Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has drawn flak from former Israeli ambassador to India Daniel Carmon for not calling Hamas a terrorist group. In a video that has gone viral on X, formerly Twitter, Shashi Tharoor, while talking to India Today anchor Rajdeep Sardesai, said, “The terrorist organisation label is one that we are very careful not to follow other country’s leads in these matters. The US considers Hamas a terrorist organisation so does Israel. India has not made any such classification and I am gonna stick to the Indian position.”
Seriously, @ShashiTharoor,can you not?After decades of terror against my people,challenging the very Palestinian Authority,especially after this week’s savage slaughter of over a thousand peaceful human beings,can you not label Hamas as terrorists?Frankly,I am shocked.#HamasISIShttps://t.co/G1crdOtRsz
The interview was shared by many users on the internet including Daniel Carmon who did not mince his words in criticising Tharoor. He wrote, “Seriously, @ShashiTharoor, can you not? After decades of terror against my people, challenging the very Palestinian Authority, especially after this week’s savage slaughter of over a thousand peaceful human beings, can you not label Hamas as terrorists? Frankly, I am shocked.”
In response to Carmon, the Congress MP argued that India has not issued such a label to Hamas. “All I said was that India has not issued such a designation, though others have. Undoubtedly Hamas conducted terrorist acts, which I roundly condemned. Don’t be misled by crude headlines seeking to distort my words, @danielocarmon. I feel for you and other friends in Israel at this difficult time, and hope & pray for your continued safety,” Tharoor wrote.
Even as Tharoor used the Prime Minister’s statement to justify not calling Hamas terrorists, several users replied to the MP pointing out that PM Modi has categorically called the attacks on Israel as “terrorist attacks”.
The Indian PM has clearly called it a terror attack. Which part of that message wasn't clear to you? Your Congress Party has a soft corner for Hamas, which is more than clear now.
Moreover, in an exclusive conversation with NDTV, Tharoor lobbied for Palestine saying that “India should not forget the cause of Palestine”.
“India has so far — judging by the Prime Minister’s Tweets — has taken a stand unambiguously on the side of Israelis who have been subjected to this unjust and inhumane attack by the Hamas. That’s fine as far as it goes. But it doesn’t go far enough because there is a broader picture that seems to be missing from the traditional Indian position,” he told NDTV.
On 9th October, just two days after the terrorist attack by Hamas, the Congress Party expressed its sympathy for Palestinians. The Congress passed a resolution voicing concern over the situation and urged for a ceasefire, however, backed Palestine.
Two accused were arrested from Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut district in connection with the viral video of a man being dragged by a car in Delhi, ANI reported.
During initial interrogation, the accused revealed that they boarded the taxi as passengers and, after some time, threatened and pushed the taxi driver out of the car with the intention of robbing the vehicle, said Sagar Preet Hooda, Special Commissioner of Police (L&O) on Wednesday, a report in ANI stated.
As per reports, the accused have been identified as Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Mehraj, both residents of Meerut.
A viral video shows the body of a man being dragged by a car in Delhi.
The body of an unidentified male with injuries was found near the service road of NH8 on 10th October. The person was identified as a taxi driver with residence in Haryana's Faridabad. Case registered under… pic.twitter.com/LAnEcTvq7H
Earlier on Wednesday, the police said, after a video of a man being dragged by a car in Delhi surfaced online, the body of a 43-year-old man was found lying with injuries near the service road of National Highway-8 (NH8).
As per Delhi police, the viral video showed the man being dragged by a car in Delhi on the National Highway-8 near Mahipalpur. Police said that the deceased was identified as Bijender, a resident of Faridabad, Haryana.
Giving information about the case, police said, “On October 10, at around 11:20 PM, a PCR call was received at Vasant Kunj North Police Station that an unidentified body of a male with injuries was found near the service road of NH8.”
Shortly after the information was received, the police reached the scene and recovered the body of the deceased. Later, after an investigation, the body was identified as that of a taxi driver named Bijender, who is 43 years old and a resident of Faridabad.
Subsequently, the police registered a case under sections 302 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Vasant Kunj North Police Station.
