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‘Tel lagalo Dabur ka, naam mita do Babur ka’ triggered Islamists in Bahraich: Newslaundry ‘journalist’ rationalises the cold-blooded murder of Ram Gopal Mishra

Shraddha Pandey
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‘Tel lagalo Dabur ka, naam mita do Babur ka’ triggered Islamists in Bahraich: Newslaundry ‘journalist’ rationalises the cold-blooded murder of Ram Gopal Mishra

Islamists and their cheerleaders in the media can rationalise any act of violence and unspeakable atrocities if committed by an Islamist mob. Islamist propagandists earlier justified ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ sloganeering and riots by Islamists during the Nupur Sharma episode. Now, as the brutal killing of a Hindu youth Ram Gopal Mishra in Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich by Islamists shocked the nation, leftist propaganda outlet Newslaundry which was recently upset over Hindus not giving a free pass to Islamists predators into Garba events, attempted to rationalise Mishra’s horrific murder.

Through its ground report, Newslaundry and its reporter Avdhesh Kumar attempted to rationalise Ram Gopal Mishra’s murder by Islamists in Maharajganj. It is pertinent to note that Ram Gopal was the person seen in the viral video wherein he removed the green Islamic flag and hoisted a saffron flag on a rooftop after which he was tormented and killed by Islamists on 13th October. In a clip posted on X, a local resident told Kumar that Durga Visarjan procession Ram Gopal was participating in, had played a song “Tel laga lo Dabur ka naam mita do Babur ka”. The Newslaundry reporter suggested that since the Hindu side played this song on DJ, it ‘offended’ the Muslims and thus brutality inflicted by them on the Hindu youth is justified.

In the video, a local named Umesh Kumar said that the Hindu procession was playing the “Tel laga lo Dabur ka naam mita do Babur ka” song and offended by this, the Muslims started abusing the Hindu side and asked them to stop playing the song. The verbal altercation soon escalated to physical fighting and stone pelting. “wo log [Muslims] abhadra gaali galoj karne lage… maarne pe aamaada ho gaye, pathrav kiye… [Those people began hurling abuses and turned hell-bent on attacking…also did stone pelting]” the local man said.

While the local man’s statement suggests that the Muslim side began abusing and threatening violence first, the Newslaundry ‘journalist’ suggested that it was the song played by Hindus that caused the riots in Bahraich. “Bahraich was hit by riots because of this song played during the Durga idol immersion procession. Umesh Kumar Saini made the whole picture clear. There is mourning in the entire area because of this one song,” Kumar posted.

Unsurprisingly, this video is being widely circulated by Islamists online to establish that since Hindus played an ‘offensive’ song, Muslims grew infuriated and thus unrest erupted.

In this vein, Wasim Akram Tyagi, an Islamist notorious for peddling falsehoods to further his Muslim victimhood narrative shared the Newslaundry video to blame the Hindus for the killing of Ram Gopal Mishra and the violence in Bahraich. “This is Umesh Kumar Saini. He is an eyewitness from Bahraich. Umesh is telling us which was the ‘song’ due to which Bahraich is burning in the fire of violence. @shalabhmaniwill watch the video! And yes, this reporter is also @ImAvdheshkumar, he has studied from Makhanlal. Should I tell them his religion also? Or is the name enough?”

Notably, so far multiple claims related to the songs being played by DJ during the Durga idol immersion on 13th October have emerged. While some claimed that the song that ‘offended’ Muslims was related to BJP, others claimed that it was a song titled “Pakistan ki Nani mar jayegi” and now a Newslaundry report has claimed that it was “Tel laga lo Dabur ka naam mita do Babur ka”.

Incidentally, the same people who justify screaming of Sar Tan Se Juda slogans in Muharram processions by Muslim mobs as seen earlier this year, are questioning why such songs were being played in Dura Puja processions. Even if we assume that all three main versions emerging from media reports based on the claims made by locals that BJP, Pakistan or Mughal tyrant Babur-related songs were indeed being played during the Durga idol immersion procession, why does it offend Muslims so much so that they would abuse Hindus, threaten violence upon refusing to stop the songs, and clip Ram Gopal Mishra’s fingernails, fire more than two dozen bullets and hurl stones even on his dead body?

Why does a song mocking India’s hostile neighbour Pakistan offend Indian Muslims? Why does a song calling to eradicate the name of Mughal tyrant Babur who slaughtered Hindus, offend Indian Muslims? Was Babur the ancestors of Indian Muslims? No! Was he an Islamic prophet or prominent figure? No! Then why were Islamists offended in the first place, is it because of their love for Pakistan, admiration of Mughal tyrants, due to their hatred for the BJP or simply because of their hatred and intolerance of Hindus and their festivals? Is removing a green flag such big a crime that the Hindu man was shot 35 times after suffering horrific torment and agony from several blows and bullet pellets that tore apart his body from the chest to the neck?

As reported earlier, Ram Gopal was married only two months before the Muslim radicals killed him on 13th October during a visarjan procession of the Goddess Durga idol in the Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh. Abdul Hameed, his two sons Sarfaraz and Faheem and Sahir Khan, along with others have been named as accused in the case. The Muslim mob started pelting stones from Abdul Hameed’s residence after which the people in the procession also retaliated.

Meanwhile, Ram Gopal allegedly went to the roof of that house, took down two green flags and tied a wire to hoist the saffron flag. He was dragged inside the house by the perpetrators who then murdered him.

If today Newslaundry and the Islamists are rationalising anti-Hindu violence using some supposedly ‘offensive’ songs or mere removal of a flag, then it would not be shocking if in future they would justify brutal killings of Hindus for simply existing as being seen in the Muslim-majority Pakistan and Bangladesh. While Newslaundry or for that matter any leftist propaganda outlet never questions why raising the murderous Sar Tan Se Juda slogan has become an inextricable element of Muharram and Eid celebrations in recent years, but comfortably rationalise the horrific murder of a Hindu youth, stone pelting and violence because a song ‘offended’ them.

