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Bangladesh hits back at US for lecturing on ‘violence’, reminds America of assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump

OpIndia Staff
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Bangladesh hits back at US for lecturing on ‘violence’, reminds America of assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump

On Tuesday, 16th July, Bangladesh slammed the US State Department for making claims of 2 student deaths amid violence in the country. The Bangladesh authorities stated that the US was making unverified claims and that such ‘baseless claims’ could fuel violence.

As per the statement shared by Wion journalist Sidhant Sibal, Dhaka said, “Use of unverified information to make such baseless claims can fuel violence.”

“The US in media made unsubstantiated claims of at least two deaths amid the ongoing protest in Bangladesh. Such statements can undermine Bangladesh’s efforts to maintain a peaceful environment to allow non-violent protests or movements. Freedom of Expression and peaceful assembly are cornerstones of our democracy and the government remains steadfast in upholding the rights of the citizens and public property and order,” the diplomat said.

“Violence does not have any place in the democracy and politics. We have recently witnessed the horror and attempt on the life of former US president Donald Trump during a peaceful rally in the USA. We are deeply concerned by the incident. Such violence runs against the core value of democracy. Our Prime Minister and Foreign Minister have separately condemned the attack,” she added.

It is important to note that students at Dhaka University are protesting against quotas for government jobs.

The statement came hours after, the US claimed that two students had died during the current student protests in Dhaka. “We are aware of and are monitoring reports of widespread student protests in Dhaka and around Bangladesh that have killed two and attacked and injured hundreds,” US Department of State Spokesperson Mathew Miller said at a regular media briefing in Washington on Monday, July 15th.

When asked for specific information from the US Embassy in Dhaka, acting Spokesperson Leonard Hill said on Tuesday morning that the statement was based on “monitoring reports” that included the injuries and deaths.

“We are always looking for the most accurate information and welcome journalists’ work to uncover the truth,” he said. Spokesperson Miller stated that “freedom of expression and peaceful assembly” are critical components of any thriving democracy.

“We condemn any violence directed at peaceful protesters. Our thoughts are with those who have been affected by this violence,” he stated during the briefing.

However, Dhaka stated that there were no such incidents reported.

Byju’s failed to deposit TDS with the govt despite deducting it from employee salaries, a punishable offence against company directors: Report

OpIndia Staff
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Byju’s failed to deposit TDS with the govt despite deducting it from employee salaries, a punishable offence against company directors: Report

As Byju’s is facing multiple crises, more legal troubles could be mounting for the directors of the Edtech company. A Moneycontrol report, published on Tuesday (16th July), has pointed out that Byju’s has not deposited the employee’s Tax Deducted on Source (TDS) to the government since last year despite deducting it from the employee’s salaries.

Citing tax experts, the report added that failure to deposit the employee’s TDS is a punishable offense for which the company’s directors could go behind bars. 

The media portal spoke with eight current and former Byju’s employees regarding this issue whereas the Edtech company refrained from commenting on the matter. According to the report, when current and former employees of Bjyu’s proceeded to file their IT return as the last date, 31st July, nears, they came to learn that the company has allegedly not remitted TDS to the government since July last year. However, their pay slips indicated tax deductions.   

Moneycontrol reported that both current and former Byju’s employees said that they have not received their Form 16 for three out of the last four quarters. Notably, an Employer hands Form 16 to an employee which has details of income and taxes. Additionally, on the income tax portal, the employees didn’t find any details of TDS on another document called Form 26AS which alerted them. 

Hitesh Jain is a chartered accountant who is handling tax filings for several affected employees. Jain was quoted by Moneycontrol saying, “It is Byju’s responsibility to collect the TDS and deposit it in the government treasury. What it has done is deducted the TDS from the employees, but defaulted on depositing the same with the government. In few cases, it is for a year and in few cases it is for a few months.” 

Ajay Rotti is the founder and CEO of Tax Compaas, a boutique tax advisory company. He explained that failure to deposit TDS with the government (Income tax department) is an offence. 

