A class 8 student was sexually assaulted inside a bus at a private bus stand in Kottayam, Kerala. The incident occurred on the afternoon of January 15, Saturday at around 1.30 pm. The accused bus conductor named Afzal (31) reportedly lured the girl inside the bus and thereafter raped her with the help of the bus driver Abin (35).
The Kottayam police in Kerala arrested Afzal of Kottayam’s Sankranthi, on charges of raping the minor. Abin, a native of Labbakkada in Idukki was arrested for aiding the conductor in committing the heinous crime. The action was taken based on the victim’s statement.
According to a report in Mathrubhumi, the Class 8 girl was a regular passenger on the bus where the two accused worked. Afzal, who is already married, got the girl to meet him alone on the bus. At Afzal’s insistence, the minor girl left school and went to the bus stop on Saturday afternoon. At 1:30 pm, Afzal reportedly alerted the bus operator that he was suffering from a fever and summoned another conductor, who was his friend. However, Afzal and his driver, Abin, decided to cancel the journey citing a shortage of passengers. Abin and the other conductor then exited the bus by closing the window shutters.
When alerted about the matter, the Pala police hurried to the scene, only to find the victim held forcefully in the bus by Afzal. The police immediately took Afzal into their custody and also apprehended Abin from the premises of the bus station. The bus was also impounded.
A case was registered based on the statement of the victim who was then taken for a medical examination and counselling.
On December 10, a man named Anil Arora was arrested in Punjab for allegedly hurting the sentiments of the Sikh community by making derogatory remarks against Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji and his father, Kalyan Chand Das Bedi. Arora was arrested from Panchkula, Haryana, on the intervening night of December 8 and December 9. The arrest pertains to a Clubhouse discussion, a voice-based social media app, where Anil Arora ended up making certain statements after provocation from several Khalistanis abusing Hindus.
Arora was reportedly on the run for over a month after an FIR was lodged against him and 3 to 4 unknown persons. When the Police team led by inspector Beant Juneja arrested him, he was trying to check into a hotel.
A total of nine persons were arrested in the case. The complaint was filed against Arora and others after an audio clip of their conversation on the Clubhouse app went viral on social media platforms. In the audio, his aide Vasu Syal, who hails from Zira, Ferozepur, made the first allegedly derogatory comment that was followed by Arora. One of the accused, Ashish Thakur, resides in the UK. Commissioner of police Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said they had initiated proceedings for the extradition of Thakur from the UK.
The FIR against Arora, who is a Hindu outfit leader and former member of Bharatiya Janata Party, on October 20 at Division 3 Police Station, Ludhiana under Sections 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) and 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). A reward of Rs 1 lakh was also announced for his arrest.
Arora was produced in court on December 9, where he was remanded for two days in Police custody. A video of Police taking Arora to court was published by Dainik Savera on YouTube in which Arora could be seen limping, making it evident he was assaulted either by the Police or the protesters. As per reports, one of the protesters who had gathered outside the court tried to hurl a shoe at him but was stopped by the Police. Arora was unable to walk properly on December 11 as well when he was presented in front of the court after two-day remand. On December 11, Arora was sent to Judicial custody.
Who were all arrested in the case?
On October 26, Police arrested Shalu Aggarwal from Panchkula, Rosy Jain and her husband Amit of Pakhowal Road, Mahesh Chander and his wife Sushma Rani of Janakpuri, and Umesh Kumar of New Guru Nanak Nagar, Mundian Kalan. All these people were arrested for providing shelter to Arora. Later on November 8, Police arrested Umesh Kumar Gandhi from Mundian Kalan, who is Arora’s distant relative and neighbour. Reportedly, Gandhi had provided financial support to Arora. Police also recovered Rs 10 lakh from Arora’s sister house that was allegedly meant for Arora.
On November 13, Vasu Syal, the accused who first made the comment on the father of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, was arrested. On November 15, Police arrested one Sanjib Sharma for helping Vasu to evade arrest. He allegedly gave Rs 20,000 to Vasu. On December 2, Syal’s voice samples were sent to a forensic lab for authentication.
FIR against Anil Arora and others
OpIndia accessed the copy of the FIR against Anil Arora and others. The complaint was filed by one Parwinder Singh Wagaira of Ludhiana. The FIR read, “A person named Anil Arora, who runs a page by the name of Anil Aroraa on Facebook, has been posting content on religious and social topics. His content is derogatory and can cause differences between Hindu and Sikh communities. Recently, the audio of Arora went viral on social media that was part of a discussion on the Club House app.”
Snapshot of FIR against Anil Arora
It further added, “In that audio, Anil Arora and his 3-4 friends talk about Guru Nanak Dev Ji and his father. They used derogatory language against Guru Nanak Dev Ji, which is unacceptable in Sikh Religion. Sikhs cannot tolerate such language. The people who follow the Sikh religion are hurt by the language. They are agitated because of Anil Arora and his friends.”
Towards the end, the complainant urged the Police to book Anil Arora and his friends, who have hurt the sentiments of the Sikh community, under the sections relevant to hurting religious sentiments and causing the riot-like situation. It added, “We request the authorities to take strict action against the accused and arrest them earliest.”
Content of the viral video that lead to the complaint against Anil Arora and others
OpIndia accessed the viral video of the alleged discussion between Anil Arora and his friends during which the comments were allegedly made. Giving the example of ISIS, one Syal said, “Before ISIS, people were not open towards talking about the atrocities of Islam. However, when ISIS started killing people and releasing videos of public beheadings, things start to change. Then came the incidents when ISIS operatives mowed down people using trucks. Now, people talk about the atrocities. I believe the more these people commit such mistakes, the more Punjabi Hindus will understand their true nature. Their crimes will lead to a lesser Hindu crowd at Gurudwaras, including Harmandir Sahib. I pray every day that these people commit such mistakes. I pray they make hundred of such mistakes every day, leading to the Hindu uprising. They are heading towards retrogressing of their religion. The day Sikhism gets wiped out from this earth, I would feel my life has achieved its goal.”
Anil Arora said, “I would counter here. As you are saying, people will stop coming to Harmandir Sahib, it is not something good. If we are happy seeing this, that means we have left our claim on the Gurus and Gurudwaras. This is what these radicals and anti-nationals want. They want to create a difference between Sikhism and Hinduism. It should not happen. Even after 1984, Congress could not create such a difference between Sikhs and Hindus. Good and bad are in every religion. If their good Sikhs, there will be bad Sikhs too. I agree we are getting disconnected from Gurudwaras. But this is not something good. We should be happy over this. It is like a family member is getting away, and if we are trying to stop him, he is attacking us. We see the family member walking towards the place where there is only darkness. We cannot celebrate it.”
After that, someone among the speakers abused the attendees that caused a verbal dispute. The person said, “Main sirf itna poochna chahta tha ki aap log [Hindus] janam se hi chu**ye ho ya ab ho gaye ho. Bas itna hi poochna tha. (I just wanted to ask you [Hindus] are ‘chu**ya’ from birth or become later. I just wanted to ask that).”
His statement irked Anil Arora and his friends. One person said, “I wish that day Kalyan Das Bedi Ji slept on time.” Anil said, “I will condoms were available that time.” Someone from the opposite group said, “Anil should not have said it. No one said Ram’s father should have used condoms.” That further triggered the speakers. Anil said, “Listen to me. If Bhindranwale’s father slept on time that night, such child would not have taken birth.”
