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‘We are all tired, do not reignite the flames that are burning out,’ a tired doctor writes to Tamil actors for deciding to release movies in full theatres

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A doctor from Puducherry has penned a moving letter to Tamil actors Joseph Vijay and Silambarasan on the decision to release their films with 100 per cent seating capacity in theatres in Tamil Nadu.

According to the reports, Dr Aravinth Srinivas, a junior resident at JIPMER, Puducherry took to his Facebook account to write an open letter to Tamil actor Joseph Vijay and Simbu.

The heartfelt letter comes after the Tamil Nadu government had decided to permit 100 per cent occupancy in theatres despite the pandemic. The announcement came ahead of the release of Vijay’s Master and Silambaram’s Eeswaran, which are scheduled to hit the screens on January 13 and 14 respectively.

‘We are tired, Doctors are tired’, says doctor

In his moving letter, the resident doctor living in Puducherry has appealed to actors Joseph Vijay and TR Silambarasan and to the Government of Tamil Nadu pointing out that the pandemic was not yet over and that the move to open theatres to full capacity is suicidal.

“I am tired. We are all tired. Thousands of doctors like me are tired. Health care workers are tired. Police officials are tired. Sanitary workers are tired,” said Aravinth Srinivas, the JIPMER doctor.

He continued saying that the doctors have worked so hard at the ground level to make sure the damage done is kept to as low as possible amidst an unprecedented pandemic, adding that the intention was not to glorify the work they have done.

“We don’t have cameras in front of us. We don’t do stunt sequences. We aren’t heroes. But we deserve some time to breathe. We don’t want to fall prey to someone’s selfishness and greed,” wrote Dr Srinivas in a scathing attack against the actors for deciding to release their movies even as the country is struggling to cope up with the pandemic.

He wrote that the pandemic is not over yet and that there are still people dying of the disease and added that the hundred per cent theatre occupancy is a suicide attempt, the doctor declared in his letter.

Blatant barter system, trading lives for money, says the doctor

In his Facebook post, which is now inaccessible, the doctor highlighted that none of the ‘policy makers’ or ‘so-called heroes’ are going to put themselves at risk by watching the movie amidst the crowd.

“This is a blatant barter system, trading lives for money,” the doctor noted in his letter.

Ending his letter, Dr Aravinth Srinivas urged the actors and the Government of Tamil Nadu to not ‘reignite the flames that are slowly burning out’ but not completely put out. He said that he wanted to keep the post scientific and explain why the danger of the pandemic still persists but said, “what is the point?”

Watch: ‘Farmer leader’ threatens to blow up RSS headquarters in Nagpur and kill Dr Mohan Bhagwat

In a shocking statement, Arun Bankar, secretary of Maharashtra State Kisan Mahasabha, has threatened to not only blow up the RSS head office in Nagpur but also kill RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat if the Modi government did not accept to the demands of the protesting ‘farmers’.

In a video that has gone viral on the internet, Farmer leader Arun Bankar, who is on his way to join the ongoing protests along the Haryana-Delhi border against the three farm laws, issued threats to blow up the RSS headquarters in Nagpur and assassinate Mohan Bhagwat.

Bankar in the video said that Modi has only one option and if he does not repeal farm laws, he will have to commit suicide. He added that if “Modi orders to shoot farmers”, the jawans will rebel against the government. He also added that he will kill Mohan Bhagwat in Nagpur and blow up the RSS headquarters there.

Reportedly, a group of farmers had stopped at the ‘Shaheed Kisan Stambh’ in Multai where Arun Bankar issued death threats to Mohan Bhagwat and also claimed that the Maharashtra farmers are going to Delhi to teach Modi a lesson. 

Continuing to spew venom against the Modi government, the farmer leader challenged the govt asking whether they will fire bullets on farmers. He continued saying, that he stayed in Nagpur and would not hesitate to do anything if he (PM Modi) does not listen.

Issuing a direct threat to kill Dr Mohan Bhagawat, Arun Bankar said, “I will go and blow up the RSS headquarter and Mohan Bhagwat. They are the one who will take a step back now, we won’t stop.” 

Following his hate speech, a complaint has been lodged against Arun Bankar in the Betul Kotwali. An FIR has been lodged under Section 505, 506 after a complaint by BJP District President Babla Aditya Shukla. 

