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Sopore attack: Amnesty India preaches laws while blatantly violating the same laws to suit their agenda

Speaking on the recent attack on a CRPF patrolling party in Sopore by terrorists, Amnesty India took to Twitter to claim that the Kashmir police violated laws by revealing the identity of the three-year-old child whom the Jammu and Kashmir police had rescued from being killed by terrorists. The kid was rescued by security forces after his civilian grandfather was killed by terrorists during an encounter with security forces.

Sharing the tweet by Kashmir zone police, where the police had shared an image of the police personnel carrying the three-year-old child in his arms, Amnesty India retorted that by disclosing the identity of the child, the Kashmir police violated Article 74 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.

In its subsequent tweet, Amnesty claimed that the action amounted to a breach of the best interests of the child principle under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which India is a state party”.

As a response to the NGO’s Tweet, journalist Aditya Raj Kaul shared the screenshot of one of Amnesty India’s 2018 tweet, to call out its hypocrisy. In 2018 the NGO has shared a picture of a toddler who was allegedly hit by pellets. In its tweet, the NGO had not only shared the picture of the 9-month-old toddler but had also shared the name of the child.

In one such other tweet posted on June 3, 2020, Amnesty India had shared the picture and name of one 9-year-old, Owais Ahmad, claiming that the child was hurt by pellet-firing shotguns. Not only this, but the NGO had also gone a step ahead to use the child’s name and picture to attack the Modi government. The tweet said that the 9-year-old Owais Ahmad was a grim reminder of the cost Kashmiris are paying for Government’s heavy-headed crackdown in the valley.

Similarly in 2018, Amnesty India had tweeted that class 10 student Insha lost vision in both her eyes after getting hit by pellets fired by Indian security forces. “She is one of the many children who have been affected by pellet-firing shotguns”, they had claimed, and posted her photograph in the tweet.

Thus, it can be seen that Amnesty India has been regularly disclosing identities and photographs of minors, when they are allegedly victims of pellets fired by Indian security forces. But when Kashmir police posts photograph of a child rescued by them from terrorists, it becomes a violation of the law for the Islamist organisation.

It’s appalling how not only Amnesty India, but many Twitter users had blatantly used the Sopore encounter to cast aspersions at the Jammu and Kashmir police. Some had claimed that the civilian, who had actually died in cross-firing, was killed by the CRPF personnel. However, refuting social media claims that the old man was brought down by the CRPF, Sopore Police had yesterday issued a statement. Calling the claims baseless and far beyond the facts, Sopore police said that action would be initiated against those spreading rumours.

Sopore encounter

Yesterday, terrorists in Sopore town of Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir attacked a patrolling party of CRPF today. A three-year-old boy has been rescued by the Jammu and Kashmir police. Kashmir Zone Police shared a picture of a police officer holding the child. The child was present at the spot when the attack happened. During the attack, a CRPF jawan and a civilian lost their lives. The child was the grandson of the civilian who was killed by the terrorists.

 The selective amnesia of Amnesty 

Amnesty India has many times in the past been caught on the wrong foot. In March 2018 the NGO had come under the scanner of the government for allegedly violating foreign funding laws. Subsequently, in October 2018, the Enforcement Directorate had raided Amnesty India’s parent organisation, headquartered in Bengaluru for violation of FDI guidelines.

Amnesty International had then as a retaliatory reaction, floated a petition against the ‘excesses’ carried out against ‘peaceful protestors’ by the central government and law enforcement agencies across the country to curb the mob violence that ensued in the name of protests against the CAA, which included immense damage to public property, arson, damages to public life, scores of policemen being wounded by gunshots, Hindu Temples being attacked, slogans such as ‘Jinnah Wali Azadi‘ and ‘Hinduon se Azadi‘ being raised, instances of stone-pelting, and much more.

Alt News fails to spot a joke about Apache helicopters over Pangong Tso lake, fact-checks it

Islamic propaganda site masquerading as fact-checker, Alt News, which often fact-checks memes, jokes and claims not seen by anyone else, again fell for a joke and included it in a fact-check article. On this instant, they could not spot the joke posted by an aviation writer and analyst, and ruled that a tweet posted by him was fake.

