BJD MP Anubhav Mohanty has warned Odisha Television Network of dire consequences for allegedly running “regular and unvetted pieces” on him since years. The National Spokesperson of the BJD and an elected representative from the Kendrapara Lok Sabha Constituency, Anubhav Mohanty warned Odisha TV to remember what happened to defence analyst Abhijit Iyer Mitra when he visited the Konark Temple.
Official Statement by Anubhav Mohanty released on Social Media
Threatening legal action against the news network, Anubhav Mohanty said, “OTV has compromised the ideals of journalism long ago. Having run regular and unvetted pieces on me since years, OTV has been reduced to a mere propaganda channel only to fulfil B.Panda’s dirty political agendas. It’s high time they were taken to the cleaners the legal way.”
The B.Panda referred to by the BJD MP is presumably Baijayant Jay Panda, national vice-president and spokesperson of the BJP, who had made the switch from BJD due to personal differences within the party. Mohanty accused the OTV of engaging in a witch-hunt against him, which he called “unfair and downright unprofessional”.
Accusing OTV, headed by Mrs. Jagi Mangat Panda, of being at the “forefront of all that is wrong with the media today,” Anubhav Mohanty announced that he was initiating legal proceedings under sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code to “make the Channel answer for their mistakes”. He accused them of airing an unverified clip that supposedly throws doctors into the “crossfire”.
In what can only be interpreted as a threat, he warned OTV, “I understand the need to mimic one’s master’s knack for running unchecked propaganda, but here’s a reminder- this is ODISHA. If you want an indication of what happens to people who- mess with ODIAS- ask your friend who visited our Konark Temple.”
The ‘friend’ Anubhav Mohanty was referring to can be safely said to be Abhijit Iyer Mitra. The defence analyst was arrested by Odisha Police on the 23rd of October 2018 for hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus through his derogatory comments on the Konark Sun Temple and Odisha during his visit to the Temple.
Abhijit Iyer Mitra was accused of hurting Odia pride through his video and he was made to languish in jail for weeks. His health deteriorated after he was made to spend over 40 days in prison and he had to be admitted to the Hospital. Finally, on the 4th of December 2018, the Odisha Government accepted his apology and decided to withdraw the sanction for his prosecution.
The BJD MP invoking the case of Abhijit Iyer Mitra in reference to his legal threat against OTV betrays his desire to censor media coverage that are critical of him and does not bode well for a healthy democracy.
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) has taken to Twitter to demand action against an Assam based artist Akram Hussain for his painting that featured Lord Krishna surrounded by bikini-clad women in a bar. After the artist’s 2015 artwork re-surfaced on the microblogging site today, ISKCON requested the Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal and the state’s health and education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to take cognisance and initiate strict action against the artist for his offensive artwork.
Akram Hussain’s 2015 artwork featuring Lord Krishna, one of the most widely revered Hindu god who is worshipped as the eighth incarnation (avatar) of the Hindu god Vishnu, surrounded by bikini-clad “gopis”, re-invited the wrath of Netizens today. Netizens tore into the artist for depicting the Hindu god in an offensive manner.
What kind of freedom is this @himantabiswa sir? painter Name: Akram Hussain. Lord Krishna with Bikini-clad gopis in a BAR painting is frm Guwahati art gallery in Ravindra Bhawan pic.twitter.com/cGxNBame8G
Netizens also drew parallels between the recent Bengaluru riots where a rioting Muslim mob took to street over an an allegedly ‘offensive’ Facebook post on Prophet Muhammad.
#SecularismofMuslimArtist#BangaluruonFire But we never burn any police station or public property.The painting of Lord Krishna by Akram Hussain at Guwahati’s state Gallery.FIR lodge agnst Assam-based artist Akram Hussain painted Hindu deity Lord Krishna along with 7 bikini-clad pic.twitter.com/8aaa0V4rpo
FIR filed against Akram Hussain for hurting religious sentiments in 2015
This is, however, not the first time that this particular painting by Akram Hussain has faced a massive backlash. The outrageous artwork, mocking the Hindu god, had back in April 2015, also faced the ire of many social media users and Hindu organisations who bayed for Hussain’s blood. Hindu Jagaran Mancha had filed an FIR at Latasil police station in Guwahati against the artist for hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus.
