Social media platforms are rife with posts that say the California State has enacted “Alternative Side of the street pooping”, apparently a law to put a curb on the menace of open defecation on the streets of San Francisco.
A legion of social media users shared an article published in Mad House Magazine and titled “California Enacts Alternative Side of the Street Pooping” to assert that the California State in the United States has passed a law to tackle the scourge of street pooping in San Francisco.
Source: TwitterSource: Twitter
Citing the article, the users claim California State has passed a law institutionalising pooping on the street. The article attributes New York City’s alternate side of the street parking as the inspiration behind the recent law allegedly passed by Governor Newsom.
“For example, On a street running east to west, degenerates can only poop on the south side of the street for a few hours a day every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. On the other days, you poop on the north side. It’s very easy. Of course, Sundays and Holidays will be free for all. Poop where ever you want until your heart is content,” Governor Newsom was seemingly quoted as saying in the article.
Source: Twitter
The article further said that those who are found contravening the law will be given a fine of $65, besides being deloused and sprayed with DDT by code enforcement. In addition to this, the offenders will also be provided with free hypodermic needles, condoms and candy, the article claimed. They would be automatically registered to vote and given a stimulus check and unemployment, it added.
However, has California State really passed a law on street pooping as alleged by social media users and the article shared by them?
The truth about the article that claims California State passed a law on street pooping
While social media users cite the report to back their claims about California state passing a law to regulate street pooping, the reality is starkly different. A cursory glance at the website and the article shows that the piece on Street Pooping was a work of satire and not reality.
Therefore, the claim that the California State has passed “Alternative Side of the Street Pooping” that is being bandied around on social media websites is wrong and misleading. The state has passed no such law as being talked about.
The article published in Mad House Magazine is a satirical piece, aimed at mocking the chronic problem of open defecation faced in San Francisco. A sarcastic take on an issue plaguing California is being used as an authoritative source of information to peddle that California has indeed passed a law institutionalising street pooping.
The chronic issue of open defecation facing San Francisco
While the satirical article takes a swipe at the California State, it nevertheless brings under the spotlight the persistent problem of open defecation in San Francisco. A report published in SFGate in July 2021 brought forth the extent of the scourge facing the city.
Street pooping has been an escalating problem for San Francisco. Since 2015, the number of reports of human and animal waste on streets for the period from Jan 1 to July 12 had steadily grown, underscoring the severity of racking the west coast city. The number of incidents had risen steeply in the last 4 years. However, the only consolation was that 2021 saw a declining trend.
In the same period in 2018, 12,287 incidents of human and animal excrement were reported. A year later, the number grew to 14, 337. And then in 2020, it was highest with 16,547 reports of waste on streets between Jan. 1 and July 12.
However, in 2021, the number drastically came down, with 13,856 incidents of open defecation reported from the city. In terms of the total number of incidents in an entire year, 2019 saw the highest case incidents, following which there was a marked reduction in the years 2020 and 2021.
San Francisco Public Works, which oversees street cleaning efforts, largely ascribes the steep rise in a number of instances when excrement was found on streets to coronavirus lockdown, which led to the closure of many indoor private and public restrooms.
Though the instances of human and animal faeces on streets have been come down precipitously, it is still a serious issue for a city that is located at the heart of the hallowed Silicon Valley and which has the highest concentration of high-tech companies in the United States.
With Punjab Assembly polls round the corner, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has posted a video on their official Twitter profile on January 17, Tuesday, titled “Punjab’s future CM is in the home” to announce Bhagwant Mann as the chief ministerial candidate of the party. The video is a spin-off of Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Mast Kalandar’ from the 2007 Bollywood film Heyy Baby.
The Aam Aadmi Party has tried to give the song a comic twist by swapping faces of actors with those of Navjot Singh Sidhu, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and finally, its chief ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann. Many netizens pointed out how it was misogynist to compare a CM’s chair to a woman.
The 0.39-second video shows all CM contenders dancing around Vidya Balan shown as the CM’s chair. While Punjab’s current CM Charanjit Singh Channi face has been swapped with the protagonist of the movie played by Akshay Kumar, Bhagwant Mann face has been superimposed on that of Shah Rukh Khan in the song. The state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu’s face has been swapped with that of Riteish Deshmukh, who plays the role of Akshay Kumar’s friend in the film.
Additionally, Arvind Kejriwal, the AAP’s leader and Delhi Chief Minister, and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also appear with their faces superimposed on the bodies of Anupam Kher and Boman Irani respectively. The duo has played pivotal roles in the 2007 movie loosely based on the Malayalam film Thoovalsparsham (1990) which is an adaptation of the American film Three Men and a Baby (1987).
