A petition has been filed at the Supreme Court asking for instructions to the Union and State governments to take into account the “reasonable demands” of farmers who are protesting at Punjab-Haryana border and to guarantee their freedom of movement through public transportation across the borders of Delhi. The farmers are demonstrating for their multiple demands particularly to secure a law that guarantees the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops.
Agnostos Theos, managing director of The Sikh Chamber of Commerce, has filed the plea which has named the National Human Rights Commission, the Union of India, the governments of Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Delhi as respondents. The petitioner highlighted that the protesters are also requesting that MSP be at least 50% higher than the weighted average cost of production as suggested by the National Commission on Farmers (NCF) which was established in 2004 and was headed by Professor M.S. Swaminathan.
He has asked the appropriate authorities to issue an order prohibiting interfering with the farmers’ nonviolent march and assembly in the national capital. The applicant has called for the removal of all barriers, the authorities not to obstruct the ‘peaceful’ march, the unblocking of social media accounts and the protection of the freedom of expression of those disseminating information about the protest.
The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) mentioned, “The respondent governments have employed aggressive and violent measures like usage of tear gas, rubber bullet pellets, expired shells etc., against peacefully protesting farmers, leading to serious and grievous injuries among the farmers.” The request emphasised that farmers receive no government support or relief and that they lack the medical personnel and resources necessary to treat severely wounded patients, leaving them permanently injured or, in some cases dead.
It added, “The actions taken by the respondent governments by creating fortification across the borders of the national capital, creating hostile and violent situations against its peaceful citizens, and not allowing the farmers to exercise their democratic right, has led to direct and indirect defamation of the intentions and the objective of the protesting farmers.”
The appeal also brought attention to the event involving the death of a young farmer who was allegedly shot by the Haryana Police on the Khanauri border on 21st February. The farmer died apparently from a gunshot wound to the head. “Farmers from various other states, who were coming to join the peaceful protest, through trains were forcefully deboarded from their respective trains in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh and were forcefully sent to Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh instead.”
It alleged that Punjabi farmers who were protesting had been imprisoned in the most rude, severe, and violent manner for trying to just drive their cars to Delhi. The motion insisted that the peaceful farmers were being treated by their government in a manner akin to that of terrorists only for exercising their constitutional and democratic rights.
The plea claimed that the rights of the farmers, as guaranteed by Articles 14, 19, and 21 of the Indian Constitution, had been violated when they were demonstrating for their demands. It also claimed that on 13th February, the farmers called for a peaceful protest in support of “Dilli Chalo,” asking that the Swaminathan committee’s recommendations be put into execution.
It highlighted, “The Respondent, Union and State governments, in anticipation of the protest by the farmer, issued threats against the people in participating in the protest, fortified the borders of the state around the city of Delhi, with iron spikes, concrete walls, etc. ensuring that farmers are not able to enter the territory of the national capital.”
The motion claimed that the respondent governments had forcibly arrested and detained farmers from the state surrounding Delhi who had come to protest for their rights even in their own private vehicles. It charged, “Similarly, farmers coming from various other states of the county, to join the protesting farmers, were detained in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, and were also sent to other states, just to avoid them meeting with protesting farmers.”
It stated, “In the days leading up to 13.02.2024 borders of the national capital were fortified with concrete walls, iron spikes etc., restricting the farmers from entering the national capital without any due reasonable cause against the peaceful farmers violating their right to travel freely throughout the territory of the country as enshrined under Article 19(1)(d) of the Constitution of India.”
The landmark decision in Anita Thakur v. Govt. of Jammu and Kashmir by the top court is cited, where it declared, “We can appreciate that holding peaceful demonstration in order to air their grievances and to see that their voice is heard in the relevant quarters is the right of the people. Such a right can be traced to the fundamental freedom that is guaranteed under Articles 19(1)(a), 19(1)(b) and 19(1)(c) of the Constitution.”
In addition, the petitioner requested that the appropriate authorities take action against people who mistreat farmers and Sikhs, use abusive language, threaten them and create division that shatters the nation’s communal peace.
US President Joe Biden revealed that the key to his successful marriage is “good sex.” This disclosure comes from an upcoming book by Katie Rogers titled “American Woman: The Transformation of the Modern First Lady, from Hillary Clinton to Jill Biden.”
Biden jests about his lasting connection relying on “good sex,” a remark that allegedly angers his wife Jill Biden. This tidbit is from Rogers’ book, exclusively excerpted by the Daily Mail. Rogers is an experienced reporter at the New York Times.
The revelation had the Twitterverse in splits, with many social media users taking jibes at the US President whose critics slam him as a politician who has slipped into senility
“Joe Biden who can’t climb the stairs without falling, says the secret to his marriage is “good sex.” Really,” tweeted one X user.
Joe Biden who can’t climb the stairs without falling, says the secret to his marriage is “good sex.” Really. pic.twitter.com/V6TvkZN9LY
This is not the first time that Joe Biden has been in the news for commenting about his sex life. In 2006 too, he commented about making love to his wife.
“I’d prefer to be at home making love to my wife while my children are asleep,” Biden once shared with a group of supporters in 2006 ahead of his second presidential bid, leading a spokesman to declare the senator as “frankly totally in love with his wife.”
The book, set to be published Tuesday, also delves into the conflicting accounts of the couple’s whirlwind romance in the 1970s following the death of Biden’s first wife and intimate details about his nearly half-century marriage to Jill.
