Home Blog Page 4581

Delhi Police spokesperson says ‘all angles’ related to Rinku Sharma’s murder are being investigated: Details

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Delhi Police spokesperson says ‘all angles’ related to Rinku Sharma’s murder are being investigated: Details

Spokesperson of the Delhi Police has said that they are investigating “all angles” related to the brutal murder of Bajrang Dal activist Rinku Sharma. The family of the activist had alleged that he was murdered in connection with the donation drive for the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya he was participating in.

The Delhi Police spokesperson said that specifically when asked if the ‘Ram slogan’ had anything to do with the murder. He also said that the accused have been arrested. Earlier, the Police had said that there was no ‘communal angle‘ to the murder, which was then used by expected quarters to whitewash the brutality of the crime.

Rinku Sharma breathed his last on the 11th of February after being brutally assaulted and stabbed with a knife in the Mangolpuri area of West Delhi. The preliminary investigation of the Delhi Police has revealed that Sharma was stabbed to death by the very same people for whom he had donated his blood a year ago. Further investigation into the matter is currently underway.

The police have arrested four accused persons who killed Rinku on Wednesday at his residence. The arrested assailants have been identified as Mohammad Islam, Danish Nasruddin, Dilshan and Dilshad Islam, according to social media posts. Rinku is now survived by his mother Radha Devi, father Ajay Sharma and brothers Ankit and Manu Sharma.

ED files charge sheet against ‘journalist’ Siddique Kappan and 4 others in money laundering case, accuses him of funding Delhi riots

OpIndia Staff
-
0
ED files charge sheet against ‘journalist’ Siddique Kappan and 4 others in money laundering case, accuses him of funding Delhi riots

In a major development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a charge sheet against a Kerala-based journalist named Siddique Kappan in a money laundering case. He was arrested by the UP Police on October 5 while he was proceeding to cover the Hathras case.

Besides Kappan, the ED had also filed cases against five other office bearers of radical Islamist outfit PFI (Popular Front of India) and CFI (Campus Front of India) in connection to the money laundering case. The Enforcement Directorate has stated in its charge sheet that Siddique Kappan, CFI leader Rauf Sherif and other accused collected overseas funds to the tune of ₹1.36 crores and sent it back to India through fraudulent transactions.

The ED emphasised that the money was used to fund anti-CAA protests, and violence during the Anti-CAA riots. “The visit of these PFI/CFI members (to Hathras) was under the instructions of K. A. Rauf Sherif, national general secretary of the CFI and a member of the PFI, and funds for the same were also provided,” the charge sheet emphasised. It further stated, “Rauf and his PFI/CFI associates also received and possessed the said proceeds of crime in their bank accounts as well as in the form of cash.”

Five accused named, Masud bought car worth 2.25 lacs

The Enforcement Directorate reiterated, “The fraudulent remittance of funds in the manner was in furtherance of a larger conspiracy to utilise the proceeds of crime in funding anti-CAA protests and Delhi riots, and more specifically in the purported visit of PFI/CFI members by putting to use proceeds of crime for disturbing communal harmony, instigating riots and spreading terror.

The ED took over the case to investigate the money laundering angle after Uttar Pradesh police filed a charge sheet against Siddique Kappan while he was trying to stir caste-based violence in the aftermath of the Hathras case. Kappan was arrested in October 2020 while Rauf Sherif was arrested on December 12 last year. In the charge sheet, three other accused identified as Mohammed Alam (CFI/PFI member), Masud Ahmed (Delhi CFI General secretary) and Athikur Rahman (CFI national treasurer) have also been named.

The central investigative agency stated that Masud had bought a car worth 2.25 lacs to travel to Hathras, 15 days prior to their arrest. It added, “Further, investigation has revealed that PFI has been involved in anti-CAA protests and several PFI members/activists were also arrested by the Delhi Police in connection with their investigation in the said Delhi riots case. For instance, Md. Danish, a PFI member was arrested by the Delhi Police in connection with investigations in FIR no. 59/2020.”

Siddique Kappan hailed Osama bin Laden as ‘martyr’

In its affidavit to the apex court, the Uttar Pradesh government informed that Kappan was using the garb of journalism to create a caste divide and law & order disturbance in the State. Kappan was associated with the radical Islamist outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) and a banned terrorist organisation named Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).

The Uttar Pradesh government had submitted a copy of a front-page story by Kappan in Thejas, dating back to November 30, 2011, wherein he claimed that Al-Qaeda terrorist Osama bin Laden was a ‘martyr’. The government revealed that Siddique Kappan was the mastermind of several other riots, who in collusion with Thejas Editors, wanted to create religious unrest in the State of Kerala.

