John Barnett, a former employee of Boeing who was speaking up against the problematic manufacturing practices in the USA aviation giant has been found dead in a parking lot, with reports calling his death a ‘suicide’. He has been giving evidence in a whistleblower lawsuit against the Boeing company recently after a series of technical snags in Boeing aircraft highlighted major manufacturing and maintenance errors.
John Barnett had worked at Boeing for 32 years until he retired in 2017. The Charleston County coroner has confirmed Barnett’s death, saying that he died on March 9, due to a gunshot wound that was ‘self inflicted’. The police are currently investigating the death. Barnett was 62 years old.
US conservative politician Robert F Kennedy has posted saying that Boeing worked to ‘destroy Barnett’s life’ after he exposed safety concerns in their aircraft.
John Barnett worked for Boeing for 32 years. The company worked to destroy his life after he exposed safety concerns. I’m proud that my sister Rory worked to tell his story in her award winning documentary Downfall: The Case Against Boeing. Boeing killed 346 people out of greed.… pic.twitter.com/t7y2iI1DSq
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) March 12, 2024
Before his retirement, Barnett had worked as a quality manager at the North Charleston plant making the 787 Dreamliner, a state-of-the-art airliner of Boeing used mainly on long-distance routes.
Barnett had spoken about manufacturing and quality issues in Boeing long before the Alaska Airlines mishap in January this year highlighted the safety concerns in Boeing aircraft. On January 5, a door along with a part of the fuselage of a Boeing 737 MAX-9 operated by Alaska Air fell off (Blowout as reported widely) when the flight reached an altitude of 16,000 feet.
Speaking to BBC back in 2019, Barnett said that under pressure workers have been fitting substandard parts in the production line. He also added that he had detected many faulty oxygen systems, which potentially meant that one in 4 breathing masks may not work in an emergency.
Barnett had added that in the rush to build new aircraft, Boeing was compromising on safety and the assembly process. Barnett had also said that often defective components ‘go missing’ because the employees do not have a robust tracking system for components inside the company.
Despite Boeing’s denial of the claim, a 2017 review by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the USA found that some of Barnett’s concerns were true.
Barnett’s death has come just a week after he gave a formal deposition in court in which he was questioned by Boeing’s lawyers, before being cross-examined by his own counsel. He was to undergo further questioning on Saturday, for which he failed to appear. Later, his body was found in his hotel parking lot.
Boeing aircraft suffer mishap after mishap, non-stop
Another FAA audit that spanned six weeks has concluded last week that multiple instances were found where Boeing failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements.
In the January Alaska Airlines ‘door falling off mid-air’ incident, the US National Transportation Safety Board found that four key bolts, designed to hold the door securely in place, were not fitted.
Following the mid-air blowout, Alaska Airlines grounded all of its 65 Boeing 737-MAX 9 aircraft for inspection. A day after the Alaska Airlines incident, the United States air aviation regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered airlines to temporarily ground more than 170 Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft for “immediate inspections” following the Alaska Airlines incident.
Since then, dozens of incidents involving Boeing aircraft have been reported.
On March 11, LATAM Airlines reported that a ‘technical incident’ onboard their Boeing 787 flight between Sydney and Auckland caused ‘strong movement’ that injured around 50 people.
At least 50 people were injured on board a Boeing 787-9 flight from Sydney to Auckland operated by Chilean airline LATAM, after the aircraft experienced a technical issue that caused it to suddenly lose altitude. https://t.co/iaJVnNZUTRpic.twitter.com/9r5DXnXOLF
Following the incident, New Zealand’s Transport Accident Investigation Commission has stated that they are seizing the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder of the LATAM Airlines Boeing 787 aircraft.
Just hours before the LATAM incident, a United Airlines flight of Boeing that took off from Sydney for San Francisco made an emergency landing at the Sydney airport after 2 hours. Fuel was reportedly coming out near its landing gear. The pilot reported the incident as ‘hydraulic failure’.
A United Airlines flight has made an emergency landing at Sydney Airport. The Boeing was about two hours into its journey to San Francisco when the pilots turned back. 7NEWS understands the plane suffered hydraulic failure but it touched down safely. #7NEWSpic.twitter.com/YDFOrENyos
On March 8, a United Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8’s landing gear failed during landing at the Houston International Airport, causing the landing plane to skid on the runway.
BREAKING: A Boeing, $BA, 737 rolled off the runway in Houston this morning after issues with its landing gear, with no injuries, per ABC:#BREAKING: United Airlines Boeing 777 loses tire while taking off from crushing multiple cars on the ground pic.twitter.com/kThCebErJe
A day before, another United Airlines Boeing 777 that had taken off from San Francisco had a wheel fall off during take off. The incident was video recorded and soon became viral.
In a probably unrelated development, reports have surfaced that for the past two years, Boeing has been making changes in its hiring and staffing policies to focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
On Monday (11th March), a group of angry farmers vandalised an APMC (Agricultural Produce Market Committee) mandi in Karnataka’s Haveri district while agitating against the sharp reduction in the prices of chilly. The incident took place in the Byadagi area of Haveri district. The farmers threw stones at the APMC building and set it on fire. They also torched several vehicles including a fire department vehicle which arrived there to douse the fire. Following the incident, police started an investigation into the matter.
