A complaint has been filed by Legal Rights Observatory (LRO) against politician Asaduddin Owaisi’s party, All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM), for urging Muslims to disregard the Indian Judiciary in a viral poster.
The said complaint was filed with the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Registrar of the Bombay High Court. In a Twitter post, LRO informed that the complaint sought for derecognition of AIMIM as a political party for ‘outrageous posters’, attempts to create a parallel judicial system and infusion of hatred against the Indian Judiciary.
— Legal Rights Observatory- LRO (@LegalLro) May 18, 2020
Contentious AIMIM poster
In the contentious poster, the party has urged Muslims to join them, besides encouraging them to ignore the Indian Judiciary and run a parallel Judiciary based on Islamic law. It encouraged Muslims to resolve their issues through Ulemas (clerics) and not courts. The poster read, “Muslims, if you stop going to the courts and instead resolve your issues through an Ulema (Islamic cleric), then, no Government will have the courage to intervene in your Shariat.”
The said poster had claimed that it is from AIMIM in Andheri (W).
In a series of announcements for the fiscal stimulus provided by the Government of India to battle the economic downturn induced by the coronavirus outbreak, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on May 18 declared the last tranche of the Rs 20 lakh crore Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan economic package.
The relief package announced by the government includes a host of measures such as free food grains for distraught migrant workers, hike in foreign direct investment in defence, liquidity measures for the MSMEs, changes in Essential Commodities Act, increase in public expenditure in health, among others.
Here’s the split-up of the overall economic stimulus package:
Part 1
The first tranche of the economic relief package worth Rs 5.94 lakh crore provided liquidity measures to shore up small and medium business and support to shadow banks and electricity distribution companies. The definition of the MSME was changed and the threshold to qualify as MSMEs were raised. One of the significant announcement made by FM Sitharaman in the first tranche of economic stimulus package was Rs 3 lakh crore collateral-free automatic loans for businesses.
Sr no
Items
Rs(Crores)
1
Emergency W/C facility for Businesses, including MSMEs
3,00,000
2
Subordinate debt for stressed MSMEs
20,000
3
Fund of Funds for MSMEs
50,000
4
EPF support for Business and Workers
2,800
5
Reduction in EPF rates
6,750
6
Special liquidity scheme for NBFC/HFC/MFIs
30,000
7
Partial credit guarantee scheme 2.0 for liabilities of NBFCs/MFIs
45,000
8
Liquidity Injection for DISCOMs
90,000
9
Reduction in TDS/TCS rates
50,000
Total
5,94,550
Tranche 1 of the Economic Stimulus Package
Part 2
Totally Rs 3.1 lakh crore, the second tranche of the economic relief package included free food grains to the migrant workers across the country who have been amongst the worst-affected sections of the population from the economic tailspin caused by the coronavirus outbreak. A total of 9 announcements were made in the second tranche, which included free food grains to migrant workers for 2 months, national portability of ration cards, which permitted people to take ration from any public distribution unit in the country.
Sr no
Items
Rs(Crores)
1
Free Food grain supply to migrant workers for 2 months
3,000
2
Interest Subvention for Mudra Shishu loans
1,500
3
Special credit facility to street vendors
5,000
4
Housing CLSS-MIG
70,000
5
Additional Emergency Working Capital through NABARD
30,000
6
Additional Credit through KCC
2,00,000
Total
3,10,000
Tranche 2 of the Economic Stimulus Package
Part 3
The third tranche of the economic stimulus package saw the finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman allocating money for the Agricultural, Animal Husbandry and the ancillary sectors. A whopping Rs 1,00,000 crore was earmarked for bolstering the agricultural infrastructure in the country under Agri Infrastructure Fund. The government also declared that the Essential Commodities Act will be amended to deregulate prices of cereals, edible oils, oilseeds, pulses, onions, potatoes etc. Stock limit imposed on processors or value chain participants or any exporter subject to export demand was also removed by the government.
Sr no
Items
Rs(Crores)
1
Food Micro Enterprises
10,000
2
Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana
20,000
3
TOP to Total: Operation Greens
500
4
Agri Infrastructure Fund
1,00,000
5
Animal Husbandry Infranstructure Development Fund
15,000
6
Promotion of Herbal Cultivation
4,000
7
Beekeeping Initiative
500
Total
1,50,000
Tranche 3 of the Economic Stimulus Package
Part 4 and 5
The fourth and fifth tranche of the investment largely dealt with bringing about structural reforms. About Rs 40,000 crore allocation was added to the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act(MGNREGA) and about Rs 8,100 crore for Viability. Gap Funding.