Rotti said, “If a company does not deposit TDS with the tax department, it is an offence without a doubt. The company is required to deposit TDS in the 7 days of the following month in which it is being deducted. If they don’t, they are liable to pay interest for the delay, there is a penalty and it is also a prosecutable offense — which means the company’s directors can be put behind bars for this in some extreme cases.” 

He further explained that it is a common practice to deposit TDS because most companies take this very seriously. Right now, court rulings are very clear that if the employer has not deposited the TDS, the employee is not liable to pay it, he added.

Several employees say Byju’s hasn’t deposited PF contributions since December, others accuse it for not clearing their full and final dues

According to the EPFO data, Byju’s has also failed to deposit monthly provident fund (PF) payments for several employees since December. 

A disgruntled former employee who had worked with the company for around 4 years in Bengaluru, said, “I left the company around 4-5 months back and they have not paid my F&F (Full and Final) dues yet. My monthly provident fund payments to EPFO have not happened since December. The last thing I need is to have to pay the tax amount once again.” 

He added, “My request to the company would be to please settle the TDS amount with the government. It is one thing to not pay employees, but I think it is ‘anti-national’ to not pay your dues to the government.” 

The Moneycontrol report added that the last data available when Byju’s deposited PF was from November 2023. At that time, it deposited PF for around 16,220 employees. This was a drop of 66% in employee count as it had deposited PF for 47,632 employees in January 2022. 

However, sources said that Byju’s has started settling some of the PF amounts in tranches, but there is still no clarity on when the process will be completed. 

Furthermore, former employees who left between September 2023 and March 2024 have not received their full & final settlements as yet, the Moneycontrol report added. 

Byju’s grappling with multiple crises 

Once India’s most-valued startup, Byju’s and its founder Byju Raveendran have been grappling with a range of issues since 2022. These include allegations of accounting irregularities, alleged mis-selling of courses, and mass layoffs. 

In the last 12 months, the cash-strapped ed-tech firm has laid off thousands of employees. The company had earlier paused its February and March salaries because of a lack of funds. It is facing issues as the venture capital funding is drying and on the other hand, the demand for online learning services has been on the decline in the post-COVID period. Since then, its investor board members have also left while citing differences with company’s founder Byju Raveendran.

Earlier this year, Byju’s initiated a rights issue that saw a 99% cut on its last fundraising valuation of $22 billion. A few of its biggest investors including Peak XV, Prosus, and General Atlantic have been attempting to block the rights issue in court as well as replacing the company’s top management.

Amidst several controversies, Byju’s in May, rolled out a new policy that linked sales staff’s salaries to the revenue they generate every week.

Furthermore, it is alleged that the company is trying to prevent its employees from contacting the Human Resources team. A current employee said that while several of his and other colleagues’ e-mails received vague responses, others did not even get any response.

According to the report, a group of the employees have been mulling dragging the Edtech company to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), where the company is already battling legal issues with investors like Peak XV and Prosus, and multiple vendors whose payments have not been completed. 

NCLT admits Byju’s to insolvency resolution process

In a separate major development on 16th July, the Bengaluru bench of NCLT admitted Byju’s parent Think and Learn to the insolvency resolution process for defaulting on Rs 158.90 crore. The order was passed on a plea filed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The Tribunal also dismissed Byju’s request to refer the dispute to arbitration.

According to a November 2023 order, the BCCI had claimed that Byju’s defaulted on a payment of Rs 158 crore. The order had read, “It is stated that the general notice was issued to Byju’s vide email dated 06.01.2023 and the default amount of Rs 158 crore, excluding TDS as reflected.” 

Victim blaming, intellectual dishonesty and complete lack of empathy: ‘The Hindu’ follows global Left in downplaying assassination attempt on Donald Trump

Dibakar Dutta
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Victim blaming, intellectual dishonesty and complete lack of empathy: ‘The Hindu’ follows global Left in downplaying assassination attempt on Donald Trump

Three days after an assassination attempt was carried out on Donald Trump during an election rally in Pennsylvania, ‘The Hindu’ newspaper on Tuesday (16th July) blamed the former US President for the tragedy that befell him.

In a disturbing editorial titled ‘Dodging bullets: On an assassination bid and U.S. politics’, the Indian daily suggested that the attack on Donald Trump was somehow due to his own political rhetorics.

