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PM Modi invited to UK for G7, British PM Johnson to visit India ahead of the summit

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PM Modi invited to UK for G7, British PM Johnson to visit India ahead of the summit

The United Kingdom has invited PM Modi as a guest in the G7 summit to be held in June 2021. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he will visit India ahead of the summit. Hailing India as ‘pharmacy of the world’, British PM appreciated how India supplies over 50% of world’s vaccine. He further added how India and the UK have worked together during the pandemic.

Earlier this month, the British PM cancelled his India visit as a guest during India’s Republic Day celebration on 26th January 2021. He cancelled it amid the rising cases of coronavirus in UK to oversee the vaccination drive and other pandemic-crisis related work. The UK had also seen increased number of coronavirus cases with mutated strain which was highly transmissible.

In December last year, the British Prime Minister had written to PM Narendra Modi to accept his invitation and to invite India to attend the UK’s G7 Summit as one of three guest nations alongside South Korea and Australia. The invitation was a part of Johnson’s endeavour to work with a group of like-minded democracies to promote shared interests and tackle common challenges.

India Vs Australia: How Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar saved the day for India in Brisbane test

OpIndia Staff
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India Vs Australia: How Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar saved the day for India in Brisbane test

One of the key highlights of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has been the grit and resilience displayed by the Indian cricket team, especially the tailenders, in the face of adversity. With the quick dismissal of Cheteshwar Pujara and skipper Ajinkiya Rahane in the morning session of India’s first innings on Day 3 of the Brisbane Test, India had a mammoth task at hand.

Although Mayank Agarwal played some exquisite shots and Rishabh Pant looked promising, the duo failed to hold on to the crease for a long time. India were 6 wickets down in the 66th over at just the halfway mark. The Indian fans conceded a defeat, without realising what tailenders Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar had in store. In an extraordinary display of determination, they went on to put a partnership of 121 runs for the 7th wicket.

Shardul Thakur displays his batting prowess

The said partnership between the two became India’s highest partnership for the 7th wicket at the Gabba cricket stadium, surpassing the earlier record held by Kapil Dev and Manoj Prabhakar in 1991. The duo beautifully paced their innings and showed the right intent from the very onset.

Shardul Thakur took his Australian counterpart, Patt Cummins head-on with a pull shot for a boundary off a short-pitched ball. Similarly, he played an astounding cover drive off Mitchelle Starc, that reminded Mike Hussey of the legendary Australian skipper Steve Waugh. He went on to face 115 balls and put up an individual score of 62 runs.

Washington Sundar delivers a batting masterclass

Shardul Thakur was adequately supported by Washington Sundar on the other end. Facing 144 balls, he recorded his personal best performance of 62 runs. As per statistics, his score happens to be the highest score made by a visiting number 7 debutant in Tests in Australia.

Although Washington Sundar hit 7 boundaries, the key highlight of his batting was a spectacular six that he hit off Nathan Lyon’s ball, despite taking the eyes of the ball. Sundar, who began his career in the U-19, as a batsman went on to show that the batsman in him still lives on, despite his full-fledged transformation into an ace spin bowler.

Screengrab of the scorecard of India’s 1st innings via Crickbuzz

Experts hail the duo for their exemplary performance

Hailing the grit and determination shown by the Indian cricket team during their Tour of Australia, former England skipper Michael Vaughan tweeted, “Full credit to India … The character they have had to show on this tour has been remarkable … also the resilience with so many injuries … a team is only as good as its bench many say … Well, India have a very strong bench of players now.”

Indian captain Virat Kohli, who is on paternity leave, applauded the outstanding performance and composure of Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar. “Outstanding application and belief by @Sundarwashi5 and @imShard. This is what test cricket is all about. Washy top composure on debut and tula parat maanla re Thakur,” he wrote.

Cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle also seemed to be in awe of their performance at the Gabba cricket stadium. He tweeted, “Extremely impressed with the fighting attitude shown by Washington Sundar and Shardul Thakur. They have symbolised what India has been in this series, consistently punching above their weight. It is so satisfying to see.”

