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‘Can’t destroy 30-year-old relationship with Imran Khan’: Pakistan National Assembly speaker refuses to hold voting on no-confidence motion

OpIndia Staff
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‘Can’t destroy 30-year-old relationship with Imran Khan’: Pakistan National Assembly speaker refuses to hold voting on no-confidence motion

The drama in Pakistan politics seems to never end with new turns and twists. While the National Assembly is supposed to take up the voting for the no confidence motion today evening, the speaker of the house reportedly refused to conduct the voting.

Around an hour before the anticipated voting, Pakistan National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser refused to hold the vote on the no-confidence motion against Imran Khan government. Opposition leaders from the national assembly alleged that the speaker said that he can’t hold the voting because he has a 30-year-old relationship with Prime Minister Imran Khan.

He said that he can’t damage his 30-year-old relation with Imran Khan, therefore he will not conduct the voting. He also said that even if a no-confidence motion is brought against him, or the opposition approaches the Supreme Court against him, he will not change his position.

He said that he is ready to suffer whatever punishment was meted out to him, but under no circumstances he would betray Imran Khan.

After the deputy speaker Qasim Suri had dismissed the no-confidence motion last Sunday and prorogued the assembly session, the opposition had move the Supreme Court against the decision. On Thursday, the Supreme Court of Pakistan called the action of the deputy speaker unconstitutional, and had ordered that the voting for the motion must take place by 10.30 on Saturday. The court had also restored the national assembly, which was dissolved by the president on the advice of PM Imran Khan.

Accordingly, the assembly convened today morning, but the session was adjourned multiple times, and the voting didn’t take place. Later it was reported that the voting will take place after 8 PM. But minutes before that, the speaker reportedly refused to conduct the voting.

However, the debate on the motion is still going on, and the status of the voting remains uncertain.

Bhopal: Muslim man, his wife and 4-year-old daughter beaten by Islamist neighbours for commenting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ on BJP MLA’s post

OpIndia Staff
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Bhopal: Muslim man, his wife and 4-year-old daughter beaten by Islamist neighbours for commenting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ on BJP MLA’s post

In Bhopal, a Muslim man named Munawwar Ansari living in Kokata area was beaten up by other Muslims for commenting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ on a Facebook post shared by Bharatiya Janata Party’s MLA Rameshwar Sharma. The miscreants also beat his wife and a four-year-old daughter. The mob of attackers called him a traitor of the community and damaged his house.

Munawwar Ansari is a carpenter by profession. He said that he was beaten up by the miscreants because he is a supporter of the BJP MLA Rameshwar Sharma. After this incident, the MLA told the police station in-charge to take necessary action. The police have started the investigations but none of the accused attackers is arrested so far.

As it happened

According to report by Dainik Bhaskar, Munawwar’s neighbour Sohail Ahmed read out his comment and spread the word in the locality that he supports the Hindu leaders. Ahmed said that he is betraying the community. At the Rahmat Masjid in the locality, the accused decided to teach him a lesson. At 7 pm on Wednesday, 15 people, including Sarik Ansari, Suleiman, Sohail Ahmed, barged into Munawwar Ansari’s house. They assaulted Anasari after entering his house, and his wife was also beaten. The attackers threw away the utensils in the house.

While beating Munawwar Ansari, the attackers said, “Now call the Bajrang Dal people.” Munawwar’s son informed Dial-100. The police came to the locality but did not come to his house. Instead they went back after having tea at Sohail’s office.

Munawwar has two sons and four-year-old daughter Shirin. He said, “People in the locality did not even spare my four-year-old daughter. They slammed her and tried to crush her under their feet. Now they are threatening me to leave this place. They are threatening to make it difficult for me to live here.”

MLA Rameshwar Sharma said, “This is the country of Ram. If not today, then tomorrow, everyone has to say Jai shri Ram. This praise for Ram will not stop. The incident of assault will not be tolerated. Stop this indecency. Jai Shri Ram will also be written and even if someone scolds the one who speaks Jai Shri Ram, there will be action.”

From inciting Dalits to take up violence to questioning the existence of Lord Ram: 5 things Rahul Gandhi spoke at book launch event

OpIndia Staff
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From inciting Dalits to take up violence to questioning the existence of Lord Ram: 5 things Rahul Gandhi spoke at book launch event

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is often known for peppering his speeches with misinformation and hyperbole, made a series of inexplicable claims on Saturday during his speech on the occasion of the book launch ‘The Dalit Truth: The Battles For Realizing Ambedkar’s Vision’.