It is evident from the video that before the disruption and abuse to Hindus, Anil Arora and the other Hindus were talking about Hindu-Sikh unity. After the provocation, unsavoury words were exchanged in which, Anil Arora and some others retaliated to the provocation. In several of these Clubhouse conversations, it becomes evident that the modus operandi of Khalistanis, Islamists, Leftists and even “liberals” is to say unsavoury and abusive things to Hindus and then, when the Hindus on the panel lose their patience and retaliate, they either selectively record the statements to create a narrative on social media or file cases, like in the case of Anil Arora.
How accused of anti-Hindu propaganda walk free
While Hindus like Anil Arora were prosecuted for what they said in retaliation to Khalistanis abusing Hindus, those who use such derogatory language against Hindu Gods and Goddesses never fear the law and walk free. OpIndia accessed several videos of Clubhouse discussions, Facebook Live videos, chat groups and YouTube videos to explore the ugly side of the internet where Hindus are mocked, threatened and demeaned every day.
First and foremost, we came across an FIR filed by one Nitin Mahajan, National Vice President of Hindu Jagriti Manch, against one TikTok account that goes by the handle Sraa_Khalistani. In his complaint, Mahajan said the mentioned TikTok user had uploaded a video on his account in which he abused Bhagwan Shiv and Maa Parvati and females of the Hindu community. He also mentioned the mobile number from which said the video was uploaded.
Snapshot of FIR filed by Nitin Mahajan in July 2020.
The complaint read, “It can be clearly seen that the aforesaid person openly hurled filthy abuses, used obscene words to “Lord Shiva and Parvati” as well as to the female of Hindu community.” Mahajan attached a copy of the video with his complaint along with the photograph of the accused. He urged the Police to initiate an investigation in the matter and file an FIR against the accused. The complaint was filed on July 7, 2020. When we checked the TikTok profile of Sraa_Khalistani, there was only one video, and the rest of the content was apparently deleted. The one video that was still there was of the Olympics Javelin throw event in which Sraa urged people to support the Pakistani player. The profile image was of Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.
Screenshot of Sraa_Khalistani’s TikTok profile. Source: TikTok
What did Sraa’s say, inviting an FIR, which was never acted upon
OpIndia accessed Sraa’s video on which the complaint was filed by Nitin. In the video, he said, “I will f**k you and your Shiva. Come here, and I will tell you, you mot**rfu**er. I will f**k your Parvati too. You have messed up everything around the world. Now I will say to you. I will teach you a lesson. See Sraa from California is here. I will r*pe your sisters.”
A Man in the background talks about how brutally he would rape the Hindu woman that his dick would come out of the woman’s belly button.
Video by Sraa_Khalistani noted under complaint by Nitin Mahajan
I will f**k you and your Shiva. Come here, and I will tell you, you mot**rfu**er. I will f**k your Parvati too. You have messed up everything around the world. Now I will say to you. I will teach you a lesson. See Sraa from California is here. I will r*pe your sisters.
A Man in the background talks about how brutally he would rape the Hindu woman that his “d*ck would come out of the woman’s belly button”.
Facebook audio of Kuldeep Singh Sandhu and his anti-Hindu rants
The second video that we came across was of Kuldeep Singh Sandhu. First, it is important to learn what was he saying in the said video in Punjabi. While abusing Hindu Gods and Goddesses and Hindu women, he said, “I will f**k your Durga Maa. I will put elephant’s d**k in your Shiv’s a*s. I will put Shiv’s d**k in your sister’s v*gina. I will put Brahma’s d**k in your mother’s v*gina. I will f**k Indra’s sister.” The video can be accessed here.
Who is Kuldeep Singh Sandhu
Kuldeep Singh Sandhu is a Khalistani sympathizer who regularly speaks against Hindus. There is a Facebook profile that goes by the name Kuldeepsingh Sandhu. The profile has the image of country-made pistols as a profile image. As per the profile, Kuldeep resides in Manteca, California in the USA and works as a truck driver. He spent some time in jail in Mumbai, Maharashtra but hails from Punjab. Some sources claim he runs Clubhouse ID Dwarka Das.
Young Kuldeep Singh Sandhu with Bhindranwale (left) Recent Photo of Kuldeep Singh Sandhu (Right)
This particular page had shared a photograph of Sandhu when he was young with Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. Posted in 2021, the image circles the young Kuldeep Singh Sandhu.
Screenshot of Facebook profile by the name Sardar Kuldeep Singh Sandhu. Source: Facebook
In the photo, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Farooq Abdulah can also be seen standing next to Bhindranwale. It is a known fact that when the Bhindranwale-led Khalistani movement was spreading in Punjab, Abdullah had made several visits to Amritsar and had met Khalistani leaders hoping they would support his separatist views on Kashmir.
Khalistanis planning Hindu genocide on Clubhouse
Another discussion that was held on the Clubhouse app has Hinduphobic content. It was being moderated by Mahaveer Singh Khileri. There were three main speakers in the 5-minute recording. their handles are PB03, Buta and Aman.
PB03: These Hindus do not have the right to speak our mother tongue. They should stick to their Hindi. They should stick to worshipping their Goddess and chant Om Bhur Bhuva Swaha.
Buta: I want to tell you something. Some time back, the business was flourishing between Punjab and Pakistan. When both sides started to make money, these people did not like it. After that, they stopped the business, fearing Punjabis would get rich. They always think worse of Punjabis. Pakistan is ready to open the Kartarpur Sahib corridor for business. But this side is ruining everything.
Aman: See, the Hindus of Punjab should not get business from Sikhs. But Sikhs do not economically boycott them. I keep urging them not to give business to Hindus. These are your enemies. They are your killers. These people write Hindi as their mother tongue but eat from the plates of Punjabis. These people kept urging their mother Indira to save them from Sikhs, claiming we destroyed them. It was them who destroyed Punjab. Then lakhs of Sikhs were killed by these Hindus using their political power. We never got any justice in their lie-filled judicial system. They say they would not allow the formation of Khalistan. Who are they to stop us? They do not have the guts to stop us. These people will see the formation of Khalistan. Khalistan will come on the map. We will throw these killer Hindus beyond Jamuna. There is nothing like Hindu-Sikh unity. People like Badal say ‘Hindu Sikh ekta nau maas da rishta’. But in reality, Punjabi Hindus are our enemies. These Punjabi Hindus will taste the reality when Bhaiyas are going to rape their women. We should not give them business. A lot of Sikhs came to Punjab after 1984, we stopped giving business to Hindus. Now Sikhs have flourished. We should continue and not give any business to Hindus. The only way to kill them is to stop giving them Lakshmi.
Khalistani handles abusing Bhawan Ram on Clubhouse
In another discussion that we accessed, Clubhouse user PB03 was also present along with other users including Bebak, Instsaar, Gill, and Thor. In this discussion, they not only abused Bhagwan, Mata Sita and other Hindu Gods and Goddesses.
PB03: Supposedly, according to them, Sita was the most beautiful woman. But Ram roamed around with monkeys and left the beautiful woman.
