The Uttar Pradesh government under Yogi Adityanath has demolished 130 unauthorized constructions, sealed 198 others, and has served notices to 223 others. This action has taken place along Indo-Nepal border spanning seven districts of Uttar Pradesh during the last two months as part of an ongoing crackdown on illegal encroachments.
The crackdown against illegal structures, following directives of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, includes action against illegal Eidgahs, madrasas, and mazars among others.
The crackdown has targeted illegal structures across Pilibhit, Shravasti, Balrampur, Bahraich, Lakhimpur Kheri, Siddharthnagar, and Maharajganj districts, with Shravasti topping the list with action against 149 encroachments.
Shravasti District Magistrate Ajay Kumar Dwivedi informed that, as per CM Yogi Adityanath’s directive, action has been taken against illegal structures built on both government and private land within 10 km of the Indo-Nepal border.
So far, 149 illegal constructions have been identified in Shravasti. While notices have been served to all illegal structures, 140 constructions have been sealed, and 37 have been demolished. The DM of Shravasti confirmed that action against illegal constructions is still ongoing.
Meanwhile, Lakhimpur Kheri District Magistrate Durga Shakti Nagpal informed that a total of 13 illegal constructions have been identified in the district, of which three have been demolished, and 10 have been sealed.
Similarly, action have been taken against 45 identified illegal construction in Maharajganj, of which 24 have been sealed and 31 demolished.
In Siddharthnagar, 23 illegal structures were identified; notices were issued to two, and 21 were demolished. In Bahraich, 25 such structures were found, with five sealed and 15 demolished.
In Pilibhit, 2 illegal constructions were identified, both of which have been demolished. In Balrampur, 41 illegal constructions were identified, of which 1 was served a notice, 19 sealed, and 21 demolished.
Under CM Yogi’s directives, in the last 60 days, Shravasti led the crackdown on illegal constructions in border districts, followed by Maharajganj and Balrampur.
India, particularly Jammu and Kashmir has suffered greatly due to the terrorism inflicted by Pakistan for many decades. The Hindus have borne the brunt of this violence. They have been expelled from their homes at gunpoint, subjected to merciless killings, rape and forced to migrate, all in the name of jihad, fueled by a blind hatred for Hindus and an incessant ambition to snatch the Muslim-majority valley from India, by any means necessary.
Kashmir has perpetually been a focal point of the dispute with the Islamic Republic but its sinister motives have led to the loss of innocent Hindu lives throughout the region. While Kashmiri Pandits were slaughtered and thrown out of their homes, the Hindus in the Jammu division, especially in the lesser-known Doda district were also targetted by terrorists. Hence, the region which was not officially a part of Kashmir eventually became a casualty of the Islamist movement in the 1990s.
The vulnerability of the region
Over time, the region that is now divided into Doda, Kishtwar, and Ramban has experienced progress in connectivity and infrastructure, however, there was a period when it was just a secluded and mountainous area which was surrounded by Himachal Pradesh, Udhampur, Ladakh and Anantnag.
It was mostly inaccessible due to its rough terrain and many of its rural areas were only connected by footpaths and mule tracks. The strategic significance of Doda as a perfect stronghold was immediately recognised by the Pakistani establishment. The area only had 5 Border Security Force (BSF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) units in 1991, reported Abhimanyu Singh in Swarajya.
Image via Swarajya
The minimal military presence only added to the appeal as Indian forces continued to concentrate on fortifying their position in the valley. Doda was almost the size of the valley and covered 11,691 square kilometres as well as 26% of Jammu and Kashmir’s forested land.
On the one hand, the rough and deeply wooded mountains made operations tiresome as well as required a large number of troops. On the other hand, they also allowed terrorists to operate freely and create “liberated zones.”
According to the 1981 census, Muslims comprised 57.3% of the population (almost 90% of them were Kashmiris), followed by Hindus (42.22%) and Scheduled Castes (8.74%) which exacerbated the region’s vulnerability. Moreover, terrorists would be able to sabotage India’s primary lifeline to the valley due to Doda’s proximity to Kathua and Udhampur as well as the crucial National Highway (NH)-1A.
Pakistan’s sinister plan in motion
Compared with the valley, the area was home to a relatively small number of terrorists. However, it would later experience a violent and mainly unreported ethnic cleansing attempt in which terrorism consumed at least 310 members of the minority group between 1993 and 2001.
The massacre which targeted Hindus in particular were not isolated occurrences but rather a planned approach to change the demographic composition of the area south of the Chenab River. The situation ultimately escalated to the point where some local Muslims, excited by the possibility of impending azaadi and awaiting Hindu exodus similar to that of the Kashmiri Pandits, had already split Hindu houses and properties among themselves.
The plot to exploit the already defenceless Hindus and inundate the region with even more jihadis even garnered support from the United Nations. Owen Dixon, a United Nations mediator even tried to divide Jammu and Kashmir in 1950 via a plebiscite. He wanted to merge Muslim-majority regions like Doda, Rajouri, and Poonch with the valley while creating a boundary to the north of the Chenab River.
The goal of orchestrating a Hindu displacement was to tip the population balance in favour of future separatist narratives, specifically in cases where the territory was to be divided geographically.
Pro-Pakistan terrorists plague Doda
Doda saw a slower influx of terrorists than the Kashmir valley. Despite occasional events like the kidnapping of a French engineer or the assault on Minister BA Kitchloo’s home and Personal Security Officer (PSO), the area was largely peaceful in 1990 and 1991. Nonetheless some young men did cross the border for training in Pakistani terror camps.
At first, terrorists entered Doda mainly to avoid the Army and utilize it as a training field and a place to rest. Nevertheless, the destiny of the Hindu community took a tragic turn as the region transformed into a slaughterhouse soaked in their blood. No one was exempt from the venomous fangs of terrorism, whether they were Hindu politicians or civilians.
On 19th December 1992, Santosh Kumar Thakur, the district general secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was assassinated outside his home in Nagri, starting the cycle of targeted attacks against minorities in Doda.
Image via Swarajya
Terrorists kidnapped Mohan Singh from his Bijrani home on 18th February 1993 and tortured him. His lifeless body was left hanging next to the Bhagwah cooperative store after being tied to the back of a horse.
Kashmira Singh was kidnapped from his Bhaderwah residence that same day. Six days later, his body was found in a nearby canal with clear evidence of torture. Just two days later, BJP member Diwan Chand was shot and killed.