From questioning the existence of Lord Ram to quoting freedom fighter Veer Savarkar out of context to making unsubstantiated claims of approaching Mayawati for an alliance and to fabricating a story of alleged atrocities against Dalit and then exhorting them to use violence to exact revenge against their perpetrators, the Gandhi scion co-opted the event to peddle anti-BJP, anti-RSS rhetorics all the while claiming that he is not interested in seeking power like other politicians.

Rahul Gandhi cites an unfounded story to incite Dalits into taking up violence

While speaking at the event, Gandhi asked Dalits to resort to violence to exact revenge for atrocities allegedly committed against them. Making a reference to alleged Dalits who attempted to commit suicide after an incident in Una, Gandhi said had he been in their place, he would have first stabbed his tormentor and then committed suicide.

The stabbing remark refers to an incident to which Rahul Gandhi alluded in his speech. He was referring to the Una incident in Gujrat, in which several Dalit youngsters were reportedly beaten up by a mob. He told a story about visiting the victims’ families and learning that several other Dalit youngsters tried suicide in protest of the assault.

Rahul Gandhi claimed in a conversation with one of the survivors that if he were in such a position and his sister was assaulted by a gang of people, he would first murder them by stabbing them and then kill himself. “It came to my mind that if my sister was assaulted and beaten like a dog, I would’ve stabbed the perpetrators before committing suicide,” he added.

Rahul Gandhi went on to add that he advised the survivor why he had not killed the person who assaulted his brother, given he knew the identity of the perpetrator and had access to a knife. He claimed that in response to his question, the boy replied, “I cannot kill him because if I kill him, I’ll be reborn as a Dalit.”

Not interested in seeking power, my interest is in understanding the country: Rahul Gandhi

In a bid to paint himself as an altruist politician who had little interest in carrying on his political legacy, the former Congress president asserted that even though he was born smack in the middle of the country’s politics, he was not interested in pursuing it.

Instead, he said, it was understanding the country that motivated him. Gandhi said every night when he goes to sleep, he tries to understand the country.

“I have no interest in politics. When I sleep at night, I try to understand the country. When I wake up in the morning, I try to understand my country…just like how a lover tries to understand the person he loves,” Gandhi said.

Had approached Mayawati for an alliance and offered her the CM post but she did not respond because of ED, Pegasus, CBI

Rahul Gandhi further claimed that the Congress party had approached BSP chief Mayawati for a possible alliance before the UP assembly elections and offered her the CM post but got no response from her because of ED, Pegasus, CBI etc.

“We had approached Mayawati for an alliance, even offered the CM post but got no response from her because of ED, Pegasus, CBI…the tools which are used to control political systems,” Gandhi said.

While Gandhi insinuated that a political alliance with Mayawati did not come to fruition because of central agencies such as ED, and CBI, it is worth noting that Congress managed to get only a 2.3 per cent vote share and lost 97 per cent of deposits in seats contested. It contested 399 seats and won only two seats.

Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) lost the deposit in 290 of the 403 seats it fought for. It managed to win only 1 seat out of more than 400 seats that were up for grabs in the assembly elections. Both, the Congress party and BSP were swept in the tsunami wave of Yogi Adityanath, who returned to power with a thumping majority as the BJP won 255 seats, well above the majority mark of 202 seats needed to form the government.

Gandhi quotes Savarkar without providing context

In his speech, the Gandhi scion also quoted Hindutva ideologue Veer Savarkar, albeit out of context, to whip up anti-government sentiments among the Dalits.

“Savarkar said in his book that I was happiest the day when I and my friends went and beat up a Muslim boy,” Gandhi said. However, he conveniently chose to gloss over the pretext that Savarkar reportedly made the comments in the wake of communal riots that led to the deaths of Hindus.

However, in his bid to demonise Savarkar, and by extension the political ideology he stood for, i.e Hindutva, Gandhi cunningly missed out on providing the context that Savarkar’s satisfaction came after communal riots had resulted in the deaths of Hindus.

