Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Thursday weighed in on the alleged assault on AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal saying that her party stood with women against any atrocity.
Speaking to ANI while on the campaign trail in Raebareli, Priyanka Gandhi said ” If any atrocity happens to any woman anywhere, we stand with the woman. I always stand with women – irrespective of which party they belong to. Secondly, AAP will discuss amid themselves and make a decision. It is up to them.”
Earlier, All India Mahila Congress President Alka Lamba had said that Swati Maliwal was a strong woman who would come forward and take the legal route on the issue.
“In the case of Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal, after the press conference of AAP leader Sanjay Singh ji, it has been confirmed that some unpleasant incident has happened with Swati Maliwal ji in the CM residence, and her party stands strongly with her. Swati Maliwal is a strong and aware woman, I am confident that she will come forward and take the legal route and fight for justice,” Alka Lamba said.
On Thursday morning, as Kejriwal entered the venue for his press conference with Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav reporters attempted to question him on the alleged assault on AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal. The AAP supremo however refused to answer any questions. During the press conference when the issue was raised, Akhilesh Yadav brushed aside the question saying “There are other issues that are more important than this.”
It was then left to AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh to defend his party. The AAP MP accused the BJP of playing political games on the issue and alleged that the BJP had been behind Swati Maliwal being dragged and manhandled by Delhi police during the wrestlers’ protest at Jantar Mantar.
“Aam Aadmi Party is our family. The party has taken a clear stand on this issue…Can they answer on the case of Swati Maliwal, when she went to fight for justice for women wrestlers at Jantar Mantar, they made the police drag and beat her up. Don’t play political games on this,” Singh said speaking to reporters.
The BJP accused the AAP of failing to act against Bibhav Kumar the PA to Arvind Kejriwal who was allegedly behind the assault on Maliwal. Sharing a picture of Bibhav with Arvind Kejriwal at the Lucknow airport the BJP questioned the AAP for not acting against him despite an assurance from party MP Sanjay Singh.
BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia holding a press conference on Thursday questioned Kejriwal for his silence on the issue and sought his resignation.
“She is certainly the leader of the opposition party but BJP is fighting to ensure that she gets justice. In the police general diary it was mentioned that a call had been received by police and it was made through Swati Maliwal’s mobile the caller mentioned that ‘I am speaking from CM’s residence and he made me thrashed from his PA Bibhav Kumar’. It’s not important which party she belongs but she should get justice” he said.
“Arvind Kejriwal should answer and if you are a coward CM and cannot speak even a single word then you should resign because the women of the country are angry and feeling insulted and only Arvind Kejriwal is responsible for this,” 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)
In a veiled swipe at the country’s first prime minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and the Congress, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday said India lost its hold on Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) due to “someone’s weakness or mistake”.
Jaishankar made the remarks while addressing a programme event titled ‘Vishwabandhu Bharat’.
To a question on what would China’s response be if India crossed the ‘Lakshman Rekha’ and integrated PoJK to the Union of India, given that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor passes through Pakistan-occupied Gilgit Baltistan, the External Affairs Minister said, “I don’t believe there’s any such thing as a ‘Lakshman Rekha’. I think PoJK is a part of India, and due to someone’s weakness or mistake, it’s temporarily slipped away from us.”
Reaffirming the parliamentary resolution to reclaim PoJK, the career diplomat and former ambassador to Beijing highlighted the historical context of China’s involvement in the region, stressing that neither Pakistan nor its neighbour can assert its sovereignty over PoJK, as India has a ‘legitimate claim’ over the territory.
“I was China’s ambassador, and we all are aware of China’s past actions and it working hand in glove with Pakistan… its old history. We repeatedly told them that this land, neither Pakistan nor China claims it as theirs. If there’s any sovereign claimant, it’s India. You’re occupying, you’re building there, but the legal title is mine,” Jaishankar added.
Invoking the 1963 agreement between Pakistan and China, Jaishankar noted that while Islamabad transferred a significant portion of the Pakistan-occupied territory to China as a gesture of friendship, the agreement stipulates that China will ultimately respect the territorial claims of either Pakistan or India.
