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After resignation by Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak is back in the race for UK PM, Boris Johnson tries to amass support for a dramatic comeback: Details

OpIndia Staff
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After resignation by Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak is back in the race for UK PM, Boris Johnson tries to amass support for a dramatic comeback: Details

Rishi Sunak stands to be the favourite to succeed Liz Truss as the leader of the deeply divided Conservative Party and as the next prime minister of the United Kingdom, days after Truss announced her resignation as a result of a number of policy reversals, Cabinet reshuffles, and an open revolt against her. In the meantime, Boris Johnson is amassing support for a theatrical comeback to power months after his abrupt resignation while on his way back to the UK from vacation.

If the former chancellor openly confirms his candidacy, he will have the support of at least 100 Tory MPs and will be put to the vote of party members the following week. The party has set a threshold of 100 MPs for candidates to even be placed on the voting ballot, and there are a total of 357 Tory MPs, therefore the most that may run is three.

Penny Mordaunt also formally declared her candidacy for leadership, stating she was heartened by her colleagues’ backing. Mordaunt, the former defence secretary, ran against Boris Johnson for the office of Prime Minister but was defeated by Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss.  She was one of the staunchly pro-Brexit members of parliament.

According to an Opinium poll, UK citizens would prefer Sunak and Mordaunt as the future Prime Minister over Johnson. According to Opinium data collected on Thursday night, when asked to select between Sunak and Johnson, 44% preferred Sunak and 31% chose his former boss.

Boris Johnson is returning to London to bolster his support base. Six current Cabinet ministers have backed the former Prime Minister, but some MPs feel his return would send the Conservative Party into a “death spiral,” according to The Guardian. Boris Johnson’s arrival is also clouded by an imminent parliamentary probe into the party gate affair, which was one of the catalysts for a mutiny and his subsequent removal from the top job.

Resignation by Liz Truss

United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Liz Truss resigned on Thursday 20th October 2022. She resigned from the Prime Ministerial post on the 45th day of joining the office. Truss made the statement outside Downing Street, following her near-complete loss of political power. Liz Truss announced her resignation following the collapse of the markets after her controversial economic policies. She also lost two important ministers, and lose the trust of nearly all of her own MPs. Truss will hold the record for the shortest tenure as prime minister of the UK.

On 5th September 2022, Mary Elizabeth Truss, serving as the Foreign Secretary since 2021, emerged victorious in her race with Rishi Sunak to become the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Liz Truss got over 57% of the votes compared to Sunak, who served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer in Boris Johnson’s administration before resigning, who could only get just over 42%.

New York: Diwali party organised to raise funds for Pakistan-based jihadi outfit responsible for genocide and links to HAMAS: What we know so far

OpIndia Staff
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New York: Diwali party organised to raise funds for Pakistan-based jihadi outfit responsible for genocide and links to HAMAS: What we know so far

On Sunday (October 23), a Diwali party is being held at ‘The Bell House’ in the Brooklyn borough of New York to raise funds for a Pakistan-based jihadi outfit. Under the pretext of raising funds for victims of flooding in Pakistan, the proceeds from the event are being channelised to Alkhidmat Foundation (the charity wing of the radical outfit Jamaat-e-Islami).

The matter was first flagged by the Stop Hindu Hate Advocacy Network (SHHAN) after ‘The Bell House’ posted a tweet, confirming the development.

Screengrab of the tweet by the Bell House

“This Sunday 10/23, Arti Gollapudi and Maya Deshmukh present DIWALI PARTY 2022! Feat. Aparna Nancherla, Sunita Mani, Proma Khosla, Pooja Reddy & Zubi Ahmed, with music by DJ Rekha and Cardamami! Proceeds go to Alkhidmat Foundation to support relief efforts in Pakistan,” the tweet read.

The said event is being held on Sunday (October 23) at ‘The Bell House’ from 7:30 pm (local time) onwards. The cost per head, for general admission to the programme, is $19.72 (equivalent to INR 1,627).

Screengrab of the event

A poster of the event has been doing the rounds of the internet. On being called out on social media, ‘The Bell House’ quickly deleted the tweet without any explanation. However, the link to the ticket window was still live at the time of writing.