Dissent, not destruction, is a part and parcel of Democracy: Problematic platforming of Khalistani sympathisers in the ‘farmer protests’

Dr. Mrittunjoy Guha Majumdar
-
0
Dissent, not destruction, is a part and parcel of Democracy: Problematic platforming of Khalistani sympathisers in the ‘farmer protests’

Mahatma Gandhi famously stopped the Non-Cooperation movement in 1922 following an incidence of violence at a police station in Chauri Chaura in Uttar Pradesh. He felt that the movement had lost its moral compass and could not be carried forward in the form he had envisioned it as.

Ironically, various self-proclaimed Gandhians in the current Farmers’ protest have shown little remorse for platforming anti-social elements, some of whom infamously unfurled their flags on the flag-pole on which the Indian tricolour is unfurled by the Prime Minister of India on Independence Day and caused wanton destruction of property across the national capital, besides injuring 300 policemen. A protester also died when his tractor overturned.

Yes, they did not supplant a Tricolour while doing so and happened to carry the Indian flag on their tractors and in their hands, but the person climbing the pole openly and brazenly threw away a national flag. More interestingly, the flags that were put up were not those of the Bharatiya Kisan Union or that of any of the many organizations that have joined the protest but the Nishan Saheb, which is a flag with a special religious connotation for Sikhs.

While the flag being unfurled in a place where the Indian national flag is unfurled usually may be improper, what is more problematic is the open alignment and association of some of the protesters with the Khalistani cause. Punjabi actor-singer-activist Deep Sidhu, who the farmer unions have alleged was responsible for leading the protesters to the Red Fort, has been quoting Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale while there have been posters of Bhindranwale seen in the protests, something which Pro-Khalistani outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) had urged farmers to display a couple of days before the conflagration.

Regarding it as an opportunity to fight for all Indian farmers, members of Khalistani separatist groups, such as Sikh DMV Youth and Sangat, were seen joining the protests outside the Indian embassy in Washington DC on 26 January.

We must look more closely at the problematic elements in the protest to see for ourselves how deep this rot possibly is.

Neelam Kaur Gill, a British Indian model, has been vocal about both the Farmer Protests and her apparent adulation of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.
Punjabi singer Jazzy B has openly admired Bhindranwale. He has been vocal about the farmers’ protest as well.
British cricketer Monty Panesar has been vocal about the Khalistani cause as well as more recently the farmers protest
Singer Ranjit Bawa, a Bhindranwale sympathiser, recently released a song on the farmer protests
Tarsem Jassar, who has been active in the Farmers protest, is an open Bhindranwale sympathiser, with a song on Bhindranwale released in 2017 too!
Singer Kanwar Grewal, a ‘Sant Bhindranwale’ sympathiser, extensively toured Punjab for the Farmers Protest
Sidhu Moosewala, who released a song on Khalistan in 2020, has been a vocal spokesperson for the Farmers Protest
Singer Babbu Maan released a song on Bhindranwala in 2015 and joined the Farmers Protest at the Singhu border
Actor Deep Sidhu, who has publicly spoken in favour of ‘Sant Jarnail Singhji Bhindranwale’, is said to have instigated protesters with gangster Lakha Sidhana, as per sources.

While prominent individuals who are not only supporting but in certain cases leading the farmers protest having sympathies with Bhindranwale or Khalistan may be problematic in itself, the systematic participation of groups that are openly pro-Khalistan raises further eyebrows. If in the former case (of individuals), correlation may not be causation, in the latter case (of organizations) the proactive role of organizations who are primarily single-issue organizations (of seeking Khalistan) in the farmers protest is extremely troubling!

While there has been a case of ‘terrorist activities’ against Kisan Mukti Sangram Samiti president Akhil Gogoi (FIR No. 1688/2019, National Investigative Agency) and a case of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967 against Surjit Singh Phul – leader of the Bharti Kissan Union (Krantikari), along with Bhartiya Kisan Union (Dakaunda) being founded by Dr. Darshan Pal who along with Maoists such as Vara Vara Rao, Kalyan Rao, Medha Patkar, Nandita Haksar, SAR Geelani, and BD Sarma founded the People’s Democratic Front of India, the dangerous and direct correlation with Khalistani activities of a participating organization is seen in the case of Khalsa Aid, allegedly a front organization of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), as mentioned in the case RC-05/2012/NIA/DLI of the NIA and purported to have financed UK-based BKI operatives such as Balbir Singh Bains and Joga Singh.

Khalsa Aid has been actively participating in and mobilizing people for the Farmers’ Protest. Openly pro-Khalistani US-based secessionist organization Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) announced $1 mn grant to farmers for Khalistan support and said that it would grant Rs. 5,000 as assistant to repay their agriculture loans to all those farmers who register ’25 votes for the Khalistan Referendum 2020′. Previously SFJ had announced a reward of $250,000 for unfurling the Khalistani flag at India gate. Sources in the Delhi police are said to have highlighted a ‘huge conspiracy’ that has been hatched between Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence and ‘rogue elements linked to Khalistani outfits’ to disrupt the tractor rally.

