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Kyrgyzstan: Violent mobs launch targeted attacks on Pakistani MBBS students in Bishkek; Indian Embassy asks students to stay indoors as violence escalates

OpIndia Staff
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Kyrgyzstan: Violent mobs launch targeted attacks on Pakistani MBBS students in Bishkek; Indian Embassy asks students to stay indoors as violence escalates

In a series of violent incidents, Foreign students, particularly Pakistani MBBS students and their hostels have come under attack by violent local mobs in Kyrgyzstan’s capital Bishkek on Friday night (17th May). Several X users, who are in the know of the violent attack, have claimed that four Pakistani students have died and several others have suffered serious injuries in these mob attacks. The development has prompted both Indian and Pakistani Embassies to urge their nationals to “stay indoors”. However, they have so far denied reports of “rapes and deaths” of Pakistani students. 

According to reports, on 13th May, a fight broke out between Kyrgyz students and medical students from Egypt. It is also being said that some Pakistani students were reportedly involved in that clash, triggering targeted mob violence against Pakistani MBBS students. Several videos of purported Pakistani/foreign students sharing horrific details about the attack are doing rounds on the internet. According to the victims, the violent mobs have launched systematic attacks on hostels of foreign students and allegedly raped or sexually harassed Pakistani female students. Reportedly, the mobs are attacking hostels one after another and the attacks have continued into Saturday Morning. 

(In Kyrgyzstan, local violent mobs launched systematic attacks on hostels of foreign students, particularly Pakistani medical students, social media users alleged several killed and raped in the violent attack, Image Source – X_@matincantweet)

Foreign students from India, Bangladesh, and other nations have also come under threat. The Indian Embassy has released an emergency number and advised Indian students to stay indoors and remain in touch with the Embassy.  

“Monitoring the welfare of Indian students in Bishkek. Situation is reportedly calm now. Strongly advise students to stay in regular touch with the Embassy,” Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar wrote while retweeting Indian Embassy’s appeal to Indian students to stay indoors.

On Saturday, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Hasan Zaigham tweeted, “In view of mob violence around student hostels in Bishkek, the embassy strongly advise all Pakistani students in Bishkek to stay indoors until the situation return to normal.” 

He added, “We are liaising with the local law enforcement authorities to ensure the safety of our student fraternity.”

The spokesperson for the Pakistani Foreign Office said the embassy was in contact with the Kyrgyz authorities and issued emergency contact numbers.

In a statement, the Pakistani embassy in Bishkek said, “There have been a number of incidents of mob violence against foreign students in Bishkek since last evening. According to the Kyrgyz press, the matter boiled over yesterday due to sharing online of videos of a fight between Kyrgyz students and medical students from Egypt on the 13th of May.” 

It added, “So far, a few hostels of medical universities in Bishkek and private residences of international students including Pakistanis have been attacked. The hostels are inhabited by students from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.” 

The statement further added, “There have been reports of light injuries to a number of students from Pakistan. Despite social media posts about the alleged death and rape of Pakistani students, so far, we have not received any confirmed report.” 

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s PM Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep concern over the situation of Pakistani students in Bishkek. 

Foreign students under threat

According to local media, several Pakistani medical students narrated their ordeal. 

One of the student said that she was very scared and saved her life by hiding in the washroom. The student said that a violent mob had entered her hostel and beat up several Pakistani students and also vandalised the hostel. The student cried and pleaded for help. 

Another student said, “A very bad thing happened to us. We don’t know whether we are safe or not. A very bad thing happened to us. Please send us to Pakistan. Yesterday there was a fight in which Pakistanis were also involved. They beat up a lot of people. We saved our lives by hiding in the hostel, but we are fine. We are on the 6th floor. They have closed the doors of the apartments and are sitting there, not knowing whether we are safe or not.”

After Swati Maliwal files complaint of assault against Arvind Kejriwal’s aide Bibhav Kumar, ex-AAP leader Shazia Ilmi opens up about ‘blackmail’ culture within Aam Aadmi Party

OpIndia Staff
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After Swati Maliwal files complaint of assault against Arvind Kejriwal’s aide Bibhav Kumar, ex-AAP leader Shazia Ilmi opens up about ‘blackmail’ culture within Aam Aadmi Party

Aam Aadmi Party, whose senior leadership had been behind bars or on bail in the Delhi Liquor Policy scam case, is riddled with “blackmail culture”, Former party leader Shazia Ilmi has said. Stressing that the assault incident against Swati Maliwal is not a one-off incident, Shazia said that the environment in the Aam Aadmi Party is of “misbehaviour” and “hooliganism”. Apart from sharing her ordeal when she was an AAP leader, she asserted that AAP leaders have “dossiers/files” on each other and blackmail each other. 

This comes after AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal filed an FIR against Bibhav Kumar, a close aide of Delhi CM and AAP National Convenor, Arvind Kejriwal, accusing him of assaulting her at the latter’s residence. After initially admitting her allegations, the party has taken a U-turn and discredited the version and disowned its MP accusing her of aligning with the rival party, BJP. In the latest development in the case, the accused, Bibhav Kumar has filed a counter-complaint against the AAP MP Maliwal accusing her of trespassing. 

