Tensions erupted in Rajasthan’s Alwar after some miscreants from the Muslim community attacked a wedding procession of the Rajput community with lathis and stone pelting. Around 8 people who were part of the procession suffered injuries. They were taken to Naugaon Government Hospital and were discharged after receiving first aid. Currently, the Police have brought the situation under control. They have arrested at least five, including a woman. The accused have been identified as Nazakat, Musharraf, Anwar, Munasif and Zahida.
Alwar, Rajasthan: Tension sparked after an 'M' mob at†a¢ked several Baraatis during a Hindu Baraat, a Hindu procession during wedding ceremony.
According to locals, the 'M' mob, including women armed with sticks and stσnes, at†a¢ked them near a Masj¡d.
Police said that the incident took place on Sunday afternoon in Naugaonwa village of Alwar when a Barat (wedding procession) was passing through a Muslim-dominated area.
As per reports, on Sunday, the Aud Rajput community in the Neekach area was celebrating the marriage of Shyamlal’s daughter. This area falls under the Naugaon police station in Alwar. When the procession reached near a mosque, some miscreants from the Muslim community had a verbal argument with the Baratis as they asked them to stop the DJ. They later attacked the wedding procession with stones and lathis. Around 8 people including women who were part of the wedding procession were injured in the stone pelting and subsequently clashes.
ASP Tejpal Singh said that more than 100 people were involved in the marriage procession. They were throwing money in the air, as part of celebrations in marriages.
Meanwhile, when a child went to pick up the cash, someone pushed him. After this, a verbal argument erupted between the local people and the attendees of the wedding procession. It later turned into a violent clash when some locals asked the DJ to stop.
The ASP added that some miscreants joined the clash with sticks and rods. At least eight people have been injured in this clash. After the incident, the police immediately reached the spot and controlled the situation. The police team also took the injured persons to the nearest hospital. All the injured persons were later discharged after first aid.
Following the incident, the victim’s family gave a written complaint to the police. The persons part of the wedding procession said that they were attacked in a planned manner.
According to the complaint, Javed and Mustak asked them to stop the DJ when it reached near the mosque. But when they protested against this, hundreds of people including the women from the Muslim community attacked them with sticks and pelted stones at the wedding procession.
Police have filed a case against 12 individuals under IPC sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapons), 149 (unlawful assembly), and 323 (causing hurt) for attacking the wedding procession. The police officer said that the accused were being interrogated and they were searching for other absconding accused.
On Saturday (20th April), the Legal Rights Observatory (LRO) took to X (formerly Twitter) to report the alleged rape of 4 minor girls during the annual Chenga Benga Mela in Gandhipara village in West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya.
It tweeted, “Gut-wrenching news of gang rape by 25 Jihadis on 4 minor Hindu girls of Garo Hills, Meghalaya coming in.”
“During annual Chenga Benga Mela on Assam-Meghalaya border; 4 minor Hindu girls abducted, gang raped in captivity n physically assaulted by Jihadis hailing from South Salmara- Mankachar dist bordering Bangladesh. Police complaint lodged at Garobadha PS but no arrests made so far!” LRO further added.
Gut-wrenching news of gang rape by 25 Jihadis on 4 minor Hindu girls of Garo Hills, Meghalaya coming in. During annual Chenga Benga Mela on Assam-Meghalaya border; 4 minor Hindu girls abducted, gang raped in captivity n physically assaulted by Jihadis hailing from South Salmara-… pic.twitter.com/9iM1Bix4Gz
— Legal Rights Observatory- LRO (@LegalLro) April 20, 2024
When the tweet went viral on social media, India Today NE contacted the SP (South West Garo Hills) Vikash Kumar to learn about the incident.
According to Kumar, the victims included two minor boys and two minor girls. He said that the incident occured on 16th April this year but was reported two days later on 18th April.
As per the India Today NE report (archive), a minor boy and a girl had gone to a location, which was roughly 250 metres from the ‘Chenga Benga Mela’ venue.
3 victims assaulted, one gang raped: Report
A group of men detained the duo. Thereafter, another minor boy and a minor girl were wrongfully confined by the culprits at the same location.
The four victims were physically assaulted and one of the girls was also subjected to gang rape. A First Information Report (FIR) was registered in connection to the case, wherein it was stated that a total of 10-15 Muslim men were involved in the heinous crime.
