The hotel owners and vendors in Muzaffarnagar have been ordered to display the real identities of their owners prior to the “Kanwar Yatra” in Uttar Pradesh. Furthermore, a directive has been issued to write down the names of the employees at the hotels and stores. The state government has passed an ordinance stating that customers should be aware of whose business they are purchasing from and there should not be any confusion about it. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has also asked for the implementation of the same system in the entire state after which the hotel and shop owners have started following the instructions.
The Delhi-Dehradun National Highway-58, which passes through Muzaffarnagar, underwent significant changes the day after the order was pronounced. Till now, a tea stall on the highway was known as “Chai Lover Point,” however, it is now renamed as “Wakil Ahmed Tea Stall.” Its owner Faheem claimed that the authorities approached him and told him to change the name, which he did but complained that he would suffer losses during the “Kanwar Yatra” because the devotees would not come to his shop after reading the new name.
Image via Aaj Tak
In another instance, the name of a dhaba which was running as “Sangam Shuddha Bhojanalaya” for more than two decades has now been altered to “Salim Shuddha Shakahari Bhojanalaya” after the govt order. It is situated in the Muzaffarnagar district by the side of the road and its proprietor Salim alleged that the name of the place was “Sangam Shuddha Bhojanalaya” for the last twenty-five years but now it has been changed on the orders of the administration.
Meanwhile, Lokesh Bharti, owner of Sakshi Hotel on the Delhi-Dehradun Highway also informed, “We were contacted by two police personnel yesterday and they demanded that the name be written in front of the establishment. along with the names of the people working at the hotel after which four Muslim staff members have been temporarily removed.”
On Friday (19th July), a Hindu youth identified as Ganesh Narvade, a resident of Pimpalner village of Maharashtra’s Beed district was arrested by the state police for allegedly posting a WhatsApp story against the illegal encroachment on the Vishalgadh fort. The video allegedly posted by Ganesh indicated that no illegal encroachment on the fort of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj would be tolerated.
The video that led to the arrest was posted by Legal Rights Observatory (LRO) on social media. “Muslim mob threatened the police to torch police station after which Dhimmi SP surrendered to wild jihadi violence threat and arrested Hindu youth,” LRO posted on X.
Hindu youth Ganesh Narvade, village Pimpalner arrested by @BEEDPOLICE for sharing WhatsApp status on #Vishalgadh encroachment! Muslim mob threatened police to torch police station after which #Dhimmi SP surrendered to wild #Jihadi violence threat n arrested Hindu youth! We urge… pic.twitter.com/3UMuAfhyTT
— Legal Rights Observatory- LRO (@LegalLro) July 19, 2024
OpIndia spoke to SP Beed Nandakumar Thakur who confirmed the arrest of the Hindu youth but refused to share any further details. On asking about the arrest, he claimed that people complained about him so we had to arrest him. However, now it has come to the fore that the accused has been granted bail.
Massive controversy erupted at the Vishalgadh fort near Kolhapur after a group of protestors led by a descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Sambhajiraje demanded the removal of alleged illegal encroachment from the fort, the maximum of which is by the Muslim community. The state CM also on 15th July then ordered the district administration to remove the illegal encroachment after alleged violence was reported on 14th July on site.
However, the Bombay High Court on 19th July asked the state to halt the demolition drive at Vishalgadh. The Court criticized the government for demolishing over 70 houses at the Fort and said strong action would be taken against the officials.
Earlier detailed reports covered by OpIndia on this issue can be read here and here.
On Friday (19th July), the Bombay High Court criticized the Maharashtra government for demolishing over 70 houses in the Vishalgadh Fort area in Kolhapur, where alleged communal violence erupted between two factions on July 14th. The state CM on July 15th ordered the removal of illegal encroachments from the fort, most of which are by the Muslim community.
The State’s Public Works Department (PWD) began the demolition process in the disturbed area, tearing down houses, stores, and so on on 15th July, the court heard. While the Maharashtra government maintained that it was only razing commercial structures that were not protected by a court order, the division bench of Justices Burgess Colabawalla and Firdosh Pooniwalla directed the State not to demolish any structure, whether commercial or residential. The bench further chastised the State for starting the demolition operation during the rainy season.
“How can you raze structures during the rainy season? We make it very clear that no structure, we repeat no structure, be it a commercial one or a household, should be demolished till further orders,” the bench ordered.
State Chief Government Pleader Priyabhushan Kakade informed the court that the State was simply demolishing commercial structures that were not protected by any kind of stay order issued by a court of law.
The judges stated that they would record the statement and that if there was a violation, the officers involved would be held accountable. “We will record your statement, and if there is a breach, we will take strong action against your officials. We will not hesitate to send the officers to jail,” Justice Colabawalla stated orally.
Furthermore, Advocate Satish Talekar, appearing for the encroachers, showed the judges a video of the alleged violence, which he claimed was allegedly caused by a call from former Member of Parliament (MP) Sambhaji Raje Chhatrapati, who allegedly asked his followers to free the Vishalgadh fort area from illegal encroachments. He claimed that individuals armed with sticks and hammers identified themselves as “Shiv Bhakts” and attempted to demolish the Raza Sunil Jama Masjid in Gazapur within the fort region. He claimed that the police stood there as mute bystanders.
After viewing the video, the bench inquired with Kakade about the actions taken in response to the violence. “What is this? Who are these men?” Justice Colabwalla addressed Kakade, who stated that he had no idea what the petitioner was telling the justices because Talekar had not served anything to the State.
