On 28th October, Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu said fighting (the Hamas terrorists) inside the Gaza Strip would be “long and difficult“. He assured that Israel is prepared for the on-ground operation inside the Gaza Strip. The Israeli forces have been operating inside the Gaza Strip for over 24 hours. Speaking to the media, Netanyahu said, “The war in the (Gaza) Strip will be long and difficult, and we are prepared for it.”
Hostages’ families fear for the lives of their loved ones
Netanyahu also met the families of the hostages whom the Hamas terrorists took away during the 7th October terrorist attack on southern Israel that killed 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals. Israel has assured the families that they can achieve both goals of rescuing hostages and destroying Hamas simultaneously. However, according to the Associated Press report, the families of the hostages are afraid of their fate.
Following the intensified air strikes in Gaza on 28th October, the families protested outside the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv and demanded a meeting with the PM and other officials. Netanyahu met them and assured them to “exercise and exhaust every possibility to bring them home”. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant is scheduled to meet the families on 29th October.
Hamas offered to exchange hostages for prisoners
Meanwhile, Hamas has reportedly offered Israel an exchange. The terrorist organisation claimed it would release all the hostages if Israel released all Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Notably, Israel has done prison exchanges in the past. In 2011, they released 1,000 prisoners in exchange for one soldier identified as Gilad Schalit, who was kidnapped and taken to Gaza. One of the prisoners released was Hamas’ top leader, Yehi Sinwar, who was convicted of killing many Israeli nationals.
PM Modi and the Egyptian President discussed the Israel-Hamas war over the phone
On 28th October, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to discuss the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. The two leaders discussed the conflict and humanitarian situation in West Asia. They shared concerns about the escalating terrorism, violence and loss of civilian lives.
Yesterday, spoke with President @AlsisiOfficial. Exchanged views on the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in West Asia. We share concerns regarding terrorism, violence and loss of civilian lives. We agree on the need for early restoration of peace and stability…
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), PM Modi wrote, “Yesterday, I spoke with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. Exchanged views on the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in West Asia. We share concerns regarding terrorism, violence and loss of civilian lives. We agree on the need for early restoration of peace and stability and facilitating humanitarian assistance.”
Israel Hamas war
On 7th October (local time), Hamas launched the worst terrorist attack on southern Israel, killing at least 1,300 Israelis and foreign nationals, including children, elderly and women. Over 200 people were taken hostage by the Hamas terrorists. Women were raped, children were killed in front of their parents, the elderly were shot dead point black in their homes, Israeli soldiers were killed, and the terrorists mutilated their bodies during the attack. Israel launched a counter-strike on Hamas. So far, around 8,000 lives have been lost in Israeli air strikes. Israel has warned the civilians multiple times to evacuate, but reports suggest that Hamas terrorists kept stopping them. Meanwhile, India launched Operation Ajay to rescue Indians from Israel. On 29th October, the Israel-Hamas war entered its 22nd day.
Actor Matthew Perry, best known for his role as Chandler Bing in ‘Friends’ sitcom, has died. He was 54.
Matthew Perry was found dead on Saturday in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home, law enforcement sources told the LA Times, Variety reported.Authorities found him unresponsive around 4 pm, and there were no signs of foul play or drugs on the scene.
Matthew Perry became a household name with his role as Chandler Bing in the infamous American show ‘Friends’, which ran for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004. He received a Primetime Emmy nomination in 2002 for his performance in the sitcom.
Along with ‘Friends’, Matthew Perry appeared in other television series such as ‘Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip’, ‘Go On’ and ‘The Odd Couple’. He scored two Emmy nominations in 2003 and 2004 for outstanding guest actor in a drama series for his role as Joe Quincy in ‘The West Wing’.
Prior to gaining stardom with ‘Friends’ alongside Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox and Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry also appeared on ‘Who’s the Boss?’, ‘Beverly Hill, 90210’, ‘Home Free’ and more.
