The Dakshina Kannada police have arrested an autorickshaw driver identified as Abdul Nasir for sexually harassing a minor girl.
Nasir, who was an acquaintance, used to visit her home frequently. Her parents also warned Nasir against visiting the house. According to the reports, the accused Abdul Nasir often took the minor girl to the school.
The minor victim informed her mother that Nasir sexually harassed her on her way to school. A complaint has been filed in Vittal police station, Dakshina Kannada district.
A case has been registered against the accused under the POCSO act. The police produced the accused before the court.
In a major embarrassment to Congress leader and Gandhi-scion Rahul Gandhi, the United States has refused to endorse his recent remarks against the Modi government, alleging that the centre has brought the country’s two hostile neighbours – China and Pakistan together.
Speaking in the Parliament on Wednesday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had launched a tirade against the foreign policy of the Modi government, claiming that the Union government has committed a crime of bringing China and Pakistan together.
In response to Rahul Gandhi’s remarks, the Joe Biden administration said that the United States would not endorse such comments.
To a question on Rahul Gandhi suggesting that China and Pakistan are closer than ever due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ineffective foreign policies, US Department of State Spokesperson Ned Price said, “I will leave it to Pakistanis and PRC to speak to their relationship”.
“I certainly won’t endorse those remarks,” he added.
To a question on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi ‘suggesting that China & Pakistan are closer than ever due to PM Modi’s ineffective policies’, US Dept of State Spox Ned Price: I’ll leave it to Pakistanis & PRC to speak to their relationship. I certainly won’t endorse those remarks. pic.twitter.com/ooSmjJhIPU
On Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi participated in the debate on the motion of thanks on the President’s Address. In his speech, he had claimed, “China has a plan. The Chinese have a very clear vision of what they want to do. The single biggest strategic goal of India’s foreign policy has been to keep Pakistan and China separate. What you (Centre) have done is, you have brought them together.”
He claimed that the Modi government’s foreign policy has made India isolated and claimed that New Delhi was unable to get a guest on Republic Day.
He had said that India is completely isolated and surrounded, adding that China has a clear-cut plan which they have implemented in Doklam and Ladakh.
US department cautions Pakistan
Interestingly, in the press briefing, the US State Department also cautioned Pakistan over its “partnership” with China.
Speaking to the media, Ned Price added, “We’ve made the point all along that it is not a requirement for any country around the world to choose between the United States and China.”
He added that the United States has provided choices to countries when it comes to what the relationship with the United States looks like and added that the partnership with the United States conveys a series of advantages that countries typically would not find when it comes to the sorts of partnerships that China has sought to have around the world.
“Pakistan is a strategic partner of the United States. We have an important relationship with the government in Islamabad, and it’s a relationship that we value across a number of fronts,” he added.
CNN president Jeff Zucker has stepped down from the network after failing to disclose a “consensual relationship” with a senior executive.
According to the reports, the 56-year-old Zucker said that he is resigning from the post effective immediately. In a memo to colleagues, the CNN boss said that he was “wrong” to not report the relationship as required.
The secret relationship with a colleague was discovered during an investigation into the conduct of fired CNN anchor Christopher C. Cuomo. Cuomo is being investigated over efforts to help his politician brother, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, to defend against sexual harassment allegations.
CNN had fired its top anchor Christopher C. Cuomo over his involvement in the brother’s defence in sexual harassment scandal.
Zucker, who is considered one of the most powerful media personalities in the US, said that he had worked with the colleague for over 20 years and that the relationship had “evolved in recent years”.
“I was required to disclose it when it began but I didn’t,” he said, adding, “I was wrong. As a result, I am resigning today.”
The letter written by Zucker did not identify the colleague with whom he had a relationship. However, according to reports, it is being alleged that Zucker had a secret relationship with Allison Gollust, the network’s Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer.
“Jeff and I have been close friends and professional partners for over 20 years,” Gollust said in a statement. “Recently, our relationship changed during Covid. I regret that we didn’t disclose it at the right time,” she said in a statement.
In 2012, Gollust was appointed as communicators director for Andrew Cuomo. She joined CNN the following year after only four months in that role. In her statement, Gollust added that she intends to stay at the network.
A Muslim youth named Yasin Sheikh Qureshi in Surat’s Limbayat was caught with a country made pistol. While the police are investigating for a grooming jihad angle in this case, Qureshi is suspected to be involved in another similar crime in the past as well. This arrest comes just days after the Kishan Bharwad murder case which took serious turns, as the investigations revealed a big Jihadi racket behind the same.
