On 24th April, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with the business community and expressed how the economic collapse has dragged their nation far behind Bangladesh. Subtly alluding to the thriving economy of Bangladesh, he stated that “East Pakistan” which was “once considered” a burden on the nation has achieved enormous progress in industrial expansion.
The prime minister bemoaned, “I was quite young when we were told that it’s a burden on our shoulders. Today you all know where that ‘burden’ has reached (in terms of economic growth) and we feel ashamed when we look towards them.”
As reported by Dawn, the business community in Pakistan thinks that doing business under the current conditions was “almost impossible”, especially given the high cost of energy and the unpredictable policies of the government. Arif Habib, the chief of Arif Habib Group, mentioned, “You have made a few handshakes after taking the charge that has produced good results and progress on the IMF deal is one of them.”
He added, “I suggest you do a few more handshakes. One of them is regarding trade with India, which would greatly benefit our economy. Secondly, you should also (patch up) with a resident of Adiala Jail (a reference to jailed PTI leader Imran Khan). Try to fix things at that level as well and I believe that you can do it.” The prime minister declined to explicitly address the worries about political stability, but claimed he had taken note of the recommendations for economic expansion and had promised to bring businesses to Islamabad soon so they could sit down with him “until all the issues are resolved.”
“The prime minister is keen to support the industry by doubling exports and reducing business costs but it seems impossible in the current situation,” complained Zubair Motiwala, a prominent industrialist and chief of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), who heads the Karachi businessmen’s body called Businessmen Group (BMG) during his presentation.
He added, “Due to the increasing cost of doing business with these gas and electricity prices, our competitors would soon take us over and get Pakistan’s export orders. It is surprising that we want to increase exports and local manufacturing, but we are increasing energy prices by including cross-subsidies, which has resulted in a gas tariff of Rs 2,600 per unit for industrial heating and Rs 3,100 per unit for captive power.”
The businessman questioned “if any business can survive with such an increase in the current international market situation,” making reference to the gas rates from six months ago when they were priced at Rs. 1,150 and Rs. 1,350 per unit, respectively. “The industry is willing to pay 100% of the gas price without any subsidy. We don’t want any subsidy. We just want the industry to get a fair gas price.”
He argued that Pakistan was burdened with capacity charges as a result of the “unnecessary capacity” of power plants, which prevented surplus electricity from being either sold or given to companies at a reduced rate. “This unnecessary capacity is also increasing the circular debt issue in the power sector. Therefore, it is necessary to introduce a scheme to reduce the flat tariff for industrial consumers, which will increase electricity consumption and also help reduce the circular debt issue.”
It was in December 2019 that Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh became the epicentre of the anti-CAA protests. Shaheen Bagh protests that lasted for three months were marked by Hinduphobic and anti-India propaganda. Many years have passed and now Shaheen Bagh-like encatchments are showing up not in India but the United States with pro-Palestine students protesting in varsities across the country amidst the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. In response to the protest encampments, the US administration is taking firm action and making arrests of unruly protestors. The very same US government takes delight in preaching to the Indian government on human rights when it takes action against riot mongers in the garb of ‘student activists’ like Umar Khalid and downplays their criminal activities.
Universities have become a safe haven for wokes, liberals and Islamists in the US. Several universities in the US are witnessing large-scale protests anti-semitic in support of Palestine and have set up tent encampments inside the varsity campuses. These Palestine sympathisers are demanding the US government to stop doing business with Israel and put pressure on the country to stop its strikes in Gaza. The demand stems from the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, which has been campaigning against Israel’s policy against Palestinians for decades. Following the Israeli retaliation to Hamas’s brutal attack in October 2023 this anti-Israel movement has regained traction.
#BREAKING Encampment Raises Tents on Columbia University Lawn after the previous ones removed in a RAID.
Columbia University announced that they will allow students to stay in tents on the lawn for a week. University previously stated that students can stay on the lawn if no… pic.twitter.com/IcXR9f11iP
— Oliya Scootercaster ? (@ScooterCasterNY) April 21, 2024
As Columbia University sought the New York Police Department’s intervention in removing pro-Palestinian protesters from campus it sparked a series of violent protests around New York City and nationwide.
Following the arrest of 108 Columbia University protesters, including Isra Hirsi, daughter of Islamist and Hamas sympathiser Rep. Ilhan Omar, institutions including New York University, Yale University, the University of Illinois, and the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Southern California, organised protests and extended ‘solidarity’. The protestors have set up ‘Liberated Encampment Zones’ inside these universities.
