Anindya Sundar Das, an advocate, has filed a Public Interest Litigation in the Calcutta High Court requesting a CBI inquiry into the Hashkhali rape and murder of a child allegedly committed by the son of a TMC politician.
West Bengal | PIL filed in Calcutta High Court by advocate Anindya Sundar Das demanding CBI enquiry in Hashkhali rape and murder case of a minor
The case pertains to the rape and murder of a juvenile girl, allegedly by Brajgopal Gowla, the son of TMC politician and Gajna Gram Panchayat member Samar Gowla.
Last Monday, the incident of rape and murder occurred in the Shyamnagar region of Gajna gram panchayat in Nadia’s Hashkhali block number one. Locals were outraged as soon as the incident came to light.
Brajgopal invited the youngster, a Bogula resident, to his home for a birthday party on April 4. According to the minor’s relatives, the 14-year-old girl went to Brajgopal’s house that night with another girl and a few others.
According to her family members, someone at Brajgopal’s house informed them that the girl had been ill at the party. They reported that they were advised to take the child to a nearby doctor. The family also claimed that they were forbidden from taking the girl to a hospital or a private clinic.
The minor’s relatives said that they were horrified at the loss of their daughter. They did, however, file a report with Hanskhali police station after obtaining assurance from ChildLine staff. They claim the girl was gang-raped.
The victim’s family has also accused the police of corruption. According to them, Mukunda Chakraborty, the chief of Hanskhali Police Station, refused to prosecute the gang-rape charge.
The West Bengal BJP has called for a 12-hour bandh tomorrow, April 12, in protest of the alleged rape and murder of a young girl in Hashkhali. The bandh will be held from 6 AM to 6 PM in protest of the Trinamool Congress (TMC).
The accused, Brajgopal Gowla, has been arrested and a complaint has been filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.
On Monday, April 11, local Hindu worshippers caught a youth red-handed vandalizing an idol of a deity placed in a Shiv temple in the Titawi village in Baghara Block in Muzaffarnagar District of Uttar Pradesh. The accused has been identified as Yakub, the son of Azgar. Angry locals caught hold of Yakub, who was trying to flee after vandalizing the idol, and handed him over to the police. The police have taken Yakub into custody and started an investigation into the case.
Newsroompost took to Twitter to share a video of the same incident, wherein a part of the broken idol can be seen thrown on the floor of the temple. A broken board with Goddess Kali mantras written on it can also be seen in the video.
यूपी: मुज़फ्फरनगर में एक समुदाय द्वारा मंदिर में की गई तोड़फोड़, प्रतिमाएं खंडित, तोड़फोड़ कर रहे एक शख्स को लोगों ने दबोचा..मौके पर पुलिस अधिकारी भी मौजूद pic.twitter.com/dAPvcldgfR
The accused can be seen surrounded by the locals and the policemen, who reportedly reached the spot after the news of the incident spread. Several locals also gathered in the temple and protested against the attack on their temple. Handing over Yakub to the police, they demanded a fair and speedy probe in the case.
OpIndia spoke to the Titawi police station in-charge, Mukesh Solanki, who confirmed that the accused Yakub had vandalized an idol placed inside the temple premises. He, however, said that apart from the idol, no other part of the property had been damaged. SO Mukesh Solanki further added that the police have arrested the accused and would be interrogating him shortly. The SO refused to divulge any further details, except that the police will make sure that a fair and prompt probe is carried out in the case, as demanded by the devotees.
The incident comes to light amidst a wave of attacks on Hindu religious festivals. From Rajasthan to Karnataka, Gujarat to Bengal, Hindus faced violent attacks and stone-pelting while carrying out their religious processions.
Apart from specific targeting of Hindu processions, OpIndia had also reported how a Hindu temple was vandalized with idols of deities shattered into pieces in Jammu. As per accounts, the god and goddess idols were vandalized and shattered into pieces. The incident occurred late Friday evening in Jammu’s Sidhra sector, but villagers learned about it on Saturday morning, triggering a heavy police presence in the area.
BJP has been winning all the elections. Or nearly all. It looks like it will continue to do so for a while, barring a few states. This situation is not unprecedented of course, Congress was in this position for years. But our memory is short. We have forgotten that. Elections are even getting boring. Our leftist “liberals” are in despair. The gravy train is totally wrecked. ₹1 lakh a pop RSTV gigs and free trips in Air Force One are a distant memory. You can’t even be sure your business class flight to Italy or London, earned after much licking, will go waste at the airport. Fearless independent journalism is in danger. Donation rackets are being called out not encouraged. Not my idea of India!
Let us help to reduce their misery.
I love quoting from Asterix comics. In the “Olympic Games”, the Greeks face a similar dilemma. Greek athletes win all the events. The organisers are worried that will make games boring and reduce tourist inflow and hence money. So, they devise a tactic – a new event where only Romans can participate! “May the least hopeless win” is their motto!
In that spirit, let us also conduct an imaginary race and declare our preferred winner! This race is not open to BJP, only to dynasts. And to reduce illegal betting and the pain of guessing, I am going to declare the winner upfront – Akhilesh Yadav.
Why? Because, if dynastic loot is our destiny, he is the least hopeless of the lot.
