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Rahul Gandhi’s BJ Nyay Yatra concludes: How it was another Congress drama of sowing division, chaos, and hatred among Indians before elections

Shraddha Pandey
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Rahul Gandhi’s BJ Nyay Yatra concludes: How it was another Congress drama of sowing division, chaos, and hatred among Indians before elections

Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, the foot march undertaken by Congress scion Rahul Gandhi right after the Congress party lost three out of four states in the assembly elections came to an end on 17th of March. The Congress leader’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra was the continuation of the Congress party’s perpetual agenda of divisive politics and spreading hatred. Much like the Bharat Jodo Yatra, its sequel had no shortage of attempts to deepen the faultlines of Indian society, even by using deliberate lies and misinformation.

The series of blunders began with the promotional video of Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra as Congress used the audio clips of BJP’s firebrand leader Smriti Irani reciting former PM Atal Bihari’s poem “Hum jiyenge toh Bharat ke liye, marenge toh Bharat ke liye” in its promo. The embarrassment was made worse since Smriti Irani is the one who defeated Rahul Gandhi in his ‘home bastion’ Amethi. Smriti Irani not only defeated Rahul Gandhi but also snatched away the Gandhi stronghold. Rahul Gandhii’s fear of losing against Irani was such that the Congress’s prime minister aspirant is reported to be unwilling to contest from Amethi, after running away to Wayanad in 2019.

Lying about Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony, dismissing it as ‘BJP’s event, to mocking Aishwarya Rai: The fall and the fall of Rahul Gandhi

Years after submitting an affidavit in the Supreme Court denying the existence of Lord Ram, the Congress party as the political scenario changed claimed to be devotees of Lord Ram. The party even accused the BJP of ‘using’ Lord Ram for its political gains. However, beyond the pretence, the actions of Congress and its leaders have time and again proven that the party has no respect or reverence for Bhagwan Ram. Despite the invitation, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge did not attend the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony held on the 22nd of January this year.

While the nation rejoiced in the ultimate victory in the 500 years of resistance and reclamation, on the 23rd of January, Rahul Gandhi demonstrating his lack of understanding of the sentiments of Hindus dismissed that there is any such phenomenon as Ram leher (wave). “There is no such thing that there is a wave (leher). I have already said that this was a political program of the BJP,” Rahul Gandhi said.

The frustration over the Ram Mandir Pran Pratistha perhaps made Gandhi resort to peddling lies about the consecration ceremony and playing the communist-style ‘ameer vs gareeb’ game merely to attack PM Modi. While addressing the crowd during Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Chhattisgarh’s Korba, Rahul Gandhi said, “During Ram Temple’s inauguration, I saw Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Adani, Ambani, and all businessmen attending the event but I didn’t notice any poor, farmer, labourer, unemployed, or ‘chai wala’ among them.”

Contrary to Gandhi’s claim, the event was attended by people from all walks of life. In addition to dignitaries and celebrities, the family members of several karsevaks, sadhus, labourers, sanitisation workers etc were also invited. Rahul Gandhi’s disdain for slogans like Jai Shri Ram was seen when he charged towards a crowd in Assam during the yatra as they raised Jai Shri Ram and pro-BJP slogans. Apparently, the owner-operator of ‘Mohabbat Ki Dukaan’ harbours ‘nafrat’ for the Ram Bhakts saying, Jai Shri Ram.

During the course of his controversial Yatra, Rahul Gandhi exposed his disturbing “objectification” of women as he repeatedly targeted film star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan saying “Aishwarya Rai nachti hui dikhegi” and “Aishwarya ko nachte hue dikhana” etc. It is worth noting that Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was not even present in the Ram Mandir consecration event. The audacity of the Gandhi scion to target and objectify Aishwarya Rai is alarming. Aishwarya Rai was crowned Miss World in 1994 when Rahul Gandhi was nothing more than former PM Rajiv Gandhi’s son. It is shameful that Rahul Gandhi’s sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra who once led a woman-centric “Ladki Hoon Lad Sakti Hoon” campaign, maintained a deafening silence on her brother’s opprobrious remarks on Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

During the Bharat ‘Jodo’ Nyay Yatra, Rahul Gandhi worked on the sole agenda of Bharat ‘Todo’ instead. Conspicuously, Rahul Gandhi’s obsession with people’s caste and his attempts to further the divide in society and gain some votes will be remembered as the standout in the second season of the Yatra. Be it Rahul Gandhi lying that President Droupadi Murmu was not invited to the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony because she is an “Adivasi” to calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “Fake OBC” Rahul Gandhi has left no stone unturned to re-mainstream casteism in electoral politics.

While Rahul Gandhi had claimed that President Murmu was not invited to the ceremony in Ayodhya, a delegation of Ram Mandir construction chairperson, VHP and RSS leaders had formally invited her. Although, Madam President said that she would visit the temple at a later date, she penned a heart-warming letter to PM Modi which she to Rahul Gandhi’s disappointment had concluded with the slogan “Siyavar Ramchandra Ki Jai!”

Even personal attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi have always boomeranged on opposition parties, Rahul Gandhi during the Yatra attacked PM Modi over his caste calling him ‘Fake OBC’. He claimed that PM Modi lied about his OBC caste saying that he is not an OBC by birth and later included his caste in the OBC list. However, as we factchecked Rahul Gandhi’s claim, it turned out that the Gandhi scion was telling a lie since it was his own party’s government in Gujarat and Centre when Modi’s Modh Ghanchi caste was notified in the OBC list in 1994, many years before Modi became Gujarat’s Chief Minister.