Towards the end of the clip, AAP’s candidate Bhagwant Mann’s makes a grand entry. He is warmly greeted by the “people of Punjab” and ultimately wins over the CM’s chair (Vidya Balan).
The original song from the movie can be viewed here:
AAP slammed for objectifying a woman in its latest video promoting Bhagwant Mann
The video did not go down well with many netizens and they slammed the AAP for coming up with such a crass video.
A political party is portraying a woman as an object(chair) that has to be acquired, and certain pseudo-liberals do not have a problem with this, since it’s AAP.#Hypocriteshttps://t.co/cb7HSnIMdl
However, what is most amusing is that in the movie, Vidya Balan ultimately returns to Akshay Kumar (portrayed by Channi) and not Shah Rukh Khan, who is being portrayed as Bhagwant Mann. Highlighting this fact, many Netizens quipped that like in the movie Shah Rukh Khan only makes a cameo appearance and it is Akshay Kumar (shown as Punjab’s current CM Charanjit Singh Channi) who actually wins over Vidya Balan, shown as the CM’s chair, in the end, Channi will retain his power in the state.
Misogyny in the tweet comparing woman with CM Chair aside
So you are saying that in the end Channi will again become CM, like in movie in end Vidya Balan goes with Akshay Kumar ?
Bhagwant Mann named as party’s chief ministerial candidate for Punjab assembly polls
Earlier in the day, Arvind Kejriwal announced that his party would fight the upcoming assembly polls in the state with Bhagwant Mann as the CM face. Bhagwant Mann is AAP Punjab president and a member of parliament from the Sangrur constituency.
Kejriwal ascribed the party’s decision to go ahead with Mann as the chief ministerial candidate to an unusual referendum, in the form of televote asking people to vote for their choice of leader as the party’s CM candidate.
People were asked to use their phones and Whatsapp to vote for their preferred candidate. More than 93 per cent of the people who voted their choice opted for Bhagwant Mann, Arvind Kejriwal told reporters.
Ripudaman Singh Malik, Sikh leader from Canada has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanking him for the steps the Indian government took for the Sikh community. In his letter, he expressed “deep heartfelt gratitude” for the positive steps the Modi government has taken. Malik was one of the accused of the Kanishka bombing of Air India flight by Khalistani terrorists in which over 300 people lost their lives. He was acquitted by the Canadian court in 2005.
In his letter, Malik said, “I am writing you this to express my deep heartfelt gratitude for the unprecedented positive steps taken by yourself to redress long-reading Sikh demands and grievances including the elimination of blacklists that restricted visit to India of thousands of Sikhs living abroad, grant of passports and visas to asylees and their families, reopening of hundreds of 1984-riots closed cases leading to conviction and jail term for some, declaring 1984-riots as ‘genocide’ by then Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh on the floor of the House, giving compensation of Rs. 5.00 lakh per family of the anti-Sikh genocide victims, the opening of Sri Kartarpur Saheb Corridor facilitating pilgrims from India to visit the revered place of our first Master Guru Nanak Dev Ji.”
Canada-based Sikh leader Ripudaman Singh Malik has written a letter to PM @narendramodi for a number of steps taken for the #Sikh community. He expressed his “deep heartfelt gratitude” for the unprecedented positive steps taken by the him. pic.twitter.com/aN8owiH3uM
He further thanked PM Modi for declaring December 26 as Veer Baal Diwas to remember the martyrdom of Guru Gobind Singh’s sons. Malik also showed concerns over the “orchestrated campaign” by the members of the Sikh community against India and the Modi government. He said such propaganda is being spread at the behest of some foreign powers to destabilise India. He called it a challenge to India’s national integrity. Singh further promised to work with the government of India for redressal of the pending issues.
As per reports, he also wrote a letter to the Sikh community urging them to stay vigilant of the motivated and vicious campaign that would hurt the interests of the Sikh community. He said, “Violence in Punjab only ends up hurting the interests of the Sikh community in Punjab and throughout India and around the world. I do my daily Ardaas for world peace as I do not like seeing my community or any community suffer due to violence.”
He further added, “I do not believe it is right to unfairly criticise the Prime Minister given his many positive gestures towards the Sikh community. Instead of criticising, we should be appreciating and engaging meaningfully with the government of India under his leadership towards a positive partnership for the future.”
Malik visited India in 2019 after the Modi govt scrapped the Sikh blacklist
In 2019, Malik had visited India after an interval of 25 years. It was possible after the Indian government under PM Modi scrapped the Sikh blacklist. Only two names in the list were barred from entering India, which were not disclosed. Khalistani Terrorist organisation Sikhs For Justice’s Gurpatwant Singh Pannu had raised questions over Malik’s visit to India. As per reports, in a tweet, Pannu had claimed Malik was PM Modi’s guest. However, Malik’s brother, who lives in India, had debunked the claims.
