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JPC meeting on Waqf Bill : TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee smashed a glass bottle and threw at me, says chairperson Jagdambika Pal

OpIndia Staff
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JPC meeting on Waqf Bill : TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee smashed a glass bottle and threw at me, says chairperson Jagdambika Pal

On Tuesday, 23rd October, Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) chairman Jagdambika Pal alleged that TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee attacked his chair with a glass bottle during the Joint Parliamentary Committee meeting on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. As per the reports, enraged Banerjee smashed the glass bottle while discussing the matter with BJP member and former Calcutta High Court Judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay. JPC chairman Jagdambika Pal, meanwhile, said that he escaped the attack with God’s grace.

“Yesterday during the Joint Parliamentary Committee meeting, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee broke a glass bottle and threw it with such anger and fury and the way he threw it at me, it is God’s grace that I narrowly escaped,” he said while talking to the ANI news agency.

He further added that every member in the meeting is given an equal opportunity to speak and that such attacks amid serious discussions are to be condemned. “The government is having discussions on the bill so that it can benefit the Muslim community. The objective of the bill is to benefit the poor Muslims. The state wants such land to be used for the education and development of poor Muslims. We have to come to a consensus. If anybody disagrees, they must make their point. But showing such anger is not valid,” he added.

“This concerns Parliament. We have made (Lok Sabha Speaker) Om Birla aware of the incident. Because it was such a big incident. We had to adjourn the meeting for the first time. Because of the way the incident happened and the bottle was broken… everyone was shocked. There were two witnesses from Odisha, including a former Judge and a senior IAS officer. What message has been sent to the country? Their party (TMC) should also consider what kind of behavior is this? Where is there a place for violence in a parliamentary democracy,” Pal said.

The scuffle is believed to have taken place after the BJP MP objected to Banerjee interrupting other members. Banerjee and Gangopadhyay also had an ugly spat during a discussion on the registration of Waqf properties. Pal then said that he had informed the speaker about the attack and banned Banerjee from attending the next meeting.

“I have informed the Speaker about the entire incident but this is a serious attack on the parliamentary system. Kalyan Banerjee was allowed to speak the most. I will resign if someone is accusing me of not giving enough time to speak in the JPC. We have passed a resolution and expelled Kalyan Banerjee from the next meeting of the JPC,” Pal said.

Opposition leaders meanwhile have slammed Jagdambika Pal accusing him of allegedly breaking procedural rules by making the incident public. Pal denied the claims made by DMK member A Raja and AAP member Sanjay Singh, claiming that he did not make public the committee’s proceedings but rather spoke only about the violent occurrence.

“I have not revealed any proceedings or deliberations of the Committee. I have only made a statement about an incident of violence during the committee meeting by a member and his subsequent suspension,” Pal was quoted as saying.

CBC News interviews Santokh Singh Khela convicted for masterminding AI-112 bombing plot: Who is the SFJ terrorist and how Canadian media is cosying up to him

Jhankar Mohta
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CBC News interviews Santokh Singh Khela convicted for masterminding AI-112 bombing plot: Who is the SFJ terrorist and how Canadian media is cosying up to him

The Canadian broadcaster CBC News recently interviewed Santokh Singh Khela. Khela serves as an organiser for the banned terrorist organisation Sikhs for Justice’s Ottawa division and is the mastermind behind the AI 112 bombing plot.

In May 1986, five members of the Khalistani terrorist organisation Babbar Khalsa were charged with plotting to blow up Air India Flight 112 in New York City and Santokh Singh Khela was one of them.

Anti-corruption and anti-terrorism investigative journalist Mocha Bezirgan took to X on October 21, to share a snippet of the interview, raising concerns about Canada’s position on allowing pro-Khalistani terrorists to operate freely within the country.

“CBC interviews Sikhs for Justice’s Ottawa organizer, Santokh Singh Khela, who was previously sentenced to life imprisonment by a Canadian court for conspiring to blow up Air India flight 110 departing from JFK, New York, in 1986. He served almost a decade in jail before a judge ordered a stay of proceedings over disclosure matters. Why did the U.S. not extradite him and try him for the conspiracy? Santokh was presented with an award in Calgary this year by Ajaib Singh Bagri, who pledged to kill 50,000 Hindus at the WSO founding convention in 1984 and was previously charged for the other bombings that killed 331 people a year before Santokh’s conspiracy,” Bezirgan wrote.

Another journalist, going by the handle @OnTheNewsBeat, shared the same snippet and pointed out how the CBC anchor didn’t disclose to viewers who she was platforming. There were no references to Khela’s past or present activities.

Mocha Bezirgan also, in a separate post, shared a picture of Santokh Singh Khela with Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar before his murder.

It is worth noting that Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been fiercely criticizing India for over a year regarding the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil. Trudeau accused the Indian government of involvement in Nijjar’s killing, citing “credible allegations” but without presenting any evidence. India strongly refuted these baseless accusations, escalating the already tense relations between the two nations.

After accusing Indian agents of being behind Nijjar’s assassination in June 2023, Trudeau recently admitted that his claims were based solely on intelligence and that he had no concrete evidence. In an interview, he acknowledged that there was no proof directly linking India to Nijjar’s killing when the allegations against New Delhi were initially made.

Santokh Singh Khela is associated with the banned terrorist organisation Sikh for Justice

Khela is also the organiser for the Khalistan referendum conducted by Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) at Dashmesh Gurdwara.

Sikhs For Justice was banned by the Indian Government on July 10, 2019, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for anti-India activities. The Indian government designated its founder, Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, a terrorist. The organization has announced Referendum 2020, demanding a separate state of Punjab from India. Since its inception, the organization has been trying to lure the youth of Punjab with monetary rewards for instigating war against the Indian government.

