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As countries rally to join diplomatic boycott of Beijing Olympics, Pakistan PM Imran Khan set to visit China for opening ceremony

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As countries rally to join diplomatic boycott of Beijing Olympics, Pakistan PM Imran Khan set to visit China for opening ceremony

On Thursday (January 13), the Foreign Office of Pakistan informed that Prime Minister Imran Khan would attend the opening ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, which is scheduled to take place on February 4 this year. The development comes amidst reports of a diplomatic snub to the mega event by Western countries such as the US, UK, Australia, Canada and Denmark.

As per reports, Khan will be going on a State visit to China between February 3 and 5, following an invitation by its Premier Xi Jinping. While briefing the media, Foreign Office spokesman Asim Iftikhar Ahmed said that Pakistan and China will discuss the One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative and other matters.

It must be mentioned that although athletes from across the world will participate in the event, the dignitaries of the Western countries will remain absent. China has been facing fierce criticism from Human Rights Watch (HRW) over the atrocities committed against the Uyghur Muslims. HRW Executive director Kenneth Roth pointed out that the Communist regime wanted to gloss over its ‘horrible’ record in upholding human rights by organising the Winter Olympics.

In December last year, the Pakistani Foreign Office extended support to China over the hosting of the Winter Olympics. In a statement, it said, “Pakistan opposes any form of politicisation of sports and hopes that all nations would come together in Beijing and afford their athletes the opportunity to compete against the best and showcase their skill.”

Spokesman Iftikar Ahmed had added, “We are confident that despite limitations imposed by Covid-19, the Beijing Winter Olympics would offer a spectacular and colourful gala to sports enthusiasts around the world, including in Pakistan.”

Dilpomatic boycott by Western nations and Chinese response

Imran Khan had decided to visit China at a time when the Communist nation is being held to account for committing gross human rights abuse, especially against the Uyghur Muslims in the restive province of Xinjiang. Amid a bitter trade war between Australia and China, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison had in December 2021 announced that his country would diplomatically boycott the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics over ‘human rights abuses’.

Besides, USA and Australia, many other countries are considering boycotting and limited representation at the Winter Olympics on the issue of human rights violations and others. The China-Australia relations collapsed last year and Morrison said the decision of Australia was not surprising. He said that human rights abuses in Xinjiang were one of the factors behind the diplomatic boycott.

A spokesperson from China’s embassy in Canberra has retorted saying that some Australian politicians were engaged in political posturing. The Chinese embassy in Ottawa reacted to China facing isolation. “The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics are about athletic excellence and global unity. Stop using it as a platform for grandstanding and division,” it said.

Furthermore, the Scandinavian country of Denmark had announced that it would join the diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics by not sending an official diplomatic delegation to the sporting event over the nation’s human rights issues.

“It is no secret that we from the Danish side are very concerned about the human rights situation in China. The government has decided that we will not attend the Winter Olympics in China,” Jeppe Kofod, the Foreign Minister of Denmark recently said.

The Torture of Uyghur Muslims

According to a 2017 report by the head of the Institute of Sociology at the Xinjiang Academy of Social Sciences, the increasing Muslim population in Xinjiang contributed to increased political risk, poverty and extremism. One of the reasons cited behind their high birth rates was the Islamic belief that the foetus was a gift from God.

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 Uyghur Muslims are often subjected to re-educational programs, forced labour, and digital surveillance, their children are indoctrinated in orphanages.

Reportedly, Uyghur 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.

As such officials began hunting for pregnant women and directing ethnic minorities to attend flag-raising ceremonies where they were threatened with detention and dire consequences if they failed to register their children. Associated Press reported that the Chinese government issued notices to reward people who reported illegal childbirth. Following flag-raising ceremonies, women were escorted to special rooms fitted with ultrasound scanners to detect pregnancy or take gynaecology tests.

“The intention may not be to fully eliminate the Uyghur population, but it will sharply diminish their vitality, making them easier to assimilate,” informed Darren Byler, an expert from the University of Colorado. As for Joanne Smith Finley who works at Newcastle University, the draconian measures undertaken by the Chinese government amount to a ‘slow, painful and creeping genocide’.

