Speaking at the Chatham House in London, Yunus also dared to villainise Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not heeding his request to stop Sheikh Hasina from making online speeches and comments, as she resides in India.
When asked about Bangladesh’s appeals to India to extradite Sheikh Hasina to face the court, Yunus said that these efforts will continue. He added that Bangladesh wants the best relations with India; however, it is the Indian media backed by the Modi government that runs fake news about Bangladesh, which makes matters worse. Yunus and others in power in Bangladesh have also been discrediting India’s role in the 1971 Liberation War that led to the creation of Bangladesh, even as, without the intervention of the Indian Armed Forces, the break-up of East Pakistan from West would never have been possible for the Bengali freedom fighters.
Recently, Muhammad Yunus was upset with OpIndia for not downplaying and whitewashing Islamist violence against Hindus by coming up with ‘Muslim human-chain protecting Hindu temples’ sort of falsehoods, and instead reporting facts. On 22nd May, another violent act was perpetrated against the marginalised community when a Muslim crowd executed arson attacks on Hindu residences in Dahar Mashihati village, located in the Abhaynagar upazila of Jessore district in Bangladesh.
Predictably, the regime of Muhammad Yunus published a long post on X to downplay the communal nature of the crime. However, having realised that his post aimed at negating the OpIndia report exposed his own Islamist nature, the ‘chief advisor’ to the interim government of Bangladesh deleted his controversial tweet.
In May 2025, Through one of his stooges, Mahmudur Rahman Manna (Nagorik Oikya party President), Yunus sent out a message that Bangladesh was faced with a ‘major crisis due to Indian hegemony’.
In April this year, Yunus claimed that Bangladesh is the guardian of ocean access for India’s Northeast states, and these states, landlocked and with limited connectivity, should be used as an extension of China’s economy. Following the undemocratic ouster of Sheikh Hasina, he made similar controversial claims about India’s seven sisters (Tripura, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Meghalaya). “If you destabilise Bangladesh, it will spill over all around Bangladesh, including Myanmar and the seven sisters in West Bengal everywhere,” he claimed in August 2024.
The saga of the persecution of Bangladeshi Hindus, which began on 5th August 202,4 continues unabated even after a year
Anti-Hindu violence, anti-India rhetoric and Islamist hegemony have become an opprobrious reality of Bangladesh sans Sheikh Hasina. It’s been a year since the Awami League leader was forced to flee her homeland, and the country is yet to return to normalcy. Hindus are still being attacked, looted, raped and lynched, for simply being Hindus by Islamists, while their enablers in power show more dexterity in silencing those who report these incidents than acting against the Jihadi perpetrators.
On 28th July 2025, a Muslim mob comprising 400-500 Islamists attacked over 15 Hindu homes and carried out looting and vandalism under the pretext of ‘blasphemy’ in the Betgari Union in Gangachara upazila in Rangpur district of Bangladesh. Unsurprisingly, none of the Islamist perpetrators were arrested by the police. OpIndia had previously highlighted 13 cases where Hindus were attacked, tortured and persecuted by Muslim mobs under the pretext of ‘blasphemy.’
One year after Sheikh Hasina’s ouster, Bangladesh remains mired in instability, with the Yunus-led government failing to address persistent issues. The country, which was doing reasonably well under PM Hasina, now has its economy in shambles. The persecution of Hindus, with documented attacks on houses, temples, and businesses, continues at the hands of Islamists who enjoy the unannounced support of the Islamist regime. While elections are to be held in Bangladesh next year, there is not much hope for Hindus and minorities since Islamist forces are dominating the socio-political discourse in the country and muzzling the voice of minorities.
In a provocative move, the banned Khalistani outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), in collaboration with the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, Canada, has opened a so-called “Embassy of Khalistan.” The makeshift diplomatic post, bearing signage of the fictional “Republic of Khalistan,” has been set up within a building on the gurdwara premises—raising fresh concerns over Canada’s handling of anti-India extremism.
