US-based short seller Hindenburg Research, which has been targeting the Adani Group in India, has reportedly shared an ‘advance copy’ with one of their clients two months prior to the publication of their report on Adani, the 46-page notice by SEBI said. The report was amplified by many politicians and media portals in India, leading to a massive route in Adani stocks in 2023.
As per reports, Hindenburg had shared its report on Adani with their client two months prior to publication, enabling them to obtain ‘unfair’ profits from the stock price movements in a brokered deal using the report. The SEBI notice details how Kingdon Capital, led by New York-based hedge fund manager Mark Kingdon, and a broker linked to Kotak Mahindra Bank profited significantly from the nearly 150 billion dollar routing the 10 companies under Adani Groups faced in the stock market.
The SEBI notice highlights that Hindenburg Research used ‘non-public’ and misleading information about the Adani Group to create a panic in the Indian stock market.
As per reports, Hindenburg’s response to the SEBI notice has acknowledged the prior sharing of information with the said broker but it has claimed that SEBI is trying to ‘silent’ them for exposing Adani. Hindenburg’s response admits that the vehicle used to bet against Adani Enterprises Ltd belonged to Kotak Mahindra International Ltd, a Mauritious-based firm owned by Kotak Mahindra Ltd.
The fund by KMIL placed bets on Adani Enterprises on behalf of Mark Kingdon’s Kingdon Capital Management. SEBI’s notice to Hindenburg also includes time-stamped chats between a Kingdon employee and traders from KMIL, details the sale of future contracts in Adani Enterprises.
‘Kingdom never disclosed that they are acting on Hindenburg’s information’: says Kotak Mahindra Bank
Meanwhile the Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd has stated that they were not aware of Kingdon Capital’s contacts with Hindenburg, or the fact that Kingdon was already in possession of prior information regarding the report on Adani. “Kingdon never disclosed they had any relationship with Hindenburg, or that they were acting on the basis of any price sensitive information (on Adani Group)”, Kotak Mahindra has stated.
‘Hindenburg and Kingdon partnered to target Adani’
Hindenburg’s response to SEBI has disclosed that Hindenburg and Kingdon Capital partnered to orchestrate a strategic move against Adani Group and benefitted from short-selling Adani stocks.
On Kingdon Capital’s recommendation, Kotak Mahindra Bank created an offshore fund named the Kingdon India Opportunity Fund. It served as a critical vehicle for Kingdon Capital to engage in short selling of Adani Group’s shares. The creation and utilisation of this fund was part of sophisticated strategies employed by Kingdon Capital to leverage financial markets to their advantage.
As pointed out by Mahesh Jethmalani, Kingdon India Opportunity Fund took large short positions in Adani shares through the Mauritius route before the Hindenburg report was published. The Rajya Sabha MP and Supreme Court advocate disclosed that funds amounting to $40 million were provided by Kingdon’s Master Fund, owned by the Kingdon family.
Jethmalani has added that Hindenburg was hired by Mark Kingdon specifically to target Adani.
Who is Mark Kingdon?
Mark Kingdon is the founder and owner of Kingdon Capital. He is a prominent figure in the investment community. Kingdon’s background and connections add layers of complexity to the story that has been unfolding for the last week. Anla Cheng, a Chinese American woman, is the wife of Mark Kingdon. She is a senior partner at the private equity firm Sino-Century and the founder of the New York-based news platform SupChina. Cheng has been cited as an influential lobbyist for Chinese interests in USA. There are speculations that the attack on Adani could have stemmed from the fact that Adani Group has been outbidding Chinese firms in key international projects, such as the Haifa Port deal in Israel.
A strange case of identity crisis of a Sikh man has come to light in Malaysia where a man who was raised as a Sikh approached the civil court for a declaration that he has never been a Muslim. However, the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP) has appealed to dismiss the case without being subjected to a trial arguing that only the Sharia Court has the authority to determine the religious status of the man.
In his affidavit filed in the Kuala Lumpur High Court on 4th December 2024, the Sikh man asked the court to declare that he has never been a Muslim. As per the affidavit submitted by the applicant, his mother passed away on 17th November 2007. Initially, she was a Sikh woman who converted to Islam to get married to his father, who was a Muslim from Pakistan. The wedding took place on 8th August 1993. The applicant was born on 25th June 1996. The mother did not raise him as a Muslim but as a Sikh and he learned all the Sikh customs in his childhood from his uncle.
In his appeal, he said that Islamic law does not apply to him as he is a Sikh. He said, “To this day, I still practice Sikhism and regularly visit Sikh temples with my uncles and family and also celebrate all Sikh religious festivals and events such as Vaisakhi, Gurpurab, Akand Paath, Bandi Chor Divas, and Lohri. I have never willingly professed Islam at any point in time. I have never prayed in the Muslim faith or visited a mosque. I have never celebrated any Muslim festival or adopted any Islamic beliefs, including consuming only halal food or beverages and fasting. To the contrary, I would usually be vegetarian whenever I visited the temple or before a Sikh festival.”
Cutting Item 1 under “List II-State List” of the Ninth Schedule of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia, he argued that Islamic laws apply to persons willingly professing Islam. He said, “Throughout my life when called upon to make an oral declaration of my religion of choice, I have always answered ‘Sikhism’. I state that the general reputation of me among my friends and family is that I am a Sikh. I also state that although I was forced to take Pendidikan Islam in school, I did not sit for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination and instead discontinued my studies as I was not interested in taking Pendidikan Islam as a subject in the SPM examination. Based on my understanding and appreciation of Sikhism, I truly have faith in the beliefs and doctrines of Sikhism, and I regard Sikhism as my only path to spiritual well-being, peace of mind, and personal happiness. I intend to maintain my faith and beliefs in Sikhism and continue to acknowledge and practice Sikhism. I cannot, and will not, under any circumstances retract or abandon my Sikh religious beliefs or embrace any other religion. I also cannot and will not adopt any other belief system or doctrine. I uphold my right to practice Sikhism as guaranteed under Article 11 of the Federal Constitution. This is also a human right as stated in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations as well as various other human rights instruments.”