Khela masterminded the Air India 112 bombing

In May 1986, five members of the terrorist organisation Babbar Khalsa were charged with plotting to blow up Air India Flight 112. Months after the proceedings, while the Canadian court freed three men, it found Santokh Singh Khela and Kashmir Singh Dhillon guilty of conspiring to commit mass murder by blowing up Air India (AI) Flight 112 which originated at JFK airport in New York City. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1987. The sentence was later overturned.

The Canadian government claimed that the alleged plot was conceived on April 4 1986, targeting an Air India flight departing from John F. Kennedy International Airport on May 30 in New York. All five men involved were from Montreal, Quebec. It was later revealed that Santokh Singh Khela had been under surveillance by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) since at least May 1985, when they recorded a phone call he made to Talwinder Singh Parmar, the mastermind of the Air India Flight 182 bombing.

When Khela and his associates were sentenced to life, Quebec Superior Court Justice Claire Barrette-Joncas said in her passing sentence that Santokh Singh Khela and Kashmir Singh Dhillon are examples to the world of how Canada treats terrorists.

“The crime you were found guilty of is so mind-boggling that the primary end of these sentences must be deterrence, a firm notice to you and any would-be terrorist that such conduct is not to be considered lightly in Canada,” she said.

Khela was awarded by Ajaib Singh Bagri, a close associate of the mastermind of the Kanishka bombing and who pledged to kill 50,000 Hindus

As mentioned by journalist Mocha Bezirgan Santokh Singh Khela was this year, presented with an award in Calgary by Ajaib Singh Bagri. Notably, Ajaib Singh Bagri was a close associate of Talwinder Singh Parmar, the mastermind of the Kanishka bombing, which happened a year before the Air India Flight 110 bombing plot. Ajaib Singh Bagri is the same person who had also pledged to kill 50,000 Hindus.

The bombing of Air India Flight 182 on June 23, 1985, was one of the deadliest acts of terrorism in aviation history. The Boeing 747 aircraft, operating as “Kanishka” and en route from Montreal to London, was destroyed mid-air by a bomb, killing all 329 people on board, most of whom were Canadian citizens of Indian descent. The bomb was planted in the plane’s cargo hold, and it exploded over the Atlantic Ocean near the coast of Ireland.

The investigation into the bombing revealed that the conspiracy had been planned and executed in Canada, where members of the Sikh terrorist group Babbar Khalsa, including Talwinder Singh Parmar and Inderjit Singh Reyat, were involved.

Pierre Trudeau is vastly blamed for the Kanishka bombing, as it was only after the Trudeau-led government saved Parmar he started preparing for the bombing. In 1984, Parmar told his fellow Khalistanis that “Indian planes will fall from the sky”.

In the same year, Ajaib Singh Bagri, a close associate of Parmar, pledged to kill 50,000 Hindus. He said at the founding convention of the World Sikh Organization, “Until we kill 50,000 Hindus, we will not rest!” It was reported by Milewski, who extensively covered the Khalistani movement in Canada and abroad.

To date, many consider the Kanishka bombing one of the darkest moments in Canada’s history, and it highlighted the growing influence of Khalistani extremists operating from within the country.

The bombing of Air India Flight 182 stands as a tragic reminder of the impact of terrorism and the long-lasting scars it leaves on victims’ families, while also bringing attention to the international dimensions of extremism.

Despite Santokh Singh Khela’s involvement in the AI 112 bombing plot and his close ties with Khalistani terrorist organizations and the masterminds behind the Kanishka bombing, which primarily killed Canadians, the Canadian media outlet not only provided him with airtime but also discreetly concealed his past and ongoing antecedents. The broadcast overlooked his role in masterminding the Air India Flight 112 bombing plot, downplaying the gravity of his involvement in what could go down history as another deadly terrorist attack.

US: Woke doctor refused to publish $10 million NIH study as it showed puberty blockers cause no improvement in mental health in children

OpIndia Staff
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US: Woke doctor refused to publish $10 million NIH study as it showed puberty blockers cause no improvement in mental health in children

In a shocking turn of events, a renowned American doctor has admitted to delaying the publication of the study on the mental health effects of puberty blockers in youth with gender dysphoria for nine years, fearing that the findings of this taxpayer-funded study would be “weaponised” and used to justify restrictions on so-called “gender-affirming care” for minors. This fear stemmed from the fact that the study showed puberty blockers treatment did not result in improved mental health of the subjects.

Speaking to the New York Times, Dr Johanna Olson-Kennedy, who runs the largest youth gender clinic in the US, said that she and her colleagues had postponed the publication of findings from a two-year-long study funded by the National Institutes of Health because they were concerned that the findings would be “weaponised” and used by opponents of transgender procedures for minors.

“I do not want our work to be weaponized,” Dr Johanna Olson-Kennedy said.

This $10 million taxpayer-funded study tracked the growth of 95 children from throughout the country to determine if their mental health improved after receiving puberty blockers. Olson-Kennedy claimed that treatment with puberty blockers did not result in mental health benefits, most likely because the children were doing well when the trial started.

However, the unreported data contradict an earlier study published by Olson-Kennedy and colleagues in 2022, which revealed that roughly one-fourth of the children were depressed or suicidal before receiving either puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones. 

“Elevated depression symptoms were endorsed by 28.6% of GnRHa cohort youth, and 22.1% endorsed clinically significant anxiety. About a quarter (23.6%) endorsed lifetime suicidal ideation, with 7.9% reporting a past suicide attempt,” the 2022 Psychosocial Characteristics of Transgender Youth Seeking Gender-Affirming Medical Treatment report reads.

