Home Blog Page 1117

The Irish Times peddles anti-Modi propaganda in the garb of ‘editorial’, Indian ambassador to Ireland gives befitting reply

OpIndia Staff
-
0
The Irish Times peddles anti-Modi propaganda in the garb of ‘editorial’, Indian ambassador to Ireland gives befitting reply

On Monday (15th April), the Indian Ambassador to Ireland gave a befitting reply to The Irish Times, four days after it did a political hit job on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Irish newspaper published an editorial titled,’ The Irish Times view on the Indian election: Modi tightens his grip’ on Thursday (11th April) wherein it alleged that India has somehow fallen prey to ‘intolerant Hindu-first majoritarianism.’

“India’s democratic credentials have been severely tarnished,” The Irish Times claimed while trying to build a case for Arvind Kejriwal, who is an accused in the high-profile Delhi liquor scam.

Screengrab of the editorial published by The Irish Times

The newspaper also compared the Indian Prime Minister with Turkish Islamist leader Recep Erdogan and claimed, “Modi’s embrace of Hindu nationalism in this 80 per cent Hindu nation has stoked anti-Muslim tensions and violence and seriously eroded the traditional Nehru-inspired secularism of its politics.”

“An intolerant Hindu-first majoritarianism is the order of the day, sustained by a BJP populist welfarism that has a strong appeal among the country’s poor,” it further brazened out.

On Monday (15th April), the Indian Ambassador to Ireland Akhilesh Mishra responded to the allegations levelled at PM Modi by The Irish Times in its propaganda-laden editorial.

He wrote, “Indian prime minister Narendra Modi enjoys unprecedented popularity and profile not only in India but globally because of his impeccable personal character and integrity and thought-leadership on innovative, inclusive governance and sustainable development.”

“As he does not belong to any elite political family, his personal life inspires millions of ordinary people in India and other developing countries,” the Indian diplomat emphasised, adding how the Modi government has empowered the youth, women and the poor.

Akhilesh Mishra stated that the decision of the Modi government to crack down on the ecosystem of corruption has led to the popularity of the Indian Prime Minister.

“The people of India are excited to witness the vibrancy of democracy in action on the ground…There is huge sense of relief at the grass-root level to witness action being taken and recoveries made from the rich and powerful elites who operated with a sense of entitlement of impunity,” he pointed out.

Akhilesh Mishra slams The Irish Times

While dismissing allegations of political vendetta, the Indian diplomat said, “All cases of corruption are pursued strictly as per the established procedure, with availability of usual judicial remedies to the affected parties.”

Akhilesh Mishra also slammed The Irish Times for its description of India as an intolerant, Hindu majoritarian nation. “A stereotypical description of India as “80 per cent Hindu majority” nation is quite misleading because Hinduism is inherently inclusive and fundamentally pluralistic, since centuries preceding the birth of Buddha or Christ,” he emphasised.

The Indian diplomat continued, “Numerically, Hindus of India outnumber the entire population of European Union and the North America, and obviously do not represent a monolithic vote bank. Hindus of India possess incredible diversity of thought, ways of life and political beliefs, covering the entire spectrum from extreme left to extreme right.”

“They regularly vote to power non-“Hindu nationalists”. Even now Mr Modi’s BJP rules only in 12 out of 28 states of India. This can happen only in “Hindu majority” India,” he concluded.

‘Electoral Bonds in a true sense have imparted a greater sense of transparency in political funding’: PM Modi in the ANI interview

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘Electoral Bonds in a true sense have imparted a greater sense of transparency in political funding’: PM Modi in the ANI interview

In his exclusive interview with ANI, PM Modi reiterated that the electoral bonds in a true sense have imparted a greater sense of transparency in political funding and ensured that political parties stopped receiving through unaccounted cash transactions.

Noting that he had never said that a decision taken cannot have a shortcoming, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accused the opposition parties of “spreading lies” over the electoral bonds scheme, which has been struck down by the Supreme Court, and said, “everyone will regret it when there is an honest reflection”.

In an interview with ANI, PM Modi said the electoral bonds scheme was aimed at curbing black money in elections and said the opposition wants to run away after making allegations.   

He said of the 16 companies who gave donations when action was taken by probe agencies, only 37 per cent of the amount went to the BJP and 63 per cent to opposition parties opposed to the BJP.

The Prime Minister said the country has been pushed towards “black money” in elections and everyone will regret it.   

In his first detailed reaction to the electoral bonds scheme, PM Modi, who has been on a hectic campaign for the Lok Sabha polls, said the scheme should also be viewed as a success story as it has allowed the trail to show who had made contributions to political parties through the scheme. He also said there is a lot scope of for improvement in the scheme.  

“There has been a discussion in our country for a long time that (through) black money a dangerous game is there in elections. The play of black money in the country’s elections ends, this discussion has been going on for a long time. Money is spent in elections; no one can deny this. My party also spends, all parties, and candidates spend and money has to be taken from people. I wanted we try something, how can our elections be free from this black money, how can there be transparency? There was a pure thought in my mind. We were looking for a way. We found a small way, we never claimed that this was the absolute way,” he said.

He said there was debate in Parliament on the electoral bonds scheme when the relevant bill was passed and some of those who are now commenting on it had supported it.

He referred to the government’s decision to disband Rs 1000 and Rs 2000 denomination currency notes as part of its efforts to tackle black money. “These notes were moved in large quantities during the elections. We took the step so that black money ends,” PM Modi said.

The Prime Minister said political parties were earlier allowed cash donations up to Rs 20,000 and he changed it to Rs 2500 as he did not want “this cash business” to go on.

He said BJP had earlier decided to take all political donations by cheques but business people came and said they could not pay through this mode as the government would get to know how much they had contributed to a political party and would “trouble them”. He said the businessmen conveyed that they are ready to give donations but not through cheques.

“I remember in the nineties, BJP faced a lot of problems; there was no money as we had this rule. Those wanting to give did not dare to do so…I was aware of all this…. now see if there was no electoral bond, which system has the power to find out how the money came and where it went,” he said. 

“This is the success story of electoral bonds, there were electoral bonds, so you are getting a trail which company gave, how it gave, where it gave. Whether what happened in the process was good or bad can be an issue of debate.… I never say that there is no shortcoming in decision-making. We learn after discussing and improving. There is a lot of scope for improvement in this also. But today we have completely pushed the country towards black money, hence I say everyone will regret it. When they will think honestly, everyone will regret it,” he said.

PM Modi also attacked the opposition for spreading lies over electoral bonds and said of the 3,000 companies that gave donations through the scheme, 26 faced action by probe agencies such as ED.

He said of these 26 companies, there were 16 who took electoral bonds when they faced action.