Screengrab of the poster

Alkhidmat Foundation, for which the New York DIWALI PARTY is raising funds, and its links to terrorism

As per a 2018 report in Rabah Times, Alkhidmat Foundation serves as the charity wing of the Islamist political party, Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) Pakistan. The organisation was responsible for the genocide of the Bengali population during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War.

In 2006, JeI reportedly transferred $1,00,000 to the terror outfit, Hamas, to continue their Jihad against Jews and the State of Israel. Rabah Times had flagged how the organisation had been working closely with the ‘Helping Hand for Relief and Development (HHRD)’, a Muslim American charity.

Last year,  Jamaat-e-Islami chief Siraj-ul-Haq rejected the idea of using taxpayers’ money for constructing temples in Pakistan.

While assuming taxpayers in Pakistan to be only ‘Muslims’, Haq said that the money cannot be used against the guidelines of the Sharia and the discretion of the Muslim population in the country. 

While slamming Siraj-Ul-Haq for his comments, Pakistani Hindu activist Kapil Dev tweeted, “Siraj-ul-Haq, there are five million Hindu tax payers in this country. You make it with their money. Even if it is not approved, make it from the taxes received from buying and selling alcohol in our name. If not, the endowment department will be closed. Build from the rents of temples and gurdwaras.”

It is thus ironical that a Hindu festival is now being used to raise funds for the charity wing of the Islamist outfit under the garb of relief work. Jamaat-e-Islami, an Islamist political party that is based in Pakistan, is the Pakistani successor to Jamaat-e-Islami, which was founded in colonial India in 1941.

Founded by Abul Ala Maududi in Lahore, The Jamaat-e-Islami was split into Jamaat-e-Islami(Hind) and Pakistan soon after the partition. Earlier in an OpIndia report, we revealed how the organisation is receiving funds from Saudi Arabia universities to spread radical Islam in the country.

India at UNSC: Our approach to the Ukraine conflict is people-centric, Ukraine and Russia should return to dialogue and diplomacy

OpIndia Staff
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India at UNSC: Our approach to the Ukraine conflict is people-centric, Ukraine and Russia should return to dialogue and diplomacy

On Friday, India stated at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that its approach to the Ukraine conflict will remain people-centric, as India continues to support nations affected by a rise in food, fuel, and fertilizer prices.

Ambassador R Ravindra, Deputy Permanent Representative of India at UNSC briefing the council on Ukraine said, “India’s approach to the Ukraine conflict will continue to be people-centric. We are providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine as well as economic assistance to some of our neighbours in the Global South who are experiencing economic turmoil due to the growing costs of food, fuel, and fertilizers as a result of the ongoing conflict.”

“We hope that the international community will continue to respond positively to the call for humanitarian assistance. We support calls for guarantees of safe transit for humanitarian and medical goods. India has already delivered twelve consignments of humanitarian aid to Ukraine and is prepared to send more,” India’s Deputy Permanent Representative at UNSC added.

India also laid emphasis on the need for both Ukraine and Russia to return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue. It called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and violence. 

“We believe that no solution can be reached at the expense of innocent people’s lives. Our Prime Minister has spoken to the Presidents of Ukraine and Russia several times and has underlined India’s position. India remains ready to support any and all de-escalation efforts,” the Indian representative said.

Russia launched its military action in Ukraine in the last week of February, resulting in a massive humanitarian crisis. According to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, notwithstanding the uncertain global backdrop caused by COVID-19, climate change, and the Russia-Ukraine crisis, India continues to convey good business sentiment globally.

In his speech to the 77th United Nations General Assembly, Jaishankar stated, “We are on the side of those striving to make ends meet, even as they face growing food, gasoline, and fertilizer expenses.”

“It is thus in our joint interest to cooperate constructively, both within and outside the United Nations, to find an early resolution to this dispute,” he continued.

Since the outbreak of the conflict, India has always maintained that the global order is based on the values of the UN Charter, international law, and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all governments.

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has only become worse when a truck exploded on the Crimea road bridge, burning seven fuel tanks on a train bound for the Crimean Peninsula.

Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has time and again advocated for peaceful dialogue and urged both Russia and Ukraine to resolve their disputes by the means of diplomacy.

