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Coimbatore: Corporation stops temple demolition as devotees, Hindu organisations protest, devotees move to High Court to save the temple

OpIndia Staff
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Coimbatore: Corporation stops temple demolition as devotees, Hindu organisations protest, devotees move to High Court to save the temple

On Thursday, the Coimbatore Corporation stopped the demolition of a temple located on the Veeriyampalayam Road near Ramalakshmi Nagar in the city after the Hindu organizations and devotees led a strong protest against the corporation officials. The protesters raised slogans and chanted ‘Om Namah Shivay’ as the Corporation attempted to execute the demolition.

According to the reports, the High Court in June had ordered the demolition of the temple citing the reason that it was encroaching upon 50 feet wide road. The Court was hearing the petition filed by an individual who owns a commercial complex. The city corporation on August 5 reached the spot to execute the Court orders, however, the officials were forced to leave without completing the task.

As the Corporation attempted to demolish the temple, a large number of devotees, members of Hindu organizations like VHP and Hindu Munnani, and also BJP members gathered around the temple to protest against the demolition move. The officials razed down the compound wall and the toilet with the help of a bulldozer. The devotees then raised slogans against the officials and the police who were deployed on the spot to maintain the law and order situation.

It is alleged that the commercial complex owner who filed the petition in June, used his political contacts in the DMK government led by M K Stalin to push for the demolition of the temple. He felt that the temple was a hindrance to the parking of the vehicles of the customers visiting the complex.

The 200-year-old temple, spread over an area of 4,000 square feet is situated in Coimbatore Corporation’s 7th ward -Goldevins, Duraiswamy Nager, Ramalakshmi Nagar region. The idol which is worshiped inside the temple is said to have formed by itself (swayambhu). Reports mention that people from the surrounding region have been visiting the temple regularly to worship.

K Jayalakshmi, assistant town planning officer, confirmed that the demolition drive was stopped as devotees with tears in their eyes squatted on the temple premises. “It was raining as well”, she added. The aggrieved parties reportedly have approached the High Court now. Reports mention that the officials have decided to wait for the Court’s decision before proceeding with the demolition drive.

Elaborating on the incident, BJP district functionary Senthil Kumar said that the idol of the temple was self-manifested with at least 100 years of history behind it. “Demolishing such an old temple would affect the religious sentiments of thousands of devotees. Members of the temple committee have urged the officials to leave the temple in its present condition. The locals said they are surprised to see the haste shown by the officials to pull down a Hindu temple”, he said.

Kumar also added that the government had not honored the court orders in reclaiming a vast tract of land from Queensland near Chennai. “There are several churches and mosques on the government land or on the water bodies or blocking the waterways. The present DMK govt is keen on demolishing only Hindu temples”, he stated adding that the government has so far razed down nearly 200 temples located in several parts of the state.

One of the residents who protested against the drive stated to the Organiser that the Corporation had served no notice before furthering the demolition drive. “As per agamas, the main idols have to be kept in water and balaalayam has to be done. Without doing such rituals, the demolition was furthered. This move angered the devotees. The officials gave us time till Monday to get stay orders to stop the demotion drive”, she was quoted.

Uttar Pradesh: Police arrest absconding Shrikant Tyagi in Meerut, was booked under Gangster Act

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Police arrest absconding Shrikant Tyagi in Meerut, was booked under Gangster Act

On August 9, Noida Police arrested Shrikant Tyagi from Meerut who has been on the run since a video of him abusing and assaulting a woman went viral. The Police got a tip-off of his location. Reportedly, he was continuously trying to get in touch with his wife and lawyer. The arrest came a day after Noida authorities bulldozed illegal construction done by him at his house in Grand Omaxe housing society in Sector 93B.

At around 6 AM on Tuesday, Shrikant’s wife was picked up by the Police for the second time for questioning. Earlier she was detained by the Police for questioning on Friday, August 5. Shrikant’s relatives were also detained by the police for questioning.

On Monday, August 8, Police arrested six people who entered the Grand Omaze society on Sunday evening without permission. They were alleged supporters of Tyagi and questioned residents about the woman’s address who was assaulted by Tyagi.

Following his arrest, Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Brajesh Pathak said, “The UP government is working with a target of ‘zero tolerance’ against crimes. We will not leave any person who has broken the law.” He further added, “The main aim of the Yogi government is to establish law and order in the state. We will do everything to provide security to women in the state.”