“They are clearly not your officers. However, as a state, you are responsible for maintaining law and order. Where’s the law and order here? We want to know if a FIR was filed or if any action was taken,” the bench stated.
As a result, it directed the Senior Police Inspector of the Shahuwadi Police Station in Vishalgadh to personally appear in court on July 29th and explain what action was taken against the alleged attackers. The next hearing will be on July 9th.
What happened at Vishalgadh?
The Kolhapur district administration on the 15th of July evening began removing illegal encroachments from Vishalgadh Fort in Kolhapur, amidst heavy police presence. This is after the state CM ordered the removal of illegal encroachments from the fort, most of which are by the Muslim community.
The administration notably responded to protests organized by Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati, a former Rajya Sabha MP and descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The former MP had organized a massive protest on 14th July after the state administration failed to take action against the illegal encroachments. The enraged protesters reached the foothills of the fort on Sunday, 14th July, and created a ruckus in the Gajapur area, allegedly vandalizing properties and a local Masjid. Several videos of the same have been going viral over the internet.
Earlier, similar protests were organized by Sakal Hindu Samaj on 7th July where hundreds of Hindu activists and Maratha loyalists reached the foothills of the fort and demanded action against illegal encroachment. However, it was after the massive protest and alleged violence on 14th July that the state CM responded and ordered the district administration to take down all the illegal encroachments, by both the Hindus and the Muslims.
It is believed that the population located on the fort of Vishalgadh, most of which is Muslim, has been involved in carrying out alleged illegal encroachments, construction, or expansion of the Masjid. The population there has also for years constructed illegal sheds, further expanding the businesses of chicken and cattle slaughters.
Following the alleged violence on 14th July, Sambhajiraje personally arrived at the location and declared that he would not leave until the encroachments were removed. He said there were 158 encroachments in total, just six of which were being litigated in court. “Why is no action being taken against the rest?” he inquired.
However, Sambhajiraje and his followers have time and again stated that the issue of illegal encroachments on Vishalgadh is not at all communal and that they are demanding the removal of encroachments by both, the Hindus and the Muslims living on the fort. “We want to remove all encroachments, including those by Hindus and Muslims. I know what secularism is and nobody needs to teach me that,” Sambhajiraje said.
Earlier detailed reports covered by OpIndia can be read here and here.
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said that if leaders who get votes from the Muslim community campaign for population control, it will show better results. Addressing a press conference on the upcoming Amrit Brikshya Andolan 2.0 in Assam, the CM said that if Rahul Gandhi becomes the brand ambassador for the population control campaign, it will show fatafat results, if not khatakhat results.
Himanta Biswa Sarma said that people who are not adopting birth control measures will listen to Rahul Gandhi, and they will not listen to him or PM Modi. He said, ‘go to a Muslim village and ask whom they will listen, Rahul Gandhi or me, or Rahul Gandhi or PM Narendra Modi, obviously they will say Rahul Gandhi.
The Assam CM said this while talking about the rising Muslim population in the state. He said that while Muslim leaders themselves adopt birth control measures, they don’t encourage the same in the Muslim community. He said that people who are considered friends by Muslims should come forward to increase birth control among Muslims, adding that they will not listen to people considered enemies by them.
Himanta Biswa Sarma also said that at the present rate of population growth in Assam, the state will become Muslim majority by 1941. He said that Muslims are growing at around 29% per decade, while the Hindus are growing at around 16%. “By 2041, Assam will become a Muslim-majority state. It’s a reality and nobody can stop it,” he said.
Citing statistical sample analysis, he said that the share of Muslims in the Assam population has reached 40%. The CM said that anyone can derive this by looking at population data from past censuses. By using the past growth rates, the future population shares can be projected, he said. Sarma added that the data shows that the Muslim population grows by around 22 lakh every decade, and accordingly the community will become majority by 1941.
When asked whether the rising population shows the failure of population control awareness campaigns, CM said that awareness campaigns don’t work in sandbars, inhabited by Bangladesh-origin Muslims. He said that awareness programs don’t work if leaders closer to the Muslim community don’t endorse it. The CM said that instead of awareness campaigns, the requirement is to educate Muslim girls, ban child marriage in the community etc, highlighting his government’s initiatives towards these efforts.
He added that had the previous governments focused on these aspects, the situation would have been better now. Himanta Biswa Sarma added that such initiatives will take time to show results, it is not like PWD road which can show results immediately.
He said that not everyone likes to have 8-9 children, but there are some enabling factors and political angles, that result in population growth. “If you consider them to be only votes, and if the political leaders don’t get involved in the population control movement, how can we achieve results,” he asked.
He said that Muslims will not listen to his advice on birth control because they consider him to be an enemy, therefore this has to be said by those leaders who are considered friends by the Muslims. If people who seek votes from them don’t get involved in this, we can’t achieve much, he added.
The Assam CM said that the Congress party must take a leading role in the control of population growth because Muslims listen to them. He said, “The Congress should lead in controlling the birth rate of suspicious citizens. Rahul Gandhi, known for securing votes with false claims, should take responsibility as a brand ambassador. Congress is the party that those opposing Indian culture listen to.”
He added that if Rahul Gandhi becomes a population control brand ambassador from tomorrow, it will show results fatafat (fast) if not khatakhat, referring to the phrase used by Rahul Gandhi while promising money to women ahead of Lok Sabha elections.
When a reporter asked how an unmarried person can be a population control brand ambassador, he said that it is not needed to marry and have 12 children for this. People (who don’t use birth control) listen to him, not me, that’s why it will be effective, the Assam CM said.
