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Siege of Bangladesh’s ancient Kantajew Temple, built by Maharaja Pran Nath: How Illegal construction of mosque on the Temple land has only been paused, not abandoned

Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury
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Siege of Bangladesh’s ancient Kantajew Temple, built by Maharaja Pran Nath: How Illegal construction of mosque on the Temple land has only been paused, not abandoned

Amid international outcry centering illegal construction of a mosque on the land of century-old Kantajew Temple or Kantaji Temple in Kaharol upazila (sub-district) under Dinazpur district in Bangladesh, the district administration on March 24 banned “all kinds of construction work” on the land of the temple – more than 23 days after local Muslims began illegally constructing a multi-storey mosque by forcefully occupying temple land.

It may be mentioned here that centuries ago total 156.53 acres of land was registered in the name of Maharaja Jagdish Nath Roy who represented Sri Sri Kantaji Vigraha and since then the historic Kantaji Temple has turned into a pilgrimage site for hundreds and thousands of Hindus from Bangladesh and abroad.  

Kantanagar Temple, commonly known as Kantaji Temple or Kantajew Temple at Kantanagar, is a Hindu temple. It is a religious edifice belonging to the 18th century. The temple belongs to the Hindu Kanta or Krishna. Built by Maharaja Pran Nath, its construction started in 1704 CE and ended in the reign of his son Raja Ramnath in 1722 CE. It is an example of terracotta architecture in Bangladesh. It not only globally represents Bangladesh but also is a UNESCO-listed site in the Indian subcontinent.

It is the most visited religious site for the country’s Hindu community and is frequented by devotees from other countries as well.

On March 1, newly elected Dinajpur-1 lawmaker Zakaria Zaka laid the foundation plaque for the mosque on the land of the iconic religious structure. Zaka, also president of Birganj upazila Awami League had contested the January 7 elections as an independent candidate and emerged victorious after defeating four-time Awami League lawmaker of the constituency, Manoranjanshil Gopal.

Following the foundation laying ceremony, construction began the very next day, stirring much controversy. As the matter appeared in a number of newspapers including Weekly Blitz, VT Foreign Policy, OpIndia and Hindu Post, local administration immediately claimed that the construction of mosque has been halted. But in reality, nothing had stopped. Rather the pace of constructing the 3-storey mosque complex was accelerated.

Now after 23 days of beginning of the construction work, Shakil Ahmed, deputy commissioner of Dinajpur district visited the site of March 24 and told media that he has imposed ban on “all kinds o construction on the Kantajew Temple land”.

According to media reports, visiting the site in the morning of March 24, he spoke to members of the mosque construction committee and ordered them to suspend the work. He also met the leaders of the upazila’s Hindu community at his office.

At the briefing, the DC said the mosque was being reconstructed on “Debattor land” (land of the Deity) of the Kantajew Temple without any permission taken by the authorities concerned, rendering the construction illegal.

However, he said, the situation is under control there and that a suitable place will be provided for the mosque’s construction.

Shafiqul Islam, Kaharol’s upazila nirbahi officer, went to the construction site on March 24 and hung a notice banning all sorts of construction on the land.

Local Muslims claim a mosque was established on a portion of the land back in 1950 after the Muslim population increased in the district. In 1976, the then deputy commissioner leased out that portion to the Muslims to build a makeshift mosque there. However, a 1999 High Court ruling said Debattor land belongs only to the Deity.

In this regard, DC Shakil Ahmed said the validity of the lease documents submitted by the mosque committee is now being verified by a team led by the Upazilla Nirbahi Officer. He did not say, how a “Debattor land” (land of the Deity) that belong to the Kantajew Temple had been leased to Muslims for construction of mosque. Moreover, such lease order is direct violation of the 1999 High Court ruling that said “Debattor land belongs only to the Deity”.

It may be mentioned here that on March 13, Ronojit Kumar Singha, an agent of Raj Debottar Estate in Dinajpur, where the temple stands, sent a letter to the deputy commissioner, urging a halt to the mosque’s construction.