India has dismissed for a total of 336 runs in the 1st innings. With a lead of 54 runs, it will be interesting to see how the match pans out tomorrow with the Australian opening batsmen Marcus Harris and David Warner facing the Indian pace attack in the morning session of Day 4. But, the clear winner on Day 3 has been the spectacular performance of Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar, who saved the match for India.

PM Modi flags off eight trains from various places in the country to Kevadia to boost connectivity to Statue of Unity

OpIndia Staff
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PM Modi flags off eight trains from various places in the country to Kevadia to boost connectivity to Statue of Unity

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off eight trains connecting different regions of the country to Statue of Unity (Kevadia) on January 17 at 11 AM via video conferencing. PM Modi also inaugurated several projects in the Railways sector in Gujarat. On occasion, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and Chief Ministers of the respective states including Yogi Adityanath, Shivraj Singh Chauhan and others, from where the trains will originate, were also present.

The details of the trains being flagged off are as follows: Kevadiya to Varanasi – Mahamana Express (Weekly), Dadar to Kevadiya – Dadar-Kevadia Express (Daily), Ahmedabad to Kevadiya – Janshatabdi Express (Daily), Kevadiya to H. Nizamuddin – Nizamuddin – KevadiaSamparkKranti Express (Bi-Weekly), Kevadiya to Rewa – Kevadia – Rewa Express (Weekly), Chennai to Kevadiya – Chennai – Kevadia Express (Weekly), Pratapnagar to Kevadiya – MEMU train (Daily) and Kevadiya to Pratapnagar – MEMU train (Daily). The Jan Shatabdi Express from Ahmedabad will have the latest “Vista-dome tourist coach” with a glass roof that will provide a panoramic view of the skyline.

List of trains and projects inaugurated by PM Modi

Today is the amalgamation of Indian Railways Mission and Sardar Vallabhai Patel’s Vision: PM

PM Narendra Modi during his address on the occasion said that this is the first time in India that eight trains to the same destination are being flagged off. Talking about Kevadiya, he said, “Kevadia is fast emerging as a prime tourist destination in India. Tourists from various countries are visiting Kevadia. Statue of Unity has more tourists than Statue of Liberty.”

One of the trains will run from Kerala. He said, “one of the trains leaving for Kevadia is coming from Purchachi Talavar Dr. MG Ramachandran Central Railway Station. It is a happy coincidence that today is the birth anniversary of Bharat Ratan MG Ramachandran.” Earlier, PM Modi has paid tribute to on his Twitter account. He said, “Bharat Ratna MGR lives in the hearts of several people. Be it the world of films or politics, he was widely respected. During his CM tenures, he initiated numerous efforts towards poverty alleviation and also emphasised on women empowerment. Tributes to MGR on his Jayanti.”

He further added that the Indian Railways is using new Aatma Nirbhar technologies while ensuring that they are environment friendly.

Employment in Adivasi villages

PM Modi said that these projects will boost the economy in the Adivasi villages and generate employment. He mentioned that over 200 rooms in nearby Adivasi villages have been turned into homestays. He further said that Kevadiya is one of the best examples to demonstrate how economy and ecology can be developed while protecting the environment in a planned manner.

This will boost tourism & generate employment in the region – Piyush Goyal

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal in his tweets said that PM Modi has launched eight trains providing connectivity to Kevadia, Gujarat. This will provide seamless connectivity to Sardar Patel’s statue at Kevadiya. “This will boost tourism & generate employment in the region., Gujarat,” he added.

Other projects inaugurated by PM Modi

During the event, Prime Minister also inaugurated the Dabhoi – Chandod Gauge converted Broad Gauge railway line, Chandod – Kevadiya new Broad Gauge railway line, newly electrified Pratapnagar – Kevadiya section and the new station buildings of Dabhoi, Chandod and Kevadiya. As per the statement released by the Indian Railways, these buildings are aesthetically designed, incorporating the local features with modern amenities for the passengers.

