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After social welfare dept withdrew notice to Kashmiri Pandit employees for absence, fresh notices issued to employees of other offices

OpIndia Staff
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After social welfare dept withdrew notice to Kashmiri Pandit employees for absence, fresh notices issued to employees of other offices

Three days after the Anantnag office of the Social Welfare Department in Jammu and Kashmir withdrew a ‘unauthorisedly’ issued notice to 26 Kashmiri Pandit employees for their absence from duties, fresh notices have been issued to a number of other Kashmiri Pandit employees from their respective government departments, threatening them to either join work or face consequences, reports Times Now. A large number of Kashmiri Hindus have fled the valley after targeted attacks on minorities including Kashmiri Hindus by terrorists started a few weeks ago.

The media network shared a letter dated November 11, 2021, addressed to the employees by the Office of the Assistant Executive Officer, Mohura district, wherein it asked its employees to resume office in 2 days, failing which the department said that their salary from the month of November 2021 would be withheld in addition to action under CSR rule.

One government official alleged that for the past ten years, Kashmiri Pandits had been applying for jobs but they never join after acquiring it. He claimed that these Kashmiri Pandits are neither joining work nor quitting it. By doing this, they are also denying opportunities to other deserving candidates. In response to the attacks on civilians, the employer stated that residents in Kashmir have been experiencing similar dangers for years; nevertheless, has everyone left the valley and fled like them, he asked.

Responding to the repeated coercion, a Kashmiri Pandit speaking to the media network shared his apprehensions about returning to work due to the recent and continuous targeted killings of Kashmiri Pandits by the terrorists in the valley. He is heard saying that the government department is pressuring them to return to work. He stated that, while they have continued to work online, they are afraid to return to the workplace in person. “We want to return, but the ground conditions must improve first”, said the Kashmiri Pandit speaking to Times Now.

The Kashmiri Pandit added that they have sought representation in which they demanded that they are granted a breathing period and not pressurised to get back to work in the valley. They also demanded that their salaries be released with immediate effect.

It may be recalled that on November 10 the Anantnag office of the Social Welfare Department in Jammu and Kashmir had withdrawn a notice issued to 26 Kashmiri Pandit employees threatening action against them for their absence from duties. A tweet posted by the District Information & Public Relations Centre of Anantnag said that the notice was issued ‘unauthorisedly’, and it stands withdrawn by the department.

The notice was withdrawn a day after the Office of the District Social Welfare Officer in Anantnag had issued a notice to 26 officers of the department, all of whom are Kashmiri Pandits, who have fled the area due to recent attacks on civilians by terrorists. The notice was issued seeking an explanation from the absent employees for “unauthorizedly remaining absent from duties”.

After the notice emerged on social media, Netizens slammed the Jammu and Kashmir administration, claiming that Kashmir Pandit employees had left the region to safeguard their lives after numerous minorities were killed in the union territory in recent weeks.

Support for Shami, silence over Hassan Ali: The two faces of Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Rizwan

OpIndia Staff
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Support for Shami, silence over Hassan Ali: The two faces of Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Rizwan

Following the 10-wicket loss to Pakistan in the group stage match of the T20 World Cup 2021, Indian cricketers were subjected to vicious abuse on social media. Although all players were trolled, left-liberal journalists and activists singled out the attacks on Mohammad Shami and presented it as an attack on a ‘Muslim player’ in a Hindu majority India.

While support poured in for the ace Indian pacer from all corners, Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Rizwan ‘extended his support’ to Mohammad Shami. In a tweet on October 26, he wrote, “The kind of pressure, struggles & sacrifices a player has to go through for his country & his people is immeasurable. Shami is a star & indeed of the best bowlers in the world. Please respect your stars. This game should bring people together & not divide them.”

Screengrab of the tweet by Mohammad Rizwan

The last tweet on Rizwan’s Twitter account is one asking cricket fans to remain optimistic about the future.

Mohammad Rizwan supported Shami but silent over Hassan Ali
Source: Twitter

Pakistani propaganda behind the targeting of Mohammad Shami

Earlier, a Twitter user ‘Counter-Propaganda Division’ had done detailed research on how Pakistan’s propaganda against India was pushed by coordinated social media posts abusing Shami. It said the whole “Shami is getting abused” propaganda started around the time when a Twitter user ‘vaikivannavan’ published screenshots of people allegedly abusing Shami. The group further pointed out who and how the thread on ‘Shami getting shamed’ was promoted on social media including a thread by Aj Jazeera’s host Sana Saeed.