“Of these (16 companies) 37 per cent of the amount went to BJP and 63 per cent to opposition parties opposed to BJP.

“There is an ED raid… the work of donating to the opposition, will BJP do this? This means 63 per cent of this amount went to the opposition and you are making allegations against us. Their goal is to keep skirting around and run away,” he said.  

The Supreme Court in February this year struck down the electoral bonds scheme and said it was unconstitutional.

INDIA Bloc parties have been targeting the BJP-led government over the electoral bonds scheme in their election campaign.

In its decision, the Supreme Court asked the SBI to stop issuing electoral bonds.

In compliance with a directive from the Supreme Court, the Election Commission of India (ECI) uploaded data on electoral bonds on its official website. The data was provided by the State Bank of India (SBI) on the directions of the apex court.

(With inputs from ANI)

‘Opposing Ram Mandir a political weapon for Congress’: PM Modi slams opposition over Ram Mandir, eradicating Sanatana Dharma remark and more

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘Opposing Ram Mandir a political weapon for Congress’: PM Modi slams opposition over Ram Mandir, eradicating Sanatana Dharma remark and more

On Monday (15th April), Prime Minister Narendra Modi sat for an exclusive interview with news agency ANI and shared his views on a range of issues including Ram Mandir, upcoming elections, the opposition’s allegation of misuse of agencies, and “jailing opposition leaders”, Electoral Bonds, etc. This comes days ahead of the first phase of voting which begins on 19th April. 

In the exclusive interview with ANI’s Smrita Prakash, PM Modi launched a scathing attack against the Congress party for declining the invitation of Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha and crying foul alleging that BJP has “politicised Ram Mandir”.

For Congress and allies opposing Ram Mandir a “political weapon”: PM Modi

He slammed the I.N.D.I. alliance for standing in the way of Ram Mandir, pre and post-Ram Janmabhoomi verdict by the Supreme Court. He charged Congress and its allies for using the Ram Mandir issue as “a political weapon”.

He pointed out, “When we were not even born when our party was not even born. At that time, this matter (Ram Janmabhoomi case) could have been dealt with in court. There could have been a solution to the problem. When India was divided, then during the time of partition, they could have decided to do so and so. That was not done. Why? Because this is like a weapon in their hands, a weapon for vote bank politics.” 

PM Modi stressed that they tried to delay the judgement in the case and fearmongered about the ramifications of the development. 

PM lambasted the Congress and its I.N.D.I. alliance partners for turning down the invitation of the Ram Mandir Pran Prathishtha. He took a dig at them stating that the opposition should be thankful that those who struggled and built the Ram Mandir forget their sins. 

Highlighting several instances, PM Modi highlighted that the opposition always tries to mock and ridicule others and expressed surprise at their hateful behaviour. 

During the interview, PM Modi recalled his spiritual journey when he had accepted to attend the Pran Pratishtha ceremony. He also recollected the struggle encountered during the entire Ram Janambhoomi/Mandir movement.

PM Modi takes Congress to cleaners for standing with DMK which was “born out of hatred for Sanatan Dharma”

PM Modi lambasted Congress and DMK over their “anti-Sanatana stance”. In a scathing attack on DMK, PM Modi said that the birth of DMK must have been in this “hatred” (hatred for Sanatan Dharma). He slammed Congress asking what was the compulsion for the grand old party to form an alliance with DMK which spewed “hatred” and “venom” against the Sanatana Dharma, as quoted by ANI.

The Prime Minister added that there is immense anger against the DMK adding that this is being transferred directly to the BJP, in a positive way. He added that this is why the people are moving towards the BJP. 

When asked about the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and other ministers’ remark that the South is a separate unit and the North is a separate unit, the Prime Minister asserted that India is a country of “full diversity” adding that “diversity is our strength.”

Regarding the query about BJP’s Tamil Nadu President K Annamalai, PM Modi heaped praises at him and described him as a “very good leader”. 

PM Modi also dismissed the allegations that BJP will try to impose ‘one language, one religion’ if it wins 400 seats. He added that they worship and celebrate diversity.

Opposition’s allegation of “no level playing field” is excuses for impending defeat: PM Modi

PM Modi vehemently denied the opposition’s allegations that there is a lack of level playing field in the Lok Sabha elections. He stressed that the laws were formed before his tenure and his government made efforts to strengthen institutions. He categorically rubbished these allegations as an “excuse” by the opposition for their “impending defeat”. 

PM Modi emphasised that earlier people close to the Congress party became Election Commissioners, who were later given Rajya Sabha tickets and ministries.

Using the Hindi idiom, Naach na jaane aangan tera, PM Modi said. “That’s why sometimes they come up with excuses over EVM. Basically, they have already started setting a reason for their impending defeat, so the loss does not come on their side.”

Regarding the allegations that they are jailing opposition leaders, PM Modi asked, “How many opposition leaders are in jail? Can someone tell me? And are these opposition leaders only running their government? There is fear of paap (sin). What fear does an honest person have? They had put my Home Minister (Amit Shah) in Jail…when I was Chief Minister.”

Meanwhile, without taking the name of Arvind Kejriwal, PM Modi pointed out that videos of one politician are doing rounds which feature him while taking a hypocritically opposite stance than what he once preached.

PM Modi slams Congress for its dismal election manifesto

PM Modi slammed the Congress party charging that its manifesto fails the aspirations of the young voters and the Indian economy. 

The Prime Minister added, “This manifesto completely fails the economy. In a way, the manifesto of the opposition destroys the aspiration of the first-time voter of the country. If you do the complete analysis, then the biggest loss is for the people who are less than 25 years old. This manifesto will destroy their future. I want to make their lives better. I want to give strength to innovation in the country.” 

PM Modi also took a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for claiming that he would eradicate poverty with a single stroke. He said videos of one Netaji are doing rounds in which he claims to reduce poverty within no time. He added what kind of claim is this,  alluding to the economic recklessness and financial unfeasibility of it. He also recalled how the Congress party has been making the same claim – the eradication of poverty – for decades.

‘Will regret it’: PM Modi slams opposition over electoral bonds scheme

PM Modi charged the opposition with spreading lies about the electoral bonds scheme and asserted that they would regret it as the country would be pushed towards black money.

He said that around 3,000 companies gave donations through the scheme and out of them only 26 faced action by probe agencies such as ED.

In a factual counter to allegations of ‘extorting money by misuse of agencies’, PM Modi highlighted that out of these 16 companies, only 37 per cent of the amount went to the BJP and 63 per cent to opposition parties opposed to the BJP.

PM Modi also asserted that the implementation of ‘One Nation, One Election’ is the “commitment” of his government. During the interview, he added that he had already prepared the roadmap for the first 100 days once the Modi 3.0 assumes power. 