After the clash between Indian and Chinese forces at the Galwan valley along the LAC in Ladakh, one video had emerged on social media claiming that it showed Apache helicopters of the Indian Air Force flying low over the Pangong Tso lake in Ladakh, another site of conflict between the two countries. Major General Brajesh Kumar, retired Air Marshal Anil Chopra and some media houses also shared the video claiming that the IAF choppers were patrolling over the lake. After that, it was already pointed by many on Twitter that it was an old video from the USA.

On 30th June, Alt News decided to fact-check the claim, and concluded that the video showed Apache helicopter of US military flying over flying over Lake Havasu in Arizona, and not the recently inducted Apache attack helicopters of Indian Air Force.

While they correctly fact-checked the false claim, towards the end of the article, they decided to include other people who had made the same claim, and in this, they failed to spot a joke. They included a tweet by aviation writer Mihir Shah, where he had mocked the false claims made by several people about the video of the Apache helicopters. He had tweeted, “The Indian Navy’s Sea King helicopters with mast-mounted sonars conducting anti-submarine operations at Pangong Tso.” It was an obvious joke, as there are no submarines in the Pangong Tso lake, and therefore there is no question of Indian Navy conducting anti-submarine operations at the lake situated at the Himalayas. Submarines, as the name suggests, operate in seas and oceans, and may enter lakes connected with seas, but they can’t operate in land-locked lakes, that too in a lake like Pangong Tso which is located at a very high altitude in the world’s tallest mountain range.

Moreover, Sea King helicopters are completely different in appearance from Apache helicopters seen in the video, and Shah had called them Sea King helicopters to highlight the fake news being circulated about the video. But ironically Alt News mistook his tweet for a genuine tweet, and included it in their fact-check on the video.

After the fact-check published by Alt News was spotted by Mihir Shah, this is how he reacted.

Home Ministry seeks opinions of central armed police forces on incorporating ‘transgender’ as third gender for recruiting officers

In what can be seen as a significant move for the upliftment of transgenders, the Union Home Ministry has asked the central armed forces like the CRPF, ITBP, SSB & CISF for their opinion on incorporating ‘transgender’ as a Third category along with male and female in the rules of Central Armed Police Forces- CAPF(AC) Examination 2020. The departments have been asked to furnish their opinions so as to a final view on the matter can be taken soon.

The concerned authorities have asked to share their views on recruiting transgender people in the rank of the Assistant Commandants (ACs). At present, there is no provision of hiring transgender people in the central armed forces or in the Indian Army. If the centre gets a positive response from all the said departments, the decision would be shared with the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), which will then incorporate a separate third section for the transgenders in the application forms for the exams which are scheduled to be held in December this year.

Officials familiar with the development said the centre first wants to start with the officers’ rank through the Staff Service Commission (SSC).

Yogi Govt dedicates Noida’s Sector-50 Metro station for employment of transgenders

Recently, the Yogi government, in a step forward, had dedicated the Noida’s Sector-50 metro station for the transgender community. This initiative was taken to give the transgenders an opportunity to connect with the mainstream sections of the society.

DoPT asked central govt to include ‘transgender’ as a separate category of gender for recruitment in civil services and other posts

In April 2020, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) had issued a memorandum asking all central government departments to include ‘transgender’ as a separate category of gender for recruitment in civil services and other posts.

Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill became law after getting president’s assent last year

These initiatives are being taken after the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill was passed in both the houses and had got assent from President Ram Nath Kovind on 5 December last year. The law forbids discrimination against a transgender person, including refusal of service or prejudicial treatment in relation to education, employment, healthcare, access to, or enjoyment of goods, facilities, opportunities available to the public, right to movement, right to reside, rent, or otherwise occupy property, opportunity to hold public or private office, and access to a government or private establishment in whose care or custody a transgender person is.

Sambit Patra holds a mirror to anti-nationals by his Pulitzer tweet, left-liberals expose their hypocrisy by slamming him

On Wednesday, the Pakistan sponsored terrorists in Kashmir killed a CRPF jawan and a civilian in Sopore town of Baramulla district. The heart-wrenching scene of a three-year-old child, sitting on the blood-splattered body of his grandfather, killed by the Pakistan sponsored terrorists went viral on the internet evoking mixed responses within the country.

Several people took to social media to express their shock over the brutality of the terrorists, who killed the civilian grandfather leaving the child alone on the streets only to be rescued by the Indian Army.