What’s even more alarming is that the building housing the so-called embassy was reportedly funded with taxpayer money. Locals told CNN-News18 that the British Columbia government had recently allocated $150,000 for installing an elevator in the same structure.
This development comes just weeks after Canada’s intelligence agency, CSIS (Canadian Security Intelligence Service), publicly acknowledged that Khalistani extremists continue to use Canadian soil as a base for promoting, fundraising, and planning violence—primarily targeting India. It marked the first time CSIS explicitly named Khalistani elements in its annual report as a politically motivated violent extremism (PMVE) threat.
The report confirmed India’s long-standing concerns, noting that since the 1980s, Canada-based Khalistani extremists have attempted to leverage violent means to push their separatist agenda, seeking an independent Khalistan in Indian Punjab. PMVE, as defined by CSIS, involves efforts to reshape political systems through violent or coercive means.
India has repeatedly raised objections to Ottawa’s laxity in curbing such groups, accusing it of allowing terrorism to flourish under the guise of free expression. The creation of a fake “embassy” on Canadian soil, aided by public funds, is now likely to escalate diplomatic tensions even further.
With the CSIS report and the public unveiling of this so-called embassy, the spotlight is once again on Canada’s controversial tolerance of separatist extremism.
The religious conversion racket of Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh, involving Jalaluddin alias Chhangur Baba, may involve far more influential actors than previously believed. In an exclusive report in Amar Ujala, it has been revealed that investigating agencies suggest Jalaluddin, Neetu alias Nasreen, and Naveen, who dominated the headlines as the main accused, are merely pawns in a larger, well-coordinated operation with its nerve centre in Sadullanagar and international links stretching from Dubai to Pakistan.
Conversion activities backed by foreign networks
According to unnamed sources cited by Amar Ujala, the key conspirator behind the conversion racket is neither Jalaluddin nor his two associates. The main architect is allegedly operating from outside the country and the racket’s roots spread across Gulf nations including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan. Reportedly, the same individual is believed to have been involved in religious conversion drives in Nepal as well, which highlights the cross-border scale of the operation.
The revelation has brought the entire Balrampur district under scrutiny. Authorities have acknowledged the sensitivity of the region. Over the past decade, Sadullanagar has consistently figured in intelligence reports as a hub of conversion activities. According to the report, a confidential document sent to the Uttar Pradesh government has recently termed the situation in Sadullanagar as “deeply concerning”.
District official who raised alarm transferred
The report further pointed out that the officials who had raised alarms were either transferred or sidelined. For instance, former Balrampur District Magistrate Arvind Singh had flagged the nexus between police personnel and those engaged in conversion. He had served in the post from 12th June 2023 to 28th June 2024. Singh recommended strong action and exposed how local law enforcement had turned a blind eye.
However, he was suddenly transferred, and his investigation report was shelved. Amidst the chaos, the then Superintendent of Police was also removed. He was briefly sidelined, only to return later to a sensitive posting in Ayodhya division.
Former SP allegedly shielded gangster-politician, no action taken against SHO
In a disturbing development from 2024, serious allegations were levelled against the then Station House Officer (SHO) of Sadullanagar. A formal complaint was submitted to the Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department, and the Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister on 18th June 2024, in which the SHO was accused of colluding with senior officers to protect former SP MLA and listed gangster Arif Anwar Hashmi.
Despite a magisterial probe confirming the SHO’s misconduct, no disciplinary action was taken. Instead, he was merely shifted to another police station, where he continues to enjoy political and administrative patronage.
Magisterial inquiry reveals shocking details
Furthermore, the report revealed that when police raided Hashmi’s residence to arrest him and his brother Maroof Anwar Hashmi, he was present at home. However, he was not taken into custody. The SHO later filed a misleading report, claiming Arif was not present during the raid.
Grabbing police land and constructing a mazar
One of the most startling revelations made in the report was that Hashmi allegedly encroached upon police land at Sadullanagar police station. He constructed a mazar on police station land under the banner of a trust named “Thane Sharif Shaheed-e-Millat Abdul Quddus Shah Rahmatullah Alaih”, where his brother Maroof was a trustee.