As per reports, the angry farmers resorted to violence at the APMC yard in Byadgi of Haveri district on Monday evening. They set fire to the APMC office and torched several vehicles, including a fire engine that was deployed to extinguish the fire. The angry farmers went on a rampage protesting against the sudden fall in the prices of chilli varieties reportedly because of the excess quantity of chilli reaching the mandi.
Tensions boiled over in #Karnataka's Byadagi International Market as the price of dry chillies plummeted by ₹10,000 to ₹12,000 per quintal in just one week.
Farmers, frustrated by the sudden price drop, took to the streets, allegedly setting fire to the APMC office, pelting… pic.twitter.com/xoaRRp8DeS
According to local traders, tensions erupted after the e-tender process was completed following which the prices of various chilli lots were announced. As per reports, over 3 lakh quintals of chilli arrived in the Byadgi APMC market resulting in a fall in the prices of the chilli varieties. Angry over the reduction in prices for their produce, the farmers gathered outside the APMC office and started pelting stones.
Subsequently, several protesting farmers set vehicles parked outside the APMC office on fire, vandalised the APMC office, and set it on fire.
Following the ruckus, a fire engine rushed to the spot but the angry protestors diverted the fire brigade and set fire to the fire engine itself.
They also blocked entry to the market and did not allow the fire brigade or the police personnel to enter the premises. In several videos of the incident, the angry farmers could be seen violently chasing away the policemen who reached the spot to control the situation. However, after much effort and time, the police personnel dispersed the crowd and reportedly brought the situation under control.
Meanwhile, Congress MLA Basavaraj Neelappa Shivannanavar alleged that the farmers are from Andhra Pradesh. He went on to blame them for the entire incident.
“Last week, the price of chillies was Rs 20,000-25,000 for 100 kgs. Today, it has fallen to Rs 10,000-Rs 15,000 for the same quantity. They came from Andhra to sell their chillies and they have caused this,” the Congress MLA was quoted saying in an India Today report.
On Monday (11th March), the Madhya Pradesh High Court (Indore bench) directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct a scientific investigation, survey, and excavation at the Bhojshala complex in the state’s Dhar district. The premier survey agency in India, ASI, has further been directed to submit its report before the next hearing on 29th April.
Following the court order, Vishnu Shankar Jain, a petitioner from the Hindu side, took to X, highlighting that the High Court had allowed an ASI survey at the Bhojshala complex.
My request for Asi survey of bhojshala/dhar in madhya pradesh is allowed by indore high court. Maa vag devi ki jai pic.twitter.com/GxNVDWANZP
Notably, the 11th-century Bhojshala is an ASI-protected monument. Hindus believe it is a temple of Goddess Vagdevi (Saraswati) but the Muslim side disputes it claiming that it is Kamal Maula Mosque.
A bench of Justices SA Dharmadhikari and Devnarayan Mishra allowed the ASI survey of the complex while hearing an interlocutory application filed in a pending writ petition. The writ petition pending before the court was filed by the Hindu Front for Justice seeking a scientific survey of the Bhojshala premises and to reclaim it on behalf of the Hindus.
As per the arrangements made by the ASI on 7th April 2003, Hindus perform puja at the Bhojshala complex every Tuesday, while Muslims offer namaz there every Friday.
However, on 2nd May 2023, the Hindu Front for Justice filed a PIL challenging the ASI order. Apart from the ASI survey and reclamation of the Bhojshala, they have also sought a ban on the members of the Muslim community from offering namaz on its premises.
Earlier in September last year, the guards reportedly found an idol of Goddess Vagdevi between 9th and 10th September. However, the administration had denied the claim of the idols ‘appearing’ and removed it.
The detailed Court order on Bhojshala
The two-judge bench noted that it is important to demystify the nature and character of the complex to remove confusion, thus ordering a scientific survey of the Bhojshala complex.
The bench observed, “The detailed arguments at the bar by all the contesting parties fortifies the Court’s belief and assumption that the nature and character of the whole monument admittedly maintained by the Central Government needs to be demystified and freed from the shackles of confusion.”
The bench noted that it is the Constitutional as well as statutory obligation of the ASI to have a scientific survey, study convened at the earliest of the Bhojshala Temple cum Kamal Maula Mosque.
It said, “Get the survey done. Photos and videos should be made. The report should be given to the court before April 29, during the next hearing.”
The Court asserted that once the ASI survey is conducted scientifically, it can safely place reliance on the report. It added, “Ascertainment of the nature and character of the site would also lend credibility to the existence of juristic person/entity of deity of the Vaagdevi/ Saraswati with a temple (if found to exist).”
The court also observed that the Government has the constitutional obligation to ensure the preservation and protection of not only the ancient monuments and structures including temples of archaeological and historical importance, but also of sanctum sanctorum as well as the deity of spiritual importance.
“There is a constitutional duty even to sanction funds for providing basic amenities to pilgrims, proper arrangements for shelter places, maintenance of law and order, and the preservation of purity and pristine character of the deity,” it added.
The court has directed ASI to use all the methods and state-of-the-art equipment at their disposal. This includes a Ground Penetration Radar System and carbon dating to ascertain the age of the structure.
The ASI has been directed to undertake a detailed scientific investigation through carbon dating of various structures “both above and beneath the ground”. It also has to open locked or sealed rooms, and halls and prepare a complete inventory of every artifact, idol, deity, or any structure without “destroying, defacing, destructing the original nature of the whole complex”.
