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Legitimising Love Jihad, control of investigation agencies and bail to accused like Umar Khalid: 7 points in Congress manifesto that point to dangerous times

OpIndia Staff
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Legitimising Love Jihad, control of investigation agencies and bail to accused like Umar Khalid: 7 points in Congress manifesto that point to dangerous times

On Friday, the Congress unveiled its manifesto, titled ‘Nyay Patra,’ for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi. Leading figures of the Congress, such as party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and former presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, presented the election blueprint, just days ahead of the general elections.

The Congress manifesto highlighted the importance of ‘Paanch Nyay’ or the ‘five pillars of justice,’ which include ‘Yuva Nyay,’ ‘Naari Nyay,’ ‘Kisaan Nyay,’ ‘Shramik Nyay,’ and ‘Hissedari Nyay.’ These pillars and the party’s commitments and guarantees to the people form a significant part of its election promises for the Lok Sabha polls.

However, underneath the web of jargon that Congress seems to weave, there is a sinister agenda underway that seeks to legitimise love jihad, beef-eating, control of investigating agencies and freeing of criminals, among other things. Here are 7 points in the Congress manifesto that point towards dangerous times:-

1. No ‘one nation, one election’

The Congress party has promised that there will be no ‘one nation, one election’—an idea floated by the incumbent Modi government to minimise the state exchequer on election procedures and provide governments more time to fulfil promises made to their subjects. However, the Congress party has promised that it wants to stick to the old fashion of conducting Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections as per the existing methods and tie up the entire state machinery in holding elections throughout the 5-year tenure of the central government, which often hinders them from fulfilling their poll objectives and promises through the imposition of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).

2. Hinting at bringing back paper ballots

The Congress manifesto also spoke about bringing back paper ballots alongside EVM machines. The manifesto claims that voting will be held through EVMs but voters will be able to hold and deposit the machine-generated audit trail into the VVPAT unit. This would not only complicate the process but also provide opportunities for booth hacking where a candidate unlikely of winning an election can employ illegal means to either rig the elections or get them cancelled.

Congress’ ‘Save the Constitution’ document

3. Bringing investigating agencies under parliamentary oversight

Perhaps among the most sinister of the promises made in the Congress manifesto is bringing the police, investigation and intelligence agencies under the purview of the parliament. This would ultimately rob the agencies of their independence and make them susceptible to intereference from lawmakers, rendering them into a puppet of the government of the day.

It is worth noting such efforts to bring investigating agencies under parliamentary control were done during UPA II regime as well. In 2012, a draft legislation, introduced by a private member, was presented in parliament. This proposed law had aimed to establish the snooping agencies as statutory bodies and make them accountable to a committee under the prime minister’s authority.

The proposed billed aimed to place the Intelligence Bureau (IB), India’s domestic intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), its external espionage unit, and the technical intelligence collector National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) under the purview of parliament.

4. ‘Bail is the rule, jail is an exception’ to be implemented

The Congress party has promised to enact laws that would ensure the principle of ‘bail is the rule, jail is an exception’ is applied to all criminal laws. The implication of such a law would be such that UAPA accused like Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam would be out on bail, with investigating agencies, under the purview of the parliament, hard-pressed to gather evidence against them and record their depositions that would link crucial links in conspiracies hatched to create public unrest and violence.

5. Promise to end suspension of internet

The internet is a powerful tool, which has both positives and negatives attached to it, which makes it all the important for the administration to regulate it and ensure it is not being exploited for ulterior means. The Congress party has promised to end suspension of internet, a tool which is often used in Jammu and Kashmir to prevent mobilisation of stone pelters trying to impede combing operations launched by armed forces.

Congress’ ‘Save the Constitution’ document

6. Uphold people’s right to assemble

The Congress party has also promised to uphold people’s right to assembly and protest, which in crude terms means protesters get the sanction of the law to squat on busy public roads and cause grave inconvenience to commuters such as witnessed during Shaheen Bagh protests and Farmers’ protests.

