As the country continues its battle against Coronavirus and the defence forces are involved in a highly charged situation with China at the LAC a Ladakh, a new political drama has started in the North Eastern state Manipur. The BJP led government is now looking towards after they lost the support of 9 MLAs.
The N. Biren Singh government faced the crisis after the National People’s Party (NPP) with 4 MLAs withdrew their support to the government. The ministers of the NPP also resigned from the cabinet, including Deputy CM Joykumar Singh. Along with this, three MLAs from BJP also resigned from the party and joined Congress. The lone Trinamool Congress MLA Tongbram Robindro Singh from Thanga, and independent MLA from Jiriban, Ashab Uddin, who were supporting the BJP led government, also withdrew the support, thereby the govt lost the support of 9 MLAs. The BJP MLAs to switch to Congress are Soibam Subhaschandra Singh, TT Haokip and Samuel Jendai.
With this, the strength of the government has reduced to 30 in the house. In the assembly elections in 2017, BJP had won 21 seats, while Congress had emerged as largest party with 28 MLAs but fell short of the majority mark. BJP was able to form the government led by Biren Singh with the support of 4 NPP MLAs, 4 NPF MLAs and one LJP MLA. Later, eight MLAs from Congress had left the party and joined BJP, reducing the Congress total to 20. Subsequently the TMC member and one independent MLA also decided to extend support to the NDA government, and the total strength of the BJP led government was 40 in the state.
In March this year, BJP MLA Thounaojam Shyamkumar was disqualified as a member of the Assembly, who had won the elections on a Congress ticket but joined BJP even before being he was sworn in as a member of the house. The assembly speaker had disqualified him after the Supreme Court had ordered his removal based on a disqualification petition filed by Congress leaders. At present the Andro constituency that he had represented is vacant, and hence the total strength of the house is 59.
After the exit of 3 BJP MLAs, the party has now 25 MLAs, although the CM said that party strength is still 27. The government still has the support of NPF with 4 MLAs and LJP with one MLA. Therefore, the strength of the government remains 30 in the 59-member house.
But earlier in this month, the Manipur High Court had ruled that the remaining 7 former Congress MLAs who had joined BJP, can’t enter the assembly until the petitions for their disqualification are decided by the speaker’s tribunal. Therefore, these seven MLAs can’t vote in the house. This means if a trust vote takes place, BJP will not get their votes, and the party will be reduced to only 22 votes, excluding the speaker. On the other hand, Congress now has 23 MLAs including 3 who defected from BJP, and will get the support of 6 others who left the govt today, giving them 29. This means Congress will more numbers in the house where the total strength will be effectively reduced to 52, as BJP and allies have 27 MLAs now.
But it remains to be seen if the 3 BJP MLAs who joined Congress today are allowed to vote as they are also bound to face disqualification charges. If they are barred, Congress numbers will drop to 26.
External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar in a telephonic conversation with Chinese Foreign minister Wang Yi on Wednesday conveyed strong protests from the Indian government over the recent aggression by the Chinese military along the LAC in eastern Ladakh. The minister reminded the Chinese counterpart about the Commander level meet at Moldo on June 6 and stated that the Chinese penetration into the Indian borders is the source of the dispute.
In the strongest terms, Dr. S Jaishankar stated that the Chinese side is responsible for the whole dispute due to its premeditated and planned activities that led to violence and casualties on both sides. He asserted that these actions will have a serious effect on India-China bilateral relations.
Wang Yi-S Jaishankar talks: Strong message conveyed by Indian Foreign Minister to China, “What happened in Galwan was premeditated and planned action by China which was responsible for the sequence of events.” pic.twitter.com/KVWtHgtylL
Dr. S Jaishankar told Wang that it is time for China to reassess its actions and take corrective steps. The two sides should scrupulously and sincerely implement the understanding that was reached by the Senior Commanders on 6th June. Troops of both sides should also abide by the bilateral agreements and protocols. They should strictly respect and observe the Line of Actual Control and should not take any unilateral action to alter it.
the conversation concluded with an agreement that the overall situation will be handled in a responsible manner, and both sides would implement the disengagement understanding of 6 June sincerely. Both sides will ensure peace and tranquillity as per bilateral agreements and protocols.
Prime Minister warns China, said the sacrifice of our soldiers won’t go in vain
While addressing the nation, the Prime minister condoled the death of soldiers who were martyred in the Ladakh standoff with Chinese troops and said that the sacrifice of our soldiers will not go in vain. India wants peace but if instigated, India is capable of giving a befitting reply.