However, it’s his role of Chandler Bing that made him extremely popular.’Friends’, a show about six pals living in New York in their 20s and 30s, became one of the most popular TV shows of all time.
An average of 25 million people tuned into each new episode, and the series finale drew 52.5 Americans, making it the fifth highest-viewed series finale ever and the most-watched TV episode of the 2000s.
Matthew Perry’s Chandler was the snarky, self-deprecating friend of the group, but his sarcasm hid a deeper insecurity and awkwardness that was played for some of the show’s biggest laughs.The news of Matthew Perry’s demise has left fans in utter shock.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
Amid the ongoing aerial assault on Hamas in Gaza, combined with the launch of a ground operation by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on the counter-offensive post the terror attacks on October 7 and the continuing global efforts to rush humanitarian aid to war-ravaged Gazans.
Sharing details of his conversations with the Egyptian President on his social media handle, PM Modi said both leaders shared concerns over the scourge of terrorism and the loss of civilian lives amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
“Yesterday, spoke with President @AlsisiOfficial. Exchanged views on the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in West Asia. We share concerns regarding terrorism, violence, and loss of civilian lives. We agree on the need for early restoration of peace and stability and facilitating humanitarian assistance,” PM Modi posted from his official handle on X.
Earlier, on Sunday, the spokesman for the Egyptian President said in a Facebook post that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President al-Sisi exchanged views on the latest developments in the “Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip” and the danger of a further escalation of the conflict.
The spokesperson added that during the call, al-Sisi stressed Egypt’s continued efforts to coordinate regional and international efforts to push for a ceasefire.
“President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received a phone call from Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, in which views were exchanged between the two leaders on the latest developments in the Israeli military operations in the Gaza strip, and the danger of continuing the current escalation — its grave impact on the lives of civilians and the threat it poses to security,” read a translation of the spokesperson’s Facebook post.
He added that President ai-Sisi also cautioned against the potentially disastrous humanitarian and security effects of the ground assault on the Gaza Strip during his telephone conversation with PM Modi.
“President stressed Egypt’s continued efforts to coordinate regional and international efforts to push for a ceasefire, warning for dangerous repercussions, humanitarian and security, of the ground attack on the Gaza strip, and stressing the necessity of Unified International Action to find an immediate solution to the situation. The diplomatic level includes implementing an immediate humanitarian truce that preserves the lives of civilians and allows humanitarian aid to enter the Strip immediately and without interruption or obstruction, in line with the United Nations General Assembly’s resolution in this regard was issued yesterday evening, October 27,” the spokesperson said.
The two leaders also voiced satisfaction over the progress in bilateral relations and the strategic partnership between Egypt and India. Over the weekend, on Saturday and Sunday, a total of 34 trucks transported much-needed supplies, including food, water, medications, and medical equipment from Egypt to Gaza via the Rafah crossing. The convoy on Sunday was subjected to additional security inspections, a security official told CNN.
Despite these efforts, human rights organisations have expressed concerns over insufficient aid reaching the Palestinian enclave. UN experts declared Israel’s actions in Gaza to be tantamount to crimes against humanity on Thursday, CNN reported, adding that with Israel’s border crossings closed to Gaza, the Rafah crossing connecting Egypt and Gaza remains the only viable route for delivering aid to the Palestinian enclave.
The humanitarian aid sent by India for the people of Palestine arrived in Egypt on Sunday last week, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. The Indian envoy to Egypt, Ajit Gupte, handed over the relief material to the Egyptian Red Crescent for onward transmission to Palestine.
“India’s humanitarian aid for the people of Palestine arrives in Egypt. Amb @indembcairo@AjitVGupte handed over the relief material to the Egyptian Red Crescent for onward transmission to Palestine,” the official spokesperson for the MEA, Arindam Bagchi, posted from his official handle on social media platform X.