The committee even managed to get the land officially registered in its name, replacing the ownership of the police from the records. No action was taken by the police authorities. However, when DM Singh came to know about the matter, he intervened and the investigation exposed the land grab.
As this nexus of conversion rackets, criminal protection, and alleged police complicity comes to light, questions are now being raised about why earlier reports were ignored, and why no concrete action has been taken so far against the more powerful players. The revelations from Amar Ujala have only scratched the surface of what appears to be a well-funded and politically shielded operation spanning multiple states and countries.
Balrampur Islamic conversion racket
The Balrampur Islamic conversion racket was spearheaded by Jalaluddin alias Chhangur Baba. It has emerged as one of the most sinister and organised operations in recent times. Jalaluddin was arrested on 5th July 2025. He led a nationwide conversion network targeting Hindu girls and vulnerable Hindu men using love, force, blackmail and monetary inducements.
Investigating agencies have confirmed foreign funding of over Rs 200 crore and suspect an additional Rs 300 crore routed via Nepal. Jalaluddin’s empire was fuelled by illegal wealth, criminal intimidation and ideological jihad. His associates used Hindu names, posed as nationalists, and even printed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s photo on fake letterheads to gain trust.
He operated 100 bank accounts across Indo-Nepal districts and maintained links with Christian missionaries, the ISI, and Gulf-based Islamic groups. ATS and ED investigations have uncovered madarsas, bogus trusts, illegal properties, and a caste-based price chart for Hindu girls’ conversions. It was not just a regular crime but a well-planned attempt to change India’s demography.
Merely 3 months after he got a 21-day parole, Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh is once again out on a 40-day parole. The self-styled godman is serving a 20-year sentence in the Sunaria jail in Rohtak, Haryana, for the rape of his two disciples and the murder of a journalist. He was released from prison on Tuesday morning (5th August) and left for the Dera Ashram in Sirsa, Punjab. He will return to jail on 14th September. This is his third parole this year.
Rahim has been granted temporary release a total of 14 times since his conviction in 2017, including paroles granted to him between 2020-22 (several times totalling 83 days), in January 2023 (40 days), July 2023 (40 days), November 2023 (21 days), January 2024 (50 days), October 2024 (20 days), January 2025 (30 days) and April 2025 (21 days).
Since his conviction in 2017, he has spent 366 days on parole in total, more than a year.
BREAKING ⚠️
40 more days of parole for rape-murder convict Dera chief Gurmeet Singh, 3 months after his last parole.
That’s 91 days out of jail just this year so far. That’s 366 days out of jail total.
Rahim got paroles for various reasons, including birthday celebrations
He has been obtaining these temporary releases for a variety of reasons, including family visits, religious activities, farming and even birthday celebrations. In January 2023, he was granted parole after he mentioned in his application that he wanted to attend an event marking the birth anniversary of former Dera chief Shah Satnam Singh on January 25. Notably, this time he has been granted parole before his own birthday, which falls on 15th August. His parole condition requires him to stay in the Sirsa Ashram.
Ram Rahim’s parole trigger questions of political support
Many times, the timing of his parole coincided with assembly elections in different states. In 2022, Ram Rahim got out on parole three times. In February 2022, he was out for 21 days during the Punjab Assembly elections. Subsequently, his parole period in June 2022 overlapped with civic body polls in Haryana. And finally, that year in October, he got a temporary release of 40 days during the Haryana by-elections. Similarly, in October 2020, his parole coincided with the Haryana assembly elections. However, during his temporary release around election time, his parole conditions included barring him from participating in election-related activities, making speeches, and staying in the state during the election period.
Criminal cases against Ram Rahim
Gurmeet Ram Rahim’s tenure as the Dera chief has been marred by controversies. Rahim, who has a huge following, leads a pompous lifestyle not expected of spiritual leaders. He was convicted by a special CBI court in Panchkula in August 2017 for raping two women followers. CBI had registered the case on the orders passed by the High Court of Punjab and Haryana in 2003 and taken over the investigation of the case, earlier registered at Police Station Sadar in Kurukshetra.