Tyagi’s viral video

Recently, a video of Shrikant Tyagi abusing and assaulting a woman resident of Omaxe Grand housing society went viral on social media. Reports suggest the altercation between the two took place after the woman objected to the illegal construction and occupation of the park by Tyagi. Following the viral video, Tyagi was booked by Noida Police. Since then, he was on the run.

The incident made headlines not only because of the viral video but also because Tyagi was a self-proclaimed BJP leader on social media. He had claimed to be a national executive member of the BJP’s Kisan Morcha. However, BJP categorically denied the claims and the UP government assured strict action against him. Noida Police had announced a reward of Rs 25,000 for anyone who gives information about Tyagi leading to his arrest.

Pasmanda Muslims are ‘vote bank’, but rioting mob also usually consists of them: Eye Dalit quota but will vote for madarsa, maulvis

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Pasmanda Muslims are ‘vote bank’, but rioting mob also usually consists of them: Eye Dalit quota but will vote for madarsa, maulvis

The National Executive meeting of the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) was held recently in Hyderabad. While addressing the meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi talked about focusing on the upliftment of Pasmanda Muslims. No one can object to the upliftment of an underprivileged section of the country. It is hardly surprising to see the Prime Minister of the country paying attention to the development of such a section of society.

However, it is important to remember that Prime Minister Modi is the biggest trendsetter in Indian politics at the moment. In such a scenario, everything said by him is bound to be politically interpreted. That is why the present condition of the Pasmanda Muslims and the political mathematics associated with them have become hot topics in media discussions. Keeping in mind the general elections of 2024, new political equations are being introduced involving Pasmanda Muslims.

However, the arguments being used to support these equations (especially in light of the results of the Azamgarh and Rampur by-elections) do not match with the ground reality. It is not that Pasmanda politics is being closely watched by the BJP for the first time either. Its partner Nitish Kumar in Bihar has worked on this formula before, but the political gains from this did not prove to be permanent.

In such a situation, the question arises whether BJP is really serious about any Pasmanda mission as the media is trying to portray. Does Modi need a new vote bank to win the 2024 general election? Will the 2024 general election put an end to the politics of the Muslim vote bank and theocratic hysteria, as the separation of Pasmanda will destroy the ability of Muslims to influence elections as a block?

Before looking for the answers to these questions, let us first see who are the Pasmandas, and what is their social, economic, and political status among Muslims. At the same time, we will try to find out how important Pasmandas are for the fundamentalist shop run by hardliners from madarsas.

Who are Pasmanda Muslims?

To show Hindus in a poor light, or to make them fight in the name of caste, it is often mentioned that Muslims have no caste or caste-based discrimination. This is a complete lie. Consider some castes among Muslims, Kunjre (Raeen), Julaha (Ansari), Dhuniya (Mansoori), Kasai (Qureshi), Hajjam (Salmani), Carpenter (Saifi), Manihar (Siddiqui), Tailor (Idrisi). The common thing among all these castes of Muslims is that they are Pasmandas.

Pasmanda is a Persian word. It broadly means backward and disadvantaged people. Most of the people who fall in this category are Dalits who converted to Islam. Some have converted from other backward castes as well. Muslims who come under Pasmanda are also called Arzal. Simply put, these are the people whose ancestors converted from Hinduism to Islam after the arrival of Islamic invaders. Organizations like Vishwa Hindu Parishad are running a campaign for their return to their original faith as well.

Ashrafs vs Pasmandas

Ashrafs come from the upper castes among Muslims. For example, Sheikh, Sayyid, Mirza, Khan etc. These people are either converts from the upper caste Hindus to become Muslims or their ancestors came from Central Asia. Ashrafs constitute only 15-20 percent of the total Muslim population in India, the rest are Pasmanda. However, the privileged economic, political and social status among the Muslims belongs only to those coming from the Ashraf class. They often use Pasmanda for their own religious and hardline politics. The Islamic mob that takes to the streets during violent protests consists of Pasmandas, while the command is in the hands of Ashrafs.

What do Pasmandas want from the government

Pasmandas, who are bound by the fatwas issued by madarsas, mosques and maulvis, and who form a huge chunk of Indian Muslim population, want reservation under the Scheduled Caste (SC) quota. All India Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz recently wrote to the Prime Minister and urged to add about a dozen of castes to SC community. This has been an old demand. Currently, these castes fall under the OBC bracket.