Bebak: The only difference between Valmiki Ramayan and Tulsidas Ramayan is that Shabri was young and beautiful in Valmiki’s Ramayan but she became old in Tulsidas Ramayan. Shabri was shown as Ram’s girlfriend.
Intsaar: When shroopnakha came, she politely asked to marry Ram, but he used derogatory language. Then he asked her to approach Lakshman. Then younger one mocked her and then cut off her nose. The story narrates Lakshman did not sleep for 14 years; instead, his wife, whom he left alone, slept. If we go by scientific logic, the only way it could happen is if they beaten up Urmila (Lakshman’s wife) and she went into a coma. If he can cut off a woman’s nose, beating his wife is no big deal. Who sleeps for 14 years?
Gill: They went on a honeymoon. This stupid Lakshman did not leave them alone there as well. He should have let them enjoy.
Bebak: There are 400 versions of Ramayan. In one of the versions, when Lakshman did not go to save Ram, Sita accused him of having feelings for herself.
Thor: I have a question. If Sita asked Ram to hunt the deer, shouldn’t vegans come out and call it?
Intsaar: When Sita told Ram she saw a golden deer, he asked her if she was high as golden deers did not exist, but Sita insisted that Ram should go and hunt it. I think it was some goat covered in curry, which Sita thought was a golden deer. After that, sita accused Lakshman and called him lascivious. Then he drew a line outside and ordered her not to cross. It was patriarchy.
Gill: Let’s come to Swayamvar. See the resume of Ravan. He had a private jet. He had conquered the three lokas. And these two were sarpanch of a small village named Ayodhya. What kind of story was it?
Bebak: I don’t understand one thing. How can they call Indra a God? If someone in my community had a character like him, we would have boycotted him. And these people call him a God. If I give you an example in today’s context, Indra is like a teacher who has sexual desires towards your sister who is studying in the school. There is nothing cheaper than this.
Khalistanis abusing Bhagwan Krishna and Arjun
The next Clubhouse discussion we came across had multiple speakers who abused Bhagwan Krishna.
Tony: Krishna’s father said, don’t kill her, kill the children.
Peobahman: If they had such advanced science that they had aircraft, they could have got Vasudeva’s vasectomy done.
Tony: Na hota bans na bajti bansuri.
Mahaveer: Google Kunti Bhoj on Google. Karan was born by Kunti Bhoj.
Peobahaman: They call Arjuna their hero. They have even built tanks on his name. That fucker became impotent, tied a saree, and became transgender for a year.
Sher: When Krishna died, Arjuna took his Gopis away when Bheels attacked. Arjun could not save them. The reason was when he became impotent for a year, his mind was set on the fact that impotents don’t fight. That’s why he did not save the women.
Tony: Even during the war, he killed everyone using dishonest ways.
Punjabi language is old and it attacks Manuvad
In this Clubhouse discussion, they alleged the word Hindu has been used nowhere in the old scriptures and tried to defame RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. The clubhouse user who goes by the name “Pahadbook” said, “Mohan Bhagwat brings the Hindu word every 3-4 months. Hindu word has never been used in any scripture. I am researching the Punjabi language. We think it came into existence 400-500 years ago. I am trying to write a book on the Punjabi language. I am collecting evidence. The Pali language is written on the Ashok pillars. When you match it with Punjabi and then match it with Sanskrit, you will realize Samrat Ashok used a similar language as Punjabi. The roots are much older. It attacks Manuvad. Our language is ancient. It goes back to Mohanjodaro.”
The curious case of Mahaveer Singh Khileri
Before moving ahead, first, it is essential to learn about the content of the Clubhouse discussion where Mahaveer was a prominent speaker and was planning a Hindu genocide. He discussed how in 2016, a plan was hatched to convert Jaat Hindus to Sikhism under the leadership of one Ashok Sheoran and a few others. According to Mahaveer, the movement is progressing at a good pace. We found multiple posts on Facebook by Mahaveer in which he proudly published information on such conversions.
Source: Facebook
Source: Facebook
Source: Facebook
Jaat: I follow you on Facebook. I am amazed how many Jaat have converted to Sikhism.
Mahaveer: Yeah, a lot of them have converted. It is all because of Ashok Sheoran. It was planned five years ago by Ashok and a few others. It is going successful.
Jaat: I lived in Gokul for three years. I saw in Mathura as well a Jaat converted to Sikhism.
Mahaveer: It was decided in March 2016. There was a movement in which some Jaat youth lost their lives. There was a meeting after that in which it was decided we would walk on this path only. Sheoran went to the Singhu border as well. He talked from the stage there. But then, Singhu border protesters did not allow him on stage.
Jaat: If such good looking, well-built community embraces Sikhism, it is to our benefit.
Mahaveer asks Ashok Sheoran to speak.
Ashok: I am nobody to start. It is because of Guru Maharaj. I am ready for anything.
Towards the end, Mahaveer asked Ashok to work for Mission Uttar Pradesh to which Ashok said he would do whatever he could.
Who is Mahaveer Singh Khileri?
Mahaveer Singh Khileri, aka Mahaveer Prasad Khileri, made headlines in 2018 when he allegedly made baseless allegations against BJP workers and leaders. YouTube and Aam Aadmi Party’s dedicated pupil Dhruv Rathee had come to his support and published a propaganda-based video to paint a bad picture of BJP and its Karyakartas. Vikas Pandey, who was named by Mahaveer in the allegations, had filed a defamation case against Rathee. Details of the case can be read here.
Allegations of misuse of funds against Mahaveer Khileri
His anti-India and anti-Hindu propaganda is not the only controversy he has created. People from his side have alleged he misappropriated funds received for the conversion work. A person named Ashish Singh Rana shared a post on Facebook and detailed out the alleged scam Mahaveer was involved in.
Rana said, “Mahaveer Khileri, resident of Sujangarh village in Churu, Rajasthan, who calls himself the head of Sikh Mission in Rajasthan, is a scamster and his wrong deeds are now in the open. His followers claim he is innocent, but I have published the Western Union slip that showed he received Rs 1 lakh from Germany. I am now showing the bank statement of a Sikh from the USA who had sent him Rs 1.7 lakh. The money was sent to him on September 3, 2021.”
Western Union slip shared by Rana.
Second Western Union Slip shared by Rana.
OpIndia tracked the transfer using the sender’s and receiver’s names on Western Union. It shows that the money was picked up.
Western Union’s tracking system shows the money was picked up. Source: Wester Union.
He further alleged Mahaveer siphoned of approx Rs 40 lakhs by claiming he runs Sikh Mission Rajasthan. Rana added, “Mahaveer claims he runs Sikh Mission Rajasthan, but it is a registered body affiliated with SGPC. No one has the right to use its name to collect money. He has siphoned off approx Rs 40 lakhs by using the organisation’s name.” He said, “He shows he is a poor person and rears goats, but in reality, he has siphoned off hard-earned money of Sikhs and used it for prostitution and alcohol etc.”
Discussion where Khalistani promoted Khalistani sympathizer Pieter Friedrich
In this discussion, a person named Bhajan talked in detail about the plans of the Khalistani uprising in Punjab and how they could use alleged Christian persecution in India to weaken Hindutva. He urged the listeners to read a book published by Khalistani sympathiser Pieter Friedrich who was named in Greta Toolkit case as well. Friedrich had worked extensively with anti-India forces and he has been on security agencies’ radar for a long time.