Unsurprisingly, the usual Islamists and pro-Pakistan sympathisers in the valley, often backed by the left-liberals in the country, fell prey for the Pakistan propaganda to claim that it was Indian security forces which killed the civilian in Sopore and not the Islamic terrorists in the valley.

The heinous terror attacks which also left a CRPF jawan killed evoked a strong response from nationalist Indians, who expressed their anguish over the inhuman killings of fellow Indians in Kashmir by Islamists. They attacked the pro-Pakistan sympathisers within the country, who peddled anti-India agenda over the dead bodies of the deceased Kashmiri.

Sambit Patra, the fiery spokesperson of the BJP, also took to Twitter to voice his anger, who directed it towards a section pro-Pakistan intelligentsia and media in the country, who often derides Indian security forces and bats on behalf of Pakistan.

In his tweet, Sambit Patra shared an image of the three-year-old child, sitting on the chest of his grandfather and wrote, “Pulitzer lovers?”. The carefully-worded assertion by Sambit Patra was aimed at Pulitzer prize-winning individuals from Kashmir, who are accused of being beneficiaries of an ecosystem which sell one-sided propaganda against India. The award-winning photographs mostly happen to show alleged suffering of the common man in the hand of security forces, but photographs showing terror of Islamic terrorists rarely win such prizes.

This so-called intelligentsia and journalists in Kashmir have been peddling false narrative against India in global fora, resulting in a skewed depiction of Kashmir affairs across the world.

Image Source: Sambit Patra

Through his sharp tweet, Patra questioned the silence of the Pulitzer winning journalists and the pro-Pakistan ecosystem over the death of the 64-year-old Indian citizen, who was brutally killed by the Pakistan sponsored terror in the country.

Questioning the integrity of these Pulitzer-winning ‘journalists’ of Kashmir, Patra indirectly asked whether they would capture the photographs of the dire scenario and subsequently publish them to expose the inhuman actions of Pakistan-sponsored terrorists in the Kashmir valley.

Perhaps, through his tweets, Sambit Patra not only exposed the hypocrisy of Pulitzer-winning ‘journalists’ of Kashmir, who have been selling anti-India stories unchecked for decades now but also held a mirror to the ‘liberal-secular’ ecosystem of the country who often go into hiding when the Islamists target their own in Kashmir.

The ‘no-holds-barred’ approach of Sambit Patra, even though slightly political, to denounce pro-Pakistan sympathisers’ nefarious designs in the country, however, strangely evoked sharp reaction from the ‘liberal-secular’ ecosystem of the country, who deliberately twisted his statements to claim that he was expressing glee over the death of Kashmiris.

Soon, the barrage of hate-filled abuse was hurled at the BJP leader for setting things straight regarding the cost that the country has paid due to the pampering of pro-Pakistan sympathisers in the country.

The so-called celebrities, left-wing ‘activists’, assorted trolls of the opposition parties, self-proclaimed journalists descended on his timeline to abuse the BJP spokesperson by propping up a lopsided view on the whole incident.

The ‘secular-liberals’ were angered by the sharp response of the BJP spokesperson, who then followed it with preaching ‘Humanism’ to Sambit Patra for posting images of a three-year-old sitting on a dead body, which was insensitive according to them.

Dia Mirza, the Bollywood entertainer, who had once shed tears on the issue of malnutrition by posting an image of the Indian child to make a point, on Wednesday targeted Sambit Patra after he had posted a similar image of child to question the hypocrisy of the pro-Pakistan sympathisers.

Image Source: Abhijit Iyer Mitra

Similarly, the husband-wife duo of Rajdeep Sardesai and Sagarika Ghose, who were extremely upset against Sambit Patra, also attacked him for the image he shared on Twitter.

While Rajdeep Sardesai claimed that Sambit Patra used the three-year-old kid to peddle his low-level-political propaganda, his own tweet made in the past reflected that he had himself indulged in posting an image of a child to make an indirect political point against the BJP.

Image Source: Anjali

His wife Sagarika Ghose, following her husband, also peddled the same theory of Sambit Patra being ‘heartless’ and ‘hateful’. However, netizens reminded her of a similar tweet, in which she had used an image of a 6-year-old Munifa Nazirwani who was allegedly hit on her eye by a marble shot.