(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 28th October (Saturday), Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen announced that he has recalled Israeli envoys from Turkey in the wake of Turkish President Erdogan’s remarks made earlier in the day regarding the Israel-Hamas war. He also asserted that this is being done to re–evaluate their relationship with Turkey.
על רקע ההתבטאויות המחריפות מטורקיה, הנחתי להחזיר את הנציגים הדיפלומטיים מטורקיה לטובת קיום הערכה מחדש של יחסי ישראל טורקיה
Taking to X, he stated, “Against the background of the grave statements from Turkey, I ordered the return of the diplomatic representatives from Turkey in order to conduct a reassessment of Israel-Turkey relations.”
Apart from the Foreign Minister, Senior Israeli officials lambasted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after his rant at Israel amid the ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza.
Energy Minister Israel Katz, who is set to become foreign minister next year, said that Erdogan “exposed his true face” during a mass rally today in Istanbul, Times of Israel reported. It is important to note that Katz is set to take over as foreign minister next year.
Katz tweeted, “The man of the Muslim Brotherhood supports Hamas-Daesh terror. Even his kaffiyeh will not cover up the shame.”
ארדואן חושף היום את פניו האמיתיות. איש האחים המוסלמים תומך בטרור החמאסי-דעא"שי. גם הכאפיה לא תכסה על הבושה! pic.twitter.com/4lGo8d9Dfe
Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan said “a snake will remain a snake.” “[Erdogan] tried to improve his image, but remains an antisemite,” Erdan said as reported by Army Radio.
Earlier in the day, Turkish President Erdogan termed Israel as an “occupier” while adding that Hamas is not a terrorist organisation, rather they are “freedom fighters”. He alleged that the Western powers “the main culprit” behind the Israeli army’s operations in Gaza.
Addressing a massive pro-Palestinian rally in Istanbul on Saturday (28th October), he declared that his country was making preparations to proclaim Israel a “war criminal” for its actions in Gaza.
“Israel, we will proclaim you as a war criminal to the world,” Erdogan said. “We are making our preparations, and we will declare Israel to the world as a war criminal.” He further said, “I reiterate that Hamas is not a terrorist organisation. Israel was very offended by this … Israel is an occupier, Erdogan speaks clearly because Turkey does not owe you anything.”
People had gathered at Istanbul’s Ataturk airport for a rally which was organised by Turkey’s governing AK Party. Large crowd gathered there to protest against Israel’s continued bombardment of the Gaza Strip and called for a ceasefire.
The event on Saturday was dubbed the “Great Palestine Meeting” during which demonstrators chanted pro-Palestinian slogans and waved Turkish and Palestinian flags.
According to local media, the rally was attended by leaders of other political parties, as well as high-profile media and sports figures. Reports added that some of them were scheduled to take to the stage during the event.
Following Erdogan’s speech at the event, the Israeli Foreign Minister made this announcement recalling their envoys from Turkey and re-evaluation of ties with Turkey.
Israel’s diplomatic relations with Turkey were restored last year, as it had deteriorated considerably since Recep Tayyip Erdogan became the Turkish president. And in less than one and half years, the tie has ended with Israel recalling its diplomats.
BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya on Saturday said that Hamas leader Khaled Mashal’s virtual participation in a pro-Palestine rally at Mallapuram in Kerala shows “the failure of the Pinarayi Vijayan government.”
Speaking to ANI, Vijayvargiya said, “It is a failure of the state government. To challenge ‘Hindutva’ here is of grave concern and I urge the state and central government to take it seriously. The people of the country will give an answer to the ‘Ghamandiya’ alliance, which is protecting such people.”
On this issue, BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla said that it is unfortunate that Kerala govt is giving a platform to such organisations.
“Will the Congress party which is part of INDI alliance, condemn this? Why is INDI alliance supporting Hamas who killed more than 700 people? Terrorists are being given platforms. In the name of vote bank politics, terrorists are being given platforms. Using Palestine as an excuse, attempts are made to protect Hamas,” Shehzad Poonawalla said.