Those who keep speaking of not convoluting the two issues of Farmers’ Protests and the Khalistani cause can hopefully see the direct correlation and connection that some radical groups are actively trying to establish. This is highly unfortunate since the genuine concerns of the farmers of India are now getting drowned in a sea of cacophony and misappropriation of the stage by radical elements who seem to have a hidden agenda.

If the Sikhs seek to voice their concerns regarding representation and self-determination within India, that is a separate issue, and even there the secessionist and violent tendencies of the Khalistani movement are not welcome. I see my Indian Sikh brothers and sisters as an integral part of the Indian state, without whom India as it is would not be India.

We have had a Sikh President, a Sikh Prime Minister, a Sikh Chief Justice of India and two Chief of the Army Staff in the past. I would like to encourage those sections of the Indian Sikh community who still have outlying issues on representation, self-determination or other miscellaneous grievances that need to be resolved to engage with the Indian state – their state, to resolve those problems.

With regards to the current crisis around the Farm Acts, it is time for the Indian government and the honorable Supreme Court of India to take cognizance of the situation and resolve the two-pronged crisis: one of sorting out any concerns and issues of the farmers of India regarding the Farm Acts 2020 and secondly of the proxy war that some organizations seem to be waging through the platform and cause of the Farmers Protest.

Dissent, not destruction, is part and parcel of democracy, even as liberalism in a mobocracy is like a fish out of water.

We must engage with the farmers and work with them to find a common ground, without being misguided by petty politics and hidden agendas. More broadly, any agitation or perturbation that comes to the fore, to question shortcomings of an existent system must be along the lines of विवेकपूर्ण समुद्वेग – prudent agitation that steers clear of convoluting other issues into its aim and thereby diluting their own cause.

After all, winds of change and reform can only make a difference when they are more than whiffs of air in disarray.

Poster of Khalistani terrorist Bhindranwale spotted outside Gurudwara in Jammu, locals say its there for years

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Poster of Khalistani terrorist Bhindranwale spotted outside Gurudwara in Jammu, locals say its there for years

In a shocking example of how brazen terrorist sympathies are disregarded in India, a poster depicting Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was spotted on full display in Gangyal, Jammu today. Bhindranwale was a militant religious extremist and is responsible for launching a violent insurgency in Punjab against India in the 1980s. Bhindranwale is an extremely sympathetic figure to Khalistanis. Khalistani terrorist groups consider Bhindranwale as their spiritual leader.

Images of the Bhindranwale’s poster in Jammu went viral on social media today, but no one knows exactly how long the Bhindranwale poster has been put up there. Estimates from local people in Jammu range from 2 to 10 years as to how long a Bhindranwale poster has been present there. The poster is placed outside the main Gurudwara located in the Digiana Camp area of Gangyal in Jammu.

However, this is not the only poster of Bhindranwale in Jammu that has been spotted. Mohit Kandhari, a journalist for The Daily Pioneer, on a tweet dated November 9th, 2020, posted two pictures of Gurudwara Shri Guru Singh Sabha in Jammu. In both of the pictures, a portrait of Bhindranwale is prominently displayed on the Gurudwara’s façade.

Bhindranwale, who certainly played his part in desecrating the sacred Golden Temple, is now present on the faces of Gurudwaras, not in Canada but in India. Bhindranwale, who instructed his followers to fill the Golden Temple complex with weapons, was definitely no follower of Guru Nanak. Bhindranwale had led all of his followers into death against an obviously impossible battle against the Indian military. And today this man, who accomplished nothing but the deaths of his followers and the thousands of ordinary citizens who died in Punjab following Operation Blue Star, is now being lionized through the means of propaganda.

All of this comes in the backdrop of the intense Farmers Protest in India, which have mobilized farmers in areas like Punjab and Haryana, areas which have a higher proportion of Sikhs in the populace. An intense propaganda machine to incite and inflame the passions of Sikhs is in place. Bhindranwale’s image was used in these protests also. OpIndia has reported multiple stories on how Pakistanis, Khalistani groups and to some extent, even the Canadian Government all wish to incite a civil disobedience, revolt or some sort or mass casualty event through their insidious propaganda.

On a day India talks about the brutal murder of Rinku Sharma, ‘artists’ and ‘activists’ demand justice for Munawar Faruqui

OpIndia Staff
-
0
On a day India talks about the brutal murder of Rinku Sharma, ‘artists’ and ‘activists’ demand justice for Munawar Faruqui

Nearly 100 ‘artists’ and ‘writers’, including far-left anti-India propagandist Arundhati Roy, former Bollywood entertainers Swara Bhasker and Kalki Koechlin have demanded dismissal of all charges registered against alleged stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui and four others for making derogatory statements targeting Hindus and their deities.

