On 23rd January (Tuesday), the pro-talk faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) officially disbanded itself. The undivided ULFA was formed forty-four years earlier on 7th April 1979, at the Rang Ghar in Sibsagar to establish a “sovereign socialist Assam” through an armed struggle. Later the outfit split into two factions and the pro-talk faction began discussions with the Centre in 2011.
The decision to disband the ULFA was taken at the outfit’s final general meeting held at Sipajhar which is located around 55 km from Guwahati. It comes twenty-five days after the pro-talk faction of ULFA signed a tripartite memorandum of settlement in New Delhi with the Centre and the Assam government on 29th December.
Regarding the dissolution of the outfit, ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa said, “The decision to disband and dissolve the outfit was taken at the meeting today as stipulated by the settlement signed in Delhi. With this, the cases of sedition on the outfit will be lifted.”
The pro-talk faction of ULFA has around 700 total members. The anti-talks faction of the outfit, ULFA-Independent (ULFA-I) has camps in Myanmar and parts of the northeast. They have around 200 members and are opposed to any settlement till Assam’s sovereignty is discussed.
The ULFA’s general secretary Anup Chetia had earlier stated that after the meeting, they would hand over the letter of the outfit’s disbandment to the Chief Minister of Assam.
According to Chetia, after the disbandment, the ULFA leaders and cadres will have different identities. He added that he will personally be involved in social work.
Last month on 29th December, the pro-talk faction of the outfit signed an agreement in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
This was a significant pact as the banned ULFA-Independent has been the only major insurgent outfit in the state after the ULFA pro-talks faction signed the agreement with the Centre and Assam government. ULFA (Independent), the other faction of the group led by Commander in Chief Paresh Baruah remains outside the peace agreement. Except for Baruah, all other founding members of ULFA have left armed struggle.
Click here, to read the details of the tripartite agreement signed last month.
The agreement covered a wide range of subjects, including politics, land rights, NRC and immigration, employment, economy and skill development, flood control, industries, agriculture, education, culture, sports infrastructure, tourism, demands of ST status, Act East Policy, and settlement of ULFA cadres who have returned to the mainstream.
Last month’s settlement stipulated, “ULFA shall abjure the path of violence, give up all arms/ammunition, and disband the armed organisation within one month”.
Following 11 days of arduous ‘Yama Niyama’, PM Modi broke his fast by drinking Lord Shri Ram’s Charanamrit after he performed sacred rituals of Ram Lalla’s Pran Pratishtha on 22nd January (Monday). Now, the Treasurer of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirtha Kshetra, Govind Dev Giri Maharaj, who offered him Lord Shri Ram’s Chararnamrit, has revealed that he did it on PM Modi’s request.
Speaking with ANI on Tuesday (23rd January), Govind Dev Giri Maharaj pointed out that generally anyone who does fasting is offered honey mixed with a few drops of lemon juice and water to break the fast. However, PM Modi had separately asked him to offer Shri Bhagwan’s Charanamrit. Charanamrit is a holy mild sweet drink prepared with milk by washing the feet (Charan) of the deity and is considered equivalent to divine nectar/ elixir (Amrit).
Govind Dev ji further added that the way PM Modi had made the request, he felt a motherly love.
He said, “…We were supposed to offer him honey with a few drops of lemon juice in water…But he told me separately to offer him ‘charnamrit’ of Bhagwan Sri Ram. So, we made changes…I felt a motherly love at that time and I felt as if I am offering it to my son and breaking his fast.”
#WATCH | Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh | Swami Govind Dev Giri Maharaj says, "…We were supposed to offer him honey with a few drops of lemon juice in water…But he told me separately to offer him 'charnamrit' of Bhagwan Sri Ram. So, we made changes…I felt a motherly love at that… https://t.co/1SqbPRUtNppic.twitter.com/dOFV3w1SqU
Notably, during his yesterday’s address, Swami Govind Dev Giri Ji Maharaj had lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his deep spiritual commitment and strict observance to be worthy of the auspicious ritual. He highlighted how PM Modi practiced rigorous fasting and meditation, which far exceeded the expectations set by the religious leaders.
Swami Ji revealed that 20 days before the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha, a request from the Prime Minister came asking for a list of observances he should follow as PM Modi was scheduled to be Yajmana at the Pran Pratishtha ceremony. After consulting with the religious leaders, an advisory was prepared for PM Modi that included different observances, including fasting, sleeping on the floor, and more.