“Kaun Jaat Ho?”: When Rahul Gandhi channelised the Ravish Kumar in him to play caste-based divisive politics

In another instance of inciting people on caste lines, Rahul Gandhi during the UP leg of the Yatra claimed that the Central government is hostile to OBCs and Dalits. He also got a journalist almost lynched. “The Ram Mandir is only visited by the likes of PM Modi, Ambani, and Adani. You will see all our billionaires there but not a single person from a backward class or the Dalit community,” Gandhi said.

During the speech, Rahul Gandhi addressed a journalist in public and asked for his name. “Are you from the media? What is your name? What is the name of the owner of your organisation?” Rahul Gandhi asked the journalist. “Is he an OBC? Is your owner a Dalit? No, he is not.” Rahul Gandhi continued as the crowd around the journalist got hostile. He then stopped the Congress workers saying, “No. Don’t beat him up”. The leitmotif of Rahul Gandhi’s OBC, Dalit, and Adivasi rant is that one is honest, worthy of respect and importance only if they belong to these three caste groups as if being a so-called “upper caste” is a crime in this country.

Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party’s scorn for Uttar Pradesh and its people was seen in February this year when he referred to the state’s young as ‘nashedi’. “I went to Varanasi and I saw people lying on roads drunk. The youths of Uttar Pradesh are on a trip after consuming liquor by night. On the other hand, there is the Ram Mandir which is only visited by the likes of PM Modi, Ambani and Adani. You will see all our billionaires there but not a single person from a backward class or the Dalit community,” Rahul said during the Yatra in Amethi.

Rahul Gandhi’s resentment towards Uttar Pradesh is understandable given that the party has been reduced to two seats in the state. In recent elections, the voters have overwhelmingly rejected the Congress party.

Rahul Gandhi, on a rare occasion of targeting the Modi government on development and infrastructure issues unlike the usual caste jibes claimed that the world-famous pineapples of Meghalaya are not reaching the global markets due to “lack of infrastructure”. However, Gandhi ignored the fact that India has been exporting pineapples from Meghalaya to various places in the Gulf. The state government in August 2023 stated that the pineapples from the state have been gaining more and more popularity within and outside the country. Malls across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Kuwait have been selling these pineapples.

Rahul Gandhi attacks Adani, his party’s CM in Telangana signs MoUs with Adani conglomerate

Rahul Gandhi’s fixation with business behemoths Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani has peaked in recent years. The Gandhi scion has been at the forefront of slandering the businessman and accuses PM Modi of crony capitalism, by favouring Adani and his companies. The Congress party even coined terms like ‘Modani’ in their desperation to implicate Adani as a partner in crime with PM Modi. This desperation, however, brought nothing but embarrassment to Rahul Gandhi and his party during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra gimmick.  

The Congress party’s prince in a bid to establish a narrative that somehow Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani are controlling the institutions in the country including the Media. Last month, while addressing a crowd in Varanasi during the Yatra, Rahul Gandhi said, “‘Look here, this media people from ANI and all other TV, look at them. PTI, ANI, India Today, Network 10, Network 12, Network 14, tell who owns them? These belong to Adani ji, and Ambani ji. They are never going to show about farmers, labourers, poor. They can’t do it, because their owners have ordered them that they can’t show about the poor of India. They can show only Narendra Modi 24 hours, not the poor.’ This came even though the media undertook extensive coverage of the farmers’ protest. Probably, Rahul Gandhi believes in the childish argument “If you’re not on my side, you’re my enemy.”

Interestingly, while not a day goes by without Rahul Gandhi attacking Adani and PM Modi over their alleged ‘crony capitalism’, his own party’s leader and Chief Minister of Telangana Revanth Reddy on 17th January signed four Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) worth Rs 12,400 crore with the Adani group at the sideline of the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2024 in Davos, Switzerland. Reddy’s move left even the loudmouth Supriya Srinate with no answer when the media questioned CM Reddy’s move, not being in line with the party’s anti-Adani stand.

Adivasis pay GST, Adani-Ambani don’t: Rahul Gandhi ceases to apply brain while attacking the business tycoons

Adding another incidence of embarrassment to the never-ending list, Rahul Gandhi while attacking Adani-Ambani and the Modi government over GST exposed his ignorance about GST and how it works. Gandhi harangued against the GST at a public meeting in Jharkhand in February during the yatra, stating that only the poor pay it, while the rich and privileged never do.  He also demonised India’s industrial class, portraying them as dishonest and thieves. The Gandhi scion assailed Adani and Ambanis, claiming that they do not pay GST whereas industrious adivasis and tribals who haul 200 kgs of coal for a life do. A detailed OpIndia report on Rahul Gandhi’s comments on GST, and how GST works can be read here.

Embarrassment chases the Congress party’s ultracrepidarian. During his Yatra in Madhya Pradesh, Congress scion Rahul Gandhi equated the Minimum Support Price (MSP) declared on crops with the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) set on commodities like FMCG products.

In a desperate attempt to gain mileage from the farmers’ protest, Rahul Gandhi had claimed that the Modi government is unwilling to legalise MSP as ‘recommended’ by the Swaminathan Committee. However, contrary to Rahul Gandhi’s lies, the Swaminathan Committee report did not advocate for legalising MSP rather recommended that the MSP be at least 50% higher than the weighted average cost of production. This was referred to as the C2+50% formula, which included the capital input cost and land rent to provide farmers with 50% of the returns.

Ironically, although seeing the defeat in the coming Lok Sabha elections nearly inevitable, Rahul Gandhi promised to bring MSP law, it was his own party’s government led by then PM Manmohan Singh that rejected the Swaminathan Commission’s C2+50 per cent formula recommendation citing “counter-productivity”.

In a classic case of “The less you know, the more you think you know”, Rahul Gandhi shared his ‘wisdom’ on the challenges posed by Generative AI while interacting with some IT professionals during the yatra last month. Despite lack of sufficient knowledge on the subject, Rahul Gandhi tried hard to appear like an expert on AI. However, ended up getting trolled on social media for his ‘network’ gobbledegook and an unrelated ‘story’ of Saddam Hussain ‘obliterating’ the United States in Iraq. To no surprise he even brought caste into the context, of course, without making any sense.