Dynastic loot is our destiny
I know this sounds pessimistic and ridiculous as I have myself stated that BJP keeps winning races. But remember, we have disqualified them early on! But let us also be practical. We are living in India where dynasts still run the show in most parties and continue to attract votes and huge crowds. We are not a Germany or Australia yet. If you are not sure, ask Magsaysay Ravish Kumar, and he will confirm. As my favourite columnist Prof Abhishek Banerji points out, he just did a show telling us that.
And let us not kid ourselves, these dynasts are fabulously wealthy. Figures of not just crores but hundreds, even thousands of crores are routinely quoted in private conversations and even in media. Much of their financial wealth is safely hidden from sight, perhaps in Euros and dollars. To be enjoyed in “private visits” to London or Singapore, that “brown-nosed” propaganda coolies that pass for fearless independent media in India, don’t question. (Thanks Tharoor saheb for legitimising and mainstreaming this phrase. I would not have used it without such erudite, tolerant, progressive, blue-tick liberal endorsement). But their palatial mansions, Harley Davidsons, large estates and expensive Swiss watches often can’t be hidden from sight. They don’t even bother to.
In fact, we have “matured” so much that such wealth is not even sought to be denied. We have come up with pat justifications – “Should only upper-caste enjoy wealth? Why my caste leader can’t enjoy it?”, “Why are you pointing out X but not Y” etc. It is a competitive sport, much like our Olympics.
So at least in my lifetime, perhaps in most of our lifetimes, this is not going to change. We are the third world only, to use a Hinglish phrase. To repeat, dynastic loot is our destiny. Whatever little growth we can manage is despite that and with their benevolence. If one day Modi loses, it will be to a dynast.
May the least hopeless win
That brings us to the race. I am referring to the race for the PM post, not state-specific races. Who are the potential runners? Akhilesh, Rahul, Tejaswi, Stalin’s kin, Reddy of AP, Thackerays, Gowdas of KA, Didi’s nephew. Did I miss any? Note that I am deliberately excluding leaders nearing their 70s as the race won’t even start until 2024, if not 2029. I am also disqualifying Kejriwal to keep the race pure.
In this field of allegedly multi-billionaire dynasts, Akilesh stands alone because he has shown far more sense and maturity than the rest. Why do I say that?
He rarely makes vicious, venomous anti-Hindu statements. Unlike fascist dynast Rahul who took potshots at Lord Ram the other day and seems to hate the Hindu faith for denying him his legitimate hereditary right.
He keeps the Stalinist left and its fake intellectual brigade and the Kanhaiya type parasites at a safe distance don’t become their B-team unlike, well, Rahul again.
He rarely sounds like a loony JNU fringe left factory waste.
His economic policy, if you can detect one and call it that, is growth-oriented. Not recycled socialist rhetoric.
He is willing to work, at least in election season. That’s saying a lot, again compared to Rahul who, as I mentioned in an earlier article, expects others to work and deliver him the chair.
Dynast yes, but he has shown many times he is his own man, even to his own father and uncles. In other words, he has a lot more to show than just a family name.
If he can avoid the Rahul trap
But this endorsement, if you can call it that, is not without caveats. He must avoid the Rahul trap.
He must continue to keep a safe distance from leftist malcontents and professional dynastic boot lickers. Like a spider attracting the insect to its web, they will lure him to their corrupt agendas. “Don’t worry we will get your Op-Ed published in Washington Post, even get UN to tweet for you or Greta to weigh in”. They will goad him to wage a hate campaign against this or that state and its people or leaders.
They will force him to take extreme positions on everything. Though he built highway(s) and was proud of them, now they will tell him to repeat after them “Development is violence”. They will ask him to lie through the teeth day in, day out, spreading fear, doom and senseless criticism of anything and everything. They will assure maximum publicity all the way to NY Times.
They will instruct him to fill inner circle with unemployable Stalinist malcontents from JNU that have not done honest day’s work in their entire lives. Having spent a decade or more on “African studies” or “Social science” on taxpayer money, they are looking for moneyed boots to latch on to.
That’s the Rahul trap I am talking about.
He should reject them just as India has rejected their imported Pol Potist mass rapist butcher ideologies and serfdom to the despot in Beijing.
With this caveat, and if he passes this test, he is my favorite dynast!
On April 11, the Khargone administration took strict action against the miscreants who had pelted stones at the Ram Navami procession on Sunday. The illegally constructed buildings were bulldozed by the administration. Five JCB machines were deployed for the task. Earlier, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had hinted that the MP government would take strict action against those who were involved in stone-pelting, rioting and arson.
मध्यप्रदेश: खरगोन में रामनवमी की शोभायात्रा पर जिन्होंने पथराव किया था पुलिस ने उन आरोपियों के घरों पर बुलडोजर चलाया pic.twitter.com/q4GS4AMHa2
In a statement, CM Chouhan said, “What happened in Khargone was unfortunate. We will not spare any rioters. Everyone will be punished. We will recover the cost of damage to both public and private properties from the rioters, as per the law that has been passed. We have identified the rioters, and they will be punished accordingly.
