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Pakistan: At least 9 dead, 26 wounded as assailants open fire on a bus in PoK’s Gilgit Baltistan

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan: At least 9 dead, 26 wounded as assailants open fire on a bus in PoK’s Gilgit Baltistan

At least nine people were killed and twenty-six others were wounded when unknown assailants reportedly opened fire on a passenger bus in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Chilas region, which is located in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The tragedy happened on the Karakoram highway in the Hudur district of Chilas which is a well-known tourist destination.

Rescue sources revealed that the gunshots caused the bus to catch fire, injuring many, including women and children, some of whom are in critical condition. The driver lost control and it crashed with an approaching truck which led to an accident as well. Arif Ahmad, a Diamer Deputy Commissioner Captain (Rtd) verified the information.

Arif Ahmed stated, “An unfortunate incident occurred in which a cowardly act was done, targeting a bus which set off from Gahkuch in Ghizer.” According to the official, three corpses were unidentified while five had already been recognised. Subsequently, he established that one more injured individual passed away, bringing the total number of people who lost their lives to nine.

He mentioned, “Most of the people belong to all of Pakistan, including Kohistan, Peshawar, Ghizer, Chilas, Roundu, Skardu, Mansehra, Swabi and one or two people from Sindh.” According to him, the “cowardly act” resulted in the killing of two Pakistan Army soldiers and the injuries of one Special Protection Unit member.

Police officials were the first to arrive at the scene and move the injured as well as those who passed away, Diamer Superintendent of Police Sardar Shehryar said. He shared that the driver of the automobile that had slammed with the bus was killed and that the four-wheeler was on fire. “The rest of the cars there were secured and moved from there in the form of a convoy. The location was secured as well to collect evidence”, he said.

A statement from the office of Gilgit Baltistan Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan denounced the “cowardly act of terrorism.” It further stated that a comprehensive investigation was being carried out and that a special team had been assembled to look into the matter.

During a press conference, Gilgit Baltistan Home Minister Shams Lone criticised the assault as well. He, however, added that the government’s tally showed 16 injuries and 8 deaths.

Following the proscribed militant group Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan’s breakdown of its truce with the government last year, there has been a noticeable increase in terror activities in Pakistan in recent months, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies released data in September that indicated the number of militant attacks in August was the highest monthly total in nearly nine years.

Walmart joins the advertisers’ exodus from X (formerly Twitter), reports say the firm ramping up a new advertising strategy to tackle it

OpIndia Staff
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Walmart joins the advertisers’ exodus from X (formerly Twitter), reports say the firm ramping up a new advertising strategy to tackle it

Elon Musk’s recent remarks against advertisers leaving the micro-blogging platform X have accelerated the ongoing exodus of big-ticket advertisers. This has reportedly prompted the social media platform to come up with a new advertisement strategy. 

Notably, on Friday (1st December), Walmart became the latest major advertiser associated with X till now, to join the exodus and part ways with Elon Musk-owned X. As per a Forbes report, Walmart stopped advertising on X as it found “alternate platforms to engage its customers”. 

However, a Walmart spokesperson declined to tell Bloomberg when the change would come into effect and what led the company to take this decision to stop advertising on X.

With this, Walmart has joined the likes of IBM, Disney, Paramount, NBCUniversal, Lionsgate, and others in an ongoing exodus of advertisers from X. 

Strikingly, the recent development pertains to Elon Musk’s remarks made during an interview in New York in front of an audience of the US business elite this week. Launching a scathing attack and asserting that he would not bow down to woke companies, visibly furious Musk said, “If somebody’s gonna try to blackmail me with advertising, go f**k yourself.” 

Musk also asserted that the survival of X could be at stake. He added, “What this advertising boycott is going to do is kill the company.” “Everybody will know” that advertisers were responsible, he angrily added.

Musk claimed that X’s US ad revenue was down 60% and that the company had lost roughly $22 billion, which is half its value. Musk had purchased Twitter for $44 billion in October last year.