The protests first erupted on the 17th of April when Columbia University President Nemat “Minouche” Shafik faced questioning concerning on-campus anti-Semitism during a hearing before the Republican-led House Committee on Education and the Workforce. The subsequent police action to demolish the encampment escalated tensions, triggering the pro-Palestinian students leading a protest.
JNU’s infamous ‘Azadi’ slogans echo in US varsities
Interestingly, many Indian-origin woke students have also been actively partaking in these anti-Israel protests.
Arguments like suppression of freedom of expression, right to protest, dissent etc common in the typical Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) protests in India are being put forth by the demonstrators in the US. In fact, the usual Azadi and dafli (tambourine) method of protest has metastasised to the United States as ‘Azadi’ slogans which used to be raised in JNU for Kashmir were this time raised in the US for Palestine.
As seen in a protest video that recently went viral online, a woman protestor was raising slogans in Hindi in support of a ‘free Palestine’ as her fellow protesters chant “azadi” in chorus.
“Arey hum kya chahte, Azadi… Palestine ki, Azadi… arey chheen ke lenge, Azadi… Hai haq hamara, Azadi… (what do we want…freedom… Palestine’s freedom…. we will snatch this freedom which is our right….),” the woman is heard chanting in the video near the Low Memorial Library. The woman said to be of Indian origin also raised “Biden sunle, Azadi…. Netanyahu sunle, Azadi… Modi sunle, Azadi“.
— Documenting Jew Hatred on Campus (@CampusJewHate) April 20, 2024
The presence of Indian-origin students in pro-Hamas protests warrants recalling the case of Riddhi Patel, an anti-Hindu, Hamas supporter who was arrested earlier this month for threatening city council members including Republic Mayor Karen Goh in Bakersfield in California. Later, the Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment (CRPE) fired anti-Hindu ‘activist’ Riddhi Patel from her job.
Mass arrests in US varsities amidst intense pro-Palestine protests
On Wednesday, the police started arresting the anti-Israel protestors from the University of South California. Meanwhile, dozens of protestors were taken into custody violently from Texas University. Police were seen in riot gear, holding batons, and surrounded a group of protestors before arresting them one by one.
Video of troopers throwing @fox7austin photographer to the ground. He is clearly a member of the press – covering the protest. As troopers moved the line back – he was reportedly pushed by a trooper into another trooper. And, then – this happened. #austin#atx#utprotestshttps://t.co/Fjxcz6nemy
Meanwhile, the suspension of the Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee, a pro-Hamas student group, has sparked protests at Harvard University in Massachusetts.
Over 40 to 48 protestors were arrested on Monday at an encampment at Yale University, while 133 protestors were taken into custody at New York University this week. On Tuesday, around 9 pro-Palestine protestors were arrested from the University of Minnesota. Following this Rep. Ilhan Omar arrived at the varsity to support the protestors.
Netanyahu equates US university protests to 1930s Nazis
In a video message shared to his X profile, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu condemned “an antisemitic surge” in the United States, citing anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian protests.
“What’s happening in America’s college campuses is horrific. Antisemitic mobs have taken over leading universities. They call for the annihilation of Israel. They attack Jewish students. They attack Jewish faculty. This is reminiscent of what happened in German universities in the 1930s. It’s unconscionable. It has to be stopped. It has to be condemned and condemned unequivocally. But that’s not what happened. The response of several university presidents was shameful,” PM Netanyahu said.
Anti-Semitism on campuses in the United States is reminiscent of what happened in German universities in the 1930s.
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) April 24, 2024
“Now, fortunately, state, local, federal officials, many of them have responded differently but there has to be more. More has to be done. It has to be done not only because they attack Israel, that’s bad enough, not only because they want to kill Jews wherever they are, that’s bad enough, it’s also when you listen to them, it’s also because they say not only, ‘Death to Israel. Death to the Jews,’ but ‘death to America,” the Israeli prime minister added.
Mass arrests to control pro-Palestine protests in US varsities, lectures to Indian government when it deals strictly with same people in India: The great hypocrisy of the US
On one hand, the US administration is making mass arrests to end the anti-semitic protests in its universities on the other it shields similar elements and even terrorists in India’s case when the Indian government takes stringent action against them.
As OpIndia recently reported, the US State Department on 22nd April released its Country Reports on Human Rights Practices including India. The report was rife with whitewashing of the likes of Umar Khalid who do the very same thing in India.