मध्यप्रदेश में हमने लोक एवं निजी संपत्ति को नुकसान का निवारण एवं नुकसानी की वसूली विधेयक पारित किया है। खरगोन के दंगाइयों को दण्डित तो किया ही जाएगा साथ ही नुकसान की वसूली भी उनसे की जाएगी। राज्य सरकार इस हेतु क्लेम ट्रिब्यूनल का गठन कर रही है।
— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) April 11, 2022
He further added that the state government is forming a claim tribunal for the same.
Cabinet Minister Dr Narottam Mishra said, “There is peace in Khargone at the moment. An ample police force has been deployed. I would like to tell clearly. We are identifying the rioters. 77 people have been arrested so far. Those houses that were used to pelt stones will be demolished. No one has the right to disturb peace and harmony in the state.”
#khargone के गुनहगारों से सख्ती से निबटा जायेगा। वहां जिन घरों से पत्थर आए हैं, उन घरों को पत्थर का ढ़ेर बनाएंगे।#MadhyaPradesh में कानून का राज है और सांप्रदायिक सौहार्द को किसी कीमत पर बिगड़ने नहीं दिया जाएगा।@mohdeptpic.twitter.com/q3pLeDqWni
On April 10, a Ram Navami procession that began in the Talab Chowk area of Khargone had to be abandoned midway after it came under a volley of stones. Several vehicles were set on fire.
The cops resorted to firing tear gas shells to bring the situation under control. During the orgy of violence, a total of 24 people were injured, including six police personnel. Even the Superintendent of Police (Khargone) had sustained bullet injuries. Keeping in mind the volatile law and order situation, a curfew was imposed in the area.
The attack on Hindu religious processions by Islamists is not a new phenomenon in India. However, when these cases surface each year, several Hindus wake up from their slumber and pretend as if the attacks happened for the first time.
Ram Navami or the birth anniversary of Lord Rama is an auspicious occasion in the Hindu calendar year. On that day, Hindus seek blessings from Lord Rama, provide food to the needy, perform rituals, take out processions and so on.
However, when these processions pass through the so-called ‘Muslim dominated areas’, it leads to stone pelting, targeted attacks, arson and vandalism. The violent targeting of Hindu festivals each year dismantles the farce of the ‘Ganga Yamuni Tehzeeb’ that has been shrewdly imbibed into the Indian psyche.
History is a testimony to the fact that how Hindu religious processions have been often targeted by Islamists and this year was no exception. Stone pelting, arson and violence were witnessed in 5 States, namely, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Karnataka.
16 injured, 3 critical in attack on Ram Navami procession in Jharkhand
On Sunday (April 10) evening, a Ram Navami procession and fair came under attack in Bhokta Bagicha in Hirhi village in Lohardaga district of Jharkhand. The area falls under the jurisdiction of the Sadar Police Station.
Islamists pelted stones at the Hindu procession and set several vehicles, including 10 motorcycles, on fire. More than 16 people were injured during the attack. About 3 of the victims are said to be in a critical state.
“Many of the injured are residents of Hendlaso Kujra and nearby villages,” recounted an eyewitness. According to the senior surgeon (Lohardaga Sadar hospital) Dr Shamu Chaudhary, around 15-16 people were admitted to the hospital. “Three of them have cuts in their throats with sharp-edged weapons and their condition is critical,” he added.
On receiving information about the attack on the Ram Navami procession, a large contingent of police and district administration officials were deployed to maintain the law and order situation in the area. Superintendent of Police P Pamkumar and Deputy Commissioner Vaghmare Prasad Krishna rushed to Hirhi village to pacify the situation.
Two incidents of stone-pelting, arson in Madhya Pradesh
The situation in Khargone city of Madhya Pradesh was not very different from that of Lohardaga in Jharkhand. As per reports, a Ram Navami procession that began in the Talab Chowk area had to be abandoned midway after it came under a volley of stones. Several vehicles were set on fire.
The cops resorted to firing tear gas shells to bring the situation under control. During the orgy of violence, a total of 24 people were injured (including 6 police personnel). Even the Superintendent of Police (Khargone) had sustained bullet injuries. Keeping in mind the volatile law and order situation, a curfew was imposed in the area.
In the aftermath of the curfew, residents of Khargone city have been asked to only step out of their houses in case of a medical emergency. The district collector has warned against posting objectionable messages on social media, which could further aggravate the law and order situation.
All examinations in the city, which were to be conducted on Monday (April 11), have been postponed until further notice. DIG ( Nimar Range) Tilak Singh remarked, “The situation has been under control after 2 am today and no complaint has been received. Police patrolling is on. A search operation was carried out and more than 70 people have so far been rounded up.”
पूरे खरगोन शहर में कर्फ़्यू लागू है। मेडिकल इमरजेंसी सेवा के लिए ADM श्री एसएस मुजाल्दा के नं. 9425192554, खरगोन SDM श्री मिलिंद ढोके के नं. 9826035969, SDOP श्री रोहित अलावा के नं. 8878626928 और टीआई श्री बनवारी मंडलोई के नं. 9827343799 पर संपर्क कर सकते हैं।#JansamparkMPhttps://t.co/QLOX9Fdqfq
A similar stone-pelting incident was also reported during a Ram Navami procession in Sendhwa town of Barwani district where a police station in charge named Baldev Singh Mujalde and five others were injured. The situation was brought under control and the procession continued peacefully thereafter.