According to CNN, many advertisers have not only stopped advertising on X but also stopped posting altogether including flagship accounts of Disney, Paramount, Lionsgate, Sony Pictures, Universal, and Warner Bros. Discovery (CNN’s parent company) have not posted on the platform in more than 10 days.

Through the interview, Musk was slamming the advertisers who had abandoned his platform after leftist media watchdog ‘Media Matters for America’ published a controversial article, claiming that X (formerly Twitter) was placing advertisements of large companies next to anti-Semitic posts. Following those allegations, Elon Musk filed a lawsuit against the firm for making these claims.  


The ongoing war of words and allegations of anti-Semitic barbs erupted earlier this month when Musk declared a tweet exposing an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory as the “absolute truth.” However, Musk later apologised for his tweet and said that it was “one of the most foolish things”. Additionally, he even undertook a trip to Israel to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Elon Musk’s remark forces company to devise ‘survival plan’ 

As advertising revenues are going dry, an FT report has claimed that X is accelerating a plan to attract smaller and medium-sized businesses as big brands are boycotting the social media platform.

Speaking with the Financial Times, the company stated, “Small and medium businesses are a very significant engine that we have definitely underplayed for a long time. It [was] always part of the plan — now we will go even further with it.”

The company said that already this month, X has been forging tie-ups with third parties, such as US marketing start-up JumpCrew, to which it will outsource some ad sales to target small and medium-sized businesses.

Additionally, the firm plans to develop more subscription and data-licensing services.

Regarding Elon Musk’s remarks against outgoing advertisers, analyst Jasmine Enberg of Insider Intelligence said, “It doesn’t take a social media expert to know that publicly and personally attacking the people in companies that pay X’s bills is not going to be good for business.”

She added, “Most advertiser boycotts on social media companies, including X, have been short lived. There’s a potential for this one to be longer.”  

As per data provided to AFP by market data analysis company SensorTower, around half of the social network’s top 100 US advertisers in October 2022 have already stopped spending altogether.

X (Formerly Twitter), is held privately and it does not release official figures, but all estimates point to a significant drop in the number of users. 

Last week, the New York Times reported that X was at risk of losing up to $75mn this quarter from the advertising boycott and for this, it cited leaked internal documents. However, X disputed the figure to the FT and estimated that the fall was between $10mn and $12mn.

Apart from disengagements, dozens of highly followed accounts, including major brands such as Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, JPMorgan Bank, and Starbucks as well as many celebrities and media personalities have either stopped or reduced usage of X.

Despite Musk reducing the staff by two-thirds, X still maintains approximately 2,000 employees and faces significant fixed costs, including data servers and real estate. Another concern is the substantial debt incurred by Musk during the acquisition, which X is now responsible for, necessitating annual payments exceeding a billion dollars.

‘India needs to negotiate and make territorial adjustments with China’: Congress MP Manish Tewari suggests ‘give and take’ of border areas

OpIndia Staff
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‘India needs to negotiate and make territorial adjustments with China’: Congress MP Manish Tewari suggests ‘give and take’ of border areas

On Saturday (2nd December), Congress MP Manish Tewari addressed a session at the 7th Military Literature Festival Chandigarh 2023. During his speech, he said that Indians need to be educated on negotiations. He also remarked that when engaging in diplomatic relationships with China, there will be some give and take of territory along the border and India needs to prepare itself for such land exchange.

Manish Tewari was supposed to keep his talk about ‘How do India and China face off today in terms of weapons, technology, and self-reliance?’. According to an X post by the Congress MP, his exact subject was – “China started its military modernisation in 1995; where are they today in terms of research, reverse engineering and self-reliance? How does India fare in this regard and for how long will it have to rely upon the import of military weapons and technology”.

But what Manish Tewari catered to the audience was just a series of numbers regarding the defence expenditure of both countries over the past few decades and some unsolicited advice on India’s diplomacy toward China.

Manish Tewari endorses ‘territorial adjustments’ with China along the border

Questioning India’s historic stand towards China which has developed in a certain manner over the last so many decades under various regimes, Manish Tewari said, “India will never be able to achieve its true potential if it does not break out of its zero-sum relationship with China on the one hand and the legacy of partition or the baggage of partition with Pakistan on the other hand. And that would require territorial adjustments.”

