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‘Glorification of terrorism, open calls for secession and repetition of Pakistani propaganda’: Read Arundhati Roy’s anti-India speech from 2010 for which she faces charges under UAPA

OpIndia Staff
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‘Glorification of terrorism, open calls for secession and repetition of Pakistani propaganda’: Read Arundhati Roy’s anti-India speech from 2010 for which she faces charges under UAPA

The day was 21st October 2010. Controversial author Arundhati Roy was invited to a seminar titled ‘Azadi: The Only Way‘ alongside other anti-India activists such as Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Sheikh Showkat Hussain and SAR Geelani.

The event was organised by Committee for the Release of Political Prisoners (CRPP in the National Capital of Delhi. During the course of the programme, Arundhati Roy delivered a 15-minute-long speech and provoked people against the Indian State.

OpIndia has been able to access the complete, unedited and uncut version of her seditious speech which received an overwhelming response from her supporters at that time. An 8-minute video of the speech is produced here.

At the very onset, the controversial author claimed that the Indian State had waged a war against the poor in India.

While capitalising on popular discontentment in tribal areas during the then UPA era, Arundhati Roy had said, “About a week or 10 days ago, I was in Ranchi where there was a Peoples’ Tribunal against Operation Green Hunt— which is the Indian state’s war against the poorest people in this country“

She recounted that a journalist asked her about her stance on the Indian Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. “So I said, look, Kashmir has never been an integral part of India. However aggressively and however often you want to ask me that,” she parroted the Pakistani talking point on the erstwhile Indian State.

Creating ethnic and communal discord across India

Thereafter, Arundhati Roy went on to exploit existing fault lines and claimed that the Indian State was colonising parts of India through military interventions. She further alleged that minorities and certain ethnic groups were being ‘persecuted’ by the ‘upper caste Hindu State’.

“The British drew the map of India in 1899— so that country became a colonizing power the moment it became independent, and the Indian state has militarily intervened in Manipur, in Nagaland, in Mizoram, in Kashmir, in Telangana, during the Naxalbari uprising, in Punjab, in Hyderabad, in Goa, in Junagarh…So often the Indian government, the Indian state, the Indian elite, they accuse the Naxalites of believing in protracted war, but actually you see a State—the Indian State—that has waged protracted war against its own people or what it calls its own people relentlessly since 1947, and when you look at who are those people that it has waged war against— the Nagas, the Mizos, the Manipuris, people in Assam, Hyderabad, Kashmir, Punjab—it’s always a minority, the Muslims, the Tribals, the Christians, the Dalits, the Adivasis, endless war by an upper caste Hindu state, this is what is the modern history of our country.

After provoking a section of Indian society, the controversial author then openly called for the secession of Jammu and Kashmir from the Union of India. She reiterated the Pakistani narrative of ‘Azadi’ and how India has occupied Kashmir and its people.

Recounting a 2007 interaction with a journalist, Arundhati Roy remarked, “India needs azaadi from Kashmir just as much as Kashmir needs azaadi from India”, and when I said India, I did not mean the Indian state, I meant the Indian people because I think that the occupation of Kashmir— today there are 700,000 security personnel manning that valley of 12 million people— it is the most militarized zone in the world— and for us, the people of India, to tolerate that occupation is like allowing a kind of moral corrosion to drip into our bloodstream.“

Despite being well aware that their provocative remarks in the National Capital could potentially create law and order discord in the Valley, she continued, “Kashmiris cannot inhale and exhale without their breath going through the barrel of an AK-47. So, so many things have been done there, every time there’s an election and people come out to vote, the Indian government goes and says—“Why do you want a referendum? There was a vote and the people have voted for India…”

False equivalence between Kashmiri separatism to India’s freedom movement

While drawing a false analogy, she claimed that the fight for ‘Azadi’ in Kashmir is akin to India’s fight against colonial British rule.

Roy continued, “Now, sometimes it’s very difficult to know from what place one stands on as formally a citizen of India, what can one say, what is one allowed to say, because when India was fighting for independence from British colonization— every argument that people now use to problematize the problems of azaadi in Kashmir were certainly used against Indians. Crudely put, “the natives are not ready for freedom, the natives are not ready for democracy.”

“The colonial state whether it was the British State in India or whether it’s the Indian State in Kashmir or Nagaland or in Chattisgarh, they are in the business of creating elites to manage their occupations, so you have to know your enemy and you have to be able to respond in ways where you’re tactical, where you’re intelligent, where you’re political— internationally, locally and in every other way— you have to make your alliances, because otherwise you’ll be like fish swimming furiously around a fish tank bombing the walls and getting tired in the end because those walls are very very strong,” she said towards the end of her speech.

Doomsday prophecies, fearmongering and glorification of Islamic terror

She also fear-mongered about the mass deployment of the Indian police, paramilitary and army in the whole of central India – a doomsday prophecy that did not materialise even after 14 years.

“So we are a slave nation today, our economy is completely—however much the Sensex may be growing, the fact is the reason that the Indian police, the paramilitary and soon perhaps the army will be deployed in the whole of central India is because it’s an extractive colonial economy that’s being foisted on us“, the controversial author continued with her fearmongering.

Arundhati Roy did not mince words before hailing anti-social elements and domestic terrorists (Maoists and Islamic terrorists) as ‘fighters for resistance.’

“…It’s also very easy for us to continue to pat ourselves on the backs as great fighters for resistance for anything whether it’s the Maoists in the forests or whether it’s the stone pelters on the streets— but actually we must understand that we are up against something very serious and I’m afraid that the bows and arrows of the Adivasis and the stones in the hands of the young people are absolutely essential but they are not the only thing that’s going to win us freedom, and for that we need to be tactical, we need to question ourselves, we need to make alliances, serious alliances.”

The controversial author also made sure to undermine the growth of radical Islamism and claimed it to be make-believe concept, stemming from ‘economic totalitarianism’ and ‘Hindu Fascism.’