Following massive outrage by villagers who staged a protest outside the Police outpost, West Bengal police has suspended a sub-inspector who was accused of assaulting and torturing a woman for 11 hours at the Police station. The Police officer brutally tortured the woman because he suspected that her minor son had stolen his gold bracelet.
On Wednesday (21st February), at around 3 PM, the housewife was taken to the Khanakul police station in Hooghly where she was allegedly beaten and subjected to unspeakable atrocities for 11 hours. As per reports, it is further alleged that chillies were rubbed on the sensitive parts of the body like under her eyes and private parts of her body. After the assault, the accused officer gave her some money to get medical treatment and threatened her not to tell anyone about the incident.
#WestBengal Another alleged case of brutality by Police. A officer of Khanakul PS of #Hooghly district tortured a woman. The Police picked up the woman at 3PM, left her at 1 AM.
Then the Police personnel threatened them not to tell anybody, they will bear the medical expenses. pic.twitter.com/pBea4HTwp8
Currently, the victim woman is undergoing treatment in a private hospital in Arambagh. Following the development, the accused officer identified as Tushar Mandal has been suspended by the police administration.
According to reports, there is a police outpost under Khanakul police station in Chingra Gram Panchayat of Khanaku. There is a primary school near this outpost. The victim housewife’s minor son studies there.
A few days ago, during a volleyball match being played there, the accused officer Tushar Mandal’s gold bracelet reportedly went missing. The suspicion of theft fell upon the woman’s son. Tushar Mandal was repeatedly asking the woman to return the bracelet, not believing her pleas that her son her not stolen it.
On Wednesday evening at three o’clock, he took the woman to the Khanakul police station. Even though she was released after 11 hours late at night, her physical condition was reportedly very bad, according to family members.
It is alleged that the accused police officer Tushar Mandal repeatedly pressured the housewife to return the bracelet while she kept clarifying that she did not get any jewellery. After about 11 hours i.e. at 2 am, she was left half dead. The officer reportedly gave Rs 1000 to her to get treatment and said, “Let no one know.”
She was immediately taken to Khanakul Rural Hospital at night. When her condition worsened there, she was transferred to a private nursing home in Arambagh.
The family of the woman was shocked by the alleged brutal abuse by the police which outraged the villagers and created a tense atmosphere in the region. Due to the alleged atrocities by the Police officer, the villagers protested in front of the Police outpost on Friday afternoon.
The victim said, “I don’t know anything. Who took his bracelet? He didn’t leave me despite telling me repeatedly. He beat me a lot. After that, I didn’t know anything. I had no idea. When I regained consciousness I was in a nursing home.” Her relatives Samar Bagh and Kakali Dhara said, “The manner in which he assaulted cannot be described in words.”
Based on the victim housewife’s complaint, the police officer was suspended. Additionally, a departmental investigation has also been initiated against him.
Further, Hooghly Rural Superintendent of Police Kamnshis Sen stated that an FIR has been lodged in this matter. He added that apart from the accused police officer, those who else were involved in this incident are also being investigated.
Today (Saturday, February 24), the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has taken cognisance of a complaint filed by the Hindu activist group, Kalinga Rights Forum, against a Christian Missionary named Rachel reportedly staying near the Kamtauli PS in Darbhanga, Bihar for violating tourist visa rules by preaching Christianity.
#Update :@NCPCR took cognizance of our complaint & have asked DM Darbhanga, Bihar to Probe & register FIR U/s 295A, Sec 75 of Juvenile Justice (Care & Protection) Act 2015 & Art 25 of Indian Constitution @HMOIndia has asked Mukesh Kumar Bihar Admin to take action against Rachel https://t.co/vXb1pw4vYJpic.twitter.com/KZkXKBc4eT
On February 15, the Hindu activist group, in a thread of posts on X, highlighted how the Christian Missionary was staying on a tourist visa and not only secretly preaching Christianity but also trying to brainwash and convert young children by denigrating Hinduism.
Wrote to @HMOIndia@NCPCR_@KanoongoPriyank ji against Christian Missionary Rachel for Violating Indian Visa Laws & Preaching christianity & Converting Minor Hindu Kids & abusing Hindu Goddess Maa Kali Living near Kamtauli PS ,Darbhanga Dist Bihar pic.twitter.com/JrylMtG0o4
Sharing videos where Rachel was seen mocking Hindu beliefs and illegally propagating Christianity, the Hindu activist group wrote, Wrote to @HMOIndia @NCPCR_ @KanoongoPriyank ji against Christian Missionary Rachel for Violating Indian Visa Laws & Preaching christianity & Converting Minor Hindu Kids & abusing Hindu Goddess Maa Kali Living near Kamtauli PS ,Darbhanga Dist Bihar.”
The Hindu activist group emphasised that the accused had broken the rules of tourist visas since anyone travelling to India on a tourist visa is not permitted to carry out missionary work and Rachel, who was here on a tourist visa, was not only openly propagating Christianity but was also trying to brainwash and encourage people to convert by mocking the Hindu faith.
“As per Indian Visa Laws of Hon’ble Ministry of Home Affairs,Govt of India,no foreign national can practice or preach religion in India & convert minor kids which is itself violation of Juvenile Justice (Care & Protection) Act 2015 She has violated 295A, 153A, 298,297 IPC,” Kalianga Right Forum wrote in its subsequent post.
As per Indian Visa Laws of Hon'ble Ministry of Home Affairs,Govt of India,no foreign national can practice or preach religion in India & convert minor kids which is itself violation of Juvenile Justice (Care & Protection) Act 2015 She has violated 295A, 153A, 298,297 IPC
The Hindu activist also shared details of Rachel’s affiliation with two foreign missionary churches namely, Kingdom Life Ministries and Iris Global Ministries.
