On Wednesday, the Delhi High Court sent fresh notices to filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri, scientist and political commentator Anand Ranganathan and Swarajya Magazine in a 2018 Contempt-of-Court case. In October 2018, The Delhi High Court initiated contempt proceedings against Economist S Gurumurthy over his article on Justice S Muralidhar, where he had questioned S Muralidhar’s credibility as the High Court judge in connection with granting bail to Gautam Navlakha, one of the accused in the Koregaon Bhima violence case. Agnihotri and Ranganathan, who had tweeted about the issue on similar lines, were slapped with the charges of contempt later.
Just In: Delhi HC issues fresh notices against @vivekagnihotri, @ARanganathan72, @SwarajyaMag, others in suo motu criminal contempt petition relating to article alleging “bias” of Justice S Muralidhar for setting aside transit remand order against UAPA accused Gautam Navlakha.
It all started when Senior Advocate Rajshekhar Rao wrote a letter to then Chief Justice Rajendra Menon,about an article written by S Gurumurthy alleging bias on the part of Justice Muralidhar for granting bail to Urban Naxal Gautam Navlakha in the Bhima Koregoan case. Gurumurthy had penned the article “Why has Delhi High Court Justice Muralidhar’s relationship with Gautam Navlakha not been disclosed?” on Desh Kapur’s blog ‘Dhristikone’. The article was retweeted by Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri in a tweet, following which a contempt of court notice was sent to him as well.
Screengrab of Agnihotri’s Tweet which has attracted contempt law. Image tweeted by Farrago Abdullah
Anand Ranganathan, who is a free speech absolutist, allegedly condemned this action by the High Court in a couple of Tweets. It turned out that certain tweets of his were withheld in India with the message “This tweet from @ARanganathan72 has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand.” The two tweets were withheld evidently in response to legal demand which was criticising the contempt of court notices that were earlier served to S Gurumurthy and Vivek Agnihotri. It was later known that the same charges had been levied against Dr Ranganathan as well.
As per HC order Desh Kapur has withdrawn the offending article & tendered unconditional apology to Court. Since I do not follow him I would not know whether he has tweeted his apology. Even if he does it, unless mentions my handle, I will be able to retweet it as directed by HC
However, Gurumurthy was dropped as a respondent in the matter after he offered to retweet an unconditional apology tendered by the blog host Kapoor on his Twitter handle. He informed the same on October 15, 2019, saying, “As per HC order Desh Kapur has withdrawn the offending article & tendered an unconditional apology to Court. Since I do not follow him I would not know whether he has tweeted his apology. Even if he does it, unless mentions my handle, I will be able to retweet it as directed by HC.”
Nevertheless, the proceedings against Agnihotri, Ranganathan and several others continued in the case. Now afresh, a Division Bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Rajnish Bhatnagar noted that no one had appeared for the Agnihotri, Ranganathan and Swarajya in the last few hearings pertaining to the case. Therefore, the bench decided that adverse orders be deferred against the three in the interest of justice.
On Wednesday, Advocate Arvind Nigam with the help of an Amicus Curiae (advisory to the court) informed that while no one lawyer has appeared for many of the respondents in the last several hearings, there are still people who have not even been served the notice. Hence, the Court issued fresh notices to Vivek Agnihotri, Anand Ranganathan and the Swarajya Magazine and several others through a counsel which had earlier represented them as well as through email. The matter has been listed for further hearing on September 19.
Anand Ranganathan says he has done nothing wrong
Reacting to the notice issued by the Delhi High Court, Anand Ranganathan has issued a statement saying that he will not apologise, as he has not done anything wrong. He said that he had not commented on the merit of the case of the bail granted to Gautam Navlakha, but he had only said that it was wrong to file case against S Gurumurthy and Vivek Agnihotri for criticising the judge. He said that he stood with them not only because he is a free-speech absolutist but also because he fundamentally opposes the contempt of court charge.
My statement on being issued a notice by the Delhi High Court in the suo motu criminal contempt case regarding relief provided by the hon'ble judge to UAPA-accused Gautam Navlakha.
Ranganathan said that he has never received any notice or summon in the case that has gone on for 4 years, and reiterated that he will not apologise and will continue to oppose contempt of court charge.
The alleged comedian Kunal Kamra has refused to back down over the morphed video that he had published of the 7-year-old boy who sang a song for Prime Minister Narendra Modi even after the child’s father had tweeted to Kamra and called him out for using a child for his ‘filthy politics’.
In a recent Tweet, Kamra used laughing emojis and said, “Sanghis worried about mental health. Are 7-year-olds from school allowed on Twitter to see memes? In college, they’d probably make fun of him for singing to the PM, which can lead to depression.”
Sanghis worried about mental health ???
Are 7 year olds from school allowed on Twitter so see memes?
In college they’d probably make fun of him for singing to the PM which can lead to depression… https://t.co/rxUea0zb7x
Earlier, after Kamra posted the morphed video, the father of the child Ganesh Pol had lashed out at him for ridiculing his son on the social media platform. Responding to Kamra’s vile tweet targeting the young boy, Ganesh Pol – the father of the boy, slammed the alleged ‘comedian’ for his insensitivity and schooled him for using a young boy to further his politics. The father of the seven-year-old boy said that his son wanted to sing the song for his beloved Motherland and added that though he was still young, he loved the country more than Kamra did.
“He is my 7 year old son, who wanted to sing this song for his beloved Motherland. Though he is still very young certainly he loves his country more than you Mr Kamra or Kachra whatever u are Keep the poor boy out of your filthy politics & try to work on your poor jokes,” Ganesh Pol said.
After his tweet, Kamra said the video was in the public domain and tried to present it as if he had done nothing wrong.
The video is in the public domain by a news Organisation.
The joke is not on your son, while you enjoy your son sing for his motherland to the most popular son, there are songs that he should listen to from people of his country also ✌?✌?✌? https://t.co/aKnVk9lDSR
He said, “The video is in the public domain by a news Organisation. The joke is not on your son, while you enjoy your son sing for his Motherland to the most popular son, there are songs that he should listen to from people of his country also.”