According to a report by Zee 24 Kalak, on a tip-off, Surat City Crime Branch arrested Qureshi with a country made pistol and three live cartridges in the Limbayat area of Surat city. The police have arrested the youth and are seeking remand for more information. Investigation revealed that Yasin Qureshi was doing chicken business in Surat city.
The Crime Branch team is probing whether Yasin Qureshi has been involved in any crime before. He was living with a Hindu girl and the police are investigating in that direction. In the police investigation, it was also revealed that Yasin Sheikh had helped his friend Sohail take away a Hindu girl near Segwa in Madhya Pradesh. A case was also registered against him in Madhya Pradesh.
It is notable that in Dhandhuka near Ahmedabad, a Hindu youth Kishan Bharwad was murdered in broad daylight for allegedly posting so-called blasphemous content on social media. The investigations, in this case, have revealed a larger conspiracy as maulanas with a history of giving problematic speeches against Hindus have been found to be involved. The connections of this Jihad network are also found to be linked with a Pakistani Islamist organization that works in association with Tahrik-E-Labbaik – a major political party in Pakistan.
Surat Municipal Corporation may lose second property to Waqf Board in just three months because of what appears to be a case of sheer negligence to update the records. Waqf Board has got stay on the demolition of illegal madarsa build on Surat Municipal Corporation land because the district administration reportedly did not update records on time.
As per local media reports, in ward no 3, city survey no 4936 and 4939 a madarsa in the name of Anwar-e-Rabbani Talim-ul-Islam is operational. Since long it has been disputed that it is built illegally on the land owned by Surat Municipal Corporation. Hence earlier, to demolish the same, the district administration had asked for police bandobast as well. However, owing to the dispute between the Waqf and trustees on the madarsa registered with the Waqf board, the police force was not arranged for.
Sources close to the development say that the representatives of the Surat Mahanagarpalika have not even bothered to appear before the court during the hearings.
As per the information obtained by zone officer, in the city survey records from 1969, this land was private property while as per the Palika town planning, this land belonged to the government. Hence, the central zone had said that back then, the private property was taken over by the corporation from town planning office but the same records were not updated in the Municipal Corporation books.
For the matter, the administration has now sought an answer from the waqf board and have given them time till 16-17 February to respond. The department has said that the first floor of the madarsa is illegal and local activists have demanded that the same be demolished.
The notice for demolition was issued on 29th December 2021. However, now that Gujarat State Waqf Board has moved tribunal court, the status quo on it would be maintained till Surat Palika gives appropriate response on the same. Madarsa is there on the land since past 60 years. Palika wants to demolish the madarsa constructed illegally and make a parking spot over it.
This is second property owned by Surat Municipal Corporation which it may lose to waqf board in just three months, mostly due to lack of updated records.
Earlier in November 2021, the Surat Municipal Corporation headquarters at Muglisara had been declared waqf property. The board had claimed that during Mughal rule of Shah Jahan, his daughter Jahanara Begum owned Surat and her confidante Ishaqbail Yazdi alias Haqiqat Khan constructed the building back in 1644 and named it Humayun Sarai. It was reportedly donated for Haj pilgrims to rest.
Waqf Board had claimed that since the property was donated by a Muslim ruler as a waqf property, the purpose does not change and hence the corporation building will be part of the waqf board. Board had cited Sharia and Supreme Court judgement to claim that ‘once a waqf property, always a waqf property’.
Every year, the directors of Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) shortlist people from around the world that they deem fit to receive the Nobel Prize. Though their list has nothing to do with the actual list of laureates that receive the prize, they have been doing it since 2002. According to PRIO’s website, their list is widely covered by the international media. This year, PRIO’s director Henrik Urdal, who has been on the post since 2017, named Harsh Mander as one of the five shortlisted candidates that he thinks would be the best fit to receive the Nobel Prize.
Source: PRIO
According to the director’s note on PRIO’s website, Mander’s campaign of Karwan-e-Mohabbat (“Caravan of Love”) that was launched in 2017 has been significantly contributing to the fight against religious extremism. The note reads, “Under Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist administration, the situation for Muslims in India has become increasingly difficult, and the country has seen numerous incidents of religiously motivated violence. Responding to this violence, author, activist and director of the Center for Equity Studies in New Delhi, Harsh Mander, launched Karwan-e-Mohabbat, a campaign supporting and showing solidarity with the victims of hate crimes.”