In his application, he contented that the way MAIWP and the Government of Malaysia have interpreted Islamic law could land him in trouble and would result in a violation of his rights and interests as a Sikh. He emphasized that he could be prosecuted and convicted in Sharia Court merely because he followed Sikhism and religious enforcement officers could investigate, detain or arrest him. Being a Sikh, he eats and drinks in public during Ramzan, refuses to pay Zakat, drinks alcohol, and is alone in a house with a woman, all of which could land him in trouble.
He added, “Further, I cannot marry my non-Muslim partner who is known, loved, and cherished by me. As a result of this, I am still unmarried and cannot have legitimate children. I also state that when I die, my remains will be taken by the officers of the Muslim religious body for burial by Islamic funeral rites, not respecting my wish to follow Sikh religious funeral rites. I also assert that I cannot bequeath or dispose of by will, any property in my possession, in the event/at the time of my death. Instead, my property will be managed through an Islamic religious council in a way that is contrary to my wishes.”
The application submitted by MAIWP to dismiss the case is set for hearing on 30th September.
At the time of going to the Lok Sabha elections in April-May of 2024, the Congress party was in power in 3 states – Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana.
Amongst these three, Telangana was the most recent state they won in 2023 December. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has told us multiple times that he treats the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as a referendum on his 6-month governance. It was a bold statement to make, given that he had just taken over. He was confident of winning 12 to 14 seats out of the 17 seats. He was very aggressive in his campaign and he was also used by the Congress for some Delhi-based interviews.
The result was that the Congress party won 8 Lok Sabha seats out of the 17; the BJP scripted history by winning 8 seats too (MIM won the Hyderabad seat). The BJP won 8 assembly seats out of 119 in the 2023 December assembly elections but revived so miraculously that it won 8 Lok Sabha seats in just 6 months!
This should have triggered a debate in the media – particularly since the Chief Minister himself claimed this was a referendum on his governance. Very clearly, winning 8 seats out of 17 doesn’t classify as winning a referendum. In just 6 months, the Congress party’s governance gave so much confidence to the people that they decided to teach them a lesson!
The performance in Karnataka was worse than in Karnataka. The downfall in Karnataka deserves a more detailed analysis, but yet again the media has failed us. The Congress party, which has been in power for about a year in Karnataka, was able to win only 9 out of the 28 Lok Sabha seats. On social media, we see that the ministers of the Karnataka government are very active in satirical posts; very active in reporting to alleged fact-checkers; very active in creating a North-South divide; and whatnot. At one point in time, the media thought that with such great articulation, these ministers would take over the governance of India one day too.
None of us can forget the elevations that Deputy Chief Minister, D.K.Shivakumar gets in the English media. The fact remains that his own younger brother had to face a crushing defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. None of us can forget the analysis after analysis of how the pioneering free-scheme guarantees of the Congress party are ushering in a new Karnataka! Where have all these analysts gone now? The Congress party won only 9 out of the 28 seats – if this is not a resounding verdict on their poor performance in the past year, then what else is?
The worst performance though was from Himachal Pradesh. The Congress party lost all 4 seats in the state in 2024 elections. Losing 100% of seats would have triggered a massive backlash and analysis on why this happened, but we didn’t get to see any meaningful analysis of this drubbing.
The cold fact remains that the Congress party won very less seats from the states they are in power, as opposed to states where they are part of the opposition. On their own, the Congress won substantial seats only in Punjab where they are in opposition. Everywhere else, the bulk of seats they won were in cooperation with their allies (Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala). In contrast, the BJP has swept in states in which they are in power; has won new states; has retained power in states; and with their allies, has retained power at the centre too! Yes, of course, they lost substantial seats in UP, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra, but the scale of the loss of the Congress party should dwarf that of the BJP.
However, in direct contrast, our English media wants us to believe the exact opposite. In their bid to elevate Rahul Gandhi, the English media certainly wants to cover up the voice of people where Rahul Gandhi’s party is actually in power.
The Congress party has not retained any state after the 2011 Assam elections. They have lost all assembly polls where they have been in power ever since. And now, they are setting a new record in anti-incumbency (just 6 to 18 months) in the states where they are in power. Serious analysts would pore over these details and ask Congress to buckle up. Congress themselves have put up several committees to study the poor performance in some states. What stops the media from doing their job of studying these results and enlightening the public outside of these states? We all know the answer to what stops them.
Shockat Adam, the newly-elected MP in Leicester South in United Kingdom’s General Elections that took place on 4th July, is the brother of the founder of the hardline Islamist group ‘Friends of Al Aqsa’, Ismail Patel. During his victory speech, someone from the audience passed him a black and white keffiyeh headscarf, which is a Palestinian headscarf. Shockat raised it and said his victory was “for the people of Gaza”.
Notably, Ismail has previously visited Gaza and met leaders of the terrorist organisation Hamas. Reportedly, he “saluted” the terror group for “resisting Israel”. The extremist group Friends of Al Aqsa was founded in the mid-1990s by Ismail in Leicester. The group has played a vital role in organising pro-Palestine demonstrations across the UK following the Hamas Terrorist Attack on Israel.
Shockat has been active at the protest sites and has given pro-Palestinian speeches. During his online campaign, his photographs while speaking to a pro-Palestinian group holding Palestinian flags with the words “Our Community Needs You” were circulated to gain trust of the like-minded voters.