Additionally, the court further ruled that the survey proceedings should be photographed and videographed in the presence of two representatives nominated by each side.
On March 11, China expressed its displeasure with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent trip to Arunachal Pradesh by lodging a diplomatic protest. China reiterated its territorial claim over the region, stating that India’s actions will “only complicate” the boundary question.
During his visit on Saturday, Mr Modi inaugurated the Sela Tunnel, constructed at an altitude of 13,000 feet in Arunachal Pradesh. This tunnel is crucial for providing all-weather connectivity to strategically important Tawang, and it is anticipated to facilitate smoother troop movements along the frontier region.
“China never recognised the so-called Arunachal Pradesh illegally set up by India and firmly opposes it,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a media briefing.
The area of Zangnan is Chinese territory. The Chinese government has never recognized the so-called “Arunachal Pradesh” illegally set up by India and firmly opposes it. China stands firmly against the Indian leader’s visit to the East Section of the China-India boundary. pic.twitter.com/Gu6ukCctdi
Wenbin stated that India does not possess the authority to unilaterally develop the region of Zangnan in China, which China identifies as Arunachal Pradesh.
“The actions taken by India only serve to complicate the boundary issue. China strongly expresses its dissatisfaction with and firm opposition to the leader’s visit to the eastern section of the China-India boundary,” the Chinese official further stated.
China has repeatedly objected to visits by Indian politicians to Arunachal Pradesh. However, India maintains that the state is an integral part of the country, and using “invented” names will not change this reality.
On March 9, PM Modi inaugurated the Sela tunnel, which is the world’s longest two-lane tunnel, connecting Tezpur in Assam to Tawang in Arunachal. Constructed for Rs 825 crore, the tunnel stands at an altitude of 13,000 feet.
The tunnel is set to offer year-round connectivity to Tawang, which borders China to the north, and is anticipated to enhance the transportation of troops and equipment to forward positions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.
Additionally, the tunnel will cut travel time from Tezpur to Tawang by more than an hour.
On Monday, March 11, the Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially notified the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which will grant Indian nationality to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian migrants, who had come to India before 2015 after facing persecution on the ground of religion in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
As soon as the Union Home Ministry officially notified the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), journalists, lawmakers, and Islamists who, in 2019, went into overdrive spreading false information that the Act discriminates against Muslims returned with a new toolkit, this time using the Muslim festival of Ramadan to promote their anti-Modi rhetorics and incite violence ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
TMC supremo, Mamata Banerjee started crying hoarse as soon as the announcement was made. She attempted to provoke the Muslims by implying that the BJP administration chose March 11 to notify the CAA because it wanted to deliberately mock the nation’s Muslim population, given that Ramadan begins tomorrow.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee says "You should have notified rules six months ago. If there are any good things, we always support and appreciate but if anything is done that is not good for the country, TMC will always raise its voice and oppose it. I know why today's date was… pic.twitter.com/KttcrdkT3U
Mamata Banerjee said she would see the rules first and would fight against them if they have anything that deprives people of their rights.
In her sinister attempt to defame the Modi government and provoke her brethren against the BJP govt just ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Muslim journalist Rana Ayyub took to X to connect the announcement of CAA with the Muslim festival of Ramzan. She wrote, “To do it on the eve of Ramzan in India. Was there ever any pretence.”
SS of Rana Ayyub’s post
Likewise, several Islamists also tried to fearmonger that the ‘pro-Hindu’ BJP government has purposely chosen the eve of Ramzan to notify the Citizenship Amendment Act, which they, for some odd reason, believe is against Muslims.
An Islamist user on X wrote, “At a moment when Indian Muslims welcome the holiest month of Ramadan, Modi implements Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) that is aimed at stripping Indian Muslims of their citizenship, reducing them to second class citizens and throwing them in concentration camps. Naked fascism.”
Several other Islamists and so-called liberals also attempted to rumour-monger by unnecessarily connecting the notification of the Citizenship Amendment Act, which was in the pipeline, to the Muslim festival of Ramzan.
Anti-Modi toolkits activated by a vicious cabal of journalists, activists and politicians.
Opposition parties and their leftist-friendly media have time and again activated such anti-Modi toolkits, especially before the elections. Ahead of the 2021 Assembly elections, a new Congress toolkit had circulated on social media that revealed the depths to which the party sank to mint their political fortunes amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. While Congress claimed that it was fake, the content of the toolkit spoke a different story. We, at OpIndia, could not independently verify the authenticity of the toolkit.
One of the most significant revelations was that a deliberate attempt was made to paint the Kumbh Mela as a “super-spreader” while maintaining a carefully crafted silence over massive Eid gatherings.
But there was another major story in the toolkit. The toolkit demonstrates that the entire strategy of the Congress was based on a ‘friendly’ media. The toolkit revealed the great confidence they have in the media, especially international media.
The most damning indictment, however, was regarding using international media to dent Prime Minister Modi’s image. “International media coverage by foreign correspondents in India can be tailored to exclusively focus on Modi and his mismanagement. Liaise with foreign journalists and Indian Oped writers in foreign publications and brief them on talking points.”
The Congress party also implored the use of funeral pyre photographs to further dent India’s image.
Similarly, last year, the dubious organisation ‘Hindus for Human Rights’ had come up with a “special toolkit” to propagate against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was then on a State Visit to the US. The toolkit released by the organisation was part of its anti-Modi campaign.