Notably, Olson-Kennedy is the medical director of the Centre for Transyouth Health and Development at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. As per the data on Stop The Harm, created by the medical advocacy organisation Do No Harm, during 2019 and 2023, the CTYHD prescribed 103 minor patients cross-sex hormone or puberty blocker therapy and performed 165 cross-sex surgical procedures on children. The numbers are outrageous given her own research shows that puberty blockers do not help mental health and yet Olson-Kennedy fears that the critics of puberty blockers will ‘weaponize’ it against them.

Source: Stop The Harm

Olson-Kennedy also confessed that she feared that the study’s findings about the absence of mental health improvements would be used in court to argue that “we shouldn’t use blockers.” She also blamed the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and ‘politics’ for a cut in funding to justify the delay in revealing the research findings, however, the NIH refuted Olson-Kennedy’s claims.

Notably, Puberty blockers or simply hormone blockers, are drugs used to delay the beginning of puberty in children, especially those suffering from gender dysphoria. These blockers temporarily restrict the release of sex hormones, preventing the development of secondary sexual traits such as breasts or facial hair.

While the woke doctor is blatantly defending the deliberate delay in publishing the findings of the research, one of her fellow researchers has said that “the decision flies in the face of research standards and deprives the public of really important science in a field where Americans remain firmly divided,” as NYPost reported.

The reports of Dr Johanna Olson-Kennedy causing a deliberate delay in publishing the research results since it indicated that there were no mental health improvements in the children has triggered outrage.

JK Rowling, the Harry Potter author who is often in headlines for her strong opinions on gender identity politics criticised Olson-Kennedy in a sarcastic post saying, “We must not publish a study that says we’re harming children because people who say we’re harming children will use the study as evidence that we’re harming children, which might make it difficult for us to continue harming children.“

Israel Defence Forces reveal that six Al Jazeera journalists are terrorists with Hamas and Palestine Islamic Jihad: What Israel said

OpIndia Staff
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Israel Defence Forces reveal that six Al Jazeera journalists are terrorists with Hamas and Palestine Islamic Jihad: What Israel said

The Israel Defence Forces on Wednesday revealed that six journalists working for Al Jazeera are members of terror groups Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). As per IDF, intelligence information and numerous documents found in Gaza confirm that the 6 journalists  have military affiliation with the terror groups.

The information that proves the affiliations include “personnel tables, lists of terrorist training courses, phone directories, and salary documents for terrorists,” the IDF tweeted on Wednesday. “These documents serve as proof of the integration of Hamas terrorists within the Qatari Al Jazeera media network,” the tweeted further stated.

IDF has said that the documents “unequivocally prove” that the journalists functioned as members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad’s respective military wings. “These documents are proof of the involvement of Hamas terrorists in the Qatari media network, Al-Jazeera,” IDF said in a statement.

The statement added that most of the journalists that the IDF has exposed as operatives in Hamas military wing spearhead the propaganda for Hamas at Al Jazeera, especially in northern Gaza.

The six journalists have been identified as Anas Jamal Mahmoud Al-Sharif, Alaa Abdul Aziz Muhammad Salama, Hossam Basel Abdul Karim Shabat, Ashraf Sami Ahsour Saraj, Ismail Farid Muhammad Abu Amr, and Talal Mahmoud Abdul Rahman Aruki.

IDF said that Anas Al-Sharif was the head of a rocket launching squad and a member of a Nukhba Force company in Hamas’s Nuseirat Battalion. Alaa Salama was the deputy head of the Shaboura Battalion’s propaganda unit of Islamic Jihad.  Shabat was a sniper in Hamas’s Beit Hanoun Battalion, Ashraf Saraj was a member of Islamic Jihad’s Bureij Battalion. Abu Amr served as a training company commander in the East Khan Younis Battalion, and Abdul Rahman Aruki was a team commander in Nuseirat Battalion of Hamas.

Ismail Abu Amr was injured in Israeli operation in Gaza in February this year. At that time, Al Jazeera had denied that he had links with terror links. But now IDF has found documents establishing the link.

In May this year, Benjamin Netanyahu govt ordered to shut down the operations of Al Jazeera channel in Israel over its pro-Hamas propaganda. After that in September, the Israel govt also closed the Al Jazeera bureau in Ramallah in West Bank.

Gujarat: Minor Muslim youth abuses Hindu deities on Instagram, apologises after protests by Hindu groups

ભાર્ગવ રાજ્યગુરુ
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Gujarat: Minor Muslim youth abuses Hindu deities on Instagram, apologises after protests by Hindu groups

A Muslim resident of Sadara village in Gandhinagar, Gujarat has created a huge controversy by making derogatory comments on Hindu deities, Lord Ram and Goddess Sita on social media. Thousands of local Hindus have come out on the streets and are protesting over this incident. The police have also reacted swiftly and detained the accused minor. A complete shutdown was observed after an announcement by the majority Hindu population of the hamlet. Now, measures are underway to take further action against the offender.

Bajrang Dal official Ganpat Singh told OpIndia that the incident took place on 22nd October when a 16-year-old from Sadara village made extremely indecent and obscene comments about the Hindu gods in a post on the social media platform Instagram. A screenshot of the remark spread throughout the village after which people from the local Hindu community gathered as members of the Hindu organisations also reached there.