Meanwhile, speaking with ANI, Former AAP leader, Shazia Ilmi recalled her experience when she was in the Aam Aadmi Party. 

Narrating her ordeal, she said, “…My journey had been very tough. We came with a passion but the reality was something else. The environment in AAP is full of misbehaviour and hooliganism. The moment you start emerging as a leader, they will start cutting your wings. They insult, abuse, and enter homes forcefully…”

She added, “They used to abuse me verbally when I was a candidate from RK Puram. Durgesh Pathak, who is now an MLA, used to harass me. Satish Dagar was another who was given a councillor ticket… They abused me in words which I cannot speak openly. When I went to Arvind Kejriwal to complain about this, both of them were sitting with Manish Sisodia… Arvind Kejriwal didn’t pay heed to my complaints and asked to approach Manish Sisodia regarding my grievances. At start I felt that Arvind Kejriwal will not be like that but all of them are hand in gloves with each other. I was broken that day.”  

Sharing another incident, she added that in Ghaziabad, another AAP leader Devendra Thakur assaulted a woman member/supporter of the party.   

BJP leader Shazia Ilmi further asserted that there is “blackmail culture” in AAP. She added, “They even blackmail each other… They have prepared files and dossiers against each other and they blackmail each other. The whole AAP is running on blackmail…”

Regarding the 13th May incident when Swati Maliwal was allegedly assaulted inside Kejriwal’s residence, Shazia Ilmi said, “What Bibhav did with Swati Maliwal, he can’t do such an act without the approval from Arvind Kejriwal and Maliwal also said that she was assaulted on someone else’s instructions. So, indeed this happened on the directions of Arvind Kejriwal.”  

George Soros backed hitjob against Amit Shah in The Guardian? Litany of lies, unverified anecdotes and a dubious writer

Dibakar Dutta
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George Soros backed hitjob against Amit Shah in The Guardian? Litany of lies, unverified anecdotes and a dubious writer

Amid the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, The Guardian has yet again tried to cast aspersions on the state of Indian democracy under the Narendra Modi government. For this purpose, the British newspaper had roped in ‘journalist’ Atul Dev, sponsored by the George Soros-funded Pulitzer Centre.

On Friday (17th May), The Guardian published a hit piece (archive) titled ‘He likes scaring people’: how Modi’s right-hand man, Amit Shah, runs India‘ wherein it relied on brazen falsehoods and unverified anecdotes to target PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Saha.

At the very onset, ‘journalist’ Atul Dev peddled debunked lies about the infamous Sheikh Sohrabuddin case of 2005. He tried to whitewash Sheikh Sohrabuddin, a criminal who had links with the Islamic terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

Screengrab of The Guardian article

Atul Dev conveniently looked past the fact that Sohrabuddin was involved in several cases of murder and extortion. The propaganda artist shrewdly referred to the criminal as a ‘man’ in a bid to humanise him and suggested that his encounter by the Gujarat police was supposedly ‘staged.’

It is interesting to note that Atul Dev himself conceded in his article that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) considered Sohrabuddin a gangster and that the court absolved BJP leader Amit Shah of any wrongdoing.

Despite his repeated insinuations, conjectures and surmises suggesting an invisible hand of Amit Shah in the Sheikh Sohrabuddin encounter, Atul Dev noted that there is no ‘certainty’ about his own claims.

Reliance on hearsay

“It is worth noting that too many details are missing to say anything with certainty, but the government’s consistent obstruction of transparency and oversight in these cases has allowed suspicions to persist,” The Guardian report read.

The above-mentioned criminal, Sheikh Sohrabuddin, was neutralised by the Gujarat police on November 26, 2005. The then Congress-led UPA government at the Centre tried to implicate Amit Shah in the case falsely.

However, no charges against the BJP leader could be proved during the 9 years of UPA rule. The Judiciary found the case to be “politically motivated” and acquitted 22 other people. Despite the case being closed, Atul Dev is seen trying to rake up the case and peddle the same debunked claims.

The Guardian article relied on hearsay and unverified anecdotes to portray Amit Shah as a political leader, who is feared within the BJP.

“Last year, a corporate lobbyist in Delhi told me a story: a cabinet minister in the Modi government had pocketed a small part of the donation a businessman had made to the party, thinking no one would find out, only to get a call from Shah, who had run into the businessman at the Delhi airport and tallied the figure. Shah apparently told the minister to deposit the rest of the amount in the party fund. I could never confirm this story, but whatever its truth, it captures how Indians view the home minister,” it read.

Pegasus lie repeated

Atul Dev also reiterated the bogus story surrounding the alleged purchase of an Israeli spyware named Pegasus by the Modi government to supposedly spy on rival political leaders.

“In these managed interactions, Shah appears in command. Partly owing to his days in Gujarat and partly owing to the Indian government’s widely documented use of Israeli spyware to target journalists, activists and critics, the image of Shah in the public imagination is that of a man who holds everyone’s secrets,” he wrote.