Ironically, Sagarika Ghose had tweeted an image which won the Pulitzer award, which depicted a one-sided story of Kashmir narrative, as suggested by Sambit Patra, while trying to make a political point.

Image Source: Durga Saxena Rastogi

The self-proclaimed human right champions, who had once grieved the death of Syrian Alan Kurdi and the horrific killing of George Floyd in distant America by expressing solidarity through posting their images to make a political point, were now preaching morality to BJP leader Sambit Patra, asserting that he was wrong to post an image of the three-year-old kid.

The liberals, whose politics is entirely based on manipulating tragic events that occurred in far-away lands to further their political agenda in the country, despite having no relevance to it, on Wednesday pretended that they never indulged in such acts. The very same set of people who time and again indulge in cheap politics over dead bodies of unrelated individuals are now crying over Patra’s objective assessment as it distorted their monopoly on setting narratives during such incidents.

Perhaps, the left-liberals and the members of the elite ecosystem of the country were not angered by the image of three-year-old per se, but for the unhindered courage and the audacity of nationalists like Sambit Patra, to make a straight point without worrying too much about its political correctness.

In a country, where the political class think twice to make a point, Sambit Patra is an exception, who has been extremely confident and unflinching about the so-called political correctness while making an objective assertion. The increasing assertion by the likes Sambit Patra to dismantle the strongly held media-monopoly over setting the political narrative has now led to a sustained campaign to discredit him by manipulating his opinion on a particular issue, which was just evident in the yesterday’s incident.

“Younis Khan had held a knife to my throat for offering batting advice”, reveals Pakistan cricket team’s former batting coach Grant Flower

Pakistan’s former batting coach Grant Flower has alleged that there was an incident when Younis Khan brought a knife to his throat over a minor disagreement. He added that there were some “tough characters” in the team who did not pay heed to his advice. Former Zimbabwean cricketer and coach Grant Flower had worked with the Pakistani cricket team between 2014 and 2019 as the batting coarch.

Flower was talking on Following On Cricket Podcast when he narrated the incident when he and Younis Khas disagreed with batting tips. Khan was rattled to the point where he brought a knife to his throat. Mickey Arthur had to intervene and stop Khan.

He said that it was not easy to master Younis Khan. He had a brilliant career. They were in Brisbane during the Test when at breakfast, Flower tried to give him some batting advice. He said, “But he didn’t take kindly to my advice and brought a knife to my throat, with Mickey Arthur sitting alongside, who had to intervene. Yeah, it’s been interesting. But that’s part of coaching. It makes it a hell of a journey, and I’ve really enjoyed it. I’ve still got a lot to learn, but I’m very fortunate to be in the position I am.”

Younis Khan has played only one test in Brisbane. He scored a golden duck in the first inning and 65 in the second during that match. Flower said that there was one another interesting character in the Pakistan team, Ahmed Shehzad. He described him as a skilful batsman but quite rebellious. “Every team has got its rebel. Sometimes it makes them better players, sometimes maybe not so.” When Flower’s contract was not renewed last year, he was asked what he will miss about Pakistan the most. He replied to the “backstabbing ex-players.” Younis Khan was appointed as Pakistan’s batting coach after he left.

It may be noted that in 2007, Pakistan cricket team’s coach Bob Woolmer was found dead in his hotel room after the Pakistan had crashed out of the World Cup. There were reports that he died of asphyxia. There were rumours that some angry cricketer or fan killed him.

Grant Flower is currently working in Sri Lanka as a batting coach.

Complaint registered against Hindustan Times reporter Srishti Jaswal for her Hinduphobic tweet against Lord Krishna

Gautam Aggarwal, ex-IT Head of BJP IP EXTENSION Mandal, Zila Shahdara, Delhi, has registered a complaint against Srishti Jaswal, a correspondent with Hindustan Times, for her Hinduphobic tweet against Lord Krishna. In the complaint, Aggarwal alleged that on 29th June 2020, Jaswal replied to a tweet against a film airing on Netflix and intentionally used derogatory and defamatory language.

Aggarwal said that as she is associated with one of the country’s biggest media houses, she can influence the lakhs of Indians and International audience with her tweets. He added, “Working with such Media platform and having such views being posted publicly can lead communal disharmony and religious animosity.”