What Rahul Gandhi also chooses to leave out is that India’s former PM, Indira Gandhi, had glowing words for the veteran freedom fighter. Historian Vikram Sampath in his book ‘Savarkar: A Contested Legacy’ quotes Indira Gandhi as writing: “Veer Savarkar’s daring defiance of the British Government has its own importance in the annals of our freedom movement.” Mrs Gandhi also made a personal contribution of Rs 11,000 to a memorial fund in Veer Savarkar’s name. In May 1970, Indira Gandhi’s government had also released a postal stamp honouring the freedom fighter on his birth anniversary on 28 May 1970.

Rahul Gandhi questions the existence of Lord Ram

Gandhi also questioned the existence of Lord Ram, something which has been raised by Congress every now and then. Talking about a supposed encounter he had with a BJP leader he met in the Parliament, whom he would not name, Gandhi said, ” I asked the BJP leader does he believes in the concept of rebirth. When he said no, I asked him how does he believe in Lord Ram then.”

While there is no way to verify what Gandhi said was indeed true or a part of the fabrications that he routinely comes up with to reinforce his agenda, it is noteworthy to mention that Congress and its leaders have often raised questions on the existence of Lord Ram.

In August 2020, Congress leader Kumar Ketkar denied the historical existence of Shri Ram and cast aspersions about the Hindu God being a creation of literature. In a display of sheer ignorance, the Congress leader while speaking on a news channel said, “Ram exists because of Ramayan. However, a conclusion is yet to be reached on whether Ram is the creation of history or literature. Valmiki wrote a great epic and its impact was felt both in India and abroad. But, I don’t know if He existed in history.”

In 2007, an affidavit filed by the Congress-led government read, “Valmiki Ramayana and Ramcharitmanas admittedly form an important part of ancient Indian literature, but these cannot be said to be historical records to incontrovertibly prove the existence of the characters and occurrences of events depicted therein.” The affidavit was filed to register the UPA government’s opposition to the demand to scrap the Sethusamudram project as it would damage the Ram Setu.

Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal fought the Ram Janmabhoomi case for the Sunni Waqf Board opposing the building of a magnificent Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya. He also employed dilatory tactics and asked the apex court to delay the decision in the Ram Janmabhoomi case till the 2019 elections.  Another eminent Congress leader Shashi Tharoor had earlier claimed that no ‘good Hindu’ would want a Ram Mandir at the Babri site. Tharoor urged that one should have the Ram Mandir in one’s heart. 

Rahul Gandhi talks at a book event, ends up inciting Dalits to indulge in violence: Here’s what he said

OpIndia Staff
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Rahul Gandhi talks at a book event, ends up inciting Dalits to indulge in violence: Here’s what he said

Senior Congress leader made controversial remarks during his speech at an event held today, a video of which has gone viral on the internet. In the video, Gandhi says that he would have stabbed a person if his relatives were subjected to the kind of atrocities that Dalits allegedly faced, adding that he would have killed his tormentor before committing suicide.

The video was shot today, as Rahul Gandhi was addressing a book launch event at Delhi’s Jawahar Auditorium. He was speaking at the launch of “The Dalit Truth: The Battles For Realizing Ambedkar’s Vision.” 

The stabbing remark refers to an incident to which Rahul Gandhi alluded in his speech. He was referring to the Una incident in Gujrat, in which several Dalit youngsters were reportedly beaten up by Gau Rakshaks. He told a story about visiting the victims’ families and learning that several other Dalit youngsters tried suicide in protest of the assault.

Rahul described how he went to meet the youngsters who committed suicide in order to know what was in their minds when they took this step. It is in this context that Rahul Gandhi said that he would have stabbed the person before committing suicide. Here is the full-length video of his speech in Jawahar Auditorium, New Delhi, uploaded on his official YouTube channel.

Rahul Gandhi claimed in a conversation with one of the survivors that if he were in such a position and his sister was assaulted by a gang of people, he would first murder them by stabbing them and then kill himself. “It came to my mind that if my sister was assaulted and beaten like a dog, I would’ve stabbed the perpetrators before committing suicide,” he added.

Rahul Gandhi went on to add that he advised the survivor why he had not killed the person who assaulted his brother, given he knew the identity of the perpetrator and had access to a knife. He claimed that in response to his question, the boy replied, “I cannot kill him because if I kill him, I’ll be reborn as a Dalit.”

