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Bihar assembly elections 2025: Caste equations, seats, promises and Gathbandhans, all you need to know

Dr. Prosenjit Nath
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Bihar assembly elections 2025: Caste equations, seats, promises and Gathbandhans, all you need to know

The 2025 Bihar Assembly election, expected later this year, promises to be among the most closely watched political contests in India. With a 7.42 crore electorate, a complex caste landscape, and shifting alliances, Bihar exemplifies the dynamics of Indian democracy. Since the 2020 assembly polls, the state has witnessed dramatic political realignments. The NDA formed the government with Nitish Kumar as Chief Minister, only for JD(U) to quit the alliance in 2022 and join the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan. By early 2024, JD(U) returned to the NDA fold, reuniting with the BJP to form a new government. These shifts have underscored both Nitish Kumar’s centrality to state politics and the challenges of maintaining voter trust amid perceived political opportunism.

Leading up to September 25, the INDI Alliance, which includes Congress, appeared to be gaining ground. Polls and online trends suggested rising competitiveness, positioning the alliance as a credible challenger to the ruling coalition. Google Trends data showed that Congress-related searches accounted for 52% over the last 30 days, outpacing the NDA’s 35%, reflecting significant digital engagement. Rahul Gandhi’s launch of the “Ati-Pichhda Nyay Sankalp” manifesto for the most backward communities sparked widespread interest, promising higher reservations, legal safeguards, and access to government contracts for EBCs. However, the enthusiasm proved short-lived. Critics pointed to vagueness, unrealistic allocations, and unclear implementation mechanisms, which, combined with weak follow-up on the ground, prevented the online surge from translating into tangible voter mobilization. This allowed the NDA to regain the narrative advantage.

The NDA responded quickly with high-impact measures. A direct cash transfer scheme for women announced on September 26 dominated headlines and online discussions. The re-induction of Bhojpuri superstar Pawan Singh, who had previously influenced vote splits, generated significant media coverage and helped consolidate support. The NDA also engaged Upendra Kushwaha to strengthen ties with Extremely Backward Classes, an influential demographic whose fragmentation could have hurt the alliance. These moves, together with ongoing welfare and employment initiatives, appear to have stabilized NDA support. According to the SPICK Media Network survey, the NDA is projected to secure around 158 seats, while the Mahagathbandhan may win 66 and Jan Suraj Party a smaller share. Vote share estimates put NDA at 46%, MGB at 41%, and JSP at 8%. Interestingly, CM preference polling shows Tejashwi Yadav slightly ahead at 30.5%, with Nitish Kumar at 27.4%, suggesting that leadership questions could influence voter sentiment despite the NDA’s organizational strength.

Between July and September, subtle but meaningful shifts occurred. NDA support inched up from 35.4% to 36.2%, while MGB slipped slightly from 36.1% to 35.8%. Jan Suraj’s share fell from 10% to 8.7%, while “Others” rose sharply from 5.3% to 12.8%. The undecided voter segment declined from 13.2% to 6.5%, indicating clearer electoral choices. Leadership preferences shifted slightly, with Tejashwi Yadav moving from 32.1% to 33.5% and Nitish Kumar declining from 25% to 24%. Figures for other leaders, such as Prashant Kishor and Chirag Paswan, reflect nuanced changes in voter perception. Public mood data shows strong anti-incumbency sentiment slightly reduced, neutral sentiment falling, and strong pro-incumbency rising from 18.3% to 27.1%, highlighting a fluid electorate responsive to performance and personality alike.

Caste continues to shape Bihar’s political landscape decisively. Muslims (17%) and Yadavs (14%) largely support MGB, with demands for representation, including the Deputy Chief Minister post. Dalits (20%) show a split, with Paswans (5%) and Musahars (3%) leaning toward NDA via LJP/HAM, while Chamars (5%) favor MGB. Youth support is increasingly dispersed, with parties like Azad Samaj Party and BSP/Left strongholds capturing attention in certain pockets. Extremely Backward Classes (26%) traditionally lean NDA, but dissatisfaction over quota dilution and low ticket allocation in 2020 introduces potential volatility. Other Backward Classes (25%) remain divided, with Yadavs firmly with MGB and Kurmi-Koeri groups favoring NDA but possibly shifting if MGB improves representation. Upper Castes (10–11%) mostly support NDA, though minor shifts toward JSP are evident due to concerns over Nitish Kumar’s longevity and corruption allegations. While caste remains decisive, youth and first-time voters increasingly weigh economic issues alongside community cues, giving leadership appeal particularly Tejashwi Yadav’s charisma and Nitish Kumar’s familiarity added importance.

The Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls adds another layer of complexity. With 7.42 crore eligible voters, approximately 65 lakh names were removed and 8 lakh added, ensuring a more accurate electoral roll. However, confidence in the process is uneven. Only 32.2% of young voters felt the revision was fair, and 40.9% considered the one-month objection period insufficient. Generational differences in trust and preparedness could influence turnout significantly, especially in urban and semi-urban constituencies.

Seat-sharing negotiations remain a key challenge. Within NDA, BJP and JD(U) are expected to contest roughly 100 seats each, while smaller allies such as LJP(R) and HAM negotiate for proportional representation. HAM demands 20 seats, threatening to contest independently if unmet. On the Mahagathbandhan side, RJD seeks the largest share, Congress targets 70 seats, and CPI(ML) and VIP negotiate for 40 and 60 seats, respectively. Traditional constituencies like Matihani, Alauli, and Bachhwara are flashpoints due to shifting loyalties and past winners, showing how micro-level dynamics can prove decisive even amid macro-level projections.

Bihar’s economic performance could shape voter sentiment as well. The state recorded 8.64% GSDP growth in 2024–25, surpassing the national average and ranking among the top five fastest-growing large states. Adjusted for population growth, per-capita growth stands at 6.84%, above Kerala and Punjab but below Tamil Nadu and Telangana. While these figures underscore the state’s economic momentum, converting macro growth into tangible improvements in livelihoods particularly for youth and marginalized communities remains a challenge.

A comparison of the 2024 Lok Sabha results with 2020 reveals a narrowing of NDA dominance. NDA won 29 seats in 2024, down from 39 in 2020, while LJP(R) won 5 and Congress increased from 1 to 3. The opposition gained 10 seats, highlighting its resurgence. NDA led in 174 assembly segments in 2024, a decline from 2020, while the opposition expanded its footprint. These trends suggest strong prospects for MGB in the upcoming assembly elections, fueled by voter dissatisfaction and anti-incumbency.

Both alliances have unveiled targeted welfare promises. NDA initiatives include direct cash transfers for women, interest-free student loans, pensions, electricity subsidies, youth employment schemes like Nishchay Self-Help Program, and incentives for industrial growth through the Bihar Industrial Investment Promotion Package 2025. Skill development programs and marriage support infrastructure further reflect a comprehensive welfare strategy. MGB’s Ati-Pichhda Nyay Sankalp manifesto focuses on legal protections, higher reservations, access to contracts, and a regulatory authority for EBCs, aiming to consolidate backward community support.

The election outcome will depend on several factors. While NDA retains organizational strength and caste consolidation, anti-incumbency, youth disengagement, and dissatisfaction with local MLAs create vulnerabilities. MGB, anchored by Tejashwi Yadav’s rising appeal, seems better positioned to convert frustration among Muslims, OBCs, and youth into electoral gains. Third-party parties like Jan Suraj introduce unpredictability, potentially fragmenting NDA’s base. Digital engagement has increased dramatically, but converting online interest into ground-level turnout will be crucial.

The Bihar Assembly election of 2025 is shaping up as a high-stakes contest where headline poll numbers only tell part of the story. NDA’s core support among upper castes and older voters provides stability, yet its weaknesses among youth and OBCs create openings for MGB. With momentum, Tejashwi Yadav and the Mahagathbandhan could outperform projections if voter dissatisfaction translates into participation. Ultimately, the contest is not merely a fight over numbers but a referendum on governance, development, and political change. The ability of parties to credibly deliver promises, mobilize voters, and address evolving aspirations will determine whether Bihar chooses continuity or change in its next government.

No ceasefire, no hostage release, only hollow rhetoric: Trump threatens Hamas with ‘massive bloodshed’ to expedite negotiations

Shraddha Pandey
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No ceasefire, no hostage release, only hollow rhetoric: Trump threatens Hamas with ‘massive bloodshed’ to expedite negotiations

On 6th October, US President Donald Trump said that that the talks with Palestinian Islamic terror group, Hamas, have been “very successful, and proceeding rapidly.” This comes days after Trump proposed a Gaza Peace Plan agreed upon by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and welcomed by several countries.

Taking to Truth Social, President Trump said, “There have been very positive discussions with Hamas, and Countries from all over the World (Arab, Muslim, and everyone else) this weekend, to release the Hostages, end the War in Gaza but, more importantly, finally have long sought PEACE in the Middle East. These talks have been very successful, and proceeding rapidly.”

Trump further informed that the technical teams involved in talks will meet again in Egypt on Monday to work through the final details of the peace plan. The US President urged all the stakeholders to “move fast”.