7. Legitimising Love Jihad and beef consumption

Another insidious promise that Congress made in its manifesto is related to consumption of food and an individual’s choice to love and marry. Although it sounds anodyne, it is worth noting that such promises indirectly legitimise beef consumption and perennial menace of love jihad, which the Congress leaders have sought to dismiss it as figment of right-wing imagination even as hundreds of cases keep emerging almost on a daily basis.

“Saugandh mujhe iss mitti ki..”: Hours after the Guardian report, PM Modi says in a rally, “Even our enemies know this is new India, ye ghar main ghus ke maarta hai”

OpIndia Staff
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“Saugandh mujhe iss mitti ki..”: Hours after the Guardian report, PM Modi says in a rally, “Even our enemies know this is new India, ye ghar main ghus ke maarta hai”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, 5th April, addressed a rally in Rajasthan’s Churu. He said that the country has witnessed a change in the last ten years of his government.

The Prime Minister recalled his visit to Churu on 26th February 2019, the same day when India conducted the Balakote air strikes. “We had taught a lesson to terrorists,” he said.

“The words that I had said on the land of Churu that day, I want to reiterate those sentiments today on the land of the braves. I had said here ‘Saugandh mujhe iss mitti ki, main desh nahin mitne dunga, main desh nahin rukne dunga, main desh nahin khukne dunga, mera vachan hai Bharat Maa ko, tera sheesh nahin jhukne dunga’,” PM Modi said amid rousing applauds and sloganeering by the crowd.

The Prime Minister recalled the insult by Congress to the nation and the Indian forces. “The people of this arrogant alliance were demanding proof of bravery from our Army,” he said adding that insulting the forces and dividing the nation is the characteristic of the Congress party.

He further said, “Aaj dushman ko bhi pata hai yeh Modi hai, yeh naya Bharat hai, yeh naya Bharat ghar mein ghus kar maarta hai (Today even the enemy knows that this is Modi, this is New India, this New India breaks in and attacks).”

PM Modi’s statement comes just hours after British newspaper The Guardian published a contentious article on Thursday (4th April) titled ‘Indian government ordered killings in Pakistan, intelligence officials claim.’

It relied heavily on anonymous sources, particularly from the Pakistani intelligence, to demonise PM Modi as a facilitator of ‘extra-territorial killings.’ In doing so, The Guardian ended up acknowledging him as a defender of India’s security interests from external threats.

The article has been authored by anti-India propagandist Hannah Ellis-Petersen, Aakash Hassan and Pakistani ‘journalist’ Shah Meer Baloch. At the very onset, it described Pakistani terrorists as ‘individuals’ who were supposedly assassinated by the Indian government.

Sharia-compliant manifesto? Congress bends to AIMPLB, hints at repealing triple talaq law and enforcing communal violence bill

OpIndia Staff
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Sharia-compliant manifesto? Congress bends to AIMPLB, hints at repealing triple talaq law and enforcing communal violence bill

On Friday (5th April), the Congress party courted controversy after it announced several schemes in its election manifesto to appease the Muslim community ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The grand-old party has vowed to send Muslim students abroad and increase their scholarships.

Interestingly, Congress has hinted at repealing the triple talaq act, allowing personal laws to supersede uniformity and entertain the wearing of non-essential religious clothing in educational institutes under the garb of the Right to Freedom of Religion.

All of these happen to be the talking points of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), which has previously opposed the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Uttarakhand. Page 8 of the Congress manifesto reads –

4. We will restore the Maulana Azad Scholarships for study abroad and increase the number of scholarships

7. Congress will ensure that, like every citizen, minorities have the freedom of choice of dress, food, language and personal laws.

The Congress promised to appoint more judges, belonging to the Muslim community, to the High Courts and the Supreme Court. It has assured to strengthen the ‘autonomy’ of the Commissions for SC, ST, minorities and OBC.

Page 24 of the manifesto says –

5. More women and persons belonging to the SC, ST, OBC and minorities will be appointed as judges of the High Courts and the Supreme Court.

Page 22 of the manifesto says-

12. We promise to strengthen the autonomy of the Election Commission of India, the Central Information Commission, the Human Rights Commission, the office of the Comptroller and Auditor General, the Commissions for SC, ST, minorities and OBC, and other constitutional bodies.

