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Pakistan to start next round of deportation of Aghans, even with legal documents, back to Afghanistan; migrants voice concern about their future

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Pakistan to start next round of deportation of Aghans, even with legal documents, back to Afghanistan; migrants voice concern about their future

As the second round of the expulsion of Afghan migrants from Pakistan draws closer, some of these migrants have voiced concern about their uncertain fate, Afghanistan-based TOLO News reported.

A number of these migrants said that Pakistan’s government, by starting the new campaign, asked Afghan migrants, even those with legal documents, to travel back to Afghanistan at an earliest.

The Taliban-led Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations said that officials of the ministry have held talks with Pakistan’s deputy ambassador on setting up a joint mechanism to address the challenges of Afghan migrants in Pakistan, according to TOLO News report.

Taliban-led Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations spokesperson Abdul Mutalib Haqqani said that the deputy ambassador of Pakistan in this meeting denied creating a deadline for the expulsion of Afghan migrants from Pakistan.

Abdul Mutalib Haqqani said, “It was requested from them that the issue of migrants is a common issue between Pakistan and Afghanistan, and based on this, work on a common mechanism should be done, and a committee should be established, and Afghan migrants should be gradually and honorably returned to their homeland.”

At the same time, some migrant rights activists have termed the Pakistan government’s action contrary to human rights conventions.
Speaking to TOLO News, Asefa Stanikzai, a migrant rights activist, said, “Pakistan is acting against human rights conventions and immigration rules, which is due to Pakistan’s interests in political and economic issues.”

Earlier, Amnesty International called for the immediate cancellation of the plan to expel Afghan migrants from Pakistan, stressing that this plan is contrary to international human rights laws and refugee laws.

Meanwhile, the Taliban’s acting minister of Refugees and Repatriation Affairs has urged Pakistan to resolve the Afghan migrants’ issue within the framework of bilateral understanding, Khaama Press reported.

Pakistan reportedly plans to begin the second phase of its expulsion of Afghan migrants from April 10 after having driven 5,35,000 of them out of the nation since November last year.

At a recent iftar event held at the Taliban-led Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul, which was attended by ambassadors and representatives of various nations, Taliban-appointed Deputy PM Abdul Salam Hanafi said that over a million Afghan migrants had been forcibly and voluntarily removed from neighbouring countries, Khaama Press reported.

The first phase of expelling undocumented Afghan migrants from Pakistan began in November 2023, while the second phase, under the name of the ‘repatriation plan’ which also includes those holding citizenship cards, is set to start on April 10, according to TOLO News report.

Human rights organisations and the Taliban have criticised Pakistan’s action. However, the Pakistani government insisted that it was not directed at any one ethnic community.

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

Britain: ‘Monster’ man murders wife, chops her body into 224 pieces, keeps them in his kitchen for a week before dumping the remains in a river

OpIndia Staff
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Britain: ‘Monster’ man murders wife, chops her body into 224 pieces, keeps them in his kitchen for a week before dumping the remains in a river

A horrific case of murder has come to light from Britain where a 28-year-old man named Nicholas Metson stabbed his 26-year-old wife Holly Bramley to death. Metson then chopped her body into 224 pieces and stored them in his kitchen for a week before dumping them in a river with the help of his 28-year-old friend Joshua Hancock. He is scheduled to be sentenced on 8th April after he admitted to killing her. Holly Bramley’s remains were found on 25th March last year in the Witham river at Bassingham, Lincolnshire, eight days following a missing person report.

Following the murder, Nicholas Metson paid his friend Joshua Hancock to get rid of his wife’s remains after they were hidden in their apartment for almost a week, according to testimony given at Lincoln Crown Court. Judge Simon Hirst, who was presiding over the sentencing hearing on 5th April, was informed that the culprit never provided an explanation for the manner and motive behind the crime.

The mother and siblings of Holly Bramley presented victim impact statements in court, stating that she had been subjected to “coercive control and manipulation” by the “evil monster” and that their marriage had “broken down irretrievably.” The court heard that although the couple had tied the knot in 2021, they were about to call it quits when he killed her.

The perpetrator also had a history of abusing animals. He had previously punished his wife by brutally killing their pets, as the court heard. According to a source, he once left his spouse’s new puppy in the washing machine, where she later found it dead with the drum still turning. During other instances, the victim disclosed that Nicholas Metson murdered her hamsters by placing them in the microwave and food processor. She had also once run away from him and took her pet bunnies to a police station.