Shockat has defeated former Labour minister Jonathan Ashworth by a sleek margin. Notably, Ashworth held the seat since 2011. However, since the Hamas Terror Attack on October 7, Ashworth became a target of the pro-Palestinians who actively hounded him on the streets of the city accusing him of betraying the people of Palestine.
According to Jewish News’ unnamed sources, Shockat’s office was shared with Friends of Al Aqsa to organise protests in the city. The organisation celebrated Shockat’s victory on social media. In a post, they wrote, “Yesterday’s election was a tectonic shift in British politics. Widespread dissatisfaction at the Conservative’s and Labour’s stance on Palestine and the ongoing genocide in Gaza saw an unprecedented shift towards pro-Palestinian candidates, both running as Independents and within smaller parties.”
Yesterday’s election was a tectonic shift in British politics. Widespread dissatisfaction at the Conservative’s and Labour’s stance on Palestine and the ongoing genocide in Gaza saw an unprecedented shift towards pro-Palestinian candidates, both running as Independents and within… pic.twitter.com/FbohY2MJx8
— Friends of Al Aqsa (@FriendsofAlAqsa) July 5, 2024
Apart from Friends of Al Aqsa, Shockat also received support from The Muslim Vote (TMV). The organisation openly directed Muslim voters to vote for the candidates who have been supportive of their ideology. Because of the influence of such organisations, Labour MPs in several constituencies face challenges in the elections. Even Muslim candidates including Labour MPs Naz Shah, Rushanara Ali and Shabana Mahmood faced challenges as they were labelled as “pro-genocide” for supporting Keir Starmer’s party.
Interestingly, Jewish News revealed that thousands of unlabelled posters were circulated before the elections that were anti-Ashworth. Posters reading “Vote for Genocide Vote Labour” were made to letterboxes of the voters, thanks to paid distributors.
Coming back to Shockat, he gave the impression that his campaign was not based solely around Gaza. Promises like “Protect our NHS” and “Champion affordable housing” were part of his pledge. However, his official website read, “Our opposition, the media and specific Zionist organisations are behind attempts to ban pro-Palestine demonstrations in the country”. He added, “Weaponising terms like antisemitism, a heinous prejudice in itself, are used and abused to smear any objector of the actions of the Israeli military.”
Who is Shockat Adam Patel?
Shockat Adam Patel is an Indian-origin MP who won from the Leicester South constituency. Shockat ran his election campaign on a pro-Palestine agenda and defeated Jon Ashworth of the Labour Party by a margin of 979 votes.
“We as a city have done this. We as a city are a shining example to the rest of the world that it is the people that matter, not those that rule over (us). This is for the people of Gaza,” he made his intentions clear soon after the election results. In a recent report, OpIndia revealed how he is connected to a radical Islamic outfit named ‘Muslim Engagement and Development’ (MEND) for quite a long time, even holding the position of ‘Leicester Chair.’ MEND was exposed as early as 2017 by the ‘Henry Jackson Society’ as “Islamists Masquerading As Civil Libertarians.”
OpIndia had extensively reported on the violence carried out by radical Muslim mobs in Leicester in England’s East Midlands region in 2022. We also pointed out how widespread disinformation was weaponised to justify the targeted attacks against the Hindu community. At that time, Shockat Adam had attempted to downplay the violence carried out by his co-religionists by labelling it as a ‘reaction to provocation.’
During his interview with The World in October 2022, the new MP from Leicester South claimed, “The Muslim community didn’t just start going and beating up Hindu individuals. This was in response to what they felt was provocation for a sustained period.” In one interview with Byline Times in 2022, Shockat Adam further amplified the lie about rise of Hindu nationalism in Leicester. “There has been an undercurrent of the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) and [Hindu] nationalism creeping into our city. Some of these members of the new community have come to this country from an India which is in the fervour of nationalism, and the RSS, so they have come with a background of [Hindu] supremacy,” he claimed albeit without evidence.
Shockat Adam also did not shy from carrying out anti-India propaganda from the United Kingdom. Through the radical Islamic outfit ‘MEND’, he organised a webinar titled ‘Indian from Partition to Persecution’ in December 2020. He had roped in a serial fake news peddler CJ Werleman to spread canards about his country of origin. During the webinar, Shockat said, “Our discussion in the show revolves mainly around how India, from its post-colonial birth 73 years ago, after 200 years of imperial subjugation, has now gone through a process where individuals on the ground, commentators, political commentators and human rights activists are saying that they are subjugating their own people.”
Majid Freeman, a rabid Islamist who was at the forefront of instigating violence against Hindus during the 2022 Leicester episode, extended his support to pro-Palestine Shockat Adam. In one tweet, he said, “Remember this from the other week? @JonAshworth will be regretting this right now. The best man @ShockatAdam won and has now replaced him in Leicester South.”
Violence erupted across France following a surprising exit poll suggesting a left-wing coalition’s lead in the snap election, dealing a blow to Marine Le Pen’s ambitions of forming France’s first hard-right government since the war, Fox News reported.
Video footage captured masked demonstrators running through streets, igniting flares, and causing disturbances as riot police were dispatched nationwide.
French election night turned turbulent as results showed a left-wing coalition poised to claim the majority of parliamentary seats, prompting both celebrations and unrest in Paris, Fox News reported.
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced his resignation as a far-left political alliance unexpectedly surged ahead in the snap elections.
Thousands gathered at Paris’s Place de la Republique to cheer the news, highlighting widespread support for the coalition over Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron’s centrist bloc, which secured second place.
Conservatives were left reeling by the upset, having anticipated Marine Le Pen’s National Rally to seize power, as reported by Fox News.
Social media footage captured fiery scenes in Parisian streets, with authorities in riot gear managing crowds as tear gas was deployed amid clashes. Protesters reportedly threw Molotov cocktails and set off smoke bombs.