Ganpat Singh mentioned that the people were furious and hence the workers of the Hindu outfits appealed to others to persuade them to take the course of legal action after which 200 to 300 Hindus arrived at the Chiloda Police Station and presented all the evidence along with the screenshot of the disparaging statement as well as demanded strict action. Police Inspector Parmar acted quickly to arrest the perpetrator after observing the public’s ire. The instance also created a stir in the surrounding areas and Hindus from nearby regions also began to congregate in Sadara to express their disapproval. Hindu activists also appealed to protest peacefully and legally.

The Bajrang Dal workers were accompanying the Hindus throughout all of this. The majority Hindu community of the village closed all businesses for a day on 23rd October on the call of the Hindu group. They also took out a rally in the village and enraged Hindus from closeby areas also participated. “Jai Shri Ram” and “Jai Shivaji, Jai Bhavani” slogans were raised by the protesters.

An official of the Hindu organisation confirmed the shutdown and asserted that Hindus are united after the occurrence. The parents of the culprit pleaded with the village sarpanch and Hindu groups not to take any action after witnessing the critical atmosphere. They claimed that he was young and made a mistake and repeatedly begged the Hindu activists to save his future and career. The sarpanch and Hindu outfits have decided that no further action should be initiated and written apology letter would be taken from the members of the Muslim community in order to avoid any such ‘mistake’ in the future.

“I want to apologise to the people of Sadra village and the Hindu community. I had abused Lord Ram and Goddess Sita, please forgive me for that. My family and I assure you that we will never repeat such a mistake, nor will we ever hurt the sentiments of any religion,” the apology stated.

The police also organised a peace committee meeting between the Hindu and Muslim communities as a mediator. The former declared that they are ready to take a step back if the other side affirms that such an instance is wrong and assures will never happen again. The Hindu outfit further reported that members of the Muslim community assembled in Sadara village and Hindu organisations including Bajrang Dal were also present there. Now, no further action will be initiated in the matter, as per the decision adopted in the meeting.

When asked if there had ever been a communal event of this kind in Sadara village, the Hindu organisation replied with a no and pointed out that only 250 of the approximately 8000 homes in Sadara village are of Muslims. However, the group has also asserted that tensions have risen in the last six months. They added that a mosque is located close to the school. It has installed large speakers that play Azaan five times loudly. They highlighted that it never happened before which also indicates that Muslim migration has escalated in the area. Now, the village is shut down and future steps will be taken after a decision is reached following the conclusion of the meeting.

Canada Border Services Agency confirms that Sandeep Singh Sidhu wanted in Khalistani terror case in India is its employee: Report

OpIndia Staff
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Canada Border Services Agency confirms that Sandeep Singh Sidhu wanted in Khalistani terror case in India is its employee: Report

On Monday, 22nd October, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) admitted while talking to ThePrint that Sandeep Singh Sidhu, who is wanted by the Indian authorities for advancing terrorist activities in Punjab and murdering a Shaurya Chakra awardee in Tarn Taran, is its employee.

“The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is aware of the articles and takes any allegations seriously. We can confirm that the individual you are referring to is an employee of the CBSA. Please note that due to the Privacy Act, we cannot provide details on specific cases or individuals,” the CBSA official said in an email reply to The Print.

According to the CBSA’s official website, the agency has a very complex procedure to make sure they hire the right people with the right skills and experience. It states that the candidate must go through a telephone integrity interview, a credit check, and law enforcement and security database verifications.

Indian Government on 19th October named Sandeep Singh Sidhu in a terror case in India for the murder of Balwinder Singh Sandhu, a teacher and a Shaurya Chakra awardee. The Indian govt communication to Canda said, “He was in touch with Pakistan-based Lakhbir Singh Rode and other ISI operatives/ officials and successfully executed a targeted killing (Oct. 2020) of Comrade Balwinder Singh Sandhu in Punjab with the help of a noted gangster Sukhmeetpal Singh @ Sukh Bhikhariwal.”

Balwinder Singh Sandhu, his brother Ranjit Singh, and their wives Jagdish Kaur and Balraj Kaur, respectively, were awarded the Shaurya Chakra in 1993 for their armed struggle against militancy in Punjab. The civilian family has been on the hitlist of Khalistani terrorists since then.

62-year-old Balwinder Singh Sandhu was shot dead at his residence in Bhikhiwind in Tarn Taran District in October 2020. Last week, the NIA told the Supreme Court that Canada-based operatives of the banned terror outfit Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) were behind the assassination. The chargesheet says that the accused persons arrested in the case have revealed that they were hired by Canada-based KLF operatives for the murder.

Sandeep Sidhu is a member of the banned International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) and is employed with the CBSA. As per the Indian govt communication to Canada, he has been recently promoted to the rank of Superintendent.

He is on a list of fugitive terrorists that India wants deported from Canada. Sandeep Singh Sidhu allegedly had ties with Pakistan-based Khalistan terrorist Lakhbir Singh Rode and other ISI operatives, reportedly playing a role in the 2020 assassination of Balwinder Singh Sandhu.

Sandeep Singh Sidhu is a member of the banned International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), a Khalistani organization banned in India, Australia, Japan, USA, and even Canada. Despite the ban on ISYF in Canada, a member has been employed as a member of the Canada Border Services Agency.

This development comes as Justin Trudeau’s government has totally destroyed the India-Canada relationship by falsely accusing the Indian government of killing Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil. Even though the Trudeau government has been accusing the Indian government of the murder for more than a year, they are yet to provide any proof to support their allegations and even admit they have no proof.

