Hitting out at the Congress, Communist Party of India (Marxist) senior leader Brinda Karat said on Monday that in Kerala, the grand old party is aligning with the RSS and the BJP against the ruling CPI (M).
The Politbureau member of the CPI (M) was responding to Congress leader KC Venugopal’s allegations that his party workers are being attacked in Kerala. “Everywhere, our boys were brutally attacked by the police and CPI(M) goons in the state,” Venugopal had alleged.
In response, Brinda Karat said that the Congress speaks the same language as the Bharatiya Janata Party and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
“In Kerala, the Congress is clearly with the RSS and the BJP against the CPI(M). At the national level, they talk about fighting against Modi, but in Kerala, where there is a government with alternative policies and a pro-people stance, the Congress cannot tolerate it,” she said.
“What the BJP and RSS say in the morning, the Congress says in the evening. This is the politics in Kerala, and it is a shame that the national party, which claims to be mentally fighting against Modi, should be in a state like Kerala, an oasis of communal harmony, an oasis for pro-people policies, is using the most wild tactics to destabilise the state government,” Karat said while speaking to ANI.
Earlier on Sunday, Venugopal claimed that Congress workers were brutally attacked by CPI(M) goons and the police.
He further claimed that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was treating the opposition the same way the BJP does with opposition parties.
“Everywhere, our boys were brutally attacked by the police and CPI (M) goons. We are fighting against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the dictatorial government and their attitude at the national level, but unfortunately, Kerala CPI (M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan is doing the same thing to attack the opposition parties, basically Congress and the UDF. This is condemnable,” Venugopal had said.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
The Haryana Police have filed an FIR against Sameena Dalwai, a professor at the OP Jindal University, for harassing students and breaching their privacy by displaying their profiles in a dating App inside a classroom.
The FIR has been filed on the complaints of Renu Bhatia, the chairperson of Haryana State Women’s Commission. As per a report in the Indian Express, Anjoo Mohun, the Chief Communication Officer at the varsity, said, “We will follow the next steps as required by the authorities. Nothing is in place as of now as to what exactly is going to be the next step, but authorities have our cooperation.”
Earlier this month, the Haryana State Commission for Women (HSCW) had called for an FIR against the professor in the dating-app case. Notably, Dalwai did not appear before the commission on 6th December.
The HSCW said the “safety, security and dignity of the female students cannot be compromised with merely because she has chosen not to appear before the commission”.
In September, Dalwai allegedly violated the privacy of a student in the classroom by opening their Bumble dating-app account. Dalwai displayed the student’s private account on a Smart TV in a classroom full of students.
A video and screenshots of some chats doing rounds on X, formerly Twitter, showed the professor indulging in a detailed discussion about a dating account, which was allegedly a student’s. Moreover, as per reports, when the students refused to open their profiles, Dalwai allegedly told them to create fake IDs and suggested using Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s picture.
After Dalwai failed to appear before the HSCW twice, chairperson Renu Bhatia had written to the Police commissioner seeking an FIR against her. Bhatia insisted that the HSCW has spoken to several students in the University and has video evidence of their testimony against the professor.
It is notable here that, prior to the Bumble dating App row, an email by Sameena Dalwai had come to the fore, where she had claimed that Hamas didn’t do any atrocities on Israeli civilians, and it was all ‘fake news by Indian troll armies’. She wrote, “India’s response has been sad. Fake news of Hamas atrocity is created by Indian troll armies. We know their power- many of us get trolled regularly for our writing.”
The email was reportedly written to some persons who were against a talk held at the University by Professor Achin Vanaik, Retired Professor of International Relations and former Head of the Department of Political Science at the University of Delhi, now an activist.
The talk, titled ‘The History and Politics of the Palestinian Present’, reportedly made statements condoning the terrorist activities of Hamas against Israel, and glorifying ‘suicide bombing’ by terrorists.
Bageshwar Dham Sarkar Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, while interacting with the media, announced that Bageshwar Dham Peeth will openly oppose the celebration of Christmas and Santa Claus. He asserted that this is Western culture that is not in accordance with the Indian, and Sanatani traditions and culture.