The nephew of former BJP member and Janata Dal politician Mast Nath Yogi, met the same fate in Bhaderwah on 14th April 1993. The attempt was, in fact, on the latter’s life because he supported Army intervention to quell terrorism in Doda.
The Hindu Raksha Samiti’s leader, Satish Bhandari was slain in Doda on 10th May, only a month later. Three Hindu youngsters were kidnapped and tortured in Bhaderwah at the end of June on alleged suspicion of being informants. On 30th June, one of them managed to flee but the other two were put to death.
Unfortunately, the worst was still to unfold as the Hindu community was set to endure even darker days at the blood-soaked hands of the jihadis.
More brutality and blood-shed awaits Hindus
Five armed terrorists stopped a passenger bus travelling from Kishtwar to Jammu on 14th August 1993, the day of Pakistan’s independence. The Hindu male passengers were then separated by the attackers who then steered the four-wheeler into the remote Sarthal highway. There indiscrimate fire was opened on the victims beacuse of faith, in a shocking yet unsurprising act of deliberate savagery, akin to Pahalgam terror attack and the Reasi terror strike where even Hindu children were not spared.
The terrorists killed fourteen people and seriously wounded two more, one of whom passed away in the hospital. Arif Hussain, the son of a local government official was the leader of the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen jihadists that carried out the attack. It was the first of many mass murders that would follow.
The Islamic insurgency in Doda intensified into a full-blown crisis by 1994 after the region which was almost the size of the entire valley had only two battalions of the Army, seven of the BSF and one of the CRPF. Meanwhile, the local authorities and administration provided no protection or assurance to the frightened Hindu community.
Image via Swarajya
Two terrorists were shot dead in May after they tried to storm Kartar Singh and Man Singh’s houses in Goha but were met with resistance. Fearing retaliation and without confidence from the local administration, 822 inhabitants of Goha alongside nearby hamlets of Kaljugasar, Seeru and Kuthera in Gundoh tehsil fled to Chamba in Himachal Pradesh.
On 20th May, a Muslim mob of about 2,000 people from the surrounding districts walked 4-5 hours to Goha, torched 13 houses of Kartar Singh’s relatives and took one terrorist’s body with them.
BJP leader Balwant Singh barely avoided being assassinated on 27th May but his security guard was wounded. Furthermore, three Dalit brothers were murdered by jihadists in Hadyal-Grabha on the same day. According to reports, extremists decapitated three persons in Sumber.
Swami Raj Katal, the BJP district vice-president was shot dead on 30th May in Bhaderwah with two other people, including a woman. Katal had escaped an assassination attempt the year before. On 7th June, three terrorists wielding AK-47s murdered Ruchir Kumar. He was the tehsil president of the saffron party.
This led to communal violence in Vasak Dera of Bhaderwah which left one person dead and four others injured. Ten Hindu residences in the Muslim-majority neighbourhood of Qila Mohalla were looted and destroyed. A junior engineer at Zealana’s Public Works Department was killed less than a week later.
The Bharatiya Janata Party expressed outrage over the gruesome killings of Hindus. On 23rd June, BJP leaders launched a protest as part of their “Save Doda” demonstration, calling for region to be designated as a “disturbed area” in reaction to the aggravating circumstances. BJP workers, MPs, MLAs along with party president Lal Krishna Advani were incarcerated as part of a “jail bharo program.”
However, the killings persisted as six Hindus from Batholi village in Gandoh were slaughtered on 18th September and BJP activist Sumit Kumar was gunned down in Pushal village on 19th December.
The bodies of the 25 Hindus killed by Muslim militants in Kashmir kept outside a police station in Doda. (Source: Swarajya)
Hindus show courage, try to resist and retaliate
The Hindu community in the area refused to remain idle while terrorists perpetrated atrocities. They took the matter into their own hands instead of succumbing to their deadly circumstances. Angry Hindus set fire to a terrorist’s home in Monda village, close to Bhaderwah. They also started arming themselves for self-defence in some places.
The spirit was evident even among those who had relocated to Chamba in May. The majority had returned to their hamlets by 30th June but they insisted on having rifles for protection.
The government resurrected the Village Defence Committee (VDC) program which arms ex-servicemen and vulnerable communities in high-risk areas in an effort to stop the Hindu exodus amid growing Islamist violence. Approximately 330 communities in the Doda district were covered by VDC initiative by the end of 1995.
Additionally, the troops were increased Doda to support successful counterinsurgency operations. The CI (Counter Insurgency) Force (Delta) was raised in September 1994. 35 CRPF companies, six BSF battalions, and four Rashtriya Rifles (RR) battalions had been assigned to it.
Image via Swarajya
As a result, several notorious terrorist leaders had been killed by early 1996. Zulkar Nain, a Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) district commander, Raja Daud Manhas, a Harkat-ul-Ansar (HuA) district commander and Javed Qureshi, the Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) provincial commander were among those neutralised. However, although the terror groups were severely weakened by these eliminations, the barbaric executions of Hindus never stopped.
Hindu dead bodies continue to pile up
The terrorists utilized any fabricated suspicion and spurious charge to kill Hindus, not that they needed any, since their hateful ideology was ample motivation for them to slaughter the innocents.
15 Hindus met their demise in Barsala on the intervening night of 5th-6th January under the pretext of retaliation because a local Hindu named Swami Raj was a purported security force informant. On the night of 8th-9th June, 9 villagers were slain at Kamlari and on 25th July, another 13 were butchered in Sarodhar.
However, the number of forces in Doda was reduced as six BSF battalions were later deinducted rather than more troops being mobilised. This development reportedly came at the same time as the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) changed its strategy to expand its greater export, terrorism, outside of the valley and into the Jammu region, including Doda.
The armed conflict was thus revived in Doda in 1997 and 1998 by an estimated 60 to 70 foreign terrorists who infiltrated the area. Six VDC members lost their lives at Kud Dhar in October 1997. A string of mass murders by the recently resurrected jihadist groups occurred in 1998.
On 19th June, a wedding party waiting for transportation was targeted by 5 terrorists close to Champaneri village. They forcibly separated the men from the women and then sprayed 25 of the 32 males with bullets. Twenty-three Hindus were killed in another attack in Kalaban on 19th July, a month later. On 27th July, 16 Hindus were killed in Horna and Keshwan villages which is close to Kishtwar.