According to the source, Holly “never explained why he had done it” and they believed he had “controlled and manipulated” the victim. The source added, “She told us she loved him, but the first time I met him I took an instant dislike to him. There was just something about him.”

Nicholas Metson also searched, “What benefits do I get if my wife has died”, and “Can someone haunt me after they die,” on the internet. Incidentally, he was earlier given a referral order in 2013 due to a domestic abuse incident involving a former partner. He also received a community order in 2016 for three offences involving the disclosure of sexual pictures with a different ex-partner. He acknowledged breaking a restraining order pertaining to the same victim a year later.

The murder and disposal of the body

On 24th March, Lincolnshire Police received a call expressing concern for the victim’s safety. When the police visited the residence the next day, it smelled strongly of bleach and there were bloodstained sheets in the bathroom and a saw on the kitchen floor which was later moved to a cupboard. Nicholas Metson told ‘a load of lies’, alleging he had no idea where his wife was and that she left five days before with females from a local mental health support organisation. At one point he even joked that “she might be hiding under the bed.”

Nicholas Metson was arrested on suspicion of murder of his wife. Moreover, two knives, a claw hammer, and garden pruners were found on the premises. On 25th March, at 6 o’clock in the evening, a local in Bassingham observed several plastic bags in the river Witham, and found a hand inside one of them.

From the bags, police divers discovered 224 pieces of the body, including her shaven head. The Home Office Pathologist spent more than thirteen hours going over everything, but because of the severe dismemberment, the pathologist was unable to determine the precise cause of death.

She was most likely killed in her bedroom by Nicholas Metson who then dissected her body in the bathtub, put her body in the kitchen pantry, and packaged her remains. He then asked his school friend Joshua Hancock early that morning to assist him in removing the body.

Nicholas Metson started dating the victim in 2016. He didn’t even allow her to see her family for years before the murder. A month ago, he entered a guilty plea to murder. He had already acknowledged plotting to dispose of the victim’s body on 25th March in order to sabotage the legal process. Joshua Hancock of Waddington, Lincolnshire entered a guilty plea to hindering a coroner’s performance of his official duties by assisting with the disposal of the remains.

Congress has made a habit of going at Adani and Ambani, asked them to stop criticising Adani after SEBI clean chit: Gourav Vallabh who left Congress to join BJP

ANI
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Congress has made a habit of going at Adani and Ambani, asked them to stop criticising Adani after SEBI clean chit: Gourav Vallabh who left Congress to join BJP

Doubling down on his allegations against the Congress after changing his political stripes to saffron, BJP leader Gourav Vallabh on Sunday accused the grand old party of being in conflict with the country’s wealth creators, including industrialist and billionaire investor Gautam Adani.

In a tell-all interview with ANI on Sunday, Vallabh said he urged the Congress high command to stop criticising Gautam Adani, the chairperson of the Adani Group, after the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), which had opened a probe against him in connection with certain claims made by US-based short-seller Hindenburg, gave him a clean chit.

“The Congress has made a habit of going at Adani and Ambani (Reliance Industries chairperson Mukesh Ambani) night and day. I did hold a press conference (while with the Congress) in which I made certain references against Adani. However, when SEBI gave Adani a clean chit (in the probe into the Hindenburg claims), I stopped airing any public statements about him. I even advised the Congress leaders to stop criticising him after the clean chit by SEBI. But they kept going at him and continue to do so,” Vallabh said.

Significantly, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, as well as senior party leaders including national president Mallikarjun Kharge, have been severely critical of Adani and Ambani, accusing them of receiving undue favours from the Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He disclosed further that he decided not to represent the Congress anymore on television debates or interactions with media persons after the heavyweights in the grand old party turned down an invitation to the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir on January 22, this year.

“From the time I resigned my membership of the Congress, I have been saying (in interviews with media outlets) that I repeatedly told senior leaders in my former party that we cannot remain silent to opposition to ‘Sanatana Dharma’. From the day the Congress turned down the invitation to ‘Pran Pratishtha’ of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya, I decided against representing the Congress on television shows and debates anymore. I told all senior leaders that we need to stop criticising our wealth creators, who work hard to build their wealth while also contributing to nation-building,” the BJP leader said.

Vallabh claimed that the Congress was presently being run by the ‘personal assistants’ of former chief ministers and ministers.