He advised that Hindu parents should send their kids to the nearby Hanuman ji temple instead of sending them to Santa Claus. He also urged all Sanatanis to boycott the Western culture.
Dhirendra Shastri said, “Christmas on 25th December is not in accordance with Indian culture. Parents of Hindu children should send their kids to the nearby temple of Param Sant Hanuman Ji Maharaj and not to Santa Claus. We are Indians, we should think about this. We are Sanatani. Indians and Sanatanis should boycott this culture. Bageshwar Peeth openly opposes this culture.”
The Chief of Bagheswar Dham also proposed that Hindus should embrace and observe Tulsi Pujan and celebrate Matra-Pitra Diwas instead of partaking in the Christmas celebrations.
He added, ‘Tomorrow is also ‘Matra-Pitra Divas’, do Tulsi Puja, get in the service of your parents. Go to Hanumanji’s temple and have a darshan. Bring Prasad from there.”
Shastri also issued an appeal to the parents urging them to tell their children about great men like Swami Vivekananda. He asserted that parents should inspire their kids with great personalities like Meera Bai, Maharani Lakshmi Bai, and Swami Vivekananda among others.
Meanwhile, regarding the query that schools mark Christmas celebrations, Dhirendra Shastri opposed the Christmas celebration in schools. It is important to note that recently Madhya Pradesh’s Shajapur district made it mandatory for all schools to take parents’ permission before involving a student in Christmas celebrations, including children dressing up as Santa Claus or Christmas trees.
(The order was issued by the education officer of the Shajapur district on 14th December. Sourced from India Today)
The order was issued by the education officer of Shajapur district on 14th December. The order warned that both government and private schools will face action if students are found to be taking part in Christmas-related events without the permission of their parents.
It read, “Students should have written permission from parents before they are made part of Christmas-related events, which include making them dress up as Santa Claus, Christmas tree, or any other role.”
On 25th December, a former minister of the Bihar government and Bharatiya Janata Party leader, Neeraj Kumar ‘Bablu’, gave an ultimatum to the police and administration in the Madhopur kidnapping matter. He said that in case the kidnapped 17-year-old Hindu girl is not brought back in two days, he and his supporters would take the protest to the roads.
As per reports, a person named Mohammed Sahil, son of Mohammed Kalaam, resident of Murliganj groomed a teenage girl and kidnapped her on 20th December 2023. Her parents filed a complaint at Madhopur Sadar Police Station about her abduction. In the complaint, her parents said that the girl went to college on 20th December and went missing at around 4 PM. The girl’s family members tried to find her but failed.
Speaking to The Bihar Bulletin, her mother said that the girl said on the phone that she would not come back. After having a chat with her mother, she switched off her phone. Her brother said that they tried her phone multiple times. When she picked up, she said, “I am not coming back. I have got married.” Then she disconnected the call while crying. Since then, her phone was untraceable.
Reportedly, Sahil’s grandparents live next door to the missing girl. Mohammad Afroz, Mohammed Firoz and other family members have been named in the complaint.
BJP leader Neeraj Kumar reached out to Bhan Tekdi after learning about the incident. He said in a statement that it was a clear case of Love Jihad, and if the administration failed to find the girl in two days, they would protest on the roads.
Madhopur Superintendent of Police Rajesh Kumar said in a statement that the police are investigating the matter and they will recover the girl by night.
On Sunday, 24th December, the Congress and its ecosystem marked the death anniversary of anti-Hindu Dravidian leader EV Ramasamy Periyar.
On this note, The Print shared one of its old reports on X. The post on its X handle dated 24th December read, “Periyar, the ‘South Indian Socrates’ who smashed Brahminical patriarchy.”
Periyar, the ‘South Indian Socrates’ who smashed Brahminical patriarchy
Notably, the DMK had reportedly stated in the past that Periyar was awarded the title ‘Socrates of South India’ by UNESCO. This was challenged by a petitioner in the Madras High Court in 2021.
The Print in its X post has tried to peddle the same old lie once again which was, notably, also printed in Class 9th Tamil textbooks and in college textbooks.