In April 2015, Akram Hussain’s Lord Krishna’s painting along with another preposterous artwork depicting liquor bottles and undergarments pouring out of an unfurled tricolour were displayed at a group exhibition in the Assam State Art Gallery.
The Assam branch of the All India Patriotic Forum had condemned his act of “dishonouring the national flag in the name of artistic freedom”.
Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma responds to ISKCON
Following the concerns raised by ISKCON, Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma responded. He stated that the issue has been resolved already and currently there are no such images at the art gallery.
We have resolved this issue long back. Now no such picture is there in Art Gallery. https://t.co/nmnJgjBbCc
Guwahati Police, too, clarified that the painting was seized back in 2015.
Pls refer to info shared by concerned citizens regarding an objectionable painting of Lord Shri Krishna. This incident is of 2015. Accordingly, Latasil PS Case No. 127/15 was registered, accused Akram Hussain arrested on 30/5/2015 & painting seized. It is not on display now.
Guwahati Police informed that a case no. 127/15 was registered against Akram Hussain and the painting of Lord Krishna surrounded by bikini-clad women was seized. The same is not on display now.
Ankhi Das, Director, Public Policy, India, South & Central Asia at Facebook today filed a complaint at Delhi Police’s cyber cell unit over violent life threats she has been receiving after her personal details were disclosed online.
Ankhi Das, Director, Public Policy, India, South & Central Asia, Facebook files a complaint at Cyber Cell Unit, Delhi against a number of people, for issuing violent life threats through online posting/publishing of content.
Das is facing criticism for alleged inaction against anti-Muslim posts by Facebook profiles linked to Bhartiya Janata Party. She has now filed a complaint at Cyber Cell Unit, Delhi Police against several people who issued violent life threats against her on social media platforms. This complaint on death threats come hours after Wayanad MP and former Congress President Rahul Gandhi posted a tweet supporting the claims made by Wall Street Journal that Facebook is pro-BJP.
BJP & RSS control Facebook & Whatsapp in India.
They spread fake news and hatred through it and use it to influence the electorate.
As per information shared by India Today’s Journalist Aishwarya Paliwal, Ankhi Das filed a complaint and requested Delhi Police to register FIR under “Sections 354A, 499, 500, 506, 507, and 509 among other relevant sections of Indian Penal Code for posting violent threats to her life and body, making sexually coloured remarks and defaming her.”
FIR copy, personal details blanked out
FIR copy, personal details blanked out
Das named several users from Facebook and Twitter including Congress supporter Saket Gokhle and Arshad Khan National Coordinator, Social Media, NSUI. She said that after the article published by the Wall Street Journal in which they alleged Facebook employees are not penalising hate speech by BJP linked accounts, she has been under attack. She alleged that she had received multiple threats to her life and body, which made her extremely disturbed.
Tweet by Saket Gokhale
Some users posted her photo along with some other personal details that further added to her worries. She urged Police to take urgent action against people threatening her to “prevent the commission of further serious offences against her.”
What is the case?
WSJ on 14th August posted an article in which they alleged that higher officials in Facebook India are showing biased towards political and religious hate comments made by the users. The media house said that Facebook is not taking any action against the accounts that are linked to BJP. The article gave a way to the opposition party to attack Facebook and the BJP-led government at the centre. Some users, including Nidhi, ex-journalist NDTV, left Facebook to mark protest. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said in a tweet that he would raise the issue in front of the Parliamentary Committee and said, “Our Parliamentary committee will, in the normal course, consider testimony under the topic “Safeguarding citizens’ rights & prevention of misuse of social/online news media platforms”. The subject is squarely within the IT Cmt’s mandate & Facebook has been summoned in the past.”
Even as the left-liberal establishment is crying hoarse over the alleged suppression of freedom of speech after the Supreme Court of India held prominent lawyer Prashant Bhushan guilty of contempt of court, one of liberal lodestar, Tavleen Singh has filed a civil lawsuit against a Twitter user Shashank Singh alias @pokershash for lampooning her on the microblogging website.