In a statement issued by Malik brother Jasjit Singh, it was mentioned that Malik stayed at his brother’s place throughout his visit. Singh further added Malik could visit India only after the blacklist of Sikhs was scrapped by the Indian government. He had taken an Air France flight as his name was on the US no-fly list that was also recognised by Canada at that time. Malik had spent four years in prison from 2000-2004 for his alleged involvement in the Kanishka bombing. It was alleged he provided finance for the terrorist attack, but the court later acquitted him of the charges.
Malik is currently running Khalsa schools in Canada. In his schools, Punjabi language and culture are taught to the students along with the Vancouver Education Board curriculum. Ripudaman is a Canadian millionaire businessman who was accused of giving funds to the terrorists who were behind the Kanishka bombing. He was acquitted by the Canadian court in 2005.
Following the technical glitch during the World Economic Forum address on January 17, Congress trolls, friendly journalists and other assorted politicians including Rahul Gandhi himself raised the ‘teleprompter’ bogey to take a dig at PM Modi. The address was virtual and through video link and hence for a brief moment when PM Modi was coordinating with backend tech team for live streaming, it was peddled as ‘teleprompter malfunction’.
Which in itself would not be an issue. Teleprompter is a useful device which politicians and leaders across the world use for public address. PM Modi, himself, too has used it on some occasions. However, majority of PM Modi’s speeches and addresses are without any script which is what makes him a great orator. Which is why, for the brief technical glitch, the trolls assembled to mock him in a bid to embarrass him on an international platform.
Which is quite rich coming from someone who himself holds some sort of record when it comes to embarrassing goof ups. Here are some of the instances of the second hand embarrassment unleashed upon us.
When Rahul Gandhi was caught on camera copying condolence note from his mobile
In 2015, when Rahul Gandhi went to the Nepal embassy to express solidarity with the earthquake victims, he was caught on camera copying a condolence note from his phone.
When the Congress vice president was writing a message in the embassy’s visitors book, he was caught copying text from his Blackberry phone. Rahul had also pressed a button once on the mobile to switch on its back-light to read the text again. This video was widely circulated on social media leaving the Gandhi scion red-faced.
‘Bhrashtachar ya balatkaar’?
Rahul Gandhi had to face a massive embarrassment after he mixed up two Hindi words while addressing a women’s rally in Madhya Pradesh as he referred to the increasing number of violence against women in the BJP-ruled Indian state.
In the major goof-up, Congress scion Rahul Gandhi said ‘bhrashtachar’ (corruption) in place of ‘balatkaar’ (rape) at an election rally at Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh (MP), India.
Rahul Gandhi’s blunder in Gujarat
Rahul Gandhi’s weird theories about milk production in Gujarat in the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections are among the most embarrassing bloopers of his political career.
Addressing a rally in Gujarat, the Gandhi-scion actually intended to praise the Gujarati women for their entrepreneurial spirit, however, ended up making awkward comments against the Gujarati women.
“If Gujarat is leading in the production of milk in the country then it’s because of the women of Gujarat,” said Rahul Gandhi in his speech without even realising that blunder he had committed.
Rahul finds it tough to pronounce the name of Bharat Ratna Sir M Vishweshwaraiah
One of the most bizarre public rallies of Rahul Gandhi occurred in Karnataka in the run-up to state elections in 2018. Rahul speaking at an election rally in Karnataka struggled to pronounce M Visvesvaraya, a Bharat Ratna recipient.
In another rally in the run-up to Karnataka elections, Rahul Gandhi had also struggled to read out a ‘vachana’ or couplet written by 12th-century statesman, philosopher, poet Basavanna.
Rahul Gandhi’s Fisheries Ministry gaffe
Rahul Gandhi once again sounded completely disoriented during an interaction with the fishing community in Kerala’s Kollam last year where he claimed that there is no dedicated ministry to address the problems of fishermen. He promised of forming a Central ministry dedicated to fishermen of India.
Union Minister Giriraj Singh, however, quickly rebutted the Congress leader’s remarks taking a jab at Gandhi’s ignorance and attempt to “spread misinformation.”
“Rahul Gandhi is unaware that a separate ministry for fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying was formed by the Prime Minister in 2019, adding that Gandhi can’t come out of Italy,” Singh had said.
Indian youth is dreaming of ‘berozgari’
The senior Congress leader was in Jaipur, Rajasthan on January 28, 2020 to launch a ‘serious’ campaign to tap so-called ‘youth anger’ against the central government in wake of CAA and NRC and the so-called highhandedness in dealing with student protests in university campuses particularly in JNU, Jamia Milia Islamia and AMU.