In another tweet, he blamed the father for pushing the young child to sing in front of the PM and blamed PM Modi for putting him in the public domain.
The father is guiding the child towards demo singing to PM while everyone has cameras rolling & footage shared on social media, PM got the kid in public domain not me. I just made the child sing a song the PM much rather hear… https://t.co/XgNe1GZbhe
Four suspected Khalistani terrorists were apprehended from Karnal in Haryana on 5th May 2022. It is suspected that they were planning for a major attack. A large cache of weapons was recovered from the terrorists. Further investigations have already started in this case.
Karnal police have arrested four suspected Khalistani terrorists from the Madhuban police station area. The arrested terrorists have been identified as Gurpreet, Sandeep, Parminder, and Bhupender. Three of them are from Ferozepur and one is from Ludhiana. Security personnel said a weapon consignment was delivered to them via drones.
On credible intelligence input, 4 terror suspects incl 3 belonging to Ferozepur & 1 from Ludhiana detained near Bastara toll plaza. Explosives were recovered from them along with other arms & ammunition. Accused identified as Gurpreet, Amandeep Parminder and Bhupinder: SP Karnal pic.twitter.com/Jfv5TYQGDL
Based on credible information, four police teams intercepted an Innova car of Delhi number near Bastada toll on Delhi-Chandigarh National Highway, following which they were able to nab the terrorists, as per reports. The police also recovered weapons and explosives from their possession. Three containers full of gunpowder, country-made pistols, 31 live cartridges, and ₹130,000 have been recovered from their possession. The terrorists were on their way from Punjab to Delhi in an Innova car.
The Karnal SP is constantly investigating the case. The case has been registered by the police under various sections at Madhuban police station in Karnal and the investigation has been handed over to Indri SP Himadri Kaushik. Teams of Chandigarh and Karnal Intelligence Bureau are also interrogating the terrorists.
According to Karnal SP Gangaram Poonia, the terrorist Harjinder Singh, who is living in Pakistan, had instructed the arrested terrorists to deliver the container and other items to a location in the Adilabad district of Telangana. These location has also been found in the phones of these terrorists. Of the arrested terrorists, Gurpreet is believed to be the most prominent because he had constant communication with Harjinder Singh Rinda, the terrorist sitting in Pakistan.
Gurpreet, while in jail, had come in contact with another criminal named Rajveer, who was already associated with Harjinder. Rajveer got Gurpreet in touch with Harjinder, after which Gurpreet started working for Harjinder. It is being reported that earlier, assignments have been given to these terrorists on behalf of Harjinder Singh. They had also come to Nanded Sahib in Maharashtra for supplying weapons.
Who is Harjinder Singh?
According to a report by India today, Harjinder Singh is from the Tarn Taran district of Punjab. When he was 11, he shifted to Nanded Sahib in Maharashtra with his family. As per police records, Harjinder, at the age of 18, had killed one of his relatives in Tarn Taran over a family dispute.
When in Nanded, he started extorting money from local traders and killed at least two people. He is currently hiding in Pakistan and wanted by Chandigarh police in at least four criminal cases, including murder, attempt to murder, extortion, and under the Arms Act. These cases were registered between 2016 and 2018. He is also booked in many cases in Maharashtra and Punjab. The 35-year-old Rinda is reportedly an ISI stooge and is a key suspect of carrying out a terror attack at the Nawanshahr Crime Investigating Agency (CIA) building on 8th November 2021.
On Wednesday, Shiv Sena spokesperson Shital Mhatre and National Congress Party (NCP) spokesperson Nilesh Bhosle refused to recite Hanuman Chalisa on national television after being challenged by a Muslim BJP spokesperson. “Hanuman Chalisa should be recited at home. Hindu dharma should be followed at home”, said the duo while in a ‘loudspeaker debate’ with News24.
The saga began when Shiv Sena’s spokesperson having nothing to say on the topic, challenged Shehzad Poonawalla to recite Hanuman Chalisa on national television. NCP spokesperson Nilesh Bhosle also joined Mhatre in targeting the Muslim BJP spokesperson. “Do you even know what Hanuman Chalisa is? I’ll appreciate it if the BJP spokesperson recites at least two lines of Hanuman Chalisa”, said Mhatre on May 4.
Within no time BJP Spokesperson recited 4 lines of Hanuman Chalisa and cross-challenged Mhatre and Bhosle to complete the rest Hindu religious verses without searching them over the internet. “These people have been ‘requesting’ me to recite the religious verse. So I did. Now I want these two, Mhatre and Bhosle to complete the rest of Hanuman Chalisa without taking the help of Google. I apologize publicly for reciting a little bit of the religious verse. It is sin to leave the recitation in between but I now want Shiv Sena and NCP to recite the next four lines of the Hanuman Chalisa each”, Poonawalla stated.
Later the red-faced spokespersons of Shiv Sena and NCP clearly refused to recite the Hindu religious verse and said that ‘dharma must be followed at home’. “Hanuman Chalisa is Dharma for us. What do you think somebody will challenge us and we’ll recite Hanuman Chalisa? No. We believe that religion, dharma must be practised at home and not in the public”, said Mhatre. Bhosle added that Hanuman Chalisa should not also be recited in front of the Masjids.
Poonawalla slammed the duo for allegedly pretending to be followers of Hindu Dharma. He first mocked them saying that they challenged a Muslim to recite and he did, but now Shiv Sena spokesperson was not able to recite the Hanuman Chalisa. After that, he said that the ruling political party in the state of Maharashtra appeases Muslims by allowing them to read Namaz on roads. “You allow Muslims to offer Namaz in public for votes. Why can’t a Hindu recite Hanuman Chalisa in public? Do you tell Muslims to follow their religion at home, then why only Hindus must be barred from reciting Hanuman Chalisa on loudspeakers”, he pondered.
