On 27th March, Anas Khan – son of AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan – along with his accomplices, including his maternal uncle, assaulted and abused a doctor Suheb Arif over a minor road issue. Dr Suheb Arif is a Senior Resident Doctor of JNMC at the Aligarh Muslim University. He suffered multiple injuries in this attack and was taken to hospital. The Resident Doctors’ Association in the JNMC wrote to the station house officer of the Civil Lines Police Station Aligarh asking him to take action against accused Anas Khan in this case.
In the complaint, Mohammad Asim Siddiqui of the Resident Doctors’ Association wrote, “One of our residents, Dr Suheb Arif, Department of Medicine, JNMCH, AMU was returning from his hospital duties. On the way to his home, near Nizami Puliya, Sir Syed Nagar, Civil Lines at 3:00 PM on 27/3/2024, he encountered an endeavour car (Reg no. HR12 D 0002) which was obstructing the road. He requested the driver to make way for his car. Against this, 4 personnel came out of the above-mentioned car, they started abusing and physically assaulting the victim and threatened to shoot him.”
Aligarh: Dr. Suheb Arif beaten by Anas, son of AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan.
Dr. Suheb's uncle and female relatives sitting in the car were verbally abused by Anas.
Dr. Suheb suffered multiple injuries and was taken to hospital.
He added, “Dr Suheb Arif suffered multiple serious injuries over his body for which he was taken to JNMCH for appropriate treatment (Injury report is attached). The main assailant among the group was Mr Anas S/o Mr Amanatullah Khan (MLA from Okhla constituency, Delhi) and his maternal uncle. Even the females in the car verbally abused the victim.”
He further said, “We are deeply saddened by this mischievous act of Mr Anas and his companion. We strongly support our fellow doctors and request you to take necessary legal action against the culprits so that this kind of act doesn’t repeat in future.”
A video of this incident from the CCTV of a nearby house also went viral on social media. In this video, the encounter of two cars on a narrow road and subsequent scuffles between the doctor and the accused are seen. All India Medical Students Association also posted from its X handle. It said, “Dadgiri by Son of MLA – Dr Suheb, Senior Resident Doctor of JNMC Aligarh brutally beaten by Anas Khan S/O Amanatullah Khan AAP MLA from Okhla. Dr is very frightened as he is regularly threatened by MLA’s companion. We want strict and fair action.”
The line between fact and fiction seems to have blurred for the Congress party. Netizens witnessed this symptom when on 3rd April, an X user named Preetam Rao asked Hindu Kannadigas to remember before voting that Karnataka Congress leaders had endorsed DMK’s intent to eradicate Sanatan Dharma.
“If you’re a Hindu Kannadiga & planning to vote for Congress then please remember: Karnataka Congress Leaders endorsed DMK’s idea of eradicating Sanatan Dharma. The shame would be on you!” Rao wrote on his X profile.
If you're a Hindu Kannadiga & planning to vote for Congress then please remember:
Karnataka Congress Leaders endorsed DMK's idea of eradicating Sanatan Dharma.
Congress spokesperson Lavanya Ballal Jain was quick to wade in and write a response. “So this islamophobe functions out of Yemen? @Yemen_PM @yemen_mofa,” she wrote, tagging the Prime Minister of Yemen and Yemen’s Foreign Affairs Ministry.
— Lavanya Ballal Jain (@LavanyaBallal) April 3, 2024
Why? Because Preetem Rao’s X profile bio mentions “15, Yemen Road, Yemen” as his residence, which is of course a joke from the renowned sitcom “Friends”. A mix of critical and funny responses started pouring in response to the Congress spokesperson’s reaction.
A user named Shashank Shekhar Jha wrote, “Lavanya is now asking administration of Yemen to act against an Indian due to politics differences. Shameful!!!”
Lavanya is now asking administration of Yemen to act against an Indian due to politics differences.
Shameful!!!
— Shashank Shekhar Jha (@shashank_ssj) April 3, 2024
“There’s a serious message when ‘comments’ are more than ‘like’ but that happens to most of @Itslavanya ’jis tweets. “Foot in Mouth” disease ???” another user named Bhairav wrote.
There’s a serious message when ‘comments’ are more than ‘like’ but that happens to most of @Itslavanya’jis tweets. “Foot in Mouth” disease ??? pic.twitter.com/iklD6us7Mq
— Bhairav (Modi Ka Parivar) (@xBhairav) April 4, 2024
“Such an evil and dumb lady you are. Evil coz u just want to Lynch a person coz he asked people to not vote you. Dumb coz address that he mentioned in his bio is fake,” wrote STAR Boy TARUN.
Such an evil and dumb lady you are
Evil coz u just want to Lynch a person coz he asked people to not vote you
Dumb coz address that he mentioned in his bio is fake
Preetam Rao too responded to Lavanya. “Ma’am, why do you want to invite unnecessary comments? Firstly, please show me where have I advocated Islamophobia? I’m speaking about my religion. That right is given to me by the Constitution of India under Fundamental rights. And it’s not hate speech if you state a fact. If I did otherwise, I’ll delete my post. Secondly, please Google “15, Yemen Road Yemen’,” he wrote.