PM Modi said, “I want to assure the country that the sacrifice of our soldiers will not go in vain. For us, the unity and integrity of India are of utmost importance and no one can stop us from protecting it. No one should have any doubt that India wants peace. But, if instigated, India is ready and capable of giving a befitting reply in any manner.”
Ladakh standoff at Galwan Valley
A violent face-off took place between Indian and Chinese troops on the intervening night of 15th and 16th June which led to casualties on both sides. While India has confirmed 20 casualties, the Chinese authorities have not given official figures. However, it is believed that the casualties of Chinese troops would be above 40.
Most of the Indian stand-up comedians are characterised by having an extremely poor sense of humour and harbouring pathological hatred for PM Modi, which inevitably extends to their abhorrence for India. For them, ridiculing India is synonymous to mocking PM Modi. Their depravity has no bounds, and they feel no compunction in passing snide remarks at PM Modi, even if that means insulting the supreme sacrifice made by the soldiers manning our borders.
Recently, self-proclaimed comedian Aditi Mittal took to Twitter to trivialise the violent clashes between the Indian and Chinese soldiers in Galwan Valley in Eastern Ladakh. Mittal posted a facetious post on Twitter mocking the deaths of the Indian soldiers in the fierce hand-to-hand combat that took place along the Line of Actual Control.
“The coffins will come back with “PM Cares” stickers on them,” Aditi tweeted about the unfortunate killing of Indian troopers in Ladakh while taking a dig at the PM Cares Fund that is used for combating and containing the coronavirus pandemic as well as in the relief efforts against the coronavirus outbreak and similar pandemic like situations in the future.
Another unfunny comedian who goes by the name ‘Bollywoodgandu’, used the viral image of George Floyd’s death and photoshopped it to depict the India China standoff in Ladakh. The aforementioned comedian photoshopped the image of the white police officer with Chinese premier Xi Jinping’s face while the man who was kneeled upon by the police officer, George Floyd was replaced with PM Modi’s face with the message “I can’t breathe” and uploaded it as his story on Instagram.
Hating on PM Modi for these self-proclaimed comedians is not a new phenomenon and it has been exhibited by many, including politicians, left-leaning activists masquerading as journalists. But what these ungrateful individuals do not realise is while expressing their aversion for PM Modi, they often proceed to disrespect the country and its armed forces who stake their lives on the line to protect the country from enemy misadventures. However, in their bid to take a swipe at PM Modi, these so-called comedians have no qualms in deriding the sacrifices made by the Indian Armed Forces at the frontline.
India-China violent clashes at Galwan Valley
At least 20 Indian soldiers, including Commanding Officer, had attained martyrdom in the violent clashes with the Chinese troopers in Eastern Ladakh’s Galwan Valley, the Indian Army said on Tuesday. The Army had initially claimed that 3 soldiers, including one Commanding Officer, were killed in the skirmishes but later in the evening it revised the figure to 20 saying 17 others had succumbed to their injuries due to the prolonged exposure to sub-zero temperatures.
The killing marks the treachery exhibited the Chinese Army as it violated the disengagement plan agreed upon between the two sides following Lieutenant General level meeting on June 6. A senior government official conversant with the debriefing of survivors at hospitals in Leh revealed that the assault of the Indian soldiers by China’s PLA hit team was premeditated as they had carried iron batons and clubs wrapped in barbed wire to attack the troops of the 16 Bihar Regiment.
The Congress party has in a press release informed that Sanjay Jha has been dropped as the AICC spokesperson with immediate effect. The party also confirmed appointing Abhishek Dutt and Sadhna Bharti as the Party’s national media panellists.
It is being speculated that Sanjay Jha’s recent comments against the party leadership might have gone against him. Jha, who is known to be a vocal critic of the Modi government, today took to Twitter and commenting on the recent India China face-off wrote: “This is a time for great mature political consensus within India in responding to China’s dangerous aggression. I don’t care if Mr Modi made several outrageous rhetorical comments against our Congress/UPA government in the past. We must rise. Let’s be different. Let’s be one”.
Knowing Congress party’s abhorrence for Modi and his government, Sanjay Jha’s this Tweet must have definitely irked his party’s high commands who soon after announced his termination from the post of party’s spokesperson.