“I often say that in 1986 when capitalism won its jihad against soviet communism in the mountains of Afghanistan, the whole world changed and India realigned itself in the unipolar world and in that realignment it did two things, it opened two locks , one was the lock of the Babri Masjid and one was the lock of the Indian markets and it ushered in two kinds of totalitarianism- Hindu fascism, Hindutva fascism and economic totalitarianism and both these manufactured their own kinds of terrorism —so you have Islamist “terrorists” and the Maoist “terrorists,” she continued.

Incitement, provocation and more unsubstantiated claims

Arundhati Roy also glorified terrorism and urged the common people of Jammu and Kashmir to continue to overthrow the Indian State and undermine the nation’s sovereignty. She continued to make outrageous claims albeit without evidence to incite those who are yet to pick up arms.

“I haven’t been to Kashmir recently— but I’ve seen and my heart is filled with appreciation for the struggle that people are waging, the fight that young people are fighting and I don’t want them to be let down. I don’t want them to be let down even by their own leaders because I want to believe that this fight is a fight for justice. Not a fight in which you pick and choose your justices—“we want justice but it’s ok if the other chap is squashed”. That’s not right...

And in the Kashmir valley you have such a sophisticated understanding of repression, 60 years of repression of secret operations, of spying, of intelligence operations, of death, of killing. But have you insulated yourself from that other understanding, of what the world is today? What these economic structures are? What kind of Kashmir are you going to fight for? Because we are with you in that fight, we are with you. But we want, we hope that it’ll be a fight for justice.“

With an eye to create communal tension between Hindus and Muslims, she remarked, “We know today that this word ‘secularism’ that the Indian state flings at us is a hollow word because you can’t kill 68,000 Kashmiri Muslims and then call yourself a secular state. You cannot allow the massacre of Muslims in Gujarat and call yourself a secular state and yet you can’t then turn around and say that “we are allowed to treat our minorities badly “—so what kind of justice are you fighting for? I hope that the young people will deepen their idea of Azaadi, it is something that the State and your enemies that you’re fighting uses to divide you. That’s true.“

Besides Jammu and Kashmir, Arundhati Roy had tried to sow seeds of mass uprising in Nagaland and Chhattisgarh by peddling make-believe stories.

“You have to ask yourselves why—the people of Nagaland must ask themselves why there’s a Naga battalion committing the most unbelievable atrocities in Chhatisgarh. After spending so much time in Kashmir watching the CRPF and the BSF and the Rashtriya Rifles lock down that valley, the firat time I went to Chhattisgarh, on the way I saw Kashmiri BSF, Kashmiri CRPF on the way to kill people in Chhatisgarh. You’ve got to ask yourself— there’s more to resistance than throwing stones— these things can’t be allowed to happen— “how is the state using people?” she had said.

Undermining genocide against Kashmiri Pandits

Interstingly, Arundhati Roy was quick to gloss over the genocide of Kashmiri Pandits when quizzed about it by an audience member. She resorted to whitewashing the atrocities by suggesting that Kashmir is a diverse place and majority want the pandits back in the Valley.

“I know the story of the Kashmiri pandits. I also know that the story that these Panun Kashmir pandits put out is false. However, this does not mean that injustice was not done…So, to just try and derail things by shouting at people is completely pointless because I think that people, the pandits in Kashmir, all the time I’ve spent in Kashmir, have only heard people say they are welcome back and I know people who live there, who believe that too…”

The developments in the case

Soon after the controversial author delivered her speech in October 2010, a case was registered against her based on a complaint by one Sushil Pandit (the then campaign manager of Arun Jaitley).

A First Information Report (FIR) was registered on 29th November 2010 in connection to the case.

Arundhati Roy was booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 124A (sedition), 153A (promoting enmity between classes), 153B (assertions prejudicial to national integration), 504 (insult to provoke breach of peace) and 505 (rumour circulated with intent to cause mutiny).

After almost 14 years of no crucial development in the case, the Lieutenant Governor on Friday (14th June) sanctioned the prosecution of Arundhati Roy Section 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

Chhattisgarh: 8 Naxals killed, 1 Security personnel martyred in encounter In Narayanpur

OpIndia Staff
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Chhattisgarh: 8 Naxals killed, 1 Security personnel martyred in encounter In Narayanpur

On Saturday, June 15, in an encounter in Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district, eight Naxals were killed, and one security personnel was martyred, officials confirmed. Two other security personnel also sustained injuries in the encounter as per authorities.

The gunfight between Naxals and security forces broke out this morning in the forest of Abhujmad when a joint team of the security personnel from four districts, Narayanpur, Kanker, Dantewada, and Kondagaon was out on an anti-Naxal operation, a senior police official in Raipur said.

The exchange of fire between Naxals and security officials is still underway and more fatalities can be expected.

The operation, involving personnel from the District Reserve Guard (DRG) across four districts, in addition to the Special Task Force (STF), and the 53rd battalion of the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), commenced on June 12, according to officials, and is still ongoing.

Earlier, on 7th June 2024, there was an encounter between Naxalites and DRG jawans in the border area of ​​Narayanpur-Dantewada in Chhattisgarh, in which 7 Naxalites were killed. This anti-Naxal operation was started by the security forces when information was received about several Naxalites hiding in a village in Mungedi and Gobel area located on the border of Narayanpur, Dantewada and Kondagaon districts.

‘Fascism, dictatorship, Banana Republic’: Leftists suffer a meltdown after Delhi LG grants prosecution sanction against Arundhati Roy

OpIndia Staff
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‘Fascism, dictatorship, Banana Republic’: Leftists suffer a meltdown after Delhi LG grants prosecution sanction against Arundhati Roy

On Friday (14th June), Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena granted permission to prosecute author Arundhati Roy under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for her alleged ‘provocative’ speech at a 2010 event. The development has triggered a meltdown among the so-called Indian Liberals, “intellectual elites”, “voices of dissent” and Islamists.