Earlier today, expressing concern over the participation of Hamas leader Khaled Mashal at a pro-Palestine rally in Kerala, BJP leader Dushyant Gautam on Saturday said it was “anti-national activity” and asked the CPI(M)-led government in the state to stop any such activities.
The BJP leader also targeted the India bloc over Mashal’s virtual participation in the event held in Malappuram in Kerala on Friday and said members of the opposition alliance are making “such efforts to degrade Sanatan Dharma and Hindu religion”.
“The country and the Government of India oppose any terrorist organisation. We oppose Hamas. The participation of the Hamas leader in the meeting is anti-national activity. The state government should stop this. People of the INDIA alliance are continuously making such efforts to degrade Sanatan Dharma and Hindu religion,” Gautam said.
The Hamas leader took part in the event, which was organised by the Solidarity Youth Movement, the youth wing of Jamaat-Islami in Kerala. Mashal, a former Hamas chief, addressed the gathering virtually in Arabic.
“Uproot Bulldozer Hindutva and Apartheid Zionism” poster was visible in the footage of the event.
Kerala BJP president K Surendran said such events were unacceptable and slammed the state government.
“Hamas leader Khaled Mashel’s virtual address at the Solidarity event in Malappuram is alarming. Where’s Pinarayi Vijayan’s Kerala Police? Under the guise of ‘Save Palestine,’ they’re glorifying Hamas, a terrorist organization, and its leaders as ‘warriors.’ This is unacceptable! HMO India,” K Surendran posted on X on Friday.
The Israel-Hamas war entered its 22nd day on Saturday. India strongly condemned “the horrific terrorist attack on Israel” on October 7 and said the international community must stand together in combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and there can be no equivocation on this.
“There was also an issue of Palestine, and on that, we have reiterated our position in favour of direct negotiations for establishing a two-state solution. We have also expressed our concern about the civilian casualties and the humanitarian situation. We would urge the strict observance of international humanitarian law,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a media briefing earlier this month.
Earlier today, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Saturday said that the only ‘solution’ to the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict is the implementation of the mandate of the United Nations (UN) for a ‘Two-State’.The CPI(M) general secretary said that whatever is happening in Gaza, is against humanity.
“Whatever is happening in Gaza, is against humanity. Today we are saying that whatever conflicts are there, there is only one political solution to it, the two-state mandate of the UN. You should take steps to implement it,” Yechury said.
The CPI(M) leader’s response comes in the wake of India’s decision to abstain from voting on the Jordanian resolution, which called for an “immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce” between Israeli forces and Hamas terrorists in Gaza. India was in favour of the Canadian resolution, which added a line that condemned the terrorist attacks by Hamas.
(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 28th October, at least one police officer was killed while around 100 people were injured during an opposition party protest against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government in Bangladesh. According to police officials and media persons present at the protest sites, dozens of vehicles, including police vans and ambulances, were set on fire.
(Image Source – AP/Mahmud Hossain Opu)
Speaking to the media, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) spokesman Faruq Hossain stated that one officer had been killed and 41 others were injured in clashes with protesters. Several journalists were attacked and injured while trying to cover the clashes, local media reported.
(BNP supporters clashed with Police officers attacking them with bricks)
To control the protestors, Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets on supporters of opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Reportedly, tens of thousands of BNP supporters had gathered in the country’s capital Dhaka and chanted slogans against the government.
(Image Source – AP)
The BNP has been demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and calling for a free and fair election under a caretaker government. They demand that the government should allow elections which are scheduled in January to be held under a neutral caretaker government – a demand which the Sheikh Hasina government has so far rejected.
Speaking to Reuters, senior BNP leader Abdul Moyeen Khan said, “Today’s rally continued for hours in a perfectly disciplined and peaceful manner until all of a sudden the lobbying of tear gas shells started. The intensity increased and violent attacks with sounds of blasts and shootings turned the whole place into a war zone.”