National Family Health Survey says that about 45% Indian Muslims take benefit of the OBC quota. To ensure that the benefit under the quota is extended to entire community, they want to shift to SC quota along with OBC quota. Amid this, BJP’s OBC Morcha National President K Lakshman has demanded a 50% reservation for Pasmanda Muslims in Muslim institutes like Aligarh Muslim University, Jamia Millia Islamia and Jamia Hamdard.

Does BJP really need Mission Pasmanda

Ever since PM Modi uttered the word ‘Pasmanda’, mainstream media has started running debates like ‘BJP’s Pasmanda mission’, ‘is it easy for BJP to garner Pasmanda support’ almost on a daily basis now. Some even claim that in the Azamgarh and Rampur bypolls, BJP won only because of votes of Pasmanda Muslims. BJP registered a win on these two seats with a very short margin. If the Pasmanda Muslim community had contributed to their victory, the margin would have been much higher. In fact, the BJP even gained that these seats had a three-party fight.

It is true that the BJP gets some votes from Muslim community here and there. Some Shia and Dawoodi Bohra Muslims also vote for BJP. During the recently concluded Vidhan Sabha elections, OpIndia found that the Muslims there were happy with many schemes of the Yogi government. They had even expressed inclination to vote for the BJP on its basis. But if you see the voting pattern, you would notice that the Muslim community eventually did vote as a vote bank and eventually voted for Samajwadi Party. To put things in perspective, over 3.5 crore Muslims in Uttar Pradesh are Pasmanda.

Pasmanda ‘experiment’ in Bihar

In 2005 when under leadership of Nitish Kumar when the JDU-BJP government was formed in Bihar the Pasmanda card was played to garner votes. Bihar has over 1.5 crore Pasmanda Muslims. Pasmanda community leader like Ali Anwar was sent to Rajya Sabha by JDU under the same politics. Experts view the appointment of Pasmanda leader Danish Ansari as Minister in Yogi government though similar political lens.

But the effects of this politics played by Nitish Kumar was visible only in 2010 Vidhan Sabha elections. JDU was able to perform really well in some seats where Muslim votes play decisive role largely due to division of Pasmanda votes. This division in Muslim-Yadav vote also led to a defeat of Lalu Yadav’s RJD in those elections. But, even in those elections, Pasmanda voted for opposition parties where JDU-BJP alliance had put up a BJP candidate.

The 2015 elections Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad Yadav contested together in an alliance and the entire Muslim votebank backed them. That means, while one section of Pasmanda community that had come to Nitish’s JDU because of the benefits provided by the NDA, that has never quite stood by the BJP. In 2017 when JDU and RJD broke alliance, even the Pasmanda leader Ali Anwar broke away in name of Muslim solidarity. In 2020 elections, too, this community voted for the RJD. That means, even the political benefit that Nitish Kumar received was not long lasting. When the benefits of government schemes was fresh, they voted as ‘Pasmanda’ but in subsequent elections, they voted as ‘Muslims’. This is also why because of some UP government schemes, some Muslims in Deoband too voted for BJP.

Under the leadership of Narendra Modi, the BJP has registered phenomenal victories in general elections in 2014 and 2019. If things go as such, 2024 also seems to be favouring him. As of today, there does not seem to be any reason which can show that there has been a division in votes for the BJP, the same votes that won him past two elections. As per recent surveys, Modi’s popularity has not lost its sheen at all. On the other hand, the opposition continues to stay fragmented. In such a case, even basic understanding of politics shows that the political move to appease ‘Pasmanda beneficiaries’ does not make sense at this point. In fact, this could also threaten to upset the support base which actually vote for the party.

Hence, it appears that the benefits being extended to the Pasmanda community appear to be an extension of PM Modi’s ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’ policy he has been talking about. Even the BJP knows that this policy has neither received any political gains nor does it expect to gain anything.

In reality, ‘Plan Pasmanda’ is important not for the BJP’s political stand but from the viewpoint of a empowered India. Till the time any community in India remains deprived, the dream of a strong, empowered India will not be fulfilled. In places like Deoband, where Muslim community is speaking about benefits received under the BJP government, it is a step towards India’s empowerment. But the bigger point is that the community which has taken to streets to terrorise Hindus by pelting stones, calling for beheading, development will be an unlikely criteria for them.

Note: Originally published on Hindi website, you can read it here.