Sr no
Items
Rs(Crores)
1
Viability Gap Funding
8,100
2
Additional MGNREGS allocation
40,000
Total
48,100
Tranche 4 and 5 of the Economic Stimulus Package
Overall stimulus by Atmanirbhar Bharat Package
While the five tranches of stimulus package announced by the government totalled Rs 11,02,650 lakh crore, the relief measures declared by the government including the earlier scheme of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package(PMGKP) worth Rs 1,92,800 crore and the measures announced by the RBI to tackle the economic downturn as the country staggers under the economic shadow of the coronavirus lockdown. The RBI package which is pegged at Rs 8,01,603 crore includes measures like moratorium on loan repayments for all borrowers and interest rate cuts etc.
Sr no
Items
Rs(Crores)
1
Part 1
5,94,550
2
Part 2
3,10,000
3
Part 3
1,50,000
4
Part 4 and 5
48,100
Sub-Total
11,02,650
5
Earlier Measures including PMGKP
1,92,800
6
RBI Measures(Actual)
8,01,603
Sub-Total
9,94,403
Grand Total
20,97,053
Overall stimulus provided by Atmanirbhar Bharat Package
The Finance Minister said that the last tranche will focus on 7 sectors- MGNREGS, Health (rural and urban) and Education related, businesses and coronavirus, decriminalisation of Companies Act, Ease of Doing Business, Public Sector Enterprises- related steps and state governments and related resources.
25 migrant labourers returning from Rajasthan had died and several others were injured in a tragic road accident in Mihauli, Auraiya in UP early on Saturday morning on 16 May.
The injured labourers, speaking to the media, have told the tales of their misery. As per reports, the injured labourers has told media that a group of 40 labourers working in stone quarries have decided to return to their native places in West Bengal because they were out of jobs due to the lockdown and were facing difficulties in arranging food.
The labourers had reportedly reached Rajasthan’s Bharatpur in a bus on Friday. In Bharatpur, as per the allegations by the workers, the Rajasthan police stopped them and prevented them from going any further.
The labourers have accused that the police in Bharatpur was not allowing them to travel further and only agreed to allow after a lot of pleading. However, they did not allow them to continue in that bus. The migrant workers have stated that the police had forced them to ride on a cargo-loaded truck.
Police investigation into the accident
The police in UP have launched an investigation into the truck accident that claimed 25 lives and injured several other migrant workers. As per a report in Amar Ujala, investigating officer Mohit Agarwal has informed that the migrant workers from several districts in Rajasthan were forced to disembark from the bus in Bharatpur. A team of Bharatpur police had ordered them to ride on a cargo-loaded truck.
Initiating investigation into the accident, the UP police have stated that since ferrying migrant workers in trucks has been prohibited, the truck drivers will also be held accountable. The police have informed that the police of all the districts where the truck has travelled through have shown negligence because ferrying migrant workers in trucks is not allowed.
Some other migrant workers who have suffered injuries have also informed that they had no other way but to travel in the cargo-loaded truck because other vehicles were not available and they were forced to walk.
Gehlot praises his own government
Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot has, however, praised his own government over handling the migrant workers crisis. Speaking to media, Gehlot has stated that instead of criticising Rahul Gandhi, the central government should have held talks with the opposition leaders over what help is needed for arranging facilities for migrant workers.
Instead of criticising Rahul Gandhi, Centre should have held talks with opposition on what help they need for arranging facilities for migrant workers. It’ll take 6-8 months if migrants travel by train,we should arrange vehicles for them: Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot (17.05.2020) pic.twitter.com/YZIVLhE7U6
Imran Khan government in Pakistan blocked social networking platform Twitter and video conferencing platform Zoom for a couple of hours on Sunday. However, users were able to access the same through VPN (Virtual Private Network). Many Twitter users also took to the microblogging site to express that Twitter was blocked in Pakistan.
Many Pakistani Twitter users called it a tactic to suppress their voice.
I shit you not. When my Twitter stopped working, I turned my PTCL connection on and off for about an hour. Then I found that internet is still working so Twitter must be down round the globe and waited for the issue to be sorted out. Now turns out it was our gov ?#TwitterDown
— Qaiser For President ? (@Qaiser__Khan) May 17, 2020
Some claimed that Pakistan government shut down Twitter and Zoom because of the SAATH Virtual Conference.