In an unsparing attack on senior Congress leaders, including Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh and former Union Minister P Chidambaram, while not taking their names, Vallabh said, “The Congress is presently being run by those, who probably never fought elections to be a class monitor. A leader (Jairam Ramesh), who never put himself in the fray to even become a class monitor, has been representing the Congress in the Rajya Sabha for five terms now. He has nothing to do with the ideology of the Congress, he just wants to secure his Rajya Sabha seat. He has no ideological commitment to the party.”

Picking on Chidambaram without naming him, the former Congress leader said the party’s tally in the Lok Sabha would not have dropped to between 42 and 52 if his ideas and suggestions had any merit.

“The Congress manifesto has been drafted by the same person (Chidambaram) for the last 30 years. If his ideas had any merit or practical relevance, the Congress’s tally in the Lok Sabha wouldn’t have dropped to between 42 and 52 (seats). When I was in college, he used to defend the party on television as a spokesperson. Even today, he is the in-charge of Communications (in the Congress). He is a PA. You wouldn’t believe if I tell you that some people in the Congress, who are giving tickets for the Lok Sabha elections, can’t tell Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Trying asking them and see how they appear confused,” he added.

He added that the Congress neither understands the issues of the party’s grassroots workers nor the aspirations of voters.

Gourav, who resigned from the Congress, citing the party’s ‘lack of direction’, joined the BJP at its headquarters in the national capital.

A prominent Congress face on television debates, Vallabh said he had grown ‘uncomfortable’ with the positions articulated by the party on several issues.

“I am uncomfortable with the directionless way, in which the Congress Party is moving forward today. I can neither raise anti-Sanatan slogans nor abuse the wealth creators of the country all day long, which is why I am resigning from all posts and primary membership of Congress Party,” Vallabh posted on X.

He contested last year’s Rajasthan assembly elections from the Udaipur constituency but lost to the BJP candidate by a margin of about 32,000 votes.

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

Financial influencer Ravindra Bharti, who promised up to 1000% returns, ordered to pay Rs 12 crore by SEBI, banned from securities market

ANI
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Financial influencer Ravindra Bharti, who promised up to 1000% returns, ordered to pay Rs 12 crore by SEBI, banned from securities market

A financial influencer (finfluencer) who was also involved in imparting training related to stock market trading has been asked to part with a little over Rs 12 crore, which it made unlawfully.

The person, Ravindra Balu Bharti, is directed to credit/deposit the money to an interest bearing Escrow Account created specifically for the purpose in a nationalized bank. The Escrow Account(s) shall create a lien in favour of SEBI and the monies kept therein shall not be released without the permission from SEBI, the regulator said in an order.

Ravindra Bharti Education Institute Pvt. Ltd. (RBEIPL):It is a company founded by Ravindra Balu Bharti in the year 2016, along with his wife, Shubhangi Bharti. The company claims to be primarily involved in imparting training/education related to stock market trading activities. RBEIPL is also having a functional website with the domain name:https://bhartisharemarket.com/.

Ravindra Balu Bharti was a Director of RBEIPL for the period commencing from February 03, 2016 to October 03, 2023. He is son of Balu Motiram, an Authorised Person of stock-broker ABC Limited.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) passed an interim order against an unregistered investment advisory named Ravindra Bharti Education Institute Private Ltd (RBEIPL), its former director Ravindra Balu Bharti and his wife Shubhangi Bharti, and current directors Rahul Ananta Gosavi, and Dhanashri Chandrakant Gosavi.

After an investigation by the market regulator SEBI, it said the noticees shall also cease and desist from offering investment advisory services from acting as or holding themselves out to be investment advisors. Also, they are restrained from buying, selling or dealing in securities, either directly or indirectly, in any manner whatsoever until further orders.

“An amount of INR 12,03,82,130.91 being the total unlawful gain earned from the alleged unregistered investment advisory business, shall be impounded from Noticee no. 1 (Ravindra Bharti Education Institute Private Limited),” SEBI’s order said.

Ravindra Bharti has two YouTube channels named Bharti Share Market Marathi with 10.8 lakh subscribers and Bharti Share Market – Hindi with 8.22 lakh subscribers.

The primary responsibility of a securities market regulator like SEBI is to protect the interest of investors.

The order disclosed “how the investors’ confidence has been compromised and how the systems are being abused for personal gains and attainments by entities like Noticee no. 1 by, devising mischievous ways to circumvent the provisions of laws for their personal enrichment but in detriment to the investors.”

Guaranteed returns up to 1000 per cent is a clear case of abuse of investors’ confidence in the securities market, the order observed. Investors were lured to take the advisory services by projecting returns in the range of 25 to 1000 per cent.