Notably, in one of the videos shared by the Hindu activist group, Rachel is heard propagating Christianity by mocking idol worshipping that in practised in Hinduism. “Indians have a religion called Hinduism where they worship idols. The Bible teaches us that idols have eyes but they cannot see, they have ears but they cannot hear. There is only one god and where does he live…that’s right, heaven. Praying to these idols will not help these people at all. Someone needs to come and tell these people about Jesus, how many of you guys are going to come and visit me here in India,” the Christian Missionary is heard spewing venom against Hinduism and, in turn, encouraging people to convert to Christianity.
According to tourist visa norms, foreigners travelling to India are not permitted to attend religious preaching or conversion programmes. Nor are they allowed to do any missionary work on tourist visas. A special visa is required for visiting India to participate in religious programs.
Two US nationals nabbed, fined for attending Christian conversion ceremony in violation of tourist visa norms in Assam
Recently, Assam’s Sonipur Police has arrested two US citizens in Tezpur for violating tourist visa norms by attending a Christian conversion ceremony.
The US nationals have been identified as John Matthew Boone (64) with passport No. 644539186 and Michael James Flunchum (77) with passport Np. 681022887.
A $500 fine was imposed on the duo and they were released after. Boone and Flinchum had attended the inauguration of a Baptist Christian association office on 31st January.
In October 2022, the Assam government instructed the police force across districts to monitor foreigners participating in conversion activities in violation of visa norms.
They were also instructed to monitor religious gatherings and the travel documents of foreigners who attended them.
Following this, 27 Bangladeshis, Swedish and German foreign nationals were reportedly detained and deported in a month for preaching at religious events in Assam.
After three to four days of intense discussions and political upheaval, the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have formally announced an alliance in Gujarat. Under this arrangement, the Congress will contest in 24 out of the total 26 seats. The remaining two seats will see AAP candidates in the fray. Before the seat-sharing agreement, AAP had already announced its candidates for these two constituencies. Umesh Makwana, the MLA from Botad, will contest from the Bhavnagar Lok Sabha constituency, while the controversial MLA Chaitar Vasava, recently embroiled in a case, will contest from the Bharuch Lok Sabha seat on the AAP ticket.
The Bharuch Lok Sabha seat emerged as a focal point in discussions surrounding this alliance. Notably, it holds significance as the hometown of former Congress MP Ahmed Patel, who secured victories in two Lok Sabha elections in 1977 and 1984. However, since the BJP’s triumph in 1989, the party has maintained a stronghold here without any losses. Following Ahmed Patel’s demise, his children, Faisal Patel and Mumtaz Patel, entered mainstream politics, prompting speculation that the Congress might field one of them in the Lok Sabha elections. However, this scenario has now been disrupted by the Congress’s decision to ally with the AAP and give away the seat to the alliance partner.
What work did the Congress do in the Bharuch Lok Sabha constituency?
Despite the vocal objections raised by Faisal Patel and Mumtaz Patel, who hail from Bharuch, the Congress has ultimately conceded the Bharuch seat to the Aam Aadmi Party. Despite being a constituency with a Muslim majority, there could be multiple factors influencing Congress’s decision in this regard.
Since AAP’s Chaitar Vasava clinched the Dediapada seat in the assembly elections, the party has been eager to nominate him as its candidate for the Lok Sabha elections. Alongside extensive campaigning by the party’s IT cell in his favour, certain YouTube channels, ostensibly impartial, subtly or overtly promoted the narrative of ‘Chaitar Vasava for Lok Sabha’. Despite his recent involvement in a criminal incident where he was caught assaulting forest workers, the Aam Aadmi Party officially declared Chaitar Vasava as its candidate for the Bharuch Lok Sabha seat, perceiving the controversy surrounding him as an opportunity amidst adversity.
The Bharuch Lok Sabha constituency has a notable Muslim population, alongside a substantial demographic of the tribal community residing in the eastern region of the constituency. Historically, the Muslim vote has been regarded as the traditional stronghold of the Congress. However, after 1984, Congress didn’t secure victory in this seat due to polarised voting patterns. In this context, the Aam Aadmi Party’s strategy here could be to garner support by portraying Chaitar Vasava as a ‘tribal representative’ to appeal to the tribal electorate.
However, a challenge arises as local Congress activists and supporters align themselves with Ahmed Patel’s children. Both Faisal and Mumtaz Patel have stated that while they may accept the decision of the party leadership if the Bharuch seat is conceded to the AAP, they will not actively campaign for or endorse Chaitar Vasava. Should this scenario unfold, it could render the alliance futile.
આગામી લોકસભા ચૂંટણીમાં ગઠબંધન હેઠળ ભરૂચ લોકસભા સીટ આપ પાર્ટીને ફાળવવામાં આવશે તો હું કે કોંગ્રેસ પાર્ટીના સંનિષ્ઠ કાર્યકરો આપ પાર્ટીના ઉમેદવારનું સમર્થન નહીં કરીએ. @INCIndia@INCGujarat
In such a scenario, there’s a risk of vote fragmentation once more. Even if the Congress opts not to field a candidate, if its supporters do not rally behind the Aam Aadmi Party, the status quo may prevail, potentially leading to a situation where the Bharatiya Janata Party emerges victorious in the direct contest between the two parties.