Rahul Gandhi walked on even as I.N.D.I. Alliance continued to fall apart

It makes one wonder what exactly was the purpose of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. Was it to understand the issues of the people of Bharat? Was it to bring people together? Was it to increase the voter base? Or was it just a burlesque drama of the lifetime PM aspirant and Congress prince going out and connecting with the ‘Praja’. While Rahul Gandhi may have managed to make a few laughs, his foot march did not essentially yield any significant results in terms of political gains.

While Rahul Gandhi continued his foot march, which he paused for a paid event in the United Kingdom, the I.N.D.I. Alliance has only been shrinking while the NDA despite its already strong standing is expanding rapidly. The internal rift among the opposition parties has been out in the open. The same was seen during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in January this year when West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee refused to attend the Yatra saying she was not informed. The TMC government even denied permission to undertake the Yatra in Siliguri.  In another display of opposition unity, the Congress party did not care to invite its ally and Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav to the yatra during its UP leg.

Interestingly, although the Congress party likes to play the ‘big brother’ in the I.N.D.I. Alliance, its own prince does not even believe in treating his own party workers with respect and dignity. A disturbing example of this was seen during the BJ Nyay Yatra in Jharkhand when Rahul Gandhi offered biscuits, rejected by a dog, to a party worker. 

It was another such incident back 2016 that made Himanta Biswa Sarma quit the Congress party and join the BJP. In Himanta, Congress lost a bright, firebrand leader who could have taken the party to new heights in Assam. However, he quit Congress, joined BJP ensuring back to back victories for the party in the state. Now, Himanta is only second to Smriti Irani in aggressively taking on Rahul Gandhi.

Interestingly, despite the tall claims made in the initial days, I.N.D.I. Alliance has out and out been a flop show. While the BJP is aiming for a goal of winning 370 seats on its own and “Abki Baar 400 Paar” for NDA, the opposition bloc is shrinking at an alarming rate.

Former I.N.D.I. Alliance partners Rashtriya Lok Dal, and Janata Dal United have drifted away from Congress and joined hands with the BJP-led NDA. Even former Congress ally Janata Dal Secular has allied with the BJP. Moreover, the Communist Party of India (CPI) has also announced to go solo in Assam. Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress will also be going solo in West Bengal.

Forget ‘Bharat Jodo’ Rahul Gandhi failed to stop the disintegration of his own alliance.

While Rahul Gandhi dreams of becoming prime minister of a Hindu-majority Bharat, his actions suggest that the leader despises Hindu Dharma. During the Bharat Jodo Yatra in 2022, Rahul Gandhi met Rijil Mukkutty the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) leader, who slaughtered a cow in broad daylight in 2017 to mock Hindu sentiments. Moreover, during the Yatra he was also seen mollycoddling with anti-Hindu elements like pastor Geroge Poonaiah who said  Jesus is the ‘real God’, unlike ‘Sakthi & other Hindu gods. He (Jesus Christ) is a real God, revealed as a human person. Not like Sakthi and all,” Poonaiah had said as the self-proclaimed Janeudhari Dattatreya gotri Brahmin Rahul Gandhi looked on.

In the phase one, a pastor made disparaging remarks about Maa Shakti and Rahul Gandhi raised no objection, this time on the last day of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Rahul Gandhi himself exposed his Hindu hate as he resorted to distorting Hinduism, since Hindu-hate is the Sine Qua Non of the Congress party’s proclivities. “There is a word ‘Shakti’ in Hinduism. We are fighting against a Shakti. The question is, what is that Shakti? The soul of the King is in the EVM. This true. The soul of the King in the EVM and every institution of the country, in ED, CBI and Income Tax department. A senior leader from Maharashtra left Congress and cried in front of my mother and said ‘Sonia ji, I am ashamed that I don’t have the power to fight this Shakti. I do not want to go to jail.’ Thousands of people have been threatened like this,” Rahul Gandhi said in a shocking distortion of the meaning and value of the concept of Shakti.

Only a Mahishasur could think of fighting the Shakti, the powerful feminine deity in Hindu Dharma. In conclusion, Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra was a mere continuation of the furtherance of caste-based divisive politics, causing chaos by lying/misleading, inviting embarrassment and fuelling hatred against Hindus in addition to the usual Adani-Ambani rant while the I.N.D.I. Alliance broke apart. Rahul Gandhi will be remembered in history as a political leader who traversed the length and breadth of the country right before the elections and yet failed to grasp the essence of Bharat and what the people of this country truly want.

Electoral Bonds: Megha Engineering which ecosystem alleges has ‘quid pro quo’ ties to BJP, was accused of siphoning off money to Congress, donated to BRS, DMK too

OpIndia Staff
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Electoral Bonds: Megha Engineering which ecosystem alleges has ‘quid pro quo’ ties to BJP, was accused of siphoning off money to Congress, donated to BRS, DMK too

Last week, the Election Commission of India disclosed data on Electoral Bonds purchased by various companies from the State Bank of India (SBI) and the political parties that received donations through the bonds. Ever since the ecosystem led by the Opposition has been misleading the people using the data.

Supreme Court advocate Prashant Bhushan, who hosted the anti-Hindu Delhi riots conspiracy meeting, claimed that Megha Engineering, the second-largest purchaser of electoral bonds, contributed the maximum to the BJP in return for the huge infrastructure contracts.

In an X post on 14th March 2024, Bhushan wrote, “On 11 April 23, Megha Engineering gives 100s Crs in Electoral Bonds to whom? But within a month it gets a 14,400 cr contract from BJP’s govt! Though SBI has hidden Bond numbers from the info, some of the donors’ & parties’ matches can be guessed. Most donations seem a quid pro quo.”