The statements made by Rahul Gandhi in this regard are gaining rounds on the internet with people condemning his remarks. Several people condemned his statement as it is promoting violence in a democracy and it shows his irresponsible nature where he thought of killing a person rather than choosing the path of law and justice.

Uttar Pradesh: Muslim woman faces ire of her in-laws, husband for voting for BJP, being threatened with triple talaq

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Muslim woman faces ire of her in-laws, husband for voting for BJP, being threatened with triple talaq

A Muslim woman has been threatened with divorce by her husband, allegedly for voting for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the recent Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. The incident was reported in Gumnahwa village in the Balrampur district in Uttar Pradesh.

In a letter to the Superintendent of Police, the victim, Rubia, stated that her husband and his family members have been harassing her and threatening her with Triple Talaq, despite the fact that the evil practice is illegal in India. She lamented that she had pleaded with her husband Anees to consider their children before taking such a drastic step, but Anees was adamant. Rubia requested justice from the SP in her application.

Rubai said that she had voted for the BJP to show her gratitude for the free ration, various schemes and other facilities that the BJP government has provided them with since the party came to power in the state in 2017. This, she said, infuriated her husband and his family members. Since then, the husband has been threatening her with divorce. “He is ready to throw me out of the house and marry someone else. For which he is continuously threatening me with triple talaq,” Rubia said, adding that she was so fed up with the harassment that she has moved out of her husband’s house and is currently living with one of her relatives.

The victim has also filed a complaint with the regional MLA, Kailash Nath Shukla. Speaking about Rubia’s case, the MLA said that he would make sure that the victim receives all possible assistance. “No one can be harassed for exercising their voting rights”, said the MLA, adding that if what the victim was saying was true, he would make sure she got justice.

This is not the first case in Uttar Pradesh where a Muslim person has had to face the ire of his or her family members or neighbours for choosing the BJP over other political parties in the state. Ever since Yogi Adityanath returned to power, many such cases of assault and harassment have come to the fore.

On April 8, a Muslim family of Uttarakhand’s Rudrapur was at the receiving end of their neighbours’ ire for having extended their support to the BJP in the assembly elections that were held earlier this year. According to a report published in News 18, a Muslim family, including children, were severely injured by locals, who accused the family of being “Kaafir” and “betraying Islam” for supporting the BJP in Uttarakhand assembly elections. The deadly attack against the Muslim family left 4 injured, including a girl who was seriously wounded. 

Similarly, on March 21, 2022, OpIndia reported how a Muslim woman had been thrown out of the house by her in-laws allegedly for voting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the recent Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. She had voted for BJP for the work it has done, including the law against Triple Talaq and free ration to the poor. 

Ravindra Jadeja still searching for his first IPL win as captain as Chennai Super Kings slump to 4th successive loss

OpIndia Staff
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Ravindra Jadeja still searching for his first IPL win as captain as Chennai Super Kings slump to 4th successive loss

Defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) slumped to their 4th successive loss in the IPL continuing their miserable start under new captain Ravindra Jadeja. Fellow strugglers Sunrisers Hyderabad made short work of Chennai as they romped home to a comfortable 8 wickets win with 2.2 overs to spare.

In the battle of two teams without any win so far in the IPL, Chennai, put in to bat, got off to a reasonably decent start of 25 off 3 overs, but they soon lost both their openers Uthappa and Ruturaj after that. A solid, if not very spectacular partnership of 62 between Moeen Ali and Ambati Rayudu gave hopes of a big total, but once the duo departed in quick succession, they were always going to be short of a par score.

Captain Jadeja hit a couple of good blows to push the total above 150 but it was never going to be enough. For Hyderabad, Washington Sundar was the standout bowler picking 2 for 21 off his 4 overs taking crucial wickets of Uthappa and Rayudu.

Chasing 155, Hyderabad were never in trouble thanks to a solid opening partnership between skipper Kane Williamson and youngster Abhishek Sharma. The veteran Williamson took a back seat as Abhishek took it upon himself to inject momentum in the innings.

Once Williamson was dismissed at the team score of 89, any hopes that CSK may have were quickly extinguished as the new arrival Rahul Tripathi continued his good form with a stroke-filled 39 off just 15 balls. Even after Abhishek got out for 75 off 50 balls, the result was never in doubt as Tripathi and Pooran guided their team home.

If CSK still harbors any hope of defending their title, they need a quick reversal in form when they face Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Sunrisers Hyderabad will face Gujarat Titans on Monday hoping to continue their new found winning streak.