It has to be noted that Kevadiya station is the first railway station in India that has a Green Building Certification. These projects will help speed up the development activities in the tribal regions close to the stations and help boost domestic and international tourism.

West Bengal: TMC’s Katwa MLA, others take coronavirus vaccine out of turn

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal: TMC’s Katwa MLA, others take coronavirus vaccine out of turn

On Saturday, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLAs flouted government protocol to get vaccinated against Coronavirus in Burdwan in West Bengal, despite being well aware that the vaccines were meant for frontline workers only.

As per reports, TMC politicians, namely, Rabindranath Chatterjee and Subhash Mondol, went out of turn to get inoculated while several healthcare workers, risking their lives amidst the pandemic, failed to get the shots.

While Katwa MLA Rabindranath Chatterjee took the jab on the very first day in Katwa subdivision hospital, another TMC MLA from Bhatar, Subhash Mondol, got vaccinated at the Bhatar Regional Hospital. Besides the duo, ex MLA MLA Banmali Hazra, Zila Parishad member Zahar Bagdi, and public health in-charge of Bhatar Panchayat Samiti namely Mahendra Hazar were also inoculated.

(Video Courtesy: Youtube/India Today)

This is despite the fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has clarified that the public representatives should allow the frontline workers to get vaccinated, instead of using their influence to jump the queue. While speaking about the incident, Chatterjee said, “I just took the vaccine… Everyone will get the opportunity to do so. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee is ensuring that everyone gets the vaccine. In the first round, 100 people will get vaccinated and later a mass immunisation programme will be conducted.”

TMC MLAs deprive health workers of vaccination

As a result of the high-handedness of the ruling Trinamool Congress party, a nurse from Bardhaman Medical College lamented that she was not vaccinated, although she was called for the same. Similar allegations have also been levelled, under the condition of anonymity, by several other nurses in the hospital. However, the Chief Medical Officer of the district, Pranab Rai, claimed that the said MLAs were part of Rogi Kalyan Committee and were eligible for the first round of vaccination.

BJP condemns high-handedness of Trinamool Congress

While condemning the incident, BJP National General Secretary referred to the incident as loot. “Coronavirus vaccine has been looted. The Prime Minister of the country sent the vaccine for Coronavirus warriors, health workers and frontline workers. But in West Bengal TMC MLAs and their goons forcibly took the vaccine.” He further added, “Shame on Mamata Banerjee for claiming that PM sent fewer vaccines.”

Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy said that it would have been better if the party MLAs had not taken the vaccines. Interestingly, another TMC MLA from Alipurduars, Saurabh Chakraborty, had his name on the top of the list of individuals who were supposed to be vaccinated. In his defence, he said, “I am not getting any vaccine right now and I have informed the health department about it.”

PM Modi launches Coronavirus vaccination drive

PM Narendra Modi launched the world’s biggest inoculation drive in the country today at 10:30 am via video conferencing. The COVID-19 vaccination drive has been planned in a phased manner, identifying priority groups. The first phase of India’s coronavirus vaccination drive started at 11 am across several cities in India and ended at 5:30 pm.

In the first phase of the vaccination drive, around 3 crore frontline workers including doctors, healthcare workers, Safai Karamcharis etc will be given the vaccine. After that, people above 50 years of age, and people below 50 with co-morbidities, estimated around 27 crore, will be selected for vaccination. Therefore, around 30 crore people will be vaccinated in this round.

According to the Health Ministry, by the end of day-1 of the coronavirus inoculation drive, 1,91,181 beneficiaries were vaccinated at 3,352 sites in the country. In a press briefing, Additional Health Secretary M Agnani added that 16,755 personnel were involved in the drive.

Harvard University announced freeze on hiring two months before Nidhi Razdan claimed she was joining the Uni: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Harvard University announced freeze on hiring two months before Nidhi Razdan claimed she was joining the Uni: Details

The Nidhi Razdan Harvard fiasco took a major turn yesterday after the former NDTV anchor penned a blog detailing how she fell for the phishing attack. Her blog provided some answers to questions that have been coming up but in the process, raises many more questions. And now, we have more reports related to Harvard University that only intensify the shroud of mystery surrounding the whole affair.