While backing Umar Khalid, the blue-eyed boy of left-liberals in India, the US State Department has qualms about overlooking the facts and insinuating that somehow deliberate delays are being caused in the bail of Umar Khalid, who was booked in the larger conspiracy leading to the anti-Hindu Delhi Riots of 2020. Interestingly, while in its own country, the US administration arrests journalists covering pro-Palestine protests, it backs the likes of Siddique Kappan and emphasises their Muslim identity. Kappan was arrested by the UP Police on October 5, 2020, when he was proceeding to ‘cover’ the Hathras case where a 19-year-old Dalit woman had died. He alongside three others was booked under UAPA and sedition charges. The US State Department failed to mention that Siddique Kappan whom it called ‘Kerala-based journalist’ was an office bearer of the now-banned Islamist organization Popular Front of India(PFI).
The blatant double standards of the US government is alarming. It expects the Indian government to go soft on anti-India student ‘activists’, and ‘journalists’ and also wants to defend the ‘human rights’ of dreaded criminals like Atiq Ahmed, while it crushes student protests in its own universities in the strictest possible manner. US’s Janusian approach when it comes to dealing with anti-national elements and protests raises questions over its seriousness regarding human rights issues. Why would it want the Indian government to let the anti-India ‘activists’ dance on its head in the name of human rights, freedom of expression and whatnot while it crushes similar elements in its own country to restore ‘law and order’.
In March this year, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), raised ‘alarm’ over the Citizenship Amendment Act notified in India. The USCIRF commissioner David Curry even lamented the arrest of ‘student activists’ and ‘human rights activists’ like Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and Meeran Haider saying that they were arbitrarily detained during 2019 anti-CAA protests for “peacefully protesting”. This came despite the fact that Imam was booked under UAPA for his provocative speeches at Jamia Millia Islamia University and Aligarh Muslim University during anti-CAA protests in 2019. He is alleged to be one of the masterminds of the February 2020 anti-Hindu riots in North-East Delhi, which killed 53 people and injured over 700 during anti-CAA protests.
Excerpt from USCIRF press release dated 25th March 2024 (Source:uscirf.gov)
The United States whitewashes and downplays the anti-social and anti-national behaviours of adherents and propagators of the same ideology in India while detaining, arresting, and violently suppressing the same people in its own country. In a blatant display of its hypocrisy, the US prioritises law and order when faced with widespread protests, while in the case of countries like India, it preaches human rights, freedom of expression and whatnot.
On 25th April, prominent YouTuber from Bihar, Manish Kashyap also known as Tripurari Kumar Tiwari joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the presence of party leaders Manoj Tiwari and Anil Baluni, around 11 am. He arrived in Delhi along with Manoj Tiwari and reached the BJP office in Delhi where he was officially inducted into the party.
????????…
मनीष कश्यप BJP में शामिल, दिल्ली में मनोज तिवारी की मौजूदगी में ली पार्टी की सदस्यता – Manish Kashyap pic.twitter.com/sCdbKC3MA8
Manish Kashyap who is a resident of the Bettiah district and describes himself as “Son of Bihar” had started campaigning for the West Champaran seat. He had intended to stand for office as an independent candidate in the Lok Sabha election, but he has now decided against it and joined the BJP. He had previously run as an independent candidate from Bihar’s Chanpatia assembly seat in 2020 and lost.
Manish Kashyap gained popularity after being apprehended by the police after he shared an alleged fake video of an assault on workers from Bihar in Tamil Nadu. He was sentenced to around nine months in prison. Tamil Nadu had booked him under NSA charges. However, it was found that the video was created by the main accused Rakesh Ranjan Kumar, a native of Gopalganj district in rented accommodation in Patna. The YouTuber was eventually granted bail in all cases in December of last year.
With more than 8.75 million subscribers, he has a large following on YouTube and has long focused on social concerns in Bihar. He has been making videos for years which are very popular not only in Bihar but also in other parts of the Hindi-speaking regions.
Amidst the political slug-fest over wealth redistribution, the Supreme Court announced on Wednesday (24th April) that it will not follow Justice V R Krishna Iyer’s 1977 Marxian interpretation of Article 39(b) of the Constitution, which stated that a community’s “material resources” would consist of private properties for reallocation to serve the benefit of all.