Bahraich violence: Another eyewitness confirms announcements were made from mosque, says ‘attackers claimed they will be rewarded for killing Hindus’

राहुल पाण्डेय
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Bahraich violence: Another eyewitness confirms announcements were made from mosque, says ‘attackers claimed they will be rewarded for killing Hindus’

On 13th October a Muslim mob attacked devotees during the immersion of the idol of Maa Durga in the Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh which resulted in the brutal murder of Ram Gopal Mishra (22). Several other Hindu participants in the procession were wounded including a man named Padmakar Dixit. Notably, Padmakar Dixit also identified himself as an eyewitness and victim, stating that the attack on the immersion procession was declared from mosque loudspeakers, in contrast to the Bahraich Police’s statement denying the same.

During the procession, he was carrying the idol of Maa Durga. He received treatment for his injuries sustained in the incident and was then sent home. Padmakar Dixit was born and raised in the village of Sipahiya Piyuli which is close to Maharajganj. He supports his family by selling milk, doing some farming and other similar means. He was on a nine-day Navratri fast on the day of the tragedy and had set out for the immersion procession with other devotees. The idol of Maa Durga was being brought on a tractor trolley, and Padmakar Dixit was holding it amid slogans of ‘Jai Mata Di’ as stone-pelting took place.

Padmakar Dixit told OpIndia that they were moving ahead with the diety when a stone hit them and broke the hand of the idol. Another stone fell before anyone could make sense of the situation which damaged the idol’s neck. The idol and the Hindus were then pelted with stones which led to a commotion and the latter began to run here and there to protect themselves. Padmakar Dixit too began to escape to save his life as he saw the Muslim crowd approaching. He revealed that he heard announcements from a mosque, during the commotion. “Allah hu Akbar. Kill whoever you find,” was being declared. According to him, the Islamists stated that killing more Hindus would get them greater rewards.

Further chaos erupted after spotting the Muslim throng. Children were also among the devotees and people became worried about their safety. He disclosed that many minors have also been injured in the assault but their families do not want to reveal their names out of fear. He also told us that he noticed some Muslim women were part of the violent crowd while fleeing to protect himself. They were pelting stones at the devotees from the roofs. Furthermore, children and elderly individuals were among the fundamentalist horde that emerged on the streets brandishing weapons. They also had sticks and sharp weapons.

Padmakar Dixit informed that many elders from the Hindu side were appealing for peace, but no one from the Muslim community was observed doing the same. He expressed surprise over the large number of glass bottles and wondered how the attackers obtained them. He unveiled that the Maharajganj market does not have a distributor for cold beverages or soft drinks. How could so many bottles have been pre-stored in such a scenario? He indicated that the sudden barrage of stones and the appearance of firearms were signs that Abdul Hameed and his friends were already getting ready for the assault.

He asserted that the police started to chase and lathi-charge Hindus instead of helping them which led to many injuries including his. Moreover, someone’s hand was broken while another had his face torn in the attack. He eventually saved his life and ran towards home through the fields, however, he fell unconscious on his way. He stated that his companions sprinkled water on him to help him gain consciousness and brought him home after which his family took him to a hospital in Mahsi for treatment. His legs still have injury marks and treatment is ongoing. He demanded strict action against the accused from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Padmakar Dixit described the claims made by the Muslim side as a conspiracy rather than the reality when we questioned him. According to him, they are fabricating accusations to get away with their crime, while the Hindus are held accountable. He added that the Muslims had attacked Hindus and idols and called them victims. He voiced his displeasure with Sarfaraz and Talib’s encounter. They were injured in retaliatory police firing. He stated that they should have been shot in the chest instead of the leg. He referred to the police’s response as inadequate and highlighted that this has further boosted the morale of the attackers. He raised concerns that they would murder four Hindus next time instead of one. He feared that the killers of Ram Gopal Mishra might be released soon.

Zomato faces backlash over selling “analogue paneer” to restaurants, here is what it is and how restaurants are deceiving consumers

Shraddha Pandey
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Zomato faces backlash over selling “analogue paneer” to restaurants, here is what it is and how restaurants are deceiving consumers

Food aggregator Zomato stoked controversy after it came to the fore that its B2B platform Hyperpure has been selling vegetable oil-based paneer, called “analogue paneer” by it, to restaurants while the customers remain unaware of the same. A social media post highlighted that while some people ditch typical junk food to consume what may appear to be “healthier”, Zomato’s end-to-end restaurant supply chain for the HoReCa industry is selling an imitation of paneer or simply fake paneer containing vegetable oils which is served to customers by restaurants without any disclaimer.

Notably, Paneer or cottage cheese is a dairy product made from full-fat cow or buffalo milk. Calling a similar product made from vegetable oils amounts to misleading the customers. The fake paneer is being sold by Zomato to restaurants through its Hyperpure platform, which supplies materials to restaurants.

“India loves paneer dishes and restaurants sell fake paneer made with vegetable oils without any disclaimer. They made you believe that you are eating healthy food by eating varieties of paneer dishes over junk food. This is being sold on website of Zomato for restaurants,” X user Sumit Behal posted on 20th October.

The X user attached an image of the “Soft & Fresh analogue paneer” for sale on Hypercure at a rate of Rs 210 per kilogram, while the authentic milk-based paneer costs around Rs 410-450/kg. The product description for “analogue paneer” says, “Milk fat replaced with vegetable fat”.

So far, Zomato has not issued any statement in this regard. Meanwhile, many people are feeling cheated since they opine that as customers they should be informed about which type of paneer are they consuming.

Meanwhile, RS Sodhi, former Amul MD and the president of the Indian Dairy Association commented on the “analogue paneer” controversy and said: “It’s like selling gold plated jewellery as Gold ornament by a famous Gold jewellery brand!!”

Difference between real and analogue paneer

Before delving into whether selling analogue paneer is illegal or not what the government says about analogue dairy products, it is pertinent to understand what exactly is “analogue paneer”. In addition, it is also important to know the difference between real and imitation paneer.