In August 2022, India’s apex court noted that there was no conclusive proof to suggest that the Indian government was using the Pegasus spyware to snoop on people.

The then CJI, NV Ramana, had stated that the Supreme Court-appointed committee probing the matter did not find any Isralei spyware in the 29 mobile phones examined by it.

Lies about Gujarat riots

Atul Dev also peddled lies about the 2002 Gujarat riots such as the ‘knifing of bellies of pregnant women’ and conveniently ignored the pre-planned killing of 59 karsevaks by radical Muslim mobs.

He also raked up the murder of ex-BJP leader Haren Pandya and suggested that PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah were somehow involved in his killing without furnishing any evidence.

“The death of Haren Pandya was seen to be a warning shot. (Pandya’s wife has since publicly accused of Modi of involvement in Pandya’s death, which she described as a “political murder,” he claimed.

Attack on Judiciary and mental gymnastics

Atul Dev selectively cast aspersions on the Indian Judiciary to suggest that it is under the control of the Modi government (reference to Justice Loya case).

At the same time, he used the verdict of the Supreme Court in the electoral bond case to suggest that the Judiciary somehow exposed the ulterior motives of the government

The mental gymnastics is evident from the following lines –

“In 2018, several petitioners appealed to the supreme court to order an investigation into the death of Loya. The court refused. The judgment was written by the current chief justice of India, DY Chandrachud. “Utterly wrong and jurisprudentially incorrect,” was how one retired judge of the Delhi high court described it,” Atul Dev had stated.

The same propaganda artist wrote in the context of electoral bonds, “In 2017, the government passed a bill to introduce a new form of political funding, known as electoral bonds. These were promissory notes that can be bought by individuals and corporations from the national bank, and given to a political party without disclosing the identity of the donor to the public. In February 2024 – after seven years, one national election and more than a dozen state elections – the supreme court struck down the scheme as unconstitutional.

He cited an Indian Today magazine report, which was critical of Amit Shah as evidence of his supposed complicity in the Sheikh Sohrabuddin case. Towards the end of his vicious piece, he suggested that the same India Today does not have the guts to ask hard questions out of fear of retribution.

Other fabrications by Atul Dev

The Guardian also roped in anti-India propagandists such as Arundhati Roy, former Amnesty India Head Aakar Patel to lend credence to the dubious claims made in the article.

Atul Dev tried to legitimise the disputed structure of Babri Masjid by ignoring the fact that it was built after destroying a Hindu temple of Ram Lalla. “In the late 1980s, the BJP was rallying around the issue of building a temple at the supposed birthplace of Ram, a Hindu deity, which they claimed was at the site of an old mosque in the town of Ayodhya,” he wrote.

He also whined about the abrogation of Article 370 and the complete integration of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir with the Union of India. Dev dubbed it as the implementation of the ‘RSS agenda in India’s only Muslim majority State.’

The propaganda artist also spread canards about the Citizenship Amendment Act which aims to fast-track the citizenship of religious minorities who took refuge in India following persecution in the neighbouring Islamic countries of Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

“In October 2019, he pitched the idea of putting all 1.3 billion Indians through a citizenship test, in making a national register of citizens. To make clear the exclusionary purpose of his scheme, he floated the idea of a national register in conjunction with a new citizenship law, which would grant refugee status to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians coming to India from neighbouring countries. Muslims were to be pointedly excluded,” he wrote.

Atul Dev also tried to pass off the infamous 2020 Delhi riots as ‘anti-Muslim pogrom’ even though Hindus were killed in a planned manner during the carnage that lasted for 3 days.

“In Delhi, thousands of Muslim women occupied roads to get the state’s attention. Leaders of the BJP incited Hindu mobs to thrash them away. The mob, unimpeded by the police, ran riot in the national capital for three days. Dark plumes of smoke rose over Muslim neighbourhoods while Donald Trump was on a presidential visit in the city, drinking tea with Modi 10 miles away,” he wrote.

Atul Dev and his connection to George Soros

Atul Dev was not chosen for the hit piece on Narendra Modi and Amit Shah without any reason. His anti-India antecedents become crystal clear from his articles published in the leftist media rag, The Caravan.

Dev had previously attempted the disseminate the myth of ‘caste discrimination’ in the US through a propaganda piece titled ‘Modi’s visit focuses attention on caste discrimination in US.’

He had raked up the dubious CISCO case, which was voluntarily dismissed California Civil Rights Department (CRD) after it found no evidence of caste discrimination.

The propaganda artist also cited the case of Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) to allege discrimination against poor Dalit labourers.

OpIndia had reported how a dozen artisans, who withdrew their case, revealed that they were lured with the promise of green card to make the dubious allegations.

Atul Dev, who wrote the long vicious piece on Amit Shah, has received grants from the Pulitzer Centre, which in turn is funded by George Soros’ Open Society Foundations (OSF).

According to its own admission, the Pulitzer Centre received $900,000 (₹7.49 crores) from OSF. Interestingly, the article published in The Guardian is also sponsored by the same Pulitzer Centre. “Support for this article was provided by a grant from the Pulitzer Center,” reads a disclaimer at the bottom of The Guardian article.