The reality is, Shami is one of the most loved Indian cricketers and his fans will keep loving him for his performance. Moreover, the Indian team lost to Pakistan by a massive 10-wickets. Most Indians, who are cricket fans by default, know well that it was a multi-level failure by the team and blaming one bowler for it is non-sensical.

Moreover, on multiple occasions, cricketer Mohammad Shami has been at the receiving end of hateful, hurtful comments for sharing images of his family. Islamists on social media had shamed Shami for ‘not making his wife wear hijab’ and allowing his daughter to wear ‘Hindu’ dresses’. The concern and outrage that the ‘liberals’ are showing for Shami now was strangely absent on those occasions.

No support from Mohammad Rizwan for teammate Hassan Ali

Opindia had earlier reported how Hassan Ali was vilified for being a Shia Muslim by many in Pakistan. He was subjected to a flurry of personal comments, charges of match-fixing, derogatory remarks about his mother and Indian-born wife. Given that Pakistan is a Sunni-majority country, Islamists do not leave any chance to abuse the Shia community for any misfortune that befalls the country. Following Pakistan’s humiliating loss to Australia, conspiracy theories about Hassan Ali being a Shia (and hence losing the match deliberately) began floating on social media.

Soon after the match loss, Pakistani cricket fans had flooded social media with hateful and abusive remarks against Hassan Ali. Even team skipper Babar Azam, who had initially blamed Hassan Ali for dropping the catch of Matthew Wade and conceding the semi-final match to Australia, had later tried to do damage control. However, Mohammad Rizwan, who put out a tweet in favour of Mohammad Shami, failed to do so in the case of Ali.

Quite clearly, the tweet about Shami was to further aid the propaganda against India. Since it was the opposite with regards to Ali, no such comment was to be found.

Top Naxal leader Prashant Bose, accused of plotting to kill PM Modi in Bhima Koregaon case, arrested in Jharkhand

OpIndia Staff
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Top Naxal leader Prashant Bose, accused of plotting to kill PM Modi in Bhima Koregaon case, arrested in Jharkhand

Jharkhand Police in a joint operation with Intelligence Bureau (IB) arrested top CPI (Maoist) leader Prashant Bose (75) alias Kishan Da, who is wanted in over 100 cases of Naxal violence including the Elgaar Parishad – Bhima Koregaon case related to an alleged conspiracy to eliminate Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He was arrested on the basis of the intelligence inputs of IB. There was a bounty of Rs 1 crore on his head.

Other than Bose, police arrested his wife Sheela Marandi (60) and their two associates on November 12 at Kandra toll plaza in Saraikela-Kharsawan district of Jharkhand. “We arrested them in the morning when they were travelling from Parasnath in Giridih district to Saranda forest area in West Singhbhum to hold the meeting of CPI (Maoist). They were travelling in an SUV. This is an important catch for security agencies as the Bose carrying a cash prize of Rs one crore on his head was the biggest leader of the organization. He was wanted by several state police and investigative agencies,” a senior IB official told OpIndia.

Bose wanted by NIA in the Elgaar Parishad case

Maoist Bose is known by different aliases like Manish Da, Kishan Da, Budha, Nirbhay, and he is currently holding the post of secretary of the Eastern Regional Bureau (ERB) of CPI-Maoist. He is wanted by the National Investigation Agency in the Elgaar Parishad case.

He is accused of plotting to kill PM Modi on the basis of a ‘Maoist communication’ recovered from arrested accused Rona Wilson, he was booked by Pune police as accused number 15. The alleged Maoist communication mentioned a plot to kill the Prime Minister. Pune police had investigated it till the case was handed over to the NIA for a deep probe.

“Com Kisan and few other senior comrades have proposed concrete steps to end Modi Raj. We are thinking along the lines of another Rajiv Gandhi-type incident. It sounds suicidal and there is a good chance that we might fail, but we feel that the party PB/CC must deliberate over our proposal. Targeting his road shows could be an effective strategy. We collectively believe that survival of the party is supreme to all sacrifices,” the letter read.