Furthermore, elections are multifaceted and cannot be solely determined by one issue such as caste and religion equations. It would be naive to assume that an entire Lok Sabha seat could be secured solely based on caste demographics or religious dynamics. Numerous factors influence electoral outcomes. Additionally, the BJP benefits from the formidable presence of Narendra Modi as its face in the Lok Sabha elections. Over the past decades, the BJP has entrenched itself in this constituency, garnering steadfast support from voters who prioritise Modi’s leadership, evaluate his performance, and focus on his government’s accomplishments rather than considering caste or religious affiliations or other parties. Consequently, while the Congress or the AAP may harbour aspirations for a transformative breakthrough by endorsing Chaitar Vasava, the likelihood of such aspirations materialising appears minimal.
What could be the reason behind the Bhavnagar seat being allotted to the AAP?
Regarding the Bhavnagar seat, the Aam Aadmi Party’s performance in the assembly elections was notably stronger compared to other areas. The party secured victories in two constituencies within the region – Botad and Gariadhar. In contrast, the Congress failed to clinch a single seat in the Bhavnagar, Surendranagar, and Amreli areas. This could potentially explain why the Congress has opted to give up yet another seat, as the party stands to neither gain nor lose significantly in this electoral calculus.
However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) holds a significantly dominant position in this seat compared to the two other parties. The BJP has maintained an unbroken winning streak here since 1991. Bhartiben Shiyal has emerged victorious in the last two terms, witnessing an increase in her vote share from 59 per cent in 2014 to 63 per cent in 2019. In the 2019 elections, the Congress candidate managed to secure only 31.86 per cent of the votes, amounting to half the votes garnered by the BJP candidate.
Image Source: Times of India
Should the Aam Aadmi Party choose to contest the Bhavnagar seat, it lacks a prominent figure or a strong party reputation in the area. While securing victories in two assembly seats might suffice to persuade the Congress to ally, winning Lok Sabha elections hinges on different dynamics. Assembly elections revolve around distinct issues compared to Lok Sabha elections. Furthermore, if the Lok Sabha constituency encompasses a sizable area, it could lead to vote division.
Moreover, Umesh Makwana, the sitting AAP MLA from Botad who has been nominated as the Lok Sabha candidate from Bhavnagar, hasn’t particularly left a noteworthy impact in his constituency over the past eighteen months. This may not persuade those who didn’t vote for him in the Assembly elections to reconsider their stance.
Given these circumstances, it appears that the upcoming Lok Sabha election for the Aam Aadmi Party will mirror the situation of the assembly elections. During the assembly elections, there was speculation from AAP leaders and supporters about the possibility of forming the government, but such claims merely created an atmosphere. However, when the results were announced, the party only secured five seats. Furthermore, the victories were attributed to individual efforts, caste affiliations, and internal discord within other parties, rather than the overall reputation or credibility of the AAP. This sets the party apart from the established parties like BJP and Congress.
In the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the BJP has ambitiously set a target of securing over 370 seats nationwide. Naturally, within Gujarat, the party aims to capture all 26 seats. While two months may seem like a substantial period in the context of the election campaign, current assessments of both local and national politics indicate a high likelihood of Gujarat once again overwhelmingly supporting Modi’s leadership, delivering all seats to the BJP.
Catherine Herridge, a veteran journalist who worked on the Hunter Biden laptop story and covered investigations into the Biden family, was fired by the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) News on 13th February this year.
It has now emerged that the network seized her personal files, computers and records, including confidential source information.
The unprecedented move by CBS officials has been condemned by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), which deemed the action as ‘very unusual and completely inappropriate.’
REPORT: After firing investigative reporter Catherine Herridge who was investigating the Hunter Biden laptop story, CBS reportedly seized her belongings.
Nothing to see here.
The network reportedly seized all of her belongings including files, computers and most importantly,… pic.twitter.com/oLFIlZwsOA
“It is completely inappropriate for an employer to lay off a reporter and take the very unusual step of retaining and searching the reporter’s files, inclusive of confidential source identification and information,’ it emphasised.
“The retention of a media professional’s reporting materials by their former employer is a serious break with traditional practices which supports the immediate return of reporting materials,” SAG-AFTRA added.
It concluded, “This action is deeply concerning to the union because it sets a dangerous precedent for all media professionals and threatens the very foundation of the First Amendment.”
CBS cries foul
Following the controversy, the news network claimed that no belongings of Catherine Herridge had been seized and that it had planned to return her files.
“Catherine’s personal belongings were delivered to her home one week ago, and we are prepared to pack up the rest of her files immediately on her behalf – with her representative present as she requested,’ a spokesperson for CBS News claimed.
The official added, “We have respected her request to not go through the files, and out of our concern for confidential sources, the office she occupied has remained secure since her departure.”
According to an article by New York Post, Catherine Herridge ‘faced roadblocks’ while covering the Hunter Biden laptop story. She had authenticated the abandoned laptop of US President Joe Biden’s son in November 2022.
Prior to her firing, the veteran journalist had also covered the House impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden. Catherine Herridge has previously served as the chief intelligence correspondent at Fox News.
Given her abrupt firing and seizure of personal files, the House Judiciary Committee has written to the CBS News President Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews on Friday (23rd February) seeking information about the termination of Herridge’s contract.
“The unprecedented actions of CBS News threaten to chill good journalism and ultimately weaken our nation’s commitment to a free press,” it stated.
The Hunter Biden laptop story
It is notable here that in the last weeks of the 2020 US presidential elections, the New York Post published an explosive story about Hunter Biden’s problematic emails with a Ukrainian gas company executive from Burisma.