Earlier, the DMP had granted permission to both the BNP and ruling party Awami League for their rallies with the condition that it would proceed peacefully, however, the rally turned violent leaving scores with serious injuries.
According to the witnesses and media reports, the violence broke out at the Kakrail area in Dhaka when BNP supporters led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia allegedly attacked a bus carrying the ruling Awami League’s members to a separate rally a few blocks away.
(BNP supporters protest against ruling Awami League government)
The Footage on Somoy TV station revealed a roadside police box set on fire, torched vehicles and shattered glass from a building. While Ekattor TV station reported that a police hospital also was attacked.
BNP supporters have alleged that the rallies were peaceful and it turned violent after brutal actions by the police while police said that the BNP supporters initiated the attack.
According to the DMP, the BNP activists initiated an attack starting with an assault on the chief justice’s residence around 1pm. Consequently, the area of clashes gradually expanded to various parts of the capital, including Kakrail, Paltan, Shantinagar, Segun Bagicha, around the High Court area, Paltan, Bijoynagar, and Arambagh.
DMP Detective Branch chief Mohammad Harun-ur-Rashid said, “BNP leaders and activists initiated the attack on government establishments. The BNP had previously pledged to conduct the event peacefully and had obtained permission from the DMP commissioner under such conditions. However, suddenly, after 12pm, they launched an attack at the gate of the chief justice’s residence and in front of the Judges’ Quarters. In addition, two vehicles were set on fire in front of the IDB building, and BNP leaders and activists hurled bricks at the police. The police made efforts to control the situation.”
Meanwhile, in the southeastern district of Chattogram, PM Sheikh Hasina lambasted the opposition for holding the rally. She asserted that Zia’s party was attempting to derail her government’s development agenda.
Addressing a huge rally at Anwara in Chattogram, she said, “Today BNP (Zia’s party) wants to oust the government. They are giving various types of threats to launch a movement … No threat will work.”
On Thursday (26th October), a video of Hinduphobic Professor Hatem Bazian went viral on social media wherein he refused to condemn Hamas for the killing of 1400 Israeli citizens.
The video was posted on X (formerly Twitter) by Canary Mission. Bazian is a continuing lecturer at the University of California in Berkeley and has spread falsehoods about India and the Hindu community on several occasions.
In the video that has now gone viral online, the controversial academic could be seen participating in a ‘pro-Palestine rally’ in Washington DC and declining to condemn the atrocities unleashed on Israel by Hamas terrorists.
Journalist Asra Nomani confronted him during the rally and asked, “Hatem Bazian, do you condemn Hamas?” He mocked her and said that he was against ‘hummus’ (a Middle-Eastern dish).
The American professor then pretended to be busy on his phone so as to avoid answering direct questions from the journalist. “Do you condemn the terrorist organisation Hamas?”, Nomani further inquired.
While continuing to lend his silent support to Hamas, he insensitively responded, “I like falafel (a Middle-Eastern cuisine).” Asra Nomani continued to confront Hatem Bazian and asked, “Do you condemn the kidnapping and murdering of civilians?” The ‘academic’ waved in denial and walked away.
Almost 6 hours of @CNN coverage, not a single Palestinian interviewed, erasure of Palestinian suffering and cheer leading for Israel’s violence. Despicable coverage!
Ever since Hamas launched its terror attack on Israel on 7th October this year, Hatem Bazian has come to the rescue of the jihadist outfit. Far from condemning the killing and abduction of civilians by Hamas terrorists, he was seen engaging in whataboutery on social media.
A supposed expert on ‘Palestinian Studies’, Hatem Bazian is the founder of ‘Students for Justice in Palestine‘ (SJP) and the Chairman of ‘American Muslims for Palestine‘ (AMP). He has stirred controversy in the past for his anti-Semitic views on social media.
Hatem Bazian was born in Nablus (West Bank), attended High school in Amman (Jordan) and moved to the United States to attend the San Francisco State University. He has been at the helm of both anti-Hindu and anti-India propaganda.