Anti-India agenda of George Soros

India has been fighting a ‘perception war’ on all fronts since the start of 2023. On February 16 this year, George Soros exploited the Adani-Hindenburg controversy and launched a scathing attack on the Indian government.

He claimed, “Modi and business tycoon Adani are close allies. Their fate is intertwined…Adani Enterprises tried to raise funds in the stock market, but it failed. Adani is accused of stock manipulation and his stock collapsed like a house of cards.”

Soros accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of crony capitalism. “Modi is silent on the subject, but he will have to answer questions from foreign investors and in parliament,” he added.

The Hungarian-American billionaire also said that the ‘shakedown’ caused to the Indian markets due to the Hindenburg Research report will result in ‘much needed institutional reforms’ and ‘democratic revival’. 

George Soros and his vicious ecosystem of NGOs, activists and journalists had been trying to prove PM Modi as an ‘electoral autocrat’ who needed to be ousted for the ‘greater good’ of this country. And it has been a work in progress for a long time.

The Hungarian-American billionaire has also tried to use international institutions, which are funded by him, including Freedom House and  V-Dem (Varieties of Democracy) Institute to tarnish the image of India at a global level.

The Guardian and its fallacies

In April this year, The Guardian launched a campaign to tarnish the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, brainwash the voters and influence the outcome of the polls.

In its desperate bid, the British newspaper published a contentious article (archive) on 4th April titled ‘Indian government ordered killings in Pakistan, intelligence officials claim.’

Screengrab of the article by The Guardian

It relied heavily on anonymous sources, particularly from the Pakistani intelligence, to demonise PM Modi as a facilitator of ‘extra-territorial killings.’ In doing so, The Guardian ended up acknowledging him as a defender of India’s security interests from external threats.

The article was authored by anti-India propagandist Hannah Ellis-Petersen, Aakash Hassan and Pakistani ‘journalist’ Shah Meer Baloch.

Kejriwal’s aide Bibhav Kumar files counter-complaint against AAP MP Swati Maliwal accusing her of trespassing, seeks probe into ‘chats with BJP leaders’

ANI
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Kejriwal’s aide Bibhav Kumar files counter-complaint against AAP MP Swati Maliwal accusing her of trespassing, seeks probe into ‘chats with BJP leaders’

In a dramatic turn of events, Bibhav Kumar, the Personal Assistant to CM Arvind Kejriwal has filed a written complaint against Swati Maliwal, alleging unauthorized entry, verbal abuse, and threats and the possibility of BJP hand behind the matter.

According to the complaint lodged by Kumar and addressed to the SHO Civil Lines, Maliwal reportedly “forcefully and illegally trespassed” into the CM residence despite objections from the CM’s security and staff.

Kumar claimed that Maliwal, upon being asked to take an appointment with the CM, hurled abuses at him and disregarded the security protocol.

“Maliwal started screaming and shouting, hurling abuses, and questioning the authority of the security personnel,” stated Kumar in the complaint.

“Her motives were suspect, and she intended to harm the Hon’ble CM,” the complaint stated.

Reportedly, Maliwal made threats against Kumar, stating, “Main tujhe dekh lungi…main tujhe aese joothe case mei fasaungi ki tujhe zindagi bhar jail mei sadah dungi” (“I will make sure you face consequences; I will ensure you rot in jail for life”).

Security officers were called to intervene, and after repeated requests, Maliwal finally left the premises around 9:35 am.

Kumar urged authorities to take appropriate legal action against Maliwal and requested an investigation into her possible ties with BJP leaders, suggesting political motives behind the incident, especially considering the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

“Since Ms Maliwal has made unauthorised entry, trespassed, breached the security of the CM Residence, prevented government officers from discharging their duty and assaulted the complainant, she is liable for her action as per law.

You are requested to take appropriate legal action against Ms Maliwal. Since it is election time, all of this may have been done at the behest of the BJP and it is therefore requested that her call records, chats and interactions with BJP leaders should also be investigated,” Kumar added in the complaint.

The complaint by Arvind Kejriwal’s PA comes amid a row over Swati Maliwal’s complaint against Bibhav Kumar of assaulting her at CM’s residence.

Earlier, the Delhi Police filed an FIR in the case based on the complaint of Swati Maliwal and the details of the FIR have revealed shocking details.

In her complaint, Maliwal has alleged that Kejriwal’s personal Secretary Bibhav Kumar “slapped” her “at least seven to eight times” while she “continued screaming” and “brutally dragged” her while “kicking” her in her “chest, stomach and pelvis area.”

According to the Delhi Police FIR, Maliwal described the events of May 13 when she had gone to the Civil Lines residence of Chief Minister Kejriwal.

“I went inside the camp office and called CM’s PS Bibhav Kumar but I could not go in. I then sent a message to his mobile number (through WhatsApp). However, there was no response. I then went inside the residential area through the main door as I have always done in the past year since Bibhav Kumar was not present I entered the residence area and informed the staff present there to tell the CM here to meet him,” the FIR read.