The Public Diplomacy Section (PDS) of the US State Department has set aside a whopping $2,00,000 (~₹1.67 crores) to recruit fact-checkers in India as part of its ‘Empowering Media Savvy Youth.’
Through this project, the Executive Department of the US federal government claims to confront ‘online manipulation’, combat ‘external influences’, secure digital landscape and reinforce regional security.
The US State Department is implementing the project starting 1st September this year in 5 cities of India – Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi.
Screengrab of the grant proposal
This scheme of hiring ‘fact-checkers’ to promote its narrative in India has been shrewdly called a ‘targeted digital literacy and resilience program.’
“In India, where social media usage is widespread among the youth population, recent research by Indian, European, and American think tanks has highlighted how manipulative content is amplifying societal polarization and erodes institutional trust. This consequently strains U.S.-India bilateral relations, threatening collaborative efforts and diplomatic ties,” the US State Department made its agenda crystal clear.
It must be mentioned that US Embassies and Consulates in the country are already running projects and training programs such as ‘Learning to Discern (L2D)’ in the name of combating ‘misinformation.’
Influence peddling in the garb of fact-checking
OpIndia found that through its ‘Empowering Media Savvy Youth’ project, the US State Department is eyeing to train 160 L2D graduates as Youth Master Trainers (YMTs), making them conduct 320 sessions and impacting 32000 individuals.
To add to it, about 60 of the 32K individuals would be further trained to become ‘social media influencers’ to impact another 36000 people.
Another crystal clear objective of the project is to brainwash young and impressionable minds. “By targeting these segments, the project endeavours to actively combat misinformation and shape narratives effectively to address the root causes of disinformation,” the US State Department emphasised.
Interesting details of the ‘Empowering Media Savvy Youth’ project
The grant of $1,50,000- $2,00,000 will be given to one eligible organisation in India for the duration of 12-18 months. The organisations could be any of the following:
Not-for-profit organizations
Civil society/non-governmental organizations
Think tanks
Public and private educational institutions
Public International Organizations and Governmental institutions
The organisation selected by the US State Department would create a ‘Youth Trainer Handbook’ for its target audience and translate them into 5 different languages namely, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, and Bengali.
A total of 32 ‘Learning to Discern (L2D)’ graduates would be trained from each city to become ‘Young Master Trainers’. They will later undergo the Training of Trainers (ToT) program.
They will conduct 320 youth-led training activities and impact at least 32000 people through collaboration with schools, NGOs, colleges and local universities. About 10 ‘media literacy’ events would be arranged in multiple cities.
12 participants will be chosen from each of the 5 cities – Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi. They will work in collaboration with social media influencers with at least 1 lakh followers for skill enhancement.
“The trained individuals will collaborate to develop synchronized social media campaigns aimed at promoting media literacy and critical thinking across Indian society,” the US State Department stated.
The plans also include the establishment of an online community and impacting an additional 36000 youths through targeted campaigns.
“The Youth Trainer Handbook will feature a dedicated segment on U.S. education and American Spaces in India. Translated materials will include educational resources about studying in the U.S. and American Spaces in India, ensuring accessibility for diverse individuals,” it further added.
Interestingly, the US State Department has claimed to not support projects relating to partisan political activity, specific religious activities or lobbying for specific legislation
Propaganda strategies in the name of debunking ‘misinformation’
The fact-checking organisation, selected for the project, would have to create a digital or offline engagement strategy to promote the ‘Empowering Media Savvy Youth’ project to influencers and audiences on social media and in schools and colleges.
It will also have to reach out to local government agencies, private sectors, and NGOs. The eligible organisation will have to craft a social media plan and submit a detailed monitoring and evaluation plan for the project.
It will have to periodically report to the Grants Officer, Grants Officer Representative and the American Spaces Directors through email, phone, video conference calls and in-person meetings.
US Embassy and its invitation to Akash Banerjee
On Thursday (17th July), the US Embassy in India informed about its event for Indian social media influences and content creators to learn about boosting social media engagement on social issues and learn about “active citizenship”.
However, for this “Influence to Impact” event, the US Embassy chose the YouTuber “DeshBhakt” Akash Banerjee who has earned notoriety for peddling leftist and anti-BJP propaganda.
While on the face of it, the US Embassy’s promotional content reeked of political interference in India’s internal political discourse.
Are you a social media influencer or a content creator curious about impactful content that drives real change? Here's your chance to learn from the best! Join us at American Center New Delhi for "Influence to Impact" with @TheDeshBhakt Akash Banerjee.
Earlier in March, OpIndia reported how the US Embassy’s choice of ‘personality’ for Women’s History Month sparked outrage on social media with people pointing to Sayema’s anti-Hindu, regressive and Islamist views. Despite this, the US Embassy was undeterred from promoting Sayema on their social media handles.
US State Dept works with ‘fact-checkers’ to peddle its narrative
In May 2023, ‘America First Legal’ (AFL) exposed how the Global Engagement Centre (GEC) of the US State Department was working with private media outlets to peddle deep state propaganda.
A centre-right non-profit organisation, AFL, secured documents against the GEC under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). It noted that millions of conservative Americans were targeted for their social media posts on vaccine mandates, election integrity, and Covid-19 vaccines.
The organisation revealed that the Global Engagement Centre (GEC) of the US State Department continues to work closely with George Soros-funded ‘fact checkers’, associated with the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) to control the global media narrative.
/2 The GEC routinely coordinates with a global cartel of “independent” “fact-checkers” led by the Poynter Institute for Media Studies (which operates Politifact) and members of its International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN).