“In 1963, Pakistan and China agreed to take their friendship forward, and to keep China close, Pakistan handed over about 5,000km of the Pakistan-occupied territory to China. It’s written in that agreement that eventually, China will respect whether this territory belongs to Pakistan or India. Sometimes people just grab territory, and then it’s about how to resolve it,” Jaishankar said.
Addressing the changing dynamics in the region, Jaishankar emphasised the need for India to assertively maintain its position via a vis PoJK, saying, “I think we need to keep our position very strong, we need to have confidence in ourselves. Ten years ago, none of you would talk like this, it’s a change… even the Indian public has confidence in this.”
Notably, the BJP leaders have been taking regular potshots at previous Congress governments under Pt Nehru and Indira Gandhi over the ceding of the island of Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka while also invoking PoJK.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
SpaceX founder Elon Musk will be in Indonesia for the launch of the company’s Starlink internet satellite service in the country on May 19, state media reported citing a senior minister.
The American tech billionaire will join Indonesian President Joko Widodo to launch the broadband services of the aerospace company’s satellite network at the World Water Forum (WWF) in Bali, the country’s Maritime Affairs and Investment Coordinating Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said on Wednesday, according to Antara news agency.
“The President, together with Elon Musk, will launch Starlink in the hopes of facilitating communication in remote areas. The launch will take place on Sunday,” the minister was cited as saying.
Communication and Informatics Minister Budi Arie Setiadi said that that Starlink has obtained business licences to operate as a telecommunications provider in the country.
The satellite-powered Internet provider would help Indonesia broaden Internet access to regions uncovered by local Internet providers on account of geographical factors, he said.
As of now, Starlink is available in France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Canada, United States, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brazil and Chile.
Most satellite internet services come from single geostationary satellites orbiting the planet at 35,786 km. As a result, the round trip data time between the user and satellite–also known as latency–is high, making it nearly impossible to support streaming, online gaming, video calls or other high data rate activities.
Starlink is a constellation of thousands of satellites that orbit the planet much closer to Earth, at about 550km, and cover the entire globe. Because Starlink satellites are in a low orbit, latency is significantly lower 25 ms vs 600+ ms, as per the company’s website.
SpaceX is the only satellite operator able to launch its satellites as needed and with frequent, low-cost launches, Starlink claims its satellites are constantly updated with the newest technology.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket put into orbit 20 more Starlink satellites, including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities, into Earth’s orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, on the company’s 50th orbital mission of 2024.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
Voting has already taken place for four phases of the Lok Sabha election 2024. The nation will cast its votes for the final phase on 1st June and with this, the fate of the candidates on 543 seats will be sealed in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) boxes. The nation will then wait for 4th June for the results. This date will reveal the position of the camel in the nation’s political system. We will know if the opposition has been blown away in the wind by the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government or if there are signs of some change.
2014: Vacate the throne for public
Dates have great importance in politics, and if we go back 10 years then on this day i.e. 16th May 2014 the election results of the 16th Lok Sabha were declared and at around 11 am, it was evident that the balance of power had shifted. Power is going to be snatched from the hands of one family. The Prime Minister of the country is going to be a person from a humble background, elected by popular vote rather than at the whim of any particular political family.
PM Modi after 2014’s massive victory. (Source: NDTV)
The 16th Lok Sabha elections were announced on 16th May 2014 and the public showered the BJP with a historic mandate when the results were announced in the afternoon. The party had achieved 282 seats and, for the first time, surpassed the threshold of a clear majority on its own. The BJP had reached the pinnacle of power even during the reign of former Prime minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee but could not even cross the 200 mark on its own.
BJP, which was out of power for 10 years since 2004, had in 2013 presented Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as its prime ministerial candidate amidst rampant scams and corruption. His charismatic personality created a ‘Modi wave’ among the public. He chose Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi along with Vadodara in Gujarat as his constituencies and the citizens decided to make him the prime minister and gave a resounding majority to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
‘Ghar-Ghar Modi, Har-Har Modi’, a slogan that reverberated from Kashi, sustained the Modi wave across the country and as a result, under the leadership of Narendra Modi, the BJP became the first political party to secure a clear mandate in three decades in addition to managing to secure a majority on its own. A further unique aspect of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections was the steep downfall of the Congress party with only 44 seats after nearly 50 years of unabated dominance and 10 years of continued power in the centre. Congress lacked the necessary standing to hold the role of Leader of the Opposition. The party would scarcely have imagined a humiliating loss like this.