“As artists and concerned individuals, we are alarmed that in a country that claims to be the world’s largest democracy, a stand-up artist was imprisoned for over a month, and faces serious criminal charges, for no crime,” the statement signed controversial self-proclaimed writers and artists. 

The statement has also been signed by Rajmohan Gandhi, Mallika Sarabhai, Pooja Bhatt, Shonali Bose, Anand Patwardhan. A few members claiming to be ‘comedians’ including Kunal Kamra, Sanjay Rajoura, Anuvab Pal, Prashasti Singh, Aravind SA, Urooj Dingankar and Anirban Dasgupta, have also signed in favour of accused Faruqui.

Some ‘authors’ Amitava Kumar and Tanya Selvaratnam, Canadian filmmaker John Greyson, filmmaker Shruti Rya Ganguly, UK-based architect Sofia Karim, and feminist activist from Brazil, Sonia Corrêa have also jumped in support of Munawar Faruiqui, who is accused of hurting religious sentiments of Hindus.

The statement comes on a day when the national consciousness was shattered by the brutal murder of Bajrang Dal activist Rinku Sharma. He was allegedly murdered over arguments related to his donation drive for the construction of the Bhavya Ram Mandir at Ayodhya.

Munawar Faruqui and four others arrested for mocking Hindus, released on bail

‘Stand-up comic’ Munawar Faruqui, along with four others identified as Edwin Anthony, Prakhar Vyas, Priyam Vyas and Nalin Yadav, was arrested for mocking Hindu Gods in a stand-up comedy show in Indore based on the complaint of Eklavya Singh Gaur, an activist and the chief of Hindu Rakshak Sangathan.

They were booked under IPC sections 295-A (outraging religious feelings), 269 (unlawful or negligent act likely to spread the infection of any disease dangerous to life) and other relevant provisions. Section 269 was invoked for allegedly ignoring COVID-19 safety protocol. Faruqui was sent to judicial custody till January 13 which was later extended to January 27.

He was released from the Indore Central Jail late in the night on February 6 after he was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court.

During a show in April last year, Munawar Faruqui mocked the 2002 Godhra carnage where 58 Hindus returning from Ayodhya were burnt alive by a Muslim mob. In a part of the clip that had gone viral on social media, one can hear him refer to the carnage as a fictional film ‘directed’ by Amit Shah and ‘produced’ by RSS.

Congress, its alliance with AIUDF, CAA, Assam and more: 5 things Himanta Biswa Sarma said on India Today Conclave

Jinit Jain
-
0
Congress, its alliance with AIUDF, CAA, Assam and more: 5 things Himanta Biswa Sarma said on India Today Conclave

Earlier today, Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala came head to head during the India Today Conclave East 2021 on how the Congress party made way for the BJP in the northeast. The debate between the two spanned a host of topics, including the growing dominance of the BJP in the northeast, the leadership crisis facing the Congress party, the “political harakiri” of the Congress to align with AIUDF, along with some lighter moments when the two politicians took a dig at each other on their possible defection.

While Surjewala was optimistic that Congress would be successful in making a come back in the northeast, Sarma was unapologetic in criticising the Congress party and predicting that the party cannot revive its electoral fortunes unless they do away with the Gandhi family.

Here are the 5 key takeaways from the discussion between BJP’s Himanta Biswa Sarma and Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala:

Congress has reduced itself to a family affair: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Speaking about the leadership crisis staring the Congress party, BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma remarked that the Congress party has been reduced to a family affair and that their return to power and prominence from here is nothing but wishful thinking.

“I don’t want to comment on the leadership crisis of the Congress party…Randeep Ji would be a little upset with me but the way the Congress party is managing itself and the way they have converted their political party into a family affair…I am all along saying that the Congress party will not able to come back,” Sarma quipped.

Congress can’t dream of coming back to power as long as it is led by Rahul Gandhi: Sarma

Taking a swipe at the senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on his never-ending foreign tours, Sarma said, “Congress has a leader who is always abstaining. With an abstained leader, when there is an action in India, your leader will be found in another part of the globe. With that kind of leadership, you cannot compete with someone like Narendra Modi.”

The Assam finance minister was ruthless in his attack on the senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. In a sharply critical remark against the Gandhi scion, Sarma asserted that the Congress party could not even dream of coming back to power as long as Rahul Gandhi is at the helm of the affairs of the party.

“I have always maintained that let Rahul Gandhi continue to be in the Indian politics because as long as he is there, Congress will not come back to power, you cannot dream of coming back to power,” Sarma said.

BJP committed to implementing the CAA, says Sarma

As the Citizenship Amendment Act(CAA) back into the public discourse, the Finance Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said that the BJP was ideologically committed to implementing the Act. He also added that the act will be implemented in other states as well, including West Bengal.

