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Commerce Ministry recommends lowering limits on import of duty-free alcohol and tobacco, is it contrary to global norms?: Here are the facts

OpIndia Staff
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Commerce Ministry recommends lowering limits on import of duty-free alcohol and tobacco, is it contrary to global norms?: Here are the facts

The Commerce Ministry has recommended a restriction on the purchase of tax-free alcohol at duty-free shops to one bottle, according to reports. The measure has reportedly been recommended with an eye to reducing the import of non-essential goods into the country. The current limit is 2 litres of alcohol at such shops.


The recommendations also include the prohibition of the purchase of cigarette cartons at these shops. These recommendations are reportedly part of proposals made by the Commerce Ministry for the upcoming budget which is set to be unveiled on the 1st of February bu Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

People on social media were not too pleased with the reports and took to Twitter to voice their disenchantment.


However, as it turns out, the recommendations made by the Commerce Ministry are not entirely radical or in contravention of existing global norms. For instance, the United States of America permits individuals to bring one litre of alcohol into the country duty-free. The limit goes up to five litres if the alcohol is brought from U.S. insular possession such as the U.S. Virgin Islands or Samoa.

As of 2017, countries like Japan, Thailand and Singapore have such restrictions as well. Japan restricts it to three bottles of 760 ml each while Thailand limits it to one litre. Singapore has the same limit as Thailand. China has it at 1.5 litres while Australia limits it at 2.25 litre and Cambodia at 2 litres. Macau and Taiwan have it at 1 litre. Thus, India should it decide to limit the purchase of alcohol at duty-free shops to 1 litre will not be as drastic or radical as some Indians are believing it to be.

Source: Business Traveller

When it comes to restrictions on cigarettes and tobacco, India has the limit at 100 cigarettes and 25 cigars or 125 gm of tobacco per passenger. This is, again, not radically different from other countries as can be seen from the table which shows data from 2017. Australia limits the number of cigarettes and cigars to 25 and equal to 25 gm respectively, the same for Hong Kong is 19 and 1. Singapore has it at 0. However, admittedly, the other countries have set the bar much higher at either 200 cigarettes and a couple at even 400.

Thus, if India decides to bring the limits down a notch, it will neither be without precedent nor it would something drastic as most would like to believe. However, it is imperative that the Finance Minister ensures these are not part of the budget’s core plans to boost economic growth. By default, these measures cannot be the go-to method for economic revival. It can be said with a relative amount of certainty that when the budget is declared, restriction on duty-free tobacco and alcohol will not be the first thing that people will look out for on the 1st of February.

Union Minister of Railways, who announced the interim budget in 2019, confirming the recommendations, told TOI, “It’s not a question of large or small (quantities). Even under GST, while alcohol is not included, tobacco is a sin good. As a nation, we are not encouraging the import of alcohol.” “All that we have done is highlighted that these are global best practices. I am not sure if India can afford to be so liberal, particularly when it relates to liquor and cigarettes,” he added.

Lies, deception and misinformation of anti-CAA protests: How University campuses have wrongly become a battleground

Shubhendu Anand
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Lies, deception and misinformation of anti-CAA protests: How University campuses have wrongly become a battleground

It is manifestly clear from an earnest reading of the Constitution of India, Article 14 in particular, that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is neither anti-Muslim nor it violates Article 14 and 15 of the Indian Constitution. One of the arguments put forward by the individuals, mostly those studying in universities and law schools, who are opposing it is that CAA fails on the touchstone of Article 14 of the Constitution of India.

The principal test of Article 14 as per the constitution is reasonable classification, which should be based on intelligible differentia. The classification must be in nexus with the object of the act which is sought to be achieved. The object of the act is to deal with the discrimination of religious minorities who have been persecuted in three neighbouring countries i.e. Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Based on such object, the classification is reasonable because it acknowledges the unequal nature of persecuted minorities vis-à-vis Muslim majorities of those specific countries which is justified in making such differentiation and should be considered valid as per the Constitution. Secondly, Article 15 of the constitution applies to only citizens and it will not be applicable to persons as defined under Article 14 of the Constitution.