— America First Legal (@America1stLegal) May 24, 2023
America First Legal pointed out that the fact-checkers, currently coordinating with GEC, are also funded by the likes of Omidyar Network, Google, Facebook, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The GEC had been working with IFCN affiliates in countries such as Tunisia and propagating their ‘fact-checking methods’ to censor politically incorrect narratives. According to America First Legal, email exchanges show IFCN pestering the US State Department to ‘fund’ more of their programmes in Egypt.
Email transcripts, accessed by America First Legal, show the GEC threatening journalists to compile its talking points in the form of a report and publish it imminently.
On Thursday (18th July), over 100 activists from the All India Democratic Students Organisation (AIDSO) demonstrated at Park Circus in central Kolkata to express their grief over the deaths of seven students during protests against Bangladesh’s quota system. Several protestors were detained by the police.
The protestors belonging to the leftist student body were waving signs condemning claimed actions taken by security authorities in Bangladesh against student protestors during recent street protests, as well as raising slogans in support of the agitators in Bangladesh.
#WATCH | West Bengal: AIDSO students union in Kolkata stage a protest amid the ongoing anti-quota protests in Bangladesh.
Approximately 100 protestors gathered outside Lady Brabourne College and attempted to march to the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission before being halted by police near the Park Circus seven-point crossing.
On Thursday, four AIDSO protestors went to the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission and submitted a memorandum demanding a halt on attacks on peaceful protestors in Bangladesh. They sought the PM Sheikh Hasina-led government to hold dialogue with protesting students to resolve the issue.
The AIDSO members also staged a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.
Notably, Bangladesh has been witnessing violent protests for more than a month over the decision of the High Court to reinstate 30% reservation in government jobs to the descendants of the freedom fighters of the 1971 Liberation War.
The agitation against the ‘quota politics’, which is said to benefit members of Hasina’s Awami League, is largely spearheaded by students belonging to prominent colleges and universities in the country.
Earlier this week, Republican leader Harmeet Dhillon came into the limelight with the dramatic offering of Sikh prayer to end the Republican National Convention, triggering puritanical Christians in the United States who called it ‘anti-Christian’ and apparently ‘blasphemous’.
Dhillon recited the opening section of the ‘Ardas’ in Gurmukhi, followed by a prayer in English for America, the American voters, and expressing gratitude to God for protecting Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump from an assassination attempt.
While many hailed it as a significant instance of cultural and religious representation by a party typically viewed as predominantly white, conservative, and Christian, several Christian fundamentalists and ultra-conservatives attacked her for being a ‘demon worshipper’ and committing ‘blasphemy’ by praying to a ‘demon god’.
As insults and verbal attacks were directed at Dhillon, the Republican leader seemed to enjoy the international attention she was receiving for the first time in her public career. However, this incident also brought to light some of her other problematic aspects that had been overlooked until now but took on greater significance following an assassination attempt on Donald Trump, tipping the elections in his favour as reports of Biden’s deteriorating mental health surface, raising doubts even among staunch Democrats, including George Clooney, of his ability to lead the country.
Harmeet Dhillon, the pro-Khalistan Republican leader who whitewashed Nijjar’s extremist ideology
Dhillon had long been accused of being a terror sympathiser and harbouring Khalistani sentiments—an extremist ideology that uses violence as a tool to push its objectives and calls for the secession of the Punjab state from India and the establishment of an independent Sikh-majority Khalistan. The ideology has manifested in the most violent forms over decades, most notably with violence that gripped the state of Punjab in the 1980s and which led to the assassination of former PM Indira Gandhi, who was killed by her Khalistani bodyguards for ordering the Indian Army to flush out Khalistani terrorists hiding in the Golden Temple.
Notably, the violent campaign of the Khalistan movement reached its pinnacle in the 1980s and 1990s, featuring bombings, assassinations, kidnappings, and massacres of innocent Hindus and Sikhs. The violence took on an international dimension in 1985 when Khalistani separatists based in Canada exploded a bomb on an Air India flight en route from Toronto to New Delhi, killing all 329 people on board, including 82 children under the age of 13. That incident remains the deadliest terrorist attack in Canadian history.
The Khalistani violence saw a resurgence of late, with the likes of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a terrorist deemed by the Indian state, egging on his supporters to indulge in violence against PM Modi and his ministers following the passage of three farm laws. The protests that erupted after the bills were passed also saw protesters carrying the pictures of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale indulging in arson and vandalism in Punjab and at the border of New Delhi.
Globally, too, the separatist Khalistan movement has resulted in violence, anarchy, and attacks against Hindu temples. From Australia to Canada to the United Kingdom, Khalistani elements have started attacking not just Indian embassies but also Hindu temples, attacking the places of worship of people that staunchly oppose the separatist fantasy of Khalistan and support the Indian government in its efforts to liquidate the burgeoning secessionist movement.
Several reports affirm Khalistanis living abroad receiving emotional and handsome monetary support from Pakistan, a cash-strapped country struggling to pay its debts but has enough funds to stir problems for India, whether in Kashmir or Punjab. Interestingly, the proponents of such a secessionist idea, however, remain mealy-mouthed about the fate of the much larger Pakistan side of Punjab and whether it would be a part of their fantasyland Khalistan. Nevertheless, the idea continues to excite rabid extremists, both based in India and outside, of having a separate homeland exclusive to Sikhs.