Advising India to give away its borderlands to China, Manish Tewari said, “China has resolved its land boundary issues with almost all its neighbours except Bhutan and India. And in Bhutan, the boundary negotiations are in a very advanced stage. Therefore, show of jingoism and show of hyperbole is an option. We must seriously think of if we feel that any kind of formalised defence architecture in the Indo-Pacific region of which India if it becomes a part would erode our strategic autonomy. Then the only other option we have is to negotiate and negotiate seriously. Educate our people that when you enter into negotiations and when there is a give and take, there will have to be adjustments that will have to be made. I think that is where we are today.”

Manish Tewari resorts to monkey balancing during Q&A session

Speaking more on his border adjustment concept, Manish Tewari answered a question about whether India has to be more on the giving side than the taking side when it comes to negotiations Tewari talked about. But it looked more like a monkey-balancing rather than any explanation.

He said, “First of all, this premise that in any negotiations we will have to give more to China is not borne out by historical facts. In all the land border negotiations that China has included, China has ended up settling for much less than what they had originally felt.”

He added, “Therefore if you look at their land boundary negotiations across the border, what their original claims were and ultimately what the settlement they were at – there is a marked difference between the two. Even with the Burma boundary issue, they settled on the McMohan line without calling it the McMohan line. Therefore, I do not agree with the argument that if there is a give-and-take talk we will end up ceding more to them than what we would get more in return.”

Hailing Dr Manmohan Singh’s pro-Pakistan policy

Answering another question in this regard, Manish Tewari resorted to reiterating his border-adjustment policies. He said, “What we need to keep in mind is that eventually in any territorial negotiations, there will be a give and take. Therefore I underscore the fact that we have to prepare our people if we were to embark on or go down that path where any negotiation would essentially involve a give and take.”

He further said, “There is also a third way. We tried out that third way with Pakistan and had almost succeeded during the times of Dr Manmohan Singh and Parvez Musharraf. That is – you make the borders irrelevant. Because today the borders are irrelevant. Because, if you look at it while you may feasibly sit here, it is irrelevant to spend three-fourths of your day in a virtual civilisation that knows no borders. Fundamentally, there has to be a change in mindset. Do we want territory, or do we want security? And there is a fundamental distinction between these two concepts. Unfortunately, we have equated security with territory and I leave it at that.”

NATO-like organisation in the Asia Pacific region

Proposing a NATO-like regional cooperation organisation as a means to tackle China, Manish Tewari said, “If you want to modernise your defence, you have no other option but to grow your economy. China’s growth is crumbling under a mountain of debt. But, still, the divergence with India in the foreseeable future is going to grow. And I will not get into China’s reorganisation of armed forces, its move from an incubation warfare paradigm to an intelligence drive warfare paradigm. I leave that.”

Going beyond his prescribed subject of discussion, Manish Tewari presented some unnecessary alternatives to Indian diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific region. He said, “As I look at it from a purely strategic point of view, India has no other option but to recreate a NATO in the Indo-Pacific. The QUAD will provide the lynchpin of that arrangement. We need to pick up the ball and take it to a logical conclusion which does not leave QUAD as a hairy-fairy concept.”

He further cleared his views in the question and answer session where he said, “As we speak today, the territorial disputes that China has are in the maritime domain. They are in the South China Sea and the East China Sea where almost all neighbours China. Coupled with that, the USA remains a big outside balancer apart in the Asia Pacific. All the countries in that part of the world have had historic problems with China. The question is do you have the courage or do your partners in the region dare to do it (form a NATO in the Asia Pacific region)? The QUAD is a 2007 concept.”

Congress has a history of favouring China

This is not the first time that the Congress party and its members have taken a pro-China stand in India-China bilateral ties including border issues. The party and its prince Rahul Gandhi have on several occasions expressed their admiration for China openly.

In his controversial speech at Cambridge Judge Business School in March this year, Rahul Gandhi showered praises on China hailing it as an ‘aspiring superpower’ and ‘force of nature’ adding that China harbours ‘social harmony’. The Gandhi scion had also lauded China’s controversial Belt and Road initiative.

