Amidst the ongoing protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act, the Cabinet Minister for Housing in Maharashtra government, NCP leader Jitendra Awhad today made controversial remarks criticizing the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Registers of Citizens.
#WATCH Jitendra Awhad,NCP in Thane:Main Delhi ke takht se poochta hoon,ab tu maangega mujhse saboot mere deshvasi hone ka?Toh sun,jab tera baap sar jhukakar angrezon ke talwe chaat raha tha,tab mera baap phansi ke takht ko choomke inquilab zindabad ke naare laga raha tha.(18.01) pic.twitter.com/WOwKP167xQ
Speaking at a gathering in Thane, Awhad slammed the BJP government at the centre for CAA and NRC. “Delhi ke takht se poochta hoon,ab tu maangega mujhse saboot mere deshvasi hone ka?Toh sun,jab tera baap sar jhukakar angrezon ke talwe chaat raha tha,tab mera baap phansi ke takht ko choomke inquilab zindabad ke naare laga raha tha.(I would like to ask the Delhi throne that now you would ask me for proof being a countryman? Listen, when your father was obsequiously licking the British soles, my father embraced the hanging noose while shouting Inquilab Zindabad),” Awhad said.
The not-so-veiled attack against PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah comes after the central government enacted the Citizenship Amendment Act that aims to grant citizenship to persecuted minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who are living in India on or before December 31, 2014.
In addition to this, Awhad also insulted Hindus while appeasing Muslims in his criticism of the Citizenship Amendment Act. Maharashtra Housing Minister Jitendra Avhad said that Muslims can tell where their ancestors were buried, but Hindus would not be able to tell about any place where their ancestors were cremated. He said, “I want to ask the Hindu brothers who are sitting here, where was the funeral of your ancestors? Muslims can tell where their ancestors’ graves are.”
The temple town of Shirdi is bedevilled with the raging controversy surrounding the birthplace of the 19th-century saint Sai Baba. The controversy erupted after Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray announced a package of Rs 100 crore to build facilities at “Sai Janmsthan” at Pathri a few days ago.
On January 19, a bandh was observed in Shirdi in opposition to the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s statements, terming Pathri as Sai’s birthplace. While the shrine remained open for devotees, the commercial installations and establishments remained shut. About 25 villages had supported the call for bandh.
However, the bandh was called off after Thackeray assured the offended parties that their concerns will be addressed. Neelam Gorhe, Sena leader and deputy speaker of the legislative council said, “CM has assured to meet people of Shirdi and listen to what they wanted to say. He will also meet the residents of Pathri and the issue will be resolved at the earliest.” In the evening gram sabha comprising of Shirdi residents and leaders of Shirdi Shri Sansthan Trust, the decision to call off the bandh was taken.
The matter first came to notice in October 2017 when President Ram Nath Kovind said that Sai Baba was born in Pathri. However, the controversy picked up steam after Uddhav Thackeray declared allocation of Rs 100 crore for the development of Pathri as Sai’s birthplace.
The locals at Shirdi are evidently unhappy with the Maharashtra government’s decision to develop Pathri town in Parbhani district as Sai Baba’s birthplace. The Shirdi inhabitants claim that there is no concrete proof about Pathri being Sai’s birthplace, the locals in Pathri claim they have 29 pieces of recorded evidence to expound that Sai Baba was indeed born in their town.
Sai Baba, who is worshipped by devotees of varying faiths, was a spiritual leader who lived during the nineteenth century and died in 1918. According to the accounts of his life, he taught the importance of realisation of self and criticised disproportionate attachment towards the perishable things. His teachings combined elements from both Hinduism and Islam and was considered to have played a pivotal role in bridging discord between Hindu-Muslim community. Though Sai Baba embraced fragmentary parts of both Hinduism and Islam, he is believed to have never revealed about his real name, caste or religion during his lifetime.
There are contradictory claims about Sai Baba’s antecedents. According to the residents of Pathri, Sai Baba was born in their town and they cite the eighth edition of his biography ‘Sri Saisachharitra’ as a source to back their claim. However, according to Tamil accounts, Sai’s mother was Vaishnavdevi and his father’s name was Abdul Sattar and he came to Shirdi later where he took Samadhi.