‘The Hindu‘ alleged that the former US President supposedly condoned and sympathised with the use of violence in the political sphere. To substantiate its claims, the leftist newspaper cited the example of the 2021 Capitol Hill siege by Trump supporters.

Screengrab of the editorial of The Hindu

Blaming the victim

“Ironically, the attack comes after months of Mr. Trump and his supporters periodically indulging in rhetoric that condoned or sympathised with violence or violent intentions in the political sphere,” it claimed.

‘The Hindu’ shrewdly invoked a 3-year-old incident to lay the foundation for its vicious claim that Donald Trump was somehow responsible for the assassination attempt, which took one life and injured three others including the ex-US President.

The leftist newspaper also ensured that the incumbent US President Joe Biden is projected in a positive light. As part of this narrative-building exercise, ‘The Hindu’ emphasised Biden’ promptness in condemning the attack that nearly claimed the life of Donald Trump.

Dog whistling by Joe Biden against Donald Trump

Thanks to its lack of objective reporting, the Indian daily ignored mentioning how Joe Biden and Democrats had been dog-whistling against Donald Trump for a long. The Hindu chose to highlights the 3-year-old Capitol Hill siege but not the recent provocative tweet by Joe Biden.

In June this year, the incumbent US President dubbed Donald Trump as a ‘threat to freedom and democracy.’ Joe Biden even went on to label Trump as antithesis to American values.

Even a day before the assassination attempt, the incumbent US President continued his diatribe against Donald Trump. However, none of these remarks constituted as ‘violent or inciteful’ political rhetoric to ‘The Hindu’ Editor.

Intellectual dishonesty ft. The Hindu

The editorial by the Indian newspaper read, “President Joe Biden unequivocally and immediately condemned the attack on Mr. Trump, saying that there was no place in America for this. “We must unite as one nation to condemn it. It’s sick.” Similar sentiments were expressed by other political figures.”

Not just Joe Biden, prominent Democrats and their loyalists in the media had time and again used violent language to rebuke Donald Trump and rally Americans against him.

Thanks to the ‘left-liberal’ privilege, these provocateurs are not held responsible for their vile rhetorics and complete lack of civility. Instead, all attempts are made to silence those who dare to question them.

As expected, ‘The Hindu’ did its best to shield Democrats from criticism. The Indian daily went on to imply that pointing out the dangerous discourse of Joe Biden and his party members in the run-up to the assassination attempt was somehow “vicious commentary” and false equivalence.

“The more complex and troubling question is the extent to which the Trump campaign, in its bid to capitalise on the near martyrdom of its candidate, will adopt the language of hate politics, building on vicious comments that have already been circulating on social media since the attack, many of them blaming Democrats for the violence and deliberately conflating political opposition with personal animus,” the newspaper attempted to give a clean chit to the real provocateurs.

Complete lack of empathy towards Donald Trump

Another concerning element of the editorial is also its defeating lack of empathy. The fact that the assassination claimed the life of an innocent spectator, critically injured two others and almost killed Donald Trump has little to no mention.

He is only mentioned in the context of elections, polarisation in the political discourse and the possible outcome of the 2024 Presidential race. This becomes evident from the following excerpts of the editorial –

  1. “The dramatic events have unfolded at a fraught time in American politics — not only is the 2024 presidential election a little over three months away”
  2. “So far as the impact on the election is concerned, Mr. Trump was already projected to be leading Mr. Biden narrowly in swing States — critical to the election result — in a range of polls. Now, that lead may widen, although whether it will be unassailable by election day remains to be seen.”
  3. “If the two presidential candidates, their campaign teams, and their party leaders abandon common civility in what should ideally be a structured partisan contest and allow baser populist instincts to dominate their speeches in the months ahead, it will inevitably exacerbate the already bitter state of polarisation in the public discourse.”

In its desperate attempt to villainise Donald Trump, ‘The Hindu’ failed to showcase empathy for the primary subject of its editorial piece who braved the assassination ploy with his indomitable spirit to “fight.”