Among a string of over two dozen reactions compiled by Anurag (X_LekhakAnurag), the usual trope of “fascism, dictatorship, and India becoming the Banana Republic” comes out as a recurring theme. 

The usual suspects have lamented that despite the BJP coming back to power with a weaker mandate, it has shown ‘continuity’. They alleged that the Modi-led NDA government has continued its ‘fascist and dictatorial’ tendencies and by prosecuting Arundhati Roy it has turned India into a Banana Republic. 

India Today journalist, Rajdeep Sardesai ranted that the “voice of dissent” is being branded as anti-national which according to him makes India appear more like a ‘Banana Republic’. Notably, “Banana Republic” is a term used to describe a country where the rule of law is ineffectively applied, with laws enforced based on the administration’s convenience and as a retributive measure to crush dissent. The accusation does not hold water in a country like India, which has a thriving democracy, a free and fair election process, an independent judiciary, other constitutionally established institutions, and a robust media. 

Supreme Court lawyer, Prashant Bhushan who had been penalised in the past for contempt of court, alleged that the Modi government has not learned anything from the 2024 debacle. He also accused it of turning India into a ‘dictatorship’ and a ‘banana republic’.

Meena Kandasamy lamented that the hopes of the left-liberal and Islamist ecosystem that a reduced majority will ‘tame’ the “fascist beast” were “naive” and wrong.

TMC MP Mahua Moitra also reacted on the same lines and accused the Modi government of indulging in “fascism”.

Ex-Amnesty India Chief Aakar Patel expressed disbelief that anyone could be prosecuted for “speech”, omitting the fact that the contentious speech by Arundhati Roy is accused of “promoting the separation of Kashmir from India”. It is alleged that Arundhati Roy strongly asserted that Kashmir was never part of India, was forcibly occupied by the Indian Armed Forces and that every effort should be made for the independence of Jammu and Kashmir from India.

TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghosh pontificated that the authorities must act as per her priority list and book all other accused first before taking action against Arundhati Roy. 

Dubious historian notorious for whitewashing Islamist acts of Aurangzeb, Audrey Truschke, also alleged that the prosecution of Arundhati Roy is an example of a “modern-day witch hunt”. 

Incidentally, CPI(Maoist) which is notorious the world over for its ‘totalitarian’ approach, “condemned” Roy’s prosecution. It alleged that the case defies logic and exemplifies ‘fascism’. It also tried to cast aspersions on the timing of the development alleging that courts and lawyers are on vacation. Pertinent to note that the vacation bench of courts does take up legal matters and there is no ‘void’ in the judicial process or arbitrary, unjust action as being alleged in the post.

Shabnam Hashmi alleged that ‘the fascist’ government can’t tolerate “international repute” and “an excellent intellectual”. Likewise, Shirin Khan hailed Arundhati Roy as a “daring patriot”.

The Hindu’s Suhasini Haider alleged that the development is an attempt at gaslighting despite the voters rejecting “totalitarian governance”.

Arfa Khanum Sherwani expressed “solidarity” with the controversial author. 

Script writer of Dharma Production house, Darab Farooqui ranted that Modi will be the first leader to ‘imprison’ a “Booker prize winner” on terrorism charges. 

Propagandist Nikhil Wagle questioned the belief of the leftist and Islamist ecosystem that the Modi government will be “different”. 

An X user Pegasus ignored the fact that the author was booked for her ‘provocative’ speech when the Congress government was in power. 

Karti Chidambaram expressed surprise that a “writer” was being prosecuted under UAPA. However, he skipped that the “writer” repeatedly said Kashmir was not part of India and spread fake info about the Godhra incident where Hindu pilgrims were burnt alive.

Interestingly, Salil Tripathi went on to blame P Chidambaram for bringing the stringent UAPA law and sought an apology from him.

Swati Chaturvedi alleged that the Modi government was holding the “public in contempt” by allowing the prosecution of Arundhati Roy. 

The complainant, Sushil Pandit, a Kashmiri activist, filed a complaint under Section 156(3) of the CrPC with the Metropolitan Magistrate Court in New Delhi. The court directed the registration of an FIR on November 27, 2010, when Congress-led UPA government was in power.

People prevented from exercising democratic rights: West Bengal Governor tears into Mamata Banerjee govt for not allowing post-poll violence victims to meet him

ANI
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People prevented from exercising democratic rights: West Bengal Governor tears into Mamata Banerjee govt for not allowing post-poll violence victims to meet him

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Mohan Bose came down heavily on the Mamata Banerjee government after some victims of post-poll violence in the state were prevented from meeting him by the state government on Thursday.

The Governor hit out at the state government saying that the victims were prevented from exercising their democratic rights.

“Yesterday, I gave permission to the victims of violence in the field who came from various parts of Bengal to meet me in the Raj Bhavan and share their grievances. I was shocked to find that for one reason or another, they were all prevented from exercising their democratic rights,” Governor Bose said in a press conference on Friday.

The Governor termed this as “violation” of the Constitution that the state government has engaged in on several occasions.

“Right to life is an inalienable fundamental right in the Constitution of India. Every responsible government, every civilised government has a right to defend the Constitution. But here there are violations of Constitution, not once but many times, over and over again,” he said.

The Governor pointed out that he has the authority to give suggestions to the Chief Minister and the Chief Minister has also been mandated to give information to the Governor.

“To be specific, under Article 167 of the Constitution of India, it is mandatory for the Chief Minister of a state to give reports and information to the Governor whenever it is called for. The Constitution also says that the Governor has the right and the duty to suggest to the Chief Minister to place before the Council of Ministers any matter which the Governor in his wisdom finds worth presenting before the Council Ministers. This has also been done by me and by my predecessors in office here,” he said.

Governor Bose said that the Chief Minister cannot flout constitutional norms and he will ensure that the government fulfils its mandated duty.