“As per the medical report and statement received from the first girl who was confined, she was physically harassed and abused. However, the medical report and statement of the second girl stated that she was gang-raped. The girl was under a lot of trauma, pain, and anxiety, following which our team contacted the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and ensured she was given proper treatment and counselling,” SP Vikash Kumar said.
Cannot term LRO post false or true: SP Vikas Kumar
However, India Today NE reported that Kumar dismissed reports that indicated a ‘communal angle’ in the case and said that the accused were yet to be identified.
Tweet by LRO
On being asked about the viral X post of LRO, he stated, “I cannot term the post as false, neither can I call it true as the probe is still underway. Although some of it may be true, the final report citing actual incidents will only come to light after arrests have been made and the investigation completed.”
“The case is under investigation, and my team will probe the matter carefully so that justice is served. Our report has to befit the case rather than sensationalise it because the victims deserve justice,” he concluded.
On Sunday (21st April), a man was arrested for breaking into Getty House, the official residence of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. The accused entered Bass’s house in the Hancock Park area in Los Angeles after smashing a window at around 6:40 AM while the Mayor and her family were inside. Karen Bass has been at the forefront of campaign for reducing the prison population.
The accused has been identified as Ephraim Matthew Hunter. Taking to X on 22nd April, Los Angeles Police informed that the Mayor and her family members have not sustained any injuries. Meanwhile, the 29-year-old accused has been booked for burglary.
“Around 6:40 AM this morning, an individual smashed a window to gain entry into the Getty House while occupied. The Los Angeles Police Department responded and took a suspect into custody without incident. There were no injuries to the occupants during this incident. The investigation is ongoing, and no additional information is available at this time. The suspect was identified as Ephraim Matthew Hunter, a 29-year-old resident of Los Angeles. Hunter was booked for 459 PC-Burglary under booking number 6796415,” LAPD posted on X.
The suspect was identified as Ephraim Matthew Hunter, a 29-year-old resident of Los Angeles. Hunter was booked for 459 PC-Burglary under booking number 6796415.
This, however, is not the first time that Karen Bass’s house has been burglarized. Back in 2022, two burglars broke into Bass’ Baldwin Hills house. The suspects fled with two firearms before being apprehended several days later. This incident occurred during Bass’ mayoral campaign when she was still a member of the United States House of Representatives.
Notably, back in 2010, Karen Bass had initiated a program named “Non-Revocable Parole” for early release of prisoners. Reports say that it aimed to lower the prison population by releasing inmates early without parole supervision if their offence was nonviolent, they were not identified as gang members, or if they had no prior convictions for violent criminal offences.
In May 2010, Javier Rueda, 26, was released on non-revocable parole, then in early July 2010, he exited a vehicle with a loaded weapon in each hand and opened fire, injuring two Los Angeles police officers. Rueda was later shot and killed by the cops.
In 2011, Bass had supported the AB 109 Public Safety Act, another bill seeking early release of prisoners. This, much like the Non-Revocable Parole program had yielded adverse effects and several inmates released under this provision had indulged in serious crimes including murder.
In 2019, Karen Bass had called the mass incarceration of criminals an “embarrassment” when compared to other countries.
“It’s really an embarrassment in our country that we have more people locked up in the United States than any place in the world,” Bass said, adding that if lawmakers addressed the issue of inmates being unable to afford bail, the US could drastically reduce its prison population.
Notably, Los Angeles is considered as one of the most unsafe cities in the United States. Although there was a 3% decrease in violent crimes in LA last year, property crimes went up by 3.5%. Moreover, citywide thefts increased by 16%, which included 137 “flash robberies” that occurred within the City.
Stressing the deteriorating law and order, specially increase in robbery incidents in Los Angeles, X owner and Tesla CEO Elon Musk said, “Robbery in LA is out of control.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that Congress and Samajwadi Party always get worried whenever he tries to discuss the plight of Pasmanda Muslims as these parties have not done anything for the upliftment for the community.
Prime Minister said that these two parties have always been involved in appeasement politics and that it was the BJP that secured the lives of Muslim women by bringing legislation against triple talaq.