In its report, the news outlet alleged that they had accessed material from a damaged Macbook that was brought to a service centre for repair. The customer who brought the laptop never collected or paid for the services.
The shop owner said he repeatedly tried to contact the client. Though he could not identify the owner as Hunter Biden, he said the laptop had Beau Biden Foundation’s sticker.
The report has several documents and mentions a video that proves that Joe Biden met a high-profile businessman from Ukraine when he was Vice President of the United States.
Column’s up: Jack Dorsey and Mark Zuckerberg censored the @nypost Hunter Biden stories before the election to hide the real Joe Biden https://t.co/bjx7cCw0hU
Reports suggested that Biden may have helped his son Hunter, using his influence as the VP of the United States, in his business in Ukraine. The Biden Camp categorically denied all the allegations.
The story was heavily censored by both Twitter and Facebook and was branded as a piece of fake news. Initially, the report was dismissed as a hoax by Biden-supporting media, but it was eventually confirmed that the laptop’s contents did really belong to Hunter Biden.
Following the restriction of the NYP report, Twitter justified the action by claiming that its policies forbid the sharing of compromised information. After the elections were over and Joe Biden was declared president, it became clear that the NY Post story was indeed true.
Twitter’s former head Jack Dorsey then expressed regret over censoring the story and blocking New York Post from their Twitter account.
On Wednesday (21st February) the Indian National Congress (INC) and the Samajwadi Party finalised the seat-sharing formula of the I.N.D.I. alliance in Uttar Pradesh for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. According to the agreement, the Congress is set to contest 17 seats from the largest state while the Samajwadi Party and other small parties in the alliance will contest 63 seats. However, the Congress is now reportedly asserting its demand for Lakhimpur Khiri and Shravasti seats as well. The Samajwadi Party, on the other hand, is not ready to give these seats to the Congress.
With only 17 seats in Uttar Pradesh for the Lok Sabha elections, many senior Congress leaders have been left disappointed and upset. These leaders have started trying hard from Delhi to Moradabad to push their cases, as most of the party leaders have arrived in Moradabad to join the second phase of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra starting on Saturday. Former union minister Salman Khurshid is one such leader.
Expressing his disappointment over the seat sharing formula, Khurshid posted from his X handle, “How many tests will my relations with Farrukhabad have to face? The question is not about me but about the future of all of us, about the future generations. Never bowed before the decisions of fate. I can break, I can’t bend.”
फ़र्रुख़ाबाद से मेरे रिश्तों के कितने इम्तहान का सामना करना पड़ेगा? सवाल मेरा नहीं पर हमारे सब के मुस्तक़ाबिल का है, आने वाली नस्लों का है। क़िस्मत के फ़ैसलों के सामने कभी झुका नहीं । टूट सकता हूँ , झुकूँ गा नहीं। तुम साथ देनेका वादा करो, मैं नघमे सुनाता रहूँ
Salman Khurshid has been a Member of Parliament from Farukkhabad twice, winning in 1991 and 2009.
Earlier, the Samajwadi Party and the Congress held talks regarding seat-sharing for the Lok Sabha election. Now, it has been revealed from sources that the Congress also wants Lakhimpur Kheri and Shravasti seats from UP in addition to the 17 seats it got in the seat-sharing agreement. Of the 17 seats that the SP has given to the Congress, both these seats are currently not with the Congress. The Congress has offered to the SP to exchange these two seats with any two of the Ghaziabad, Mathura, and Barabanki seats.
According to reports, Sonia Gandhi herself has spoken to Akhilesh Yadav about this demand. The Congress wants to field Ravi Verma and Naseemuddin Siddiqui respectively from Lakhimpur Kheri and Shravasti seats. The seats allotted to the Congress as per the formula decided between the coalition parties in the I.N.D.I. alliance are Amethi, Rae Bareli, Varanasi, Saharanpur, Amroha, Sitapur, Jhansi, Ghaziabad, Maharajganj, Fatehpur Sikri, Kanpur, Mathura, Deoria, Bansgaon, Bulandshahr, Prayagraj, and Barabanki.
Former minister Nakul Dubey, former state Congress Brijlal Khabri, and Rajesh Pati Mishra are among other leaders who are left disappointed by the seat-sharing. Nakul Dubey was seeking a ticket from Lucknow or Sitapur. Lucknow has gone to SP in the seat-sharing formula. Former MLA Rakesh Rathore is set to be fielded from Sitapur. In this situation, Nakul Dubey is preparing to contest the election from Sitapur independently.
Brijlal Khabri was claiming ticket from Jalaun but this seat was also not allotted to INC in the alliance negotiations. Similarly, Rajesh Pati Mishra was planning to contest from Bhadohi. However, the Congress state president Ajay Rai said, “Preparations were made to contest elections on all 80 seats. Party leaders have made preparations for every seat. But we have got 17 seats under the I.N.D.I. alliance. At present, elections will be fought on these seats only.” He also refuted the claims of senior Congress leaders being disappointed by the seat-sharing formula finalised.
Earlier on Wednesday, Congress Uttar Pradesh in-charge Avinash Pande said while addressing a press conference, “I am delighted to tell you that it has been decided that in Uttar Pradesh the INC will contest on 17 seats and the remaining 63 seats will have candidates from the I.N.D.I. Alliance – from SP and other parties.”