Analogue paneer is prepared with vegetable oils, skimmed milk powder, and other dairy-free ingredients. It is made to appear and taste like paneer but has no milk fats. The analogue paneer is way cheaper than real paneer and has a longer shelf-life, making it more suitable for lactose-intolerant people. Fake paneer that is completely free from milk can be an ideal choice for vegans who avoid all kinds animal-based products.

Analogue paneer contains way lesser amount of protein and minerals than real paneer. It contains artificial additives and does not have the natural flavour of milk-based paneer. Analogue paneer is harmful to health since it contains unhealthy fats, especially trans fats or high levels of saturated fats present in cheap vegetable oils. These are not dietary fats, and they boost blood cholesterol levels, increasing the risk of heart disease. Moreover, Trans fats trigger inflammation, which plays a significant role in the progression of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.

Meanwhile, reel paneer is prepared by curdling milk with natural acids such as lemon juice, vinegar, or citric acid. The curdled milk is filtered, squeezed, and formed into blocks. Authentic paneer is high in protein, calcium, and other vital elements. It promotes muscular building, bone health, and overall nutrition because it is free of dangerous additives and chemicals.

Is selling analogue paneer illegal?

Selling analogue paneer is legal in India as long as it is clearly labelled and sold as “analogue paneer” and not misrepresented as genuine paneer. However, it is prohibited to sell this type of paneer without proper labelling. While the analogue paneer products are labelled as “analogue paneer” on Zomato’s Hyerpure, the restaurants using the analogue paneer are not essentially informing their customers about the type of paneer being used in their dishes eaving the customers in the impression that they eating real and healthy paneer while in reality, analogue or imitation paneer can be harmful to their health.

The restaurants prefer analogue paneer since it is nearly half the price compared to real paneer ensuring greater profits to them, particularly when they conceal from the consumers that the paneer they are using to make their dishes is fake. It is pertinent to note that there are certain ways to identify whether the paneer is real or fake.

While fake paneer may have been presented as an alternative to real milk-based paneer, its sale and consumption should not be encouraged especially without a proper disclaimer to make sure the consumers know and decide for themselves whether they want to eat analogue paneer or not.

What FSSAI says on analogue products?

Notably, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India is a statutory body under the administration of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare that regulates the manufacture, storage, distribution, sale, and import of food articles as well as establishes standards to ensure food safety says that analogue products cannot be sold without being properly labelled as “analogue product”.

In the context of dairy, the FSSAI defines analogue in dairy context as “a product in which constituents not derived from milk take the place, in part or in whole, of any milk constituent(s) and the final product resembles, organoleptically and/or functionally, milk or milk product or composite milk product as defined in these regulations.”

It also specifies which products in the context of dairy can be considered analogues. “All milk products and composite milk products listed/standardized in the regulations, when compositionally altered with by way of substitution of their major milk constituents (milk fat, milk protein) with non-milk constituents (e.g. vegetable oil/fat, vegetable protein), the resultant (lookalike) products would be analogues,” the FSSAI says.

Moreover, the FSSAI says that under Clause (f)(i) of the Sub-regulation 2.1.1(3) of the General Standard for Dairy Products, analogues cannot be considered or sold as dairy products. In addition, analogues also do not meet the criteria for the use of dairy terms for other foods specified in the regulations.

Way forward

Although Zomato’s Hyperpure has properly labelled analogue paneer for sale on its platform, the restaurants buying the synthetic paneer from there are not revealing to their consumers that the paneer they are eating considering it healthy is actually harmful to them and the only one benefiting from it is the restaurants. This is not only unethical, violates the trust of the customers, and is deceptive but also illegal.

Zomato should try to ensure that the restaurants buying analogue paneer from its platform inform their customers. Moreover, as a supplier, Zomato might need to put in place certain measures to ensure that those eateries buying analogue paneer from its platform clearly label the food they offer. The government authorities should also ensure stricter implementation of the labelling laws to ensure transparency from the suppliers and restaurants, in addition to conducting regular inspections and raising public awareness.

NCP (Sharad Pawar) leader Rohit Pawar shares old video claiming to be evidence of NDA using cash to buy votes in Maharashtra, gets caught

OpIndia Staff
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NCP (Sharad Pawar) leader Rohit Pawar shares old video claiming to be evidence of NDA using cash to buy votes in Maharashtra, gets caught

On Tuesday, 22nd October, NCP (Sharad Pawar) MLA Rohit Pawar attempted to spread fake information against the Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra ahead of the state assembly elections scheduled in November 2024. Pawar shared an old video of stacked cash and claimed that the BJP-Shiv Sena (Shinde) had been bribing the state voters by distributing cash.

This is a day after the Pune rural police on Monday night, 21st October, seized unaccounted cash worth Rs 5 crore from an Innova Chrysta car bearing number MH 45 AS 2526 at Khed Shivapur toll post. According to police and administration, the person driving the car said that the cash was intended for delivery to a politician currently linked with the ruling party in Sangola. The act in question happened inside the jurisdiction of the Rajgad police station area, which was later highlighted by MLA Pawar to corner the ruling government. 

“Rs 25 crores are said to have been given to the ruling party candidates as the first instalment for the elections and yesterday one of these instalments was caught from Khed-Shivapur. Found one car but where are the other four cars?” he questioned sharing an old video unrelated to the incident.

“Even in the Lok Sabha, the ruling party attempted to sway the people of Maharashtra by spending money lavishly, but the self-respecting citizens here gave the grand coalition a clear defeat, as decisive as the Katraj Ghat. Though the Grand Alliance may celebrate their gains in the Legislative Assembly with the money they’ve poured in, the people of Maharashtra will certainly give a fitting response to those who betrayed them, and send them home for good. The rulers must remember— this is Maharashtra, not Gujarat’!” he added blatantly cornering the Mahayuti alliance by sharing an old fake video.