Addressing the youth of the country at the ‘Akrosh Rally’ in Jaipur, Rajasthan, the prince of goof-ups, merely 2.04 minutes into his power-packed speech, said: “Hindustan ka yuva berojgaari ke sapne dekhta hai” roughly translated as “The youth of the country dreams of unemployment”, while inadvertently also admitting that the Modi government is breaking the dreams of the youth.
People are left to wonder here whether he actually intended to speak against the Modi government or in their favour?
‘Lord Shiva had swallowed the entire universe’: Janeu-Dhari Rahul Gandhi misquotes Hindu scriptures
While addressing the party workers through video conferencing today on the occasion of the launch of Congress party’s digital campaign Jan Jagran Abhiyan in November last year, the Kerala MP made a goof-up in his address, as he distorted a well-known story from Puranas regarding Lord Shiva.
Giving an analogy from Hindu mythology, Rahul Gandhi said that Lord Shiva had swallowed the entire universe. However, Rahul Gandhi massively misquoted Hindu scriptures when he claimed that Shiva had swallowed the universe. Because Lord Shiva had swallowed poison with the potential to destroy the entire universe, he didn’t swallow the entire universe. Shiva drinking poison is one of the most well-known stories from Hindu texts, and it is ironic that janeu-dhari Rahul Gandhi misquoted such a well-known story.
Besides his innumerable gaffes during speeches, Rahul Gandhi is also famous for his goof ups on Twitter. From posting a wrong Indian map to goofing up while wishing our jawans on Army Day, Rahul Gandhi has never shied away from providing his fans with comic relief, bringing laughter and joy into the long series of incessant lies and baseless accusations, most of which, interestingly, also come from himself.
While Rahul Gandhi’s gaffes seem to be endless, let’s have a look at some of the other senior Congress leaders’ gaffes.
Sonia Gandhis mispronunciation
In her speech at the 84th Congress Plenary Session in 2018, the Congress chief Sonia Gandhi ended up mispronouncing a word to make it sound like ‘balatkar’ (rape).
In a viral video clip, Sonia Gandhi could be heard saying “40 varsh pehle, Chikmangalur mein Indira ji ki shaandar jeet ne desh ki rajniti ko <something sounds very much like balatkar> rakh diya”.
While some self proclaimed fact-checkers at that time claimed she said ‘palat kar’ (changed), the jury is still out on this one.
When Sonia Gandhi went on to inadvertently expose UPA government’s incompetence
In 2016, Sonia Gandhi made a major blunder while addressing a gathering of Andhra Pradesh Congress worker in the national capital. Sonia Gandhi attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government for not fulfilling the promise made to the people of the state.
Instead of claiming the NDA government hasn’t done anything, she stated the UPA government has made “no effort at all,” and she did so while reading a prepared speech.
“Almost two years have passed, we have seen nothing, no effort from ‘UPA Govt’ said Sonia Gandhi in a speech that would surely continue to remain a major embarrassment for her and all party members.
Priyanka Gandhi’s Twitter gaffe over condolence Tweet on Sitaram Yechury’s son’s demise
In a tragic turn of events, senior Left leader Sitaram Yechury’s son Ashish Yechury died of COVID-19 on 22 April 2021. In much embarrassment for the Congress party, its general secretary Priyanka Gandhi made repeated mistakes in her Twitter posts condoling the demise of Sitaram Yechury’s son.
It took Priyanka Gandhi three attempts to finally post a condolence Tweet.
In her first tweet posted around 10.34 am, Gandhi wrote ‘Sitaram Kesari’ instead of ‘Sitaram Yechury’.
Sitaram Kesari is a former Congress president who passed away in 2000 at the age of 80.
Gandhi deleted her tweet and re-posted it after users pointed out the error. Her post this time included the words “please tweet” before the condolence message, indicating that she had ineptly copied and pasted the full message sent to her by her social media team.
After users trolled her for this mistake too, Gandhi once again deleted the post. Finally, she tweeted out the correct post, which continues to show on her timeline.
When Manmohan Singh’s “Theek Hain” didn’t go down well with social media users
In 2012, during his address to the country on the Delhi gang rape incident, then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s interrogative ‘theek hai’ statement was erroneously broadcast on television, drawing significant backlash on social media.
This remark saw a new surge of anger cascading online. On that day, most of the trending topics on Twitter were on the Congress veteran leader’s gaffe. #theekhai, #meekhai, #bheekhai, as well as Manmohan, were some top trending hashtags. In fact, #theekhai had trended worldwide.