The tentacles of terrorism extend to Himachal Pradesh
The terror was not limited to a single area or even Jammu and Kashmir. The year saw equally horrifying massacres of minorities in Prankote, Dakikote and Thub in nearby Udhampur as well as in Wandhama, outside Doda. Furthermore, on 27th June, terrorists from Bhaderwah killed four herb pickers in Himachal Pradesh. Nevertheless, the most dreadful events were still ahead and manifested in the Chamba massacres.
The regions were new but the same jihadi playbook was implemented. Hindus were predictably killed while Muslims remained untouched because of their religion. The terrorists targetted labour camps along the Baragarh-Pangi route as they moved from Doda into Chamba district on the night of 2nd and 3rd August.
Once the Muslim labourers were separated from the Hindus in Kalaban, the latter were bound with the ropes of their tents. Afterward, they were either shot-dead or their throats were sliced.
They then moved in the direction of Satrundi where they killed 11 more labourers and wounded 12 others. Nine workers were also kidnapped as porters and 3 of the Muslims were subsequently set free. On 4th August, 35 victims were cremated in the villages of Teesa and Shimba.
Tensions between the Muslim Gujjar grazing groups and the Hindu Gaddi followed the incident. They took advantage of this horrific opportunity to paint an even bigger target on the backs of the Hindus. Three Gaddis were kidnapped, tortured and executed on 18th August when a Gujjar who owed them Rs 56,000 told terrorists that the former were involved in the discovery of an arms cache concealed by them.
Pakistan enters Kargil, brings even more dread for the Hindu community
As time progressed, the situation continued to grow even more grim for the Hindus. “Operation Vijay” and the Pakistani invasion of Kargil in 1999 had even more profound and unanticipated repercussions for the far-flung hinterland. Considering the possibility of Pakistani offensives in the Rajouri-Poonch area, troops from the 9-Sector had to be moved from Kishtwar to Rear Area Security duties there.
The assaliants took advantage of this fresh movement and drop in the numbers. Hence, countless Army sources and informants were targeted and killed as a result of the CI grid’s removal. They encountered unparalleled suffering and endured dreadful consequences, with some individuals even being flayed alive.
Terrorists targeted 15 Hindus, including eight women, in Liyota village on 20th July 1999. Afterward, 9-Sector was reinstated into Kishtwar but with two battalions from the Rashtriya Rifles which were later strengthened by the 5th Battalion of the Sikh Light Infantry. 43 terrorists were also killed in that year, despite the reduced number of forces and the diversion of resources for more than three months.
The Hindu minority endured a wave of jihadi violence in the year 2000. On 1st August 2000, 5 Hindus were killed in Murlakot, 12 Hindus in Kunda and 4 more in Dhammota. The next day, lives of 8 Hindus were claimed in Kiar.
On 21st November, 4 Hindus were massacred and on 24th November, 5 others met a similar end in Khanpura. The six mass murders had been discussed in Major General DG Bakshi’s book “Kishtwar Cauldron.”
The brutality against Hindus stretched into the subsequent year and the chilling killing spree persisted. The first notable of 2001 occurred on 10th May, when terrorists declared that the local police post should hand over its weapons after kidnapping the residents. However, the cops did not comply and as a result three hostages were injured and seven were put to death.
On 20th July, four villagers were killed in a pasture above Tagood village and the following day eight more were executed close to Cheerji. Nevertheless, the most tragic event took place in the form of the Sarhot Dhar massacre on 3rd and 4th August.
22 Dalits and Rajputs from Ladder had brought their cattle to Sharot Dhar, a high-altitude pasture. They were sleeping in two different dhokes that night when terrorists attacked them, stole their possessions and made them form a queue. They even made fun of the Hindus and stated, “If he knew what the gun was,” and further mocked, “If he knew what came out of guns?”
The terrorist hissed, “Have a close look at a bullet,” after a victim responsed “bullets” and started showering them with fire. 13 people lost their lives, however, 5 managed to survive by pretending to be dead and hiding among the corpses of their peers.
The year 2002 did not provide any respite for the Hindus either. 8 Hindus were slain in Luddu and Ramsu on 6th January and five family members, two women and three children were butchered in Nagni of Doda on 9th April.
Tharva and Kulhand would host the final significant massacre, in 2006. On 30th April, terrorists dressed as members of the Indian Army, surrounded the area and told the locals to gather at the village headman’s house. The terrorists fired till their ammunition ran out as they lined up and executed the innocents at close range. The 22 victims included a 3-year-old girl and the chief of the hamlet.
The same evening, two local shepherds, Mohammad Siraj Ud-din and his son Rukun-Ud-din were asked by another group of terrorists at Basantgarh in the Udhampur district to lead them to a neighbouring meadow called Lalon Galla. Several Hindu shepherds had set up camp for the summer there. 13 Hindu shepherds were summoned and they were led to the woodlands where they were put to death.
On 13th May, the terrorists used grenades to attack a procession in Doda town that was arranged by BJP members and locals who had been displaced from Kulhand. As a result, two party workers died and four others were injured.
The attack was reminiscent of the Dessa massacre in May 1998 when jihadis claimed the lives of five people after they attacked a group of mourners. The latter were returning to their village with the bodies of four VDC members who were killed earlier.
Chilling admissions of barbarity towards non-believers
“The Lashkar-e-Toiba warriors have killed 19 unbelievers. Our challenge to the Indian government is this,” was the final entry in the perpetrator’s “log book” after security forces killed him after the Sarhot Dhar massacre.
“District Secretary Santosh was eliminated which has created havoc in the Indian government. The BJP and non Muslims are badly demoralised now. Bansi Lal of the BJP from Bhaderwah was killed after this,” read diary of Abdul Rashid Islahi, district commander of the HM.
Muhammad Tahir Naqqash, propaganda front of the LeT Ghaziyan-i-Saf-Shikan (Islamic Noble Warriors and Battlefronts) extolled the unbridled violence against Hindus and demeaned them, in its 2001 volume. Ghazi Muhammad Shafiq Abu Saad of Lahore also celebrated the horrific attacks on Hindus in his statements for refusing to provide sanctuary to terrorists and bragged about slaughtering them.
“Abu Abdur Rehman Ashraf walked up to the injured man and slit his throat with his extraordinarily large dagger that, up until now, has beheaded ten Hindus,” he boasted. The community is referred to in a derogatory manner with comments like “Hindu’s impure blood.”