The investors who opted for such services were required to enter into an agreement, containing detailed terms and conditions of providing investment advisory services; fee to be paid against availing investment advisory services, expected returns on investment made on the advisory, profit sharing percentage in case the returns exceed the expected returns, it said.

“India’s capital market in the recent times has witnessed tremendous growth, characterized particularly by increasing participation of common public based on investors’ confidence. This confidence in the capital market can be sustained largely by ensuring investors protection. Disclosure and transparency are the two pillars on which market integrity rests,” the order copy read.

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

Minor Muslim girls being sold to old Arab men to get food for family: Hyderabad BJP candidate Madhavi Latha makes alarming revelations

OpIndia Staff
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Minor Muslim girls being sold to old Arab men to get food for family: Hyderabad BJP candidate Madhavi Latha makes alarming revelations

The candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat, Madhavi Latha, revealed a shocking incident related to the “sale of a bride” that she encountered in the area. She further asserted that females are being sold to fund the family’s sustenance. According to her, some families force their daughters into several marriages in order to receive money that is then utilized to raise the family’s other children. She was in Rajat Sharma’s popular talk show “Aap Ki Adalat” which was broadcast on 6th April.

Rajat Sharma asked her, “When you visit Muslim women regularly, they (Islamsist) accuse you of encouraging them to become independent and not have children,” to which she responded, “We host medical camps, give out food and medicine and provide them with blankets and food during iftar on Roza at the madrasas. We give them commodities like refrigerators, almirahs and clothes. You’ll be shocked to learn, though, that they have asked me not to tell anyone about their institutions or themselves since their neighbours have threatened them not to take assistance from outside sources.”

She unveiled, “The maulana (Muslim cleric) threatened to break the legs of my team members. Helping them requires us to keep quiet. I don’t encourage women not to procreate. All we ask them to do is bear offspring like Pandavas and not Kauravas. We remind them that you deliver children, but you are unable to meet their basic needs, which include clothing, food and education. What are you doing, then? The pain of a mother can only be felt by another mother. When you have children, make sure they become the nation’s pride. A kid who is unaware of the purpose of his birth reaches a point in life from which he is unable to return. I only share these things with them.”

Rahat Sharma then questioned, “When you talk like this the people claim that you are disparaging Hyderabad and Old City. You say that girls are put on sale there.” The BJP leader answered, “I have been working hard among poor Muslim families of Old Hyderabad to provide them with education and assistance. Fifteen days ago, a 16-year-old Muslim girl spoke from a Middle East country to her family in Hyderabad. The minor stated, ‘Mummy, arrange a big feast because I have been married off 18 times.’ She was married to a 70-year-old Arab man. This is the bitter truth. Can anybody do this to his own daughter? Where does religion come into this?”

The BJP leader added, “I have two girls. Can anyone even dare to hurt them? I tell the same thing to the women. I won’t get my girls married till they are 21 years old. I provide them with the best education possible. Where does religion come in between two mothers? Daughters belong to all of us. I only pray for a girl’s nice life, good in-laws, better husband from God. We are astounded to view the houses of Pasmanada (Muslims) on winding alleyways where sounds are confined between four walls. They marry their daughters multiple times due to their low socio-economic standing and need for money to feed their eight or nine children. Some girls are sold to put food on the table.”

Madhavi Latha is contesting the election from a BJP ticket against Asaduddin Owaisi, president of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM). General elections will be held in India from 19 April 2024 to 1 June 2024 to elect the 543 members of the 18th Lok Sabha. The elections will be held in seven phases and the results will be announced on 4 June 2024.

Following tax evasion and FDI questions, BBC transfers newsroom and publishing license in India to a new separate company established by its Indian staff

OpIndia Staff
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Following tax evasion and FDI questions, BBC transfers newsroom and publishing license in India to a new separate company established by its Indian staff

The United Kingdom’s state-owned broadcaster, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), has transferred its newsroom in India along with its publishing license to a private limited company established by its Indian staff. Notably, this marks the first instance of such a move in the public service broadcaster’s global operations. The development comes less than a year after the BBC faced scrutiny from Indian tax authorities for tax evasion.

Under the new arrangement, the private limited company named “Collective Newsroom” has been established by four former BBC employees. It will start its operation from next week. The offices in India will create content in seven languages for the BBC’s digital services, including Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Punjabi, Tamil, and Telugu.