In addition, the 1952 October to December issue of the ‘Sri Sai Leela Traimasik’ claimed that Sathe Shastri and Lakshimibai were the parents of Sai Baba while the Gujarati language ‘Sai Sudha’ magazine stated that Sai Baba was born near Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem to Gujarati Brahmin parents.
As per Suman Sundar authored ‘Sai Leela’ book published in 1959, Sai was born in Pathri and asserts Gangubhau and Devagiri Amma as his parents. But the Pathri town mentioned in the book is believed to be located in the former Hyderabad State.
Former Chief Minister of Maharashtra and senior Congress leader from Maharashtra, Ashok Chavan, has admitted that the Congress party entered an alliance with the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra after receiving due approval from the Muslim community. In what is being construed as a blatant admission of ‘Muslim appeasement’, Chavan was speaking in the context of the Citizenship Amendment Act.
.@INCIndia admits to Muslim ‘appeasement’.
‘Formed Govt. after Muslims gave nod’, says Former Maharashtra CM @AshokChavanINC.
Ashok Chavan stated, “This is our state. Our government has been formed in the state. We decided to be a part of the government to keep BJP away from power. Maharashtra should not face damage again akin to what BJP inflicted in the last 5 years. Most of the Muslim brothers said that our biggest enemy is BJP and Congress should be a part of the government to stop BJP. That’s why the Congress party is in the government today. Till our government is there, we will not allow the implementation of CAA in the state.”
The comment by Chavan has set the cat among the pigeons. The NCP, for its part, appears to be keeping itself away from the entire controversy. Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik has stated that it was their policy to keep the BJP out of power.
The BJP has entered the fray and targeted both, the Congress party and the Shiv Sena, over the comment made by Ashok Chavan. Accusing the Shiv Sena of being power-hungry, the BJP claims that the Congress party is misleading people on the issue of CAA.
The comment by Chavan puts Shiv Sena in a tough spot. It remains to be seen whether the party will oppose the CAA just because the Congress party wants to appease its Muslim vote bank. The Shiv Sena appears to be abandoning the Hindutva plank of late and opposition to CAA will be the final nail in the coffin.
The Congress party’s stand on the CAA has been clear from the very beginning, they have decided to oppose the Act that provides citizenship to persecuted minorities from neighbouring Islamic States tooth and nail. Congress-ruled Punjab had passed a resolution against the CAA after Kerala did the same. Despite their claims of being secular, the Congress party had called for an ‘Iftar party’ earlier this month as a mark of protest against the CAA and NRC.
The third edition of “Pariksha Pe Charcha” was held on 20th January at Talkatora Indoor Stadium, Delhi. During this session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed an audience of over 2000 students and teachers.
The event is designed to act as a “stress buster” for the students before their board exams. The students also chanced upon the opportunity to meet and interact with the Prime Minister. Narendra Modi talked about a range of issues, starting from depression to the importance of resilience in life. Here are the 5 key highlights from the interaction:
The Chandrayaan 2 Mission:
PM Modi cited the example of Chandrayaan 2 mission to highlight the importance of failures in life. He explained how he became restless after the lunar mission failed during the soft landing. This motivated the Prime Minister to meet the scientists, the very next morning. He added that every failure in life is a stepping stone towards success.
The Indian Cricket Team
While interacting with the students, PM Modi talked about the infamous Test match held at Eden Gardens in 2001. The objective was to highlight the significance of a strong will and determination in life.
He stated that even though India was all set to lose the match, the players did not get demotivated. The extraordinary innings played with Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman is a testimony to it. He also highlighted the case of Anil Kumble whose “positive thinking” and courage led him to bowl, despite a chin-injury against West Indies in Antigua.
Fighting Depression
To help students overcome depression, PM Narendra Modi suggested parents encourage their children to face challenges in life. He also added that parents should not pressurise their children. He explained it using the example of a “spring” which if overstressed becomes useless altogether.