“Party stand won’t be diluted, and BJP is committed to the cause. CAA will apply to pan India. Whether we win or lose, we will support Hindus and minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh,” Sarma said.

“I’m sure Randeep Surjewala will soon join us”: Sarma takes a dig at Congress spokesperson

Taking a swipe at the Congress spokesperson, Himanta Biswas Sarma said that he feels Surjewala will soon join the BJP. The remark was in response to the claims made by Surjewala that the BJP has grown in the northeast primarily because of the defections from Congress and other parties.

Sarma, in his response, said, “The way Surjewala Ji is citing towering personalities of the BJP. From LK Advani to Murali Manohar Joshi, I am very sure that you will be inspired by the sacrifices made by them and will soon join us.”

Congress committed political harakiri by aligning with AIUDF: Sarma

Commenting on the Congress party’s alliance with the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) president Badruddin Ajmal for the Assam elections, Sarma said the people of the state will not spare Congress for committing this “political harakiri”.

‘People are enraged that Congress is aligning with Ajmal, a person who has destroyed Assamese culture and ethos, captured land in Kaziranga. Congress has betrayed the people of Assam, coming generation will not spare the party,” Sarma said.

Twitter continues purge of conservative voices, permanently bans journalist group Project Veritas for exposing Big Tech corruption

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Twitter continues purge of conservative voices, permanently bans journalist group Project Veritas for exposing Big Tech corruption

Continuing with its policy of banning voices that do not conform to its leftist ideology, Twitter has permanently Project Veritas from its platform. Project Veritas is a guerilla news outlet with a conservative bent, which has exposed Twitter’s bias on several occasions. The guerilla news outlet is famous for exposing corruption within American newsrooms, including ABC News’s quashing of a Jeffrey Epstein story years before the allegations of grooming and paedophilia fully came to the limelight. The founder of Project Veritas, James O’Keefe, was also locked out from his Twitter account. Many observers and commentators, including Tucker Carslon of Fox News, have described these suspensions as an example of Big Tech censorship.

A Twitter spokesperson said that @Project_Veritas was “permanently suspended for repeated violations of Twitter’s private information policy.” Moreover, the Twitter account of James O’Keefe, @JamesOKeefeIII, was “temporarily locked for violating our private information policy” and that O’Keefe is “required to delete the violative Tweet to regain access to their account.”

These suspensions are the direct result of video clips that Project Veritas posted on Wednesday. A week ago, Project Veritas released video clips from an online video conference done by Facebook, in which Facebook executives, including Mark Zuckerberg, discussed the development of censorship tools in order to combat ‘hate speech’ online. Facebook Vice President of Integrity, Guy Rosen explained this in the video, “We have a system that is able to freeze commenting on threads in cases where our systems are detecting that there may be a thread that has hate speech or violence, sort of in the comments.”

On Wednesday, Project Veritas posted a video on Twitter showcasing a Project Veritas journalist confronting Guy Rosen about his remarks on the Facebook video conference. In this video, the Project Veritas journalist confronts Rosen outside his house, just as Rosen is retuning from a jog. The journalist confronts Rosen and asks, “When you talk about freezing comments containing hate speech, what do you mean by that?”

During this exchange, Rosen ignores the journalist’s questions and proceeds to enter his home unimpeded. In the video, Rosen’s house number was visible but not his street address. However, this display of house number is the reason why Twitter has censored two journalism-related accounts on their platform.

In an interview with TheWrap, James O’Keefe told the outlet, “What I’m trying to understand is, what about what we did is quote ‘posting private information’?

O’Keefe further added, “Reporters with microphones [and] cameras engage in reporting activities on the streets all the time in residential communities, so I’m trying to understand what Twitter considers violating their rules against posting private information. Does Twitter consider reporting information the public has a right to know private information? This is quite the Rubicon we’re crossing if Twitter wants to ban this particular piece of information.”

In a uniform statement to outlets such Fox News, The New York Post etc, O’Keefe says that Twitter’s claim of a violation of their private information policy was ‘false’.

“Twitter invited Project Veritas to, and we did, appeal that decision with Twitter. In an apparent act of retaliation for daring to question their authority, Twitter responded to our appeal by suspending our account, continuing to tell us that Project Veritas could delete the tweet and have our account reinstated.”

James O’Keefe added, “This is nothing new from Twitter – just last fall Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey admitted in Congress his company’s decision to block the New York Post was erroneous while still demanding the Post kneel before them by deleting the tweet.” This is a callback to when the supposed paragon of free speech virtue, Twitter, censored a Hunter Biden corruption story by The New York Post, by locking The New York Post’s twitter account. The pretext given for this censorship was also in the name of protecting private information.