He stated that the BJP was illegally taking ‘bribes’ in the form of electoral bonds from the Megha Engineering Company and giving them huge infrastructural contracts in return.

However, Megha Krishna Reddy, who runs Megha Engineering is known to be close to the Bharat Rashtra Samiti chief K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR), an information conveniently withheld by Prashant Bhushan and coterie to suit their precise agenda.

Notably, BRS is the fourth largest beneficiary of the electoral bond scheme after the BJP, TMC, and the Congress. What’s more is that the company donated cash amounting to more than Rs 100 crore to the Congress party in 2019.

Additionally, DMK, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), JD(S) and YSRCP also received donations from Megha Engineering.

Megha Engineering donated to BRS and other parties

Megha Engineering and Infrastructure – a Hyderabad-based corporation that has recently won the renowned Zojila tunnel deal among other projects, ventured into city gas and acquired a media group — is the second highest donor to political parties through electoral bonds.

As per reports, Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Ltd (MEIL) bought a total of Rs 966 crore worth of bonds between financial years 2019-20 and 2023-24.

Pamireddy Pitchi Reddy, a businessman, formed the unlisted private enterprise Megha Engineering Enterprises in 1989 to manufacture municipal pipes. It changed its name to Megha Engineering and Infrastructure in 2006 and went on to build major infrastructure projects including dams, natural gas distribution networks, power plants, and roadways.

The BRS-led government in Telangana granted them the Rs 1.51 lakh crore Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, which involves transferring water from the Godavari River to the state’s desert regions.

The company and the KCR government was accused of having looted the public of thousands of crore of rupees through this project. As per reports, MEIL was paid an excess of ₹5,188.43 crore in four packages.

According to the report by the Comptroller and Audit General (CAG), amount could be much more as there were 17 more such packages.

Currently, the company is also leading several projects in Telangana and its MD, PV Krishna Reddy is believed to have harmonious relations with former Chief Minister KCR.

Megha Krishna Reddy also reportedly funded the election expenses of BRS and YSRCP during the 2019 elections.

Further, Megha Engineering was charged with fraud in the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) this year. In January, reports revealed that Megha Engineering took thousands of crores from the taxpayers in KLIS.

Additionally, BRS was also the second highest receipient of donations by Megha Engineering through electoral trusts in 2022-23, after the BJP. The BRS got Rs 90 crore.

MEIL has been the top contributor to the BRS in exchange for several infrastructural projects in the state. MEIL’s Krishna Reddy has a net worth of approximately Rs 15,817 crore. He also holds a sizable share of the TV9 media network.

Medha Servo Drives and Traction Equipment are owned by the same company, with Y Kashyap Reddy serving as Managing Director. The business has opened a major private rail coach manufacturing near Hyderabad after a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the BRS government in 2017.

The DMK too received Rs 105 crore from Megha Engineering making the latter the second-biggest donor to the Stalin-led party. The JD(S) received more than half of its donations, that is 56%, from the firm.

AAP and YSRCP have also received donations from the company through Electoral Trusts (ETs). Megha Engineering first donated to Prudent Electoral Trust in 2022-23, which in turn donated to the parties.

Megha Engineering ‘siphoned off’ money to Congress

In 2019, MEIL was raided by the Income Tax officials and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for reportedly siphoning off cash through government expenditure using fake accounts to the All India Congress Committee (AICC).

Megha Engineerings transferred a staggering amount to the tune of Rs 100 crore, reports citing sources had claimed. According to a report by India Today, the searches at MEIL ultimately led to office bearers of the Congress who were handling this huge cash.

Electoral Bonds

In a historic decision on February 15, the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud-led bench ruled that anonymous electoral bonds violate the right to knowledge under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.

The Constitution bench asked the SBI to stop issuing the bonds immediately. Furthermore, the bank was required to report information of any such bond purchases made following the court’s interim decision on 12 April 2019, to the Election Commission of India within three weeks, with a deadline of 6 March 2024.

Further on Friday (March 15), the SC categorically stated that the State Bank of India (SBI) has to disclose electoral bond numbers as well, in addition to the details it has already disclosed regarding the purchase and redemption of the bonds.

The data was published in two sheets: one for purchasers of Electoral Bonds from 12th April 2019 to 11th January 2024, and another for political parties that encashed Electoral Bonds from 12th April 2019 to 24th January 2024.

Notably, while the Opposition parties expected Adani Group or Reliance Group to top the list of purchasers of the electoral bonds, the list included names of lesser-known companies which donated huge amounts to the political parties via electoral bonds.

The top purchaser of electoral bonds was Future Gaming and Hotel Services Private Limited, which bought a whopping 1,368 bonds totaling Rs 1,368 crore. The second largest purchaser was Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Limited with Rs 966 crore. The third place was occupied by Qwik Supply Chain Private Limited.

With the data now released, the Opposition is projecting that BJP benefitted the most out of electoral bonds and attacking the saffron party politically even as they leave out crucial information concerning the smaller parties that have earned much beyond their merit from the companies the opponents are linking to BJP as quid pro quo.

Himachal Pradesh: Supreme Court refuses to stay disqualification of 6 Congress MLAs who cross-voted during RS polls

ANI
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Himachal Pradesh: Supreme Court refuses to stay disqualification of 6 Congress MLAs who cross-voted during RS polls

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to stay the disqualification of six Congress leaders of Himachal Pradesh who had cross-voted for the BJP candidate during the Rajya Sabha elections in the State and issued notice to the respondents on their petition challenging the decision of the Legislative Assembly Speaker.

“We are not going to stay the disqualification,” the apex court said.

A bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta also denied the six MLAs permission to vote or participate in proceedings of the House.