खरगोन में आज असामाजिक तत्वों द्वारा शहर का माहौल खराब करने की कोशिश की गई।
मैंने आईजी और कलेक्टर से फोन पर बात कर उपद्रवियों के खिलाफ़ सख्त कार्यवाही करने के निर्देश दिए हैं, पत्थरबाजों और दोषियों को बख्शा नहीं जाएगा, हम कानून हाथ में लेने वालों को छोड़ेंगे नहीं।
In a tweet, Madhya Pradesh Agriculture Minister said, “In Khargone today (April 10), anti-social elements tried to spoil the atmosphere of the city. I have spoken to the IG and the collector over phone and instructed them to take strict action against the miscreants. Stone pelters and culprits will not be spared. We will not spare those who take law in their hands.”
Ram Navami procession attacked in West Bengal
On Sunday, a Ram Navami Procession in Howrah in West Bengal was attacked, and the devotees had to abandon the procession due to the attack by local Muslims. Several participants of the procession were injured in the attack including stone-pelting.
Several videos were posted on social media, showing the Ram Navami Shobha Yatra coming under attack in Howrah, the twin city of Kolkata. According to Twitter users from the city, the Muslim mob pelted stones at the procession, while the police remained mute spectators.
The procession was organised by Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal and Durga Bahini, and it was started by the Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur. However, the procession was attacked in the midway near Fazir Bazar at PM Basti on GT Road in Shibpur, Howrah.
West Bengal BJYM Vice President Priyanka Sharma posted a video on Twitter to inform about the attack. She said that when the procession was on its way, stones were pelted at them. She further alleged that after the attack, police had lathi-charged the Hindu procession, and later arrested them, but didn’t take action against the attackers.
Gujarat witnessed stone pelting in Himmatnagar and Khambat
A Ram Navami Shobha Yatra or procession organized on April 10, 2022, at Chhaparia village in Himmatnagar of the Sabarkantha in Gujarat was targeted by some local Muslim goons and stones were pelted at it. Apart from stone-pelting, some vehicles were also vandalized in this incident.
The procession started at Ramji Mandir in Chhapariya at 4.15 pm and was to reach Tower chowk after passing through several areas of the city. However, it was attacked when the Hindu religious procession reached the ‘Muslim dominated area’. Several vehicles, which were part of the Ram Navami procession, were damaged and one open Jeep was burnt by the attackers.
Breaking #Ramnavami Rally by #Hindu outfits turns violent in Himmatnagar #Gujarat. Heavy still be pelting at Chapariya area, vehicles participating in rally set on fire. Reportedly @Bajrangdal_Guj taking out a rally through the same area later in the day. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/nSLXFatC7B
A convoy of Himmatnagar police had reached the spot on being informed about the violence. The police also fired tear gas shells to control the situation. After stone-pelting and vandalism, tension and unrest prevailed in the entire area.
There was also anger among the devotees as the procession of the deity was pelted with stones. A large contingent of police personnel was deployed to control the situation and prevent any further violence.
A similar incident of stone-pelting on a Ram Navami procession was reported in Khambat town in the Anand district of Gujarat. Stones were hurled by Islamists and damage was caused to shops and vehicles. The police resorted to firing tear gas shells and also arrested 9 people (including 3 Maulvis) in connection to the case.
Reportedly, one man was killed during the attack in Khambat. Anand’s Superintendent of Police Ajit Rajian remarked, “The situation in Khambhat town is under control. We have already arrested nine suspects and started further investigation.”
Islamists, leftists target Hindus in Karnataka, put up a show later to whitewash crimes
Communal tensions prevailed in Mulbagal town of Kolar district in Karnataka after a Sri Ram Shobha Yatra was attacked using stones. The incident happened on Friday night when the Shobha Yatra was being taken out ahead of Ram Navmi on Sunday.
As per reports, stones were pelted at the Sri Ram idol which was carried out in the procession. Cars and motorcycles that were part of the yatra were also attacked by the miscreants and a motorcycle was set ablaze by the stone-pelting mob. Kolar MP S Muniswamy was also reportedly a part of the procession.
The Shobha Yatra was planned as part of the four-day program at Avani Kesthra in Mulbagal from April 7 to 11. On Friday, the procession was passing through the main streets of the town when the violence broke out.
As the procession headed towards Jahangir mohalla, a mob started throwing stones at the procession leading to chaos in the area. A power cut in the area added to the confusion and police had to resort to lathi-charge to bring the situation under control. Police have also arrested 6 accused for their role in the violence.
After the violence, to maintain law and order, two platoons of the Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP), and six platoons of the District Armed Reserve (DAR) have been deputed in Mulbagal town to maintain law and order. Police are further investigating the case to identify others involved in this case of communal violence.
On Sunday, the student wing of the BJP, ABVP, informed how leftist goons attacked students during Ram Navami celebrations at the Central University of Karnataka in the Kalaburagi district. “After the Ram Navami puja at a temple on campus, returning students were attacked by the leftist & Islamist goons to create communal tension in CUK,” it had tweeted.
Left goons along with Islamists attacked students after #RamNavami celebrations in the CU Karnataka at Kalaburgi.