“A Constitutional authority like the Chief Minister or any Minister cannot defile the Constitution of India with immunity. There will certainly be retribution…That the Constitution has been flouted many times does not mean that it has to be the role of the day. It is my duty to see that the constitutional provisions are invoked and the government is made to do whatever is constitutionally expected or mandated to do,” he said.

Hitting out at the state government over alleged post-poll violence in the state, the Governor said that such incidents “cannot go on”.

“The dance of death, the macabre which is happening at various pockets of West Bengal. During the panchayat elections, I saw it with my own eyes. I was on the field. During this election also there has been many instances of violence, murder, intimidation. This cannot got on,” he said.

The Governor shared that he went to meet the victims of violence in the state because he wants to be a “peoples’ Governor”.

“The worst is that when the poor people came to meet the people with permission to air their grievances, they were prevented…I would like to be a people’s Governor. Therefore I went to see them. I spent time with them. What I heard was the deep pangs of the innocent people who were at the gunpoint of the goons. This does not bring credit to any civilized government,” Governor Bose said.

“The government has to do its duty. If the government fails to do its duty the Constitution will take its own course,” he added.

After meeting the victims on Friday, Governor Bose said, “I heard the victims. This is one version of the story. As a Governor, I would like to be fair. I have also asked for a report from the government on this. After listening to the government’s side, I will give my opinion. In one word I will say, ‘shocking’.”

In an official release posted on ‘X’, the Governor said that the actions of the State Government in not allowing the victims of violence meet the Governor on Thursday despite being permitted to do so, has invited disapproving comments from the judiciary against virtually a ‘State within State.”

The Court wondered whether the Governor is under house arrest and ordered that anyone can meet the Governor if he permits, the Governor said.

The Governor has decided that all victims will be welcome to meet him in the Raj Bhavan. He added that till the victims are allowed to meet him, the Minister-in-Charge of Police, will not be allowed to meet the Governor. Moreover, he has directed all police personnel posted in Raj Bhavan to be changed.

In the release, the Governor shared that he visited the victims of violence who were prevented from meeting him on Thursday in spite of written permission. The Governor interacted with the victims, including women and children, and was moved by their plight. The survivors narrated their woes and how they had to flee to save themselves, leaving their home and hearth at the mercy of miscreants, the release said.

The Governor has taken a strong view in the matter and has urged the administration to take all necessary steps to ensure that violence was reined in and the victims of violence could return to their homes and resume their normal activities, it said.

Earlier on Tuesday, West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari was stopped by the police on Thursday from entering the Raj Bhavan to meet West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose with alleged victims of post-poll violence.

Speaking to ANI about the incident, Adhikari said, “For the first time after independence, we have been stopped outside Raj Bhavan. They didn’t let the LoP to enter. The Governor called in the victim with written permission. 200 victims accompanied with LoP had come here.”

Earlier this month, West Bengal opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari had written to Governor CV Ananda Bose, raising concerns about the All India Trinamool Congress’ alleged role in post-poll violence, urging him to take steps to prevent a recurrence of the situation after elections in 2021.

In the letter to the Governor of West Bengal, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari said that after the 2024 Parliamentary General Election results were announced on June 4, “goons of the ruling dispensation” has gone “berserk upon the workers of BJP” in West Bengal.

“As has become synonymous now with the State of West Bengal, the goons of the ruling dispensation has gone berserk upon the workers of BJP after the declaration of results of the Parliamentary General Elections, 2024, which was announced on June 4, 2024,” Adhikari said in the letter.

“This seems to be a repeat of the incidents which had transpired after the declaration of the results of the 2021 assembly election results in Bengal, which had resulted in the death of several BJP karyakartas,” he added.

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

Who is KG Abraham, the Keralite millionaire and MD of the firm that owned the building in Kuwait where fire killed 45 Indians

OpIndia Staff
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Who is KG Abraham, the Keralite millionaire and MD of the firm that owned the building in Kuwait where fire killed 45 Indians

The Goat Life or Aadujeevitham starring Prithviraj is a 2023 film that chronicles the hardships faced by a Malayali migrant worker in Saudi Arabia. Multimillionaire KG Abraham from Kerala co-produced the film, which grossed Rs 150 crore. Ironically, he is also the managing director of the company that owned the Kuwaiti building which caught fire on 12th June and killed 45 Indian labourers.

A large fire engulfed a six-story building in the southern Kuwaiti city of Mangaf where 196 migrant workers were staying and claimed the lives of 49 people, 45 of them were Indian including 24 Keralites and 50 others were injured. Forensic tests were required to identify some of the victims since they were charred extensively.

Kattunilath Geevarghese Abraham or KG Abraham is the managing director of Naser Mohamed Al-Baddah & Partner Trading and Contracting Company (NBTC). It was founded in 1977 and currently operates in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. It offers services in the hotel, retail, logistics and engineering & construction sectors. He also heads the KG Group, which co-produced the film, Aadujeevitham.

The building is owned by NBTC, and it is used for accommodating workers working on construction projects undertaken by the company in Kuwait. The majority of the victims in the fire were employees of the firm.

The businessman, whose fortunes increased after making investments in post-war Kuwait, is worth Rs 4,000 crore. He also controls the Highway Centre retail network in the Middle East. Furthermore, he owns the Crowne Plaza, a five-star establishment in Kochi.

KG Abraham landed in Kuwait in 1976 from Niranam of Pathanamthitta district in central Kerala. He was the third child in a farmer’s family. The 22-year-old was aware of the potential in the Middle East and was driven to pursue it. He completed a diploma in civil engineering. His first job paid 60 dinars and he served in a construction company called Badha and Musairi. After just seven years, he joined NBTC as a partner with an initial capital of 4,000 dinars and began working in Kuwait on small civil building projects.