Addressing an election rally in Aligarh, Prime Minister Modi said, “Parties like Congress and SP have always done appeasement politics and have never done anything for the political, social and economic upliftment of Muslims. When I discuss the plight of Pasmanda Muslims, ‘inke baal khade ho jate hai kyuki upar ke logon ne malai khai hai’ and they have forced the Pasmanda Muslims to live in the same condition.”
कांग्रेस और सपा जैसी पार्टियों ने हमेशा तुष्टिकरण की राजनीति की और मुसलमानों के राजनीतिक, सामाजिक, आर्थिक उत्थान के लिए कभी कुछ नहीं किया।
सुनिए, प्रधानमंत्री श्री @narendramodi ने ऐसा क्यों कहा…
“In this area, the lives of many daughters who were victims of triple talaq were ruined and not only the daughters, but due to triple talaq, the daughter, her father, brother and family all got troubled. Now Modi has also secured their lives by making a law against triple talaq,” he added.
Prime Minister also mentioned that he is receiving blessings from thousands of women after the government allowed women to travel to Haj without ‘Mehram’.
“Earlier, due to less Haj quota, there used to be a lot of fighting and bribery was also prevalent there and only the influential people would get the chance to go to Haj. I had requested the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia to increase the Haj quota for our Muslim brothers and sisters in India. Today, not only has India’s Haj quota increased but visa rules have also been made easier. The government took a very important decision. Earlier, our Muslim mothers and sisters could not go alone for Haj. The government also allowed women to go for Haj without ‘Mehram’ and I am being blessed by thousands of sisters whose dream of going for Haj has been fulfilled,” he said.
PM Modi praises CM Yogi, says he is proud of his CM as an MP from UP
Praising Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Prime Minister Modi said that the state is soon going to become a big hub of self-reliant India.
“Because of BJP, now our UP is going to become a big hub of Atmanirbhar Bharat. I want to open the eyes of those people who keep identifying Yogi ji only with bulldozers. Whatever industrial development has happened in Uttar Pradesh after independence, it happened during the period of Yogi ji alone,” PM said.
“His mission of One District, One Product is creating new respect in the entire country. You talked about bulldozers, if someone has taken the development to new heights, Yogi ji’s government has taken it and as an MP from Kashi, he is also my Chief Minister. I feel proud that I have such colleagues,” he added.
Aligarh Lok Sabha seat will go to polls in the second phase on April 26 along with Gautam Buddha Nagar, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Aligarh, Mathura and Bulandshahr seats in Uttar Pradesh.
(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 21st April, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lambasted Congress over ‘Wealth Redistribution’ after Rahul Gandhi promised the same in case the opposition parties form the government. Addressing a rally in Banswara, Rajasthan, PM Modi warned the voters that according to the Congress party’s announcement if they form the government, gold, silver, ornaments like Mangalsutra, property, etc of Indians will be surveyed.
He added that after doing the wealth survey they (opposition led by Congress) will distribute it to people who have more children, to illegal migrants, and to Muslims, for whom Manmohan Singh had said they had the first right over resources.
While PM’s critical remarks have led to a political furore with Congress claiming otherwise, it is pertinent to note that the Congress-led governments in the past had passed laws that forced Indians and made it mandatory to deposit a part of their salary for a lock-in period of about 3-5 years.
The Congress party enacted a law called the Compulsory Deposit Scheme Act in 1963 and 1974. The act applied to all taxpayers, property owners, and all government employees. It forced them to deposit a certain percentage of their salary, revenue generated from land use, urban property, etc. The 1974 act forced taxpayers to deposit up to 18% of their incomes under this scheme. The deposit was withheld for a period of 3 or 5 years.
(Rate of Compulsory deposit as per the CDS Act 1974)
Incidentally, Dr. Manmohan Singh was the Chief Economic Advisor of the Congress government in 1974 when one of these Deposit Schemes was enacted.
Strikingly, the act was brought in the interest of “economic development”. The Compulsory Deposit Scheme 1963 states, “An Act to provide in the interest of national economic development for compulsory deposit and for the framing of a scheme in relation thereto.”