(With Inputs from ANI)

TMC MP Saket Gokhale lies about “zero mention” of housing scheme for poor in the BJP manifesto: Here’s the truth

OpIndia Staff
-
0
TMC MP Saket Gokhale lies about “zero mention” of housing scheme for poor in the BJP manifesto: Here’s the truth

On the 15th of April, Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale resorted to lying in his attempt to attack the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Gokhale claimed that the BJP in its recently released election manifesto does not mention the PMAY scheme or its commitment towards housing for all.

In a long X post, Saket Gokhale called PM Modi a “pathological liar” although Gokhale himself was making misleading claims, and said that in the 2019 election manifesto, BJP promised pucca houses for all by 2022 but failed to fulfil this promise and in its 2024 election manifesto, BJP made no mention of housing for all Indians.

“How the BJP Manifesto 2024 exposes Modi’s brazen lies. During the last Lok Sabha election in 2019, BJP & Modi had made a promise saying “Every Indian will have a pucca house by 2022”. This promise was not only made by Modi but also shows up on the website of the PM Awas Yojana. What’s the reality? Modi LIED & failed to deliver this promise. Now BJP’s 2024 manifesto is positioned as “Modi ki Guarantee”. But there’s not a single word from Modi anymore about whether he delivered on his promise in the last election to provide “housing for all Indians by 2022…”

Did the Modi government fail to deliver its promise?

Firstly, OpIndia checked Bhartiya Janata Party’s 2019 Lok Sabha election manifesto and page number 33, point number 08 found that the party had promised to “ensure pucca houses for families living in kuchha houses by 2022.”

Source: bjp.org

Notably, the screenshot of the PMAY website that Gokhale shared had information about the Pradhan Mantri Away Yojana (Urban) which says “The Mission addresses urban housing shortage among the EWS/LIG and MIG categories including the slum dwellers by ensuring a pucca house to all eligible urban households by the year 2022, when Nation completes 75 years of its Independence.”

As per the government data, so far 118.64 lakh houses have been sanctioned against demand of 112.24 lakh under PMAY (U) by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). Of this, 114.11 lakh have been grounded and 82.02 lakh completed.

Source: pmay-urban.gov.in

Meanwhile, under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin/Rural), as many as 25.5 million out of 29.5 million have been constructed so far and 29.4 million have been sanctioned. Given the popularity of this scheme, the Union finance minister had announced in February this year, that PMAY-G will continue for another five years to construct an additional 20 million houses.

Source: pmayg.nic.in

Saket Gokhale lies that the BJP made zero mention of housing for all Indians

The TMC MP claimed that the BJP did not even mention housing for all Indians or PMAY in its 2024 election manifesto. “What’s shocking is that the 2024 BJP manifesto makes ZERO mention of “housing for all Indians”. Modi is a pathological liar. For the last 10 years, he & his party BJP have only made tall fake promises. It is not just the lies that are offensive. What’s worse is how Modi thinks he can underestimate the intelligence of an average Indian & feels that he can keep bluffing election after election. Modi Guarantee = Zero Warranty,” Gokhale added in his post.

Contrary to Saket Gokhale’s claim, the BJP on page 12 of its poll manifesto has explicitly mentioned expanding the PM Awas Yojana. “We have improved the living conditions of 4+ crore garib parivar under PM Awas Yojana. We recognise the far-reaching benefits of this programme. We will now further expand the PM Awas Yojana to ensure every garib parivar has access to quality housing,” the BJP “Sankalp Patra” reads.

Thus, it is clear that the TMC MP is blatantly lying about BJP’s housing for all promises and misleading the people. Ironically, despite peddling fake news himself, Gokhale has the audacity to call PM Modi a “pathological liar”.

While Saket Gokhale accused PM Modi of underestimating the intelligence of an average Indian and bluffing, Gokhale has a history of peddling lies and distorting facts to suit his narrative.

Saket Gokhale has a history of making misleading claims

In February this year, Gokhale shared an image of an article titled: Over 200 ED case documents found in possession of gang insinuating that the ED was using gangs to allegedly extort money for BJP funds. The article was published in the Mumbai tabloid Mid-day which cited Crime Branch officials stating that files recovered from arrested men, who are suspected of extorting Rs 100 crores, may have been used in collusion with some individual from the Enforcement Directorate. In the garb of questioning, Gokhale added the insinuation that ED is handing over case files to these gangs to outsource extortion of money for BJP funds.

His post, however, was fact-checked by Mumbai Police which said that the news article Gokhale quoted contained false information and that Gokhale further distorted the news by adding his insinuations to suit his narrative.

In December last year, Saket Gokhale narrated a fake conversation with BJP leader and Union Minister Piyush Goyal to claim that the Modi government is planning to suspend all MPs before tabling the criminal law bills. Gokhale’s claim was soon debunked by Minister Goyal who said that Saket Gokhale is “spreading vicious lies with obvious malafide intent.”

In September 2023, Gokhale and several others claimed that the Indian government spent 300 per cent more on the G20 event than the funds that were previously allocated for the event in the budget. The Press Information Bureau (PIB), however, debunked the claims as “misleading”.

In August last year, Gokhale had claimed that the Central government was buying 50 bulletproof Audi cars for G20 Summit, which may cost over Rs 400 crore. The government debunked Gokhale’s claim and said that it was not buying but leasing 20 Audi bullet-resistant cars for visiting G20 leaders as per the standard protocol of providing bulletproof cars to certain foreign dignitaries including heads of state.

The list of Gokhale’s fake news peddling is never-ending. In December 2022, the TMC MP was arrested for spreading fake news about the Morbi Bridge tragedy in Gujarat. He was later released on bail. The TMC MP also has a case ongoing against him in which he is accused of misusing money he had collected through crowdfunding. As reported earlier, it has been alleged that Gokhale collected over Rs 72 lakh from more than 1,700 persons through a crowdfunding platform ‘our democracy’ and used that money for personal use and thus, misappropriated the funds.

Andolanjeevi Yogendra Yadav peddles fearmongering by Sonia’s NAC boy Jean Dreze, promotes Indian elections are rigged despite offering no proof

Shraddha Pandey
-
0
Andolanjeevi Yogendra Yadav peddles fearmongering by Sonia’s NAC boy Jean Dreze, promotes Indian elections are rigged despite offering no proof

After the EVM hacking and VVPAT tampering narrative fell flat, the anti-Modi ecosystem has unleashed the next level of fear-mongering to influence the voters against the incumbent Modi government. While anti-Modi and Congress-friendly pen pushers like Andy Mukherjee are writing op-eds fueling the North vs South divide and fear-mongering about EVMs, Yogendra Yadav, the ‘protester of all seasons’ threw his weight behind Sonia Gandhi loyalist Jean Dreze and his fearmongering about the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Quoting a report on Jean Dreze’s interview with PTI, Yogendra Yadav, on the 14th of April, said that “everyone should sit up and take note” when Jean Dreze says that the coming elections are “as good as rigged”.