Santosh Pandre, Kotwali police station in charge, said that Shukla has lodged a complaint against Arun Bankar, saying that Bankar has openly issued threats saying that if Prime Minister Narendra Modi orders police firing on the farmers, then he would blow up the RSS headquarters and kill Mohan Bhagwat.

Protestors threaten to kill PM Modi for passing farm reforms

The anti-farm agitation against the historic farm laws, enacted by the Union government, has witnessed everything, starting from vandalism and violence to death threats to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Just a few days back,  a woman protestor at the protest site at Delhi was caught threatening to stab the Prime Minister. A journalist had approached a lady protestor, who was busy preparing Langaar for other protestors. In response, the woman said, “I will stab Modi in the stomach with this knife.” While she was issuing the death threat casually, the woman proceeded to imitate the act of stabbing.

However, instead of reprimanding the woman, the journalist burst out into laughter and even encouraged her to repeat her statement.

In a similar threat, a video had gone viral on the internet where protesters was heard singing a song, seeking for the death of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It was not clear where the video was captured but a banner of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) with the Communist hammer and sickle in the background could be spotted in the video. The AIKS is a Left front organisation with two factions, one associated with the Communist Party of India and the other with the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

On November 28, an elderly Sikh protestor had threatened to teach a lesson to Prime Minister Narendra Modi just like ‘they taught Indira Gandhi’. Interestingly, these threatening statements were made in the presence of Aam Aadmi Party MLA Amanatullah Khan.

Khalistani elements had threatened to kill PM Modi

Earlier, we had reported on how the ongoing farmer protests along the Punjab-Haryana border also saw the participation of pro-Khalistani elements, who tried to hijack the farmer protests to incite Punjabi farmers against the Modi government.

A few Khalistani terror sympathisers disguised as farmers were caught gloating over the assassination of the former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who also threatened PM Modi with a similar fate if their demands went unfulfilled.

In one of the videos from the protests, one of the demonstrators was seen threatening PM Modi with dire consequences if the solution is not reached in the upcoming meeting between the farmers and the Centre over the agriculture bills. Further, the protests, apparently carried out by the farmers, were taken control by the Khalistani supporters, who raised pro-Khalistani slogans hailing the face of Khalistani movement – Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.

Hong Kong authorities arrest 53 opposition leaders under the national security law as China escalates crackdown on pro-democracy camp

In an unprecedented crackdown against Hong Kong‘s pro-democracy camp, China rounded up 53 elected pro-democracy officials and activists early Wednesday for their participation in an unofficial primary election for the territory’s legislature last year.

The mass arrest is the biggest sweep of the opposition leaders under the new national security law imposed by Beijing to stamp out dissent in the semiautonomous territory. The Hong Kong security secretary, Josh Lee, regarded by the pro-democracy proponents as China’s lackey, defended the crackdown stating that the actions of the leaders and activists were subverting the city’s government.

“The operation today targets the active elements who are believed to be involved in the crime of overthrowing, or interfering (and) seriously destroy the Hong Kong government’s legal execution of duties,” said John Lee, Hong Kong’s security minister, in a news conference.

On Wednesday morning, a legion of 1,000 national security forces was deployed as a part of Beijing’s sweeping clampdown on Hong Kong’s opposition figures. About 53 people were arrested, including an American lawyer John Clancey, who served as treasurer for a group that helped organise the informal primary elections and also searched the premises of law firm Ho Tse Wai & Partners.

Besides, the police also raided the house of Hong Kong’s most prominent pro-democracy supporter Joshua Wong, claiming that the activist had participated in the primaries. Mr Wong is serving a 13-months jail sentence in connection with his role in the 2019 Hong Kong protests, an accusation not linked with the new national security law forcibly passed by China in June last year.

The legislative election that would have followed the unofficial primaries was postponed by a year by Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, who cited the public health risks during the coronavirus pandemic. Mass resignations and disqualifications of pro-democracy lawmakers have left the legislature largely a pro-Beijing body.

National Security Law provides unbridled powers to China to undermine opposition and suppress pro-democracy forces

With the recent arrests, the Chinese government has escalated its efforts in weakening the opposition in Hong Kong and eliminating their presence from the governmental institutions. However, this is not the first time that China has used the whip of the national security law to quell the opposition.