Ma'am, why do you want to invite unnecessary comments?
Firstly, please show me where have I advocated Islamophobia? I'm speaking about my religion. That right is given to me by the Constitution of India under Fundamental rights.
“15, Yemen Road, Yemen” was the fake address given by Chandler, one of the main characters (played by the late Matthew Perry) to his girlfriend Janice (played by Maggie Wheeler) whom he was getting away from.
In the comic scene, Chandler is unable to convey to Janice that he does not wish to be with her. So he stages a lie telling her that his company is transferring him to Yemen. However, Janice insists on seeing him off to the airport and stays with him till he is on board the plane.
This is 15, Yemen Road, Yemen scene from FRIENDS. ?
Chandler Bing is Preetam Rao who has faked his address of Yemen.
That women is Lavanya BJ who thinks Preetam/Chandler lives in Yemen. ???
With his lie spiralling out of control, Chandler is forced to buy a ticket to Yemen while Janice promises to write to him on the address “15, Yemen Road, Yemen.”
The one where Lavanya did it again
Lavanya Ballal Jain has often been the centre of embarrassment on her account with many such statements to her credit. In January this year, responding to the findings of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) from the site of the disputed Gyanvapi mosque, she said that the survey conducted by the ASI was similar to online surveys and not ‘real’ archaeological findings.
In a tweet, she brazened out, “It’s a survey not archaeological findings. What existed in their cranium of Sanghi’s before bigotry?” The development came after ASI in its 850-page report revealed that a large Hindu temple existed at the site of the disputed Gyanvapi mosque.
While the Congress spokesperson wanted to downplay the findings of ASI and negate the fact that the mosque was built on the ruins of a Hindu temple, she ended up revealing her sheer lack of comprehension skills.
In October 2023, Lavanya along with her colleagues, CPI-M leader MA Baby and Indian Union Muslim League leader MK Muneer, refused to call Hamas a terrorist organisation during a debate on India Today moderated by Rajdeep Sardesai. They also refused to condemn the Hamas leader addressing a rally in Kerala and went round and round in circles over the question.
In 2020, she made a gau mutra (cow urine) jibe at Hindus. She made a gau mutra barb by quoting a tweet which said that Far-right hucksters were selling fraudulent coronavirus ‘cures’. Ballal quoted the tweet saying “India has Gau Mutra”.
Dangerous forces at work among us
While it does appear funny how a joke from a sitcom prompted an embarrassing reaction from an ignorant Congress leader, the essence of what Lavanya said in response to Rao reflects how Congress would go to any length to sell the nation.
Firstly, Preetam Rao’s statement calling on Hindu Kannadigas to remember before voting the Congress’s support to DMK’s eradicate Sanatan Dharma idea had nothing to do with Muslims to begin with and rather was a message in the interest of Hindus lest they be misled into voting for a party which wants to finish their existence.
Lavanya called Preetam Rao Islamophobic because he spoke in the defence of Hindus. This is a clear attempt to deter Hindus from speaking for themselves and their identity and their rights because if they do, the likes of Lavanya and their masters in the Congress would deem it an affront to Muslims.
Moreover, Rao’s tweet was primarily against the Congress. For Lavanya to call criticism of the Congress has Islamophobic only establishes the party as in fact pro-Muslim and not secular as it pretends to be.
Additionally, the Congress spokesperson sought direct foreign intervention by tagging the Yemen PM and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
For Hindus to speak in defence is Islamophobia for the Congress, let alone criticism Islam and Muslims. Unsurprisingly, the Congress has taken this page right out of fake news propagandist Mohammed Zubair‘s jihadi playbook. The two work hand in hand.
On 4th March, 3 persons were arrested by the Bengaluru Police after a forensic report confirmed that ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans were indeed raised inside the Vidhana Soudha after a Congress candidate Syed Naseer Hussain won the Rajya Sabha elections.
Despite the confirmation, Altnews co-founder Mohammad Zubair continued to shield the three arrested accused Ilthaz, Munavar, and Mohammad Shafi. He wrote, “Karnataka Police has arrested 3 individuals for allegedly raising ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans in Vidhana Soudha. The Home Minister has also given a statement confirming that Pro-Pakistan sloganeering were raised. Many want @BlrCityPolice to arrest me for my tweet. But ? ????? ????? ?? ?? ??????. ? ?? ???% ???? ????? ???? ?? ???-???????? ???????, ??? ‘????? ???? ????????.”
Lavanya’s whimsical stunt is a behavioural pattern of the Congress-led left-liberal and Islamist ecosystem to hound their critics online to the extent of hurting their careers and their and their family’s security.
In 2020, Michelin starred chef Atul Kochhar was sacked by JW Marriott Marqui Hotel Dubai for just a tweet. This was owing to the online harassment he faced from Islamists and left-liberals for stating a well-known truth.
While responding to a tweet by actress Priyanka Chopra, he had written, “It’s sad to see that you have not respected the sentiments of Hindus who have been terrorised by Islam over 2000 years. Shame on you.”