After the Ram Navami puja at a temple on campus, returning students were attacked by the leftist & Islamist goons to create communal tension in CUK.#CUKKalaburgipic.twitter.com/TLOUiS4O8g
Amidst the mayhem unleashed by the Islamists, attempts are being made to downplay the violence and divert public discourse to a supposed instance of communal harmony.
In one such attempt, Karnataka Congress worker Gufran Khan alleged that Muslims offered welcome drinks to Ram Navami devotees in Gulbarga while observing their fast. “This is what India is all about. BJP cannot divide us”, he had declared.
This is what India is all about. BJP can not divide us. Muslims during Ramadan giving welcome drinks to all who are part of Ram Navami in Gulbarga Karnataka. pic.twitter.com/NKPnhBihDD
On April 2, communal violence broke out in the Hatwara Bazaar area of Karauli when miscreants pelted stones at a Hindu bike rally while more than a dozen shops and three bikes were set on fire.
Reportedly, 43 people, including policemen, were injured in the mob attack while the rally was celebrating ‘Nav Samvatsar’ passed through a Muslim-dominated area. All were admitted to the district hospital. The condition of a person named Pushpendra is said to be serious. He has been referred to Jaipur.
Four policemen accompanying the rally were also injured in the stone-pelting on the bike rally. The reports said that there were knife marks on the body of the injured who reached the hospital. In the aftermath of the violence, Rajasthan Police imposed a curfew, and shut down the internet services.
On April 10, Mahila Congress President Netta D’Souze hackled Union Minister Smriti Irani on a Guwahati-bound flight. Netta herself posted the video on social media and said she confronted the minister over inflation. She started recording the video after the plane landed and passengers started de-boarding the flight.
Faced Modi Minister @smritiirani ji, enroute to Guwahati.
When asked about Unbearable Rising Prices of LPG, she blamed Vaccines, Raashan & even the poor!
Do watch the video excerpts, on how she reacted to common people’s misery ! ? pic.twitter.com/NbkW2LgxOL
In the video, she could be heard asking Irani about the rising prices of LPG, to which she replied that the Centre has been helping the poor through various welfare schemes, including free vaccines and free rations. When the conversation started in the aisle, Irani told Netta she was blocking the way for the other passengers, but she did not stop.
The video was cut and continued on the out of the pathway. At that time, Irani was also recording the video, but she had not released any footage yet or made any remarks about the hackling she faced during the flight. She mentioned that Netta was recording her without permission, but the Congress leader decided to laugh at it and said Irani was a public figure that apparently, according to her, made the actions justifiable.
Smriti Irani was lauded for handling the situation with composure
After the video went viral, several BJP leaders and netizens lauded the minister for the way she handled the situation. Vishnu Vardhan Reddy, State General Secretary of Andhra Pradesh BJP said, “Firstly, Smriti Irani ji didn’t run away from your questions & tried to answer. Secondly, this sort of public haggling on a flight could be a safety threat and also it is not the right platform or place for raising such sort of concerns.
Firstly, @smritiirani ji didn’t run away from your questions & tried to answer.
Secondly, this sort of public haggling on a flight could be a safety threat and also it is not the right platform or place for raising such sort of concerns. https://t.co/h4oCVzWYFN
BJPYM National President Tejasvi Surya said, “This is absolutely unacceptable behaviour by Rahul Gandhi’s chelas. Just compare it with the grace, composure & dignity with which Smt Smriti Irani Ji handled the whole thing. A clear indication between the cultures of BJP & Congress.
This is absolutely unacceptable behaviour by Rahul Gandhi’s chelas.
Just compare it with the grace, composure & dignity with which Smt @smritiirani Ji handled the whole thing.
Akhilesh Mishra, CEO of BlueKraft Digital Foundation said, “The video demonstrates only one thing. The extreme grace of Smriti Irani in contrast to the vile, hooligan behaviour of Rahul Gandhi acolyte. The reason is also understandable. Imagine being Rahul Gandhi and being routed in your family pocket. And made to run away!”
The video demonstrates only one thing. The extreme grace of @smritiirani in contrast to the vile, hooligan behaviour of @RahulGandhi acolyte.
The reason is also understandable. Imagine being Rahul Gandhi and being routed in your family pocket. And made to run away! https://t.co/pwhhjm9kxj
Author Shefali Vaidya said, “So Smriti Irani doesn’t have the right to travel in peace just coz she is a minister? Netta D’Souza was extremely rude and invasive. Credit to Smriti Irani for being so gracious and replying without losing her cool. Did Netta ever think of asking such questions to her Congress bosses?”
So @smritiirani doesn’t have the right to travel in peace just coz she is a minister? @dnetta was extremely rude and invasive. Credit to #smritiirani for being so gracious and replying without losing her cool. Did Netta ever think of asking such questions to her @INCIndia bosses?
In September 2017, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued revised guidelines to handle unruly passengers. According to the guidelines, any unruly behaviour by the passengers that cause discomfort to other passengers and crew members may attract penal action. As per DGCA, an unruly passenger can be defined as a passenger “who fails to respect the rules of conduct at an airport or onboard an aircraft or to follow the instructions of the airport staff or crew members and thereby disturbs the good order and discipline at an airport or on board the aircraft.”