Dhillon is accused by her critics of sympathising with the cause of Khalistan and helping Khalistanis based out of the United States. To contextualise the issue, it would mean an Indian opposition politician extending support to extremists demanding the secession of one of its states, say Alaska.
Nothing corroborates her pro-Khalistan bent more starkly than her stance on the Khalistani Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing and the subsequent volleys of defamatory allegations levelled by Canadian PM Justin Trudeau. On 19th September 2023, a day after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Indian agents of killing Nijjar, Dhillon quoted Canadian opposition leader Pierre Poilievre who supported Trudeau in attacking India.
Dhillon wrote, “Canada’s conservative leader joins other Canadian officials in condemning the extrajudicial murder of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. It’s good to see them unite against this shocking act.” Notably, at that time, Trudeau did not provide any evidence to support his allegations and the Canadian government has yet to provide any substantial evidence against India.
It is worth noting Dhillon’s attempt to humanise the Khalistani terrorist. Nijjar is described as a ‘Sikh leader’ and not a ‘Khalistani leader’ to draw the support of the Sikh diaspora in the United States, preying on their religious beliefs while simultaneously whitewashing the extremist ideology he represented.
In December 2023, she quoted US-based media house The Intercept’s dubious and baseless report against India where it was claimed that the Indian Ministry of External Affairs issued a secret memo in April 2023. The news report claimed that the Indian government, in the memo, ordered its consulates in North America to launch a “sophisticated crackdown scheme” against ‘Sikh diaspora organisations’ in Western nations. Indian government categorically denied the existence of any such memo. Here, too, Dhillon tried to gin up resentment among the Sikh diaspora after unknown men killed Nijjar for reasons best known to them.
Dhillon’s anti-India attacks
But Dhillon’s problematic facets aren’t limited to Khalistan alone. Even though she has her origins in India, she doesn’t lose out on an opportunity to attack the country, presumably to burnish her image as an ‘American leader who has the interests of fellow Americans at heart’.
In March this year, just ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, she quoted The Economist report on how Indian migrants were helping PM Narendra Modi in campaigning at home and lobbying for India abroad. Quoting the report, Dhillon again repeated the baseless accusations against India that the Indian government is assassinating critics in the diaspora.
In March 2023, she quoted a Reuters report on so-called Human Rights violations in India and asserted that the people of Punjab suffered due to the recent internet shutdown. She also claimed that Sikh journalists and activists were being targeted. The internet shutdown in Punjab she was referring to was done to stop the spread of misinformation during a crackdown against Khalistani sympathiser preacher-turned-MP Amritpal Singh. Several journalists and media houses also faced action as they spread misinformation during that period.
Dhillon is also the owner of a law firm ‘The Dhillon Law Group’ with offices spanning the length and breadth of the United States. The website of the firm says it is a ‘nationally recognised business and constitutional law firm that provides services for business litigation (including alternative dispute resolution), labour and employment discrimination, First Amendment litigation, corporate transactions and compliance, intellectual property protection services, contract enforcement, campaign law, and Internet defamation and privacy law.
Hinduphobia of Harmeet Dhillon’s associate and partner at Dhillon Law Group
One of the partners at ‘The Dhillon Law Group’ is a controversial character called John-Paul-Deol. The official website describes him as ‘Partner and Head of Employment Law Practice’. “John-Paul S. Deol is a partner and the head of the Firm’s nationwide Employment Law Practice Group. He handles high-profile, high-stakes matters for some of the world’s best-known C-level executives, directors, EVPs, VPs, investment and law firm partners, founders, entrepreneurs, healthcare professionals, and other prominent leaders in their respective fields,” his bio on the lawfirm’s website says.
JPS Deol
But on social media, he is just like another Hinduphobic troll spewing venom against Hindu Gods and Hindus in general. In July 2023, Deol, who goes by the handle @jpdeol and calls himself ‘Unsubtle Jatt’, courted controversy by making a derogatory reference to Lord Shiva in response to a tweet posted by a user on The Wire article criticising terrorist Bhindranwale.
Unsettled by the reply, Deol, like a loyal Bhindranwale supporter, replied with a Hinduphobic comment abusing Lord Shiva.
JPS Deol’s Hinduphobic tweet abusing Lord Shiva
Although Deol subsequently deleted the tweet, the language and its irreverence for Hindu Gods reflect the deep-seat Hinduphobia of the Dhillon’s associate.
But this is not the only instance when Deol’s latent Hinduphobia came to the surface. He has a chequered history of hurling racist and casteist slurs at Hindus and at Sikhs who don’t toe his ideological line.
JPS Deol had liked tweets that referred to Hindus with prejorativesDeol liked a tweet that attacked Brahmins
On July 1, 2023, he quote-tweeted, “There is no civilization more sad and backward than pagan Lindu.” In this tweet, he insults Hindu people by calling them backward. The term ‘Lindu’ appears to be wordplay used in a derogatory manner.
JPS Deol quoting a tweet that makes derogatory reference to Hindus
Dhillon’s associate also attacked Indian-American researcher Puneet Sahani for listing down Khalistanis most consequential and inimical to Hindu interests. One of them he named was Harmeet Dhillon. Deol quoted the tweet and derogatorily referred to Sahani, a Sikh himself, as ‘MahaChuhra’, a casteist slur and equivalent of what the N-Word is in the United States.
How these caste-laws are blatant cover for #Hinduphobia, can be gauged from reaction of Khalistanis. Backers who’re emselves most vile & violent of caste-ists! Here’s law partner of @pnjaban LYING about Vedas & slurring me MahaChuhra! Equivalent of calling me: The Great [N word]. https://t.co/f5ux5l7aKvpic.twitter.com/9Ura0ywyUN
Deol, who has been one of the enthusiastic backers of the Hinduphobic anti-caste bill in the United States, also vilified Vedas by linking them to caste.