Speaking to media, he said, “The mosque was supposed to be built on eight decimals of land of the temple, but they took over 16 decimals and have already gathered construction materials there. The distance between the temple and the construction site is about 500 meters”.

The Daily Star saw the papers relevant to the land of Kantajew Temple.

According to Khatian-5 records, the 94.07-acre land was recorded to Maharaja Jagadishnath Roy. It is located around a mile west of the road across the Dhepa river in the Kantanagar village.

The land spans several plots (daags) surrounding the temple. Daag-16 is around 6.48 acres, where the mosque was being constructed. Ronojit also told media that around 63 acres of the land, according to Khatian-5, is under the possession of Raj Debattar Estate while the rest was illegally grabbed by locals, mainly Muslims – and many people have been living there with their families. Although cases were filed several times to recover the grabbed land to no avail.

The Estate committee has been paying the land tax regularly till even last year.

Speaking to media, Dinajpur-1 MP Zakaria Zaka said, “I have come to know there was already a mosque there in 1950, which was renovated later. The mosque was demolished just a few days before the construction of the new one began. I was also told this entire area is situated on endowment property … The locals wanted the old mosque demolished for a new one. As per their request, I went to the foundation stone laying program. That was the extent of my involvement here”.

Meanwhile, leaders of Dinajpur unit of Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad and Bangladesh Hindu-Bouddha-Christian Oikya Parishad expressed their dismay over the construction on the temple’s land.

Swarup Bakshi, president of Dinajpur’s puja udjapan parishad and Dinajpur Press Club, said the DC suspended the work but we want a permanent solution so that such incidents do not recur.

“Since the construction began, most of the basement work has already been completed”.Former Dinajpur-1 lawmaker Manoranjanshil Gopal said, “This [construction on Deity land] will definitely hurt the communal harmony”.

62 per cent of donations by companies after ED raids went to opposition parties: Electoral bonds data debunks opposition’s ‘extortion’ claims

OpIndia Staff
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62 per cent of donations by companies after ED raids went to opposition parties: Electoral bonds data debunks opposition’s ‘extortion’ claims

The Electoral Bonds have brought countless twists and turns in India’s political landscape. There have been allegations by the opposition parties against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that they used raids by central investigation agencies, including the Enforcement Directorate (ED), to “extort” funding from corporate houses. However, an analysis conducted by The Indian Express uncovered how the allegations contradict the reality. The opposition has persistently accused the BJP of receiving funds from companies under investigation by the ED. However, the detailed examination of the data suggested a different direction.

The analysis revolved around 26 companies that purchased the electoral bonds and faced raids by ED, the Income Tax Department and others. Of these companies, 16 made electoral bond donations only after coming under the radar of the investigation agencies. Furthermore, contributions from six companies spiked following probes were initiated against them.

Contrary to the narrative presented by the opposition parties, the analysis revealed a diverse distribution of electoral bond donations across party lines. BJP received a 37.34 per cent share of these donations, but the fact cannot be ignored that a significant part, that is 62.66 per cent, of those donations, went to other parties, including the regional parties such as Trinamool Congress, DMK, BJD and Congress.

Furthermore, the data indicated that the share of the BJP in electoral bond donations from the companies under investigation was in line with the overall share. The remaining contributions were received by the opposition parties, which suggested that a broad-based distribution of the funds took place rather than the targeted quid pro quo arrangement that the opposition parties have been claiming.

Let’s take the example of Future Gaming, which faced the ED probe. They started buying electoral bonds only after facing scrutiny. The majority of the shares of the bonds purchased by Future Gaming went to Trinamool Congress, followed by DMK and others. BJP received only Rs 100 crore from the company in electoral bond donations. Similarly, Haldia Energy bought bonds post-investigation. They donated the bonds to both TMC and BJP.

A closer examination of the top donor companies revealed similar patterns. Though these companies increased their donations after coming under the radar of the security agencies, their contributions were not exclusive towards the BJP.