Last year as well in a conversation with The Print columnist Shruti Kapila at the Cambridge University event, Rahul Gandhi praised the Belt and Road Initiative and claimed that China wanted the countries around it to prosper. 

During his recent tour in Ladakh, Rahul Gandhi claimed that China had grabbed India’s grazing land in Ladakh. However, Gandhi during his UK visit in May last year asserted that “Ladakh is to China what Ukraine is to Russia.” The Congress leader back then had even urged foreign powers to intervene in India’s internal matters.

Congress had an MoU with China

Back in 2020, details about the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation’s (RGF) monetary operations emerged. OpIndia had previously published detailed pieces about the Chinese government’s financial contributions of more than Rs 1 crore to RGF between 2006 and afterwards.

In 2008, during UPA1, the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Congress party signed an agreement for the sharing of high-level information and collaboration. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) also provided the two parties with the “opportunity to consult each other on important bilateral, regional and international developments”. Notably, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have served as trustees of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation since 2005, while Sonia Gandhi serves as the foundation’s chairperson.

The Congress party had signed an MoU with the Chinese government, and Rahul Gandhi had secretly met the Chinese Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui in 2017 during the Doklam standoff. He even secretly met Chinese ministers in September 2018 during his Kailash Mansarovar visit. 

A day after appointing him, Pakistan Cricket Board removes match-fixer Salman Butt from his role in selection committee

OpIndia Staff
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A day after appointing him, Pakistan Cricket Board removes match-fixer Salman Butt from his role in selection committee

Amidst the backlash over inducting spot-fixing tainted ex-cricketer Salman Butt as a consultant member to Pakistan Cricket Board’s selection committee, PCB chief selector Wahab Riaz has reversed his decision.

In a press conference on Saturday (December 2), Wahab Riaz said, “Salman Butt isn’t on any PCB panel. For me, he is a good cricketing mind who understands cricket and has been covering domestic cricket for the past 2-3 years. He was made my consultant just to get his opinion, based on which some media houses and people started doing propaganda.”

“As a chief selector, it’s my decision as to who will work with me and whose support I need. But people started discussing nepotism and dosti, due to which I am reverting this decision. I have already spoken to Salman Butt and told him that he cannot be a part of my team,” Riaz continued.

“Chief selector Wahab Riaz has opted to reverse his decision to induct Salman Butt as a consultant member to the selection committee. The decision to appoint Salman Butt was under consideration and after a thorough review, it has been decided he will not be appointed as a consultant member,” a press release issued by the PCB on Saturday reads.

This comes after PCB chief selector Wahab Riaz received criticism over his decision to rope in Salman Butt as a consultant member despite the latter’s history of involvement in spot-fixing.

As reported earlier, former chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Ramiz Raja criticised the board for naming convicted match-fixer Salman Butt as a consultant member to chief selector Wahab Riaz for the next series against New Zealand. Notably, Salman Butt, back in 2010, had confessed to spot-fixing and was jailed

“It’s insane to have a selection committee consisting of a member whose decision can be termed as a display of filial affection or non-affection and another who was locked up for match-fixing,” Raja had said.

Notably, back in September 2010, the International Cricket Council (ICC) suspended Salman Butt, Pakistan’s captain at the time, as well as two other Pakistan players, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif. ICC also slapped Butt with a 10-year ban. Notably, at the behest of a bookie, the trio colluded to bowl no-balls at certain moments during the Lord’s Test against England. Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir, and Mohammad Asif were sentenced to 30 months in prison in November 2011 after their trial in a London court for offences under the Gambling Act.

Philippines: Explosion during Catholic mass leaves three dead and nine injured

OpIndia Staff
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Philippines: Explosion during Catholic mass leaves three dead and nine injured

On 3rd December, an explosion took place during a Catholic Mass at Mindanao State University in Marawi, southern Philippines. As per reports, three people died, and at least nine were injured in the incident. The regional police director, Brigadier General Allan Nobleza, said in a statement that the law enforcement agencies are investigating the incident. The agencies are considering possible angles of revenge by pro-Islamic State terrorists.