Also, it is alarming that the Newslaundry reporter did not care to question how come a song mocking Mughal invader Babur offends the sentiments of Indian Muslims whose ancestors were Hindus. It happens only in India that Hindus are attacked and murdered for playing songs mocking Pakistan or Islamic invaders or removing and the leftist media rationalises the same since perpetrators are Muslims.

The Newslaundry ground report although features Ram Gopal Mishra’s grieving family as well, is absolutely biased from the very beginning insinuating that Hindus carried out violence against Muslims and not the other way around. No wonder, the propaganda outlet did not care to speak to Sudhakar Tiwari, who was also attacked alongside Ram Gopal Mishra. Notably, Tiwari while speaking to NewPolitico confirmed that some people from the Mosque initiated the attack on the Hindus.

Cherry-picking facts to build a narrative where the oppressors become the victims, the Newslaundry and other Islamist-sympathising entities go into hibernation when similar ‘provocations’ are directed at Hindus by Islamists. Moreover, the Islamo-leftist ecosystem is so keen on contextualising the brutality inflicted on Ram Gopal Mishra and the Hindus partaking in the said Durg Visarjan procession that instead of focusing on the actual crime, they are deflecting attention towards the songs played by the DJ, meticulously creating a narrative that automatically blames the victim for his death and simultaneously excuses the violence carried out by the Islamists. However, for the Islamo-leftist cabal, any supposed ‘provocation’ does not equal permission for violence only when Muslims happen to be the victims and not the Hindus. No wonder, Newslaundry had earlier downplayed the Islamist onslaught against Hindus in Bangladesh.

Karnataka: Muslim leaders threaten BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal over ‘Waqf hatao, desh bachao’ rally

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka: Muslim leaders threaten BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal over ‘Waqf hatao, desh bachao’ rally

Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, the firebrand Bharatiya Janata Party leader and MLA from Karnataka’s Vijayapura planned to organise rallies in protest of the Waqf, however, Muslim leaders of the area started to threaten him in order to intimidate him to cancel the demonstration. He scheduled a massive rally in Vijayapura on 16th October and another titled, “Waqf hatao, desh bachao (remove Waqf, save the country)” on 6th November.

He has been threatened that an alleged CD with information “exposing him” will be made public if he does not retract his call. A group of local Muslim leaders in Vijayapura, led by Advocate SS Quadri, issued the threat. Vijayapura, originally known as Bijapur, has a sizable Muslim population (36%) while having a predominantly Hindu majority (67%). On 14th October, Quadri and others told reporters in Vijayapura that if the lawmaker persisted in making alleged anti-Muslim remarks, they would release a Compact Disc featuring a video that would reveal his real character.

He claimed, “The MLA has been making, false, baseless and insulting remarks against the community. He is creating disharmony and provoking non-violent tendencies in society. This will not be tolerated. This is not a threat or perceived as blackmail. It is an act to expose the truth and demand accountability. He should stop his anti-Muslim statements or face public scrutiny.” He highlighted that the CD would be issued on 6th November if the lawmaker did not back down from his demand for the anti-Waqf march.

According to Quadri, Yatnal had applied for a stay on any print, video, or audio that might be broadcast in the media and damage his reputation or political career with the special court for people’s representatives in Bengaluru in 2019. “If everything is clear as he claims, why not take back that case? We are seeking an order from the honourable court to vacate this stay. We are warning him, he should stop making such statements against the community or face us,” he claimed.

Former city municipal corporation member Abdul Razak Horti argued that this was not an attempt at blackmail but rather an initiative to remind the MLA to speak and behave carefully. Notably, Yatnal has emerged as a fierce anti-Waqf voice who has also appealed for “noiseless Fridays and bloodless Bakrid,” in the past.

In addition to serving as a member of parliament twice, he was also a minister in the centre, serving as minister of state for railroads and textiles from 2003 to 2004. He is a two-time MLA who has been serving the Bijapur City Assembly constituency since 2018. He is emerging as a prominent nationalist voice and also has close ties to the Lingayat community.

Andhra Pradesh: Abhaya Anjaneya Swamy temple demolished by unknown miscreants in Chittoor

OpIndia Staff
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Andhra Pradesh: Abhaya Anjaneya Swamy temple demolished by unknown miscreants in Chittoor

On Wednesday, 16th October, some unidentified miscreants vandalised and demolished the Abhaya Anjaneya Swamy temple in Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh. According to news reports, they damaged the walls and the main door of the temple, causing the structure to tilt towards one side. The temple is located in Mulakacheruvu village.

Due to the vandalism, the entire foundation was also damaged, becoming detached from the ground. The temple has been almost demolished as a result of the attack.

Reports suggest that the interior of the temple was also vandalised, including the idols of deities. The asbestos sheet shed, which provided shade at the temple entrance, was also damaged.

The police were informed of the incident. A case has been registered against unknown miscreants following a complaint by local leaders, and the investigation is underway. Police suspect that the crime was committed by treasure hunters.

“We are suspecting it to be the work of treasure hunters or people belonging to rival groups connected to the temple,” Annamayya district Superintendent of Police B Krishna Rao said.

As per reports, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu condemned the attack on the temple and instructed the police to take strict action against the persons involved. The CM ordered the police to arrest the culprits as soon as possible.

The case in the incident has been registered under various sections of the BNS and the Indian Treasure Trove Act.

Muthyalamma temple vandalism case

The incident happened only two days after the Muthyalamma temple was vandalised in the neighbouring state of Telangana. On Monday, 14th September, tensions arose in Secunderabad after the idol of the Muthyalamma temple in Telangana’s Kurmaguda region was vandalized, sparking fury and protests from the local Hindu residents. The incident is believed to have occurred near a passport office, and one of the extremists was immediately captured by locals.