Endorses Audrey Truschke and IAMC
In 2019, the controversial academic was seen supporting ‘historian’ Audrey Truschke, infamous for trivialising the atrocities perpetuated by the Mughal tyrant Aurangzeb on his Hindu subjects.
She has been at the forefront of downplaying the Portuguese Inquisition of Goa and atrocities committed against Hindus. In 2018, the ’historian’ falsely claimed that Lord Ram was called a ‘misogynist pig’ by Goddess Sita during ‘Agnipariksha’.
In another instance, Truschke had misinterpreted the sacred Hindu religious text of Bhagavad Gita and accused it of rationalising mass slaughter.
Rutgers stands behind professor who said Hindutva was "inspired by Nazism" amid backlash https://t.co/wHUQ2y0d19
Truschke had also equated a gang rape case in India to an incident in the Hindu epic of Mahabharata, essentially alluding that Hindu culture endorses “rape culture” and misogyny.
At the time of the US Capitol riots, Truschke tweeted about the presence of an Indian flag at the scene to falsely suggest that the insurrection was the handiwork of ‘Hindu Right’. Despite all this, Hatem Bazian was seen extending his support to her in March 2021.
He was also seen promoting a dubious report, prepared by the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), on the ‘state of religious minorities in India’.
According to the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), the Indian Americal Muslim Council has links [pdf] with the banned Islamic terror outfit, Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).
Besides, the Indian American Muslim Council has ties with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) through its founder Shaik Ubaid. The IAMC is a Jamat-e-Islami-backed lobbyist organisation claiming to be a rights advocacy group.
Must read and share this report! IAMC Report: State of Religious Minorities in India (March 2022) – @IAMCouncil https://t.co/XtXe9WKoPG
In the past, it had reportedly collaborated with and even paid money to various groups in the USA to get India blacklisted by the USCIRF (United States Commission on International Religious Freedom).
IAMC had been caught spreading fake news and misinformation to further the Islamist cause in India. It had also been slapped with the UAPA in 2021.
Hatem Bazian peddles anti-India narrative
Along with two other ‘scholars’, Hatem Bazian published a 128-page report titled ‘Islamophobia in India: Stoking Bigotry’ and made outlandish claims about ‘genocide’ against Indian Muslims.
“Islamophobia in India during COVID-19, is built upon years of BJB and RSS stoking bigotry in the country!” he alleged in a tweet in April 2020.
Hatem Bazian was also seen peddling the dubious narrative of ‘Human Rights Watch’ to cast aspersions on India’s decision to abrogate Article 370 in the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir.
He was also seen defending rioters, who created mayhem in the streets over the ‘Nupur Sharma controversy.’ The UC Berkeley Professor claimed, “India, a Teflon Democracy -The so-called “largest democracy” in the world is so weak that a protest by citizens leads to fascistic response. India destroys houses of several Muslim figures after religious riots,”
India, a Teflon Democracy -The so called “largest democracy” in the world is so weak that a protest by citizens leads to fascistic response. India destroys houses of several Muslim figures after religious riots @IAMCouncil @CAIRNational https://t.co/ubXTWKXoUF
In an Instagram post in September 2020, he claimed, “The partnership between Zionist and Hindutva organizations is on fast track in the US, just like Muslim Zionist normalization is underway in the ME.”
Hatem Bazian, who has been under the scanner for his anti-Semitism, has been fearmongering against the Hindu community since 2014. A screenshot of his past tweets clearly shows how he cherry-picked stories to present Indian Hindus in bad light.
Screengrab of the tweets of Hatem Bazian
Hatem Bazian was seen unleashing an online mob against Hindus, based on claims from radical Islamic outfit ‘Muslim Mirror.’
In February 2022, Hatem Bazian was listed as one of the speakers at an event dubbed ‘ India on the Brink: Preventing Genocide.’ The event was organised to mark the 20th anniversary of the 2002 Gujarat riots. The likes of Sunita Vishwanath and Ritumbra Manuvie also participated in the event.