The top court listed the matter for the second week of May.

The court was apprised of the fact that the date of the general elections has been announced and that the date of filing of nomination has been notified for this May.

On February 29, Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania disqualified six Congress MLAs Sudhir Sharma, Rajinder Rana, Davinder K Bhutto, Ravi Thakur, Chaitanya Sharma and Inder Dutt Lakhanpal under the anti-defection law.

After the 2022 Assembly elections, the Congress had 40 MLAs, while the BJP had 25 in the 68-member state assembly. The remaining three seats are held by independents.

In the voting of the Rajya Sabha election recently, the BJP, which has just 25 MLAs, managed to secure nine additional votes. The vote ended in a 34-34 tie, with three Independents and six Congress MLAs cross-voting for the BJP candidate.

BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan won the contest defeating the Congress nominee Abhishek Singhvi after the result was decided with a draw of lots.

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

Delhi: Female students complain of sexual harassment by Professor Salim Sheikh, Hindu outfits protest outside Babasaheb Ambedkar Medical College

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi: Female students complain of sexual harassment by Professor Salim Sheikh, Hindu outfits protest outside Babasaheb Ambedkar Medical College

Protests erupted outside Baba Saheb Ambedkar Medical College in New Delhi on Monday against one Salim Sheikh, who works as an Assistant Professor at the college. The protests were organized by Mahila Nyay Smiti who stated that multiple women students of the college have been sexually harassed by the accused professor.  

The charges, mainly brought forward by female medical students, have sparked outrage and condemnation across cultural groups. The protesters asserted that the professor physically abused female students at the college and intimidated them.

“An active Muslim professor committed heinous acts of physical abuse and intimidation against female students at Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Hospital and Medical College. There is widespread anger and outrage across all sections of society against this despicable act,” Dharmender Suri, one of the protesters was quoted as saying by the New Indian. 

The protest, which aimed at seeking justice for the impacted students and increasing social consciousness, took the form of a large public gathering outside the college’s Gate No. 2. The scene outside the institution was tense, with a large police presence deployed to keep discipline. Protesters held signs criticizing the accused professor and demanded his immediate removal from his position. Slogans echoed across the air, mirroring the societal demand for justice.

The protests are said to have erupted after two college girls complained that they were sexually harassed by Sheikh during their MBBS viva on 31st January. The victims later filed a police complaint on 22nd February. However, the protesting organisations stated that the police did not take any action in the case.

‘We will not let BSA Medical College turn into Sandeshkhali’

The protestors who were backed by several Hindu outfits in the city, painted posters in the city saying that ‘they would not let the college turn into Sandeshkhali’. The National Commission of Women has also taken cognizance of the event and demanded immediate action in the case.

One female protestor expressed her displeasure, citing the authorities’ alleged neglect of the incident. “We will not let it be Sandeskhali or West Bengal. The women in the college are suffering. Police should take strict action. They lodged the case but released him on bail. All went in vain. We want action,” she exclaimed.

Canada: Members of banned pro-Khalistani outfit SFJ rip apart Indian tricolour, raise anti-India slogans in front of Canadian authorities

OpIndia Staff
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Canada: Members of banned pro-Khalistani outfit SFJ rip apart Indian tricolour, raise anti-India slogans in front of Canadian authorities

On March 16, Saturday, pro-Khalistani elements in the city of Calgary in Alberta, Canada tore the Indian flag using their daggers and swords. They also clashed with pro-Indian groups gathered at the spot and created a ruckus on the streets, while raising pro-Khalistan slogans. The incident, a video of which went viral on social media, happened outside the venue where a community event welcomed the Indian High Commissioner to Ottawa Sanjay Kumar Verma.

The protest was organised by the banned Khalisani outfit Sikhs For Justice.

Sikhs For Justice was banned by the Indian Government on July 10, 2019, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for anti-India activities. Its founder Gurpatwant Singh Pannu had been designated a terrorist by the Indian government. The organization has announced Referendum 2020, demanding a separate state of Punjab from India. Since its inception, the organization has been trying to lure the youth of Punjab with monetary rewards for instigating war against the Indian government.

As per reports, more than two dozen pro-Khalistani elements gathered at the venue, some of whom carried sharp weapons like daggers and swords. The group was heard raising pro-Khalistan slogans. The pro-Indian group retaliated by raising ‘Hindustan Zindabad’ slogans. The face-off turned violent as the Khalistani elements used their daggers and swords to desecrate the Indian flag, that too in front of the local Canadian police.

This was not the first protest; on March 1 and 11, pro-Khalistani groups held similar protests at venues hosting Verma in Surrey and Edmonton.

Canada has gradually turned into a sanctuary for pro-separatist elements who frequently indulge in anti-India and Hinduphobic activities including vandalisation of the Indian high commission, desecration of temples and threatening Hindus living in the western country.

The bilateral ties between Canada and India, which were already dismal due to the Canadian government harbouring Khalistani terrorists and giving them political and financial backing on its soil, touched an all-time low last year following the death of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attributed the murder of the pro-Khalistan radical to the Indian government on the basis of “credible allegations” without providing any evidence. India responded firmly and refuted the unfounded accusations which heightened the existing acute tensions between the two countries.

After Canada dismissed India’s diplomat the Canadian High Commissioner to India Cameron MacKay was summoned and a senior Canadian diplomat was informed to leave the country in addition to suspending visas to the country’s nationals in retaliation. New Delhi last month told Ottawa to withdraw 41 of its 62 diplomats in the country by 10 October and warned that diplomats who stayed beyond the deadline would lose diplomatic immunity. The Maple Country began the process to do so, however, negotiations about the same are presently underway between the two nations.

The fallout between India and Canada over Nijjar’s murder, allowed the secessionist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), which has a habit of issuing threats to the Indian Prime Minister, Union Ministers, and diplomats, to increase its anti-Indian activities on Canadian soil.