Bhajan: If you want to understand what is happening outside India, I will urge you to read the book written by [Khalistani sympathiser] Pieter Friedrich. Sikh Caucus: Siege in Delhi, Surrender in Washington. It is a very factual book. The responsibility is a lot on Sikhs living outside India. There are a lot of Gurudwaras. They can put pressure on India. It is a lie that they cannot pressure the Indian government. No one is talking about Christian persecution. We should talk about it more. It will help in weakening Hindutva.
Bhajan extensively talked about how Gurudwaras could help in propagating Sikh Nation theory and urged everyone to use the places of worship to promote Sikh Nation (Khalistan).
From these conversations, it is evident that Clubhouse is a platform that is being used extensively by Khalistanis and Islamists to undermine the interests of India and abuse Hindus extensively. In fact, there have been several instances where out of context videos of Hindus retaliating to provocation such as these have been made viral to target Hindus further. In the case of Anil Arora as well, he was arrested on the basis of a clip where he had made certain statements, however, statements provoking Hindus that were made right before the comments against Sikhs were made were craftily cropped and hidden from getting out. Once Hindus retaliate to extreme provocation, their videos are either made viral or the individuals arrested, while those who made derogatory comments against Hindus often go scot-free.
Note: This is the first report in the series where OpIndia will expose Khalistani sympathizers who regularly run anti-Hindu and anti-India propaganda on social network websites.
Ahead of the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that a grand statue made of granite will be installed at India Gate in his remembrance. “At a time when the entire nation is marking the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, I am glad to share that his grand statue, made of granite, will be installed at India Gate. This would be a symbol of India’s indebtedness to him,” Tweeted the PM on Friday, January 21.
At a time when the entire nation is marking the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, I am glad to share that his grand statue, made of granite, will be installed at India Gate. This would be a symbol of India’s indebtedness to him. pic.twitter.com/dafCbxFclK
PM Modi also informed in his subsequent Tweet that until the statue is completed, a hologram of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose will be present at the same place. “Till the grand statue of Netaji Bose is completed, a hologram statue of his would be present at the same place. I will unveil the hologram statue on 23rd January, Netaji’s birth anniversary,” Tweeted the Prime Minister.
Till the grand statue of Netaji Bose is completed, a hologram statue of his would be present at the same place. I will unveil the hologram statue on 23rd January, Netaji’s birth anniversary. pic.twitter.com/jsxFJwEkSJ
The statue will be installed near the Amar Jawan Jyoti at the India Gate complex.
Measures undertaken by the Modi Government to immortalise the legacy of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose
Since coming to power, PM Modi has undertaken various measures to immortalise the legacy of Netaji and the INA. Last year, in his reply to the Motion of Thanks by President Ram Nath Kovind in Rajya Sabha, PM Narendra Modi referred to freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose as the ‘First Prime Minister’ of India. Earlier, the Indian government announced that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary will be celebrated as ‘Parakram Diwas’ every year.
In January 2019, PM Modi had inaugurated a museum of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose at the Red fort.
PM Modi renamed three Island of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of Bose had hoisted the national flag at Port Blair. The Ross Island was renamed to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Island, Neil Island to Shahid Dweep and Havelock Island to Swaraj Dweep. A Rs 75 commemorative coin was also released to mark the 75th anniversary.
Last year, speaking at the Victoria Memorial Hall, PM Modi remarked, “I sometimes wonder how Netaji would have felt had he seen how a new and strong India is taking shape. From the LAC to LoC, the world is witnessing a strong India that was once envisioned by Netaji. India today is giving a befitting reply wherever attempts are made to challenge its sovereignty.”
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and his ouster from the Congress
While a lot is known about Netaji’s contribution to the freedom struggle, it is pertinent to remember that it was Bose who envisioned the modern India we see today. He had founded the Indian National Army also known as the Azad Hind Fauj.
Bose had been elected as the president in the Haripura session of Congress in 1938. Bose had been advocating opposition to the British government’s federal scheme as per the Government of India Act 1935. He had been proposing a mass movement for ‘Purna Swaraj’, unlike other elements within the party which were in favour of accepting the new concessions from the British. However, the old guard, including Mahatma Gandhi, refused to heed to his words. Therefore he contested for re-election to the presidency of the next annual Congress session that was to be held in Tripuri.
Unlike today’s Congress party, there were real elections to the post of the president during that time. He won against Gandhi’s candidate Pattabhi Sitarammayya (1,575 to 1,376 votes). In response, the entire CWC (Congress working committee) resigned. Thereafter, he was shunted out of the Congress party because he had the charisma and ability to win an election against the wishes of Mahatma Gandhi.
Netaji’s death remains a mystery
The provisional government of the Azad Hind (1943-45) had a cabinet headed by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose who was the Head of the State, the Prime Minister and the Minister of War and Foreign Affairs. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose mysteriously disappeared after a Japanese plane allegedly carrying him crashed in Taiwan on 18th August 1945. It is believed he died of third-degree burns. However, it was never confirmed.
As his last days remain a mystery, there are several theories about his whereabouts and actually what happened to him. Some people have claimed that Netaji Bose was in Russia till at least 1968. BJP leader Subramanian Swamy had even claimed said that Stalin was instrumental in “murdering” Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, who didn’t die in 1945 in a plane crash. He had also said that Bose was kept in a Russian prison before his murder, and PM Jawaharlal Nehru was aware of this.
Due to such claims, India had asked Russia to find out if they have any information regarding Bose.
Uttar Pradesh had essentially contributed to the states which would once be included in the word BIMARU which literally means sick. But in Indian polity, the word was used to imply how states of the Hindi heartland are underdeveloped and hence being an obstacle in national growth. This acronym was coined by Ashish Bose in the eighties. The word was popularly used to abbreviate Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. It must be noted that in the eighties and nineties when the word was most popular, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, and Jharkhand were carved out of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar respectively.
So this all put together is home to almost half of the Indian population which would then usually seek growth opportunities out of the states, especially in cities like Delhi or Mumbai. UP, even after the formation of Uttarakhand, has been the largest contributor to this so-called mess. But after Modi became the Prime Minister in 2014 and especially after Yogi joined him as the state CM in 2017, the situation has drastically changed. Uttar Pradesh is scripting an altogether different story of development and the road to glory the state is aspiring to reach is negotiated along the lengths and breadths of the iconic network of the expressways the Modi-Yogi duo is building in Uttar Pradesh, not to forget the special attention put in by Nitin Gadkari, the union minister for Road Transport and Highways.
Yogi’s UP : Road to Development
The state which was once ill known for its bad public services including basic infrastructures is changing very rapidly under the workaholic leadership of Yogi Adityanath. Of all the things Yogi had taken on priority since assuming the charge of the CM post, roadways top the chart. The state has now become the one to have the longest of the expressways and is now called Expressway Pradesh.
When Yogi Adityanath assumed the CM office, he had received in legacy from the former CM Akhilesh Yadav, an incomplete stretch of a highway between Agra and Lucknow which would connect the state capital to the Agra Delhi highway which is also known as the Yamuna Expressway, thereby connecting Lucknow to the National Capital Region via a rapid transport amenity. Yogi not only completed the remaining works of the 302KM long Agra Lucknow expressway but with the help of the BJP government in the center, he went on to add another 641KM of expressways in the state.