Read: Fact check: Does Citizenship Amendment Act violate Article 14 of the Indian Constitution

But unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation which is being spread about the Amendment Act across various parts of India, especially in the educational institutions. Protests are being organised in the country by individuals and students who are not aware about the exact contents of the Act and such people are engaging in vandalism and disruption across country. Apart from vandalism, the fear mongering which is being done by some leaders is very worrisome. The act is being portrayed as Anti-Muslims and a false perception of all Muslims citizens being disenfranchised is being created.

The CAA is very limited in its scope, which allows only 6 communities from 3 of our neighbouring countries to apply for citizenship. Another requirement, as mentioned earlier is that communities which are exempted from trial under a foreign tribunal must have resided in India before 31st December 2014. Therefore, even if NRC leaves a few people out (as being apprehended, for which there is no rule yet), the presumption that non-Muslims will automatically be protected by the Act is founded on misinformation. Any hysteria and fear-mongering based on such distorted facts which are far from reality only go on to prove that these are politically motivated. Sadly, students across various universities and law schools are falling prey to such political propaganda.

Read: Journalists use Nankana Sahib attack to claim CAA does not help persecuted minorities entering India after 2014, here is how they are wrong

Students in some universities are protesting, one of the universities which is at the forefront of the opposing the CAA is Jamia Milia Islamia, the protest which was organised by the students is claimed to be peaceful under Article 19 of the Indian Constitution. The Constitution recognises the right of students (or anyone) to protest peacefully but at the same time if any unlawful act is committed which disturbs the public order then it would allow police to exercise their power to stop such disruption and restore public order in such disturbed area.

Several news reports and videos that surfaced showed that the miscreants were pelting stones from inside, or were running inside the university campus after throwing stones, apart from causing destruction to several buses and motor-vehicles around the university area.

Read: Anti-CAA riots: UP police books 12 rioters under Goonda act for violence in AMU, name of students’ union president included in FIR

There are various reports to suggest that students were hiding inside the universities after causing arson and attacking the police by pelting stones. Generally, police resist from entering the university campuses but that must be decided by them based on the assessment of the situation which gives them some much-needed discretion for restoring public order. Unlawful protest, which was very active in this case, allows the police to perform their duty which they are legally bound to perform.

If the police get any information about any unlawful act, they are bound by law to restore public order within the ambit of law. Also, if there are any rules framed by the university which prevents police to enter the campus without any permission, then also the law under Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) will prevail over such rule. As per Section 41 of the CrPC police can make arrests even with or without a warrant from the magistrate. Similarly, Section 47 and 48 of the CrPC give police officers power to pursue such miscreant if the officers have a reason to believe that person has entered or hiding in an area. Force can also be applied by the police in case the miscreants try to resist police action through force (Section 46 CrPC). The action of the police was within the ambit of law and there is no law in place which prevents police to enter the university campus.

Read: Jamia students joined rioters, former Congress MLA Asif Khan named: Read details of FIR filed in Jamia anti-CAA riot case

Other aspect of such protest is fear mongering that is being incited in the country, the same is very harmful for the peaceful fabric of our nation. Few students across country are organising protests in support of Jamia and the action of police is being condemned by them without having concrete information about the nature and extent of protest which ultimately compelled the police to act and make arrests by using force to counter the force used by the students while making arrests. Students across National Law Universities, who are expected to uphold the constitutional values and spirit of democracy, are releasing statements of solidarity against alleged police brutality by Delhi Police for ensuring public order.

Vandalism by students across Jamia and AMU is being legitimised through such statements of solidarity released by a handful of students from these top law universities. In the name of solidarity few students who are generally very vocal in their universities have ganged up by creating Anti-Citizenship Amendment Act groups.

Read: Idols will be removed, thrones will vanish, only Allah’s name will remain: Complaint against IIT-K’s Jamia solidarity event

Such dominant but uninformed view against the act has been imposed by them on the neutral students who do not agree with them, but these neutral and pro-CAA voices are not able to put forward their opinion because of the fear of getting labelled or being ostracised. Students across these universities are being mocked, bullied and mentally harassed for having a different but informed opinion. This imposition of views by few goes against the spirit of democracy and does not allow other people to present their opinion. Suppression of majority of dissent voices that are in support of CAA across National Law Universities is very prevalent and it has happened to a lot of students across country.