While the advisory mentioned only a three-day fast, PM Modi undertook an 11-day complete fast, relinquishing even the consumption of grains. According to Swami Ji, this act of devotion is a profound spiritual undertaking similar to the practices of the most dedicated spiritual figures in Hindu religious texts.
Swami Ji also shed light on PM Modi’s pilgrimage to sacred sites across India during this period.
In his speech, Swami ji drew parallels between PM Modi’s dedication and the legendary devotion of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He recounted how Shivaji Maharaj, after visiting the shrines of Mallikarjuna, expressed a desire to renounce his kingdom for spiritual pursuit, which was a testament to his deep spiritual commitment to the deity. He remarked, “It’s rare to find such spiritual depth and dedication in a national leader.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement expressing his remorse after twenty one Israeli soldiers were killed on Monday when Hamas terrorists launched an anti-tank missile at a building next to a Gaza compound being prepared for demolition.
“Yesterday we experienced one of the most difficult days since the outbreak of the war,” he said. “I would like to stand by the dear families of our heroic fighters who fell on the battlefield. I know that for these families, their lives will change forever.”
Netanyahu said that he mourns for “our heroic fallen soldiers” and that he embraces the families in their “hour of sorrow and we all pray for the well-being of those who were wounded.”
He also stated that the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) opened an inquiry into the tragedy.
“We must learn the necessary lessons and do everything to safeguard the lives of our fighters,” said Netanyahu.
“On behalf of our heroes, for our very lives, we will not stop fighting until total victory,” he declared.
21 IDF soldiers were killed in action yesterday (Monday) as they continued to operate against Hamas centers of gravity in southern Gaza.
Based on the information available at this stage, the troops were operating in eastern Gaza near Khan Younis. The forces were operating to…
IDF reported on January 23 that 21 of their soldiers have been killed in the Khan Younis area. It reported that at around 16.00 hours, a Hamas RPG struck a tank and a nearby structure where IDF soldiers were present. IDF added that Rescue operations are still ongoing in the area after a 2-story building collapsed.
The incident has been the worst single-day casualty event for IDF after their offensive against Hamas terrorists started in Gaza. On October 7, Hamas terrorists had launched a massive attack against Israeli civilians, killing over 1200 persons.
On Tuesday (23rd January), Congress scion Rahul Gandhi publicly snubbed party leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury after he declared that Congress would fight elections in West Bengal without the assistance of the Trinamool Congress.
While speaking about the matter during his ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’, Gandhi remarked, “Mamata Banerjee is very close to me. Sometimes our leaders say something. Such comments won’t matter.”
He added that talks with the Trinamool Congress on seat-sharing in West Bengal for the 2024 Lok Sabha election were underway.
#RahulGandhi on seat sharing with #TMC, “Seat sharing with TMC is certain. Sometimes someone from our party says something, someone from their party says something. I am personally in touch with Mamata ji. Our party also has good relations with Mamata ji. These are not going to… pic.twitter.com/4xWmHQsjjA
On Saturday (20th January), Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury hit out at Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee and called her an ‘opportunist.’ The development came hours after media reports suggested that the TMC was planning to avoid seat-sharing with Congress and field candidates in all Lok Sabha constituencies.
He said, “We won’t fight the election with Mamata’s help. Congress knows how to fight on its own strength, and Mamata Banerjee should remember that it was with Congress’s support she came to power in Bengal.”
Reportedly, TMC had offered only 2 seats to the grand old party while it was hoping for a larger share of seats. In the meantime, Rahul Gandhi had invited Mamata Banerjee to join his ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ when it would pass through the State of West Bengal.
Mamata Banerjee throws Rahul Gandhi under the bus
In December last year, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee squarely blamed Congress scion Rahul Gandhi after a video of Kalyan Banerjee mimicking and ridiculing Indian Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar went viral on social media.
It must be mentioned that Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress is a member of the I.N.D.I. Alliance propped by the Congress party in the hopes of defeating the Narendra Modi-led-BJP government in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
But she did not think twice before throwing Rahul Gandhi under the bus and protecting her own party member Kalyan Banerjee.
In a series of tweets, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for ‘provoking the crowd’ and making false claims during his ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’. In addition to the factual counter of allegations and claims made by the Congress party, Sarma has also asserted that the latter will have to face the music of law for its ‘unruly behaviour’ and ‘naxalite tactics’.
After Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra entered the Assam leg, the Congress party has been claiming to be victims of violence at the behest of state CM Sarma. Taking the allegations further, Rahul Gandhi, on 23rd January, claimed that the Assam CM intervened and stopped him from meeting students from the North East region and delivering an address before them.
Congress leveled allegations from the official X handle that the Home Minister of India called the Chief Minister of Assam asking him to stop Rahul Gandhi from meeting university students.st. That’s why I could not come to meet you at your university, the tweet added.
The party further claimed that today (23rd January) Rahul Gandhi had an interaction program with students at a university but suddenly the university cancelled this program.
Responding to the post, Assam CM Sarma took a swipe at Rahul Gandhi and pointed out that the purported program was in Meghalaya but he is abusing Assam in his allegations.
In a sarcastic tone, Sarma tweeted, “What a man – the program was in Meghalaya but he is abusing Assam.”
क्या आदमी हैं – कार्यक्रम मेघालय में थी लेकिन गाली गलोच असम को दे रहा है । https://t.co/iYSRnf0yNG
It is important to note that Congress leaders have themselves said that Rahul Gandhi was reportedly invited to address the students of the University of Science and Technology which is in Meghalaya. However, the Congress party hurled accusations at the Assam government for alleged disruption or cancellation of Rahul Gandhi’s event in another state.
However, when Assam CM pointed out, in a series of tweets, that the Congress leader was making false claims, Rahul Gandhi presented it as a win for Yatra. According to him, Assam CM Sarma was helping them get publicity which they might have not gotten otherwise by engaging and pointing out factual errors in their unfound allegations.
Regarding the development, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, “Whatever the Assam CM is doing against the Yatra, it benefits the Yatra. The publicity that we might have not got, by doing this the Assam CM & Union Home Minister Amit Shah are helping us. Now, the main issue in Assam is the Yatra…It is their intimidation tactics…Our message of Nyay is reaching the people…”
#WATCH | Assam: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi says, "Whatever the Assam CM is doing against the Yatra, it benefits the Yatra. The publicity that we might have not got, by doing this the Assam CM & Union Home Minister Amit Shah are helping us. Now, the main issue in Assam is the… pic.twitter.com/k9QCdJHMIt
Meanwhile, apart from busting the false allegations, Assam CM also asserted that Rahul Gandhi and others will have to face the law for inciting people to attack Assam Police personnel. Notably, the Bharat Jodo Yatra which had gone to Meghalaya, tried to return to Assam for its last leg in the state.
However, the Guwahati police denied permission to them to enter the city limits. Afterward, the Congress leader attacked the Police barricades and broke them.
Regarding the attack on Police personnel, the Assam CM had, earlier in the day, instructed the Assam DGP to register a case against Rahul Gandhi for ‘provoking the crowd’. He condemned the ‘unruly behaviour’ of the Congress workers and pointed out that such “naxalite tactics” are alien to Assamese culture.
Furthermore, he mentioned that he has directed police to use the footage shared by Congress workers as evidence of the “unruly behaviour” of their leader and that they violated the agreed guidelines.
These are not part of Assamese culture. We are a peaceful state. Such “naxalite tactics” are completely alien to our culture. I have instructed @DGPAssamPolice to register a case against your leader @RahulGandhi for provoking the crowd & use the footage you have posted on your… https://t.co/G84Qhjpd8h
In another tweet, he shared another video ‘evidence’ which, as per his post, revealed how Rahul Gandhi and one man named Jitendra Singh instigated the mob to attack Assam Police personnel.
प्रमाण सामने आ रहे हैं कि किस प्रकार से राहुल गांधी और जितेंद्र सिंह ने भीड़ को असम पुलिस के जवानों को मारने के लिए भड़काया।
हमारे जवान जनता के सेवक हैं, किसी शाही परिवार के नहीं।
Assuring that there will be action for such acts, Sarma tweeted, “Evidence is emerging as to how Rahul Gandhi and Jitendra Singh instigated the mob to attack Assam Police personnel. Our policemen are servants of the public, not of any royal family. Rest assured, the law has a very long arm and will definitely reach you.”
The Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony in Ayodhya on 22nd January brought tears of joy and pride in the eyes of every Hindu as the community welcomed Lord Ram to his home after about 500 years. However, the grand event in Ayodhya did not sit well with Islamists who rushed to attack Hindus immersed in celebrating the homecoming of their God after 5 centuries.
Reports of Islamists launching attacks on Hindu devotees came in from Gujarat’s Mehsana, Maharashtra’s Solapur district, and also from Mumbai’s Mira Road region. The Islamists attacked Hindus with stones, iron rods, sticks, and bamboo, leaving over a dozen people who participated in rallies to commemorate the return of Lord Ram in Ayodhya injured.
In the incident reported from Mira Road, Mumbai, Islamists also disrespected the Hindu religion and hurt the Hindu religious sentiments by tearing flags bearing images of Lord Hanuman. Islamists are also said to have vomited over the flags causing disrespect to the Hindu faith. OpIndia contacted the Police to know the details of the incident. The police confirmed that around 13 persons had been arrested in the case, however, IO Dilip Rakh revealed no information about the accused persons given the sensitivity of the case.
Team OpIndia, meanwhile, also obtained the FIR in the case filed by the victim identified as Vinod Jaiswal. The incident is said to have happened on 21st January at around 10:30 at night. Jaiswal in the FIR mentioned that around 50-60 people from a specific community threatened him and attacked his car while he was travelling in the Mira Road region. The Islamists attacked his car with rods and also took down the Hindu flag that he had placed atop his car.
FIR copy obtained by OpIndia
“I was driving the car and my friends accompanied me on their bikes. We were just travelling across the city that day. As soon as we reached the Mira Road region, we got stuck in the traffic so we took a U-turn and headed towards Bhayander road. But the road was jammed so we eventually decided to go through the Shivar garden road in Nayanagar. A boy suddenly stopped the car and began threatening. ‘I’ll show you who we are now. Let us see if your Ram comes to save you, the boy said. Immediately after that around 50-60 people arrived at the spot and began attacking us with rods and sticks,” the complainant in the FIR read.
He further added that the accused persons saw Lord Hanuman’s poster on the car bonnet and puked on it. “They raised slogans of Allah-hu-Akhbar, hit me on my head with an iron rod, and tried to kill me. They also saw a poster of Lord Hanuman on the car and puked on the poster. This has hurt our Hindu religious sentiments. They even pelted stones at women and small kids who accompanied me for a ride,” the FIR read.
The said complaint has been filed under sections 307 (attempt to murder), 341 (Punishment for wrongful restraint), 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 153A (Promoting enmity between different groups), 141 (Unlawful assembly), 143, 147, 149 and 427 (Mischief causing damage) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.
The videos of the incident have been going viral over the internet in which the Islamists can be heard raising the slogans of ‘Allah-hu-Akhbar’ while attacking the cars. They can be seen using iron rods and sticks to attack the Hindus. Even the videos of women being attacked are making rounds on social media.
Islamists raised slogans of 'Allah-hu-Akhbar' after cars on #miraroad attacked. They puked on Hindu flags. I have zero courage to share disheartening videos showing Hindu flags dipped in puke. It hurts to see #Hindus disrespected @NiteshNRane's rally is scheduled today. pic.twitter.com/am8vmVkksl
Several other videos shared on social media show the poster of Lord Hanuman covered in puke, as mentioned in the FIR. The glass of the car and the windows could also be seen damaged.
Who is responsible for what #Hindus are facing today? Heart aches to see this happening #miraroad. No courage, but sharing this only so that each #Hindu learns truth, sees how his/her faith is being treated. 13 arrested so far. Police denying to reveal further details #RamMandirpic.twitter.com/nnNUqiijQ1
A day after the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony, Hindus are also said to have responded to the attack by Islamists. The Hindus gathered in numbers at Mira Road region and retaliated to the stone pelting by Islamists. The video was shared by Raushan Sinha, a political commentator on X in which enraged Hindus could be seen seeking police action and justice in the case of attack by Islamists on 21st February.
Reports suggest Hindus of Mumbai have retaliated against those who were doing stone pelting on them.
Good, be united & make your own efforts as well.. We are more in numbers so nobody will dare to do such things if we are united… pic.twitter.com/L0hctaugiE
OpIndia has obtained exclusive information that BJP leader Nitesh Rane will be addressing Hindus today at Mira Road in an event organized by Sakal Hindu Samaj. One of the members of the Sakal Hindu Samaj while talking to OpIndia stated that the Nayanagar area is dominated by a Muslim population and that Islamists have been spreading communal tension in the region for too long. “There are rumours that they have also planned riots and the Police have been stationed in some of the crucial areas as a precaution,” the members of Sakal Hindu Samaj said.