During the same time, ‘journalist’ Saba Naqvi also courted controversy after she inadvertently posted the screenshot of a ‘Congress toolkit’ targeting the ruling BJP government.
As part of the propaganda, Naqvi was supposed to post only the graphics and links shared with her by the Congress IT Cell. Instead, she included the entire email transcript (archive), containing the propaganda material.
Saba Naqvi, who poses as a ‘neutral journalist’, inadvertently exposed how she shares tweets at the behest of the Congress party. This had left netizens wondering whether her criticism of the government was at all organic or sponsored by rival Opposition parties.
The toolkit controversy and its origins
The monicker ‘toolkit’ has become a shorthand for the systemic targeting of India and its institutions by a vicious cabal of journalists, activists and politicians.
It was first popularised by infamous climate activist Greta Thunberg, who inadvertently revealed the sinister global campaign in a tweet during the anti-farm law protests in India in February 2021.
The document shared by Greta Thunberg listed a series of actions that people across the world could take to pressurise the Indian Government over the cause of agitating farmers.
As part of the plan, celebrities including Rihanna, Mia Khalifa and Canadian MP Jagmeet and others came forward in support of the anti-farm law protests. The ‘toolkit’ shared by Greta Thunberg has made it clear that it was part of a larger conspiracy to cause unrest in India.
Government of India notifies implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) rules
Meanwhile, on Monday (March 11), the Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi notified the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). This Act was crucial to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s agenda during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
The issuance of these rules is expected to create a pathway for migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, specifically those belonging to the Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Parsi, Buddhist, and Christian communities, to obtain citizenship in India.
Today, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will be announcing the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024 under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA-2019). These rules will empower those eligible under CAA-2019 to seek Indian citizenship through the application process.
The applications will be submitted in a completely online mode for which a web portal has been provided.
The Lok Sabha on 9th December 2019 passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 while the Rajya Sabha passed it on 11th December 2019.
Addressing the Parliament at the time, Union Home Minister Amit Shah reiterated that the Bill is not against any Minority in India and the rights of each Indian Citizen will be equally protected.
Even as the Bill itself was passed, the rules required for its implementation were not notified, yet anti-CAA protests rocked the country immediately after the passage of the Bill with several Muslims holding the state to ransom.
Violence was reported across cities, including in the national capital. At least 53 people died in the subsequent riots that followed and 200 people were left injured.
OpIndia had extensively covered the anti-Hindu riots, which were falsely presented by the mainstream media as an anti-Muslim pogrom, and facts documenting tragic cries of Hindus that would otherwise have gone unheard.
On 7th March, several Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs batted for allowing poppy cultivation and the sale of opium and poppy husks in the state. They argued that it would help to wean the youth away from synthetic drugs. The demand was first raised during the question hour by Sangrur MLA Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra who asked the agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian if there was any plan to allow the cultivation of poppy in the state to curb the synthetic drugs and if so, what was the time frame set for it.
Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwa asked the Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian that why opium shops in Punjab were closed. pic.twitter.com/lZD6Yt7wXe
AAP MLA argued that he never heard of someone dying of taking opium. However, youth die by overdose of synthetic drugs, he said. His question to the agriculture minister resulted in a lighter atmosphere in the state assembly. However, it led to demanding an answer from the Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan. When the agriculture minister said there was no plan to allow poppy cultivation in the state, the Speaker asked the minister to look into when and why the opium shops were shut in the state.
The Speaker added, “The MLA has asked a question which has put a glow on the faces of many here. I am also entering an age where I may need such things.” Drugs are a major issue in Punjab. Earlier, addicts from Punjab were leaning towards opium and poppy husk. However, over the past couple of decades, the penetration of synthetic drugs expanded dramatically in the state. Every political party has promised to curb the addiction problem in the state but failed miserably.
AAP MLA claimed no one dies of opium
Speaking on the matter, Pathanmajra claimed that he never heard of someone who had died of taking opium or poppy husk. Stating the menace of drugs in the state, he argued that smack and tablets have destroyed the youth of Punjab. He said, “The situation has worsened after 2007 and now the situation is such that 136 de-addiction centres have opened in Punjab. In previous times people used to take traditional drugs and do their work too. No one can say that someone they knew died due to opium or poppy husk consumption. From 2020 to March 31, 2023, around 266 people have died due to addiction to synthetic drugs. From March 2023 to March 2024, 159 more people have died. Many countries in the world have legalised some drugs and these are traditional. Poppy cultivation is already taking place in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. If done in Punjab it will increase the revenue of the state.”
He added if cultivation cannot be allowed then at least opium shops should be allowed in the state so that the youth could be saved. He further claimed that the opposition too supported his argument but was afraid to voice it for fear of being ridiculed.
AAP MLA Manjir Singh Bilaspur came in support of Pathanmajra and said, “I fully support the point raised by my colleague regarding the cultivation of poppy. Our elders have been partaking opium or poppy husk and used to do all sorts of hard work in the field and no one used to die of it. I urge the government to seriously consider poppy cultivation. Many ‘vaid’ and doctors prescribe opium for patients of paralytic attack.”
AAP MLA Kulwant Singh Bazigar also supports Pathanmajra’s demand. He said synthetic drugs have led to the death of many youths in the state. AAP MLA Fauja Singh Sarari pointed out that then-Chief Minister Zail Singh ordered the shutting down of opium shops in the state.