“The technical teams will again meet Monday, in Egypt, to work through and clarify the final details. I am told that the first phase should be completed this week, and I am asking everyone to MOVE FAST. I will continue to monitor this Centuries old “conflict.”,” Trump said.

While highlighting the “positive” progress in the implementation of the Gaza Peace Plan, the US President did not forget to threaten Hamas and stated in his usual bold letters style of adding emphasis, “TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE OR, MASSIVE BLOODSHED WILL FOLLOW — SOMETHING THAT NOBODY WANTS TO SEE!”

Even though Donald Trump may have real and serious intentions of ending the Israel-Hamas war, apparently, to solidify his Nobel Peace Prize claim, his 20-point Gaza Peace Plan is not turning into reality on ground so far.

As it has been in the past, the deadlines and ceasefires fall apart even before their tangible implementation, this time as well, there has been no real ceasefire. Both Israel and Hamas have given their nod to 20-point-proposal, which essentially provides that there will be an immediate end to violence. However, while Hamas, Israeli and the US negotiators are heading to meet in Cairo for discussion of ceasefire deal, Israel bombed several areas in Gaza, killing around 70 people in the last 24 hours. This came when Trump thanked Israel for stopping bombing temporarily and announced Israel has agreed to the “initial withdrawal line” in Gaza, a move that could soon lead to a ceasefire and the release of hostages held by Hamas.

Notably, the Hamas delegation is led by top negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, who was among those targeted in an Israeli assassination attempt in Doha, Qatar, last month. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the foreign minister of Qatar, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and US special envoy Steve Witkoff will also be present.

The 20-point-proposal further states that once the plan is agreed upon by both the conflicting parties, all dead and alive hostages will be returned within 72 hours. Israel has expressed readiness for releasing thousands of detained Gazans including some Hamas terrorists, Hamas has not divulged much on its intentions to release Israeli hostages which include 20 living Israelis and remains of the dead despite agreeing to release all hostages.

In its statement issued on Friday, Hamas said that it “affirms its readiness to immediately enter into negotiations through the mediators to discuss the details of this agreement. The movement also renews its agreement to hand over the administration of the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian body of independents (technocrats), based on Palestinian national consensus and Arab and Islamic support.”

Trump’s peace plan was initially welcomed by one and all. Israel supports it, Hamas claims to have agreed to it, Palestinian Authority backs it, Islamic countries gave tepid endorsement, although US’s freshly-acquired doormat, Pakistan has backtracked. While the peace plan calls for immediate cessation of violence, essentially a “ceasefire”, Israel has made it clear that its there is no ceasefire but only a temporary halt in some bombings. An Israeli government spokesperson has said that the military operations in Gaza will continue for “defensive purposes”.

Hamas also continues to maintain its violent presence in conflict zone. It remains to be seen if Hamas accepts Trump’s non-negotiable terms of full disarmament and ceding governance, which essentially means a political suicide for the Palestinian Islamic terror group. OpIndia has reported earlier, Palestinian people, including the Gazans, have, over the years, be it in elections or surveys, expressed unwavering support for Hamas. It is unlikely that Hamas would truly agree to ending its existence as an armed outfit.

Hamas enjoys popular support of Palestinians, and the Hamas Covenant of 1988, also known as the Hamas Charter, outlines Hamas’s ideological standpoint regarding Israel, Palestine, and the larger conflict between Jews and Muslims. One of the key assertions in the charter is that all of Israel, from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, is considered Waqf land that belongs exclusively to Muslims.

This argument is based on the concept that once a land has been claimed by Islam, it will never return to non-Muslim control. Thus, Hamas considers all of Israel to be ‘illegitimately occupied’ by the Jews and is hell-bent on bringing it under Islamic autonomy.

The Palestinian Islamic terrorist group Hamas has clearly stated in its charter that the Palestinian movement aims to establish the supremacy of Allah over “every inch of Palestine”. The Hamas Charter has declared Israel as an Islamic Waqf hallowed for the coming Muslim generations until the Yawm ad-Din or Judgment Day. This essentially means that either Hamas has abandoned its Islamic beliefs pertaining to Israel and Jews and truly committed to peaceful co-existence or is pretending to support Trump’s plan to secure a reprieve from Israel’s attack and violent annihilation, which Trump has said would back if Hamas rejects his proposal.

The ceasefire, as provided in Trump’s peace proposal, not taking effect is not surprising. There is a history of failed deadlines and ceasefires between Israel and Hamas. The first ceasefire agreement, starting from 24th November 2023, broke down on 1st December 2023, after Israel resumed full military operations since Hamas violated the ceasefire. Between December 2023 and January 2024, multiple proposals also did not yield lasting positive results. The second major ceasefire comprising 6-week phases also fell apart despite Hamas releasing 18 living hostages and Israel freeing over 730 prisoners. As Hamas continued to mobilise forces, Israel conducted airstrikes on 18th March 2024. Even the US tried to intervene; however, it could not secure a lasting ceasefire.

Even before his “massive bloodshed” threat to Hamas, Trump ‘warned’ Hamas that to “move quickly” to finalise the peace deal or face severe consequences.

However, it has been more than 72 hours since Israel publicly accepted Trump’s peace proposal and yet, not a single Israeli hostage has been released by Hamas. Without Hamas releasing the hostages, how Israel will release 250 life sentence prisoners plus 1700 Gazans who were detained after October 7th 2023, as per the proposal’s point five.

In a nutshell, no ceasefire, no hostage release and no disarmament of Hamas has taken effect so far reflecting the gap in Trump’s rhetoric and Gaza’s reality. Not to forget, while Trump’s plan proposes withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and backs a Palestinian statehood, Prime Minister Netanyahu has said that the IDF “will remain in most of the territory” as part of the plan drawn up with Trump, and that Israel did “absolutely not” agree to a Palestinian state.

The only outcome Trump’s threats and ultimatums have solicited so far is Hamas’s agreement to show up at the negotiation table in Cairo’s Sharm-al-Sheikh. Apparently, much like Trump’s promise of ending the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours of assuming presidency, his 20-point Gaza Peace Plan is also a case of much promised, little delivered.

If expediting the process of negotiations is requiring Trump to threaten Hamas intermittently, what will it take to ensure swift implementation of the peace plan if Hamas agrees to voluntary unarming and political dismantling. It is, however, delusional to expect hardened Islamic terrorists to suddenly start believing in peaceful coexistence and lay down arms. There is no guarantee that Hamas will not regroup and pose threat to Israel’s security. If Hamas comes up in future in new form and violates peace, the situation will come back to where it was.

Rutgers’ ‘Hindutva in America’ narrative defends Khalistanis and Islamist while targeting Hindu advocacy – Read details

Anurag
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Rutgers’ ‘Hindutva in America’ narrative defends Khalistanis and Islamist while targeting Hindu advocacy – Read details

A few months back, Rutgers’ Centre for Security, Race and Rights (CSRR) put out a report and a roadshow around a familiar thesis that is “Hindutva in America”. It framed Hindutva as a far-right project, treated diaspora groups as RSS fronts, and claimed that Hindutva is a menace to American pluralism.

On 17th June, a launch video was published on CSRR’s YouTube channel and now they are hosting a panel discussion revolving around the report on 27th October with Sahar Aziz, Professor of Law at Rutgers, and two speakers, doctoral student Nikaytaa Malhotra and anti-Hindu “historian” Audrey Truschke, who is famous for twisting facts about Hinduism. Not to forget, Truschke is so deep in hate for Hindus that she openly abused Bhagwan Ram in her writings on social media. The message with such a panel is clear enough. They want to rebrand mainstream Hindu advocacy as a security problem without providing any concrete evidence to support their narrative on merits.

What the report is and what it prescribes

The document claims Hindu organisations rode the post-9/11 Islamophobia wave to gain acceptance for an “ethnonationalist” agenda. According to the report, in the United States, the movement does two things that paint Muslims as suspicious and shut down academic freedom.

From that, it draws five prescriptions that are anything but modest. It calls on officials and civic bodies to sever ties with Hindu groups it dislikes; for federal authorities to force FARA registration on any outfit it deems an RSS “proxy”; for charities associated in any way with Hindu nationalism to publish exhaustive foreign-link disclosures; for Washington to sanction or deny visas to individuals accused of aiding anti-minority violence in India; and for universities to be trained up on “Hindutva-inspired” discrimination and shield professors and students accordingly. If the cure sounds like a blacklist in search of a disease, that’s because it largely is.

Source: csrr.rutgers.edu

In this report, we are mainly concentrating on the discussion posed during the introductory video published in June this year and later will discuss the published paper itself.

The framing problem

The discussion collapsed the moment they put “Hindu”, “Hindutva”, “RSS” and “BJP” into one undifferentiated bogeyman. They claimed that whatever is linked to Hinduism, including Hindutva, RSS and BJP, and even anyone who is Hindu, is part of para-political outgrowths of Nagpur, where RSS’s headquarters are located.