He reminded the panel that the debate was not about reciting Hanuman Chalisa but it was about the removal of loudspeakers from atop the Masjids and other religious places. Meanwhile, Maharashtra leader Devendra Fadnavis appreciated BJP Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla for exposing the Shiv Sena and the National Congress Party. My night is made! When your role model and idol and Maharashtra’s true son Devendra Fadnavis Ji calls you and says he saw the viral News24 Hanuman Chalisa clip and loved how Shiv Sena and NCP spokespersons were exposed. Thank you, Sir. Maharashtra needs you asap”, Poonawalla said on Twitter.
My night is made !
When your role model & idol & Maharashtra’s true son @Dev_Fadnavis ji calls you and says he saw the viral News24 Hanuman Chalisa clip & loved it how Shiv Sena & NCP spokespersons were exposed
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Sunday called the loudspeakers a nuisance and said that he would not allow loudspeakers in religious places from May 4 onwards. He also said that if the loudspeakers were not taken down by May 4, then his party workers would play Hanuman Chalisa outside the mosques.
“I won’t be responsible for what happens after the May 4 deadline to remove the loudspeakers from the mosques,” he had said, adding, “loudspeakers is a social issue, but if it is being made a religious one, then we shall give a reply in the same manner. Eid will be celebrated on May 3. We don’t want to vitiate the atmosphere. But from May 4, we’ll not listen to anyone. Loudspeakers have no place in religion. If they (Muslims) don’t understand nicely, we will show them the power of Maharashtra.”
Pertinently, the MNS workers yesterday recited Hanuman Chalisa on loudspeakers during the morning azaan in Mumbai’s Charkop area. The party workers also played Hanuman Chalisa in Nashik, Pune and other parts of Maharashtra. The state police who was on alert since Thackeray’s rally in Aurangabad detained many of the MNS party workers for performing Maha Aartis and reciting Hanuman Chalisa on loudspeakers.
The Police booked Thackeray and the organisers of the Aurangabad rally for inciting the public. The Mumbai Police also has served a notice to Thackeray under CrPC section 149 related to preventing cognizable offences. While MNS leaders have threatened to hit the streets in case of further action against their party head, the security at Thackeray’s residence in Mumbai has been doubled.
On May 5, netizens expressed their amusement over a now-deleted post by an Instagram handle, Inquilaab_India, where the owner of the account claims that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s daughter has refused Microsoft’s job offer worth $6 Billion. Instead, she would donate the entire package to the starving children of Syria.
The screenshot of the post went viral on social media. Twitter user Shiv Mishra said, “$6 Billion Ka package. “Kaun hain ye log? Kahan se aate hain ye log?” ($6 Billion worth salary package? Who are these people? Where do they come from?)
Columnist Saket said, “Microsoft gave a six billion package to her. She rejected the offer. Still they paid her the package upfront. She donated the package she got for the job she didn’t take to Syrian children because there’s no use of that kind of money for already prosperous India.”
Microsoft gave a six billion package to her. She rejected the offer. Still they paid her the package upfront. She donated the package she got for the job she didn’t take to Syrian children because there’s no use of that kind of money for already prosperous India. pic.twitter.com/cORJHgAkA3
Another Twitter user Debashis Tripathy pointed out that the Microsoft CEO gets an annual base pay of just 2.5 million, his total pay earned last year was just short of 50 million dollars and all this information is in the public domain.
The CEO of Microsoft has an annual base salary of $2.5 Million & his total compensation in last FY was just shy of $50 M. This info is in public domain. Totally believable that they offered a fresher $6 Billion! ?
Notably, when OpIndia tried to trace the post, we could not find it. Hence, it is unclear if the post was actually made by the account or not. However, when we were scrolling through the account, we noticed that there were a lot of fake news and hate-filled posts on that account. Here is what we found on Inquilaab_India.
Targeting Hindus for violence on Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti
On April 23, the handle published a post with the caption “This Ramadan has the worst of memories for Indian Muslims”, followed by a ‘broken heart’ emoji. The post had photographs of some Muslims whose encroachments were demolished after the riots. The images were from different states.
Source: Instagram
Interestingly, there was no mention of the Hindu victims anywhere on the account. Neither does it talk about victims like Shivam, who was brutally attacked in Khargone by a Muslim mob, nor does it mention that the encroachments that were removed in Jahangirpuri belonged to some Hindus as well. The misleading post suggested as if Muslims were specifically targeted during the Islamic festival month of Ramadan, but it did not mention that the Muslims in several locations pelted stones, threw pieces of meat and fired shots at Hindu devotees who were taking out Shobha Yatra on Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti.
The curious case of Wasim Sheikh
In a post from April 20, the account shared a post with the caption ‘Naya Bharat’. In the post, a man was seen hoisting a saffron flag on a mosque on the left and on the right, it showed a photograph of Wasim Sheikh, a physically disabled man from Khargone who had alleged that his shop was demolished, saying he was involved in stone-pelting.
Source: Instagram
Inquilaab_India did not mention the truth behind the stories. The image on the left was an old image from Bihar, and the government has already taken action in the matter. The culprits were arrested by the Police. On the right, the story of Wasim Sheikh is no less than a high-voltage drama. In a statement, Sheikh had said his shop was demolished during action against stone-pelters. As he is a physically challenged man, there was no way he could be involved in pelting stones. His statement was widely shared on social media platforms.
However, the next day he did a u-turn and issued a statement that his house or shop was not demolished by the administration. The next day he again took a u-turn and, without taking his name, blamed the administration. It is unclear what actually happened. It is unclear if his shop was legal or if it was an encroachment. However, the left-liberal media and accounts like Inquilaab_India decided to use his story to target Hindus and the BJP-led MP government.
UPSC chairperson targeted for association with RSS
In the next post, the Insta handle attacked Manoj Soni, chairperson of UPSC, on his appointment. In the caption, he wrote, “UPSC becomes ‘Union Pracharak Sangh Commission’ and attributed the statement to Rahul Gandhi.
Source: Instagram
Interestingly, the handle skipped the fact that Dr Manoj Soni is a highly qualified academician and has been associated with UPSC since 2017. Dr Soni was Vice-Chancellor of two universities and served for three terms. He is a published author and well-respected in his field.