The had tweeted this in response to a tweet by Priyanka Chopra apologising after a backlash against an episode of her Hollywood TV show Quantico. Priyanka Chopra was targeted after the show had shown that Indian nationalists had plotted a nuclear attack in Manhattan to frame Pakistani terrorists.
In its dreams to eradicate Sanatan Dharma, the Congress is diminishing from the political landscape of the country leaving behind an ecosystem which aims to erase the very existence of Hindus.
On Wednesday (4th April), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) slammed the Congress party for making vile and sexist remarks against its Mathura MP Hema Malini. The BJP criticised the main opposition party for its misogynistic attitude.
BJP’s IT department head Amit Malviya shared a video of Congress leader Randeep Surjewala in which the latter could be heard saying that BJP MP Hema Malini had been chosen as an MP only because of her beauty. He also indicated that the other leaders in the Lok Sabha liked staring at her.
“Why do we elect MLA/MP? So that they can raise our voices, and get our views accepted. They are not Hema Malini who is made MP to lick her,” Surjewala was heard saying, the video of which is going viral on social media.
Congress MP Randeep Surjewala makes a vile sexist comment, that is demeaning and derogatory, not just for Hema Malini, who is an accomplished individual, but women in general. He asks, “MLA/MP क्यों बनाते हैं? ताकि वो हमारी आवाज़ उठा सकें, हमारी बात मनवायें, इसीलिए बनाते होंगे।… pic.twitter.com/JO0UIXSOt1
— Amit Malviya (मोदी का परिवार) (@amitmalviya) April 3, 2024
BJP’s Amit Malviya shared the video and slammed Surjewala saying, “Who thinks of women as something to lick? That is the most disgusting description someone can come up with. Just the other day, Surjewala’s colleague was asking the ‘rate’ of another BJP woman leader, and now this… This is Rahul Gandhi’s Congress. It is misogynistic and abhors women.”
Hema Malini is the BJP Lok Sabha member from Mathura in Uttar Pradesh and is again contesting the 2024 general elections from there.
It is important to note that, earlier, Congress leader Suriya Shrinate had made vile and sexist remarks against BJP candidate from Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, actress-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut, indicating that the latter was a ‘slut’.
Following the announcement of Kangana Ranaut’s candidacy for the Mandi Lok Sabha constituency in Himachal Pradesh, Congress leaders and party trolls attacked her on 25th March with sexist and derogatory remarks. Congress National Spokesperson Supriya Shrinate posted, “Kya bhav chal raha hai Mandi me koi batayega? (Will someone tell me what the rating system in Mandi is),” in an Instagram post alongside a photo of Kangana Ranaut.
The post was later deleted.
She later released a clarification to explain herself following intense criticism for the despicable comment from her verified social media accounts. She stated in her explanation video that it was made by “someone who had access to her account,” and promised to hold the individual responsible for the post accountable.
However, Kangana Ranaut slammed the Congress party for furthering such derogatory comments. Condemning the remarks and slamming the Congress leader who now has been denied a ticket to the Lok Sabha Elections by the party, Ranaut said that people who see women like this can never work for their development. “Jo betiyon ke aur behenho ke bhav lagate hai, woh log aap ke kabhi nahi ho sakte hai, yeh aap yaad rakhiyega (Remember, people who see women like this can never work for your betterment, they can never be trusted),” the actress said while addressing the roadshow on 29th March.
On 2nd April, a Pakistani man, Faisal Rafi, asked people on X (formerly Twitter) if they were raped or sexually abused by a Maulvi (Islamic priest/religious teacher). The question went viral quickly, and the number of people, irrespective of gender, who said yes was shocking. Faisal himself said yes to the question. He said the incident happened to him not at a madrasa but at his home.
Source: X
Replying to him, a writer named Iqra said, “Same. And I barely know a girl who hasn’t been.”
Source: X
An X user, Khurram Qureshi, said, “I’m so sorry to hear that Faisal sahib… my brother & I used to receive regular beatings from our Maulvi who used to come to our house…he told us never to tell our parents…I was 8 & my brother was 5…we were scared… Amma walked in one time he was hitting me and threw him out.” To which Faisal replied, “Same, hitting plus groping and fondling, I was like 10, luckily our cook saw it and told my father, that was the end of maulvis in our home, it was terrifying and soul destroying, took me a very long time to recover from that sh*t.”
Source: X
X user Samia Shoaib said, “Mine drove all the way from Kent to Kingston to teach us. His favourite move was to stick his nasty tongue down my throat (I can still smell the sandalwood ittar on his beard) while groping my nonexistent breasts. When I cried, he slapped my face then resumed as if to comfort me.”
Source: X
X user Sobia Kapadia said, “The guy who used to come to give lessons to me and my younger sister used to pinch & touch us. We both used to get very uncomfortable. I asked my grandfather to sit with us while he was around. We were very little but our elders should have known better and should have provided protection.”
