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From being accused in terror case to defending Bhindranwale: Meet farmer protest supporter Khalsa Aid International and its CEO Ravi Singh

Jinit Jain
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From being accused in terror case to defending Bhindranwale: Meet farmer protest supporter Khalsa Aid International and its CEO Ravi Singh

Right from the start of the ongoing farmers’ protests, questions have been raised about the authenticity of the protests, with doubts being raised about it being a political movement, fomented by the opposition parties led by Congress, to prevent the Modi government from carrying out the much-needed reforms. The enthusiasm and alacrity of the Congress leaders in encouraging and endorsing the protests only served to solidify the suspicions that Congress has indeed been fuelling the protests.

Later, the involvement of dubious characters such as Yogendra Yadav, Deep Sidhu, and suspicious organisations such as Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) in the ongoing farmers’ protest only added to the already battered the credibility of the demonstrations.

The hijacking of the protests by pro-Khalistani supporters who raised Khalistani slogans and held posters of Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, and the association of another shady organisation, Khalsa Aid, with the protests, has further cast a dent into the genuineness of the protests, giving an impression 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.

Recently, Khalsa Aid had set up massage centres at the farmers’ protests in makeshift spaces at Singhu border. In a Facebook post, they announced, “Khalsa Aid India has set up this makeshift space as a massage centre. This is for our farmer brothers and sisters who were experiencing pain. We are overwhelmed by the love and blessings that our farmers bestow on us.”

Besides massage centres, Khalsa Aid has reportedly also provided the demonstrators with shelter home, footwear, bathing, hygiene kits, fogging fire extinguishers, portable washrooms and toilets and many more. The mind-bogglingly elaborate services provided by the Khalsa Aid to the protesting agitators have led many to wonder if the organisation already had a heads-up about the protests for making such detailed arrangements for the protesters.

With questions being raised about Khalsa Aid, it is pertinent to catalogue the antecedents of this dubious organisation and its CEO, Ravi Singh, who has often, unabashedly displayed his Khalistani proclivities and pursued its nefarious agenda, behind the veneer of providing humanitarian aid.

Khalsa Aid, an offshoot of the Khalistani terror outfit Babbar Khalsa, accused of financing terror acts in India

The Khalsa Aid 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 one of the organisations linked to the BKI funding the Indian BKI members to commit terror acts in the country.

“On the allegation that Punjab based BKI operatives are receiving money from UK based BKI operatives (viz. Balbir Singh Bains, Joga Singh) and its front organizations, including but not limited to, Sikh Organisation for Prisoner Welfare (SoPW), Akhand Kirtanee Jattha (AKJ) and Khalsa Aid, to commit terrorist acts in India, with the active support of Pakistan based BKI leaders (Wadhwa Singh, Jagtar Singh Tara). Further, Intelligence suggested that the money is being distributed to sleeper cells, jailed terrorists and the families of the terrorists in Punjab,” the NIA summarised the case.

Unfortunately, the case has hit a dead wall for the past one and a half years as the Britain government had declined to share evidence on the accused based in the UK into the terrorist funding case related to the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).

Murky finances and illegal fund-raising characterises Khalsa Aid International

Besides being allegedly involved in funding terror activities in India, Khalsa Aid International has also been accused of illegally raising funds and being non-transparent about how they utilise the pooled funds. A report published in the Tribune India Service stated that Khalsa Aid has often sought donations in the name of charity but those funds have often failed to reach the beneficiaries.

The Khalsa Aid International is a non-accredited organisation in Australia and it does not appear in the list of registered organisations in the country. As per the Australian rules, fundraising for a non-accredited organization within its territory is a legal offence. But over the years, Khalsa Aid had raised millions of dollars from Australian cities, including Sydney. Following this revelation, two prominent Gurudwaras in Sydney decided to stop funding the contentious organisation and started helping the poor directly.

Another incident that highlighted the murky operations of the Khalsa Aid’s “humanitarian work” was when the organisation had to grudgingly admit that it had never been to Syria for any kind of work after it sought donations in the name of rehabilitating victims in the war-ravaged Syria.

The organisation also claims that it has provided services to victims in Bangladesh and Kerala, but the financial details of the organisation have no mention of the organisation’s charitable work in the above-mentioned places.

Ravi Singh, the CEO of Khalsa Aid, accused of being a cheater and running a crooked organisation

The person who heads the Khalsa International Aid is as dubious as the organisation he heads, if not more. According to a person who penned his brush with the Khalsa Aid CEO, Singh exploited people by appealing to their empathy, asking them to donate money for the welfare of poor, victims of atrocities, etc., using only a part of it on the actual aid and using the remaining amount on himself.