OpIndia also contacted the complainant, Vinod Jaiswal for exclusive comment, but he could not speak given his severe head injuries. The victim is lodged in the Bhimsen Joshi General Hospital and is undergoing treatment after being attacked by the Islamists on 21st February.
The Police, however, exclusively informed OpIndia that 13 people in the case have been arrested and the interrogation is underway. On asking about the identities of the accused, the police said, “This is a super sensitive case. Revealing names might escalate tensions. I can’t reveal any further details. 13 so far have been arrested. Efforts are being taken to calm the situation,” said IO Dilip Rakh.
The member of the Sakal Hindu Samaj however asserted that the arrested persons belong to the Muslim community. “The Police also had detained some of the Hindus but they were released immediately after some time. 13 attackers who raised slogans of Allah-hu-Akhbar have been arrested. We seek strict punishment against the accused persons,” he added.
Earlier, a video of Islamists from Naya Nagar threatening Hindus was shared by High Court advocate Avd Ashutosh Dubey. The Islamists in the video could be seen threatening Hindus with dire consequences for roaming in the Naya Nagar region which is dominated by the Muslim population.
“You Hindus are idiots, illiterates. This is all happening because of you. Why do you have to come here and pinch us? We are Kattar Muslims. Don’t mess with us. You all saw what happened and this is because of you. We ignored. This is just a trailer. Do not think this is UP. This is Maharashtra and the police here are also sane. They’ll arrest the wrongdoers,” the Islamist could be heard saying. However, Dubey stated that the person in the video himself was later arrested.
Your message reach out to @Dev_Fadnavis Ji and The same guy has been arrested.
The situation in Maharashtra’s Mumbai continues to remain tense as Islamists continue to attack Hindus. The Police have been deployed at several locations to avoid any untoward incident from happening. The Sakal Hindu Samaj has organized a massive rally in response to the attack by Islamists. The rally will be addressed by BJP leader Nitesh Rane, as informed to OpIndia by Sakal Hindu Samaj.
The Central Bureau of Investigation has summoned Supreme Court lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai to appear before the agency on January 25 for a preliminary inquiry in connection with the ongoing investigation on the cash-for-query case, sources said on Tuesday.
Earlier this month, Dehadrai said that he has filed a complaint with the CBI and would not back down after he alleged that former Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra was conducting surveillance against him.
Dehadrai was also the complainant in the alleged ‘Cash for Query’ case, which led to the suspension of Moitra from Parliament.
In a letter written to CBI Director Praveen Sood and Union Home Minister Amit Shah dated December 29, Advocate Dehadrai said that there might be a possibility that the TMC leader is “tracking” his physical location by using his phone number.
The advocate in his letter also alleged, “Moitra has a demonstrated history of misusing her clout and connections with certain senior officers of Bengal Police to obtain the Call Detail Records (CDR) of private individuals to satisfy her desire to stalk the precise whereabouts of certain individuals as also the details of the individuals they are in touch with.”
Advocate Dehadrai also stated in his complaint that earlier, the TMC leader was actively “tracking a person named Suhaan Mukerji in 2019”.
“Moitra informed me orally on multiple occasions in the past as also in writing (on WhatsApp on 26.09.2019) that she had been actively tracking her ex-boyfriend, one Suhaan Mukerji as she suspected him of being in a relationship with a German lady,” the letter read.
Dehadrai further alleged that Moitra, with the assistance of “Senior Bengal Police Officers”, had the entire call records and history of Mukerji’s phone in which she had precise information about the individuals who had been “in contact with Mukerji as also the precise physical location of Mukerji’s phone for all hours of the day”.
The advocate also stated that Mahua Moitra has made several threats to him in the past and also said that on several occasions he felt that his car was being followed outside his residence in Delhi.
Responding to allegations made in the complaint, Mahua Moitra in her post on X, urged the Home Ministry to appoint a Special Director in the CBI for complaints by ‘jilted exes’ all over India.
“Urging MHA to set up a special Director CBI to probe all complaints by loser jilted exes pan India. Gratified to see Shahenshah of all Peeping Toms cc’d on the complaint. – he honed his surveillance skills covering up for his Sahib in Gujarat and can supervise CBI,” she said in a post on X.