So the army just shut down Twitter and Zoom all over #Pakistan to avoid Pakistanis from witnessing the #SAATHVirtualConf2020 which revolved around, ironically, Freedom of Press in Pakistan! They will go to any lengths to deprive us of uncensored media.
Pakistan blocking Twitter & Zoom to silence criticism & the brave activists organising the #SAATHVirtualConf2020 is a telling show of how insecure The State is in itself.
Among other issues, Pakistanis discussed forced religious conversion of Hindu girls in Sindh.
Farha Kaghzi is speaking about forced conversions. State sides with religious fanatics instead of justice. State is party. Sindhi Hindu girls have to live in fear that they can be next. #SAATHVirtualConf2020pic.twitter.com/2eG4yvoIxl
The SAATH Virtual Conference was being held to discuss the atrocities carried out by Imran Khan government and Pakistani Army on Balochistan residents.
However, a few hours later, the microblogging site Twitter and Zoom services were both restored in Pakistan.
On Sunday, a cyber complaint was filed against a TikTok star named Faizal Siddiqui for promoting acid attacks on women by jilted lovers. Faizal, the brother of another controversial TikTok influencer Amir Siddiqui, boasts of a whopping 13.4 million followers on the Chinese video-sharing social media service.
I lodged a complaint against #FaizalSiddiqui having 2.6M+ followers on @TikTok_IN. -Posted Objectionable Videos on Tiktok, The videos give a message, if any girl denied accepting the proposal throw acid on her face. pic.twitter.com/2kjK1cDm67
— Adv. Ashutosh J Dubey (@iamashu123) May 17, 2020
The Contentious Video
A 9-second video by Faizal Siddiqui was shared on Twitter by a user named Intrepaid Saffron. The video has, since then, gone viral on social media. In the contentious TikTok video, he can be heard saying, “Usna tumhe chor diya jiska liya tumna Mujhe chora tha“. The loose translation goes as “Did the man, for whom you abandoned me, leave you?” Following the dialogue, he goes on to recreate a disturbing scene of an acid attack with liquid. The face of the victim is then seen covered in scars.
He is Faizal Siddiqui, memeber of team nawab and brother of Amir Siddiqui
— Intrepid Saffron (@IntrepidSaffron) May 17, 2020
According to the data published by theNational Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), there have been 1,483 victims of acid attack between 2014 and 2018. Out of 523 cases that went for trial in 2018, convictions were successful in only 19 cases. Social media videos that glamorise acid attack as a means to avenge lost love has the potential to influence jilted lovers to follow suit in real life.
NCW takes Cognisance
BJP leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga reached out to Rekha Sharma, the Chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW). In a reply to his tweet, Sharma assured that she will take up the case with the police as well as TikTok regarding the dangerous precedent set by such videos.
The Chinese video-sharing service that has gained prominence in India has been misused, on multiple occasions, by anti-social elements. Amidst the Coronavirus outbreak, several Muslim creators on TikTok were seen encouraging people to flout social distancing guidelines under the garb of Islamic preachings. In one such video, a Muslim man who refuses to shake hands with his friend, owing to the pandemic is rebuked by saying, “You will leave Sunnat (traditional Islamic custom) today and Islam tomorrow due to your fear of death. We are Muslims and therefore we are not afraid to die.”
India is among the 62 countries across the world seeking an independent inquiry into World Health Organisation (WHO)’s response to tackling the Chinese coronavirus outbreak across the globe. India has reportedly backed a joint effort by Australia and European Union calling for an impartial, independent and comprehensive probe into the coronavirus crisis. A draft resolution has been proposed for the 73rd World Health Assembly (WHA) meeting which is beginning today.
The draft, over and above the inquiry, also calls for WHO and its timeliness related to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Initiate, at the earliest appropriate moment, and in consultation with Member States a stepwise process of impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation, including using existing Mechanisms, as appropriate, to review experience gained and lessons learned from WHO-coordinated international health response to COVID-19,” the draft reads as reported by news agency ANI.
In April, Australia called for an independent investigation into the global response to the coronavirus pandemic. Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne had said that the country will seek a review that would probe, in part, China’s early response to the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan.
Other countries which have backed the draft are Japan, United Kingdom, New Zealand, South Korea, Brazil and Canada among others.
Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao, who has been forefront at fighting the coronavirus battle in state of Karnataka, was a part of a controversy this week after he was seen praying at a local church in the city with a group of Christian priests, violating the lockdown rules that he is responsible for enforcing.