He was later turned over to the police within the Market police station limits. The video of the said incident is making rounds on social media. The police arrested the accused who could be seen wearing an Islamic skull cap in the CCTV footage and identified him as Saleem Salman Thakur. As per the local reports, Saleem targeted the temple while he was on his way to the Masjid. The police also interrogated the accused during which he stated that he had been staying in a hotel named the Secunderabad Cine Police Hotel.

He also confessed that he attacked the temple while he was on his way to the Masjid from the hotel. Based on the information from the accused, the police raided the 50-room hotel to learn that it was rented mostly by thieves. The Police further stated that there were more miscreants along with Saleem while attacking the temple, but all the others fled.

As Justin Trudeau accuses India of encouraging criminal elements in Canada, read how CSIS mole was responsible for the 1985 Kanishka bombing

OpIndia Staff
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As Justin Trudeau accuses India of encouraging criminal elements in Canada, read how CSIS mole was responsible for the 1985 Kanishka bombing

The already strained relationship between India and Canada witnessed a new low when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his administration accused New Delhi of encouraging criminal activity targeted at Canadians. They asserted to have found “direct links” between violent crimes, including homicides, and Indian diplomats stationed in the country. However, no evidence was offered to back up the accusations. Notably, the Western nation accused the Modi administration of killing Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar based on “credible allegations” last year which triggered an intense downfall of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

In a stark demonstration of their desperation to blame India to conceal its support for Khalistani elements, Ottowo accused 31-year-old gangster Lawrence Bishnoi of the terror strike on Air India Flight AI-182 infamously known as Kanishka bombing which led to the loss of 329 lives. Notably, the horrific attack occurred on 23rd June 1985, around 39 years ago. Amid the mockery of such a sensitive matter that rocked the globe, particularly India, and exposed the hideous face of Khalistani terrorism, the name of a Canadian Security Intelligence Service’s (CSIC) mole emerged behind the gruesome incident.

According to media reports, the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service might have had a mole in the conspiracy to destroy Air India, per the documents made public by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in 2003. The documents were released after a publication ban was lifted. An RCMP officer submitted in an affidavit that the explosives and plane tickets were with a Sikh separatist who was suspected of being a CSIS mole in the Air-India plot, just before two bombs were checked onto aircraft at the Vancouver airport.

He was identified as Surjan Singh Gill who claimed to be the consul-general of Khalistan, a fictitious country which only exists in the mind of pro-separatists and has no basis in the real world.

Documents reveal shocking details

Constable Gary Clark-Marlow stated in an affidavit sworn to get court approval for wiretaps that on 21st June 1985, CSIS intercepted a phone call between Surjan Singh Gill and Talwinder Singh Parmar founder, leader of the terrorist group Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) who was the brains behind the plot. “Mr Parmar asked Mr Gill whether he had delivered those papers. Mr. Gill replied: Yes. Mr Parmar then told him to deliver the clothes to the same place. “I believe that the ‘papers’ refers to the airline tickets and ‘clothes’ refers to the suitcase for the bombs,” he pointed out.

A member of the Air India task force, Constable Clark-Marlow, mentioned that the two terrorists communicated in code. They had dozens of telephone conversations monitored by CSIS starting in late March 1985. The majority of the conversations that were tape-recorded were deleted, but the spy agency was able to assemble an overview of Gill’s activities from numerous reports and the notes taken by the officers.

After giving Parmar a manila envelope, Gill spoke with him for roughly thirty minutes. Later, on 21st June 1985, police discovered a note in which the latter announced his resignation from a Sikh separatist organization headed by Parmar. “It is my belief that Gill’s purpose in this visit was to deliver his resignation,” the constable wrote and added that Gill was observed conversing with Parmar later that day, despite having resigned. He shared that on the evening of 23rd June 1985, after the bombs had detonated, Gill went over to Parmar’s house.

The documents further stated that CSIS removed the mole at the last minute to save him from getting implicated. The records are transcripts of an RCMP interview with Kamloops millworker Ajaib Singh Bagri following his arrest in October 2000. After outlining the evidence against him, the officers revealed that one of the conspirators was a spy for the Canadian espionage service.

According to the transcripts, Inspector Lorne Schwartz noted that Gill became involved from the beginning and that “certain people” told him to stay active and find out what was happening. Then, according to Sergeant Jim Hunter, his CSIS handlers ordered him to retreat.

“They told him to get out of there. That things are happening and you can’t be seen as part of that,” he highlighted. It happened a few days prior to the bombing. On 4th June 1985, in the afternoon, Gill, Parmar and an anonymous person went to Vancouver Island, reportedly to test explosives, according to CSIS agent Larry Lowe. He followed them to the Vancouver ferry port. At 11:35 pm, on the same day, CSIS surveillance personnel observed Gill picking up Parmar at the ferry terminal. Surveillance footage from CSIS also showed that Gill appeared at Parmar’s residence at 8:15 am on 21st June 1985. They had discussed providing paper and clothes over the phone earlier that day.

In an interview, RCMP Staff Sergeant Grant Learned mentioned that he was unable to address inquiries concerning the sworn affidavit, which was made sometime after April 1996 and unveiled that the police documents from the Air-India trial that were made public only told a portion of the facts. “There are still hundreds of thousands of pages and tapes and interviews that the media do not have access to. Everyone has questions about bits and pieces of information. I expect the same questions will be raised during the trial,” he expressed.

During the questioning of an Air India defendant, Staff Sergeant Don Adam, another police officer, indicated that Gill was a CSIS operative who had been told to leave before the terror assault. However, Wayne Easter, the solicitor general, refuted claims that CSIS was aware of the bombing beforehand.