Without being emotive about this issue if one just considers the constitutionality of this law then it would pass the test. But it is being completely ignored by few students of top educational institutions in the country who are opposing it for propagating false beliefs about the CAA and its implementation.

(This article has been co-authored by Akshat Kaushik, who is a law student at the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata)

ED arrests CC Thampi, through whom not just Robert Vadra but even Rahul Gandhi had a connection with arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari: Read details

Nupur J Sharma
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ED arrests CC Thampi, through whom not just Robert Vadra but even Rahul Gandhi had a connection with arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari: Read details

In a massive breakthrough, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested NRI businessman CC Thampi, who is a close aide of Robert Vadra, Rahul Gandhi’s brother-in-law and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s husband.

In February 2019, Robert Vadra was grilled for over 5 hours for his alleged links to CC Thampi. The Enforcement Directorate suspects kickbacks for a petroleum deal in 2009 were routed through the Sharjah-based company, allegedly controlled by a UAE-based NRI businessman, CC Thampi. Vadra was also questioned about owning Benami property in London along with CC Thampi and Sanjay Bhandari. Thampi has a company in UAE called Sky Light and in India, Skylight Hospitality Private Limited is allegedly linked to Vadra and is under the ED scanner for suspect land deals in Bikaner, Rajasthan.

CC Thampi is being probed by Indian authorities over violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act worth several hundreds of crores of rupees. ED had served him a show-cause notice last year for violation of laws in the acquisition of agricultural and other lands in and around Delhi-NCR in deals amounting to over Rs 288 crore. CC Thampi, Robert Vadra and Sanjay Bhandari are ‘close friends’.

It is in this regards that ED will be grilling CC Thampi post-arrest.

However, there is another angle that OpIndia had exclusively investigated back in March 2019. It is through CC Thampi that the links between Rahul Gandhi and the arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari had also emerged.

The fulcrum of the expose by OpIndia.com was a land deal between Rahul Gandhi and one HL Pahwa. Rahul Gandhi had bought land from Pahwa, who also regularly deals with Robert Vadra and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. As discovered by OpIndia, Robert Vadra and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had bought several lands from HL Pahwa only to later sell them back to Pahwa at a much-inflated price. At the time of this transaction, Enforcement Directorate files recovered during their raid on HL Pahwa has confirmed that Pahwa did not have the cash reserves for the high-value purchase of lands. To make good on that payment, HL Pahwa was financed by CC Thampi who has several financial transactions with arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari. Sanjay Bhandari and CC Thampi are also inextricably linked to Robert Vadra through the Benami properties bought for Vadra by Thampi and Bhandari acting as the conduit.

Read: As Rahul Gandhi continues Rafale lies, his own link with an arms dealer could spoil his pitch

OpIndia.com had released 3 property documents that linked Rahul Gandhi, Robert Vadra and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to HL Pahwa. After the initial expose, OpIndia had released two more property papers that linked the Vadra-Gandhi family to HL Pahwa who is inextricably linked to CC Thampi and Sanjay Bhandari.

The facts that had emerged from the OpIndia expose were these:

1. Rahul Gandhi purchased land from HL Pahwa at allegedly, a reduced price.

2. The land was also purchased from HL Pahwa by Robert Vadra and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. In several cases, the land was bought back by HL Pahwa at an inflated price even though his cash balance was negative.

3. To make good on the purchase, HL Pahwa took money from CC Thampi

4. CC Thampi and Sanjay Bhandari are close friends. As demonstrated, they had several financial transactions amongst themselves.

5.  Sanjay Bhandari is an arms dealer and close friend of Robert Vadra. He had received kickbacks in Defence deal and in Petroleum deal.

6. It is through this kickback that Sanjay Bhandari purchased benami properties from Robert Vadra, even paid for the renovation.

7. The property was them sold to CC Thampi, and the proceeds syphoned off.

8. The ED is currently probing proximity of Robert Vadra with Thampi.

9. All of these deals happened during the Congress government.

10. Sanjay Bhandari is an armed dealer. From 2012 to 2015, Sanjay Bhandari was lobbying to become the offset partner in the Rafale deal and Dassault had refused to indulge him

11. File related to the purchase of 126 Rafale jets had gone missing from the defence ministry and it was later found on the road. It is alleged that Bhandari had stolen the file. It is alleged that Bhandari used to photocopy crucial files and passed on to defence contractors that he had links with.