Quoting the data analysis by Indian Express, Amit Malviya, BJP’s IT Cell chief, took on X to answer the opposition parties’ allegations. He wrote, “Data is as good as how you read it. Is there merit in the Opposition’s allegations that the BJP was extorting money using agencies? The answer is NO.

  • Here is the data which establishes that the charges are hollow:
  • ED did 3,000 raids between 2014-22
  • In 3,000 raids, only 26 companies that faced agency action bought electoral bonds
  • Only 16 out of these 26 companies bought electoral bonds “soon after” agency action
  • BJP got just 37% of the money from companies that faced agency action!
  • The overall share of the BJP in electoral bonds is 47%
  • So BJP got less money from companies that were raided than from those that were not raided
  • Companies that were raided gave 63% of their money to the opposition and 37% to the BJP!

This doesn’t look like “extortion”. But this does raise several questions on Opposition…”

OpIndia’s analysis of the Electoral Bonds data

Using data revealed by ECI, it is clear that in the case of Future Gaming and Hotel Services Pvt Ltd owned by Lottery King Santiago Martin, TMC received 542 crores, DMK received 503 crores, and BJP received only 100 crores from the company. The company had bought bonds worth Rs 1,368 crores. the probe against the company was initiated in July 2019. They bought the bonds for the first time in October 2019.

Electoral Bonds data of Future Gaming and Hotel Services Pvt Ltd

In the case of Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited, the company bought bonds worth Rs 1,107 crores. The probe against the company was initiated in October 2019 by the IT Department. BJP was the biggest beneficiary followed by BRS, DMK, YSRCP, TDP, Congress and others.

Electoral Bonds data of Megha Engineering

In the case of Haldia Energy, they bought 22 crores worth of bonds before action and 355 crores after action. Interestingly, before the CBI action in 2020, BJP got 16 crores worth of bonds, and TMC got 6 crores. After the action, TMC got bonds worth Rs 275 crores, and BJP got bonds worth 65 crores.

Electoral Bonds data of Haldia Energy
Source: ECI

In the case of Jindal Steels, which faced action in April 2022, the company bought bonds worth Rs 123 crores after the action. BJP got bonds worth Rs 100 crores, Congress got Rs 20 crores, and BJP got only Rs 3 crores worth of bonds. After April 2022, other companies of Jindal Group donated bonds worth Rs 72.5 crores to BJP but could not match the total donations to BJD.

In the case of Yashoda Super Speciality Hospitals, BRS was the top receiver; for Chennai Green Woods, BRS was the top receiver; for Rashmi Group; BJD and TMC were the receivers; for Hetero Pharma, BRS was the top receiver; for Aurobindo Pharma, BRS was the top receiver, for Rithwik Projects, Congress was the top receiver, for Shirdi Sai Electricals, TDP was the top receiver, and so on. In the case of Hero Motocorp, United Phosphorus, Ramco Cement, Welspun, Divis Labs, and NCC, BJP was the top receiver. The data makes it clear that in distribution of electoral bonds from the companies faced action by central agencies was not limited to BJP but to all political parties.

Electoral Bonds data was released by the Election Commission of India and the State Bank of India after the Supreme Court struck down the scheme and directed SBI to provide data to ECI, which would publish it on the website.

“Was hurt by her reference to ‘Chhota Kashi’ Mandi”, says Kangana Ranaut on Congress’ Supriya Shrinate’s offensive sexist Social Media post

ANI
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“Was hurt by her reference to ‘Chhota Kashi’ Mandi”, says Kangana Ranaut on Congress’ Supriya Shrinate’s offensive sexist Social Media post

 Bollywood actress and BJP’s Mandi Lok Sabha candidate Kangana Ranaut has said that she was hurt by the post of Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate that had made disparaging comments against her.

Shrinate has since claimed that her social media handle was hacked and she would never demean another woman.