The user alleged Singh to be an opportunist who, in the name of fundraising for the needy and the poor, sought publicity by uploading videos of himself donating money and other essential items to the people. The person also stated that money in the tunes of lakhs and crores were raised by Singh but only a few thousands were donated to the needy. Moreover, the person, claimed that there were gross irregularities in Khalsa Aid’s projects, no transparency in accounts held by them and money raised for a specific purpose were diverted for personal expenses and other projects.

According to Ajmer Singh Randhawa, the person who wrote down his encounter with Khalsa Aid CEO Ravi Singh, after much pressure and persuasion, when the expenditure and collection of funds were made public, he was astonished to find that against the collection of Rs 7 crore, only Rs 35 lakhs were spent on helping the families of Sikh Dharmi Fauzis and martyrs.

For Ravi Singh, Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale is a “champion of oppressed” and “son of Punjab”

The CEO of Khalsa Aid has on more than one occasion exhibited his Khalistani proclivities, taking up the cudgel for Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and proffering flimsy arguments to allege that he was not a terrorist. Following Barkha Dutt’s interview with Deep Sidhu, Singh alluded that journalists are uneducated and misled to call Bhindranwale a terrorist because he did not have any outstanding warrant against him.

Source: Twitter

In fact, Singh’s support for Bhindranwale is not a new phenomenon. Over the years, he has been diligently supporting Bhindranwale while attempting to discredit those who raise questions over Bhindranwale’s link to Khalistani terrorism.

Source: Twitter
Source: Twitter

Singh even hailed Bhindranwale as a “Lion”, trotting out the same hoary platitudes that he has been mouthing off for years that Bhindranwale has no criminal case or had an arrest warrant against him that lions do not surrender.

Source: Twitter

In one other tweet, Singh had glorified Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale as a “son of Punjab” and “champion of oppressed, and who witnessed the “economic rape of Panjab by the Indian regime”.

Source: Twitter

Contrary to facts, Ravi Singh believes RSS was involved in 1984 anti-Sikh genocide

Bhindranwale even also holds grouse for RSS being credited for saving Sikh lives during the anti-Sikh pogrom presided over by the Congress leaders and their supporters in 1984 following the death of the former PM Indira Gandhi. Counterintuitively, Singh believes Sikhs were saved by ordinary Hindus while alleging that RSS members were in cahoots with the Congress leaders in perpetuating the atrocities against Sikhs.

Source: Twitter

Khalsa Aid CEO Ravi Singh comes out in support of Pakistan after Nankana Sahib stone-pelting incident

Earlier this year, the Sikh shrine of Nankana Sahib came under attack from bigoted Pakistanis, led by the family of a boy who had allegedly abducted the daughter of an official of the gurdwara in August last year and forcefully converted her.

Singh was at the receiving end of social media fury when he casually asked “What is the situation at Nankana Sahib? Was there a mob of fanatics throwing stones at the Gurdwara Sahib”? Later, Singh took to Twitter to whitewash the atrocities meted out to Sikhs in Pakistan, stating that a few fanatics do not represent the whole of Pakistan.

Source: Twitter

In a separate incident, when one of the Twitter users stated that Pakistan is using Sikhs to avenge its dismemberment of erstwhile East Pakistan, Singh once again came out in support of Pakistan, glossing over their role of instigating Sikhs against India by highlighting a disconnected case of invasion of Harmander Sahib in 1984.

Source: Twitter

Singh opposes construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya

A day before the Bhoomi pujan of the Ram Temple was organised in Ayodhya this year, the Khalsa Aid leader Ravi Singh had taken to Twitter to spew venom against Hindus and oppose the construction of the temple that has the legal imprimatur of the Supreme Court of the country.

Source: Twitter

In his tweet, Singh urged the Sikh leadership to not attend the ground-laying ceremony and alleged that a 500-year-old mosque was legally destroyed at the place by right-wing fanatics in 1992 and termed Hindutva as a “destructive ideology”.

Singh maligns the Indian Armed Forces, accuses them of murdering Sikhs in fake encounters

Singh, who is now extending “humanitarian aid” to the protesters creating ruckus along the Delhi borders, had in the past also maligned the Indian Paramilitary forces, making slanderous and unsubstantiated allegations against them.

Source: Twitter

Sikh preposterously claimed that 1000s of Sikh youths were murdered in fake encounters by the forces and those who spoke of the genocide were also killed.