In his efforts to stop the war, on September 16, Prime Minister Modi spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the importance of establishing world peace and ending the crisis in Ukraine. He made the statements during a bilateral meeting with Putin in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Summit (SCO). “Today’s era is not one of war,” the Indian Prime Minister told the Russian President. PM Modi heaped praises from the international media for his straightforward approach in urging Putin to stop the war.

Muslim leaders meet Shiv Sena-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray, extend full support in Maharashtra civic polls, say were ‘hurt’ when he was ousted

OpIndia Staff
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Muslim leaders meet Shiv Sena-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray, extend full support in Maharashtra civic polls, say were ‘hurt’ when he was ousted

Ahead of the forthcoming civic elections in Maharashtra, a delegation of Marathi Muslim leaders led by the Marathi Muslim Seva Sangh (MMSS) met with former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and declared their full support for Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray. The delegation included MMSS President Fakir M Thakur, Nooruddin Naik, Ismail Samdule, Dr AR Khan, Captain Akbar Khalfe, and other important members from around the state.

Elections for many municipal corporations, including Mumbai, are due over the next few months.

While extending his support to the Uddhav Thackeray’s faction of Shiv Sena MMSS President Fakir M Thakur said, “We expressed our deep sense of hurt at the manner in which Uddhav Thackeray ji was forced out as the CM in June and the attempts made by the group of selfish rebel leaders out to destroy the teachings of the late Balasaheb Thackeray.”

He stated that following discussions with all of its members and other linked organisations, the MMSS resolved to provide full support to all the initiatives of Thackeray in the “interest of politics of pride, unity, development and progress of the state.”

Thakur added that MMSS leaders are optimistic that in the upcoming civic polls, people will rally behind Shiv Sena-UBT and its allies to oppose the state’s and country’s current ‘communal politics.’

Founded in 2014, the MMSS has approximately 80 large and small non-governmental organisations (NGOs) under its umbrella, with many social-cultural-educational initiatives involving thousands of members of the minority community, including women and youth, across Mumbai, Konkan, western and northern Maharashtra, Marathwada, Vidarbha, and major cities.

It may be recalled how the Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray resigned from the post of the Chief Minister of Maharashtra on June 29, minutes after the Supreme Court of India refused to intervene with the Maharashtra Governor’s direction for a trust vote. The Governor had asked Uddhav Thackeray-led SS-NCP-Cong ruling coalition to prove a majority in Assembly on June 30, with voting at 5 pm.

The CM had addressed the public through a live video on Facebook and announced that he is resigning. Along with the post of CM, he had also resigned as an MLC.

Uddhav Thackeray and Shiv Sena were facing a coup since 21st June 2022 when Eknath Shinde and 39 other Shiv Sena MLAs rebelled against the Maha Vikas AGhadi alliance in the state and asked to get back into an alliance with their former partner BJP.

Shiv Sena broke the pre-poll alliance with BJP and joined hands with NCP and Congress to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra after the 2019 assembly elections. Eknath Shinde and other rebels have emphasized that they essentially took the stand for Hindutva ideology that Shiv Sena was moving away from, especially after making a coalition government with NCP and Congress.

Terror financing watchdog FATF removes Pakistan from grey list saying it has made good progress in addressing deficiencies

OpIndia Staff
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Terror financing watchdog FATF removes Pakistan from grey list saying it has made good progress in addressing deficiencies

Pakistan has been removed from a list of nations subject to “enhanced surveillance” for funding terrorism, known as the grey list, by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a worldwide organization that keeps tabs on money laundering and terrorist financing. The decision was taken by the FATF in its plenary held in Paris on October 20 and 21. However, the nation known for harbouring terrorists will continue to work to improve its systems to prevent money laundering and terror financing in the country, FATF said in a statement.

The Paris-based organization said, “Pakistan is no longer subject to FATF’s increased monitoring process; to continue to work with APG (Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering) to further improve its AML/CFT (anti-money laundering & counter-terrorist financing) system.”

FATF made the latest report on Pakistan. In its report, the organization observed, “Overall, Pakistan has made good progress in addressing the technical compliance deficiencies identified in its MER (mutual evaluation report).”