One significant turning point in his life was the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. He was on a family vacation when the war broke out. He returned to Kuwait in May 1991, one month after the conflict ended and made investments in the nation’s post-war renaissance. His construction business was later diversified into the oil and gas industry. He then added more staff and the business which had 90 people at first, and grew to employ 15,000 individuals. The 69-year-old owns stock in the Crowne Plaza, a five-star facility in Kochi and is a partner in KGA Elite Continental Hotel in Thiruvalla.

He had an argument in 2007 with TU Kuruvila, the minister of public works, after the latter allegedly attempted to sell him fifty acres of wasteland. After feeling duped, he declined to participate in the deal even though he had already given Rs 7 crore. He contacted the government after the minister declined to return the funds which led to his resignation.

He also expressed dissatisfaction with the Left Democratic Front government led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), claiming that the money raised from foreigners for flood relief in 2018 was not being utilized by the people. He reportedly provided enormous support to the people of the state and assisted those in need during the Kerala floods of 2018 and 2019. He also took issue with the government’s announcement in 2023 that it would start taxing abandoned homes and pledged to cut off his financial support for politicians.

NBTC group’s response

“We are in touch with the families of those who lost their lives and those who are injured. We will keep you all updated on a regular basis with true and factual information about the incident. Our team is relentlessly working on all the arrangements needed thereof and assures everyone that we will not spare anything for whatever is needed on our behalf,” stated the NBTC group’s press release.

It further assured that NBTC would offer the “fullest assistance to the families of those who unfortunately lost their lives and to the families of those who are injured. We assure the families of those who are injured that almost all are reported to be stable by hospital authorities.” It added, “We will pay to the family of every employee who passed away Rs 8 lakh. Besides, we will pay out the insurance when the claims are received. We will always be with the families and will offer employment to members of the family and other help.”

What Happened in Kuwait

An official notification issued by the Kuwaiti Fire Force after an assessment of the incident site revealed that an electrical circuit fault was the cause of the fatal fire. Many people died as a consequence of smoke inhalation in the fire which started on the morning of 12th June and was first reported to the police at 4:30 am. According to accounts, the fire started in a kitchen. Authorities confirmed the identities of 45 Indian and three Filipino victims of the fire, which engulfed the Al-Mangaf building in the Al-Ahmadi governorate.

The authorities have arrested three people including the owner of the building, in connection with the instance. Kuwait Public Prosecution said that one Kuwaiti citizen and two foreigners are in judicial custody. Apart from the building owner, the security guard and an officer of the company that employed the workers were also taken into custody. The accident was caused by their failure to meet safety regulations. The prosecution is conducting further investigation.

An Indian Air Force specialist aircraft carrying the remains of Indian citizens killed in the incident touched down at Cochin International Airport. The remains were flown with Union Minister of State VK Singh, who left right away for Kuwait on 13th June. The massive fire that broke out in a labour accommodation claimed the lives of at least 45 Indians, including 23 from Kerala, seven from Tamil Nadu, three from Andhra Pradesh, and one each from Bihar, Odisha, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Haryana, Punjab, and West Bengal. The deceased were subjected to DNA testing by Kuwaiti authorities prior to their bodies being transferred to Indian authorities for repatriation.

UP: ED attaches property worth 4,400 Crore of Abdul Waheed Educational and Charitable Trust in illegal mining case, accused Mohammad Iqbal absconding

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UP: ED attaches property worth 4,400 Crore of Abdul Waheed Educational and Charitable Trust in illegal mining case, accused Mohammad Iqbal absconding

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Lucknow zonal office, has provisionally attached 121-acre land and building of Glocal University Saharanpur, worth Rs 4,440 crore, belonging to Abdul Waheed Educational and Charitable Trust in an illegal mining case under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

All these properties are registered in the name of Abdul Waheed Educational and Charitable Trust. The trust is controlled, managed and run by Md. Iqbal, former MLC and his family members.

The ED initiated an investigation on the basis of an FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under various sections of the IPC, 1860 and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, related to the illegal renewal of sand mining leases in District Saharanpur of Uttar Pradesh against the mining lease holders, namely Mehmood Ali, Dilshad, Mohd Inam, Mehboob Alam, Naseem Ahmad, Amit Jain, Vikas Agarwal, Mohd Wajid, Mukesh Jain, Puneet Jain, some government officials of Saharanpur and unknown persons.

The ED investigation revealed that all the mining firms were owned and operated by the Mohd. Iqbal Group. These firms were involved in rampant illegal mining in Saharanpur and adjacent areas.

In spite of the meagre earnings shown in the ITRs, high-value transactions to the tune of crores of rupees have been found between the mining firms and group companies of Mohd. Iqbal without having any business relations. And ultimately, all the funds were routed to the bank account of Abdul Waheed Educational and Charitable Trust, Saharanpur, through multiple Sham entities and bogus transactions in the form of unsecured loans and donations.

All the trustees are family members of Mohd. Iqbal, including himself. The fund of the trust was later used for the purchase of land at Saharanpur and the construction of buildings thereupon for running a university named Glocal University.

More than Rs 500 crore earned from illegal mining were used in the buying of land and the construction of the university. The current market value of the said property is Rs 4,439 crore, including land and buildings.

Currently, Md. Iqbal is absconding and believed to be in Dubai. His four sons and brother are presently lodged in jail in multiple cases registered against them.

Further investigation is in progress.

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

NEET UG controversy: Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan assures no tolerance for malpractice or irregularities and action if lapses are found

OpIndia Staff
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NEET UG controversy: Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan assures no tolerance for malpractice or irregularities and action if lapses are found

On Friday (14th June), Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan told reporters that apart from issues faced in just six centres out of roughly 4,500, NEET was conducted satisfactorily across the country. He denied allegations of a paper leak, but added that if anything is proven true, “no one will be spared”. Minister Pradhan assured that every aspect is being looked into, accountability will be fixed, and depending on the nature of the lapse, action will be taken. There is no scope for any malpractice or irregularities in the conduct of any exam, we will not tolerate that, the Minister added.