He further called Mander “an important voice for religious tolerance and dialogue, and his campaign an important rallying point for those who oppose interreligious conflict and violence.” Interestingly, according to Urdal, Alt News’s Mohammed Zubair and Pratik Sinha are also worthy candidates for a prize focused on “combating religious extremism and intolerance in India” as they have contributed significantly “to debunking misinformation aimed at vilifying Muslims in India.”
PRIO’s links to Open Society Foundation
According to PRIO’s annual reports, George Soros’s Open Society Foundation has funded PRIO for two consecutive years are 2019 and 2020. Under the section Sources of Income for those two years, PRIO has listed Open Society Foundation as a donor.
PRIO has listed Open Society Foundation as a donor in the annual report for 2019.
The description of the list reads, “This list is sorted by size of income and includes all those exceeding 50,000 NOK per year.” That means PRIO got at least USD 5,600 from the Open Society Foundation in 2019 and 2020. The annual report of 2021 is yet to be published by PRIO.
PRIO has listed Open Society Foundation as a donor in the annual report for 2020.
On Soros’s website, PRIO has been listed as one of the beneficiaries of the Soros grant. As per the records, PRIO has received $1,40,000 in 2017 for a two-year-term.
PRIO has received $1,40,000 as per Soros’s website.
Harsh Mander’s connection to Open Society Foundation
Harsh Mander, who has been listed as one of the deserving candidates for the Nobel Prize by PRIO’s director, has been associated with the Open Society Foundation. He has served as an Advisory Board member of the international grantmaking network founded by George Soros. His role in instigating the Anti-Hindu Delhi riots, particularly the violence around the Jamia Millia Islamia campus in December 2019, has been under scrutiny for some time now. Ironically, he had later filed a PIL in the Delhi High Court seeking the arrest of BJP leaders Anurag Thakur and Kapil Mishra for instigating violence.
Notably, George Soros has been fueling a dangerous anti-India narrative using media and ‘civil society. The Hungarian-American businessman and a self-proclaimed philanthropist who had vowed to ‘fight nationalists’ and conservative governments worldwide, which he often refers to as ‘authoritarian governments’. During the course of his life, if there is one thing George Soros has hated the most, it is India and its nationalist government led by Prime Minister Modi.
Can PRIO nominate anyone for Nobel?
PRIO is a Peace Research Institute. As per the guidelines laid down by the Nobel Committee, the director of PRIO is eligible to nominate anyone for the prize. However, according to PRIO’s website, PRIO’s director does not nominate anyone for the prize because of his active role as a commentator on the Peace Prize. It further reads, “Neither the Director nor the Institute he leads, have any form of association with the Nobel Institute or the Norwegian Nobel Committee.”
On February 2, the lawyer of social media influencer Vikar Fhathak alias Hindustani Bhau, said in a statement that his client has tendered an unconditional apology in court for allegedly instigating students to do riots. Hindustani Bhau was arrested by Dharavi Police under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, Maharashtra Police Act, Disaster Management Act and Maharashtra Prevention of Defacement of Property Act.
Mahesh Mulya, Hindustani Bhau’s advocate, said the cause was right, but it was misused and turned into a riot. He further assured his client would cooperate with the Police. The court has sent Bhau to Police custody till February 4.
Vikas Phatak alias Hindustani Bhau has been sent to police custody by the court till February 4.
ANI quoted Mulya saying, “We have tendered an unconditional apology in court. Our cause was right, we had come to support the students. Unfortunately, it was misused, and it turned into a riot. We will cooperate in the police investigation.”
We have tendered an unconditional apology in court. Our cause was right, we had come to support the students. Unfortunately, it was misused and it turned into a riot. We will cooperate in the police investigation: Mahesh Mulya, Advocate of Vikas Pathak alias Hindustani Bhau pic.twitter.com/5RXEIipaVM
On January 31, Hindustani Bhau and others were arrested by the Police for instigating students of class 10 and class 12 to protest as the government was planning to conduct offline exams for these classes. His call for a protest led to a large gathering in Dharavi and other parts of the state. Bhau was present at the Dharavi protest site. The students had gathered outside Varsha Gaikwad, State Education Minister’s house. In Nagpur, the protesting students vandalized public property, including two buses.
After this, aA case was registered against him and another person at Dharavi police station under various Indian Penal Code sections, including for unlawful assembly, rioting, abetting an offence, and negligent/malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. They were also booked under relevant provisions of the Maharashtra Police Act, the Disaster Management Act and the Maharashtra Prevention of Defacement of Public Property Act.