In 2021, the Madras High Court reportedly directed the Tamil Nadu government to consider the petition which demanded the removal of the false information in the Class 9th Tamil Samacheer Kalvi book.
The information claimed that UNESCO had bestowed the “Socrates of South Asia” title on Periyar. State secretary of Tamil Nadu BJP, Dr SG Suryah in 2019 accused the DMK of spreading fake news over the same.
Dravidar Kazhagam & DMK are the beginners of #FakeNews
They shamelessly keep claiming UNESCO awarded EV Ramasamy with "Socrates of South East Asia Award" while there are no such records at all anywhere.
All their Dravidian ideology theories are similarly fake & concocted lies.
Suryah wrote on X that no such records exist anywhere. He also shared an image of the said award. The text on the so-called award says it was presented by then Tamil Nadu CM M Karunanithi.
The award also mentions UNESCO Mandram whereas no such office of the global body exists except for its India office in New Delhi.
“Lol! This is that #FakeAward that was apparently conferred to EV Ramasamy by UNESCO it seems! Funny thing is there’s no such office in Chennai at all for UNESCO but only in Delhi 😂! & look who presented this #FakeAward to EVR??, it’s Karunanithi.😂! Now, 100% confirmed its fake!” Suryah wrote on X in 2019.
Netizens had a field day pointing out how The Print and its columnist Dilip Mandal were reviving the fake news against court orders in order to hail the Hindu-hating leader has some global icon and intellectual.
A user wrote, “Dravidian Parties literally taught lies in School Text books in Tamil Nadu that Periyar was given title of Socrates of South India by UNESCO & were told by Madras High Court to remove it. Now Print peddling similar lies.”
Moreover, a book titled “Father Periyar in the eyes of UNESCO” was also authored by DK President K Veeramani using the same fake news. Veeramani and his party Dravidar Kazhagam’s patrons have been accused of manufacturing the lie and spreading it through leading Tamil magazines, citations in Tamil books and biographies of Periyar.
The fake award conferred upon Periyar by UNESCO when no such office of the global exists in Chennai but only in New Delhi (image source: Dr SG Suryah/X)
Similarly, in February 2021, another such lie glorifying Periyar was busted. Dravidian followers claimed that Periyar was conferred with the Tamrapatra award for his contribution to the Indian freedom movement.
However, in reply to an RTI, the Central Government said that no such record has been found. “Distribution of the first batch of Tamrapatras was done on 15th August, 1972 at a ceremony at the Red Fort to which 1000 freedom fighters were specially invited. Thereafter it was decided that the tampatras should be distributed at State level functions and the State Government were requested to complete this work. As far as Shri E.V. Ramasamy Naicker is concerned his name is not found in the available record of Tamra patra awardees from Tamil Nadu,” the reply read.
As per reports, Periyarists used to show that Periyar was a recepient of Tamrapatra award but it is unclear who conferred it if not the Centre.
On 25th December (Monday), Amit Chakravarty, the Head of Human Resources at the online portal Newsclick, filed a plea in a Delhi court to become an approver (government witness) in a case lodged under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against Newsclick and its founder. It is alleged that the news portal “received foreign funds from Chinese agents to spread anti-India propaganda, disrupt India’s sovereignty, and cause disaffection against the country.”
BIG #BREAKING NEWS | Trouble mounts for Prabir Purkayastha in the NewsClick case
As per sources Amit Chakraborty the HR head of the organisation who was arrested along with Prabir Purkayastha has now reportedly accepted to turn the approver,
As per reports, Amit Chakravarty moved the application on 23rd December (Saturday) before Special Judge Hardeep Kaur in which he sought pardon in the case. In his application, he claimed that he had material information that he was willing to disclose to the Delhi Police, which is investigating the matter.
Subsequently, the judge posted the matter before a magisterial court to record his statement. Republic TV reported citing sources that his statements were recorded on Saturday.
The latest development comes shortly after the Patiala House Court in New Delhi granted a 60-day extension of judicial custody to Delhi Police, allowing them to complete their investigation into the case against Chakravarty and the founder of the news portal, Prabir Purkayastha.