The terrorists killed 3 Hindu leaders for opposing them. The former asked them to recite the Kalma and vowed to “forgive all their sins” However, their throats were cut because they refused.
The looting of Hindu homes in rural areas had also been mentioned and the pillage was referred to as “war booty.” Intercepted wireless transmissions disclosed that terrorist commanders asked their cadres to kill Hindus specifically, even before the 2006 Kulhand and Tharva attacks.
The violence might have seen a decline in its frequency but the fate of Hindus remain unchanged. Members of the Village Defence Committees (VDGs) Kuldip Kumar and Nazir Ahmed were discovered dead in Kishtwar on 7th November 2024, with their eyes severed.
Terrorists from the “Kashmir Tigers” claimed responsibility and warned others not to join the VDGs. Graphic pictures of the strangling of grazier Maan Singh Gaadi with a wire were later found on the phones of Pakistani terrorists slain in the Basantgarh encounter in September 2024.
The terrorist attack targeting Hindu tourists in Pahalgam along with the assault on Hindu pilgrims in Reasi, where a 2-year-old child was among the victims, exemplifies the horrific Islamist violence directed at Hindus.
Terrorists targeted Hindus across all regions of the erstwhile state, from Rajouri where Hindu men had their throats slit in October 2005 to the remote areas of Doda district. Notably, on 1st and 2nd January 2023, they again attacked Hindus in the Dangri hamlet of Rajouri resulting in 7 deaths including 2 kids and 9 injuries.
Hindu genocide haunts Kashmir
The pain of the Kashmiri Hindus is not unknown to anyone. While Hindus in the Jammu division, particularly in Doda, faced bullets and torture, their co-religionists in the valley were enduring a similar ordeal. The 2003 Nandimarg massacre is considered one of the most brutal events of violence inflicted upon the community.
24 Hindus, including toddlers, were killed on the fateful night of 23rd March when armed terrorists and even some local youths gathered Hindu families in the quiet hamlet in the Pulwama area and opened fire indiscriminately. The wicked “Raliv, Galiv, Chaliv” plan of Pakistan-backed jihadis ultimately pushed them out of their homes and into the lives of refugees within their own homeland.
Likewise, the Amarnath Yatra has also been a primary target for jihadists resulting in the tragic loss of numerous Hindu lives in horrifying attacks such as the one in 2002 at the Pahalgam base camp, where 22 pilgrims perished, among many others.
Conclusion
The impact of the terrorism on the region’s non-Muslim minorities, particularly Hindus is rarely given the attention it deserves on a global scale. The tragic fate of the Kashmiri Pandits and their expulsion from the valley receives the least amount of attention. However, the plight of Jammu and particularly Doda is severely neglected and receives barely any interest.
The terrorists aimed for Doda to become another Kashmir as a similar plot to eliminate the Hindu population through bloodshed and pressure was in progress in the region. Nevertheless, they were unsuccessful in their malicious intentions despite wreaking havoc on the Hindus in the area.
The aforementioned cases barely scratch the surface of the violence and fatalities inflicted upon the Hindu community in the region. The global community and international organizations have been preoccupied with labeling Kashmir as a political issue. However, the jihadists and their handlers in Pakistan have clearly illustrated that the matter pertains to faith rather than anything else.
More importantly, they continue to demonstrate this through sporadic killings aimed at Hindus. However, the radicals and their leftist-liberal echo chamber refuse to acknowledge the glaring reality. For them protecting the fragile sentiments of a particular community in the name of “secularism” has consistently taken precedence over confronting the actual problem and safeguarding Hindu lives.
The day was 8th August 2024. Muhammad Yunus, who Sheikh Hasina infamously described as ‘bloodsucker of the poor‘, was crowned the ‘chief advisor’ to the interim government of Bangladesh.
Just seven months earlier, the controversial ‘Nobel prize winner’ was found guilty of violating the country’s labour laws and was sentenced to six months of simple imprisonment.
However, a well-coordinated regime change operation by US agencies, which capitalised on a homegrown discontentment surrounding reservations, ensured the rise of Muhammad Yunus as the unelected, de facto leader of Bangladesh.
As the controversial US asset completes his 1-year stint as ‘chief advisor’ to the interim government on Friday (8th August), we critically analyse how Bangladesh has descended into a never-before-seen chaos under his watch.
The ‘regime change’ operation that brought Muhammad Yunus to power
Bangladesh witnessed violent protests between 6th June 2024 and 4th August 2024 over the decision of the High Court to reinstate 30% reservation in government jobs to the descendants of the freedom fighters of the 1971 Liberation War.
It must be mentioned that Bangladesh had 56% reservations until 2018 for certain groups in government jobs, which are considered lucrative in the country.
The beneficiaries include disabled individuals (1%), indigenous communities (5%), women (10%), people from underdeveloped districts (10%) and families of the freedom fighters of the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War (30%).
This left only 44% of seats for selection based on merit. There were large-scale protests in 2018 by ‘student groups’, which forced the then-Sheikh Hasina government to abolish the quota altogether.
In June 2024, the High Court in Bangladesh overturned the decision of the government and held the scrapping of 30% reservation for families of freedom fighters as illegal.
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court upheld the decision of the High Court, which led to widespread demonstrations.
The agitation against the ‘quota politics’ was spearheaded by so-called ‘student protestors’ across the country. An estimated 1500 people died during the course of violent clashes.
The well-coordinated regime change operation oversaw the undemocratic ouster of Sheikh Hasina and her eventual exile to India on 5th August 2025.
President has dissolved the parliament. Student leaders proposed @Yunus_Centre as the head of the interim government. Political parties have demanded the formation of the interim government by today. pic.twitter.com/0t4w7DXBSn
And a day later, on 6th August 2024, the name of Muhammad Yunus was coincidentally proposed to lead the interim government of Bangladesh and steer the country to a path of ‘democratic revival.’
Yunus, who had hailed the fall of Sheikh Hasina as ‘Second Liberation Day,’ was quick to accept the proposal of ‘student protestors’ to become the unelected ‘chief advisor.’
Despite being previously terminated as Managing Director of Grameen Bank for violating government rules, and facing over 100 charges for graft and labour law violations in Bangladesh, the country welcomed him with open arms.