“Every woman deserves dignity, no matter what profession she is in. The most I am hurt by is the ‘Mandi’ thing, which is known as Chota Kashi and has been the land of several Rishi’s,” Kangana said as she arrived at the Chandigarh airport.

Kangana Ranaut is headed the BJP headquarters in Delhi where she was called by the party president J P Nadda. Ranaut says taking further action against the Congress leader would be decided after she met the party president.

“J P Nadda has called me to Delhi, I will able to comment only after meeting him,” said Kangana when asked if she is looking for legal action against Shrinate.

Meanwhile, National Commission for Women (NCW) Chief Rekha Sharma has urged Congress leader Sonia Gandhi to “take action” against two of its leaders for using “derogatory” language against another woman.

She said the commission has written to the Election Commission seeking “stringent action against the party and the leader.”

The purported post by Shrinate on Monday, which featured a picture of Ranaut dressed in a corset top with an objectionable caption, has since been deleted, after facing backlash from several BJP leaders and others.

Ranaut on Monday hit out at the Congress leader, saying every woman deserves dignity.

“We must free our daughters from the shackles of prejudice; we must rise above the curiosity about their body parts; and above all, we must refrain from using sex workers challenging lives or circumstances as some kind of abuse or slur. Every woman deserves her dignity,” she had posted on X.

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

Kerala: 2-year-old girl brutally beaten to death, had injury marks all over her body, her father Mohammad Faiz arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Kerala: 2-year-old girl brutally beaten to death, had injury marks all over her body, her father Mohammad Faiz arrested

On Monday (25th March), a 2-year-old girl identified as Nasreen was brutally beaten to death in Malappuram, Kerala. The post-mortem report of the deceased girl revealed that she was beaten badly before her death, and blood clotted in her head, after which she died. The girl’s father Faiz has been arrested on the charges of murder.

According to media reports, Mohammed Faiz, a resident of the Kalikava area of ​​the Malappuram district of Kerala, admitted his daughter Nasreen to the hospital on Sunday (24th March, 2024). Faiz told the doctors that his daughter had eaten something that got stuck resulting in her critical condition.

However, during the treatment, Nasreen died. Later, when the post-mortem of the deceased kid was performed, it came to the fore that the girl had deep injury marks on her face and her chest. There was a deep injury on the head as well.

It is further reported that there were blood marks on Nasreen’s hands. Reportedly, Nasreen’s father Mohammad Faiz absconded after she died. The police later registered an FIR of unnatural death regarding the incident, but the relatives of Nasreen’s mother alleged that Faiz brutally beat the girl which led to her death.

They informed the police that the girl was thrown on the bed after she was brutally beaten by her father. They also added that the girl was dead before she was brought to the hospital. Faiz just pretended to bring her to the hospital to avoid any police action.

After these allegations, the police searched for Faiz to arrest him. The police arrested him from the Pullancode area. He is being interrogated in this matter. The police are waiting for the final report, after which further action will be taken.

After 495 years, Ram Lalla celebrates his first Holi at his birthplace, devotees gather in huge numbers in Ayodhya to celebrate Rangotsav with Lord Ram

OpIndia Staff
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After 495 years, Ram Lalla celebrates his first Holi at his birthplace, devotees gather in huge numbers in Ayodhya to celebrate Rangotsav with Lord Ram

This year’s Holi in Ayodhya proved to be extremely special. After 495 years, Ram Lalla played Holi at his birthplace with a lot of zeal and excitement. The entire Ram Janmabhoomi premises were filled with the joy of the festival of colours.

On March 26, Tuesday, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra shared pictures of Ram Lalla holding a pichkari (Spary gun) in his hand to play Holi with his devotees. “On Rangotsav today, Bhagwan Shri Ramlalla Sarkar is playing Holi with his devotees. Prabhu is also holding a pichkari today,” wrote the trust as it shared mesmerizing pictures of Ram Lalla idol adorning the sanctum sanctorum of Ayodhya Ram Mandir.