Last year, the government disqualified pro-democracy lawmakers from running in September election in the Legislative Council. Subsequently, the legislative council elections were postponed by a year by Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam citing coronavirus concerns. But, many in the pro-democracy camp claimed that the officials were trying to avert an embarrassing loss for the pro-Beijing legislators.

A few months later, in November, the Hong Kong government disqualified another four pro-democracy legislators, who it said had advocated or had been insufficiently critical of the US sanctions on the city.

Media mogul Jimmy Lai and pro-democracy activists hauled up by Hong Kong authorities under the NSL

Ever since China passed the sweeping national security law in Hong Kong, effectively ending its autonomy, it has sought to use the statute of the law to command total obedience. In December 2020, media mogul Jimmy Lai was charged with foreign collusion offences and endangering national security under the draconian national security law (NSL). The owner of Hong Kong tabloid Apple Daily, Lai has been one of the most fierce pro-democratic voices in Hong Kong.

The move came a week after the Hong Kong authorities jailed activists Joshua Wong, Agnes Chow, and Ivan Lam with the sentence between for 7 to 13 months for their roles in an unauthorised protest outside police headquarters last year. A total of 16 pro-democracy activists, including students involved in a peaceful campus demonstration, had been arrested by the authorities.

A few days ago, on December 29, Hong Kong student activist Tony Chung was sentenced to four months in prison for insulting the Chinese flag during a protest in May last year. The 19-year-old activist was guilty of unlawful assembly and defiling the Chinese flag under the national security law after he was filmed throwing the flag to the ground during scuffles outside Hong Kong’s parliament in 2019.

Pakistan: 2 children killed while playing with a hand grenade they found and brought home, 3 critical

Two children died and three others were grievously injured after a hand grenade they found on Wednesday and brought home exploded, the Pakistani police said.

The incident pertains to the northwestern city of Peshawar where children found a live grenade in an open area and took it along with them to their home. The three severely wounded children are said to be in critical condition in a hospital.

The police took cognisance of the incident and launched an investigation into the matter.

Past incidents in Pakistan when children lost their lives after playing with explosives discarded in trash

Explosives and arms are scattered across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. About four years back, in May 2017, a girl and her mother were killed when children accidentally pulled the pin of a grenade in Upper Dir. The children had found the live grenade on the street and brought it home believing that it was a toy. In another such incident from September 2020, five siblings were injured when playing with what they thought was a toy junked in a scrap heap.

Children come across the bombs while playing in rubbish heaps. The explosives are also found along the banks of the rivers after presumably being washed down in the rains from areas where there was fighting. IEDs are also hidden in water-coolers and tennis balls. In June 2017, six children from South Waziristan, who stumbled across such IED explosives, lost their lives while playing with it.

Peshwar, a breeding ground for terrorists

While all of Pakistan has been a breeding ground for all kinds of assorted terrorists, Peshawar holds special significance by the virtue of its proximity with Afghanistan border. Peshawar is the capital of the restive province of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan. For a long time now, terrorists have a strong presence in the region and it has acted as a gateway for the terrorists on both sides of the Afghan-Pakistan border for smooth infiltration.

However, Peshawar has also endured devastating terror attacks. About six years back, Peshawar witnessed one of the worst terror attacks in the history of Pakistan. On 16 December 2014, six gunmen affiliated with the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) conducted a terrorist attack on the Army Public School. The terrorists entered the school and opened fire on school staff and children, killing 149 people including 132 schoolchildren ranging between eight and eighteen years of age.

Protesting Punjab farmers build walls, fully functional homes at Delhi border camps

Delhi border camps where farmers are staying and protesting against the three Agriculture laws have been seeing commercial ventures, tents and shops. There are hundreds of tents, ‘tiny’ houses made out shipping containers, kitchens built right on the highways and walls to protect them from adverse weather.

They even have plans to build up more things in coming days. People can also be seen enjoying hookahs in the tents with cement and brick walls.

More such videos from various protest sites are viral on social media.

Raising wall for kitchen and alleged permanent house.

From free tents to free dental check-ups. All facilities for free just to make sure farmers stay and keep protesting.

Setting up water-proof tents for free. There have been allegations that some celebrities and companies are laundering money to fund these protests.

Music system, tent, strong stage with LED screens.

Illegal sports events on highway.

Illegal tents being setup at highway.