BBC’s propaganda video against The Kashmir Files
Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri is on the target list of the left-liberal section of media and society, especially after the release and success of the film The Kashmir Files. Many media houses and influencers have propagated lies against the film and called it fake and inaccurate, and some, like Wikipedia, even called the whole exodus of Kashmiri Pandits ‘a conspiracy theory’.
Source: Instagram
Inquilaab India also used the opportunity and shared multiple fake reports about the film. They also shared the propaganda video by BBC where the media house had interviewed some Congress party members who happened to be Kashmiri Pandits. In the caption, the handle wrote, “The Kashmir Files propaganda busted by Kashmiri Pandits.”
BBC was exposed by netizen The Hawk Eye. In a report, OpIndia detailed how BBC did selective interviews to paint a bad picture of the film on the Kashmiri Pandit exodus. After the expose, BBC issued a clarification and claimed they did not talk to the people in the video based on their political preference. The media house failed to issue an apology for spreading misinformation.
The misinformation about Crypto
In another post from February 12, the handle shared the information that any income from Crypto would be taxed. They mentioned that cryptocurrencies had not been recognized as currency by the Indian government or RBI as currency, but they would be taxed anyway. In the caption, they wrote, “Imposing a tax on the currency without legalizing it.”
Source: Instagram
The post was full of misinformation. First of all, the Indian government has made it clear that cryptocurrency will never become a legal tender in India. It will be considered an asset that too after RBI formulates the regulations. Meanwhile, the profit from any crypto asset, including cryptocurrency and NFT, will be taxed at 30 per cent.
To make it clear, gold is not a legal tender in India. However, it is considered an asset. You cannot go and purchase anything with gold. First, you have to liquidate it. Any income from gold transactions is taxable. Similarly, real estate is an asset so are precious metals and other commodities. The income from these assets is taxable as per the law. Above all, gambling is also not legal in India, but income from gambling is taxable.
Another point that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently talked about was the possible use of cryptocurrencies for terror funding and money laundering. The government has imposed a 1% tax at the source out of the 30% tax on the income from Crypto. FM said it would help in tracking the transactions and making sure that it was not being used to fund terror activities against India.
Lauded Congress for giving ticket to riot accused
On January 14, Inquilaab India congratulated the Congress party for giving a ticket to Sadaf Jafar, who is accused of anti-CAA riots.
Source: Instagram
Jafar, accused of involvement in the anti-CAA riots, was recently slapped with a recovery notice by the Uttar Pradesh government as per the new law based on the orders of the Supreme Court. Jafar had lost the state assembly elections that she fought on a Congress ticket.
Recently, a video went viral on social media in which a Maulana named Jarjis Ansari Hafizullah addressed a crowd and said that Muslim women should offer themselves to their husbands under all circumstances. Now another video has surfaced in which a Maulana is talking about 130-feet tall Hoors (Angels). A banner is also seen in the video on which Maulana’s name is written as Tariq Jamil.
While sharing this video, Navin Tripathi wrote, “Wallah! It is the craving for 72 such Hoors, each one of them being 130-feet tall, that these poor explode at any random place.”
In this video, Maulana says, “There is a canal is the Jannat (the paradise). It is called Bydak. It is covered by pearls. Inside, it is filled with Musk, Amber, and Saffron. When Allah commands to make a girl (Hoor) of Paradise, He enriches her with His Noor (beauty). The whole 130 feet girl comes out. Fully dressed. A Hoor of Jannat. Not that she is first in the uterus of a mother, gets birth after 9 months, takes the feeder, then rolls, stands up, walks, and then becomes an adult. No. She is for us.”
Further in this video, the Maulana explains in detail, the manufacturing process of this Hoor. He says, “If such a Hoor from Jannat, points the tip of one of her fingers to the sun, then the sun will disappear. Because the Hoor of Jannat is 130-feet tall, she will just lift some Syed Zahir up and put him in her pockets. This Syed Zahir will then say ‘Kem Chho, Kem Chho’ (meaning How are you in the Gujarati language). But then, she will say that ‘I don’t know Gujarati, speak in Arabic’.”
Describing more about the amenities in Jannat (the paradise), he said, “Allah will say that let my servants listen to the songs of the paradise. They will sing for you the songs of paradise. And the first song will last for seventy years. For seventy years you will not move from there. you will see that beautiful face for seventy years. Just imagine, a fingertip is so beautiful that the sun disappears. Then how beautiful their faces would be. Her long hair is so shiny that whenever she shakes her head, there is such a big light in the paradise as if searchlights are put on.”
After a little investigation, this video is found to be old. In many places on YouTube, this video is seen uploaded in 2020. It has gone viral several times before. The video on YouTube is about three minutes long. Tariq Jameel is a Pakistani Islamic cleric, and television preacher, who is also a member of Tablighi Jamaat. He belonghs to the Deobandi school of Islam and delivers sermons all across the world.
A few days ago, another old video had gone viral in which there is none other than Maulana Jarjis Ansari addressed the audience as a speaker. Earlier too, many of his controversial videos have gone viral. In the viral video, Maulana explains that even if a Muslim lady is pregnant and about to birth a child, under any circumstances, she should not deny her husband if he asks for sexual pleasures.
In the video, Maulana says, “O Muslim woman! If you don’t allow your husband to take advantage of your body (sexually), you are committing a grave sin.”
Explaining the commandment of the Prophet, he says, “That’s why the Prophet said – even if you are about to deliver a child and your husband wants to enjoy your body, and have sex at the time of delivery, then O Muslim woman, you will have to fulfill your husband’s wish.”
He further states that if the woman does not satisfy her husband, he might go to another woman in search of satisfaction. “Because you alone can control the fire of his lust. If you won’t, your husband will go to other women to satisfy himself,” he added.
A young man was stabbed to death by the family of his Muslim wife outside the Saroornagar Tehsildar’s office in Hyderabad on Wednesday.
According to the reports, the 25-year-old Billapuram Nagaraju, a resident of Marredpally, was stabbed to death at the Saroornagar Tehsildar’s office on Wednesday night. The assailant fled the scene and was later arrested by the police.
The police have confirmed that they have arrested the accused, who belongs to the girl’s family.