As early as April 2020, the Harvard University had announced that they were implementing an immediate freeze on hiring and salary. The decision was taken in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is pertinent to note that Nidhi Razdan had announced that she was joining the University as an associate professor in June 2020.

Harvard University had announced a freeze on salary and hiring in April 2020, two months before Nidhi Razdan said she was joining the University as an associate professor.
Screenshot of a headline by CNBC

The Harvard Crimson, the daily student newspaper of the University, said that Harvard was “instituting an immediate university-wide salary and hiring freeze, cancelling or deferring discretionary spending, and considering deferring all capital projects.”

“While many decisions and choices will come into sharper focus in the future, it is already clear that we need to take some actions immediately to align our spending with the decline in our revenue,” a joint email from President Lawrence Bacow, Executive Vice President Katherine Lapp and Provost Alan Garber had said.

“Harvard, like other universities around the world, will not be spared the economic consequences of the pandemic,” they said.

The email had said, “Our major sources of revenue — tuition, the endowment, executive and continuing education, philanthropy, and research support — are threatened, and we expect to see increased demand for financial aid as the economic fallout from the pandemic hits family budgets.”

University officials had also floated the possibility of layoffs and furloughs. They said, “We’re still working to gain a more complete picture of the financial conditions of the university.” 

“We will be scrutinizing the FY21 budget to determine what other steps are necessary to respond to the financial impact of the pandemic on our operations. We will communicate with you when more information is available,” the Harvard Crimson quoted them as saying.

“Some of you may be wondering why we can’t just dip into the endowment to support us through these difficult times. We do intend to distribute as much from the endowment as we responsibly can, but there are limitations to the endowment’s capacity,” Crimson quoted them as saying.

“Because of the recent declines in the markets, the endowment, while still large, is not as large as it was previously. As it shrinks, it has less capacity to support our existing operations, especially as other shortfalls in revenue sources loom.”

Thus, given the fact that Harvard University had announced in April itself that they were implementing a salary and hiring freeze, it is a wonder that Nidhi Razdan did not see or hear the announcement at all. According to her, she found out that the fake job offer was a phishing attack only this month.

Massive protests erupt in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir against road construction by China to move troops

OpIndia Staff
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Massive protests erupt in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir against road construction by China to move troops

Massive protests and violence erupted in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on Friday over the Chinese move to build a 33-kilometre road.

According to the reports, the residents of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir have launched massive protests against the Imran Khan-led Pakistan government for allowing the People Liberation Army (PLA) to build a road in the occupied Indian territory. A general strike has been going on since January 13, and Friday’s strike is a continuation of the protest against the Chinese presence in the region.

Amjad Ayub Mirza, an exiled activist from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), said that China is building a 33-kilometer road from Yarkand to PoK to move its artillery and military personnel in the region. The activist said that this is the second time in the month such protests are taking place in the PoK region. He said that the protests this time are widespread, last time the strike was limited to the Poonch division but now it has gone out of control.

“China is now building a road from Yarkand of 33 km wide enough to bring its artillery, military and personnel. Things are gearing up in a precarious way, but PoJK people have risen up to the occasion. There will be more protests in PoK, and I think Pakistan has lost in PoJK totally,” said Mirza in the interview to the media.

“The whole of PoJK was under general strike on January 13th and the focal point became Azad Pattan Bridge, which is the entry point between Pakistan and PoJK, that was blocked. Police opened fire, tear gas, and lathi-charged and there were clashes after which police had to retreat back to Pakistan,” said Mirza.

Protests are intense this time, says activist

Activist Mirza said that this time protests are big thing as police check-post was set alight and protests are spreading like a wildfire across 750 miles Line of Control (LoC). People are fed up with food shortages, there is no flour, no electricity, no clean drinking water, and big cities are full of filth because the system has collapsed, added Mirza.