As per reports, Bijender was driving his taxi, a Swift Dzire, in the Mahipalpur area when the robbers tried to steal his car. Bijender had last called his wife at around 7.30 pm saying he is picking up the first passengers of the evening. Both the accused Mehraj and Asif, are history sheeters and have around 15 cases registered against them.
Mehraj and Asif had boarded Bijender’s cab at Saket, posing as passengers, and had attacked him near the Delhi cantonment area.
On 11th October (Wednesday), the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the amendment of the Second Schedule of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (‘MMDR Act’). This would specify the rate of royalty with respect to 3 critical and strategic minerals, namely, Lithium, Niobium, and Rare Earth Elements (REEs), a PIB statement said.
The rate of royalty fixed for these critical and strategic minerals is as follows –
(ii) Niobium –3% of the Average Sale Price (both for primary and secondary sources),
(iii) Rare Earth Elements – 1% of the Average Sale Price of Rare Earth Oxide
The Cabinet’s decision to specify the rate of royalty for these minerals will enable the Central Government to auction blocks for Lithium, Niobium, and REEs for the first time in the country.
Taking to X, Union Minister for Coals and Mines, Pralhad Joshi highlighted that this decision will allow the central government, for the first time, to auction these minerals. He also added that this decision will attract active participation from the bidders and boast the economic activities that are dependent on these minerals in the coming days.
The cabinet headed by Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji has approved royalty rates for 3 critical minerals, including Lithium and Niobium. This decision will allow the central government, for the first time, to auction these minerals. This will not only attract active… pic.twitter.com/ABvoB58izO
It is important to note that the royalty rate on minerals is believed to be one of the important financial considerations for the bidders in the auction of blocks. Further, the Ministry of Mines has also prepared the manner for calculation of the Average Sale Price (ASP) of these minerals which will enable the determination of bid parameters. Recently, the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2023 was passed by the Parliament. Subsequently, it came into force on 17th August 2023.
The Amendment delisted six minerals which included Lithium and Niobium, from the list of atomic minerals. With this, it allowed the grant of concessions for these minerals to the private sector through auction.
Further, the amendment allowed the Central Government to auction the mining lease and composite license of 24 critical and strategic minerals (which are listed in Part D of the First Schedule of the Act), including Lithium, Niobium, and REEs (not containing Uranium and Thorium).
Notably, the royalty rates for various minerals are provided in the Second Schedule of the MMDR Act. Under the previous rule, if royalty rates for certain minerals weren’t mentioned specifically, they were set at 12% of the Average Sale Price (ASP) which would have pegged the royalty rate for Lithium, Niobium, and REE at 12% of the ASP, the default royalty rate. However, this royalty rate of 12% would not have been comparable with other mineral-producing countries and was considerably high compared to other critical and strategic minerals.
Further, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and other exploration agencies have been conducting explorations to find critical and strategic minerals in the country and has recently handed over the exploration report of REE and Lithium blocks.
The government is planning to soon start auctioning critical and strategic minerals like Lithium, REE, Nickel, Platinum Group of Elements, Potash, Glauconite, Phosphorite, Graphite, Molybdenum, and others.
Critical minerals have now become indispensable for the country’s economic growth and national security. Minerals like Lithium and REEs, in particular, have gained immense importance in line with India’s dedication to energy transition and achieving net-zero emissions by 2070. The strategic significance of minerals such as Lithium, Niobium, and REEs has grown due to their various applications and the geopolitical landscape. Promoting domestic mining would reduce the need for imports and pave the way for the development of associated industries and infrastructure projects. Moreover, this proposal is anticipated to boost employment opportunities in the mining sector.
As Israel continues retaliatory military action against Hamas in Gaza following the horrific multi-front terror attack by Hamas in Southern Israel on Saturday (7 October), the attacks on Israel from Lebanon in the north has also intensified. After missiles and mortars were fired into Israel from Lebanon, the base of the armed group Hezbollah, today sirens went off in towns across northern Israel after several drones infiltrated from Lebanon.
Reports suggest that dozens of drones were launched from Lebanon into Israel. As a result, alarms were sounded in several places including the Golan Heights, Tiberias, Safed, Beit Shean and other areas. Residents in those places were asked to lock their houses and enter shelters due to threats of bombings and terror attacks.