The Hindu follows footsteps of its global leftist counterparts

The Left ecosystem, particularly in the US, had left no stone unturned to downplay the assassination attempt on Donald Trump. We have seen everything from labelling the attack as ‘staged’ to suggesting that nothing of any significance had occurred.

OpIndia had reported in detail how legacy media houses such as the Associate Press, CNN, ABC News, USA Today, MSNBC and The Washington Post wrote outrageous headlines to pass off gunfire as ‘loud noise.’

Though a late entrant in this game of whitewashing, The Hindu made it clear that it will not fall far behind its global counterparts in peddling agenda in the name of news editorial.

Madras HC puts Muslim custom over discipline, reverses action against constable Ibrahim: Promotion, extended leave after Haj and a beard

OpIndia Staff
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Madras HC puts Muslim custom over discipline, reverses action against constable Ibrahim: Promotion, extended leave after Haj and a beard

On 5th June, the Madras High Court overturned the punishment of the Muslim constable for keeping a beard. While hearing the case of G Abdul Khadar Ibrahim, Justice L Victoria Gowri highlighted that the Madras Police Gazette from 1957 allowed Muslim police officers to keep trimmed and tidy beards. The court said that India is a land of diverse religions and customs. The Judge further highlighted that maintaining strict discipline within the police force is essential. However, it should not come at the cost of overpowering the religious customs and practices of a police personnel.

Chronology of events

Promotion and Leave (2019)

On 14th March 2009, Ibrahim was appointed as a Grade II Police constable and was promoted to Grade 1 Police Constable in 2019. On 7th November 2018, he applied for an earned leave from 9th November 2018 to 9th December 2018. He cited reason as pilgrimage to Mecca and Madina. His leave was sanctioned by the authorities.

Medical Leave Request (December 2018)

After coming back, he applied to extend his leave stating his left leg was infected. Ibrahim attached a medical certificate to support his claims. However, the duty Sub-Inspector asked him to get permission from the Assistant Commissioner for the extension.

Preliminary Inquiry and Charges (2019)

When he approached the Assistant Commissioner, he was questioned about his beard. Later, an inquiry commission was setup to look into his conduct. On 24th October 2019, he was asked to explain his conduct. On 30th November 2019, the inquiry commission issued a charge memo against him. It was stated that that he did not report back to duty after his earned leave. He also faced action for maintaining a beard contrary to the Madras Police Gazette’s guidelines.

Disciplinary Action (2021)

During the investigation, the inquiry officer found Ibrahim guilty of the charges against him. On 23rd March 2021, the Deputy Commissioner of Police ordered a punishment. His increment was stopped for three years with cumulative effect. Ibrahim filed an appeal against the punishment after which it was reduced to two years without cumulative effect on 5th June 2021.

Court Petition (2021)

Unsatisfied with the decision, he filed a writ petition in the High Court. He argued that the orders passed against him overlooked the religious obligations and the standing orders.

Details of the case

In his appeal, Ibrahim contended that the actions taken against him violated his religious rights. Being a devout Muslim, it was his duty to maintain a beard as commanded by Prophet Mohammed. He argued that the authorities did not consider the Madras Police Gazette guidelines from 1957 that allow Muslim officers to maintain a trimmed and tidy beard. He also pointed out that there were procedural flaws as he was not allowed to cross-examine key witnesses during the inquiry process including the duty sub-inspector and the assistant commissioner.

On the other hand, the authorities pointed out that Ibrahim was a habitual troublemaker with a history of disciplinary issues. They argued that the punishment was justified and it was imposed only after a fair and thorough inquiry into the matter. They also pointed out that Ibrahim earlier faced multiple disciplinary actions over his 12 years of service.

Judicial findings

Referring to an Official Memorandum issued in Madras Police Gazette dated 5th February 1957, Justice Gowri said that while permission to grow a beard could not be granted to non-Muslim officers, the Muslim officers in the police force were entitled to maintain a beard for their lifetime. The judge emphasised that a Muslim officer is allowed to keep a beard provided it is trimmed and tidy.

Furthermore, the court noted that the authorities failed to consider Ibrahim’s medical leave request on sympathetic grounds as he was suffering from an infection. Calling the disciplinary action against Ibrahim excessively harsh and disproportionate, the judge set aside the punishment.