She has been scaremongering about India and insinuating that a genocide against Muslims is underway in the country. Opindia found 6 such contentious articles, published on the ‘India’ page of the website of the Netherlands-based think tank.
Hatem Bazian was a speaker at the ‘Indian on the Brink’ event
Sunita Vishwanath, the co-founder of Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR), had actively promoted the misleading narrative of ‘Hindu Vs Hindutva’. The same organisation was also seen endorsing the ‘Dismantling Global Hindutva’ conference. As per Disinfo Lab, HfHR was formed in the year 2019 by Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) and the Organization for Minorities of India (OFMI).
Interestingly, the three organisations had formed another outfit called the Alliance for Justice and Accountability (AJA). As per an article in The Hindu, the Alliance for Justice and Accountability had been at the forefront of leading demonstrations against the visit of PM Modi to Houston on September 22, 2019.
Just like Ritumbra Manuvie, Sunita Vishwanath also tried to create hysteria and panic among Indian Muslims about the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in 2019.
The Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution on 28 October notified a Minimum Export Price (MEP) of USD 800 per Metric Ton (MT) for the export of onions to ensure enough supply for the domestic market. The initiative comes against the backdrop of rising onion prices in the country.
The MEP on onion exports will come into effect on October 29 and will continue till December 31, 2023.
The measure has been taken to maintain sufficient availability of onion to domestic consumers at affordable prices as the quantity of stored rabi 2023 onion is declining by curbing the quantity of onion exports. The MEP of USD 800 per MT translates into about ₹67/kg, according to a statement issued by the ministry.
Along with the decision to impose MEP on onion exports, the Government has also announced the procurement of an additional 2 lakh tons of onion for the buffer, over and above the 5 lakh tons already procured.
The ministry added that onion from the buffer has been disposed of continuously from the second week of August in major consumption centres all over the country and also supplied to retail consumers at ₹25/kg through mobile vans operated by NCCF and NAFED.
To date, about 1.70 lakh Metric Tons of onion have been disposed of from the buffer. The continuous procurement and disposal of onion from the buffer are undertaken to moderate the prices for consumers while ensuring remunerative prices to the onion farmers, the statement said.
The ministry added that the decision to impose an MEP of USD 800 per MT shows the determination of the Government to keep onion affordable to domestic consumers.
Onion prices in the country have risen sharply over the last few days and are selling at ₹70-₹80 per kg in most markets, up from ₹30-₹40 just a couple of weeks ago. It has been anticipated that the price will hit ₹100 per kg by the first week of the next month.
Lower production of onion due to irregular rain and delayed harvest in major onion-producing regions has been attributed to the rise in its prices. Moreover, onion consumption increases during the festival season, which also contributes to the surge in prices.
On 28th October (Saturday), the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested two promoters of Chandigarh-based pharma company Parabolic Drugs along with a Chartered Accountant (CA) of the company. According to the official sources, they have been arrested in a money laundering investigation which is linked to an alleged bank fraud case.
The sources said that Parabolic promoters Vineet Gupta and Pranav Gupta and Chartered Accountant S K Bansal were taken into custody under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Following the arrests, the three are expected to be produced before a special PMLA court in Chandigarh where the ED will seek their custody.
It is important to note that Vineet and Pranav Gupta are the co-founders of Sonepat-based Ashoka University. However, in 2022, they stepped down from their posts at the educational institution after CBI registered a case against them and the company in 2021.
The ED had initiated its probe based on the FIR filed by the CBI. According to the CBI, the promoters and the pharma company had been accused of defrauding a consortium of banks led by the Central Bank of India of Rs 1626.74 crore. Additionally, the CBI has accused the private company of securing loans as part of a criminal conspiracy through forgery and diverting the money for other uses.