It adds, “This Act shall apply to the following categories of persons,
namely:—
(a) persons liable to payment of land revenue
(b) persons liable to payment of tax under the Income-tax Act;
(c) holders of immovable properties situated in urban areas assessed to tax
(d) employees of—
(i) the Central and State Governments,
(ii) local authorities,
(iii) companies as defined in section 3 of the Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1956), including foreign companies
(iv) any other corporation (including a cooperative society) established by or under a Central, Provincial, or State Acts,
(v) individuals or associations of persons or bodies of individuals liable to payment of tax under the Income-tax Act
(e) dealers …
(f) such other categories of persons whose annual income is one thousand five hundred rupees or more and who are not liable to payment of tax under the Income-tax Act, as may be specified by the Central Government by notification in the Official Gazette.
The act further lists Requirements that have to be maintained as per the compulsory deposit scheme and allows the government to frame subsequent CDS Acts which would specify the rates and tenure for which the amount could be withheld. It also allowed the government the power to suspend, reduce, or remit the amount of compulsory deposit as well as exempt persons/companies from the operation of all or any of the provisions of this Act, etc.
Likewise, the CDS Act 1974 specified the rates and tenure for making the compulsory deposits among other details of requirements and ambit of the law.
Highlighting the same, several netizens have slammed the Congress party for forcing people to deposit a significant part of their portion in a fund that was mandatorily withheld for years.
PM @NarendraModi ji is very right about Congress' plan restribution of wealth.
Congress has done it twice in past aand will do it again.
Remember THE COMPULSORY DEPOSIT SCHEME ACT, 1963 ?
Slamming the Congress, X user Arun Pudur wrote, “Beware! CONgress’s wealth redistribution Schemes/Scams are nothing but daylight robbery! Twice in history, they’ve snatched hard-earned money from hardworking Indians.”
Apart from attacking the Congress party for the past laws, netizens have claimed that if the grand old party forced Indians to do it in the past, they could do it again if they came to power.
An influential Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader in the Nadia district of West Bengal has come under the scanner for exploitation of women and creating a Sandeshkhali-like atmosphere.
According to a report by Calcutta News, the perpetrator was identified as TMC leader Pradip Sarkar. The villagers have accused him of harassing them at their house during the daytime.
“He enters our homes, clicks pictures and spreads them around. He also warns us about releasing the images on the internet. If we object, then, he threatens to murder our husbands,” a woman said.
Another woman recounted, “We are in a state of terror. ” According to the villagers, the police and the district administration have been working in cahoots with the accused Trinamool Congress leader
“He (Pradip Sarkar) openly tells us that the thana (police station) and court are in his pockets and that our complaints will have no bearing on him,” one woman lamented. A local resident Sahdeb Das said, “Nothing has been done against the accused so far.”
While speaking about the matter, BJP leader named Rohit Jan informed, “The problem has been going on for the past 4 years.” The development is reminiscent of the atrocities committed by TMC goon Sheikh Shahjahan and his aides Uttam Sardar and Shibu Prasad Hazra in Sndeshkhali village.
On Sunday (21st April), BJP MP (Ranaghat constituency) Jagannath Sarkar met the women villagers and listened to their grievances. “This (harassment of women) is being done at the behest of Mamata Banerjee. So I demand her removal from office,” he emphasised.
Turmoil in Sandeshkhali
The unrest in Sandeshkhali village in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal brought into focus the atrocities committed against women by former Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his aides Shibu Prasad Hazra and Uttam Sardar.
Multiple women have come forward to narrate instances of land grabbing, and sexual violence perpetrated against them by the trio. Forced by circumstances, they took matters into their own hands and gheraoed the police station.
The agitation led by women eventually led to the arrest of the 3 TMC goons. OpIndia had previously reported how the Trinamool Congress, led by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, have left no stone unturned to trivialise the sexual violence committed against women in Sandeshkhali.
Besides Mamata Banerjee, TMC MLA Udayan Guha also attempted to downplay the sexual exploitation of women in Sandeshkhali as ‘eating pie (Pitha khaowa)’ and ‘mischief (Dushtami)’ on 29th February.
TMC spokesperson Jui Biswas also sought to deny sexual violence in Sandeshkhali by demanding ‘video footage of rapes’ as proof. Journalist’ Sagarika Ghose, who was recently rewarded with a Rajya Sabha seat by the TMC, also trivialised the raging unrest in Sandeshkhali village as a ‘local land dispute.’