As per reports, the BBC has applied to the Indian government for a 26% stake in this private limited company.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Collective Newsroom Rupa Jha said, “It’s unprecedented for the BBC to grant their license to publish to another entity…We will not compromise our journalism and the BBC is solidly behind us.” 

Jha was the senior news editor at BBC India and is now one of the four founding shareholders of Collective Newsroom, the new entity curved out of the UK’s state-owned broadcaster.

Regarding the restructuring plan, Jha said, “There were a number of options before us. Considering that the BBC didn’t want to lose its presence in India or cut jobs, and they didn’t want it to become financially unviable, this forced us to think out of the box. Based on the legal advice the BBC was receiving, everyone was veering towards this as the viable option (of setting up the Collective).” 

The new Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) rules, introduced in 2020, imposed a 26% FDI limit in India’s digital media sector. This has prompted the broadcaster’s India operations to undergo restructuring to comply with the FDI rules. 

Previously, BBC India handled editorial operations in the country, with the UK broadcaster owning over 99% of it. However, when the investment cap came into effect, companies with over 26% FDI had to reduce their foreign investment to meet the regulation by October 2021.

The BBC’s India bureau has approximately 200 staff, making it the biggest operation globally outside the UK. It started broadcasting in India in May 1940. As per reports, almost all of the 200 employees of BBC India have transitioned to the Collective Newsroom. 

Last year, in February, tax authorities conducted searches at BBC’s offices in Delhi and Mumbai to probe tax violations. The IT Dept had investigated non-compliance with transfer pricing rules and diversion of profits. The three-day-long investigation concerned international taxation and the suspected transfer of BBC revenues. 

Later on 12th April 2023, the Enforcement Directorate filed a case against BBC India under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) over allegations of violating foreign exchange laws. 

Months later in June 2023, BBC reportedly admitted that they evaded taxes in India and were committing to pay Rs 40 crores in tax arrears.

Following the tax probe and FDI questions, the BBC has transferred its newsroom and publishing license to a private company, ‘Collective Newsroom’, established by its employees which will begin operation next week. 

BJP’s Lakhpati Didi Yojana vs Congress’s ‘Nari Nyay’ Scheme – One empowering women while one promising economic ruin of the country

Anurag
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BJP’s Lakhpati Didi Yojana vs Congress’s ‘Nari Nyay’ Scheme – One empowering women while one promising economic ruin of the country

On 5th April, Congress released its manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections 2024. In its manifesto, it promised to launch the “Nari Nyay Mahalakshmi” scheme which is the “Congress Nari Nyay scheme” that the party talked about a few weeks back as part of “Nyay Manifesto”. The scheme promises unconditional cash transfers of Rs 1 lakh per year to every woman of poor Indian families.

A responsible government uplifts the citizens of the country. However, it is essential to ensure the schemes brought for the upliftment of the marginalised members of the society do not jeopardise the economic stability of the nation. Congress’s Mahalakshmi Scheme may sound good on paper, but it spells nothing but economic disaster for India.

First of all, let’s discuss the fundamental flaw in the scheme that Congress has promised to the people of India. They say that if Congress comes to power, it will enact the scheme of unconditional cash transfer of Rs 1 lakh per year to the women of the country. The idea in itself is flawed as there is no plan discussed in the manifesto on how the party would execute it. Where is this colossal sum of money going to magically appear from? Congress did not answer that. The party conveniently threw the critical question under the rug leaving a gaping hole in making the scheme feasible.

How Congress describes Nari Nyay scheme

The scheme in the manifesto reads, “Mahalakshmi: Inequality of income and opportunity remains India’s ugliest truth. It is the moral and political responsibility of any government to ensure that every Indian family is assured of a basic income every month. Congress resolves to launch a Mahalakshmi scheme to provide Rs 1 lakh per year to every poor Indian family as an unconditional cash transfer. The poor will be identified among the families in the bottom of the income pyramid. The amount will be directly transferred to the bank account of the oldest woman of the household. Absent a woman, it will be transferred to the account of the oldest member of the family. The scheme will be rolled out in stages and reviewed every year to assess the number of beneficiary families and its impact on alleviating poverty.

If we compare the Mahalakhsmi Scheme with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s Lakhpati Didi Scheme, it is evident that the latter focuses on empowering rural women through skill development and entrepreneurship. BJP’s sustainable approach towards creating self-reliant individuals is capable of contributing meaningfully to the Indian economy. Lakhpati Didi Scheme talks about building capabilities and fostering entrepreneurship. It paves the way for long-term economic growth of the women belonging to the marginalised section of society.