As per a report by Channel 12, 15 to 20 drones and aircraft were spotted near Upper Galilee in northern Israel. The head of the Galil Elyon Regional Council, Giora Zaltz, told Channel 12 news that some of the aircraft that infiltrated from Lebanon are carrying people, and residents need to seek shelter. “This is what we feared, what we were preparing for,” he added.
Channel 12 also published a map showing the places where alarms went off, and it shows that hundreds of places along the Lebanon border are considered under threat.
Map showing places where alarms were sounded (Source: Channel 12)
The aircraft carrying people could be paragliders, the aircraft used by Hamas terrorists to enter Israel from Gaza during the Saturday attack.
However, the Israel Defense Forces said it has not identified any impacts and there are no reports of injuries following drone infiltration alerts that sounded across northern Israel. “IDF forces are scanning the area from the ground and from the air,” the military said.
Moreover, long-range rockets fired from Gaza fell in an open area in Haifa, the coastal city in northern Israel. This rocket attack triggered alarms in the city.
Video of a drone flying over northern Israel had also appeared, but later it was found to be Israeli.
The drone infiltration comes after Hezbollah fired anti-tank missiles at an Israeli military position near the Lebanon border earlier on Wednesday. The Israel Defense Forces said that it responded with a drone strike on a Hezbollah post. Earlier, 15 rockets were launched from Lebanon at the Western Galilee, however, nobody was injured in the attack. IDF has been engaging with Hezbollah on the northern border since the Hamas attack.
It is notable that earlier today the US and several other Western powers warned Hezbollah against escalating the Israel-Hamas war.
The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has been cautioned by the United States and its allies against escalating the conflict in Israel. This comes after the deployment of US military assets to prevent a potential widening of the war, multiple US officials aware of the matter told CNN.
At this point, senior administration officials do not believe that Hezbollah is likely to join Hamas’ war in force against Israel, and officials think the warnings are having an impact even though there has been some escalation on the border.
A message has been sent to Hezbollah to stay out of the conflict through a number of channels, including the Lebanese government and the Hezbollah-allied Speaker of Lebanon’s Parliament, Nabih Berri.
Berri was mentioned by administration officials briefing Congress on Sunday as a go-between, according to a person familiar with the briefing. The US won’t officially engage with what has been designated a terrorist group, so Berri is one natural conduit, as per CNN.
At Israel’s request, France has also conveyed to Hezbollah that they must stay out of the war and not escalate further or Israel will respond significantly, a source briefed on the talks said. Those discussions were also coordinated with the US, the source said.
“Western allies who have informal ties with Hezbollah have conveyed some messages,” a Western diplomat confirmed, adding that the response by Hezbollah indicated “the pre-existing will of Hezbollah not to escalate for now.”
A senior defence official said on Monday, “We are deeply concerned about Hezbollah making the wrong decision and choosing to open a second front to this conflict,” adding: “We are working with Israel and with our partners across the region to contain this to Gaza.”
Hezbollah is a highly trained, well-armed and sophisticated military force that also receives Iranian support, so its entry into the conflict would mark a significant escalation. But current and former senior officials don’t believe Hezbollah is eager to join the war, largely because the risks for the group would outweigh any potential rewards.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has ordered the deployment of a carrier strike group to the eastern Mediterranean in large part as a message to Hezbollah and its Iranian backers to refrain from entering the war.
US security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters at the White House on Tuesday: “Let me be clear, we did not move the carrier for Hamas. We moved the carrier to send a clear message of deterrence to other states or non-state actors that might seek to widen this war.”
President Joe Biden reinforced that message in remarks on Tuesday from the White House.
“Let me say again, to any country, any organization, anyone thinking of taking advantage of the situation, I have one word: Don’t. Don’t. Our hearts may be broken, but our resolve is clear,” he said.
US Mission to Israel Charge d’Affaires ad interim Stephanie Hallett was on Wednesday present at the Gaza periphery to bear witness to the atrocities that were committed on Saturday. “We’ve come down here along the Gaza periphery to bear witness to the atrocities that were committed here on Saturday. And it’s really unbelievable, as a mother and just as a human being, to see and to know what happened here is really important, to say that we’ve been here, we’ve seen it, and it is evil. And we stand with Israel. All of us. We stand with Israel.”