The victorious left-wing coalition, known as the Popular Front, comprises France’s Socialist Party, the French Communist Party, the Ecologists, and France Unbowed.
Their platform includes overturning Macron’s pension reforms and advocating for a retirement age of 60, along with plans to raise public sector wages, reinstate a wealth tax, and increase France’s minimum wage.
The election results marked a significant shift in French politics, with the National Rally, led by Jordan Bardella, claiming substantial gains despite initial high expectations. He criticised Macron for purportedly “pushing France into uncertainty and instability” and expressed disappointment at falling short of projected outcomes despite an increase in parliamentary seats.
Meanwhile, President Emmanuel Macron will wait to make decisions about a new government, according to a statement from Elysee Palace, following the announcement of preliminary results from the second round of parliamentary elections.
In Paris, the announcement that the left-wing NFP was projected to surpass RN sparked jubilation among supporters. The result marked a turnaround from RN’s initial lead after the first round of elections. In a show of emotion, Parisians took to the streets, holding signs and cheering as the outcome was confirmed at 8 pm local time.
Amidst the celebrations, expressions of relief were evident as flares were lit and chants of “everyone hates fascists” echoed through the streets.
Initial projections were released at 8 PM Paris time (1800 GMT), with official results anticipated to be announced between late Sunday and Monday.
(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 Sunday (7th July), Congress President and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge shared a media report regarding the Chinese built-up and construction of military infrastructure near the Line of Actual Control (LAC). While attempting to target the Modi government over the issue of territorial sovereignty, he alleged that India has lost its sovereign territories under the Modi government.
How can China build a military base near Pangong Tso, on a land which was under Indian occupation, until May 2020?
Even as we enter the 5th year of the "CLEAN CHIT" given by PM @narendramodi on Galwan, where our brave soldiers sacrificed their lives, China continues to impinge… pic.twitter.com/Fe7T6iKIDF
Citing a Hindustan Times report, Kharge highlighted that the Chinese have constructed a military base at the Sirijap site on the northern bank of Pangong Tso. He then went on to allege that the area was under Indian control until May 2020.
In his post, he also accused the Modi government of not acting tough against China and accused PM Modi of giving a so-called “Clean chit” to China on its belligerent occupation of Indian territories which according to the Congress leader and the ecosystem, China occupied under the tenure of the Modi government. However, the allegations of the Congress leader are false, misleading, and spreading fake news about China’s territorial occupation of Indian territories post-May 2020 built-up and border stand-off.
Notably, popular Defence analyst and X user Abhijeet Iyer Mitra shared a Fact check of Mallikarjun Kharge’s claims done by an X handle named Donnie. The Fact check of the Congress leader’s claim reveals that the site in question, Sirijap had been under the control of China for decades, in fact, post-1962 India-Sino war.
Evidently, it was widely reported in Indian media that the Congress-led UPA government had admitted that the Chinese Army had denied India access to Sirijap – the area in question in 2013, a year before the Modi government had assumed power, alluding to the fact that it was not under Indian control until May 2020 and control over India’s sovereign territory was not lost during the Modi government.
Additionally, the Chinese had built a full-fledged observation/intel base in the area by 2009 when the Congress-led UPA was in power.
Sir please stop spreading #FakeNews. Here’s a news item from 2013 when you ran the government clearly stating the Chinese had denied you access to Sirijap – the area in question. Also they built a full fledged obs/intel base in the area by 2009 – also when you were in power… https://t.co/5TmjQLNp0cpic.twitter.com/lhyyscXjnl
Furthermore, in a journal published in the United Service Institute of India in 2005, again when the Congress-led UPA government was in power, General Thapliyal had extensively written about the 1962 India-Sino war and how the Chinese army “captured” areas in and around Sirijap. Committing war crimes, the Chinese soldiers lined up Indian Prisoners of War and shot all of them.
(Excerpts from journal published in 2005, General Thapliyal clearly mentioned that China “captured” the Sirijap area in 1962, contrary to the allegations and claim of Congress Rajya Sabha MP Mallikarjun Kharge)
In his post, Abhijeet Mitra further added that the place has been listed on Google Maps as being in China’s Ngari prefecture. Moreover all the roads visible today – were visible in 2009, he added.
.Moreover, Gen Thapliyal writes that the whole of Sirijap was captured in 1962 – the Chinese shot Indian POWs and completely overran all Indian positions. Even google maps lists this as being in China’s Ngari prefecture. Moreover all the roads visible today – were visible in 2009 pic.twitter.com/hg9OlHK61U
As the India-China border standoff has continued for more than four years, the Indian Army and the Modi government had on umpteenth occasions denied any occupation of Indian territories in the border standoff and reiterated their firm commitment to safeguarding India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Despite the initial logistical gap, on account of the lack of focus of the UPA government on border Infrastructure, India has been resolute in following mirror deployment and taking appropriate measures to counter Chinese built-up and its misdeeds on the LAC and elsewhere.
On Sunday (7th July), France is holding the second and final round of voting for the 577-member strong National Assembly. As per reports, the country is bracing for riots and large-scale violence by supporters of the left-wing parties as reports indicate a major win for Marine Le Pen’s hard-right National Rally in the snap elections. The images coming out of Paris showed that dozens of popular high-street stores including Zara, Louis Vuitton, and Pull & Bear among others had started to barricade their shops.
To protect their shops from theft and vandalism, the shopkeepers have framed the building’s exterior with wooden boards, plywood, shutters, metal frames, etc amidst growing fears of rioting by left-wing demonstrators.
Shutting Up Shop – France Prepares For Protests As Polling At Highest Since 1981
Cities across the country are locking down with the threat of violent protest if Marine Le Pen's National Rally top the tallies.