2019: Public declared – The show must go on
Furthermore, the BJP made optimum use of the majority bestowed upon it by the populace to drastically alter the course of events in the nation during the next five years. India witnessed firsthand how millions of bank accounts were opened in a matter of months, millions of homes were constructed in a matter of years and millions of households received gas cylinders without a single hitch.
The BJP was able to pass long-pending laws like the GST owing to this 282 figure. For the first time, the people observed that funds from Delhi could benefit crores of people in this country without being deployed for unethical purposes. During this period, the BJP established the framework for significant issues including Article 370, Ram Mandir, and Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The BJP not only strengthened the nation throughout these five years, but it also developed into such an effective electoral machine that the opposition was forced to crumble.
Amit Shah’s organisational skills and PM Modi’s popularity came in handy in the 2019 victory. (Source: The Economic Times)
The outcomes of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections support the notion that the BJP’s first term brought about a great deal of change. The results of the 17th Lok Sabha on 23rd May 2024 verified the same. In the annals of Indian democracy, no party other than the Congress has ever exceeded the 300 mark and the BJP gained 303 seats. The liberal and leftist factions that view each election as a referendum on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reputation have also been silenced by these outcomes.
While the BJP earned an impressive majority in 2019, the situation facing the Congress and other opposition parties remained largely unchanged. The Congress only added 8 seats to its tally, in 5 years. It stood at 44 in 2014 and rose to 52 in 2019. However, the Congress incurred greater damage than it did in 2014 when its most prominent leader, Rahul Gandhi, lost in Amethi to BJP leader Smriti Irani.
4 June 2024: Strong indications of a third term
The BJP has set a goal to cross the figure of 370 in this year’s general election following landmark victories in 2014 and 2019. The BJP is completing a decade of governance with this round of Lok Sabha election. It is noteworthy, however, that the atmosphere that existed in 2013–14 after a decade of Congress government is nowhere to be seen this time. There are no protests like the Jan Lokpal Bill movement or any corruption charges against the BJP government.
The common people appear to be content with the BJP and are not opposed to the current government, despite what political analysts refer to as the ‘fatigue factor’ or just feeling bored. Most political experts and journalists, with the exception of a small number who still believe in 24, Akbar Road, are convinced the BJP and Narendra Modi will triumph handsomely and return to Delhi.
PM Modi during his nomination for the 2024 Lok Sabha election. (Source: @narendramodi/X)
A recent statement released by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in West Bengal is an example of how confident the party is about its victory. He expressed, “Elections have been held on 380 seats in the country and out of these 380 seats, PM Modi has crossed the majority mark by winning 270 seats. The battle ahead is to cross 400,” in a public meeting in the state. All things considered, it is certain that the BJP has successfully maintained its influence in this Lok Sabha election. All the attacks of the opposition are going in vain. However, India won’t know the outcome until 4th June of this year.
National Commission for Women (NCW) has summoned Bibhav Kumar, aide of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to appear before NCW tomorrow, May 17. Bibhav Kumar has been accused of assaulting AAP MP Swati Maliwal at the CM’s residence in Delhi.
In its notice sent to Arvind Kejriwal’s office, the NCW said that it has taken suo moto cognisance of the news of DCW chief Swati Maliwal accusing Arvind Kejriwal’s aide of assaulting her at CM Kejriwal’s residence.
NCW summons Bibhav Kumar, former PS to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to appear before the National Commission for Women tomorrow.
Bibhav Kumar has been accused of assaulting AAP MP Swati Maliwal at the CM's residence in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/TcngrC8vY2
NCW has called for a hearing on the matter on May 17 and has ordered all concerned parties to appear before the commission in person. In case Bibhav Kumar fails to appear for the hearing, the NCW will ‘use the route of issuing summons through the police’ for further action against Kumar.
The commission wrote in its notice, “Now therefore, take notice that the Commission in view of the above has scheduled a hearing in the matter on 17th May, 2024 at 11 am wherein you are required to appear in person before the Commission.”
On Monday (13th May), the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal accused the former Personal secretary of Arvind Kejriwal of assaulting her. Notably, she is yet to register a formal complaint in the matter.