The IDF earlier said an anti-tank missile was launched from Lebanon towards a military post near the community of Arab Al-Aramshe.
Taking to X, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) stated, “An anti-tank missile was launched from Lebanon toward a military post adjacent to the community of Arab Al-Aramshe on the #BlueLine.”
A suspected infiltration attempt occurred near the border town of Rosh HaNikra.
A senior Israel Defence Forces (IDF) officer and two soldiers were killed during a firefight with terrorists who infiltrated into Israeli territory from southern Lebanon on Monday afternoon, the military confirmed on Tuesday.
Five additional Israeli troops were wounded in the attack, according to the IDF.
The officer was identified as 300th Brigade Deputy Commander Lt Col Alim Abdullah, 40, from the Druze village of Yanuh-Jat in northern Israel.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
As Israeli defence forces continue bombing Hamas sites in the Gaza Strip, the territory experienced a complete power outage after the sole power station in the Palestinian enclave stopped working, Reuters reported, citing Hamas media. The development comes two days after Israel announced that it was going to impose a “total blockade” on Gaza which would include a ban on admitting food and fuel to the area.
As Israel had stopped supplying electricity to Gaza due to the horrific terror attack by Hamas, the Gaza Strip was completely dependent on a diesel-powered power plant. However, the plant ran out of fuel as Israel imposed a complete blockade, resulting in a complete loss of electricity for the territory. Israel cut the power supply to Gaza after the Israeli defence minister announced the government’s intention to do so.
BREAKING: Gaza ran out of its last fuel reserves and all power sources are down. No more electricity in Gaza.
After Hamas terrorists launched a rocket attack and ground invasion on 7th October, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced, “There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed.” Since then, Gaza has been facing an electricity crisis as Israel stopped the supply of electricity to the region. But now, its only other source of power has also run out of fuel and has reportedly stopped working leaving Gaza with no electricity.
Earlier, on 7th October (Saturday), the power authority in Gaza reported an electricity shortage of close to 80 percent. On 9th October (Monday), the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs had estimated that the power plant could soon run out of fuel.
Public advocacy director at Gisha, Miriam Marmur said, “Within a matter of days Gaza will be in a blackout.”
It is notable that the main source of electricity for Gaza is Israel, apart from its own diesel plant. Two power companies in Israel supply around 120 megawatts of power to Gaza through ten power lines over the fenced border. When the Gaza power plant was working, it often operated at reduced capacity due to its dependence on inefficient diesel fuel.
Earlier Egypt also used to supply electricity to Gaza through the border, but it was stopped in 2018.
(Image Source – The Washington Post)
As per an Israeli nonprofit organisation Gisha, the sole power plant in Gaza runs on diesel fuel which has been funded by Qatar in recent years. The plant was purchased from Israel and was transported to Gaza via the strategic Kerem Shalom Crossing.
The power supply in Gaza is around 195 megawatts, out of which 120 megawatts of electricity is purchased from Israel which was used to be delivered through direct power lines to the Gaza Strip. Whereas, Gaza’s sole power plant has three turbines which produce energy in the ranges between 65-75 megawatts.
(Image Source – The Washington Post)
Till the time Hamas terrorists attacked Israeli citizens and made ground invasions inside Israeli territory, Gazans were reportedly getting up to 15 hours of electricity per day on average, depending on weather conditions.
However, the Israel-Hamas war has entered its fifth day and Gaza’s sole power plant has reportedly run out of power while Israel has already announced a ‘complete blockade’. On account of these developments, the 2.3 million Gazans are facing a complete blackout in the region.
On the fifth day of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, Israel asserted that it had regained full control of its border towns that were captured by Hamas terrorists. According to The Times of Israel, the death toll from Hamas terror and ground invasion has passed 1,200. Additionally, over 3,000 people have been injured, and many of them are in critical condition.
In its retaliation, IAF has launched mass strikes in Gaza, bombing a large number of Hamas bases. Israel Defense Forces has said that the bodies of 1,500 Hamas terrorists who had invaded Israel through land, sea and aerial routes have been found around southern Israel. Hundreds more have been killed inside Gaza in IDF operations.
On 11th October (Wednesday), Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Benny Gantz agreed to form an emergency unity government and a war Cabinet amid ‘Operation Swords of Iron’ against Hamas terrorists.