“I was informed that he was present in the house and I was told to wait in the drawing room. I went into the drawing room and sat on the sofa and waited for him to meet me,” Maliwal said.

“He then abused me and asked who are you to not listen to what I say. While saying these words, he came and stood right in front of me. Without any provocation whatsoever on my side, he started slapping me with full force. He slapped me seven to eight times at least while I continued screaming. I felt absolutely shocked and was screaming for help over and over again. In order to protect myself I pushed him away with my legs,” she said.

“I repeatedly told him…that he should please let go of me as I was in unbearable pain. However, he attacked me with full force again and again. I somehow managed to get free. I then sat on the sofa of the drawing room and gathered my spectacles that had fallen on the ground during the assault. I was in a terrible state of shock at this attack. I was deeply traumatised and called the 112 number and reported the crime against me,” Maliwal detailed.

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

“The newspaper has murdered all ethical journalism and standards”: Manipur govt slams The Hindu over editorial on ethnic conflict in the state

ANI
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“The newspaper has murdered all ethical journalism and standards”: Manipur govt slams The Hindu over editorial on ethnic conflict in the state

Biren Singh-led Manipur government has criticized the editorial published in a newspaper, saying that it lacks a “clear understanding” of deeper issues in the state and accused it of “defaming” the measures taken by Bharatiya Janata Party at the centre and state.

It said that the newspaper “used to be a respected media firm” but now it has “murdered all ethical journalism and standards.”

This comes in response to the editorial, ‘Lame excuses: On Manipur and the ethnic conflict’ published on May 15.

“The editorial, ‘Lame excuses: On Manipur and the ethnic conflict’ attempts to defame the measures undertaken by the Central and State government to resolve the unrest in Manipur by terming them as “over-simplification and biased” view of the conflict,” the editorial read.

“Since the newspaper does not have any clear understanding of the deeper issues in Manipur, it has cited Hon’ble Chief Minister, N Biren Singh’s statement that 5,457 illegal immigrants were found in Manipur’s Kamjong district as a claim to back up its allegations. However, the fresh arrival of illegal immigrants into Manipur, following the Military coup in Myanmar are just a tip of the iceberg,” it added.

It said that even before the state government started the drive to identify and collect the biometric data of the immigrants, “as many as 996 new villages had already mushroomed” in Manipur as a result of “years of illegal immigration which went unchecked and undetected.”

The release said that the measures started in February this year, which was objected to by the “illegal immigrants” adding that it was one of the reasons for the “violence that broke out” in Manipur.

The Manipur government also refuted the allegations of being “biased” against a particular ethnic group terming the accusation “far from the truth and quite misleading.”

“The Manipur state government is not biased against any ethnic community and identification of illegal immigrants is not limited to only one community. The state has a firm stand on illegal migration, and it has been monitoring the issue as per the directives and instructions of the Central government,” it added.

It also rebutted the allegations that “refugees in Manipur are stigmatised” and that the state’s policies are “contrary to the approach given by Mizoram.”

“These are baseless allegations as the immigrants are being provided with basic needs like foodgrains, water supply, power supply, even roofings and other essential commodities in their respective camps such as the ones located in Kamjong.

The state government further said that the ‘illegal immigrants’ have outnumbered the local populace of the places where they are sheltered, which has been a “continuous threat to the state’s heterogeneous population and demography” due to the constant upsurge in the number of illegal migrants.

The release also highlighted the drug seizures made in the state since the Biren Singh government came to power.

It said around 16,161 acres of poppy cultivation “in the Kuki Zo dominated areas” in the districts of Churachandpur and Kangpokpi were destroyed under the War on Drugs campaign of the government. It added that

“Drugs amounting to Rs. 7887,676,32,330 have been seized and a total of 2351 cases have been registered while as many as 2943 persons have been arrested since 2017,” the release stated.

“The newspaper has also ignored to look into the sudden spike in seizure of the staggering amounts of drugs trafficked from Myanmar in Mizoram since 2023, following the unrest in Manipur. It once used to be a respected media firm but now it has murdered all ethical journalism and standards,” it 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)

Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar assaulted during campaigning in Delhi, youth slaps him multiple times after greeting him with a garland

OpIndia Staff
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Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar assaulted during campaigning in Delhi, youth slaps him multiple times after greeting him with a garland

Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar, the INDI Alliance candidate from Northeast Delhi, was assaulted by some angry locals when he was campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections. A video of the incident has emerged on social media, showing the Congress leader being beaten by people who were surrounding him.

In the video, Kanhaiya Kumar along with his supporters are seen coming out of an election campaign office at Brahmapuri’s Ward No 229 amid the chants of ‘Kanhaiya Kumr zindabad’. A person is seen approaching him with a garland in hand. The person puts the garland around Kanhaiya Kumar’s neck, but suddenly the situation changes and the person who greeted him with the garland slaps him several times in quick succession.

This leads to a commotion at the place, with the assaulter pushed away by others. However, some other people thrashed Kumar in the meanshile. Several persons try to hold the original attacker in black t-shirt, while he tries to break free and again charge towards Kanhaiya. Ink was also thrown at Kumar during the attack, and ink stains can be seen on the shirts of several persons in the videos.