Citing sources, News18reported that a call was made to the Police Control Room (PCR) from the residence of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal at 10 am. Following the call, a team of police reached the spot.
The accused, Bibhav Kumar, was recently sacked by the Vigilance Department from the position of personal secretary over a 2007 case involving assault against a public servant.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday berated the Opposition for allegedly trying to push the country towards riots by spreading lies about the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
The Prime Minister said that granting Indian citizenship to refugees has already started under CAA and that although those in the INDIA bloc claim they will remove it nobody can “end the CAA.”
Addressing a rally in Azamgarh, he also alleged that the Congress had persecuted refugees for decades and that latest example of ‘Modi’s guarantee’ is the CAA.
“Granting Indian citizenship to refugees has already started under CAA… They all have been living in our country for a long, they are those people who have to suffer because of the partition of the country based on religion”, PM Modi said.
“These (Congress) people climb the stairs of power taking the name of Mahatma Gandhi, but they don’t remember the words of Mahatma Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi had himself ensured these people (minorities living in neighbouring countries) that they can come to India whenever they want. In the last 70 years, thousands of families have taken asylum in India to safeguard their culture and religion. However, Congress never bothered to think about them because they were not Congress’ vote bank. SP, Congress and INDIA bloc are spreading lies about CAA and tried to push the country towards riots,” the Prime Minister said.
PM Modi further said that he “unmasked” the intentions of Congress and SP, adding that they can not end CAA.
“It’s Modi who has unmasked you. You are hypocrite, communal. You left this nation to burn in the communal fire for 60 years. I am saying it clearly, it’s Modi’s guarantee: ‘desh-videsh kahin se bhi, jo bhi taakat ikatthi karni hai kar lo’… You can’t end CAA. We are working of giving citizenship to those who are victims of partition, which has already started under CAA,” he added.
The Prime Minister said that the whole world is recognising the power of India’s democracy.
“I am seeing for the first time that news regarding the festival of democracy in India is all over on the front pages of newspapers in the world. This is evidence of how important India’s identity is for the world. The world is watching that the people’s blessings are with the BJP-NDA and on all our friends,” he said.
PM Modi further said that the excitement shown by people of Srinagar in the polls is proof that no one can bring back Article 370 and do politics of “vote bank.”
“Desh mein koi maai ka laal paida hua hai jo CAA hata sake? (has anyone been born in this country who can repeal the CAA?). Nobody can remove the CAA,” PM Modi said.
On Wednesday, the central government handed over the first set of citizenship certificates on Wednesday, over two months after notifying the rules for the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla handed over citizenship certificates to some applicants.
The Home Secretary congratulated the applicants and highlighted salient features of the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024, as per a statement by the Union Home Ministry.
The certificates were physically handed over to 14 applicants seeking citizenship, and digitally signed certificates have been issued to many other applicants through email.
On March 11, the Union Home Ministry notified the rules of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), days ahead of the announcement of the Lok Sabha election schedule.
The CAA, introduced by the Narendra Modi government and passed by Parliament in 2019, aims to confer Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants–including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians–who migrated from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan and arrived in India before December 31, 2014.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
On 15th May, anti-Hindu and pro-Aurangzeb associate professor at Rutgers University, Dr Audrey Truschke, shared a statement by the South Asian Scholar Activist Collective (SASAC) where the organisation issued “warning” against legislative efforts at “local, state, and federal levels in the U.S. to introduce the discredited, far-right concept of “Hinduphobia.” SASAC claims to be a “coalition of US-based scholars with extensive expertise in South Asia and the Indian American diaspora.”
The statement came weeks after US House Resolution 1131 was introduced to officially acknowledge the violence faced by Hindus in America.
Source: X
In its statement, SASAC denounced the efforts made by the lawmakers to introduce a resolution that seeks to celebrate Hindu Americans and condemn Hinduphobia, anti-Hindu bigotry and attacks on Hindu places of worship. SASAC claimed that the term “Hinduphobia” is a far-right notion propagated by Hindu nationalists.
SASAC has a history of anti-Hindu activities. In 2021, they introduced a “Hindutva Harassment Field Manual” which they claimed to present how “far-right groups and individuals used Hinduphobia to target US-based scholars and students”. They further claimed Hinduphobia is non-existent and said the notion that Hindus have faced systemic oppression throughout history is false.