The Holi celebration in Ayodhya kickstarted a week ago with the Rangbhari Ekadashi celebration at Hanuman Garhi, Ayodhya. Devotees applied colours to the deity at the Hanumangarhi temple.

Since Monday, March 25, devotees in large numbers have been gathering in Ayodhya to take part in the celebrations of presenting sweets and colours to the Ram Lalla idol. The ceremonial playing of Holi was accompanied by the traditional offerings of abir and a special herbal gulal as part of the Raag Bhog ritual. A variety of 56 dishes were also offered as prasad before the deity.

The temple priests sang Holi songs along with the devotees and danced in front of the deity.

“Ramlalla is celebrating his first Holi after his consecration in the temple. His charming idol was decorated with flowers, gulaal has been applied on the forehead. On this occasion, the idol of Ram Lalla wore a pink dress,” said Acharya Satyendra Das, chief priest of the temple.

Source: X handle of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra

Scientists prepare herbal Gulal for Holi from Kachnar flowers offered at Ayodhya Ram Mandir

To celebrate Ram Lalla’s Holi in Ayodhya this year, scientists of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Botanical Research Institute (CSIR-NBRI) crafted this special gulal. They honoured Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s remarkable contribution to conserving the rich tradition and heritage of the country with this special gulal.

Ajit Kumar Shasany, director, CSIR-NBRI said, “We have developed a skin-friendly herbal gulal from flowers of ‘Ayodhya state tree’ to be offered to Ram Lalla on this Holi.”

“Kachnar was considered the state tree of Ayodhya in Treta Yuga, and it has been used as a well-established medicine in our Ayurvedic system of medicine. Our scientists have developed this herbal gulal, especially for Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya,” he said.

“The gulal from flowers of Kachnar is developed in a lavender fragrance while the gulal from flowers offered at Gorakhnath temple is developed in a sandalwood fragrance,” he added. 

Delhi liquor policy scam: BRS leader K Kavitha denied relief, sent to judicial custody until April 9

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi liquor policy scam: BRS leader K Kavitha denied relief, sent to judicial custody until April 9

On Tuesday, a Delhi court ordered BRS leader K Kavitha to judicial custody until April 9, marking the conclusion of the Enforcement Directorate (ED)’s custody.

The ED had sought 15 days of judicial custody for the accused. In response, senior advocate Vikram Chaudhari, representing Kavitha, requested the court to hear an interim bail plea, citing that her 16-year-old son’s exams are imminent.

The ED countered that if interim bail was to be deliberated, the agency should be permitted to submit a reply. The court granted the ED one week to file its response.

Kavitha, the daughter of former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, was placed in seven days of ED custody on March 17 about the Delhi liquor policy case following her arrest. Subsequently, on March 23, the court extended her ED custody by an additional three days.

On March 22, the Supreme Court declined to provide any relief to the BRS leader, directing her to seek bail from a trial court.

Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) leader K Kavitha was arrested on March 15 after the Income Tax Department and Enforcement Directorate officials raided her residence in Hyderabad. The Telangana CM K. Chandrashekar Rao’s daughter who is also a MLC has been under probe for her involvement in the Delhi Excise Police scam case and was questioned by ED earlier multiple times.

K Kavitha’s role in the scam came to light after the arrest of AAP leader and former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia. According to the Enforcement Directorate, she is a member of the ‘South Cartel,’ which allegedly received payments in the case.

It has been alleged that Delhi’s AAP government’s new excise policy for granting licences to liquor sellers allowed cartelisation and favoured certain dealers, and the South Cartel paid bribes of ₹100 crore for the same. It was alleged that the South Cartel, which includes prominent personalities from the South, was one of the major beneficiaries of the policy. ED alleges that YSRCP Lok Sabha MP Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy, BRS MLC K Kavitha, and Aurobindo Pharma-founder P V Ramprasad Reddy were prominent members of this group.