Sanjay Jha appears to believe that Congress is headed towards “political obsolescence”
Not only this but recently, Congress national spokesperson Sanjay Jha has also openly expressed displeasure over the functioning of the Congress party leadership. Jha, in a damning indictment of his party’s leadership, had said that his party lacks internal democracy and that decision-making powers are limited to Delhi. Jha appears to believe that the party is headed towards “political obsolescence” if it continues to conduct itself in the same manner.
Congress completely disconnected from the ground and is reluctant to change
Speaking to media, Jha had made a series of comments against Congress party leadership which might have gone against him. He had said that Congress has become completely disconnected from the ground and is reluctant to change.
Sanjay Jha had called his party fossilised and reluctunt to change
Sanjay Jha had called his party fossilised, status quoist and reluctant to change. “Congress has had a culture of being one of the more internally vibrant and democratic parties. But that is now gathering dust,” commented Jha.
Raising questions on his own party’s decision-making abilities, Jha rebuked Congress high command for not consulting its spokesperson before banning them from participating in TV debates last year.
“We have moved into a cocooned shell, and withdrawn from gauging the public mood. We sit in Delhi, completely disconnected from the ground,” he added. “This is what has given the party the notorious high command culture,” said Jha speaking to ThePrint.
During the de-escalation process underway in the Galwan Valley, a violent face-off took place between India and China on Monday night with casualties on both sides. At least 20 Indian soldiers, including Commanding Officer, had attained martyrdom in the violent clashes with the Chinese troopers in Eastern Ladakh’s Galwan Valley. China has reportedly suffered more than 40 casualties, but there is no confirmation on the same from the Chinese side, although China has accepted that their soldiers also died and injured in the clash. 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 India lost around 80 soldiers while over 300 Chinese army personnel were killed in the confrontation.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said India will always remain indebted to its soldiers who lost their lives in Ladakh’s Galwan protecting the country’s territory, and their bravery reflects the commitment towards the motherland. In a series of tweets, Shah said the pain of losing the brave soldiers at Ladakh’s Galwan cannot be put in words, while Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said that the bravery and sacrifice of the soldiers who were martyred in clashes with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) will not be forgotten.
A website named jammukashmirnow.com gives us the list of our heroes who laid down their lives upholding the best traditions of Indian armed forces and protecting thesovereignty and integrity of our country.
Colonel Bikumalla Santosh Babu
Colonel Bikumalla Santosh Babu was martyred in a violent clash on Monday night. The martyred colonel hailed from Hyderabad, Telangana. Martyr Colonel Santosh Babu was in the 16-Bihar Regiment and was posted on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) for the past one and a half years. The colonel was a student of Sainik School Korukonda and had later joined the NDA, followed by IMA. In 15-years, Col Babu had got four promotions.
Col Santosh’s body will arrive at Shamshabad airport on Wednesday and travel to Suryapet by road, where his last rites will be performed.
Martyr Havildar Palani
Passion and poverty had driven the martyred 40-year-old Indian Army soldier K Palani from Kadukkalur village in Ramanathapuram district to join the armed forces at the age of 18. Palani had been serving the Army for the last 22 years.
Palani was the elder son of the farmer couple Kalimuthu and Logambal at Kadukkalur village in Tiruvadanai taluk of Ramanathapuram district. He is survived by his wife P Vanathi Devi (35) and two children- a son aged 10 and a daughter aged 8.
The brave havildar had planned to retire from the army next year. Palani’s mortal remains are expected to reach his native village in a couple of days.
Martyr Jawan Kundan Ojha
Sepoy Kundan Ojha hailed from the village of Dihari of Sahibganj district in Jharkhand. Sepoy Kundan was in the Bihar 16 Regiment serving the Indian Army for the last 8 years. Ojha was blessed with a baby girl seventeen days ago. He died even before he could see his daughter.
Kundan is survived by his father, wife and three siblings – two brothers and a sister.
Martyr Naib Subedar Naduram Soren
Naib Subedar Naduram Soren was a resident of Mayurbhanj district of Odisha. After completing Class 12 from Rairangpur College, Soren joined the Army to fulfil his lifelong dream, in 1997, his elder brother Doman Majhi said.
Soren is survived by his wife and three school-going daughters.
“We all feel shattered. Nanduram was an asset for the family as well as the village. He was loved by all for his friendly nature,” his elder brother said.