On 16th January 2024, terrorist organisation Sikhs For Justice’s chief and designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun issued a threat to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Republic Day. In a video released by SFJ, graffiti in Delhi’s Chander Vihar was shown with a “Khalistan voter registration” message.

Last year, hoarding labelling Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Minister of External Affairs Dr S. Jaishankar and India’s high commissioner to Ottawa Sanjay Kumar Verma as ‘Wanted’ was installed outside Gurdwara Nanak Dev in Surrey where terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was assassinated in June 2023. This had come less than a month after similar hoardings were removed from the Gurudwara and then put up again just two days later, which had called for the assassination of three Indian diplomats in Canada, one high commissioner and two consul generals.

After the collapse of diplomatic relations between India and Canada after PM Justin Trudeau accused India of being involved in the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, there were lots of outrage against the hoardings outside the Gurudwara. As a result, they were taken down, apparently on the orders of local administration. 

At that time reports emerged that extremist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun’s separatist organisation Sikhs For Justice was behind the incident and police were reportedly aware of the same, however, no action had been taken to apprehend the offenders at that time too.

Karnataka: CM Siddaramaiah responsible for attack on shopkeeper for playing Hanuman Chalisa, result of ‘appeasement politics’ by Congress – BJP

ANI
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Karnataka: CM Siddaramaiah responsible for attack on shopkeeper for playing Hanuman Chalisa, result of ‘appeasement politics’ by Congress – BJP

BJP Karnataka Chief Vijayendra Yediyurappa on Monday criticised the state government after an altercation occurred between a group of people and a shopkeeper last evening in Bengaluru for allegedly playing devotional songs during Azaan and alleged that the incident was a result of Congress’ appeasement politics.

“Following incidents such as the chanting of “Pakistan Zindabad” slogans in Vidhan Soudha and a bomb explosion at Rameshwaram Cafe now a Hindu shopkeeper in Bengaluru was viciously assaulted for playing the Hanuman Chalisa. The appeasement policies of the @INCKarnataka the administration is pushing Karnataka into a radical state with an absolute breakdown of law and order,” the BJP leader posted on X.

Yediyurappa blamed Chief Minister Siddarmaiah for this incident and urged the city police to arrest the anti-social elements.

“I hold CM @siddaramaiah & his govt accountable for this attack on Hindus & Hindu establishments. His appeasement politics has encouraged barbarians to run a rampage in the state I strongly urge @CPBlr to act on this & arrest the anti-social elements immediately without bowing down to the pressure of @INCKarnataka,” Yediyurappa posted on X.

BJP leader PC Mohan alleged that the attack on man is the grim reality of Congress’s Mohabbat Ki Dukaan. “In Bengaluru, a poor Hindu man was assaulted by a Muslim mob for allegedly playing the Hanuman Chalisa. The grim reality of Congress’s Mohabbat Ki Dukaan,” BJP leader PC Mohan posted on X.

Meanwhile, the Bengaluru Police said that during the ‘Azaan’ time, when a shopkeeper played a song loudly near Siddanna Layout, in Bengaluru, an altercation occurred between a group of people and the shopkeeper.

“An altercation occurred between a group of people and a shopkeeper last evening during ‘Azaan’ time when a shopkeeper played a song loudly near Siddanna Layout, in Bengaluru. A few Muslim youths questioned him, and an argument ensued, leading to them hitting the shopkeeper,” Bengaluru Police said.

The police further said that an FIR has been registered at Halasuru Gate Police Limit, and the police are working to arrest the accused. The Police said that further investigation was underway.

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

Germany: Two teachers ban non-Muslim fifth graders from drinking water due to 3 Muslim classmates fasting during Ramadan in Frankfurt

OpIndia Staff
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Germany: Two teachers ban non-Muslim fifth graders from drinking water due to 3 Muslim classmates fasting during Ramadan in Frankfurt

Two teachers at an unnamed comprehensive school in the Frankfurt area of Germany have reportedly imposed a ban on non-Muslim students in the fifth class from drinking water in the classroom. According to reports, they did so in “consideration” of a few Muslim students observing fasting during Ramadan.

The development was first reported by the German outlet NIUS on 13th March. The article’s English-translated title read, “Comprehensive school near Frankfurt: Because it is Ramadan, fifth graders should no longer drink in class.”

According to reports, the class consists of 27 students, with 3 of them being from the Muslim faith. The fifth-grade students, aged around 10-11 years, informed their parents that two teachers had forbidden them from drinking water in class because three of their Muslim classmates were fasting during Ramadan.

As part of their fasting practice, Muslims observing Ramadan refrain from consuming any food or drink, including water, during daylight hours and break their fast at sunset with iftar. 

A father of one of the school students told NIUS, “At dinner, we always talk about how the day was. I asked my daughter what was new at school. She then told us that two teachers had forbidden the students from drinking in class because three of the 27 children were fasting.”

The father explained the strange development pointing out that usually students were allowed to drink from their water bottles and refill them from water dispensers. He added that the children have their water bottles on the table and are allowed to drink in class if they are thirsty. He noted, “You can always fill up your bottles in the hallway outside, there’s a water dispenser.”

Bewildered by the recent development, he said, “We found this announcement strange. On the one hand, the children in fifth grade are between 10 and 11 years old. Even for religious Muslims, the fasting requirement only applies from the age of 14. And: The fact that 24 children have to take three children into consideration when it comes to basic physical needs – that’s a strange intervention.”

Speaking with the German portal, he noted that he and his wife told their daughter that she should drink if she was thirsty.

However, the NIUS report added that the decision to ban students from drinking water was seemingly a personal ruling by two teachers. Notably, according to the girl, the announcement made by the two teachers does not appear to be a school requirement. Evidently, another teacher at the same school allowed the children to drink as usual if they wished.