Congress has also assured to provide collateral-free education loans up to 7.5 lakhs. Page 13 of the manifesto reads –

17. Congress will revive the Education Loan programme to college students implemented under the UPA government and instruct banks to extend collateral-free education loans up to ₹7.5 lakhs especially to students belonging to the SC, ST, OBC, EWS and minorities.

The grand-old party has also suggested implementing the draconian Communal Violence Bill, which is aimed at disproportionately targeting the Hindu community.

Page 39 of the manifesto says –

1.Congress will put down with a firm hand hate speeches, hate crimes and communal conflicts. According to NCRB data, crimes against women, SC, ST and minorities have increased. We will identify the perpetrators of such crimes as well as their sponsors and punish them in accordance with law.

2. Congress is firmly opposed to extra-judicial illegal measures like mob lynching, police encounter killings and bulldozer justice. We will stop them immediately and punish the perpetrators in accordance with law.

Supreme Court stays Allahabad HC order striking down UP Board of Madarsa Education Act, says prima facie HC misconstrued the act

OpIndia Staff
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Supreme Court stays Allahabad HC order striking down UP Board of Madarsa Education Act, says prima facie HC misconstrued the act

The Supreme Court on Friday (April 5) stayed the Allahabad High Court’s March 22 order striking down the ‘Uttar Pradesh Board of Madarsa Education Act 2004’ as unconstitutional. The apex court observed that the high court misunderstood the provisions of the act and erred in declaring it unconstitutional.

A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandracuhd, Justice JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said that the UP Madarsa Act is actually regulatory in nature, and therefore it does not breach secularism.

The court said, “In striking down the Act, the High Court prima facie misconstrued the provisions of the Act. The Act does not provide for any religious instruction. The object and purpose of the Statute is regulatory in character.”

The apex court stated that if the concern was about the quality education in the madarsas, the remedy would not lie in striking down the Madarsa Act but in issuing suitable directions to ensure that the students are not deprived of quality education.

“We are of the view that the issues raised in the petitions merit closer reflection. We are inclined to issue notice,” the Court said. The bench then issued notices to Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government on the pleas challenging the high court order.

The court was hearing five Special Leave Petitions filed against the High Court’s judgment filed by Anjum Kadari, Managers Association Madaris Arabiya(UP), All India Teachers Association Madaris Arabiya (New Delhi), Manager Association Arbi Madarsa Nai Bazar and Teachers Association Madaris Arabiya Kanpur. The Court posted the petitions for final disposal in the second week of July 2024.

Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj, appearing for the State of Uttar Pradesh, said that the State is accepting the High Court judgment. When Supreme Court asked why the state is not defending its own legislation after defending the same in the High Court, the SG said that after the HC judgement, the govt has decided to accept it.

The Union of India, represented by Attorney General for India R Venkataramani, also supported the Allahabad High Court judgment.

Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhi appeared for the Managers Association Madaris, and said that the HC judgement is affecting 17 lakh students and 10,000 teachers. He refused the High Court’s observation that modern subjects were not taught in the Madrasas and submitted that Maths, Science, Hindi, English etc are taught.

The petitioners also argued that teaching religion means religious instruction and it violates secularism. “Religious education does not mean religious instruction,” Singhvi argued. The petitioners further said that all madarsas in Uttar Pradesh are not funded by the state, and that the embargo of Article 28 will apply only if the institution is “wholly maintained out of State funds”.

On 22 March, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court pronounced the ‘UP Board of Madarsa Education Act 2004’ as unconstitutional, saying that it infringes the fundamental principles of secularism. While holding the legislation to be ultra vires, the Division, led by Justice Vivek Chaudhary and Justice Subhash Vidyarthi, also instructed the Uttar Pradesh government to devise a plan to accommodate students currently enrolled in madrasas in the formal education system.

The High Court’s decision came in response to a writ petition filed by Anshuman Singh Rathore challenging the authority of the UP Madarsa Board, as well as objecting to Madarsa’s management by the Minority Welfare Department. 

Congress dedicates a section in their manifesto about how they will ‘fix’ the media: Are they trying to ensure cases like the Chinese-funded Newsclick one fall flat if they come to power?