Notably, in 2017, Islamist terrorists held Marawi under siege for five months. The recent explosion occurred after the Philippine military’s announcement that they had killed 11 terrorists, including members of the Dawlah Islamiyah-Philippines, which is a pro-Islamic State organisation, in a military operation in Maguindanao del Sur province.

Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Adiong Jr condemned the violent bombing incident. He emphasised the need to condemn the terrorist attacks on educational institutes and other places that are supposed to promote the culture of peace. The University expressed deep sorrow and condemnation for the bombing. In a Facebook post, the University said the classes would remain suspended until further notice.

As per reports, the worshippers panicked after the explosion occurred during the Catholic mass in the gymnasium at the University. Security chief Taha Mandangan called the incident an “act of terrorism” and emphasised that the attack would lead to potential repercussions.

The authorities said there was a possibility that an improvised explosive device (IED) or a grenade was used in the attack. However, the actual reason for the blast will be apparent after investigation. The security agencies have taken additional measures across the city and checkpoints to prevent further incidents.

Marawi City Mayor Majul Gandamra urged the Muslim and Christian communities to maintain peace.

Bihar school principal gets death threats for asking girls to take off hijabs inside classrooms

OpIndia Staff
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Bihar school principal gets death threats for asking girls to take off hijabs inside classrooms

On 2nd December, an official in Bihar said the school principal of a government school received death threats after girl students were asked to remove hijabs inside classrooms. In a written complaint, the principal of Utkramit Madhya Vidyalaya in district Sheikpura said the family members of girl students threatened to behead those who did not pay heed to their demands.

The District Education Officer Om Prakash Singh said that the principal of the government school sent a written complaint stating that Islamists stormed the school on 29th November. They threatened the principal with consequences as the school administration asked the female students to remove hijabs inside classrooms.

Singh said, “They were livid at the teaching staff asking the girls to take off headscarves inside classrooms. They told the principal they would not allow the school to run if their girls did not follow their customs.” He added that the principal said in the complaint that the Islamists threatened to behead those who did not pay heed to their demand.

DEO added, “The matter is being probed at the departmental level. The Block Education Officer has been asked to visit the school, conduct an inquiry and submit a report. Wearing any veil inside classrooms is not allowed. If enforcement of the rule leads to security concerns, we will be taking recourse to legal remedies.”

Karnataka hijab row

The sub-judice matter of the Karnataka hijab row of late 2021 created a nationwide controversy. The Udupi Hijab dispute in Karnataka arose in late 2021, which concerned Muslim female students in the state who wanted to wear hijabs as part of their school uniforms, which led to major protests and legal battles as well as spread to other parts of the country.

The debate started in January 2022 when an Udupi college turned away a number of Muslim students who were wearing hijabs to class. There were countless images on social media depicting college administrators forbidding students who donned the head covers from entering their campuses. Afterwards, the college administration contended that the hijab was not included in the uniform dress code that the students had been instructed to follow.

The administration had requested that female students forgo the hijab during their time in college in accordance with the new state regulations. Eight female students consistently disobeyed the rule and claimed it inhibited them from practising their faith.

Uttar Pradesh: Missionary school suspends students for chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’, Hindu groups stage protests

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Missionary school suspends students for chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’, Hindu groups stage protests

On Friday (1st December), a missionary school named after St. Mary suspended 4 students for chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ on its premises. The incident took place in Mauranipur town in Jhansi district of Uttar Pradesh.

As per reports, students were asked to write essays on any topic of their interest. A total of 4 students (3 boys and 1 girl) wrote essays on the construction of the majestic Ram Mandir in the city of Ayodhya and recited them during the school prayer.

All of them ended their essays with the Holy chant of ‘Jai Shri Ram.’ On hearing the Hindu religious slogan, the school administration suspended the students for a period of 8 days and called their parents.

As per reports, the four students were also forced to submit a written apology, vowing to never chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ within the school premises.

After the news of the suspension went viral, members of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and other Hindu groups staged a demonstration outside the St. Mary’s School.