Despite repeated attempts to get a response, the school has not responded to any query in this matter. 

According to reports, the incident occurred in the same German city, Frankfurt which recently made headlines for becoming the only city where Ramadan lights were installed in its city centre, last month.

In an application to the city council last year, the governing German Green Party wrote, “By decorating during Ramadan, the city of Frankfurt is sending an important signal to Muslims and appreciates the people of Muslim faith in this city.” 

Hailing from the same party, Frankfurt Mayor Nargess Eskandari-Grünberg said, “They are lights of togetherness, against reservations, against discrimination, against anti-Muslim racism, and also against anti-Semitism.”

‘Alpha-numeric code just a security feature’: SBI’s response in SC busts far-fetched insinuations by The Quint’s Poonam Agarwal on electoral bonds

Amit Kelkar
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‘Alpha-numeric code just a security feature’: SBI’s response in SC busts far-fetched insinuations by The Quint’s Poonam Agarwal on electoral bonds

Earlier today (March 18), the State Bank of India made a profound disclosure during the Supreme Court’s hearing over the electoral bonds. Senior advocate Harish Salve, representing SBI, revealed that the bond numbers issued by the banks are only available on the bond and not anywhere else.

When probed if the purpose of the bond number is for security or an audit trail, the bank responded by saying it is only for the security feature and the audit trail is different. 

Nevertheless, the Supreme Court on Monday ordered the SBI to submit all “conceivable” details available with it regarding electoral bonds, including the alphanumeric number corresponding to each bond.

The court also asked the SBI, in the interest of avoiding controversy in the future, to file an affidavit by 5 PM on Thursday that it has disclosed all details in its custody and that no details have been withheld.

Electoral bonds are money instruments that act as promissory notes or bearer bonds that can be purchased by individuals or companies in India. They are issued specifically for the contribution of funds to the political parties.

The development came weeks after the Supreme Court deemed the electoral bonds scheme invalid, labelling it ‘unconstitutional’. Additionally, it ruled that anonymous poll bonds infringe upon the Right to Information as outlined in Article 19(1)(a). Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud expressed that poll bonds violate fundamental rights and raised concerns about them leading to quid pro quo.

However, the submissions made by senior advocate Harish Salve on Monday (March 18) for the SBI poked holes in the conspiracy theories widely popular among the leftist circles relating to electoral bonds, especially after the report published by The Quint ‘journalist’ Poonam Agarwal.

The matter pertains to a unique secret code printed on each electoral bond that is not visible to the naked eye but can be seen under UV light. The hidden alphanumeric code, the bank said was a security feature and not for auditing purposes.

In essence, the SBI conveyed that just because the bond contains hidden numbers, it doesn’t mean they can be used to link donors with political parties, shattering the web of insinuations that The Quint ‘journalist’ Poonam Agarwal had weaved in her report that was widely hailed in the leftist circles as “pathbreaking journalism”. Several far-left propaganda portals such as The Wire, Scroll, and others had sung paeans to Agarwal over her “investigation” into electoral bonds.

Earlier this week, several left-leaning ideologues extolled The Quint journalist Poonam Agarwal, who was booked for abetment of suicide in the Army Jawan’s suicide case in 2017, for her report on electoral bonds, where she alleged that the electoral bonds were not completely anonymous as claimed by the late BJP leader Arun Jaitley and that the secret codes on them could be used by the Centre to link donors with political parties. 

Describing it as ‘apparent outmanoeuvring by the Centre’, the report insinuated that the government was undertaking “unprecedented secret surveillance” with the help of hidden alphanumeric codes in the name of transparency through electoral bonds. This, in layman’s language, meant that the Centre was keeping a tab on who bought electoral bonds for which political parties.

Relevant sections from The Quint report

The author also tried to imply a breach of trust on the part of the government after senior leader Arun Jaitley had promised complete anonymity on political donations via electoral bonds.

“The Quint’s investigation reveals that while the public will remain clueless about who has donated to which party, the government has access to those details, collated through alphanumeric numbers on the electoral bonds, which are invisible to the naked eye,” the Quint report authored by Poonam Agarwal read.

Relevant section from The Quint report by Poonam Agarwal

Those are two incredible leaps of faith by The Quint journalist who tried projecting her assumptions as facts by claiming that the secret codes on the electoral bonds could be used to draw a link between donors and the political parties, thereby compromising the promised anonymity to the donors, while also being a tool of surveillance for the Centre to know who was donating to which political party.

Another ridiculous argument that Agarwal furthers is that the watermark is enough and the alpha-numeric hidden code was not needed for security purposes. This doesn’t hold water because that would mean even currency notes don’t need serial numbers printed on them for security as they, too, have watermarks. 

Those assumptions were laid to ruin by the SBI earlier today when it submitted in the top court that the hidden secret codes on the bonds are meant for security purposes and not recorded by the bank, much like the serial number on the currency notes, which banks don’t record during deposit and withdrawal, making it impossible for them to tell who was issued with currency number note and who deposited which note.

In a video explaining her stance on electoral bonds, Poonam categorically says that the bank would record the alpha-numeric code at the time of purchase of bonds, which would later be used to link donors to political parties. This has now been proven false, with the SBI submitting to the Supreme Court that the bond numbers are on the bonds only, nowhere else. 

Since SBI has confirmed it hasn’t documented the figures, if the Supreme Court presses, SBI might scan the bonds and release the numbers, potentially connecting them to the recipient political parties. However, linking them to the donors seems a remote possibility.

Some political parties like the DMK and AIDMK were able to publish the donor names presumably because the companies may have given them the bonds directly. But for others, like the TMC and JDU, which said many donated them anonymously with some bonds being dropped in drop boxes, it is impossible to furnish the data if the parties didn’t keep the record.