Illegal coffee stalls

Illegal kitchen setup by an NGO

Another illegal kitchen

Illegal kitchen setup by Congress

Thousands of such illegal tents have been raised across Singhu border

Illegal gym setup at Highway

CM of Delhi who forced migrant workers from UP and Bihar to leave Delhi during Covid lockdown provided free Wi-Fi for land-grabbing protestors at Singhu border on the pretext of his party’s future in Punjab Assembly.

Images of illegal setup at Highway

This is just a glimpse of what is happening at Singhu border.

As of now, because of the road blocks, by some estimates, a loss of Rs 27,000 crore has been incurred by Delhi and neighbouring states. The agitating farmers from Punjab and some from Haryana are protesting against the new farm laws brought in by the Modi government which opens up the market and allows them to sell their produce to whoever they wish to. The old system of farmers bringing their produce to mandis and selling through APMC will continue as is. However, backed by Congress and other political parties, the said farmers from Punjab have been camping at Delhi border.

Fact-check: Is the Indian Railways planning to increase passenger fares from January 6, 2021

Indian Railways is the lifeline for thousands of passengers every day. Though the operations have affected due to Covid-19, Railways has been trying to restart trains to as many locations as possible. Amidst all the efforts being pushed by the Railways, there have been some reports that suggest it is raising passenger fares.

News18 India’s report suggesting raise in fares
News Nation‘s report suggesting raise in fares
Zee News‘s report suggesting raise in fares

When the information started to circulate, several news agencies picked it up and published it. However, there was no such announcement by the Indian Railways’ officials. Not only mainstream media but vernacular media also reported the same that caused an uproar among the travellers.

Is Railways increasing the passenger fair?

In a recent statement, Indian Railways dismissed the claims and said, “Certain sections of media have reported about the possibility of some hike in passenger fares. This news is baseless & without any factual basis. There is no proposal under consideration to increase fares. Media is advised to not to publish or circulate such reports.”

Press Information Bureau’s Fact Check department also issued a statement and said that the claim is fake and baseless. “There is NO proposal under consideration to increase the fares,” it added.

Verdict: The claim of railways fare hike is FAKE.

Kerala: Jacobite faction of Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church demand an ordinance to protect churches they lost due to Supreme Court verdict

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The Jacobite faction of Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church in Kerala has intensified their protest outside the Secretariat as part of their indefinite strike demanding an ordinance to protect their church.

According to the reports, an indefinite stir was launched by the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church demanding the Kerala government to bring a law to guarantee justice for the Jacobite faction of the Malankara Church.

The Jacobite Syrian Christian Church has lost possession of churches to the Orthodox churches by a Supreme Court order and is now fighting to protect their churches in the state.

During the ongoing protests, some of the members of the Jacobite faction of the Malankara Church had also tried to enter several churches across the state, which were handed over to the Orthodox faction. Though the priests and laity members went to churches during the mass, they were stopped by the police at the gates. As part of strengthening their protests, the Jacobites were trying to re-enter the churches for the fourth consecutive Sunday. 

The Jacobites were also blocked by the Kerala police at churches including Piravom Valiyapally (St Mary’s Orthodox Syrian Cathedral), Pazhamthottam St Mary’s Church, Vadavukode St Mary’s Church, Puthencruz St Peter’s and St Paul’s Church, Kanniattunirappu St John’s Church, Thrissur Chalissery St Peter and St Paul’s Church and Thrissur Mannamangalam St Mary’s Jacobite Syrian Church.

Century-old dispute between Jacobite and Orthodox factions

In a landmark judgement delivered on July 3, 2017, the Supreme Court had ruled on a centuries-old dispute between Jacobite and Orthodox factions of Kerala’s Malankara Church. The SC had ruled that 1100 parishes and their churches under the Malankara Church, which were until then controlled by the Jacobite faction, should be controlled by the Orthodox faction, as per the 1934 Malankara Church guidelines.

The Kerala High court gave a directive when the case relating to the Piravom church came up for hearing. The court also sought an explanation from the State government as well as counsel for the Jacobite faction as to under what authority was the Jacobite faction supporters preventing the Orthodox faction from entering the church.