USA: Massive bridge in Baltimore, Maryland collapses into water after container ship collides, multiple casualties reported

OpIndia Staff
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USA: Massive bridge in Baltimore, Maryland collapses into water after container ship collides, multiple casualties reported

In USA’s Maryland, the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed and fell into the water within a few minutes after a large container ship collided with one of its pillars. Shocking visuals of the collision and bridge collapse show an explosive fire on board the container ship as the bridge above shakes, breaks into pieces, and falls into the water taking the night traffic with it.

The incident happened at 01:30 ET (05:30 GMT) on Tuesday, 26 March.

Chief Kevin Cartwright, director of communications for the Baltimore City Fire Department confirmed to us that the bridge had been struck by a large vessel causing it to collapse into the Patapsco River, the BBC reported. As per initial reports, as many as 7 cars have fallen into the river.

The US Coastguard, Baltimore Fire Department, and other agencies are currently on site, carrying out rescue efforts.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge has a total length of 2632 metres and the water usually lies at a 56 metre depth. The main span of 1200 feet, around 366 metres is the longest continuous truss span in the world, as per reports.

Pakistan’s second-largest naval air station, the PNS Siddique in Turbat, attacked; BLA claims responsibility

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan’s second-largest naval air station, the PNS Siddique in Turbat, attacked; BLA claims responsibility

On Monday (25th March) evening, Pakistan’s second-largest naval air station, PNS Siddique in Turbat, came under attack with gunfire and multiple explosions reported from the area.

As per the Pakistani media reports, the Majeed Brigade of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) banned by the country has claimed responsibility for the attack on the Naval Airbase in Turbat. The Majeed Brigade disagrees with China’s investments in the Balochistan area and protests against China and Pakistan for exploiting the region’s resources.

As per The Balochistan Post, the BLA claimed its fighters had entered the airbase. Furthermore, Chinese drones have also been stationed at the base. Following the incident, District Health Officer Kech declared an emergency at Teaching Hospital Turbat, and all doctors were instructed to attend to duty immediately.

Reports also mention that 4 armed assailants have been killed by the Pakistani Security Forces as the latter tried to foil the attack. Pakistani authorities claim that the 4 were quickly spotted and killed when they tried to enter the naval facility in Turbat, a district in Balochistan.

Notably, the BLA Majeed Brigade’s strike in Turbat today is its second of the week and third of the year. Earlier, on Wednesday (20th March), Pakistan’s Gwadar port, which falls on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), came under attack with reports of gunfire and blasts. Armed assailants forcibly entered the Gwadar Port Authority Complex and opened firing while multiple blasts were also been reported.

According to Pakistani media reports, the Majeed Brigade of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) had claimed responsibility for the attack on Gwadar port. Also, on 29th January, Mach City, Military Intelligence’s headquarters in Gwadar was attacked by the BLA.

It is important to note that Gwadar is strategically located near the Strait of Hormuz, which is a key shipping route for oil in the Arabian Sea. The seaport is part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Chinese President Xi Jinping’s flagship project. China has made significant investments in mineral-rich Balochistan as part of its Belt and Road Initiative, including the development of the Gwadar port.

However, Balochistan advocacy organizations have protested the development, citing it as an exploitation of local resources by the Chinese and Pakistani armies. Several armed groups demanding liberation from Pakistan have also targeted Chinese assets in the region, attempting to delay or entirely halt the CPEC project. In August last year, armed assailants attacked a convoy of Chinese workers in Gwadar. BLA had also claimed responsibility for that attack. 

Additionally, many ethnic-separatist and terrorist organizations, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Lashkar e-Tayyiba, Lashkar e-Jhangvi, Daesh, and the Balochistan Liberation Front are currently active in this region.

Pakistan has seen a rise in such attacks in the last year, particularly in KP and Balochistan, following the collapse of the ceasefire between the proscribed militant group Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and the government in November 2022.