Sukhpal Khaira asks AAP’s Laljit Singh Bhullar if he was present with Deep Sidhu during the Red Fort violence: Here is what happened

OpIndia Staff
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Sukhpal Khaira asks AAP’s Laljit Singh Bhullar if he was present with Deep Sidhu during the Red Fort violence: Here is what happened

On Thursday, August 9, the All India Kisan Congress chairman MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira took to Twitter to share a video of AAP minister Laljit Singh Bhullar seen with the late Khalistani sympathiser and actor Deep Sidhu at the time of violence at Red Fort on 26 January last year and sought answers from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann. Deep Sidhu was named as one of the main instigators of the Red Fort violence on Republic Day.

“Dear @ArvindKejriwal & @BhagwantMann ji plz clarify if your transport minister @Laljitbhullar is part of hoisting Kesri Nishan Sahib on Red Fort along with Deep Sidhu? If yes how does our CM call them anti national & keep him minister in his cabinet? I am subject to correction !,” Tweeted the Congress leader.

In the video shared by the Congress minister, the AAP minister can be seen being present at the time of violence at Red Fort on 26 January last year. He appeared in the video with Deep Sidhu, who was arrested last year for his role in instigating violence and the vandalisation at Red Fort on Republic Day during the farmers’ tractor rally. 

On January 26, 2021, Khalistani supporters had stormed the grounds of the historic Red Fort and desecrated the symbol of India’s sovereignty just after the Republic Day celebrations. They had brutally attacked the security personnel and police officials stationed at the location and disrespected India’s national flag by hoisting two other flags, one being the ‘Kesari Flag’ (Flag with Sikh Holy Symbol) on the Red Fort.

Sharing the video, the Congress leader questioned the AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann over their silence on the matter. Saying that Laljit Bhullar was present along with Deep Sidhu during the Red Ford siege, Kaira questioned why Laljit Bhullar was still serving in the cabinet.

The upfront question posed by the Congress leader did not sit well with several Khalistani supporters who descended upon his timeline to question him instead.

A Khalistani supporter slammed the Congress leader and said that he should technically be answering instead of the AAP leaders as to why had he been preserving this video for so long.

Another disgruntled Khalistani fan rebuked the Congress leader by claiming that hoisting the Nishan Sahib was completely normal.

Deep Sidhu accused of inciting violence at Red Fort on Republic Day

The now deceased actor Deep Sidhu had gone into hiding since the day of the Red Fort violence and has been releasing social media videos to blame other ‘farmer leaders’ who have spoken against him. The Khalistani supporters, who stormed the grounds of the historic Red Fort and desecrated the symbol of India’s sovereignty, had brutally attacked the security personnel and police officials stationed at the location, disrespected India’s national flag by hoisting two other flags. In a video, Khalistani rioters were seen pushing Delhi Police personnel from the top of a high wall, severely injuring hundreds of them.

Sidhu rose to prominence after his video of expressing support to the ‘farmers’ protest had gone viral on the internet. However, his Khalistani proclivities were laid bare when in an interview with journalist Barkha Dutt, the actor was seen hailing Khalistani terrorist Bhindranwale as a hero. After Sidhu’s role of instigating ‘farmers’ to take up arms against the Delhi Police on the day of the tractor rally came to fore, the ‘farmers’ leader, who had until now backed Sidhu for his support to the protests, pinned the blame of the violence on him and alleged him of hatching a conspiracy to derail the ‘farmers’ protests.

Republic Day Riots

On January 26, groups of alleged farmers forcefully entered Delhi on the pretext of a Tractor Rally. They created a riot-like situation in which over 300 police personnel were injured, and properties worth crores were damaged. The rally was supposed to be a protest rally against the Agriculture laws named Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 that were passed in September 2020.

Visuals that emerged from the riots showed how the alleged farmers tried to mow down the police personnel with tractors, attacked them with swords, batons and other weapons and mercilessly attacked police personnel at Red Fort. A group of rioters including Deep Sidhu, Gurjot Singh, Jugraj Singh and others reached the Red Fort and hoisted two flags with the Sikh Holy symbol. Interestingly, the hoisting of the flag was in sync with the provocations of terrorist organization Sikhs For Justice, whose founder had announced a cash prize for the person(s) who hoist the flag on Red Fort. A total of 43 cases were registered in connection to the riots.

New York Assemblywoman to hold a press conference to denounce hate crime at Shri Tulsi Mandir, says anti-Hindu crimes won’t be tolerated

OpIndia Staff
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New York Assemblywoman to hold a press conference to denounce hate crime at Shri Tulsi Mandir, says anti-Hindu crimes won’t be tolerated

On August 8 (local time), New York State Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar announced that she will hold a press conference on August 9 with community leaders and elected officials to denounce an alleged hate crime at Shri Tulsi Mandir located in South Richmond Hill.