No democratic mandate, and strategic delay of elections
The unelected interim government, headed by Muhammad Yunus, came to power on 8th August 2024 with the promise of holding ‘free and fair elections’ and implementing drastic systematic reforms.
It has managed to strategically delay elections, one date at a time, to hold onto power undemocratically for a whopping 365 days.
Ironically, Muhammad Yunus wanted fresh elections when Sheikh Hasina was the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. But as the de facto leader of the country after her undemocratic ouster, he couldn’t hold a single election.
OpIndia reported how he shifted election month 6 different times, with the latest being February 2026. This comes amid popular discontentment and backlash from Opposition parities and the Bangladesh Army.
Even if we were to assume that elections would be held in Bangladesh by February next year, it would imply that Yunus would continue to stay in power undemocratically for an additional 6 months (180 days+).
Persecution of Awami League by the interim government
Soon after coming to power, Muhammad Yunus chalked out plans to ban the Awami League. The plan did not go through due to fierce opposition from rival political parties.
In October 2024, the interim government banned the Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of the Awami League, over supposed violence committed by its members since 2008.
In January 2025, Yunus regime introduced new textbooks for primary and secondary students which falsely claim that the first declaration of independence of Bangladesh was made by Ziaur Rehman, the founder of BNP, and not Mujibur Rehman.
The ‘Nobel laureate’ has made it clear that he is willing to go to any length to distort the country’s history and erase the contribution of the Awami League in the Independence Movement.
In the following month, Muhammad Yunus launched a campaign to hunt down Awami League (AL) leaders from across the country. The nefarious mission has been dubbed ‘Operation Devil Hunt.’
As part of the political witch-hunt, as many as 12,000 Awami League supporters and activists were put behind bars.
The centrally supervised campaign was executed by the police, Bangladesh Army, Navy, Air Force, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Ansar and the Coast Guard.
In May this year, the Yunus regime finally banned the Awami League under the Anti-Terrorism Act, days after the NCP (National Citizens’ Party) launched a march to ensure the disbanding of the political party.
In July 2025, Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina was sentenced in absentia to 6 months in prison for ‘contempt of court’ by the Yunus-controlled Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal (ICT).
Muhammad Yunus curbs dissent and press freedom
The chief advisor to the interim government, who was once critical of Sheikh Hasina for her alleged ‘undemocratic ways’ of running Bangladesh, is now silencing dissent one step at a time.
In January 2025, the Directorate of Secondary & Higher Education in Bangladesh issued a notice stating that steps would be taken against students and educational institutions alike for ‘engaging in propaganda’ and ‘peddling misinformation’ against the Yunus regime.
It further highlighted that steps should be taken to prevent students from ‘engaging in provocative activities.’ While the notice was intially interpreted as a step towards stopping the spread of ‘misinformation’, it became a tool to silence critics and intimidate students.
Dissent against Bangladesh’s interim government was labelled a ‘work of propaganda’. Students, critical of Muhammad Yunus, were targeted as engaging in rumour-mongering and coerced into silence.
In July this year, the interim government in Bangladesh issued an ordinance eliminating the right of employees to protest against the government. The ordinance amended the Government Service Act of 2018.
If a government employee henceforth went on a strike, then he/she could be dismissed from service with ‘compulsory retirement’. Besides the looming threat of forced dismissal from service, government employees might be demoted to a lower rank or pay grade for agitating against the government.
Screengrab of the data on attacks on journalists under Muhammad Yunus, image via RRAG
Under the reign of Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh has witnessed 230% increase in attacks on journalists between August 2024 and July 2025. This was confirmed in a newly published report by the Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG).
The interim government filed cases against 195 journalists, denied accrediation of 167 journalists, initiated inquiry against 85 scribes through the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) and oversaw acts of violence and criminal intimidation against 431 others.
Bangladesh witnessed a drastic rise in Islamism after Yunus came to power. He first revoked the ban on the radical Islamist outfit ‘Jamaat-e-Islami.’
Thereafter, he released the leader of the radical outfit ‘Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT)’ Muhammad Jasimuddin Rahmani.
At the same time, Muhammad Yunus downplayed the targeted attacks on the Hindu community by violent Muslim mobs. He has gone on record from lamenting about attacks on Hindus to saying that the claims of atrocities are ‘exaggerated‘.
In that way, the controversial US asset was able to placate Islamic extremists. Under the watch of Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh saw a drastic rise in vigilante Muslim mobs, which unleashed violence under the pretext of protecting the tenets of Islam.
These mobs were largely unorganised and called themselves ‘Tawhidi Janata (meaning Revolutionary People).’ They came under the spotlight over acts of vandalism and harassment of people.
The interim government also appointed a Hizb ut-Tahrir terrorist named Mohammad Azaz as the administrator for the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC).
The situation had become so grim that Bangladeshi ambassador to Morocco Mohammad Harun Al Rashid was forced to slam the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government in a scathing Facebook post in March 2025.
In July this year, an Islamic outfit named ‘Jamaat-Char Monai’ announced its plans to turn Bangladesh into a Sharia-compliant nation like Afghanistan. It also vowed to follow the model implemented by the Taliban regime.
The organisation’s leader Mufti Syed Muhammad Faizul Karim declared, “If govt is formed by winning the national election, the Islamic Movement Bangladesh will introduce Sharia law in the country. The current governance system of Afghanistan will be followed.”
Recently, it came to light that several Muslims from Bangladesh travelled to Pakistan to train as ‘terrorists.’ Currently, 10 Islamic terror outfits are trying to make inroads in the country.
Rising suppression of women in Bangladesh under Muhammad Yunus
In July 2025, the ‘Bangladesh Bank’ gave a Talibani farman (diktat) barring female employees from wearing ‘short dresses’, ‘short sleeves’ and ‘leggings’. The directive by the Central Bank of Bangladesh also recommended that women wear headscarves and hijab.
‘Bangladesh Bank’ also warned of disciplinary actions against employees who refuse to adhere to the new guidelines. After the Talibani farman of the ‘Bangladesh Bank’ caused a social media stir, the directive was withdrawn.
This diktat by ‘Bangladesh Bank’ bore an uncanny resemblance to the orders by the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, restricting women from wearing clothes of their choice.
While the situation in Bangladesh does not look as grim as Afghanistan for now, the new found love for Taliban lays the foundation for more restrictions on women in the upcoming days.