Jammu and Kashmir police arrest 13 Islamists for raising anti-India and Azadi slogans at Jamia mosque, Pakistan’s role suspected

OpIndia Staff
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Jammu and Kashmir police arrest 13 Islamists for raising anti-India and Azadi slogans at Jamia mosque, Pakistan’s role suspected

On Saturday, the Jammu and Kashmir police arrested 13 people, including two masterminds behind the raising of anti-India and Azadi slogans during Friday prayers at Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid.

According to the reports, the Jammu and Kashmir police suspect the role of Pakistan in raising anti-India slogans inside the Jamia mosque in Srinagar on Friday.

“During the initial investigation, we learnt that instructions had come from Pakistani handlers of terror outfits to disrupt the Friday prayer and create a law and order situation,” Senior Superintendent of Police Rakesh Balwal said in a statement.

The mosque in Srinagar’s old city was opened for prayers only last month ahead of Ramzan after remaining shut for almost two years.

The police have registered a case of sedition and criminal trespass against the accused.

“After the prayers, about a dozen people shouted anti-national and provocative slogans for a while…Most of the crowd remained aloof. Volunteers of the managing committee tried to stop the sloganeering and hooliganism, leading to clashes,” Balwal said.

Earlier, two of the mastermind behind the incident were arrested. They were identified as Basharat Nabi Bhat and Umar Manzoor. Basharat Nabi Bhat is a resident of Hawal in Nowhatta town of Srinagar. 

Anti-India and Azadi slogans were shouted inside Jamia mosque

On Friday (April 8), the Jamia Masjid in Srinagar reverberated with Azadi and anti-India slogans, following the Jumma Namaz. A large mob, which had gathered for the Friday prayers, was heard chanting Azadi slogans and hailing terrorist Zakir Musa.

Musa was the Chief of the terrorist group Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind and was neutralised by the Indian Army in an encounter in May 2019. Ashraf Wani, a journalist with India Today group, had shared a video clip where Islamists could be heard shouting slogans that called for secession from India.

Along with Azadi slogans, screams of “Nara e Taqbeer, Allahu Akbar” could be heard in the video clip attached by Wani. Stone-pelting was also witnessed outside the mosque, where personnel of the Jammu and Kashmir Police and Central Reserve Police Force were deployed.

Earlier, journalist Aditya Raj Kaul reported that the Jammu and Kashmir police had initiated action against those who raised pro-Islamist terror slogans inside the mosque.

China: Guard beats a dog to death over Covid fears after its owner tests positive

OpIndia Staff
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China: Guard beats a dog to death over Covid fears after its owner tests positive

On the evening of April 6, photos and a video of a corgi dog being beaten to death went viral in China sparking online fury. The dog was killed over fears it could spread Covid after its owner tested positive and was taken into isolation. The incident happened in a residential compound in the Pudong district of Shanghai.

In the viral photos and video, the dog chases after a van presumably carrying its owner to a quarantine facility. It is then chased down by the worker in full PPE kit who hits the dog with a spade 3 times, killing it on the spot. A WeChat account ‘corgi sh’ first posted about the incident which subsequently went viral on all social media platforms in China. People already frustrated with the strict covid lockdowns and food shortages in Shanghai were furious to see visuals of the worker killing the dog.

The Dog next to the van taking its owner away

Initially, it was reported that the man killing the dog was a healthcare worker, however, later reports emerged that he was a gate guard at the compound. He killed the dog after its owner tested positive for Coronavirus to try and stop the spread of the disease.

The guard with the dog he just killed

The dog’s owner has claimed the neighbourhood committee refused to help care for the the corgi, whilst the committee said it was concerned the pet could have been infected too. There has not been any confirmed cases of animals passing the virus back to humans, but they still chose to kill the dog.   

The online community in China, already frustrated with the lockdowns got really angry about this incident. Chinese social media Weibo has been abuzz with comments about the incident for the past three days.

“The man is a monster. He wants to fight Covid, but who gave him the right to kill an innocent life?” one Weibo user commented.

Another user said, “We would rather coexist with a virus than with this vicious and perverted person.”