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan added that the government is committed to protecting the interests of NEET examinees, and that concerns of students will be addressed with fairness and equity. 

Union Minister Pradhan noted, “Facts related to NEET are in cognisance of the Supreme Court. The counselling process will be underway soon and it is of utmost importance to move ahead in this direction without any confusion.” 

Additionally, on Friday, June 14, he met with some NEET-UG aspirants and their parents to address their concerns. Minister Pradhan reiterated that there is no solid evidence to support the allegations of question paper leaks in this year’s NEET-UG exam. He also dismissed the need to cancel NEET-UG.

On Saturday (15th June), the Education Minister explained that the reduction in the syllabus and the increased number of aspirants this year could have resulted in more toppers this year. 

Pradhan said, “In previous years, the NEET syllabus wasn’t cut down. This year we also aligned the questions with the state boards’ syllabus. Less syllabus and more candidates also led to the rise in competition and ultimately increase in the number of top scorers.”

Investigation so far ‘suggestive of a paper leak’: Bihar Police’s Economic Offences Unit

Bihar’s Economic Offences Unit (EOU), which is probing allegations of a paper leak in the NEET examination held on 5th May, said that its investigation is “suggestive of a paper leak”. 

Speaking with The Indian Express, Additional Director General of Police, EOU, N H Khan said, “We had asked a set of questions to the National Testing Agency, which organises NEET. Our team has just received answers. We may have some follow-up questions. We have been working on some contacts we have received in the course of our investigation, which is very much suggestive of a paper leak.” 

Notably, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Bihar EOU took over the probe from Patna police last month. The SIT stated that admit cards, post-dated cheques, and certificates of several candidates had been seized from members of an “organised inter-state gang”. 

Khan added, “Our SIT is now trying to establish corroborative evidence, such as who got question and answer sheets and from where, and how it could have reached the examination centres.” 

Khan told The Telegraph, “According to the investigations, the mafia involved in compromising the exam picked up the candidates a day before the examination and kept them at a boys’ hostel on the outskirts of Patna. They kept their (candidates’) original documents with them and made them memorise the questions and answers.”

“The candidates were then dropped at the examination centres to write the papers. Four such candidates have been nabbed so far and they have said that the questions in the NEET-UG completely tallied with the ones they were made to memorise,” Khan added.

Superintendent of Police (Administration), EOU, Bihar, Madan Kumar Anand is leading the nine-member SIT. 

However, the Indian Express report citing EOU sources stated that evidence recovered so far is not enough proof to confirm that there was a paper leak. 

An EOU source said, “The SIT has seized post-dated cheques, which suggest money was being paid by candidates to an organised gang. We have evidence that suggests question papers were burnt at a centre after NEET, but it is not enough proof to confirm that there was a paper leak. We are investigating the matter.” 

An EOU official said, “Of the 13 people arrested in the case so far, four are candidates who took the NEET. The remaining are their parents and members of the organised gang, which allegedly gathered 35 candidates before the exam at a school under the jurisdiction of Ramakrishna Nagar police station, and conducted a mock exam. They allegedly received the NEET question paper with answers there.” 

“Some remains of the purportedly burnt question papers have been seized from the school,” an EOU official added. 

It is important to note that one of the arrested accused is Nitish Kumar, a resident of Gaya. He was earlier arrested by the EOU in an alleged paper leak of the Bihar Teacher’s Recruitment Exam which was conducted by the Bihar Public Service Commission on 15th March.

Gujarat Police arrest five in allegations of cheating in NEET examination at a centre in Gujarat

Additionally, Gujarat Police have so far arrested five persons, including the head of a coaching centre over alleged cheating during the NEET examination in a centre in Godhra. 

According to the police complaint filed in Godhra, around 12 students, their parents, and a Vadodara-based coaching centre run by a group of teachers are involved in the alleged scam.

Notably, Gujarat’s Panchmahal district police are investigating the case of alleged malpractice or irregularity in the NEET exam held at Jay Jalaram School, an exam centre at Parvadi village in Godhra. 

The arrested individuals include education consultant Vibhor Anand and Principal Purshottam Sharma, who were found to be in collusion with the prime accused, Tushar Bhatt, the deputy superintendent of the NEET center at the school. Another key suspect is Parashuram Roy, an immigration agency owner from Vadodara, who was also involved with Anand and others.

As per the FIR, the attempted malpractice was “thwarted” on 5th May during a raid at the NEET centre by an inspection squad of the Education department. 

The police stated that four students allegedly paid Rs 66 lakh each, while three others provided blank cheques to Roy Overseas, a coaching center operated by Parashuram Roy, who is now in judicial custody. The investigation revealed that parents paid a total of Rs 2.82 crore to Roy, Tushar Bhatt, and Arif Vora from Godhra. Tushar Bhatt, a teacher at Jay Jalaram School in Godhra and the deputy superintendent of the NEET-UG 2024 center in Godhra, is identified as the key accused.

The police recovered blank cheques with student details scribbled on the back and parents’ contact information. They also uncovered financial transactions from parents to Roy’s accounts. The investigation has revealed over Rs 12 crore worth of transactions between students, their parents, and the accused. Rs 10 lakh was the rate for each student who wanted to cheat in the exam. The accused had planned to collect around Rs 26 crore in total.

Parshuram sent the details of 26 candidates to Tushar Bhatt, through Arif. Six candidates were taking the exam at one center of Jai Jalaram School, while the remaining 20 were at another center of the same school. The entire scam was exposed after the Godhra District Magistrate received this information. During an investigation at the NEET examination center, the DM’s team and the District Education Officer found Rs 7 lakhs in cash in the vehicle of the accused teacher.

‘Money for development in areas only where TMC got votes’: Bengal Minister, who earlier mocked Sandeshkhali victims, openly discriminates against people

OpIndia Staff
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‘Money for development in areas only where TMC got votes’: Bengal Minister, who earlier mocked Sandeshkhali victims, openly discriminates against people

On Friday (14th June), West Bengal Minister Udayan Guha announced that areas which did not vote substantially for the Trinamool Comgress (TMC) will not receive money for development work.