Reportedly, Nagaraj, who worked as a salesman in a popular car showroom in Secunderabad, had married 23-year-old Syed Ashrin Sultana alias Pallavi just months ago, on January 31. The relatives of the deceased said that they were both in love from their college days.
The family members of both Nagaraju and Sultana were not happy with the inter-faith marriage and opposed it. However, going against their family, the couple got married two months ago at Arya Samaj mandir of the Old City.
On Wednesday night, the couple proceeded towards Saroonagar on Nagaraju’s motorcycle. As they reached the Mandal Revenue Office in Saroornagar, an unidentified man stopped them and attacked Nagaraju with an iron rod. He stabbed Nagaraju in public, who suffered serious injuries and died on the spot while Pallavi was injured.
Several bystanders captured the incident on the spot. The video has gone viral on social media platforms. Viewer discretion is advised.
A Hindu man was brutally murdered for marrying a Muslim women. The incident reported in Saroornagar limits. Nagaraju & Ashrin Sulthana were in relationship since last few years & got married in Jan 22. Nagaraju was murdered by his brother-in-laws today. pic.twitter.com/EZ6wZwWqxY
Since they belonged to different religions, the girl’s family killed Nagaraj, said one of Nagaraj’s relatives. Nagaraj’s relatives also staged a demonstration, accusing his wife’s family of the murder.
The Saroornagar police reached the spot and started an investigation. Strangely, they claim it to be a case of ‘honour killing’ even as they suspect that the family members of Sultana were behind the murder.
Meanwhile, the BJP leaders in Telangana have called for strict action against the family of Sultana. Telangana BJP MLA Raja Singh has called for the arrest of everyone involved in the planning and execution of the murder.
“Was it the family members, or did some religious groups advise the family? Did some group promise them financial help? There should be a full-fledged inquiry into this murder,” Raja Singh demanded.
BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala said that the case was a re-run of the Ankit Saxena, a Hindu boy who was murdered in Delhi for being in a relationship with a Muslim girl.
“Had a Muslim husband of a Hindu wife been killed by her family, we know what would have happened by now! Congress, AAP, TMC, SP would have reached United Nations alleging ISLAMOPHOBIA. But since a Hindu has been killed & in Hyderabad – the crime is secular? Hence secular chuppi.” Poonawalla tweeted.
Had a Muslim husband of a Hindu wife been killed by her family we know what would happen by now! Congress,AAP,TMC,SP would have reached United Nations alleging ISLAMOPHOBIA
But since Hindu has been killed & in Hyderabad – the crime is secular? Hence secular chuppi ? pic.twitter.com/0tk1RKRdvG
Following the incident, the Telangana Police registered a case and started an investigation. Assistant Commissioner of Police, Sridhar Reddy, said that the initial investigation suggested that their love marriage was the reason behind the killing.
However, according to Swarajya journalist Swati Goel Sharma, Telangana police are considering this case as an inter-caste issue and not a crime involving communal hatred.
On Thursday, Union Minister of Railways and Communication Ashwini Vaishnaw suspended Post Office officer Ramkaran Adivasi of Rewa, Madhya Pradesh for demanding bribe from a customer who had come to the Post Office to collect his ATM card. The officer had demanded a cold bottle of Maaza (mango drink), water and gutkha pack as a bribe from the customer. The Minister condemned the incident on May 5 and suspended the Officer until the further orders.
According to the reports, the incident took place on May 2 in Dabhaura area of cold Rewa, Madhya Pradesh when a customer named Bholenath Pandey arrived at the Post office to collect his State Bank of India ATM card. The Post Officer denied to deliver the ATM card unless his demands that consisted of a cold drink bottle, a water bottle and a gutkha pack were fulfilled.
मध्य प्रदेश के रीवा में पोस्ट ऑफिस अधिकारी ने ‘माजा कोल्डड्रिंक’ न देने पर युवक को ATM कार्ड देने से इनकार कर दिया। इस वाकये का वीडियो वायरल होने के बाद संचार मंत्री अश्विनी वैष्णव ने आरोपी अधिकारी राम करण को सस्पेंड कर दिया है।#AshwiniVaishnaw#IndiaPostpic.twitter.com/iYLDgE29gJ
Pandey then went out in the scorching heat to purchase the bottle of Maaza drink but could not find it. He then purchased a bottle of similar mango juice drink ‘Frooti’ for the officer. When Pandey reached the office with cold Frooti and water, Adivasi abused him for not being able to find Mazaa. “Even God if found when searched, prayed properly, you could not find a bottle of Maaza? I want Mazaa and no other similar drink”, the officer said.
A video of the incident has appeared on social media where Pandey is seeing pleading with the official to official to accept the bottle of Frooti and give him the ATM card, but Ramkaran Adivasi refused. The official also claimed that Bholenath Pandey has no proof identity, despite the fact that Pandey had showed his Aadhar card, and had produced the consignment number he had obtained from the bank.
Aduvasi also threatened the customer by showing off the power he possessed as a government officer. He denied to deliver the ATM card unless his unusual demands were met.
Bholenath Pandey, a resident of Dabhaura’s Shivpur has his SBI bank account at Dabhura (25 kms from Shivpur). Pandey had arrived at the the post office of Dabhaura Municipal Council for collecting the rectified ATM card with updated KYC details mentioning his residence at Shivpur instead of Dabhura. According to the reports, due to the unkind behavior of the Post Officer, Pandey had to return to Shivpur without the ATM card. He later filed a complaint against the Officer, resulting in his suspension by the Minister of Railways and Communication after the video of the incident went viral.
It is important to note that this is not the first time when a government officer in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh has been exposed for demanding bribe. Earlier in the month of February, the Lokyukt Police had arrested Dhirendra Singh Tomar, steno in the Registry Office in Rewa red-handed for taking a bribe of Rs 12,000 in lieu of withdrawal Rs 1.20 lakh trapped in slot booking.
Also, in the year 2021, an incident of the financial fraud of Rs 1 crore at Rewa Post Office had come to light. According to the reports, the postal audit had revealed that the post officers had not recorded large number of deposits from year 2015 to 2020 to the office accounts. The CBI took over the investigation in the case in July last year and stated that the fraud was committed in 146 accounts under Sukanya Yojana, Monthly income scheme, National Savings Scheme, Recurring Deposit Scheme and Kisan Vikas Patra.