Statistic reports on drug problem in Punjab
In 2015, the Society for Promotion of Youth and Masses in collaboration with the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, AIIMS, New Delhi, published the Punjab Opioid Dependence Survey report. The survey was conducted in ten districts Bathinda, Ferozpur, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Moga, Patiala, Sangrur and Tarn Taran. The data was collected from 3,620 opioid-dependent individuals across the 10 districts. The report suggested that the addicts in Punjab varied from the age of 18 to 35. 99 per cent of the addicts were male and 54 per cent of them were married. Most were unskilled workers followed by farmers, clerks, businessmen, transport workers and skilled workers. 56 per cent of the addicts belonged to rural areas. The most common drug used in these districts was heroin followed by opium/doda/phukki.
The most common reason for starting drugs was “peer influence”. On average, heroin addicts were spending around Rs 1,400 on the drugs per day. On the other hand, opium users were spending around Rs 340 per day followed by pharmaceutical opioid users who were spending Rs 265 per day on drugs.
While 80 per cent tried to give up drugs, only 35 per cent received any support. Only 16 per cent of them received any medical treatment for withdrawal symptoms. Only 10 per cent of them received Opioid Substitution Therapy or OST. The report suggested there were around 2.32 lakh drug addicts in the state in 2014.
Another survey titled Magnitude of Substance Use In India was conducted by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment of the Government of India. its report was published in 2019. According to the report, 27 lakh residents of Punjab needed help for alcohol problems in 2018. Around 5.7 lakh people needed help for cannabis-related problems. Around 7.2 lakh people needed help for opioid-related problems. Around 2 lakh people needed help with sedative-related problems. Furthermore, the report suggested that 0.32 per cent of children in the state were dependent on drugs and 1.79 per cent of the children were using drugs.
On Monday (11th March), the Princess of Wales, Princess Catherine (Kate Middleton) apologised and accepted the responsibility for an editing error in the family photo which was quickly withdrawn by international picture agencies because of “digital manipulation”. Kate Middleton aka Princess Catherine held her amateur photo editing skills responsible for the ‘confusion’.
The post shared by the official account of the Prince and Princess of Wales read, “Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day. C (sic)”
Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother’s Day. C
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 11, 2024
Notably, the controversial photograph was allegedly taken by Kate’s husband Prince William at Windsor last week. It was released to the media through Kensington Palace to mark Mother’s Day in Britain. Conspicuously, this was the first photo of Kate Middleton to be released after her abdominal surgery two months ago. Since then, she has been out of the public eye and there were widespread rumours about her health and whereabouts.
To mark Women’s Day in the United Kingdom, the photo was released and it was soon published on the front pages of media outlets. However, after it was published, several inconsistencies were noticed in the photo.
Twitter’s community post also flagged the photo and noted, “Major news agencies, including the Associated Press, Getty Images, and Reuters, note inconsistencies that suggest digital alteration by Kensington Palace.”
Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months.
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 10, 2024
The first photo of Princess Catherine since her abdominal surgery depicted her smiling as she was surrounded by her three children — George, Charlotte, and Louis.
A few hours after Kensington Palace had released the photo, the Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse issued advisories and urged news organisations to remove the image.
Experts pointed out several discrepancies including various inconsistencies, such as Charlotte’s left hand not aligning correctly with the sleeve of her cardigan and a portion of her sleeve being absent. Additionally, the eight-year-old princess’s hair ended abruptly at her shoulder, while Kate’s zipper appeared lighter compared to other areas.
Though the Royal family and the officials at the palace had hoped that the first photo of Princess Catherine would be reassuring amid growing online speculation and conspiracy theories over her condition and her health, the Royal family ended up being dismayed as the strategy backfired and it only fuelled rumours.
Following the incident, Kensington Palace has come under intense pressure as the controversy is seen as a bid “damaging” the public’s trust in the royal family.
In the wake of these growing speculations, Princess Catherine has come out, through the social media account, to apologise for the editing error.
The Indian state of Kerala is currently facing a mumps outbreak. The outbreak of this viral infection has had a significant impact on the pediatric populace, infecting nearly 10,000 children in less than 70 days. Reports say that in just the last six days, 1649 children were affected with mumps.
According to health department data, the average number of children seeking treatment per day went up from 50 in January to 300 in March, showing that the disease is more prevalent.
Notably, the Indian Academy of Pediatrics stated that one in every 20 children visiting outpatient clinics in Kerala currently has mumps. They also stated that Malappuram and its adjacent areas had the highest number of cases.
According to reports, the health department has been monitoring disease prevalence by collecting random samples and submitting them for PCR testing. The children sought therapy for a moderate temperature and headache, as well as puffy cheeks and swollen jaws. According to pediatricians, the virus involved in the recent mumps outbreak was moderate. Moreover, the cases involving complications are less than 50%.
The mumps vaccination has not been administered by the National Immunisation Programme (UIP) for several years due to a decrease in case occurrences in the country. Notably, the MMR (Mumps, Measles, and Rubella) vaccine has been replaced by MR vaccinations (Measles and Rubella), which are available through the government system. Reports suggest that the increase in cases is related to inadequate levels of vaccination. The vaccine for mumps is not included in the vaccination schedule of the health department, TNIE reported.
Dr Sheeja Sugunan, a pediatric intensivist, and an associate professor with the SAT Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram, told TNIE that the mumps vaccine is barely 70% effective. This means that if ten persons are vaccinated, only seven will be protected. Vaccinated people account for 50% of all instances. This, coupled with the expense aspect, are reasons why the mumps vaccine is not included in the vaccination schedule.