Khalsa Aid served tea and snacks to rampaging anti-CAA protesters

When the anti-CAA protests swept large swathes of northern India, especially the capital and Uttar Pradesh, Singh had extended his support to the protesters at the Jamia Millia Islamia who had indulged in vandalism, arson and stone-pelting under the pretext of carrying out peaceful protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Source: Twitter

Singh had urged Gurudwaras to open their doors to the anti-India brigade that was bent on fomenting unrest.

Source:Twitter

The volunteers of Khalsa Aid were also seen serving snacks and tea to the protesters in Delhi who were demonstrating against the Citizenship Amendment Act.

From supporting Khalistani terrorism, defending Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, to swindling money in the name of fund-raising, railing against the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, defaming the Indian Armed Forces, and coming out in support of Pakistan, Khalsa Aid International and its CEO Ravi Singh have their hands in an array of anti-Indian activities.

Their association with the ongoing farmers’ protest in the country not only discredits the protests but also betrays that behind the facade of demonstrations, lies an ulterior motive of fomenting trouble in the country to undermine the Modi government.

How Newslaundry cheered ‘death to Modi’ song by ‘farmers’ out of hate, and soon realised it will expose their propaganda

Nirwa Mehta
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How Newslaundry cheered ‘death to Modi’ song by ‘farmers’ out of hate, and soon realised it will expose their propaganda

A distasteful video ‘Modi marr jaa tu‘ has gone viral on social media where communist leaders masquerading as farmers were seen chanting death chant for PM Modi. OpIndia received this video through a tweet shared by a source. The same video was shared by BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya.

With very little details available on the video, OpIndia tried to find out the source. For this, we checked out the tweet we had received. It was shared by an employee working with propaganda website Newslaundry.

Ayush Singh’s tweet received by this reported via WhatsApp

As one can see from the accompanying text that the Newslaundry employee used “Miffed protestors at the Delhi-Jaipur highway have a jingle for the Prime Minister”, Singh shared it with much glee and thought a death wish for the Prime Minister of a country was just a ‘jingle’ and a ‘normal’ thing to do. Singh portrayed these blood-thirsty women chanting death upon PM Modi as ‘miffed protestors’ who were singing a ‘jingle’.

Hate-filled slogans at “farmers’ protests”

The so-called farmers have on more than one occasion come up with pro-Khalistan and pro-Islamist slogans. In fact, some ‘farmers’ also boasted how they had once killed Indira Gandhi, they could also kill PM Modi. The same was justified by Yograj Singh, actor and father of cricketer Yuvraj Singh. In fact, he even went on to humiliate the Hindus.

Newslaundry also retweeted Singh’s tweet, following which it started getting some traction. However, not many appreciated. People could see that it betrayed the hate that certain sections of the media has for the Prime Minister and BJP supporters in general.

Reply to Ayush Singh’s tweet

However, soon after his tweet started getting traction he quickly deleted it.

As one can see, the reply to Singh’s tweet came way before Malviya’s tweet which came little after 6:30 PM.

Once the video shared by Malviya started gaining traction, Singh perhaps realised he subconsciously exposed the communists masquerading as farmers. Which is why he perhaps deleted the tweet.

Perhaps this also explains why many journalists too have earlier wished death to PM Modi. A columnist with Shekhar Gupta’s ThePrint had wished PM Modi gets assassinated. Times Now journalist, Prashant Kumar, had also wished for the assassination of Modi.

Similarly, Suprateek Chatterjee, a columnist with The Quint had also tweeted death wish on Modi. That is not the only time The Quint has given a platform to people who go upon wishing death and political assassination. Vikas Malhotra, an author at The Quint, too preferred political assassination (of PM Modi) to create history. 

Grooming Jihad: Shoyab Khan became ‘SK Sinha’ to entrap minor Hindu girl using social media, abducted and forcefully married her

OpIndia Staff
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Grooming Jihad: Shoyab Khan became ‘SK Sinha’ to entrap minor Hindu girl using social media, abducted and forcefully married her

A day after the Delhi police apprehended an 18-year-old man named Shoyab Khan on serious charges of impersonation, kidnapping and forced marriage of an underage girl, new details have emerged in connection to the case. The case is an addition to the already worsening situation of ‘Grooming Jihad‘ wherein sections of radical Muslims specifically target non-Muslim women hiding their own identities.

As per reports, Shoyab is a resident of Mewat in Rajasthan. He used to befriend girls on Facebook under the pseudonym of SK Sinha. The accused sent a friend request to the 15-year-old victim in July 2019. They would chat frequently on Facebook. On October 22 this year, he travelled to Delhi and forced the underage girl to marry him.