Read the judgment here.

UP: Groom’s father Shakeel elopes with bride’s mother Asma Khatun in Kasganj days before Nikah, leave 16 children behind

OpIndia Staff
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UP: Groom’s father Shakeel elopes with bride’s mother Asma Khatun in Kasganj days before Nikah, leave 16 children behind

In a shocking incident in Kasganj district of Uttar Pradesh, the groom’s father Shakeel eloped with the bride’s mother Asma Khatun shortly before the wedding. The bride’s father has now filed an FIR against the groom’s father.

The incident transpired in the Ganj Dundwara area in Kasganj. Mohammad Pappu’s daughter was due to marry Shakeel’s son, who paid frequent visits to Pappu’s home. When the wedding day neared, Shakeel, father of 10 children stunned both families by eloping with Pappu’s wife, who is the mother of 6 children. Some reports say that the incident unfolded on the 3rd of June and the marriage was scheduled to take place on the 17th of June on Eid, while others report that the marriage was to take place on the 17th of July.

Mohammad Pappu believes that Shakeel, a Ganeshpur resident, lured and abducted his wife. He has filed a case against Shakeel for kidnapping his wife. On Pappu’s complaint, the police have registered a case and launched an investigation.

Complainant Pappu said that his daughter was about to marry Shakeel’s son, thus Shakeel used to frequently visit their home saying that it would be better to strengthen the bond between the two families before the Nikah. During these meetings, Shakeel “seduced” Pappu’s wife and eloped with her. Pappu stated that since then, he has received no information about the duo’s whereabouts.

CO Vijay Kumar Rana informed that a case was reported in Thana Ganj Dundwara. On the 8th of June, Pappu told the police that his wife was missing, and a missing person report was immediately filed. On the 11th of July Pappu filed another application accusing Shakeel of abducting his wife.

Rajasthan: Court acquits Khadim Gauhar Chisthi, who met killers of Kanhaiya Lal and raised ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ slogans

OpIndia Staff
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Rajasthan: Court acquits Khadim Gauhar Chisthi, who met killers of Kanhaiya Lal and raised ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ slogans

On Tuesday (16th July), a court in Jaipur acquitted Khadim Gauhar Chishti and 6 others in connection to raising the ‘Sar Tan se Juda (STSJ)’ slogans outside the Ajmer Sharif Dargah.

Gauhar Chishti is a Khadim of the Ajmer Dargah, who had threatened to behead those who insulted Prophet Mohammad in June 2022.

After the video of the incident went viral on social media, Gaurhat Chishti left Ajmer and took refuge in Hyderabad. He was later arrested by the police in July that year. The accused had been languishing in jail ever since.

He had also met the killers of Udaipur tailor Kanhaya Lal.

It is worth mentioning that Gauhar Chishti was arrested by the police in 2020 for making a video of the CRPF camp, though he was let off at that time with a mere warning.

Moradabad: Family finds 2-page suicide note of Maulana Akram, how his death in June was peddled as an anti-Muslim hate crime by Islamists

OpIndia Staff
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Moradabad: Family finds 2-page suicide note of Maulana Akram, how his death in June was peddled as an anti-Muslim hate crime by Islamists

Last week on 8th July, the Uttar Pradesh Police investigating the death case of a Maulana in Moradabad found a two-page suicide note in which it was written that he committed suicide because of his personal problems including his desire to marry again. He, among many other personal things, wrote in Urdu that he wanted to marry for a second time but could not. The police recovered the suicide note and sent it to the forensic department and handwriting expert as a part of the investigation.

It is important to note that the death of Maulana which happened due to a gunshot was peddled by some Islamists as a religiously motivated murder. Several Islamists on social media claimed that Maulana Mohammed Akram was killed over a political dispute after the Lok Sabha elections.

In an X post, Democratic Progressive Azad Party spokesperson Salman Nizami said, “Another Molana killed in UP. As I said, the celebrations over a few seats will turn into misery. In the end, Muslims won’t get a ministry or come into power. Neither will those they voted for speak for them. But they will face the brunt and suffer!”