In the video shared by MLA Pawar, huge cash stacks of Rs 500, also Rs 2000 and Rs 200 could be seen lined up. However, the claim by Pawar that these were the stacks recovered by the Pune rural police from Innova Chrysta’s car on Monday was false, as the video in question had been posted by a private YouTube channel 4 years ago. Also, the circulation of Rs 2000 notes was withdrawn by RBI in May 2023, raising further questions about how such a huge sum of withdrawn denomination could be recovered by the police on Monday.

The claimed video had been posted on YouTube by a private channel in the name of ‘Kaushal Jaghina’ around 4-5 years ago. The video is still available on the platform. Pawar notably dragged the four-year-old video to claim that the BJP-Shiv Sena (Shinde) alliance had been distributing cash to buy voters ahead of the Maharashtra State Assembly elections 2024.

Several netizens meanwhile criticized Pawar for spreading fake information and targeting the Mahayuti alliance. “You were, are, and will continue to be vile, as you have shown by sharing this video,” said Prakash Gade, BJP member from Nanded, Maharashtra. He further indicated that Pawar shared a video in which Rs 2000 note cash stacks could be seen, the denomination which was withdrawn from circulation in May 2023.

Several others mocked Pawar for desperately launching an attack on Mahayuti ahead of the state assembly elections. “From where did you get Rs 2000 notes?” asked one while the other one said that the way Pawar was sharing fake videos, was an indication that MVA was again about to lose the elections. The others meanwhile pointed out that Pawar had posted the video on X by downloading it from YouTube.

A general assembly election in Maharashtra is scheduled on 20th November 2024 to elect the 288 members of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly; the counting and results will be announced on November 23rd, 2024. The model code of conduct for the November 20th state assembly polls has come into effect on October 15th and the police have stepped up vigilance.

How WaPo seems to have colluded with Canadian govt to make wild allegations against India: A saga of lies, deceit and ‘no hard proof’ propaganda

Anurag
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How WaPo seems to have colluded with Canadian govt to make wild allegations against India: A saga of lies, deceit and ‘no hard proof’ propaganda

On 14th October, the Canadian government, followed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), levelled serious but baseless allegations against India, claiming that Indian agents, officials, and high-ranking Indian diplomats, including the then High Commissioner of India to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, were involved in “criminal activities” on Canadian soil. They claimed that India used a criminal syndicate operating in Canada to target Khalistani terrorists, including Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was killed in June 2023.

Within hours of the allegations made by Canadian authorities, the Washington Post came up with a detailed report on it. In fact, the report went a step further and named Home Minister Amit Shah as one of the conspirators in illegal criminal activities on Canadian soil. Recently, it came to light that the Canadian government sources WaPo quoted in its damning report were Canada’s National Security Adviser, Nathalie Drouin, and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, David Morrison.

One of the questions that arise is how the WaPo report written by Greg Miller and Gerry Shih had so much detail and quotes from Canadian government officials within hours of the allegations made against India. Furthermore, it is also suspicious how WaPo came up with the name of the Home Minister of India, Amit Shah, as one of the persons involved in criminal activities.

A 22nd October report by The Globe and Mail revealed that the information WaPo published in its report was briefed to them days before Canadian authorities and the RCMP made the allegations public. WaPo was simply sitting on a prepared report, waiting for the RCMP to hold a press conference so they could publish it.

The allegations, spearheaded by WaPo in collaboration with the Canadian government in a systematic and well-planned manner, have been shown to lack substantial evidence. They have exposed a deeply troubling case of media manipulation, as the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, himself admitted that the allegations were made against India without any concrete evidence. The narrative was aggressively pushed by Trudeau’s team even before Canada’s own security agencies, like the RCMP, had held a press conference to officially share their findings.

Since the RCMP and Canadian government dropped a bombshell against India, they have once again failed to hand over the “substantial evidence” mentioned in their briefing, while telling the world that “India is involved in criminal activities on Canadian soil”. The narrative which WaPo attempted to create with the support of Canadian authorities has impacted high-ranking Indian officials like HM Shah, Indian diplomats, including Verma, who were called back (later Canada expelled six, including Verma), and the Indian spy agency RAW.

Planted stories, no evidence, and a scandalous timeline

The allegations against India stemmed from claims supposedly based on intercepted communications. A picture has been painted against India, claiming that Indian agents and officials were deeply involved in Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s murder and other targeted killings and attacks on Khalistani elements in Canada.

However, it has been recently uncovered that these accusations were, in fact, fed to WaPo directly by the Canadian NSA long before any official findings or proof were established in the public domain. This revelation raises serious questions about WaPo’s journalistic integrity and its willingness to act as a mouthpiece for a government desperate to divert attention from its own failures.

Despite WaPo insinuating that it had obtained cloak-and-dagger input from Canadian sources, in reality, Trudeau’s NSA was tasked with planting the story. It clearly shows how WaPo was complicit in the manipulation of the narrative, as all the Indian and international media used WaPo’s report to name HM Shah as one of the conspirators in criminal activities on Canadian soil.

Trusting just one source, that is, the Canadian government, was not the way things could have been manipulated the way they were. Using an internationally renowned media house for this work was the perfect way to target India, and Canada did just that. Adding to the farce, Trudeau later admitted that at the time of making these serious allegations, there was no “hard proof” to substantiate them. This admission not only undermines Trudeau’s government but also casts a long shadow over WaPo’s role in sensationalising these unfounded claims.