Crackdown on NewsClick
The Delhi Police arrested both the founder and HR head of Newsclick on 3rd October under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The special cell of the Delhi Police had registered an FIR in the matter on 17th August under Sections 13, 16, 17, 18, and 22 of the UAPA and Sections 153A and 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the news portal.
On 3rd October, the NewsClick office was raided and sealed by Delhi Police in connection to the case regarding foreign funding from China to propagate anti-India narratives. Apart from locations linked to NewsClick, the residences of 40 journalists were also raided by Delhi Police across the country as they were connected to the news portal. Teesta Setalvad, Abhisar Sharma, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yetchury, Sanjay Rajoura, and others were among those who faced action by the Delhi Police.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) also conducted searches at the company’s premises. Additionally, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a case under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).
The investigation gained pace after the New York Times in August this year published a report stating that NewsClick had received ₹38 crore from a US-based millionaire Neville Roy Singham who allegedly has close ties with the propaganda arm of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
The FIR states that a large amount of funds to the news portal allegedly came from China to ‘disrupt the sovereignty of India’ and cause disaffection against the country.
“Foreign funds in crores have been infused illegally in India by Indian and Foreign entities inimical to India in pursuance of conspiracy with the intention to disrupt the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India, to cause disaffection against India and to threaten the unity, integrity, and security of India,” Delhi Police stated in the FIR.
It is further alleged that Newsclick founder Purkayastha conspired with a group named People’s Alliance for Democracy and Secularism (PADS) in order to sabotage the electoral process during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Bharat’s Parliament approved the Telecommunications Bill, 2023 in the recently concluded winter session. This act will now replace three archaic laws from the years 1885, 1933, and 1950. You read the years right. They are not a typo. Up until now, we were still governed by laws passed in 1885 too!
According to the English media, democracy is either in danger in India or has already died in India. Any small action (such as waking up in the morning) by any member of the Modi government causes the death of democracy in India. The passing of the Telecommunications Act, 2023 was no exception. The usual suspects went berserk with their headlines. If you take a look at the collage below, it is clear that these media editors are still driven by archaic language from the year 1885.
However, the reasons they have given this time as a justification for their archaic rants will blow your mind. A good summary of their rants was provided by The Hindu. Wanting to stand out from the crowd, The Hindu published a detailed article under the section “FAQ” with an innocent headline – “Will new telecom bill streamline the sector?”.
And to make life easy for us, they summarized the reason why all English media editors have yet again declared the death of democracy in India. First, the Telecommunications Act, 2023 is draconian. Why? Because – wait for it – it DOES NOT allow users to furnish false particulars while obtaining telecom services. The largest group that is impacted by this draconian provision is the journalists. I am not saying it – The Hindu has graciously told us the same.
India is perhaps the only country in the world where democracy dies a thousand deaths every day because of laws that don’t allow people to lie, cheat and fabricate. And since journalists have descended from a different universe, they reserve all rights to “furnish false particulars” under the garb of doing their job. I often wonder if these people even read what they write!
The “draconian” bill apparently also provides for “legal architecture for mass surveillance and internet shutdowns”. Notice the use of complicated language such as “legal architecture” just to sound highly intellectual! What “mass surveillance” are we talking about here? According to The Hindu’s own article, we are looking at the “controversy surrounding Pegasus targetting 300 mobile phone numbers…”. First of all, the Pegasus story has turned out to be a fake one. Assuming it is true – we are looking at a whopping 300 phone numbers in a population of 140 crores! Second of all, the government has no role in private software being used for “illegal surveillance”, so it is best left to your imagination what “mass surveillance” The Hindu and their ilk are talking about.
Their arguments on the Internet Shutdown are even more nauseating. While The Hindu’s article focussed only on the Internet shutdowns in Manipur and J&K, their soul sister, The Wire, went ahead and told us that India already has the highest number of Internet shutdowns in the world, and additionally referred to Rajasthan and Odisha too.
Well, guess what? When it comes to maintaining law and order, governments all over the world have extraordinary powers to ensure peace. Bill or no bill, state and central governments already have the power to order Internet Shutdowns in the interest of public safety, whether you like it or not. Going by the administrative scale of India’s area and population, what we have seen are minuscule shutdowns focussed on small areas (except for Manipur and J&K). External Affairs minister, S. Jaishankar summarized the situation aptly, in his inimitable style – “Now, if you’ve reached the stage where you say an internet cut is more dangerous than the loss of human lives, then what can I say?”