The network of the highways is spread such that no corner of the state remains remote for either the state capital or the national capital. The biggest state of the country now has the longest of the expressways. The highway web includes Yamuna Expressway, Agra Lucknow Expressway, Purvanchal Expressway, Bundelkhand Expressway, Gorakhpur Link Expressway, and coming soon is the grand Ganga Expressway. The tally comes to be around 1800KM and no other state has this much length of the expressways. Besides Yogi Adityanath government in the state is stepping ahead rapidly to complete its 15000KM rural road network project. With all the tehsil places already connected to a two-lane road, and rich water resources in the state, Uttar Pradesh attracting most of the FDIs has become more than obvious.
The Yamuna Expressway
In 2001, there was a BJP government in Uttar Pradesh. Current defence minister Rajnath Singh was the chief minister of the state in that government. This government led by Rajnath Singh came up with the idea of reducing travel time between Agra and Delhi. But the project could not start because of the frequent changes of the Uttar Pradesh state government till 2003. The project was reinitiated in 2007 when Mayawati became the chief minister of the state. It was scheduled to complete in 2010 but it took 2 years more than the scheduled time. It was completed in May 2012 and the then chief minister Akhilesh Yadav inaugurated it in August 2012. It is very important to revisit this whole timeline because what followed in the Yogi Adityanath government is very different than this. Yogi Adityanath government is paying keen attention to completing the projects within stipulated time periods. The budgets of the projects are also revised that too on the lower side saving the taxpayers’ hard-earned money. The project cost for Yamuna Expressway was Rs. 13000 Crores.
The Agra Lucknow Expressway
The 302KM long Agra Lucknow Expressway was built in Akhilesh Yadav’s tenure as the CM of the state. The foundation stone was laid in November 2014 while the expressway was opened for heavy vehicles in December 2016. Akhilesh Yadav had projected this highway as one of the major works his government had accomplished. But later when Yogi Adityanath became the chief minister he had pointed out the incomplete patches of the work. It was as late as January 2018 that the toll collection started on this road. The total cost of this project was Rs. 11526 Crore excluding the land costs. This expressway cut down the travel time between two cities from five and half hours to three hours. Due to this expressway, anyone in the state capital Lucknow could now reach Delhi within six hours, as from Agra, the Yamuna Expressway was already functional.
Barely after the four months of its inauguration, this work came under Yogi Adityanath’s scanner as there were some alleged irregularities in the land deals executed for this project in Akhilesh Yadav’s tenure. Farmlands were allegedly passed as lands for residential areas in order to get higher rates of compensation. Besides, accidents on this highway had tarnished the hype Akhilesh Yadav created about this road. Crash barriers were erected on one side of the road. After Yogi Adityanath became the CM when works for other new highways started, lacunae in this highway were also taken care of and crash barriers were added in the road divider also.
The Purvanchal Expressway
One of the major game-changers in both the politics and economy of Uttar Pradesh is the Purvanchal Expressway which is conceived, built, completed, opened to the public, and started to operate in Yogi Adityanath’s tenure. The longest expressway in the country is 340KM long and the total project cost is Rs. 22494 Crore. The foundation stone was laid down by PM Narendra Modi in July 2018. The construction work started in October 2018. The Purvanchal Expressway was opened for the public on 16th November 2021 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated it.
This speed and scale of work have connected eastern parts of Uttar Pradesh straight to the National capital. The expressway stretches from Lucknow to Ghazipur. Its farthest end is in Hyderiya of Ghazipur district which is not too far from the Bihar border. The route of this expressway passes through Barabanki, Amethi, Sultanpur, Ayodhya, Ambedkar Nagar, Azamgarh, Mau, and Ghazipur. It must be noted that Rahul Gandhi once used to be the MP from the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency and Akhilesh Yadav is the incumbent MP from Azamgarh. Afzal Ansari, brother of notorious criminal Mukhtar Ansari is the current MP from Ghazipur. But the Purvanchal expressway is set to change the very identity of this region.
Earlier, it took 6 hours from Lucknow to reach Ghazipur. Now the time is reduced to 3 hours. The minimum tender for this project was 5.19% less than the actual estimated cost and this has benefitted the Uttar Pradesh Expressways and Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) with a profit of Rs 614 Crores. This expressway is set to bring the produce of the connected districts to cities like Lucknow and further send it easily to Delhi. The markets for raw goods will be connected to industries and thus, this highway will play a key role in boosting the economy of the state. This six-lane expressway is expandable into an eight-lane expressway.
The Gorakhpur Link Expressway
Yogi Adityanath had been the MP of Gorakhpur five times in a row from 1998 to 2017. He knows the challenges faced by the region very well. To connect the region with the mainstream developing areas of the state, he had conceived the idea of the Gorakhpur Link Expressway which connects four districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh to the iconic Purvanchal expressway. These four districts are Gorakhpur, Ambedkar Nagar, Azamgarh, and Sant Kabir Nagar. The actual construction of this highway started in February 2020 and it is scheduled to complete by the end of April 2022.
The Bundelkhand Expressway
Previous governments were very vocal about announcing various schemes for Bundelkhand but nothing great actually happened on the ground. No project made in Lucknow could reach Bundelkhand as reaching somewhere needs good road connectivity in the first place. The Bundelkhand expressway is a 296KM long project which starts at Bharatkoop in the Chitrakoot district and meets the Agra Lucknow expressway at Kudrail village in Etawah district. By this highway, the remotest part of Bundelkhand is now directly connected to Delhi. This four-lane expressway which is expandable into a six-lane expressway covers seven districts viz Chitrakoot, Banda, Mahoba, Hamirpur, Jalaun, Auraiya, and Etawah.
The transparent e-tendering process for this expressway has again benefitted UPEIDA as the minimum tender for the project has come down by about 12.72% from the estimated cost thereby saving Rs. 1132 Crores. The main carriageway of the expressway is opened in December 2021 and the expected time of completion of the project is March 2022.
The Ganga Expressway
The 594KM long Ganga expressway is Yogi Adityanath’s dream project. It starts in Meerut district and terminates at Prayagraj. It covers twelve districts viz Meerut, Hapur, Bulandshahar, Amroha, Sambhal, Badaun, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Pratapgarh, and Prayagraj. It will be a six-lane highway which can further be converted into an eight-lane highway. More than 60% of the land for this expressway has been acquired and the bid for this project will soon take place.
Uttar Pradesh is now The Expressway Pradesh
Inaugurated in 2018, the ‘Agra Lucknow Expressway’, recently completed 340KM long Purvanchal the upcoming 296 km long ‘Bundelkhand Expressway’, 91 km long ‘Gorakhpur Link Expressway’ and 594 km long ‘Ganga Expressway’ will change the entire picture of Uttar Pradesh. After completion of all these, a network of 1788 km long expressway will be laid in Uttar Pradesh, whereas at present a network of 2049 km expressway is laid all over India. So Uttar Pradesh in true sense will soon become the Expressway Pradesh of India.