Pakistan’s continuous reticence on acknowledging human rights abuses of Uyghurs in China’s Xinjiang

While Pakistan bills itself as the leader of the Islamic ummah, it has been dismissive, and on occasions questioned the authenticity of reports of human rights violations of the Uyghur Muslim minority in the Chinese province of Xinjiang. China remains the biggest benefactor to Islamabad, which is teetering on the edge of a financial collapse amidst a foundering economy. As a consequence, the monetary and fiscal benefits of aligning with China has caused Pakistan to turn a blind eye to Beijing’s repressive measures against the Uyghur minorities.

In June 2021, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was taken aback when he was asked about his country’s conspicuous silence on the plight of Uyghurs. Speaking  to Jonathan Swan, Khan said, “What… our conversations have been with the Chinese, this is not the case, according to them.” On being told that the evidence was overwhelming, Khan said, “Whatever issues we have with the Chinese, we speak behind closed doors. China has been one of the greatest friends to us in our most difficult times.”

“When we were really struggling, our economy was struggling, China came to our rescue. So, we respect the way they are…And whatever issues we have, we speak behind closed doors. How come this is such a big issue in the Western world?” the Pakistani Prime Minister asked. He then shrewdly tried to deviate the issue from Uyghur Muslims to Kashmiri Muslims and claimed that it was hypocritical that ‘Kashmir’ is not an issue for the world.

However, this is not the first time that Khan was ill at ease in defending his country’s hypocritical silence on the abject condition of Uyghur Muslims in China. Back in September 2021, feigned ignorance when asked about Pakistan’s uncharacteristic silence on the Uyghur issue. Khan had then tried to dodge the question saying China is Pakistan’s “best friend” and issues like these are not discussed in public between the two countries.

PM Modi declares January 16 as ‘National Start-up Day’, praises industry, says number of operative start-ups went from 550 to 60,000

OpIndia Staff
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PM Modi declares January 16 as ‘National Start-up Day’, praises industry, says number of operative start-ups went from 550 to 60,000

Citing startups as the biggest backbone of new India, PM Modi on Saturday interacted with around 150 startups as a part of Aazadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. He also declared January 16 to be celebrated as ‘National Start-up Day’ every year.

Calling this decade a ‘techade’, PM Modi listed three important aspects of the massive changes that the government was making to strengthen innovation, entrepreneurship and start-up ecosystem. He said that the government would liberate startups from the bureaucratic silos, promote innovation and would create an institutional mechanism for entrepreneurs.

PM Modi further stated that innovators are making India proud and that the start-ups will have an important role to play when India completes 100 years of Independence. He noted the exponential rise in the indicators of innovation and said, “more than 28 thousand patents were granted and 2.5 lakh trademarks were registered alone in one last year”.

India’s campaign for innovation has resulted in the improvement of India’s ranking in the Global innovation index where India stood at 81 rank but now India stands at 46 rank in the index, he added.

Praising the Indian start-ups who are now working in 55 different industries as of today, PM Modi pointed out that the total number of operative start-ups has crossed 60,000. ‘Five years ago, India didn’t have even 500 startups’, he added. The Prime Minister also said that he believed in the ability and creativity of the youth.

The Prime Minister also remarked that the millennials today are the cornerstone of both the prosperity of their families and the self-reliance of the nation. He suggested the start-up innovators take their initiatives to remote locations while focussing on the global platforms. “Aspirations of villages are rising and rural and semi-urban areas are waiting for a new wave of expansion”, he said.

He encouraged the Start-up innovators to look into the creation of wealth and jobs for the people of India. “I am standing with you, the government is with you and the entire country is standing with you”, he concluded.

According to an official statement issued by the Prime Minister’s office, the event is being hosted by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, from January 10 to 16. The event marks the 6th anniversary of the launch of the Startup India initiative.

Jharkhand Congress MLA Irfan Ansari makes a sexist jibe, promises to make roads ‘smoother than cheeks of Kangana Ranaut’

OpIndia Staff
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Jharkhand Congress MLA Irfan Ansari makes a sexist jibe, promises to make roads ‘smoother than cheeks of Kangana Ranaut’

On Friday, January 14, Jharkhand Congress MLA Dr Irfan Ansari released a video where he has vowed to make roads of his assembly constituency, Jamtara, smoother than the cheeks of Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut.

