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Wealth redistribution: Rahul Gandhi wants to make India the lab rat for an idea that has already failed all over the world

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Wealth redistribution: Rahul Gandhi wants to make India the lab rat for an idea that has already failed all over the world

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 has 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.

No matter how ridiculous it sounds, the idea is not a new recipe for economic disaster. It has been talked about in India several times, like during the COVID pandemic; Yogendra Yadav had suggested it under the action plan “Mission Jai Hind”.

The concept of wealth redistribution is associated with communist and socialist ideologies. Over the past, it has been implemented in various forms, and most of the time, it resulted in massive disaster. Initially, it may look good, but in the long run, it kills the economy and puts the country in such a vulnerable position that coming back from it seems almost impossible.

Those who support the idea claim wealth redistribution addresses economic inequality and promotes social justice. However, all over the world, policies aiming at wealth redistribution have failed to deliver the promised outcomes.

The Soviet Union Collapse

The most infamous examples of failed wealth redistribution occurred in the Soviet Union after the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. The Soviet government introduced several radical economic policies to redistribute wealth and resources. The government took over private properties and nationalised them. The industries were brought under the state’s control.

In no time, the policies led to widespread inefficiencies, shortages and economic stagnation. Those who claim that a specific set of businesses houses accumulated wealth while the other side of the world is poor forget or conveniently skip to point out that a business is successful because of a lot of reasons. It is not successful only because of policies.

The economy under the Soviet Union struggled to innovate. They were not able to adapt to the market conditions. As a result, consumer goods were scarce. The standard of living declined rapidly, and ultimately, in 1991, the union collapsed. It has to be noted that not everyone is skilled to run businesses, especially when resources are ‘distributed’ without the necessary skills or desire to take good business decisions.

The Mao disaster in China

Another example of failed wealth redistribution came under Mao Zedong’s Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution. His policies were framed to collectivise agriculture and industrialise the economy via centralised planning. However, the policies became a massive disaster, resulting in widespread famine, economic chaos and social upheaval. Millions lost their lives from starvation, and China faced a severe economic setback. Only after Mao died did Deng Xiaoping bring economic reforms and economic growth and development back on track.

China famine. Source: Alpha History

The untimely ‘demise’ of Venezuela’s wealth bubble

Latin American countries like Venezuela tried wealth redistribution in the West and failed miserably. Hugo Chavez and his successor, Nicolas Maduro, brought socialist policies to redistribute wealth and nationalise key industries. However, the corruption, mismanagement and collapse of oil prices led to severe economic crisis. The currency value dipped to a level of no return. Venezuela faced hyperinflation, a shortage of essential goods and widespread poverty, leading to the mass migration of millions of people who fled the country for a better life abroad.

Source: The Kootniti

The Zimbabwean Catastrophe

Another example can be seen in Zimbabwe under the leadership of Robert Mugabe. His policies were aimed at redistributing land from white farmers and giving it to the black Zimbabweans. However, how the program was initiated led to violence and economic instability. The agricultural productivity of the country collapsed. Zimbabwe was once known for supplying food grains to the whole of Africa. However, Mugabe’s policies led to food shortages and economic decline.

Source: Wiki

No matter which example you pick from history, it did worse for the country where such policies were implemented. The failure of redistribution policies is attributed to a combination of factors, which may include irresponsible centralised planning, lack of incentives for innovation and productivity, widespread corruption and political repression.

Not everyone can manage wealth

What is the idea behind wealth redistribution, anyway? To allow the marginalised to have their businesses? Or give funds to those who never saw enough cash to buy a refrigerator? There is no need to take money from those who have it and distribute it among the marginalised. At every level, there are government schemes that can help them.

On the other hand, there are several examples in India where one businessman failed, but the other succeeded using his vision and skills. Not everyone can be a successful businessman, knows how to manage money, and can be a skilled or unskilled worker.