The dispute between the two Christian factions are not new, in fact, it is about a century old. Last year, the situation at the Piravom Valiyapalli remained tensed after one member of the Jacobite faction threatened to jump off the Church building, while others poured kerosene over their heads and threatened to set themselves alight, as police then too tried to implement the SC verdict.

The Piravom Valiyapalli is just one of the many churches, which has been a part of the heightened dispute over the church administration ever since the SC ruling.

When media advisor to former PM Dr Manmohan Singh expresses disdain for ‘strong leadership’ in a democracy

Time to resurrect a popular front”, thundered the headline in The Hindu’s Op-Ed page. The author Harish Khare is no ordinary “senior journalist” as the article claims. He was once the media advisor to the Prime Minister of India when Dr. Manmohan Singh was holding that post. Which means that he was in a position of considerable power to shape the discourse of the country. So, when such a once powerful person writes that something needs to be “resurrected”, you would imagine that it existed before.  

Harish Khare’s definition of “popular front” is “command the majority of popular vote”.  In his infinite wisdom, he reminds us of the oft-repeated, beaten-to-death argument – “the NDA, as per the 2019 results, still does not command the majority of popular vote; its combined vote share was nearly 45%, of which the BJP’s contribution was 37.4%;

Now, you would think that this is an amazing argument and that it indeed time to “resurrect” a “popular front” that existed before. Instead of belabouring this point further, let’s simply take a look at the table below to know how many seats a pre-poll arrangement of parties won in each election and their voting percentages.

How many seats a pre-poll arrangement of parties won in each election and their voting percentages

Gosh, it turns out that India never had a “popular front”. Not a single leader ever won more than 50% votes in any election in India since 1952. Leave voting percentages, did you notice how Sonia Gandhi did not even win the requisite 272 seats, both in 2004 and 2009? Did we ever see articles and seminars and debates and discussions around the voting percentages when Sonia Gandhi was in power from 2004 to 2014? Did Harish Khare ever reflect as to why he agreed to work under a Prime Minister, who didn’t even contest elections, leave alone getting a “popular vote”? 

So, what does Harish Khare propose to “resurrect” something that never existed in the first place? In his own lofty words – “restoring a balance between the Centre and the States — the Centre has made a mockery of the federal spirit and arrangement;”

Now, if you are using strong words like “mockery”, readers would expect that you give some serious examples to prove your point. Harish Khare gives exactly zero examples. You are now left wondering – is it because of the fact that there are no examples to give? For example, why is it a mockery if each one of the 43 GST Council meetings, members of which belong to many political parties, have ended up taking significant decisions unanimously? For example, why is it a mockery if the Prime Minister invites the Karnataka Chief Minister (who is from the Congress and has declined the invitation) to accompany him on a foreign tour so that he can attract more investments? For example, why is it a mockery if the darling of the English media and the famed Kerala Chief Minister from the Communist party acknowledges the tremendous help received from the central government for the devastating Kerala floods? Why is it a mockery when Captain Amarinder Singh says– “I have no problems. I am getting full co-operation” and even cites examples to bolster his statement?

The lofty arguments continue with us now being told that there is a need of “restoring a sense of partnership and participation to the minorities—it is entirely unhealthy that a ruling party of 303 MPs cannot boast of a single Muslim member

I never understand this argument. Has there ever been a single instance in the past 70 years when Muslims MPs, cutting across party lines, have formed a lobby group and got something specifically done for the welfare of Muslims? The answer is an emphatic NO. So, if the Muslims MPs themselves are divided by their party lines, what is this obsession with a meaningless symbolism? Why don’t the likes of Harish Khare question about the other minorities too? For example, how many Christian MPs? How many Jain MPs? There will never be an end to this argument. Or better yet, has Harish Khare been able to cite a single instance of minorities losing a “sense of partnership and participation”? Why couldn’t Harsh Khare cite some examples of blatant discrimination in policies by the Modi government? Lazy to do research or because those examples don’t exist?

Harish Khare goes on to talk about “restoring the constitutional institutions to their original vitality”, meaning that institutions should listen to what their ilk says and not act independently. So, how and who does Harish Khare propose to be part of a “popular front” that will restore “a semblance to sensitivity and civility to our political life”? 

According to his infinite wisdom, the “popular front” should “also accommodate and tame an Asaduddin Owaisi”. The choice of words is an example of the haughty arrogance these people proudly possess! Harish Khare actually wants to “tame” Owaisi? Has he really not heard and seen Owaisi? And who does he think can “tame” Owaisi? Naveen Patnaik and Nitish Kumar! 