RSS, VHP and their offshoot organisations, in India and abroad, are community civic bodies. These are similar to diaspora organisations that are formed by other communities worldwide. However, when it comes to Hindu organisations, they conveniently labelled them as promoters of caste policies, hate crimes against non-Hindu communities and more. The troubling part is, they were not analysis, but bundling. By equating Hindu organisations and their ideology with that of Western concepts of “far right”, “fascist”, “white nationalist” and “Christian Zionist”, speaker Deepa Sundaram diluted the thick line that differentiates the Indian “right wing” from the Western one.

Misinformation about Savarkar and the RSS

One of the most interesting aspects of the discussion was that, in the beginning itself, Sundaram made a major blunder. She called Veer Savarkar the founder of RSS. Savarkar was not the founder of RSS and the organisation was founded by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in 1925. If they want to build a grand theory on the genealogy of an organisation, it is essential to at least get the genealogy right.

The “anti-Hindu org” trope (HAF and CoHNA)

Then came the ritual smear of Hindu organisations operating in the US, namely the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) and the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA). Sundaram basically called them sinister fronts of Hindutva. In the real world, HAF and CoHNA are registered, public-facing advocacy and civil-rights outfits that track anti-Hindu hate, brief lawmakers, support temple safety and speak for the Hindu community that, newsflash, is a minority community in the US.

So-called academics like Sundaram and Truschke have ideological differences with HAF and CoHNA and it is understandable, especially in the case of the latter, who is a fan of Aurangzeb. However, that does not give them the right to turn the disagreement into defamation and paint genuine Hindu organisations as some sinister plan of Hindus living in India.

The Islamophobia catch-all

During the discussion, the narrative of “Islamophobia” popped up several times accusing Hindus, both in India and the US, of hating Muslims. Why? Because Hindu groups often criticise radical Islam, Pakistan-linked terror groups, or diaspora intimidation. There have been several instances where Hindus became an open target of Islamists, be it Love Jihad, terrorism and more. The most recent example is of the Pahalgam terrorist attack where 26 innocent Hindus were killed after confirming their religious identity by Pakistan-sponsored Islamic terrorists.

Laundering Khalistanis as victims

This brings us to the next trick in the grand show, that is, recasting Khalistani terrorists as harmless “activists” crushed by “transnational repression”. Take Hardeep Singh Nijjar, for example. Ottawa accused New Delhi of murdering a Canadian, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, on Canadian soil in 2023. New Delhi categorically denied the accusation. The diplomatic turmoil was not the only problem here. The problem is, Ottawa accused New Delhi of killing a Khalistani terrorist without any concrete evidence. Not to forget, Ottawa is yet to provide any workable evidence to Indian agencies.

Nijjar was a Khalistani terrorist who fled India using a fake Hindu name in the 1990s. He tried to take refuge in Canada but his application was rejected. He then married a Canadian woman and tried to take citizenship via the spouse route, which was again rejected. For decades, he kept living in Canada trying to get citizenship one way or another. Meanwhile, India repeatedly requested the extradition of Nijjar, but Canada refused it. It was only after Nijjar’s murder that it came to light that Canada had granted him citizenship.

Nijjar was not a saint. He was a pro-Khalistani terrorist deeply involved in Khalistani activities abroad. He had visited Pakistan and met Khalistani terrorists there. Furthermore, he was seen carrying weapons and was running an arms training camp in Canada. All these facts do not paint him as a model citizen.

Another name mentioned by speaker Jot Singh during the discussion was that of Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, founder of Sikhs For Justice, a designated Khalistani terrorist outfit operating from the United States. SFJ was banned by the Indian government in 2019 and Pannun was designated an individual terrorist in 2020.

Pannun, again, is not a harmless activist voicing demands for a separate Sikh homeland. He has a history of instigating Sikhs in India and abroad against the Indian government. His group’s followers have burnt Indian flags, raised anti-India slogans, and openly threatened to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Minister of External Affairs Dr S. Jaishankar and top Indian diplomats in Canada and the US.

Pannun has repeatedly announced cash rewards for defacing government buildings in India, stopping PM Modi from hoisting the flag on 15th August, released maps of the so-called Khalistan and run “referendums” for Khalistan in multiple countries. Despite India’s objections and requests to Canada and other countries to curb his activities, Pannun has continued to pose as an activist and run anti-India campaigns.

Painting Pannun and Nijjar as activists not only raises serious questions about the genuineness of the speakers but also raises concerns about the anti-India narrative being built on the sidelines of bashing Hindutva.

What “Hindutva fascism” misses about the diaspora

There’s also a wilful flattening of the American Hindu landscape. You’ll hear that Hindu groups are stitched into white nationalism and “Christian Zionism” because someone from India spoke at a conservative conference and an American senator mentioned his Bible ten minutes later. That’s not analysis; that’s an anecdote in search of a thesis. Out in the real world, Hindu organisations run interfaith programmes, submit to the same charity audits as everyone else, and get on with the boring graft of minority civic life, that is, hate-crime tracking, school-district literacy, Diwali safety briefings and temple vandalism response.

So, is “Hinduphobia” made up?

Only if you close your eyes. Hindus in the US, Canada, the Netherlands, Ireland, Australia and the UK have reported record hate incidents in recent cycles, precisely as the political temperature rose, while HAF and others have had to badger authorities for years just to acknowledge anti-Hindu bias in official language. Pretending “Hinduphobia” doesn’t exist because you dislike who uses the term is a comfort blanket, not an argument. To learn about Hinduphobia, please visit Hinduphobia Tracker.

The academic-activist pipeline

There’s also the small matter that many of the groups propping up this “Hindutva in America” framing are overtly activist. For example, HfHR publishes blogs calling HAF a far-right conduit one week and then presents itself as a neutral arbiter the next. One of the speakers in the discussion, Pranay Somayajula, worked at Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR) till July this year.

It’s perfectly fine to be an activist. Just don’t cosplay as a disinterested referee while asking the state to blacklist your opponents. If your aim is genuinely “pluralism”, telling universities, police and politicians to cut off Hindu advocacy groups en bloc is an odd way to show it.

Organisations behind and supporting the anti-Hindu report

IAMC

One of the speakers during the discussion who cried “Islamophobia” the most, was Safa Ahmed, associate director of media and communications, IAMC.

According to the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), the Indian American Muslim Council has links with the banned Islamic terror outfit Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). Besides, the Indian American Muslim Council has ties with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) through its founder Shaik Ubaid. The IAMC is a Jamaat-e-Islami-backed lobbyist organisation claiming to be a rights advocacy group.

In the past, it reportedly collaborated with and even paid money to various groups in the USA to get India blacklisted by the USCIRF (United States Commission on International Religious Freedom). IAMC has been caught spreading fake news and misinformation to further the Islamist cause in India. It was also charged under the UAPA in 2021.

HfHR

For someone unfamiliar with the organisation Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR), the name might suggest it is a Hindu organisation working for the welfare of the Hindu community. In reality, it is no less than a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

The organisation has been at the forefront of pushing anti-Hindu narratives in the US and UK. It has consistently positioned itself as a defender of human rights while pursuing a darker agenda. The organisation is funded by the likes of the Tides Foundation, an entity linked to funding pro-Hamas rallies on US university campuses. HfHR’s advocacy efforts often align with those of separatist and extremist groups hostile to Hindu interests.

Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR) which is an open anti-Hindu and anti-India organisation based out of the US. The organisation presents itself as a defender of human rights. However, its blatant anti-Hindu narrative has been exposed several times. HfHR often uses Hindu symbols and teachings to push its narrative. HfHR does not take a breath before criticising Hindu practices and beliefs. Their selective outrage and twisted interpretations of Hindu text, as she did here, suggest that their primary goal is not to protect human rights but to erode Hindu identity from the face of the earth by smearing it with false narratives.

HfHR was formed in the year 2019 by the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) and the Organization for Minorities of India (OFMI). Interestingly, the three organisations had formed another outfit called the Alliance for Justice and Accountability (AJA). As per an article in The Hindu, the Alliance for Justice and Accountability had been at the forefront of leading demonstrations against the visit of PM Modi to Houston on September 22, 2019. Sunita Vishwanath, the co-founder of ‘Hindus for Human Rights’ had also tried to create hysteria and panic among Indian Muslims about the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in 2019.

In 2021, ‘Hindus for Human Rights’ also endorsed the anti-Hindu event ‘Dismantling Global Hindutva’ conference. It also came up with a “special toolkit” to propagate against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his State visit to the US in June 2023.

In June 2023, Congress scion Rahul Gandhi was seen sitting alongside Sunita Vishwanath during an event hosted by the Hudson Institute. In October 2023, the X account of HfHR was withheld in India in response to a legal demand.

Conclusion

The baseline here is straightforward. The report’s framing of Hindutva as far-right fascism, diaspora groups as “RSS fronts”, and Hindu advocacy as inherently anti-Muslim relies on selective quotations, factual slips and an allergy to nuance.

RSS is not the evil here. It is one of the organisations that have stood with the people of India, irrespective of their caste, religion or race, during calamities, natural or otherwise. RSS, VHP and their sister organisations have rushed to help the needy no matter the situation. Whether it be floods, pandemics, earthquakes or even wars, Hindus from these organisations have extended their hands to everyone out there.

The evil here lies with the organisations and individuals that are pushing the anti-Hindu narrative while hiding behind “academia”. The likes of Audrey Truschke, Jot Singh, Deepa Sundaram and Pranay Somayajula have created a hateful environment for Hindus worldwide, which needs to be countered immediately.