Congress era’s external affairs minister SM Krishna’s gaffe at UNSC
In 2011, Congress leader and the then External Affairs Minister SM Krishna was caught in an embarrassing faux pas at the United Nations Security Council meeting in New York when he inadvertently read from out a part of a Portuguese Minister’s speech.
Speaking at the UNSC at a debate on security and development on Friday, Krishna read out the speech of Portuguese Foreign Minister Luis Amado for about three minutes before being corrected by India’s envoy to the UN Hardeep Singh Puri, causing major embarrassment for the party.
Priyanka ‘Chopra’ Zindabad
In 2019, the former Congress MLA Surender Kumar made a huge blunder during a public rally by mistakenly stating “Priyanka Chopra Zindabaad” instead of cheering for party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
The video of the rally has gone viral on social media since, wherein the three-time MLA from Bawana can be heard saying “Sonia Gandhi Zindabad, Congress Party Zindabad, Rahul Gandhi Zindabad, Priyanka Chopra Zindabad.”
The list of gaffes committed by Rahul Gandhi and his teammates is endless. Whatever is said and done, Congress leaders have never failed to regale their audience and listeners with their unintended humour.
Thaipusam, one of the important Hindu festivals celebrated by the Tamil community across the globe, was a low key affair this year in India as the Tamil Nadu government had decided to shut the temple for devotees. Citing the threat of rising COVID-19 cases in the state, the Tamil Nadu government had declared that devotees would not be allowed to visit the Palani Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani temple from January 14-18 during the Thaipusam festival.
In Tamil Nadu, Thaipusam is celebrated at the Palani Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani temple over a period of 10 days, also known as Brahmotsavam. Providing an alternative option to the devotees, the government had said that the devotees would witness the ceremonies and rituals through the temple website or YouTube channels.
Thaipusam celebrated in Batu caves Malaysia
Thaipusam is an important festival of the Tamil community and is observed with much fanfare in countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Mauritius and Singapore. However, in Malaysia, the Hindus were allowed to visit Sri Subramaniar Swamy Temple in the famous Batu Caves according to Covid protocols and some preventive measures.
According to the local reports, the devotees this morning rushed to the temple, eager to fulfil their vows and offer prayers on the occasion of Thaipusam. The authorities at the Batu Caves had issued an SOP earlier that said they would provide devotees with a duration tag and would allow them inside the temple only after scanning the temperature and oxygen level.
The authorities accordingly allowed only 500 people to the temple ground at a time to ensure physical distancing and to avoid crowding. The Selangor police chief Datuk Arjunaidi Mohamed said that overall, 1,500 police personnel were involved, with the assistance of other agencies, including the Fire and Rescue Department to maintain the safety and security of devotees.
Thaipusam in Singapore
The Singapore government meanwhile permitted only the vaccinated devotees to participate in any of the Thaipusam-related proceedings. It has denied permission of foot procession to Sri Thendayuthapani Temple and said that only milk-pot offerings from the temple can be used. The Hindu Endowments Board in Singapore has also banned gatherings in and around the temple and is allowing devotees with pre-book time slots to enter the Sri Thendayuthapani Temple.
Thaipusam is one of the most important festivals of Lord Murugan. This festival is celebrated in the month of Poosam with the coming full moon. According to the reports, the festival is dedicated to Lord Murugan who is believed to possess the invincible spear or a Vel. It is also celebrated as a thanksgiving ceremony to Lord Murugan and signifies the victory of good over evil.
Earlier this month, the Tamil Nadu government also had denied permission to devotees in temples during the Hindu festival of Pongal and had cancelled all related cultural functions and gatherings across the state. On Monday, the state recorded 23,443 new COVID-19 infections taking the state’s active caseload to 1.5 lakh. In the last two days, the number of samples tested is around 1.40 lakh while the overall positivity rate stands at 16.71 per cent.
Chamath Palihapitiya, a Silicon Valley-based Sri Lanka born American venture capitalist, has retracted from the statements he made over the weekend that “nobody cares” about the genocide of Uyghur Muslims in China and nor does he.
Chamath, who owns a minority stake in the NBA’s Golden State Warriors basketball team and who operates a venture capital fund whose mission is ‘to advance humanity by solving the world’s hardest problems’, triggered a massive outrage with his callous and unsympathetic remarks for the Uyghurs.
Following the controversy, Chamath took to Twitter to issue a statement. “In re-listening to this week’s podcast, I recognize that I come across as lacking empathy,” Palihapitiya tweeted. “I acknowledge that entirely.”
“As a refugee, my family fled a country with its own human rights issues so this is something that is very much a part of my lived experience. To be clear, my belief is that human rights matter, whether in China, the United States, or elsewhere. Full stop,” he added.