He later stated that people who voted for the TMC would get preferential treatment over those who voted for rival BJP.

Udayan Guha was heard saying, “I had sanctioned ₹4 crores for development in Mathabhanga I and ₹10 crores for Mathabhanga II. No money has been allocated for Mathabhanga City, Cooch Behar city and my own Dinhata city.”

“People who reside in the city think of themselves as more clever than those who live in the village. They should make a firm decision whether they want development in their area or religious politics,” he emphasised.

On being confronted by the media, Udayan Guha remarked that village people would benefit first as they gave more votes to the TMC.

“Everyone will eventually get the money. People in rural areas who voted for us and need it the most will get monetary allocation first,” he was heard saying.

“Let the people in the city first have the realisation that you need to give something to get something in return,” Udayan Guha further cautioned BJP voters.

“Yes, people in the city will be denied funds. Not denied directly but those who deserve it the most would get it first,” he added. Guha compared his brazen discrimination based on people’s voting preferences to ‘eating rasgulla’.

“If I pay ₹5, then, I cannot eat a ₹10 rasgulla. To eat a ₹10 rasgulla, I need to cough up ₹10,” the TMC MLA from Dinhata constituency said.

In February this year, Udayan Guha attempted to downplay the sexual exploitation of women in Sandeshkhali. He had claimed, “I am not sure if Sheikh Shahjahan has been framed as part of a conspiracy but charges against him are a mistake.”

“He has been falsely implicated. This has been happening ever since ED officials were attacked. In the past, we have never heard these allegations against Sheikh Shahjahan,” the TMC leader gave Sheikh Shahjahan a clean chit.

While trivialising the gravity of sexual violence, Udayan Guha smirked, “I did not know that he liked to eat pie (referring to the sexual exploitation of women) at 12 o’clock in the night. I knew that desire for such mischiefs happen early or late in the night.” Coincidentally, the TMC Minister has been accused of committing sexual harassment in his Vidhan Sabha constituency of Dinhata.

India’s foreign exchange reserves touch fresh highs at USD 655.8 billion

ANI
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India’s foreign exchange reserves touch fresh highs at USD 655.8 billion

India’s foreign exchange reserves jumped USD 4.307 billion to touch a new lifetime high of USD 655.817 billion during the week that ended June 7, official data from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) showed.

The reserves have been rising on and off for a long time now. So far in 2024, they have risen over USD 30 billion, on a cumulative basis.

According to the latest data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), India’s foreign currency assets (FCA), the biggest component of the forex reserves, rose by USD 3.773 billion to USD 576.337 billion.

Gold reserves during the week rose by USD 481 million to USD 56.982 billion.

India’s foreign exchange reserves are now sufficient to cover around 11 months of projected imports, according to a recent RBI report.
In the calendar year 2023, the RBI added about USD 58 billion to its foreign exchange kitty. In 2022, India’s forex kitty slumped by USD 71 billion cumulatively.

Forex reserves, or foreign exchange reserves (FX reserves), are assets that are held by a nation’s central bank or monetary authority. It is generally held in reserve currencies, usually the US Dollar and, to a lesser degree, the Euro, Japanese Yen, and Pound Sterling.

The country’s foreign exchange reserves last touched their all-time high in October 2021. Much of the decline after that can be attributed to a rise in the cost of imported goods in 2022.

Also, the relative fall in forex reserves could be linked to the RBI’s intervention, from time to time, in the market to defend the uneven depreciation in the rupee against a surging US dollar.

Typically, the RBI, from time to time, intervenes in the market through liquidity management, including through the sale of dollars, to prevent a steep depreciation in the rupee.

The RBI closely monitors the foreign exchange markets and intervenes only to maintain orderly market conditions by containing excessive volatility in the exchange rate, without reference to any pre-determined target level or band.

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

Exclusive: ‘Hit polytheists with cars, cut stomachs with knives, burn Temples’ – ISIS calls for genocide of ‘cow-worshippers’, targets Ram Mandir, PM Modi, Nupur Sharma

Anurag
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Exclusive: ‘Hit polytheists with cars, cut stomachs with knives, burn Temples’ – ISIS calls for genocide of ‘cow-worshippers’, targets Ram Mandir, PM Modi, Nupur Sharma

In the latest edition of the ISIS-backed magazine “Voice of Khurasan”, there is a section targeting India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Hindus, and Hindu leaders. The magazine openly called for Hindu genocide and accused Indian Hindu leaders of being anti-Muslim.

The cover page article titled “O Polytheist Indian Kings! Be ready to face Mahmud Ghaznavi again!”, called for Hindu genocide and urged Islamists to launch violent jihad against India and its leaders. The article attempted to invoke historical Islamic conquest to call for genocide against Hindus.

Exclusive: ISIS Magazine calls for genocide of Hindus, targets PM Modi, Nupur Sharma, Ram Temple
Source: VOK

The article read, “Hit the Indian polytheists with cars, cut their stomachs with knives, burn temples, houses, cars, property, and crops, target crowded places, and show them that the Ummah of the Prophet Muhammad is still alive.” It further called out Islamists living worldwide to attack India if Indian Muslims are unable to attack Hindus. It read, “If the Muslims in India are not able to overcome these polytheists, the gates of all the Wilayat of the Islamic State are yours to advance.”

Exclusive: ISIS Magazine calls for genocide of Hindus, targets PM Modi, Nupur Sharma, Ram Temple
Source: VOK

The article spoke of the global conflict between Islam and its “perceived enemies” which include India. It claimed that the disbelievers from both East and West were united in their efforts to destroy the Islamic Ummah. ISIS in the magazine said non-Muslims were occupying Muslim lands, dishonoring Muslim women, and mocking Islamic Sharia. It further said that the problem was within the Muslim community as Muslims have fallen in love with the earthly life and have a fear of death that prevents them from engaging in Jihad.