In 2019, he was convicted of the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati. Subsequently, in 2021, Rahim, along with four others, was convicted in connection with the murder of Dera manager Ranjit Singh, a resident of village Khanpur Kolian, Kurukshetra. Singh was murdered on July 10, 2002, when he was working in his fields at village Khanpur Kolian of District Kurukshetra in Haryana.
Pertinently, the Haryana Good Conduct Prisoners (Temporary Release) Act, 2022, allows parole to convicted prisoners. However, prisoners convicted of multiple murders or under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act are not eligible for parole under the Act.
Dera Chief’s parole mocks Indian judiciary
The Dera Chief has made a mockery of the Indian judicial system by securing such frequent paroles in just 8 years of his 20-year imprisonment. The fact that he is able to come out of prison for such trivial reasons, despite being convicted of serious offences, raises questions on the judiciary, and the entire system.
In a major breakthrough, police in West Bengal’s Barrackpore Commissionerate uncovered a huge stockpile of illegal weapons and bullets from a residential flat in Khardaha’s Regent Park area on early Monday, 4th August. The raid was carried out by the Detective Department after they received specific intelligence.
The flat belonged to 66-year-old Madhusudan Mukherjee, son of Bhim Mukherjee. He was arrested on the spot. Police also picked up another man named Liton for questioning. Both are being interrogated to find out more about the case.
During the search, police found a shocking amount of arms, 15 guns in total. These included a pump-action gun, a bolt-action rifle, two double-barrel rifles (DBBL), one single-barrel rifle (SBBL), a 9mm pistol, two 7mm pistols, three revolvers, and three single-shot guns. Apart from the firearms, police recovered seven empty magazines for 7mm pistols and nine for 9mm pistols. They also seized 1,000 rounds of ammunition.
But there’s more. ₹1.48 lakh in cash, 248 grams of gold, 30 grams of silver, and about 10.7 kilograms of old antique coins were seized by the police. The presence of such valuable items has raised suspicions of smuggling or black-market activity. Police are now checking if there’s a financial or criminal network linked to the arms.
Guns made in Purulia and brought from Bihar
Initial investigation suggests that many of the weapons were made in Purulia district of West Bengal and brought in through an arms dealer from Munger in Bihar. It was during the questioning of this arms supplier that police got a lead on Madhusudan’s flat, leading to Monday’s successful raid.
A formal case has been registered at Rahara Police Station (Case No. 219/25) under the Arms Act. Police will soon present Madhusudan in court and ask for his custody so they can continue questioning him.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Parliamentary Party has passed a strong resolution in response to the 22nd April Pahalgam terrorist attack, in which 26 Hindus were brutally killed by The Resistance Front (TRF), a Lashkar-e-Taiba proxy operating from Pakistan. The resolution hailed the bravery of the armed forces and the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, under whom Operation Sindoor was launched on the night of 6th and 7th May. The operation involved precise, non-escalatory strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).
The NDA Parliamentary Party salutes the unmatched valour of our forces, the iron-willed leadership of PM Modi, and India’s unwavering resolve against terror.
The NDA said that the operation was a direct fulfilment of PM Modi’s vow, made during a speech in Bihar, to hunt down every terrorist and their backers. The resolution marked a doctrinal shift in India’s counter-terror approach. In the resolution, the NDA outlined three key principles.
First, every terror attack will be met with a fitting response, which will be carried out on India’s terms, targeting the origin of the threat.
Second, India is not going to be deterred by nuclear blackmail. Strikes will take place, if needed, under the shadow of nuclear threats.
Third, no distinction will be made between terror groups and the governments backing them.
The operation’s name, “Sindoor”, carried symbolic significance. The resolution stated that the terrorists attempted to erase the dignity of Indian women by their heinous acts. The armed forces restored it through decisive justice. India’s Nari Shakti was noted to have stood firmly behind the operation.