Shoyab abducted the victim and took her to Muzaffarpur in Bihar. They then stayed at his friend’s place for a day, before moving to Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh. The victim’s father filed a complaint with the Rajouri Garden Police after the girl went missing. The police began their investigation and found that the name of SK Sinha featured in messages frequently after they analysed call details and social media accounts of the girl, including Facebook.

Minor girl rescued after 46 days

On further probe, the cops found that the account was created by one Shoyab Khan in Alwar district of Rajasthan. A police team raided the village in Mewat and found that the accused and his family were on the run from the law enforcement authorities.

The cops had launched a manhunt to nab the accused. The investigative officials analysed CCTV footage and examined over 300 auto-rickshaw drivers. The girl was rescued following 6 hours of door-to-door inquiry by ASI Sanjeev, SI Prakash Kashyap and Head Constable Shaukat Ali. The girl has been handed over to the family after 46 days.

Shoyab Khan booked for abduction, criminal conspiracy

It has come to light that the accused had reached the Faridabad metro station on October 26 and boarded an auto from Faridabad to Badarpur. He, however, abandoned the victim in the vehicle and fled. Based on Intelligence data gathered by Ali, Khan was apprehended from Badarpur. He has been booked for the abduction and criminal conspiracy. The police informed that charges of rape will be pressed, based on the statement of the victim to the Child Welfare Commission and her medical examination results.

Grooming Jihad on the rise

In another such case, a minor victim was lured by one Golu Khan by posing as a Hindu and ultimately forced her to convert to Islam and perform Nikaah with him. He went to the extent of wearing a Tilak and Kalawa in order to make his presence as a Hindu more convincing.

In another case, a minor girl from Ballia was lured by Imran after hiding his religion. He managed to elope with the girl but her relatives with help from relatives managed to track them down. He was arrested by the Police in the end and a case was registered against him under relevant sections of the IPC. In yet another case, a Muslim man engaged in a relationship with a Dalit Hindu woman by posing as a Hindu and later, told her that she had to convert to Islam if she wished to get married.

Dhulagarh riots: When police remained complacent with Muslim mobs ransacking Hindu homes in West Bengal

Dibakar Dutta
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Dhulagarh riots: When police remained complacent with Muslim mobs ransacking Hindu homes in West Bengal

It has been four years since the small town of Dhulagarh in West Bengal witnessed one of the horrifying episodes of communal violence. The day was December 13, 2016. It was the occasion of Eid Milad-un-Nabi (the birthday of Prophet Muhammad).

On the fateful day, a large group of Muslims took out a procession to commemorate the day. They alleged that the procession was stopped and stones were pelted at them near Annapurna Club at Dewan Ghat. And thus followed a tale of violence and arson. The Muslim mobs went on a rampage, forcing local Hindu families to flee the town.

The Islamist mob specifically targetted the Hindu-dominated Pollepara and Banerjeepara localities. They hurled country-made crude bombs at Hindu homes, looted the houses for cash and jewellery and later set them on fire. And the carnage continued unabated, despite police deployment. It is pertinent to remember that Dhulagarh is located just 25 km from the State Secretariat, Nabanna, in Howarth.

Hindus recount the horror of Dhulagarh riots

A local Hindu, Lakshmi Mallya narrated, “Nothing is left. We are looted of all our belongings. They (Muslims) ransacked and vandalised our houses and eventually set them on fire. We could not save a single penny from our houses, only managed to save our children and ran for life.”

Another Hindu man, Manna, whose house was vandalised by the rioters lamented, “We can’t live here anymore so we have taken shelter in our relatives’ place. Police came that day but when we were attacked even the cops ran away.” He is a barber by profession and runs a family of three. His wife, Seema, said that the Muslim mob stole ₹65,000 cash and a laptop that they had bought for their son.

A 32-year-old woman, Subhra Khanra, had to flee her house and take refuge in the local temple, after the mob ransacked her house, stole jewellery and set it ablaze. She said, “They were carrying petrol and kerosene in drums and had come fully prepared. After looting our jewellery and money they set everything else on fire. Where will we go now?”

Police stood as mute spectators, recounted Hindu victims

While speaking to India Today, another victim, Maitri Mondal informed that she had heard the violent mob yell ‘Pakistan Zindabad’. They entered her house and set it on fire. Her son, who was to appear for board exams in February of 2017, had his books converted into ashes. She narrated how the police did not do anything when the rioters went on a rampage. “For five hours, they created mayhem and the police came when everything was lost. Not a single minister has visited us yet,” Mondol lamented.