Uttar Pradesh is not the only once where Congress leaders are expressing their disappointment over seat sharing agreements with alliance partners. Earlier, family members of the Late Congress leader Ahmed Patel expressed their disappointment over seat sharing agreement with Aam Aadmi Party in the state of Gujarat. Ahmed Patel’s daughter Mumtaz Patel and his son Faisal Ahmed Patel took to social media to express their disappointment after their father’s stronghold of Bharuch was given to AAP as part of the seat sharing agreement.
In a major breakthrough in the Haldwani violence that broke out on 8th February in the Banbhoolpura region, the mastermind Abdul Malik was arrested on Saturday (24th February). As per reports, Malik who had been absconding till now has been arrested from Delhi by Uttarakhand police. Following his arrest, his lawyers have reportedly applied bail petition.
According to his lawyers Ajay Bahuguna and Shalabh Pandey, the Uttarakhand Police has arrested the Haldwani violence mastermind Abdul Malik from Delhi. Following his arrest, a bail petition has been filed.
As per reports, his lawyers had filed the bail petition in the Haldwani ADJ First Court in the Sessions Court which will be heard on 27th February.
Around 78 accused have been arrested in connection with the 8th February violence in Haldwani’s Banbhoolpura region which broke out after the local administration demolished an illegal madrasa in the Malik colony following court orders.
The accused have been charged with hatching a criminal conspiracy to mislead the government departments and the court based on false affidavits.
Earlier, a lookout notice was issued against Malik and his son Abdul Moid. He had built the illegal madrasa and vehemently opposed its demolition, police said. His wife had even moved the court challenging the municipal corporation’s notice for demolition.
Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Police have continued the crackdown against rioters who were involved in the 8th February Haldwani riots that took place in the Banbhoolpura region. Following the court orders of property attachment, the Police earlier attached the house of Abdul Malik, the mastermind of the Haldwani violence. The Police also seized antique items and valuables worth crores from his luxurious house.
The valuable items seized on Saturday (17th February) include sofa set, Maharaja dining set, fridge, cupboard, expensive foreign brand watches, perfumes from Arabic countries, AC, computer, printer, geyser, oil heater, TV, other electronics items, swords, jewellery, fans, beds, mattresses, Curtains, doors, windows, and scooters, etc.
Additionally, a case of cheating and criminal conspiracy was recently registered against six individuals including the main accused of Haldwani violence, Abdul Malik and his wife. The Nainital Police had also released the posters of the main accused who were allegedly involved in the 8th February incident. The posters of 9 miscreants included the names of Abdul Malik (mastermind), Tasleem, Wasim alias Happa, Ayaz Ahmed, Abdul Moeed, Raees alias Dutt, Shakeel Ansari, Maukin Saifi and Zia Ul Rehman.
Furthermore, the Municipal Corporation here issued a recovery notice of Rs 2.44 crore against Abdul Malik, asking him to deposit the money to cover damage caused to government property during the clash.
In the violence, four people were killed and 250 policemen were injured. According to the police, the mob burnt down Banbhoolpura police station. A curfew had to be imposed in the entire town for two days. In our ground reports, eyewitnesses and victim told OpIndia that the rioters were attacking administration officials, police personnel, journalists, and commoners after asking for their names and allegedly spared the Muslims. They also allegedly tried to burn Police officials and journalists alive.
On Saturday, February 24, the prominent Bangladeshi author and Blitz magazine editor Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury took to X (formally Twitter) to call attention to the vile anti-Hindu and anti-Indian propaganda being disseminated by Pinaki Bhattacharya, a Bangladeshi medical practitioner and popular YouTuber who is in exile in France seeking political asylum.
Pinaki Bhattacharya: From fake medicine seller to Islamist lapdog
Only few years ago, Pinaki Bhattacharya was kicked-out of his family by his parents for leaving Hindu dharma and embracing Islam at the influence of Tablighi Jamaat. His father Shyamal Bhattacharya, a school… pic.twitter.com/0lMgWh3SeY
On Thursday, February 22, Pinaki Bhattacharya, who is based out of France, as he had sought asylum under the false pretence of being a ‘political victim’ of the current ruling Awami League government led by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, put up a Facebook post telling Bangladeshi directors and actors not to work in West Bengal-based OTT platform Hoichoi or any other Indian platforms.
In the post, Bhattacharya appealed to Bangladeshi actor Mosharraf Karim to not promote his upcoming movie ‘Hubba’ for Hoichoi. The post ends with a veiled threat to Bangladeshi directors and actors. Bhattacharya wrote he hoped he would not have to be tough on them.
This new post, however, is not surprising given that Bhattacharya has been releasing videos condemning India’s interference in Bangladesh’s national elections on January 7, which resulted in Hasina’s return to office.
Pinaki Bhattacharya, through his YouTube channel and other social media accounts, has been running a vile anti-India campaign, where he has been urging his 1.6 million followers to boycott Indian products in Bangladesh.
In fact, a day after PM Narendra Modi performed the Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya, Pinaki Bhattacharya released a video on his YouTube channel in which he castigated the Indian Prime Minister for constructing Ram Mandir in the very place where the Babri Masjid once stood.
In the video which garnered over 793k views since its release, Bhattacharya slandered Modi and his supporters among the Hindu community in Bangladesh and also called for a boycott of Indian businesses including Marico, Emami, Dabur, Asian Paints, Godrej, and others.
Pinaki Bhattacharya has likewise posted several anti-India videos and posts through all his social media handles. In one video he slammed the Indian multinational engineering and construction conglomerate Larsen and Toubro for partaking in the designing and construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
In fact, if one goes through Pinaki Bhattacharya’s YouTube page, one would see umpteen anti-India videos where he has been inciting his followers against India and exhorting them to boycott Indian products.