The protests in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir started after the Imran Khan-led government arbitrarily announced the occupied territory as the fifth province of Pakistan.

“Now what is happening that not a single day passes without a protest, sometimes more than one protest in different parts of PoJK. Every single day people are protesting in Gilgit Baltistan, PoJK, and Pakistani media does not report it. International media is not allowed in those areas,” informed Mirza.

Mirza lamented the fact that the elected government of PoK is sitting in Islamabad and merry-making while the public in the region is holding a crusade against Chinese incursions in the area.

“The whole of PoJK government elected after November 15th is sitting in Islamabad, enjoying buffets and parties, having a fun time because it’s very cold in Gilgit. The government of Farooq Haider is called ‘miscreants’ by its people. PoJK has gone out of the hands of Pakistan, it has lost it. There is no sentiment for Pakistan in PoJK,” he said.

Madhya Pradesh: 13-year-old girl kidnapped and passed on from truck to truck, gang-raped multiple times by nine men

OpIndia Staff
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Madhya Pradesh: 13-year-old girl kidnapped and passed on from truck to truck, gang-raped multiple times by nine men

A 13-year-old girl was gang-raped multiple times by nine men several times in a week in Madhya Pradesh. As per the reports, she was kidnapped and gang-raped on January 4, after that she was again abducted by a truck driver from Umaria district on January 11-12. She was passed on from truck driver to truck driver before she was dropped on the highway.

The horrifying story

The girl was kidnapped by a known person and gang-raped by several men on January 4. She was let go and threatened to keep quiet. She was then again kidnapped and gang-raped by two truck drivers when she was out on an errand on January 11. The two men took her in a jungle and raped her. She was kept hostage in the truck, and they drove to a Dhaba. She was then raped by the Dhaba owner along with four other truckers.

The girl, who is a student of class 9, was kept hostage and raped throughout the night. The next morning, when she was almost unconscious due to the continuous torture, the truck driver tossed her in the truck and raped her again before dumping her in the middle of the road.

Shocked and terrified, the girl tried to stop vehicles, urging them to help. A truck driver stopped and picked her when she pleaded him to help. However, her torture was not over. That truck driver also raped her and dropped her near Umaria before speeding away.

Family filed complaint the next morning

By this time, the family that was continuously looking for her all night, filed a complaint with the police the next morning. Soon after, the girl spotted some policemen and approached them for help. She was immediately taken to the hospital, where she could not speak properly. She was counselled for 20 hours before she could begin to talk. During the counselling, she revealed the series of events that she had to go through. She also mentioned that five of the men involved in the gang-rape were among those who gang-raped her on January 4.

Vikas Kumar Shahwal, Superintendent of Police, said that the police recovered the girl soon after receiving the complaint on January 12. “According to the doctors, she has not sustained any major injuries but she is in deep mental trauma and shock. We have kept her under observation at one-stop crisis centre, where she is being counselled.” He added. Arvind Tiwari, the Police spokesman, said that a case has been registered under POSCO and relevant sections of the IPC.

So far, the police have arrested seven out of nine men involved in the crime. The remaining two are still on the run.

Network18 Group terminates CNBC Awaaz anchor Hemant Ghai after SEBI banned him for fraudulent trading

OpIndia Staff
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Network18 Group terminates CNBC Awaaz anchor Hemant Ghai after SEBI banned him for fraudulent trading

CNBC Awaaz has terminated stocks editor and anchor Hemant Ghai after an order was passed by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) against him for violating stock market regulations. Ghar was the co-host of Stocks 20-20 on the Network18 Group’s Hindi Business news channel. On 13th January, SEBI had banned him from trading in the capital market, and also from giving any recommendation related to stocks.

The network issued a statement on his termination and said that its employees are required to pledge themselves to a code of conduct that expressly forbids them to manipulate prices of the listed securities. The network added, “Mr. Ghai was also a signatory to the code of conduct. Network18 takes its commitment to honesty and integrity seriously. We will not tolerate any behaviour which does not conform to the highest standards of professional and ethical conduct.”