Yesterday, on 27th October (Friday), ED officials carried out raids at multiple locations linked to the company and searched 17 locations across Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Panchkula and Ambala.
Responding to these developments, Ashoka University released a statement asserting that the institution has no affiliations with Parabolic Drugs. As per the statement, Vineet and Pranav are among over 200 founders and donors who have contributed to the university’s growth.
Yesterday, the university added that the ED officials had sought information linked to Vineet Gupta and Pranav Gupta who stepped down as directors.
It had said, “Ashoka University reiterates that Parabolic Drugs is in no way linked to Ashoka University. Ashoka University has no past or current relationship with Parabolic Drugs, the company being investigated, and any attempt to create a link is without any basis and misleading.”
The statement added, “Vineet and Pranav Gupta are two among the more than 200 founders and donors of Ashoka University, who have contributed to Ashoka’s creation and growth in their personal philanthropic capacity and whose individual businesses have absolutely no bearing on the university.”
Antisemitic hate crimes in London have seen a 14-fold increase since the Israel-Hamas war escalated earlier this month. The Metropolitan Police in London has recorded approximately 408 offences this month, compared to 28 in the same period last year. Despite the surge, Scotland Yard is preparing for another round of Pro-Palestine protests on the streets of London on 28th October (Saturday).
The Met Police stated that it has arrested 75 individuals linked to the Israel-Gaza conflict, and is investigating 10 potential breaches of terrorism laws.
Speaking about chants of “jihad” at previous pro-Palestine protests which were condemned as unacceptable by the UK government, the Met Police said, “If somebody is calling for jihad specifically against Israel the officers will intervene, gather the information. We’ll be working with colleagues (from counterterrorism) in relation to what the best course of action is.”
It is important to note that Hamas is a proscribed terrorist organisation in the United Kingdom and supporting a banned, terrorist group is a criminal offence which can be penalised by a prison sentence of up to 14 years.
Further, Met Police have been looking for four people who allegedly supported terrorism. This include a man who, on 21st October, held a placard declaring “I full support for Hamas”, and three women who are accused of having brandished photos of paragliders, a direct reference to the 7th October terrorist attack on Israel as several Hamas terrorists used paragliders to airdrop in Israel and carried out the terrorist attacks.
Regarding the four suspects accused of supporting terrorism, Head of the Met’s counter-terrorism command, Commander Dominic Murphy said officers had been unable to track down the suspects. He said, “Detectives have carried out numerous inquiries to identify these people and we are now asking the public to take a good look at these images and tell us if they know who these people are.”
Subsequently, they have also released pictures of thes suspects asking help from the public. They have even urged the suspects to approach the Met Police on their own.
He added, “I would stress that we want to speak to these people to help us with our inquiries, and in fact, I would urge them to get in touch with us directly.”
According to Met Police, the cases of Islamaphobic too has seen a rise and it has increased from 65 offences in October 2022 to 174 so far this month.
Meanwhile, regarding the law and order situation, Met Police Commander Kyle Gordon said, “We’ve been clear over the last week that wherever possible we will police up to the line of the law.”
He added, “Our most experienced and knowledgeable officers are working on the policing of these events, making sure we are utilising all legislation to its fullest extent. I would encourage anyone who sees any crimes happening at the moment to report it to the nearest police officer.”
He further urged, “Any footage or images of potential crimes should be reported to us – we have specialist teams whose role is to scour thousands of pieces of content identifying crime.”
Earlier, the Met Police faced massive criticism for not arresting protestors who gave calls of “jihad” against Israel at a protest last weekend. It had defended open calls for Jihad in Central London, stating that calls for jihad against Israel had nothing to do with terrorism. It added that the word jihad has a number of meanings.
This prompted the UK government including Home Secretary Suvella Braverman to confront and quiz the Metropolitan Police chief over his force’s response to open calls for Jihad in Central London. Following which, the Met Police has stated that it would intervene in cases where such calls are made and avoid a repeat of last time.