“Jean Dreze chooses and weighs his words carefully. When he says these elections are “as good as rigged” everyone should sit up and take note,” Yogendra Yadav posted on X.

In an interview with PTI on Sunday, Jean Dreze, a development economist and a member of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council (NAC) said that “under the wave of authoritarianism” and “suppression of Opposition voices” by the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), the Lok Sabha elections commencing on the 19th of April are “as good as rigged”.

Dreze mentioned Arundhati Roy, the leftist propagandist author notorious for her anti-India tirade. He quoted Roy’s old statement that the 2019 Lok Sabha elections were a race between a Ferrari and a few bicycles as a metaphor for the competition between the BJP and the Opposition parties.

“The metaphor is still valid. Today, thanks to the Supreme Court, we know that the Ferrari [BJP] is fuelled by the corporate sector. Meanwhile, the bicycles, symbolising the main opposition parties in the state such as Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress are systematically targeted”, he said.

While Dreze talked about electoral bonds to assert that the ‘Ferrari’, that is BJP, is fuelled by the corporate sector, he failed to mention, probably due to his allegiance to Sonia Gandhi, that 62.66 per cent of those donations went to the opposition parties, including ‘bicycles’ like Congress.

Jean Dreze went on to lament the incarceration of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, former Bihar CM Lalu Prasad Yadav, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification as MP.

“Leaders of these parties have endured relentless scrutiny and harassment by central agencies for years. Former Jharkhand chief minister Soren finds himself behind bars, Lalu Prasad has faced intermittent periods of incarceration, and Rahul Gandhi narrowly avoided a similar fate in addition to Congress’ accounts being frozen. Any politician who presents a danger to the BJP is at risk of harassment. In these circumstances, the elections are as good as rigged,” Dreze claimed.

While accusing the Modi government of ‘scrutinising’ and ‘harassing’ the opposition leaders through central probe agencies and blaming the BJP for Soren and Lalu Yadav’s incarceration, Dreze completely forgot the role of judiciary. In Hemant Soren’s case, he was arrested over involvement in an alleged land scam after the Enforcement Directorate said that it recovered cash worth in excess of Rs 36 lakh from the possession of the JMM leader along with documents linked to the ongoing investigation into the alleged acquisition of land by ‘fraudulent means’. It added that land parcels spanning 8.5 acres were part of the criminal proceeds that the former CM allegedly acquired. Soren was sent into judicial custody by the PMLA court, not the BJP.

Meanwhile, Lalu Yadav who is currently out on bail has been convicted of involvement in multiple scams. Notably, Lalu Yadav was convicted in the Fodder Scam case and sentenced to five years in prison, again by the courts. As we reported earlier, the Special CBI court found Yadav guilty of embezzling public money meant for cattle fodder. 

Similarly, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification as a Member of Parliament last year came in accordance with the rules following his conviction in the 2019 criminal defamation case in March last year. In 2019, Rahul Gandhi in a speech said, “How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?” In August last year, the Supreme Court stayed Rahul Gandhi’s conviction and restored his status as the Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad. In this case, it was the Surat Court that convicted Rahul Gandhi and the Supreme Court that stayed his conviction and restored his status as an MP, not the BJP or the Modi government.

While Dreze talked about the Congress party’s bank accounts being frozen, he, for obvious reasons, did not mention why such action was taken by the Income Tax Department. As we reported earlier, the IT department sent multiple notices to the Congress party in March this year raising demands for outstanding payments totaling over Rs 3,500 crores.

The IT Department launched reassessment proceedings for previous assessment years after uncovering irregularities in the Congress party’s tax returns. During its searches, the department uncovered ‘unaccounted’ transactions, indicating that the party’s total taxable income for several previous assessment years was higher than stated, resulting in tax liability for undisclosed income.

Despite the staggering irregularities in Congress’s tax returns, the IT Department earlier this month gave an undertaking before the Supreme Court of India that the department would not take coercive action against the Congress party until the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections were over.

The anti-Modi ecosystem is peddling the same old lies with no evidence to claim that somehow Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a fascist dictator suppressing the opposition’s voice. Desperate I.N.D.I. bloc sympathisers like Yogendra Yadav can go to any extent in their efforts to prevent the near-inevitability of a third term in power for the Narendra Modi-led NDA.

The Congress-friendly ecosystem loves to preach about morality, democratic values and the importance of healthy criticism and dissent but does not believe in practising the same.

Interestingly, Yogendra Yadav, while expressing despondency in the way I.N.D.I. Alliance failed to put up a strong fight against the Modi government had blasted the Congress party for violating “alliance dharma” by criticising the Trinamool Congress (TMC) over its alleged corruption in West Bengal.

In February this year, Yogendra Yadav said that Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury should not raise his voice over law and order and corruption issues in West Bengal since Trinamool Congress was a part of the anti-Modi I.N.D.I. Alliance. In a healthy democracy, political parties are expected to criticise and support each other over specific issues regardless of the alliances and ideological inclinations, however, Yogendra Yadav wanted Congress to overlook TMC’s alleged corruption and scams since defeating Modi is more important than even serious issues like corruption.

“When the I.N.D.I. Alliance was formed, and after that, there had to be a certain ‘Maryada’, a limit beyond which the alliance partners would not attack each other. I felt that Congress in Bengal under Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s leadership violated that ‘Maryada’ several times. For instance, he [Chowdhury] said that President’s rule should be imposed in West Bengal. You’re asking the BJP government in the Centre to come and dismiss an elected government that too of my alliance partner. This is not in line with the Maryada. There were allegations of corruption leveled by Congress which is fine coming from an opposition party, but Congress went a step ahead and said that there should be CBI and ED raids against TMC leaders. Even I had differences with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) but when Manish Sisodia was arrested I said that his arrest was political revenge. So this should have been Congress’s role here…” Yadav said in an interview.

‘Activists’ like Yogendra Yadav, Congress-friendly ‘journalists’, and Youtubers are longing to regain their lost relevance since the people of this country no longer leave the narrative solely in their hands but rather observe and analyse things on their own and decide which party to support and which leader to vote.

If the elections, as claimed by Jean Dreze, are “as good as rigged”, he should advise the anti-BJP parties not to contest elections and boycott them. Will he? Even if he does will Congress and other opposition parties listen to him? The answer is No! They will contest the elections, and if defeated, they will blame EVMs, VVPATs and the intellect of voters, despise North Indians as was seen when Congress lost in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh in the last state assembly elections. But will still accept the mandate on seats they win, then they will not claim ‘rigged elections, EVM hacking etc since when they win it is “victory of democracy” and when BJP or NDA parties win then it is naturally the “death of democracy”. This hypocrisy is not surprising as it was seen how Congress and several other opposition parties continued to shamelessly accept donations made via electoral bonds while opposing the scheme itself.