Taiwan becomes largest importer of Russian naptha in 2025, pays over $1.3 billion to Moscow amid US tariff war on countries buying from Russia: How energy needs ‘Trump’ everything else

Shriti Sagar
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Taiwan becomes largest importer of Russian naptha in 2025, pays over $1.3 billion to Moscow amid US tariff war on countries buying from Russia: How energy needs ‘Trump’ everything else

Taiwan, one of the world’s leading semiconductor hubs and a vocal supporter of Ukraine in its war against Russia, has quietly emerged as the largest global importer of Russian naphtha, a petroleum derivative essential for manufacturing chemicals used in chips and electronics. 

This development has raised eyebrows internationally, given that Taiwan has officially joined Western sanctions against Moscow and imposed export controls on hi-tech goods to prevent their use in Russia’s military.

According to a report released on Wednesday (1st October) by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), Taiwan imported $1.3 billion worth of Russian naphtha in the first half of 2025 alone. Its average monthly imports were nearly six times higher than the 2022 average. Compared to the same period last year, Taiwan’s naphtha imports rose by 44%, indicating that demand has only accelerated despite global calls to reduce energy trade with Russia.

As per reports, Taiwan alone has bought fossil fuel products worth over $11 billion from Moscow since 2022. Just like Western powers, who condemn India for buying Russian oil while buying Russian energy themselves, Taiwan has been maintaining the theatrics of political statements supporting Ukraine and condemning Russia, while prioritising its own need for cheap petroleum products.

How Taiwan became Russia’s top buyer

Since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Taiwan has repeatedly expressed support for Kyiv, both politically and symbolically. Earlier this week, Taiwan’s foreign minister Lin Chia-lung even signed an agreement in Poland to provide humanitarian assistance to Ukrainian children affected by the war.

Yet, behind the scenes, the island’s petrochemical industry continues to rely heavily on Russian energy. Data from CREA shows that since 2022, Taiwan has imported 6.8 million tonnes of Russian naphtha worth $4.9 billion, accounting for nearly 20% of Russia’s total naphtha exports.

In a statement on Thursday, 2nd October, Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs said state-owned enterprises had stopped sourcing crude oil from Russia in 2023. Taiwan has also stopped exporting key high-tech products to Russia, the ministry added.

“As international sanctions continue to expand, the ministry will further review relevant control measures and engage with domestic companies on compliance, while continuing to work with international partners to demonstrate its firm resolve to oppose aggression and uphold the international order,” it said.

Experts say that the reason lies in Taiwan’s heavy dependence on imported energy. Nearly 97% of Taiwan’s total energy comes from abroad, making it one of the most energy-dependent economies in Asia. This dependence is also seen as a strategic weakness, especially in the event of a military conflict with China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory.

Top importing nations of Russian energy in 2025

While Taiwan dominates in naphtha purchases, other countries continue to be major buyers of Russian fossil fuels, highlighting that despite sanctions, Russia’s energy exports remain highly concentrated among a few key customers.

Between December 2022 and August 2025, China was by far the largest global buyer of Russian energy, purchasing 44% of Russia’s coal and 47% of its crude oil exports. India stood second, buying 20% of coal and 38% of crude oil. Turkey accounted for 11% of coal and 6% of crude oil, while South Korea and Taiwan rounded off the top five in coal imports with 10% and 4%, respectively.

When it comes to refined oil products, Turkey is the biggest customer, accounting for 26% of Russia’s exports, followed by China (13%), Brazil (12%), and Singapore (7%). In liquefied natural gas (LNG), the European Union (EU) leads the list with 50%, followed by China (21%) and Japan (18%). For pipeline gas, the EU again tops with 35%, followed by China (30%) and Turkey (28%).

In terms of overall trade value, China remained the top global buyer of Russian fossil fuels till August 2025, accounting for 40% of Russia’s total export revenues from its five largest customers. It imported about EUR 5.7 billion worth of energy, most of it crude oil (58%), followed by coal, gas, and oil products. India ranked second, buying EUR 3.6 billion worth, dominated by crude oil. Turkey, the EU, and South Korea followed next on the list.

This data clearly shows that while the West has imposed sanctions, many major economies, including those critical of Moscow, continue to rely on Russian energy to meet domestic needs.

What this also demonstrates is that economic and material realities are very different from lofty ideals of morality and sanctimony displayed by Western nations over the Russia-Ukraine war. While nations like India and China have been honest in admitting that they have to prioritise their own national needs over Western expectations and theatrics of condemnation, the Western nations have not done so. In a display of shameless hypocrisy, they have been paying billions of dollars to Russia while also sending weapons and money to Ukraine, essentially perpetuating the war from both sides.

Trump and G7 turn up pressure on Russian oil buyers

The growing energy trade between Russia and non-Western nations has not gone unnoticed in Washington. U.S. President Donald Trump and G7 finance ministers recently held a virtual meeting to coordinate steps aimed at “tightening pressure on Russia’s economy.”

The G7 nations issued a joint statement on Wednesday (1st October) saying they would take measures to target “countries that continue to increase their purchases of Russian oil and those that facilitate circumvention” of sanctions. The statement also mentioned the possibility of using tariffs, trade bans, and import restrictions to limit Moscow’s revenues.

While the statement did not name any specific country, India and China are widely seen as the main targets.

In line with this, Washington has already started imposing trade penalties. Trump’s administration has slapped a 25% tariff on Indian imports for purchasing Russian oil, in addition to the 25% general import tariff already in place, effectively doubling duties to 50% in August. The move has strained US-India trade relations and put ongoing negotiations for a free trade agreement on hold.

Trump, however, has not imposed similar tariffs on China, citing ongoing negotiations with Beijing on other economic issues. This selective enforcement has led to criticism that Washington’s policy is inconsistent.

At the same time, Europe’s continued purchases of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) have further complicated the moral argument. Despite pressure from Trump, many EU nations still depend heavily on Russian gas for energy security. Trump himself recently criticised Ukraine for bombing a Russian pipeline that supplied gas to Central Europe, saying it created an unnecessary energy shortage for allies.

Meanwhile, Trump’s Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer have earlier urged G7 allies to impose similar penalties on countries like India that continue energy trade with Russia. 

India holds firm: “Energy security is not negotiable”

Amid this growing pressure campaign from Washington and the West, India has stood its ground, making it clear that it will not halt Russian oil imports.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government have made it clear that India will not compromise on energy security. Far from scaling back imports, India’s refiners are preparing to increase purchases of Russian crude, taking advantage of discounted prices and diversifying its supply lines in the process.

Officials in New Delhi have emphasised that this decision is not about politics but about economics and stability. By sourcing cheaper oil, India has been able to keep inflation in check and shield its 140 crore citizens from the worst of the global energy crisis. The government’s stand reflects a wider principle: India will pursue policies in its own national interest, regardless of Western virtue signalling.

Jaishankar pushes back against western hypocrisy

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has been particularly vocal in defending India’s oil imports. Speaking in Moscow on 22nd August, he dismissed accusations that India was undermining global stability. “We are not the biggest purchasers of Russian oil; that is China. We are not the biggest purchasers of LNG; that is the European Union. We are not the country which has the biggest trade surge with Russia after 2022,” he said, adding that it was “perplexing” to see India singled out.

Jaishankar also reminded the international community that India’s oil purchases had in fact stabilised global markets. “We are a country where the Americans have said for the last few years that we should do everything to stabilise the world energy market, including buying oil from Russia. Incidentally, we also buy oil from the US, and that amount has increased. So honestly, we are very perplexed at the logic of the argument,” he pointed out.

At another event in late August, the minister delivered a clear message: “If you don’t like it, don’t buy it. But Europe buys, America buys. If you don’t like it, don’t buy from us.” His words struck a chord, highlighting the double standards at play. While Europe continues to import Russian LNG and the U.S. still purchases Russian uranium, India is being pressured to cut ties.

PM Modi’s strong response

Prime Minister Modi has also made his stance clear. “The pressure on us may increase, but we will bear it all.” He emphasised that national interests of farmers, small and medium-scale industries, and common citizens are given priority. For PM Modi, securing affordable energy is not negotiable, and no amount of external pressure can override that.

This confidence is backed by numbers. India is currently importing over a million barrels of Russian crude per day, much of it at a discount compared to global benchmarks. A more recent report by the news agency even said India would get Russian oil at a discounted price, with a barrel of Urals crude reportedly $3–$4 cheaper than Brent. 

India’s Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri also highlighted that the country has diversified its oil sources, now importing from nearly 40 countries instead of 27 earlier, which provides flexibility in case of global disruptions. This diversification, he said, makes India’s energy security more robust and less vulnerable to geopolitical risks.

Conclusion

The global energy map is undergoing rapid shifts. Taiwan’s growing imports of Russian naphtha show how economic dependence can override political alignments, while Washington’s pressure on countries like India reveals the fault lines within the Western alliance over how to deal with Moscow.

But as India has made clear, national interests come first. Whether it’s securing affordable energy for millions or stabilising global oil prices, New Delhi’s message remains simple: it will not bow to outside pressure, and it will continue to make decisions that serve the interests of its citizens and economy.