Martyr Naib Subedar Mandeep Singh
Naib Subedar Mandeep Singh who was killed on the LAC in the Galwan Valley standoff in Ladakh was the sole breadearner of his family comprising of his aging mother, wife and two children. Singh had left his village after a nearly month long holiday only two weeks ago. Administration officials said his body is expected to reach Patiala tomorrow.
Martyr Naib Subedar Satnam Singh
Naib Subedar Satnam Singh who also hailed from Gurdaspur in Punjab state had served the Army for the last 25 years. He is among four soldiers belonging to the state who attained martyrdom.
Martyr Havildar Sunil Kumar
Havildar Sunil Kumar was a resident of Patna in Bihar.
Martyr Havildar Vipul Rai
Havildar Vipul Rai was a resident of Meerut city of Uttar Pradesh. Shaheed Vipul Rai was in the army for the past 17 years.
Martyr Nayak Deepak Singh Gaharwar
Nayak Deepak Singh Gaharwar (30) was a resident of from Faranda village in Rewa district of Madhya Pradesh. Deepak Singh was in the army for the last 8 years. About 15 days back, Gaharwar told his family members that he would return when the situation gets back to normal after the Covid-19 lockdown.
His wife, Rekha, works as a teacher at a Navoday school. The couple got married in November last year. Deepak Singh’s elder brother Prakash Singh also serves the Army and is posted at the India-Pak border in Rajasthan.
Martyr Jawan Rajesh Orang
The oldest of three siblings, Rajesh Orang joined the Army in 2015. Subhas, his father, is a marginal farmer in Belgoria village in Mohammedbazar police station area in Birbhum district, of West Bengal. Rajesh’s mother Mamata had been hoping to get him married when he came back on a holiday next. “He came home on leave a few months back and talks were on for his wedding,” she said.
On Monday night, he died of injuries in combat with the Chinese army at Galwan Valley in Ladakh region, his father Subhas was informed.
Martyr Jawan Ganesh Ram Kunjam
Ganesh Ram Kunjam was among the 20 soldiers who laid their lives fighting for India on Monday. Ganesh Ram Kunjam, who belonged to Kutrutola village of Charama block in Kanker district has joined the army in 2011 and was posted in the India China border barely a month ago. Kunjam had decided to join the army soon after his class 12 exams.
His family was planning his marriage somewhere next year. His family was informed about his death by authorities.
Martyr Chandrakanta Pradhan
Chandrakanta Pradhan belonged to a tribal family, living in Kandhamal district’s Raikia block of Odisha. He had joined the Indian Army in the year 2014. It is being reported that Pradhan had last visited home around two months ago.
Martyr Jawan Ankush Thakur
21-year-old Sepoy Ankush Thakur laid his life fighting for his country. Thakur, a resident of Karohta village in Himachal Pradesh, was posted to the Punjab Regiment in 2018. His father and grandfather had also served in the Indian Army. Thakur has a younger brother who is studying in Class 6.
According to an official spokesperson at Simla, Ankur’s body would be given a state funeral Wednesday.
Martyr Sepoy Gurbinder Singh
The family of Sepoy Gurbinder Singh (22), who attained martyrdom on the Indo-China border in Galwan Valley, were planning his marriage as he had been engaged during his last vacation.
Gurbinder Singh, a resident of Tolawal village near Sunam was recruited in the army two years ago. He is survived by his parents, an elder brother and a sister.
“We got a call in the morning that Gurbinder has been martyred and his body is likely to reach on Wednesday night or Thursday. People are pouring in. My father and I are finding it tough to keep the news from my mother, who loved her youngest son the most,” Gurpreet Singh, elder brother of Gurbinder, said.
Martyr Sepoy Chandan Kumar
Chandan Kumar was from Bhojpur, Bihar. he had joined the Army three years ago in 2017.
Martyr Sepoy Kundan Kumar
Sepoy Kundan Kumar also hailed from Saharsa town in Bihar. Shaheed Kundan Kumar was in the army for the last 8 years.
Martyr Aman Kumar
Aman Kumar who hailed from Samastipur district of Bihar was recruited in th Army in 2014.
Martyr Jai Kishore
Being amognst the 20 soldiers who lost their lives on Monday night, Jai Kishore joined the Army in 2018. He belonged to Vaishali district of Bihar.