In case of an unruly act, the airlines must report the case immediately and file a First Investigation Report (FIR) against the unruly passenger. According to section 4.9 (d) of the guidelines, the indictive signs of unruly behaviour include:
Use of any threatening or abusive language towards a member of the crew or other passengers;
Behaving in a physically threatening, abusive and disorderly manner towards a member of the crew or other passengers;
Intentionally interfering with the performance of the duties of a crew member.
There are three levels of unruly behaviour. The first level includes physical gestures and verbal harassment etc. The second level includes physical abusive behaviour. The third level includes life-threatening situations. Netta’s behaviour may fall under the first level of unruly behaviour. It is the responsibility of the pilot to inform the airlines about the incident. For a level 1 offence of an unruly act, the passenger can be put on the no-fly list for three months. In case of repeated offence, the passenger can be put on the no-fly list for double the time period mentioned in the guidelines. The guidelines were issued under Rule 22 (Assault and other acts of interference against a crew member), 23 (Assault and other acts endangering safety or jeopardizing good order and discipline) and 29 (Acts likely to imperil the safety of aircraft) of the Aircrafts Rule, 1937.
Srinagar’s Kashmir Law college has decided to cut off ties with its Principal Sheikh Showkat who has often taken pro-Pakistan stances. The college management has reportedly sacked Showkat and has already started the process for a new appointment in his place.
As reported by The New Indian, Showkat has often toed the separatist line in Kashmir’s political sphere while backing Pakistan-sponsored separatist organisations. Showkat made news in 2016 when he presided over a convention titled ‘Azadi: The Only Way’ alongside tendentious personalities like Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Arundhati Roy, Prof. SAR Geelani and others. After participating in this function which was held at the Press Club of India in Delhi, Shaukat was booked under sedition charges for delivering an anti-India speech at the event.
While Anti-India slogans were raised at the convention, Delhi Police had registered an FIR under Sections 124 A (sedition), 120 B (criminal conspiracy) and 149 (unlawful assembly) against the speakers in connection with organizing such an event in the heart of the national capital.
As per the reports, the college administration has started a private investigation for finding the doubtful activities of Showkat in the past who maintained undercover relations with separatists and terrorist networks active in the valley. Showkat was employed to create false narratives over the fate of Jammu and Kashmir as a part of India and hence provided intellectual legitimacy to the armed conflicts of the secessionists against the Indian state.
While Sheikh Showkat did all of this being on the payroll of the Indian state, he received about Rs 5.1 crores as salary and another Rs 3.3 crores as additional allowances under different heads. Apart from this, he enjoys a pension of more than Rs 1 lakh every month. A public authority that has not been identified yet, has taken the investigation against Showkat for invoking relevant provisions of pension-related laws for his terror links. The authority is finding conclusive evidence to establish the Principal as a covert ideologue of secessionist and terrorist networks for stifling his further state allowances.
Sheikh Showkat’s snide remarks against the Indian Prime Minister
In 2014, when Narendra Modi visited Srinagar after becoming assuming the office, Showkat wrote in an article, “After a gap of several decades, I was at the airport road on the arrival of an Indian Prime Minister. I was not there to welcome the prime minister but to hire a labourer so that I could avail myself of the benefit of his services for some work in my kitchen garden. Once I settled wages with a Bihari labourer, CRPF men on the scene didn’t allow him to accompany me.”
In the same article, he alleged that migrant labourers in Jammu and Kashmir were forcefully taken into a bus to attend Narendra Modi’s rally. “In view of the hostile attitude of locals, the easiest way to ensure an audience at Modi’s rally was to force the migrant labourers to attend it,” he wrote.
The sacking of separatist Sheikh Showkat comes days after the Jammu and Kashmir administration fired five government officials from various departments whose links with separatist and terror organisations in the valley were found.
Rishi Sunak, United Kingdom’s Indian-origin finance minister and the leading contender to succeed Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has been embroiled in a controversy after it was reported that his wife, Akshata Murty, may have evaded paying around Rs 197 crore in tax.
Rishi Sunak currently holds the office of the Chancellor of the Exchequer or Finance Minister of the United Kingdom, making him the country’s second most powerful government official. Boris Johnson appointed him to the role in February 2020. Some details about his background must be stated here in order to have a better understanding of him.
Who is Rishi Sunak
Rishi Sunak’s father is an Indian-born medical practitioner in the National Health Service of the United Kingdom, while his mother owns an independent pharmacy. In 2015, he was elected as a Member of Parliament from Richmond (Yorks). During the second term of former British Prime Minister Theresa May, he served as the Parliament’s Under Secretary. Following Boris Johnson’s election as the Prime Minister, the MP was appointed to the high-profile position of Chief Secretary to the Treasury in 2019.
Akshata Murty, the daughter of N.R. Narayana Murthy, the co-founder of Bengaluru-based IT services conglomerate Infosys, is Rishi Sunak’s wife. Akshata owns around 0.93 percent of Infosys, which is worth more than $1 billion at current prices.
What is the current controversy?
The controversy arose after it was revealed in British media that Akshata Murty had a non-dom tax status in the United Kingdom. This effectively indicates that dividends received from foreign corporations are exempt from taxation.
Akshata earns around Rs 11.56 crore in annual dividends from her interest in Infosys, and she claims a non-dom tax status in the country, which allows her to avoid paying taxes on the annual dividend advantages she receives from her Infosys holding.