Source: X
X user Zahid quoted Faisal and said, “I have. The predator came for donation. Rang the bell & 11 yr old me opened the door. He took my hand & started rubbing it on his privates, while talking of Deen etc… It did not put me off religion, but I can never trust a molvi.“
Source: X
X user iamnone108 said, “Don’t know about sexual harassment but physically my friend was beaten on knuckles when she couldn’t recite Quran on Sunday classes at home. That moulvi got replaced by another.. Irony is she became more radical now Can’t argue with her.”
Source: X
X user Marwah Khan said, “Physically yes. But witnessed a lot of harassment and sexual abuse with my eyes and many stories. Was too little to understand it but left me with trauma for life. (Twitter asks me why I have hate for maulvis, here it is).”
Source: X
The responses made it evident that physical and sexual assault by Maulvis is common in Pakistan, even among Muslims living in the UK. Even in India, such cases have emerged from time to time. In December 2023, a Maulvi named Muntazir Alam was arrested for the sexual assault of a minor girl who came to learn Urdu at a mosque in Hamirpur.
In the same month, a madrasa cleric was accused of sexually abusing a minor girl. The cleric, identified as Maulvi Abdul Mannan, a teacher at Albanat Ekra Academy in Jehanabad, allegedly took the minor to Patna under the guise of meeting a minister to secure a job for her. Upon reaching Patna, he claimed that the minister was in Delhi and that they needed to travel there. The minor reported that when she resisted going to Delhi, the cleric drugged her and forcibly took her to the city. In Delhi, near Jama Masjid, he brought her to a hotel and raped her.
In June 2023, a 41-year-old woman from the Farkpur Police Station area filed a complaint against a Maulvi named Dilshad, alleging he drugged and raped her. She further said in her complaint that Maulvi allegedly extorted Rs 3 lakh from her using an obscene video that he recorded during the sexual assault.
In October 2022, a maulvi attempted to rape a minor in Rajasthan. Reportedly, he forcibly took a 17-year-old girl into a mosque in the Halaina Police Station region of Rajasthan’s Bharatpur and attempted to rape her. The victims cried for help, which was heard by locals, who, along with the victim’s family members, dragged the Maulvi outside the mosque and brutally assaulted him.
On Tuesday (2nd April), Devendra Rathore, a BJP councillor in Gwalior‘s Birla Nagar Gadaipura area in ward number 15, took matters into his own hands when his complaints about a jammed sewer chamber went unheard. Venturing into the chamber himself, he undertook the cleaning task. A large crowd gathered and recorded the event, which soon went viral on social media. Upon receiving word of the councillor’s actions, the commissioner promptly dispatched cleaning staff to the site, and the sewer chamber was cleaned.
In the Gadaipura area within Ward 15 of the city, the persistent jamming of a sewer chamber for the past 20 days has meant dirty water spilling onto the roads, causing distress among residents. Despite repeated complaints from locals and their councillor, Devendra Rathore, regarding this issue, no action was taken. Rathore escalated the matter by lodging multiple complaints to the nodal officer Lallan Sengar, as well as to the individuals in charge, Ramsevak Shakya and the contractor. However, these attempts were met with evasion, and no resolution was reached.
The councillor mentioned having lodged complaints with both the mayor and commissioner. However, with no response forthcoming, he took matters into his own hands, descending into the chamber himself on Tuesday, April 2, to clear the choked sewer. Upon the dissemination of the video showing the councillor undertaking the cleaning task, the commissioner sent the corporation staff to Gadaipura to clean the chamber.
On Tuesday (2nd April), Devendra Rathore, a BJP councillor in Gwalior’s Birla Nagar Gadaipura area in ward number 15, took matters into his own hands when his complaints about a jammed sewer chamber went unheard. Venturing into the chamber himself, he undertook the cleaning task. A large crowd gathered and recorded the event, which soon went viral on social media. Upon receiving word of the councillor’s actions, the commissioner promptly dispatched cleaning staff to the site, and the sewer chamber was cleaned.
Devendra Rathore said, “There was a big sewer problem in ward number 15 and dirty water was flooding inside the houses of residents. People were living with foul smell and the matter was also brought before the council but no one paid attention to it. After this, I told the Commissioner, also requested the Mayor and raised the matter in the Council but the issue was not addressed. After that, I realised I would have to solve this matter myself.”
He added, “People have given me the vote and I must value their vote, therefore, I cleaned the sewer as no one was listening and people were facing issues. After I did the cleaning, the Municipal Corporation employees also came and started cleaning.”
Councillor Rathore also crticised Mayor Sobha Sikarwar, saying that under the leadership of the Congress and with a Congress Mayor in office, the municipal corporation remained silent on the issue. He said, “The municipality here is under Congress. We have the government in the state but here we are working under the Congress mayor Sobha Sikarwar but she remains silent.”
Meanwhile, the Additional Commissioner of Gwalior Municipal Corporation, Munish Singh Sikarwar, said, “Wherever sewer-related problems arise, they are being resolved immediately. In that ward too, work was being done by the Municipal Corporation next to the sewer. If such information was received, it would also have been resolved.”