Pune Police had claimed that ‘Com Kisan’ mentioned in the letter was Prashant Bose and subsequently in the charge sheet filed by Pune Police in 2018 he was named among the accused.

“Kishan alias Prashant Bose, secretary of ERB of CPI-Maoist, and other underground operatives hatched a conspiracy to kill the Prime Minister of India and also participated in the process of procurement of huge arms and ammunition as part of the larger conspiracy of waging a war against the democratic system and Indian citizens,” the charge sheet reads.

Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon case

The Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon case pertains to an event organised at Shaniwar Wada by Kabir Kala Manch called Elgar Parishad on December 31, 2017. On the next day (January 1, 2018), violence took place at Bhima Koregaon, where lakhs of Dalits had gathered to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Bhima Koregaon, won by the British Army—comprising mostly soldiers from Dalit community—against the Peshwas in 1818. On January 8 Pune Police lodged an FIR and the probe revealed that the event was organised by urban Naxals. A number of Naxal ideologues and urban Naxals were arrested including Stan Swamy, Hany Babu, Sudha Bharadwaj, Rona Wilson, Surendra Gadling, Mahesh Raut, Shoma Sen, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, Varavara Rao and Gautam Navlakha.

Who is Prashant Bose

A native of Jadavpur of Bengal, Bose is a former student of Jadavpur University in Bengal. He joined the ultra left-wing outfit in 1996 and quickly rose in the organisational hierarchy. Besides being ERB secretary, he is the Polit Bureau member of CPI (Maoist) and overall in-charge of Jharkhand-Bihar Special Area Committee, Chhatisgadh Special Area Committee and Assam State Special Area Committee. After Polit Bureau member Kishanji Mahto was gunned down by CRPF in Burisole forest in West Midnapore district in Novermber 2011, Bose took over the control of the organisation. Over 100 armed squad of CPI (Maoist) used to protect him. Parasnath and Saranda were his operational area.

An official said that no weapon was recovered either from him or from his wife and associates. “He did not resist or tired to run away. Since 2017 he has been facing physical disability. But depsite this he was actively involved in planning and execution of Naxal activities. A few years ago the CRPF and Jharkhand Police had surrounded around 100 Naxals including him. He was carried away by armed Naxals on a palaquin,” the official told OpIndia.  

Manipur: Assam Rifles convoy ambushed near Myanmar border, seven persons including commanding officer, his wife and son killed

OpIndia Staff
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Manipur: Assam Rifles convoy ambushed near Myanmar border, seven persons including commanding officer, his wife and son killed

A convoy of an Assam Rifles unit was ambushed by terrorists in Churachandpur district in Manipur today. Seven persons have died in the attack, including 5 soldiers and 2 civilians. The casualties included a Commanding Officer, his wife, their 6-year-old son, and 4 other soldiers of 46 Assam Rifles.

The commanding officer has been Colonel Viplav Tripathi, who was returning from one of his command posts on the Myanmar border when the attack took place. The four soldiers died in the ambush were from the Quick Response Team. The Indian Army colonel was serving as the commanding officer of 46 Assam Rifles unit on deputation.

While terrorists regularly target armed forces, it is rare for them to attack their families. According to initial reports, Manipur-based People’s Liberation Army is behind the attack. However, no insurgent group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

Reportedly, the convoy was first attacked by an IED blast, after there was gunfire attack by the terrorists. The incident happened in a remote village between S Sehken and Behiang near the Indo-Myanmar border. Security forces have started combing operations in the area after the incident.

Reacting to the incident, Manipur CM Biren Singh said that the perpetrators will be brought to justice. He informed on Twitter that the State forces and Para military are already on their job to track down the militants.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh tweeted that the attack on an Assam Rifles convoy in Churachandpur in Manipur is extremely painful & condemnable. “The perpetrators will be brought to justice soon,” he added.

PIL filed in Kerala HC against movie Kurup to protect the privacy of a man accused of murder and embezzlement of insurance money

OpIndia Staff
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PIL filed in Kerala HC against movie Kurup to protect the privacy of a man accused of murder and embezzlement of insurance money

A PIL has been filed before the Kerala High Court against Dulquer Salmaan’s film Kurup, which was released in movie theatres on Friday, November 12. The film is based on the life of proclaimed offender Sukumara Kurup.