Sunak, in his capacity as Chancellor of the Exchequer or Finance Minister, announced a series of tax increases that went into effect this month. So, at a time when the pandemic has caught everyone off pace and businesses are still reeling from the devastation, news that the Chancellor’s wife has been dodging British taxes has generated quite a bit of stir in the country.
Is Akshata Murty evading taxes?
Technically, Akshata is not dodging taxes since she has claimed non-domicile status, and the law does not require her to pay taxes on her earnings from outside the United Kingdom. Akshata’s representative also issued a statement stating that she pays taxes on all of her money earned in the United Kingdom.
Sunak has accused political opponents of “smearing” his wife in order to gain an advantage over him. He has also stated that she is eligible to employ the non-dom arrangement because she is an Indian citizen and intends to return to her native country to care for her parents in the future.
Today I have written to the Prime Minister asking him to refer my ministerial declarations to the Independent Advisor on Ministers’ Interests.
I have always followed the rules and I hope such a review will provide further clarity. pic.twitter.com/JjVRDFJELl
Sunak also alerted the British government and the Treasury about his wife’s tax status when he became a Minister, according to Reuters. Overall, Sunak’s wife appears to pay all of the taxes necessary under UK law. She is not required to pay taxes on her overseas income since the law of the land allows her to claim the non-dom status.
What is the non-dom status?
Non-dom, often known as non-domicile status, is a tax status that has been recognized in the United Kingdom since the French Revolution. It was first implemented in 1799. The status, a contentious element of colonial-era tax policy, applies to persons who are UK tax residents yet have their permanent abode outside the country.
Non-domicile status, however, is not automatically granted to foreign-born residents or non-citizens. They must seek tax exemptions on overseas income exceeding 2,000 Pounds. Akshata’s tax status in the UK was not mandatory, and she had to actively apply for non-dom status.
The debate around the non-dom status
The status of a non-dom is a disputed element of colonial-era tax law. It was first implemented in 1799, during King George III’s reign, with the goal of safeguarding the riches of a newly affluent class by exempting all of their foreign income from UK taxation.
To note, if such a privilege had not existed, British colonialists would have had to pay enormous taxes on the majority of their wealth amassed in colonies such as Jamaica and India.
Even now, the regulation continues to favor the country’s rich and powerful. According to the London School of Economics and the University of Warwick, more than two-fifths of UK tax residents earning 5 million pounds or more in 2018 claimed non-dom status at some point between 1997 and 2018.
Many of the highest-earning non-doms in the United Kingdom are well-known people, ranging from movie stars and athletes to top-earning bankers and businessmen.
What next for Akshata Murty?
Akshata offered a quick response to the controversy in a Twitter thread.
5/ This means I will now pay UK tax on an arising basis on all my worldwide income, including dividends and capital gains, wherever in the world that income arises.
I do this because I want to, not because the rules require me to.
In essence, she claims to have paid taxes in the UK on money earned in the UK and taxes in other countries on income earned abroad. Because there has been so much debate about taxation, she stated that she has now decided to start paying UK taxes on all of her income, whether earned in the UK or elsewhere.
In her Twitter thread, she stated that she has attempted to keep her business life and Sunak’s political career separate. Now, because of public opinion pressure, she will pay all taxes as a matter of moral obligation.
Conclusion
The dispute has arisen at a time when the popularity of Rishi Sunak had grown and he was being considered a strong contender to succeed Prime Minister Boris Johnson. However, in recent weeks, he has received widespread criticism for his mini-budget, which was panned by critics for failing to address the country’s cost of living crisis, exacerbated by increasing electricity and fuel rates, as well as the coronavirus outbreak.
Analysts have also highlighted that the disclosure of Akshata Murty’s tax status could not have come at a worse moment, since Rishi Sunak’s popularity has plummeted as consumer prices have risen.
The Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday inaugurated the Nadabet international border point, located in the Banaskatha district of Gujarat.
Speaking on the occasion, Amit Shah credited PM Modi for the completion of the project. He said the multipurpose tourism project was completed under the direct guidance of PM Modi. He also lauded the BSF jawans guarding our borders, stating that the country is achieving new heights because of the BSF troops protecting the sovereignty of the country.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, state tourism minister Punesh Modi, Director General of BSF and other dignitaries were present on the occasion. Mr Shah also visited Nadeshwari Mata Temple at Nadabet and offered puja and darshan.
Dubbed the ‘Seema Darshan Project’, the spot marks the first border viewing point in Gujarat. The project, structured by the Gujarat State Tourism Board, has been designed as a tourist destination spot. There will be photo galleries and armed tanks on display at the site.
According to reports, the Nadabet border viewing point will be significantly different from the Atari-Wagah border in Punjab where Pakistani forces also participate. In Nadabet, the Pakistanis side will not be participating and the BSF(Border Security Forces) will be representing the Indian forces.
The location of the border viewing point is situated 20 to 25 km away from the actual Pakistan border. The project has been set up by Gujarat Tourism at Sui village near Nadabet in Banaskantha district at a cost of Rs 125 crore.