Hindustani Bhau had called for the protest
On January 24, social media influencer Hindustani Bhau had uploaded a video on his YouTube channel in which he had called for the protest. He said, “People have died because of Covid in last two years. Now the new drama of Omicron has begun. The government is asking people to stay inside. Why are they taking offline exams? Cancel the exams. Do not play with the lives of the students else, there will be a protest.”
In another video on Instagram, Bhau urged state education minister Varsha Gaikwad not to play with the lives of the students amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. He also urged the students to come out and protest on the roads. Following his video, thousands of students across cities in Maharashtra came out and started protesting. Hindustani Bhau himself had talked about protesting outside the education minister’s house along with lakhs of students.
On Wednesday, February 2, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha Om Birla schooled Wayanad MP and Congress senior leader Rahul Gandhi for interfering with Parliamentary norms during the debate on the motion of thanks to the President’s speech in the Lok Sabha. It was when the senior Congress leader ‘permitted’ another MP to speak in between a segment of his speech, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla lambasted the Congress politician, saying, “You can’t give permission, that’s my right.”
Speaking first from the Opposition side on motion of thanks to the President’s speech in the Lok Sabha, the Congress leader, at around 25 minutes into the video, is seen taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying “The King does not listen to anybody”.
While criticising the BJP for not listening to anyone, the Gandhi scion said, “You do not listen to anybody and even not to my dear brother and sister in the BJP. I saw my Dalit colleague speak today, Paswanji. He knows the history of Dalit. He knows who has oppressed the Dalits for 3,000 years. But he is speaking with hesitancy. He is speaking without… I am proud of him. I am proud of this gentleman. He has spoken to me what is in his heart. But he is in the wrong party. Don’t worry… ghabraiye mat,” Rahul Gandhi said as he was criticising PM Modi and the BJP government.
When BJP MP Kamlesh Paswan was mentioned by Rahul Gandhi, Paswan rose up in protest, and the House descended into chaos. Paswan made a hand gesture towards the Speaker, requesting permission to speak out of turn. Om Birla retaliated by asking him to sit down. “Nahi beech mein nahi…baad main” (No… not in between..later), Om Birla tells told leader. At this point, the Congress leader very confidently asked Paswan to stop talking and turned to Om Birla and said: “Speaker sir… I am a democratic person… I will allow him to speak.”
The visibly irked Om Birla rebuked the Gandhi scion right away, informing him that giving permission to speak in the Lok Sabha is his right and not of the Congress leader. “Aap kisi ko ijazaat nahi de sakte, yeh adhikar mera hain” (You cannot give permission to anyone, this is my right), said Om Birla, leaving Rahul Gandhi completely embarrassed.
Similar to how Rahul Gandhi was schooled inside the Lok Sabha by Speaker Om Birla, many ministers also slammed Rahul Gandhi after he replied to the debate on the motion of thanks to the President’s address in Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi opined: “He (Rahul Gandhi) is a confused, mindless leader. He said that India is not a country. He said China’s vision is very clear. Have you come here to support China? Tibet problem is because of Congress only”, Joshi said hitting out at Rahul Gandhi.
S Jaishankar attacked the Congress senior leader by saying: “In Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi said we could not get a foreign guest for Republic Day. Those who live in India know we were in the midst of a corona wave. The 5 Central Asian Presidents, who were to come, did hold a virtual summit on Jan 27. Did Rahul Gandhi miss that as well?
Similarly, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju slammed Rahul Gandhi by Tweeting: “Not only as India’s Law Minister but also as an ordinary citizen, I condemn what Mr Rahul Gandhi has said about India’s judiciary and EC. These are vital institutions of our democracy. Mr Rahul Gandhi should immediately apologise to the people, judiciary and EC.
Not only as India’s Law Minister but also as an ordinary citizen, I condemn what Mr. Rahul Gandhi has said about India’s judiciary and EC.
These are vital institutions of our democracy.
Mr. Rahul Gandhi should immediately apologise to the people, judiciary and EC. https://t.co/FJk2EPpBq5
Rijuju was responding to Rahul Gandhi’s remark where he had said that the “Judiciary, the Election Commission, Pegasus, these are all instruments of destroying the voice of the union of states.”