Notably, last year two workers lost their lives due to inhalation of poisonous gases while cleaning a sewer chamber in the same vicinity. Moreover, there are stringent directives from the Supreme Court explicitly prohibiting individuals from entering sewer chambers for cleaning purposes.
Congress leader Gourav Vallabh on Thursday resigned from the primary membership of the party ahead of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.
In a post on X, the leader posted his two-page resignation letter, which he sent to party President Mallikarjun Kharge.
He further said that he was quitting the party as he was not feeling “comfortable with the directionless way in which the Congress party is moving forward”.
कांग्रेस पार्टी आज जिस प्रकार से दिशाहीन होकर आगे बढ़ रही है,उसमें मैं ख़ुद को सहज महसूस नहीं कर पा रहा.मैं ना तो सनातन विरोधी नारे लगा सकता हूं और ना ही सुबह-शाम देश के वेल्थ क्रिएटर्स को गाली दे सकता.इसलिए मैं कांग्रेस पार्टी के सभी पदों व प्राथमिक सदस्यता से इस्तीफ़ा दे रहाहूं pic.twitter.com/Xp9nFO80I6
— Prof. Gourav Vallabh (@GouravVallabh) April 4, 2024
“I do not feel comfortable with the directionless way in which the Congress party is moving forward today. I can neither raise anti-Sanatana slogans nor abuse the wealth creators of the country. I am resigning from all posts and primary membership of the Congress party,” Vallabh said.
Gourav Vallabh contested the Rajasthan assembly election from Udaipur constituency in 2023.
However, the BJP candidate secured a comfortable win with a margin of over 32,000 votes.
Vallabh had made his poll debut in 2019 from Jharkhand’s Jamshedpur East, where he bagged over 18,000 and ended up in third spot behind then-sitting chief minister Raghubar Das and Saryu Roy.
He further alleged that the Congress party is moving in the wrong direction, against the ‘basic principle of the party’.
“These days the party is moving in the wrong direction. On one hand, we talk about the caste-based census and on the other hand, the party seems to oppose the entire Hindu society. This style of working gives a misleading message to the public that the party is a supporter of a particular religion only. This is against the basic principles of Congress,” he said.
He also alleged that Congress’s stand on economic matters ‘has always been to humiliate and abuse the wealth creators of the country’.
“Today we have turned against those economic liberalisation, privatization and globalization (LPG) policies for which the world has given us full credit for implementing in the country. Is it wrong to earn money by doing business in our country?” the leader said.
“Sir, when I joined the party, my only aim was to use my ability and capability in economic matters in the interest of the country. We may not be in power, but we could have presented the party’s economic policy-making in the national interest in a better way in our manifesto and elsewhere. But, this effort was not made at the party level, which is no less than a suffocation for a person with knowledgeable about economic matters like me,” he added.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
Maharashtra leader Sanjay Nirupam was expelled from the Congress for “indiscipline” and “anti-party statements,” Congress General Secretary K C Venugopal said in a statement.
“Taking note of the complaints of indiscipline and anti-party statements, the Hon’ble Congress President has approved the expulsion of Shri Sanjay Nirupam from the party for six years with immediate effect,” Venugopal said in the statement on Wednesday night.
The party’s decision comes after Nirupam was removed from the list of star campaigners for the Congress party in Lok Sabha general elections 2024 earlier in the day.
Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole has said, “His name (Sanjay Nirupam) was mentioned in the star campaigners, which has been cancelled. The kind of statements he has been making, action will be taken.”
The action was taken for his recent remarks against INDIA block partner, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), over seat-sharing for the Lok Sabha election.
Soon, after the Patole’s announcement, Sanjay Nirupam posted on X and said that he will take the decision to leave the party by himself.
“Congress Party should not waste much energy and stationery for me. Instead, use it to save the party. Anyway, the party is going through a severe financial crisis. The period of one week that I had given has been completed today. Tomorrow I will take the decision myself,” he said.
Sanjay Nirupam was keen to contest from the Mumbai North West seat but after the seat-sharing, the seat went to Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Amol Kirtikar.
Nirpuam, who had represented Mumbai North in 2009 in the Lok Sabha, said that the decision of the Shiv Sena to field candidates in Mumbai was meant to sideline the Congress.
Notably, the state of Maharashtra with its 48 Lok Sabha seats, is the second-largest contributor to the lower house of Parliament after Uttar Pradesh.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 23 out of 25 contested seats, while the undivided Shiv Sena secured 18 seats.
The undivided NCP, part of the opposition alliance, contested 19 seats and won four.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
Billionaire Elon Musk-led Tesla Inc. has initiated its search to identify sites for building its proposed $2 billion to $3 billion Electric car plant in India. On Wednesday (3rd April), the UK’s Financial Times reported that the electric vehicle (EV) maker will send its team to India by late April to scout sites. As per the report, the team’s special focus is on states that already have automobile manufacturing hubs as well as ports to facilitate export. Reportedly, states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu are on high priority for the company.