Islamists had previously unleashed havoc on university teachers in Bangladesh by labelling them as ‘anti-hijab.’ The day is not far when women and girls in Bangladesh will be arrested for showing their face in public as is the case in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
Within a year of the fall of Sheikh Hasina, the Central Bank of Bangladesh resorted to imposing restrictions on the clothing of women.
In April this year, Muslims belonging to the radical outfit ‘Hefazat-e-Islam’ hung the effigy of a woman, stripped and defiled it with shoes to demand the abolishment of the Women Affairs Reform Commission in Bangladesh.
The incident occurred at the campus of the University of Dhaka near the iconic ‘Anti Terrorism Raju Memorial’ sculpture.
In a deleted video shared by Khoborer Kagoj, Muslims were seen assaulting an effigy of a woman, defiling and kicking it and thrashing it with shoes to display their angst. The effigy of the woman was draped in a saree (the kind that Hindu women wear) with its hands tied behind.
In March 2025, a librarian at Dhaka University, identified as Asif Sardar Arnab, sexually harassed a female student. Although he was initially arrested, Asif was quickly released on bail.
Screengrab of the report
He was cheered and greeted with garlands by a radical Muslim mob, aligned with his behaviour. In the meantime, the victim had been subjected to violent threats for speaking out against the accused.
Asif sexually harassed the female student, claiming that her dress did not ‘sufficiently cover’ her breasts. His action was praised by Muslims for enforcing Islamic morality.
In January this year, a Muslim mob laid siege to the Tilakpur High School in Joypurhat district of Bangladesh. The extremists, comprising madrassa students, carried out vandalism to protest against a friendly football match between two women’s teams.
The match was scheduled to take place on 29th January at the playground of the Tilakpur High School between the Joypurhat and Rangpur women’s football teams.
Muslims carry out vandalism, destroy tin fence of Tilakpur High School
In visuals that have surfaced on social media, the Muslim mob could be seen vandalising the tin fence of the school. Prior to carrying out the attack, they gathered outside the Tilakpur railway station and gave provocative speeches.
The mob demanded the cancellation of the women’s football match, alleging non-observance of purdah. Thereafter, the extremists made their way to the Tilakpur High School and unleashed mayhem.
A radical Muslim declared, “I want to warn those who want to earn money by exposing our women. Be careful. Stop all women’s games in the future. If you don’t stop, then we will show our resistance.”
OpIndia had previously reported on the alarming rise of rape cases in Bangladesh under the watch of Muhammad Yunus. In the meantime, Islamists who committed heinous crimes against women were freed by the top court of the country.
Attack on Hindus and other ethnic-religious minorities under Muhammad Yunus
The Hindu community have been at the victims of unspeakabable atrocities, perpetrated by violent Muslim mobs under the watch of Muhammad Yunus.
OpIndia had highlighted over 2 dozen cases where Hindus were attacked, tortured and persecuted by Muslim mobs under the pretext of ‘blasphemy.’ The latest case pertains to the the vandalism and looting of over 15 Hindu homes
The weaponisation of blasphemy laws to persecute Hindu minorities was highlighted in the recently released factsheet by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).
This is besides multiple instances of targeted murders like that of trader Bhajan Kumar Guha, rapes of minor Hindu girls and women by Muslim men and forced resignation of Hindu employees from government insitutions.
Cases of temple vandalism and loot are an everyday occurrence in Bangladesh now, especially after Muhammad Yunus took the reins of Bangladesh into his own hands.
The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC) has recently informed that a total of 2,442 incidents of violence have been recorded against religious and ethnic minorities between 4th August 2024 and 30th June this year.
A concerted attempt is underway to erase the legacy of prominent Hindu Bengalis, such as Satyajit Roy and Atul Prasad Sen who have their roots in present-day Bangladesh.
Earlier this year, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) published a 104-page report detailing atrocities committed against vulnerable Hindu minorities in Bangladesh. The findings of the OHCHR expose the grim reality that Muhammad Yunus tried to brush under the carpet.
Muhammad Yunus fans existing anti-India sentiment in Bangladesh
In May this year, Muhammad Yunus attempted to whip up anti-India sentiments in the country so as to distract the public from his incompetency and failure to restore democracy and electoral reforms in Bangladesh.
Through one of his stooges, Mahmudur Rahman Manna (Nagorik Oikya party President), Yunus sent out a message that Bangladesh was faced with a ‘major crisis due to Indian hegemony’.
“The chief adviser stated that the country is in a major crisis due to Indian hegemony. He believes that the entire nation needs to remain united in response. He (Yunus) started the discussion by saying that we are in a deep crisis. By crisis, he meant the conspiracy of Indian hegemony,” Manna remarked.
He quoted Muhammad Yunus as saying, “Indian hegemony does not want to accept this change in our country at all. If they could, they would destroy us in a single day, and they are doing everything necessary to that end. That’s what he said.”
OpIndia had previously explained the rationale behind the continued hostility and war-of-words against India.
Given that India is a perceived as a ‘Hindu nation’ by Bangladeshi Muslims, Yunus set out to antagonise the neighbouring country as well and capitalise on growing anti-Indian sentiment in the country.
He first attempted to ban the export of Hilsa fish to India but it was in vain. He then strategically downplayed the crucial role played by India in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War by distorting textbooks.
Yunus remained tight-lipped when officials, appointed by him, issued threats to India. In October 2024, Law adviser Asif Nazrul in Bangladesh’s interim government warned that if India tried to refuse the extradition of Sheikh Hasina, the country would launch a “strong protest.”
Sarjis Alam, a so-called ‘student activist’, issued veiled threats to Indian Prime Minsiter Modi. And yet again, Yunus maintained strategic silence. His own ‘adviser’ Mahfuz Alam threatened to annex parts of India.
Former Director General of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), A.L.M. Fazlur Rahman, had also threatened to occupy the 7 States of North-East India in case of war with Pakistan. He is a close aide of Muhammad Yunus.
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) commander Lt. Col Golam Kibria also issued threats to India’s Border Security Force (BSF). The interim government maintained stoic silence yet again.
Yunus went on a trip to China and urged the expansonist nation to use the 7 sisters of India as an extension of its economy.
At the same time, he is forging good relations with Pakistan i.e. the same country which orchestrated genocide against it in 1971.
Conclusion
Far from restoring peace in the country, Bangladesh under the regime of Muhammad Yunus suffers from unprecedented political, religious and social turmoil. His rule has taken the form of a full-scale authoritarian nightmare.