TMC Minister Partha Bhowmick had earlier tried to dismiss accusations of sexual violence by women of Sandeshkhali village as ‘fake.’ On 10th March, the actress turned TMC candidate from Hooghly, Rachna Banerjee, was seen casting aspersions on the sexual violence faced by women in Sandeshkhali.
Last month, a video of Kolkata Mayor and Trinamool Congress MLA Firham Hakim doing whataboutery on the plight of women of Sandeshkhali village had surfaced on social media. While mocking the ordeal of women, he said, “Now, you know that one ‘khali’ is grabbing all headlines. What ‘Khali’? Ah, Sandeshkhali. It is everywhere.”
In an unusual turn of events, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won the Surat Lok Sabha constituency without any opposition. The revocation of Congress candidate Nilesh Kumbhani’s nomination, combined with the withdrawal of eight independent candidates, has cleared the way for the BJP’s Mukesh Dalal to be declared the Member of Parliament (MP) unopposed. An important turning point in India’s electoral history has been reached with this momentous development.
VIDEO | Surat District Collector gives Member of Parliament (MP) certificate to BJP's Mukesh Dalal, who was elected unopposed from Surat Lok Sabha seat after all other candidates withdrew from the fray. #LSPolls2024WithPTI#LokSabhaElections2024pic.twitter.com/0raJgl8RGu
Even before the third phase of voting for the Gujarat Lok Sabha elections starts on May 7, the political landscape in the diamond city of Surat has changed dramatically. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won an unprecedented victory in the Surat Lok Sabha seat after the district election officer (DEO) rejected Congress candidate Nilesh Kumbhani’s candidature and eight independent candidates withdrew theirs on Monday (22nd April).
According to sources, eight contenders other than the BJP dropped their candidature for the Surat Lok Sabha seat since Congress candidate Nilesh Kumbhani’s nomination form was rejected. The latest withdrawal was made by BSP candidate Pyarelal on 22nd April after which the BJP was declared the winner unchallenged. Around 2:30 PM, BSP candidate Pyarelal reached the Surat Collector’s office and withdrew his nomination paper.
Along with this, Surat became the country’s first uncontested Lok Sabha seat in the Lok Sabha elections in 2024. After the unopposed win, BJP’s Mukesh Dalal reached out to meet BJP state president CR Patil who congratulated him.
માનનીય પ્રધાનમંત્રી શ્રી નરેન્દ્રભાઇ મોદી સાહેબને સુરતે પહેલું કમળ અર્પણ કર્યું !!
— C R Paatil (Modi Ka Parivar) (@CRPaatil) April 22, 2024
Notably, BJP candidate Mukesh Dalal earlier attacked Congress during one of his campaigns at Allpad saying, “The party which is dreaming of ruling the country by forming the government, its candidate’s forms are being canceled, what should it rule? The Congress is dying out all over the country.”
He further said, “Congress is going to end in the whole country and it is starting from Surat Lok Sabha seat. Congress has 52 MPs. But take my word for it, on June 4, the Congress will have enough heads left to fit in a small CT bus. Congress will get only 40 seats in the entire country.”
It should be mentioned that Surat politics got heated up over the previous two or three days after the BJP filed an objection petition against Congress candidate Nilesh Kumbhani. There were allegations that three supporters’ signatures in the Congress nomination were faked. After that, a hearing was convened on the matter and the Congress candidate’s form was canceled none of its supporters showed up.
The concept of a candidate getting elected unopposed in parliamentary or assembly elections is uncommon in India’s complex democracy. However, such incidents have occurred on rare occasions throughout the country’s political history, dating back to the first general election in 1951.
Surat now adds another chapter to the saga of electoral anomalies, with the BJP’s Mukesh Dalal on track to become the constituency’s first uncontested MP.
The Election Commission of India’s guidebook for returning officers outlines the protocol for “unopposed returns.” It states that if there is only one contesting candidate in a constituency, they will be proclaimed properly elected immediately following the deadline for withdrawal of candidature. In this scenario, the need for a poll is eliminated, advancing the electoral process.
The last uncontested Lok Sabha election victory was in 1989, when Mohammad Shafi Bhat won from Srinagar. Since then, the electoral situation has been marked by intense campaigns, making Surat’s unchallenged election triumph a notable exception.