FT further reported, “Tesla might later also look at setting up its own battery plant, following the ‘gigafactory’ model it has followed at its plants in California, Texas, Berlin, and Shanghai, where suppliers have set up shop next to or near the mother plant.”
The development comes at a time when Tesla has reported a sharp decline in sales for the March quarter. The EV demand has plummeted in its main markets, the United States and China.
Meanwhile, the Indian government had in March reduced import taxes on certain electric vehicles produced by automakers that commit to invest at least $500 million (Rs 4,150 crores) and start commercial production in the country within three years.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been eyeing the Indian market for years but New Delhi has maintained that the EV maker has to commit to local manufacturing.
In June last year, Musk met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the two held discussions on a range of issues including investment opportunities in India. After the meeting, Elon Musk said, “It was excellent and a very good conversation. I am confident Tesla will be in India and will do so as soon as humanly possible.”
Later in July of that year, the company said that it was interested in building a factory in India to produce an electric vehicle priced at $24,000. It had also sought lower taxes on more expensive models it wanted to sell in India, Reuters reported.
India’s electric vehicle (EV) market, though small, is on a growth trajectory and is currently dominated by domestic automaker Tata Motors. EVs accounted for approximately 2% of total car sales in India in 2023, with the government aiming to increase this to 30% by 2030.
Under the EV policy, it is mandated that companies achieve a localisation level of 25% by the third year and 50% by the fifth year of their entry into India to qualify for the lower customs duty of 15% on Completely Built Units (CBUs). This reduced duty applies to cars priced at a minimum value of $35,000 (approximately Rs 29 lakh), inclusive of costs such as insurance and freight charges.
Analysts in the automotive industry believe that this initiative will not only enable access to global technologies but also lead to an expansion of product range and improvement in cost competitiveness, ultimately driving increased adoption of EVs.
Global peace and security have been experiencing instability due to various conflicts and wars on multiple fronts. Additionally, the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these crises, leading to multiple occasions when the large Indian diaspora found itself stranded in war-torn or crises-hit nations. However, while several major powers were caught wanting for opportunities to act or left their stranded diasporas on their own, a slew of successful rescue missions by the Modi government have underscored that Indians abroad can be assured of their safety amidst raging wars or unprecedented crises.
Throughout the tenure of the Modi government, numerous rescue operations were conducted. Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, millions of stranded Indians in various foreign nations were safely evacuated, despite the absence of well-established norms.
Likewise, during the Ukraine-Russia war, Modi cabinet ministers visited the crisis-hit region and facilitated the evacuation of stranded Indian students. Additionally, the Indian Army also participated in evacuating members of the Indian diaspora from Sudan during this time. It is noteworthy that besides safeguarding Indian citizens, the Indian Embassy and Armed Forces have also assisted citizens of neighbouring countries, earning the moniker, ‘Vishwa Bandu’. Vishwa Bandu, translated as ‘Brother of the World,’ embodies the spirit of universal brotherhood, as brothers are not considered superior or inferior, fostering a sense of equality and solidarity.
Following is a brief listing of around 10 rescue missions undertaken during the ten years of the Modi government.
46 Indian nurses rescued from ISIS captivity in strife-torn Iraq in 2014
In June 2014, depressing news trickled in from strife-torn Iraq, where the Islamic State was making rapid territorial gains. The ISIS terrorists had managed to intrude into Tikrit as the Civil War between them and the Iraqi Army escalated. A contingent of Indian nurses was deployed to a hospital in Tikrit to look after the injured and sick. It was just weeks after Narendra Modi had sworn in as the Prime Minister with a very new cabinet.
46 Indian nurses were stranded in the hospital. All except one of the 46 nurses were from Kerala. For days on end, the nurses lived in perpetual fear of being assaulted and executed at the hands of their ISIS captors, who were also known for committing unspeakable atrocities against women and holding them as sex slaves.
Throughout their ordeal, the Indian Embassy in Baghdad steadfastly kept in touch with them on the phone and at times recharged their prepaid cell phones. On June 30, the nurses were ferried to the border by the ISIS terrorists. From their office at the border, another bus was arranged to transport the nurses to the Indian rescue team. They were then taken to the military office, and then Erbil airport after their documents were verified. The Indian Government had arranged a special flight from Delhi to Erbil to fly the nurses back. After 23 days of traumatic experience, the nurses, unscathed and unharmed, finally boarded the flight on July 5 and returned home.
The then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had maintained a continuous touch with all the major countries, including Saudi Arabia and Iraq. It is believed that New Delhi activated informal channels and established peripheral contacts with ISIS, and other splinter groups in Iraq to precipitate the rescue.
India extends the hand of ‘Maitri’ (friendship) to Earthquake-struck Nepal
In 2015, high seismicity earthquakes wreaked havoc in Nepal and some parts of India but given the strained economic and social condition of the Himalayan nation, it needed support and aid from multiple channels. Acting swiftly, the Modi government announced ‘Operation Maitri’ to give a massive thrust to its rescue and relief mission in quake-devastated Nepal.