According to the press advisory released by her office, the hate crime took place on August 3 when three people vandalized and toppled a Gandhi statue outside the temple. In a statement, Rajkumar said, “A central tenet of Hinduism is inclusivity and mutual respect toward people of all faiths. Hindus believe not just intolerance, but in one step more than tolerance- actively loving and respecting people of different backgrounds and faiths. This was Mahatma Gandhi’s dream- a peaceful, loving world. We have achieved Gandhi’s dream in Richmond Hill, where Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Jews, and Christians live together in harmony, often on the same block.”

She further added that the desecration of Gandhi statues and anti-Hindu hate crimes would not be tolerated in Richmond Hill or anywhere across New York State. She said, “At a time when our city is experiencing a 127% increase in hate crimes, elected officials and community leaders will gather together tomorrow in my district at Tulsi Mandir to condemn hate crimes against any group based on their religion or ethnicity.”

Rajkumar further called for the classification of vandalism as a hate crime during the investigation. She has been working extensively against hate crimes in her constituency. In June, Rajkumar passed a law to establish the first-ever Asian American and Pacific Islander Commission in New York State that addresses the problem of rising hate crimes against Asian communities in the region. She has also spoken against the anti-Sikh and anti-Muslim crimes in South Queens. On Sunday, August 7, she announced a task force to address domestic violence among the South Asian American community.

The press conference is scheduled to take place on August 9 (local time) at Shri Tulsi Mandir in South Richmond Hill, New York.

SFJ planning to replace Tiranga with Khalistan flag at Attari border? IB on alert after suspicious video of burqa-clad woman

OpIndia Staff
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SFJ planning to replace Tiranga with Khalistan flag at Attari border? IB on alert after suspicious video of burqa-clad woman

The Intelligence Bureau has been on alert after a suspicious video surfaced on some social media platforms where a burqa-clad woman was seen declaring that the banned Khalistani organisation Sikhs For Justice has all the support from Kashmiri separatists.

In the video, a burqa-clad woman is seen declaring that the ‘killer’ Tricolour cannot be allowed to fly on the sacred land of Gurus. She goes ahead to add, “Attari Amritsar is the land of Gurus, but the killer Tricolour flag of India keeps flying there. This is the 75th year of Indian occupation on the Sikh land. It is our aim that the Tricolour at Attari gets taken down and the Khalistan flag flies there. It is the time for decisions. We Kashmiri mujahideen are there at every step with our Sikh brothers and sisters in their fight for Khalistan, Allah Hu Akbar.”

The short 47 seconds video also shows the footage of the yellow flag being hoisted at the Red Fort during the January 26, 2021 violence. There is also a clip where the Tricolour is being shot with bullets.

Sources in the IB told OpIndia that they are analysing the footage to understand its origin and find out the identity of the woman in the video. The IB mentioned that SFJ might be planning to hoist the Khalistan flag at the Attari border, by replacing the tallest Tiranga that flies there.

SFJ has reportedly ‘challenged’ the Indian government that they will replace the tallest Tiranga at the Attari border and replace it with the Khalistani flag. In yet another announcement about the ‘Khalistan Referendum’ by SFJ’s Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, they have announced that they will launch a ‘Ghar Ghar Khalistan’ campaign from August 15 onwards till January 26 when the Khalistan Referendum will materialise in Punjab.

Another SFJ video doing rounds on social media also shows SFJ’s Pannun making similar claims, that the Tricolour will be burned and every house in Punjab will fly the Khalistan flag.

It is notable here that the SFJ has, in the past, offered cash rewards for anyone who hoists the Khalistani flag at key Indian establishments. In November last year, they offered 125,000 dollars for anyone who unfurls the Khalistani flag at the Indian parliament on the first day of the winter session.

Earlier this month, the pro-Khalistani group Dal Khalsa had opposed the Ghar Ghar Tiranga campaign and had asked Sikhs to hoist the Nishan saheb instead.

It is notable here that the 360-foot tall flagpost at the Attari-Wagah border was inaugurated in 2017, hoisting India’s tallest Tricolour. It is said that the Tricolour flying there can be seen from Pakistan too.

Bhopal: NIA apprehends two ‘extremely radicalized’ Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) terrorists for planning Jihad against India

OpIndia Staff
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Bhopal: NIA apprehends two ‘extremely radicalized’ Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) terrorists for planning Jihad against India

On Monday, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested two Bangladeshi individuals from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh for encouraging Muslims to carry out Jihadi activities against India. The two individuals have been identified as Hamidullah and Mohammed Sahadat Hussain and are associated with the Islamist terrorist organization named Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).