Just got to know that there is a Civil Suit in Patiala House Court by “Tavleen Singh” on “POKERSHASH”. 3 hearings already missed as accused was not notified. Reason of this civil suit is a satire tweet which is in pic 2. pic.twitter.com/PKHzmmylVg
According to Twitter account @BefittingFacts, Singh had filed a lawsuit against @pokershash for a satirical tweet in which he jocularly alleged that Tavleen had a meeting with others to defend controversial hate-speech peddler Sharjeel Imam.
”Sources of NDTV told me that there was a meeting between @zafarsareshwala, @tavleen_singh and @Altnews to defend Sharjeel Imam. In which they have decided that Imam was not saying ‘Assam ko India se kaat denge’ but he was saying ‘Aaj sham ko nadia se paar dekhenge’,” the Twitter user had manifested posted in a lighter vein to mock the support Imam had been receiving from several personalities. The Twitter user @pokerhash has been suspended by Twitter.
Tavleen Singh had claimed Shaheen Bagh squatters did not chant pro-Pakistan slogans
The tweet that had riled up Tavleen Singh was in response to her tweet, exonerating the Shaheen Bagh squatters of indulging in shouting pro-Pakistan slogans. The protesters who had gathered at Shaheen Bagh, seemingly turning it into an enclave and disrupting the daily commutation of the Delhites, had chanted “Jinnah wali Azaadi”, a veiled call for the dismemberment of India.
Having spent the morning in Shaheen Bagh I wish to report that the BJP spokesmen are lying when they say that the slogan is ‘Jinnah wali Azaadi’. Proof is in the video I uploaded earlier.
Tavleen had defended the ruffians, claiming the BJP spokesperson lied about the pro-Pakistani slogans chanted by the gathered protesters. Ms Singh’s denial came even as videos of the Shaheen Bagh protesters seeking for “Jinnah wali Azaadi” went viral on the Internet.
In the video, the individual on the stage can be chanting Azadi slogans. “Hum ladke lenge Azadi. Nehru wali Azadi. Gandhi wali Azadi. Bhagat wali Azadi. Ashfaq wali Azadi. Jinnah wali Azadi. Dilli wali Azadi….”.
Tavleen Singh had threatened of legal action against the Twitter user
However, the satirical post by @pokerhash drove Tavleen up the wall and soon after his tweet, Ms Singh issued a stern warning to the Twitter user, asking him to remove the tweet forthwith or risk facing legal consequences.
How dare you. Withdraw your outrageous charge against me or I will sue you. I don’t need certificates and patriotism from creeps like you but now that you have charged me publicly with treason you have gone too far. https://t.co/wfXFeqtte1
Responding to the Twitter post which has now been deleted, Tavleen blasted out, “How dare you. Withdraw your outrageous charge against me or I will sue you. I don’t need certificates and patriotism from creeps like you but now that you have charged me publicly with treason you have gone too far.”
After Tavleen threatened the Twitter user to remove the tweet, she had reportedly approached the Patiala House Court to file a case against @pokershash for his tweet against the author-writer.
While liberals go into an overdrive mode, defending one of them when they are subjected to legal consequences and passionately champion the cause of freedom of speech to lend credence to their assertions, their record is woefully bad when it comes to defending the freedom of speech of those whose views are at variance with them.
The liberal ecosystem demands loyalty. Therefore, it is perfectly kosher to bring about legal action against those who do not conform with their worldview and those who dare mocking them. It is this through this false sense of entitlement that lies from a prominent lawyer against the Supreme Court is labelled as vendetta while legal threats and action against a Twitter user for his satirically mordant post on the liberals is hailed as exercising the recourse offered by the constitution.
The snowflake liberals, who wax eloquence on the need to observe absolute freedom of speech and hold forth on fostering a culture of tolerance in the country, have a very shallow and blinkered understanding of these ideals, as evident from Tavleen’s recourse to legal action against a Twitter user for his patently satirical post.
After the Coronavirus pandemic gripped the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had set up the PM CARES Fund and invited people to contribute to the Fund. PM CARES Fund Trust was formed on 27th March this year to receive public donations to fight emergencies or distresses like the current Covid-19 pandemic. Prime Minister is the Chairman of this trust, and its members include Defence Minister, Home Minister and Finance Minister.