Some societies function at their own personal level, and disturbing them will lead to economic disaster. For example, if someone does not know how to promote a business but gets unconditional money for the same, he or she may, without putting a mind to it, spend it on ads with zero leads in return. On the other hand, a skilled entrepreneur may use social media platforms to promote his or her business at almost zero cost. The same goes for every sector and every aspect of society when it comes to wealth.

Take the example of the Ambani brothers. When the businesses were divided, what Anil Ambani got looked more promising. However, over time, some bad business decisions put him in a tight position, and he has almost disappeared from the business world. On the other hand, his elder brother Mukesh Ambani is doing exceptionally well and has increased his worth by several folds. It is not that Anil lacked leadership skills, but there must have been some bad decisions that he made over time, leading to the economic collapse of his companies.

When we talk about wealth and resource redistribution, it will take away wealth and resources from the experts and give to those who do not even know how to run a sustainable business. Not everyone can run a factory, and not everyone should do it either.

History teaches us to repel wealth distribution

History shows that the idea of wealth redistribution must be repelled. It is a failed idea that stemmed from extreme Communist ideology. Karl Marx, in his Communist Manifesto, said that wealth should be distributed according to the precepts, “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” While the Communists worshipped Marx, in reality, his work and his theories led to millions of deaths worldwide. If any government or any leader is interested in reducing economic inequality, it must be pursued through sustainable and inclusive economic policies. The idea should be to promote innovation, entrepreneurship, and individual freedom. It is the only way to eradicate poverty; nothing else works in the long run.

‘She did nothing wrong but spoke the truth’: Dutch leader Geert Wilders speaks to former BJP leader Nupur Sharma, hails her as a ‘brave lady’

OpIndia Staff
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‘She did nothing wrong but spoke the truth’: Dutch leader Geert Wilders speaks to former BJP leader Nupur Sharma, hails her as a ‘brave lady’

On Monday (8th April), Geert Wilders, a Dutch politician and member of parliament in the Netherlands had a telephone conversation with former Bhartiya Janata Party leader Nupur Sharma. Wilders hailed Sharma as a “symbol of freedom” and a “brave lady”.

Taking to X Geert Wilders said that the loss of freedom and legal troubles faced by Nupur Sharma over “truthful” remarks on the Islamic prophet that were derived from reliable Hadiths was “unfair”.

“Had a great talk with @NupurSharmaBJP today, she is a symbol of freedom, not only for India but for the whole free world. Her loss of personal freedom and legal troubles in the last two years are most unfair ‘cause she did nothing wrong but spoke the truth. What a brave lady!” Wilders posted.

Notably, Geert Wilders has constantly supported Nupur Sharma ever since the prophet controversy erupted in 2022. In February this year, Wilders had sent a message of support to Sharma. He also expressed his wish to meet her during his visit to India.

“I sent a personal message of support to the brave Nupur Sharma, who is threatened by Islamists for years now only for speaking the truth. Freedom-loving people all over the world should support her. I hope to meet her one day while visiting India,” the Partij voor de Vrijheid (PVV) leader posted on X on 17th February.

Back in October 2022, Wilders known for his highly critical opinions on Islam supported former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma after Islamists hounded her for her remarks during a debate on Times Now.

It is pertinent to recall that Nupur Sharma had criticised Islamist Taslim Ahmed Rehmani for repeatedly using derogatory language against Sanatan Dharma and referred to Shivling as a fountain during a debate on the disputed structure at Gyanvapi in Kashi in May 2022. She questioned what he would feel if she cited passages from Islamic texts.

Mohammed Zubair, a co-founder of Alt News, cleverly removed Taslim Rehmani’s inflammatory comments and uploaded the out-of-context footage on social media to claim that she insulted the Islamic Prophet Muhammed. The severe allegations led to massive protests and riots across the nation as well as many FIRs were filed against her. The Indian government came under fire from Islamic countries which issued strong statements condemning Nupur Sharma after which she was suspended from the party.

Murderous slogans like “Gustakh-e-Rasool ki ek hi saza, sar tan se Juda, sar tan se Juda (There is only one punishment for being disrespectful to Rasool (Prophet Muhammad), their head separated from their torso, their head separated from the torso,” were raised in the streets by rabid mobs as extremists attacked and killed Hindus including Kanhaiya Lal in Rajasthan and Umesh Kolhe in Maharashtra for supporting her.