Claims of notebook prices going up due to increased GST on paper is wrong and baseless: Read how notebook prices are set to come down

OpIndia Staff
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Claims of notebook prices going up due to increased GST on paper is wrong and baseless: Read how notebook prices are set to come down

The Narendra Modi government introduced major reforms in the GST regime last month, reducing the number of tax slabs, and reducing taxes on a large number of products. This has already led to reduction in prices of various products, resulting in bumper sales during the festival season. However, confusion prevails regarding the GST on some items, and one of them is notebooks.

Since last month, several media reports have been claiming that while the GST notebooks has been removed, its prices will actually go up. The reports claimed that while the GST on notebooks bas brought down to 0%, the GST on paper used to make notebooks has gone up to 18% from 12%. As the manufacturers can’t claim input tax credit if there is no GST on the final product, they will pass on the 18% GST on the raw material to the consumer, resulting in increased prices.

The Economic Times claimed on 11 September that the nil GST on notebooks have caused anxiety on manufacturers because paper and paperboards and certain paper products are under 18% as per the latest GST rates. Moneycontrol also made a similar claim, adding that “the next GST Council will correct this anomaly,” quoting a government official.

Several other media reports made the same claim. Free Press Journal even claimed that prices of notebooks have already increased due to increased 18% GST on paper.

But the whole claim and the assertion is wrong and baseless, and is the result of not looking at the actual table of GST rates. While it is true that GST on several types of paper has gone up to 18%, that is not the case with paper used to make notebooks.

In fact, the GST on uncoated paper used to make notebooks is also nil. That means, the price of raw material of notebooks have gone down, not gone up. As per the recommendations of the GST council published last month, the GST on ‘Uncoated paper and paperboard used for exercise book, graph book, laboratory notebook and notebooks’ under item code 4802 has been reduced from 12% to 0%.

However, some complexity remains on GST on papers, as there are several categories with 18% and 5%. This includes 18% tax for some items under same item code 4802.

The category 4802 has two sections, with paper for notebook coming under serial no 183 with nil GST. But there is a second category of papers under 4802 with serial number 184, which have 18% GST. This section says, “Uncoated paper and paperboard, of a kind used for writing, printing or other graphic purposes, and non-perforated punch-cards and punch tape paper, in rolls or rectangular (including square) sheets, of any size, other than paper of heading 4801 or 4803; [other than Uncoated paper and paperboard for exercise book, graph book, laboratory notebook and notebooks].”

This means while the uncoated paper used to make ‘exercise book, graph book, laboratory notebook and notebook’ attracts 0% GST, if the same paper is used for ‘writing, printing or other graphic purposes’, this will come under 18%. There seems to be a bit of anomaly here, which is expected to be clarified by the GST council in its next meeting.

But for now, it is clear that notebooks and exercise books are not getting costlier, as the paper used to make them are also not taxed, and therefore there is no issue of manufacturers not able to claim input tax credit.

Bihar:Muslims in Kishanganj divided over UAPA accused Sharjeel Imam’s candidacy in the upcoming assembly elections, Owaisi’s AIMIM rejects him

शिव
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Bihar:Muslims in Kishanganj divided over UAPA accused Sharjeel Imam’s candidacy in the upcoming assembly elections, Owaisi’s AIMIM rejects him

The Kishanganj district in Bihar has the highest Muslim population in the state. However, the Muslims in the district, with a 70% majority in the population, are divided over the jailed 2020 Delhi riots accused, Sharjeel Imam. Sharjeel Imam has announced his candidacy for the Bahadurganj assembly seat in Kishanganj district. His brother, Muzammil Imam, is campaigning for him. But the Muslims here are divided over which party Sharjeel Imam should contest the election from.

In an interview with Scroll, published in August this year, Imam was asked which party he wanted to contest the elections from. Sharjeel replied, “Our options are limited. I don’t want to join parties that only give emotional speeches”. He added, “We are ready to work and join any party that helps us raise fundamental systemic issues and spread the message about constitutional changes needed for a dignified life for minorities and marginalised people.”

Demand for AIMIM’s support for Sharjeel

Asaduddin Owaisi’s party, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), performed unexpectedly well in the 2020 elections in the Seemanchal region of Bihar (comprising the Purnia division, which includes the districts of Araria, Kishanganj, Katihar, and Purnia). He fielded candidates in 20 out of the 24 seats in Seemanchal, winning five of them. This time too, his party is contesting the elections with full force in this Muslim-majority region.

Therefore, Sharjeel’s supporters on social media as well as on the ground want Owaisi’s party not to field its own candidate, but to give a ticket to Imam. An X user, Sheikh Sabbir, wrote in support of Imam, “A promising, capable, educated, and serious person like Sharjeel Imam should be sent to the House. Talk to AIMIM’s responsible leader, Hazrat Muzammil, about this.” Another X user named Sohail wrote, “Why hasn’t AIMIM given Sharjeel Imam a ticket?”

Meanwhile, AIMIM candidate for the Bahadurganj Assembly constituency, Tausif Alam, stated that he is not acquainted with Sharjeel Imam and does not know who he is. Tausif even suggested that if Sharjeel had the courage, he should contest elections from his constituency.

Responding to this, Sharjeel’s brother, Muzammil, supported the demand of Sharjeel’s supporters and said, “Did anyone ask the AIMIM high command why Sharjeel Imam was not given a ticket, when in the Delhi Assembly elections, Owaisi himself went to Tahir Hussain’s house, met his family, and gave him the ticket.”

Amidst this ongoing debate on social media, it is important to note that Sharjeel Imam’s father, Akbar Imam, was also a politician. In 2000, he contested from the Kurtha constituency seat as an independent candidate and subsequently joined Nitish Kumar’s JDU party. In 2005, he contested from the Jehanabad constituency on a JDU ticket, but lost to the RJD candidate. He passed away in 2014.

Silence of RJD-Congress, the usual appeasers of Muslims

Both the RJD and the Congress party are silent on the issue of giving Sharjeel Imam a ticket. Both parties claim to represent Muslims, yet neither is showing any interest in giving Sharjeel a ticket, nor are the Sharjeel supporters asking them to give him a ticket. This means that the only hope of Sharjeel Imam’s supporters in Bihar is the AIMIM, and even that hope has left the Kishanganj voters divided.

Both the RJD and Congress accuse AIMIM of cutting Muslim votes and call it the “B” team of the BJP, but on the issue of Sharjeel Imam, they appear to be hesitant. As the Bihar assembly elections are approaching, Owaisi has expressed the wish to form an alliance with the RJD and become a part of the Mahagathbandhan.

Let alone allying with the AIMIM, the RJD didn’t even consider it appropriate to meet with AIMIM leaders. The political tussle has given rise to the conflict among the Muslims in Kishanganj regarding Sharjeel Imam.

(This article is a translation of the original article published in OpIndia Hindi.)

Rahul Gandhi claims cars are heavier than motorcycles to protect the driver from the engine: How his entire claim is absurd and defies logic

Raju Das
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Rahul Gandhi claims cars are heavier than motorcycles to protect the driver from the engine: How his entire claim is absurd and defies logic

During is ongoing trip to Colombia, Rahul Gandhi in his speech at EIA University in Envigado made some bizarre claims about cars and motorcycles, inviting ridicule from BJP and netizens. He tried to explain ‘decentralisation’ by using several claims about vehicle engineering, crash safety, and the advantages of electric motors, using comparisons between cars and motorcycles to illustrate his points.

Rahul Gandhi first asked why cars are much heavier at 3000 kg while the weight of a motorcycle is just 100 kg. He asked, “To carry one passenger, you need 3,000 kg of metal in a car, while a 100-kg motorcycle carries two passengers. So why is a motorcycle able to carry two passengers with 150 kg of metal and a car needs 3,000?”

Then he went on to answer himself, claiming that cars are heavier to prevent the engine from crushing the driver in case of an accident, while the motorcycle engine simply detaches from the vehicle in such a situation. He said, “In a motorcycle, when you have an impact, the engine is separated from you. So, the engine doesn’t hurt you. In a car, when you have an impact, the engine comes into the car. So, the car is designed to stop the engine from killing you.”

He then suggested that electric cars ‘solve this problem’ by having multiple motors. He said, “The electric motor allows you to put a motor there, and there, and there. So, the electric motor is a decentralisation of power. That’s really its effectiveness.”

Rahul Gandhi and his supporters may believe this is some very logical explanation, but the fact is, every claim made by the Congress leader is meaningless, or as BJP calls it, ‘gibberish’. Here is why.

The weight

First, while there are obvious differences in the weight of 4 wheelers and 2 wheelers, Gandhi exaggerated it too much. He claimed that a typical car requires 3,000 kg of metal to carry just one passenger, contrasted with a motorcycle that can handle two passengers using only 100 kg of metal. In reality, average passenger cars weigh far less, typically ranging from 1,000 to 2,000 kg, not the exaggerated 3,000 kg figure, which is more applicable to heavy-duty vehicles.