The NDA also highlighted how the Modi government’s defence reforms, including drone advancement, jointness, and indigenisation, played a crucial role in the success of the operation.
After the operation, 59 Indian MPs visited 32 countries to explain India’s position. The United States designated TRF as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation and Specially Designated Global Terrorist Group, while the BRICS Joint Declaration condemned the Pahalgam attack.
The resolution concluded that the days of passive silence are over. Under Prime Minister Modi, India will strike back, not just to defend itself but to assert its place as a nation that neither forgets nor forgives terrorism.
On 4th August, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a strong statement in reply to the targeted attack on India by the President of the United States and the European Union for importing oil from Russia. The MEA pointed out that India started importing oil from Russia because traditional supplies were diverted to Europe after the outbreak of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. At that time, the United States actively encouraged such imports by India for strengthening the stability of global energy markets, the MEA added.
The MEA clearly said that, like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security, and called the attack on India unjustified and unreasonable.
The MEA emphasised that India’s imports are meant to ensure predictable and affordable energy costs to the Indian consumer. “They are a necessity compelled by the global market situation,” the MEA added. The ministry further pointed out that the nations criticising India are themselves indulging in trade with Russia, which is not even a vital national compulsion for them.
Not to forget, in May 2024, US Ambassador Garcetti, on India buying Russian oil, said that India bought Russian oil because the US wanted somebody to buy it. He added that there was no Price Cap violation and the US did not want oil prices to go up.
"India brought Russian Oil, because we wanted somebody to buy Russian oil…", says US ambassador Garcetti on India buying Russian oil ; Adds,'no Price Cap violation, we did not want oil prices to go up..' pic.twitter.com/it3zku9Hbs
The ministry noted that in 2024 alone, the European Union had bilateral trade of Euro 67.5 billion in goods with Russia. Furthermore, trade in services between the EU and Russia in 2023 stood at around Euro 17.2 billion. “This is significantly more than India’s total trade with Russia that year or subsequently,” the ministry added. Furthermore, in 2024, EU imports of LNG reached a record 16.5 million tonnes, up from 15.21 million tonnes in 2022 when the conflict started. Europe and Russia not only trade in energy but also in fertilisers, mining products, chemicals, iron and steel, and machinery and transport equipment.
Speaking about the United States, the ministry pointed out that even the US has continued imports from Russia, which include uranium hexafluoride for its nuclear industry, palladium for its EV industry, fertilisers and chemicals.
EU sanctions on Indian refinery
In July this year, the EU imposed its 18th round of sanctions on Russia, and India’s Vadinar oil refinery in Gujarat, owned by Nayara Energy, was one of the companies that faced sanctions. Notably, 49% of the stake in Nayara Energy is owned by Russia’s Rosneft. Following the sanctions, Microsoft abruptly suspended services to Nayara Energy and the company had to approach the Delhi High Court to get them restored. Despite the fact that Microsoft is a US-based company and was not obliged to follow the sanctions imposed by the EU, the services were suspended. Microsoft restored the services ahead of the hearing at the Delhi High Court, but only after keeping Nayara Energy away from accessing its own proprietary data and services for over a week.
Refined ‘Russian oil’ sold by India in open market is not ‘Russian’ anymore
In a recent Truth Social post, US President Donald Trump accused India of selling refined Russian oil in the open market to make profits and threatened to impose higher tariffs on Indian products.
Source: Truth Social
Trump said, “India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian Oil, they are then, for much of the Oil purchased, selling it on the Open Market for big profits. They don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine. Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!”
However, Trump failed to accept the fact that once refined by Indian refineries, Russian oil is no longer “Russian” as per EU Council regulations. The fact had already been stated by MEA Dr S Jaishankar in 2023, citing European Union Council Regulation 833/2014 while replying to a media query about the remark made by Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell, who wanted the EU to act against India for selling refined “Russian oil”.