He is right. These people do not value human life. They just want to encourage more violence under the garb of freedom of speech and fundamental rights. These people speak as if the internet has never been used for destructive purposes and feign shock when told otherwise. At one stage, it looks like these people realise that their arguments are not being understood by normal folks. So they come up with a stunning argument to create scare amongst people – sample this snippet from The Wire.
First of all, they make it sound like a KYC document is equivalent to you writing your property in the name of WhatsApp! Second and most importantly, at no place is it told that KYC is needed for WhatsApp or similar applications. The ministry has even removed the references to OTT applications from this act because they are covered in the IT Act, of 2000. Again, if the government wants to ban or control any apk, OTT or otherwise, it doesn’t need this particular Telecommunication Act! There are enough laws that give it leeway to take such actions.
If anything, this Act brings in much-needed structural changes to how the industry is governed. Certain key demands of the industry and citizens have been incorporated into the Act, thus making it easier for the industry to flourish. Significant amongst such provisions are spectrum auctions for telecom but allocations for satellite communications; the mandate of Do Not Disturb to help us from spam and scam calls; ease of deploying telecom infrastructure on private properties etc.
The English media has yet again failed to provide an accurate assessment of an important legislation. As is their wont, they have fallen back on archaic arguments expecting the people to lap them up. The people have done well to ignore them.
On Monday (25th December), Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) leader K Kavitha came down heavily on the Congress party and its leader Rahul Gandhi, asking why he is silent on the ‘Bharat Todo’ plot. Highlighting anti-Hindi and anti-Sanatan remarks by allies of the Congress party, Kavitha firmly demanded that Rahul Gandhi should come out and prove that he is not anti-Hindu and anti-poor.
The BRS leader lambasted Rahul Gandhi for remaining silent over the DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran’s controversial ‘Hindi speakers clean toilet‘ remark. She argued that his silence on the hateful remarks against Sanatan Dharma and Hindi-speaking states shows that his Bharat Jodo Yatra was a ‘PR stunt’.
Speaking with news agency PTI on DMK MP’s remarks against Hindi speakers and Biharis, Kavitha said, “It is not about one particular party’s views, it is about how these kinds of statements are going to disturb the fabric of our nation and which alliance is this particular party a part of. It is a part of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc, which is led by Rahul Gandhi’s Congress.”
VIDEO | "It is not about one particular party's views, it is about how these kinds of statements are going to disturb the fabric of our nation and which alliance is this particular party a part of. It is a part of the INDIA alliance which is led by Rahul Gandhi's Congress. Rahul… pic.twitter.com/IdjrwUZy3O
She also questioned Rahul Gandhi’s silence over the Sanatana Dharma comments made by DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin where he likened it to diseases.
She added, “Rahul Gandhi continuously keeps making a lot of statements about Bharat Jodo Yatra where he is constantly trying to unite the nation. Now, it looks like a PR stunt because he should have stood up, and spoken when comments were made on Sanatana Dharma, which has hurt Hindu sentiments.”
The BRS leader highlighted the derogatory remarks made by DMK MP inside the Parliament where he referred to the Hindi-speaking states as Gaumutra states. She noted that from time to time, such anti-Hindi and anti-Sanatan rants from DMK leaders and their allies have been coming to the fore which create a divide and hurt the sentiments of the Hindu community.
Taking a jibe and calling him ‘Election Gandhi’, Kavitha demanded that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi should make his stand clear on these divisive remarks.
She asserted that as the National Parliamentary elections are near, at least now Rahul Gandhi should make it clear that he is not anti-Hindu, anti-poor and anti-labour.
Later, in an interview with news agency ANI, Kavitha asserted that the I.N.D.I.A. bloc leaders were making such divisive remarks for votebank politics stressing that these remarks ultimately divide the country “in ways which we cannot imagine”.