For instance, in the Indian market, popular models such as the Maruti Suzuki Alto weigh around 680-800 kg, while the Tata Nano, once marketed as the world’s cheapest car, tipped the scales at about 600-800 kg, allowing for efficient urban mobility without nearing the claimed weight. Current popular models like Suzuki Swift, Tata Nexon, Hyundai Creta etc all weight below 1500 kg. Some bigger SUVs are heavier, but they don’t cross 2,000 kg. Only some American muscle cars exceed that weight, like the Hummer.

Moreover, most motorcycles exceed 100 kg in weight, with standard models averaging 150-300 kg. For example, the Hero Splendor, a bestseller in India, weigh approximately 110-120 kg, and the Bajaj Pulsar series ranges from 140-160 kg. Most Royal Enfield motorcycles weight around 200 kg, and even the scooters weight over 100 kg.

Cars are heavier because its engines kill the driver?

Gandhi’s explanation for these weight differences—that cars must be heavy to prevent the engine from “killing” the driver during impacts, while motorcycle engines conveniently “fly out” or separate, misrepresents common sense and fundamental crash dynamics. Rahul Gandhi wrongly assumes that when a car meets with an accident, its engine will come towards the cabin. But actually, the opposite happens, the engine will try to move forward.

The reason is simple, Newton’s first law of motion, or the law of inertia. When a car is moving, everything in it moves at the same speed. When the car comes to an abrupt stop due to a crash or hard braking, everything tends to keep moving due to this law. This is why car passengers hit their faces onto the dashboard on accident. The engine also exhibits the similar tendency.

But only passengers and other objects not attached the vehicle, or loosely attached, are impacted by this. Therefore, car parts including the engine does not move freely after a crash, as Rahul Gandhi claims. Car engines are bolted to the chassis very securely for structural integrity, and it is also attached with other components like the gearbox, making it virtually immovable from the chassis even after a dangerous crash.

Similarly, motorcycle engines do not “fly out” or separate during accidents as a safety mechanism, as the claim. Its engines are also securely bolted to the frame, and remain bolted even after a violent crash.

Two-wheeler riders are not hit by the engine after a crash because the rider is generally flown out due to the impact, and due to the same law of inertia. Only in few accidents in MotoGP races, engines can be seen detached, but in road traffic accidents of commercial motorcycles, the engine remains attached to the frame.

Engines in both cars and motorcycles are tightly integrated with the chassis for stability, performance, and safety. They neither routinely hit drivers nor detach as claimed by Rahul Gandhi.

Moreover, Modern cars incorporate crumple zones, firewalls, and breakaway mounts that direct the engine away from the cabin, absorbing energy rather than allowing intrusion. Several vehicles in India now feature such safety reinforcements, ensuring engines shift downward in collisions without endangering passengers.

Motorcycles safer than cars?

An additional absurdity in the speech is the implication that motorcycles are safer because their engines supposedly separate during impacts, avoiding harm to riders. This is dangerously misleading, as two-wheeler riders account for nearly half of all road accident fatalities in India. The next largest share of road accident victims are pedestrians.

The reason is obvious, car passengers are enclosed in a rigid structure while two-wheeler riders have no such protection. Motorcycle riders often get ejected in a crash and come under the wheels of other moving vehicles. Even if not hit by other vehicle, the impact of fall on hard road surface is very traumatic. Cars also have safety features like airbags.

In general, cars are much safer mode of transport than two-wheelers in case of accidents. Cars also protect the passengers from elements like rain and sunlight, unlike two-wheelers.

Why cars are heavier than motorcycle

Well, this is kind of obvious, both are primarily made of steel and other metal, and cars are much bigger than motorcycles. Cars have larger chassis, more wheels including a spare, more seats, and also have bigger and heavier engine with generally more cylinders, bigger transmission system. Cars incorporate many other features not present in two-wheelers that contribute to the weight, like windshields and windows, air conditioning, music systems, safety features, and have generally more electronic, electrical and mechanical components, including a much bigger battery.

While motorcycles can carry two people and cars are often used by a single person, cars are actually built to carry 4 to 5 persons along with luggage. Therefore, the comparison is totally meaningless.

Effectiveness of electric motors comes from “decentralization of power”

Regarding electric vehicles, Gandhi described their effectiveness as stemming from the “decentralization of power,” with motors placed in multiple locations for better distribution. While distributed motors, as seen in some EVs where individual wheels are attached to their own motors, offer advantages in traction and efficiency, that is not a default setting. Only some high end EVs come with 4 motors on 4 wheels, rest all come with 1 or 2 motors. More motors means higher the price and more power consumption, and not every EV buyer needs or wants a car with n4 motors.

The effectiveness of EV comes from many other factors. For example, electric motors excel in overall energy conversion (80-90% efficiency versus 25% for combustion engines), instant torque, and reduced emissions.

Moreover, EVs are not inherently lighter, heavy battery packs often make them comparable or heavier than petrol counterparts. For example, the weight of Tata Nexon standard petrol model is around 1300 kg, while the Tata Nexon EV weighs around 1,400 kg. The EV motors are much lighter compared to an internal combustion engine and attached transmission system, but its heavy battery pack contributes to the bulk of the weight.

2 children die and several fall sick after consuming govt-supplied cough syrup, doctor collapses after drinking it to prove its safety: Read how Kaysons Pharma came under scanner

Aditi
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2 children die and several fall sick after consuming govt-supplied cough syrup, doctor collapses after drinking it to prove its safety: Read how Kaysons Pharma came under scanner

A case of suspected poisoning in a cough syrup has alarmed the authorities in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Several incidents of deaths and illnesses of children were reported in the states in the last week, prompting the authorities to jump into action.

On 28th and 29th September, formal complaints were received by the Rajasthan Medical Services Corporation Limited (RMSCL) from the district health officials regarding two batches of a cough syrup manufactured by a Jaipur-based company, Kaysons Pharma. Samples of batch numbers KL-25/147 and KL-25/148 have been collected by the RMSCL officials and have been sent for testing to the State Drug Testing Laboratory.

The officials, however, pointed out that over 133,000 patients have received this syrup since June this year, and there were no prior complaints until the recent cluster of cases. “Since 2017, about 1.33 lakh bottles of this cough syrup have been supplied to the patients, but no such complaint was received earlier,” said Medical and Health Secretary Gayatri Rathore. The RMSCL has formed a three-member committee to investigate the case. The distribution of the affected batches, as well as all other batches, has been stopped by the authority across the state.

Confirming the reports of children falling ill across several districts in the state, Rajasthan Drug Controller Ajay Phatak said that the entire supply of the syrup has been suspended pending test results. “We have collected statutory samples from the affected batches and sent them for quality testing. A detailed investigation report is expected within five to six days,” said Phatak.

Authorities collected samples in Madhya Pradesh

In addition to that, a central team from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has collected samples in the Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh to probe the role of a cough syrup in the cases of death and sickness of children. Further action will be taken by the authorities after the test results arrive. Associate Professor and Head of Paediatrics, Government Medical College, Chhindwara, Dr Pawan Nandurkar, said that the death toll of children in the state had risen to 9. He said that two cough syrups, Coldrif and Nesto DS, were found common among the cases of deaths and kidney injuries. The district authorities have restricted the sale of these cough syrups until the test findings come out.

Dr Nandurkar said that apart from deaths, kidney injuries have also been reported in some cases, which could have been caused by a number of reasons, including the presence of Diethylene glycol (DEG). The actual reason behind the casualties and the kidney injuries can only be ascertained after the test results.

Cases of death and sickness reported over the last week

About eight children between the ages of 1 and 5 have reportedly fallen sick in the Banswara district of Rajasthan over the last week after consuming the cough syrup.

A toddler in the Bharatpur district of Rajasthan died on 22nd September after consuming a cough syrup prescribed at a primary health centre. His siblings had also taken the medicine, but they vomited it up after feeling uneasy and thus survived. In a preliminary report, Sikar Chief Medical and Health Officer Ashok Maharia reportedly mentioned that the batch of medicine, which is said to be behind the deaths, was not supplied to the community health centre under the Chief Minister’s free medicine scheme.

A two-year-old boy, named Tirthraj, passed away in the Bharatpur district of Rajasthan after suspected poisoning by a cough syrup. The child and his brother were taken to the district hospital on 23rd September with symptoms of cough and cold. Both children were prescribed a cough syrup containing dextromethorphan hydrobromide. The toddler fell asleep soon after consuming the cough syrup and passed away four days later.

In another incident, a 5-year-old boy, Nitish, lost his life after consuming a cough syrup in the Sikar district of Rajasthan. The child had developed a cough and a cold and was taken to the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Chirana on Sunday (28th September). Nitish took the cough syrup prescribed to him by the doctor around 11:30 at night. He woke up around 3 am and hiccuped. His mother gave him some water and put him back to sleep. Nitish never woke up after that. He was rushed to the hospital by his parents, where he was declared dead.

Doctor fell sick after consuming the cough syrup to prove its safety

In the Bayana town of the Bharatpur district, a 3-year-old boy, Gagan Kumar, fell ill after consuming the cough syrup on 24th September. His mother took him to Dr Tarachand Yogi, in charge of the community health centre, who had prescribed the syrup to complain about the syrup. To prove that the syrup was safe, Dr Tarachand Yogi took a dose of the syrup and also gave it to an ambulance driver before leaving for Bharatpur in his car.