After the PM CARES fund was set up by the government, opposition parties and a section of left-liberal intellectuals had launched a campaign against it, alleging that the fund will be misused as it will not be audited by the CAG. Congress president Sonia Gandhi had demanded that the entire money collected in the fund should be transferred to the PM National Relief Fund. The PMNRF is also not audited by the CAG, as both the fund does not receive any taxpayers’ money, but accepts only voluntary donations.
The tirade against the PM CARES Fund did not stop there and several conspiracy theories were floated. Now, a new attempt is being made to spread canards and misinformation regarding the PM CARES Fund.
The Hindu recently published a report claiming that the PM CARES Fund had refused to divulge information in response to an RTI.
In the tweet, they wrote, “The Prime Minister’s Office has denied a Right to Information request related to the PM-CARES Fund on the grounds that providing it would “disproportionately divert the resources of the office'”.
Tweet by The Hindu
One glance at the text shared by The Hindu, one would imagine that the Prime Minister’s office has denied the request for information relating to the Fund and/or the usage of the funds collected under PM CARES. In fact, without really reading the details of the report, several Congress politicians and their trolls started reacting and insinuating that a scam was brewing in the PM CARES Fund and hence, PMO had refused to divulge details.
Narendra Modi denies to reveal the amount of PM Cares Fund!
Why is he deliberately hiding? Is it not a cheat to one who belived him he’s a transparent & genuine?
One who cheats people in politics became history in the history books! https://t.co/SEAxRzWe4P
2 तोले सोने की खरीद औऱ 20000 के होटल बिल पर सरकार को जानकारी देनी होगी…. साहब पीएमकेयर्स का न ऑडिट होने देंगे न किसी को RTI का अधिकार है क्या पीएमकेयर्स आय,व्यय जानने का हक देश को नही है !#PMCares
Several such tweets insinuated that the PMO had refused to divulge information about the usage of the funds under PM CARES, however, the truth was far from it.
What The Hindu report said about the PM CARES RTI
The Hindu report says that activist Lokesh Batra (retd.) had filed an RTI request asking for the “total number of RTI applications and appeals received and disposed of in the PMO each month since April 2020, as well as the number of such applications and appeals related to PM-CARES and the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund”.
At the very outset, it is clear that the RTI did not pertain to the usage of funds at all. It pertained to the number of RTIs received by the department in total, the number of RTIs disposed and the number of RTIs which were specific to PM CARES and PMNRF.
Further, the report says that the PMO did respond to the RTI with the overall data that it had, however, did not give the breakdown of the RTIs that pertained specifically to the two funds – PM CARES and PMNRF.
The reason cited by the PMO, according to The Hindu report, was, “The information sought by you is not maintained in this office in compiled form. Its collection and compilation would disproportionately divert the resources of this office from the efficient discharge of its normal functions, thereby attracting the provisions under Section 7(9) of the Act”.
It is pertinent to note here that the RTI was not about the funds’ utilisation at all. Information regarding how the funds are being utilised have been provided earlier from time to time. For example, Rs 3,100 crores were allotted to fight Coronavirus, for example, to manufacture ventilators.
Further, news had emerged that the Prime Minister’s Office had seen a 15% reduction in its staff strength keeping in tune with the “Minimum government” mantra of PM Modi. The reduction of staff can be one reason for not wanting to divert resources.
The chicanery by The Hindu – misrepresenting facts to insinuate wrongdoing
The Hindu starts the report with a load of insinuation that are sans merit.
The Hindu starts the article by insinuating that the PMO had altogether refused to provide information.
The Hindu cites the High Court judgement to say that this rationale can be used to change the format of information sought but not refuse to provide information altogether. However, further in the report, it is revealed that the PMO did indeed provide consolidated information and said that giving a break-up of the RTIs received specifically for PM CARES and PMNRF would result in the disproportionate diversion of resources since the department only keeps consolidated data and not the break-up.
Further, after providing the explanation by the PMO, that cites Section 7 (9), The Hindu goes ahead and tries to caste aspersions again, sans merit.
The Hindu in this section tries to insinuate that the PMO is citing an incorrect section to “deny information” in response to the RTI. The Hindu essentially says that if the PMO had to “deny information”, it would have to do it under Section 8 (1) which lists the various valid reasons for exemption under the Act. “HOWEVER”, The Hindu says, Section 7 (9), which was cited by the PMO, “ONLY SAYS” that information shall ordinarily be provided in the form in which it is sought unwell “it would disproportionately divert the resources of the public authority”.