Rural Connectivity
It is not that roads are being built only in big cities or expressways are being built to show the world. Yogi Adityanath’s government has so far constructed 15,000 km of roads in rural areas only. The work of strengthening connectivity and infrastructure is going on more rapidly in the villages. The construction of 15,246 km of roads in 5 years breaks the records of all the previous governments. Tehsil and block level offices are being connected by wide two-lane roads. This is also benefiting the farmers, who can travel far and wide with their produce. The common people also benefit by connecting the villages with the cities through good roads.
The Yogi government has identified 1557 ‘revenue villages’ and to connect them with cities, 1763 km of roads are being constructed for Rs 1114 crore. So far 1546 ‘revenue villages’ have been connected through 1740.24 km of roads. Also, 1717 villages have been connected with major highways through 2173.60 km of roads by spending Rs 1407 crore.
Apart from this, 33 ‘revenue villages’ have been connected by spending Rs 14.35 crore by constructing 29 km of roads under ‘Mukhyamantri Samagra Gram Vikas Yojana’. There were 26 such tehsil headquarters that were not connected by two-lane roads. For this, 270 km of roads were built and Rs 387 crore was spent on it. Similarly, 144 block headquarters are being connected through roads of 1282 km, in which Rs 2088 crore is being spent. Pothole free roads are Yogi’s mantra to ensure the quality of the work being done.
The Impact of the roadways development
The very first tangible benefit of all these roadways projects to the people of Uttar Pradesh is the reduction in travel time and savings of precious fuels. All the districts on average need three hours less to reach Lucknow than the time it took earlier. The remotest parts like Ghazipur and Chitrakoot are also directly linked to the national capital through a series of expressways. The roads are a boon to the agro products as the agro products, in general, have a lower shelf life and these products can now reach the market before getting perished.
Uttar Pradesh Expressways and Industrial Development Authority is focussing to connect all the projected industrial clusters through the roadways network which will connect the raw material producers, process manufacturers and markets with each other. This is why Uttar Pradesh is attracting record FDIs ensuring industrial development in the state. Real estate prices in the areas near the highways are already shooting up. Auraiya has an NTPC power plant and GAIL’s gas-based petrochemical complex, which will benefit from the commissioning of ‘Bundelkhand Expressway’
The road connectivity will bolster the other development projects in the state such as new medical colleges, AIIMS and weapon factories which are to be set up in the Defense Corridor planned to be built in the state. The expressways built in Yogi Adityanath’s tenure cover more than thirty districts of the state. The state government has undertaken the initiative of one district one product. By this initiative, one special local product from every district will be patronized and promoted by the government. Roadways connectivity is a key step in order to make these special local products popular in the outer markets.
The terminal end of the Purvanchal expressway is at a distance of 18KM from the Bihar border. With the Bihar government extending their highways network to the state border, Lucknow and Patna can soon be connected with expressways. Therefore these expressways are connecting Bihar with Delhi through state of the art rapid transport amenities. Development projects and highways made in the BSP and SP governments were mostly centred in the western UP. But Yogi Adityanath’s government has ensured that Purvanchal and Bundelkhand come into the mainstream development. The Ganga Expressway when completed will become the heartline of the state as it will be built at a distance of 10KM from the banks of river Ganga which gives a strong backup to the waterways within the state.
Uttar Pradesh has been the house for many places of dharmik and spiritual importance. Taking this into consideration, railways have already started projects like Ramayana Express which received a very good response from the pilgrims. Similarly UP tourism department is focussing on Ramayana Circuit and Buddha Circuit for tourism. Road connectivity is a major boost for these initiatives.
Committed Leadership
Along with the state chief minister Yogi Adityanath, the whole central government has been very keenly interested when it comes to developing Uttar Pradesh. So far the development of the roadway is concerned, Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Highways Development and Transport, has said that in the coming future, roads in Uttar Pradesh will compete with those in America. This comparison by the minister who has so far walked his talk holds more importance in the times when Congress leaders are still seen promising of the roads smoother than the cheeks of film actresses. Gadkari has said that his department has already spent a fund of Rs. 3 Lakh crores for roads in UP and they are looking forward to spending Rs. 5 Lakh crore more for the upcoming development projects.
PM Narendra Modi who had rallied in Uttar Pradesh in the last month for inaugurating various projects and laying foundation stones of different upcoming projects has shown his full faith in the state leadership especially the chief minister Yogi Adityanath on various occasions. His whole focus has been to explain to the people of Uttar Pradesh the benefits they are getting from what he calls the double engine government that is a BJP government both in the state and the centre.
Uttar Pradesh is all set to play a major role in Narendra Modi’s New India.
Dr Marri Channa Reddy (MCR) HRD Institute Hyderabad, an institute headed by the Telangana CM K Chandrasekhara Rao has launched a special foundation course for All India Services and Central Civil Services officers. The institute has invited American citizen Siddharth Varadarajan, the founding editor of the left-wing propaganda portal The Wire who wanted the US to put sanctions against India as one of its guest lecturers.
Netizens have been criticising the Telangana government-run institute’s panel selection for the course, which will begin on January 17, 2022, and run until April 28, 2022. A user shared the event schedule to highlight how the Telangana institute which is headed by the CM himself has invited Siddharth Varadarajan “who runs propaganda against India and Hindu” in the central Training Program for IPS/IFoS and other civil servants.
Tagging Dr Jitendra Singh, the Minister of State for the Ministry of Science and Technology, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the Department of Personnel & Training in his Tweet, the user raised concerns on how a govt aided institute was encouraging the anti-India propagandist by including him in the panel.
S Varadarajan who runs propaganda against India and hindu is being called today in central Training Program for IPS/IFoS and other civil servant. @DrJitendraSingh @DoPTGoI@AmitShah this man wants US to put sanction in India. pic.twitter.com/jdzDOn1OtC
“हम ने जिनकी याद में रो रो के टब भर दिए, वो आए और मस्त नहा धो के चल दिए।” Siddarth Varadarajan is going to train our officers. Of course, veteran journalists like @anantvijay or @KanchanGupta da do not have that kind of scientific temper which Nehru cultivated in Siddarth ?? pic.twitter.com/szoSmHLzkZ
A closer look at the event schedule of the first week reveals that the Telangana institute has invited the far-left Siddharth Varadarajan on January 21 to address the trainees. He will be speaking virtually on the ‘role of media, including social media in present-day society.’
The Week-1 event schedule being conducted by the Dr Marri Channa Reddy (MCR) HRD institute Telangana
The Week-1 event schedule being conducted by the Dr Marri Channa Reddy (MCR) HRD institute Telangana
Dr Marri Channa Reddy (MCR) HRD Institute Hyderabad is also one of the 11 Statutory/Autonomous bodies of Andhra Pradesh.
The official website of the institute, states that the Government of Andhra Pradesh had established the Institute as Institute of Administration (IOA) in the year 1976 to cater to the training needs of the State Government Officials. The nomenclature of the Institute has been changed twice so far. In the first instance, in the year 1997, the Institute of Administration was re-named as Dr M Channa Reddy Institute of Administration. Later, in 1998, it was again re-christened as Dr Marri Channa Reddy Human Resource Development Institute of Andhra Pradesh.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao is the institute’s chairperson. Other members of the board of governors include the state’s finance, transportation, and sports ministers, as well as a number of other state officials.