It is pertinent to mention here that back in 2021, Jean Dreze was included in Tamil Nadu’s Economic Advisory Council. Dreze was also a member of Sonia Gandhi’s National Advisory Council (NAC). This NAC acted much like a de facto PMO during the UPA era. Notably, Sonia Gandhi had established the NAC on 4th June 2004, days after her ‘inner voice’ asked her to step aside and not become India’s Prime Minister. The NAC files made public in 2017 revealed that this Council headed by Sonia Gandhi used to take the final call on policy decisions instead of its role of advising and former PM Manmohan Singh carried out the instructions sent by the NAC.

As OpIndia reported earlier, Jean Dreze had on occasions resorted to peddling lies about the Modi government’s maternity schemes to project the BJP government at the centre in poor light.

Interestingly, alongside Jean Dreze, many usual players including Yogendra Yadav and Harsh Mander were a part of various committees of NAC. Yadav was a member of the NAC on Right To Education (RTE).

Yogendra Yadav and the usual players of the ‘ecosystem’ are quoting and hailing each other for packaging and presenting their same old lies and misleading claims in a new and catchy manner to influence the voter and spread the fear that somehow the democracy is in danger much like it was in 2019 when some anti-Modi ‘activists’ claimed that it would be the last democratic election if Narendra Modi wins elections. This desperation is understandable since Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not function like a remote control PM who is commanded by some NAC which has Yogendra Yadav or Jean Dreze as members.

‘Ensure routes are changed…If there are law and order problems, you will face problems’: Bombay HC on Ram Navami rallies route outside mosques

OpIndia Staff
-
0
‘Ensure routes are changed…If there are law and order problems, you will face problems’: Bombay HC on Ram Navami rallies route outside mosques

The Bombay High Court on April 15 emphasised to the police the importance of maintaining law and order during the upcoming Ram Navami rally in the Malad-Malwani area, which is home to a significant Muslim population.

The bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Manjusha Deshpande noted this concern after it was raised that the organizers of the Ram Navami rally might intentionally pass through areas inhabited by the minority community.

Additionally, the Court was briefed about previous incidents where speeches were made outside mosques during prayer times, reminiscent of the events that led to the Mira Road violence in January 2024.

It was pointed out that the Malad-Malwani area experienced riots during last year’s Ram Navami procession as well.

During the proceedings, the Bench addressed Advocate General Dr. Birendra Saraf, stating,

“Ensure that routes are changed. Ultimately, if there is a law and order problem, you’ll face problems…” the bench observed.

Saraf assured the Bench that the police would exercise extra caution.

“The Bench has inquired with the highest officer, and they (the police) will carry out their duties responsibly,” he said.

In the course of the hearing, the Court expressed its inability to halt any public rally. However, it expressed the hope that in the event of a breach of law and order, the police would act promptly.

“We cannot prevent any public rally. But we expect your officers will take appropriate action by the law if there is any breach, regardless of the political party involved. In another case, we had granted permission (to MLA T Raja Singh) to hold the rally in Maharashtra on the assurance that there would be no breach. Despite this, an FIR had to be lodged. If there is any breach of the law, action should be taken. If they do not take action, then we will ask the police to file an affidavit.”

The Court was hearing a petition filed by five Mumbai residents, including two victims of the Mira Road violence, alleging that no case had been registered by the police against Maharashtra BJP MLAs Nitesh Rane and Geeta Jain, and Telangana MLA T Raja Singh for alleged hate speeches during the Mira Road violence in January 2024.

The petition also noted that Rane had visited other suburbs such as Govandi and Malvani and delivered more hate speeches.

On April 9, the Court directed the Commissioners of Police (CPs) of Mumbai and Mira-Bhayander and Vasai-Virar (MBVV) to personally review videos of the leaders’ speeches and make an appropriate decision.

Saraf informed the Court today that the CPs of Mumbai, Mira-Bhayander, and Vasai-Virar would decide within a week whether FIRs for hate speech should be filed against the concerned leaders.

The Court also asked Saraf to personally review the speeches and advise the Police if necessary, adding that when action is initiated, it should be carried through to its conclusion.

“If the speaker says something that breaches the law, then action can be taken. If the organisers and speakers do not exercise restraint, then the law will take its own course,” the Court remarked.

The next hearing for the matter has been scheduled for April 23.

As BJP appears on track to fulfil “Modi Ki Guarantee”, here are the top 10 promises it fulfilled from its manifestos in 2014 and 2019

Anurag
-
0
As BJP appears on track to fulfil “Modi Ki Guarantee”, here are the top 10 promises it fulfilled from its manifestos in 2014 and 2019

On 14th April, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its ‘Sankalp Patra’ or manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections. The BJP manifesto was released with the tagline “Modi Ki Guarantee”, a phrase that the ruling party has been using for the past several months in the run up to the elections.

While the BJP has promised UCC, one nation one poll, focus on women empowerment and upliftment of youth and the poor among other promises, it is essential to see how the party has performed in its tenure of 10 years vis-à-vis the promises in their manifestos in 2014 and 2019. Here are top ten promises that BJP made in 2014 and 2019 manifesto that have been fulfilled.

Ram Mandir construction

In both 2014 and 2019 manifestos, the BJP promised to explore the possibilities to facilitate the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. In 2014, the party stated, “BJP reiterates its stand to explore all possibilities within the framework of the Constitution to facilitate the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya”.

In the 2019 manifesto, the BJP stated, “We reiterate our stand on Ram Mandir. We will explore all possibilities within the framework of the Constitution and all necessary efforts to facilitate the expeditious construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.” Notably, the party was mocked consistently by the opposition for not being able to construct or facilitate the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

While opposition leaders claimed that the construction of Ram Mandir was delayed by the BJP for political reasons, the actual reason was the land dispute case which was still being heard in the Supreme Court. The apex court finally delivered a verdict in November 2019 unanimously deciding in favour of the Hindu side, paving way for the Ram Mandir construction.

The court directed the government to form a trust to facilitate the Ram Mandir construction. A trust was formed in February 2020. As the world was under the grip of Covid-19 in 2020, any other party at the Centre would likely have used the opportunity to delay the construction.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath monitored the construction. Notably, neither the state government nor the Central government gave any money for the construction. The Ram Mandir was built from the donation received by crores of devotees across the country.