12. Arun Jaitley had alleged that while Rafale was being finalised during the Congress government, there were backroom talks about the Eurofighter.

13. There are rumours that Rahul Gandhi had met Eurofighter representatives in Germany.

Read: As more property papers emerge linking Vadra-Gandhi family to HL Pahwa, here are questions Rahul Gandhi can’t escape

From these points, it is safe to draw the conclusion that Rahul Gandhi, just like Robert Vadra, is inextricably linked to Sanjay Bhandari, an arms dealer who is not only close to the Gandhi family but was also rebuked by Dassault in the Rafale deal. Sanjay Bhandari is also said to have received kickbacks in defence and petroleum deals during the Congress regime.

After the OpIndia expose, it was reported by India Today that ED was to question HL Pahwa about the dubious land deals he had with Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Robert Vadra. At that time, ED had summoned HL Pahwa as well as CC Thampi for questioning. While Pahwa had evaded the summons, Thampi had alleged that he is in the USA undergoing treatment.

Read: Congress admits to Rahul Gandhi’s land deals, but keeps mum on HL Pahwa and Sanjay Bhandari link

With the nexus between CC Thampi, HL Pahwa, arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari, Robert Vadra and the Gandhi duo Rahul and Priyanka becoming clearer and with the ED now arresting CC Thampi, the trouble could mount not only for Robert Vadra but also for Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

Kolkata: 11-year-old girl dies after being stabbed and mutilated by 13-year-old stalker

OpIndia Staff
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Kolkata: 11-year-old girl dies after being stabbed and mutilated by 13-year-old stalker

In a shocking incident, an 11-year-old girl was allegedly attacked, stabbed and mutilated by her stalker, a boy in her neighbourhood who is just 13. The incident happened on January 7, in Sonarpur, an area 20-km away from Kolkata.

As per a report in Hindustan Times, the little girl, brutally injured in the knife attack, finally succumbed to her injuries on Sunday, 19 January.

The accused minor boy was a student of class 9. On January 7, the victim had left her home for school on a bicycle. Her family was informed later that she was lying in the road in a serious condition. When the family rushed to the spot, they reportedly found the child lying after being stabbed. The perpetrator had also mutilated her face.

The alleged perpetrator happens to live in the same neighbourhood as the victim. The police have now detained him. The accused’s alleged accomplice happens to be a 22-year-old man.

The girl, a student of class 6 in a school in Sonarpur, had been admitted to the SSKM hospital in a critical condition in the CCU.

A senior police officer from Sonarpur had confirmed that the accomplice had been arrested, following a complaint by the victim’s family. The family also alleged that the accused had been stalking the girl for a long time and was allegedly angry after his ‘proposal’ was turned down.

However, the said incident had also triggered an angry mob to vandalise the accused’s house. The agitated protestors blocked a road for alleged police inaction. No police statement could be recorded by the victim as she succumbed to her injuries on January 19.

As the victim and the main accused are both minors, their names have not been released by the police.

J. P. Nadda elected new BJP chief, PM Modi will felicitate him later today at party headquarters

OpIndia Staff
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J. P. Nadda elected new BJP chief, PM Modi will felicitate him later today at party headquarters

Senior BJP leader J. P. Nadda, who was the working president of the BJP will now take over reins from Home Minister Amit Shah as he has been elected the new party chief. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will felicitate him later today at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi.

Nadda filed his nomination at 10:30 am today. With single nomination for the party top post, Nadda was elected the party chief unopposed. Had there been more than one nomination, there would have been an election process tomorrow, following which a new party head would have been elected.

Read: Modi ministers in five years – Jagat Prakash Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare

Senior BJP leader Radha Mohan Singh, who is in charge of electoral process within the BJP had announced the schedule after the party had concluded internal polls in 21 out of 36 state and union territories units of the BJP. As per the BJP constitution, national president elections can be held after at least 50% of total state units have concluded organisational election exercise.

Nadda is a former health minister in Modi 1.0 government and has also served as BJP Yuva Morcha chief. Having started out as ABVP worker in Patna, Nadda has also served on the BJP’s Parliamentary Board, the highest decision-making body of the BJP. He has also worked very closely with PM Modi and HM Shah.