Dr M Channa Reddy Institute of HRD is headed by the Telangana CM
It is notable here that The Wire’s founder Siddharth Varadarajan is a habitual fake news peddler and is often found sharing misinformation and toxic biased views against India.
Recently, sharing an interview by Gregory Stanton, president of ‘Genocide Watch’, to Karan Thapar for The Wire, the founding editor of the leftist propaganda website had openly asked the US to place sanctions on India. ‘US Congress Must Pass Resolution Warning India Against Genocide, Biden Must Tell Modi Ties Will Suffer’, Siddharth Varadarajan had Tweeted.
Varadarajan’s tweet endorsing sanctions against India
Siddharth Varadarajan, fake news and his previous run-ins with the Uttar Pradesh government
In April last year, The Wire Founder-Editor had mischievously latched on to the same fake news that the ‘Logical Indians’ handle had apologised for just a day ago, in his attempt to malign the Kumbh Mela. Interestingly, even after The Logical Indian apologised for spreading fake news, Siddharth Varadarajan took to Twitter to spread the same fake news and even demand that other media houses join in.
In January 2021, a complaint was registered in Uttar Pradesh against The Wire Editor Siddharth Varadarajan for publishing and circulating false propaganda with intent to cause violence after he had tweeted an article void of any facts pertaining to the death of a rioter during the tractor rally.
The complaint was registered against Varadarajan under Section 153B and 505 of the IPC in Rampur police station for trying to instigate the crowd by peddling false information about the death of a rioter named Navreet Singh, who had died during the tractor rally after his tractor turtled.
In fact, after the FIR was filed against Siddharth Varadarajan for spreading fake news in a bid to shield the Tablighi Jamaat, several ‘liberals’ had come out to cry Freedom of Expression and even threatened the Yogi Adityanath government with USA pressure to ensure that the case against Varadarajan was withdrawn.
In April 2020, two FIRs had been registered against The Wire Founder-Editor Siddharth Varadarajan for spreading fake news against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Varadarajan, in a bid to whitewash the deeds of Tablighi Jamaat, had wrongly attributed a fake quote to the UP CM.
Mrityunjay Kumar, the media advisor to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, had informed that despite the warning from the state government, Varadarajan neither deleted the false article and nor apologised for the same. Therefore, an FIR had been registered against him.
On 21st January 2022, Morning Consult Political Intelligence, a US-based data intelligence company, reported that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s approval rating is the highest among world leaders. The approval rating chart by Morning Consult conducted this survey for 11 world leaders, including PM Narendra Modi, President Joe Biden and others. According to Morning Consult, PM Modi has an approval rating of 71%.
Morning Consult approval rating
According to the list of 11 world leaders surveyed by Morning Consult, PM Modi has the highest approval rating of 71%.
A distant second in approval ratings was Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, the President of Mexico, with an approval rating of 66%. Third in that list was Mario Draghi, the Prime Minister of Italy, with an approval rating of 60%.
Interestingly, President Joe Biden of USA had an approval rating of only 43%.
According to the graph of PM Modi’s approval rating historically, he was at his lowest in June 2020 when it was at 63%, still higher than other world leaders.
Morning Consult approval rating graph of PM Modi
“The latest approval rating is based on data collected from January 13 to 19, 2022. Approval ratings are based on a seven-day moving average or adult residents in each country, with sample sizes varying” by the demographic,” Morning Consult Political Intelligence mentioned on its website while explaining the process of voting the most popular political leader. It is pertinent to mention that this is not the first time PM Modi was voted the most popular leader. In May 2020, he topped the list with 84% popularity. However, in May 2021, the approval rating dipped to 63%. Although, in September 2021, PM Modi was again ranked the most approved global leader.
According to Morning Consult, they conduct more than 11,000 daily interviews globally about leadership approval. They also daily interview 4,000 registered voters in the US for the approval rating of the US president. Daily global survey data is based on a 7-day moving average of all adults in a given country with a margin of error of between +/- 1-3%.
The Supreme Court agreed to hear a case on Thursday seeking the quashing of the Centre’s orders refusing to renew or revoke FCRA registration of various NGOs who failed to justify their donations. Kilari Anand Paul, an Indian Evangelist based in the United States, has made the appeal.
The case filed by US-based NGO Global Peace Initiative, headed by Kilari Anand Paul, is scheduled for hearing on January 24 by a bench consisting of Justices AM Khanwilkar and Dinesh Maheshwari.
The plea asks the Supreme Court to urge the Central government to exempt ‘humanitarian’ organisations from the purview of FCRA.
Kilari Anand Paul’s NGO argued before the Supreme Court that NGOs played a critical role in reaching out to people and assisting the country during the Covid pandemic and that suspending the licenses of nearly 6000 NGOs at this time would thwart relief efforts and result in the neglect of aid to poor and needy.
“List this matter on January 24 2022, before the appropriate Bench. As prayed, liberty is granted to serve advance copy of petition on the Standing Counsel for the Central Agency,” according to reports, the bench remarked.
Advocates Sanjay Hegde and Pranjal Kishore are representing Killari Anand Paul.
Who is Kilari Anand Paul?
Kilari Anand Paul is an Indian evangelist and the founder of the Global Peace Initiative and Gospel to the Unreached Millions, both based in the United States. He has also run orphanages, notably Charity City in Hyderabad.
The Global Peace Initiative claims to be working for a more sustainable and peaceful world, whereas Gospel to the Unreached Millions claims to be preaching the gospel of Jesus around the world, assisting orphans and widows, training youth to be Christ, and peace missionaries, and instituting missions around the world. Preaching the gospel and the message of peace through peace rallies, schools, training centers, and weekly television, especially in developing nations, is the stated goal of the Gospel to the Unreached Millions.
There were cases filed against Gospel to the Unreached Millions for misappropriation of donations back in 2010-2012. Anand, Kilari Paul was also detained in May 2012 in Ongole, Prakasam district, on charges of planning to murder a person. According to reports, Paul planned to kill one Koteswara Rao, who was a suspect in the February 2010 murder of Paul’s brother David Raju in Mahbubnagar’s Addakula district. Paul was charged with criminal conspiracy to abduct under articles 120B and 307 (Attempt to Murder) of the Indian Penal Code.
Cancellation of FCRA Licences of NGOs
After failing to file for renewal of their Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) license, over 6,000 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) lost their license on January 1, 2022.
As of January 1, 2022, there were 16,829 active or living NGOs registered under the FCRA, down from 22,762 a day before. According to the official website, 12,580 NGOs are judged to have halted or expired due to the expiration of their certificate’s validity. The NGOs lost their FCRA registration because they neglected to file for renewal, according to a source quoted by Times of India’s Bharti Jain.
On Friday (January 21), Congress scion Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter to peddle misinformation about the eternal fire of ‘Amar Jawan Jyoti’ that has been burning for over 50 years at the India Gate.
In a tweet, Rahul Gandhi alleged, “It is a matter of grief that the light of Amar Jawan Jyoti will be extinguished today. Some people will never understand the concept of patriotism and supreme sacrifice. Never mind. We will once again light the Amar Jawan Jyoti in memory of our brave soldiers.”