Tax On Rain: Toronto in Canada considering a ‘rain tax’ based on amount of hard surfaces on your property, here’s what it means

OpIndia Staff
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Tax On Rain: Toronto in Canada considering a ‘rain tax’ based on amount of hard surfaces on your property, here’s what it means

The city of Toronto in Canada is considering imposing a “rain tax” from April. For this, Toronto’s municipal government is consulting with ‘water users’. The authorities have issued a call for people to participate in a “Stormwater Charge & Water Service Charge Consultation.”

“The City of Toronto is consulting with water users and interested parties on the possible implementation of a stormwater charge, stormwater charge credits and a water service charge. These potential charges would impact the rate that customers pay for their water,” Toronto City’s website states.

The authorities intend to impose a ‘stormwater charge’ for all property classes. In addition, a stormwater charge credits program for large properties and administrative water charges.

Detailing on the proposed stormwater charge, the Toronto Municipal Government says, “Stormwater is rain and melted snow. When not absorbed into the ground, stormwater runs off hard surfaces, onto streets, down storm drains and through a network of pipes that carry it into local waterways… Too much stormwater can overwhelm the city’s sewer system, which can lead to flooded basements and impacts to surface water quality in Toronto’s rivers, streams and Lake Ontario’s waterfront.”

Notably, the residents of Toronto City already pay water rates as part of their utility bill including stormwater management expenditures.

If levied, the stormwater charge would be used to fund stormwater management initiatives. A stormwater tax would be based on a property’s impact on stormwater runoff to Toronto’s storm sewer system, as measured by the amount of hard surface area on the site. Hard surfaces include roofs, asphalt driveways, parking lots, and concrete landscaping, the City authorities explain.

The proposal to levy a ‘rain tax’ in Toronto has sparked debate on social media.

An X user wrote, “Holy crap. I could not believe it. But alas, it is true. A proposed “rain tax”. Tax, tax, tax. Eventually, they will just take your property. At least whatever is left after it all gets stolen by armed criminals. But hopefully, you left your fob by the front door. With some milk and cookies. You wouldn’t want those armed criminals angry due to low blood sugar. #CommieCanada”

One “Wall Street Silver” wrote, “The Liberals in Canada want to introduce a RAIN TAX on Canadians … It will be based on the amount of hard surfaces on a property …… Yup … as if Canada didn’t suck enough already, now they want to make it even more expensive.”

Gad Saad commenting on the proposed tax wrote, “This is not satire. This is Canada.”

Replying to Saad, Elon Musk simply dropped a “!”.

A Canadian X user highlighted how the politicians in Toronto are out of touch with reality. “@MayorOliviaChow, @oliviachow, @cityoftoronto literally are delusional and are the very thing many Toronto folk warned about, tax tax tax, and oh rain tax too. Thsts enough to make majority move out the city. And its enough to NEVER VOTE people like her in because that’s all they do is tax tax tax. Businesses already stated they would relocate as well as move out of the city,” the X user wrote.

“When you become so out of touch you want to tax people over the rain you have seriously showed everyone how Far far left progressive woke nonsense your policies are. No wonder people want out under this mayor…” he continued.

Notably, this is not the first time that the city’s municipal authorities have proposed to a ‘stormwater charge’. Back in 2017, a similar proposal was brought up. However, the then Mayor John Tory’s executive committee shelved it indefinitely with a 27-16 vote count.

US, UK announce sanctions against Chinese company, individuals for cyber attack on critical infrastructure, say China govt is sponsoring spying efforts

OpIndia Staff
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US, UK announce sanctions against Chinese company, individuals for cyber attack on critical infrastructure, say China govt is sponsoring spying efforts

 The United States and Britain on Monday have sanctioned two individuals and one Wuhan-based company that allegedly targeted critical infrastructure sectors in the US as part of an expansive hacking effort.

The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Wuhan Xiaoruizhi Science and Technology Company, Limited (Wuhan XRZ), which it said was a Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS) front company that has served as cover for multiple malicious cyber operations.

The Treasury Department levied sanctions against two Chinese nationals Zhao Guangzong and Ni Gaobin, as well as the Wuhan Xiaoruizhi Science and Technology Company, which the agency accused of acting as a front for China’s top spy agency.