She noted, “If Rahul Gandhi had reacted to the Sanatana Dharma controversy, such statements wouldn’t have been made by others. These statements should not be taken lightly. And you are talking about Bharat Jodo Yatra and uniting the nation.”
She also slammed the Congress party over the hijab row in Karnataka and charged that the grand old party is confused and does not implement what it promises.
#WATCH | Hyderabad, Telangana: BRS MLC K Kavitha says, "…Congress forgets all promises as soon as it wins elections. They promised to provide 6 guarantees in Karnataka but nothing has been done as of now. They promised to lift the hijab ban in educational institutions in… pic.twitter.com/2iu3Uenpj5
She emphasised, “Congress forgets all promises as soon as it wins elections. They promised to provide six guarantees in Karnataka, but nothing has been done as of now. They promised to lift the hijab ban in educational institutions in Karnataka, but now seem confused about it. They do not implement what they promise. It is in their DNA.”
I.N.D.I.A. bloc leaders disparaging remarks on Sanatan and Hindi-speakers
Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin made vile remarks against Sanatan Dharma (Hinduism) and called for its complete eradication. The Congress ally, and son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Stalin Jr. equated Sanatan Dharma with diseases like Malaria and Corona and blatantly asserted that eternal Dharma should not be opposed rather Sanatan Dharma should be eradicated.
However, Udhayanidhi Stalin is not the only I.N.D.I. alliance leader who has launched a tirade against Sanatan Dharma. Several leaders from CPI(M), Congress, SP, RJD, and VCK among others also gave hate speeches against Sanatan Dharma.
During the Winter Session of Parliament, DMK MP Senthil Kumar made the pejorative ‘gaumutra’ remark to mock the Hindi-speaking states in the Northern part of India and referred to states in the Hindi heartland as “Gaumutra states”.
In an old video that recently resurfaced, Dayanidhi Maran made disparaging remarks against migrants coming from Hindi-speaking states to Tamil Nadu stating that “Hindi-speaking people are cleaning toilets and roads for us.”
The only response from DMK to this video of DMK MP’s slander of our friends in UP & Bihar is that this video is old.
How does it change while DMK, a party built on divisive principles, continues to use such language even today?
Following the incident, Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai highlighted that the DMK’s hatred for Hindi-speaking states had a long history and a continuing one. For this, he highlighted several instances of DMK leaders’ hateful remarks against Hindi-speaking communities and Biharis in particular.
Every year, December 25 is celebrated as Christmas, the day when Jesus Christ, the founder of Christianity—the largest and the most widespread religion on earth—chiefly because large swathes of the world before the dark age of Islamic medievalism were ruled by Christian colonisers, was born.
Jesus was born in the city of Bethlehem, a town in Israel’s West Bank, which modern-day revisionists refer to as Palestinian lands under the occupation of the Jewish nation.
However, at around Christmas every year, like clockwork, claims that ‘Jesus was a Palestinian’ are bandied around, often by Palestine supporters and Islamists harbouring visceral hatred towards Jews, and Israel in particular.
Neo-Islamists often remain at the forefront in spreading such canards, given that they believe it serves to cement their loyalty to the Ummah by raising their voice for the Palestinians and against Israel, a nation they claimed had annexed the lands that purportedly belonged to the Palestinians.
Actor Swara Bhasker, who married politician Fahad Ahmad, is the latest among those peddling the fictitious claims that Jesus was a Palestinian. The actor took to X, formerly known as Twitter, where she keeps her mentions restricted, perhaps for fear of being exposed for her unfounded claims and propaganda posts, and shared a picture of a couple dressed in Middle-Eastern attire and holding a baby in their hands.
“Happy happy birthday to the world’s favourite Palestinian! #Christmas #Christmas2023 #JesusWasPalestinian” Bhasker tweeted along with the picture.
If that wasn’t enough, Bhasker tweeted another picture of an improvised crèche of a baby Jesus, wrapped in a keffiyeh, lying among the rubble of broken bricks, stones and tiles. The crèche was built at a Lutheran church in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, where Christmas celebrations are subdued over the ongoing Israel-Gaza war following the bloody pogrom by Hamas terrorists on October 7.
The image read, “Jesus was a Palestinian, born under occupation.”