Jai Kishore
Martyr Sepoy Ganesh Hansda
Ganesh Hansda hailed from East Singhbhum district of Jharkhand. He was recruited in the Army only two years ago.
Martyr Jawan Gutej Singh
Gutej Singh was a resident of Mansa district of Punjab. Shaheed Gurtej was also admitted to the Army in 2018, two years ago.
India pays tribute to the Bravehearts who made the ultimate sacrifice during the violent face-off with China in Galwan Valley on Monday night (15 June).
As China’s economic power has risen, so has its belligerence in asserting the numerous overlapping territorial claims it has with at least 14 of its neighbours. In the recent weeks, China has sunk a Vietnamese fishing boat in the disputed South China Sea, persistently harassed a Malaysian offshore oil rig, threatened Taiwan with an attack, tightened its grips on Hong Kong by passing a controversial national security law and flexed muscles with India along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh.
Recently, violent clashes broke out between the Indian and Chinese forces along the Line of Actual Control in Galwan Valley in Eastern Ladakh after the Indian forces found Chinese troops intrude into its region following a disengagement plan agreed between the Lieutenant Generals of the two sides earlier this month. At least 20 Indian soldiers, including Commanding Officer of the 16 Bihar Regiment, were killed in action in the military confrontation between the two forces. Heavy casualties have been reported on the Chinese side as well, but no official number has been released by Beijing.
Amidst this border standoff between India and China, it is important to revisit the pithy observations made by Investigative Reporter Joshua Philipp on China’s use of psychological warfare, media warfare and legal warfare to “strangle countries with their own system” and view them in the context of its pervasive dispute with its neighbours.
In an interview on American Thought Leaders, Joshua Philipp talked on an array of topics concerning China, specifically about the origins of coronavirus in China, coronavirus as a fallout of Beijing’s biological weapons program, and the Chinese Communist Party’s strategy to foment unrest in other countries using psychological, media and legal warfares.
As a part of their agenda to instigate trouble in the enemy country, the Chinese Communist Party observes how different countries operates, sensitivities of people in those countries, what are the controversial elements in their system, and how can they be exploited to use those drawbacks against them and unleash chaos in the country.
“If you say you have faith in free speech, they will set up crippling protests in your own backyard to call you out. If you claim you believe in free press, they shall set up a state-run media in your country and use their services to lie to your population to spread their propaganda. This is what they do. You tell them you believe in free markets and they will bring state-owned companies that will sell products at low cost and drive your companies out of business. This is what they do. “Strangle you with your own system,” Joshua explained.
China’s “Three Warfares Doctrine”
Joshua enunciated the Chinese military’s publicly adopted “Three Warfares Doctrine’ which include psychological warfare, media warfare and legal warfare. According to the Investigative Reporter, psychological warfare doesn’t necessarily entail peddling lies. In fact, it means changing the way information is interpreted by the population. Explaining the concept, Joshua said when the virus emerging out of the central Chinese city of Wuhan is called “Chinese Virus”, the CCP swings into action its psychological warfare and twists the news by claiming it to be a racist reference discriminating against the Chinese people.
The media warfare, according to him, is the ability to control and manipulate outlets of information, not just news outlets, but social media, online platforms, the power of speaking freely. Anything that would enable people to communicate to a larger audience that could galvanise trouble for the CCP would be a target of the media warfare. Elaborating over the media warfare waged by the Chinese Communist Party, Joshua cites the document accessed by him which said that the Propaganda arm of the CCP had hired 1,600 operatives to sweep Internet and clean potentially incriminating information against China on social media platforms. He also added that the CCP hired the services of 50 cent Army which go on the comments section of websites like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other Chinese social media website and firehose them with lies and disinformation.
A case in point, Joshua claims, is the disinformation campaign surrounding the origins of the coronavirus attributed to US military. A senior Chinese spokesperson publicly called the US military as the source of the coronavirus. Joshua contends that soon after the Chinese spokesman ascribed the virus to the US military, all the arms of the media warfare coalesced to amplify the disinformation that US military was responsible for unleashing the pandemic.
“They had everyone online pushing this narrative. They also control and regulate the discourse that goes along in the Chinese social media space. The head of Global Times, one of their state-run media, now registered, notably, in the United States as a foreign mission of the Chinese Communist Party also actively partook in pushing this propaganda. A branch of the Chinese government was posting this as well. Soon, people in China started believing that the virus had its origin in the United States and they started calling it USA virus,” Joshua said.