Niranjan Hiremath, the father of deceased Neha Hiremath, who was stabbed to death by her former classmate Fayaz last week in Hubbali, has stated to media that his daughter was forced to convert her religion, and she refused. As per reports, Congress leader Niranjan Hiremath told before media that Fayaz killed Neha because she had refused to convert to Islam.
“They were forcing her to convert. Since she didn’t agree to religious conversion, she was murdered,” Niranjan Hiremath, the Congress Councillor from Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC), said
Niranjan Hiremath had told earlier also that the murder of his daughter is a case of ‘love jihad’. Hiremath had also accused the state government led by Siddaramaiah of trying to pass the case off as an incident of ‘personal enmity’ because that tends to ignore the religious motive behind the crime.
Hiremath added that Neha was religiously inclined and was actively involved in the social events of their community. Dismissing the claims Neha was in a romantic relationship with Fayaz, Niranjan asserted that Neha was very active in college events and that is why there are many photographs of Neha and Fayaz circulating online. Additionally, Neha was an ambitious girl who went for higher education, unlike Fayaz, who was a dropout.
Neha had already rejected advances by Fayaz and told him flat that she was not interested in pursuing a relationship with him, as per Neha’s family. Asserting again that Neha’s murder was a case of love jihad, Hiremath stated that Fayaz was trained by a group to target non-Muslim girls. The group had provided boarding and other facilities to Fayaz. He added that he has given the names of 4 other persons to the police who were involved in this activity of targeting and stalking girls from certain families.
‘Fayaz did proper planning, more people are involved. This is a planned murder’: Neha’s father
Speaking to the media, Niranjan Hiremath added that Fayaz comes from a place 100 km away from the place of murder. “It is impossible that he did it all alone. He had engaged many ‘informers’ in the college to get information on Neha’s movements, from outside the college gate to inside the campus. Some students and batchmates outside the campus were involved. They were all passing information about Neha’s whereabouts and movements to Fayaz, Hiremath added.
On April 21, speaking to media, Niranjan Hiremath demanded a CBI inquiry if the Karnataka police are unable to take necessary action to nab all the culprits.
On April 22, the state government handed over the investigation into the Neha Hiremath murder case to the CID. Speaking to the media after the development, Neha’s father thanked the state government and everyone who has stood up with the family demanding justice for Neha.
Neha Hiremath was stabbed to death on 18th April by Fayaz at B V Bhoomaraddi College of Engineering and Technology in Hubbali where the two were studying and the entire incident was captured on camera. She was rejecting his overtures to get into a relationship, despite his persistent pestering. He killed her because he was reportedly dismayed and angry after he had been pursuing and stalking her for several months.
A day before voting commenced in India on 19th April, the US Congress research wing, Congressional Research Service (CRS) published a report fear-mongering about the recently notified Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The three-page report titled: “Changes to India’s Citizenship Laws” asserted that the implementation of CAA would ‘violate’ certain Articles of the Indian constitution.
While the function of CRS is to provide objective, fact-based information to US Congress members, the report in question reeks of biasedness. The report, as expected, is taken up by the Western media, deeming the Modi government as a ‘Hindu nationalist’ one and Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a ‘Hindu nationalist’ leader. Asserting that India’s ‘Hindu nationalist’ government has, since 2014, worked on its Hindu nationalist policy goals including the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
CRS report insinuates violation of Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution in CAA
The CRS report said that the key provisions of the Citizenship Amendment Act would violate Articles 14 and 15 of the Indian constitution.
“The CAA’s key provisions—allowing immigrants of six religions from three countries a path to citizenship while excluding Muslims—may violate certain Articles of the Indian Constitution. Article 14: The State shall not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India. Article 15: The State shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth, or any of them.”
Notably, the Modi government notified CAA on the 11th of March 2024. These rules, called the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024 will enable the persons eligible under CAA-2019 to apply for Indian citizenship on fast-track basis.
Under the CAA, people belonging to persecuted minority groups in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan—including Christians, Parsis, Jains, Buddhists, Hindus, and Sikhs—who came to India on or before December 31, 2014, will be granted Indian citizenship on a fast-track basis.