Tata’s military-grade satellite successfully placed into orbit by Elon Musk’s company SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket

OpIndia Staff
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Tata’s military-grade satellite successfully placed into orbit by Elon Musk’s company SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket

On April 7th, Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL), a Tata Sons company, successfully launched India’s first military-grade geospatial satellite constructed wholly by the private sector, reported the Economic Times. 

TSAT-1A, a sub-metre resolution earth observation satellite, was launched in conjunction with Satellogic. However, the complete functionality of the said satellite will be achieved in a few months. 

The launch proceeded from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, using SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. The TSAT-1A, built at the Vemagal plant in Karnataka, was part of the payload on the Bandwagon-1 mission.

TSAT-1A, weighing less than 50 kg, now orbits the Earth in low-earth orbit, ready to produce high-resolution imagery with exceptional precision, less than one meter per pixel. TASL officials verified that the satellite has entered its planned orbit and will be thoroughly tested in the next weeks to ensure full performance.

Once operational, TSAT-1A is planned to primarily serve the government and armed forces, providing high-resolution military-grade imagery. According to reports, the major consumers would be the government and armed forces, but the company will also cater to commercial customers. According to ET, plans are already underway to construct a ground center in India for data download and processing.

While India possesses a few ISRO-built military spy satellites, this is the first private-sector project of its kind.

TSAT-1A is unique among Earth observation satellites because of its sub-meter resolution imaging capabilities, which provide incredibly detailed views of the Earth’s surface. This precision is especially useful for applications that require high-resolution data, such as urban planning and environmental monitoring.

Compared to other satellites, TSAT-1A’s multispectral and hyperspectral imaging technologies offer a greater range of data collection options. These features allow the satellite to acquire photos from many bands of the electromagnetic spectrum, providing greater detail than typical optical images.

TSAT-1A is also known for its high collection capacity, dynamic range, and low latency delivery. This means it can acquire more photographs in less time, with a broader range of light sensitivity, and transport them to ground users more swiftly.

Currently, India has a limited number of military espionage satellites developed by ISRO. TASL plans to construct a constellation of comparable satellites in the future, with its production facility capable of producing up to 25 low earth orbit (LEO) spacecraft each year. These satellites are being developed in collaboration with Satellogic Inc., a market leader in sub-meter resolution earth observation satellites.

Meanwhile, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) possesses satellites capable of sharing imagery, but their applications are limited due to the enormous coverage required. India presently relies on US corporations for its imaging needs. And the necessity has grown as a result of disputes with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

ISRO has also collaborated with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to create a Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite for Earth observation.

Kerala: After Idukki diocese, Syro Malabar Catholic Church’s Thamarassery diocese screens The Kerala Story, says nothing wrong in screening movie that isn’t banned

OpIndia Staff
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Kerala: After Idukki diocese, Syro Malabar Catholic Church’s Thamarassery diocese screens The Kerala Story, says nothing wrong in screening movie that isn’t banned

A day after the Idukki diocese under the Syro Malabar Catholic Church in Kerala screened The Kerala Story for its young students, the Thamarassery diocese of the same Church has also decided to screen the movie.

The decision was announced by the Church amid the row over the Idukki diocese’s screening of the movie for teens to warn them of the dangers of love affairs.

The Themarassery diocese in north Kerala stated that they will screen the movie in all the Kerala Catholic Youth Movement (KCYM) units. They said that the decision was announced as even the Chief Minister opened up about organised recruitment for terrorist groups in the state.

The diocese said that there was nothing wrong with screening a movie that was not banned in the state. According to reports, the KCYM questioned why the political parties were scared of the movie.

The Idukki diocese screened the movie on Sunday, 7th April for students from grades 10 to 12 as part of catechism classes. Father Jins Karakkat, chairman of the Idukki Diocese Media Commission, gave a statement on the same saying, “The movie was screened to educate youngsters about the dangers lurking behind love affairs and marriage.”