Moitra, facing cash for query allegations, was expelled from the Lok Sabha after the Parliament adopted the report of its Ethics Committee, which was probing the matter. Moitra alleged that the Ethics Committee, without getting to the root of the investigation, decided to hang her.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
On 22nd January (Monday), a special CBI court in Bengaluru ordered that the gold and diamond jewellery belonging to the late former Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa should be transferred to the Tamil Nadu state government for legal action.
The Court refused a prayer to auction jewellery worth crores seized from the late CM in connection with the disproportionate assets case. Her jewellery is currently in the court’s custody and kept in treasury.
The ornaments had occupied the centre stage after J Deepa, kin of the late CM, moved the court arguing that she is entitled to properties that were confiscated by the state. However, the court had earlier held that the family of Jayalalithaa was not entitled to the properties which are confiscated. Thus, the Special CBI Court had rejected the petition filed by J Deepa and J Deepak, the niece and nephew of Jayalalithaa, respectively.
Regarding the recent order, Special Court Judge H A Mohan said, “I am of the opinion that instead of auctioning the jewels, it is better to transfer the same to Tamil Nadu by handing over the same through the department of home, state of Tamil Nadu. Accordingly, they are directed to appoint and authorise the competent persons preferably in the rank of secretary along with police to come and collect the jewels.”
Further, the court also ordered the Tamil Nadu government to pay ₹5 crore as compensation to Karnataka for conducting the disproportionate assets case against former TN Chief Minister (CM) late J Jayalalithaa. As per Judge Mohan’s order, the payment has to be made by way of a demand draft (DD).
The Court issued the above order while hearing a plea filed by RTI activist T Narasimha Murthy, who sought compensation for the amount spent by the Karnataka government in the disproportionate assets case, through the auction of items seized from J Jayalalithaa.
On 27th September 2014, a special court in Bengaluru had sentenced Jayalalithaa to four years in jail. It also fined her ₹100 crore in connection with a disproportionate assets case. The court had also directed that her seized valuables should be sold to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) or State Bank of India (SBI) through public auction.
The court directed that the proceeds should be adjusted to the fine amount, prompting the plea by Murthy before the special court.
Under the direction of the Supreme Court, the trial was conducted by the Special Court in Bengaluru. The court heard the disproportionate assets trial against Jayalalithaa, her former close aide V Sasikala, V N Sudhakaran, who is the disowned foster son of Jayalalithaa, and Sasikala’s sister-in-law J Ilavarasi.
On 22nd January (Monday), tensions were high near Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia after videos of students raising Pro-Babri Masjid slogans on the university campus surfaced online. It came on the day when the nation marked festivities for Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha in Ayodhya. After the videos surfaced online, the Delhi Police deployed police personnel outside the campus and increased vigilance to avoid any untoward incidents. However, no arrests have been made so far in this case as no official complaint has been made so far to the Delhi Police. The administration on its part has claimed that they are looking into the matter.
The Delhi Police said that the force has been deployed outside the university as a precautionary measure after videos showcasing students allegedly raising slogans such as “Strike for Babri” went viral on social media.
A police official said, “The deployment of police personnel outside (the university) is a precautionary measure.” As per the news agency PTI, the police official added that the deployment was done given the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha and the upcoming Republic Day.
An X (Twitter) handle named Fraternity Movement JMI shared a video in which some students can be heard raising slogans like ‘Strike for Babri’ and ‘RSS down down’.
The caption of the post read, “Boycott for Babri. Resistance is Remembrance Fraternity Movement Jamia Millia Islamia organized a university-wide strike, urging students to boycott classes and reading rooms in solidarity with Babri Masjid.”
Boycott for Babri Resistance is Remembrance
Fraternity Movement Jamia Millia Islamia organized a university-wide strike, urging students to boycott classes and reading rooms in solidarity with Babri Masjid.
Several other X users also shared the controversial slogans in favour of Babri Masjid when the long-drawn dispute was well-settled in the top court of the land.
Replace the memory Erase the 'Hindutva Myth'
Babri is justice
Fraternity movement with strong protest in Jamia Millia Islamia campus. National General Secretary Lubaib Basheer, who led the protest, was attacked by the Delhi Police. pic.twitter.com/k3TrkY0aKy
No arrests have been made so far. According to Delhi Police, after getting the information, the administration removed all of them. No action was initiated because the protest happened inside the campus and no official complaint was given to the police.