French daily “Le Figaro” reported that police are expecting large-scale violence by radical left-wing activists following the election results, and are deploying heavy forces on the streets. The report stated that the Paris police prefecture warned businesses that there was a real risk of excesses and violence on Sunday evening, once the results of the second round of the elections were announced.
Reportedly, stores with glass facades have been instructed to barricade the stores, and accordingly, the stores have boarded up the stores. The stores are completely covered with wooden boards or steel frames with nets to protect them from vandalism.
Additionally, the stores will shut down by 7.30 pm, so that the staff can leave before 8 pm when the results are expected to be announced.
??? FLASH | D’immenses barricades sont installées autour du magasin Louis Vuitton sur les Champs-Élysées, en prévision de possibles incidents après les résultats des législatives. (@CLPRESSFR)
Rue de Rivoli, the commercial street in Paris where stores of leading fashion brands are located is feared to be a prime target of violent protestors. Additionally, several banks have also reportedly barricaded their buildings in fear of imminent left-wing violence.
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin admitted that excesses are anticipated on Sunday evening. He said that everyone must fear excesses that probably come more from the far left.
While lest is expected to trigger the violence, the police also expect some violence from the far-right even if the right wins. Police sources said that violence will come from extremist movements regardless of the result, whether it is to rejoice in the victory of one camp or to denounce the victory of the other camp. The police fear spontaneous gatherings from Sunday evening, with the risk of tensions between antagonistic groups.
According to French and International media, massive rioting is expected in France as the country has been witnessing large-scale violence over the past few weeks, especially after Marine Le Pen’s National Rally registered a major surge in the first phase of polling.
Champs-Élysées
The shops are getting ready; they have boarded up their windows with plywood.
Massive riots are expected tonight, and they fear damage and theft.
(Supporters of the left-wing Popular Front staged a protest in large numbers near Place de la Republique on 30th June 2024 in Paris, France, Image Source – Getty/Daily Mail)
Notably, in the country’s most divisive election, the three weeks of campaigning and election process in France have been marred with large-scale violence and incidences of rioting. According to French media, more than 50 candidates and activities were injured.
(Snippet from media report regarding large scale violence during Election campaigning in France)
Following the first round of voting which saw the rise of the National Rally, hordes of left-wing party supporters and demonstrators vandalised public property, smashed windows of several shops, littered thrash cans, torched them, and clashed with Police personnel in several locations.
(Left-wing demonstrators have been staging ‘protests’, carrying out acts of vandalism, rioting across Paris and other cities following reports indicating major surge for Marine Le Pen’s National Rally in snap elections, Image Source – The Sun)
There is a growing concern about the increased number of ‘protests’, vandalism, and rioting, particularly in several central and prominent areas within Paris, including Rue de Rivoli, the Opera area, and the Champs-Elysees. The French Police are locking down these areas.
(Left-wing protesters at a statue in Paris’ Place de la Republique, Image Credit – Reuters/The Sun)
(After witnessing arson and vandalism by left-wing extremists, France braces for more protests and large scale left-wing violence as reports indicate Marine Le Pen’s victory, Image Source – The Sun)
Amidst threats of protests and violence by left-wing extremists in case of an imminent victory of Marine Le Pen’s party, the incumbent French Minister of the Interior has announced that around 30,000 police personnel will be deployed across France, including 5,000 in Paris, to deal with the potential unrest.
According to the Interior Ministry, in the first phase of polling, the National Rally secured 33% of the vote. It was followed by the left-wing New Popular Front alliance which got 28% votes. Incumbent President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance lagged in a distant third position with just 20% of votes. As per the French Parliamentary election system, anyone who fails to win 12.5% of votes in their area is kicked out.
(French Exit Poll, Credit – Daily Mail Online)
Last week, thousands of angry left-wing voters rioted vandalised public property, and launched fireworks after the first round of snap parliamentary elections concluded on 30th June. In many areas across Paris, they clashed with riot cops, particularly in Place de la Republique, where police were seen clashing with protesters into the early hours of the morning. As per French media, at least 51 political candidates and activists have been injured in violent attacks in the last week.
In one such violent clash, the angry mob broke the jaw of Virginie Lanlo who is a Macron activist and deputy of the French National Assembly.
According to reports, Macron has become unpopular in the country. His face has been removed from campaign posters. His own party has asked him to not go out on the campaign trail due to high rates of unpopularity. Following the disastrous results of Macron’s centrist Together coalition in last week’s vote, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said the hard right was at the “gates of power”.
Earlier, the government spokesperson Prisca Thevenot was attacked on Wednesday. Thevenot is a candidate for the centrist Ensemble Pour la Republique alliance led by Macron. She said that she along with a deputy and a party activist were putting up election posters in Meudon near Paris when a group attacked them.
In May, Macron had called for a snap election and it was seen as a major gamble as he still had three years tenure as French President.
While Marine Le Pen’s party is projected to lead, the snap elections in France could throw a hung assembly.
According to the recent polling in the Economist, France is heading for a hung parliament. The French parliament has 577 seats and a party needs 289 seats for full majority. Reports projected Le Pen’s hard-right National Rally (RN) party to secure between 185 and 215 seats, indicating that she could still fall short of the halfway mark.
While they expect the left-leaning New Popular Front to win between 168 and 198 – the second biggest. Whereas, Macron’s “Ensemble” party is expected to secure between 115 and 145.
Meanwhile, chaos, protests, and large-scale violence in France come less than three weeks ahead of the Olympics – to be hosted in Paris.
Alam alias Amanullah tried to rape a Hindu woman on the pretext of showing her a rented room in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh and assaulted her when she protested. He even made offensive comments against Hindu people when local people gathered at the spot. He also uttered indecent remarks against Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Prime Minister Narendra Modi after which the people thrashed him and handed him over to the authorities.