The students were asked to watch the movie and review it after discussion within their groups. The dioceses also circulated a book on the matter among students.

Father Karakkat said intensive training programmes for children are held every year during vacation. He said that specific topics are selected for the programme and books prepared for it.

“This year, the programme was held on April 2, 3 and 4. The theme of the textbooks prepared for the children of Classes 10, 11, and 12 was love relationships,” he said.

Various diocese’s under the Syro Malabar Church have often raised the issue of the dangers of love jihad with their community. In 2021, the bishop of Pala diocese of the Syro-Malabar Church issued a circular on Saturday to warn Christian families against various ‘groups’ trying to trap young girls from their community.

Bishop Mar Joseph Kallarangatt of the Pala diocese, in his circular elaborated on how certain people are laying traps to befriend young girls of the local community through phone calls.

“You must be aware of the various sections and groups that have been trying to trap our female children with various tactics,” read the opening lines of the letter. 

In September 2021, Bishop Mar Joseph Kallarangatt of the Pala diocese of the Syro-Malabar Church stated that young Christian boys and girls of Kerala are being targeted for not just ‘Love Jihad’ but for ‘Narcotics Jihad’ too.

On 5th April, Doordarshan announced that The Kerala Story would be on Friday following which Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the decision.

He said that this is an attempt at polarization just before the Lok Sabha elections. Kerala Congress leader VD Satheesan has also demanded that the government channel back off the move to screen the ‘The Kerala Story’ on Doordarshan, saying the movie is a “collection of untruth.”

It is important to note that Adah Sharma-starrer ‘The Kerala Story’ is one of the successful movies of 2023. The film saw popularity and ran well but there were attempts to corner the film and ban it for the subject matter.

The film brought a spotlight on subjects like forced/lured religious conversions, ISIS brides, and love jihad. The film was even banned in West Bengal initially and the makers had to plead before the Honourable courts to get its ban lifted, which was eventually lifted.

Chhattisgarh: Old Ram Mandir which was shut by Maosists 21-years-ago reopened in Sukma with help from CRPF jawans

OpIndia Staff
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Chhattisgarh: Old Ram Mandir which was shut by Maosists 21-years-ago reopened in Sukma with help from CRPF jawans

On Monday (8th April), an ancient Ram temple that was shut by the Naxalites in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh was reopened after 21 years. The villagers in the Kerlapenda village, located about 90 km from the Sukma district headquarters of Bastar division cleaned the temple and performed the puja of the idols of Lord Rama, Goddess Sita, and Lakshman ji before worshipping.

Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed an election rally ahead of the Lok Sabha elections and slammed the Congress party and the INDI Alliance on the Ram temple issue. “The dream came true after 500 years. It is natural for the people of Chhattisgarh to be happy, as it is Lord Ram’s maternal grandparent’s house. But Congress and INDI alliance are angry with the construction of Ram Mandir,” the prime minister said at a rally in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar.

“The royal family of Congress rejected the invite for Ram Mandir’s ‘Pran Pratishtha’. The Congress leaders who termed this decision wrong were removed from the party. It shows that Congress can cross any limit for appeasement,” he added.

According to the reports, the villagers and tribal people in the Naxal-affected Chintalnar region of Sukma danced with joy as the ancient temple in the Bastar region was reopened after 21 years.

CRPF jawans from the 74 Corps worked with locals to revive the temple.

Sukma SP Kiran Chavan commented on the matter and said that the temple was closed by the Naxalites in the year 2003 and that the Maoists had threatened the villagers saying that no one should open it or visit to worship. “Villagers said that in 2003 when Naxals were most active, they had threatened the villagers to close the temple and said that no one should open it or visit to worship. The reason as understood was that the region was particularly the core zone of Maoists where they would camp, hold meetings, and use it as a corridor for their movement among other activities,” Chavan was quoted as saying.

Since the opening of approximately 40 security camps throughout the Bastar region, jawans have been able to visit the interior villages. A new CRPF camp was established between Kerlapenda and Lakhapal, and local tribals who had previously never interacted with outsiders became acquainted with security forces.