The Prime Minister encouraged children to devote time to learn about the latest technology. He, however, cautioned students against using too much of social media. Modi added that one must not allow technology to take over their lives. He suggested implementing some “gadget-free” hours. He also talked about limiting the use of technology and using it to spend quality time with pets, friends, and family.
Finding the Right Balance
Replying to a query about balancing studies and extra-curricular activities, PM Modi stated that students cannot live like a robot. He stressed the importance of participating in extra-curricular activities. Modi urged students to learn from their experiences. He also stated that there are now plenty of opportunities besides academics. The Prime Minister also highlighted the change in social stigma among parents surrounding extra-curricular activities.
Aam Aadmi Party supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal failed to reach the Election Commissioner’s office by the 3 PM deadline to file the nomination. Apparently, Kejriwal could not reach the EC office because he was stuck in his own roadshow where his supporters were celebrating his nomination even as a huge fire gutted files of Delhi’s Transport Department.
Kejriwal will now file his nomination tomorrow from Jamnagar House. Tuesday is also last date to file nominations for Delhi when the state goes to polls on 8th February, 2019. Earlier today, Kejriwal offered prayers at the iconic Valmiki temple in New Delhi and his road show was expected to go through New Delhi before concluding near Patel Chowk Metro Station.
Kejriwal will be contesting from New Delhi seat for the third time in 2019. He had won it first in 2013 by defeating the then Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit. However, within 49 days of forming government, Kejriwal resigned to contest general elections against BJP’s Narendra Modi from Varanasi. Kejriwal lost the 2014 elections against Modi and then again fought Delhi elections in 2015 where AAP won 67 out of 70 seats.
After threatening India with a trade war, Malaysian PM seemed to have struck with a sobering realisation as he said that his country is “too small” to take retaliatory action against India over the palm oil curbs.
The world’s largest buyer of the edible oil, India, effectively stopped imports from its largest supplier and the world’s second-largest producer following Malaysian PM Mahathir’s deprecatory remarks against India regarding its internal policies pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir and the CAA.
Speaking to reporters in Langkwaki, a resort island off the western coast of Malaysia, Mahathir said, “We are too small to take retaliatory action against India. We have to find ways and means to overcome that.”
India has been the largest buyer of the palm oil from the South-east Asian nation since the last 5 years. As a probable result of the palm oil import curbs by India, benchmark palm futures in Malaysia tanked 10 per cent last week, the steepest decline in more than 11 years.
But the Indian government had denied the allegations saying the decision was not country-specific and said that decision to restrict refined palm oil import was a commercial decision. However, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had stated, “The state of the relationship is one of the factors that businesses look at before doing business. If I am an importer and I have to import a certain product from a country, I would certainly keep that at the back of my mind, as to how the status of the two countries are.”
The 94-year-old Malaysian premier had also drawn sharp criticism after his disapproving remarks against India at the United Nations General Assembly. In his address to the 74th UNGA, Mahathir accused India of “invading and occupying” Jammu and Kashmir. This was after India abrogated Article 370, stripping Jammu and Kashmir of its separate status and subsequently bifurcating the state into two union territories- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Earlier, undeterred by Indian traders’ calls for a boycott of palm oil, Malaysian PM remained firm saying he would not retract his criticism of New Delhi’s actions in Kashmir.
In fact, the Malaysian PM had also issued a statement about the recently enacted Citizenship Amendment Act. Criticising the Citizenship Law, Mahathir said he felt the law was “grossly unfair”.
In addition to this, the Indian government is also displeased with Malaysia for sheltering radical Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, who has been accused of money laundering and hate speech in India. The Malaysian PM had said that even if the Indian government guarantees a fair trial for Naik, he faces a serious threat of “vigilante action” in India and that Malaysia would relocate the preacher only if it could find a third country where he would be safe.
It is, however, not the first time that the 94-year-old Malaysian PM has expressed his helplessness. Earlier, asked about his silence over the plight of Uighur Muslims, and China’s ventures into the disputed waters of the South China sea, Mahathir had stated that his country is not strong enough to take on China, hence he maintains silence.