India had deployed 12 heavy-duty military aircraft and 18 helicopters. Additionally, the country opened its four land routes to connect to Kathmandu and Pokhara Valley to safeguard men and materials.
In addition to aiding Nepal, India successfully evacuated over 43,000 stranded Indians via land routes by April 30th. The Air Force and Army conducted more than 11,000 evacuation missions, totaling over 2200 sorties, to transport people to safety. Moreover, Indian forces delivered over 1700 tons of aid supplies during this time. Additionally, Indian forces also conducted numerous rescues of Nepalese citizens.
More than 4,500 Indians and 960 foreigners evacuated from war-ravaged Yemen in 2015 under Operation Rahat
In 2015, as fighting raged between the Houthi rebels and the Yemeni government, thousands of Indians got stranded. This prompted the Modi government to launch ‘Operation Rahat’ to evacuate Indian citizens and foreign nationals from Yemen.
Since Yemen was not accessible by air due to a no-fly zone announced by Saudi Arabia, India chose Djibouti initially as a centre to carry out initial evacuation by sea. The Indian government also sent the then Minister of State for Overseas Indian Affairs General (Retd) V.K. Singh to oversee operations from the nearest port of Djibouti city.
The operation was launched on 1st April 2015 and ended on 11th April after ensuring the safety of all stranded Indians.
Under Operation Rahat, India rescued about 4,640 Indians stranded in Yemen, along with 960 foreign nationals from more than 41 countries including the US and the UK. Some of the countries did not have the operational capability to carry out a complex evacuation process so they sought India’s help. India happily obliged and rescued the beleaguered foreign nationals.
The then external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had later revealed that PM Modi’s personnel connect in the form of a direct phone call to the Saudi King had facilitated this massive evacuation mission.
‘Operation Sankat Mochan’ in South Sudan
In 2016, a severe conflict erupted in the newest country in the world, South Sudan. The situation escalated into a civil war between the government and rebels. The then-president of South Sudan accused his former ally of rebellion. The country was already grappling with various problems, and the situation worsened. In July 2016, the Modi government announced ‘Operation Sankat Mochan’ to rescue its stranded citizens from the conflict-hit nation.
Under Operation Sankat Mochan, 300 Indians stranded in violence-hit South Sudan were rescued by the Modi government. Additionally, Indian armed forces also rescued other foreign nationals including Nepali citizens.
Again, it was General VK Singh who rose to the occasion and oversaw the execution of the rescue mission while remaining in the Middle-eastern region. The same was widely appreciated by the citizens for his relentless efforts in service of the nation like that of a soldier.
India exfiltrates CRPF contingent amidst escalating tensions in Libya in 2019
With the security situation on the ground rapidly deteriorating in Libya, the then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in April 2019 announced that an entire contingent of CRPF troops was removed from the conflict zone. The root of the crisis that continues to plague Libya to this day is the unrest that sparked the Arab Spring in 2011.
The infighting between warring factions had escalated in 2019 with the launch of a military campaign known as the Western Libya campaign, initiated on 4 April 2019 by Operation Flood of Dignity of the Libyan National Army to capture the western region of Libya and eventually the capital Tripoli held by the United Nations Security Council-recognised Government of National Accord.
The Indian government initiated a massive evacuation plan to rescue the marooned people from the country. Later, the then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted that the evacuation of an entire contingent of CRPF forces was carried out as the situation in Tripoli had worsened.
During this time, some Indians residing in Tripoli were still hesitant to leave everything behind and get rescued from the war-torn country. With more than 500 Indians still in Tripoli, the then EAM Sushma Swaraj requested families and friends of people in Libya’s capital city Tripoli to persuade them to leave immediately amid an emergency.
Operation Samudra Setu and Operation Vande Bharat: Countrymen safely return to India amidst the scare of the COVID pandemic
The COVID outbreak hit the world in 2020, leading the world to a grinding halt and chaotic situation. A large number of Indians also got stranded abroad. The Modi government launched ‘Operation Samudra Setu’ and ‘Vande Bharat Mission’ to rescue
stranded Indians worldwide. The Navy deployed its ships Jalashwa, Magar, and Airavat, along with Shardul, for this purpose. During this period, the Navy safely brought back 3992 people from different countries.
While flights were suspended worldwide during the COVID, the Modi government, through the ‘Vande Bharat Mission,’ brought back its citizens from more than 100 countries. In a reply given in Parliament in March 2022, the Ministry of External Affairs stated that it had provided assistance to 2.97 crore people. During this time, Indians were rescued from countries including China, the United States, and Russia.
Operation Devi Shakti: Kabul evacuation in 2021 after the terror outfit Taliban took over Afghanistan
On August 15, 2021, while India celebrated its Independence Day, chaos unfolded in neighbouring Afghanistan. The terrorist organisation Taliban seized control of the country’s capital, Kabul. The democratically elected government led by Ashraf Ghani collapsed in the face of aggression by the terrorist outfit, following the withdrawal of US and Allied forces from Afghanistan. The Taliban’s takeover precipitated a humanitarian crisis and prompted the exodus of religious minorities, including Sikhs and Indians, as well as critics and opponents of the Taliban regime.