The said temple was spotted by one of the jawans who inquired about it. The locals then approached them and explained that Maoists attempted to cause damage to the temple in 2003, forcing it to close.

“There was a time when villagers used to organize a religious fair at the spot. At the request of tribal villagers, we initiated the reopening of the temple and extended our support in cleaning and organizing,” Himanshu Pandey, CRPF commandant of 74 battalions was quoted as saying by Times of India.

Notably, a medical camp was also organized on Monday (8th April) and villagers were initially terrified to go to the temple. However, later they could be seen dancing to the tunes of Ram Bhajans.

The temple’s exact origin is unknown, but locals say that worshipping Lord Ram is part of a mythology, thus they believe the temple was built in the 1970s. The community of 800 is currently planning a ‘bhandara’ for the upcoming Ram Navmi, and they wish to celebrate the festival in the temple.

‘Go back, No vote for you’: Congress workers stop Shashi Tharoor from campaigning, raise slogans against him in his election constituency in Kerala

OpIndia Staff
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‘Go back, No vote for you’: Congress workers stop Shashi Tharoor from campaigning, raise slogans against him in his election constituency in Kerala

On Sunday (7th April), a group of Congress workers stopped party MP Shashi Tharoor during an election campaign in Balaramapuram in Thiruvananthapuram city of Kerala.

In a video shared by Janam TV, they were seen shouting him down and raising slogans against the Congress leader. The party workers said, ‘Go back’ and ‘no vote for you’.

The embarrassing incident took place when Tharoor was on his campaign trail along with local Congress MLA M Vincent. The development comes just weeks before voting in the State of Kerala for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The incident has reportedly irked the Congress leadership in Kerala. Other political parties are now sharing the video on social media in a bid to mock the grand-old party.

As expected, the Congress party is now downplaying the incident as a minor altercation and accused the ruling CPIM party in the State of orchestrating the event.

Congress leader VD Sathwesan told The Times of India, “Tharoor is a prominent leader of the party and he is regarded highly among party workers. Many such attempts are being made by those who want to tarnish Tharoor’s image. CPM workers are behind this incident.”

Party MLA M Vincent, who was with Shashi Tharoor then, also claimed that it was a minor incident and that the protesters’ grievances were sorted.

It must be mentioned that Shashi Tharoor is a Member of Parliament from the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency since 2009.

Main accused in Baba Tarsem Singh murder case killed in encounter with Uttarakhand STF

ANI
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Main accused in Baba Tarsem Singh murder case killed in encounter with Uttarakhand STF

 The main accused in Baba Tarsem Singh’s murder case was killed in an encounter with Uttarakhand Special Task Force (STF) in the Bhagwanpur area of Haridwar in the early hours of Tuesday, the state’s top police officer said.

Amarjeet Singh alias Bittu, a shooter with Rs 1 lakh bounty on his head, was killed while his accomplice fled, Uttarakhand Director General of Police (DGP) Abhinav Kumar told ANI.

The Uttarakhand STF and Haridwar Police have launched a joint operation to nab the absconding accused, the DGP said.

The police said that more than 16 cases have been registered against Amarjeet Singh.

Nanakmatta Gurdwara’s ‘karseva’ chief Baba Tarsem Singh was shot dead on March 28 by two bike-borne assailants at the Nanakmatta Gurdwara in Udham Singh Nagar.

Earlier on Sunday, the Udham Singh Nagar Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) increased the reward amount for both the absconding main accused (shooters), Amarjit Singh and Sarabjit Singh, from Rs 50 thousand to one lakh each.

Three more accused were also arrested in the case. They were allegedly involved in orchestrating the crime by assembling criminals, providing resources, and supplying weapons, police said.

DGP Kumar had said that Uttarakhand Police had taken Baba’s murder as a challenge and the STF and police were constantly looking for both the killers.