From time to time, Dr S. Jaishankar has reiterated that the Government of India will act according to the energy needs of the country. The people of India deserve to get affordable fuel, and India will do everything to ensure affordability.
The Eastern Command of the Indian Army has shared an old newspaper clip from 1971 that discusses how the US has been arming Pakistan for decades in the buildup for the 1971 war.
An old newspaper clip dated August 5, 1971 was shared by the Eastern Command, showing how US government has been supplying arms to Pakistan for decades.
Post by Indian Army’s Eastern Command
The clip mentions the then Defence Production Minister VC Shukla’s response in the Rajya Sabha that all NATO powers and Soviet Union have been contacted regarding to arms supply to Pakistan because Pakistan had by then started its armed aggression in Bangladesh against freedom fighters.
Shukla’s reply mentioned that the Soviet Union denied supplying arms to Pakistan and the French government even stated that they won’t even make deliveries against old orders by Pakistan. However, the US government had continued its supply of arms to Pakistan.
Shukla had even mentioned that the USA and China have both been selling arms to Pakistan at throwaway prices, indicating that the Bangladesh genocide by Pakistani army and the war against India was fought by Pakistan with weapons that the USA and China gave them cheap.
The post by the Eastern Command comes in the wake of the US blaming India for buying Russian oil and ‘funding the war against Ukraine’, while the US and EU themselves continue their trades with Russia.
Pakistan’s Operation Searchlight, the violent crackdown and brutalities against Bangladeshi freedom fighters, was already underway for months in August 1971. The Bangladesh Liberation War, involving Pakistan and the people of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), began onMarch 25 that year. India had to finally join in, extending support to the Mukti Bahini and to put a halt into the brutalities on its neighbourhood. India officially joined in on December 3 that year, launching a full scale war against Pakistan and defeated Pakistan in 13 days.
The war ended with a humiliating defeat for Pakistan and the surrender of over 93,000 Pakistani troops on 16th December. The independent nation of Bangladesh was born soon after.
The post comes on August 5, 2025, one year after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh. In a way, the post is also a time capsule, showing how Bangladesh was born, then eventually saw a violent uprising against the elected government triggered by Islamist forces and foreign interference. The seeds of Bangladesh’s present chaos were sown decades ago when US shipped arms worth billions of dollars to Pakistan.
On 4th August, the Supreme Court envoked the spirit of Lord Krishna and referred to him as the “first mediator” during the hearing of the dispute concerning Vrindavan’s iconic Shri Banke Bihari Temple and the Uttar Pradesh government. The state government had issued an ordinance about the projected redevelopment of the temple’s corridor using Rs 500 crore from the latter’s finances.
The top court when requesting mediation between the temple trust and the state government about the corridor’s construction stated, “Lord Krishna was the first mediator, please try to mediate the matter.” The case was being heard by the bench of Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Surya Kant.
They recommended to maintain a portion of the 15th May Supreme Court judgement that had permitted the state to spend temple funds in abeyance and proposed to choose a retired high court or district judge as the temple’s managing trustee. Meanwhile, the Allahabad High Court will review the ordinance’s constitutionality.
According to the court’s proposal, the temple will be run by a committee until the decision is made but the family that was assigned the responsibility shall continue to perform the rites as they did earlier. “The daily rituals of the temple would be continued by the ‘goswamis’ as before,” it pronounced.
The court added that the ASI can be linked to the committee for a comprehensive development of the area and the Collector and other authorities will also be included. The Uttar Pradesh government has been ordered to reply to the court’s suggestions by 10:30 am of 5th August.
According to the 2025 UP Ordinance, a statutory trust will be granted to the temple management. It declared that the “Shri Banke Bihari Ji Mandir Nyas” will be in charge of the temple’s administration and the facilities for the worshippers. It further conveyed that a maximum of seven members will serve ex-officio and eleven trustees will be nominated. The ordinance emphasised that the members of the government and non-government organisations must be followers Sanatan Dharma.