According to media reports, on 6th July in the CB Ganj area of Bareilly, the accused took the victim in the name of providing her a rental accommodation. He then suddenly shut the door and sexually assaulted her. She resisted but he tore her clothes. When she started screaming for help, the people who were nearby rushed to the scene and surrounded the culprit before beating him up. However, he started to make derogatory statements about Hindu females. Alam claimed that he gets them into prostitution and serves them in front of Muslims. He continued to talk crudely about them.
“Sab Hinduon ki ma chu***unga. Unse dhanda karwaunga (I will f**k mothers of Hindus. Will turn them into prostitutes),” he declared publically and didn’t even spare CM Yogi and PM Modi as he insulted them too while he introduced himself as “Pathan.” Afterwards, he was arrested and a First Information Report has been registered against him under the sections of rape, insult, indecency and intimidation.
Inspector Rajbali Singh of CB Ganj informed the reporters that the perpetrator had been taken into custody. “We’ve also gotten information concerning the video. As the inquiry progresses, more sections will be added against him,” he mentioned. A large number of individuals posted videos to X and requested action on the matter.
On Friday (5th July), the new Labour Party government in the United Kingdom (UK) appointed Shabana Mahmood, known for her anti-India and anti-Israel stance, as the Secretary of State for Justice.
She has also been given the additional charge of being Lord Chancellor. Shabana Mahmood, who has her origins in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), has been a Member of Parliament from Birmingham Ladywood since 2010.
True to her origins, the Labour Party MP has been spreading canards about the Indian Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir for over a decade.
Last Thursday, I attended and spoke in the debate on the Political and humanitarian situation in Kashmir. http://t.co/poYXH3IZ6G
She has been exploiting her position as the UK’s Parliamentarian to peddle Pakistan’s talking points on J&K since September 2014.
A year later, Shabana Mahmood and a handful of her colleagues fired off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of his visit to the United Kingdom.
In the letter, she listed out 6 demands including the removal of the Indian army from Jammu and Kashmir, repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), the release of prisoners, unrestricted travel to the region, investigation of ‘mass graves’ and ‘peaceful resolution’.
At the very outset, these outrageous demands could be thought of as external intervention by an erstwhile colonial power in India’s internal matters. However, there is more to it than what meets the eye.
Towards the end of the letter, Shabana Mahmood made her intentions clear by reiterating the need to conduct a referendum in Jammu and Kashmir by the United Nations resolution (which has outrightly been rejected by India in the past).
The reference to UN Resolutions on Kashmir is made by the Pakistani government and its army from time to time to bypass the bilateral pacts and exert external pressure on India. The letter by the Labour Party MP and her colleagues sought to achieve the same.
In January 2017, Shabana Mahmood was seen calling for global intervention in India’s internal affairs during a politically-motivated speech in the House of Commons.
“This is a very long-standing dispute between two nuclear-armed powers in one of the world’s most heavily militarized regions. It does not receive enough attention anywhere outside of that region around the world and certainly not in our own country given the size of our British Kashmiri population. It certainly has a lot of attention from that population but not enough from those outside of that,” she claimed.
The PoK-origin Labour MP sought to exploit the opportunity to tarnish the image of India based on unfounded claims.
Shabana Mahmood brazened out, “The further push for a debate regarding Kashmir has come in particular as a result of the upsurge in violence and fighting that we’ve seen in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir from last summer. And what we see there, Mr. Deputy Speaker, is the unacceptable failure of the whole world and the denial to give effect to UN resolutions to respect the self-determination of the Kashmiri people playing out in the worst possible way because the people have lost hope.“
Shabana Mahmood loses sleep after abrogation of Article 370
The Labour Party MP doubled down on her anti-India activism after Prime Minister Modi-led-BJP government abrogated Article 370 of the Indian Constitution on 5th August 2019.
“Deeply concerned about the Indian Government’s decision to abolish #Article370, removing #Jammu and #Kashmir’s existing level of autonomy. The escalation we have seen by the Indian Government in recent days is truly shocking and it simply must stop. Human rights must be upheld,” she whined soon after the landmark decision.
Deeply concerned about the Indian Government's decision to abolish #Article370, removing #Jammu and #Kashmir's existing level of autonomy.
The escalation we have seen by the Indian Government in recent days is truly shocking and it simply must stop. Human rights must be upheld.
Shabana Mahmood and her coterie of Parliamentarians wrote to the Conservative Party leader and the then Prime Boris Johnson, pleading him to arm-twist India for abrogating Article 370 of the Indian Constitution.
To further their argument, the vicious UK politicians resorted to peddling blatant lies about the Indian government.
“We call on you to strongly condemn the actions of the Indian Government in revoking Article 370 and to consider the wider context of this act led by Prime Minster Modi, the leader of a far-right political wing of Hindu nationalism. This is a movement that is changing India for the worse and one that views India’s 195 million Muslims as second-class citizens – BBC reports have detailed how many are lynched by Hindu Nationalists in the name of ‘cow protection’. His recent re-election has given an electoral mandate to majoritarian nationalism at best and Hindu fascism at worst. It is emboldening the reactionary elements at work in India, unleashing them even further, and leading to even more violence against Muslims,” they alleged.”
The PM must put principle before Britain's trade relationship and #StandWithKashmir by unequivocally condemning India's illegal and unconstitutional revokation of #Article370 which removes #Jammu and #Kashmir's autonomy.
Shabana Mahmood and her Labour Party colleagues had forgotten that India was no longer a colonial state of England. As such, none of their conjectures, surmises and suppositions had any bearing on the decision made by the Indian government.