The joint statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Gantz read, “An agreement has been reached to bring Benny Gantz’s opposition National Unity party into an emergency government amid the war with Hamas in Gaza following days of negotiations.”
According to the agreement, a small war cabinet to direct the war with Hamas will be created, as demanded by Gantz, which will include just Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Gantz, The Times of Israel reported.
Additionally, Former IDF general National Unity MK Gadi Eisenkot along with Minister Ron Dermer will serve as observers in the war cabinet.
Taking to X, Economy Minister Nir Barkat wrote, “The State of Israel has a unity government. At a time like this, we must join forces, give support to IDF soldiers, and work as one until there is a complete victory of the State of Israel over its enemy.”
יש ממשלת אחדות למדינת ישראל. בשעה כזו עלינו להתאחד, לתת גב לחיילי צה״ל ולפעול כאיש אחד עד לניצחון מוחלט של מדינת ישראל על האויב. בעזרת השם, ביחד ננצח!
Additional information about the unity government reveals that throughout the entire war, five members from the National Unity party will join the expanded security cabinet, which operates under every government — Gantz, Eisenkot, MK Gideon Sa’ar, and two others yet to be determined.
A position in the war cabinet has been left open for Opposition Leader Yair Lapid. He has reportedly refused to join the government if the far-right Religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit parties remain in it, as reported by The Times of Israel.
However, it has been agreed that no legislation in the Knesset or government resolutions will be advanced during the war that is not related to managing the war.
Meanwhile, the Israel-Hamas war has entered its fifth day and Hamas media has reported that its sole power plant has stopped working leaving 2.3 million Gazans to face a complete blackout.
Israel has asserted that it has regained full control of its border towns that were captured by Hamas terrorists. According to The Times of Israel, the death toll from Hamas terror and ground invasion has passed 1,200. In its retaliation, IAF has launched mass strikes in Gaza, hitting at least 150 targets overnight. These reportedly included the Homes of the Hamas commander’s father. The Israeli forces have also killed 18 infiltrating gunmen in the past 24 hours.
On Saturday (7th October), a student union coalition at Harvard University issued a statement blaming Israel for the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. The letter issued by the Harvard Palestine Solidarity Groups was co-signed by 33 student groups.
Calling Israel an apartheid regime the letter asserted that Israel alone is responsible for the fresh onslaught by the Hamas terrorists. The pro-Palestine letter accused Israel of ‘systematised land seizures’, ‘regular airstrikes’, ‘detentions’ and forced family disappearances. The letter for all the obvious reasons did not mention the atrocities committed by the Hamas terrorists though.
“The apartheid regime is the only one to blame. Israeli violence has structured every aspect of Palestinian existence for 75 years. From systematized land seizures to routine airstrikes, arbitrary detentions to military checkpoints, and enforced family separations to targeted killings, Palestinians have been forced to live in a state of death, both slow and sudden,” the letter reads.
The statement concludes with the pro-Palestine student union coalition calling on the Harvard community to “take action to stop the ongoing annihilation of Palestinians.”
The letter sparked a huge outrage with many Harvard alumni condemning the university’s inaction against the said letter. Moreover, several corporate heads also announced that they would not hire anyone of those who supported Hamas which is inflicting atrocities on innocent Israeli civilians.
Interestingly, several Indians were also among the thousands of signatories of the outrageous letter. Notably, a student group named Harvard Undergraduate Ghungroo supported the pro-Palestine resolution only to backtrack later. It is notable that this organisation is a part of Harvard’s South Asian Art (SAA). As per the information available on SAA’s website, Arjun Prasad is the co-president of SAA along with Farib Mahmud while Siona Prasad and Nikhil Dharmaraj are SAA’s cultural chair.
Interestingly, the Board of members of the SAA had supported the infamous Hinduphobic SB403 Bill alongside Thenmozhi Soundararajan, Executive Director of Equality Labs, the dubious organisation that supported the bill. The contentious bill was recently returned by the governor of California Gavin Newsom who found the bill unnecessary since the existing law already prohibits discrimination based on caste, color, religion and other similar lines.