The petitioner argued that the movie would infringe upon the privacy of Kurup and sought a stay on the release of the movie.

Justices S. Manikumar and Shaji P. Charly were presiding over the bench that admitted the plea on Tuesday this week and issued notice to the respondents in the case. It has, however, refused to stay the screening of the movie.

Sebin Thomas, the petitioner, a lawyer based out of Kochi, has asked the Kerala High Court to put a stay on the movie’s release to protect the privacy of the proclaimed offender.

The lawyer said in his petition that he came to know about the movie from an article published in The Hindu where it was mentioned that the movie is inspired by the life of one of the State’s most wanted criminals, Sukumara Kurup.

The main premise of the PIL is that the movie exploits Kurup’s right to privacy, particularly because as a proclaimed offender he is not allowed to approach the court to safeguard his own rights. The petitioner emphasised that privacy is a fundamental right recognised by many international and regional treaties as well as by the Supreme Court of India. He cited that as a citizen of India, the Government of India is duty-bound to protect Kurup’s rights as an accused under Article 20 and 21 of the Constitution.

Thomas reasoned that proclaimed offenders are deprived of freedom of movement, of association or assembly and therefore, it is incumbent upon the State to protect their rights.

Sukumara Kurup accused of faking his death to claim insurance money

Sukumara Kurup is accused of faking his own murder to claim insurance money. Kurup had allegedly murdered a film’s representative, Chako, who was waiting for a late-night bus at Karuvatta in Alapuzzha district, after giving him a lift in his car. After allegedly killing Chako, the car was later doused with petrol and set ablaze. Chako’s body was burnt in the fire. As per the police, Kurup tried to fake his death and embezzle insurance money to the tune of Rs 8 lakhs. Chako’s family had earlier sent a notice to the movie’s producers, but later his son said he had seen the movie and did not find any scene where Kurup was glorified.

Kurup had allegedly committed murder with the help of his two accomplices, his driver Ponnappan and brother-in-law Bhaskar Pillai, both of whom were caught and served life terms. However, Kurup was never caught and has been on the run since 1984.

Varanasi: Home Minister Amit Shah highlights importance of ‘Swabhasha’, asks guardians to speak to children in native tongue

OpIndia Staff
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Varanasi: Home Minister Amit Shah highlights importance of ‘Swabhasha’, asks guardians to speak to children in native tongue

Home Minister Amit Shah while speaking at the  ‘Akhil Bhartiya Rajbhasha Sammelan’ in Varanasi has highlighted the focus of the government on ‘Swabhasha’ and the emphasis on the the use of native language or the mother tongue for original thinking.

He said, ‘Today I want to put my appeal to all the guardians of this country through this convention, that I have come here to request them to talk to their children in their own native language. It does not matter in which medium they are studying, please talk to the children in native language in your home in order to increase their confidence levels, so that they have no hesitation in speaking their own mother tongue.’

Home Minister Shah then said that speaking in the native language would not only benefit the language but also benefit the children because original thinking could only result from native language. He said, ‘Original thinking can only come from native or the mother tongue (Swabhasa), other languages can provide routine knowledge but the path of attaining new knowledge and moving forward in the journey can only be realized by original thought process, and original thinking can only come from Swabhasa (native language).

Amit Shah further noted in his address, ‘There used to be a time when we were afraid, I am telling you now that a new era has started when we would be proud. This transformation of fear to feel pride and honor has been a huge achievement of Narendra Modi’s administration.’

The Home Minister said, “One of the main points of the new education policy of the country is the protection and promotion of languages and also the protection and promotion of the official language. In the new education policy, emphasis has been laid on the official language and mother tongue. The new change that the Prime Minister has made will change the future of India.”

Uttar Pradesh is set to go to polls early next years, with Yogi Adityanath seeking reelection as the Chief Minister of the most populous state in the country.