Her tweet reads, “Because this is what Krishna did. He was a womanizer, a fuckboi, and commitment phobic maniac. And I am a Hindu and I’ve read mythology.” Aggarwal mentioned that it is a highly objectionable text, and it hurts everyone who believes in Lord Krishna. She has protected her account after the backlash.

Hinduphobic content on the rise

Netflix film named “Krishna & His Leela” has shown a man named Krishna as a womanizer who sleeps with multiple women. One of the girls he had an affair with was named Radha in the series. The use of Krishna’s name and showcasing him in a bad light has attracted sharp criticism from Hindus across the country. This is not the first time OTT platforms or journalists have tried to show Hinduism in a bad light. Netflix was recently accused of airing the movie Chippa that insulted Lord Hanuman. Times of India journalist Samina Shaikh tried to shame Hindus over the killing of a pregnant elephant in Kerala.

Kolkata’s Telegraph reports satirical tweet as real to show Modi govt banning TikTok in poor light

In a bid to prove that Central government ban on Chinese apps like TikTok was a bad decision, Kolkata based leftist portal ‘The Telegraph’ today reported a satirical tweet as real.

Snippet from the article by The Telegraph

In an article titled “India kicks out Chinese (apps so far)” published on July 2, 2020, The Telegraph, reported that the banning of an app as popular as TikTok would have an adverse effect on the Indian youths and citizens, as the app provided a source of income for many. However, in a haste to project Modi government’s decision in a bad light, the media house passed off a satirical tweet as a real one.

Major Neelum Singh (Retd.) through his Twitter handle @TheSkinDoctor posted a satirical tweet on his imaginary maid Shazia which was taken on face value by Telegraph.

Skin Doctor’s original Tweet

On 29th June, The Skin Doctor had said how sob stories will flood the internet after the ban on 59 apps including TikTok. Giving an example, he had said, “My maid Shazia’s daughter was a small-time TikTok influencer and used to contribute Rs 3,000-4,000 a month to the modest family earning through TikTok ad. With the TikTok ban, govt has pushed the poor family to the gallows. As if lockdown wasn’t enough!”

At the beginning of the tweet, however, he wrote: “Gear up for stories like”, alluding that the so-called liberals will now begin to give such insipid arguments to justify how the Modi government’s decision to ban the app has taken away a source of income for so many youngsters coming from the humble background.

Telegraph, which the ‘liberals’ hail for its ‘witty’ headlines could not quite comprehend sarcasm.

Telegraph and its biased reportage

Kolkata-based The Telegraph is not quite gold standard in journalism to begin with. For starters, it regularly peddles fake news. Recently, it blamed Hindus for a Muslim man refusing to eat food prepared by a Dalit. Just a month prior to that in March, The Telegraph had compared the Chinese coronavirus COVID-19 to President Ramnath Kovind. The PCI sent a notice to The Telegraph for violating journalistic norms.

After the abrogation of Article 370, which made Jammu & Kashmir an integral part of India, The Telegraph had wrongly identified pro-Kashmir integration activists as those protesting against abrogation of Article 370. In January last year, The Telegraph was caught spreading dangerous lies regarding polio vaccines in India.

During the run-up to the 2019 General Elections, The Telegraph, in its editorial, shed all neutrality and claimed that removing PM Modi from power is the only hope for India’s redemption. It also very casually passes off opinions as ‘fact-checks’.

Passing off satire as real news

This is not the first time satire has been mistaken and knowingly or unknowingly passed off as real news. In fact, in April this year, Major Neelum Singh (Retd)’s satirical tweet, which had ‘satire’ marked on it, drew an FIR against him in Telangana. Prior to that, Congress had maliciously cropped a satirical article on the Kumbh Mela and passed it off as ‘scam in Kumbh’. Scientist and columnist Dr Anand Ranganath’s art of satire is often mistaken for real news. Similarly, many news portals have also ‘fact-checked’ satirical posts and had even given a verdict that it is authentic.

India imposes ban on 59 Chinese apps including TikTok on the grounds of jeopardising its sovereignty and integrity

The Indian government has red-flagged usage of 59 China-linked apps, including TikTok as being a threat to national security. The Ministry of Information Technology, invoking its power under section 69A of Information Technology Act, with the relevant provisions of the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking of Access of Information by Public) Rules 2009 has ordered a block on the use of 59 apps saying that these apps are “engaged in activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, the security of the state and public order”.