However, on his way to Bharatpur, the doctor felt dizzy and pulled up his car on the side and fell unconscious. When his family did not hear from him for hours, they tracked down his location and found him lying unconscious in his car 8 hours later. The driver also reportedly developed similar symptoms hours after consuming the syrup and recovered after treatment.

Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh again dismisses violence against Hindus as ‘fake news’, says India is deliberately highlighting ‘normal conflicts’ as anti-Hindu crimes

Shraddha Pandey
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Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh again dismisses violence against Hindus as ‘fake news’, says India is deliberately highlighting ‘normal conflicts’ as anti-Hindu crimes

In a recent interview with leftist Islamist ‘journalist’ Mehdi Hasan, Muhammad Yunus, the leader of the Interim Government of Bangladesh, dismissed large-scale Islamist onslaught against Hindus as ‘fake news’. Demonstrating peak shamelessness, Yunus accused India of highlighting ‘normal’ crimes as anti-Hindu violence as if suggesting that targeted attacks on Hindus for their religious identity is normal for him and so it should be for the world.

Framing his question, Mehdi Hasan said that even US President Donald Trump called the Islamist violence against Hindus in Bangladesh “barbaric” and that around 30,000 Hindus came on streets in the unrest-hit country to protest against the brutalities Islamists were committing. He also mentioned the arrest of Hindu monk affiliated with ISKCON, Chinmoy Krishna, and cases of violence against Hindus citing foreign media reports.

However, instead of acknowledging that Islamists, backed by anti-Hindu and anti-India parties like the Jamaat-e-Islami and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), looted, raped and killed Hindus and vandalised their temples and idols, Yunus decided to stick to his Goebbelsian propaganda and conveniently blamed India.

“One of the specialties of India right now is fake news. A barrage of fake news. There’s no anti-Hindu violence,” Muhammad Yunus told Mehdi Hasan on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

However, Yunus did not elaborate on what exactly is India-pushed fake news? Chinmoy Krishna Das’s arrest in November last year. Or that he was booked on charges of sedition since he was leading the protests demanding security and protection of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh? What was fake news, that Hindu houses were looted, women raped, Jizya was being collected in many places to spare the lives of Hindus, temples were destroyed, idols desecrated, or that Hindu men were killed not because of their political leanings, but simply because of their religious identity?

Muhammad Yunus, who was gleefully shaking hands with Trump on the sidelines of UNGA as if mere meeting with Trump was some sort of achievement, essentially suggested that Trump was wrong in calling anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh “barbaric”.

“Yes, yes, whether Donald Trump ever said anything like that, whether he had any knowledge what’s happening in Bangladesh right now”, he added, laughing.

It essential to recall that in October 2024, Trump had published a social media post wherein he vowed to protect American Hindus, and also condemned the violence against the Hindus and other minority groups in Bangladesh after the forced resignation of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. 

 He said, “I strongly condemn the barbaric violence against Hindus, Christians, and other minorities who are getting attacked and looted by mobs in Bangladesh, which remains in a total state of chaos.”

When Mehdi Hasan asked if Muhammad Yunus is insinuating that there is no anti-Hindu violence at all. The leader of the interim government said, “That’s not true. There is a normal kind of relationship that goes on, so some conflict sometimes, sometimes family problem, land problem and something. You happen to be my neighbour. You are a Hindu neighbour. I am a Muslim neighbour. We have a problem with our land demarcation, just like two neighbours. So, you said this is Hindu-Muslim. That it’s not,” Yunus said.

As Hasan interrupted him to say that independent media reports also say that there has been an increase in cases of anti-Hindu violence, which Yunus deems ‘normal’ incidents devoid of communality, Yunus said, “No, it has not increased. I would say that government is very alert on that one because this is the one thing that India is always pushing that we are…”

When asked to give a message to Bangladeshi Hindus, Muhammad Yunus urged them not to “isolate” themselves, as if Hindus are forming Hindu-specific area, separate electorates, or boycotting Muslims. Perhaps, this was Yunus’s way of blaming Hindus for their own misery.

Yunus has habitually been dismissing, whitewashing and trivialising anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh

This, however, is not the first time that Muhammad Yunus has downplayed rather dismissed anti-Hindu violence and blamed India. Initially, Yunus denies incidents of Islamist violence against Hindus but when it becomes undeniable that Hindus were indeed subjected attacks and their properties vandalised, he shrewdly downplays the real driver, the Islamic hatred for Hindus, and argues that the crime happened over land, money and other non-religious dispute.

During an interview with BBC in March this year, Muhammad Yunus claimed that the ‘crime rate’ in Bangladesh had not increased after his interim government came to power. This came even as there was a 50% increase in cases of robbery across Bangladesh over the last 6 months, as per local media.

In June this year, Muhammad Yunus made an audacious attempt to shift blame onto New Delhi for strained Indo-Bangladesh relations. Speaking at the Chatham House in London, Yunus also tried to villainise Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not heeding his request to stop Sheikh Hasina from making online speeches and comments, as she resides in India.

When asked about Bangladesh’s appeals to India to extradite Sheikh Hasina to face the court, Yunus said that these efforts will continue. He claimed that Bangladesh wants the best relations with India, but it is the Indian media backed by the Modi government that runs fake news about Bangladesh, which makes matters worse. Yunus and others in power in Bangladesh have also been discrediting India’s role in the 1971 Liberation War that led to the creation of Bangladesh.

Earlier, Muhammad Yunus was upset with OpIndia for not downplaying and whitewashing Islamist violence against Hindus by coming up with ‘Muslim human-chain protecting Hindu temples’ sort of falsehoods, and instead reporting facts. On 22nd May, another violent act was perpetrated against the marginalised community when a Muslim crowd executed arson attacks on Hindu residences in Dahar Mashihati village, located in the Abhaynagar upazila of Jessore district in Bangladesh.

Predictably, the regime of Muhammad Yunus published a long post on X to downplay the communal nature of the crime. However, having realised that his post aimed at negating the OpIndia report exposed his own Islamist nature, the ‘chief advisor’ to the interim government of Bangladesh deleted his controversial tweet.

In May 2025, Through one of his stooges, Mahmudur Rahman Manna (Nagorik Oikya party President), Yunus sent out a message that Bangladesh was faced with a ‘major crisis due to Indian hegemony’.

In April this year, Yunus claimed that Bangladesh is the guardian of ocean access for India’s Northeast states, and these states, landlocked and with limited connectivity, should be used as an extension of China’s economy. Following the undemocratic ouster of Sheikh Hasina, he made similar controversial claims about India’s seven sisters (Tripura, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Meghalaya). “If you destabilise Bangladesh, it will spill over all around Bangladesh, including Myanmar and the seven sisters, in West Bengal everywhere,” he claimed in August 2024.

Under Yunus’s watch, the banned anti-India and Islamist outfit Jamaat-e-Islami was unbanned, Islamist leaders were released from jail, while the crackdown on Awami League leaders intensified. The Yunus-led Islamist interim government targeted intellectuals who raised concerns over the persecution of Hindus. In the same vein, on 9th July 2025, Abul Barkat, a renowned Bangladeshi economist, was arrested from his residence in Dhammondi area. He was implicated by the authorities in an alleged corruption case. In November 2016, Abul Barkat wrote a book titled ‘Political economy of reforming agriculture-land-water bodies in Bangladesh.’ He warned that if the rate of exodus of the minority Hindu community continued, then there would not be any Hindus left after 30 years, i.e. 2046.

Under Yunus’s rule, 2.81 lakh rape complaints were made in less than a year. It was reported that there has been a significant rise in cases of sexual violence in madrassas by Islamic clerics.

The recent brutal rape of a Hindu woman in Muradnagar in Cumilla by BNP leader Fazor Ali and subsequent attempts to character assassinate the victim left the minority Hindu community of Bangladesh in a state of shock and trauma.

In March 2025, the Human Rights Support Society (HRSS) published its report exposing the deteriorating law and order situation in Bangladesh. The report revealed the grim human rights situation in Bangladesh. Human rights violations highlighted by HRSS include mob lynching, extrajudicial killings, political violence, child abuse, harassment of women and journalists and attempts to suppress freedom of speech. It also highlighted an atmosphere of anxiety and fear among the common people due to an increase in crimes such as murders, rapes, extortion, theft, snatching, and robbery.

The human rights body reported that at least 9 people were killed and 755 others were injured in political violence in February. A total of 104 incidents were found by HRSS for the same period. HRSS also reported 10 deaths and 13 injuries in 17 different incidents of mob violence. It also pointed out that at least 107 children and women were tortured. 53 (comprising 38 children) of them were subjected to brutal rape.

OpIndia had previously highlighted 13 cases  where Hindus were attacked, tortured and persecuted by Muslim mobs under the pretext of ‘blasphemy.’ On 28th July 2025, a Muslim mob comprising 400-500 Islamists attacked over 15 Hindu homes and carried out looting and vandalism under the pretext of ‘blasphemy’ in the Betgari Union in Gangachara upazila in Rangpur district of Bangladesh.