OpIndia Staff
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Congress dedicates a section in their manifesto about how they will ‘fix’ the media: Are they trying to ensure cases like the Chinese-funded Newsclick one fall flat if they come to power?

On the 5th of April, the Congress party released its manifesto for the coming Lok Sabha elections. In its manifesto ‘Nyay Patra’, the Congress party has listed out steps it would take to ‘fix’ the media and make it ‘re-discover’ the freedom it enjoys under the constitution. Congress has promised to amend the Press Council of India Act 1978 if voted to power.

The party asserts that this move will ‘empower’ the Council to ‘deal’ with the fake and paid news.

Congress has said that it will ‘protect’ journalists from coercive action by the State in its bid to ‘defend’ journalistic freedom. “This includes restricting the powers of the government for surveillance of journalists, seizure of their devices and exposure of their sources,” the manifesto reads.

Upon hearing the Congress pledge to “restrict the powers of the government for surveillance of journalists” and “seizures of their devices,” one must quickly consider what the Congress actually intends to do. In the event that the Congress party is voted into power, these promises cast doubt on the party’s strategies of making sure that cases against media outlets, such as the one against the Chinese-funded propaganda source NewsClick fall flat.

It may be recalled that when the enforcement agencies had in November last year conducted raids on journalists associated with Chinese-funded propaganda outlet NewsClick, they had seized around 250 electronic devices, including phones, hard disks, laptops and even passports, of over 90 journalists.

Leftist media outlets like Scroll and The Wire had been railing against the lack of rules against device seizures at the time. The Scroll article mentioned the NewsClick raid to lament how controversial it is to seize electronic devices as evidence in cases that are perceived as ‘politically motivated in India’, and that there have been claims that the police frequently abuse their authority when conducting searches and seizures.

The Congress-friendly media had also suggested that the police frequently plant documents used as evidence on the devices during the seizure in order to frame the accused.

Moreover, after the raids, the Congress party had come out in support of the portal under scrutiny for alleged links with China. Presenting the developments as an assault on the free speech of dissenters, the grand old party accused PM Modi of harassing opposition leaders and journalists who “speak the truth”. 

Similarly, in the case of ‘journalist’ Siddique Kappan, who was detained in October 2020 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), we saw how Rahul Gandhi had extended his help to him.

Rahul Gandhi had said that the Congress party observed the “illegal detention” of PFI member masquerading as journalist Siddique Kappan as a serious matter and promised his party delegation that he would look into the issue of Kappan’s arrest. 

Now that Congress has pledged to “protect” journalists from coercive action by the State and limit government authority over journalist monitoring and device seizure, one can be certain that anti-national media outlets like Newsclick and self-proclaimed media professionals like Siddique Kappan are going to be let go easily simply because their ideologies align with that of the grand old party.

Source: inc.in

What is even more ironic is that the Congress party itself has a history of violating press freedom and taking coercive action against media outlets and journalists, like in the case of Zee News journalist Rohit Ranjan, where Chhattisgarh police arrested the journalist for a mistake in airing news related to Rahul Gandhi or that of Raipur based journalist Nilesh Sharma, who was arrested for his political satire after Congress accused him of spreading ‘fake news’.

Further, the grand old party has also promised to curb monopoly in the media industry, cross-ownership of multiple segments as well as control of media by business organisations by bringing a law.

Congress while talking about curbing monopoly and control of media, however, forgot that the party itself owns and runs a media publication rather—National Herald, the financial operations of which are being investigated by the central probe agencies.

“Congress will pass a law to curb monopolies in the media, cross-ownership of different segments of the media, and control of the media by business organisations. Congress will refer cases of suspected monopolies to the Competition Commission of India,” the party said.

The grand old party has also promised to make media houses disclose their ownership structures, and cross holdings in addition to revenue streams on their website.

“All media houses, irrespective of the size, will be required to disclose their ownership structures (direct and indirect), cross holdings, revenue streams, etc. through their websites,” Congress said.

The Congress party also promised to bring a law to “preserve the freedom of the Internet and to prevent arbitrary and frequent shutdowns of the Internet.”