SS of Pinaki Bhattacharya’s YouTube page
Expressing concern about the growing popularity of the ‘Boycott India’ campaign on social media, which would just not only adversely affect Indo-Bangladesh trade relations but also Bangladesh’s economy, Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, provided some background information about Pinaki Bhattacharya, one of the torchbearers of this campaign, to expose his rabid Islamist mindset.
He revealed how only a few years ago, Pinaki Bhattacharya’s parents disowned him as he quit Hinduism and embraced Islam under the influence of Tablighi Jamaat. His father Shyamal Bhattacharya, a dramatist, writer, and school teacher, became very irritated with his son’s religious conversion. As a result, the enraged father severed all ties with Pinaki. Pinaki was born in Bangladesh’s Bogra district. He graduated from the Rajshahi Medical College in 1992. This medical college, according to Salah Uddin, is the epicentre of Jamaat-e-Islami activities.
After learning of Pinaki’s affiliations with Pakistan’s ISI and his friendly relationships with Islamists, jihadists and terrorists, his wife, who is also a doctor, also distanced herself from him.
During his stay in Bangladesh, a ‘neo-Muslim’ Pinaki, under the garb of producing life-saving drugs in his pharmaceutical factory, was in reality, producing illicit sexual drugs, counterfeit medicine and ‘Yaba’ tablets – a dangerous drug containing a mixture of methamphetamine and caffeine and distributing these contraband items through underworld crime rackets in Bangladesh. His illicit activities caught the attention of law enforcement agencies. The Bangladesh government filed a case against him for selling counterfeit drugs and engaging in anti-national activities.
As a result, Pinaki Bhattacharya fled Bangladesh and landed in France, where he sought asylum under the false claim of being a “political victim” of the Awami League government.
While running a business of contraband medicines, Pinaki Bhattacharya was regularly forcing his female staff into sexual relations, Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury alleged in his lengthy post.
He is currently carrying out extremist activities through social media channels. He has become a popular figure among Muslims in Bangladesh for his jihadi books and anti-India; anti-Modi campaign. The majority of the audience of Pinaki’s YouTube channel are half-educated and uneducated people from Bangladesh and West Bengal. He also has substantial viewers who are working as labourers in Bangladeshi and other Islamic countries like Malaysia and the Middle East. In France, he has hired three employees for his activities – one of whom is a Palestinian female member of Hamas.
The Blitz editor further wrote how Pinaki Bhattacharya, an agent of the Pakistani spy agency Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI), has been disseminating hate speech and slanderous propaganda on his YouTube channel against the Hindu community, India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and anti-Islamist and anti-jihadist groups in Bangladesh and India.
In his videos and posts, Pinaki persuades Bangladeshi Muslims to wage jihad against Hindus. His anti-Indian posts are extremely popular in Bangladesh. Time and again, he has held Modi accountable for all the attacks on Bangladeshi Hindus by Muslim extremists.
Here are a few examples of the vile anti-India and anti-Hindu posts of Pinaki Bhattacharya
Here Pinaki Bhattacharya captioned his post in Bengali which roughly translates to, “How was the Gaumata politics of Hindutva formed and how did a part of Hindus of Bangladesh get involved? To know the details you may watch the video.”
During the 2020-2021 so-called farmers’ protest in India, Pinaki Bhattacharya had taken to X, formally Twitter to sympathise with ‘climate activist’ Disha Ravi, who was arrested in connection with the ‘Greta toolkit’ that exposed a global conspiracy to defame India on a global scale. Sharing an article written by the left-propaganda website Scroll, Pinaki wrote, ” I condemn the arrest of #DishaRavi by the Delhi Police, for supporting the #FarmerProtests.”
Notably, during the initial investigation, the police found that Disha Ravi also collaborated with a Khalistani outfit named Poetic Justice Foundation (PJF). The police informed that the objective was to spread ‘disaffection against the Indian State.’ Reportedly, it was Disha who had originally shared the Toolkit document with the Swedish activist Greta Thunberg.
In the post, the Blitz magazine editor Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury also wrote how in one particular video on his YouTube channel, Pinaki Bhattacharya started a vile propaganda against Blitz for exposing notorious conspiracy of these anti-India and Hindu-hating elements with their recently launched “India Out” campaign aimed at jeopardizing existing cordial relations between Dhaka and New Delhi.
“In one of his videos that has garnered 7.1 lakh views within five days, Pinaki Bhattacharya has compared Hindutva to Zionism, expressed concerns over India’s growing influence in the world and named me as both an Indian and Israeli agent in Bangladesh. He also calls me an enemy of the people and asks his supporters to bully me on social media by branding me as “bastard”, Saah Uddin wrote in his lengthy post adding that Pinaki in the same video, promoted a Pakistani YouTube channel named ‘The Blank Page Official’.
The video by this anti-India channel stated, “India has activated powerful assets to counter Bangladesh’s India Out campaign” and made foul attempts of branding Blitz as an “asset” of India and Israel.”
Salah Uddin further revealed how the channel also criticized Blitz for condemning October 7 Hamas pogrom in Israel and for terming Hamas as monsters.
“According to an Indian website, Pinaki Bhattacharya is anti-Hindu and anti-Bharat extremist. He has been regularly publishing contents defaming Hindu dharma. He even goes further by branding every Hindu as “bastards” while he also does the same with Bangladeshi citizens and media outlets that confront “India Out” activities,” the Blitz editor wrote.