“The document accessed by me said that the Chinese Communist Party commissioned hundreds of articles, from online influencers, well-known individuals, whose opinions shape social impact. Perceived credibility—that is the nature of disinformation. Recently, Taiwan did an analysis and found the same thing. They discovered that 70% of online articles about these things were being done by the Chinese agents,” Joshua averred.
Regarding legal warfare, Joshua asserts that for CCP legal warfare means manipulating the international legal system. It is to this end that China is resisting an international inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus and fighting tooth and nail to avert a global inquiry on the matter.
The Uttar Pradesh anti-terror squad has traced and arrested the man behind the threat calls to BJP MP from Unnao Sakshi Maharaj. The man threatened the MP that he will kill him in a bomb attack.
The perpetrator has been identified as Gaffar and is currently under police custody after he was nabbed on 17 June. A case has been registered under Sections 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 507 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code and section 66 (any electronic mail or electronic mail message for the purpose of causing annoyance or inconvenience) under information technology act.
He was produced before designated magistrate court for a remand.
Made threat calls to several other BJP Leaders too
During the interrogation, the accused confessed that he made the threat call when he was in Kuwait. He also accepted that apart from Sakshi Maharaj, he made threat calls to several other BJP leaders. One mobile phone, passport, Aadhar card, and Civil card have been recovered from Gaffar.
The ATS confirmed that the accused made calls to several BJP leaders. The ATS traced him while he was located in Kuwait but it was difficult to arrest him abroad. While he was on the radar on ATS, he was arrested immediately after he returned to Bijnor from Kuwait.
Other information regarding the accused that whether he was operating alone or there is a nexus behind the incident which is involved in making threat calls to BJP leaders is being investigated.
Threat call to Yogi Adityanath
Prior to this, Uttar Pradesh police had received a Whatsapp message sent to the social media cell of UP Police’s integrated emergency response centre UP112 in which a person threatened to kill Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath “with a bomb”. He has also warned of bomb blasts at 50 different places in Uttar Pradesh.
In the written message on Whatsapp an unidentified person has said that “we will blow up the entire state and the Uttar Pradesh government will keep watching.”
Last month, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) apprehended a 25-year-old man named Kamran Amin Khan from the Mhada colony in Chunnabhatti area of Mumbai who also threatened to kill Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in a bomb attack.
Nationalist Conference politician and former Chief Minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir has conspicuously deleted his Twitter account. Omar Abdullah, who has recently been released from preventive detention that was imposed after Article 370 was revoked in the now Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, seems to have deleted his Twitter account late Wednesday evening.
Deactivated Twitter Account of Omar Abdullah
The deactivation of his Twitter account comes after on Wednesday afternoon, Omar Abdullah had tweeted a warning to Kashmiri radicals about cheering China in the ongoing stand-off between India and China in the Galwan Valley of Ladakh.
Tweet by Omar Abdullah before he deleted his Twitter account
In the tweet, Omar Abdullah had warned Kashmiri radicals about the temptation to look towards China. “Those Kashmiris tempted to look towards China as some sort of saviour need only Google the plight of Uighur Muslims. Be careful what you wish for….”.
In the stand-off between India and China, many radical Muslims from Kashmir were seen cheering for China and looking towards China as a country that might help them in their nefarious designs. However, Omar Abdullah had sounded off a caution to the radicals saying that China is no ally of Muslims considering the plight of Uighur Muslims.
Omar Abdullah had interesting disabled replies to his tweet which warned Kashmiri Muslims. Clearly, Abdullah was sure of the abuse he might face at the hands of the radical Kashmiris and had thus, disabled the responses to his tweet. Twitter has a new feature where accounts can limit who is allowed to respond to their tweet and in the current tweet, Abdullah had limited to only those who are mentioned in his tweet being able to response. Since nobody was mentioned in his tweet, it would essentially mean that nobody would be able to tweet a response to him.
That the account was deleted after a tweet in which he had disabled responses points to the fact that Abdullah might have decided to quit Twitter to avoid the blowback he may receive for this tweet not only from Kashmiri radicals but also from Pakistanis.
This is not the first time that a member of the opposition parties has spooked out after tweeting against China. In May, Congress leader and Leader of Congress party in Lok Sabha – Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury took to Twitter to issue some warnings to China and praise the Indian forces. However, he soon deleted the tweet.