“The Malay states have existed near China for the past 2,000 years. We have survived because we know how to conduct ourselves. We don’t go around trying to be aggressive when we don’t have the capacity, so we use other means.” He had added that in the past, Malaysia used to send tributes of gold and silver to the Chinese rulers every year to pledge its subservience.
Sabbah Haji, the Director of Haji Public School in Jammu & Kashmir’s Doda who enjoys a good camaraderie with those in the liberal camp, has taken offense at the fact that the protests at Shaheen Bagh against the Citizenship Amendment Act are ‘too Indian’. She claims that she felt like an ‘outsider’ at these protests.
3. Attended protests at #ShaheenBagh + #JamiaMillia in solidarity against injustice, oppression and state violence, but as an outsider.
The extreme Indianness of it all was jarring for me, coming from where I do. (Understand, this is a real thing.) So aloof, but in solidarity.
Haji’s first tweet in the thread was in response to a tweet by one Tanzeel Khan which was in reply to The Wire journalist Arfa Khanum Sherwani’s show of phony solidarity towards Kashmiri Pandits on the 30th anniversary of their ethnic cleansing from the valley. Khan claimed that a woman was stopped from holding up a placard that said ‘Free Kashmir from Indian Occupation’ and therefore, Sherwani had no right to speak of Kashmiri Pandits.
I would say talk about both, both need to be talked about. What happened to the KPs and what’s been going on in Kashmir for much longer, Kashmiri aspirations and its condition today. https://t.co/UXsUgtuJfl
Haji is often provided a platform by mainstream outlets to speak on matters related to Kashmir. The individual who finds even the Shaheen Bagh protests to have ‘extreme Indianness’ was interviewed by Priya Ramani in an article on LiveMint. She has also been awarded by liberal institutions for her work on education.
In the past, Haji has made the argument that there’s no need to integrate Kashmiris into mainstream India. She has also opined that Kashmiris do not feel unsafe because of Islamic terrorists in the Valley, who she calls ‘armed militants’ and implied that it is the Indian Army that is making Kashmiris feel unsafe. She also happens to be one of those Kashmiris who support Pakistan over India.
Amusingly enough, Shaheen Bagh is the same place where chants of ‘Jinnah Wali Azadi‘ were raised by the anti-CAA protesters. Thus, to claim that the protests have ‘extreme Indianness’ which makes it jarring is rather disturbing. At the same protests, children were used in order to peddle a nefarious agenda. These children were raising extremely disturbing slogans and they appeared to be indoctrinated into a cult of hatred.
In the protests, the sacred Hindu religious symbol of Swastika was desecrated by the anti-CAA protesters. The protesters also clashed with Kashmiri Pandits on the 30th anniversary of their genocide. However, even after all of this, the protests still demonstrate ‘extreme Indianness’ according to certain people.
We have now established that Shaheen Bagh protests which have been peddled as ‘organic’ protests’ are far from it. However, social media profiles of some of the organisers and participants reveal a more hateful and disturbing trend.
Here is a post by one Sharjeel Azhar who believes in sending anyone who ‘puts a hand on you’ to the ‘cemetery’. While it is a quote by American politician Malcolm X, Azhar believes it is not just a graffiti, but a ‘code to live by’.
“Send them to the cemetery” – hateful messages on Facebook
When someone tried to point it out to him that violence may not be the best way to put across your point, Azhar tried to compare violent rioters to ‘self defence’.
Appeal to non-Muslims to protest in non-Muslim areas
In one of his posts, Sharjeel Azhar has urged non-Muslims to come out and protest in non-Muslim areas as only ‘attendance’ in protests such as Shaheen Bagh isn’t enough. He urges Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to stand in solidarity with the protestors.
Discussion over Arvind Kejriwal not supporting the protests
And one Shariq A joins him in discussing how Kejriwal is not joining the protests because he would appear ‘pro-Muslim’ and that might upset the majority. For Arvind Kejriwal, it is more important to win Delhi than to appear ‘pro-Muslim’ as per the above conversation.
Muslim women of Shaheen Bagh
There are more such posts where asserting religious identity of the protestors is more important than the protests. This when the Citizenship Amendment Act, the one which they are protesting against, does not affect the protestors in any way. But the more you read such posts on social media, the more you realise that the anger is more about the Ayodhya verdict than the CAA.