In the media section of the SAA’s website, a screenshot of a video conference held by the SAA board members including Nikhil Dharmaraj and Siona Prasad along with Equality Labs’s Thenmozhi Soundararajan titled “Caste 101: Fighting Caste Discrimination in CS/Tech.
Image source: harvardsaa.com
As reported earlier the bill was tabled by Senator Aisha Wahhab and passed by the state assembly on 29th August this year, however, it could not become a law with the governor’s veto. The bill was completely based on the Cisco caste case that fell flat in January 2023. Despite the main case on which Aisha Wahab and Equality Labs based the bill was no longer effective in the court, the California State Assembly moved forward and passed the bill.
SAA’s Nikhil Dharmaraj in May this year wrote a piece for far-left propaganda magazine The Caravan titled: “The dangers of facial-recognition technology in Indian policing”. The article not surprisingly was blatantly Hinduphobic. Nikhil Dharmaraj in his propaganda piece also blamed Hindus/Hindu mob for the 2020 anti-Hindu Delhi riots.
The “saree-loving” Nikhil Dharmaraj in an X post regarding the said article did not forget to bring in Brahminical genealogies even in subjects like AI and face recognition technology.
Humbled to share this piece today covering the insidious Brahminical and colonial genealogies of AI surveillance and facial recognition tech in Hindutva India (a short-form version of my senior thesis)—read below / DM me re any access issues ⬇️ https://t.co/DoId3fhGQP
Notably, Dharmaraj over the years has been a hater of Israel. As reported by Canary Mission, Dharmaraj was also a member of Harvard University’s Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSC) in 2020, 2022, and 2023. It is rather ironic to see a queer supporting Islamic terrorist organisation like Hamas when Islamists openly despise queers.
Moreover, Nikhil Dharmaraj and the abovementioned SAA board members are a part of South Asians for Forward-Thinking Advocacy and Research (SAFAR) which has been a pro-Palestine and pro-Kashmir ‘freedom’ organisation known for its disdain towards India and Israel.
As highlighted by an X user who goes by the name “Sensei Kraken Zero”, one of the signatories of the anti-Israel Harvard student union statement, Sravya Tadepalli is on the board of directors of a dubious organisation named Hindus for Human Rights.
Sravya Tadepalli, who signed off on the Harvard Students Union letter in support of Hamas/Palestine and blaming Israel for the terror attack, is also on the Board of Directors of the Anti-Hindu organisation "Hindus For Human Rights" (HFHR).
It is worth noting that HFHR co-founded by Sunita Vishwanath is notorious for its pathological hatred for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is the same organisation that endorsed the infamous ‘Dismantling Global Hindutva’ event. To no surprise, the HFHR also has links to the controversial financier and ‘regime change specialist’ George Soros.
There is one thing in common about most of the Indian signatories of the outrageous statement against their hatred for PM Modi and India’s “right wing”. Shraddha Joshi, another Harvard alumni to sign the said statement has been a Modi hater as evidenced by her article titled: “Modi’s Visit to the US Whitewashes India’s Far-Right Violence” published in The Nation magazine in June this year as PM Modi was on a historic state visit to the United States. “Ever since Modi took power in 2014 as the leader of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), India has experienced what is widely described as democratic backsliding, characterized by anti-minority and caste-based violence along with brutal crackdowns on dissent,” the article reads.
Interestingly, Joshi has also been an intern at propaganda portalNewsClickwhich is currently under investigation over receiving funds from China for peddling pro-China propaganda. The portal is accused of flouting theForeign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) rules. Shraddha Joshi is also a supporter of Urban Naxal and ‘journalist’ Gautam Navlakha.
Excerpt from Shraddha Joshi’s The Nation article (Image source: thenation.com)
It is worth recalling that Gautam Navlakha was arrested in 2020 when 11 people were taken into custody for organizing and giving provocative speeches during the Elgar Parishad event on the 31st of December 2017. The event was organized by “activists” of Kabir Kala Manch in Pune. The NIA says that the event promoted enmity between different groups of people and caste groups, leading to violence and loss of life. The NIA investigation revealed that the organizers of Elgar Parishad were in touch with leaders of CPI (Maoist), a banned terror outfit under UAPA, and were spreading the ideology of Naxalism/Maoism to encourage unlawful activity.