Reporters Without Borders or RSF recently released the “Global Freedom Press Index”, a highly biased ranking that appeared like an exercise to reinforce the Left’s international propaganda against governments that did not hew to their ideology. The rankings demoted India to 150 from 142 last year, placing it below despotic regimes like CCP’s authoritarian rule in Hong Kong and theological monarchies like the United Arab Emirates.
Russia, which is currently at war, was placed at 155th position, down from 150th last year, while China climbed up by two positions with the Reporters Without Borders placing it at 175th position. Last year, China was placed in the 177th position. Turkey, a country whose president is known for ruthlessly crushing out dissent and jailing journalists deemed critical of his rule, has been shockingly placed above India, at 149th position.
The RSF’s prejudice against India was glaring, and it made no bones about being biased in what it claimed to be an index that was an accurate reflection of the freedom of the press across the world. Far from being a neutral entity presiding over the Global Press Freedom Index, RSF seemed like a leftist outpost doing the bidding of the Indian Left and maligning the country on the international stage.
“On the World Press Freedom Day, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and nine other human rights organisations ask Indian authorities to stop targeting journalists and online critics for their work,” the international non-profit organisation pompously said in a statement on its website. “More specifically, they should stop prosecuting them under counterterrorism and sedition laws.”
“The authorities’ targeting of journalists coupled with a broader crackdown on dissent has emboldened Hindu nationalists to threaten, harass and abuse journalists critical of the Indian government, both online and offline, with impunity,” it said. “The authorities should also conduct prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigations into allegations of threats and attacks targeting journalists and critics, including from government officials,” the RSF said, adding, “journalists should not have to risk their freedom and their lives to do their work.”
As the above statements by RSF illustrated, the non-profit organisation was quite blatant in admitting to its bias against India, making unsubstantiated claims against the Modi government to justify its decision to lower the rank of India on the Global Press Freedom Index.
While it offered reasons to rationalise its rankings and present them as a result of “objective analysis”, a report published by OpIndia demonstrated how despotic nations, notorious for taking repressive measures against journalists, have fared better than India on the global rankings. OpIndia had also reported on the flawed and patently prejudiced methodology espoused by the non-profit organisation to arrive at the said rankings.
The RSF has also sought to vilify millions of Hindus who rally behind PM Modi, pejoratively referring to them as “bhakts” to undermine the credibility of support that PM Modi enjoys. The term as pious as “bhakts” was sullied by the Indian Left after they could not comprehend the support PM Modi had among the masses and used it to discredit his popularity across the country. The RSF apes the Indian Left in using the term “bhakts” to project PM Modi’s followers as wicked and his accomplice in squelching free press in the country.
It has also normalised terms like “Godi Media” to call an entire section of media PM Modi’s “Lapdogs” (A word they specifically use). Further, they call out Republic TV and Times Now specifically saying that they spread “pro-BJP propaganda.” Interestingly, they had earlier claimed that one of the essentials for a country to have press freedom is that it is “accepting” of politically divergent views, going as far as to say that even acceptance of “political affiliated” views is also a prerequisite.
To prop up its decision to lower India’s rank on the Global Press Freedom Index, the RSF has attached a list of journalists imprisoned and killed in India, which it claims had a bearing on the overall performance of the country on the organisation’s rankings.
However, most of the cases cited by the non-profit organisation are legitimate cases, such as those accused in the Elgar Parishad Bhima Koregaon violence or are unfortunate accidents in which journalists have lost their lives. Many others are from opposition-ruled states, yet the RSF pinned the blame on the Modi government for their arrests and deaths.
The website mentioned 14 instances when journalists were imprisoned in India. The journalists mentioned in the list are as follows:
Gautam Navlakha
The first on the list of RSF is Gautam Navlakha, a ‘human rights activist’ and a ‘journalist’. He is currently in jail in connection with the Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon case, linked to an event organised at Shaniwar Wada called Elgar Parishad on December 31, 2017. The following day, i.e January 1, 2018, large scale violence broke out at Bhima Koregaon, where lakhs of Dalits had gathered to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Bhima Koregaon, won by the British Army—comprising mostly soldiers from the Dalit community—against the Peshwas in 1818.
The documents retrieved from Navlakha by the investigative agency also hinted at his ties with the Maoist leaders. In its charge sheet, the NIA mentioned that Navlakha had made speeches at various forums and platforms on many issues related to the Kashmiri separatist movement and CPI (Maoist) movement. According to an NIA official privy to the details of the charge sheet in the Elgar Parishad Bhima Koregaon violence case, several strategic documents related to CPI(M) were recovered from Navlakha.
Gautam Navlakha and other Naxalites he was associated with were also in touch with Hizbul Mujahideen and other Kashmiri separatist leaders, the Pune Police had submitted in the Bombay High Court. Despite his links with the violence that broke out at Bhima Koregaon, his connections with the Maoist leaders and his alleged dalliance with Hizbul Mujahideen and other Kashmiri separatist leaders, the propagandists at RSF believe that his arrest is unjust and an indicator of perceived repression under the Modi government.
Siddique Kappan
The second one on the list of imprisoned journalists is Siddique Kappan, arrested while on his way to cover the Hathras case of alleged rape & murder of a 19-year-old Dalit woman, under the garb of journalism to create a caste divide and law & order disturbance in the state.
The Uttar Pradesh government filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court stating that the UAPA accused Siddique Kappan is an office-bearer of the Islamist organisation Popular Front of India (PFI) and was on his way to Hathras pretending to be a newspaper journalist from a Kerala-based outlet called ‘Tejas’ that was closed in 2018.
Nilesh Sharma
Journalist Nilesh Sharma was arrested in Chhattisgarh, a Congress-ruled state, after the ruling government charged him with spreading fake news. Sharma, who is known for his biting political satire, was arrested for his popular political satire series ‘Ghurva Ke Mati’, wherein he used fictional characters resonating with the Congress leaders and MLAs in Chhattisgarh.