The prosecution had asserted that bombs found in checked luggage at the Vancouver airport were the reason behind the explosions. Two of the explosives were sent to Toronto, where they were transferred to another Air India flight before detonating off the coast of Ireland. The other device was transported to Tokyo, where it exploded at the Narita airport before it could be moved to an Air India flight.

Surjan Singh Gill moves to London

Gill eventually relocated to London in 2000 from Canada soon after Vancouver businessmen Ripudaman Singh Malik and Ajaib Singh Bagri. The pair was also accused of killing two individuals who perished in an explosion at Tokyo’s Narita airport. Eight counts were brought against them, including conspiracy, attempted murder, and first-degree murder.

Notably, Gill was never charged. The previously disclosed RCMP papers disclosed that Gill was one of six primary suspects in the Air-India case that the agency had named before he departed Canada. The attempts to locate him were unsuccessful.

A person who claimed to be Gill’s brother then reported that he was in England. “He’s still in England. He’s here, but he’s in Coventry today,” he stated while answering Gill’s phone. The man laughed out loud when told that Gill was believed to be a spy for the intelligence service of Canada and added, “It’s still going on.” Gill resided in his brother’s house in a London suburb close to Heathrow Airport and Southall, the Punjabi community’s hub in London. When a visitor initially arrived at Gurnam’s modest semi-detached house, which was located across a train line, no one was home. Mohamed Aleem, a neighbour, confirmed that he did stay there, however, alleged that he had since moved out.

Neither the RCMP nor CSIS reacted to the development, however, the Crown acknowledged in court that CSIS’s destruction of hundreds of wiretaps related to the Air India probe constituted “unacceptable negligence.”

The futile end of a flawed investigation

Khalistani terrorists including Inderjit Singh Revat who was also associated with Babbar Khalsa International and considered the mastermind of the attack along with Talwinder Singh Parmar, Manjit Singh, Ripudaman Singh Malik and Ajaib Singh Bagri were named as accused in the case. The trial, which lasted more than 20 years and cost close to $130 million, was the longest and most costly in Canadian history, however, it bore no results.

After relocating to Pakistan in 1988, Parmar carried on his covert terror operations in Punjab across the border until his demise in 1992. Both Canada and West Germany had refused to extradite Parmar to India, with the latter jailing him for a year before freeing him. Notably, Pierre Trudeau, Justin Trudeau’s father was the prime minister of Canada at the time. Now, the latter is following his late father’s lead and shielding anti-India and pro-separatist elements at the expense of Canada’s diplomatic relationship with the world’s biggest democracy, India.

Reyat was given a five-year prison term after entering a guilty plea to manslaughter in 2003. Malik and Bagri were cleared of all charges in 2005, with all evidence destroyed and witnesses silenced or killed.

Ghaziabad Family suffering from liver aliments discovers shocking fact: Their maid was using her urine to make rotis, caught in camera

OpIndia Staff
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Ghaziabad Family suffering from liver aliments discovers shocking fact: Their maid was using her urine to make rotis, caught in camera

On Monday, 14th October, a shocking incident came to light in Ghaziabad where a maid was found to have been feeding roti (flatbread) mixed with her own urine to a family for years. The maid, identified as Reena, had been working as a cook for the family of a real estate businessman for the past eight years. A recording of her urinating in a bowl and then kneading flour with it has gone viral on social media. OpIndia has accessed the FIR in the matter, which was registered after a complaint was filed by the family.

Source: UP police

On Monday, a woman from the Crossing Republic police station area approached the police to file a complaint against her maid. In her complaint, she told the police that her maid, Reena, had been working for her for the past eight years. On 14th October, she discovered, through a mobile recording, that the maid had urinated in a bowl in the kitchen and used the same bowl to knead the flour. She added that her family had been suffering from liver disease for several months. She suspected that the maid had been doing this for a long time. Based on her complaint, an FIR under Section 272 of the Bharatiya Nayay Sanhita (BNS) was registered by the police.

According to media reports, the family had been suffering from liver disease for the past few months. The doctors were unable to determine the reason behind the health issues they were facing. Moreover, there were incidents of theft of food items from the kitchen in recent times. Suspecting the maid, the woman placed a mobile phone with the camera running in video mode in the kitchen to record what was happening there.

When she checked the footage, the family was shocked to see the maid mixing urine in the dough for roti. In the video, the main can be urinating in a kitchen utensil and then using it to make dough.

Speaking to the media, the family said they had trusted Reena wholeheartedly. She had been with them through thick and thin, and they regarded her as a family member. There had been some incidents of theft in their house, but they had never suspected Reena.

As per reports, the maid has been arrested by the police. DCP Surendra Nath Tiwari said, “Based on the complaint, a case has been registered at Crossings Republik police station. The accused maid Reena has been arrested. Investigation and further action are being taken in the matter.”

During the initial interrogation, Reena denied the allegations. She even swore that she could not even think of doing anything like this. But when the police showed her the footage, she refused to say anything. It is yet to be known why she was doing this and for how long.

Is the Trudeau govt attacking India to divert attention from a report exposing Chinese interference in Canadian elections?

Shraddha Pandey
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Is the Trudeau govt attacking India to divert attention from a report exposing Chinese interference in Canadian elections?

 The diplomatic tensions between Canada and India are at an all-time high as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau launched a fresh tirade against the Indian government and accused Indian diplomats in Canada of being linked to ‘criminal activities’ including the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. While Canada and India have expelled their diplomats in a tit-for-tat move, it has emerged that Trudeau’s fresh anti-India statements are an attempt to divert domestic attention from allegations of Chinese interference in the past few elections in Canada.