IIT Delhi’s Mujtaba Aasif expresses disappointment over Ayodhya verdict
There are more.
Reached late for for the protest. Could barely stand w/ the migraine. An old Chicha smilied & said:
“Beta, pehle Mandir kiya aur abhi CAA. Abhi 370 kiya na? Sab wahi hai. Khud ke kaghaz nahin aur humaare chahiye. Fikr nahin karo. Phiraun yaad hai?”
While many such conversations of cab drivers and protestors appear imaginary, even if the above conversation is imaginary, it just shows that the anger of these ‘protestors’ is currently stemming from the Ayodhya verdict. Sharjeel Imam, the JNU student who gave the hateful speech outside Jamia campus on December 14th 2019, a day before the violence broke out, also wanted to hold a ‘burning constitution’ ceremony over Ayodhya verdict.
Sharjeel expressing his desire to burn the constitution after the Ram Janmabhoomi verdict.
Sharjeel has been one of the coordinators of the Shaheen Bagh protests which have been widely circulated as organic protests. Moreover, these protests are also being referred to as ‘anti-CAA’ protests, while they are more likely a way to show their anger against the Ram Janmabhoomi verdict.
So from what it appears, the anger of Shaheen Bagh ‘protestors’ is because of the Ram Janmabhoomi verdict and since they were not able to show it back then, the passage of CAA provided the platform because of misinformation and fear-mongering that has been spread across social media as well as mainstream media. These anti-CAA protests initially did get support from the ‘seculars’ who felt that there should be no religious discrimination. However, when the ‘protestors’ started making it about Islam with their ‘La ilaha Ilallah’ (there is no god but Allah) slogans, the ‘seculars’ started distancing themselves. Shashi Tharoor was also attacked by the radicals when he cautioned that using such slogans may make it more about Islam than about equality. Anti-CAA protests stopped being ‘secular’ once a religion started asserting its identity.
Now, the same ‘protestors’ who have been angry and ready to burn down constitution over Ram Janmabhoomi verdict, are insisting that the protestors be identified by their religion as it is far more important to be a Muslim protestor than a ‘secular’ protestor.
Secularism may be all about seeing all religions equally, but if you are a Muslim, then you are Muslim first, ‘secular’ later.
South Delhi’s Saket court on Monday convicted 19 people, including NGO owner Brajesh Thakur in the Muzaffarpur shelter home sexual assault case. The court convicted Thakur for aggravated sexual assault under the POCSO Act and gang rape while one accused Mohammad Sahil alias Vicky was acquitted for lack of evidence.
Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Kulshreshtha convicted the former Bihar People’s Party (BPP) MLA Brajesh Thakur for aggravated sexual assault under POCSO Act and gang-rape.
The offences entail a maximum punishment of life imprisonment. The quantum of punishment will be announced by the court on January 28, 2020.
Last week, Justice Kulshreshtha rejected the plea filed by Thakur seeking witness testimonies to be dismissed on grounds of unreliability. Thakur claimed in his plea that the prosecution witnesses in shelter home sexual assault case were not to be trusted as investigations into the allegations of murder were based on their statements. However, rejecting the plea, the Justice said the case related to the sexual assault is different from that of the murder of some.
Other convicts in the case include Indu Kumari (Principal), Meenu Devi (house mother), Manju Devi (counsellor), Chanda Devi (house mother), Neha Kumari (nurse), Kiran Kumari (helper), Hema Masih (PO), Ravi Roshan (Child Protection Officer), Vikas Kumar (CWC), Roji Rani, Vijay Tiwari (Brijesh’ driver), Guddu Kumar (shelter home staff), Krishna Kumar (shelter home staff), Ramanuj Thakur (shelter home staff), Shajista Parveen (Brijesh’ associate), Ashwini Kumar (a doctor), Dilip Kumar (CWC chairman) and Ramashankar Singh.
Another accused Premila is still absconding. Shajista’s nephew Vikki alias Mohammad Sahil was acquitted for lack of evidence.