Taiwan opens office to help people fleeing Hong Kong after China implemented the new National Security Law

To help the people fleeing Hong Kong after China’s contentious National Security Law came into force in the city, Taiwan has now opened an office on Wednesday. The Taiwan-Hong Kong Services and Exchange Office opened in Taipei, the capital city. Senior minister Chen Ming-tong called the project “an important milestone for the government to further support democracy and freedom in Hong Kong”.

Since pro-democracy protests began in the city last year, about 200 people have already fled to Taiwan. Officials in Taiwan are now expecting more asylum seekers after China’s National Security Law was implemented this week.

China introduces new National Security Law

The Communist Party of China has introduced a new national security law for Hong Kong, which introduces new crimes with severe penalties – up to life in prison – and allows Chinese security forces to legally operate in the city.

The legislation gives extensive powers to China, which is intended to quell the ongoing protests in the Hong Kong demanding liberation from the occupation of Chinese. The legislation enables China to bring Hong Kong protestors to the mainland, prosecute and sentence them there. It also significantly restricts the city’s autonomy. Last week, the USA senate had passed a bill that seeks to sanction Chinese individuals and banks that help in restricting the city’s autonomy.

With the new law coming to effect, China has reportedly arrested the peaceful protests under the new sweeping national security laws imposed on the autonomous region of Hong Kong on Wednesday. At least 70 people were arrested on Wednesday.

China’s new law gets flagged by several nations for human rights violation

India, today, launched a diplomatic offensive against China by expressing concerns over China’s new security law. The Indian Ambassador to the United Nation raised the issue of China’s new National Security Law in the city that curtails freedom of expression of the people and also called for the proper management into the rising situation.

At the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Rajiv Kumar Chander, the country’s ambassador and permanent representative to the UN in Geneva, said that given the large Indian community that lives in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, India has been keeping “a close watch on recent developments”.

Earlier, the United States, Britain, the EU and UN rights agencies had all voiced fears against the Chinese law, which was intended to stifle protests in Hong Kong against Beijing.

China supplying funds, missiles and other sophisticated weaponry to terrorist group Arakan Army to weaken India and Myanmar: Report

News reports published in Myanmar recently have accused China of supplying sophisticated arms to Arakan Army armed group, a declared terrorist organisation in Myanmar, and other armed groups in Myanmar to have an upper hand over India and Myanmar.

According to military sources in Myanmar, approximately 95 per cent of Arakan Army funding comes from China. It further confirmed that the Arakan Army has approximately 50 MANPADS (Man-Portable Air Defense Systems) surface-to-air missiles.

Arms brought in to Myanmar by China through Bangladesh

According to reports, China had earlier this year, managed to bring in a huge consignment of weapons and ammunition through Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts to Myanmar. A consignment containing 500 assault rifles, 30 Universal Machine Guns, 70000 rounds of ammunition and a huge stock of grenades were brought in by sea and offloaded at the Monakhali beach not far from the coastal junction of Myanmar and Bangladesh in the third week of February. A Rakhine source close to the Arakan Army claimed that the shipment included FN-6 Chinese MANPADS. The report said that definite evidence had surfaced that the consignment got a smooth passage and a trouble-free landing at the Monakhali beach in Myanmar.

“An object lesson in diplo-terrorism is the leverage over Myanmar and India that China gained by arming the Arakan Army, operating in the corridor from North-East India over Myanmar’s Chin and Rakhine states to the Indian Ocean,” Licas News reported.

The source revealed that by doing so, China wants to expand its area of influence towards western Myanmar that is, the India-Myanmar border.

“China is playing a multi-dimensional game in South Asia. China wants to weaken India. India is in a war with Pakistan and does not want to make a new enemy of Myanmar,” said an Australian academic.

“China does not want Indian influence to increase in Myanmar,” according to an Indian source. “They want a monopoly.”

Meanwhile, a diplomat in the region said that “seven different groups (including Arakan Army) in Myanmar received Chinese arms and support.” He said that the “Chinese object has always been to keep the West away from Myanmar by keeping Myanmar (a) weak and closed state with a poor humanitarian record.”

The extent of China’s influence on the Arakan Army armed group was apparent when under China’s influence, the terrorist organisation had sabotaged India’s $220 million road construction project in Myanmar in 2017-18.