Asserting that the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill 2023 among others brought by the Modi government give “unbridled powers” of censorship to the government, Congress said it will “withdraw” the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill 2023.

Moreover, Congress will “amend or delete” what it calls ‘restrictive’ provisions of two other acts—Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023; Press and Registration of Periodicals Act, 2023 in its bid to end backdoor censorship.

“Many new laws (e.g. the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2023; Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023; Press and Registration of Periodicals Act, 2023, etc.) give unbridled powers of censorship to the government. The first named Bill will be withdrawn. The restrictive provisions of the two Acts will be amended or deleted to eliminate backdoor censorship,” the party manifesto reads.

Furthermore, the party promised to amend the Cinematograph Act, 1952 saying that it will ensure that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) would grant graded certificates based on “transparent and reasonable criteria”.

“Congress will amend the Cinematograph Act, 1952 to provide that the Central Board of Film Certification grants graded certificates to according to transparent and reasonable criteria,” Congress’s manifesto reads.

Congress promises to introduce reservation in Judiciary, says it will appoint more women, SCs, STs, OBCs and minorities as judges in HCs and SC

OpIndia Staff
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Congress promises to introduce reservation in Judiciary, says it will appoint more women, SCs, STs, OBCs and minorities as judges in HCs and SC

On 5th April, the Congress party released its manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Consistent with its past political strategies and assertions, the party has made grandiose promises in an attempt to win the populace and claimed to deliver if voted to power in the centre. As part of of the party’s recent emphasis on caste politics and reservations, the party has promised to introduce reservations for the appointment of judges also.

In the “Judiciary” section of its manifesto, the Congress party has begun by blaming the ruling party and claimed, “Thanks to the misgovernance, weaponisation of the laws, misuse of investigating agencies and abuse of executive powers by the BJP/NDA government in the last 10 years, the people have come to look upon the judiciary as the last bastion against anti-democratic actions and authoritarianism. An independent judiciary alone can uphold the Constitution of India.”

Congress has expressed its intentions to amend the Constitution “to create two divisions in the Supreme Court, a Constitutional Court and a Court of Appeal,” at point number 3 of its “Judiciary section.” The manifesto claimed, “The Constitutional Court consisting of the seven seniormost judges will hear and decide cases involving the interpretation of the Constitution and other cases of legal significance or national importance. The Court of Appeal will be the final court of appeal that will, sitting in Benches of three judges each, hear appeals from the High Court and National Tribunals.”

Interestingly, in point number 5, the party also declared, “More women and persons belonging to the SC, ST, OBC and minorities will be appointed as judges of the High Courts and the Supreme Court,” implying that the judiciary would be subject to reservations. However, the party’s manifesto does not explain how it will appoint backwards class people to the posts of judges in high courts and supreme court, because the government has no control over these appointments, which is done by the collegium of judges.

However, the party has promised to form a National Judicial Commission, which will be responsible for the selection and appointment of judges of the High Courts and the Supreme Court. It promises to form the NJC with the consultation with the Supreme Court. Notably, the first Modi government had passed the National Judicial Appointments Commission with the similar goal, but it was struck down by the Supreme Court.

The manifesto further claimed, “Congress will establish a Judicial Complaints Commission consisting of retired judges of the Supreme Court and retired Chief Justices of the High Courts to investigate complaints of misconduct against judges of the higher judiciary.”

The manifesto also added, “The independence and quality of the judiciary is reflected in the independence and quality of the judges. Congress will unswervingly uphold the independence of the judiciary. In consultation with the Supreme Court and the Chief Justices of the High Courts, Congress will establish a National Judicial Commission (NJC). The composition of the NJC will be decided in consultation with the Supreme Court. The NJC will be responsible for the selection and appointment of judges of the High Courts and the Supreme Court.”

The party did not, however, address the plan for achieving its objectives. Additionally, it pledged to “allocate sufficient funds to augment the physical and technical infrastructure of the judiciary and for the modernization and maintenance of the infrastructure,” as well as to “fulfil all vacancies in the High Courts and Supreme Court within the next three years,” among other things that while appealing on the surface, would amount to nothing in the absence of a reasonable and viable strategy, which the party failed to present.