What is Lakhpati Didi Scheme and how it empowers women

Lakhpati Didi is an ambitious project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi which was announced on Independence Day in 2023 from the Red Fort. The scheme aims to empower rural women and help them earn a sustainable income of at least 1 lakh per annum by providing them with the necessary training.

Under the scheme, crores of poor women associated with Self Help Groups (SHGs) are expected to benefit. The scheme is essentially a skill development program for these women. These women will be provided with the necessary skill training to make them capable enough to earn on their own and improve their lives. During the training, these women will also be taught how to start their own small-scale businesses.

The Lakhpati Didi initiative has been initiated by Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM). DAY-NRLM is the flagship program of the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) for promoting poverty reduction through building strong institutions for the poor, particularly women.

Under the Lakhpati Didi scheme of DAY-NRLM, each SHG household is encouraged to take up multiple livelihood activities coupled with value chain interventions, helping the women get a sustainable income of at least Rs 1 lakh.

Since most of the poor women in rural areas are only reliant on agriculture for their livelihood, a need was felt to provide them with skill training so that they can start their own small businesses and earn their living. The scheme aims to improve the quality of life among the poor in rural areas with the help of SHGs, and improve the socio-economic condition of women there.

Lack of clarity on funding and about sustainable economic growth in Nari Nyay scheme

The promise of Rs 1 lakh per year per family by Congress lacks clarity on funding. Furthermore, it also undermines the dignity of labour and entrepreneurship. The grand old party has planned to hand out cash without any productive activity attached. Their promise risks fostering a culture of dependency rather than women empowerment. We can compare it to putting a band-aid on a wound that requires surgery.

Moreover, injecting such massive among of cash into the economy will cause inflationary pressure. In rural areas, where the cost of living is comparatively lower, the sudden inflow of cash without increasing productivity will eventually result in price hikes that will erode the purchasing power of the poor.

In addition to the future disasters linked to the scheme, Congress has not planned to create new wealth. In short, it will only add to the inflation without addressing the root cause of poverty. Congress has called for eradicating poverty. For decades, the party leaders including first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, former PM Indira Gandhi and former PM Rajiv Gandhi, all talked about eradicating poverty during elections but never succeeded. The lack of vision always pushed Congress on the back foot.

India eliminated extreme poverty, thanks to Modi govt schemes

On the contrary, the latest reports revealed India has officially eliminated ‘extreme poverty’, which can be seen through the sharp decline in the headcount poverty ratio and stark increase in household consumption, thanks to the schemes introduced by the Modi government over the past 10 years. According to the data, real per capita consumption growth has been recorded at 2.9 per cent per year since 2011-12. Under this, rural growth at 3.1 per cent was significantly higher than urban growth at 2.6 per cent. The Headcount Poverty Ratio (HCR) for the 2011 PPP USD 1.9 poverty line has declined from 12.2 per cent in 2011-12 to 2 per cent in 2022-23, equivalent to 0.93 percentage points (ppt) per year. Rural poverty stood at 2.5 per cent while urban poverty was down to 1 per cent.

Let’s remember that the practicality of the implementation of any scheme has to be thought out beforehand. Identifying marginalised families, ensuring the money reaches the right hands, preventing leakages and controlling corruption are not easy tasks. Congress, whose leader former PM Rajiv Gandhi once said that if the Central Government released Re 1, only 15 paisa would reach the public, showcased no plan to address the issues attached to the backend of the “visionary scheme”.

The promises are made by the political parties to lure the voters. However, before casting a vote, it is the right of the voter to look beyond rhetoric and evaluate the long-term implications. A responsible government has to prioritise sustainable solutions that support economic growth and empower individual solutions to help them come out of the shackles of poverty. Contrary to the practice, Congress’s scheme lacks clarity, feasibility and vision. In turn, it is a recipe for economic disaster.

In the upcoming General Elections, voters must choose wisely and opt for political parties that promise real progress and not populist pandering that threatens to make the nation bankrupt.

AAP leaders observe hunger strike protesting against arrest of Arvind Kejriwal, Atishi claims liquor scam money went to BJP

ANI
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AAP leaders observe hunger strike protesting against arrest of Arvind Kejriwal, Atishi claims liquor scam money went to BJP

As the AAP leaders observed a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar against the arrest of party national convenor and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the Delhi excise policy case on Sunday, Delhi Minister Atishi alleged that the central agencies are acting like political weapons of the BJP.