Deol lies about caste
Harmeet Dhillon made political contributions to Kamala D Harris
Furthermore, Harmeet Dhillon has also been a former cheerleader of Democrat leader Kamala Harris before she joined the Republican fold. Dhillon had reportedly made political contributions to Kamala Harris when she was running for San Francisco district attorney.
NGO headed by Harmeet Dhillon paid over $1 million to her law firm
In addition, RNC committewoman Harmeet Dhillon is also accused of corruption after a report published in June 2023 in The Guardian stated that a non-profit that she helmed directed more than $1 million into her law firm, Dhillon Law Group.
“The Guardian has found that at least $1.32m has been transferred from the Center for American Liberty (CAL) to her law firm, Dhillon Law Group, in a move one charity expert described as “problematic”. Additionally, state and federal filings show Dhillon takes a $120,000 salary from CAL for a two-hour work week,” the report published in the UK daily said.
CAL was established in 2018 by California lawyers who had strong ties to Republican politics and conservative legal organizations. Initially, it was known as Publius Lex, as indicated by state and federal records.
Publius Lex remained largely unnoticed by the public until mid-2019, when Dhillon vocally supported Andy Ngo, the media personality who was filmed being punched and drenched with milkshakes in downtown Portland that June.
In 2020, Dhillon Law was the largest single contractor in CAL’s 990 IRS filing, earning $814,714 in legal fees. This amount accounted for over 45% of all program expenses and 30% of CAL’s total expenses of nearly $2.8 million for the year.
In 2021, Dhillon Law earned $507,469 in fees from CAL, making it the second highest-earning contractor. Additionally, Dhillon began receiving a $120,000 annual salary without increasing her two-hour weekly commitment to the organization, as noted in that year’s 990 filing.
“The Center for American Liberty is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to defending the civil liberties of Americans left behind by civil rights legacy organizations,” the mission statement of the NGO said, but as per Joan Harrington, a fellow at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at the Santa Clara University, “It looks like Dhillon Law and the non-profit are overlapping to the extent that its hard to tell the difference.”
Trump should cut loose Dhillon to ensure US-India ties remain robust
Given these problematic antecedents, from support for Khalistani elements to her associate’s unapologetic and appalling Hinduphobia to allegations of corruption, it might be wise on Trump’s part to cut loose on a leader whose support for separatist Khalistani elements may not only impact his support among the Indian diaspora but also cause strain in the US-India ties, which flourished under Trump as the US President.
The United States needs India as a counterweight to China, more so under Trump, who is likely to become the next President of the US, as the polls suggest, at a time when Beijing is pushing aggressively to assert its hegemony. In such volatile times, Trump would not want to estrange India and allow China to succeed in its goal of replacing the US as the primary global power. Rather than being forced by circumstances, Trump should take proactive action and prevent the possibility of the incoming US government being taken over by terror supporters and sympathisers.
It is also pertinent to note that the Trump administration in 2018 deemed Khalistani terror outfit Babbar Khalsa a threat to American interests. Trump is undoubtedly best suited to take India-US ties to the next level, more than Biden given questions over his health. However, the biggest challenge on this front for Trump would be to rein in terror sympathising elements in his team that may ruin the deepening strategic partnership between the two countries.
A Bengaluru artist has found himself in hot water after posting a tattoo with a message about police on Instagram Stories. Ritesh Aghariya, the 41-year-old CEO of Tattoo Sutra on Brigade Road, is set to face legal proceedings after the incident. The incident transpired after a photo of a tattoo on someone’s right side of the chest that read, “F*** the police,” was noticed by the city authorities’ X handle.
The photo was found at about 10 pm on 16th July by sub-inspector Chethan SG, the Cubbon Park police station’s social media in charge. He discovered it on the “tattoo.sutra” account’s Instagram Stories, where @TilakSadive uploaded a screenshot tagging the local police handle and asking for their attention. The official informed his top authorities right away, and they instructed him to lodge a complaint which stated the tweet was derogatory and showed disrespect for the police force and a non-cognizable report was submitted the same evening.
A First Information Report (FIR) was then filed with the 41st magistrate court under section 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) which addresses intentional insult with the purpose of creating a breach of peace. The Instagram story was shared at approximately 10:30 pm on 15th July. A senior officer clarified that while the offence carries a sentence of less than seven years, the artist was not placed under arrest and was instead told to show up for additional interrogation.
Ritesh Aghariya acknowledged sharing the picture and voiced it was an error he committed while going through older photographs. He stressed that he did not remember many specifics regarding the foreign client who had the tattoo inked at his store. Authorities have cautioned against offensive content and emphasized their vigilance over social media posts.
“We detained the accused for interrogation and instructed him to appear before the investigation officer when summoned again. Since the offence has less than seven years’ punishment, we didn’t put him behind bars. Ritesh confessed to having uploaded the photo on Instagram Stories. He said a foreigner had visited his shop and got that tattoo on his chest. He was checking some old photos and uploaded the picture by mistake. He further claimed he doesn’t remember more details of the customer. We’ve been keeping a close eye on posts uploaded on social media accounts. If we come across anyone uploading any derogatory posts, action will be initiated. We warn people not to indulge in such acts,” informed an official.