A nine-judge bench comprising of of CJI D Y Chandrachud, and Justices Hrishikesh Roy, B V Nagarathna, S Dhulia, J B Pardiwala, Manoj Misra, R Bindal, S C Sharma, and A G Masih, said there must be a line drawn between assets of the community held in trust by the present generation for future generations and property that is privately owned.
“We don’t have to go as far as the Marxist socialist interpretation by Justice Krishna Iyer [of Article 39(b) in Ranganatha Reddy case of 1977]. But community resources will surely include resources which the present generation holds in trust brd on inter-generational equity,” the CJI said.
The CJI discussed the views on community property, including Marxist socialist, capitalist, and Gandhian perspectives. He stated that community property includes natural resources, which are governed by sustainable development norms. However, he also acknowledged that forests, lakes and mines, even if held privately, would constitute community resources, benefits arising from which for the greater common good could not be stultified invoking individual rights.
“The Marxist socialist view is everything belongs to the state and the community. The capitalist view puts importance on individual rights. And there is the Gandhian view of holding resources in trust for protecting inter-generational equity,” the CJI said.
We cannot conclude that Article 39(b) does not apply to privately held properties such as water, forests, and mines. However, it should not be extended to the point of seizing someone’s personal property for distribution, stated CJI D Y Chandrachud.
Senior advocate Uttara Babar contended that Article 39(b) only addressed the “distribution” of community resources for the larger common benefit, not how these resources are to be obtained, which requires the state to adopt additional legislative and executive measures.
The bench concurred that Article 39(b) was not a vehicle for acquiring community resources but advanced an objective anticipated by the Constitution writers. It stated, “This is an important point which the SC must deal with.”
According to Advocate T Srinivasa Murthy, Article 39(b) cannot be interpreted as a resource acquisition provision. If the government wishes to acquire a housing project to provide housing for the poor, it must first offer appropriate compensation to the present owners, he added.
“It is not really necessary for the state to specifically call for the aid of Article 39(b) and make a declaration to that effect to get the protection under Article 31C as the power to acquire for a public purpose upon payment of a reasonable compensation is inbuilt in the existing law,” he said.
“The theme of social and economic justice running through Articles 38 and 39 of DPSP is aimed at making all citizens active participants in the nation’s economy while at the same time maintaining their dignity. These Articles are aspirational rather than seeking to make mere applicants and beneficiaries of citizens. It is equality of status, facilities, and opportunities that is the focus, not equality of result,” Murthy said.
After Congress leader Sam Pitroda opened a pandora’s box by proposing inheritance tax, the matter has snowballed into a huge controversy, with PM Narendra Modi using it to target the Congress party. After saying that Congress policy is “Congress ki loot, zindagi ke saath bhi, zindagi ke baad bhi”, PM Modi today slammed the party for revoking the inheritance just before transferring Indira Gandhi’s estate to her grandchildren, so that they don’t have to pay the Estate Duty which was in force for over three decades.
Addressing a Vijay Sankalp Rally in Morena, Madhya Pradesh, PM Modi said, “The facts relating to Inheritance Tax are eye-opening…When former PM Indira Gandhi died, her children were going to get her property. But there was a rule earlier, that before the property goes to the children some part of it was taken by the government, Congress had made such a law earlier. There were discussions that when Rajiv Gandhi inherits the property, part of it will go to the government…To save the property so that it does not go to the government, the then PM Rajiv Gandhi scrapped the Inheritance law…”
#WATCH | Addressing the Vijay Sankalp Rally in Morena, Madhya Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "The facts relating to Inheritance Tax are eye-opening…When former PM Indira Gandhi died, her children were going to get her property. But there was a rule earlier, that… pic.twitter.com/RE4ExXF4PA
PM Modi said that Rajiv Gandhi repealed the law to save his own money. He also asked the people, the journalists, and the left-liberal ecosystem to listen it carefully how the Congress party repealed an act just to save their family wealth.
He then added, when it came to themselves, they removed the law itself. And now, after that matter has resolved, now to come back to power, they want to bring back the same law with more stringent provisions. PM Modi said, ‘After earning massive properties during 4 generations without paying taxes, now these people want to grab the hard-earned income of common people like you, they want to look half of your properties by imposing taxes. That is why the country is saying, “Congress ki loot, zindagi ke saath bhi, zindagi ke baad bhi”, PM Modi added.