Screengrab of the tweet by Rahul Gandhi
Shiv Sena, an ally of the Congress party in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, also cast aspersions about the fate of Amar Jawan Jyoti. In a tweet, Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi claimed, “Eternal Flame will be Extinguished Flame for sometime. How many more ideas & monuments we hold dear need to be reworked to make way for a ‘New India’? Sad & Anguished. #AmarJawanJyoti. PS : Spare me gyaan on merging it with another flame at War Memorial. Why can’t we keep both?”
Screengrab of the tweet by Priyanka Chaturvedi
It must be mentioned that the India Gate was unveiled by the British government on February 12, 1931, to pay tribute to the 70,000 soldiers of the British Indian Army, who died between 1914-1921. Following the India-Pakistan war of 1971, the Indira Gandhi government placed the Amar Jawan Jyoti at the India Gate.
Indian government debunked fake claims by Rahul Gandhi
After Rahul Gandhi alleged that the Modi government would extinguish the eternal fire of Amar Jawan Jyoti, sources in the government dismissed the outrageous claims of Congress scion and his stooges. While speaking to DD News, a source informed, “There is a lot of misinformation circulating regarding the flame of the #AmarJawanJyoti The flame of the Amar Jawan Jyoti is not being extinguished. It is being merged with the flame at the #National War Memorial.”
There is a lot of misinformation circulating regarding the flame of the #AmarJawanJyoti
The source further stated, “The names inscribed on the India Gate are of only some martyrs who fought for the British in the World War 1 & the Anglo Afghan War & thus is a symbol of our colonial past. The names of all Indian martyrs from all the wars, including 1971 and wars before and after it are housed at the National War Memorial. Hence it is a true shraddhanjali to have the flame paying tribute to martyrs there.”
The names of all Indian martyrs from all the wars, including 1971 and wars before and after it are housed at the National War Memorial. Hence it is a true shraddhanjali to have the flame paying tribute to martyrs there
Retired Army General Satish Dua, who was part of the design selection and construction process of the National War Memorial (NWM), has been a strong proponent of the merger of the eternal flames of India Gate and NWM.
He added, “India Gate is a memorial to the fallen heroes of First World War. The Amar Jawan Jyoti was added in 1972 as we did not have another memorial. National War Memorial pays homage to the fallen Bravehearts after independence. All homage ceremonies had shifted to NWM already.”
2/2 India Gate is a memorial to the fallen heroes of First World War. The Amar Jawan Jyoti was added in 1972 as we did not have another memorial. National War Memorial pays homage to the fallen Bravehearts after independence. All homage ceremonies had shifted to NWM already. ??
After a long wait and failure of previous governments, the Narendra Modi government constructed the National War Memorial near the India Gate complex. Inaugurated in February 2019, the memorial pays tribute to more than 22,500 Indian soldiers who were martyred following India’s Independence.
Ever since the opening of the national war memorial, all military ceremonial events have been shifted to it from India Gate. For example, on every Republic Day, the Prime Minister, the President, and the three service staff chiefs used to a place wreath at Amar Jawan Jyoti and pay homage to the dead and unknown soldiers.
However, from 2020 onward, the wreath is placed at the National War Memorial instead of Amar Jawan Jyoti. The service chiefs also visit the new memorial on their respective Service Days to pay tribute to the fallen soldiers. As such, it made sense to merge the eternal fire of NWM and India Gate.
On Thursday, the Chennai Police summoned actor Siddharth for his derogatory tweet on badminton champion Saina Nehwal after receiving two complaints against the actor in this regard. Chennai Police Commissioner Shankar Jiwal informed that referring to the complaints filed in Hyderabad, action can be taken only for defamation, no criminal action is viable against him.
“We have issued summon to actor Siddharth to record his statement”, Jiwal added. He added that two complaints have been received against the actor for his controversial comments and one is defamation in a legal frame, not a criminal case.
On January 12, the Hyderabad cyber police had registered a case against Siddharth for his tweet about Saina Nehwal under section 67 of the IT Act and IPC section 509 (insult to modesty of a woman).
“Actor Siddharth has been summoned (over his controversial tweet on badminton player Saina Nehwal). We’ve actually received 2 complaints; other one is on defamation in a legal frame, not a criminal case. We only need his statement,” said Chennai Police Commissioner Shankar Jiwal pic.twitter.com/HnCOnmVv57
Siddharth had attacked Nehwal with a crass, sexual comment responding to her tweet on PM Modi’s security lapse in Punjab. “Subtle cock champion of the world… Thank God we have protectors of India. Shame on you #Rihanna”, he had said. ‘Cock’ is a slang used for the male sexual organ. By twisting the badminton term ‘shuttlecock’, Siddharth was trying to insult Saina in a crass, sexual manner.
Siddharth’s crass comments were widely criticised on social media. After sharing a lame excuse trying to justify his earlier comment, Siddharth had written an open letter to the Badminton Champion, apologizing for his behaviour.
Identifying himself as an ‘ally’ of the feminist movement, Siddharth had said that he was being funny and had no intentions to disrespect a woman. “I want to apologize to you for my rude joke. I may disagree with you on many things but even my disappointment or anger when I read your tweet, cannot justify my tone and words. Sorry about a joke that didn’t land”, the letter read.
Not stretching the issue, Saina had responded to Siddharth’s apology saying that the matter was about women. “He only said it and he is now apologizing. He shouldn’t target a woman like that but it’s okay, I am not bothered about it, I am happy in my space and god bless him,” she had said.
He (actor Siddharth) said something about me first & then apologized. I don’t even know why it went so viral. I was surprised to see myself trending on Twitter. Happy that Siddharth has apologized: Badminton player Saina Nehwal https://t.co/uKdfRPXMgnpic.twitter.com/Ls0qWVLJ8X
Pertinently the National Commission for Women (NCW) had also urged Twitter India to block the actor’s account. The NCW had written to the Maharashtra police seeking registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against actor Siddharth.
The combined Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu has decided to apply stringent provisions in its law against cow slaughter. The territory has banned transportation of cow, calf, heifer, bull, bullock, ox within the territory borders for the purpose of slaughter.
According to the reports, the penalties introduced for the purpose include a monetary fine of up to Rs 5 lakh and starting from 10 years in jail to imprisonment for life.
The Union Territories of Dadra-Nagar Haveli and Daman-Diu (Adaptation of State Laws) Second Order 2022, notified by the Ministry of Home Affairs, states that the Bombay Animal Protection Act, 1954, implemented in both the erstwhile Union Territories on Tuesday, has been amended. Reports mention that now the amendments will be applicable in the combined union territory as well.
According to the amendments introduced, cow slaughter will be considered a non-bailable offence across the UT of Dadra-Nagar Haveli and Daman-Diu. However, it would not be applicable in the case of the slaughter of any animal above the age of 15, other than cow, calf, heifer, bull, bullock and ox.
The amendment has also made mandatory the usage of permits while transportation of animals for agricultural or animal husbandry purposes. Any such transportation without the permit will be deemed that the animal was being transported for slaughter.
It is pertinent to note that the provisions mentioned in the new law are already applicable in the states of Goa and Gujarat. In Gujarat, cow slaughter is a non-bailable offence with punishment up to life imprisonment. Similarly, in Uttar Pradesh, there is a provision of 10 years jail and a fine of Rs 5 lakh for cow slaughter.