“Here, a special building has been prepared, in which all kinds of information related to the history of Gujarat has been stored”, Alok Kumar Pandey, MD, Gujarat state Tourism, said. He also added that the idea might inspire youths in the region to join the BSF or the Indian Army. The project was initiated with the aim to provide an opportunity for the people to see the life and work of the BSF personnel on our border.
Besides, a museum at the viewpoint displays vehicles and aircraft used by the armed forces, including the MiG-27 fighter jet, and various columns of the BSF.
In recent days, they have been multiple attacks against Hindus while they were celebrating their festivals. In Karauli, a Hindu procession on the occasion of Hindu New Year was attacked with stones on April 2. Violence and arson followed. Rajasthan police said in its presser that the Hindus had played ‘provocative songs’ during the procession and that led to the violence because the area was ‘Muslim-dominated’.
As per reports, the PFI had warned the local authorities that Hindus taking out a procession in ‘Muslim dominated areas’ may lead to violence.
On the occasion of Ram Navami, the attacks on Hindus followed, with a multi-fold intensity. Across several states, Hindu processions on Ram Navami have been attacked by Muslim mobs, for the crime of passing through the so-called ‘Muslim areas’.
A Ram Navami procession organised by VHP was attacked with stones when it was near Fazir Bazar at PM Basti on GT Road in Shibpur, Howrah.
Another procession has been attacked in Gujarat’s Himmatnagar. Similar cases of attacks on Hindu processions have been reported from Jharkhand’s Lohardaga, MP’s Khargone, and Karnataka’s Mulbagal.
‘Hindus should not pass through Muslim areas, if they do, the violence will be their fault’: Say so-called ‘Liberals’
However, apparently, the fault lies with the Hindus, because how dare they take out a procession and play songs for their festivals? For India’s ‘secular liberals’, Hindus should be always accommodating, docile, subversive and never dare to exist on the premises of what they deem as ‘Muslim areas’, or any violence that happens will be the responsibility of the Hindus.
NDTV’s Srinivasan Jain has held Hindus responsible for the attack on them because it was their fault to pass through a ‘Muslim area’.
Multiple reports + videos indicate that one persistent trigger for this latest wave of violence was Ram Navami processions playing provocative music/raising slogans while passing through Muslim areas. And yet, 'clashes'. pic.twitter.com/NXUNfVXeBK
Jain is relentless, he has decided that incidents of violence are only happening because Modi is ruling at the centre and Hindu leaders are giving statements against the existing ‘status quo’, for example, how dare a Hindu leader question the Halal economy that benefits only Muslims and discriminates against Hindus? As per Srinivasan Jain, questioning the existing practises of discrimination is akin to stoking violence, and violence happens because Modi is in power. Jain has decided to forget the dozens of riots, bomb blasts, and massacres that have happened in this country when Modi was not in power.
Just one example: amid the latest anti-Muslim communal offensive in K'tka, it is a *BJP gen secy* from the state who Tweets about halal = economic jihad. https://t.co/dUbLJn726C
It is not Jain alone. There is a large section of so-called ‘secular liberals’ who believe in this ‘Muslim area’ theory. As per them, a procession passing through a ‘Muslim area’ is a provocation that triggers the violence. In their justification, they completely forget that it is the Muslim mob that pelts stones. And what exactly is a ‘Muslim area’? This is the question that many are asking Srinivasan Jain.
Here is a Congress leader.
Tweet by Aamer Javed
In most of the places where there’s been violence, the procession is taken through Muslim areas, past mosques with very aggressive sloganeering, and jeering. Invariably reports of stone pelting and then clashes. One person dead in Gujarat. #RamNavamipic.twitter.com/Ytu0mHS8IR
And what exactly is a ‘Muslim area’? This is the question that many are asking Srinivasan Jain and others. Are there specific areas that Hindus are not allowed to enter? Are these similar areas where stones were pelted on healthcare workers when they went to trace contacts of Covid infected people?
What seculars are saying:
1) There are 'Muslim areas' where other than Islamic supremacy slogans (e.g. Allah-o-Akbar. or the Azan) are deemed provocative (but never the other way round) 2) If 'provoked' it's justified to kill Hindus. 3) Hindus, even if killed aren't victims https://t.co/DtB8FDRd9l
In the so-called secular, democratic India, self-proclaimed ‘Liberals’ are propagating the idea of Muslim ghettos, areas where non-Muslims are not allowed to enter, live, or pass through. A similar kind of justification was given by Barkha Dutt in her now-famous video where she was seen blaming the Kashmiri Pandits for their own genocide and exodus because apparently, they had been taking up most of the jobs.
‘Muslim areas’ is why the country was partitioned into pieces. ‘Muslim areas’ is why ‘Raliv, Galiv, Tsaliv’ slogans were raised in Kashmir, ‘Muslim areas’ are why Bihari vendors were killed in Srinagar, ‘Muslim areas’ are the reason millions of Bengali Hindus were killed and raped in East Bengal. How long is this country going to keep paying for ‘Muslim areas’ where the secular laws of the country do not apply?
Who decides what will be a ‘Muslim area’? Are there any defined rules that non-Muslims are not allowed to enter ‘Muslim areas’? In a country that suffered through the brutality of partition on religious grounds, the idea of religious lawless ghettos is being actively promoted by the so-called ‘elites’.