While the 45-year-old American billionaire backtracked from his apathetic comments for the Ughyur Muslims detained at internment camps in China, he refrained from mentioning them specifically in his statement and tried to draw a moral equivalence between the United States and China. Far from offering an honest and unconditional apology, Chamath’s anodyne tweet appeared to be a delicate balance aimed at taming the spiralling outrage as well as keeping oneself in CCP’s good books.
Chamath Palihapitiya says nobody cares about what’s happening to Uyghurs in China
The controversy erupted during the discussion of President Biden’s efforts to address the plight of Uyghurs in China and its impact on the polls back in the United States. On the “All In’ podcast, on which Palihapitiya is a co-host, the American billionaire said nobody cared about the condition of Uyghurs Muslims in China.
“Let’s be honest, nobody cares about what’s happening to the Uyghurs,” Palihapitiya said. “You bring it up because you really care, and I think that’s nice that you care. The rest of us don’t care. I’m telling you a very hard, ugly truth. Of all the things that I care about, it is below my line.”
When @NBA says we stand for justice, don’t forget there are those who sell their soul for money & business like @chamath the owner of @warriors, who says “Nobody cares about what’s happening to the Uyghurs”
When genocides happen, it is people like this that let it happen
Chamath said his concern was more for various domestic inconveniences.
“I care about [empty shelves at grocery stores]. I care about the fact that our economy could turn on a dime if China invades Taiwan. I care about that. I care about climate change. I care about America’s crippling and decrepit health care infrastructure,” he added.
“But if you’re asking me do I care about a segment of a class of people in another country? Not until we can take care of ourselves will I prioritize them over us. I think a lot of people believe that and I’m sorry if that’s a hard truth to hear. But every time I say that I care about the Uyghurs, I’m really just lying if I don’t really care,” Chamath elaborated.
China’s continuous subjugation of Uyghur Muslims
Uyghur Muslims are being subjected to unspeakable atrocities by the Chinese Communist Party. From the last few years, several reports have emerged detailing the cruel treatment meted out to Uyghur Muslims living in the restive province of Xinjiang. According to a 2017 report by the head of the Institute of Sociology at the Xinjiang Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing considers the increasing Muslim population in Xinjiang a threat to its political hegemony.
They are penned in internment camps that are euphemistically described as “re-education” centres. However, experts are of the view that it is a strategy of the Communist Party of China (CCP) to strip Uyghurs of their religious and ethnic identity and assimilate them into the dominant Han Chinese ethnicity. While Uighur Muslims are often subjected to re-educational programs, forced labour, and digital surveillance, their children are indoctrinated in orphanages.
Reportedly, Uighur Muslims have been the subject of a massive crackdown since 2017. They were held up in prisons for praying, travelling abroad, or even using social media under the pretext of containing ‘ religious extremism’. According to researcher Zenz, two counties and townships have directed authorities to leave no ‘blind spots’, contain illegal births, and decrease fertility levels.
BJP leader Chandrashekhar Bawankule has been arrested by Police officials in Koradi, Nagpur. Earlier, Bawankule had raised serious discontent over Maharashtra Congress Chief’s statements threatening to beat up PM Narendra Modi.
Since Yesterday, The State BJP Unit leaders have demanded strict actions by law against Patole, who had made derogatory remarks about the Prime Minister and had threatened physical violence while addressing a group in Bhandara, Maharashtra. Patole in his speech was heard saying, “I can abuse Modi, and I can even beat him up.”
On January 17, Chandrashekhar Bawankule, the former energy minister who hails from Nagpur, had registered a complaint against Nana Patole in the Kuhi Police station. On Tuesday, the BJP leader along with party workers sat in protest at the Koradi Police station demanding the police to probe into the matter. It is reported that the Police had assured Bawakule of enquiry and had requested him to take back the agitation.
When Bawankule refused to call off the protest, the Nagpur Police finally arrested Bawankule in the afternoon.
Earlier, the Congress state chief had clarified his stance saying he was talking about a local goon with a surname ‘Modi’ and that the BJP is accusing him falsely. Refuting his claims, BJP leader Bawankule during the protest said, “Patole should prove the identity of ‘Modi’ he is talking about. He (Patole) is doing a drama by twisting his statements.”
Opposition leader and former Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis has lashed out at the MVA Government for the action against Bawankule. In a tweet, he said, “Strange Justice! No action has been taken against those who used the language of assaulting Prime Minister Narendra Modiji. Instead, action has been taken against those who are demanding ‘action’ against this anarchy. What’s going on in this state?” he asked.