Kejriwal, who was arrested by the ED on March 21, was sent to judicial custody until April 15 and is lodged in Tihar Jail in connection with a money-laundering case linked to a liquor excise policy scam.

Atishi alleged that the money trail in this liquor policy scam has been done from liquor trader Sharat Reddy to the BJP.

“People of Delhi love Arvind Kejriwal. They don’t think of him as a CM but as their son, or brother. All want the bail for Arvind Kejriwal. BJP’s ED and CBI haven’t been able to show a single penny of liquor scam from the leaders of AAP. If there is any money trail in this issue, it’s from liquor trader Sharat Reddy to the BJP,” the AAP leader said.

The AAP leader further questioned the central probe agency to reveal details regarding the action taken against leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in connection with alleged money laundering cases.

“Sharat Reddy donated 55 crores to the BJP… Why the BJP has not been raided, or accused, why has the BJP’s National President not been summoned or arrested? ED, CBI act as political weapons of BJP”, Atishi said.

Earlier, Delhi Minister and AAP leader while addressing a press conference appealed to the people to be a part of the hunger strike.

“We appeal to people that all those who are against the arrest of CM Arvind Kejriwal and want to save democracy and love this country can also do’ Samuhik Upwas’ at their homes, villages, and blocks,” he said.

On April 1, 2024, the court sent the Delhi Chief Minister to judicial custody until April 15 in the excise policy money laundering case.

Kejriwal was arrested by the central agency on charges of corruption in relation to the case. It is the first time in independent India that a serving Chief Minister has been arrested. The move came after Kejriwal skipped multiple summons by the investigation agency, nine in total, calling them “illegal.”

The case pertains to alleged irregularities and money laundering in framing and implementing the Delhi excise policy 2022, which was later scrapped.

While Kejriwal was not named in the FIRs registered by the ED or the Central Bureau of Investigation in the Delhi excise policy case, his name first found a mention in the ED’s chargesheet, wherein the agency claimed that he allegedly spoke to one of the main accused, Sameer Mahendru, in a video call and asked him to continue working with co-accused and AAP communications-in-charge Vijay Nair.

Nair was among the first people to be arrested by the CBI in the case, in 2022. Subsequently, former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh were arrested in connection with the case.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on April 2 granted bail to AAP MP Sanjay Singh, who was arrested on October 4, 2023, in a money laundering case related to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy.

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

Gangster Goldy Brar, currently hiding in US, claims he killed rival Ajay Rana by beheading him in Russia for leaking information to police

OpIndia Staff
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Gangster Goldy Brar, currently hiding in US, claims he killed rival Ajay Rana by beheading him in Russia for leaking information to police

On 6th April, mobster Goldy Brar, who is allegedly responsibile for the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala, claimed to have beheaded another gangster named Ajay Rana in Russia. Goldy Brar carried out the crime alongside the notorious mafia Rohit Godara. Ajay Rana was a member of their rival Bhupi Rana gang.

Goldy Brar revealed on social media that the deceased was supplying the authorities with information about their outfit, which foiled their plans and then escaped to Russia. Furthermore, Goldy Brar’s message implied that Ajay Rana was snitching on Saba from Gobindgarh. Rana became a member of their group and leaked the information to the cops. Goldy Brar also shared an image of Ajay Rana online.

Earlier this year, the Lawrence Bishnoi gang had sent two gunmen to Chandigarh, posing as attorneys, with the intention of killing Bhupi Rana as he approached the courthouse. Bhupi Rana was apprehended in Panchkula in 2018, and it was reported that Goldy Brar had instructed Lawrence Bishnoi to conduct the hit on him. According to Goldie Brar, Ajay Rana joined their gang at Bhupi Rana’s behest and mingled with his close companions. He then started tracking the movements, locations and activities of Goldy Brar and other gang members and divulged the same to the police.

Goldy Brar used to live in Canada, but is currently seeking sanctuary in the United States, and continues to operate in Punjab, Delhi, Haryana, and Canada. Conflict and violence have resulted from the rivalry between members of the Goldy Brar-Lawrence Bishnoi gang and other gangsters not only in India but also in Canada, the Philippines, and now, Russia.

At the start of this year, Satinderjit Singh, popularly known as Goldy Brar, who is suspected of being the mastermind behind the shocking murder of Sidhu Moosewala was designated as a terrorist under the strict anti-terror law Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The action taken by the Indian government was prompted by reports that he and his associates had been attempting to disturb peace in Punjab and other parts of the country.