FATF said, “Pakistan has strengthened the effectiveness of its AML/CFT regime and addressed technical deficiencies to meet the commitments of its action plans regarding strategic deficiencies that the FATF identified in June 2018 and June 2021, the latter of which was completed in advance of the deadlines, encompassing 34 action items in total. Pakistan is therefore no longer subject to the FATF’s increased monitoring process. Pakistan will continue to work with APG to further improve its AML/CFT system.”

What is the FATF grey list?

The FATF placed Pakistan on its grey list more than four years ago for failing to control the danger of money laundering, which may result in corruption and the financing of terrorism. For Pakistan to shift from the grey list to the white list, 12 votes out of 39 are required. It needs the backing of three nations to get off the blacklist. Pakistan has benefited from assistance from friendly nations like China, Turkey, and Malaysia on several occasions to avoid being included on the blacklist.

A nation that FATF believes to be a shelter for money laundering and terrorism financing gets placed on its grey list. It suggests that “strategic weaknesses” in a country’s anti-money laundering and anti-terror funding laws have been found. It is a warning to the nation to address the problems or risk being blacklisted, the most serious degree of the indictment. Iran and North Korea are the only two nations that have been blacklisted thus far.

Why Pakistan came out of the FATF grey list?

The agency stated in October 2021 that Pakistan had resolved 30 of the 34 issues for which it had expressed concerns and suggested further compliance. In order to fight money laundering and stop the funding of terrorism, it was observed that Pakistan’s legal, financial, regulatory, investigation, prosecution, judicial, and non-government sectors were lacking.

A few major action items, including Pakistan’s failure to act against terrorists listed by the UN, such as Lashkar-e Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) leader Masood Azhar, and his dependable assistant and the group’s “operational commander,” Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, were unfulfilled as of June 2022. In its July 2022 report, FATF rated the country on the remaining four parameters as “Largely Compliant,” “Compliant,” “Largely Compliant and “Partially Compliant,” respectively.

According to a report by the Times of India, Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at the Washington-based Wilson Center think-tank said, “When Pakistan, in recent months, announced new sentences for Hafiz Saeed and Sajid Mir – two top terrorists of Lashkar-e-Taiba, one of the key terrorist groups under the FATF spotlight – that’s what got things done in the end.” These two terrorists were involved in conspiring the 2008 Mumbai attacks in India that killed over 160 people.

Effects of greylisting

When dealing with nations on a grey list, the FATF emphasizes the need to take associated risks into account. Islamabad’s troubles with receiving financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the European Union (EU) have gotten worse as a result. According to a study released by the Islamabad-based think tank Tabadlab, Pakistan’s repeated inclusion on the FATF’s grey list from 2008 to 2019 may have caused a $38 billion loss in GDP overall.

Will Pakistan really benefit from this?

Pakistan would effectively gain a bit of a reputation boost and a clean bill of health from FATF if it were taken off the list. According to economist and former Citigroup banker Yousuf Nazar, it would lessen monitoring of international transactions involving Pakistan while having little effect on the country’s suffering overall economy.

Two significant banks in Pakistan, HBL and the National Bank of Pakistan, each paid fines of $55 million and $225 million to US authorities for anti-money laundering and compliance failings in 2017 and 2022, respectively. Pakistan would benefit from being taken off the FATF list after Moody’s reduced the nation’s sovereign credit rating. Additionally, it would raise spirits, which is significant in terms of foreign direct investment.

West Bengal: Police unleashes brutality against protesters demanding appointment letters despite clearing TET exam in 2014

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal: Police unleashes brutality against protesters demanding appointment letters despite clearing TET exam in 2014

The Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal has been playing with the lives of candidates, who have cleared the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) in 2014.

Despite qualifying for the exam 8 years ago, they did not receive appointment letters to date. The West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE) has now asked the 500-odd candidates to reappear for the TET, claiming that the tenure of the appointment panel of 2014 had expired.

Miffed by the apathy of the State government, the candidates took to a sit-in-protest from October 17 onwards, outside the office of WBBPE in the Salt Lake area of Kolkata. They have demanded the immediate disbursement of their appointment letters.

In a bid to curb dissent, Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) was imposed in the area. On the intervening night of October 20-21, the fasting candidates were roughed up, assaulted and detained by the police.

BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari took to social media to share visuals of the State’s suppression of genuine demands by TET-qualified candidates.

He tweeted, “WB’s current situation is alarming. Mamata Police applied brute force on agitating candidates of the Teacher Eligibility Test 2014 candidates at Salt Lake to forcefully end their legitimate sit-in demonstration near the State Primary Education Board Office. WB or Hitler’s Germany?”

Protestors demand immediate appointment letters and want an end to 8 years of lull

While speaking to The Indian Express, a protestor named Paromita Pal said, “We do not want to appear in fresh exams as announced by the state education department. We should be appointed in state-run and state-aided schools as per the previous merit list.”

“We don’t want to be a part of the new requirement process. We want appointment letters immediately. Our movement will continue till we get it,” she emphasised.

Another candidate said, “There were immense irregularities in the recruitment of teachers in the primary section. How will we know that we were not unfairly rejected in the previous recruitment process to suit the interest of those who scored less? Therefore, there is no question of turning back.”

Reportedly, a panel was constituted to interview and appoint the qualifying candidates. Despite appearing for the interviews, the candidates were never given appointment letters. To add salt to the wound, WBBPE has now claimed that the tenure of the panel has expired.

West Bengal adamant on fresh recruitment

In a statement on October 18, the President of the West Bengal Board of Primary Education reiterated that the protesting candidates will have to reappear for TET to be held this year.

Goutam Pal, WBBPE President, claimed that the protestors had failed the interviews twice and hence could not secure appointments as teachers. He said that the West Bengal government might provide ‘age relaxation’ to the agitating candidates but they will have to appear in the fresh recruitment process.

Pal added, “Those having qualified the TET in the past 10 years or so are eligible to participate in the future recruitment process. If the government relaxes the age limit for candidates who had qualified the written test earlier, then those having crossed 40 years may sit for the exam again.”

“The board would request the candidates not to disrupt a fair TET recruitment process or go against the interests of other job aspirants. I will urge the people who are instigating the candidates not to disrupt a fair recruitment process,” he concluded.

AIIMS Delhi withdraws letter on medical care arrangements for the sitting MPs after protests alleging ‘VIP culture’

OpIndia Staff
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AIIMS Delhi withdraws letter on medical care arrangements for the sitting MPs after protests alleging ‘VIP culture’

On 21st October 2022, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi withdrew the letter written to the Joint Secretary of the Lok Sabha on 17th October 2022, regarding SOPs for special medical care arrangements for sitting MPs in AIIMS. This decision was taken by the chief administrative officer of the prime medical institute after doctors registered their protest to the preferential treatment being given to the members of parliament by writing a letter to the Union Health Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandviya on 20th October 2022.

In the new guidelines laid down by the AIIMS, there were certain provisions to treat the sitting MPs as a priority if they communicate so in advance. Doctors protested this decision and wrote to the union health minister asking him to revoke this policy. Following controversy over the issue of the alleged ‘VIP treatment’ facilities for current MPs, the chief administrative officer of AIIMS Delhi Deo Nath Sah wrote a letter stating, “letter dated 17th October 2022 on the subject cited above (medical care arrangements for honorable sitting members of parliament in AIIMS) may be treated as withdrawn with immediate effect”.

The AIIMS director withdrew the letter after allegations of VIP culture in the medical treatment of MPs were made on social media. In an apparent bid to counter this allegation, AIIMS Delhi had also tweeted saying that it always had a 24×7 Control Room for the co-ordination of medical care of patients from all walks of life.

In another tweet, AIIMS New Delhi said that Patients visiting it for various ailments are seen at AIIMS 24×7 without any registration charges. Moreover, all investigations charged less than Rs 300 have been exempted.

After AIIMS Delhi withdrew the letter, FAIMA Doctors Association declared victory. They said that they always stand against VIP culture, and will never compromise with the same.

FAIMA Doctors Association president Dr. Rohan Krishnan thanked union health minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya and AIIMS Delhi director Dr M Srinivas for the withdrawal. He said that they are satisfied with this move.

The special arrangements proposed by AIIMS for MPs

Dr. M. Srinivas, Director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi, sent a letter on Wednesday to Y.M. Kandpal, Joint Secretary of the Lok Sabha, asking that the Outpatient Department (OPD) and emergency consultation services for Members of Parliament be streamlined in accordance with the SOPs decided by the institute.