This is not the first instance of pets being killed in China over Covid fears. In March this year, a woman from Huizhou city in Guangdong province shared a video of Covid workers beating her pet dog to death while she was in quarantine. Earlier in November 2021, there was another case of a dog being beaten to death by city workers in Shangrao in the eastern Jiangxi province because the owner was in quarantine.

Currently, all the 25 Million residents of Shanghai are under a strict lockdown as China tries to battle the latest wave of Coronavirus. Travel in and out of Shanghai has come to a standstill and the bustling metropolis wears a deserted look with only healthcare workers on the road.

Pakistan foreign minister calls opposition ‘Slaves of America’ ahead of trust vote, says history will expose those behind toppling Imran Khan govt

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan foreign minister calls opposition ‘Slaves of America’ ahead of trust vote, says history will expose those behind toppling Imran Khan govt

On Saturday, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi blamed the United States and other foreign powers for the dramatic political twist in Pakistan. Defending PM Imran Khan he said that it is now for the country’s people to decide ‘whether to live with its head held high or with its head bowed’. He also called the oppositions in the National Assembly ‘slaves of America’.

Pakistan’s parliament on April 9 began the session to take up the no-confidence resolution against Prime Minister Imran Khan, as ordered by the Supreme Court. The session was adjourned for some time, and the voting will take place at around 8 PM.

In absence of Imran Khan, Foreign Minister presented his position in the House and attacked the opposition’s move to execute a no-confidence motion against the PTI government. “It is the constitutional right of the opposition to move a no-confidence motion against the government, and it’s the government’s duty to defend it,”, he said as he slammed the opposition for allowing political interference in internal matters of Pakistan.

Qureshi further added that Pakistan’s visit to Russia was crucial for the development of the country. “This was before the Russia-Ukraine war broke out. But the visit was cancelled. US NSA had called the NSA of Pakistan and ordered us not to go to Russia. Pakistan is a sovereign state. Which nation is ordered around like this?”, he pondered in presence of 176 opposition members who were present in the assembly for the no-trust vote against Imran Khan.

The Foreign Minister stated that Pakistan PM Imran Khan has been humiliated several times at the global forums. “We want to build relations with China, Russia, America, EU, Islamic nations, Africa. We want good relations with all, that has been our policy but the US government wants to topple the PTI government. US wants to view Pakistan and India on different platforms. They said that they look at India through lens of China”, he reiterated.

Meanwhile the opposition leaders in the assembly said that Khan was using tactics to delay the no-trust motion. The SC had on Friday ordered that today’s session of the National Assembly cannot be prorogued till the vote of no-confidence against the Imran Khan’s government is held. Responding to this, Qureshi said that PTI govt is ready to face the vote today or tomorrow. While Imran Khan has still not arrived in the national assembly, the Pakistan Assembly has reconvened after a delay and said that no-trust vote to be held at 8 pm on April 9.

Pakistan’s political crisis-

Pakistan’s latest political crisis erupted last week, when Khan sidestepped the opposition’s initial no-confidence petition, a motion that had been weeks in the making and instead accused his opponents of colluding with the United States to remove him. Shehbaz Sharif, the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) and brother of former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, tabled a no-confidence motion against Imran Khan’s government in the National Assembly on March 8. The resolution of no confidence was passed against Imran Khan in the midst of surging inflation and dire economic conditions in Pakistan.

Earlier on April 3, the national assembly was scheduled to vote on the no-confidence motion against the Imran Khan govt brought by the united opposition but it was rejected by the Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri of the house. Suri read out a pre-written note and stated that the motion was inspired at the behest of an unnamed ‘foreign power’ and therefore it is unconstitutional. Minutes after that, Imran Khan announced that he had asked the president to dissolve the assembly and called for fresh elections.

Khan was of the opinion that the move by oppositions was a part of some foreign conspiracy to destabilize Pakistan and transfer power to corrupt individuals who would then operate on foreign commands. He, in his address later had said that the govt in Pakistan should be elected by people in a democratic process, not by foreign powers. After the non-confidence motion was dismissed, the opposition parties moved to the Supreme Court against the deputy speaker and the prime minister. The SC ruled to restore the National Assembly after it declared the government’s decision to dissolve the assembly unconstitutional.

Reportedly, the Imran Khan’s PTI party has filed review petition in Pakistan SC demanding operation of impugned order and voting on no-confidence motion be suspended. Khan has also urged his supporters to stage peaceful protests across the country when the new imported government comes into power on Sunday.