While denouncing Hinduphobia, they claimed that Islamophobia is a “genuine and pervasive issue in contemporary America”. They also other terminology related to Hinduphobia and said, “Some prefer to use terms like “Hindumisia” or “anti-Hindu bigotry” instead of the discredited “Hinduphobia,” but the effect remains the same.”
Denouncing the resolution, SASAC said, “In the United States, bills endorsing “Hinduphobia” have generally been advanced with the active collaboration of Hindu supremacist groups, some of which maintain overseas ties. SASAC urges lawmakers to avoid collaborating with such far-right organizations and instead work with broad coalitions of individuals negatively impacted by racism and other forms of bigotry. This approach is essential for pursuing sincere efforts to combat discrimination in the United States.”
However, the denouncement not only misinterpreted the essence of the resolution but also undermined the genuine issues faced by the Hindu community living in the United States.
What the House Resolution 1131 Is About
The House Resolution 1131 was introduced on 10th April 2024 by Rep. Shri Thanedar. It acknowledges the contributions of Hindu Americans to the United States and celebrates the diversity they bring to the country. It also condemns Hinduphobia and anti-Hindu bigotry. The resolution highlights the significant cultural, economic and social impact of Hindu Americans and addresses the increasing incidents of hate crimes and discrimination against the Hindu community.
House Resolution 1131, introduced on April 10, 2024, by Mr. Thanedar, acknowledges the contributions of Hindu Americans to the United States, celebrates the diversity they bring, and condemns Hinduphobia and anti-Hindu bigotry. The resolution highlights the significant cultural, economic, and social impact of Hindu Americans and addresses the increasing incidents of hate crimes and discrimination against them.
The coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) said that the opposition to the resolution shows the need for an official declaration recognizing Hinduphobia and anti Hindu hate in the USA. “The strong opposition to H. Res. 1131 should be a wake-up call”, they said, citing the statement by SASAC, calling it a group of Hindu-hating academics.
If anyone doubted the need for an official declaration recognizing Hinduphobia and #antiHindu hate, the strong opposition to H. Res. 1131 should be a wake-up call! The latest volley is from South Asia Scholar Activist Collective (SASAC) a group of #Hinduhating academics. In 2021… pic.twitter.com/QwhxigawHF
— CoHNA (Coalition of Hindus of North America) (@CoHNAOfficial) May 15, 2024
CoHNA has also urged all right-thinking people in the USA, Hindu or otherwise, to urge their Congressional Representatives to co-sponsor House Resolution 1131.
Global and Historic Significance of Hinduism
The resolution acknowledges that Hinduism is one of the world’s largest and oldest religions with over 1.2 billion followers primarily living in the Indian subcontinent and more than 100 other countries. Hinduism is described in the resolution as a religion that encompasses diverse traditions and belief systems that promote universal values of acceptance, mutual respect and peace.
Hindu Americans in the US
Since the 1900s, more than 4 million Hindus have migrated to the United States. They represent various racial, linguistic and ethnic backgrounds. The resolution highlights that they have significantly contributed to the economy and various industries.
Cultural significance and contributions
Hindu traditions and practices, fine arts, dance, music, fashion, meditation, community service and yoga have enriched the culture in the US. The resolution mentions how vibrant Hindu festivals like Diwali and Holi have contributed to the American culture.
Issues addressed in the resolution
The resolution talks extensively about the stereotypes and discrimination against the Hindu community. Despite their positive contributions to society, Hindu Americans are subjected to stereotypes, disinformation about their heritage and symbols, bullying at education institutes and workplaces, discrimination, hate speech and bias-motivated crimes.
As per the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Hate Crimes Statistics Report, there has been an annual increase in anti-Hindu crimes in the US. Hindu temples and individuals are being targeted. Hinduphobia has been on the rise in the American society. According to FBI’s 2020 data, hate crimes against Indian Americans are up by 500 per cent. And the irony is that this is despite the fact more than 100 Indian-origin people are occupying prominent positions in the government.
Provisions in the resolution
The resolution proposes to celebrate Hindu contributions to the US. It declares the US as a place that welcomes the diversity brought by the Hindu Americans. The resolution condemns Hinduphobia, anti-Hindu bigotry, hate and intolerance. It mandates making appropriate copies of the resolutions available for distribution to the public and press.