The only thing Harish Khare is clear in his entire article is that the Congress is worthless and should not be anywhere close to this “popular front”. Otherwise the entire article is simply another attempt to showcase the English language skills of Harish Khare without providing a single example to make his point. Harish Khare’s disdain for democracy is very evident in his concluding paragraph – “Too much of strong leadership has robbed India of its democratic exuberance and constitutional dynamism.” Ours is perhaps the only place in the world where having a “strong leadership” is seen as a disadvantage and where the English media yearns for the return of a weak leadership that can “tame” Owaisi (am still LOL’ing!). 

The sooner Harish Khare realises that lofty rhetoric is not a substitute for ground realities, the better understanding he will have as to why Prime Minister Modi is so popular in the country. He has won the mandate of the people a whopping 5 times in the past 18 years. He must have done something right for that to happen, no?

‘If I go to Taj Mahal, Centre will think I am there to buy it’: Robert Vadra on I-T interrogations

A day after Income Tax officials grilled Robert Vadra on Benami property case, the Congress president’s son-in-law on Wednesday said that the IT sleuths took away 23,000 documents from his office. He further added that there has been no tax evasion and that his business is completely transparent.

Speaking about the raids and interrogation by the IT Department, Vadra said, “23,000 documents were taken away from my office. They’ve more information about me than I have in my office today. Every question they asked was answered clearly. There is no tax evasion.”

Vadra was asked to join the Income Tax Department’s inquiry at the agency’s office on Monday and Tuesday. But, he refused to travel to the IT office citing COVID-19 restrictions. Consequently, the Income Tax department visited the premises of Robert Vadra, son-in-law of Congress President Sonia Gandhi, to record his statement in connection with its probe against him under the benami assets law.

If I go to Taj Mahal, they’ll think I have gone there to buy it: Vadra

Raising questions on the repeated interrogations by the Income Tax Department, Robert Vadra remarked that he could not go anywhere or do anything without drawing the suspicions of the Centre. He asserted that if he paid a visit to Taj Mahal, the centre might surmise that he has gone there to buy the monument.

“I cannot do anything, cannot go anywhere. If I go to Taj Mahal, they will think I have gone there to buy Taj Mahal. Government has cornered in their issues, they find ways to divert the issues,” said Robert Vadra.

IT sleuths visit Robert Vadra’s office on Monday and Tuesday

The Income Tax Department officials on Tuesday reached the residence of Robert Vadra in Delhi’s Sukhdev Vihar to question him regarding the Benami properties matter. The total value of these properties, allegedly purchased by Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law, between 2005 and 2010, is believed to be 12 million pounds.

On Monday, IT sleuths interrogated Vadra for about 8 hours and recorded his statement under the Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act. According to the reports, Vadra was grilled in connection with the purchase of some land parcels by a firm linked to Vadra in Bikaner in which the Enforcement Directorate had filed a money laundering case in 2015. The case is linked to the properties he allegedly purchased in the United Kingdom through arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari.

While talking to reporters Monday evening, Vadra labelled the grilling by the IT officials as a political vendetta. “There is nothing to hide…the truth will prevail,” said Vadra.

Vadra accused of alleged possession of some undisclosed assets in the United Kingdom

As per the ED, Vadra was beneficially controlling the £ 1.9 million London property. Vadra had also allegedly executed renovation work for the same and arranged for funds. Absconding defence dealer Sanjay Bhandari, Vadra’s aide, allegedly purchased the property for £ 1.9 million and sold it to a Vadra-controlled firm for the same amount after allegedly spending £ 65,900 on renovating it. The ED maintained that Bhandari was not the actual owner of the property, but it was beneficially owned by Vadra. Vadra is accused of money-laundering.