On 12th February 2025, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) published a 104-page report detailing atrocities committed against vulnerable Hindu minorities in Bangladesh. The report titled ‘Human Rights Violations and Abuses related to the Protests of July and August 2024 in Bangladesh.’ Its publication becomes crucial since the interim government in Bangladesh, led by Muhammad Yunus, is pandering to Islamists.

The findings of the OHCHR expose the grim reality that Muhammad Yunus tried to brush under the carpet.

Muhammad Yunus: Protector of Islamists, denier of anti-Hindu violence

Bangladesh has been witnessing a drastic rise in vigilante Muslim mobs, unleashing violence under the pretext of protecting the tenets of Islam. These mobs are largely unorganised but they call themselves ‘Tawhidi Janata (meaning Revolutionary People).’

Bangladesh witnessed a drastic rise in Islamism and anti-India sentiment after Yunus came to power. He first revoked the ban on the radical Islamist outfit ‘Jamaat-e-Islami.’

Thereafter, he released the leader of the radical outfit ‘Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT)’, Muhammad Jasimuddin Rahmani.

At the same time, Muhammad Yunus downplayed the targeted attacks on the Hindu community by violent Muslim mobs. He has gone on record, from lamenting about attacks on Hindus to saying that the claims of atrocities are ‘exaggerated‘.

In that way, the controversial US asset was able to placate Islamic extremists. Given that the Awami League was against Islamism, the interim government first banned its student wing, ‘Chhatra League,’ and then the parent party.

Under the watch of Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh saw a drastic rise in vigilante Muslim mobs, which unleashed violence under the pretext of protecting the tenets of Islam.

These mobs were largely unorganised and called themselves ‘Tawhidi Janata (meaning Revolutionary People).’ They came under the spotlight over acts of vandalism and harassment of people.

The Yunus regime introduced new textbooks for primary and secondary students, which falsely claimed that the first declaration of independence of Bangladesh was made by Ziaur Rehman (a favourite icon of Muslim hardliners in Bangladesh).

Islamist leaders and ex-army officials like Fazlur Rahman publicly made anti-India remarks, with some even daydreaming about capturing India’s northeast states. Similarly, an ‘adviser’ to the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government of Bangladesh named Mahfuz Alam had threatened to capture India on the occasion of Vijay Diwas on 16th December 2024.

Given Muhammad Yunus’s track-record, it is not shocking that he said that cases of violence against Hindus by Islamists are ‘normal’ non-communal crimes. The shocking part is not Yunus’s lies and blame game, what’s shocking is that the media buys it and the ordeal of Bangladeshi Hindus goes largely undiscussed, unopposed and unending.

Stone pelting, idol vandalism and more: A compilation of 10 incidents across India wherein Islamists unleashed mayhem on the occasion of Navaratri

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Stone pelting, idol vandalism and more: A compilation of 10 incidents across India wherein Islamists unleashed mayhem on the occasion of Navaratri

Navaratri, one of the most important Hindu festivals, has once again seen both joyous celebrations and disturbing incidents of violence this year. While lakhs of devotees came together for Durga Puja and Garba festivities, reports from several states showed how Islamists tried to disrupt the events, leading to clashes, arrests, and outrage. 

At the same time, many Hindu organisations used the occasion to spread awareness against love jihad and religious conversions, with several pandals restricting entry to non-Hindus. Boards prohibiting the entry of non-Hindus were put up in several events in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Violence over ‘I Love Muhammad’ status in Gujarat

Violence broke out in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, after the status of “I Love Muhammad” surfaced on social media during the Navaratri festivities. Islamic fundamentalists attacked Garba pandals and shops, indulged in stone-pelting, and even set parts of the area on fire. Police acted quickly and arrested 70 people linked to the violence. Authorities confirmed that security was beefed up across the city to prevent further unrest.

Maharashtra: Whatsapp chats leaked of muslim students planning attacks

WhatsApp chats of two Muslim students from VIVA College were leaked. In the conversation, Shahid and Faiz were planning to enter Garba venues and target Hindu girls. One of the chats said, “Not a single Hindu girl should be spared.”

In the same college, obscene comments were also made by putting videos of students on the Discord App during the Dandia program.

16-year-old Muslim boy enters Garba pandal as ‘Aarav Trivedi’

In many places, despite all the efforts, the Muslim youths entered the Garba pandal with the help of fake names. A 16-year-old Muslim boy entered the Garba pandal in Rajasthan’s Banswara as ‘Aarav Trivedi’. Once inside, he harassed a 17-year-old Hindu girl and pressured her to go with him. The boy was caught by local Hindu groups and later handed over to the police.

Another such case came to light from Bikaner in Rajasthan. In a garba programme in Benisar Bari area, Muslim youths forcibly entered the pandal and molested the women. The muslims forcibly danced with women. When other participants resisted, stone pelting began. At least 5 people were injured, and police vehicles were damaged. Police later arrested 12 people in connection with the incident.

Suhail Siddiqui, Saif Ali Khan enter Garba pandal in Kanpur

Two Muslim youths, Suhail Siddiqui and Saif, were caught infiltrating during the Navaratri event in Kanpur. Non-Hindus were prohibited from entering the venue, yet both of them managed to get in and started making obscene comments on the girls. After a complaint from a female police officer present at the venue, both were arrested.

Muslim youth infiltrates into pandal in Chhattisgarh

A Muslim youth was caught during the Navaratri Garba event in Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh. According to the media reports, the activists of the Hindu outfit caught the youth red-handed while playing garba and he had entered the pandal using the fake name. Members of the Hindu organisation confronted him and made him bow before the idol of Goddess Durga, eat prasad, and chant religious slogans before handing him over to the police.

Vadodara: AI-generated image of Mecca-Medina sparks riots

Vadodara in Gujarat witnessed serious unrest after an AI-generated image mocking Mecca and Medina went viral on social media on 19th September. After this post, Islamic fundamentalists created a ruckus outside the police stations of Junigadhi and Panigate. 

The Muslim mob later vandalised a Navaratri pandal, hurled stones, and damaged vehicles. Several police personnel were injured in the attack. According to Vadodara DCP, police detained more than 50 people within hours and brought the situation under control.

Mumbai: Islamic fundamentalists damage Durga statue

The Durga statue was damaged on 21st September, to create communal tension in Mumbai’s Mankhurd area. The incident happened near a mosque where Muslims objected to the sound of drums being played during the welcome procession of the idol.

Meanwhile, Islamic fanatics destroyed the Durga statue. The hand of the Durga idol was broken. Not only this, but muslim mob attacked Hindus with sharp weapons and rods. The police reached the spot immediately and arrested 7 muslims.

Stones pelted at Durga idol immersion procession in MP

In Madhya Pradesh’s Burhanpur district, a Durga idol immersion procession on Wednesday, 1st October turned violent in Nayakheda village. Islamic fundamentalists objected to the loud DJ music near a mosque, sparking an argument. This quickly escalated into stone pelting, injuring one person seriously. A small idol was also damaged in the incident. Police confirmed that a case has been registered and investigations are on.

Ranchi: Durga Pandal with christian theme stirs row

The pandal of Durga Puja in Ranchi, Jharkhand was built on the theme of the Vatican City, in which pictures related to Jesus Christ, Mary and Christianity were installed on the walls. When the Hindu organisation opposed it, this theme was changed. It was replaced by pictures of Shri Ram, Shri Krishna and other Hindu deities.

Mohsin Khan throws eggs at Garba event in Mumbai

Mohsin Khan threw eggs from the 16th floor of the building during a garba event at the JP North Gardgarn City Society on Mira Road East in Mumbai. Following this, a dispute broke out between the two communities over the matter. The police have registered an FIR against Mohsin Khan and started an investigation. It also came to light that he had tried to stop the program several times by calling the police in the past.

Hindus made aware in the Garba pandal, no entry for non-Hindus

Amid these incidents, Hindu organisations across states also took steps to raise awareness about threats like “love jihad” and illegal conversions. At the same time, due to the communal incidents seen in the previous years, the entry of non-Hindus in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan was also banned.

Similarly, an attempt was made to spread awareness about ‘love jihad’ in a Garba pandal in Agar Malwa district of Madhya Pradesh. The poster reads, “Sister, you may become Durga, Kali, or the Queen of Jhansi, but never a victim of love jihad.” The entry of non-Hindus into the pandal was also banned.

During Navaratri in Nagpur, the organisers of the Garba event issued strict orders. Under this, only Hindus will be allowed to enter the Navaratri program. For this, it was necessary to show an Aadhaar card and apply a tilak. It was also made necessary to bow down in front of the idol of Lord Vishnu in the pandal.

Along with this, those entering the pandal will have to tie a raksha-sutra (kalava) on their wrist. Organisers even sprinkled cow urine (gomutra) as a purification ritual before entry. These rules were implemented by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to avoid incidents like ‘love jihad’.

Another Garba pandal in Madhya Pradesh turned into a symbolic “awareness centre,” where Hindu girls were shown as victims of love jihad inside symbolic props like refrigerators and suitcases. The organisers described it as part of a campaign called “Hindu Beti Bachao Abhiyan.” 


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