Later Kanhaiya Kumar’s supporters thrashed the assaulter and another person involved in the attack. After getting treated at a hospital, the youth stated that whoever insults the Indian Army will face such consequences. ‘Whoever talks about breaking India into pieces, whoever says Afzal we are ashamed, your murderer is alive, this will be their fate,’ the man said.

Some social media users claimed that 3 teeth of Kumar was broken in the assault, but it could not verified.

It is not known why the Congress leader was assaulted, and what action was taken against the assaulters, if any.

Notably, the attack seems to be pre-planned, and at least one person seems to be aware of it in advance. When the assaulter is approaching Kumar with the garland in hand, someone says that Kanhaiya Kumar will be beaten. The voice is clear amid the noise and chants, indicating that the person was probably holding the phone recording the incident.

The person says, ‘Kanhaiya ab pitne wala hain, Kanhaiya ab pitega’ (Now Kanhaiya is going to be beaten, Kanhaiya will be beaten now), several seconds before the assault. And after Kanhaiya is slapped, the same person says, ‘friends as you can see, Kanhaiya Kumar has been beaten’.

Talking about the incident, Kanhaiya Kumar said, ‘This is not attack on me, this is attack on democracy’.

Later the assaulters stated that they attacked Kanhaiya Lal for his earlier anti-India comments and abuse of Indian Army soldiers.

They said that they won’t allow the person to enter who raises the slogans of ‘Bharat there tukde tukde ho’ and called Indian soldiers rapists. They added that they have a given a befitting reply to his anti-India comments with the slaps.

“Swati Maliwal went to Kejriwal’s residence as part of BJP’s conspiracy”: AAP leader Atishi attacks party MP, Maliwal hits back threatening to expose secrets

OpIndia Staff
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“Swati Maliwal went to Kejriwal’s residence as part of BJP’s conspiracy”: AAP leader Atishi attacks party MP, Maliwal hits back threatening to expose secrets

The Aam Adami Party has officially jumped to defend its national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s PA Bibhav Kumar and alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party used Swati Maliwal to frame the party’s chief as they are worried after his release from Tihar Jail. AAP referred to the allegations made by Swati Maliwal of assault by Bibhav Kumar at CM’s residence as “baseless” and said that Bibhav Kumar has also launched a complaint with the Delhi Police.

Atishi Marlena, Minister of Education, P.W.D, Culture and Tourism in the Delhi Government, launched the party’s attack on the party’s Rajya Sabha MO at a press conference held on 17 May, after a video from the CM’s residence from 13th May emerged, where Swati Maliwal was seen arguing with security personal over denial of meeting with the CM. AAP has claimed that the video proves that Swati’s allegations of assault on her are false.

Atishi alleged, “Bharatiya Janata Party is anxious since Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has come out on bail after the false allegations levelled at him by the party. That is why the BJP conspired to send Swati Maliwal to his house on the morning of 13th May. They wanted to charge Arvind Kejriwal with fake accusations. Swati Maliwal was a pawn and a face of the plot. She went to the chief minister’s residence unannounced and without taking any appointments. She wanted to accuse him. However, he was not available then and was saved. She then accused Bibhav Kumar but a video of the drawing room of the chief minister’s house has surfaced today which has exposed her lies in front of the whole country.”

She claimed, “She complained that she was brutally assaulted with kicks and punches in her FIR (First Information Report) and its factsheet which was filed with the Delhi Police. She received head injuries, was crying in pain and wasn’t able to speak. She repeatedly told the police that she had been beaten. She submitted that her head was bashed on a table, her clothes were torn and her shirt’s buttons were ripped. She has mentioned all of this in her charges but the footage which came to light today is entirely opposite of it and reveals the reality. Swati Maliwal was sitting rather comfortably in the drawing room and intimidating as well as threatening the police officials in a loud voice. She also threatened and abused Bibhav Kumar who she has accused. Her outfit is not tattered. There are no visible wounds on her head. The only thing which is apparent is that she is intimidating the cops and Bibhav Kumar in a loud voice.”

The AAP leader further said, “She didn’t even mention that she was touched inappropriately and was attacked by anyone. Hence, the video has proved that all the charges of assault are baseless and bogus. Bibhav Kumar has registered a complaint against Swati Maliwal with the Delhi Police and he has clearly stated the sequence of events which transpired on 13th May.”

Atishi said that Swati Maliwal went to meet Arvind Kejriwal on Monday morning without an appointment, and that’s why she was not allowed to enter the CM’s residence. She further stated that when Swati tried to forced her way into the residential quarters of the premises, Bibhav Kumar stoped her and asked the security to escort her out. Narrating AAP’s version of the incident, Atishi said, “On the morning of 13th May Swati Maliwal arrived at the chief minister’s house without prior appointment. She told security that she had an appointment with the chief minister when they questioned her about her identity and the reason behind her visit. They found out that there was no such arrangement when they cross-checked in the office and stopped her at the gate.”