According to the reports, the accused are highly radicalized Bangladeshi individuals who were trying to propagate the JMB ideology through the internet. The accused posted hateful and incriminating content online and motivated the Muslim youth to carry out jihad against India.

“The arrested accused (Hamidullah and Hussain) are highly radicalized individuals and involved in propagating Jihad by posting hateful and incriminating materials online in various groups on different social media platforms to radicalize other people”, one of the NIA officials was quoted.

The NIA officials also said that the two have been arrested in the case related to the arrest of six active cadres of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh. Along with the six cadres, the Police then also arrested three Bangladeshi illegal immigrants from Aishbagh, Bhopal. Reports mention that the apprehended men were close acquaintances of the previously arrested six JMB cadres and were communicating with their associates in India and Bangladesh using encrypted applications.

Earlier in March this year also, the Bhopal Police arrested four members of the Jamaat-e-Mujahideen Bangladesh from the Aishbagh and Karond areas of Bhopal. The operation was carried out by a joint team based on a tip-off. According to the reports, the Police recovered a huge quantity of jihadi literature, electronic equipment, and incriminating documents.

The NIA has detained nine JMB cadres so far. On March 14, a case in this respect was initially lodged at Police Station STF Bhopal. The JMB, an Islamic terrorist group based in Bangladesh, is also designated as a terrorist organization by the United Kingdom. The Union government banned the terror group JMB in May 2019.

Former TMC minister Partha Chatterjee given cot and chair after he sat on the jail commode till it broke: Here is what happened

OpIndia Staff
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Former TMC minister Partha Chatterjee given cot and chair after he sat on the jail commode till it broke: Here is what happened

On August 5, former Trinamool Congress (TMC) minister Partha Chatterjee was sent to 14-day judicial custody in connection to SSC Scam. Reports suggest that Partha spent most of the time sitting on the commode in his cell on the first night. Eventually, the commode broke down. Later, the authorities got the commode repaired and provided him with a chair to sit on.

He has been kept in the Presidency Central Correctional Home’s high-security Poila Baish section. This particular section in the prison is under 24×7 surveillance. High-profile criminals including the American Centre attack mastermind Aftab Ansari are housed in this section.

As per the regulations, the inmates get only blankets, a ceiling fan, a commode and a water filter in the cell and no furniture. However, on August 6, jail authorities provided him with an iron cot and a chair to sit on. A senior jail official was quoted by Indian Express saying, “Senior jail officials visited him (Partha Chatterjee) on Saturday afternoon. Thereafter, late in the afternoon, he was provided with an iron cot and a chair inside his cell. He is still having food prepared in jail, including roti, sabzi and dal for dinner and rice, roti, sabzi and dal for lunch.” Partha had requested the jail authorities for ‘chop-muri’ (puffed rice with potato fries) cooked in the prison that they had agreed to provide. There are questions now being raised about the special treatment that is potentially being extended to Partha Chaterjee given that he was provided with a cot and chair that other inmates are not given.

The senior officials in the prison have been directed to ensure minimal interaction between Chaterjee and others including inmates. They are visiting him every hour to keep an eye on his activities.

On the other hand, Arpita Mukherjee, co-accused in the case, has been housed in the Alipur Women’s Central Correctional Home is located five minutes away from the Presidency Central Correctional Home. Jail officials told Indian Express on Saturday that Mukherjee kept crying since she was brought to the correction home and did not eat anything.

SSC Scam

The West Bengal Teacher’s recruitment scam, more commonly referred to as the SSC scam, looks into the recruitment process conducted through the State Level Selection Test (SLT) conducted by SSC from 2014 to 2016.

The West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) announced in 2014 that teachers would be hired at state-run schools in West Bengal through the State Level Selection Test (SLST), which is when the alleged scam first surfaced. In 2016, the hiring process got underway. At that time, Partha Chatterjee was the Minister-in-Charge of the West Bengal Department of Higher Education and School Education. Nevertheless, a number of complaints were submitted to the Calcutta High Court citing irregularities in the hiring procedure.

The petitioners alleged that many examinees who got lesser marks ranked high on the merit list. Several claims also surfaced regarding the receipt of appointment letters by some applicants who weren’t even on the merit list.