Besides this, there are two more properties worth 4 million pounds (around ₹ 37.42 crores) and 5 million pounds (more than ₹ 46.77 crores). Six other flats are also suspected to be owned by Mr Vadra, according to the Enforcement Directorate

Communists’ pseudo-science that wiped out 300 lakh people – and how it is related to Coronavirus

The history of Communism is mostly a history of mass murderers. Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot and the like. But, with active connivance of historians and media, the Communists have come out of this with their reputation completely unscathed. Instead, the left has been able to hitch its wagon to ideas such as human rights, science and rationality. When the issue of mass murder comes up, if at all, the Communists get away with blaming a few individuals. Even though these individuals were celebrated heroes (and are still celebrated heroes) in the Communist pantheon. The core Communist principles themselves are protected from all reproach. Marxism is still taken seriously as a legitimate branch of thought, taught in colleges and universities. Real experts, who get real awards and are consulted on real policies, still engage openly with Marxism.

Since farmers are in the news these days, I thought I would tell this story of the Communist war on biology and agricultural science in general. As you will see, the story is really not funny, because there are 300 lakh innocent victims here. Indeed, when it comes to killing people, Marxist pseudoscience is even worse than Hitler. Perhaps it will give pause to the few thousand hard working farmers camped out on the borders of Delhi, with red hammer and sickle flags for company.

When a farmer plants their crop, they sow at regular intervals in the field, so that each individual finds enough soil to grow. Common knowledge, right? Not if you know official Marxist doctrine. The Marxist rejected the idea that individual crops would be so selfish. Each crop wanting a separate space for itself is too much like capitalism to be true. Yes, you read that correctly. Instead, the Marxists argued that the wheat crops should be planted close together, so that they could all learn to share the nutrients in the soil. Once the crops “learned” to share the available space, water and nutrients, they would work together to produce a bumper yield. Again, you read that correctly.

Unfortunately, I am not joking. I am giving you the official view of Institute of Genetics of the Soviet Academy of Sciences in the 1930s and 1940s. The Communist party rejected genetics itself, including the existence of genes. Instead, they officially embraced their pseudo-scientific theory, which they called Lysenkoism. This was named after the star director of the Soviet Academy, a “scientist” by the name of Tromfin Lysenko.

Powered by the ideas of Lysenko, the Communist Party went about coming up with a new science of agriculture, based on Marxist principles. If the crops did not “want” to share space, they could be “taught” to do so. Once these crops were properly “educated” in Marxist principles, they would pass these ideas to their kids. Yes, I am talking about maize and wheat crops passing down the teachings of Marxism to the seedlings that would grow from their seeds. Once these crops learned to share and cooperate, they would no longer need fertilizer or protection from the elements.

The Communist Party went to town with these new ideas. The Soviets officially declared that genetics was a “bourgeois pseudo-science.” Anyone who disagreed just had to be an enemy of the people. Biologists in Communist countries finishing their PhDs had to compulsorily say in their doctoral theses that their findings had confirmed Lysenkoism. Some 3000 scientists who criticized Lysenkoism were thrown into prison camp. These included Nikolai Vavilov, the former head of what became the Soviet Academy of Sciences, who was sentenced to death.

Yes, the Communist Party was dead serious about wiping out the science of genetics. “Dead” being the most important word here.

It gets crazier, by the way. The Marxists also believed that any species could be changed into any other by the right amount of persuasion. Marxist theory said that natural born characteristics were not important and conditioning was everything. For instance, they concluded that a bird of any species can turn their young into cuckoo birds by feeding them hairy caterpillars. Some scientists must have told the Communists that the cuckoo bird is infamous for laying its eggs in others nests. Those scientists were imprisoned.

The Communists threw thousands of scientists in jail. They forced all others to reject genetics. The Communist press wrote that Lysenkoism has transformed Siberia into a land of milk and honey. But the one thing that Communists could not do was make Lysenkoism actually work. The collective farms in the Soviet Union adopted Lysenko’s methods and crop yields fell. Obviously. Communist China adopted these policies and got its own great famines.

The final death toll? 300 lakh people.

Well, at least that was in the past, right? Modern Communists act nice and cuddly. They talk about human rights, wokeness and stuff. Perhaps it does not matter today what the Communists did in the last century.

Yes, but not as much as you would think. Those famines ravaged China in the 1950s and 1960s and everyone ran out of food. In an act of desperation, the Communist Party began encouraging common people to get into the forests and start eating exotic animals. To hunt and kill anything they could find; just to satisfy their hunger. Indeed, eating exotic wild animals is not part of China’s great traditions. It is a Communist legacy, started in famine times of the 1950s and 60s, that has now taken root among the population.

And I suppose we all know today what can go wrong starting from exotic meat markets in China.