The letter said, “In case a sitting Member of Parliament requires OPD consultation from a specialty / super specialty department the Lok Sabha/ Rajyasabha secretariat or personal staff of the MP will contact the duty officer and provide him requisite details about the ailment and specialist/superspecialist doctor to be consulted. The SOPs include duty officers who are qualified medical professionals from the department of hospital administration who will be available in the control room of AIIMS Hospital around the clock and the duty officer on duty will be the nodal officer to coordinate and facilitate requisite medical care arrangements for sitting MPs.”

It further mentioned, “The duty officer will speak to a concerned specialist or super specialist doctor or head of the department and will fix up a requisite appointment. In case it is so required we can speak to the Chief of the Centre or Head of the concerned department as well. In case of an emergency situation where the people’s representative requires immediate medical management, the Lok Sabha/Rajyasabha secretariat or personal staff of the MP will contact the duty officer and provide him with requisite details about the ailment. So that the duty officer can guide them as to which emergency services the MP should be brought to main emergency or Trauma Centre emergency or an Eye emergency.”

Dr. M Srinivas added in this letter, “In case of inpatient hospitalization MP, the treating faculty will send a brief note to the medical superintendent about the ailment or illness that MP is suffering from the proposed line of management and expected duration of stay. it will be countersigned by the medical superintendent and will be sent to the Lok Sabha/ Rajyasabha secretariat given email id by the medical superintendent’s office.”

Objection by the doctors

The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) wrote a letter to the Union Health Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya demanding to immediately revoke the letter written by AIIMS Director Dr. M Srinivas regarding medical care arrangements for sitting MPs in AIIMS. In this letter, the doctors said, “It is very unfortunate that in an era where our country is fighting a battle against VIP culture and when you had gone to Safdarjung Hospital and Parliament Dispensary as an ordinary patient to see the care given to common people at these hospitals, a such letter has been released. This has really affected the morals of the doctors as it clearly indicates that AIIMS administration is itself having biases in treatment protocols for the general public and MPs and their Reference.”

The doctors further wrote in the letter, “FAIMA Doctors Association has earlier also written to Honourable PM regarding the prevalence of VIP culture in our hospitals and how it is affecting the vision of Honourable PM who is himself very much against VIP culture. We have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to inequality in the health care setup because medical care and treatment protocols are patient’s specific and not person-specific and importance and utmost attention should be given to a person who requires it the most and not because of his/her social status. With the limited resources we have, we must be careful and plan to use our resources in a way that yields better care to everyone and we should never accept the policy of “better care to few & less care to rest”. Inequality in terms of health care is unacceptable to us as it is against our Hippocratic Oath and the soul of each and every doctor of the country.”

The doctors concluded the letter by saying, “Also it is seen that such orders boost up the morals of people who do violence against doctors because our study has shown that 80% of violence against doctors is done by politicians or people related to some politicians. in this era, it is of utmost importance that we do not promote any policy that favors some and ignores the rest. Hence, we request you to take cognizance of this issue and direct to the officials concerned to immediately take back this letter and make sure that such incidents are not repeated in the future.”

Congress distances itself from Shivraj Patil’s comments saying Gita teaches Jihad, Jairam Ramesh says the remarks are unacceptable

OpIndia Staff
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Congress distances itself from Shivraj Patil’s comments saying Gita teaches Jihad, Jairam Ramesh says the remarks are unacceptable

As Congress was being slammed by BJP and netizens on social media for Shivraj Patil’s remarks comparing Krishna’s advice to Arjuna chronicled in Gita with Jihad described in Quran, Jairam Ramesh, who is the party’s General Secretary in-charge Communications, tweeted that the comments ‘reportedly’ made by Patil are unacceptable.

After former Home Minister and senior Congress leader Shivraj Patil triggered a massive controversy by saying that the Mahabharata war and jihad are the same, the party has now attempted damage control by trying to distance itself from the controversial comments. Reacting to the controversy, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that Pati’s remarks are ‘unacceptable’.