Targeting Hindus, Indian, and Hindu leaders

The India-focused article described Indian leaders, specifically the leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) oppressors of Muslims. It glorified historic Islamic invaders like Muhammad bin Qasim and Mahmud Ghaznavi, who led invasions into the Indian subcontinent centuries ago. Using such figures, the author called for the revival of their conquests. The article urged modern-day Muslims to reclaim the Indian subcontinent and advocated for violent jihad as the means to achieve the goal.

Target on Prime Minister Narendra Modi

ISIS specifically targeted the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, and accused him of being a staunch enemy of Islam. ISIS used the same tropes as the liberals to say PM Modi and BJP of ill-treating Indian Muslims. Highlighting the construction of Bhavya Ram Mandir in Ayodhya following the court-ordered demolition of an illegal structure (the Magazine referred it to as Babri Masjid), ISIS called it a key grievance. The article further accused PM Modi of mocking Islamic rituals and policies and described his administration as an extremist Hindu nationalist regime responsible for subjugating Muslims.

Exclusive: ISIS Magazine calls for genocide of Hindus, targets PM Modi, Nupur Sharma, Ram Temple
Source: VOK

ISIS said PM Modi called Muslims “infiltrators” during his election speech. It is pertinent to remember that ‘liberals’, Indian Islamists, and the Congress had spread misinformation at the time to claim PM Modi called all Indian Muslims infiltrators when he was talking about illegal immigrants that have entered India from Bangladesh, Myanmar, and other locations.

Derogatory comments on Ram Mandir

From the magazine, it was clear that ISIS wanted the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya attacked. While asking Muslims to attack the Temple, ISIS said that vulgar songs were being played at the premises during obscene parties where alcohol is served to further humiliate Muslims. It read, “Cows and idols are now worshipped on that blessed land of the mosque, and there also, vulgar songs, alcohol, and obscene parties are being held to further humiliate Muslims.”

Source: VOK

ISIS also expressed dismay over the fact that PM Modi, film personalities, businessmen, and politicians participated in the Pran Prathishta ceremony in January 2024. The article read, “Famous Indian film actors, the wealthy, politicians, and even Modi himself participated in the opening ceremony and called the decision to change Babri Masjid to Ram Mandir fair and full of justice.”

ISIS puts a target on Nupur Sharma

ISIS in its magazine put a target on the former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma. The so-called controversial remarks by Sharma were indirectly mentioned in the article describing them as deeply offensive. Notably, the remarks against Nupur Sharma came at a time when she has started to make limited public appearances and congratulated PM Modi on winning the General Elections third time in a row. ISIS used the incident to justify the call for violent jihad against India. The piece asserts that such insults are part of a broader pattern of disrespect and hostility towards Islam and Muslims by Indian political leaders.

It is worthy to remember here that the remarks that were made by Nupur Sharma had the same assertions that several Islamic scholars, including Zakir Naik, have made. It is almost important to note that Nupur Sharma was responding to Tasleem Rehmani during the Times Now debate after he had insulted Lord Shiva and the Shivling which was found at the Gyanvapi premises. Islamist propagandist Mohammad Zubair of AltNews edited the clip of Nupur Sharma to claim that she had insulted Islam without showing what she was responding to. It was immediately after Mohammad Zubair had shared the edited clip that Nupur Sharma had started getting rape, murder, and Sar Tan se Juda threats.

Exclusive: ISIS Magazine calls for genocide of Hindus, targets PM Modi, Nupur Sharma, Ram Temple
Source: VOK

Jihadis’ new target BJP leader Madhvi Latha Kompella

Madhvi Latha Kompella was the BJP candidate from Hyderabad who challenged AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi in the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. Though she did not succeed in her fight against Owaisi, she managed to give the AIMIM cadre sleepless nights and Owaisi had to come down on road for campaigning. Madhvi has now become a fresh target of Islamists. The article mentioned that she was allegedly arrested in 2023 for her remarks against Muslims. This incident is cited as another example of the systemic anti-Muslim rhetoric and actions perpetuated by the BJP. The article uses this to underscore its narrative of oppression and justify its call for violent retribution.

Threats and incitement to violence by ISIS

ISIS has dog whistled in its article claiming that India and its surrounding areas have become anti-Muslims. It read, “In general, the Indian polytheists and cow-worshipping fools are inexorably hostile to Islam, and the enmity of Narendra Modi and the BJP party is exactly like the enmity of Pharaoh with the Bani Israel. In India today, about 220 million Muslim people are spending nights full of horror and barbarism in slavery and subjugation to Hindus.”

ISIS urged the Muslims in India to engage in violent acts against non-Muslims. The article called for assassination, bombings, and other forms of terrorism and portrayed as if these actions were a religious duty to avenge perceived wrongs against the Muslim community. The piece glorifies violent jihad and calls for attacks on Hindu temples, public places, and political figures, advocating for the destruction of idols and the killing of those it deems enemies of Islam.

The dangerous implications of the calls for genocide by ISIS

The article poses a significant threat to the national security of India as the magazine is widely circulated on Telegram channels and social media platforms including Facebook and others. By inciting violence and providing ideological justification for terrorist acts, it can inspire lone-wolf attacks and coordinated terrorist activities. The specific targeting of political leaders, public figures, and religious sites increases the risk of high-profile attacks that can cause widespread fear and destabilization.

Exclusive: ISIS Magazine calls for genocide of Hindus, targets PM Modi, Nupur Sharma, Ram Temple
Source: VOK

The authorities have to take such threats seriously and act accordingly. The article published in Voice of Khurasan is a clear indication of the threats India is facing. The explicit threats against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Nupur Sharma, Madhvi Latha Kompella, and attacks on religious sites along with the general call for violence against non-Muslims, necessitate urgent and robust counter-terrorism measures to safeguard national security.

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