In another post, Nizami used the incidents of the killing of Maulana to question the silence of the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi alleging that they only use Muslims during the election and abandon them later. His post insinuated that the murder was planned and targeted at a specific religious group.

Many other social media handles had also peddled a similar narrative, insinuating that the murder of the Maulana was an anti-Muslim hate crime after the Lok Sabha election results.

Image via X

However, now it has come to the fore that Maulana had committed suicide and that he had not been murdered over any political conspiracy. As per a report by Live Hindustan, the Maulana was a resident of the Chaupura area of Rampur district and was Maulana of Masjid located in Bhaisiya village, 18 km away from Chaupura. He stayed in the village with his wife and 6 children- 4 daughters and 2 sons.

His dead body was however found on 11th June near an unnamed property near his house. The police were informed who then immediately began the investigation in the case. During the probe, some of the locals informed the police that the wife and 3 children of Maulana had left him 2 days before the incident happened, while 3 of his kids stayed with Maulana.

On the night of Maulana’s death, it was claimed that someone had called him outside his home after which he was found dead. However, the family members of the Maulana submitted a suicide note they found at their home. Maulana had written many personal things in his note, which have been forwarded to the forensic for further investigation. He also mentioned that he wanted to marry twice but could not.

The family members of the Maulana have confirmed that the handwriting written on the suicide note is that of the deceased. The police have stated that the investigation is underway.

Tamil Nadu: Days after high-profile killing of state BSP Chief, NTK functionary brutally hacked to death in Madurai

OpIndia Staff
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Tamil Nadu: Days after high-profile killing of state BSP Chief, NTK functionary brutally hacked to death in Madurai

On Tuesday (16th July) morning, a functionary of the Naam Tamilar Katchi party, C Balasubramanian was brutally hacked to death by unidentified assailants. This murder comes days after the state was rocked by the high-profile killing of state BSP Chief K Armstrong in Chennai.

On Tuesday, a group of four assailants killed the NTK leader when he was out for a morning walk. The incident took place near the residence of IT Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan on Vallabhai Street in Chennai’s Madurai. The deceased NTK leader, Balasubramanian hailed from the Sellur area of Madurai city. He was the Deputy Secretary of Naam Tamilar Katchi Party’s Madurai-North district. 

When he was out for a morning walk, the unidentified assailants blocked his path and launched an attack using sharp weapons including sickles. They chased him and hacked him to death near the house of State Minister PT Rajan. The attackers fled from the crime scene leaving behind Balasubramanian in a pool of blood. The NTK leader was immediately rushed to a nearby private hospital where he was declared dead. His dead body was sent to Government Rajaji Hospital for post-mortem.

According to media reports, the initial findings have revealed that the deceased NTK leader was a history-sheeter known as ‘Punk’ Bala. There are 3 murder cases registered against the deceased NTK functionary Balasubramanian. He was also embroiled in financial disputes with several individuals.

According to the Police, personal enmity might be the motive behind his murder. As per reports, it is believed that the motive behind the brutal killing could be a financial dispute. 

Speaking to ANI, Madurai City Police Commissioner Loganathan said, “It seems that this murder was done because of his family problems. An investigation is underway. We will file an FIR shortly.” 

Police sources said that the preliminary investigation revealed that the murder may have been due to personal enmity. Meanwhile, the Police have retrieved the CCTV video of the murder and a probe is underway. 

However, this is not the first high-profile killing in the state which has prompted the opposition parties to launch an attack on the ruling DMK party for failure on the law and order front.  

Recent high-profile killings of politicians in the state

On 5th July, K Armstrong, the Tamil Nadu chief of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), was hacked to death by six bike-borne attackers near his house in Chennai. Some of the attackers were reportedly dressed as delivery agents and used sharp weapons during the attack. The incident unfolded when he was standing outside his under-construction house in Perambur. Responding to the gruesome killing, BSP Supremo Mayawati had demanded “punishment for the guilty”.

Later, the Police arrested 8 accused in the case. One of the accused in the case, Thiruvengadam, was killed in a shoot-out near Madhavaram in Chennai.