“I assure you that roads of Jamtara will be smoother than cheeks of film actress Kangana Ranaut. Construction of fourteen world-class roads will begin soon… Chakachak sadke banegi…yeh kaam hain Irfan Ansari ka,” the Congress leader directed the sexist jibe at the Manikarnika actress while boasting about constructing fourteen world-class roads in his constituency.

The Congress MLA further claimed that such roads would never have been developed under the former government of BJP leader Raghubar Das in Jharkhand. He went on to say that people were suffering from a range of diseases as a result of the dust and that when his administration is formed, he plans to focus on development projects for the locals.

“Now, I have got 14 roads approved in the Hemant Soren government. The roads have now gone for tender, soon the construction work will start,” he said.

Interestingly, earlier this week, Irfan Ansari had courted another controversy as he claimed that wearing a mask for a long time is detrimental to health. The Congress MLA who touts his credentials as an ‘MBBS doctor’ had said during a program that excessive and prolonged use of masks leads to inhalation of carbon dioxide.

“Masks should not be worn for long. I am saying as an MBBS doctor that there should not be prolonged mask usage. One should wear a mask in crowds. There is no need to panic during this third wave of Covid-19. The symptoms will get cured in five-six days,” said Dr Irfan Ansari.

Now, the Congress MLA has once again sparked a new round of controversy by comparing the roads in his assembly constituency, Jamtara to the cheeks of actor Kangana Ranaut.

Politicians who have made similar sexist jibes like the Jharkhand Congress MLA in the past

The comparison of highways and roads to the skin and cheeks of movie actors appears to be a favourite of politicians of all hues and times. In November 2021, newly appointed Rajasthan minister and Congress MLA Rajendra Singh Gudha had courted controversy after his remarks comparing the state’s roads to actor Katrina Kaif’s cheeks went viral.

As per the reports, the minister first said the roads should be made like Hema Malini cheeks. After a few moments, he said, “no… Hema Malini has become old.” Then he asked the people present at the meeting, “Which actress is famous in films nowadays?” When people took the name of Katrina Kaif, he said, “Then the roads of my village should be made like the cheeks of Katrina Kaif.”

Likewise, Maharashtra minister and senior Shiv Sena leader Gulabrao Patil also had to apologise after the state women’s commission strongly objected to his remarks likening the roads in his constituency to Hema Malini’s cheeks.

In 2019, Congress leader PC Sharma compared the roads of Madhya Pradesh with the cheeks of BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya and said the Congress government would make them like the cheeks of Hema Malini.

Back in 2005, RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav also gave a similar sexist statement. At the time, he had said that Bihar roads would become as smooth as the cheeks of Hema Malini. 

FIR filed against 2500 Samajwadi Party workers for flouting covid norms: Details

OpIndia Staff
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FIR filed against 2500 Samajwadi Party workers for flouting covid norms: Details

The Uttar Pradesh Police has filed an FIR against 2,500 Samajwadi Party workers on the grounds of flouting COVID-19 norms. A notice was issued to party chief Akhilesh Yadav in this regard on Saturday, warning him against the violation of guidelines enforced by the Election Commission while the Model Code of Conduct is in effect.

The police informed in its notice that the state’s electoral code of conduct is in effect and that Section 144 has been enforced along with it. The police have requested the Samajwadi Party to refrain from gathering crowds and adhere to Covid norms implemented in the state in the wake of a resurgent wave of COVID-19 powered by the Omicron variant.

Swami Prasad Maurya, a former cabinet minister in the BJP government, and his followers joined the Samajwadi Party on Friday, in presence of several senior SP members, including party president Akhilesh Yadav. However, the election code of conduct and the Covid guidelines were not observed.

After a large crowd gathered at the Samajwadi Party headquarters for the joining-in event of two rebel ministers and some MLAs, the UP police filed a complaint against over 2,500 unknown persons for disobeying Covid-19 guidelines, according to news agency PTI. Officials said the FIR was filed in accordance with the Election Commission’s guidelines on Covid-related regulations.