It is notable that yesterday OpIndia had reported how the Rajiv Gandhi govt in its first budget in 1985 had repealed the Estate Duty Act of 1953, which imposed inheritance tax, just a month before former PM Indira Gandhi’s Will was published. The Will was published on 2 May 1985, after which it was executed, and the Estate Duty Act, 1953 was repealed on 1 April 1985, just a month before.
As per Indira Gandhi’s Will, her estate worth about $175,000, over ₹21.50 lakh, was handed over to her three grandchildren, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Varun Gandhi. The current value of this estate will be over ₹4.2 crore.
As per a report by United Press International (UPI) from 2 May 1985, in the will signed in 1981, Indira Gandhi had appointed her son Rajiv Gandhi and his wife Sonia Gandhi as executors of the will, but didn’t give anything to them. She also didn’t leave anything for her estranged daughter-in-law, Menaka Gandhi. The will was published after Rajiv Gandhi presented it at a court to certify it.
As per the Will, bulk of Indira Gandhi’s estate was a farm and a farmhouse under construction in Mehrauli, worth $98,000, which was to be divided equally among the three grandchildren. They were also given cash, stocks and bonds amounting to around $75,000, along with copyrights to books written by Indira Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. Indira Gandhi’s antique articles and personal jewellery worth around $2,500 was left to Priyanka Gandhi alone.
All three recipients were minors at that time, therefore Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi were given the responsibility of handling the property till they became adults.
While India had inheritance tax for over three decades, the Gandhi grandchildren didn’t have to pay any tax on this inheritance because the tax regime was abolished just a month ago before the Will was executed. The UPI report from 2 May 1985 said, “Under a finance bill that took effect April 1, all death duties in India have been abolished and no inheritance tax will be assessed on the Gandhi estate.”
In a bid to navigate Pakistan’s economic challenges, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif convened with the business community, aiming to rejuvenate the economy through robust exports. However, amidst expressions of appreciation for the government’s recent strides, concerns over political instability loomed large during the hour-long meeting at the CM House in Karachi, Dawn reported.
Acknowledging the government’s efforts, Arif Habib, Chief of Arif Habib Group, commended recent developments, stating, “You have made a few handshakes after taking the charge that has produced good results and progress on the IMF deal is one of them.” He urged the Prime Minister to extend this spirit of cooperation further, suggesting trade talks with India and reconciliation with jailed PTI leader Imran Khan as potential avenues for bolstering the economy.
“I suggest you do a few more handshakes. One of them is regarding trade with India, which would greatly benefit our economy. Secondly, you should also [patch up] with a resident of Adiala Jail (a reference to jailed PTI leader Imran Khan). Try to fix things at that level as well and I believe that you can do it,” he said, according to Dawn.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in response, refrained from addressing the political dimension directly but emphasized his commitment to economic growth. “You all are great minds of business… Let’s focus on genuine industrial and agricultural growth and double the exports in the next five years,” he urged, highlighting his vision for revitalizing the economy. Drawing inspiration from Bangladesh’s economic transformation, he underscored the potential for Pakistan’s industrial prowess to soar.
Despite the Prime Minister’s optimistic outlook, concerns echoed through the chamber regarding the feasibility of his ambitious plans within the current economic landscape.
Zubair Motiwala, a prominent industrialist, raised poignant questions about the viability of doubling exports amidst rising energy costs. “The prime minister is keen to support the industry by doubling exports and reducing business costs but it seems impossible in the current situation,” he lamented, pointing to exorbitant gas and electricity prices that threaten Pakistan’s competitiveness in the global market.
Motiwala’s presentation shed light on the pressing challenges facing Pakistan’s industrial sector, particularly the burden of capacity charges and the escalation of circular debt in the power sector. He emphasised the need for fair gas prices and a strategic approach to tackle surplus electricity, advocating for policies that stimulate industrial growth without exacerbating financial strain.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while refraining from immediate responses to political queries, assured the business community of his commitment to resolving economic hurdles. “I would listen to you and make a plan to put that into action,” he affirmed, pledging to convene further discussions to address industry concerns comprehensively.
As the meeting drew to a close, the Prime Minister reiterated his resolve to engage with stakeholders across the country, signalling a collaborative approach to economic revival. “I would soon invite businessmen from all across the country to Islamabad and sit with them till all the issues aren’t resolved,” he promised, Dawn reported.