The CRS report says that while the Home Ministry called the CAA compassionate and humanitarian legislation, the ‘critics’ argue that for neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka, where Buddhism is ‘foremost’ and Tamil Hindus face persecution, CAA does not provide them a means to get Indian citizenship. Similarly, it says that in Myanmar, where Buddhism holds primacy, Rohingya Muslims face persecution, and Shias and Ahmadiyas facing persecution in Pakistan are also excluded from CAA. Citing these arguments posed by the unnamed ‘critics’, the CRS report makes a case that the CAA is ‘discriminatory’ and violates Article 14 (Equality before law) and Article 15 (Prohibition of discrimination) of the constitution.
Excerpt from CRS report
“India’s Home Ministry, which calls the CAA “compassionate and ameliorative legislation,” contends that the three specified countries have a state religion (Islam), resulting in the persecution of religious minorities. CAA advocates say that Muslims do not face persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh, or Afghanistan, and they insist the act is constitutional because it addresses migrants rather than citizens. Critics point out that migrants from other neighbouring countries with state (or favored) religions, such as Sri Lanka (where Buddhism is “foremost” and Tamil Hindus face persecution) and Burma (where Buddhism enjoys primacy and Rohingya Muslims are persecuted), are excluded from a path to citizenship. Persecuted Muslim minority communities such as Pakistan’s Shias and Ahmadis also enjoy no protections under the CAA,” the CRS report reads.
Why are Shias and Ahmadiyas from Pakistan, Rohingyas from Burma and Tamil Hindus from Sri Lanka not included in CAA
Notably, despite facing discrimination, persecution, and other adversities, Shias and Ahmadiyas identify as Muslims. They continue to make up the Muslim majority in theocratic Islamic nations like Pakistan and Afghanistan. There is a distinction between sectarian violence and religiously motivated violence. Although India does not support discrimination against any community or religious group, the attacks Shias and Ahmadiyas face in Pakistan are law and order problems, hence they are not covered by the CAA.
Meanwhile, the reason behind excluding Rohingya Muslims from the CAA, is that the Rohingyas do not come to India directly, rather they go to Bangladesh and then illegally infiltrate into India from there. Since, Rohingyas are circumventing a safe haven in Bangladesh to reach India in search of material benefits, they are economic refugees in India, and no longer the persecuted religious minority.
Coming to why Tamil Hindus are not covered in the CAA, the CAA, as the government has often said, is meant to undo the historic wrong done to the minority groups following the partition in 1947 and does not include the linguistic criteria.
In an interview with Republic TV, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said: “In the case of Tamils in Sri Lanka, the Indian-origin Tamils were settled through negotiation. So, I think we cannot compare the Pakistan situation with the Sri Lanka situation. These are totally different.”
It is thus clear that unlike the assertions made in the CRS report, the CAA is neither discriminatory nor in violation of Articles 14 and 15. Article 14 guarantees every person the right to equality before the law and equal protection under the law on Indian territory. This assurance does not imply or mean absolute mathematical equality but allows the state to make appropriate classifications. The state has the authority to enact special laws for particular groups. The only condition is that this category and the object it represents are reasonably related. Further, the CAA does not bar anyone or in this case, Muslims from neighbouring countries from coming to India legally.
Furthermore, the Indian constitution defines the rights of Indian citizens, not refugees from other countries. Granting citizenship to refugees is totally up to the Indian government and requires no recommendation, concern, or interference from the US government, Congress, or any of its bodies.
Timing of CAA
The CRS report said that ‘observers’ note that the CAA was notified amidst the Lok Sabha election campaign and was meant to gain political advantage. However, contrary to the assertions made in the report, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had already said that the CAA brought in 2019 will be implemented before the 2024 elections.
In an interview last month, Minister Shah had said, “There is no question of timing. BJP said in its manifesto in 2019 that we will bring CAA and give citizenship to refugees from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan…In 2019, it was passed by both Houses but got delayed due to Covid…The opposition wants to do appeasement politics and wants to consolidate their vote bank. They have been exposed and the people of the country know that CAA is the law of this country. I have said 41 times that it would be implemented before the elections.”
CRS and its history of bias
Notably, this is not the first time the Congressional Research Service has published a biased and motivated report concerning India. Back in 2018, CRS had published a report which blamed ‘Hindu nationalism’ for rising ‘intolerance’ in India. “Religious freedom is explicitly protected under its constitution. Hindus account for a vast majority (nearly four-fifths) of the country’s populace. Hindu nationalism has been a rising political force in recent decades, by many accounts eroding India’s secular nature and leading to new assaults on the country’s religious freedoms,” the report said.