“Here we go again – Twitter opting to delete news and demand fealty when their decision is dared to be questioned. “ O’Keefe said.

O’Keefe later announced his come back to Twitter after deciding to delete the tweets which allegedly violated Twitter’s private information policy in order to reinstate his account

Reaction from Tucker Carlson

The reaction to this incident of Big Tech censorship has been apoplectic in American conservative circles. Tucker Carlson, one of the highest rated T.V. news hosts in America took note of this story. On Fox News, Tucker Carlson told his audience that the Democratic Party and Big Tech corporations like Google, Facebook and Twitter are colluding to censor free speech and the free internet.

Tucker notes, “Your right to say and think what you want, to read and watch what you want, that threatens them above all. Why? Because if you have access to information, you can form your own judgments. A free Internet is their enemy. The moment they took power, Democrats began a kind of Counter-Reformation against the free Internet. They started the most sweeping mass censorship campaign in the history of this country.”

Then Tucker Carlson gives reference of LifeSiteNews, a pro-life, anti-abortion website taken off YouTube, owned by Google. “Why did they do that?” asks Carlson rhetorically. “Simple: Google supports abortion, like a lot of big corporations do. Children distract the labor force. If you’re raising your family, you are not serving shareholders. Google doesn’t want a debate on the subject, so they just shut the debate down. Hundreds of thousands of subscribers to LifeSiteNews will no longer be watching videos that question abortion, because they’re not allowed to.” added Carlson attempting to quantify the enormous ways in which Big Tech censorship silences and poisons political discourse.

On the subject of Project Veritas’s censorship, Tucker Carlson said, “There was no justifiable reason to do this, but no one in the media asked questions about it or appear to consider it a problem.” Tucker criticizes Poltico’s reporting on this issue, calling out the reporter by name. Tucker claims the reason why Project Veritas faced censorship from Twitter was because it criticized the ‘people in charge’.

Tucker claims that the goal of Big Tech companies engaging in censorship and the mainstream press cheering them on, is to impose a monoculture on society with uniformity of thought and no dissent. “They just accept whatever the Central Committee decides is the slogan of the day, and anyone who mocks or disagrees with those slogans is silenced. In the name of diversity, we must have uniformity. We’ll have all the impediments to achieving this goal of uniformity, including centuries of tradition, the First Amendment to the Constitution, and the fact this was a free country.”

Established in 2011, Project Veritas is a non-profit journalism enterprise. Project Veritas describes itself as investigators of corruption, dishonesty, self-dealing, waste, fraud, and other misconduct in both public and private institutions. Project Veritas has had varying success over the years. One of the most successful operations conducted by Project Veritas was the video leak of ABC News anchor Amy Robach telling people in the studio, but off-camera, that her bosses at ABC News spiked her expose of pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The Robach video was viewed and shared by tens of millions of people and was covered in mainstream press internationally.

Project Veritas’s reporting has exposed various scandals and conspiracies, from Antifa’s criminal conspiracies which lead to criminal arrests to revealing corrupt bias in Big Tech companies. There can be no doubt that first and foremost, Project Veritas is a journalism enterprise. It utilizes undercover audio/video recordings, in order to expose powerful institutions. The Big Tech censorship of Project Veritas by Twitter reveals that Twitter is not a neutral observer which prioritizes free speech and letting the tweets ‘flow’

Let us recall that Twitter refused to block accounts which were classified by Indian security agencies as inciting violence during the Farmers Protest, citing the freedom of speech and the free flow of information. That’s why it is important to take note of Big Tech censorship, especially by Twitter, which is clearly has a double standard based on political beliefs. Twitter will not ban accounts promoting violence as classified by the Indian government, but will permanently suspend accounts of journalism groups like Project Veritas.

Project Veritas had leaked Twitter CEO’s video

Last month, Project Veritas had released a video, where Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey was heard saying that the company will intensify censorship on its platform following the ban on Donald Trump. In the secret recording, which was reportedly leaked by one employee of Twitter, Jack Dorsey could be seen discussing the platform’s long term policy in terms of political censorship. He had said to his employees, “The focus is certainly on this account (Donald Trump), and how it ties to real-world violence, but also we need to think much longer-term around how these dynamics play out over time. I don’t believe this is going away any time soon.”

The Twitter CEO had divulged that the attempt to silence and ban conservative opinion-makers is not just limited to Donald Trump. He pointed out that the censorship will continue, well past the inauguration of president-elect Joe Biden on January 20. He had said, “we know we are focused on one account right now, but this is going to be much bigger than just one account, and it’s going to go on for much longer than just this day, this week, the next few weeks, going on beyond inauguration. We have to expect that. We have to be ready for that.”