FIR against 2,500 Samajwadi Party workers for defying COVID-19 guidelines

According to the Lucknow Police Commissioner, the FIR was filed against roughly 2,500 Samajwadi Party leaders under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 188, 269, 270, and 341 as well as relevant parts of the Epidemic Diseases Act. He stated that video footage was collected prior to the filing of the FIR in this case. Lucknow Police disperse a throng formed outside the SP’s office for breaking the COVID-19 protocol, according to footage from the ‘Virtual Rally.’

Naresh Uttam Patel, the Uttar Pradesh unit chairman of the Samajwadi Party, claimed, “It was a virtual program that took place in our party’s office. We didn’t call anyone, yet they showed up. The COVID-19 procedure was followed.”

After the Lucknow Police posted the notice outside the Samajwadi Party’s office on Saturday, party president Akhilesh Yadav urged all leaders and workers to follow the Election Commission’s instructions. “I appeal to the leaders, party workers to abide by the EC guidelines, Covid protocols whenever they come to the office…I have also heard that a notice was also put up at our office today,” Akhilesh Yadav said, as reported by ANI.

Dinesh Singh Bisht, in charge of the Gautam Palli police station, has been suspended by the Election Commission of India for gross carelessness in the performance of his responsibilities.

Akhilesh Singh, Lucknow’s assistant police commissioner, and Govind Maurya, Lucknow’s additional city magistrate, were also ordered to give clarification over the massive crowd at the SP office by the poll authority.

In the midst of the Covid-19 wave, which is being driven by the Omicron variant across the country, the EC has barred political parties from campaigning physically until January 15.

‘Muslims most secure and happy under BJP rule’, says Muslim Rashtriya Manch appealing to the minority community to vote for BJP

OpIndia Staff
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‘Muslims most secure and happy under BJP rule’, says Muslim Rashtriya Manch appealing to the minority community to vote for BJP

Ahead of the assembly elections in five states, the Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM) on Friday hit out at the Congress, SP and BSP for considering Muslims just as a vote bank. MRM further appealed to the minority community to vote for BJP and said that the Muslims felt most secure and happy under the BJP rule.

The MRM yesterday released a letter of appeal for distribution in the poll-bound states. According to reports, the leaflet seeking votes for BJP will be distributed among the minority community members of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur and Punjab.

The leaflet mentioned that the BJP has done a lot for Muslims and that it cared most about the minority community. “Over the past 70 years, all political parties treated Muslims as a vote-bank and turned them into bonded slaves through appeasement. This was broken by the Modi government in 2014 with his slogan of ‘Sabka saath, sabka vikas and sabka vishwas’. That is why, in 2019, both Hindus and Muslims voted for the BJP. We request you to cast vote for the BJP this time,” the letter read.

Continuing to bash the opposition parties, the organisation stated that Congress, SP and BSP have long been running propaganda against the RSS and BJP. The minority community members are falsely being told that they will be thrown out of the country if BJP comes into power, it added.

It claimed that Muslims have suffered a lot due to poverty, illiteracy and hatred towards Hindus during the Congress regime. The MRM also praised various government schemes launched under PM Modi’s regime like Pradhan Mantri Avas Yojana, Jan Dhan yojana, Startup India, etc and said that Muslims have benefited a lot from these schemes.

“BJP is the biggest well-wisher of country and will continue to be so”, it said in the appeal letter pleading the minority community members to vote wisely in the upcoming election.

Uttar Pradesh: Goons open fire at Kannauj District Panchayat member and BJP leader’s car for refusing to join Samajwadi Party

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Goons open fire at Kannauj District Panchayat member and BJP leader’s car for refusing to join Samajwadi Party

Bhupendra Shakya, the district panchayat member elected from ward number 18 of Saurikh, the Nagar panchayat in Kannauj district, Uttar Pradesh has claimed that he was saved by a whisker after some goons opened fire on his car in broad daylight for refusing to join the Samajwadi Party. Taking to Facebook on January 13, the BJP leader informed how some goons had managed to breach the security and open fire at him near his house.

According to a report by Hindi daily Dainik Jagran, the incident took place on Wednesday, January 12, when Bhupendra Shakya was returning to Saurikh from Chhibramau.