अजब न्याय ❗️ मा. पंतप्रधान नरेंद्र मोदीजी यांना मारण्याची भाषा ज्यांनी केली, त्यांच्यावर काहीच कारवाई नाही आणि या अराजकतेवर कारवाईची मागणी करणार्या भाजपाच्या लोकप्रतिनिधी-कार्यकर्त्यांना जागोजागी ताब्यात घेण्याची कार्यवाही… या राज्यात चाललंय तरी काय ❓@cbawankulepic.twitter.com/uFrgXgCBR3
While raising questions about the state of democracy in Maharashtra, Fadnavis stated, ”Use the brute Police force as much as you want! BJP workers will not tolerate the silence and the people of this state will not forgive you.” The day has seen much furore and discontent against Nana Patole in the Political circles of Maharashtra and many BJP leaders have demanded enquiry and arrest of the State Congress Chief.
In connection with an illegal sand mining case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches at ten locations in the districts of Ludhiana, Mohali, and Pathankot in Punjab on Tuesday. A property in Mohali, reportedly owned by Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s nephew Bhupinder Singh Honey was among the locations searched in connection with a money-laundering investigation.
Based on an FIR filed by the Punjab police in 2018 against one Kudrat Deep Singh, the ED is investigating a money laundering case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Kudrat deep Singh is reportedly the primary accused who operates a quarry in Nawanshahr, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district.
According to reports, Kudrat Deep Singh had set up a company named Punjab Realtors to obtain sand mining contracts. Bhupinder Singh Honey is one of the directors of the company.
The ED assesses that black money was used to secure the sand extraction contract. According to insiders, the firm that was formed is very small and is unlikely to get a deal worth crores.
The ED is yet to issue a comment about the ongoing raids. A statement is expected after the completion of the ongoing raids.
Punjab’s opposition parties have accused the state government on several occasions of assisting those who engage in illicit sand mining. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said “It’s very sad to know that raid is being conducted on the premises of Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi’s relative in connection with a case of illegal sand mining. Punjab CM & his relatives are involved in illegal sand mining.”
Mohali, Punjab | It’s very sad to know that raid is being conducted on the premises of Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi’s relative in connection with a case of illegal sand mining. Punjab CM & his relatives are involved in illegal sand mining: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal pic.twitter.com/OhdQYA8OSn
Refuting all allegations, Chief minister Channi claimed that the raids are a political vendetta by the central government. “Raid is being conducted. They’re targetting me & trying to put pressure on me in view of upcoming Assembly polls. This is not good for democracy. We’re ready to fight this. The same thing happened during WB elections.”
Raid is being conducted (on the premises of his relative). They’re targetting me & trying to put pressure on me in view of upcoming Assembly polls. This is not good for democracy. We’re ready to fight this. The same thing happened during WB elections: Punjab CM Charanjit S Channi pic.twitter.com/HlAyUjlNHC
Interestingly, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi himself promised last year in November that ‘Mission Clean’ will be implemented in the state, and that severe action would be taken against unscrupulous elements involved in illegal sand mining.
A video of Shaktimaan spoof of former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav, is making rounds on social media. The video took a dig at the monicker ‘tonti chor’ that Yadav had earned in 2018. In the 2 minutes 20-second video, the lyricist called Yadav corrupt. The music and lyrics are based on the children TV series Shaktimaan. Where the word Shaktimaan comes in the original lyrics, ‘tonti chor’ was used in a similar manner.
The spoof also blamed the SP chief for riots during his tenure as Chief Minister. It also mocked Yadav for Samajwadi Party’s alliance with Congress’s Rahul Gandhi in previous Assembly Elections. The spoof pointed out that Yadav was behind the expulsion of his uncle from the party. Calling Yadav an imposter, the video further pointed out the fact that earlier, he was not interested in going to temples, but for the current Assembly elections, Yadav has been making references and visits to temples to lure Hindus.
How Akhilesh Yadav earned the monicker ‘tonti chor’
The whole spoof is based on the allegation that Yadav stole taps (tonti) at one point in his political career. In May 2018, after having a head-on fight with the state government over the allotted residence, Yadav was finally ordered by the Supreme Court to vacant the place and hand over the keys to the estate department. The following month, former-CM Akhilesh Yadav vacated his government allotted residence. The story here sounds fine but what government officials found inside the residence that Yadav vacated was beyond shocking.
Missing tiles, air conditioners, electric fitting and tap fittings
When the government officials entered the residence to inspect, a vandalised accommodation was waiting for them. Within days, several reports went viral where the damage caused allegedly by the former CM was clearly visible. Imported tiles, air conditioners, centrally air conditioner fitting, electric switchboards and other items were missing from the house.