Catering to the growing intolerance, one of the little known Congress worker Khilwan Nishad lodged a complaint against Sharma and accused him of using derogatory language against the Congress leaders of the state. The cyber cell of Police immediately acted upon the complaint and arrested Sharma right away.
Jitendra Jaiswal
In January 2022, police in Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh arrested Jitendra Jaiswal, editor of Bharat Samman. He was arrested under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 151, 107, and 116 as conveyed by the police in the notice of arrest sent to his wife, Priya Jaiswal. “Jitendra Jaiswal has been arrested on 10 January and will be produced in Raipur court on 10 January,” the notice had read.
However, his wife alleged that she was not even informed about the arrest made by the police, insinuating that his detention might have been extra-judicial. The police nevertheless stated that he was arrested under preventive sections in relation to police family related protest.
Sajad Gul
Sajad Gul, a Kashmiri journalist, was arrested in January 2022 for whipping up anti-India sentiments by uploading a protest video with anti-national slogans raised by some women after wanted terrorist Saleem Parray was eliminated in Shalimar Srinagar.
Gul was arrested for instigating people to “resort to violence and disturb public peace.”
“…the said person under the garb of journalist [sic] is habitual of spreading disinformation/false narratives through different social media platforms in order to create ill will against the government by provoking general masses to resort to violence and disturb public peace and tranquility,” the statement released by the police read.
He was charged under Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 153B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration) and 505B (fear or alarm to the public) of the Indian Penal Code.
Manan Gulzar Dar
In October 2021, the NIA arrested Manan Gulzar Dar, a Kashmiri journalist, on the serious charge of his ‘involvement in militant conspiracy’.
While for the RSF, conspiring to carry out terror activities might be within the “ambit of one’s journalistic duties”, the police arrested Dar on charges of being a part of a “conspiracy orchestrated in Pakistan” to “radicalise impressionable youths” and give them “arms training” for carrying out “terrorist acts” and “waging war against the government of India.”
Citing technical evidence procured against Dar, the police said the said Kashmiri photojournalist was an overground worker for top terror commander Abbas Sheikh and was booked under IPC Sections 120 (B), 121 (A), 122 and 123 (which deal with criminal conspiracy, conspiracy to commit crime, collecting arms and concealing, with intent to facilitate, designs to wage war) and UAPA Sections 18, 18A, I8B, 20, 38 & 39.
Anand Teltumbde
The RSF list of ‘journalists’ imprisoned in India also included Anand Teltumbde, who was arrested in connection with the Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon case for his alleged links to Maoists.
A court had dismissed his bail plea saying the charges against him were prima facie true. But for the RSF, Teltumbde was a victim of government’s repressive measures to stamp out dissent.
Special NIA Judge Kothalikar observed that Anand Teltumbde has failed in offering an explanation as to why his name appears as a convener on the book or pamphlet titled ‘Bhima Koregaon Shauryadin Prerana Abhiyan’, which was printed prior to the programme on December 31, 2017.
In its observation, the court said it did not find the accusation of Teltumbde’s involvement not “inherently improbable” or “wholly unbelievable”, and prima facie he was involved in furthering the activities of the banned organisation. The NIA had earlier claimed that Teltumbde was an active member of the proscribed group CPI(M) and propagated its activities.
For the non-profit organisation, prosecution of a person allegedly involved in furthering Maoist ideology and fuelling violence are grounds not legitimate enough to put him under arrest and charge him with hatching a conspiracy to disturb communal harmony of the country.
Aasif Sultan
Journalists working in Jammu and Kashmir are often accused of helping terrorists in their nefarious schemes in the Valley and providing them with overground support by intellectualising and rationalising their terror activities.
‘Journalist’ Aasif Sultan was arrested in Jammu and Kashmir in 2018 for similar offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act or UAPA, a stringent anti-terror law. Sultan was arrested for harbouring known terrorists, and charged with murder, attempt to murder and other crimes.
In 2016, after Indian forces took down terrorist Burhan Wani, Sultan had published a report eulogising the terrorist, asserting that Wani was more dangerous for India “in his grave than in his living room.” Sultan was recently booked under the Public Safety Act after police said he worked for banned terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen.
Fahad Shah
Fahad Shah, the Editor-in-chief of the online news magazine, ‘thekashmirwalla’, was arrested earlier this year for “glorifying terrorism, spreading fake news & inciting general public for creating law and order (L&O) situations.”
The journalist, accused of harbouring separatist mentality, was arrested for social media posts “tantamount to glorifying the terrorist activities and causing dent to the image of law enforcing agencies besides causing ill-will & disaffection against the country.”
Shah is infamous for his report that vilified the Indian Armed Forces, which accused a local army unit “of forcing an Islamic seminary school to hold Republic Day celebrations on January 26” in Shopian.
Avinash Palliwar and Madhukar Dubey
The next name on the RSF list of journalist imprisoned in India is of Avinash Palliwar, a journalist who was arrested by Raipur police in October 2021 on the basis of complaint filed by Congress leaders alleging that he was spreading misleading news.
Chhattisgarh is a Congress-ruled states where state leaders are known for demonstrating little tolerance to dissenting voices, often using flimsy charges to book and arrest journalist who are critical of the Congress party.
Besides Palliwar, Chhattisgarh police also arrested Madhukar Dubey after a complaint filed against him by Congress MLAs Brihaspat Singh and Kuldeep Juneja who accused Dubey of extorting money through a news portal.
Ajit Jha, Manoj Gupta and Digvijay Singh
Earlier this year, three journalists Ajit Jha, Manoj Gupta and Digvijay Singh were arrested in Uttar Pradesh for their alleged involvement in a paper leak case.
As per FIR filed in the case, the accused were charged under Indian Penal Code Sections 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property); Uttar Pradesh Public Examination Act, 1998 Sections 4 (unauthorised possession and disclosure of question papers), 5 (leakage by a person entrusted with examination work) and 10 (penalty for leakage); and Section 66B of the IT Act (dishonestly receiving stolen computer resource or communication device).