Jack Dorsey also admitted that the micro-blogging platform intended to banning more conservative handles. He added, “The moves that we’re making today, around, you know, QAnon, for instance, is one such example of a much broader approach that we should be looking at and going deeper on.

Uttarakhand: Days after glacier burst tragedy, little ‘Blackie’ waits for his lost caretakers near Tapovan tunnel

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Uttarakhand: Days after glacier burst tragedy, little ‘Blackie’ waits for his lost caretakers near Tapovan tunnel

Last week, a massive flash flood wreaked havoc in Uttarakhand after the water level in Dhauliganga river rose suddenly due to the breakdown of a glacier near a power project at Raini village in the Tapovan area of Chamoli district. Hundreds of people were reported dead, missing or injured due to the glacier burst tragedy in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. The rescue operations continue at Tapovan tunnel on the sixth day today following the glacier burst.

Amidst all this, heart-melting scenes have emerged, where a two-year-old Bhotia breed dog named ‘Blackie’ has been spotted waiting outside the tunnel of the Tapovan dam. According to reports, the dog has been waiting there for the last three to four days. He has been awaiting the return of his caretakers who fed and petted him.

Actually, Blackie was born close to the area where the NTCP’s hydel project was coming up. The labourers working at the construction site use to feed and pet Blackie. Every morning, the canine came uphill to meet his caretakers and would return by the evening. This was the routine he had been following.

Like always, on the day of the incident too, Blackie came uphill to meet his caretakers, only to not find them there. Since then, Blackie has been, reportedly, waiting there in hope to meet his caretakers.

Many times he has been shooed away by the rescue operators, but Blackie does not budge. He keeps coming back to check on his caretakers. Locals say that Blackie has been looking extremely anxious for the last three days.

An Army officer said that the dog was likely the pet of someone trapped inside the tunnel.

A resident named Ajeet Kumar has told Times of India: “He must have realized something was amiss. The place was full of strangers who paid no attention to him.” Kumar added that Blackie used to laze around close to the project site. 

One of the workers named Rajinder Kumar said, “We would give him food, a sack to sleep on when we worked. Blackie would be around during the day and leave in the evening when we did.”

According to reports, more than 50 labourers were reported to be working on the site at the time of the incident. Though rescue teams have been working ceaselessly, 30 people are still feared to be trapped inside the Tapovan tunnel.

As many as 36 bodies have been recovered from different areas hit by the glacier burst, while 204 people are still reported missing.

As Twitter talks tall about FoE in India, read how its board had ‘expert’ close to China and how it possibly led to censorship

OpIndia Staff
-
0
As Twitter talks tall about FoE in India, read how its board had ‘expert’ close to China and how it possibly led to censorship

Concerns have surfaced regarding censorship on Twitter related to anti-China tweets since the appointment of Fei-Fei Li as an independent director to the Board of Twitter in May 2020. Li joined Twitter after quitting as chief scientist of Google’s artificial intelligence/machine learning initiative following a controversy surrounding the tech giant’s Project Maven.

The concerns are especially consequential given the manner in which Twitter has refused to cooperate with the Indian Government over malicious accounts fanning dangerous conspiracy theories which could create law and order problems in India.

Fei-Fei Li is believed to be instrumental in the setting up of a Google AI lab in China suspected on involvement in Project Dragonfly touted to be a search engine that would align with the surveillance regime of China.

“They seem to have ignored the backstory of Li’s previous cooperation with China,” said Wang Longmeng, a France-based commentator. “Li Fei-fei … secretly opposed Google’s cooperation with the U.S. Department of Defense from a high moral standpoint … but turned a blind eye to Project Dragonfly, in which Google was planning to help the Chinese Communist Party vet online speech,” he said.

According to Wang, Li was one of the “loopholes” that democratic countries will have to plug. According to reports, Fei-Fei Li is also an adviser to China’s Tsinghua University. The University’s Vice-President has said that one of the main purposes of the University’s AI Research is fulfil national defense needs under a “military-civilian integration policy.” She has extensive ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), including the CCP’s United Front Work.

It is further reported that multiple Twitter accounts which had criticised her appointment had been suspended a week after her appointment without rhyme or reason. According to India Today, the Twitter account of one of their own reporters was affected after he interviewed the father of soldier Subedar Nyima Tenzin from the Special Frontier Force (SFF) during the conflict between India and China at the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The India Today report says, “Reporting from the ground, India Today’s @AbhishekBhalla7 managed to interview the father of a solider injured in a mine blast. This interview went viral and further irked the Chinese establishment now that the SFF and that its soldiers regularly fought against China as part of the Indian Army was no secret.”

“Bhalla’s Twitter handle went kaput soon after; “unusual activity” cited on the restricted page. It was taken up with the Twitter India team and the account was restored soon after,” it added. Twitter, however, said, “We would like to reiterate that the account was never suspended. The reporter was facing a login related issue which was resolved quickly.”