Manipur’s chief minister, N. Biren Singh, uploaded a video on 25th April demonstrating how his administration has been effectively combating the state’s severe drug problem. He informed, “We have seized heroin, opium, tablets, etc. worth over Rs 60 thousand crores. Destroyed over 20 thousand hectares of poppy plantations. No. of persons arrested: 3066. Cases registered: 2461. Persons convicted under NDPS: 225. Only to save our Indian youths. We will continue.”
Why BJP govt started “War on Drugs?”
We have recovered Heroin drugs, opium, tablets, etc. worth over Rs 60 thousand crores
Destroyed over 20 thousand hectares of poppy plantations
No of persons arrested: 3066 Cases registered: 2461 Persons convicted under NDPS: 225.
— N.Biren Singh (Modi Ka Parivar) (@NBirenSingh) April 24, 2024
The chief minister also attached a 2:19-minute clip titled “Turning the Tides: Manipur’s Resolute War on Drugs” briefly describing how drug trafficking and illicit poppy production had been engulfing the state from the inside out. It shows footage taken from a helicopter of multiple tracts of hillsides where poppy cultivation took place.
The video stated, “Manipur’s geographical proximity to the Golden Triangle (Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam) made it a primary transit route for drug trafficking. It threatens to transform the state into a major poppy production and trafficking hub. Under the leadership of Chief Minister, N. Biren Singh, the BJP-led coalition government declared war on drugs. This will help eradicate the poppy plantation, drug trafficking, and abuse in the state.”
It highlighted, “The drug issue was challenging and required more intensive actions. Drone footage of massive deforestation and extensive environmental damages caused by poppy plantations angered CM N Biren. During the period from March 2022 to March 2023, the campaign yielded impressive results.”
It pointed out the adverse effects of drug plantations on nature and mentioned, “Drugs like cannabis, opium, and yaba have catastrophic environmental impacts that range from deforestation to land sinking. Poppy cultivation causes substantial harm to the environment. Mountain slopes deforested for illicit crops expose them to landslides, mudslides, and floods.” The video added, “With more public support, the war on drugs became intensified and more effective. Poppy planters were provided alternative crops and equipment by the state government.”
Notably, a similar video was shared by the Bharatiya Janta Party in December of last year and the chief minister expressed, “The drugs menace poses a serious threat not only to the people of Manipur and the Northeast but to every youth of our Nation. With massive public support, the War on Drugs campaign launched by the Manipur State Government has reaped many successes and brought positive changes to people’s lives in the state,” while reacting to the post.
The drugs menace poses a serious threat not only to the people of Manipur and the Northeast but to every youth of our Nation.
With massive public support, the War on Drugs campaign launched by the Manipur State Government has reaped many successes and brought positive changes… https://t.co/RRK5Ht7DZ7
— N.Biren Singh (Modi Ka Parivar) (@NBirenSingh) December 3, 2023
The war on drugs campaign and Manipur violence
The War on Drugs campaign was started in November 2018 by the Manipur government. According to the BJP, the campaign resulted in remarkable achievements including the elimination of 3,420 acres of illegal poppy farms. The ethnic violence that erupted on 3rd May is believed to have been sparked by a plot by well-connected transnational drug traffickers to prevent the destruction of their poppy farms under the Manipur government’s War on Drugs campaign. However, the protest was triggered by the hill-majority Kuki tribes’ opposition to the valley-majority Meiteis’ demand for Scheduled Tribes (ST) status.
The 1,640-kilometer border between India and Myanmar has a 400-kilometer section in Manipur and poppy farming is a major industry in the neighbouring nation. The porous border trading town of Moreh was among the most severely hit locations by the riots, aside from Churachandpur. The northernmost point of Myanmar’s Chin State is located about 60 kilometers from this Indian border town. There, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) discovered a “very high” poppy crop density of more than 6 acres per square kilometer or about five football fields per square kilometer. The district of Churachandpur is also only 65 kilometres from the border of Chin State which is home to a large number of poppy fields.
In a unique political twist, Mridula Katheria, who is the wife of BJP MP Ram Shankar Katheria, has decided to run for the Etawah Lok Sabha seat as an independent candidate.
It’s worth noting that in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Mridula had filed her nomination papers from Etawah but later withdrew. Meanwhile, her husband, Ram Shankar Katheria, emerged victorious in the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Etawah.
While speaking to the media, she said, “I have filed a nomination as an independent candidate…I will contest the elections. I will contest against him (BJP MP Ram Shankar Katheria).”
The Etawah constituency is scheduled to go to the polls on May 13.