Spreading such myths is quite appealing to the Islamists and their allies because it helps them deny the existence of a Jewish state, even though it existed long before Palestine came into being, and using a religious figure, revered by millions around the world, lends credence to their twisted claims.
But social media is where myths cannot hold for too long without being busted. This explains why propaganda pushers often restrict their mentions so that myth-busters can’t respond to them with facts and shatter the edifice of lies they are trying to build. X, however, still allows users to quote a tweet by a user who had restricted their mentions, and respond.
In Swara’s case, too, several X users descended on her timeline to quote her tweet and call her out for the lies disseminated by her.
“Such delusions do not change the history,” said an X user, adding, “Jesus was born as a Jew, which substantiates the fact that Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip traditionally belonged to the Jews.”
Imagine these folks ridiculing others as “WhatsApp University graduates”. Jesus was born as a Jew, which substantiates the fact that Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza Strip traditionally belonged to the Jews.
Yet another user quoted Swara’s tweet and said: “Bimbo Jesus was a Jew who was born in the promised land Israel which was mentioned in the Bible there was never a place called Palestine. It is a geographical construct made for propaganda artists like you.”
Bimbo Jesus was a Jew who was born in the promised land Israel which was mentioned in the Bible there was never a place called Palestine. It is a geographical construct made for propaganda artists like you. https://t.co/TYRdNu1TkH
Social media fact-checking notwithstanding, it has done little to discourage Islamist propagandists like Swara Bhasker from peddling myths like ‘Jesus was a Palestinian’ and thereby co-opt the founder of Christianity to further their tenuous claims that the modern-day Israel belonged to the Palestinians.
With Israel and Gaza at war following the bloodcurdling raids conducted by Hamas terrorists on October 7, when a large number of Gaza residents intruded into Israeli border villages and massacred people in cold blood, the attempt to appropriate Jesus and use him to advance Palestinian interests demonstrates a depravity that is the hallmark of Islamists and their sympathisers.
Several Christian nations have been steadfastly backing Israel against its operation to stamp out Hamas from Gaza. This attempt to characterise Jesus as a Palestinian is an Islamist ploy to rally support from Christians and Christian countries and discredit Israel on its assertion that the lands historically belonged to the Jews.
While Islamists would have us believe that Jesus is a Palestinian, the reality is starkly different. In actuality, Jesus was a proud and devout Jew, residing in his native regions of Judea and Galilee throughout his entire life – from birth to burial. The notion that Jesus was Palestinian, strategically employed to garner Christian support for Palestinian nationalism, often leads to deliberate attempts to negate the historical roots, indigenous identity, and rightful sovereignty of Jews in Israel. Ironically, at a time when combating rising antisemitism is crucial for Jews, there exists an opportunity to clarify the narrative surrounding Christianity’s central figure.
According to Christian accounts, Jesus was born into the Jewish faith and lived within a Jewish realm that encompassed much of present-day Israel, where Jews have maintained a continuous presence for 3,000 years. Luke, one of his disciples, recorded that Jesus, like other Jewish boys, underwent circumcision on the eighth day (Luke 2:21) and later participated in synagogue activities (Luke 4:16). Mark described Jesus as a rabbi (Mark 10:51), and Matthew documented that Jesus’s final meal was a Passover seder (Matthew 26:17).
In essence, Jesus and the Jewish land existed long before Palestine or Islam came into existence. By this token, present-day Israel, including the West Bank and the Gaza Strip historically belong to the Jews. Yet, Islamists resort to gaslighting, manipulations, and mental gymnastics to claim that Israel is an occupying force on land traditionally belonging to them.
The ultimate Islamist goal of Dar-ul Islam: Whether it is Israel or Ram Mandir, Islamists claim their coreligionists have an implicit right to everything
There is a grotesque irony steeped in the repulsive appropriation of Jesus by the Islamists. The object of projecting Jesus as a Palestinian is to enlist the support of the Christian world for Palestine and against Israel, which they claim is illegally occupying Palestine lands. They believe their religious brethren in Palestine have a legitimate right on the Israeli lands, but they don’t want to do the same when others come asking for lands forcibly and illegally occupied by their ancestors.