The use of words like “however”, only exposes the nefarious designs of The Hindu. While citing Section 7 (9) and the legality of what the PMO has done, The Hindu attempts to insinuate that the PMO has indulged in breach of law by not only citing the incorrect section but also by “refusing information” based on it.
The fact is that the PMO has cited Section 7(9) and while providing consolidated information, said that it will not be able to provide a break up of the number of RTIs that pertains only to PM CARES and PMNRF since PMO does not keep the break up of the information and compilation of such would lead to the disproportionate diversion of resources.
Further, The Hindu cites the High Court order that says that the authority may only provide information in a different format and not refuse information altogether. However, PMO seems to have done exactly that. It has provided the consolidated data.
The Hindu report itself says, “On the eve of Independence Day, the PMO responded, providing the overall data, but denying information specific to the two funds”.
Hence, it can be said that the PMO did provide information but in a different format. Evidently, The Hindu wanted to slyly insinuate wrongdoing with working the article in a manner loaded with allegations, which can then be picked up by Congress trolls and others to allege that a scam was underway.
It must be remembered that The Hindu has a history of misreporting documents to try and allege a scam that finds its way directly to the PM. Earlier, The Hindu had morphed and edited Defence Documents to insinuate a scam in the Rafale deal by the PMO. This allegation was then picked up by the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi. Even after the full document being released that debunked the allegations, The Hindu had refused to rectify itself.
Pakistani actress Saba Qamar and singer/actor Bilal Saeed have been booked on Friday for allegedly “violating the sanctity” of the Wazir Khan Mosque at Lahore. They had shot a scene at the mosque for a song that was scheduled to release on 11th August but was later postponed for a day.
Before the song could be released, a video of the two was circulated on the social media where there were seen doing a dance move with the mosque in the background. The said video caused outrage on the social media and many users demanded action against the actors and the team for shooting a song in the mosque.
According to the reports, a sessions court in Lahore has ordered the station house officer (SHO) to file the case and proceed with the actions against the team involved in shooting the song as per the law. Geo TV in its report said that a petition was heard on Thursday filed by Advocate Sardar Farhat Manzoor Khan. Additional District and Sessions Judge Attiqur Rehman listened to the petition in which the advocate requested the court to order the Lahore police to file a case against the duo and the team behind the song. The advocate also asked the court to take appropriate action against the officials of Pak’s Punjab government for allowing the shoot.
It is notable here that fundamentalist Muslims consider music and dance as ‘inappropriate’ and music and dance inside mosque premises are prohibited.
FIR registered under several acts
On court’s orders FIR has been registered against the actors and the team under sections including “offences relating to religion, injuring or defiling place of worship, with intent to insult the religion of any class, and deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting Its religion or religious beliefs,” the report said.
The Punjab Government had suspended Ishtiaq Ahmed, manager Wazir Khan Mosque on 9th August. Punjab minister Sahibzada Saeedul Hassan was quoted by Geo TV saying, “The video shoot raised a lot of questions”. He vowed strict action against those who gave permission for the shoot, ‘no matter how high a position they held’.
Actors posted apology statements on social media
Both Saba and Bilal posted apology posts on Twitter and tried to clarify that they did not shoot any music or dance sequence in the mosque. According to them, the video posted on social media was misleading. While Saba shared a trailer of the song and ensured there was no music or dance sequence in the mosque, Bilal posted a video message and said he and the team are extremely sorry if they hurt anyone sentiments. He added that being a devote Muslim, he cannot think of violating the sanctity of a mosque ever in his life.
Apology in form of a Tweet Thread posted by Saba Qamar on her Twitter account
اگر ہم نے انجانے میں کسی کے جذبات کو ٹھیس پہنچائ ہے تو ہم دل سے آپ سے معافی مانگتے ہیں۔
براہ کرم نیچے دی گئی ویڈیو کو اپنے ، صبا قمر اور باقی ٹیم کی جانب سے مخلص معافی ہے . # بلالسعید # صباقمر # قول # اونٹوریکورڈز pic.twitter.com/1g6HVcNTUW
Bilal added in his statement that they would remove the shots. The sequence did not make it to the final song released on 12th August. The actress had stated that the viral clip on social media was taken from a still photo shoot for the promotion of the song, intendeded to depict a happy couple after their Nikah. She had also asserted that no playback music was playing during the shoot.