Reportedly, they raised chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and burnt the effigy of the school principal. Hindu activist Vinay Kumar warned that if the suspension of students was not revoked, then, a large agitation would be organised against the school administration.

Police reach school to pacify the Hindu groups

On receiving information, Mauranipur tehsildar Madan Mohan Gupta and a team of police led by one Laxmikant Gautam reached the school.

They brought the situation under control and promised to investigate the matter and take necessary action against the culprits. According to Madan Mohan Gupta, a committee has been formed to probe the matter and file a report.

A large contingent of police was deployed to avoid any law and order situation. In the meantime, the school administration has denied all allegations in writing.

Punjab: Over 70 students of Govt Meritorious School in Sangrur fall ill after consuming poor-quality food

OpIndia Staff
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Punjab: Over 70 students of Govt Meritorious School in Sangrur fall ill after consuming poor-quality food

On 1st December, 20 students of Government Meritorious School fell ill after consuming poor-quality food at the mess of Meritorious School in Sangrur, Punjab. They were rushed to the hospital, where 15 students were discharged after receiving treatment. However, on 2nd December, more students fell ill, making it over 70 students suffering from food poisoning. Notably, Sangrur is Punjab’s Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s home constituency.

The shocking turn of events exposed the appalling conditions of the school mess. Speaking to the Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM), the victims revealed they had complained about the poor quality of the food to the warden several times, but no action was taken. Furthermore, they found dead insects, wires and pieces of glass in food on separate occasions, but the school authorities turned a blind eye to the complaints.

The students said they provided samples of poor-quality food featuring mud-like substances in milk, wires, worms in the meal and other adulterants, but no corrective action was taken. On the contrary, whoever raised their voice against the poor-quality food was reportedly subjected to harsh punishment.

The students further said they could not call their parents when they fell sick at night. Two of the students vomited blood, and when their friends rushed to the warden, they were questioned if the complaint was real or fake. The parents were informed about the incident only after reaching the hospital.

Adding to the woes of the students, it was revealed that the hostels lacked hot water, forcing the students to take cold showers even in chilly weather conditions.

The woes did not end after reaching the hospital. There was a lack of facilities where the students were admitted, as two students were forced to share a single bed and bring their blankets to the hospital.

The mess contractor was later suspended from the services with immediate effect. Furthermore, the school’s principal was suspended as no action was taken following the complaints from the students. An FIR has been registered under Section 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the mess contractor and its in-charge. Sangrur Deputy Commissioner Jitendra Jorwal said an inquiry committee under SDM was formed to probe the matter. A tehsildar and a civil surgeon will be part of the committee. The report will be submitted in a week.

State education minister Harjot Singh Bains visited the hospital to meet the students.

The photographs shared by the minister showed the students were still sharing beds in the hospital, exposing the lack of arrangements. The minister assured that strict action would be taken against the persons involved. Furthermore, he said “feedback forms” would be sent to every student of the Meritorious School, and the head office would monitor it.

France: Man shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ kills one, injures two others in a knife attack near Eiffel Tower, says he was upset over Afghanistan and Palestine

OpIndia Staff
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France: Man shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ kills one, injures two others in a knife attack near Eiffel Tower, says he was upset over Afghanistan and Palestine

On Saturday (December 2), a man shouting “Allahu Akbar” killed a German tourist and injured two others in a knife attack in central Paris near the Eiffel Tower. The assailant is reported to have said that he was ‘upset’ over the death of Muslims in Afghanistan and Palestine. The name of the attacker has not been revealed.

Taking to X, France’s Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin confirmed the attack and said that the attacker has been arrested by the police.

“The police have just courageously arrested an assailant attacking passers-by in Paris, around the Quai de Grenelle. One deceased person and one injured person were treated by the Paris Fire Brigade. Please avoid the area,” Minister Darmanin posted.

Speaking to the media later, the Minister informed the attack took place at around 7 PM GMT when a man attacked a couple with a knife. The man was then chased by police, he then attacked two other people with a hammer before police arrested the 25-year-old French national, using a Taser stun gun. Darmanin said that the assailant shouted “Allahu Akbar” slogans and told police he was upset because “so many Muslims are dying in Afghanistan and in Palestine”.