Two days earlier, on 3rd July, M Shanmugam, a functionary of the AIADMK was murdered in Salem. His wife, S Parameshwari, said that Shanmugam was targeted for filing complaints against the illegal sale of lottery tickets and the drug menace in the area. Based on his wife’s complaint, around a dozen individuals, including a DMK councillor were arrested in this case. 

Earlier, a Congress leader, KPK Jeyakumar Dhanasingh (60), died a mysterious death in May 2024. His charred body was discovered at a farmhouse a few days after he had gone missing. He was the party president for Tirunelveli East district.

All these incidents have prompted the opposition parties to launch an attack on the ruling DMK party for failure on the law and order front.  

Dhule: Days after being brutally attacked by a Muslim mob over a minor incident, Dalits to organize a rally to demand justice, here’s all that you need to know

Siddhi Somani
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Dhule: Days after being brutally attacked by a Muslim mob over a minor incident, Dalits to organize a rally to demand justice, here’s all that you need to know

The Dalit community people residing in the Dhule district of Maharashtra have organized a massive rally on Tuesday, 16th July, days after some of the Muslim community people attacked the Dalits over a minor incident. The Dalits will stage the rally ‘Ambedkarite Morcha’ and demand strict punishment against the 18 identified Muslim accused and 25 other non-identified people from the Muslim community.

As per the exclusive information obtained by OpIndia, the Police arrested around 4-5 individuals in the case on 15th July and are conducting an investigation to nab the other accused persons. Earlier, the police had detained 11 persons involved in the case. The incident is said to have taken place on 11th July when the mob from the Muslim community brutally attacked the Dalit community people over a minor incident. However, the Dalits say that the Muslims attacked them as one of their community members had recently married a Muslim girl. The girl also clarified to the police that she had married the Dalit individual only because she was in love with him.

As per the FIR copy obtained by OpIndia, on 10th July, the minor son of one Yusuf Khan had gone to a grocery store owned by the complainant. The minor aged 4, demanded a chocolate and abused the brother of the complainant who was present at the store. The brother of the complainant then asked the minor, “Is this what your parents have taught you?”.

The child then went home and got his grandmother Nazma who argued with the owner and his brother. She also threatened the owner. Further, after 2-3 hours, accused Shoaib Munna Pathan and Bhura Pathan arrived at the spot and started arguing with the complainant.

“We tried our best to pacify the matter. But it didn’t stop there. Yusuf Khan and Mustafa Pathan again came back at around 11:30 pm and then they started hitting us. They also abused us. This was due to the anger they had in their mind against our community,” the complainant Prem Ghanashyam Wagh said. He also added that his father, Ghanashyam Wagh was brutally assaulted by Yusuf and Mustafa.

The next day, on 11th July, a mob of around 30-40 Muslims arrived at the store and started assaulting the complainant and his family. As per the FIR, they attempted to murder the complainant. “They used sharp weapons and attacked me with the intention to kill me. They also pelted stones as a result of which my brother got injured. One minor girl aged 1.5 years also suffered injuries,” the complainant stated in the FIR.

The accused persons identified as per the FIR are Mustafa Pathan, Nadeem Firoz Shah, Mustafa Sheikh, Arbaaz Tamboli, Shamir Miraz, Nayin Beldaar, Ali Sheikh, Lucky Sheikh, Rizwan Pathan, Wasim Tamboli, Saddyampurna, Shoaib Pathan, Sultan Khatik, Rahis Beldar, Ashfaq Beldar, Arif Sheikh, Zakir Sheikh, and 25 other unidentified individuals.

As per the local reports, the accused persons are said to have launched an attack on Dalits over some past incident. OpIndia talked to one of the local activists who said that a couple of weeks ago, a Dalit boy had married a Muslim girl in the locality. The Muslim community was enraged by the incident and alleged that the Dalit boy had abducted her and forced her to marry. However, the girl appeared at the police station and stated that she was not forced and that she had married the man by her own will. “The couple is now in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar,” said activist Sagar Shinde.

The incident has caused a massive ruckus in the area where the police personnel have been deployed to avoid any untoward incident. Though the FIR has been filed under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Samhita, 2023, police are yet to arrest all the accused.

As per the updates, the police arrested 4-5 individuals on 15th July. The authorities are investigating the matter to nab the rest of the accused.