During an interview with Sky News on 7th August 2019, she claimed, “I think that the move to strip Kashmir of its autonomy and its relative independence and special status by the Indian government is deeply provocative. It’s an aggressive act and I think it’s very dangerous because, you know, Kashmir and what’s happened with Kashmir after partition in 1947.“
“(This) has led to many decades of violence on the Indian side of the line of control and what India has now decided to do in relation to the special status of Kashmir is, I think, an absolute betrayal of the people of Kashmir and I’m deeply concerned about the consequences that this is now going to have,” the PoK origin UK Parliamentarian was heard saying.
The removal of #Kashmir's special status by the Indian Government is provocative and risks further destabilising the region.
The international community has a moral responsibility to ensure the rights of the Kashmiri people are upheld – we must not look the other way. pic.twitter.com/lA2QvLGjhO
Later in August 2019, Shabana Mahmood was seen protesting alongside her radical Pakistani origin supporters over the abrogation of Article 370 in Birmingham (which boasts of 29.9% Muslim population). It was unprecedented for a sitting UK Parliamentarian to demonstrate against India, which happens to be a strong ally of the country.
In May 2020, she tweeted about briefing Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, who now happens to be the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, about the ‘ongoing situation’ in Kashmir via video conferencing.
Later this week, I will be meeting with Keir Starmer and fellow @UKLabour MPs via video conferencing to discuss the ongoing situation in Kashmir. I will provide constituents with an update following this meeting.
Her last social media meltdown on the Indian Union territory was on 5th August 2020 i.e. on the 1st anniversary of abrogation of Article 370. Since then, she has not posted anything on Jammu and Kashmir.
“It’s been a year since lockdown was imposed in Kashmir by the Indian Government after they revoked the autonomy and special status of Kashmir. This was an unjust and unilateral action and with the double lockdown due to Covid, many are worried for friends and family,” she had tweeted then.
It's been a year since lockdown was imposed in Kashmir by the Indian Government after they revoked the autonomy and special status of Kashmir.
This was an unjust and unilateral action and with the double lockdown due to Covid, many are worried for friends and family (1/3)
Activism against Israel, propaganda in support of Palestine
Since June 2010, Shabana Mahmood has been involved in pro-Palestine and anti-Israeli activism. As early as August 2014, the Labour Party MP was seen protesting on the streets in support of Gaza.
According to Fox News, the Labour Party MP had previously supported the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel.
As per a Daily Mail report from 2014, Shabana Mahmood was involved in encouraging mob rule and forcibly shutting down a supermarket in Birmingham for ‘stocking goods from illegal settlements’. Jewish leaders in the city had accused her of ‘stirring up tensions’, behaving inappropriately and promoting public disorder.
In an article, The Jerusalem Post pointed out how the MP from Birmingham Ladywood had been peddling anti-Israeli rhetoric.
Screengrab of the news report by The Jerusalem Post
“I have always supported a diplomatic process to stop the killing of innocent civilians, get humanitarian aid in and get the hostages out. But it is clear that diplomatic processes have not made sufficient progress. The conduct of this war has been intolerable, with a disproportionate level of attacks on innocent people that has rightly been the deliberations in international courts,” she had claimed.
It now remains to be seen how an anti-India and anti-Israeli propagandist within the Labour Party, in the form of Shabana Mahmood, fulfils her duty as the Secretary of State for Justice.
In recent years, there has been a disturbing rise in incidents of violence involving Nihang Sikhs and men dressed in Nihang attire. On 5th July, 58-year-old Sandeep Thapar, known as Gora and the chief of the Shiv Sena in Punjab, was viciously attacked with swords by four assailants in Nihang attire outside Ludhiana Civil Hospital. This shocking incident, caught on camera, follows a series of violent acts attributed to Nihangs, including the brutal killing of a youth at a Phagwara gurdwara and multiple confrontations with police in Kapurthala and Amritsar.
Attack on Shiv Sena leader Sandeep Thapar
On 5th July, 58-year-old Sandeep Thapar, also known as Gora who is the chief of the Shiv Sena in Punjab was attacked with swords by four unidentified individuals dressed as Nihang Sikhs outside the Ludhiana Civil Hospital. The entire instance was recorded on camera. Notably, his security detail was reduced a week earlier. Sandeep Thapar, who is a descendant of Indian freedom fighter and martyr Sukhdev, was assaulted upon leaving the Samvedna Trust office next to the Civil Hospital.
Police revealed that the accused who were waiting outside, assaulted him with swords and beat him on the head before absconding from the spot. His lone gunman did not try to pursue the assailants or fight back to defend him. Witnesses brought the severely injured man to the civil hospital, where he was subsequently referred to the nearby Dayanand Medical College and Hospital.
According to Shiv Sena Punjab’s youth wing chief Sumit Arora, the victim had at least three gunmen providing security, but the police removed that protection a week ago. A gunman was later brought back to him. He added that the gunman used to abstain from work and watch silently, enabling the perpetrators to escape with ease. The police have started the inquiry and are looking for the culprits.
Youth killed by Nihangs in Phagwara Gurdwara
On 16th January, a Nihang Sikh allegedly killed a youth at a gurudwara in Phagwara, Punjab, on suspicion of sacrilege. The accused identified as Ramandeep Singh Mangu Math, posted the footage of the youth before murdering him and claimed responsibility for the murder.
After committing the heinous crime, the accused locked himself inside the Chaura Khooh Gurudwara. Senior police officers rushed to the scene when they were informed about the incident and recovered the body of the victim but he has not been identified yet. The accused is also yet to be arrested.