The reports say that the anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office has taken charge of the investigation into the attack.

Reacting to the deadly attack, French President Emmanuel Macron offered condolences to the victims of the terrorist attack. “I send all my condolences to the family and loved ones of the German national who died this evening during the terrorist attack in Paris and think of the people currently injured and in care. My most sincere thanks to the emergency forces who made it possible to quickly arrest a suspect. The national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office will be responsible for shedding light on this matter so that justice can be done in the name of the French people,” President Macron posted on X.

Meanwhile, French Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne has expressed solidarity with the victims. “Following this evening’s attack in Paris, my thoughts are with the victim, the injured and their loved ones. I salute the courage and professionalism of our law enforcement and our mobilized emergency services. We will not give in to terrorism. Never,” Borne posted on X.

Reports say that the attacker had spent four years in prison earlier for planning a violent attack. He was released from jail after four years in 2020 and was under surveillance and receiving psychiatric therapy. The assailant was born in the Paris suburb of Neuilly-Sur-Seine. He was lately staying in the Essonne region, south of Paris, with his parents.

In October this year, a similar knife attack was reported at a school in Arras, resulting in the loss of a person’s life and causing severe injuries to two others after a terrorist named Mohammed Moguchkov screaming “Allahu Akbar” attacked the victim and inflicted severe blows. The fatal knife attack took place on ‘Global Day of Jihad’ which was called by Hamas terrorists on the first Friday since the 7th October terror attack on Israel.

Stormy parliamentary winter session expected: 21 bills on government agenda, including three to replace IPC, CrPC, Evidence Act

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Stormy parliamentary winter session expected: 21 bills on government agenda, including three to replace IPC, CrPC, Evidence Act

The winter session of Parliament is expected to be stormy with the Ethics Committee that probed the cash-for-query allegations against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra slated to lay its report on the opening day in Lok Sabha and the opposition parties firm on opposing some bills on the agenda of the government including the Bill to regulate the appointments for the Chief Election Commission and Other Election Commissioners.

The government held an all-party meeting on Saturday for the smooth functioning of the session that will have 15 sittings between December 4 and December 22. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired the meeting of floor leaders of political parties in both houses of Parliament

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi later told reporters that the government is always ready to discuss on the floor of the House, any issue as permitted under rules by respective presiding officers. He also requested all party leaders for active cooperation and support for the smooth functioning of the two Houses of Parliament.

“We have said that we are ready for discussion, but they will also have to follow the procedure for a structured debate. This is the last session of the 17th Lok Sabha. So there should be a structural debate. We request that the House should run smoothly,” he said.

The government has 21 bills on its agenda for the session including the bills to replace IPC, Indian Evidence Act and CrPC.

Congress members said that they would raise issues concerning the people and demanded a discussion on the Ethics Committee report on allegations faced by Mahua Moitra.

“Congress does not believe in taking away the rights of Parliamentarians. Congress believes that the membership of those elected by the public should not be taken away by any committee. There should be a discussion on this,” Congress member Pramod Tewari told the media.

Revolutionary Socialist Party’s NK Premachandran said there should be a discussion on unemployment, price rise, Israel-Palestine conflict.

“Most of the members have raised objections against imposing Hindi in the criminal laws by giving new names to the Indian Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code as well as Indian Evidence Act. It is even very difficult to pronounce as far as the people belonging to South Indian states are concerned…The government has not responded. I hope that the House will go without any disruption,” he said.

Sources said Trinamool Congress leaders said during the meeting that the government does not share the full agenda at the all-party meeting and added that it “secretly added bills” in the middle of the last session.

They said that the three criminal law amendment bills should not be passed in the winter session as they have major ramifications. The bills should not be “bulldozed”, the Trinamool Congress MPs are learnt to have said.

They demanded discussion on federal structure – MNREGA dues, health funds, alleged interference in states – and issues of unemployment and price rise.

The Trinamool Congress MP is learnt to have said that reports of Parliamentary committees should not be made public until tabled on the floor of the House.