Another Hindu man, victimised by the Dhulagarh riots, stated, “When the police came, we were told to leave our houses in two minutes! They didn’t even stop the mob from vandalizing our homes. They kept looting and burning as the police stood as silent spectators.” Although the police had registered cases of rioting and arrested 65 people, the victims of the violence and the Opposition BJP had questioned the role of police in preventing the damage.

Muslim appeasement by Mamata Banerjee

The Trinamool Congress has often faced social media backlash for its Muslim appeasement and blatant attempts to trivialise and downplay atrocities against Hindus in the State. She had denied any instance of rioting in Dhulagarh and blamed social media for rumour mongering.

“In the last 15 days, social media is running wrong information on an incident which did not take place at all…In order to break a news, one must not act irresponsibly. If something has really happened then you (media) have every right to report but I think a field survey must be conducted,” she had claimed. This was despite the fact that the government had already announced a compensation of ₹35,000 for the victims and the process of disbursement had begun.

While being well-aware that the perpetrators belonged to the Muslim community, Mamata Banerjee restricted coverage of the incident by the media. The TMC government restricted the entry of media persons in Dhulagarh and even filed a First Information Report (FIR) against three employees of Zee News, including Sudhir Chaudhary for supposedly promoting ‘enmity’ between communities. It must be mentioned that Zee News was the first to uncover the incident.

Law and order situation in west Bengal remains unchanged

It has been 4 years since the Dhulagarh riots. However, the law and order situation, under the Mamata Banerjee regime, has shown little to no improvement. In May this year, shocking visuals of Telinipara, where communal clashes took place, after Hindu houses were set on fire had gone viral on social media.

Locket Chatterjee, BJP MP from Hooghly took to Twitter to inform that while she tried to call the CP of Chandannagar Police, Dr Humayun Kabir, he did not take her calls. She alleged that the West Bengal state administration had been a mute spectator as Telinipara burned. She further stated that she was prevented from going to Telinipara amid allegations of widespread communal violence and looting wherein police also facilitated perpetrators.

Victimisation of Hindus continue from Dhulagarh to Delhi

However, nothing seems to have changed since the Dhulagarh riots. The conscience of India is still shaken with the scars of the recent anti-Hindu riots of Delhi, wherein Muslims mobs went on a rampage, killing 52 people. The visual imagery of Mohammed Shahrukh Pathan intimidating a police officer and the horrifying image of IB officer Ankit Saxena’s hand sticking out a ditch sends chills down the spine. While the Delhi police swung into action and contained the orchestrated riots within 2 days, the same wasn’t true for the ill-fated Hindus of Dhulagarh.

Watch: Left Front’s farmer wing asks PM Modi to die at farmer protests, sings ‘Modi mar jaa tu’

OpIndia Staff
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Watch: Left Front’s farmer wing asks PM Modi to die at farmer protests, sings ‘Modi mar jaa tu’

Protesters at the ‘farmer protests’ have been making some extremely problematic comments and statements throughout. Apart from individuals such as Yograj Singh who have made hate speeches at rallies, others have also made controversial comments. Now, a video is doing the rounds on the internet where protesters can be heard in a song asking Prime Minister to die.

It is 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 can be spotted. The AIKS is a a Left front organisation with two factions, one associated with the Communist Party of India and the other with Communist Party of India (Marxist).

The women protesters can be heard singing ‘Modi mar jaa tu’ with lines that go ‘Desh bech ke kha gaya, Modi mar jaa tu’ (You have sold the country, Modi, go die). We cannot confirm when the video was captured. But there is a banner at the back which says Gharsana to Delhi. Gharsana is in Rajasthan.

Farmer protests has leaders with Naxal sympathies

IANS reported that the Ekta Ugrahan of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU-Ekta Ugrahan) is the largest represented group at Delhi’s borders. Almost two-thirds of those gathered there are reported to be their members. It is the same group calling for the release of ‘Urban Naxals’ involved in the Elgar Parishad case and Islamists arrested in the Delhi Riots case.

Lawyer and coordinator of BKU, N.K. Jeet is reported to have said on December 10, “It is our conscious decision to support these accused. The Naxal movement was always a farmers’ movement all over India. Releasing these accused is a demand of the BKU. We made it part of the memorandum to the government related to the farm laws.” He had also reportedly said, “Naxalism has helped the tribal people claim their rights.”

Hundreds sick but refuse Coronavirus tests

Hundreds of protesters participating in the ‘farmer protests’ at Singhu Border could be infected with the Wuhan Coronavirus. They are sick but they have refused to take the test for the virus. Authorities are worried that there might be many asymptomatic carries present at these protests. The exact number of protesters that are sick is not known but unofficially, the number is pegged at 300.