A federal inquiry has been going on into the allegations of foreign interference in Canadian elections. During a recent public hearing of the inquiry, Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc claimed that it is ‘irresponsible and partisan exaggeration’ to claim that traitors are sitting in the Canadian parliament based on the findings of the report published by intelligence watchdog National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP).

In June this year, the NSICOP report titled: Special Report on Foreign Interference in Canada’s Democratic Processes and Institutions uncovered the extensive interference of China in Canada’s electoral and legislative affairs. The redacted report mentions how certain Canadian MPs colluded with China.

NSICOP report (Redacted version)

China expanded its influence over Canadian governance and economy

The report said that some Chinese nationals, supported by the Chinese Communist Party, have and continue to engage in sophisticated efforts to break into and influence all levels of the Canadian governance and economy.

The NSICOP report emphasises the serious consequences of Chinese influence actions in Canada, which include illegal attempts to intervene in elections, bribe Canadian officials, and use covert techniques to exploit Canada’s indigenous people for resource extraction, as mentioned in the non-redacted 2019 version of the report.

“Between September 1, 2018, and November 7, 2023, foreign interference targeting democratic institutions and processes remained largely consistent with the broader trends the Committee identified in its previous review. Most notably, the PRC remained the largest foreign interference threat to Canada, including to its democratic institutions and processes,” the 2024 redacted NSICOP report states adding that the Chinese interference efforts are most sophisticated, persistent and multi-dimensional.

Highlighting China’s transnational repression, the NSICOP report stated that China had set up Overseas Police Stations in Canada and other countries. “In September 2022, a report published by the non-governmental organization (NGO) Safeguard Defenders alleged that the PRC had established a series of “Overseas Police Stations” in countries around the world, including Canada. (“OverseasPolice Station” is derived from the term “Police-Overseas Chinese Liaison Stations,” which itself is a direct translation from the Chinese term used by the PRC. 42) Subsequent investigation confirmed these reports,” the report reads adding that by March 2023, there were about 7 such Chinese Overseas police stations—3 in Toronto, 2 in Vancouver and 2 in Montreal.

Media to social media: China exploited all means at hand to manipulate public opinion against Canada’s Conservative Party

Elaborating on the tactics used by foreign actors like China to influence the opinions of Canadian voters, ethnocultural groups and parliamentarians, China used social media alongside the legacy media.

“According to the intelligence community, the PRC was the most capable actor in this context, interfering with Canadian media content via direct engagement with Canadian media executives and journalists.62 [Six sentences were deleted to remove injurious or privileged information. The sentences described examples of the PRC paying to publish media articles without attribution, sponsoring media travel to the PRC, pressuring journalists to withdraw articles and creating false accounts on social media to spread disinformation],” the NSICOP report states.

During the 2021 federal election in Canada, the Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections Task Force (SITE) noted that mainstream media and social media activities aimed at discouraging voters from supporting the Conservative Party. While a direct link to the Chinese government did not emerge, the pattern indicated a coordinated campaign orchestrated by China.

United Front Work Department: CCP’s machinery to bolster Chinese influence and interests on foreign soil

The NSICOP report detailed how CCP’s United Front Work Department (UFWD) operates through several front organisations in foreign nations to serve China’s interests and expand its influence. These front organisations do not overtly declare their affiliation to the CCP. Front organisations tasked state-owned enterprises, Chinese-registered private companies, Chinese student organisations, foreign cultural organisations, foreign media, members of Chinese ethnocultural communities, and prominent businesspeople and political figures to support the CCP’s goals through democratic institutions and processes.

Notably, the UFWD is a well-funded department of the CCP. So much so, that in 2019, China spent over USD $2.6 billion on United Front Work, this amount is way more than it spent on China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“United front work has been successful in co-opting or subverting political opponents of the CCP and incentivizing public displays of support for the Party. The UFWD has produced propaganda, suppressed critical narratives, and engaged academics, media, businesses and politicians to influence them to adopt pro-China positions or avoid adopting what the PRC considers anti-China positions,” the report stated.

China targeted Canadian MPs for coercion or suppression

Based on the findings of the Canadian intelligence agency CSIS, the NSICOP report said that foreign actors have targeted federal parliamentarians to collect information to support potential future efforts to coerce them. Foreign actors have also intimidated or pressured parliamentarians who they perceived as having taken political positions counter to theirs.

The report mentioned that there were 11 candidates and 13 political staffers involved, “some of whom appeared to be wittingly working for the People’s Republic of China.”

The report also mentioned that a now-former MP used their position to develop a friendship with a foreign intelligence official. “According to CSIS, the member of Parliament sought to arrange a meeting in a foreign state with a senior intelligence official and also proactively provided the intelligence officer with information provided in confidence,” the report said.

According to the research, MPs frequently exchanged information about their own colleagues with foreign countries, recognising that the material would be used to pressure a fellow MP to alter their stand.

“Providing foreign diplomatic officials with privileged information on the work or opinions of fellow Parliamentarians, knowing that such information will be used by those officials to inappropriately pressure Parliamentarians to change their positions,” the report said.

The Chinese influence over Canadian parliamentarians magnified to such an extent that it began rewarding and punishing Canadian MPs based on their pro or anti-China opinions expressed in the House. The report mentions the case of Conservative PM Michael Chong and said that Chong had in February 2021, sponsored a vote in the House of Commons to identify the PRC’s treatment of its Uyghur population as genocide. However, it was only in May 2023, that he was made aware by the Canadian intelligence agencies about the Chinese threat to him and his family for his ‘anti-China’ stance.

China also interfered in the electoral nomination process and supported or opposed candidates by exploiting loopholes in the political party governance and administration. The report detailed how targeting the candidate nomination process benefitted China as some seats were considered safe seats, meaning that winning a nomination in a way ensured victory, thus not requiring China to directly meddle in the election itself. This was facilitated by the fact that nomination processes are not directly regulated or safeguarded by federal, provincial, or territorial legislation or enforcement bodies. Moreover, since nomination processes are governed by the different rules of each political party: breaking these rules is not illegal.