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) said on Friday that it has registered a First Information Report (FIR) against IAS probationer Puja Manorama Dilip Khedkar for allegedly “faking her identity to fraudulently avail attempts beyond permissible limit”.
The Commission said it has also issued her a show cause notice for the cancellation of her selection and debarment from future examinations.
From this investigation it has been revealed that she fraudulently availed attempts beyond the permissible limit under the Examination Rules by faking her identity by way of changing her name, her father’s and mother’s name, her photograph/ signature, her email ID, mobile number and address, the UPSC said in a press release.
Khekar was a provisionally recommended candidate for the Civil Service Examination, 2022.
Further, the UPSC said that it has initiated a series of actions against her, including criminal prosecution, by filing a First Information Report (FIR) with the police authorities.
A Show Cause Notice (SCN) has also been issued for the cancellation of Khedkar’s candidature for the Civil Services Examination 2022 and debarment from future examinations and selections, in accordance with the Rules of the Civil Services Examination 2022.
Additionally, the Commission has categorically stated that in fulfilling it’s constitutional obligations, the UPSC stringently adheres to its constitutional mandate, and conducts all its processes, including all examinations, with the highest possible order of due diligence without any compromise.
Additionally, on July 16, the officer was relieved from the District Training Programme of the State Government of Maharashtra.
She was recalled to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie and her training has been put on hold.
The letter from the Additional Chief Secretary, Nitin Gadre, read, “LBSNAA Mussoorie has decided to keep your district training programme on hold and immediately recall you for further necessary action.”
Khedkar, a probationary IAS officer who secured an All India rank of 821 in the UPSC exams and has been accused of misusing her authority.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
On Tuesday (16th July), the Supreme Court stayed the Kerala High Court’s verdict and death sentence for Muhammed Ameerul Islam, the lone perpetrator in the horrific Jisha rape and murder case.
A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, led by Justice B R Gavai and including Justices Sanjay Karol and K V Viswanathan, delayed Ameerul’s conviction and death sentence after hearing his appeal. The Supreme Court, while issuing certain directives, has scheduled a hearing after another twelve weeks.
“The respondent state (Kerala) shall place before this court the report(s) of all the Probation Officers relating to the appellant (Ameerul) within eight weeks. The Superintendent of Prison, Central Prison & Correctional Home, Viyyur, Kerala, shall submit a report with regard to the nature of work that has been performed by the appellant while in jail and a report with regard to the conduct and behavior of the appellant while in jail, within a period of eight weeks,” the Justice Gavai-led bench said in the order.
The top court further stated that the Govt Medical College, Thrissur, shall form a qualified team to conduct a psychological evaluation of the appellant. It stated that the appraisal report should be given to the court within eight weeks by the standing counsel for the state of Kerala.
Ameerul, who was convicted and sentenced to death in the gruesome Jisha rape and murder case, recently filed an appeal with the Supreme Court to reverse the HC judgment. Ameerul, a migrant labourer from Assam, stated in his appeal to the Supreme Court that his conviction and punishment were based on supposition and surmise rather than strong proof. “The HC erred in convicting and sentencing him in the case,” he stated in his appeal filed with the Supreme Court.
He has also claimed that the police and investigators falsified evidence against him and that his arrest was irregular. “The prosecution also failed to establish that he had any motivation to conduct the crime, and the witnesses and evidence provided in the case do not inspire confidence,” he said.
Culprit Ammer-ul-Islam
According to the prosecution, the mangled corpse of Jisha, a Dalit student at Ernakulam Government Law College, was discovered in her Perumbavoor home on the morning of April 28, 2016, sparking widespread anger. Ameerul was arrested for rape and murder after allegedly breaking into Jisha’s home in a drunken state the night before.
On May 20th this year, the Kerala High Court affirmed the conviction and death sentence imposed by an Ernakulam sessions court on Ameerul, the lone accused in the case. The Sessions Court and, eventually, the High Court declared Ameerul guilty and condemned him under different sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 302 (murder), 376 (rape), and others.
Jisha Murder case: What happened in 2016?
In the years 2016 through the present, the Kerala High Court and the Ernakulam Sessions Court tried the Jisha murder case. The case was filed based on an FIR filed by the Kuruppambady Police Station.
According to the court document, a 30-year-old law student named Jisha, belonging to the Dalit community was found dead in her house beside the Periyar Valley canal in Perumbavoor, Ernakulam on 28th April 2016. Protests from her classmates at Government Law College, Ernakulam, assisted in pushing the case forward significantly.
The culprit, Ameer-ul-Islam, was apprehended by the Kerala Police. The accused was charged with murder and rape under the IPC by the Ernakulam Session Court on December 12, 2017, and sentenced to life in jail. However, on May 20th, 2024, the Kerala High Court revised the sentence to capital punishment.
According to the FIR filed on April 29th, 2016 at Kuruppambady Police Station, Jisha, a 30-year-old law student, had been discovered dead at her place of residence near the Periyarvallley canal in Perumbavoor, Ernakulam. The deceased’s mother discovered the body of the woman and gathered the neighbours by screaming for help.
The front door to the residence was locked from the inside. The sub-inspector, who was on patrol then came through the back door. The victim was lying inside the centre of the room, partially naked and bleeding profusely. The deceased had many stab wounds and was also disembowelled.
The cops acquired evidence at the spot and sent the body for postmortem, which revealed that the death occurred between 12 noon and 9 pm on April 28th, 2016. Postmortem examination also revealed that the woman had 38 wounds on the body. The deceased was most likely raped and injured during the effort to resist these assaults.