India test fires nuclear-powered SLBM with 3500 km range in the Bay of Bengal

OpIndia Staff
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India test fires nuclear-powered SLBM with 3500 km range in the Bay of Bengal

On Sunday, India test-fired a K-4 intermediate-range Nuclear-powered Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) from a submerged platform off the coast of Andhra Pradesh in the Bay of Bengal.


Though the DRDO and the MoD have not yet officially confirmed the test, media reports mention that the test was a success. The strategic missile will equip India’s nuclear-powered submarines. The solid-fueled K4 SLBM was test-fired for a range of 2200 km, as per reports.

As per a report by Times Of India, a Notice To Airmen (NOTAM) was issued by India earlier this month over a 3400 km flight corridor over the Bay Of Bengal for January 19 to 21. Earlier a similar notification was issued in November but no test was carried out.

The K-4 are indigenously developed capable of delivering nuclear warheads over 3500 km away. The test is expected to boost the early induction of the K-4 into India’s nuclear-powered submarines and will pave the way for the development of the longer-range variant of the K-4, the K-5, with a range of 5000 km.

India’s nuclear-powered submarine INS Arihant is currently armed with K-15 missiles with a target range of 750 km. Arihant was made fully operational in 2018, completing India’s nuclear triad capability, the ability to launch nuclear warheads from land, air and water.

Though India has long been capable of launching nuclear warheads from land and air, the SSBM Arihant gives India’s nuclear firepower much more credibility because SSBMs are considered the most secure and reliable platforms.

INS Arihant is a 6000-ton submarine propelled by an 83 MW pressurised light-water reactor at its core. India had also launched another nuclear-powered submarine named INS Arighat which is yet to be made fully operational.

The INS Arihant, designed after Russia’s Akula class Nuclear-powered submarines can carry 4 K-4 (intermediate-range) SLBMs or 12 K-5 (short-range) SLBMs.

Aam Aadmi Party morphs Kejriwal’s face on Shah Rukh Khan’s body to mock BJP, deletes after self goal

OpIndia Staff
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Aam Aadmi Party morphs Kejriwal’s face on Shah Rukh Khan’s body to mock BJP, deletes after self goal

As the battleground for Delhi elections heats up, the meme wars on social media between Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are reaching new level each passing day. On Sunday night, AAP social media account tweeted a Photoshopped video of Shah Rukh Khan film “Chalte Chalte”. In place of Shah Rukh Khan, AAP had put up Arvind Kejriwal’s face.

AAP tweet now deleted

Taking cue from 2012 Gujarat Assembly Election BJP campaign, AAP has launched an attack on BJP asking the party to name their CM candidate for Delhi elections. The song AAP chose to mock BJP was ‘gumshuda’ (missing) and Kejriwal’s face morphed on Shah Rukh Khan’s body danced around looking for BJP CM candidate who was ‘missing’.

Read: 1 school approved vs 500 promised, fall in DTC buses, 0 new hospitals, fake surveys: RTI replies reveal Kejriwal hasn’t fulfilled major election promises

However, soon after netizens questioned AAP about the promises which AAP made five years ago and have now gone missing.


Twitter user @pokershah tweeted the same video that was tweeted by AAP, with changed caption on ‘missing’ promises. Soon after, AAP deleted its Kejriwal-SRK video.

Journalist Barkha Dutt applauds Shaheen Bagh women who wear ‘tricolour’ burqas, netizens say ‘Modi hai to mumkin hai’

OpIndia Staff
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Journalist Barkha Dutt applauds Shaheen Bagh women who wear ‘tricolour’ burqas, netizens say ‘Modi hai to mumkin hai’

Controversial journalist Barkha Dutt was in New Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh recently where she spotted two women who were wearing pinkish red, white and green abaya style burqa. Mighty impressed with their fashion choices, Dutt shared a picture of herself with the ladies telling the world how these ladies were “reclaiming nationalism”.


Soon, netizens pointed out how with PM Modi, even this is possible now.


Twitter users also expressed thrill that those who had issues with saying ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ are now using the tricolour to protest.


“If these are not ‘achhe din’, then what is?”, a twitter user said.