During the investigation, the Enforcement Directorate recovered a little over Rs 50 crores in cash and Rs 4.31 crore worth of gold from multiple locations linked to Arpita Mukherjee, a close associate of arrested cabinet minister Partha Chatterjee. Several raids were conducted on the properties linked to the case. Chatterjee was arrested by ED on July 23.

FBI raids Florida home of Donald Trump in presidential records probe, ‘these are dark times for our nation’, he says: Read the full statement

OpIndia Staff
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FBI raids Florida home of Donald Trump in presidential records probe, ‘these are dark times for our nation’, he says: Read the full statement

On August 8 (local time), former President of the United States Donald Trump said Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents raided his Mar-a-Lago estate. In his official statement, Trump alleged that the agents broke into his safe. Reuters quoted Trump’s son acknowledging that the raid was part of an investigation into the documents that Trump had allegedly removed from Presidential records from the White House and moved to his Florida resort.

There has been a notable escalation in the investigation against Trump for removing the records. Furthermore, apart from this investigation, there have been several probes that were initiated against Trump for the time he had spent in the office as well as in his private business.

Quoting Eric Trump, Fox News said that former President Trump has been cooperating with the National Archives on the case for months. Quoting another source, Reuters also noted that the raid was possibly connected to the removal of classified records from the White House. At the time of the raid, Trump was in New York and was seen leaving Trump Tower.

Statement by Donald Trump after FBI conducted raids at his residence

In a statement, Trump said, “These are dark times for our Nation, as my beautiful home, Mar A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, is currently under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents. Nothing like this has ever happened to a President of the United States before. After working and cooperating with the relevant Government agencies, this unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate.

It is prosecutorial misconduct, the weaponization of the Justice System, and an attack by Radical Left Democrats who desperately don’t want me to run for President in 2024, especially based on recent polls, and who will likewise do anything to stop Republicans and Conservatives in the upcoming Midterm Elections. Such an assault could only take place in broken, Third-World Countries. Sadly, America has now become one of those countries, corrupt at a level not seen before. They even broke into my safe! What is the difference between this and Watergate, where operatives broke into the Democrat National. Committee? Here, in reverse, Democrats broke into the home of the 45th President of the United States.

The political persecution of President Donald J. Trump has been going on for years, with the now fully debunked Russia, Russia, Russia Scam, Impeachment Hoax #1, Impeachment Hoax #2, and so much more, it just never ends. It is political targeting at the highest level!

Hillary Clinton was allowed to delete and acid wash 33,000 E mails AFTER they were subpoenaed by Congress. Absolutely nothing has happened to hold her accountable. She even took antique furniture, and other items from the White House.

I stood up to America’s bureaucratic corruption, I restored power to the people, and truly delivered for our Country, like we have never seen before. The establishment hated it. Now, as they watch my endorsed candidates win big victories, and see my dominance in all polls, they are trying to stop me, and the Republican Party, once more. The lawlessness, political persecution, and Witch Hunt must be exposed and stopped.

I will continue to fight for the Great American People!”

Source: Taylor Budowich, Director of Communications for Save America and Donald J. Trump | TayFromCA/Twitter

Reuters suggest that the search of a private residence must have been approved by a judge after the investigating agencies showed probable cause justifying the same. Furthermore, approval from FBI Director Christopher Wray (appointed by Trump) and Attorney General Merrick Garland (appointed by Biden) would have been taken for the raid.

As per US laws, the U.S. Presidential Records Act requires the preservation of memos, letters, notes, emails, faxes and other written communications related to a president’s official duties. In February, it was reported that throughout 2021, Trump was contacted by the National Archives and Records Administration to return 15 boxes of records that were eventually returned in January 2022. The National Archives had noted that some of the items contained in those boxes were marked as “classified national security information.”

On the contrary, Trump had said it was a routine communication and National Archives did not find anything in the boxes he had returned. An early-stage investigation into the removal of records was reportedly started in April this year.

As team India shines in 2022, read about the CWG scam of 2010 where one toilet paper roll was purchased for Rs 4,000

OpIndia Staff
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As team India shines in 2022, read about the CWG scam of 2010 where one toilet paper roll was purchased for Rs 4,000

India is shining at Commonwealth Games that are taking place in Birmingham, England. So far, India has won 61 medals, with 22 gold, 16 silver, and 23 bronze medals. Indian athletes have won medals in weightlifting, lawn bowls, wrestling, boxing, table tennis, para powerlifting, badminton, athletics and more.

Amid the power-packed performance by Indian players, some dark spots of the Commonwealth Games come to mind. In 2010, CWG were scheduled in India. The event, which should have been a milestone for India’s reputation as a host of international sporting events, became a laughing stock following thousands of crores worth of scams.