The Blitz editor also emphasised how the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which has ties to Al Qaeda, and its ideological allies like Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) and Bangladesh-based media outlet The Daily Star, endorse and fund the ‘India out’ campaign led by anti-India fake news peddlers like Pinaki Bhattacharya.
“Recently, Dhaka’s leading English newspaper The Daily Star published a lengthy opinion editorial criticizing Blitz and me for branding BNP as an ultra-Islamist and Al Qaeda-connected force. On February 1, 2024, The Daily Star editor Mahfuz Anam gave a huge space in his newspaper to an Islamist propagandist named Qadaruddin Shishir,” Salah Uddin wrote in his post on X.
Excerpt from Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury’s post on X
“Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s hosting Al Qaeda group including Ayman al-Zawahiri was first exposed by eminent journalist and counterterrorism expert Alex Perry, who in a TIME magazine article on April 14, 2002 had exposed Al Qaeda kingpin al-Zawahiri and other members of the terrorist group’s arrival and stay in Bangladesh.
“But Jamaat propagandist Shishir has no shame in hiding these proven facts. Instead, he challenges BNP – a party that is termed as Tier-III terrorist organization by the US courts and a party with direct link to Al Qaeda or being termed as ultra-Islamist party stating: “The original Blitz report was based on a source referred to as “it has been learnt”—meaning no source at all! The wording used when introducing the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) says a lot about what the article was trying to portray. In no way can BNP be identified as an “Islamist” party, let alone be called an “ultra-Islamist” one. The loaded language of the Blitz article, lack of any sources and evidence to support its main claim, and the website’s record of spreading political disinformation against independent journalists and critics of the government are enough to debunk its new assertion that BNP has launched a so-called India Out movement in Bangladesh”, the post read further.
The Blitz editor went on to draw attention to the way that ultra-Islamist media outlets, such as Al Jazeera, unfairly profited from such sinister schemes hatched by ultra-Islamist individuals like Pinaki.
“Taking undue advantage of such evil plots of ultra-Islamist forces, Al Jazeera in its report on February 7, 2024 gave a false description stating – responding to BNP’s “India Out” movement, Bangladeshi consumers have started boycotting Indian products.”
He further wrote how Al Jazeera in its anti-India report termed Jamaat-e-Islami activists Pinaki Bhattacharya as ‘exiled Bangladeshi physician’ and lauded him for carrying out what they termed as a ‘social media movement’.
Al Jazeera report stated “Exiled Bangladeshi physician Pinaki Bhattacharya, who fled alleged government harassment in 2018, has emerged as the key figure in this burgeoning social media movement accusing Bharat of interfering in Bangladesh’s recent elections to keep Hasina in power.”
In the end, Salah Uddin urged the authorities in New Delhi and Dhaka to take appropriate measures against Pakistani ISI asset Pinaki Bhattacharya and bring the matter to appropriate authorities in Paris. At the same time, he stresses that complaints should be pressed with YouTube, Facebook and X against Pinaki’s use of these social media platforms in spreading jihadist and extremist propaganda. France needs to immediately extradite this notorious criminal, he asserted.
Pinaki Bhattacharya sued for spreading misleading information and being involved in anti-Bangladesh activities
Notably, in 2021, the french police have received a complaint against Pinaki Bhattacharya for being involved in anti-Bangladesh activities. All European Awami League President M Nazrul Islam, who had submitted the complaint, told the media, “Pinaki Bhattacharya is involved in anti-Bangladesh activities. This so-called writer is sitting in France trying to confuse people with misleading and false information about Bangladesh, the government of Bangladesh, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Bangabandhu family.”
Nazrul said a vicious circle is trying to create chaos in non-communal Bangladesh and Pinaki Bhattacharya is one of the members of this circle led by convicted BNP leader Tarique Rahman.
“Behind them are the defeated forces of 1971 and their allies. They’re pouring huge amount of money for this propaganda. We’ve filed a complaint because such propaganda cannot be allowed to continue. Legally it needs to stop. Propaganda against Bangladesh is being carried out on French soil, which we have brought to the notice of the law of this country,” he said.
Similarly, in November 2022, the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police had sued Pinaki Bhattacharya and two others under the Digital Security Act alleging them of tarnishing country’s image.
Deputy Commissioner (Media) Faruq Hossain had then said, “Pinaki posted on Facebook regarding a police operation in the capital’s Pallabi recently. The two other accused from Dhaka sent fake information to Pinaki. One of them has been arrested already. Interpol’s help will be sought to bring him [Pinaki] back to Bangladesh.”
The central government announced that the three criminal laws replacing the colonial-era Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure and Indian Evidence Act of 1872 will come into effect from July 1, 2024.
Three new criminal laws replacing IPC, CrPC, Evidence Act to be effective from July 1 this year
The Union Home Ministry issued a gazette notification to this effect on Friday, February 23, 2023.
Sub Section (2) of Section 106 of the BNS, which concerns ‘causing death of a person by rash and negligent driving of a vehicle’, has been put on hold for now.
The Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita, and the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) bills will replace the Indian Penal Code of 1860, Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) of 1973, and Indian Evidence Act, of 1872.
The three bills were first introduced in Lok Sabha on August 11, 2023, as Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhitaand theBharatiya Sakshya Bill before being referred to a parliamentary committee headed by Brij Lal for further examination.
They were passed by the Lok Sabha on December 20 before being passed by the Rajya Sabha on December 21. The three new criminal code bills became laws after getting assent from President Draupadi Murmu on December 25.