In his complaint, the Zila panchayat member has named Vivek Kumar Shakya, Annu Sharma, Dilip Pal, resident of village Paraur and Rahul Yadav, resident of village Khanpur as the accused. Based on the complaint a case has been registered and the Uttar Pradesh police are trying to nab the accused.

Bhupendra Shakya told the police that the 4 accused had been pressuring him to join the Samajwadi Party. They had threatened him with life if he did not concede to their demands, said Shakya.

Coverage of the issue

Narrating what transpired on Wednesday, Bhupendra Shakya told the police that he was returning to Saurikh from Chhibramau when the four accused, who also came in a car, tried to intercept his car near the Ishan river bridge in Sakhauli, Uttar Pradesh. Shakya added that when he did not stop, Rahul Yadav opened fire on his car with the intention of killing him.

After escaping narrowly, the Zila Panchayat member reached out to the BJP’s top leadership and informed them of the situation. Based on his complaint an FIR was registered against the accused.

Informing the same, Inspector in charge, Madan Gopal Gupta was quoted by Dainik Jagran as saying that a case has been registered. Soon the accused will be arrested.

Meanwhile, Bhupendra Shakya claims that after the case against the accused was filed, they came to his house on Thursday and threatened his father with death if the complaint was not withdrawn. Following this, some BJP leaders met with Prashant Verma, the leader of the Samajwadi Party, to inform him of the situation. For added security, a police team was stationed outside the Zilla Panchayat member’s home.

Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Aazad puts a full stop over possibilities of an alliance with SP, says Akhilesh Yadav only wants Dalit vote bank

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Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Aazad puts a full stop over possibilities of an alliance with SP, says Akhilesh Yadav only wants Dalit vote bank

Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Aazad has abruptly ruled out any possibility of a coalition between his party and the Samajwadi Party. Aazad said at a media briefing that he unified the ‘Bahujan Samaj’ and met with Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav for six months but to avail with no agreed outcome.

Chandrashekhar Aazad stated that he was in Lucknow for two days to meet SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, but the SP chief insulted him by not calling him. “I’d delegated responsibilities to him [Akhilesh Yadav]. By not calling me, he insulted me” Aazad added.

Azad claimed on Saturday that an alliance with Samajwadi Party would be impossible since Akhilesh Yadav just wanted a Dalit vote bank, not a Dalit leader. “My people feared that our leader would also join the Samajwadi Party. Akhilesh Ji does not need Dalits,” Aazad said.

“After all the discussions, in the end, I felt that Akhilesh Yadav does not want Dalits in this alliance, he just wants Dalit vote bank. He humiliated the people of Bahujan Samaj, I tried for 1 month 3 days but the alliance could not happen,” ANI quoted Aazad as saying.

Aazad wrote on Twitter on Saturday that defeat of BJP is not possible without alliance. “There is great power in unity. It is not easy to defeat an elusive party like BJP without strength and unity. It is the responsibility of the leader of the coalition to take care of the representation and respect of the people of all the society. The Dalit class in UP deems Akhilesh Yadav fit for this responsibility.” (Translated) Aazad Tweeted.

This development comes after there were media reports claiming the alliance to happen between the two parties. Chandra Shekhar Aazad previously told India Today about the collaboration with the Samajwadi Party “The alliance has been confirmed. That’s why I’m going [to the press conference]. At 10 a.m., I will inform the press on what terms everything has been decided.”

Recently, several BJP MLAs and leaders joined SP ahead of the elections. Shifting is also taking place from SP. It would be interesting to watch how such tendencies affect the upcoming UP state assembly elections, which are slated to take place in seven phases beginning February 7, with the counting on March 10.

Arvind Kejriwal wanted to become Punjab CM by staging in-party feud: BJP shares video of once-loyal aide Kumar Vishwas, exposing AAP politics

OpIndia Staff
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Arvind Kejriwal wanted to become Punjab CM by staging in-party feud: BJP shares video of once-loyal aide Kumar Vishwas, exposing AAP politics

Ahead of the upcoming Vidhan Sabha elections in Punjab, the State unit of the BJP has exposed how Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal wanted to stage infighting within the party during the 2017 polls to become the Chief Minister of Punjab.