She further charged, “However, she threatened the cops that ‘I am a Rajya Sabah MP and if you don’t let me go inside I have the authority to get you fired.’ She fought with the police personnel and entered the campus of the chief minister’s house. Officials reiterated that she didn’t have an appointment and could not be allowed inside and took her to the waiting room, which is outside the chief minister’s house. She was again told that she lacked an appointment for today. She sat there for some time and forcefully reached the main building where the chief minister and his family stay and sat in the drawing room. She insisted on calling the chief minister right now because she wanted to meet him there and then.”

Atishi Marlena questioned, “Now you tell me, Swati Maliwal is a Rajya Sabha MP, doesn’t she know the procedure to make an appointment to meet the chief minister? Is she unaware that the chief minister has a busy schedule and can’t be available? Why had she barged into the chief minister’s residence early in the morning, sat there, and pushed on seeing the chief minister? The residence’s staff then dialled called Kumar and he came there after 10-15 minutes. He informed her that the chief minister would not be able to meet her today as he was not accessible. Swati Maliwal then started arguing with him in a loud voice and attempted to breach into the inner area of the house. He blocked her way and she tried to push him but he stood there and didn’t let her go inside. He then went outside and called the security staff of the chief minister’s office and told them to escort her out of there.”

Atishi added, “The entire incident has proved one thing that it was a conspiracy by the BJP and Swati Maliwal was its face. She broke into the chief minister’s house early in the morning with the intention of trapping him. It is also proved by the fact that she went to the police station from the chief minister’s residence and they asked her to do MLC (medico-legal case) but she refused. Afterwards, three days later, BJP once again put Swati Maliwal on the forefront with a fresh lie but this entire occurrence and the video we saw today in which she threatened the police and Bibhav Kumar while sitting on the sofa demonstrate that all her allegations are unfounded. Her falsehoods and the BJP’s plot are exposed in the video.”

Notably, on 14th May Senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh confirmed that Swati Maliwal was assaulted yesterday at the residence of the Delhi Chief Minister. However, when Atishi Marlena was questioned about it she claimed, “When Sanjay Singh watched that Swati Maliwal complained to the police on the media and met her, however, he only had her side of the story until then. Now, he knows Bibhav Kumar’s side as well and most importantly the video is out there, establishing beyond a shadow of a doubt that all of the charges in the FIR are completely fraudulent.” She conveniently dodged the question about Arvind Kejriwal’s ominous silence on the issue and again repeated the same points about the video and accused Swati Maliwal of framing Bibhav Kumar before abruptly abandoning the press conference.

“Yesterday, a condemnable incident took place. Swati Maliwal had gone to Arvind Kejriwal’s residence to meet him. While she was waiting for him in the drawing room, Vaibhav Kumar allegedly misbehaved with her. The CM has taken cognisance of the matter, and he will take appropriate action,” Sanjay Singh had noted and assured that the party is with her and Arvind Kejriwal also took cognisance of the matter and would take appropriate action against the accused. Notably, on 13th May, Swati Maliwal, the AAP Rajya Sabha MP and former Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Chief accused Bibhav Kumar, the personal assistant of Arvind Kejriwal of assaulting her inside the Chief Minister’s residence and also lodged an FIR against him.

Swati Maliwal hits back

After the press conference by Atishi accusing Swati Maliwal of acting on behalf of BJP, the Rajya Sabha MP responded by saying that a newcomer in the party called someone who has been working for the party for 20 years a BJP agent. Without taking any names, she said, ‘this gunda is threatening the party, that is why he is roaming around in Lucknow and everywhere under shelter.’ Notably, on Wednesday, Bibhav Kumar was spotted with Arvind Kejriwal and Sanjay Singh at Lucknow airport.

Notably, Maliwal also said that if she is arrested, she will expose all the secrets .

She added that the party gave into his pressure and the entire party is questioning her character to save the goon. Swati said, “Do character assassination as much as possible, the truth will come out when the time comes!”

‘Free bus rides for women and transgenders will continue, L&T can quit Hyderabad Metro’, says Telangana CM Revanth Reddy

OpIndia Staff
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‘Free bus rides for women and transgenders will continue, L&T can quit Hyderabad Metro’, says Telangana CM Revanth Reddy

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy stated on Friday (17th May) that if L&T wishes to abandon the Hyderabad Metro project due to the state government’s free bus fare policy, they are free to do so. The CM’s comments came after L&T director R Shankar Raman said that the company is planning to sell the Hyderabad Metro project after 2026. He had said that women are not travelling by metro due to the free bus ride scheme in the state.

CM Reddy stated that his government will uphold the Congress party’s commitment to provide free bus rides for women and transgender people. The CM stated that if L&T opts out, his administration will hunt for another party interested in operating it. In an informal discussion with many publications, he stated that there is nothing to be concerned about.

Reddy was reacting to a BT TV exclusive in which L&T president, whole-time director, and CFO R Shankar Raman claimed the firm will look at selling out Hyderabad Metro after 2026 due to poor ridership, adding that the free bus ride scheme had made ridership “less interesting”.