Pakistan: Lady police officer forces female detainee to strip and dance naked in front of inmates, compulsorily retired

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan: Lady police officer forces female detainee to strip and dance naked in front of inmates, compulsorily retired

A Pakistani lady police officer has been dismissed from duty after she was found guilty of coercing a female detainee to strips and dance nude in front of jail inmates in the country’s southwestern Balochistan province. The police inquiry committee in Pakistan looking into the matter discharged Inspector Shabana Irshad from her duties for misusing her authorities.

After the matter had come to notice, Deputy Inspector General Mohammad Azhar Akram had ordered an inquiry against inspector Shabana Irshad and ASP Pari Gul Tareen was appointed to investigate the matter. During the inquiry, ASP Pari Gul found the inspector guilty. In her report, she said that during the investigation in the murder case, the inspector was found guilty of negligence, misconduct, misuse of authority and immoral and non-professional behaviour towards her duty.

The probe found that the inspector forced the accused to remove her dress and to dance to a song. A video of the act was also recorded. The report added that Inspector Shabana Irshad formed her team as per her own choice without any written orders. The inquiry report had recommended major punishment for the officer. The incident happened at the Jinnah Town police station in Que­tta.

Accordingly, Inspector Shabana Irshad has been awarded ‘compulsory retirement from police service’ as punishment.

Reacting to the incident, the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Quetta, Muhammad Azhar Akram said: “The inquiry found that the lady inspector had arrested and brought a woman to the police station for questioning in connection with the murder of a child in the Jinnah township of Quetta.”

“When the woman was in police remand, lady inspector Shabana not only stripped her naked but also forced her to dance naked in front of others in jail,” he said. “The lady inspector had nothing to say in her defence and she has been retired forcibly from service and dismissed,” Akram said, adding that the victim has now been sent to jail custody by the court.

This cannot be permitted when a female inspector treats another female in this manner and abuses her authority. To protect women detainees even in jail, we have made it essential for them to be questioned only by female inspectors, the DIG added.

Reportedly, earlier five female cops were sacked from jobs in the same case. Bushra Afzal, Huma Faisal, Uzma Nasreen, Farah Khalil and Samina Manzoor were sacked for meting out inhumane treatment to the female accused during custody.

In the month of July, Pakistan’s parliament passed a bill criminalising torture and preventing custodial killings by police or other government officials. The Bill stated that if a public servant, whose duty it is to prevent custodial death and custodial sexual violence either intentionally or negligently fails to do so, he/she will be punished with at least seven years imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs. 1 million.

Senator Rehman after approval of the Bill said Pakistan was “finally on [the] way to criminalising torture”.

Supreme Court raps Kejriwal Govt, suggests lockdown to curb pollution in Delhi caused majorly by stubble burning in other states

OpIndia Staff
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Supreme Court raps Kejriwal Govt, suggests lockdown to curb pollution in Delhi caused majorly by stubble burning in other states

On Saturday (November 13), the Supreme Court of India asked the Union government whether lockdown could be imposed for a few days to improve the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the National Capital. A petition was filed before the apex court to control the air pollution levels in Delhi.

The matter came up before a Bench compromising of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana. He remarked, “Tell us how we can reduce AQI from 500 at least by 200 points. Take some urgent measures. Can you think of two days lockdown or something? How can people live? Air quality in Delhi is in the ‘severe’ category and in another 2 to 3 days it will dip further. Take an emergency decision. We will look at a long term solution later.”

The Supreme Court noted that that the air quality in the National Capital had deteriorated to an extent that people are now wearing masks at home. While defending the farmers over stubble burning, the court inquired, “Central government says 2 lakh machines are available for stubble burning and in the market, there are 2-3 kinds of machines available but farmers can’t afford to buy them. Why can’t the Centre/State govt provide these machines to farmers or take away the stubble?”

The apex court stated that it had become a fashion to bash farmers. The Court directed the Centre to take urgent steps within a span of 2-3 days so that the air pollution levels decrease in the National capital. “Little children have to go to school in this weather, we are exposing them to this. Dr Guleria (AIIMS) said we are exposing them to pollution, pandemic and dengue,” the Bench headed by the CJI concluded.

The court also pulled up the Arvind Kejriwal-led-Delhi government over the non-installation of smog towers and emission control projects. “You have opened all schools in the national capital and now children are exposed to pollutants. This is not the Centre’s but your jurisdiction. What is happening on that front?”