The paramyxovirus causes mumps, which is an airborne disease. The condition primarily affects the salivary glands. The infectious period ranges from two days before to five days after parotitis start. Doctors say that mumps is essentially not a life-threatening condition, however, hospitalising the patient is required in some cases.
As per a Serum Institute of IndiaFAQ, this virus affects all unimmunized children between the ages of 5 and 15 years old, as well as unimmunized adults. Mumps spread through the air. Children contract mumps through interaction with people who are already infected with the virus. The virus spreads via the air when people cough, sneeze, or just talk.
On Monday (March 11), the Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi notified the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). This Act was crucial to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s agenda during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
The issuance of these rules is expected to create a pathway for migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, specifically those belonging to the Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Parsi, Buddhist, and Christian communities, to obtain citizenship in India.
Today, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will be announcing the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024 under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA-2019). These rules will empower those eligible under CAA-2019 to seek Indian citizenship through the application process.
The applications will be submitted in a completely online mode for which a web portal has been provided.
— Spokesperson, Ministry of Home Affairs (@PIBHomeAffairs) March 11, 2024
Here’s what the gazette notification issued says:
The Lok Sabha on 9th December 2019 passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 while the Rajya Sabha passed it on 11th December 2019.
Addressing the Parliament at the time, Union Home Minister Amit Shah reiterated that the Bill is not against any Minority in India and the rights of each Indian Citizen will be equally protected.
Shah had said that the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019, will give a new ray of hope to persons belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have migrated to India after facing persecution on the ground of religion in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
Even as the Bill itself was passed, the rules required for its implementation were not notified. Anti-CAA protests rocked the country immediately after the passage of the Bill with several Muslims holding the state to ransom.
Violence was reported across cities, including in the national capital. At least 53 people died in the subsequent riots that followed and 200 people were left injured.
OpIndia had extensively covered the anti-Hindu riots, which were falsely presented by the mainstream media as an anti-Muslim pogrom, and facts documenting tragic cries of Hindus that would otherwise have gone unheard.
On Sunday, March 10, the Trinamool Congress Party led by Mamata Banerjee released its candidate roster for all 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal. For the Bashirhat constituency, the party has dropped its sitting MP Nusrat Jahan and instead pitted its former MP Haji Nurul Islam.
Interestingly, the Sandeshkhali village, which witnessed widespread protests against Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and Mamata Banerjee’s close aide Shahjahan Sheikh and his goons over allegations of land grabbing and sexual assault, falls under the Bashirhat Constituency.
Apart from accusations of institutionalised sexual exploitation, rape, property encroachment, and corruption, Sheikh Shahjahan, whom the party was forced to suspend after the Sandeshkhali row became a national debate, faces several criminal cases, including murder of three BJP supporters and violence against power department employees in West Bengal. In most cases, either the case chargesheet is unavailable or the investigation against Shahjahan is pending. Despite all of this, the Mamata Banerjee’s government gave a clean chit to her aide Sheikh Shahjahan and instead pinned the blame on the BJP and the RSS.
Mamata Banerjee received severe backlash for her blatant bias in handling the case against Sheikh Sahajahan. The Calcutta HC rebuked her government for delaying action against the TMC leader. “Sheikh Shahjahan has some 43 cases against him. Now, for the next 10 years, this man will keep you busy. You will have to handle all his cases till the next 10 years at least,” the Chief Justice told Shahjahan’s lawyer.
Opposition party leaders, including those of the BJP, also castigated Mamata and her administration for turning a blind eye towards the crime committed by the party’s strongman. Owing to the pressure, Trinamool Congress suspended Sheikh Shahjahan from the party for six years.
Now, after all of this, Trinamool supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has decided to field the 60-year-old incumbent MLA in the Haroa constituency Haji Nurul Islam from the Basirhat seat that covers the Sandeshkhali region who is the prime accused in the 2010 anti-Hindu Deganga riots, which he orchestrated with the aim to disrupt that year’s Durga Puja celebrations in the state.
It is quite likely that Mamata Banerjee wanted to field Sheikh Shahjahan from Basirhat LS. #Sandeshkhali is part of it. That also explains why she dragged her feet on his arrest for almost two months. But now that Shahjahan is in CBI custody, Haji Nurul Islam, TMC’s candidate… pic.twitter.com/VLMcp1nKrV
— Amit Malviya (मोदी का परिवार) (@amitmalviya) March 11, 2024
Who is former TMC MP Haji Nurul Islam, the key conspirator of the 2010 anti-Hindu Deganga riots
Born in 1964, Haji Nurul Islam is a former MP who represented the Bashirhat constituency in West Bengal from 2009 to 2014 on a TMC ticket. One of the tallest minority community leaders in the party, Nurul Islam was the key conspirator behind the over three-day mayhem that erupted on September 6, 2010, in the Deganga district in West Bengal. He reportedly led a mob of 500 frenzied Islamists who destroyed properties belonging to Hindus; desecrated temples and also set vehicles and police jeeps on fire.
Deganga is approximately 50 km from Kolkata’s Dum Dum airport, past the busy suburban town of Barasat. The Deganga violence happened in September 2010, months before the 2011 Assembly elections in the state, which saw Mamata Banerjee winning an absolute majority of seats in the state in a historic win marking the end of the 34-year rule of Left Front, the longest-serving democratically elected communist government in the world. Several media reports had then suggested of a linkage between the motivated triggering of the rampage and the forthcoming State Assembly polls.