Kenya President William Samoei Ruto says the Ford Foundation is fueling violent protests in his country

Anurag
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Kenya President William Samoei Ruto says the Ford Foundation is fueling violent protests in his country

On 15th July (local time), the President of Kenya, William Samoei Ruto, accused the Ford Foundation of having a role in recent anti-government protests in the country. In a statement, he said, “Our youth are not available for retrogressive assignments. Those sponsoring them to cause violence and mayhem must be ashamed of themselves. We ask the Ford Foundation to explain to Kenyans its role in the recent protests. We will call out all those who are bent on rolling back our hard-won democracy.”

Kenya’s President William Samoei Ruto is facing a series of protests from the youth of the country. The protests started as peaceful rallies against the proposed tax hikes. However, they spiralled into a larger campaign against President Ruto and his administration. The protests have been going on for over a month and so far dozens of people have been killed.

Reportedly, on 25th June, angry protesters stormed into the parliament and police opened fire to stop them leading to several deaths. During the event at the Rift Valley town, Ruto said, “Those behind sponsoring the chaos in the Republic of Kenya, shame on them because they are sponsoring violence against our democratic nation.”

William Samoei Ruto added, “We are going to tell them if they are not interested in democracy in Kenya if they are going to sponsor violence in Kenya if they are going to sponsor anarchy, we are going to call them out and we are going to tell them that they either style up or they leave.”

According to Business Day Africa, the Ford Foundation has refuted the allegations and stated that the organisation does not condone violence in any way. The organisation said, “We do not fund or sponsor the recent protests against the finance bill and have a strictly non-partisan policy for all of our grantmaking. While we acknowledge the right of Kenyans to peacefully advocate for a just and equitable country, we repudiate any actions or speech that are hateful or advocate violence against any institution, individual, or community.”

39 killed in anti-govt protests

On 2nd July, it was reported that at least 39 protesters were killed in anti-government protests in Kenya. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) announced the toll on Monday, which is almost double the figure previously disclosed by the government for those killed while demonstrating against a raft of unpopular tax increases that have now been withdrawn. Moreover, largely peaceful anti-tax rallies, led by mostly young Gen-Z protesters, descended into shocking scenes of deadly violence last Tuesday when lawmakers passed the contentious legislation. Later, following the announcement of the vote, crowds ransacked the parliament complex in central Nairobi and it was partly set ablaze as police fired live bullets at protesters.

About Ford Foundation and its anti-India activities

Ford Foundation is an American charitable organisation that presents itself as a group engaged in advancing human welfare. In reality, it is a cesspool of intolerant and bigoted left-wing extremists. The group has a storied history of bankrolling the causes championed by left-wing supporters, including that in India.

In 2015 the Government of Gujarat while investigating Teesta Setalvad’s embezzlement case came across funding by Ford Foundation to her entities. It was found that her trust had violated FCRA norms. Sabrang Communication and Publishing Pvt Limited, with which Teesta is associated, received $ 2.9 lakh from Ford Foundation as a grant to “address communalism, caste-based discrimination in India, including media strategies”. 

Later, a letter was issued by the Gujarat Police, following which the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) expressed its intention of probing the activities of the Ford Foundation. This probably set off a chain of events, most of which happened in the background and was later revealed by Wikileaks.

As per the leaked emails, Ford Foundation claims that they got embroiled in a controversy over its funding to Sabrang Trusts managed by Teesta Setalvad. The letter titled Ford Foundation in India: Notes to John Podesta dated May 26, 2015, also mentions their funding to Arvind Kejriwal’s NGO before he got into politics as a possible reason for Government’s action.

This was confirmed by none other than one of the leading luminaries of the Indian left-wing firmament, Ms Arundhati Roy. In an interview with Sagarika Ghose, Roy talked about one of the articles that she wrote for The Hindu in which she alleged that NGOs of Kejriwal and Sisodia had received over $400,000 from Ford Foundation in three years of time. Roy claimed that the group of ten people who were the top ‘management’ of the movement had well-funded NGOs. She said that three core members of the team had won Magsaysay Award which is also funded by Ford Foundation.

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