Further, the damaged lawn added to the misery the accommodation was in. All those expensive items that were missing from the government accommodation took a backside as the officials reported taps, aka tonti, were also missing from the bathrooms. Rest all “stolen items” were forgotten but the alleged petty act of “taking taps” stuck with the former CM. This was the point he earned the monicker ‘tonti chor’ that is still being used against him.
It is notable that Yadav has categorically denied taking anything from the government accommodation. He had blamed the government officials for ripping apart the govt accommodation allotted to him and blamed government officials for allegedly stealing expensive items from the house.
On June 13, 2018, Akhilesh Yadav called a press conference to counter the claims that he stole taps from his govt accommodation before vacating the premises. He said, “I have taps (tonti) in my hand. The reason I brought the taps with me is that if the government thinks I took away any taps with me, please let me know how many taps I took. ‘main poori ki poori tonti dene ke liye tayyar hun’ (I am ready to give back all the taps).”
He further claimed as per the earlier provisions, he was supposed to attain the government residence, but the laws changed, and he had to vacate it. He got the installations done in such a way if he had to leave, he could take them with him. He also claimed he did not spend public money on his house. Yadav blamed the IAS officer and other government officials for damaging the residence after he vacated it. He also threatened the officers who alleged he stole items before vacating the house.
PM Modi mocked Yadav in 2019 rally
During campaigning for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, PM Modi mocked Yadav for allegedly installing expensive amenities in his government residence instead of building houses for the poor. While addressing the rally, PM Modi exposed the hollow claims of the Samajwadi Party leader of being a ‘socialist’ and slammed him for leading an extravagant life in opulent bungalows.
PM @narendramodi “Hum UP mein Gareebon ke ghar bnawane ke liye chhitiyan likha katte the. Par pichli Sarkar kewal apne bunglow mein Imported Tiles, Furniture aur Tonityan khareedne mein vyast the”
PM Modi targeted the Samajwadi Party for misusing the legacy of late socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia to further their political ambition. He said, “They did not care to build houses for the poor. Instead, they were more concentrated on building their bungalows.”
“We used to write letters to the then Uttar Pradesh government asking the names of those people who were eligible to avail free housing. But, they (Samajwadi party leaders) were busy building their bungalow with imported tiles, furniture. I have heard there were some expensive taps inside the bungalow,” PM Modi took a dig at Akhilesh Yadav over his controversial and luxurious life in bungalows during his tenure as Chief Minister.
Intelligence agencies are reported to have got some details about a probable terror plan targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries on Republic Day this year.
According to a report by India Today, a nine-page intelligence feed revealed that PM Modi and other dignitaries attending India’s 75th Republic Day celebrations were in danger. Dignitaries from Central Asian countries, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan are expected to be invited as key guests.
The threat apparently originated from factions headquartered in the Pakistan/Afghanistan-Pakistan area, according to the document. These groups intended to scupper public gatherings, key establishments, and crowded areas in order to attack high-ranking dignitaries. According to the intel, Pakistan-based Khalistani organizations are also mobilizing cadres to reunite and resurrect militancy in Punjab. They also want to carry out targeted assaults in Punjab and other adjoining regions during the upcoming state assembly elections.
Earlier intelligence agencies had reported that ISI considers the current state assembly elections as ‘now or never’ for Khalistan terrorism and have activated their networks to derail the election process.
Khalistani resolve to incite violence in India
This move comes after Khalistani organization ‘Sikhs for Justice'(SFJ) threatened SC lawyers since the Supreme Court took cognizance of the matter of PMs security breach in Punjab, stating that they would not let the PM Modi hoist the National Flag on upcoming Republic Day. Reportedly, SFJ has taken responsibility for the road blockade of PM Modi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s security was breached on January 5 when his convoy was halted on a flyover for 20 minutes in Ferozepur, Punjab, owing to protestors obstructing the route. While the state government, which is governed by Congress, and police officers emphatically denied any security breaches, the incident holds serious concern in the security establishment of the country.
Recovery of huge amount explosives across the country
OpIndia reported on January 17 that police in Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, and New Delhi had seized bombs that were to do massive damage in the respective states. An abandoned bag in East Delhi’s Ghazipur flower market was found on January 14 with 3 kg of explosives, including RDX and ammonium nitrate, as well as a countdown device, an electric detonator, and some shrapnel.
On the same day, police in Malkangiri, Odisha, discovered a large stash of explosives in an area that had previously been shut off near the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha border. Amritsar Police also seized an IED weighing around 5 kg from a locality near the Wagha-Attari border the very same day.
The Delhi Police, which has been investigating the improvised explosive device (IED) recovered from the Ghazipur flower market revealed that the explosive was part of a 24-bomb shipment sent by the terror state of Pakistan to Pakistan-backed terrorist sleeper cells in India.