Hindus from across the country donated around Rs 3,500 crores. Several agencies and prestigious institutes provided the much-needed technical support for the Mandir construction. It would not have been possible without the government’s support. The party’s long-standing promise was fulfilled and the much-awaited Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha happened on 22nd January 2024 in the presence of PM Modi, UP CM Yogi, reverted saints and guests. The temple campus is still under construction and may take another two years to complete. Lakhs of devotees visit the temple every day.

Abrogation of Article 370 and 35 A

Under ‘Integrating the Nation – Its vastness and voices’, the BJP promised to abrogate Article 370 in its 2014 manifesto. In the 2019 manifesto, the party not only showed better vision but also talked about annulling Article 35A.

The 2014 manifesto read, “BJP reiterates its stand on Article 370, and will discuss this with all stakeholders and remains committed to the abrogation of this article.” On the other hand, the 2019 manifesto talked about how the ruling party made all the necessary efforts to ensure peace in Jammu and Kashmir through decisive actions and a firm policy.

Expressing its commitment to remove all obstacles that come in the way of the development of the state, the party reiterated its position to abrogate Article 370. BJP further talked about annulling Article 35A of the Constitution of India which was discriminatory against the non-permanent residents and women of Jammu and Kashmir.

On 5th August 2019, Home Minister Amit Shah announced the abrogation of Article 370 and annulled Article 35A of the Indian Constitution. The state was divided into two Union Territories that are Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. The announcement came as a shock for separatists disguised as so-called Kashmiri activists and the opposition. The matter went to the Supreme Court of India and on 11th December 2023, the apex court upheld the abrogation of Article 370.

Though the matter was in court, it did not stop the Central government from opening doors for the development of Jammu and Kashmir. Since the abrogation, all central schemes which the region was deprived of have been implemented.

There is a sharp drop in terror activities in the region. Furthermore, infrastructure development has increased in Jammu and Kashmir. Few remarkable and unthinkable events that have happened since the abrogation include welcoming change in the scene at Lal Chowk in Kashmir. You will only see the Indian Flag flying high on days like Independence Day and Republic Day. A cinema has opened in Kashmir for the first time in decades.

‘Make in India in Defence’ and defence infrastructure

In both 2014 and 2019 manifestos, one of the major aspects was ‘Make In India’ initiatives in defence. Apart from that, modernisation of armed forces, increase in R&D in the defence sector and development of indigenous defence technologies were announced by the BJP.

Furthermore, fast-tracking defence purchases was also on the table in the manifestos. The BJP also gave an example of AK-203 automatic rifles being made in Amethi in the 2019 manifesto as part of ‘Make in India in Defence’ initiative.

To begin with, let’s talk about the most recent reports of increase in defence export by 20 times compared to UPA regime. On 9th April, OpIndia reported how during the ten years of the Modi government, India’s defence exports have increased by more than 20 times.

This upsurge is attributed to the production of high-quality defence products within the country. Notably, nations like Armenia, Bangladesh, and the Philippines are making multi-crore defence deals with India to import defence hardware including Brahmo’s missile deals from India. Examining the data reveals that during the UPA government’s tenure (2004-14), India exported defence products worth Rs 4,312 crores.

Registering a growth of more than 1900%, defence exports amounted to Rs 88,319 crore in the ten years of the Modi government (2014-2024). In fiscal year 2023-24 alone, defence exports stood at a historic high of Rs 21,083 crores, up from Rs 15,920 crores in 2022-23. This represents a significant increase of 32.5% within one year. It is noteworthy that 60% of these defence exports were from government defence manufacturing institutions, totalling more than Rs 12,000 crores.

Indian defence manufacturers have progressed significantly over the past 10 years. Foreign companies are also coming to India for manufacturing. Notably, Israel’s IWI is collaborating with the PLR company to manufacture rifles in the country, and a Korean company is partnering with L&T to manufacture Howitzer guns.

Likewise, Airbus manufactures C-295 aircraft for the Indian Air Force in Vadodara, Gujarat. Additionally, the Israeli company Elbit Systems and Aerospace in collaboration with Adani gave the Indian Navy its first ‘Made In India’ long-endurance drone, the Drishti 10 Starliner UAV.

To promote self-reliance, the Defence Ministry has initiated the issuance of multiple ‘import embargo’ or negative arms import lists. As of May last year, the Modi government announced 928 military items. These items will be banned phased between December 2023 and 2029. The ‘import embargo’ list means that listed defence hardware will not be imported (barring extreme scenarios) and must only be purchased from Indian manufacturers. So far, the MoD has issued five such lists and it covers items used in fighter planes, trainer aircraft, warships, and different types of ammunition.

The defence manufacturing sector is evolving in India and startups are getting opportunities to make high-end modern weapons for the military. Furthermore, several projects that were stalled for years have progressed exponentially under the Modi government. For instance, a prime example of this is India’s indigenous combat aircraft, the LCA Tejas. Tejas was sanctioned in the 1980s, with its maiden successful flight occurring during the Vajpayee government in 2001. Subsequently, the project continued to progress at a sluggish pace.

The project gained steam under the Modi government. In 2015, Tejas was inducted into the Air Force for the first time. Currently, the Indian Air Force has about 40 Tejas Mk1 aircraft, while it has placed an order for approximately 83 more Tejas Mk1 (improved versions of Tejas Mark-1A) with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Recently, the Indian Air Force inducted formidable combat helicopters, which were also long overdue. Additionally, the army has ordered 550 Arjun Mark-1 tanks.

Road and Highways

In the 2014 manifesto, BJP talked about world class highways in the Northeast and Jammu & Kashmir, coastal highways, and better road infrastructure. In the 2019 manifesto, BJP said it planned to build 60,000 KM of National Highways to connect villages with rural roads.

These highways are are part of infrastructure projects such as warehouses and more. The party also promised to double the National Highway length by 2022. Road infrastructure holds the utmost importance in the country’s progress and the Modi government has worked extensively in this sector.

By 2023, 99% of villages are connected by roads. Road construction was 11.6 KM/day in 2013-14. According to data available, merely 4,300 KM of Highways were constructed in that period. However, the pace increased exponentially after the Modi government came to power and it touched 28.3 KM/day in 2022-23.

If we talk about total road construction, it was 7,42,398 KM at the rate of 91/KM per day by July 2023. Total roads by March 2014 stood at 3,81,393 at 80 KM/day.

According to Anurag Jain, Secretary of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), the last decade has witnessed the construction of 95,000 km of National Highways across the country. Comparing the data to 2014, this translates to an average daily construction of over 28.3 km of highways, marking a substantial 143% increase. 

Railways

In the 2014 manifesto, the BJP promised Pilgrimage Rail, Railway moderisation and modernisation of all stations with requisite infrastructure and public utilities. In 2019, the BJP promised moderisation of railway stations, new version trains such as Vande Bharat Express and more. As of today, there are 51 Vande Bharat trains running across country.