Facebook today has refuted the allegations that it is pro-BJP and claimed that they prohibit ‘hate speech’ and content that ‘incites violence’ irrespective of party affiliation.
A Facebook spokesperson was quoted by ANI saying, “We prohibit hate speech & content that incites violence & we enforce these policies globally without regard to anyone’s political position/party affiliation. We’re making progress on enforcement & conduct regular audits of our process to ensure fairness & accuracy.”
We prohibit hate speech&content that incites violence&we enforce these policies globally without regard to anyone’s political position/party affiliation. We’re making progress on enforcement&conduct regular audits of our process to ensure fairness&accuracy: Facebook spokesperson pic.twitter.com/8zHJhZuXXJ
In the last few days, opposition parties and their supporters are locking horns with Facebook over allegations of ignoring alleged hate speech by members of Bhartiya Janata Party. Facebook, in a statement, has rubbished the claims and said that they do not favour any political party or position. Facebook added that they penalise everyone for posting hate speech irrespective of their political affiliation.
WSJ claims Facebook is pro-BJP
In a report published in the Wall Street Journal, it was claimed that the Facebook India officials were reluctant in taking steps against an alleged anti-Muslim post by a BJP linked account(s). The report claimed that a top executive at Facebook India does not consider anti-Muslim posts as ‘hate speech’. The name of a senior Facebook official Ankhi Das was cited in the report by The Wire as the alleged BJP supporter. Some Twitter users, including Nidhi, ex-NDTV journalist, posted on Twitter that they have left Facebook to mark their protest against the alleged ‘pro-BJP’ stand of Facebook.
An Indian man identified as Nezar Mohamed Sabur Batca, who had returned from Sivaganga in Tamil Nadu has been imprisoned in Malaysia for breaching the 14-day self-quarantine protocol and is currently serving 5-months imprisonment for the violation. The arrest was made after the Malaysia’s Institute of Medical Research (IMR) detected a D614G-type mutation of Covid-19 in the culture tests of samples taken from three cases linked to the Sivaganga cluster, and one from the Ulu Tiram Cluster.
As per reports, he had tested negative when he reached Malaysia from India on July 13. However, he was instructed to home quarantine himself. As per the charge sheet, Batca was found in four public spaces on July 14, thereby breaking the quarantine norms. His later screening showed he had symptoms for coronavirus following which he was admitted to Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital.
He is now jailed for five months and fine of RM 12,000 has been imposed on him.
Deadly D614G strain found in coronavirus
Even as the world grappling with the galloping coronavirus crisis, a grim news has emanated from the South-East Asian nation Malaysia about the discovery of a deadlier strain of coronavirus. Malaysia has detected a new strain of coronavirus which is 10 times more infectious.
Taking to the social media website Facebook, Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah claimed that the D614G mutation was first discovered in July, and the studies would possibly find that any existing vaccine is ineffective against the strain.
Facebook post by Dr Noor
“People must remain vigilant and Cautious as Covid-19 with the D614G mutation has been detected in Malaysia,” he wrote in his Facebook post.
He further added, “Public should continue take preventive measures and follow the standard operating procedures as mandated, such as strict social distancing, wearing masks in public places and self-hygiene practices.”
Dr Noor said that the test by the IMR was preliminary and that there were several subsequent tests lined up on other cases, including index cases of the two clusters.
The deadly infection which had ravaged other parts of the world, called D614G, was detected in at least three of the 45 cases in a cluster that started from a restaurant owner returning from India and breaching his 14-day home quarantine. The man has since been sentenced to five months in prison and penalised. The strain was also found in another cluster involving people returning from the Philippines.
D614G mutation of the coronavirus
D614G is one of the deadliest mutation of the coronavirus that is predominant in several parts of the United States and Europe, two of the regions worst-affected by the coronavirus pandemic. However, the World Health Organisation has issued a clarification, saying there’s no evidence to prove that the strain leads to a severe version of the disease.