Environmental activism of Shiv Sena a farce: BMC to remove 1,100 trees to make way for flyover and tunnel along Goregaon Mulund link road

OpIndia Staff
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Environmental activism of Shiv Sena a farce: BMC to remove 1,100 trees to make way for flyover and tunnel along Goregaon Mulund link road

The Shiv Sena-led Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to axe or relocate nearly 1,100 trees for the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR) project, reports the Times of India.

According to the reports, BMC notices posted on trees on the Eastern Express Highway and near the Nahur railway station read that as many as 1,100 trees in the zone would be affected. Out of the 1,100 trees, at least 115 would be axed to make way for the construction of a flyover.

The uprooting work east-west connector is yet to begin, however, BMC officials said they are still unsure how many trees would be axed.

“We are yet to decide on the exact number, however, all the trees will need to go,” said Satish Thosar, the chief engineer of the BMC bridges department.

In addition to a flyover, a tunnel bypassing the Sanjay Gandhi national park will impact more trees. The BMC officials said that the rest of the trees would be affected due to road widening proposed along the Mulund-Goregaon side of the proposed road.

Meanwhile, environmental activists have voiced their concerns against the axing of so many trees to make way for infrastructure projects. Activist Zoru Bhathena said that in 80% of cases when trees are relocated, they do not survive.

“It is better if BMC relocates the trees to the end of the same proposed road itself instead of taking these to another location. However, if the trees are those that have been recently planted, their survival rate is high,” he said.

Advocate and activist Godfrey Pimenta said that environmental destruction could be irreversible. “This should not be allowed at any cost, and we will vehemently oppose it,” the activist said.

BMC has already started constructing two bridges that connect Western Express Highway with Eastern Express Highway. The total length of the road beginning from Western Express Highway in Goregaon up to Eastern Express Highway in Mulund is over 12 km.

This comes almost a month after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation had planned to chop off nearly 2000 mangrove trees to make way for bridges in the Andheri and Malad region.

However, the BMC’s decision to axe thousands of trees is, in fact, contrary to the recent stand taken by the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government, which had vehemently opposed the felling of trees to develop infrastructure projects. It is imperative to recall how the Shiv Sena govt led by Uddhav Thackeray had played petty politics over the Aarey forest ever since the Shiv Sena supremo took over Maharashtra’s chief minister’s seat.

Shiv Sena and environmental activism farce

On the one hand, the Shiv Sena-led MVA government in Maharashtra resorts to activism to cancel infrastructure projects citing environmental degradation, while the BMC sanctions axing thousands of trees to build flyovers and roads.

In December 2020, BMC also granted Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) permission to remove over 1,000 trees for Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL). As part of the plan, around 454 trees will be axed, while about 550 other trees will be transplanted for the project. MTHL, also known as the Sewri-Nhava Sheva project, will connect Sewri with Nhava Sheva in Navi Mumbai through a 22-km long, 6-lane highway bridge over the Arabian sea.

This move comes after the Shiv Sena’s “saving of the trees” in the Aarey milk colony by cancelling the metro car shed project, which was to be established there. In the run-up to the Maharashtra Assembly elections, the Shiv Sena had fiercely protested the project to save the ‘Aarey forest’. This was despite the clearance from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and the nod of the Bombay High Court (BHC).

After coming to power, the Uddhav Thackeray govt had stalled the project and, after that, allotted an alternate site. But since coming to power, the Shiv Sena-led government has allowed the axing of trees to make way for several other projects.

The ruling Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, which often advocates for eco-conservation by cancelling the metro project at Aarey on ‘concerns’ that trees are being cut, earlier took a U-turn by deciding to axe more than 300 trees for the construction of a metro line the elevated Metro-2A corridor between Dahisar and DN Nagar.

Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray has been extremely vocal on the issues of environmental conversation. The young Sena prince had opposed the BJP government’s decision to the felling of trees at Aarey Milk colony to construct a Metro shed.

However, just a month after extreme activism by Shiv Sena to impress its coalition parties – Congress and NCP, Sena exposed its hypocrisy by ordering the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation to chop down 1,000 trees for a Bal Thackeray memorial in Priyadarshini Park. Interestingly, the environmental activists, NGOs and liberals who had hit the streets to protest against the then BJP government in the state for axing the trees at Aarey colony have now suspiciously chosen to remain silent.

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