The project was awarded to the Delhi-based contractor, C&C Constructions in June 2017. The clearence to the project was subsequently delayed by the Myanmar government until 2018. Eventually. when the project took off, the Arakan Army began to kidnap workers and crew members including Indian citizens, sabotaged vehicles and construction materials.

Arakan Army, which is aided by China, is the largest terrorist group in Myanmar

Arakan Army is the largest terrorist group in the Rakhine state of Myanmar and is the armed wing of the political party, United League of Arakan (ULA).

On March 23, the Myanmar government designated the Arakan Army and ULA as terrorist organisations for “inciting fear” and disrupting the stability of the country by attacking government and civilian targets.

In 2019, the group allegedly attacked four police stations, causing 20 casualties among police. Some of the police died from their wounds.

China did not condemn the attack but instead said: “China supports all parties in Myanmar to promote reconciliation and peace talks and strongly opposes any form of violent attacks”.

Galwan valley stand-off

Recently border tension between India and China that flared in early May took a more violent turn when troops clashed in the Galwan Valley in Eastern Ladakh and India lost 20 soldiers, including a commanding officer.

Though Beijing remained reticent on the number of casualties suffered by it, the Indian Government said that the Chinese side endured heavy casualties with close to 43-45 PLA soldiers been seriously injured or killed in the clashes. Now, a US intel report has stated that at least 35 Chinese soldiers have perished in the brawl at the Galwan Valley.

The killing of the Indian soldiers marks the Indian Army’s worst losses since the Kargil War in 1999 and signifies the most intense military combat between India and China since 1967 when about 80 Indian soldiers and at least 300 Chinese PLA troops were killed in the course of the savage skirmishes that broke out near the Nathu La and Cho Lo passes, the strategic gateway to the crucial Chumbi valley.

Construction of Hindu temple in Islamabad is against Islam and an insult to Islamic kingdom: Pakistan assembly speaker

Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi from Pakistan’s Punjab province on Wednesday made a shocking remark against the construction of a temple in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad claiming that Pakistan was created in the name of Islam and construction of a new temple in Islamabad was not only against the spirit of Islam but also an insult to the ‘Madina Riayasat’, a reference to the Islamic welfare state that Pakistan aspires to be.

Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi strongly opposed the construction of Hindu temple saying that it is not only against the spirit of Islam but is also an insult to the Islamic State of Pakistan. He reportedly added that after the victory of Mecca, Hazrat Muhammad along with Hazrat Ali broke 360 idols in Baitullah Sharif and said, “Haq Aya Aur Batil Mit Gaya Baishak Batil Mitney Wala Tha.”

“Pakistan was made in the name of Islam and building another Hindu temple in the capital is against the soul of Islam,” said Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi.

Petition filed in the Islamabad High Court against construction of temple

The shocking statement from Elahi comes at the backdrop of a petition filed in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the construction a temple saying that a temple for Hindus already existed in Saidpur and the government, instead of constructing a new temple, should renovate the old one.

The petitioner further said that the government had no funds for the construction of a mosque but released funds for building a temple. On Tuesday, the Islamabad High Court had issued notice to the city development authority over the petition filed by a lawyer named Chaudhry Tanveer Akhtar.

The proposed temple at Islamabad was to be the first temple to be built in the Pakistani capital city ever since Islamic country came into existence in 1947. The Islamabad city authorities had allocated a 20,000 sqft plot for the construction of the temple.

During the groundbreaking ceremony, Parliamentary Secretary on Human Rights Lal Chand Malhi had said that a temple is being constructed in the capital as the Hindu population has been increasing considerably in the past two decades, making it important to make a temple for them.

“The Hindu community in Islamabad has been demanding a temple for a long time now. The population has also increased while many Hindu temple structures in the capital have been abandoned,” Chand Mahi added.

Maulavi issues fatwa, calls temple ‘un-Islamic’

Following the decision of Pakistan government to build the temple in Islamabad, Mufti Zia-ud-Din of the Lahore chapter of Jamia Ashrafia, a leading cleric in Pakistan has issued a “fatwa” against the construction of the temple, calling it “un-Islamic”.

Image Source: Naya Daur

The fatwa claimed that while the repair of an existing structure for non-Muslims is allowed, construction of new places of worship is not permitted in Islamic nations.