Ghai did trading from his wife and mother’s accounts

In its orders, SEBI alleged that Ghai had used his wife and mother’s names to purchase stocks that he would recommend the next day. It resulted in the increased purchase of the stocks, increasing the price, after which would sale the stocks making a profit. Such practices are prohibited under the provisions of SEBI’s (Prohibition of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices) Regulations.

SEBI in its order said, “By purchasing shares in the accounts of Jaya Hemant Ghai and Shyam Mohini Ghai for which buy recommendation is given, with the advance information of buy recommendation and thereafter selling the same as soon as the market opens on the recommendation day unfairly taking advantage of the price and volume rise post recommendation is a fraud played upon the market and the viewers of the Show. The viewers of the Show trust the recommendation made in the Show without realising the scheme has been devised for their personal gains.”

Ghai cannot indulge in investment activities

These trades were made through Authorised Person of Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd., namely MAS Consultancy, Mehsana, Gujarat. Ghai is no longer allowed to indulge in any activity related to giving investment advice, sell or buy recommendations, publish any research report or any activity related to the market until further notice. As per the reports, he had made around Rs.3 crore by such activities, and SEBI has ordered the respective banks to freeze the accounts of Ghai along with the accounts of his wife and mother.

NIA summons pro-Khalistan outfit ‘Khalsa Aid’ in Sikhs For Justice in ‘Referendum-2020’ case, actor-turned ‘farmer’ Deep Sidhu also called

OpIndia Staff
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NIA summons pro-Khalistan outfit ‘Khalsa Aid’ in Sikhs For Justice in ‘Referendum-2020’ case, actor-turned ‘farmer’ Deep Sidhu also called

The National Investigation Agency has summoned controversial pro-Khalistan organizations such as ‘Khalsa Aid’ and several persons including an alleged farmer leader and an actor having links to Khalistani networks to appear before them for questioning in connection with the ‘Sikhs For Justice Referendum’ case.

According to the reports, the National Investigation Agency has called around 40 persons to be examined as ‘witnesses’ in a fresh case registered against the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), a foreign-based group that advocates secessionist and pro-Khalistani activities in India.

The NIA has summoned include officials of the controversial pro-Khalistan group ‘Khalsa Aid’ and also actor Deep Sidhu, who has time-and-again openly expressed his support to the Khalistan movement.

Khalsa Aid is another shady organisation that is suspected to be a front organisation for the Khalistani outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI). The NIA had registered a case in this regard in December 2012, alleging that Khalsa Aid was suspected to be one of the organisations linked to the BKI funding the Indian BKI members to commit terror acts in the country. 

Recently, Khalsa Aid had set up massage centers at the farmers’ protests in makeshift spaces at the Singhu border raising suspicions that the protests might be a well-thought-out conspiracy by the secessionists to revive Khalistani sentiments by engendering resentment among people against the Modi government.

Babbar Khalsa intends to create an independent Sikh state in India through violent means and is responsible for several terror attacks in the country resulting in many civilian deaths. The Trump administration had declared BKI a threat to American interests.

NIA issues summons to Deep Sidhu, UK based journalist

Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu and another Khalistani sympathizer Baldev Singh Sirsa are among 40 people summoned by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for questioning in the SFJ case.

The actor, who has backed the protest against the center’s agriculture laws, has been asked to appear before the anti-terrorism agency at its Delhi. Deep Sidhu, who came to the limelight during the ongoing protests, had openly flaunted his admiration for the Khalistani movement.

In addition to Deep Sidhu, the NIA has summoned a UK-based television journalist Jasveer Singh Muktsar to appear for questioning on January 18. The NIA has also called Baldev Singh Sirsa, the president of the Lok Bhalai Insaf Welfare Society, one of the organizers of the ‘farmer’ protestors in the national capital.

NIA files charge-sheet in Sikh Referendum case

Earlier, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had filed charge-sheet against 16 accused associated with the Khalistani terrorist organisation Sikh for Justice (SFJ) in Referendum-2020.