In another development, Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi are likely to contest the Lok Sabha election from Rae Bareli and Amethi seats, respectively, sources said on Thursday.
According to the sources, the final decision will be taken after April 26 and nominations can be filed next week. Phase 2 of the elections is scheduled for Phase 2. In this phase, Wayanad, from where Rahul Gandhi is contesting, will go to the polls.
Smriti Irani defeated Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Amethi. Irani has again been fielded by the Bharatiya Janata Party from the seat.
Smriti Irani defeated Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Amethi. Irani has again been fielded by the Bharatiya Janata Party from the seat.
Apart from its traditional strongholds of Rae Bareli and Amethi, the Congress is also contesting in Varanasi, Ghaziabad and Kanpur.
Amethi and Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituencies will vote in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 20.
However, Rahul Gandhi will not find the going easy in his erstwhile bastion, as Union Minister Smriti Irani has been campaigning extensively in the constituency.
Rae Bareli has been a Congress bastion since 1960, with both Feroze Gandhi and Indira Gandhi having represented it. Sonia Gandhi has been the MP from the constituency since she won the 2006 by-election. With Sonia moving to the upper house, the Congress is likely to field Priyanka Gandhi, who is a general secretary in the party.
Uttar Pradesh sends the maximum number of MPs, 80 in total, to Parliament. The first phase of voting in the state has already taken place on April 19.
The remaining Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttar Pradesh will cast their votes in the subsequent phases of the election, namely, Phase 2 on April 26, Phase 3 on May 7, Phase 4 on May 13, Phase 5 on May 20, Phase 6 on May 25, and Phase 7 on June 1. The counting of votes will occur on June 4.
This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
Amid the ongoing Lok Sabha elections in 2024, BJP’s Hyderabad candidate Madhavi Latha is facing severe hatred from the supporters of the opponent AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi in Hyderabad. The supporters of AIMIM are criticizing the BJP leader and also doubting her femininity comparing her to the persons from the transgender community.
Several videos of such hate campaigns are making rounds on social media in which the AIMIM leaders or Muslim leaders can be heard saying that they have doubts about whether Latha is a man or a woman. The leaders are also heard saying that the BJP did not find a man or woman to elect elections against Owaisi in Hyderabad.
“BJP’s Hyderabad Lok Sabha candidate Madhavi Latha is facing one of the vilest hate campaigns from Owaisi’s followers. Owaisi fans are spreading edited videos and running targeted campaigns against her,” posted one of the X users Treeni.
BJP's Hyderabad Lok Sabha candidate Madhavi Latha is facing one of the most vilest hate campaigns from Owaisi's followers.
Owaisi fans are spreading edited videos and running targeted campaigns against her.
Some of the videos showed the AIMIM supporters making fun of Latha by comparing her to a comedy character ‘Gutthi’ from the famous comedy show ‘Comedy Nights with Kapil’. The character of a woman in the show was played by actor Sunil Grover who now appears in a similar character on Netflix in the ‘Kapil Sharma Show’. The opponent supporters by comparing Latha to ‘Gutthi’ claimed that the BJP leader looked like a transgender.
Further in one of the videos, the users indicated that Latha begged for votes in the city just like people beg for money on the streets.
One of the Muslim leaders also openly threatened Latha and said that she would be taught a lesson. The Muslim leader’s video was posted by Advocate Neelam Bhargava. The man in the video could be openly heard saying that he had doubts about whether Latha was a man or a woman. By saying this the Muslim supporters of Owaisi made an attempt to insult Latha as a woman.
While Muslim women showing their love and support to @Kompella_MLatha ji,
— Advocate Neelam Bhargava Ram (Modi Ka Parivar) (@nbramllb) April 21, 2024
On 25th April, Latha who has a degree in political science declared her family assets worth Rs 221 crore in the election affidavit. It is important to note that Latha is contesting against AIMIM’s Asadudding Owaisi who has a degree in Law and has 5 criminal cases booked against him. Meanwhile, Latha has no criminal cases registered against her.
Notably, the Hyderabad Police recently booked Latha for allegedly making ‘objectionable’ gestures at a Masjid. A video of the BJP candidate from Ram Navami rally on 17th April went viral over the internet in which Latha could be seen showcasing the Rambaan gesture by hand. The case was based on a complaint filed by one resident Shaik Imran who claimed that Latha made that gesture pointing towards a Masjid.