As per a Canary Mission report, Shraddha Joshi was an organiser at Harvard Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSC). Joshi has also been involved in furthering anti-Israel propaganda. Being a typical hypocrite, Joshi has been actively involved in downplaying the violence committed by the Palestinian side against Israel while blaming Israel for the conflict between the two countries over the years.
Israel Hamas War
The terrorist organisation Hamas launched a devastating terror strike on Israeli soil on 7th October. Over 900 people were killed in the attack. Paragliders and vehicle-borne Hamas terrorists brandishing automatic weapons stormed the border fences, attacking civilians, residential communities, and even a music festival in Southern Israel. In retaliation to the brutal terrorist attack, Israel declared war on Hamas and has been bombarding the Gaza Strip with bombs for three days. Hundreds of Israelis and other nationals have been reported to have been kidnapped by Hamas. Despite the fact that Hamas is holding innocent Israeli people hostage, killing children and families, and raping women, the student unions of Harvard extended support to Hamas and blamed Israel.
As Israel launched a massive retaliatory action against Hamas in the Gaza Strip after the Hamas terror attack on Israel on Saturday, several Muslim nations have expressed their support for Hamas. A minister in Turkey has gone ahead in this aspect, who warned Israeli PM Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Hamas will kill him.
Nazif Yilmaz who is the Deputy Minister of National Education of Turkey threatened Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with death on X (Twitter). Referring to the Hamas terrorists, he wrote, “One day they will shoot you too. You will die.” Nazif Yilmaz posted this in reaction to a post uploaded by Netanyahu which portrayed Israel’s military retaliation to the recent gruesome attack on the Jewish nation. Netanyahu posted a video showing Israeli forces bombing Hamas sites in Gaza, with the caption ‘continue with all the strength’.
The Turkish minister however later deleted the tweet.
Notably, the Eurasian country is a major part of the powerful North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) alliance headed by the United States. The comment received backlash from social media users who reminded the politician of the horrifying terror attack perpetrated by Hamas terrorists.
A netizen asked him what response he expected after the assailants massacred kids and added that Hamas “knowingly sacrificed their own when they committed acts of terror.”
WHAT DID YOU EXPECT???? THEY SLAUGHTERED KIDS AT A MUSIC FESTIVAL!!! HAMAS KNEW THIS WOULD BE THE RESPONSE. THEY!! THEY!! THEY!! KNOWINGLY SACRIFICED THEIR OWN WHEN THEY COMMITTED THESE ACTS OF TERROR.
An individual remarked, “Take a look at the deputy minister of national education of the republic. Notice his tone. The war between the two countries does not concern the ministry of national education nor it was provoked by the social media account. You don’t care what we think in private. Do not confuse your ministry. Be accountable.”
Cumhuriyetin milli eğitim bakan yardımcısına bak . Üsluba bak. İki ülke arasında yaşanan savaş ne milli eğitim bakanlığını ilgilendirir ne onun makamının sosyal medya hesabından provakasyon yapılır. Özelde ne düşündüğümüz umurunuzda değil . Bakanlığı Hesabınızda karıştırmayın.!
Armed Hamas terrorists stormed Israel during the attack on 7 October where they ransacked homes, rampaged through farms along with neighbourhoods and took up hundreds of hostages back to Gaza in addition to slaughtering at least 1,200 people and injuring thousands more including women, children and elderly. Since Israel began airstrikes on the Palestinian enclave at least 1,000 people have died in Gaza and many more are injured.
It is important to note that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is known for his proximity with the Islamist elements as well as providing monetary support to religious seminars in India to radicalise Muslims and taking them on a full-expense covered trip to his country for further indoctrination.
He has repeatedly supported Pakistan on the Kashmir issue and never condemned the terrorism carried out by the southsian country. Turkey has been found guilty of funding anti-India activities along with Pakistan including the anti-CAA protests and radical preacher Zakir Naik.
On 10th October (Tuesday), Pakistani wicket-keeping batsman Muhammad Rizwan addressed a post-match press conference. He claimed that their game against Sri Lanka in Hyderabad felt like it was some sort of a home game. He argued that the strong support of the Hyderabad crowd made him feel as if they were playing in Lahore, Karachi, or Rawalpindi.
During the post-match event, Rizwan said, “I felt like I was playing a match in Pindi. The way the crowd gave love today, and not just for me, but for the whole Pakistan team, they gave love.”