Ramesh added that the stand of Congress is very clear in this issue, that Bhagavad Gita is a key foundational pillar of Indian civilisation. The Rajya Sabha MP also included an excerpt from Discovery of India authored by Jawaharlal Nehru that talks about the message of Gita.

The first PM of India wrote in the book, “The message of the Gita is not sectarian or addressed to any particular school of thought. It is universal in its approach for everyone, Brahmin or outcaste. ‘All paths lead to me,’ it says. It is because of this universality that it has found favour with all classes and schools.”

Jairam Ramesh further tweeted that he learned Bhagavad Gita in his early teens and has had a “life-long fascination with it as a cultural & philosophical text, with a profound influence on Indian society over the ages.” He added that he has written about it in his book titled The Light of Asia: The Poem that defined the Buddha.

Yesterday, Shivraj Patil created controversy by saying that ‘Jihad’ is a part of the Bhagavad Gita and that it was taught to Arjuna by Lord Krishna. “The concept of Jihad is not limited to the Quran but also the Bhagavad Gita, which is a part of Mahabharata,” he had said, adding that Lord Krishna taught about Jihad to Arjuna before the Kurukshetra war, when Arjuna was refusing to take part in the war.

Shivraj Patil added that Jihad exists not only in Hinduism and Islam but also in other religions like Christianity. After his comments triggered massive outrage, he tried to control the damage by claiming that use of force is not right.

However, today he proceeded to make more outlandish comments on religion, and tried to Abrahamise Hinduism. He said that he made the comments after reading the Quran, and suggested that the Dharmic concept of the supreme God is same as the existence of only a single God believed in monotheistic religions like Islam and Christianity. He also said that the description of God in Gita is same the description of God in Abrahamic faiths by saying, “They (Abrahamic religions) say that God exists but cannot be made into an idol. Even Bhagavad Gita says that Hindu deities do not have form, shape and cannot be re-made in the form of an idol”.

However, after the massive outrage over his comments, now the Congress party has distanced itself from them.

‘The idea was to crush me’: Arnab Goswami opens up about his torture after being jailed by Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA govt

OpIndia Staff
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‘The idea was to crush me’: Arnab Goswami opens up about his torture after being jailed by Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA govt

Arnab Goswami, Editor-in-Chief of Republic TV, has spoken about the abuse and terrible treatment he endured after his arrest in November 2020. Appearing on the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Arnab stated that he was astounded by the treatment he received from the Maharashtra Police and the authorities.

Speaking about the intent behind his arrest, Arnab Goswami said, “By October 2020, Republic had reached such a unique position which no other channel, whether in print or television has reached. No channel has been numero uno in both English and Hindi in the history of India. I am not saying that this is a conspiracy but maybe a fortunate turn of events for my enemies who thought they would join hands at the right moment.”

“This never happened in the history of India where media joined hands with politicians, policemen, murderers and convicts. Look at the people they joined hands with. Now they can say they didn’t contractually join hands but they did opportunistically to bring me and Republic down,” Arnab further said explaining how the entire system was elated upon his detention and no one went to save him.

When Smita Prakash asked Arnab about his arrest and what he went throught, Arnab said “what happened to me in November 2020 is extraordinary.” “I am asking you today which editor in chief went through what I went through? The moral is that the idea was to crush me and to crush me in various ways. To crush me by physically assaulting me, bringing 120 group of people, 100 of them fully armed, 26-27 of them inside my flat. They were pushing me with the butt of their weapons, hitting me in the crotch, thrashing me and not even letting me wear the shoes. Locking me up in the loo of a jail. Doing things that are unbelievable. Shifting me from one jail to another, dragging me through my hair, unspeakable offences,” Arnab recalled the days in 2020 when he was arrested and put behind bars.

“They made the stiches on my hand open with another hand. They picked me up from my jail cell at 6 in the morning and taking me for ‘interrogation’ for 8-10 hours. It was an attempt to tone me down, to get me on a table to compromise. And, I can proudly say that I did not compromise. What was shown on Television about the arrest was just 1 percent of what happened in actual. They created a green corridor to take me from my home to the police station. They blocked 50 kilometres of traffic so that I can be moved through,” Arnab brought in a reminisce of how tormenting it was for him to see all what was going back then.