Consequently, the Modi government launched ‘Operation Devi Shakti’, under which more than 500 Indian citizens were safely evacuated. Additionally, around 110 Afghan Sikhs as well as Swaroop of Guru Granth Sahib were brought to India from Afghanistan. The pictures of Sikhs carrying Guru Granth Sahib on their heads have gone viral on social media.
Operation Ganga: Indian students rescued from Ukraine amid its war with Russia
In February 2022, war broke out between Russia and Ukraine. Russia initiated airstrikes on large areas of Ukraine. As a result, a significant number of Indians were stranded in Ukraine. Among these Indians, the largest number were students studying medicine in Ukraine. At the time the war began, there were over 20,000 Indians present in Ukraine. India utilised its diplomatic strength to evacuate students from Ukraine. Indian students later revealed that the Indian tricolour had come to their rescue as they were told that pasting the Indian tricolour in front of the vehicles would save them from shelling and gunfire as both Russia and Ukraine had agreed to cease hostilities in safety corridors for Indians.
The Modi government negotiated with Russia and Ukraine to create safe corridors for its citizens. During this time, under Operation Ganga, more than 18,282 Indian citizens were brought back via over 90 flights. Ministers of the Indian government were also actively involved in this entire mission. India also evacuated several Nepali citizens from Ukraine.
During the Budget Session of the Parliament in 2022, Foreign Minister Dr. S Jaishankar updated the Rajya Sabha about the details of the rescue mission. Back then, he had said, “India evacuated 147 foreign nationals from 18 countries during its evacuation mission.”
Operation Kaveri: To rescue stranded Indians from war-torn Sudan in 2023
In 2023, the Modi government launched Operation Kaveri to evacuate stranded Indians from war-torn Sudan. In April 2023, a fierce war broke out between two army factions in Sudan. More than 3500 Indians were stranded in Sudan. A large number of these were people who had gone from Karnataka. India launched Operation Kaveri to save them. Under Operation Kaveri, India evacuated 3961 Indians and 136 foreign nationals from Sudan.
The Indians were evacuated from Port Sudan to Jeddah after the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to extend their ceasefire amid ongoing violence in the capital Khartoum and the western Darfur region. Indians were taken from Port Sudan to Jeddah on Navy ships and C-130J planes, from where they are being flown to India on C17 jet planes.
Operation Ajay
On 7th October 2023, the Islamic terrorist organisation Hamas launched an operation against Israel from land, air and sea killing over 1,200 men, women, children and Israeli soldiers. Following the terrorist attack in Southern Israel, there were concerns regarding the safety of Indian nationals, prompting the Modi government to announce Operation Ajay. Under this rescue operation, India safely evacuated more than 1300 citizens from Israel. India had also rescued several foreign nationals during this mission.
(Late Sushma Swaraj, Former Foreign Minister had assured stranded Indians about their safety, irrespective of their location)
“Even if you are stuck on Mars, the Indian embassy there will help you” – these reassuring words of the late stateswoman politician Sushma Swaraj, the then Minister of External Affairs, aptly sum up the Indian government’s policy of acting as a Sankatmochak for every stranded Indian and swiftly bringing them out of harm’s way, ensuring that no Indian is left behind.
A tribunal set up by the union government has upheld the decision of the Union home ministry to ban the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party. On 5th October 2023, the Union Home Ministry banned the group for five years for its anti-India and pro-Pakistan activities.
Declaring the decision, the ministry said that this organization headed by jailed separatist Shabir Ahmad Shah has been involved in anti-national activities since year 1998 and its members have always promoted separatism and terrorist acts in India. The members of this organization, by inciting the people, want to make Kashmir a separate Islamic state, which is prejudicial to the sovereignty, security and integrity of India.
The ministry had added that many criminal cases have been registered against JKDFP under various sections of UAPA 1967, IPC 1860, The Arms Act 1959 and Ranbir Penal Code 1932.
After banning the group, the union government constituted a tribunal headed by a judge of the Delhi High Court to adjudicate if there is sufficient ground for declaring the Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party. The UAPA tribunal was formed in October 2023 under sub-section (1) of section 5 read with sub-section (1) of section 4 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (37 of 1967), and it was headed by Delhi High Court judge justice Sachin Dutta
The mandate of the tribunal was to review the ban imposed on JKDFP. Now, after pursuing the matter for 5 months, the tribunal has upheld the decision to ban the group. The tribunal said that there is sufficient ground to declare Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party an unlawful organisation under the provisions of the sub-section (3) of section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) 1967.
Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party was founded by Shabir Ahmad Shah, who is currently in jail after he was arrested by the ED in money laundering and terror financing cases. According to the Home Ministry, Shabir Ahmad Shah is a prominent separatist known for his anti-India and pro-Pakistan propaganda.
Shah had called Kashmir as a ‘dispute’ and ruled out any settlement within the framework of the Constitution of India, and the members of his organisation are been at the forefront of secessionist activities in the Jammu and Kashmir and want to create a separate Islamic State.