Furthermore, in late August, @ChinarCorpsIA, an official handle of the Indian Army, was allegedly shadow banned. Other OSINT handles critical of Twitter faced similar issues. Speaking to India Today in September 2020, Solomon Yue, Vice-Chairman and CEO at Republicans Overseas, called for a US-Senate level hearing on Twitter’s shadowban.

He told the news network, “What I like to see is that Twitter users who have experienced shadow banning of CCP critics by Twitter gather their evidences while my friends in the US Senate to hold a Senate Committee hearing based on their evidences. Twitter is not supposed to regulate free speech when it was exempted from users’ legal actions by Congress.”

‘Tibet is occupied territory’, international conflict resolution expert calls for India to resolve the Sino-Tibetan conflict

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘Tibet is occupied territory’, international conflict resolution expert calls for India to resolve the Sino-Tibetan conflict

A book discussion event was organised through video conferencing on 10th February, to discuss the book ’Tibet Brief 20/20’ authored by eminent author Dr. Michael Van Walt Van Praag. Dr. Michael Van Walt is an international lawyer, a mediator and advisor in intrastate peace processes, and professor of international law and international relations.

Several distinguished persons from India and abroad participated in the book discussion, including Former RAW chief Mr. C.D. Sahay, Tibetan politician in exile and activist Gyari Dolma, former Ambassador Jyoti Pande, former diplomat Anil Trigunayat, Professor at Delhi University Dr. Abanti Bhattacharya, Tibetan activist and writer Tenzin Tsundue, former Special Secretary with Government of India Krishan Verma, and Editor of The Sunday Guardian Joyeeta Basu. The event was moderated by Ms. Samiksha Roy, Research Associate at Usanas Foundation.

Talking about his book, Dr. Michael Van Walt said that contrary to what Beijing claims and what many people believe, Tibet was never part of the China. There are no legal bases on the occupation by PRC and it is solely on ‘self-serving basis’, he said. The author ascertained that Tibet is occupied territory and China doesn’t have sovereignty over it.

Dr. Walt discussed India’s role in the matter, and placed three major policy recommendations for India on its Tibet policy. He said, Firstly, it is important for India to understand that not only Tibet but the entire Himalayan region is of utmost importance for Indian geopolitical interests and India should start working to secure its interests. The Indian Government has an obligation under international law to resolve the Sino-Tibetan conflict. Delhi should send a message that the conflict has not been resolved and the world needs to pay attention to it, he recommended.

Secondly, India needs to actively counter the Chinese historical narrative, which is an integral part of China’s strategy on Tibet which is misleading the world. Not contesting this has made it significantly harder to challenge other narratives such as the one on the South China Sea. It would be of critical importance for India to bust the narrative and try to project the real narrative on Tibet.

(cover of the book, Source- Amazon)

Thirdly, a major issue that leads to concerns is the non-recognition of the territory taken by the force by China. Late last year, the US Department of State referred to Tibet as an ‘occupied territory’, which was a significant move. India and the whole world should not succumb to China’s pressure. This would strengthen India’s position and help to resolve the conflict on the border.”

He further argued, “Let me make this clear – India has a special role to play when it comes to the Tibet issue. Other countries look towards India for guidance on their Tibet policy. What India does have a significant effect on the world’s Tibet policies.”

He said that only way to stop the bullying is by ending the compliance with the bully’s demands. “This has started and we can see that the world increasingly countering the Chinese aggression. The need now is to bring similar powers together in an alliance to counter China,” he added.

Tibetan activist and writer Tenzin Tsundue called China their enemy, saying that they are destroying Tibet. He said that they are not giving up and will recreate a freedom movement in Tibet. Saying that he was born in Tibet and educated in India, Tenzin added he feels pain when India does not speak up for Tibet. “I want India to protect its borders from China,” he said. He also stated that one of the problems in fulfilling the commitment to the Tibetan independence movement is the ignorance amongst Indians on the Tibet issue. A lot of people in India have been believing in the slogan of ‘Hindi-Chini Bhai-Bhai’. No Indian textbooks talk about Tibet, he said.

Tenzin Tsundue also informed that he will start a path yatra from Dharamshala to Delhi on 12 February to make people aware of the Tibet issue.

Ambassdor Anil Trigunayat said that China has never respected the ‘One India’ policy, and therefore India should not be reciprocating the same.

Balochistan liberation activist Bilal Baloch also joined the event and argued that this is the time when India must change its policy of ‘non-interference’ towards the other countries. He said – “Dragon is a dragon; it will definitely bite you. He added that China is interfering in the internal issues of India, and even Pakistan is spreading religious extremism in India. Therefore, India also should revise its policies on Tibet and Balochistan.

1...4,5804,5814,582...7,653Page 4,581 of 7,653