The NIA investigation in the case had revealed that Sikhs For Justice was nothing but a terror group that operates with the support of Pakistan’s ISI and has offices in various foreign countries like the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia etc. The NIA had disclosed that SFJ propagates secession and also instigates enmity on the grounds of region and religion to radicalise impressionable youth and to cause disturbance to peace and harmony and to raise funds for terrorist activities.

The terror organisation SFJ has been attempting to undermine the security of the Indian State by instigating Sikh personnel in the Indian army to rise up in mutiny against India. SFJ is also trying to radicalize youth of Kashmir and openly extending support for the secession of Kashmir from India, the NIA had disclosed.

SFJ links to the farmers’ protests in India

The farmers’ protest saw participation from pro-Khalistani elements. Several ‘farmers’ resorted to violence and worrying slogans, supporting Khalistan were also raised. With pro-Khalistan and anti-Indian slogans being raised during the ‘farmer protest’ along the Haryana-Punjab border, questions were also being raised over the alleged involvement of SFJ in instigating Punjab farmers to protest against the Modi government under the pretext that the three farm bills are ‘anti-farmer’ in nature.

The SFJ collusion indicated the involvement of pro-Khalistan elements to hijack these farmer protest.  

It is important to note that the Khalistan organization SFJ, funded by Pakistan, had earlier declared a grant of $1 million for farmers in Punjab and Haryana in lieu of their support for Khalistan.

Deep Sidhu, Akalis cry foul

Actor Deep Sidhu, Shiromani Akali Dal’s Sukbhir Singh Badal, have accused the government of trying to ‘intimidate’ the protestors.

The matter pertains to the December 15, 2020 FIR registered after a complaint by the MHA which stated that SFJ “and other Khalistani terrorist outfits including but not limited to Babbar Khalsa International, Khalistan Tiger Force and Khalistan Zindabad Force” along with their frontal organizations, have entered into a conspiracy to “create an atmosphere of fear and lawlessness and to cause disaffection in people and to incite them towards rising in rebellion” against the Government of India.”

As per the FIR, huge funds are collected abroad for the campaign and propaganda. “These campaigns are being spearheaded by designated terrorists – Pannu, Pamma, Nijjer and others,” the FIR read. As per the FIR, large amounts of funds so collected are being sent through non-government Organizations to pro-Khalistani elements based in India, to undertake terrorist acts and to strike terror in the people of India.

Biden to reverse President Trump’s policy on climate change, to end travel ban from Muslim countries

OpIndia Staff
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Biden to reverse President Trump’s policy on climate change, to end travel ban from Muslim countries

President-elect Joe Biden has decided to sign a dozen of executive orders to undo the actions of President Trump, including re-joining the Paris climate accord and ending the travel ban on predominantly Muslim countries, on his first day in office.

According to a memo from incoming chief of staff Ron Klain, President-elect Joe Biden is also expected to sign orders halting evictions and student loan payments during the coronavirus pandemic. Biden administration may also issue a mask mandate on all federal property and expand virus testing.

However, the executive orders issued by President Trump pre-empting the security threat will be nullified by President-elect Biden’s new order.

Reversing Trump government’s order was made during campaign

In the run-up to the elections, Joe Biden had made several promises to reverse the decision taken by the Trump administration in the last four years. These promises were made on everything from climate change to immigration to foreign policy.

“During the campaign, President-elect Biden pledged to take immediate action to start addressing these crises and build back better,” Klain wrote in the memo. “As president, he will keep those promises and sign dozens of executive orders, presidential memoranda, and directives to Cabinet agencies in fulfillment of the promises he made,” he added.

The memo also outlines Biden’s plans to send Congress a large-scale immigration plan within his first 100 days in office. The plan would offer a pathway to citizenship for the millions of undocumented immigrations currently in the United States.

Earlier, Joe Biden had announced his first legislative priority this week, announcing a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package that included direct payments to Americans. Joe Biden had said that he wanted the package issue to be the first one to be taken up by the Congress after he is inaugurated on January 20.

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