The shocking incident of Muzaffarpur shelter home came to light in June 2018 when the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) submitted a report, based on conversations with several girls at the home.
The shelter home was housing the girls between the ages of 7 to 17 and many of the girls were suffering from speech-impairment. It was reported that they were given sedatives in the dinner and raped during the night and the inmates were brutally beaten regularly by the shelter home staff, including women and compelled the girls to have sex with the visitors.
Over 42 girls were allegedly raped and sexually abused at a shelter home named Balika Grih in Muzaffarpur, run by Brajesh Thakur, the chief of a state-funded NGO called Seva Sankalp Evam Vikash Samiti.
An FIR was lodged against 11 people, including Thakur, on May 31. The probe was later taken over by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). It also revealed that ex-minister Manju Verma’s husband had links with accused Brajesh Thakur.
In the middle of the Lok Sabha elections, I had written an article looking at Google Trends, which showed the BJP miles ahead of the Congress and the rest of the opposition. On a personality basis, Narendra Modi was even further ahead and Rahul was simply nowhere. And now, it is time to analyse the Delhi elections according to Google Trends.
The election turned out exactly the same way.
Here is what the map looked like in the 30 days before April 24, 2019.
Map in the 30 days before April 24, 2019
Blue for the BJP and red for the Congress. On April 24, 2019, Google Trends said India was an ocean of blue. How was the Congress going to win when nobody even cared about what they had to say?
I had also pointed out how Google Trends appears to have accurately captured the Congress surge in the three Hindi heartland states in Dec 2018. Just look at the Google Trends map for the period Sept 1, 2018, to Dec 1, 2018.
Google Trends map for the period Sept 1, 2018, to Dec 1, 2018.
See how the BJP seems ahead almost all across the Hindi heartland except for Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, the three election-bound states.
If Google’s wisdom seems so profound in states with huge rural populations, surely it should be taken even more seriously in Delhi. A purely urban electorate saturated with media and the internet.
So what does the BJP vs AAP comparison look like in the last 30 days in Delhi?
BJP vs AAP comparison
First of all, take a moment to admire just how accurately Google Trends picks up what is going on in the minds of the public. What is that sharp red spike for AAP?
It’s from Jan 14, 2020.
And when did AAP announce its candidates? On Jan 14, 2020, of course! You don’t even have to look that up. Google Trends knows everything.
But other than that, the BJP (blue) dominates over AAP (red) almost uniformly. And you can see that interest in BJP is peaking, rising almost in hockey-stick fashion.
This is bad news for AAP.
Wait! There is an obvious objection and one must address it here. The BJP is a national party, while AAP is not. Perhaps BJP is getting more interest simply because people think about BJP in the context of a much wider range of issues, while AAP only matters in local politics?
So let us see the related searches for BJP in Delhi, according to Google trends.
Related searches for BJP in Delhi, according to Google trends.
It is evident that all these searches are related to the state election and not national issues.
So we know two things for sure. First, BJP is getting much more interest in Delhi than AAP is. Second, the interest in BJP is driven primarily by local issues and not national issues.
Now I know there are some opinion poll agencies (with absolutely pathetic track records, I must add) which have projected the Delhi election as some kind of one way victory for AAP. I don’t trust them. I’d rather look at Google Trends data.
By now, everyone has noticed that Kejriwal has maintained a safe distance from the CAA issue. He’s stayed away from Shaheen Bagh. In fact, in recent days, top liberals have also been begging with Shaheen Bagh protesters to temporarily withdraw their movement for strategic reasons.
Is Kejriwal confident? I doubt this.
Again, keep in mind that Delhi is a 100% urban environment where media and internet matters a lot. And AAP is media savvy, known to have an extensive online presence. Despite this, Google Trends shows interest in BJP clearly ahead of AAP.
One last thing. AAP is synonymous with Kejriwal. How about we compare BJP vs Arvind Kejriwal?
BJP vs Arvind Kejriwal
Again, pretty big and uniform lead for BJP and the gap only widening in the last few days. If you ask me, that’s the classic surge that the winner gets towards the end.