The resolution aims to appreciate the cultural, economic and social contributions of Hindu Americans and affirm the US’ commitment to diversity and inclusion while addressing and combating the rise of hate crimes against Hindus by promoting public awareness and understanding of Hinduism.
Why SASAC’s argument is flawed
By denouncing the concept of Hinduphobia, SASAC minimised the very real and documented instances of discrimination, hate and violence against the Hindu community living in the US. As the FBI has reported a rise in anti-Hindu crimes, it is essential to recognise them and take appropriate action.
SASAC compared Hinduphobia to anti-white racism which is misleading and misguided. Each form of bigotry and discrimination has a unique context and impact on the society. The fight against Hinduphobia never undermines the efforts that are being made to combat other forms of bigotry. On the contrary, it complements them by promoting a society that values and respects all of its members.
Hindu sacred places like Kedarnath are known for their desolate location and divine silence. These places are meant for devotees to visit and meditate to connect to God and their spiritual selves. However, in recent times, a trend has come to the fore where influencers and reel addicts have started visiting these places as if they are tourist spots just for the sake of making reels to gain traction on social media.
Now, a big update has come regarding Char Dham Yatra as authorities have said that mobiles will be banned up to a distance of 200 meters from the Kedarnath temple. Issuing guidelines in this regard, Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Radha Raturi said that strict action will be taken if the rules are not followed.
चारधाम मंदिर परिसरों के 200 मीटर एरिया में मोबाइल प्रयोग करने पर पाबंदी। उत्तराखंड की मुख्य सचिव राधा रतूड़ी ने आदेश दिया। कहा- ''चारधाम यात्रा पर बिना रजिस्ट्रेशन कोई न आए'' pic.twitter.com/fpgmpbGiBE
Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Radha Raturi said that a large number of devotees are coming for the Char Dham Yatra this year. At the same time, many people are coming who are not coming due to their faith but are coming only for sight-seeing and due to some of their actions, people’s faith is being hurt. She said that special attention needs to be paid to ensure that people’s faith is not hurt.
She further said that no devotee should come in an unregistered vehicle or in an unregistered manner and everyone must have done prior registration before coming for pilgrimage at Kedarnath temple. Radha Raturi added that all arrangements have been made for the pilgrims but strict checking is being done to ensure no rules are flouted.
The Chief Secretary added that arrangements for food, water, toilets etc. have been made for the pilgrims at each stop of the journey. She emphasised that there has been no stampede anywhere so far and if anyone spreads such rumours, action will be taken against them.
There has been an atmosphere of fear and coercion in West Bengal’s Sandeshkhali ever since several local women have come out and spoken against the atrocities meted out to them by TMC strongman Shahjahan Sheikh and his goons.
The Sandeshkhali controversy has developed into a political blame game over the course of the last few months. While the BJP has presented numerous first-hand accounts of victims, the TMC has continued to claim that the BJP is actively manipulating the controversy to malign West Bengal before the Lok Sabha elections.
On Thursday, May 16, the BJP state unit released a new video clip in which a Sandeshkhali victim describes, firsthand, the coercive tactics used by TMC goons to defuse the Sandeshkhali controversy, centred around TMC officials.
Anwesha Mondal, a woman the BJP claims has been at the forefront of speaking out against the alleged widespread sexual exploitation of young married Hindu women in Sandeshkhali by TMC goons, is heard recounting her kidnapping and assault by TMC goons in the 1.01-minute video clip. She attests that the TMC goons threatened to kill her if she did not testify in support of the TMC officials who were being held accountable in the Sandeshkhali case. She was asked to testify in court that all allegations made against Trinamool Congress (TMC) members in the Sandeshkhali case are false and baseless. She was asked by the TMC goons to speak out in favour of TMC leader Dilip Malik.
Anwesha Mondal is heard stating that she heard her name being called and she came out to see who was calling out to her. This is when, some TMC goons accosted her, gagged her mouth and took her away. The goons forced her into the pond while tying her hands and legs. The TMC goons threatened to kill her if she disobeyed their commands while she lay there defenceless. Her daughter suddenly began to call out for her. When Anwesha Mondal’s daughter cried out for her mother, their neighbours began looking for her. Seeing locals approaching, the TMC goons ran away.