The sole plan the party offered appeared to be an election ploy to win over its minority support base while also attempting to curry favour over some scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, and other lower-class communities, as well as women, by promising to increase their proportion in the judiciary. Nonetheless, the party did allude to the introduction of reservations in the courts.

Uttar Pradesh: Yogi Adityanath govt derecognises all 16000 madrasas in the state as per court orders, starts transition process

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Yogi Adityanath govt derecognises all 16000 madrasas in the state as per court orders, starts transition process

Following the ruling by the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court declaring the Madarsa Education Act unconstitutional, the recognition of all madarsas in Uttar Pradesh has been terminated. Henceforth, those madarsas meeting specified standards will have the opportunity to function akin to primary or secondary schools, provided they obtain recognition from the UP Board, CBSE, or ICSE.

On 22nd March, the Allahabad High Court (Lucknow Bench) pronounced the ‘UP Board of Madarsa Education Act 2004’ as unconstitutional, and infringing the fundamental principles of secularism. On Thursday (4th April), Chief Secretary Durga Shankar Mishra instructed the District Magistrates to follow this order.

According to the directives of the Uttar Pradesh state government, Madarsas failing to meet the prescribed standards will not receive recognition from any educational board, resulting in the cessation of their operations. Children enrolled in these madarsas will be transferred to government primary schools or middle schools for their education.

To oversee this transition, Chief Secretary Durga Shankar Mishra has formed a five-member committee under the chairmanship of DM of all districts. This committee will identify madrasas and get the children studying there admitted to nearby schools. Students may be admitted to private schools also if required. If the students can’t accommodate in any school, the committee may consider opening new schools.

While ruling the ‘UP Board of Madarsa Education Act 2004’ unconstitutional, the Allahabad High Court had also instructed the Uttar Pradesh government to devise a plan to accommodate students currently enrolled in madrasas in the formal education system. This verdict came months after the state administration resolved to inspect the state’s Islamic education establishments, and it also constituted an SIT in October 2023 to investigate madrasas’ money from abroad. The High Court’s decision came in response to a writ petition filed by Anshuman Singh Rathore challenging the authority of the UP Madarsa Board, as well as objecting to Madarsa’s management by the Minority Welfare Department. 

There are about 16 thousand madarsas in UP, in which there are a total of 13.57 lakh enrolled students. Of the total madarsas, there are 560 aided madarsas, where 9,500 teachers are employed. UP Minority Welfare Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar said that the petition of Madarsa Azizia Izazutul Uloom Anjum Qadri has challenged the High Court’s decision, which is to be heard on Friday. He said that the government would present its stand on this issue in the court.

Sanjay Singh tries to slander approver in Delhi liquor scam case in press conference: Here is how he is violating his bail terms

OpIndia Staff
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Sanjay Singh tries to slander approver in Delhi liquor scam case in press conference: Here is how he is violating his bail terms

On Friday (5th April), AAP’s Sanjay Singh who was granted bail by the Supreme Court a couple of days ago, addressed the press meeting to allege BJP’s involvement in Delhi’s liquor scam. Singh who was arrested in October 2023 in the liquor scam case stated on Friday that the liquor scam has been done by BJP.

“Today, I am present here in front of you to tell you how the conspiracy was made to arrest Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal… I will also reveal that this liquor scam has been done by the BJP. The senior leaders of the BJP are involved in this,” he could be heard saying.

Singh also pointed out the alleged involvement of Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy, the sitting MP for Ongole in Andhra Pradesh, who left the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) to join the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). Singh said that Reddy was ‘close’ to the Prime Minister and hence, his alleged involvement in the liquor scam case stands crucial.

“What is the relation of a man whom ED is saying is involved in a liquor scam, with the Prime Minister? He is contesting elections from TDP and is seeking votes by putting the picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi…BJP and ED call him a scamster and he is seeking votes from people using the picture of Prime Minister,” he said.

He also alleged that the Enforcement Directorate ‘forced’ Reddy’s son, Raghav to take Arvind Kejriwal’s name in the case in exchange for bail. Raghav was arrested by the ED for his involvement in the Delhi excise policy case, but he later turned approver in the case and secured bail.