The Indian railway network has undergone substantial transformations over the past decade. Modernisation efforts in the Railways continue with the Modi government allocating substantial funds towards this endeavour. The Railway Budget has witnessed a significant increase, enabling the introduction of trains such as Tejas, Vande Bharat, and Gatimaan Express across the country.

Notably, the Modi government’s most noteworthy achievement in the Railways sector is the electrification of 94% of the network. In 2014, when the Modi government assumed power, only 21,801 km of the country’s railway network was electrified.

Currently, over 61,000 km of the country’s railway network has been electrified. Under the UPA government, the daily electrification rate was 1.42 kilometres, whereas, under the Modi government, it has surged to 14 kilometres per day. The Modi administration has allocated ₹43,346 crore towards electrification efforts.

Moreover, significant progress has been made not only in electrification but also in laying new railway lines, with a total of 25,871 km of new lines established during the Modi government’s tenure.

A substantial amount of funding has been allocated to the Railways during the Modi government’s tenure. In 2014, the Railways received a budget of approximately ₹29,000 crore.

By 2024-25, this budget has surged almost eightfold to ₹2.90 lakh crore. In addition to investments in new lines and electrification projects, the Modi government is also focused on station redevelopment initiatives.

Energy

The BJP’s commitment to renewable sources of energy is visible from the work done in the past ten years. In the 2014 manifesto, renewable sources of energy were mentioned as an important component of India’s energy mix. By 2019, a lot of work was done in the field and the manifesto had a clearer roadmap for the future.

In the 2019 manifesto, the BJP mentioned that India became a global champion in addressing climate change through effective and feasible interventions. By that time, India achieved a cumulative installed renewable energy capacity of 76.87 GW, as well as its stated goal of 175 GW.

According to a press release issued on 6th December 2023 by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, a total of 186.46 GW capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources was installed in the country by 31st October 2023. It included 178.98 GW of Renewable Energy and 7.48 GW of Nuclear Power. In addition, 114.08 GW of capacity is under implementation and 55.13 GW of capacity is under tendering.

Healthcare

The ruling party’s 2014 manifesto talked about telemedicine, mobile healthcare and Indian System of Medicine, including Yoga and AYUSH. By 2019, Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana under Ayushman Bharat provided health cover to 10.74 crore poor families. Furthermore, MBBS seats were increased by 18,000 and PG Medical seats by 12,000. New AIIMS were established.

In the 2019 manifesto, BJP again talked about telemedicine. Accessibility to diagnostics and medicines was also promised. Notably, in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, there was a sudden change in the health infrastructure. Telemedicine became a necessity. Government of India launched the eSanjeevani app to connect patients to doctors. By February 2023, 10 crore tele-consultations took place on the app making it a huge success.

Furthermore, affordable medicines at Janaushadi Kendra effectively reduced the expenditure on health especially for poor families. As on 31st January 2024, there are 10,607 Janaushadi Kendras operating in the country. These shops have around 1,965 drugs and 293 surgical items at affordable prices.

Judicial reforms

In both the 2014 and 2019 manifestos, the BJP talked about judicial reforms. In 2014, it committed to reforming the criminal justice system to make dispensation of justice simpler, quicker and more effective. In 2019, it promised to work towards the simplification of procedural laws.

The Government of India introduced new criminal laws replacing the British-era IPC, CrPC and Evidence Act. They will replace the existing system on 1st July 2024. The Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita, and the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) would replace the Indian Penal Code of 1860, Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) of 1973, and Indian Evidence Act, of 1872.

The three bills were first introduced in the Lok Sabha on 11th August, 2023, as the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Bill. They were referred to a parliamentary committee headed by Brij Lal for further examination.

They were passed by the Lok Sabha on 20th December before being passed by the Rajya Sabha on 21st December. The three new criminal code bills became laws after getting assent from President Droupadi Murmu on 25th December. It took India 75 years to get rid of the British-era laws. More details about the laws can be checked here.

Citizenship Amendment Act or CAA

In its 2019 manifesto, the BJP promised to bring the Citizenship Amendment Bill. The manifesto read, “We are committed to the enactment of the Citizenship Amendment Bill for the protection of individuals of religious minority communities from neighbouring countries escaping persecution. We will make all efforts to clarify the issues to the sections of population from the Northeastern states who have expressed apprehensions regarding the legislation. We reiterate our commitment to protect the linguistic, cultural and social identity of the people of Northeast. Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs and Christians escaping persecution from India’s neighbouring countries will be given citizenship in India.”

The Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) was first introduced in Parliament on 15th July 2016. It was passed in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on 11th December 2019, within seven months of BJP forming the government. Citizenship Amendment Act came into force after getting assent from the then-President of India, Ramnath Kovind.

It was not possible to notify the CAA Rules due to the protests followed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The government of India, specifically Home Minister Amit Shah, promised that the CAA Rules will be notified as soon as possible. The rules were finally notified on 11th March 2024.

CAA will allow for the persecuted minorities i.e. Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians and Jains from three Muslim-majority countries neighbouring India including Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh to seek refuge in India by applying for Indian citizenship. Those who came to India before 31st December 2014 can apply for citizenship under CAA. There is a dedicated portal that they can use to apply for the citizenship.

Women’s reservation

In both the 2014 and 2019 manifestos, the BJP promised 33 per cent reservation for women in parliamentary and state assemblies through a constitutional amendment. The 2014 manifesto read, “Women’s welfare and development will be accorded a high priority at all levels within the government, and BJP is committed to 33% reservation in parliamentary and state assemblies through a constitutional amendment.”

The 2019 manifesto read, “Women’s welfare and development will be accorded a high priority at all levels within the government, and the BJP is committed to 33% reservation in parliament and state assemblies through a constitutional amendment.”

Women Reservation Bill was introduced in Parliament on 19th September 2024. It was passed by both houses subsequently. As per the law, 33% of the seats in the lower house or the Lok Sabha and the state assemblies. This will include seats reserved for women from the SC/ST community. Though it was passed in parliament, the reservation did not affect the 2024 elections. It will, however affect the 2029 elections. The bill will come into effect after 2027 when a census will be conducted and existing constituencies will be redrawn.

Another mass stabbing incident in Sydney: Attack at church service leaves multiple injured, including popular bishop

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Another mass stabbing incident in Sydney: Attack at church service leaves multiple injured, including popular bishop

Another mass stabbing incident has taken place in Sydney, Australia days after a lone knife-wielding attacker killed five victims at a popular mall in the city. As per Australian media reports, the recent attack occurred at Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley when a bishop was preaching sermons that were being live-streamed. After reports of a mass stabbing at the church, multiple police personnel and ambulance crews rushed to the spot and a Police operation is underway. As per the latest reports, the Police have arrested a man and he is assisting the police in inquiries. 