L&T owns 90% of the metro project, and the Telangana government owns the other 10%. The business holds a 65-year concession to operate the metro system.

Raman described the idea proposed by Congress as not sustainable. “Some of these sops are done on the back of political promises, which is not going to help the state finances because what is the point in making the state’s transport corporation go bankrupt…there’s no fun in doing that,” Raman stated. He stated that while private capital is required to build a modern, zero-polluting transport system, money is being spent on making people use polluting buses.

He told BT TV that L&T had successfully arranged a soft loan of Rs 3,000 crore with the Telangana government, which will be repaid without interest. The corporation also planned to monetize part of the real estate associated with the metro system.

“My assessment is that when we sit down for the FY26-FY31 plan, this could be an asset to be monetized in that period because it would then be of interest to investors, particularly the pension funds and global funds given the 65-year concession,” he stated to BT TV.

Two months after the Baltimore ship disaster, 22 Indian crew members trapped inside, their phones taken away: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Two months after the Baltimore ship disaster, 22 Indian crew members trapped inside, their phones taken away: Details

It’s been two months since the ill-fated vessel that collided with Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing its collapse, and the crew of Dali is still stranded on the vessel. The crew members remain cut off from the rest of the world with no access to their mobile.

On 26th March, the ship collided with one of the bridge’s support pillars, causing the 1.6-mile span to collapse and drop into the Patapsco River below. The crew included 20 men from India and one from Sri Lanka. Seconds before the collision, the crew managed to initiate a mayday call, saying that they had lost power shortly after leaving the Port of Baltimore and could no longer navigate the vessel.

Seconds before the collision, the crew managed to initiate a mayday call, saying that they had lost power shortly after leaving the Port of Baltimore and could no longer navigate the vessel.

Reports say that the crew has been unable to leave due to visa restrictions, a lack of requisite shore passes, and concurrent continuing investigations by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the FBI.

Speaking to The Independent, Darrell Wilson, a spokesperson for Synergy Marine Group, which manages the Dali vessel that the FBI seized the crew members’ phones during the crash investigation. However, it is unknown why the crew’s mobile phones were confiscated or when they will be given back. It is also unknown why the crew is still being confined on board the vessel over two months after the incident.

Meanwhile, Joshua Messick, executive director of the Baltimore International Seafarers’ Center said: “They can’t do any online banking. They can’t pay their bills at home. They don’t have any of their data or anyone’s contact information, so they’re really isolated right now. They just can’t reach out to the folks they need to, or even look at pictures of their children before they go to sleep. It’s really a sad situation.”

In a joint statement on 11th May, the Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union and the Singapore Organisation of Seamen raised concerns about the stuck crew members and said that their “morale has understandably dipped”, due to “unfounded fear of personal criminal liability” and emotional distress.

Messick stated that for the time being, the crew has been issued SIM cards and temporary mobile phones with no data included. The crew also got care packages from community groups and private individuals in recent weeks.

As reported earlier, on 26th March (local time), Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed moments after a container ship collided with one of its pillars while it was under pilotage. Shocking visuals of the collision and bridge collapse show an explosive fire on board the container ship as the bridge above shakes, breaks into pieces, and falls into the water. Later, it came to light that all 22-member crew on the ship was Indian, with local pilots operating the ship and steering it away from the Baltimore port. 

Aam Aadmi Party and Arvind Kejriwal made accused in the Delhi Excise Policy scam case, ED files chargesheet

ANI
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Aam Aadmi Party and Arvind Kejriwal made accused in the Delhi Excise Policy scam case, ED files chargesheet

In an unprecedented move, the Enforcement Directorate made Aam Aadmi Partya co-accused in the Delhi Excise Policy scam case, filing a charge sheet against a political party for the first time in history. The ED today filed a prosecution complaint, equivalent of police charge sheet, against Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and his party AAP in the case.

This is the eight chargesheet filed in the case. This comes a day after ED told the Supreme Court on Thursday that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will be made a co-accused in the money laundering case linked to the Delhi excise policy case. Appearing before a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, representing the ED, said a complaint against AAP is in the pipeline and there is direct evidence of its national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal demanding Rs 100 crore as kickbacks in the case.

Earlier on 10 May, ED had filed the 7th charge sheet in the case against BRS leader K Kavitha and four others.

AAP has been made an accused because the party allegedly directly benefited from the scam. As per allegations, AAP received kickbacks from the South Group in exchange of providing they favours in Delhi’s liquor policy, and some of the money was sent to Goa unit of AAP to be used during assembly elections in the state.

In the money laundering case registered by ED, it is alleged that AAP leaders including Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and others had hatched a criminal conspiracy to create loopholes in the Delhi Excise Policy of 2021-22 in order to favour some traders, particularly those from the so-called South Group. It is alleged that the South Group made payments to AAP through BRS leader K Kavitha, and payments were made through hawala. Some of the bribe payments were sent to Goa where the AAP used the funds for election campaigning.

Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21 after he ignored as many as 9 summons for questioning, and was lodged in Tihar jail. The Supreme Court granted him interim bail on 10th May so that he can campaign for the party during the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. He has been asked to return to jail by 2 May.

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