Goldy Brar is also connected to the outlawed terror group Babbar Khalsa. Additionally, he was involved in the cross-border smuggling of superior weaponry, armaments and ammunition. He also provides sharpshooters for killings.

Kerala ragging case: JS Sidharthan, in whose suicide SFI members are accused, was tortured continuously for 29 hours, says Police report

OpIndia Staff
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Kerala ragging case: JS Sidharthan, in whose suicide SFI members are accused, was tortured continuously for 29 hours, says Police report

On 5th April, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered an FIR in the JS Sidharthan suicide case. As per the documents attached to the FIR, Sidharthan was mentally and physically tortured by seniors and classmates for 29 hours continuously the day before he committed suicide.

The FIR has been registered against 20 accused under Sections 120B, 341, 323, 324, 355, 306 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 4 r/w 3 of the Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act. While Akhil K has been named as the main accused, the names of other accused in the case are Kashinandhan R, Ameen Akbarali U, Arun K, Sinjo Johnson, N Asif Khan, Aman Ihsan, Ajay J, Althaf A, Soud Risal EK, Adithyan V, Muhammed Dhanish, Rehan Binoy, Akash SD, Abhishek S, Shreehari RD, Dons Dai, Billgate Joshwa Thannikkode, Naseef V, and Abhi A.

OpIndia accessed the copy of FIR which has several documents linked to the investigation. In one of the documents, the statement given by Sub-Inspector Prashobh PV before the Sub Divisional Magistrate Court, Mananthavady, revealed that Sidharthan was physically and mentally tortured by some senior students and classmates for 29 hours continuously.

The document mentioned the statements from an anti-ragging squad of the college, the dean of the college, the medical officer who conducted the autopsy and other witnesses. “Sidharthan was physically and mentally tortured by some senior students and classmates. They assaulted Sidharthan on 16th February 2024 from 9 AM to 2 PM 17th February 2024 continuously with hand and using a belt and subjected him to cruel ragging”, the document read.

The statement further mentioned that the ragging “made him utter stage of mental stress and feeling that he can neither continue study in the institute and complete this course nor go home dropping the course. As he is so mentally stressed, he felt that there was no option for him other than suicide, he committed suicide by hanging himself in the bathroom of the men’s hostel between 12:30 PM and 1:45 PM on 18th February 2024.”

Initially, police registered a case of unnatural death. However, the investigation revealed that the victim was tortured by the seniors and classmates. Apart from Students Federation of India (SFI) leaders Arun K, Amal Ihsan, Asif Khan and Abhishek S, CBI mentioned the names of several other accused.

JS Sidharthan found hanging in hostel after torture by SFI members

On 18th February, 20-year-old JS Sidharthan (or Sidharth) was found dead in the KVASU hostel. Several SFI members are accused of torturing the student for days, leading to the suicide.

Sidharthan’s death sparked an outrage in the state following which Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan suspended Professor (Dr) MR Saseendranath, the vice-chancellor of the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University. Moreover, 31 university students were also suspended on the recommendation of the anti-ragging committee for connections with the case.

Most members are members of the Students Federation of India (SFI), a student group affiliated with the Communist Party of India (Marxist). A total of 11 accused have been arrested so far, and 4 of them are leaders of the SFI.

Notably, JS Sidharthan’s body was found hanging in the toilet of the college hostel in the afternoon. His post-mortem report carried many revelations including that he suffered a severe beating before death. Furthermore, his stomach was empty and there were wounds on his body. He sustained head, jaw and back injuries.

Afterwards, the police registered a case of unnatural death in this case. Twelve students comprising left-wing student leaders were also suspended from the college after its anti-ragging committee found the victim was brutally beaten up by fellow students days before his death. The arrested individuals are not among the suspended students who are evading capture. According to Sidharthan’s father, left-wing students regularly tortured his son. The suspended SFI leaders and members include the college union president, a union member, and the SFI unit secretary.

On 9th March, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan ordered a CBI inquiry into the case. Opposition parties and the father of the student had blamed the SFI for the death of the student.

On 31st March, Jayaprakash, the father of JS Sidharthan, made serious allegations against the Kerala government in connection to his son’s death and said if no action is taken, he will protest outside Cliff house (Kerala CM residence) along with his wife once her health condition improves. He added that the protest would not be against delay in the CBI investigation but an attempt to sabotage the probe.

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