The police will deal strictly with the criminals if they commit such heinous crimes in Uttarakhand, the DGP added.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has also kept a constant watch since the Baba Tarsem Singh murder and has given strict instructions to the police to nab the accused.

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

Pune: Samosas stuffed with condoms, stones and tobacco supplied to Tata Motors canteen, Rahim Shaikh, Azhar Shaikh, Mazar Shaikh, Azar Shaikh and Vicky Shaikh booked

OpIndia Staff
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Pune: Samosas stuffed with condoms, stones and tobacco supplied to Tata Motors canteen, Rahim Shaikh, Azhar Shaikh, Mazar Shaikh, Azar Shaikh and Vicky Shaikh booked

Condoms, stones and tobacco were found stuffed inside samosas in the canteen of Tata Motors in Pune, Maharashtra. The police have registered an FIR against 5 people in this case.

It has now come to light that the accused – Rahim Shaikh, Azhar Shaikh, Mazar Shaikh, Azar Shaikh and Vicky Shaikh – committed the crime in anger after the company cancelled their contract. One accused has also been arrested while further probe is underway.

According to reports, the incident took place in Pimpri Chinchwad area of ​​Pune. Kirtikumar Shankarrao Desai, an officer of a company based in Chikhali here, complained to the police on Sunday (7th April 2024).

In this complaint given at Chikhli police station, he stated that his company received an order for food supplies from a company in Chikhli. In this order, Kirtikumar entered into an agreement with a company named SRS Enterprises for the supply of samosas.

The name of the owner of SRS company is Rahim Shaikh. According to Kirtikumar, one day a bandage that is applied on wounds was found in the samosas being supplied by SRS.

After receiving this complaint, Tata Motors terminated its contract with SRS and gave the order to supply samosas to another Pune-based company, Manohar Enterprises. SRS owner Rahim Shaikh got angry about this and hatched a conspiracy along with his associates Azhar Sheikh and Mazar Sheikh.

On 27th March 27, 2024, Rahim Shaikh gave orders to his workers to stuff samosas with condoms, gutkha and stones. Rahim got these samosas distributed between 7.30 and 9 in the morning.

When the company staff complained about this, Kirtikumar filed a complaint at the police station. An FIR has been registered against Rahim Shaikh, Firoz Shaikh, Vicky Shaikh, Azar Shaikh and Mazar Shaikh.

Action has been taken against all of them under Sections 328, 120-B and 34 of IPC. So far, one accused is reported to have been arrested. The matter is being investigated.

Recently, a similar case was reported from Vadodara, Gujarat. Beef was found in the samosa sample taken from a shop named ‘Hussaini Samosawala’ in Chipwad area.

Police have registered a case and arrested 6 people who have been identified as Yusuf Shaikh, Naseem Shaikh, Hanif Bhatiara, Dilawar Pathan Moin Habdal and Mobin Shaikh.

This business was running on the 5th floor of a building without a license. ‘Hussain Samosawala’ used to supply raw samosas to many shops in Vadodara where the shopkeepers would fry it and sell it to the customers.

‘Talk to India, resolve issues bilaterally’: Saudi Arabia-Pakistan joint statement takes a New Delhi flavour after MBS-Shehbaz Sharif meet

OpIndia Staff
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‘Talk to India, resolve issues bilaterally’: Saudi Arabia-Pakistan joint statement takes a New Delhi flavour after MBS-Shehbaz Sharif meet

In a major jolt to Pakistan, Saudi Arabia has called on Pakistan to resolve all “outstanding issues” including Kashmir with India “bilaterally”. In a joint statement signed with Pakistan, the Saudi Kingdom took the stance which mirrors New Delhi’s line over the issue. 

Notably, the joint statement was issued a day after Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi de-facto ruler and PM Mohammed bin Salman held an official meeting on 7th April at Al-Safa Palace in Mecca.

The joint statement read, “The two sides stressed the importance of dialogue between Pakistan and India to resolve the outstanding issues between the two countries, especially the Jammu and Kashmir dispute to ensure peace and stability in the region.”