Deganga was a longtime Left bastion until the 2009 Lok Sabha elections when CPI candidate Ajay Chakrabarti was overwhelmingly defeated by avowed fundamentalist, Haji Nurul Islam of the Trinamool Congress. Since then, Deganga has been a victim of communal division.
Deganga, which was predominantly a Hindu-dominated region, was gradually going through a major demographic shift even when the Left was at the helm in West Bengal. Things, however, became worse after the reigns of Deganga went into the hands of Haji Nurul Islam in 2009.
To consolidate Muslim votes, Haji Nurul Islam had promised his core vote bank that a mike would be installed atop a mosque in Deganga Bazar in defiance of an express Calcutta High Court order and that he would expand a Muslim cemetery constructed on a piece of land in the Chattal Pally village that originally belonged to the legendary Rani Rashmoni, patron of Ramakrishna Paramahansa, mentor of Swami Vivekanand. Adjacent to the cemetery there was a Shiv temple and the Hindus every year, for the last 39 years, used to organise a community Durga puja celebration next to this place of Hindu worship. The flashpoint for the 2010 anti-Hindu riots was this piece of land.
Before the riots were instigated on September 6, 2010, the Hindu community was building a pandal next to their temple, as they did every year. On the morning of 6 September, the Muslims in the area started building a wall around the cemetery, which was constructed against the boundary of the Hindu temple. Members of the Hindu community objected to the construction of the wall as that was blocking the entry to the Shiv temple and also the Durga puja pandal. Haji Nurul Islam reportedly saw this as an opportunity and instigated the local Muslims against the Hindus.
A Muslim mob of around 500 people, led by Haji Nurul Islam, started a road blockade. On the evening of September 6, the mob marched to the police station where they created a ruckus. On the way and back, the frenzied Muslim mob destroyed hundreds of houses and shops belonging to Hindus. Besides, they also set fire to several vehicles and police jeeps and desecrated the Shiv temple.
A journalist of the Daily Pioneer, who had then visited the area after the mayhem reported how the Muslim mob had vandalised an idol placed at a roadside Kali temple and threw it on the road. They also ransacked and burnt several shops and houses belonging to the Hindus in the area.
“We were virtually dragged into the interior by a frenzied crowd that wanted us to see the wanton burning of houses and hutments by mobs who came from outside to “teach a lesson” to members of a community,” the report read.
The disruption continued overnight and into the next morning. When the number of confirmed injuries reached at least 24, the police, outnumbered by the mob, were reinforced first by paramilitary troops from Kolkata and subsequently by the Rapid Action Force (RAF). Additionally, a curfew was implemented in the area under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The central government dispatched the Army since the paramilitary RAF was also outnumbered and unable to take complete control of the situation. The force, which was variously reported to comprise 200 and 400 personnel, conducted route marches in the area.
A young person who had been shot by a Muslim rioter died, exacerbating the bloodshed. On September 8, the violence intensified. In one incident, an Islamist mob from Ramnathpur and Khejurdanga attacked homes in the Salimpukur and Hospital neighbourhood, which is located off the Taki Road that passes through the district.
In the mayhem that lasted for three days in Deganga in 2010, as many as 250 shops had been looted. 50 Hindu houses had been burnt to ashes and 5 temples were desecrated. The Muslim mob had also hoisted a loudspeaker at the mosque near Deganga market, violating the High Court order.
An FIR was filed against Haji Nurul Islam, in which he was named as the prime accused in the 2010 Degenge riots. The TMC leader, however, denied the allegations. Instead, he claimed that he had tried to pacify the Muslim rioters. Trinamool Party also refused to take part in meetings intended to resolve the riots.
Haji Nurul Islam’s influence within the Trinamool cadre, particularly among the Muslim voter base, is notable, evident in his role as chairman of the party’s minority cell. His significance is underscored by the creation of the chairman’s post to accommodate him after being replaced as the minority wing’s president by Mosarraf Hossain.
‘I saw Nurul Islam shouting at his men to ravage the temple’: Eyewitnesses of 2010 Degange riots narrated some horrific details
Several Hindus came out following the riots to recount the horrifying specifics of the carnage that TMC’s Haji Nurul Islam and his henchmen had unleashed. Uttam Saha, a Hindu trader lamented, “Either kill us or give us a reason to live with dignity,” after losing products valued at Rs 4.5 lakh to the chaos. They have robbed all we owned and set fire to our homes and businesses.”
Niranjan Sarkar, another Hindu victim from Kartickpur, added, “I witnessed Nurul Islam yelling at his men as they drove on trucks from Beliaghata, Sashan, and Basirhat to destroy the temple. Overwhelmed with guilt and rage, he continued, “After disfiguring the idols of Lord Shani and goddess Kali, they smashed them.
One criminal being replaced by another: Netizens slam Mamata Banerjee for favouring criminals
Owing to Haji Nurul Islam’s past criminal antecedents, several opposition leaders and social media users chastised Mamata Banerjee for not only providing safe haven to criminals but also elevating them to leadership roles.