“OFAC is also designating Zhao Guangzong and Ni Gaobin, two Chinese nationals affiliated with Wuhan XRZ, for their roles in malicious cyber operations targeting U.S. entities that operate within U.S. critical infrastructure sectors, directly endangering US national security,” it said in a statement.

Brian Nelson, the under secretary of the Treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in a statement that, “The United States is focused on both disrupting the dangerous and irresponsible actions of malicious cyber actors, as well as protecting our citizens and our critical infrastructure.”

Additionally, the US Justice Department said that seven Chinese citizens have been indicted for their involvement in a China-based hacking group known as APT31 that spent approximately 14 years targeting US and foreign critics, businesses, and political officials for sensitive information.

The action is part of a collaborative effort with the US Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Department of State, and the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).”

Furthermore, the US Department of State announced a rewards for justice offer for information on these individuals, their organization, or any associated individuals or entities; and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office implemented matching sanctions.

It is notable here that US government institutions have repeatedly been targeted by Chinese hackers, with the US administration often directly blaming the Chinese government for the cyber attacks. In September 2023, it was reported that hackers associated with the Chinese government gained access to about 60,000 emails from the unclassified inboxes of State Department workers. In July 2021, US had charged 4 Chinese nationals were indicted by a US grand jury for their involvement in an alleged China-backed global espionage campaign, targeting dozens of companies, universities, government agencies in the US and at least 11 other countries, between July 2009 to September 2018.

UK government announces sanctions, travel bans and asset freeze against Chinese individuals and organisations

Meanwhile, the UK government said that it has identified that Chinese state-affiliated organisations and individuals were responsible for two malicious cyber campaigns targeting democratic institutions and parliamentarians.

In a statement, it said, “The United Kingdom, supported by allies globally, have today identified that Chinese state-affiliated organisations and individuals were responsible for two malicious cyber campaigns targeting democratic institutions and parliamentarians. Partners across the Indo-Pacific and Europe also express solidarity with the UK’s efforts to call out malicious cyber activities targeting democratic institutions and electoral processes.”

The UK government said that the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) – a part of Government Communications Headquarters- assesses that the UK Electoral Commission systems were highly likely compromised by a Chinese state-affiliated entity between 2021 and 2022.

However, it said the attacks did not have any impact on the democratic process or elections.

UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron said that it “is completely unacceptable that China state-affiliated organisations and individuals have targeted our democratic institutions and political processes. While these attempts to interfere with UK democracy have not been successful, we will remain vigilant and resilient to the threats we face.”

Cameron called it completely “unacceptable” that state-affiliated organisations and individuals from China have targeted democratic institutions and political processes. Cameron stated that he raised the issue directly with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

“I raised this directly with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and we have today sanctioned 2 individuals and one entity involved with the China state-affiliated group responsible for targeting our parliamentarians,” he added.

“Attacks on our democracy are unacceptable. Yet that is what organisations backed by China have done. Today, we are publically calling them out, and we have taken action. We have summoned the Chinese ambassador and we are putting sanctions, travel bans, asset freezes on individuals and the group responsible. Such actions from China will not be tolerated. We will always defend ourselves from those that threaten our values and our democracy”, Cameron stated in a video.

The British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has today summoned the Chinese Ambassador to the UK.

In the statement, UK government stated, “Zhao Guangzong, who is a member of APT31, operating on behalf of the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS), and has engaged in cyber activities targeting officials, government entities, and parliamentarians in the UK and internationally. Ni Gaobin who is a member of APT31, operating on behalf of the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS), and has engaged in cyber activities targeting officials, government entities, and parliamentarians in the UK and internationally.”

UK Home Secretary James Cleverly stated it is reprehensible that China sought to target Britain’s democratic institutions. He further said, “China’s attempts at espionage did not give them the results they wanted and our new National Security Act has made the UK an even harder target. Our upcoming elections, at local and national level, are robust and secure.” 

(With inputs from ANI)

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