Nihangs attacked police in Kapurthala
On 22nd November, Nihang Sikhs opened fire at police officers in Sultanpur Lodhi of district Kapurthala, Punjab. One policeman was reportedly killed, while two were injured. The incident took place when police went to arrest some Nihang Sikhs at a Gurdwara. The police personnel were standing on the road when Nihangs opened fire at them. The senior officials rushed to the spot after receiving the information. An additional police force was deployed to maintain law and order in the area.
As per police officials, there was a scuffle between two Nihang Sikh groups over ownership of Sri Akal Bunga Sahib Gurdwara. When the police reached the Gurdwara to detain Nihang Sikhs, who were accused of infringing on the premises, they opened fire.
Dalbir Singh killed by Nihang in Amritsar
On 11th August 2023, a 50-year-old Nihang Sikh man named Dalbir Singh alias Bau was arrested for killing his teenage daughter and dragging her dead body by tying it to his motorbike in Mucchal village in Amritsar district of Punjab. Accused Dalbir Singh slashed his daughter with a sword at around 2 pm on Thursday. The only fault of the 16-year-old girl was that she went to an acquaintance’s house and returned the next day. Police arrested the accused and booked him under murder charges.
Man killed by Nihangs for allegedly smoking near Golden Temple
On the intervening night of 7th and 8th September 2022, a man was hacked to death by a group of four men, including two Nihang Sikhs, outside a hotel close to the Golden Temple following an argument over smoking. The CCTV footage of the incident has gone viral on social media. The deceased has been identified as Harmanjit Singh of the Chatiwind area. As per the reports, an argument broke out between Harmanjit and four other men, including two Nihang Sikhs, over smoking. The argument turned violent, and the man was allegedly assaulted with a sharp-edged weapon by the Nihangs, which led to his death on the spot.
In the CCTV footage, the victim was seen sitting on a bike next to an e-rikshaw when Nihangs stopped him, and they got into an argument. Within a few minutes, the argument turned violent and went into a fistfight. However, the Nihangs overpowered Harmanjit and pushed them to the side of the road, where he was allegedly attacked with a sharp-edged weapon.
Scuffle broke between Nihang Sikhs and Radha Soami Satsang Beas followers
On 4th September 2022, a clash broke out between Nihang Sikhs and followers of the Radha Soami Satsang Beas after the Nihang Sikhs of Tarna Dal Baba Bakala (Baba Pala Singh) group allegedly tried to enter the Dera premises to graze their cattle. Both sides reportedly pelted stones, used swords, and fired shots at each other during the clash. At least 12 people have been reported to be injured, including police personnel.
Following the clash, an additional police force was deployed in the area, and senior police officials took charge of the situation, including the Inspector General of Police. As per the Police’s statement, a group of Nihang Sikhs wanted to enter the Dera premises to graze their cattle. The lands of both groups are side-by-side. The Dera followers stopped them from entering the premises which led to the clash.
Youth killed by Nihangs for allegedly smoking on road in Delhi
On 17th June 2022, a youth was killed in Delhi for allegedly smoking on the road. In the early hours of Wednesday, June 15, two Nihang Sikhs reportedly stabbed a food delivery executive in Delhi’s Tilak Nagar area over a petty issue. The 29-year-old deceased who has been identified as Sagar Singh worked as a delivery partner for the food delivery company Zomato.
He was reportedly stabbed in the chest with a kirpan and then his head was smashed with bricks by the two Nihang Sikhs for ‘smoking’ on the roadside. The deceased, according to his family members, was lying on the road in a pool of blood for at least 20 minutes, but none of the bystanders stepped forward to help him. Later, another delivery boy spotted Sagar Singh and rushed him to the hospital, where the doctors declared him brought dead.
Men dressed as Nihang Sikhs destroyed idols of Hindu Gods and Goddesses in Amritsar
On 7th March 2022, miscreants dressed as Nihang Sikhs damaged a Shiva idol at a Jagran close to Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar. The incident was captured on CCTV. A case has been filed in the incident. As per reports, a Jagran was being organized by Naujawan Sabha at Katheria Bazaar near Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar. After the Jagran was over at 5:30 AM, some miscreants dressed as Nihang Sikhs damaged the Shiva idol using a barcha (lance). The CCTV footage of the area showed five miscreants dressed as Nihang Sikhs appearing from the back of the stage. One of them used the barcha and damaged the idol from behind. Then they moved to the front of the stage.
A few moments later, more miscreants appeared in the footage, and one of them further damaged the idol by hitting it with the bacha with full force. Shiv Sena leader Sudhir Suri alleged that when the miscreants came in front of the setup, they misbehaved with the organisers and used abusive language.
Poultry farmer attacked by Nihang Sikhs for not giving him chicken
On 21st October 2021, reports have emerged that another Dalit worker has fallen victim to their rage. A poultry farm worker was allegedly beaten up at the border area for not yielding to the demands of a Nihang Sikh.
A report by the Hindi daily, Dainik Bhaskar, suggests that a Nihang named Naveen Sandhu, who is involved in the ‘farmers’ protest, had assaulted the labourer who supplied chicken near the Singhu border. In a fit of rage, Naveen Sandhu purportedly broke the poultry worker’s leg when the latter refused to give him chicken.
Dalit man Lakhbir Singh killed by Nihang Sikhs during farmer protests
On 15th October 2021, a man identified as Lakhbir Singh was found brutally murdered with his right hand chopped and hung to a barricade at the Kundli border farmers’ protest site just outside of New Delhi on Friday morning. Reportedly, he was hacked to death by Nihang Sikhs on Thursday night for allegedly desecrating the holy book of Guru Granth Sahib. His right hand was chopped and tied near his body at the Kundli border, between Haryana and Delhi which has been occupied by so-called protesting farmers. The victim’s body was then tied to a barricade using ropes just behind the main protesting stage for public viewing. The accused was arrested by the police who showed no remorse on murdering Lakhbir.