The West Bengal BJP unit shared the clip with the caption, “Sandeshkhali bleeds as TMC’s iron fist tightens! Anwesha Mondal, a fearless voice against sexual violence, narrowly escapes a gruesome abduction. Priyanka Tibrewal’s visit ignites TMC’s wrath, exposing their vicious grip on power. Led by Dilip Malik, TMC thugs tried to silence dissent by drowning Anwesha. Their coercive tactics reveal a regime hell-bent on oppression. Sandeshkhali cries out for justice! TMC’s reign of terror must end!”
Sandeshkhali bleeds as TMC's iron fist tightens! Anwesha Mondal, a fearless voice against sexual violence, narrowly escapes a gruesome abduction.
Priyanka Tibrewal's visit ignites TMC's wrath, exposing their vicious grip on power.
Notably, Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Advocate Priyanka Tibrewal, who visited the Sandeshkhali victims, also shared the same clip with a similar claim.
Today I visited Sandeshkhali, where TMC goons, are threatening the people to prove Sk. Shahjahan is innocent. One woman named Anwesha Mondal, told me about the atrocities of Dilip Mallickw who few days ago abducted a woman, Following this complaint, today evening, TMC goons… pic.twitter.com/5I69yekMku
— Priyanka Tibrewal (मोदी का परिवार) (@impriyankabjp) May 15, 2024
“Today I visited Sandeshkhali, where TMC goons, are threatening the people to prove Sk. Shahjahan is innocent. One woman named Anwesha Mondal, told me about the atrocities of Dilip Mallickw who few days ago abducted a woman, Following this complaint, today evening, TMC goons abducted her threw her tied beside a pond and left her to die. WE took her to the Police Station,” the BJP leader wrote.
Reportedly, Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Advocate Priyanka Tibrewal visited Sandeshkhali on May 15, Wednesday. Anwesha Mondal had spoken to the BJP leader about the victimisation of Hindu women at the hands of TMC leader Dilip Malik. The BJP leader, in turn, went with Anwesha Mondal to the police station to file a complaint against Malik. It was reportedly after she filed a police complaint, that the TMC leader’s aides kidnapped her and threatened her to testify in favour of Dilip Malik and other TMC leaders accused in the rape and land grab allegation in Sandeshkhali.
In Amroha, Uttar Pradesh, a girl has filed a complaint against against Wasim, who claims to have her explicit video and has threatened to post it on social media. The girl has also been threatened with an acid attack and a bogus rape case against her brothers. The incident transpired on 8th May and a First Information Report was registered on 14th May against a total of five persons, Wasim, Qasim, Dilnawaz, Kamil and Munna. The authorities have started their investigation and taken necessary action.
This matter pertains to the Kotwali Nagar of Amroha district. The victim submitted a complaint charging that the perpetrators, who live in her locality, harass her. Wasim regularly torments her and pressurises her to marry him. However, when she refused, Wasim threatened that he had some obscene footage of her in his possession and would make it viral if she didn’t listen to him.
The girl then narrated her ordeal to her brothers and when they protested, Wasim threatened to send them to jail by falsely accusing them of raping his disabled sister. The threat scared them but Wasim grew more audacious after which he called the girl, and started threatening to throw acid on her face and murder her if she didn’t wed him.
The girl also mentioned the incident of 8th May when she was returning home from the market with her sister-in-law. She reached the street behind the local mosque at around 7 pm and was stopped by the culprits. They declared, “We won’t leave you to show your face anywhere after today,” and tried to abduct her after which she started to scream in terror and people began to gather around.
The victim expressed that an untoward instance would have happened if people had not come together and her life would have been ruined. She charged that Wasim had defamed her by making her pictures viral on various social media platforms. She remained silent for a long time out of fear. However, the victim eventually mustered enough courage to lodge a complaint and has also attached all her photographs posted online by the accused.
She requested strict action against the perpetrators at the end of the complaint and the police filed an official case against Wasim, Qasim, Dilnawaz, Kamil and Munna. Dilnawaz is also known as Rohit in the area. They have been booked under sections 294, 354, 504 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code along with section 67 of the Information Technology (IT) Act. The accused and the victim belong to the same community. OpIndia has the complaint copy.