Interestingly, out of the 14 cases that RSF lists to downgrade India’s rating in press freedom index, 4 were arrested by Congress governments and others were Naxals and those harbouring terrorists, indulging in patently anti-India activities. While 2 of them were Naxals who the court refused to bail out, one is a member of Islamist outfit PFI, who was on his way to create communal disharmony.
Firstly, even though 4 of the 14 arrested were under Congress government, the RSF report categorically demonises Hindu Nationalists and the BJP government without even mentioning atrocities by Congress and other state governments like the TMC. As for the other cases, RSF seems to be batting for Naxals, Islamists and those who explicitly harbour terrorists and spread anti-India propaganda.
RSF further mentions 5 cases of death of journalists, on the basis of which they have downgraded India’s Press Freedom ranking. Let us dissect what those 5 cases were.
In 2021 and 2022, these are the 5 journalists killed in India according to RSF.
Journalists killed in 2021 and 2022 according to RSF
Just how motivated and biased RSF is, would be clear from a detailed overview of these details.
Sulabh Srivastava
Sulabh Srivastava died in Uttar Pradesh in June 2021. While the police was exploring all possible angles, including murder by the liquor mafia, the initial probe had indicated that he died due to an accident. The police had also said two hours before the accident, Sulabh was drinking with three journalist friends. “The statements of the three journalists who had drinks with Sulabh two hours before the incident are being recorded and will be corroborated with CDR and Field unit analysis,” he said, as reported by Indian Express.
“Chenna Kesavulu, a reporter for local TV channel EV5 in Nandyal, a city in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district, was rushed to a hospital with multiple stab wounds in the back on the evening of 8 August but was pronounced dead on arrival. Earlier that evening, Kesavulu had gone to meet with newly suspended police constable Venkata Subbaiah and his brother Nani at Subbaiah’s suggestion. But, instead of having a meeting, Kesavulu was attacked by Subbaiah, who stabbed him repeatedly with a screwdriver, especially in the back”.
It is pertinent to note that while RSF demonises BJP and Hindu Nationalists, Kesavulu’s murder happened in Andhra Pradesh, not under BJP at all.
Buddhinath Jha
According to a report in India Today, Jha was murdered as a result of a “love triangle”. The report reads:
According to the police, during interrogation, Purna Kala Devi confessed she was in love with Buddhinath Jha. However, one Pawan Kumar was in love with her.
“Pawan, who has been arrested, did not want Buddhinath Jha and Purna Kala Devi to talk to each other. Pawan used to put pressure on Purna Kala Devi to not talk to Buddhinath,” the police said. The police stated that Pawan Kumar and Roshan Kumar killed Buddhinath Jha for personal reasons.
Biswal apparently trod on the IED as he went to photograph posters placed on trees urging voters to boycott local elections for “panchayats” (village councillors) due to be held on 16 and 28 February. Several local media said the device was probably left by members of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), which is waging a medium-intensity guerrilla insurrection in the region. Kalahandi police superintendent Sarwan Vivek said the device may have been planted there with the aim of targeting policemen when they went to tear down the posters.
Raman Kashyap
Raman Kashyap was killed in the Lakhimpur Kheri conflict where Khalistanis had lynched BJP workers and a car had allegedly run over some of the protesting “farmers”. In the case, UP minister’s son in the net for the incident where the car had run over the farmers. While one side says protesting farmers instigated the violent skirmishes by attacking the BJP convoy, the other side claims farmers were run down deliberately by a car. Amidst these recriminations, the grim reality is that 8 people lost their lives in the violent clashes.
The father of Kashyap had said that he was hit by the car, which caused his death.
In all the cases of death, there is no reason to categorically implicate the BJP government or Hindu nationalists, but RSF went ahead and did just that. Out of the 5 deaths, 1 was in Andhra Pradesh, 1 was an accident, 1 was due to a love triangle, 1 was due to CPIM implanted IED and 1 was allegedly due to being run over by a car where a minister’s son was involved. The last case is still sub-judice and RSF cannot pronounce a judgement on the same.
Despite this, RSF did not implicate the Jagan government in Andhra Pradesh or the Naxals, who they like to call rebels. They even clubbed together deaths that were caused due to personal enmity and accident to tarnish the BJP government and Hindu Nationalists as a bloc.
Out of the 14 cases where journalists were imprisoned and 5 cases where journalists had died, there is ample evidence that the government of India acted in the interest of the nation. RSF conveniently did not check their own database to question the Congress governments and added even instances of accidents etc to implicate Hindu Nationalists and downgrade India’s press freedom index, saying that journalists were not free only after the Modi government came into power.
Ugandan famous singer Wycliffe Tugume aka Ykee Benda has said that he wants to convert to Islam. The reason he has given for adopting Islam is because the religion allows for four marriages.
Ykee Benda also known as Wycliffe Tugume has opened up about his desire to adopt Islam. Recently, he participated in Eid-Mubarak celebrations in Kireka city of Uganda. While speaking to the media, the singer confessed that he loves Islam because of the good packages that come with it, over other religions, including being allowed to get married to four women. He further stated that he loves how co-wives stay together in Islamic marriages without having conflicts which according to him is a rare sight in other religions.
Ykee Benda, who is a father is reportedly having a challenging relationship with a woman. He is considering converting to Islam, considering polygamy as advantageous. Recently many artists from Uganda have left their religions to convert to Islam including Geosteady, Vicent Seggawa, among others. The 30-year-old singer holds a degree in chemical engineering but has made a full-time career in music.
As Per Islam, scholars say that polygamy for men is permitted for having up to four wives. Polygamy is encouraged by the Quran when a man is allowed to marry oppressed, orphan women or widows if justice can be done by marrying more than one. Surah 4.3 in the Quran says, “If you fear you might fail to give orphan women their due rights if you were to marry them, then marry other women of your choice—two, three, or four. But if you are afraid you will fail to maintain justice, then content yourselves with one or those bondwomen in your possession. This way you are less likely to commit injustice”.
Yaki Benda is a popular Ugandan artist, best known for his single Budumbu, Edenshall song. He sings in many genres including pop, dancehall etc.