The scam created a public outcry and paved the way for the exit of the Congress party from the power corridors in the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Here is the chronology of the infamous tale of corruption.

A high-level committee was tasked to investigate allegations of corruption

The poor infrastructure and unexplained high price paid for minimal items like chairs, umbrellas and toilet papers led to public outcry over the possible scam. As soon as CWG 2010 were over, the then-Union Government appointed a high-level committee comprising of ex-Auditor General VK Shungloo to look into the matter. The committee was asked to look into all aspects of the CWG organizing committee and report within three months to the Prime Minister’s Office.

Congress politicians at the Centre of the CWG scam

Apart from the high-level committee, the Centre directed the Central Vigilance Committee (CVC), IT Department, CBI, and Enforcement Directorate to conduct an independent investigation. During the probe, it was found that a Congress politician by the name of Suresh Kalmadi was at the helm of the financial scam. Kalmadi, a member of the Organising Committee, had procured Timing-Scoring-Result (TSR) systems from a Swedish company called Swiss Timing.

Investigation revealed Kalmadi paid Rs 141 crores to the firm to buy TRS systems. The amount paid to the company was Rs 95 crores more compared to what another bidder MSL Spain had offered. Interestingly, the bidding for the same was held on November 4 2009, the contract was already awarded to Swiss Timing on October 12, 2009. Reportedly, he, along with his aide VK Verma eliminated the competition in return for kickbacks.

The Arrest of Suresh Kalmadi in CWG scam: First charge sheet was filed in May 2011

Following the revelations made during the investigation, Kalmadi was arrested by CBI on April 25, 2011 for his role in the Timing-Scoring-Result (TSR) case. On May 20, 2011, a charge sheet was filed against him and eight others, including Verma and Organising Committee Secretary General Lalit Bhanot, for criminal conspiracy, forging documents and passing them off as genuine. The charges were added under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and Indian Penal Code Sections 120B, Sections 420, 467, 468, and 471. He served a total of 10 months in jail before securing bail.

The absurd amount of money spent on preparation and purchases

During the investigation, it was revealed that the CWG Organising Committee had paid an out-of-proportion amount for preparation and purchases. The initial estimate for organizing CWG in India was Rs 296 crores but the final amount reached Rs 28,054 crores which was almost 100 times more than the original estimate. Reports suggest that over 100 crores were spent on beautification of roads out of which Rs 30 crores could have been easily avoided as there was no need of importing lights for selected roads.

A lot of items were bought or procured at a very high price. For example, first aid kits were bought between Rs 3,934 to Rs 4,741. Tissue papers were bought at price as high as Rs 1,580 per pack. A water dispenser price was declared as high as Rs 11,852. Apart from this, a pigeon-hole cupboard that was of around Rs 5,200 was bought for Rs 14,400. A bookcase was bought for Rs 7,655 but the original price was Rs 2,840. Stackable chairs were bought for Rs 1,542 a piece but the original price was Rs 720. Interestingly, toilet paper rolls were bought at Rs 4,000 a piece, a price that could have been sufficient for a silver-foiled toilet paper pack.

Rs 30 crores were spent on flower pots. Rs 80 crore bill was raised for dumbbells. Not to forget, a footbridge had collapsed on the last leg of preparation and the Army had to be called to provide logistics to complete it before the games started.

50 cases in CWG scam still pending, RTI revealed in 2020

The cases linked CWG scam are still pending in the courts. As per an RTI filed by the Indian Express in 2020, over 50 cases of payment disputes related to the Commonwealth Game scam still remain pending. The Indian Government had informed that about Rs6.92 crores had been paid by it to the arbitrators as of March 31, 2020. Citing sources, Indian Express reported that close to Rs700 crores worth of contract disputes are yet to be settled.

Furthermore, the RTI said that the 50 cases involved 33 vendors, authorities and individuals. Some of the firms include Swiss Timing (contracts worth Rs 135.27 crore), Nussli India (Rs 140 crores) and Electronics Corporation of India (Rs 346 crores). It must be mentioned the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India had reported that the budget of the CWG had increased from Rs 297 crores in 2003 to Rs 18,532.31 crore in October 2010.

The Government, in its RIT reply, informed, “Payments are made to the concerned Party(ies) as and when due based on Arbitration awards/Court orders… Interests are paid, if any, to the concerned Party(ies) as and when due based on Arbitration awards/Court orders.”

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