To that extent, Islamists claim the land in Ayodhya, where the reconstruction of a magnificent Ram Temple is underway, always belonged to Muslims because it is being built after the levelling of the Babri structure. But they don’t want to admit to the evidence that points to the fact that the Babri structure was built on the ruins of a temple.
Similar is the case with the Gyanvapi mosque, whose structure still carries ample evidence to prove that it was built on the ruins of an older Shiva temple. Yet, the Islamists not only rubbish the evidence but are also against the survey of the complex, which would further cement the fact that it is built on the ruins of a temple.
This hypocrisy brings us to the ultimate Islamist goal of turning the entire world into Dar-ul-Islam or the House of Islam. They want to continue occupying the places of natives, citing ‘democracy’, ‘rule of land’, and legislations like the ‘Places of Worship Act’. But when victims like Jews reclaim Israel and Hindus reclaim Ram Mandir, the same Islamists quickly dismiss it as an ‘illegal occupation’, ‘religious intolerance’, ‘Islamophobia’, ‘death of democracy’ etc.
While India is in talks with other countries rich in critical minerals, it is on the verge of finalising an agreement to acquire five lithium blocks for exploration and development in Argentina, according to a senior official.
The agreement will be signed by Khanij Bidesh India Ltd. (KABIL), a joint venture dedicated to identifying, acquiring, developing, processing, and commercialising strategic minerals in foreign countries for supply in India, and Catamarca Minera Y Energética Sociedad Del Estado (CAMYEN), an Argentine state-owned mining and energy company.
According to Business Standard’s report, the Centre is also going to invest around Rs 200 crore over the next five years in the exploration and growth of these mines. “The talks are in the final stages, and a proposal has already been submitted to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs for approval,” a government official aware of the development was quoted as saying.
This is India’s second attempt, following Australia, to establish a foreign partnership to source critical minerals. In 2022, India signed an agreement with Australia’s Critical Minerals Facilitation Office (CMFO) to explore five blocks, two of which are dedicated to lithium and three to cobalt.
India is also planning to establish an offshore office for KABIL in Catamarca to improve coordination with provincial regulatory authorities. “Engaging in the exploration and extraction of critical minerals in Argentina will require considerable time and ongoing oversight. Establishing the offshore office of KABIL is a strategic measure to protect and uphold our interests in this endeavour,” another senior official said.
According to the United States Geological Survey’s (USGS) Lithium Statistics and Information 2023 report, Argentina has 21% of the world’s 98 million tonnes of lithium reserves, trailing Bolivia. These reserves are primarily concentrated in salt flats in the Catamarca, Salta, and Jujuy provinces, which form part of the Lithium Triangle.
India is in talks with Argentina because its salt-lake lithium extraction method is less expensive than hard-rock mining. This makes it economically appealing and significantly contributes to production.
India’s efforts in Argentina to secure lithium blocks will accelerate the country’s quest for self-sufficiency in meeting clean energy demands. On 29th November, India launched its first critical minerals auction drive to secure the supply chain. Two lithium blocks in Jammu and Kashmir and Chhattisgarh have been put up for auction. According to government estimates, the Reasi district has 5.9 million tonnes (mt) of lithium reserves. The mineral quantity for the Chhattisgarh blocks is not specified in the auction documents.
Currently, the country meets its lithium demand entirely through imports. According to Ministry of Commerce and Industry data, India’s lithium imports in FY23 totaled roughly $3 billion (approximately Rs 24,900 crore), a 58% increase from FY22. The data also shows that over 95% of India’s lithium imports come from Hong Kong and China. KABIL is actively engaged in discussions with several countries rich in critical minerals, including Bolivia and Chile, in addition to Argentina and Australia.
The exploration and development agreement for five lithium blocks will help India achieve its goal of becoming a manufacturing hub for electric vehicles by 2070.
Lithium is widely used in a variety of applications, most notably in the production of lithium-ion batteries. These batteries power a wide range of devices, including smartphones, laptop computers, electric vehicles (EVs), and energy storage systems for renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power. In addition, lithium is also used in medical treatments, ceramics, and as a component in aerospace technology.