The report relied on several leftist media outlets and cited people like S.M. Mushrif who had attended the inauguration event of the book, ’26/11: RSS ki Saazish?’. This book insinuates that the RSS conspired with the CIA and Mossad to perpetuate the horror in Mumbai.
It also had commented on the Anti-Conversion Law making assertions that conversion law has created a hostile atmosphere for Christian minorities. The CRS report, however, did not make any mention of the Muslim intolerance or the missionaries actively working to convert people to Christianity through deceptive and illegal means.
Another such biased report was published by the CRS in October last year, titled: India: Human Rights Assessments, in which it said the Hindu nationalist government is violating religious freedom alongside freedom of expression. The report cited several biased sources including US government-funded human rights ‘watchdog’ Freedom House, which had downgraded India from ‘Free’ to ‘Partly Free’ and had supported violent protests against CAA.
Amidst intensifying criticism of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Wealth Redistribution’ promise, Former Cricketing veteran Venkateshwar Prasad on Monday (22nd April) slammed the thought process behind the idea as ‘pathetic’. Prasad explained the problem with the wealth redistribution promise by using an analogy from the Cricket field.
In a sarcastic critique, Venkatesh Prasad likened the redistribution of wealth to the point system used in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). He argued that the concept is akin to deducting points from the top-performing teams in the tournament, and redistributing them to the bottom three teams, alluding to the potential dampening effect on the competitive spirit and passion for the game among the players.
Without naming Congress directly, Prasad posted, “One of the political party’s manifesto is to redistribute the wealth of the rich to the poor. The really poor need to be uplifted but this thought process is so pathetic. It is like saying If we take 4 points from RR and 4 from KKR and SRH and re-distribute it to the bottom 3 teams, they can make the playoffs.”
One of the political party’s manifesto is to redistribute the wealth of the rich to the poor. The really poor need to be uplifted but this thought process is so pathetic. It is like saying If we take 4 points from RR and 4 from KKR and SRH and re-distribute it to the bottom 3…
PM Modi lambasts Congress over Rahul Gandhi’s promises of ‘Wealth Redistribution’
Notably, on 6th April, Congress leader and I.N.D.I. Alliance’s possible PM Face for Lok Sabha Elections 2024, Rahul Gandhi, promised an ultra-left idea of ‘wealth redistribution’. He claims that it would eradicate poverty and socioeconomic inequality. Gandhi said if Congress (with the alliance parties) came to power, his party would conduct a financial and institutional survey to ascertain who had wealth in the country. He said the grand old party would then distribute the wealth to the backward castes and ‘minorities’ based on their population, based on caste census data.
During a public rally in Hyderabad, Rahul Gandhi, stressing the party’s “Jitni aabaadi utna haq” slogan, said, “We will first conduct a nationwide caste census to determine how many people belong to the Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and minorities. After that, we will conduct a financial and institutional survey in a historic step to ascertain the distribution of wealth.”
Yesterday, on 21st April, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Wealth Redistribution’ promise during an election rally in Rajasthan’s Banswara.
During his address, PM Modi slammed the Congress party over promising Wealth redistribution. He warned the voters that according to the Congress party’s announcement, if they form the government, gold, silver, ornaments like Mangalsutra, property, etc of Indians will be surveyed. PM Modi stressed that ‘Mangalsutra’ is more about their feelings and dreams than Gold.
PM Modi emphasised, “They have said that if they form a government, then a survey of property belonging to every person will be done. It will be checked how much gold our sisters own, how much money government employees have…They also said that gold owned by our sisters would be equally distributed. Does govt have the right to take your property? ‘Mangalsutra’ sone ki keemat ka mudda nahi hai, unke sapno se juda hua hai…”
Highlighting the same, the Prime Minister added that this means, that after doing the wealth survey, Congress will distribute it to people who have more children, to illegal migrants, and to Muslims, for whom Manmohan Singh had said they had the first right over resources.
While the debate has become a political potboiler, the concept of wealth redistribution is associated with communist and socialist ideologies. In the past, it has been implemented in various forms, and most of the time, it has ended in economic and social disaster for those nations. Click here, to read about the historical precedences that highlight the inefficacy of this ultra-leftist idea.