As per reports, four people have suffered injuries in this mass stabbing at the church in Wakeley, Western Syndey. The injured victims include a religious leader and the men are believed to be aged in their 60s, 50s, 30s, and 20s. All four victims are said to be male and have reportedly suffered non-life-threatening injuries. 

The church had advertised the sermons which were being delivered by a Bishop named Mar Mari Emmanuel. At around 7 PM (Australian local time), he was due to give an Assyrian Bible preaching when a man approached him and lunged forward to stab him multiple times. 

According to Australian media, NSW Police confirmed they responded to reports of a stabbing, and that they have a man in custody. 

A statement said, “Officers arrested a male and he is assisting police with inquiries.” 

The statement added, “The injured people suffered non-life threatening injuries and are being treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics.” 

Meanwhile, Police have urged members of the public to avoid the area.

Reportedly, the bishop injured in the recent attack is popular in Australia but he is notorious as divisive among the Orthodox community, and many of his sermons are shared online. He attracted attention during the coronavirus lockdown in June 2021 when he criticised the restrictions and vaccine mandates, reports added.

Pertinent to note that the attack comes just days after six people were killed in a mass stabbing incident at a mall in Sydney’s Westfield Bondi Junction. 

Back then, the incident unfolded at 3.20 pm (local time) on Saturday afternoon (13th April) when a man in an NRL jersey began stabbing shoppers at random, including a woman and her nine-month-old baby. He attacked as many as nine people, before a police officer shot him, police assistant commissioner, Anthony Cooke told reporters. 

As per the latest reports on that incident, the attacker has been identified as Joel Cauchi (40). Australian police have stated that he specifically targeted women as victims in that mass stabbing attackers were predominantly women. Of the six fatalities, five were women. Authorities further revealed that the majority of the 12 victims who survived the injuries were also women.

The Police have now ruled out terrorism and stated that the 40-year-old assailant had a history of mental illness.

Meanwhile, his father Andrew Cauchi said that his son suffered from schizophrenia. According to him, he targeted women due to frustration at not having a girlfriend.

Nonetheless, there is no indication these two events are linked.

Maharashtra: Dr Ambedkar Jayanti procession attacked with stone pelting in Dhule; Isaq, Kallu Pathan, and Sahil among 7 arrested

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Maharashtra: Dr Ambedkar Jayanti procession attacked with stone pelting in Dhule; Isaq, Kallu Pathan, and Sahil among 7 arrested

On Sunday (14th April), the Maharashtra Police booked 21 persons from the specific community and arrested 7 of them for deliberately targeting a local procession that was carried out on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. The accused persons are said to have pelted stones at the participants of the procession on 14th April.

The arrested persons have been identified as Sahil Lala Bagwan, Samir Lala Bagwan, Isak Mistri, Kallu Pathan, Vihaan Bagwan, Kausaar Mussa Khatik, and Ajya Khatik. Meanwhile, around 21 persons have been booked under sections 143, 146, 147, 149, 295, and 296 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. Several other relevant sections of other applicable laws have also been imposed against the accused.

News report of violence reported in Dhule

As per the local reports, the incident happened on the evening of 14th April when the procession was passing by a local Jama Masjid. The persons from the community happened to stop the procession from passing by the road. However, later they began pelting stones at the participants of the procession.

Some of the participants then immediately called the police station after which SP Shrikant Dhivare reached the spot and controlled the situation. However, the FIR in the given case was filed based on the complaint filed by one Govinda Gulab Nagrale.

“The procession was peacefully passing by the Jama Masjid when some persons from the specific community threatened the participants of the procession to stop. They said that no procession would pass by the Masjid. Later, they began pelting stones at the participants. They also raised slogans while pelting stones. Several were injured in the attack,” Nagrale stated in the complaint.

News report of violence reported in Dhule in vernacular media

He also identified some of the persons who pelted stones at the procession participants. Some of the booked individuals were identified as Papa Shah, Sadik Shah, Vasim Pathan, Sultan Builder, Junaid Shah, Taufik, Shoaib, and others.

The police meanwhile tried to pacify the matter and said that nothing major had happened. “It is a small incident. There’s no need to make a fuss about it. Do not believe in rumours. FIR in the case has been filed. A probe is underway,” Dhivare was quoted as saying by local reports.

Elon Musk-owned ‘X’ (Twitter) suspends over 2 lakh Indian accounts for policy violations including promoting child sexual abuse, nonconsensual nudity & terrorism

OpIndia Staff
-
0
Elon Musk-owned ‘X’ (Twitter) suspends over 2 lakh Indian accounts for policy violations including promoting child sexual abuse, nonconsensual nudity & terrorism

The X (earlier known as Twitter) owned by Elon Musk has released its monthly compliance report, which discloses that the business has banned over 2,13,000 Indian accounts between 26th February and 25th March this year. The said accounts, as per the report, highlighted offenses promoting child sexual exploitation and nonconsensual nudity as the key reasons for the prohibitions. Some accounts were also blocked because they promoted terrorism on the platform.

According to the report, 2,12,627 accounts were banned over the stated period for spreading illegal and dangerous content. Furthermore, X removed 1,235 accounts considered to be advocating terrorism on its network in India.

“There are many measures that have been in place for a long time on our platform that relate to the mitigation of child sexual exploitation and terrorism activity. X does not tolerate any material that features or promotes child sexual exploitation. This includes media, text, illustrations, or computer-generated images,” the report noted.

X stated in its monthly report that it received 5,158 complaints from customers in India over the same time period via its grievance redressal processes. The most common complaint from India was regarding ban evasion (3,074), followed by sensitive adult content (953), hateful conduct (412), and abuse/harassment (359).

Image- NDTV

With increased concerns about the spread of dangerous content online, platforms such as X appear to be stepping up efforts to fight such activities and create a favorable climate for healthy discourse. In response to user concerns, the social media site reported receiving 5,158 grievances from Indian users within the same reporting period. The suspension is intended to showcase the platform’s efforts to handle user concerns quickly and effectively through its grievance redressal methods.

“We processed 86 grievances which were appealing account suspensions. These were all resolved and the appropriate responses were sent. We overturned 7 of these account suspensions after reviewing the specifics of the situation. The remaining reported accounts remain suspended,” the report stated.

While nearly all of the reported accounts were suspended, the platform admitted to overturning restrictions for seven accounts after analyzing specific circumstances. However, it maintained the suspension of the remaining reported accounts in accordance with its policies and procedures. Furthermore, X received 29 requests for general account inquiries within the reporting period, demonstrating the platform’s active involvement with users on a variety of concerns.

1...1,1161,1171,118...7,606Page 1,117 of 7,606