Singh, during the press meeting on Friday, alleged that the ED had been working in favor of the BJP and that it had deliberately trapped now arrested Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. “From 10th February to 16th July, seven statements of Raghav Magunta were taken. In six of the seven statements, he does not say anything against Arvind Kejriwal, but in the seventh statement on 16th July, he changes his stance and becomes a part of the conspiracy and gives a statement against Arvind Kejriwal. After 5 months of torture, he changed his statement and stood against Arvind Kejriwal,” he said.

“Those six statements (of Raghav Magunta) and two statements of his father were removed and the ED said that we do not trust it. The 9 statements that were not against Arvind Kejriwal were removed by ED. In these 9 statements, there was no name of Arvind Kejriwal but after 5 months of jail, they were forced to take Arvind Kejriwal’s name. ED also conducted raids on Magunta Reddy and Raghav Magunta. Magunta Reddy also has a picture with PM Modi. He gave a statement against Arvind Kejriwal and AAP on 16th July and he was given bail on 18th July,” he added.

Sanjay Singh violates his bail terms

It is important to note here that, Singh while addressing a press meeting on 5th April has violated the conditions put forth by the Supreme Court while granting him the bail. The Supreme Court on 3rd April accepted the bail bond and imposed certain conditions on Sanjay Singh. The first condition was that he furnish his itinerary through email and keep his Google location on if he intends to leave Delhi, NCR.

Interestingly, the second crucial condition imposed by the Supreme Court was that Singh would not speak to the media regarding the liquor scam and his role in the case. However, Singh chose to address the media and further blatantly link the BJP to the liquor scam ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

The court has also imposed conditions, including the requirement that he surrenders his passport, not leave the country, provide his mobile number to the IO, and cooperate with the inquiry.

The ED imprisoned Sanjay Singh in October last year in connection with the Delhi Excise policy money laundering case. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has also been apprehended and kept in judicial custody until the 15th of April. Manish Sisodia is also in judicial detention in this matter.

‘Keep the politics to yourself’: Bhagat Singh’s grandson tears into AAP for latest video with fake image of ‘jailed Kejriwal’ alongside freedom fighters

OpIndia Staff
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‘Keep the politics to yourself’: Bhagat Singh’s grandson tears into AAP for latest video with fake image of ‘jailed Kejriwal’ alongside freedom fighters

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has come under fire from the family members of Sardar Bhagat Singh for appropriating a photograph of the iconic freedom fighter for its political shenanigans.

Bhagat Singh’s grandson Yudhvinder Singh released a statement to slam the party after a video of Sunita Kejriwal, Aam Aadmi Party’s national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s wife surfaced on social media. The video featured pictures of Bhagat Singh and Dr BR Ambedkar alongside a photoshopped image of Arvind Kejriwal ‘behind bars’.

He stated, “I watched a video of Sunita Kejriwal that caused us immense distress and displeasure because it attempted to equate Arvind Kejriwal to the two great leaders, Bhagat Singh and BR Amdebdar by placing his portrait next to theirs. We believe it was inappropriate. All I want to say is that it was wrong for the Aam Aadmi Party to do such a thing. Moreover, no politician should ever draw comparisons between themselves and BR Ambedkar or Bhagat Singh. Keep the politics to yourself only and there is no problem with it.”

He further mentioned, “However, avoid comparing oneself with such prominent individuals. All we can do is endeavour to tread their path. Responses are coming in from throughout India. The comparison of Arvind Kejriwal with Bhagat Singh and BR Amdebdar has infuriated a lot of their followers. It was unacceptable to the people. I’ll caution the Aam Aadmi Party not to repeat it in the future.”

Notably, the Bharatiya Janata Party has also slammed AAP for its political antics. “Kejriwal is a corruption accused and by putting up his photograph between those of patriots such as Shaheed-e-Azam (Bharat Singh) and Dr Ambedkar, the AAP has insulted their dignity. They have crossed all the limits. What kind of patriot Arvind Kejriwal is as they claim? He has just looted and destroyed Delhi,” charged Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva.