Arnab stated that all his moves and activities were being reported to the masters behind the conspiracy to put him behind bars. “When I was out of the police station to be presented in the court, I saw drones in front of me recording everything live and the footage being sent to the political masters. There were hundreds of people out there. I was shocked at the level of preparation they had for my arrest,” Arnab stated.

The Republic Editor said that he was treated by the authorities as a terrorist and a convicted criminal. “I was in a cell with 60-70 criminals and in jail with a thousand very very hardened criminals. There are people from the D gang, in your cell, right next to you. There are pedophiles and murderers and there are people who are deep into narcotics. There were people who played majorly with the Dawood gang and I was made to meet them, and I met them,” Arnab said explaining how he encountered people in the jail having links with Dawood Ibrahim.

“I did not use to sleep during the night. I used to stay awake and look at the ceiling which had reptiles that were lizards all over. I feared what if I sleep and they fall over me. Those days were horrible. But I endured. I made cordial relations with the other prisoners and used to share food with them,” Arnab recalled how he spent the time in jail.

The arrest of Arnab Goswami by Mumbai Police

The Mumbai police had arrested editor-in-chief of Republic Media Network on November 4, 2020. OpIndia reported how Mumbai Police team of at least 30 police personnel, led by encounter specialist Sachin Vaze, allegedly carrying assault rifles like AK-47 barged into Arnab’s house without any summons, documents or court papers, assaulted him, dragged him into a police van and took him away. Arnab Goswami’s minor son, his parents-in-law were also reportedly subjected to assault.

In May 2018, an FIR was filed against Arnab Goswami in an alleged abetment to suicide case. An interior Designer had committed suicide in his bungalow in Alibaug. In a suicide note, Anvay Naik claimed Goswami and the other two persons—Feroz Shaikh and Niteish Sarda—owed him a total of Rs 5.4 crore. However, Goswami was investigated and case was closed by court after a closure report was filed by the Police. One can read about the case in detail here.

Arnab Goswami was at loggerheads with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government ever-since the channel went ahead to extensively report the Palghar lynching case and then the Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case. Arnab, who was being hounded by the state machinery for quite some time had said that the Maharashtra Government was scared that the truth would be revealed therefore they were attempting to muzzle their voices.

Maharashtra: BJP minority leader Jamal Siddiqui gets ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ threat for attending an RSS event

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: BJP minority leader Jamal Siddiqui gets ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ threat for attending an RSS event

On Friday, the BJP Minority Morcha National President, Jamal Siddiqui filed a police complaint after he received a letter issuing a death threat at his office located in Nagpur city of Maharashtra. “Rasool-e-Pak ki Shaan Mein Sar Tan Se Juda“, the two paragraphed letters read.

According to the reports, the Islamists had issued death threats to Siddiqui after he attended a Guru Pujan program organized by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The threat letter also had photographs of the BJP leader attending the RSS event in the city.

Siddiqui happened to file a police complaint at Nagpur’s Sakkardara Police Station. He mentioned in the complaint that he had been receiving threats since he attended the RSS’ Guru Pujan event. He also added that his actions had enraged a few fanatics from his hometown.

However, Siddiqui stated that he was not afraid of the death threats issued to him and that he would continue to work in the interest of the country and society. The police have registered a case under Section 507 of the IPC against an unknown accused in this case and have assured to provide security for BJP leader Jamal Siddiqui.

The letter which was left at the door of the leader’s office read that the leader deserved ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ punishment as he had attended the RSS event. The accused also called the leader a broker of RSS and slammed him for allegedly defaming Islam. “There is only one punishment for such people and that is Sar Tan Se Juda”, the two paragraphed letters read.

To note, “Sar Tan Se Juda” chants are an imported concept adopted from neighboring Pakistan, where targeting and attacking minorities, especially Hindus and Christians, in the name of blasphemy has become par for the course for the country’s overwhelmingly extremist and Islamist population.

The Islamist clarion call has become a staple feature of violent protests in India that have so far claimed the lives of at least 6 Hindus, including Kanhaiya Lal in Udaipur and Umesh Kolhe in Amravati, after Muslim fundamentalists, egged on by the dog-whistling of Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair against former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, resorted to violence for what they perceived as ‘blasphemy’ against Prophet Muhammad.

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