They alleged that the latest report of the Ethics Committee has already been exposed to the media and said they were seeing reports in the media that one member from Trinamool Congress is “going to be expelled”.

The winter session will be held a day after the declaration of results of assembly polls in five states – Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and Telangana. The outcome of the polls is expected to have resonance in the session.

Samajwadi Party MP Dr ST Hasan demanded a discussion on communal harmony in the country.

“Some people want to create division in society. Discussion should be done in Parliament on communal harmony. If communal harmony is absent, there will be nothing left in the country.”

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) raised the demand for caste census during the meeting.

BSP chief Mayawati, in a post on X, stated that her party conveyed that the central government should take ‘immediate positive steps’ in this regard. “In the all-party meeting today, before the winter session of Parliament, BSP again demanded the government to conduct a caste census in the country…The central government must take immediate positive steps in this regard…” she said in a post on X.

Mayawati said that the demand of the public for a caste-based census is giving ‘sleepless nights’ to the ruling party in the country.

“The unprecedented interest/awareness towards caste census among the people of the country, who are the victim of the casteist exploitation and atrocities and are suffering from inflation, poverty, unemployment, poor roads, water, electricity, education, health and law and order is giving sleepless nights to BJP and the Congress is busy covering up its crimes,” she alleged.

The BSP supremo further said that the central government should ensure that people are given their rights in the true sense.

“Although various state governments are half-heartedly trying to satisfy the public sentiments to a great extent by conducting caste census in the name of ‘social justice’, its true solution is possible only when the central government conducts the correct caste census at the national level and ensure that people are given their rights,” she added.

The bills on the agenda of the government include The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 and The Bhartiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023.

Opposition parties have opposed the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023.

The Congress has alleged that the bill is a “blatant attempt” at making the poll watchdog a “total puppet in the hands of the Prime Minister”.

Other bills on the government’s agenda include The Repealing and Amending Bill, 2023 (passed by Lok Sabha), the Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023, which have been passed by Rajya Sabha.

They also include the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Castes Order (Amendment) Bill, the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, Boilers Bill, 2023, the Provisional Collection of Taxes Bill, the Central Goods and Services Tax (Second Amendment) Bill, Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization (Amendment) Bill, Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, The National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Bill, Central Universities (Amendment) Bill and Post Office Bill.

Bills related to the first batch of supplementary demands for Grants for the year 2023-24 and demands for excess grants for 2020-21 are also on the agenda.

Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, Congress MPs Jairam Ramesh and Pramod Tiwari, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha’s Mahua Maji and TMC’s Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Derek O’Brien were among the leaders present at the meeting.

Congress leader and the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has written a letter to Speaker Om Birla on the report of the Ethics Committee reportedly recommending the expulsion of Mahua Moitra in the cash-for-query case saying that it would be an “extremely serious punishment and has very wide ramifications”.

In the letter, the Congress leader said that as per the records, before Mahua’s case, the Ethics Committee of Lok Sabha had dealt with a minuscule number of cases that mainly about purported acts of deviation from the general norms of conduct with the punitive action recommended being confined to– admonition, reprimand and suspension from the sittings of the House for a specified period.

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who is also chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, said the views expressed by him are in his capacity.

“If the media reports on the recommendations of the Ethics Committee on choosing to recommend expelling Ms. Mohua Moitra from Parliament are right, it would, perhaps be the first such recommendation of the Ethics Committee of Lok Sabha. Expulsion from Parliament, you will agree Sir, is an extremely serious punishment and has very wide ramifications,” he said.

The Ethics Committee, which probed the ‘cash-for-query’ allegations against Mahua Moitra, is slated to lay its report in Lok Sabha on the first day of the winter session of Parliament on December 4.

The listed agenda of Lok Sabha for December 4 mentions that Vinod Kumar Sonkar and Aparjita Sarangi lay the “on the Table the First Report (Hindi and English versions) of the Committee on Ethics”.

Lok Sabha Ethics Committee had last month submitted its draft report connection with the ‘cash-for-query’ case to Speaker Om Birla. Sources said the committee had recommended the expulsion of Moitra.

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

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