In a viral video, some people at Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia tried to protest on the University campus on the evening of 22 January. After getting the information, the administration removed all of them. No action initiated because the protest happened inside the campus and no…
On its part, the Jamia Millia Islamia administration claimed that academic activity was not disrupted because of the “protest” adding that the situation is under control.
An official of the University said, “There were 2-3 students who raised slogans and showed placards yesterday. When we got the knowledge, the students were removed from the place. The University is further looking into the matter.”
There were 2-3 students who raised slogans and showed placards yesterday. When we got the knowledge, the students were removed from the place. The University is further looking into the matter: Jamia Millia Islamia University Official
Notably, yesterday on 22nd January, the nation marked Diwali-like celebrations when Shri Ram Lalla returned to His Birthplace after a long wait of 5 centuries. The Ram Mandir is being constructed on Ram Janmabhoomi after it was demolished by henchmen of Mughal invader Babar in 1528. A disputed structure that was built on the illegally usurped land was demolished on 6th December 1992. After nearly 500 years of struggle on all fronts and over 30 years of legal proceedings in top courts of India, the Supreme Court ruled the Ram Janmabhoomi in favour of Ram Lalla – a deity who is a juristic personality as per law. Additionally, the court used its special powers to allocate 5 acres of land on an alternate site in a prominent place in Ayodhya for Muslims to construct a mosque.
Renowned fashion brand H&M had to take down an image which was part of its advertisement campaign which included children, after being accused of sexualising underage girls.
The Swedish fashion brand faced flak across social media platforms for its advertisement launched in Australia which showed two school girls in school uniforms with the caption: “Make those heads turn in H&M’s Back to School fashion.”
The brand then removed the ad and issued an apology. “We have removed this ad. We are deeply sorry for the offence this has caused and we are looking into how we present campaigns going forward,” the H&M spokesperson said.
An Australian writer Melinda Tankard Reist wrote on X, “Why would you want to fuel the idea that little girls should draw attention to their looks, bodies and ‘style’? Perhaps have a word to your marketing team and come up with something that doesn’t draw attention to pre-pubescent girls already struggling to thrive in a culture that values ‘lookism’ as an aspirational goal?”
Another X user, a psychologist, Dr Pam Spurr, wrote, “Let’s BOYCOTT H&M until they remove the offensive AD & donate to a child protection charity! We can stop their PEDOPHILE AD spreading to other countries @hm & @hmaustralia We DON’T want children used in this very dangerous way #BoycottHM #LeaveTheKidsAlone.”
Let's BOYCOTT H&M until they remove the offensive AD & donate to a child protection charity!
We can stop their PEDOPHILE AD spreading to other countries @hm & @hmaustralia ?
— Dr Pam Spurr Psychologist and Artist (@DrPamSpurr) January 18, 2024
GB News panellist Adam Brooks took to X and wrote, “H&M is forced to pull ‘sexualised’ school uniform advert featuring two young girls in pinafores with the slogan. “Make those heads turn” ? This was no mistake, this campaign would have had to go through many people to be signed off,why would people turn heads for kids??..sick.”
H&M is forced to pull ‘sexualised’ school uniform advert featuring two young girls in pinafores with the slogan
“Make those heads turn” ?
This was no mistake, this campaign would have had to go through many people to be signed off,why would people turn heads for kids??..sick. pic.twitter.com/vRCAoJkmHI
Meanwhile, an exclusive report by The Daily Mail has claimed that H&M is still promoting adverts that feature children with the tagline “make those heads turn” even after it was forced to pull out a picture of two underage girls in uniform with the same tagline.
The report reads, “One advert, which appears to be from the same ‘Back to School’ campaign and has the same tagline, is still up on the brand’s Instagram, despite it apology and assurance that it had removed the ad that sparked controversy.”
In another such advert, a video shows two young girls turning to look as a young boy walks past and it is caption, “How to make those heads turn on the first day of school”.
According to The Daily Mail report, another post on the H&M Kids page shows a little girl wearing a black tulle dress as the company plugged its Halloween range back in October.
The caption reads: ‘From glamorous divas to stylish trendsetters, get ready to turn heads and make this Halloween the best yet.’