Indian diplomats and HM Amit Shah under attack

The most alarming aspect of this saga is the deliberate targeting of Indian officials, with Home Minister Amit Shah being dragged into the fray. Canada has spun a narrative, echoed by WaPo, suggesting that HM Shah had direct oversight of the illegal operations. The narrative was created despite the complete lack of any concrete evidence. In fact, the allegations seem to be an attempt to deliberately smear HM Shah’s image on an international platform and cast doubt over India’s diplomatic corps.

Home Minister Amit Shah does not oversee foreign operations. He is responsible for internal affairs. HM Shah has been strict towards the rise of Khalistani elements in India, as central agencies under him got involved in action against Khalistani preacher-turned-politician Amritpal Singh, led by the Punjab government. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the Home Ministry is looking into incidents of attacks on Indian diplomats on foreign soil by Khalistani elements.

The smear campaign against HM Shah is a way for the Canadian government to woo Khalistani voters for the upcoming General Elections scheduled for October 2025. The Trudeau administration has been actively working to keep Khalistani elements on their side, and in doing so, they have completely ignored and wasted perfectly good diplomatic relations with India. Trudeau meddled in India’s affairs repeatedly, despite India’s strong objections, and continued to provide a safe haven for criminals wanted by India.

It is becoming clearer that the Indian diplomats stationed in Canada have been implicated in this fabricated scandal, which has further escalated tensions between the two nations. These accusations were built on the flimsiest of premises and revealed a strategy by Trudeau to pressure India diplomatically, attempting to use the global media to isolate Indian officials on the international stage. The complicity of WaPo in this narrative, by running with these claims without proper verification, has only deepened the rift between India and Canada.

WaPo’s fall from journalistic grace

It is particularly damning how WaPo journalists Greg Miller and Gerry Shih ran with these serious allegations against India, despite the complete absence of hard proof. The fact is, Trudeau’s own government is unclear on the allegations and has repeatedly failed to provide any concrete evidence to Indian officials to make the allegations sustainable.

The article by Miller and Shih cited anonymous Canadian officials to create an illusion of a well-researched investigation. However, in reality, it was nothing more than planted disinformation from Trudeau’s office. In a way, WaPo was “honey-trapped” by Trudeau into publishing the report. However, this does not mean WaPo is innocent. The media house has been running smear campaigns against India for a long time, and this “juicy” story was something they could not miss, despite knowing that it would put a blot on their already deteriorating reputation.

The actions of WaPo reveal a disturbing trend of Western media acting as a tool for political propaganda. WaPo deliberately framed the allegations as though they had obtained credible intelligence from sources on the ground, yet the information was little more than fabricated nonsense designed to serve a political agenda. The media outlet essentially ran a Canadian government operation disguised as independent journalism.

A smokescreen for Trudeau’s failures

The entire saga can be seen as a desperate attempt by Trudeau to boost his faltering image ahead of the Canadian elections. He targeted India, a rising global power, and cast blame for Nijjar’s murder on Indian officials. He might have hoped to distract people from his domestic failings.

Not to forget, Nijjar entered Canada using a false name and fake documents. When he was rejected for asylum, he married a Canadian woman to gain Permanent Residency but failed. Between 1997 and 2015, Nijjar continuously tried to obtain Canadian citizenship but failed because of his problematic past. However, Canada did not extradite or deport him.

Nijjar went to Pakistan, met Khalistani terrorists, ran camps to teach how to use guns, and supported Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in his so-called Referendum to get Khalistan carved out of India. Indian agencies even provided proof that he was linked to the Khalistani terrorist outfit Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF). He was a “shining star” in the eyes of pro-Khalistani elements and thus became one in the eyes of Trudeau’s administration as well. Nijjar was on Canada’s no-fly list and later on the US’s no-fly list as well. All these pieces of evidence of his involvement in terrorist activities against India were not enough for Canada to extradite him.

On the contrary, Canada allowed a man with known criminal ties to operate so freely on its soil and later, after his death, used him to gain the confidence of Khalistani elements. For what? Just for some votes.

Rather than addressing critical issues such as Chinese interference in Canadian politics, Trudeau’s government seems intent on scapegoating India. This misdirection, aided by WaPo, reflects poorly on both the Canadian leadership and the media outlet, which has been complicit in pushing a false narrative.

The Lawrence Bishnoi gang – A minor footnote in the scandal

While much attention was placed on India’s alleged involvement, the Canadian government also referenced the Lawrence Bishnoi gang as potential perpetrators of the assassination. However, the focus on this gang appears to be a weak attempt to add credibility to their otherwise baseless accusations against India. While the gang’s involvement remains highly doubtful, it is obvious that the primary goal was to target India diplomatically and deflect from Trudeau’s own failings.

Conclusion

This Trudeau-WaPo saga reveals how political motives can taint media integrity. The Washington Post is generally seen as a bastion of independent journalism. However, it has done no good to its image by publishing reports aimed at forming a narrative against a government, in this case, the Indian government. As India continues to demand credible evidence for its alleged involvement, Canada’s silence speaks volumes.

What should have been a serious diplomatic dialogue has instead devolved into a media circus, orchestrated by a failing Canadian leadership and an increasingly untrustworthy media outlet. Trudeau is facing a lot of pressure at home. He is trying to distract the public from domestic failures with wild allegations against India.

Meanwhile, media houses like WaPo are standing in line to have a cut in the fruit of such baseless, senseless, and false narratives. Scandals and conspiracies sell like hotcakes in today’s time, and WaPo has proved that it can go to any extent to make itself look “journalistically superior” in the eyes of the world.

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