Under the garb of reforms, Yunus has unleashed a reign of terror. The Nobel Peace Prize winner is the embodiment of the undemocratic spirit that he once despised.
He is not just a regional threat but a global warning. Bangladesh, which was once seen as a developing country in South Asia, is now on the brink of Talibanisation.
If Muhammad Yunus remains in power, the nation may lose not just its democratic character and identity altogether.
Amid the rising incidents of racist attacks on Indians in Ireland, a 6-year-old girl has become the latest victim of an attack. The Irish-born girl, who lives in Waterford City in Southeast Ireland, was reportedly attacked by a group who physically attacked and abused her and asked her to go back to India.
The victim, Nia Naveen, was playing outside her house around 7:30 pm on Monday (August 4), when a group of children aged 12 to 14 brutally attacked her. The attackers punched her in the face and neck, pulled her hair, and pushed a bicycle wheel into her private parts.
The incident left the girl and her mother, Anupa Achuthan, traumatised. “It was around 7.30 pm and she was playing inside the house. She wanted to play outside and go cycling. I let her outside for a few seconds. My husband was at work on night duty. He was off to work, and I was alone with my 10-month-old and my six-year-old. She went out with her friends. I was supervising them just in front of the house. They were playing together, and I knew they were safe,” said Achuthan, narrating the entire incident to the Irish Mirror.
“My youngest one started crying because it was his feeding time, so I just let Nia know that I would be popping inside the house and she could play with her friends, and I would be back in a second after feeding the baby”, she added.
Within minutes of Anupa going inside the house to feed her son, Nihan, Nia came back crying and scared. “She was very upset, she started crying. She couldn’t even talk; she was so scared. I had never seen my daughter like that. I just asked her friends what happened, and they were all so upset, they couldn’t talk,” Anupa said, describing her daughter’s condition after the ordeal.
“One of her friends said a gang of boys older than them hit her on the private parts with a cycle, and five of them punched her on her face. She told me five of them punched her in the face. One of the boys pushed the bicycle wheel onto her private parts, and it was really sore. They said the F word and “Dirty Indian, go back to India”. She told me today they punched her neck and twisted her hair,” said Anupa.
The racist attack has left the family devastated
Anupa Achuthan, her husband KS Naveen, and their two children, moved into their new house in the Kilbarry area of Westford City in January this year. Anupa is a nurse who has been living in Ireland for eight years with her husband. The family hails from Kottayam in Kerala. Both their children were born in the country. Anupa recently got her citizenship.
She said that the incident has left her and her minor daughter devastated. Her daughter is having sleepless nights and is now scared to go out to play. Anupa regrets not being able to protect her daughter. She said that she knows the gang of children who attacked her daughter. However, she does not want them punished as they are children too. But she wants them to be counselled and educated so that they learn to treat other children well. The Irish police were informed about the incident.
Rising racist attacks on Indians in Ireland
The racist attack on the minor girl is the fourth attack in a series of incidents of racial attacks on Indians reported since July 2025. In the wake of these racist attacks on Indians, the Indian embassy in Ireland issued an advisory to Indian nationals on 1st August to take reasonable precautions for their personal security and avoid deserted areas, particularly during odd hours.
Attackers hit an Indian-origin cab driver on the head with a bottle, left him bleeding
A day after the racist attack on the minor, an Indian origin cab driver named Lakhvir Singh was attacked in Ballymun, a suburb of Dublin, on Tuesday (5th August). Singh was attacked by two passengers, between 20 and 21 years of age, whom he drove in his cab from the northside area to Poppintree. After arriving at their destination, the two men opened the door of Singh’s cab and struck a bottle on his head twice. Singh sustained injuries to his head, and his car was covered in blood. He rang the doorbells of nearby houses seeking help, but no one came out to help him. He then dialled 999 and called emergency services and the police, after which he was taken to Beaumont Hospital for treatment.
Lakhvir Singh has been living in Ireland for 23 years and has two children. He is so distraught by the incident that he is scared to go back to work. He said that the attackers shouted “go back to your own country” before running away after attacking him.
A Sous Chef from Kolkata attacked in Dublin, phone, cash, electric bike stolen
Another victim of a racist attack in Ireland was a man named Laxman Das, who hails from Kolkata in India. as reported by the Times of India. Das works as a sous chef at the Anantara The Marker Dublin hotel. While Das was on his way to work, he was attacked by three people near the Hilton Hotel. The attackers stole his phone, cash and electric bike. He was taken to St Vincent’s University Hospital.
A 40-year-old Indian origin Amazon employee attacked and stripped
On July 19, an Indian national was brutally attacked in Tallaght, Dublin. The 40-year-old victim, an Amazon employee, was mercilessly beaten, stabbed in the face, partially stripped by a teenage gang and left profusely bleeding. He had arrived in Ireland just three weeks before the incident. The victim was accused without evidence of acting inappropriately around children. However, the Irish police denied the allegations. The authorities are investigating the case as a hate crime. An Irish woman, Jennifer Murray, who helped the victim after the attack, said that this was not the first instance of a racially motivated attack in the area.
A 32-year-old Indian-origin data scientist left with broken cheekbone after a racist attack
In another incident that happened at the end of July 2025, a 32-year-old Indian national named Santosh Yadav also became a victim of a hate crime. Yadav was brutally attacked by a gang of six teenagers near his Dublin apartment. The assault was so savage that it left Yadav with a fractured cheekbone and multiple injuries.
“They (teenagers) snatched my glasses, broke them, and then beat me relentlessly across my head, face, neck, chest, hands, and legs—leaving me bleeding on the pavement,” said Yadav, a senior Data Scientist who came to Ireland in 2021, in a LinkedIn post. He somehow managed to contact the Irish Police after which he was taken to Blanchardstown Hospital, where medical staff confirmed his injuries and referred him for specialist care. Yadav accused the Irish Police of not acting swiftly and delaying things.
Indians in Ireland being blamed for the housing crisis in Ireland
An anti-immigrant narrative has gained popularity in recent times in Ireland. People supporting the narrative are blaming the immigrants, including Indians for a number of local problems, including the housing crisis in the country. Ireland India Council Chairman Prashant Shukla dismissed the narrative, describing it as a “mischievous propaganda campaign”. Shukla said that the Indian-origin people in Ireland were being unfairly blamed for causing a housing shortage in the country.