Unveiling political chess moves! ? Mamata Banerjee's strategy revealed as Sheikh Shahjahan faces CBI custody. Enter Haji Nurul Islam, TMC's candidate from Basirhat, with a criminal past. The chessboard unfolds, exposing political maneuvers! ♟️? #PoliticalGame#BengalElectionspic.twitter.com/e8dC6F1vg3
— Madhu Sudhan-మధు సుధన్-मधु सुधन(Modi Ka Parivaar) (@MadhuSudhan4BJP) March 11, 2024
Journalist Abhijit Mujumdar claimed that Haji Nurul Islam was the preferred candidate to succeed Sheikh Shahjahan by the Mamata Banerjee administration.
PS: #Sandeshkhali falls in the Basirhat parliamentary constituency. So, Mamata Banerjee wants to replace Sheikh Shahjahan with Haji Nurul Islam.
While one X user asserted that nominating radical Islamist Haji Nurul Islam from Bashirhat constituency was TMC’s ploy to appease the local Muslims of the area, while others highlighted how Mamata Banerjee was endangering the future of the Hindus in Sandehkhali, who had up until now suffered under the anarchy of TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan at the hands of another criminal, Haji Nurul Islam
Feeling really sad for our sisters at Sandeshkhali. The TMC has chosen Haji Nurul Islam, the prime accused of the 2010 Deganga riots as the candidate from Basirhat, the LS to which Sandeshkhali belongs.
Haji Nurul Islam, infamous for Deganga riot, has been nominated as candidate by .@AITCofficial at Basirhat. Perhaps this is to compensate Muslims following arrest of Sheikh Shahjahan. pic.twitter.com/WYQuqb4zSy
— Prasun Maitra(প্রসূন মৈত্র) (@prasunmaitra) March 10, 2024
2016 data shows one out of every three TMC leader has a criminal record
It may be noted that after the 2016 West Bengal Assembly Elections were over the Trinamool came to power for the second term, the Association for Democratic Reforms, a New Delhi-based think tank, released date which read that one our of every three TMC leader in the state had a criminal record.
Source:Indiaspend
According to the report, which was then published, Kerala had 87 MLAs (members of legislative assembly) with criminal charges, while West Bengal had the highest number at 107. Moreover, West Bengal also had 93, winning candidates with serious criminal charges, which was the highest number amongst all the states. Trinamool Congress, which won the elections in West Bengal in 2016, had 66 MLAs with criminal charges, more than any party.
Source: Indiaspend
It also had 60 MLAs face serious criminal cases. The serious criminal cases included murder, attempt to murder, rape, kidnapping and theft.
The Hindu population in the Bashirhat region experienced trauma and victimisation after Haji Nurul Islam was granted control of the Bashirhat constituency by the Trinamool Congress party in 2009. He spurred the local Muslims to carry out the horrifying Deganga massacre, in which a number of Hindu residences, businesses, and temples were attacked and Hindu women were victamised. Hindus in Bashirhat were reeling from the fear and horrors done by Haji Narul Islam and his accomplices, when TMC strongman Sheikh Sahajahan began rearing his head in the area. Popularly referred to as ‘Betaj Badshah’, TMC’s Shahjahan Sheikh was an influential person in West Bengal’s Sandeshkhali, an area that is adjacent to the Bangladesh border.
It is believed that Sheikh has played a significant role in the political party in power by aiding in the rigging of the Sandeshkhali area elections.
Additionally, Sheikh’s name has always kept coming up whenever the ruling TMC has clashed with the BJP party in the state.
In fact, in June 2019, violent clashes erupted in Sandeshkhali post the Lok Sabha elections where TMC goons had clashed with BJP workers in the area. The clash led to the death of three BJP workers including Pradip and Sukanta Mandal. TMC’s Shahjahan Sheikh was named as an accused in the FIR filed in connection with the murder of these two BJP workers but he had escaped any sort of police action.
Locals said that Sheikh has been involved in various illegal activities since 2006 but he has always surrounded himself with powerful people as a defensive tactic in case he gets charged with any wrongdoing. This is purportedly the reason why he got away in the BJP workers Pradip and Sukanta Mandal’s murder case.
On Saturday, January 6, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) issued a lookout notice for Shahjahan Sheikh, a block-level official of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC). The move came a day after a team comprising officials of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), CRPF, and journalists en route to Shahjahan Sheikh’s residence in Sandeshkhali of North 24 Parganas district in West Bengal was attacked and their vehicles were targeted.
The ED team had reached to execute a raid on the residence of Shahjahan Sheikh as part of an investigation into the ration scam when a mob of 800-1000 people, purportedly the supporters of Sheikh attacked the ED team. The ED on Friday said that the mob attacked its officials “with an intention to cause death.”
Weeks after, women started protesting and gheraoed the local police stations demanding the immediate arrest of Sheikh and his associates Shibaprasad Hazra and Uttam Sardar holding them responsible for land grabbing and gang-raping women.
Mamata Banerjee continued to protect Sheikh Sahajahan for weeks on end. Nevertheless, when the matter started drawing national attention and began to slip through the WB administration’s fingers, they suspended Sheikh Shahjahan under duress. He was eventually handed over to the CBI.
After the sexual predator Sheikh Shahjahan’s arrest, the Hindu victims of Sandeshkhali may be thinking that after years of atrocities, inflicted on them, they would, at last, get to sleep in peace. Just then, the Mamata Government once again planned to send them to the gallows by pitching in the rabid Islamist Haji Nurul Islam from the constituency.