Deputy Commissioner Sonipat, Shyam Lal Punia, said, “We have set up two Covid-19 counters at Singhu Border and are regularly screening the protesters. Ten teams of doctors and paramedical staff have been deployed. An average of 70 to 90 people are visiting us every day who have been diagnosed with fever, muscular pain, or increased blood pressure.”

“We are regularly monitoring the situation. The patients are not ready for the Covid-19 tests. We distributed 50,000 masks but they are neither following the social distancing nor wearing the masks. The senior citizens say Covid-19 is nothing,” he added.

“Suno Suno Suno”: Watch video of administration announcing attachment of former SP leader Arif Anwar Hashmi’s property

OpIndia Staff
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“Suno Suno Suno”: Watch video of administration announcing attachment of former SP leader Arif Anwar Hashmi’s property

Former Samajwadi Party MLA Arif Anwar Hashmi was declared a history-sheeter in November by the Uttar Pradesh government. The two-time former MLA from Utraula is currently spending time in jail. The UP administration has started attaching his property. On December 11, the administration attached property belonging to Hashmi worth 50-crore, including four luxury cars, under the Gangster Act.

A video of the announcement by the administration has gone viral on social media. In the video, an announcer can be heard starting with “suno suno suno”, and giving details of the attachment of the properties. The announcement was accompanied by the beating of drums, giving a dramatic effect to the process.

Hemant Kutiya, Superintendent of Police, said in a statement, “Property of Hashmi worth over Rs 50 crore has been attached under the Gangsters Act. AG Hashmi Degree college, Utraula; National Mahavidyalaya, Rehra Bazar; National Modern Inter College; and AG Hashmi Inter College, Sadullah Nagar were among those attached by the administration.” He further stated that that four luxury vehicles worth over Rs 65 lakh were also seized.

Arif Anwar Ansari was declared a history-sheeter in November

There are two criminal cases filed against Hashmi. In November, a history sheet was opened in his name, and a case under the Gangster Act was registered. “The attachment of property is done if it is attained by illegal means,” Kutiya added. As per the reports, first case against Hashmi was registered in 2018. On 5th September 2020, Arif Anwar Hashmi was jailed for fraud. During his stay in jail, eight new cases of cheating were registered against him. In all these cases, he was accused of illegally occupying government and private land. The first case of fraud against Hashmi was registered in 2018 at Rehra Bazaar Police Station. A case of forgery has also been registered against him in Khorade Police Station in Gonda.In October, he was declared the kingpin of a land mafia gang.

What does the law says?

As per Section 14 of the Gangster Act, the district magistrate has the power to attach property, both moveable and immoveable, in case there is a reason to believe that the accused gangster acquired the property as commission for an offense triable under the law. It will be the booked person’s responsibility to prove to the administration that the attached property(s) was not accumulated by illegal means, and they have to present evidence to support the claim.

Republic TV CEO remanded to two days police custody by Mumbai Court after arrest in fake TRP scam case

OpIndia Staff
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Republic TV CEO remanded to two days police custody by Mumbai Court after arrest in fake TRP scam case

Republic TV CEO Vikas Khanchandani has been remanded to two days police custody by the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court Mumbai on Sunday in connection with the fake TRP scam case. He was arrested by the Mumbai Police earlier in the day as part of its continued campaign against the news network.

Vikas Khanchandani and Chief Financial Officer Sivasubramanian Sundaram had moved Sessions Court on Thursday seeking anticipatory bail. The arrest of Republic TV CEO interestingly comes just a day ahead of his interim bail hearing, that was scheduled to be heard on Monday.

The applicants had alleged, “The entire interrogation of the applicant was an exercise to pressurise him, intimidate him and essentially harass him into churning out falsehoods to implicate ARG and Arnab Goswami. The applicant fears that, despite having continuously co-operated, he will be arrested in the case for the sole reason that he did not spin mistruths, despite the incessant pressure deployed and unparalleled levels of harassment meted out to the Applicant, to enable the pre-determined, pre-judged and baseless narrative of the respondent so as to implicate a news organisation that has been seeking accountability from the respondent.”

“The malice of the respondent became evident from the manner in which the Crime Branch has been conducting their investigation in the TRP manner. After a lapse of almost two months from being first summoned in relation to the said FIR, the Applicant for the first time in December has now started receiving notices under Section 41A of CrPC, under the false pretext that there were grounds to question the Applicant,” they had added.

Fake TRP scam

On the 8th of October, Mumbai Police Commissioner Parambir Singh held a press conference where he categorically stated that Mumbai police have been alerted about a new racket involving false television rating points (TRP).