All excerpts taken NSICOP Canada report published in June 2024

Ever since the redacted version of the NSICOP report came out in June this year, political turmoil has been unfolding in Canada with the Conservative leaders demanding that the identities and roles of the 11 ‘traitor’ MPs be publicly disclosed and action be taken against them.

Back in 2022, it was reported how the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) had briefed Justin Trudeau about covert funding to 11 federal candidates in the 2019 elections. Earlier in 2011, a Conservative MP named Bob Dechert came under the scanner over his relationship with a Xinhua News reporter, Shi Rong. A former Chinese spy Li Fengzhi informed that the “act of striking up a relationship with an elected official fits the modus operandi of Chinese spies”. It is said that the interference of the Chinese deep State in the federal elections of 2021 led to the defeat of the Conservative camp. 

In addition to political interference, China has also been employing espionage and operating police stations to strengthen its interests in Canada. In 2022, an electric vehicle battery researcher named Yuesheng Wang was booked for sending trade secrets of Hydro-Québec to China. Interestingly, China’s official response regarding the police stations it has set up in Canada is that the stations are set up to help expats renew their IDs or driving licences. However, these stations have been used for suppressing alleged anti-China sentiments.

As the NSICOP report revealed how China had influenced the 2019 and 2021 elections in Canada and how certain Canadian MPs colluded with a foreign power for electoral gain, instead of addressing the issue and demonstrating accountability, PM Justin Trudeau shifted focus toward India, making unfounded ‘trust me bro’ level allegations against Indian diplomats and alleging their involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Nijjar. This is a blatant attempt by the Liberal Party leader to divert domestic attention from the real threat to the Canadian people, the country’s democratic processes posed by China and the Trudeau government’s failure to prevent Chinese influence on Canadian elections and governance.

By targeting India, Trudeau appears to be eyeing minting both the Khalistani vote bank and also not upsetting China given that the CCP mostly targeted Conservative Party leaders. The Trudeau government, however, is not realising that it is harming the Canadian interests from two sides. On one side, Canada is losing a key ally like India and on the other, China is tightening its grip on Canada.

Supreme Court rejects RJD leader Munna Shukla’s plea seeking time to surrender after his conviction in 1998 Brij Bihari Prasad murder case

ANI
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Supreme Court rejects RJD leader Munna Shukla’s plea seeking time to surrender after his conviction in 1998 Brij Bihari Prasad murder case

The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected the former Bihar legislator Munna Shukla’s plea seeking time to surrender in the 1998 Brij Bihari Prasad murder case. A bench led by Justice Sanjiv Khanna dismissed the plea by Vijay Kumar Shukla alias Munna Shukla.

On October 3 the Supreme Court upheld the trial court order convicting and awarding life imprisonment to former MLA and RJD leader Vijay Kumar Shukla alias Munna Shukla and one other accused in connection with the 1998 murder of former minister Brij Bihari, while acquitted six others.

Munna Shukla and Mantu Tiwari have been asked to surrender within 15 days to the concerned jail authorities/court to serve the remainder of their respective sentences, while former parliamentarian Surajbhan Singh and six others have been acquitted for lack of evidence.

“In case of failure to surrender, the authorities shall take appropriate measures to arrest and detain them under law,” the top court clarified in its October 3 order.

The trial court in 2009 sentenced the eight accused to life imprisonment. But the Patna High Court in 2014 acquitted them for lack of evidence. An apex court bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna, Sanjay Kumar and R Mahadevan delivered the verdict on October 3, which brought relief to Surajbhan Singh, and partially upheld the Patna High Court decision acquitting six accused.

“In so far as Suraj Bhan Singh, Mukesh Singh, Lallan Singh, Ram Niranjan Chaudhary, and Rajan Tiwari are concerned, we give them benefit of doubt and uphold their acquittal,” the top court said.

“The conviction and sentence awarded to Mantu Tiwari and Vijay Kumar Shukla alias Munna Shukla by the trial court under Sections 302 and 307 read with Section 34 of the IPC are affirmed and restored,” it added.

On August 22, the Supreme Court reserved the order on the appeals filed by Brij Bihari Prasad’s wife Rama Devi and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Rama Devi and the CBI have challenged the Patna High Court decision in 2014 whereby it acquitted the accused for lack of evidence.

On October 3, the top court found that the charge under Section 302 (murder) read with Section 34 of the IPC against Mantu Tiwari and Munna Shukla for the murders of Brij Bihari Prasad and Lakshmeshwar Sahu is proven and established beyond reasonable doubt. It also held the charge under Section 307 read with Section 34 of the IPC against Mantu Tiwari and Munna Shukla for attempting to murder is proven and established beyond a reasonable doubt.

“Consequently, Mantu Tiwari and Vijay Kumar Shukla alias Munna Shukla shall have to undergo imprisonment for life,” the top court said. The court also slapped a fine of Rs 40,000 on both convicts.

The top court said that regarding the question of conspiracy and the evidence against Suraj Bhan Singh, Mukesh Singh, Lallan Singh, and Ram Niranjan Chaudhary, there is no direct ocular evidence implicating them.

“Since the charge of conspiracy is not substantiated,” the court said.

“We will not interfere with the judgment of the High Court acquitting them (six accused), and they are entitled to the benefit of the doubt,” the court added.