Poonam Agarwal charged in 2017 army jawan suicide case

It is noteworthy to mention that Poonam Agarwal was booked for abetment of suicide in the Army jawan’s death case after carrying out a “sting operation” for the website The Quint at Deolali cantonment in Nashik, Maharashtra.

Poonam had entered the cantonment with hidden cameras concealing her identity as a journalist and recorded videos that showed army jawans employed as sahayaks (helpers) indulged in doing menial jobs that they should not be doing.

She talked to a jawan Lance Naik Roy Mathew in particular, who allegedly had no idea that he was talking to a journalist, and the conversation was used to prove that jawans were not happy with the sahayak system and that they were being exploited.

A few days later, Roy Mathew was found dead in an abandoned barrack in the cantonment. A diary was recovered from the barrack, which suggested that the jawan was under pressure and it was a case of suicide. Roy Mathew’s family members also confirmed that he was scared and under pressure as his identity was reported to have been revealed due to the “sting operation” and subsequent media coverage.

Gujarat: Contractor Mohammad Rafiq torches 12 huts of daily labourers with families inside because they were asking for pending dues

OpIndia Staff
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Gujarat: Contractor Mohammad Rafiq torches 12 huts of daily labourers with families inside because they were asking for pending dues

On Sunday (17th March), early in the morning, a contractor Mohammad Rafiq in Anjar of the Kutch district in Gujarat set ablaze 12 huts of daily wage labourers to burn them alive along with their families, as per reports. The accused torched the huts situated in the Mochi Bazar near Khatri Chowk in Anjar because the workers refused to work for him unless he paid their pending dues for the earlier work.

Mohammad Rafiq fled the spot and later was arrested by the police. A case is registered against him under various sections of the IPC based on the complaint given by the aggrieved workers.

The aggrieved labourers work on daily wages. Accused Mohammad Rafiq is a contractor. He had taken these labourers to work and after completion of the work, he did not pay them the predecided wages. Instead, he gave them just Rs 100 each. When the labourers told him that they would not work for him anymore, Mohammad Rafiq threatened to burn them all alive.

As per reports in the Gujarati media, a brief altercation in this regard took place on Saturday evening. In the wee hours of Sunday (17th March), Mohammad Rafiq came to the huts where these labourers were living. At that time, women, children, and elderly persons were sleeping inside these huts. Mohammad Rafiq sprinkled some inflammable petroleum liquid on these huts and set them on fire and he fled from the spot.

As soon as the huts were set ablaze, everyone inside the huts came out. The municipality authorities were contacted and the fire brigade vehicle was called. But before any aid could reach the spot, the huts and everything were reduced to ashes. Fortunately, there was no casualty reported in this incident. The flames of the fire also caused sparking in the electricity wires over the huts.

The accused Mohammad Rafiq immediately fled from the spot. A police team was deployed to nab him after a complaint was registered at the Anjar police station. The complaint was lodged by 46-year-old Badrilal Gangaram Yadav and other labourers living in the huts.

Anjar’s police inspector SD Sisodia said, “Different teams were sent to nab the accused. Meanwhile, when the accused reached near the railway station, he was arrested. At present, the police have registered a complaint under sections including attempt to murder and further investigation is underway.”

According to the family members of the victims, all the people here work as labourers and earn daily wages. The accused Rafiq used to take the labourers from the area for retail labour and used to give only Rs 100 without paying the fixed amount and also used to issue threats. These workers were fed up with Rafiq and refused to work for him. But now all the workers have been rendered homeless as Mohammad Rafiq burnt their huts.

2024 Lok Sabha polls: Election Commission orders removal of Home Secretaries in 6 states, West Bengal DGP also removed to ensure free and fair elections

ANI
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2024 Lok Sabha polls: Election Commission orders removal of Home Secretaries in 6 states, West Bengal DGP also removed to ensure free and fair elections

In a decisive move towards upholding the principles of free, fair and transparent elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued orders for the removal of Home Secretaries in six states namely Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Additionally, the Secretary of the General Administrative Department in Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh have also been removed.

The commission has directed all the State Governments to transfer the officers connected with election-related work, who have completed three years or are in their home districts.

Maharashtra had not complied with the directions in respect of few Municipal Commissioners and some Additional / Deputy Municipal Commissioners in Maharashtra.

While conveying displeasure to the Chief Secretary, the Commission directed transfer of BMC and the additional / Deputy commissioners with the direction to report by 6pm today.

The Chief Secretary was further directed to transfer all the similarly placed Municipal commissioners and Additional / Deputy Municipal Commissioners of other Corporations in Maharashtra.

This step comes as part of the Commission’s resolve and commitment to maintaining a level playing field and ensuring the integrity of the electoral process, which has been emphasised by CEC Rajiv Kumar time and again and recently during the Press Conference for announcement of Schedule for General Elections 2024.

The Commission meeting chaired by Shri Rajiv Kumar, comprising of Election Commissioners Shri Gyanesh Kumar and Shri Sukhbir Singh Sandhu was held on Monday at noon.

The officials who have been removed in these seven states were found to be holding dual charges in the office of Chief Minister in respective states which may potentially compromise or be seen to be compromising the impartiality and neutrality required during the electoral process, especially in matters relating to law and order, deployment of forces, etc.

Furthermore, the Election Commission has also taken the necessary action to remove the Director General of Police (DGP) of West Bengal. This decision was taken due to DGP being removed from any active election management related duty earlier, during 2016 Assembly Election in the state and in 2019 Lok Sabha Elections.

With this step, the Election Commission of India has shown its commitment to conducting free, fair, and transparent elections.

Through these measures, the Commission ensures that all stakeholders uphold the highest standards of integrity and impartiality, thereby safeguarding the level playing field in the entire electoral process. (ANI)

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

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