Notably, it has been a long-held position of India that Kashmir is an Integral part of India and the remaining discussions (POK) are “bilateral” issues that should be resolved in line with bilateral pacts like the Shimla agreement. India has categorically maintained that there is no question of any mediation or intervention by any third party.

Strikingly, in 2019, Pakistan requested the US to “persuade” India to initiate discussions for the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue. This request came after former US President Donald Trump offered to mediate between the two countries regarding the Kashmir issue.

“Saudi and Pakistan’s joint statement makes no reference to an UNSC resolution on Kashmir, something that has been standard formulation for Islamabad. Instead, it urges bilateral resolution of issues, echoing the Shimla Pact, which is New Delhi’s line,” as highlighted by Sidhant Sibal, Diplomatic correspondent of WION.

While Saudi Arabia has had diplomatic ties with both India and Pakistan, the Kingdom’s tilt has shifted considerably from an earlier inclination towards Pakistan to favouring India on a host of issues. 

Following the abrogation of Article 370, Saudi Arabia has maintained a balanced approach over Jammu and Kashmir. While it expressed concern over the Indian action on 5th August 2019, it did not explicitly condemn the actions, instead referring to it as New Delhi’s internal matter.

New Delhi has also maintained that it desires to have normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan in an environment free of terror, hostility, and violence. It has categorically asserted that terror and talks can’t go together. 

‘Leave the village or else…don’t even think of coming here’: Pethapur locals stop Gandhinagar Congress candidate Sonal Patel from entering their village

Krunalsinh Rajput
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‘Leave the village or else…don’t even think of coming here’: Pethapur locals stop Gandhinagar Congress candidate Sonal Patel from entering their village

The Lok Sabha elections have intensified, with all parties actively campaigning. Even on the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat, Congress candidate Sonal Patel embarked on a campaign. However, the villagers of Pethapur prevented Congress candidate Sonal Patel from entering the village for campaigning. She had to campaign without entering the village. Opposition against Gandhinagar Lok Sabha candidate Sonal Patel has also emerged, with a video of the incident becoming viral.

As per the information at hand, before the approaching Lok Sabha elections, Congress candidate Sonal Patel visited Pethapur to campaign for the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat. During this visit, some individuals obstructed her car from entering the village. The villagers refused to permit Sonal Patel’s entry into the village, and she was even turned away from outside.

The resistance against Gandhinagar’s Congress Lok Sabha candidate Sonal Patel was recorded in a video that has since gone viral on social media. In the footage, Sonal Patel is seated inside a car, with the vehicle’s bonnet and doors displaying “Mrs Sonal Patel, Congress candidate for 6-Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat”. Sonal Patel is visible in the co-driver’s seat of the car in the video.

In the video, villagers can be heard stating, “Nobody should meet her. If the car doesn’t leave the village, there will be trouble… take it away… the car should go… she should not enter the village.”

This is the area of Amit Shah… this is the situation: Gandhinagar Mahila Morcha Chief Beena Rawal

To confirm the incident, OpIndia contacted the first Gandhinagar Congress Mahila Morcha Chief, Beena Rawal. She mentioned at the beginning of the conversation that no such incident had occurred. However, later she informed OpIndia that, “What happened today was not anything special. This is Amit Shah’s area, my brother… This should just continue… Tomorrow we have to hold a massive rally in Pethapur.”

There was no forced incident: Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat Congress candidate Sonal Patel

On the other hand, OpIndia also contacted Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat Congress candidate Sonal Patel. Confirming the incident, she said, “There was no forced incident, this had to happen. Tomorrow we have to hold a massive rally. We are carrying forward with our campaign…”

Who is Congress leader Sonal Patel?

Sonal Patel is an active leader of the Congress. Congress has announced her as the candidate for the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat. On the other hand, Central Home Minister Amit Shah is also contesting from Gandhinagar. She has held various positions in Congress, such as ward president, state secretary, and general secretary, and has been the head of the women’s wing for 6 years. She is also known to be very close to the Gandhi family, including Sonia Gandhi. In this Lok Sabha election, they are contesting against Central Home Minister Amit Shah.

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