Param Bir Singh had specifically mentioned that Hansa Research had filed a complaint with the police. Interestingly, in this FIR that was filed by Hansa Research, Republic TV was not mentioned even once. The channel that was mentioned several times was India Today.

27 years ago, BKU leader Tikait had led massive protests demanding the same farm reforms Punjab farmers are protesting against now

OpIndia Staff
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27 years ago, BKU leader Tikait had led massive protests demanding the same farm reforms Punjab farmers are protesting against now

27 years ago, Mahendra Singh Tikait from Uttar Pradesh was the face of farmer’s protests. In 1993, Tikait and four other BKU leaders had met then-PM Narasimha Rao on Rao’s invitation. Tikait had asked the government to permit farmers to sell their products anywhere in the country. He demanded that the farmer should be able to sell the produce to the buyer who is ready to pay the best price. There should be no compulsion on selling the produce to the licensed buyer of a government authorized market.

Secretary, Agriculture Ministry, MS Gill, also met Tikait and other BKU leaders. At that time, the PV Narishmna Rao had shown an inability to fulfill the demands completely. Tikait revolted against the government and led protests to satisfy his demands, but that could not happen. He also demanded that the price of wheat should be decided based on the price of 1967.

Markets opened for farmers 11 years after Tikait died

In the recently passed Agriculture laws, the government has allowed the farmers to sell their products anywhere in the country. It took twenty-seven years and determined PM Modi-led government bring reforms in the Agriculture laws. Mahendra Singh Tikait could not witness the fulfilment of his demands, as he had passed way in 2011. However, the same BKU is now protesting against the laws that are in sync with the ‘original’ Tikait’s demands 27 years ago. BKU’s ties with AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal has also come to light.

Who was Mahendra Singh Tikait

Born in 1935, Tikait was one of the most famous farmers’ leader in Independent India’s history. Hailing from village Sisauli in Muzaffarnagar District of Uttar Pradesh, Tikait was President of the Bharatiya Kisan Union. For his work done for the farmers, he was often termed as the ‘second messiah’ of the farmers.

Tikait’s name made it to the headlines for the first time when he demanded electricity bill-waiver for farmers in Muzaffarnagar in 1987. In 1988, his stature became larger-than-life when he led a farmers’ protest in Delhi. Then-Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi-led government had to face the wrath of over five lakh farmers who took over Delhi for seven days. At that time, the protesters did not step back even after police opened fire at them that resulted in the death of two farmers Rajendra Singh and Bhoop Singh.

At that time, Tikait had said, “PM has behaved like an enemy. The displeasure of farmers will cost him dearly.” The farmers’ agitation was so intense that the government had to change the program’s venue on the death anniversary of former PM Indira Gandhi. The protests ended after the government agreed to all 35 demands laid down by Tikait.

Hundreds sick at ‘farmer protests’ but refuse to be tested for Coronavirus, 20 admitted to hospitals: Reports

OpIndia Staff
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Hundreds sick at ‘farmer protests’ but refuse to be tested for Coronavirus, 20 admitted to hospitals: Reports

Hundreds of protesters participating in the ‘farmer protests’ at Singhu Border could be infected with the Wuhan Coronavirus, India Today has reported. They are sick but they have refused to take the test for the virus. Authorities are worried that there might be many asymptomatic carries present at these protests. The exact number of protesters that are sick is not known but unofficially, the number is pegged at 300.

Deputy Commissioner Sonipat, Shyam Lal Punia, said, “We have set up two Covid-19 counters at Singhu Border and are regularly screening the protesters. Ten teams of doctors and paramedical staff have been deployed. An average of 70 to 90 people are visiting us every day who have been diagnosed with fever, muscular pain, or increased blood pressure.”

“We are regularly monitoring the situation. The patients are not ready for the Covid-19 tests. We distributed 50,000 masks but they are neither following the social distancing nor wearing the masks. The senior citizens say Covid-19 is nothing,” he added.

Senior Medical Officer (Sonipat) Anvita Kaushik had said earlier, “Our district’s medical vans and teams have been deployed at Singhu border. They (protesters) are getting medicines from us for cough, fever and other health problems, but are are unwilling to undergo COVID-19 test.”

Bhartiya Kisan Union-Ekta Ugrahan Punjab general secretary Sukhdev Singh had said that farmers have gathered there to protest and not for Coronavirus testing. BKU-Ekta Ugrahan is the same group that was demanding the release of ‘Urban Naxals’ arrested in the Elgar Parishad case and Islamists accused in the Delhi Riots case.