Stubble burning is the major contributor of fog in Delhi

According to the Fire Information for Resource Management System of NASA, the incident of fires in Punjab and Haryana have gone up significantly in the month of October, with it reaching its peak in the last week. Social media users also have pointed out how the farmers burning their stubble are responsible for the pollution, not firecrackers.

NASA uses red dots to indicate incidents of fire caught by satellites, and the maps for 31st October and 5th November show that almost the entire state is covered with red dots, which means that crop residues are being burnt at almost all the farmland in the state to clear the land for the next cultivation. Similarly, a large portion of Haryana is also covered with such red dots indicating fire.

In November last year, contribution of stubble burning to the pollution in Delhi had reached 40%. And there is nothing to suggest that circumstances this year will be drastically different.

NASA fire maps for north India on different dates in the October

There is also an indication that the farmers time stubble burning with Diwali, so that the pollution caused by them is blamed on firecrackers. When Swarajya Magazine editor Arihant Pawariya asked a farmer why they were burning stubble during Diwali, the farmer had replied that nobody will catch them as it is the time of the festivals.

Therefore, even if there was no bursting of firecrackers due to Diwali, Delhi’s air quality would not have been any better. Due to wind direction, the smoke from the stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana move towards Delhi, where it remains stationary due to the lack of wind movement in the region. Fog caused by lower temperate captures the pollutants in the air and keep them suspended in the air for a longer time, which creates toxic smog.

American radio show defends “Gender Queer”, a book that was banned across schools in the US for pornographic content involving children

OpIndia Staff
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American radio show defends “Gender Queer”, a book that was banned across schools in the US for pornographic content involving children

1A, an American radio talk show produced by WAMU in Washington, D.C. and distributed nationally by NPR (National Public Radio), recently organised a show wherein it got authors to discuss how and why schools ban books. The discussion came hot on the heels of a controversy triggered by a graphic novel called ‘Gender Queer’ after school districts across the United States alleged that the book, an illustrated memoir, contained explicit illustrations of sexual encounters involving children.

1A got the author of the book ‘Gender Queer’, Maia Kebab, who likes to use e/em/eir pronouns to refer himself, defended the book on the show, stating that the book was written by him as a letter to his loved ones. The NPR’s American Radio Show 1A then went on to show pictures from his graphic novel to justify how the book did not contain any sexual content and was meant for children to understand what androgynous feelings are and how to embrace them.

The pictures that were shared on the website showed individuals of same sex being attracted to each other. The author and the proponents of the book argue that it provides a guide for vulnerable children who develop queer characteristics and have no content to refer to.

However, social media users and listeners of the radio show were not pleased with the brazen defence of the book that they alleged of being sexually explicit and promoting “pornography”.

Social media users slam NPR for being disingenuous and promoting books that contained pornographic content

One of the social media users said NPR and 1A have not been entirely honest with their viewers and listeners as they withheld controversial images and shared only vanilla images to rail against the ban faced by the book.

The user went on to share other pictures from the graphic novel that contained illustrations of individuals of same gender indulging in sexual activities. “Why didn’t 1A show this image from “Gender Queer”?” the user asked while sharing pictures of two men engaged in oral sex.

Another social media user also highlighted how NPR had omitted a picture of a fourth-grade student involved in an oral sexual act.

Yet another social media user said that he usually doesn’t believe that mainstream liberal media likes to groom minors for sexual abuse but after 1A’s show, he is inclined to believe otherwise.

School systems across the US face parents’ wrath over inclusion of sexually explicit books such as “Gender Queer” in their libraries

A controversy swept across various school districts in the United States after parents and guardians expressed strong disapproval to the graphic novel Gender Queer being available in school libraries. Recently, some schools in South Carolina pulled the book off the shelves after parents objected to explicit drawings in the book.

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster has also ordered an investigation into how “Gender Queer: A Memoir,” by Maia Kobabe, which has explicit drawings of sexual acts, was found in the Fort Mill School District.

“These things are dangerous, they’re destructive, they’re harmful and they are against the law in South Carolina,” McMaster said at a press conference on Thursday.