According to the reports, Bhaskar Rao was present at the St Mark’s Cathedral in Bengaluru last week, where he was seen singing with members of the church choir. The video was shared on social media, which became viral instantly.
ಇಡಿ ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರದ ಜನತೆ ಸರ್ಕಾರದ ಲಾಕ್ ಡೌನ ಕಟ್ಟುನಿಟ್ಟಾಗಿ ಪಾಲನೆಯನ್ನು ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿರುವಾಗ, ಎಲ್ಲಾ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನಗಳ ಬಾಗಿಲುಗಳನ್ನು ಮುಚ್ಚಿರುವಾಗ, ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ಪೋಲಿಸ್ ಕಮೀಶನರ್ @deepolice12 ರವರು ಚರ್ಚ್ ನ ಸಾರ್ವಜನಿಕ ಸಾಮೂಹಿಕ ಪ್ರಾರ್ಥನೆ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಭಾಗವಹಿಸಿ ಪ್ರಾರ್ಥನೆ ಮಾಡಿರುವುದು ಕಾನೂನು ಉಲ್ಲಂಘನೆ ಅಲ್ಲವೇ?@drashwathcnpic.twitter.com/FxEqcFalvC
In the viral video, it was seen that senior IPS officer Bhaskar Rao was singing along the church choir at the St Mark’s Cathedral along with the Christian priests. Several other senior police officers Additional Commissioner of Police Soumendu Mukherjee were seen offering prayers and singing together at the cathedral.
Ironically, the crowd at the church, including senior police officers can be seen standing next to each other violating social distancing norms.
Netizens express shock, say commissioner violated lockdown rules
The presence of Bengaluru’s top cop at a church, however, did not well go across the social media. Several netizens took to social media to question the need for Rao visiting a church and praying at a time when the country is under lockdown due to coronavirus.
Netizens questioned how could the police chief participate in such religious gathering during the lockdown period when such congregations linked to other religions, faiths are banned across the country. They questioned the police regarding the violation social distancing norms by the policemen itself.
One user asked was it not a violation of rules by commissioner Bhaskar Rao to pray in a church which is under the red zone. He also pointed out that temples are closed for two months.
“The government had banned people from going to temples, masjids and churches. In fact, people who had been to worship centres were caned in various parts. How could the commissioner violate the rule and take part in a meeting like this by flouting the government rules?” asked a netizen according to DH report.
Bhaskar Rao defends visiting church
Meanwhile, senior IPS officer Bhaskar Rao speaking to Deccan Herald said he had been visiting all religious places to seek blessings to fight off the coronavirus crisis.
“This is not a violation of lockdown rules as everyone had undergone medical tests and maintained social distancing,” he said.
He added that he has been interacting with various community leaders to convince their members to help create awareness on the coronavirus situation, which is of utmost importance at this hour.
An unusual incident occurred in Karnataka where the Police had a lucky break when they caught a murder-accused on the run. Saleem Ballari, a resident of Hubbali, was involved in a fracas on Friday when he got into an argument at a hotel. Soon, matters escalated and allegedly he spat on the staff and manhandled them. Subsequently, the Police were informed of the matter and they came in and took him into custody, and found out that he is actually a murder accused on the run, according to reports.
On Friday evening, Saleem engaged in a session of binge-drinking, following which he went outside to get food for himself at Nekar Nagar. But due to lockdown restrictions, eateries were shut down by 7 PM. When he asked the staff at a nearby hotel to provide him with food, he was told that the services had closed for the day. Angered by the refusal, Saleem started abusing the staff and eventually spat on him. With the Wuhan Coronavirus pandemic underway, such atrocious behaviour could prove to be life-threatening.
Consequently, the hotel staff and other people present in the are tied him to a pole and informed the Police about the matter. Soon police from Kasabapet police station reached the spot and took Saleem Ballari into custody. After the Police started investigating his background, they discovered that he is a murder-accused who had been on the run. He had been absconding after allegedly killing a man in Kalaburgi in November. The murder was committed when the victim was out on bail.
After committing the murder, Saleem had been hiding in Nekar Nagar, doing unskilled jobs, said Kasabapet police. Reportedly, he is a supari killer, means he murders for money. Apart from the murder case, several cases of theft and intimidation are also registered against him. However, the Police said that they could not divulge any more details regarding the case at that moment.
Saleem Ballary was later taken to KIMS for a medical checkup.