In a video shared by BJP Punjab, a close aide of Arvind Kejriwal and former AAP leader Kumar Vishwas was heard divulging the sinister plans of the AAP supremo during the 2017 State Legislative polls in Punjab. “He (Kejriwal) was under the impression that the party will get 90 seats and that he will become the Chief Minister. I told him that the people of Punjab will not accept you. I pointed out that the Punjabis will not accept anyone who does not wear a turban,” Kumar Vishwas emphasised.

“Punjab is not just a State but an emotion, not just for the people of Punjab but those Punjabis and especially Sikhs spread across the world,” he added. Kumar Vishwas revealed how Arvind Kejriwal confided his game plan to him during a conversation about the election outcomes. The noted poet recounted, “He told me the formula to make this a reality. He suggested that once the party bags 90 seats, we will stage a feud between the Bhagwant Mann group and Poolka group.”

He added, “He told me that the infighting between the two factions will continue for 3-4 days, enough to grab national headlines. Kejriwal suggested that I and Ashutosh will then go to Punjab to mediate the situation. And then it will be decided that the power be handed over to Arvind Kejriwal. He said that he would then hand over the administration of the Delhi government to Manish Sisodia.”

Kumar Vishwas had made it clear to the AAP supremo that the chances of him becoming the CM of Punjab was negligible, given that it is a border State and he has a major disagreement with the Centre. “This will be extremely difficult and the situation will be worsened by those, who you are trying to appease. He asked me to shut my mouth and wait for the invitation to the oath-taking ceremony in Punjab.”

The video was earlier shared in February 2020 by BJP IT Cell Head Amit Malviya during the Delhi elections. Interestingly, in the 2017 Punjab Legislative Assembly election, the Lok Insaaf Party and Aam Aadmi Party alliance (represented as AAP+) won only 22 seats out of the total 117 seats. Only 2 seats were won by the Lok Insaaf Party while the other 20 were won by the Aam Aadmi Party. Congress won the elections after bagging 77 seats and Captain Amarinder Singh went on to become the Chief Minister of Punjab.

As per the schedule announced by the Election Commission of India (ECI), elections in the State of Punjab will be conducted in a single phase on February 14, 2022. On the same day, polls will also be held in Uttarkhand, Uttar Pradesh (2nd Phase) and Goa. The votes will be counted on March 10, 2022.

Cache of explosives including Tiffin bombs recovered from Malkangiri in Odisha, after similar recoveries in Punjab, Delhi and Srinagar

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Cache of explosives including Tiffin bombs recovered from Malkangiri in Odisha, after similar recoveries in Punjab, Delhi and Srinagar

On Friday, the Malkangiri police in Odisha detected a huge cache of explosives in the erstwhile cut-off area near the Andhra Pradesh – Odisha border. Malkangiri Superintendent of Police Nitesh Wadhwan said that four tiffin bombs and 20 web belts and huge quantities of medicines were recovered.

According to the local reports, the search operation was carried out by the Special Operation Group (SOG), District Voluntary Force (DVF) and the district police in an area between Mariveda and Nadmenjeri villages under Jodambo police limits. “The items seized were to be used by the Maoists for making explosives planned for use against civilians and security forces”, the police said.

This is the third similar incident in and around the Malkangiri border since last year. On December 25, a joint team of SOG and DVF personnel had unearthed a Maoist dump and recovered hand grenade, generator set and other raw materials used for making IEDs and other explosive devices in Malkangiri district. Also, in October 2021, the Police has busted an explosive unit in the Malkangiri district and killed 3 Maoists, two of which were women.

Pertinently, on Friday, similar such situations were tackled by the Police in the states of Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and New Delhi in one day. The Police in each case recovered explosives that were about to explode and cause huge damage.

IED found in East Delhi’s Flower Market

The security establishment in New Delhi had discovered 3 kg of explosives, including RDX and ammonium nitrate, a timer device, an electric detonator and some shrapnel from a bag at East Delhi’s Ghazipur flower market yesterday. According to the reports, the police had first received a call at 10.19 am from a man in the market. The bag was examined by the bomb detection and disposal experts who found that it contained an IED scheduled to explode at 11:40 am. The officers immediately decided to dispose of it.