Earlier last month, the book had stirred a controversy after it was found at the Wissahickon High School library. Parents of students studying in the school protested against the school for allowing their pupil access to the mortifying content of books such as “Gender Queer”.

Similarly, in September 2021, school systems in north Virginia had to pull some books, including “Gender Queer” from libraries on the grounds that the book contained explicit illustrations of sexual encounters involving children. The school board came increasingly under the attack of the parents who accused them of wielding a deleterious impact on children by the dint of providing them with books that contained sexually explicit content.

‘Trinamool Congress Govt linked to terrorists, smugglers’: BJP MLA hits out at Mamata Banerjee for opposing extension of BSF jurisdiction

OpIndia Staff
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‘Trinamool Congress Govt linked to terrorists, smugglers’: BJP MLA hits out at Mamata Banerjee for opposing extension of BSF jurisdiction

West Bengal BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul has slammed the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal for opposing the Centre’s decision to extend the jurisdiction of BSF. Hitting out at the state government, the designer-turned-politician said that West Bengal has become a terrorist hub. Further castigating the Mamata Banerjee led TMC govt in the state of WB, Paul alleged that the Trinamool Congress has links with smugglers and criminals.

“What’s the point of bringing resolution? Doesn’t CM Mamata Banerjee want our international borders to be strong like the Central government does?” Agnimitra Paul said lambasting the WB government.

BJP leader Agnimitra Paul further questioned why the Mamata Banerjee government has not given 631 km of land for fencing and said that all BJP MLAs will oppose the resolution on November 17, that the state govt plans to move to oppose the extension of the jurisdiction of BSF in the state.

It may be noted that the Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla on Friday met the Mamata Banerjee government and directed the state officials to expedite the fencing of the India-Bangladesh border in the state.

The discussion took place against the backdrop of sharp disagreements between Mamata Banerjee’s state government and the Centre over the extension of BSF’s jurisdiction issue.

Mamata Banerjee ups her antes against BJP govt for BSF order

Deepening its feud with the Centre, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee had decided to move a resolution in the state Assembly on November 17 opposing the central government’s decision to extend the Border Security Force jurisdiction from 15 km to 50 km. The CM had criticised the Centre’s move alleging that it was an attempt to interfere with the federal structure of the country.

The BJP, meanwhile, maintained it would oppose the WB resolution, stating it to be against national interest.

Centre extends BSF’s operational area in Punjab, West Bengal and Assam

It may be noted that the Union Ministry of Home & Affairs has amended its July 3, 2014 notification to extend the jurisdiction of Border Security Forces (BSF) from existing 15 km to 50 km inside the international border in Assam, West Bengal and Punjab which share borders with Bangladesh and Pakistan respectively.

Moreover, the jurisdiction of BSF in Gujarat has been reduced from 80 km to 50 km and no change has been made in Rajasthan where BSF continues to guard 50 km from the border.  

The basic idea was to bring uniformity in the area of operation in states sharing international borders.

The BSF was raised in December 1965 as a specialized force to guard India’s international border.

The decision was taken in the wake of an increasing number of cases of cattle and drug smuggling and Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) racket alongside the international borders. Drug and arms smuggling has emerged as a new challenge in Punjab whereas Assam and West Bengal are the hotbeds of cattle smuggling, FICN, and illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya migration.

But as usual, Punjab and West Bengal ruled by the Congress and Trinamool Congress (TMC) have started protesting the decision as an attack on federalism and interference through Central agencies.

Centre’s decision to extend the  jurisdiction of BSF an insult to state police: Punjab

Prior to the Mamata Banerjee government, the Congress government in Punjab had also rejected the Centre’s notification extending the BSF’s jurisdiction. On Thursday, CM Charanjit Channi led Punjab Government unanimously passed a resolution against the centre saying that since law and order is a state subject, the Centre cannot impose its decision on Punjab without taking them into confidence.

Captain Amarinder Singh, the former Punjab chief minister, had, however, expressed his support for the notification, stating that the BSF’s operational jurisdiction involves national security and should not be politicised. Singh tweeted, “Unfortunately people playing up the issue are unable to make out the difference between law & order and national security. BSF like Punjab Police is our own force and not an external or foreign army coming to occupy our land.”

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