Former Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh has expressed his regret for making a donation appeal for Shahid Afrid’s NGO during the Wuhan Coronavirus crisis after a video of the Pakistani cricketer’s speech had gone viral on social media where he had made incendiary comments against Prime Minister Modi and India. Earlier, Harbhajan Singh, who had also made the donation appeal, expressed his regret as well.
Yuvraj Singh said that he was “really disappointed” with the comments Shahid Afridi made against Narendra Modi and stated that he had made the appeal for donation “for the sake of humanity”. “Never again,” said Yuvraj Singh, who had received great criticism from Indians after he had made the appeal for donations.
Really disappointed by @SAfridiOfficial‘s comments on our Hon’b PM @narendramodi ji. As a responsible Indian who has played for the country, I will never accept such words. I made an appeal on your behest for the sake of humanity. But never again.
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) May 17, 2020
Harbhajan Singh hits out at Shahid Afridi
In his conversation with India Today journalist Vikrant Gupta, Harbhajan Singh said that as PM Modi had said, coronavirus does not see boundaries and hence he had made a donation appeal for Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi’s NGO. However, following his distasteful comments on India as well as Prime Minister Modi, where he remarked that Prime Minister Modi having a bigger ‘disease’ than coronavirus, the off-spinner said that he regrets his decision.
“If anyone speaks against my country or countrymen or my prime minister it is not acceptable, whoever it is,” Singh said. He even apologised to everyone who has been hurt by his action and promised that he will never speak for anyone who spreads hate against India. He said that he has realised his friendship was limited to cricket field but it is no longer there.
What did Shahid Afridi say?
Afridi had gone to Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir and claimed that the Indian government under PM Modi is carrying out atrocities against the Indians in Kashmir, part of which is illegally occupied by Pakistan. “Inshallah he’ll have to be answerable here as well as in other world,” he had said.
A shocking incident of Muslim goons targeting Muslim women on the streets or purchasing at Hindu shops has been reported from Davangere district of Karnataka.
A series of videos have gone viral on social media, in which Muslim mobs were seen hounding and abusing Muslim women for purchasing goods from Hindu shops. In one particular incident, a Muslim mob confronts a group of Muslim on the streets of Davangere, who had just come out a shop owned by Hindus.
Jain bakery owner was arrested for saying that no muslim staff in TN but look at here how they are hounding Muslim women for shopping from Hindu Shop and using orange cover. This is what hatred is and SECULAR INDIA is @BSYBJP@CMofKarnatakapic.twitter.com/2UFwb9Ch3n
In the horrifying video, it can be seen how Muslim mobs descended on the streets to abuse two burqa-clad women coming out BS Channabasappa and Sons, a popular cloth shop owned by Hindus in Davangere city. The mob then abuses and attacks Muslim women for buying clothes from Hindu shop at the month of Ramzan.
The mob can also be seen hounding the burqa-clad women for carrying their purchases in ‘saffron’ carry bags and then snatches the goods from them and takes out the clothes from the orange coloured plastic bags. The women can be seen pleading the aggressive Muslim mob to let them go.
A second video of the same incident shows how Muslim mob forcing the Muslim women to return the goods purchased from the Hindu store. One guy was seen snatching an orange coloured package from the burqa-clad women. The mob was also seen forcing the two-women to sit in an auto-rickshaw so they could take them to the Hindu shops and return the products they have purchased.
This is what happening now in Davangere, Karnataka. Common Muslim People are buying clothes and goon muslims are stopping them and asking them to return for some who already bought. Retweet until it reaches karnataka police. @BSYBJP@CMofKarnatakapic.twitter.com/2ORekfBMAy
Similarly, another Muslim mob, continuing similar act in another part of Davangere city, threatened two women and a child for purchasing at a store in the city. In the video, it can be seen that a man talking in Urdu bullied a burqa-clad woman and her child to not to enter the cloth shop. The incident has reportedly occurred near the clock tower of Davangere.
“Jamaats have said not to purchase from Hindu shops, yet you do this!”
Watch how a peaceful man scolds a peaceful woman for visiting a Hindu shop to buy dress materials! pic.twitter.com/EygouPoWUm
A mob speaking in Urdu can be seen threatening the women for buying clothes at the shop called ‘Malabar Cottons’ and repeatedly saying why she did visit that particular shop despite repeated warnings. A frightened child was also seen saying that they did not buy anything from the shop. OpIndia could not independently verify whether the owner of ‘Malabar Cotton’ was a Hindu, and when the incidents depicted in the videos happened. But the videos suggest that the incidents are recent and occurred during the current lockdown period as most people were wearing masks.