As per research in the journal Cell, a variant of the novel coronavirus, named ‘D614G’ is more contagious in cell cultures under laboratory conditions.
However, another paper published in Cell Press contrasts the claim, asserting that the strain is unlikely to have a major impact on the effectiveness of vaccines which currently being developed.
The attack on Uyghur culture in China continues as China has now reportedly built a public toilet on the site where a Mosque once stood in Suntagh village, Atush (in Chinese, Atushi) city in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), northwest China, as per a report in Radio Free Asia. In the past few years, China has been hell-bent on breaking the spirit of Uyghur Muslims.
This is an attempt by the Chinese to break the spirit of the freedom loving Uighur people. They first razed a mosque to the ground and then built a toilet on that very site. How low will the Chinese Government fall? Despicable. Shameful. Horrifying. https://t.co/rpvdtPyeFd
— Major Gaurav Arya (Retd) (@majorgauravarya) August 17, 2020
As per reports, in 2016, directives were issued to destroy Muslim places of worship. The destruction of the Tokul mosque along with a few other mosques in the area was part of the drive. Now the reports have emerged that the local authorities have erected a restroom on the site.
Xi Jinping’s “mosque rectification” drive is a small part of policies against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in China. In an interview conducted by Radio Free Asia, Uyghur neighbourhood committee chief from Suntagh village in Atush said the mosque was torn down in 2018. The “Han comrades” have now constructed a toilet in the place. “It’s a public toilet … they haven’t opened it yet, but it’s built,” he added.
When he was asked if there was any need of a public toilet in the location, he said, “People have toilets at home, so there weren’t any problems like that.” Suntagh is located around 3 KM outside central Astush, and hardly any tourists visit the place. He said that there was no reason a public toilet had to be built here. According to the chief, the toilet was constructed to cover the ruins of the Tokul mosque.
RFA talked to one other resident of the village who told them that Azna mosque, another mosque in the area, was converted into a convenience store. It sells alcohol and cigarettes, which is considered against the religion in Islam. Only Teres Mosque currently stands in the area in poor condition.
China’s oppression of Uyghur Muslims
China has been accused of committing grave human rights violations against the Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang province. Thousands of Uyghurs have been held in ‘re-education’ camps, while the CCP imposes restrictions on prayers, festivals and traditional rituals. Chinese oppression of Uyghur Muslims has been known for a long time. Earlier the Chinese police had imposed a dress code for Uyghur women, under which the Muslim women are not allowed to wear long dresses.
Nearly 10 percent of the Uyghur population is estimated to be in these re-education camps and in some cases, half of the entire village, townships are in these concentration camps.
On Saturday, a 40-year-old TMC worker named Humayun Kabir died after sustaining grave injuries during an explosion caused while making crude bombs at the roof of his house, reportedThe Hindustan Times. The incident took place in the Shamshergunj area in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal.
As per the report, the 10-year-old son of Humayun was also injured in the explosion. According to sub-divisional police officer of Jangipur, Prasenjit Banerjee, Kabir was fatally injured while trying to make crude bombs. He informed, “Preliminary investigation shows that Kabir was making bombs on the roof of his house.” Banerjee further stated that the explosion was accidental and that a probe has been initiated into the matter. Reportedly, no arrests have been made in there case so far.
According to the locals, a loud explosion took place on Saturday night at 9 pm, post which they rushed to Kabir’s house. Reportedly, they discovered his blood-soaked body on the roof of his house. The deceased’s mother, Kachinur Bewa, informed that the explosion took place after they had dinner.
Kabir had a criminal history; mother denies charges
Dismissing the allegations of bomb-making levelled against her son, Kabir’s mother claimed, “My son was not associated with any criminal activity. We suspect that someone hurled a bomb at our house.” However, cops had revealed that Kabir was involved in several criminal activities in the past and had been arrested many times. The police officials suspect that the family hid the bomb-making materials in a bid to remove evidence.
TMC distances itself from the incident
Humayun Kabir was a part-time labourer at a nearby Bidi factory. Following his death, the Trinamool Congress has distanced itself from the incident. The spokesperson of the party in Murshidabad, Goutam Ghosh, said that no TMC worker was involved in the incident. “We have requested the police to probe the matter impartially,” he was quoted as saying.