Rama Devi and the CBI have challenged the Patna High Court decision in 2014 whereby it acquitted the accused for lack of evidence. Eight accused including former MP Surajbhan Singh, former legislators Vijay alias Munna Shukla, and Rajan Tiwari were acquitted by the Patna High Court.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

As CPM slams Canada for harbouring Khalistanis and supports central govt, a look at how communists were targeted by terrorists in Punjab

OpIndia Staff
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As CPM slams Canada for harbouring Khalistanis and supports central govt, a look at how communists were targeted by terrorists in Punjab

On Tuesday, 15th October, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) issued a statement in support of the Government of India amid the India-Canada row over the allegations made by Canada against India that Indian agents and officials were using a criminal syndicate to target pro-Khalistani Sikhs on Canadian soil. These recent allegations were an extension of those made by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in September 2023, claiming that India was behind the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. In its statement, CPI(M) called anti-India Khalistani elements operating in Canada a matter of “serious concern” and added that the Government of India is duty-bound to protect the national interest.

The statement read, “The activities of anti-India Khalistani elements operating in Canada have been a matter of serious concern and have a direct impact on national security. The Government of India is duty-bound to protect the national interest, for which it has support across political parties in India. The allegations levied by various official authorities of the Canadian government against India have been rejected by the Government of India. It is to be expected that the Government of India will take the opposition parties into confidence on these issues, including the allegation made about the role of the Lawrence Bishnoi criminal gang.”

While the statement from CPI(M) supporting the central govt might have appeared surprising to many, as other opposition party leaders are targeting the Indian Government over the allegations by Canada, it should be noted that Communist Party leaders were among those killed by Khalistani terrorists during the insurgency in Punjab.

Communist leaders targeted during the insurgency in Punjab

During the 1980s insurgency in Punjab, Communist Party leaders were among the most vocal opponents of the Khalistani movement and paid a heavy price for it. As noted by India Today in a report in 1986, communist leaders and workers, particularly from CPI, became targets of Khalistani terrorists for their outspoken condemnation of violence and separatism.

Murder of Darshan Singh Canadian

At least 17 communist leaders were hacked to death by Khalistani terrorists between 1984 and 1986, including prominent figures like Darshan Singh Sangha, alias ‘Canadian,’ a former state secretary of the CPI, and Naxalite leader Baldev Singh Mann. They were targeted because of their public campaigns and efforts to organise resistance against Khalistani terrorism in rural areas of Punjab.

Darshan Singh Canadian was an eyesore for the Khalistani terrorists. He was gunned down while riding a bicycle in his village in 1986. The terrorists who killed him left a note that read, “We are silencing this voice opposed to Khalistan. It is a lesson for others.” The brutal murder of Canadian was just a glimpse of how terrorists dealt with ideological resistance at that time.

Murder of Baldev Singh Mann

Baldev Singh Mann was the Amritsar district secretary of the CPI(ML) Chandra Pulla Reddy group and editor of the party magazine Hirawal Dasta. He was part of the communist camp that challenged Khalistani terrorism. Mann was born on 9th July 1952 and lived in the village of Bagga Kalan, Tehsil Ajnala, Amritsar, for most of his life. During his college days at Khalsa College, Amritsar, he came into contact with the CPI(ML) of Chandra Pulla Reddy-SN Singh.

He revived a left-wing association named Naujawan Bharat Sabha in his village, which had been popular during the Indian independence movement. During the insurgency, he led many public rallies and addressed several meetings calling for communal harmony in the state. On 26th September 1986, he was gunned down in his native village. Mann was survived by his wife and one-week-old daughter.

Communists’ resilience and the wider political context

When their leaders were being hacked to death in brutal fashion, CPI and CPI(M) leaders used these events to strengthen their determination to fight extremism in the state. Balbir Kaur, the widow of Canadian, encapsulated this spirit when she proclaimed at his funeral, “We are neither Hindus nor Sikhs but Indians. Down with terrorism. Long live India.”

Leaders like Canadian, Satya Pal Dang, and Gursharan Singh continued their public rallies despite receiving threats of violence from the terrorists. They lashed out against the terror tactics of Khalistani terrorists in their speeches. However, this “bravery” did not last long as they were systematically wiped out.

Given this historical context, CPI(M)’s current position in support of the Government of India against Khalistani elements in Canada is not an outlier. The Left has borne the brunt of Khalistani violence in the past as they opposed separatism and extremism, and they continue to maintain this stance even if it means siding with a government they often oppose on other issues.

One support does not wipe out past ‘crimes’

The support for the Government of India by CPI(M) seems deeply intertwined with the historical memories of Khalistani violence against communist leaders, something of which many in the current generation may be unaware. However, their current stance does not erase the ‘crimes’ communist parties have committed and continue to commit in India. Their support for the Naxal movement, siding with China, and repeated attacks on the Government of India on various issues cannot be overlooked.

One cannot forget how (CPI-M) shared a post on social media on the occasion of the 130th birth anniversary of China’s greatest mass murderer, Mao Zedong in his remembrance and indicated that he was the greatest revolutionary who helped people carry out a democratic revolution. Or, it should not be forgotten that late CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yetchury refused to acknowledge atrocities on Uyghur Muslims, defended lack of free speech in China, and had praised dictators Xi Jinping and Nicolae Ceausescu.

While CPI(M) has garnered support for the Indian government on this one issue, it is expected that, as an opposition party, they will stand on other matters that concern the national security and sovereignty of the country.

Delhi HC orders take down of Wikipedia page on the defamation suit filed by ANI, says comments against judge in the page are ‘Prima Facie Contemptuous’

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi HC orders take down of Wikipedia page on the defamation suit filed by ANI, says comments against judge in the page are ‘Prima Facie Contemptuous’

Delhi High Court on Wednesday ordered Wikipedia to take down a page on the ongoing defamation case filed by Asian News International (ANI) against the online encyclopaedia, calling it prima facie contemptuous.

A division bench comprising of Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela noted that the page titled “Asian News International vs. Wikimedia Foundation” has comments against the court in relation to the case which can be considered contempt of court, and therefore ordered it to be taken down.