As per the report, 20 critically ill protesters have been referred to hospitals. At the same time, five protesters at Bahadurgarh and one at Singhu Border have died. Their cause of death is not known. Authorities are worried due to the social distancing norms being flouted and masks not being worn. Furthermore, medicines are being distributed without prescriptions at Singhu and Tikkri borders by certain volunteers who have opened counters.

There is a significant section of protesters between 60 and 80 years of age with comorbidities, including high blood sugar, heart diseases, high blood pressure and asthma. They are in the highest risk category. The government has appealed for them to return to their homes but the protesters are refusing to relent. Earlier, two police officers posted at protest site near Singhu Border had tested positive for the virus.

Arvind Kejriwal pulls a ‘fast one’ again, to observe ‘one-day fast’ in solidarity with ‘farmers’ protest’

Nirwa Mehta
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Arvind Kejriwal pulls a ‘fast one’ again, to observe ‘one-day fast’ in solidarity with ‘farmers’ protest’

Protests are here and like clockwork, the usual suspects are out to pull a fast one on them. Few days ago activist Anna Hazare, who led anti-corruption movement that culminated into Aam Aadmi Party, had announced his ‘one day fast’ from Ralegaon Siddhi to support the farmers.

Anna Hazare fasting

Now, his protege Arvind Kejriwal, who suffers from extreme amount of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), has decided to go on a one-day fast too. He has asked AAP workers and supporters to also fast for a day and also urged public at large to fast for a day in ‘support of farmers’. The fast is to be observed on 14th December, 2020, Monday.

Kejriwal has pulled a fast one before

Kejriwal and his team have taken to such ‘fasts’ before. Just days after the Pulwama terror attack, Arvind Kejriwal decided to go on a fast. Not to protest against the Pakistan-sponsored terror attack or such but for ‘full statehood’ of Delhi. Except, just a day after India carried out airstrikes in Balakot, destroying Pakistan terror camps, Kejriwal ‘withdrew’ his fast because of ‘prevailing Indo-Pak situation’.

However, the ‘prevailing Indo Pak situation’ right after the terror attack did not come in way of Kejriwal when he announced the indefinite fast on Saturday, February 23, less than 10 days after the terror attack. Neither did the ‘prevailing Indo Pak situation’ come in way of him rushing to Puducherry to show solidarity by sitting on a dharna with Puducherry chief minister who was protesting against the implementation of the traffic safety rule of wearing a helmet.

Yes, he sat on a dharna against implementation of traffic safety rule.

The great ‘hunger strike’ of 2018

Prior to that, in June 2018, Kejriwal’s team of Manish Sisodia and Satyendra Jain had gone on a hunger strike after Delhi government officers objected to alleged roughing up of Delhi Chief Secretary by AAP leaders. At same time, Kejriwal had again started his campaign for separate statehood to Delhi claiming it to be a ‘freedom struggle’. A protest carried out by the party’s supporters displayed posters with highly insensitive slogans. At that time, Kejriwal was battling the bureaucracy, Prime Minister Modi, the BJP, the Lieutenant General of Delhi to paint himself as a victim while simultaneously conspiring to form an alliance with the Congress for 2019 General Elections.

Chaos reigned supreme in Delhi as AAP supporters struggled to hold protests without seeking any permission from Delhi Police.

When ‘fast’ made him CM for first time

Ahead of voting in Delhi 2013 Assembly elections, Kejriwal went on a fast.

In December 2013, soon after formation of Aam Aadmi Party, Arvind Kejriwal fought Delhi state assembly elections. While BJP got 31 seats and was single largest party, it was short of majority. Aam Aadmi Party with 28 seats, formed minority government with Congress support. Kejriwal had based his entire election campaign to fight against the Congress’ corruption. For becoming the chief minister, he joined hands with the same Congress.

And soon after, he resigned as chief minister to contest elections against Narendra Modi from Varanasi who was the BJP’s PM candidate.

Kejriwal, of course, lost.

First fast as AAP Supremo

After breaking up with his one-time mentor Anna Hazare, Kejriwal, who had by then already formed the political party, decided to go on fast against the inflated electricity and water bills in Delhi.

His indefinite fast had lasted 15 days. Interestingly, Anna Hazare was also fasting at around same time and on a nation-wide fasting tour.

Pre-AAP fast

Before he formed political party and had to fast solo, he had Anna Hazare for company. In June-July 2012 he regularly went on fast.

Kejriwal defying modern science while fasting.

This time, however, Kejriwal is fasting against the central government’s farm laws after his own government notified one of the three laws he is protesting against. It is also just a coincidence that Punjab, where Aam Aadmi Party is the primary opposition, is having its legislative assembly elections in little over a year.

Tale as old as time.

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