One sports journalist inquired about his health as during the match he displayed signs of facing cramps. He noted that even they were feeling pained to see him like that and went on to claim that he played like a mujahid. He also inquired about Pakistan’s 15-day stay in Hyderabad. It is worth noting that during the presentation ceremony when he was asked about cramps, Rizwan said, “Sometimes it is cramps, sometimes it is acting.”
To which, Rizwan made this observation underscoring that support from the Hyderabad crowd made them feel like a home game. However, he also claimed that they were glad to see that the Hyderabadi crowd lauded good cricket as they also supported Sri Lankan cricketers.
Regarding Hyderabad’s hospitality during their 15-day stay, Rizwan expressed, “Hospitality, you all must have seen it. Someone must have taken pictures when we came to the airport. You must have seen it. What you guys didn’t see, the way these guys welcomed us at the airport, was awesome. The way the crowd came, everyone saw it today, the way they gave their voices with love, I said earlier that I felt like I was playing in front of the crowd of Rawalpindi, our ground in Lahore is big, a lot of people come there, this ground felt like Rawalpindi. Today it seems that Pakistan’s match is taking place in Rawalpindi.”
Another sports journalist inquired about the specific aspects of Rizwan’s cricketing skills that he has focused on to enhance his performance over the years.
In his response, he thanked the team management for moving him upward on the batting order. He, however, added that he had the required skillset from the start and had done nothing special except hard work which Allah demanded from him. He added that Allah is Rabbul Alamin and it is by grace that luck favoured him as with that even a thick edge could land in the empty ground.
Meanwhile, loud chants of “Jeetega bhai Jeetega, Pakistan jeetega” engulfed the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Tuesday evening during the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka match of the World Cup 2023. Several social media users took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to express their shock over the support Pakistan was receiving in its match against Sri Lanka.
“Loud chants of “Jeetega bhai jeetega, Pakistan jeetega” in Hyderabad stadium. They did not start organically but the DJ said “jeetega bhai jeetega” & left it to the crowd to finish the famous chant,” said one of the X users, while sharing a video of the same.
Loud chants of "Jeetega bhai jeetega, Pakistan jeetega" in Hyderabad stadium.
They did not start organically but DJ said "jeetega bhai jeetega" & left it to the crowd to finish the famous chant.
A day after the match in which he scored a man-winning innings of unbeaten 131 runs, Muhammad Rizwan dedicated Pakistan’s win to “brothers and sisters in Gaza.” Taking to X, he also thanked the Indian audience and added, “Extremely grateful to the people of Hyderabad for the amazing hospitality and support throughout.” However, the cricketer received a lot of flak for interjecting politics into the game.
This was for our brothers and sisters in Gaza. ??
Happy to contribute in the win. Credits to the whole team and especially Abdullah Shafique and Hassan Ali for making it easier.
Extremely grateful to the people of Hyderabad for the amazing hospitality and support throughout.
Why ICC, BCCI, and the GoI need to take stern action over Muhammad Rizwan’s post glorifying Hamas terrorists
Rizwan’s tweet appeared to be in violation of the code of conduct drawn up by the ICC, which has strict rules for cricketers indulging in making political and religious statements. In fact, in World Cup 2019, the ICC had objected to something as benign as wearing wicket-keeping gloves with Indian Army insignia and had asked former Indian wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni to remove them.
“The ICC has responded to the BCCI to confirm the logo displayed by MS Dhoni in the previous match is not permitted to be worn on his wicket-keeping gloves at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019,” the ICC statement issued in 2019 read.
Similarly, in 2014, the ICC banned English cricketer Moeen Ali from wearing “Save Gaza” and “Free Palestine” wristbands while playing for England.
The BCCI should also take note of Rizwan’s comment and ensure that foreign cricketers who have come to India for the 2023 World Cup don’t end up exploiting the cricketing platform to peddle individual agendas and express sympathy for terrorists who killed hundreds of civilians in Israel. The Indian government should also step in and convey to the Pakistan Cricket Board that their cricketers must refrain from politicising the sport while being in India for an ICC event. Rizwan should be made to apologise for politicising the World Cup and asked to pull down his post.