The body also exhibited symptoms of strangling. The fatality was caused by a combination of strangulation, smothering, and haemorrhage. According to the report, the postmortem doctor, Dr. Liza John, verified the evidence of a sexual assault.
Accused Ameerul was arrested by the Police and tried in the Court
The investigating Police identified the accused as Ameer-ul-Islam and filed a case against him under the Judicial First Class Magistrate, Kuruppambady. The complaint was filed under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, claiming that the accused committed an offence punishable under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. On the 16th of June 2016, nearly two months after the incident, the Kerala Police apprehended Ameer-ul-Islam who was a 22-year-old migrant labourer from Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu.
Court document accessed by OpIndia
Ameer, a migrant laborer who lived was accused of knowing that the victim was alone in their home and barging in with arms, intending to rape her.
The prosecution stated that the victim, who resisted the attempt, was brutally stabbed by the accused out of frustration, with one of the injuries being a grievous penetrating injury deep inside her genitals caused by repeated stabbing of her vagina in such a way that a small portion of her internal organs protruded from the body. The accused exited through the back door, walked toward the canal, and threw the knife aside.
It was further stated that after the crime, the accused fled to Assam by train which he probably boarded from Aluva Railway Station.
Accused convicted of rape and murder
The accused was brought before the court, and charges were filed against him under Sections 449 (trespassing), 342 (wrongful confinement), 376, 376A (rape and murder), 302 (murder), and 201 (destruction of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code, as well as Sections 3(1)(a), 3(1)(w)(i) & (ii), and 3(2)(v) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. Advocate Biju Antony Aloor represented the accused who disputed the claims and pleaded not guilty.
Following an examination of around 100 witnesses, the Court considered 291 material shreds of evidence. After a lengthy trial, the court declared the accused not guilty of violating Sections 201 IPC, 3(1)(a), 3(1)(w)(i) and (ii), and 3(2)(v) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. However, he was found guilty of violations under Sections 449, 342, 376A, and 302, and was convicted of murder under special charges and sentenced to death, among other penalties in 2017.
Court order obtained by OpIndia
The crime gained momentum and attention from political parties as it happened around the state elections that year. Many politicians addressed the issue of women’s safety and condemned the gruesome murder. The film industry had also joined forces to demand justice for Jisha.
The government further promised to provide a financial compensation of Rs 10 lakh to Jisha’s family. Many artists and humanitarians also extended financial support to the case which resulted in additional controversies.
Controversy around Ameer’s arrest
Several people following the case raised questions over the arrest of the accused blaming the government for fabricating the evidence in the case. It was believed that the accused when arrested was 22 years old and malnourished and that he was incapable of holding a 30-year-old healthy woman captive. The authorities further discovered a pair of 9-inch slippers beside the canal that were suspected to be Ameer’s. But Ameer’s foot size was claimed to be 7 inches.
It is also alleged that Jisha’s mother Rajeshwari was hiding the facts from the authorities and that she had strained relations with her deceased daughter. The individuals supporting convict Ameer claimed that Rajeshwari was associated with INC leader PP Thankachan and that she knew who had murdered her daughter. She took financial assistance from those demanding justice for Jisha and allegedly used it to gamble around. However, the claims were denied by both Rajeshwari and PP Thnkachan.
However, the accused was found guilty of violations under Sections 449, 342, 376A, and 302, and was convicted of murder under special charges and sentenced to death, among other penalties in 2017.
Case reminding Nirbhaya brutality: Call for women safety
This case reminds of a similar gruesome murder of ‘Nirbhaya’, a 23-year-old physiotherapy intern who was raped and murdered by 6 men in a South Delhi bus. The men raped the woman in a moving bus and damaged her internal organs using an iron rod. They also assaulted her male friend and tossed the duo off a moving bus, leaving them naked and without their things on the side of the highway. 4
Nirbhaya was transported to Safdarjung Hospital, where she received emergency care and was discovered to have several bite marks and other injuries on her body. She was then transported to Singapore’s Mount Elizabeth Hospital by air ambulance, where she died of her injuries on December 29th, 2012.
The case caused public anger and nationwide protests, highlighting the frequency of sexual violence against women in India, as well as the country’s insufficient response to their safety. In 2015, public outrage grew after the BBC aired a documentary called India’s Daughter, which featured an interview with one of the inmates who blamed the victim for what happened. The documentary caused such disturbance in India that it was prohibited, and television news outlets that were supposed to broadcast it instead showed a blank screen.
The six men accused in the case were Akshay Thakur, Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma, Mukesh Singh, Ram Singh, and a juvenile whose identity was protected. The four convicts – Akshay Kumar Singh, Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma, and Mukesh Singh were hanged in Tihar jail in 2020 and the juvenile was released after three years of punishment. Ram Singh committed suicide.
Several terrible assaults against women continue to occur today, despite the implementation of strict regulations aimed at improving women’s protection. Women continue to be raped, assaulted, and murdered, yet justice is rendered in relatively few cases. The juvenile who murdered Nirbhaya was released; Aftab Poonawalla, who cut a 27-year-old woman into 30+ little pieces, is yet to be hanged; and, also in Jisha’s case, the SC has suspended accused Ameer’s death sentence.
Although the law protects women and their safety, there are various other laws that assist the accused in defending their case, leaving the families of the victim girls to struggle for justice. This is obviously unfair. Every perpetrator charged with a serious offense against a woman should be treated as a demon and hanged, ensuring justice for the victims and their families. This is the only way how women will feel protected and begin to have complete trust in the judiciary and the administration without any hesitation.