Later Latha clarified the incident and said that she was showing the Ramban gesture towards the sky and not the Masjid. “On the occasion of Ram Navami, I was gesturing shooting an (imaginary) arrow towards the sky. I released that arrow toward a building, that’s it. Where did the mosque come from? These people (referring to AIMIM) have always resorted to such hateful speeches to sideline the BJP leaders here and divert people’s attention. They have become experts in inciting the youth. This is a conspiracy against us because we work well with both Hindu and Muslim brothers,” she said.
It is clearly seen in the video that Latha pointed the arrow toward the sky and not in any direction pointing to the Mosque. It is the video shared by Islamists that portrays Latha falsely pointing the gesture at the Masjid.
Hyderabad will go to the polls in the fourth phase on May 13. Latha filed her nomination papers on Wednesday, following a city-wide roadshow. Owaisi had filed on April 19. Along with Latha and Owaisi, the Congress nominated Mohammed Waliullah Sameer from Hyderabad, while the BRS fielded G Srinivas Yadav.
On 24th April, the Enforcement Directorate filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court on the petition filed against the arrest and custody of Aam Aadmi Party’s national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a lower court. According to the affidavit, Arvind Kejriwal is the mastermind and conspirator of the excise scam and the High Court has weighed all the factors and rendered a definitive ruling. The agency stated that Kejriwal is charged with money laundering, per the High Court’s ruling which is based on the evidence at its disposal.
Enforcement Directorate opposed Arvind Kejriwal’s plea challenging the High Court order, and maintained that Aam Aadmi Party, which was the main beneficiary of the proceeds of the scam, had committed the crime through him. ED highlighted that the Delhi High Court considered every fact and there is no merit in the petition opposing the order. The agency requested the Supreme Court to dismiss Kejriwal’s plea.
The Delhi government ministers, AAP leaders, and other individuals conspired with the Delhi Chief Minister to devise and orchestrate the Delhi Excise fraud, per the affidavit. Enforcement Directorate noted that the verdict of the High Court is entirely accurate, as Arvind Kejriwal had a direct hand in creating the Excise Policy 2021–2022. According to the agency, Manish Sisodia, Vijay Nair, and other South Group representatives colluded in the creation of the policy which was designed with the South Group’s interests in mind.
According to ED, Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party are responsible for the money laundering crime which is covered under section 70 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. The investigative agency pointed out that the primary recipient of the criminal earnings from the Delhi Excise fraud is the Aam Aadmi Party. Arvind Kejriwal controls and conducts the major activities of Aam Aadmi Party. He is one of the Aam Aadmi Party’s founding members, as the witness statement makes evident. Kejriwal participated in the party’s policy deliberations as well, as per the affidavit.
According to the affidavit, the investigation agency informed that the Delhi Chief Minister was taken into custody after engaging in “large-scale” evidence tampering which involved the destruction of around 170 cell phones during the ‘scam’ and after the irregularities were exposed. The investigating officer had called the chief of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) nine times, but he refused to appear before the agency, based on the affidavit. Furthermore, it clarified that Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest came about as a result of his continuous disregard for summons from the agency and his inability to secure protection from the Delhi High Court.
The Enforcement Directorate told the top court that the accused’s arrest, despite his high profile is based on considerable proof and does not violate the principles of free and fair elections, in response to the Chief Minister’s charge that the arrest was made too soon, particularly with the Lok Sabha elections being underway. The investigation agency further declared that protecting lawmakers facing criminal charges from arrest would compromise the integrity of the democratic process.
It added, “The arrest of a person for an offence based on material can never violate the concept of free and fair elections. If the aforesaid argument is accepted, politicians who are criminals would be granted immunity from arrest on the ground.” The agency underlined that “three different judicial authorities (courts) at three different levels” had reviewed the material that served as the basis for the investigating officer’s decision to arrest him.
The ED argued that Arvind Kejriwal’s “blatant disregard for the law” called for his arrest and added that “even on the date of the search during his interrogation while recording his statement under Section 17 of the PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act), he was avoiding answering questions by being evasive and being totally non-co-operative even with respect to simple non-incriminating questions.”
Additionally, ED contended that it possessed “sufficient material” to establish the accused’s guilt of the offence covered by the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA). The ED further stated that his total non-cooperation made his arrest inevitable.
On 21st March, Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the investigation team from his official Delhi residence. He is being held at the Tihar jail at the moment. Notably, the Aam Aadmi Party has announced that the Chief Minister will continue to lead the government from prison and wouldn’t resign from office.