Reports mention that an FIR has been registered in the case, at the Special Cell police station and officers are checking CCTV footage to gather clues.

RDX, Iron balls planted near Wagha-Attari border, seized-

The Amritsar Police also on Friday seized IED weighing about 5 kgs from a village near Wagha-Attari border. Registering the case, the police said that the IED is of high intensity and could have caused huge damage to the village.

The IED recovered includes around 2.7 kg of RDX, 1.3 kg iron balls, codex wire, electric detonator and digital timer. Meanwhile, Rashpal Singh of Amritsar Police informed that the explosived had been sent from Pakistan and that the police was investigating the case.

Grenade bomb defused in Srinagar’s market-

In another such incident on Friday, the Bomb Disposal Squad of the security forces had defused a grenade that was recovered inside a cooker wrapped in a bag at Srinagar’s Khwaja Bazaar Chowk. According to the reports, a suspicious bag containing the pressure cooker with some wires visible outside the bag was detected by the Police and CRPF, triggering panic in the area. The bomb squad later destroyed the IED on the spot, police said.

Slaughterhouse politics: Congress candidate for UP’s Moradabad makes promises about slaughterhouses, says Yogi govt ‘harasses’ Qureshi community

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Slaughterhouse politics: Congress candidate for UP’s Moradabad makes promises about slaughterhouses, says Yogi govt ‘harasses’ Qureshi community

Rizwan Qureshi, the Congress candidate for Moradabad city, has now claimed that if he wins the upcoming election from his constituency the first thing he would do is reopen the slaughterhouses that remain shut in the state, reported Bhaskar.

It’s worth noting that when Yogi Adityanath’s government took office in 2017, one of the first things it did was shut down all of the state’s illegal slaughterhouses.

Qureshi claimed that the Uttar Pradesh police regularly harasses the Qureshi community, which he said have run out of business since the govt has shut down slaughterhouses in the state. So, the first thing he would do after coming to power is, reopen those slaughterhouses, said the Congress leader.

He said that he had lost the Nagar Nigam election of Uttar Pradesh by a very thin margin. Hopefully, people would vote for him and fill up the gap and once he is elected he would construct modern slaughterhouses in the district, promised Qureshi.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Qureshi said: “I will construct slaughterhouses equipped with modern and new technologies if I win the elections. In 2012, the NGT had directed the government to close the slaughterhouse and construct a new one with modern equipment. Until then, the government should make alternative arrangements for the slaughterhouse owners to earn their livelihood. If I win the election, I will ensure modern slaughterhouses are constructed in my constituency.”

Interestingly, Qureshi’s statements were ambiguous where he not only mentioned re-opening the illegal slaughterhouses but also promised that he would open modern slaughterhouses in his constituency.

Slaughtering cows and beef is banned in Uttar Pradesh, like in most states of the country. It’s worth mentioning here that prior to the Yogi govt, the regulations governing the operation and upkeep of slaughterhouses were not properly implemented, and permission was randomly granted to individuals who wanted to open slaughterhouses without regard for the rules.

Following Yogi Adityanath’s election as chief minister in 2017, the Supreme Court’s order and the Central Government’s directions in this regard were issued with stern instructions for execution. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath issued orders to ban cow smuggling and asked police for a plan to close down illegal slaughterhouses in Uttar Pradesh

It may be noted that as part of its continuous drive to safeguard cows and stop smuggling, the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP administration in Uttar Pradesh has shut down 150 illegal slaughterhouses and identified 356 cattle mafias.

According to reports, in the last four and a half years, the state government has taken legal action against 1,823 suspects and seized assets worth more than Rs 18 crore from 68 smugglers charged under the UP Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act.

Cow smuggling, which has always been a big problem in Uttar Pradesh, resulting in numerous violent occurrences was also tackled firmly by the Yogi government, which in June 2020 approved to pass an ordinance aimed at protecting the cow and preventing crimes related to cow slaughter. The UP cabinet approved the Cow-Slaughter Prevention (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020.

According to the reports, the proposed amendment includes a penal provision of imprisonment ranging from one year to ten years for physical damage to the cow and a fine from Rs one lakh to Rs three lakh in cases related to cow slaughter.

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