The concerned Wikipedia page claims that “the judge in the case has threatened to order the government of India to shut down Wikipedia in the country.” The court said, “First take down the Wiki page on this matter then we will hear.”

The order came while hearing a plea filed by the Wikimedia Foundation against an order of a single judge bench of the court directing an authorised representative of Wikipedia to be personally present in Court for the defamation case, and to disclose the identity of editors who added defamatory content to ANI’s wiki page.

Earlier on Monday, the two-judge bench objected to the creation of the Wikipedia page on the ongoing case, saying that the page will have to be taken down for the case to proceed, and the single judge cannot be put in fear or be threatened.

During the hearing on Wednesday, ANI Advocate Siddhant Kumar told the court that after the last hearing, observations of the division bench were opened up for discussion on the page. The bench said that this “compounds the contempt.”

The court said, “The said description of the impugned order and of the single judge is prima facie contemptuous and amounts to interference in the court proceedings and that too by an entity whose editors are defendants in the suit.“

Wikipedia Counsel Akhil Sibal argued that the page and its discussions were not created by Wikipedia, adding that if the court orders its deletion, the it will be complied with. “Accordingly, in the interim, this Court directs that the pages on Wikipedia pertaining to the single judge as well as discussion of the observations of division bench be taken down or deleted within 36 hours,” the Court ordered.

Notably, ANI has filed a defamation case against Wikipedia for adverse comments made in its wiki page. The agency objected to the comment saying that ANI “has been criticized for having served as a propaganda tool for the incumbent central government, distributing materials from a vast network of fake news websites, and misreporting events.”

The news agency has also sought ₹2 crore in damages from Wikipedia. In its plea, ANI said that Wikipedia has published false and defamatory content with malicious intent of tarnishing the news agency’s reputation and to discredit its goodwill.

On 20 August, the court ordered Wikipedia to disclose the identity of three editors who made those edits within two weeks. However, when Wikipedia failed to comply with the order, the Delhi High Court issued a notice to it after ANI filed a contempt petition. The court came down heavily on the foundation for not complying with the order, saying that their business transactions will be closed in India. The court had also asked Wikipedia not to work in India if they didn’t like India.

Kolkata police arrest doctor for demanding justice for RG Kar Hospital murder-rape case at puja carnival, released after others protested

OpIndia Staff
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Kolkata police arrest doctor for demanding justice for RG Kar Hospital murder-rape case at puja carnival, released after others protested

On Tuesday (15th October) evening, the Kolkata Police arrested an on-duty doctor participating in the West Bengal government’s Durga Puja Carnival because he was wearing a badge supporting the protesting junior doctors.

As a member of the medical team from Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Dr Tapabrata Roy was assigned to emergency duty during the Durga Puja Carnival on Red Road from 2 pm.

He was arrested by the police and brought to the Maidan police station for reportedly wearing a badge that read “Justice for Abhaya” and “Pratiki Anasan (Symbolic hunger strike).” He is a medical officer with KMC’s urban primary health centre 123. He was released four hours later following a demonstration organized by a group of doctors and others.

He mentioned that after being escorted off by the authorities, his phone was confiscated. “I kept asking why I was being taken to the police station, but cops could not cite any reason. They made me sign an arrest warrant while being released. I have been on a symbolic fast as a response to the call by the IMA (Indian Medical Association). I believe my wearing the badge was the reason for this harassment,” Ray unveiled.

According to a protesting doctor, he called them and informed them about the instance. “I asked him to share his live location, but his mobile phone was taken away. We managed to track his GPS and could locate it outside the Maidan police station after which we reached there. Police are not cooperating with us and not giving us the details on charges for which he has been detained,” the media reports stated.

“We protest the detention of the doctor which is completely unethical. People who were part of the ‘Droher Carnival’ are going to Maidan police station to protest and free him,” another demonstrator named Dr Kinjal Nanda expressed. He declared that until the doctor was released, they would keep staging protests in front of the Maidan police station. However, Ray was let go by the authorities after the protest intensified.

Junior doctors staged their “Droher Carnival” (protest carnival) from Rani Rashmoni Road in the city’s Esplanade neighbourhood. This came just after the Calcutta High Court overturned restrictions on some places close to the Durga Puja Carnival on Red Road. People from all walks of life joined doctors at the march to demand justice for the 32-year-old RG Kar Medical College and Hospital trainee doctor who was brutally raped and murdered on 9th August.

Police action on peaceful protesters

Notably, the police under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee have been trying to quell the protests even by violent means. A protest march named “Nabanna Abhijan” was organised by the student group Paschim Banga Chhatra Samaj and the dissident state government employees’ platform Sangrami Joutha Mancha on 27th August.

The demonstrators marched in the direction of the state secretariat building, demanding the resignation of Mamata Banerjee for her failure to take decisive action against the perpetrators in the case. However, in order to drive away peaceful protestors and prevent them from reaching the State Secretariat, the Kolkata Police employed water cannons, lathi charges and tear gas cannons, wounding several students.

A day after the Kolkata Police targeted the protesters, the leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party in West Bengal, announced a 12-hour strike on 28th August. However, in the midst of the “Bangla Bandh,” many BJP leaders and party supporters were attacked by All India Trinamool Congress (AITC or TMC) members in the presence of authorities. Bombs were thrown and bullets were fired at the opposition leaders, resulting in critical injuries as the cops acted like mute spectators.

Months have passed since the trainee doctor in Kolkata was raped and killed, sparking demonstrations throughout West Bengal. The government’s will to use excessive force to suppress protests, suspicious conduct and the case’s lack of progress have all contributed to the agitation. The state government and police were also slammed by the Supreme Court and High Court for their dubious response and negligence in the case.

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