Read: Sting video exposes propaganda behind Shaheen Bagh protests, organiser Sharjeel Imam from JNU confesses protest was carried out to attract ‘Western media’

On the 30th anniversary of Kashmiri Hindus genocide and exodus from the valley on Sunday, the ‘protestors’ at Shaheen Bagh clashed with the Kashmiri Hindus who were demanding their right to return to the valley as well.

Shaheen Bagh protests

The protestors at Shaheen Bagh have been blocking road connecting Delhi to Noida since over a month now, creating hurdles for people who commute to and from these places daily. While attempts have been made to pass off these protests at organic, information has come to fore that these may not only be planned but also politically motivated.

OpIndia impact: Following report, senior Congress leader Kishor Upadhyay’s brother arrested in fraud case

OpIndia Staff
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OpIndia impact: Following report, senior Congress leader Kishor Upadhyay’s brother arrested in fraud case

Senior Uttarakhand Congress leader Kishor Upadhyay’s brother Sachin Upadhyay has been arrested in Dehradoon today in connection with a fraud case. He was arrested on the basis of an SIT formed to probe the charges against him. The SIT was formed in June last year after allegations against the brother of the Congress leader had surfaced.

The SIT has found that Satish Upadhyay had illegally transferred 50 percent shares of his former business partner Mukesh Joshi which whom he had a joint venture named SM Hospitality Private Limited. He had transferred the shares to his wife’s name by forging Joshi’s signature.

The fraud case was first reported by OpIndia in October 2018, where the detail of the fraud committed by Upadhyay was published. Mukesh Joshi had alleged before the company law board that while he had given a loan of Rs 1.7 crore to the company to purchase land, Sachin Upadhyay didn’t contribute his share. When Mukesh was in hospital following a heart attack caused by financial loss due to Upadhyay’s non-cooperation, Sachin Upadhyay had converted the debt into equity shares, and had allotted the same to his wife, who was made a director of the company by himself. Upadhyay had also removed Mukesh Josh as director of the company on the same day his wife as appointed.

A case has been registered against Upadhyay under sections 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 467 (Forgery of valuable security, will, etc),468 (Forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (Using as genuine a forged 1[document or electronic record].), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace.) and 120b (criminal conspiracy) of Indian Penal Code 1860 in Rajpur police station of Dehradun in year 2017.

Shaheen Bagh anti-CAA protesters clash with Kashmiri Pandits on the 30th anniversary of the Genocide

OpIndia Staff
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Shaheen Bagh anti-CAA protesters clash with Kashmiri Pandits on the 30th anniversary of the Genocide

Kashmiri Pandits and anti-CAA protesters clashed at Shaheen Bagh on Saturday on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the valley. The anti-CAA protesters at Shaheen Bagh, who have chanted slogans such as ‘Jinnah Wali Azadi‘ in the past, had organized a ‘Jashn-e-Shaheen’ programme on the day which marks one of the greatest tragedies in the history of the country.

Upon hearing about the programme, Kashmiri Pandits had made up their minds to visit the site in order to demand that they support their right to return as well. Satish Mahaldar, a Kashmiri activist, had said, “The protestors at Shaheen Bagh announced to celebrate Jash-e-Shaheen, on a day when the Kashmiri Pandits faced exodus from the Valley. We will make sure that does not happen. We will visit the protest site at 5 p.m. to observe the exodus day.”


When Kashmiri Pandits reached the place and started raising slogans of ‘Justice for Kashmiri Pandits’, clashes erupted between the Muslim protesters at Shaheen Bagh and them. The Muslim protesters were reportedly upset with the slogans chanted by the Pandits and argument erupted between the groups which soon escalated into a fisticuff. One Muslim protester told the other group that ‘the entire country wants justice, why only for Kashmiri Pandits?’

Read- Latest poster from Shaheen Bagh confirms that CAA ‘protests’ is about Islamist supremacy and Hinduphobia: Here is why

Earlier today, it was reported that the protesters at Shaheen Bagh had expressed their solidarity with the Kashmiri Pandits. But the clash in the evening completely exposes the hollowness of this ‘solidarity’.

Meanwhile, usual suspects are continuing to assert on social media that the Shaheen Bagh protesters stand by the Kashmiri Pandits. The scuffle between the two groups appears to have been ignored entirely by the online faces of the Shaheen Bagh protests.

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