Arvind Kejriwal was arrested on 21st March by the Enforcement Directorate in connection to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy scam after he had ignored nine summons issued to him by the agency.

Sunita Kejriwal’s shenanigans ever since AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest

Since Kejriwal’s arrest, his wife Sunita Kejriwal has been making frequent appearances before the public to garner sympathy for her scam-tainted husband. As part of her latest shenanigans, Sunita Kejriwal shared a video where a fake image of Arvind Kejriwal ‘behind bars’ has been added along with the portraits of Bhagat Singh and Ambedkar in what appears to be the CM’s home office.

In her first video message to Delhi voters on behalf of her husband, Sunita Kejriwal claimed that only Kejriwal’s body is in jail, but his spirit is roaming freely among voters. She even claimed that if the people of Delhi close their eyes and try to ‘feel’ him, they can feel him around them in close proximity.

That claim triggered a meme fest on social media with people saying it sounded like a horror movie.

In her next video, Sunita Kejriwal claimed that the people of Delhi are keeping Vrat for her husband and asked the people of Delhi to send their blessings for Arvind Kejriwal through a WhatsApp number.

‘Chase away these 2% Brahmins and kill them, Muslims are your brothers’: Yuva Vichar Manch chief Rudra Pratap Kushwaha provokes SC-STs against Brahmins

OpIndia Staff
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‘Chase away these 2% Brahmins and kill them, Muslims are your brothers’: Yuva Vichar Manch chief Rudra Pratap Kushwaha provokes SC-STs against Brahmins

On Thursday (4th April), a video of Rudra Pratap Kushwaha of the Yuva Vichar Manch of Bihar went viral on social media. In this video, he spewed venom against Brahmins. He appealed to the SCs and STs in the country to chase away the 2 per cent Brahmins in the country and kill them all. His remarks attracted fierce criticism on social media. He has also made provoking remarks against Ram Mandir and Hindu girls in the past.

In the viral video, Rudra Pratap Kushwaha said, “Now, there will not be any Hindu-Muslim riot in the country. Rather, there will be a backwards versus forwards riot in the country. Rudra Pratap Kushwaha will do it to chase you people away from this land of Bharat. You have made a joke out of it. No Hindu is in danger. No Muslim is in danger. Neither Geeta nor the Quran is in danger. Remove the glasses of religion from your eyes and see. You will find that the entire Hindustan is under threat because of these 2 per cent Brahmins. Chase away these 2 per cent Brahmins and kill them. Muslims are our brothers.”

Embedding this video in a tweet, journalist Shubham Sharma posted from his X handle, “Ab Desh mei Hindu Muslim Nahi, Backward or Forward Danga hoga. In 2% Brahmano ko desh se khaded kar Mariye. He is Rudra Pratap Kushwaha, the Ambedkarite leader from Bihar. Before this, he was provoking SC-STs to do love Jihad with Brahmin girls. By tomorrow evening, Shridhar Sewa will file a criminal case against him and his allies.”

Another X user Vikas Jha posted, “• Name – Rudra Pratap Kushwaha • Organization – Youth Forum • Address – Hajipur Bihar • Class- Lathait (Landlord OBC) • Statement: Chase away these 2% Brahmins, Muslim is your brother. • Question – Are the citizens of India (Brahmins) excluded from Article 21 (Right to Life)?”

Notably, this is not the first time that Rudra Pratap Kushwaha has made such remarks. He had criticised the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. He had said that the Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya belongs to Ashoka. He also challenged various stories from Ramayan in a derogatory language. He said that Samrat Ashoka went everywhere in the world. He said, “Ashoka spread his thoughts to other countries. Why did Ram not go to Canada and America? Was he afraid?”

In another YouTube video, Rudra Pratap Kushwaha is also seen inciting SC and ST youths to purposefully lure and marry Brahmin girls to fight against the so-called ‘Brahminism’. He also said that he would fight all the legal cases of those youths if they did so. He also termed these marriages as a means to ‘purify’ the Brahmin girls.

Rudra Pratap Kushwaha has repeatedly targeted Hindu deities, Hindu festivals and upper caste Hindus especially Brahmins in his various speeches, under the guise of propagating Ambedkarite thoughts.

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