Externals Affair Ministry Dr S Jaishankar on Wednesday schooled senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with history lessons after he accused the Modi government of being responsible for the closer ties between China and Pakistan
Speaking at Motion of Thanks to President’s address during Budget session 2022, Gandhi accused the central government of bringing China and Pakistan together. “The single biggest strategic goal of India’s foreign policy has been to keep Pakistan and China separate. What you have done is, you have brought them together,” he proclaimed.
Responding to this allegation, Dr Jaishankar took to Twitter and shared some historical facts about the close relationship between China and Pakistan. The External Affairs Minister said Pakistan illegally handed over the Shaksgam Valley to China in 1963 while China built the Karakoram highway through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the 1970s.
In a subsequent tweet, Dr Jaishankar added that the two countries had closer nuclear ties from the 1970s onwards. He also mentioned China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which was started in 2013, a year before PM Modi came to power at the Centre.
-From the 1970s, the two countries also had close nuclear collaboration.
-In 2013, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor started.
So, ask yourself: were China and Pakistan distant then?
“So ask yourself: were China and Pakistan distant then?” EAM Jaishankar asked.
Besides, Dr Jaishankar also rebutted Gandhi for his remarks that India could not get a single dignitary for the Republic Day celebrations this year.
“Ask yourselves why you are not able to get a guest on Republic Day. Today India is completely isolated & surrounded. We are surrounded by Sri Lanka, Nepal, Burma, Pakistan, Afghanistan, China. Everywhere we are surrounded. Our opponents understand our position,” Gandhi had said.
In response to this, Dr Jaishankar said India could not get a foreign guest because the country was in the midst of a coronavirus wave. Taking a swipe at the Gandhi scion, Jaishankar tweeted, “The 5 Central Asian Presidents, who were to come, did hold a virtual summit on Jan 27. Did Rahul Gandhi miss that as well?”
In Lok Sabha, @RahulGandhi said we could not get a foreign guest for Republic Day. Those who live in India know we were in the midst of a corona wave.
The 5 Central Asian Presidents, who were to come, did hold a virtual summit on Jan 27. Did Rahul Gandhi miss that as well?
Law Minister Kiren Rijiju condemns Rahul Gandhi for raising aspersions on the integrity of the judiciary, EC
Earlier, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju condemned Rahul Gandhi’s statements and asked the Wayanad MP to apologise to the nation for raising aspersions on the integrity of the judiciary and Election Commission.
Taking to Twitter, Rijiju said, “Not only as India’s Law Minister but also as an ordinary citizen, I condemn what Rahul Gandhi has said about India’s judiciary and EC. These are vital institutions of our democracy. Rahul Gandhi should immediately apologise to the people, judiciary and EC.”
At the Lok Sabha, Gandhi had said, “The Judiciary, the Election Commission, Pegasus, these are all instruments of destroying the voice of the union of states.”
A metropolitan magistrate court at Mazgaon in Mumbai issued a summons to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday 2nd February 2022, for disrespecting the national anthem. Advocate Vivekanand Gupta, Secretary, BJP Mumbai, had filed a complaint against her on 1st December 2021 after she was seen “showing utter disrespect to the national anthem” by allegedly singing it while in a sitting position and then “abruptly stopping after 4 or 5 lines”. On 1st December 2021, Mamata Banerjee was present as a guest in a public function organized at Y B Chavan Auditorium in south Mumbai, where the incident happened.
The metropolitan magistrate has observed that Mamata Banerjee has prima facie committed an offence punishable under section 3 of the Prevention of Insult to National Honour Act, 1971. This section prescribes punishment of up to three years imprisonment or fine or both for intentionally preventing someone from singing the Indian National Anthem or causing a disturbance.
A complaint was filed in Cuffe Parade police station.
In his order, the metropolitan magistrate P I Mokashi has said “The accused was accompanied by Javed Akthar and Pawan Verma on the dais. At the end of the program, the accused started singing the national anthem in a sitting position, and later on, she stood up and sang two more verses and abruptly stopped singing and left the venue.”
The magistrate heard the case in detail before issuing the summons.
The magistrate himself watched the evidence video on a laptop and ruled that the event was not a government function or any official program, and even though she is a CM, she was not discharging her official duties. Therefore, no prior sanction is needed to proceed against her and there is no bar on the same. Advocate Gupta cited a judgment given by the Bombay High Court in February 2021 to prove that the offence is cognizable and non-bailable. The magistrate found that the evidence on record was sufficient to issue a process against the West Bengal chief minister.
The process has initiated against Mamata Banerjee under a punishable offense.
The court has now posted the matter for further hearing on March 2.