The Congress leader, slamming China, had warned the communist nation about how Indian forces can ‘defang the venomous snakes’ like China and stated that the entire world was watching the sinister designs of China while calling them “Yellow expansionist”. Chowdhury also urged the Modi government to accord to diplomatic recognition to Taiwan “without much delay”. Interestingly, this tweet was also subsequently deleted.
It appears that for certain opposition parties, tweeting harsh words against China would be considered forbidden fruit since in their political hatred for Prime Minister Modi, any praise for the Indian Armed Forces, the Nation or even harsh words against an enemy nation are considered off limits.
Update: Later in the day on 17 June, Omar Abdullah’s Twitter account was reactivated.
As the news broke out about the violent clashes that took place between the Indian soldiers and Chinese troopers in Galwan valley in Eastern Ladakh, an illustration of Lord Ram, one of the most important Gods in the Hindu pantheon, taking on the Chinese Dragon surfaced online.
The infographic of Lord Ram battling the Chinese Dragon was posted on the Hong Kong social media website LIHKG in solidarity with India after it lost 20 soldiers in the melee with the Chinese forces along the stretch of the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh. The illustration carried the seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu, Lord Ram, drawing a bow to shoot the Chinese Dragon along with the message “We conquer. We kill.”
Hong Kong Twitter user HoSaiLei shared it on Twitter and it instantly went viral as Indians and residents of Hong Kong joined hands to stand up to the Chinese expansionism. As of now, the post had garnered 780 retweets, 2,000 likes and 78 comments.
Similarly, other Hong Kong Twitter users also expressed their support to India in its fight to stall the expansionist manoeuvres of Beijing. Users tweeted with #HKstandswithIndia to convey their support for India.
— Sarath Prasannakumar (@SarathPrasanna4) June 17, 2020
The illustration of Lord Ram slaying the Chinese dragon was also hailed by the Taiwanese media organisation and The Taiwan News, one of the leading English media organisation in Taiwan published a report about the illustration that united the Twitter users from Hong Kong, Taiwan and India against the Chinese authoritarianism.
It is pertinent to note that there is groundswell of anti-China sentiments among the residents of Hong Kong and Taiwan after China tightened its grip on the semi-autonomous business hub and threatened Taiwan with military attack. China recently passed a controversial national security law that chip away at the autonomy previously enjoyed by Hong Kong and enables extradition of wrongdoers from Hong Kong to the Mainland China. The city was convulsed with demonstrations and protests much of the last year but the onset of coronavirus crisis dampened the protests. Taking the cover of the coronavirus outbreak, the Chinese Communist Party quickly passed the national security law on the pretext of restoring law and order in the semi-autonomous region. Protesters have claimed this to be in violation of the treaty signed with the Britain in 1997 and termed China’s move as autocratic to quell the dissenting voices.
China has similarly strengthened its claims on Taiwan and has considered it as a part of its territory. It has recently threatened to annex the country by military force if the island resists unification indefinitely. The threats came in the wake of Taiwan’s request to attend WHO meet and amidst growing mistrust among several countries towards China for its initial mishandling of the coronavirus crisis.
26-year-old Sepoy Kundan Kumar Ojha sacrificed his life for the nation in the violent face-off with Chinese troops in Galwan Valley, Ladakh. Hailing from Jharkhand, he was recruited in the Bihar regiment of the Indian army in 2011.
#WATCH Bihar: Father of Sepoy Kundan Kumar, who lost his life in #GalwanValley of Ladakh on June 15-16, says, “My son sacrificed his life for the nation. I have two grandsons, I will send them too.” pic.twitter.com/WHkkJw0HEX
His father, Ravi Kumar Ojha, said, ”My son sacrificed his life for the nation. I have two grandsons, I will send them too.” Sepoy Ojha was posted in the valley along with Col Babu, who also lost his life during the face-off between Indian and Chinese sides.
Col Babu’s father proudly narrated his son’s stories of bravery and told how he fought terrorists in Kupwara. He added that he was mentally prepared for this day from the moment his son joined the army.
Ladakh face-off between Indian and Chinese troops
On the night of 15th and 16th June, a violent face-off took place between Indian and Chinese troops. It led to casualties on both sides. Chinese authorities did not release any official figures. However, the Indian side has confirmed 20 casualties. It is believed that the casualties on the Chinese side are above 40. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said in a statement that our soldiers died while defending the country, and their sacrifice will not go in vain.