The Council wrote to several ministers in the Irish government, highlighting the rising racial attacks on Indians and demanding action. It also urged the government to introduce a law to hold the parents of minors who carry out racist attacks responsible.
The United States has prepared to auction a luxury superyacht seized from Russia. The $325 million Amadea Yacht will be the first Russian property to be auctioned by the US since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The auction is set to close on 10th September. The decision to sale the yacht comes at a time when US president Donald Trump has become very restless to end the Russia-Ukraine war. By auctioning the luxury vessel, US expects to put pressure on Russian oligarchs to convince Vladimir Putin to stop the war.
The 106-meter-long superyacht was seized in May 2022 when it was docked in Fiji, and is currently docked in San Diego. Amadea was custom built by a German company in 2017, and it has eight state rooms, a beauty salon, a spa, a gym, a helipad, a swimming pool and an elevator.
The yacht is registered in the name of Millemarin Investments Ltd based in Cayman Islands, but US claims that its real owner is Suleiman Kerimov, a former Russian politician sanctioned by USA. But Russia claims that it is owned by Eduard Khudainatov, a former chairman and chief executive of Russian oil and gas company Rosneft.
As per US prosecutors, Eduard Khudainatov is just a front and the superyacht is actually owned by Suleiman Kerimov. Litigation over the true ownership of the yacht is ongoing. A representative of Khudainatov said that sale of the yacht is “improper and premature”, as Khudainatov is appealing the forfeiture of the yacht.
The representative said that if the auction goes through, the buyer will face years of costly and uncertain litigation as Khudainatov is challenging a Fiji court order allowing US to seize Amadea. “We doubt it will attract any rational buyer at fair market price, because ownership can, and will, be challenged in courts outside the United States, exposing purchasers to years of costly, uncertain litigation,” said the representative, Adam Ford.
He added, “Should the government press ahead simply to staunch the mounting costs it is imposing on the American taxpayer, we will pursue the sale proceeds, and any shortfall from fair market value, once we prevail in court.”
The yacht is currently under the control of National Maritime Services, and it has not been used since its seizure. Bidders must deposit €10 million to bid for it.
On 6th August (local time), President of the United States, Donald Trump, signed an executive order imposing a fresh 25% tariff on Indian goods. The additional duty, according to Trump, has been imposed in response to India’s continued imports of Russian oil. The additional tariff has taken the overall burden on selected Indian goods to a staggering 50%.
While the step is likely to cause turbulence for sectors like textiles, leather, seafood and chemicals, all India needs to do is diversify its export basket and work on ties with other nations, which will help cushion the long-term impact.
Who is affected and when will it kick in?
The first 25% tariff, which was part of Trump’s earlier trade tightening measures, takes effect on 7th August. The second tranche, which was announced on 6th August, will come into force on 27th August. Together, they will double the cost burden on Indian goods entering the US market, making them significantly less competitive compared to products from countries including Vietnam, Malaysia, and even China.
Among the sectors that will feel the most heat are textiles and clothing (₹85,000+ crore exports to the US annually), gems and jewellery (₹1 lakh crore+), shrimp and seafood, leather and footwear, organic and inorganic chemicals, and electrical and mechanical machinery.
For example, shrimps going to the US from India are already subject to anti-dumping and countervailing duties totalling 8.26%, which will now attract a 33.26% duty from 7th August. Apparel (both knitted and woven), carpets, diamonds, and machinery are also slated to attract total levies exceeding 50%, according to estimates by think tank GTRI.
Is it a knockout blow? Not quite
The Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) has warned that nearly 55% of India’s US-bound exports will now be impacted. However, the overall impact of the tariff may be brief.
Pharmaceutical and electronic exports are the two high-performing categories. They have not been touched in the new tariffs imposed by the US. These account for a sizeable chunk of bilateral trade. Moreover, New Delhi has long been working to expand its trade partnerships across Europe, Africa, the Middle East and ASEAN, which will eventually reduce the overdependence on the US.
According to Chief Economist, ICICI Securities Primary Dealership, A Prasanna, the 50% tariff “creates a disadvantage” but India continues to enjoy access to several tariff-exempt categories. Not to forget, India always has room to pivot to new markets in case the US continues to pressure India with tariff impositions.
Pressure tactic, not permanent policy?
The sudden escalation may have more to do with Trump’s characteristic deal-making style than long-term policy. Representatives from the US are scheduled to come to India to have talks on trade by the end of August. Imposition of such high tariffs might be just a pressure tactic to push India to reduce oil purchases from Russia and push India to buy oil and defence equipment from the US.
The tariffs are widely seen as an attempt to push India to concede ground in the pending India-US trade deal. Washington has been pressing New Delhi to lower tariffs on sectors including electric vehicles, dairy, apples, and genetically modified crops, all contentious items that New Delhi has resisted. Furthermore, the US has been pressuring India to allow dairy products from the US into the Indian market but India has categorically denied this because of their non-vegetarian nature.
Trump’s decision also aims to corner India on its continued Russian oil imports, even though India has repeatedly emphasised that its purchases are guided by domestic energy needs and market pricing, not politics.
Agneshwar Sen, Trade Policy Leader at EY India, has called the development “disappointing”, especially at a time “when both sides are making efforts to resolve past issues. Political differences are best resolved through mutual dialogue, not tariffs.”
How did India respond?
India has responded strongly and called the decision “unfortunate, unfair and unreasonable”. The Ministry of External Affairs stressed that oil procurement decisions are dictated by energy security considerations for a population of 1.4 billion and that many countries purchasing Russian oil have not faced such punitive measures.
The ministry added, “India will take all actions necessary to protect its national interest.”
What is next for Indian exporters?
There is no doubt that exporters are going to face a squeeze as American buyers may pause and try to renegotiate contracts. In MSME-led sectors including gems, garments and seafood, margins are already tight and sudden duties could disrupt long-standing relationships.
However, India is already exploring opportunities in the EU, Africa, West Asia and Southeast Asia. With the global demand for Indian goods like pharma, textiles, IT services and electronics on the rise, the long-term prospects remain resilient.
Bottom line
Trump’s 50% tariff move may create temporary challenges for Indian exporters. However, it is not the beginning of a full-blown trade crisis. India’s export base is robust and its trade alliances are expanding. India’s economy is far more resilient than it was during previous tariff wars. With deft diplomacy and market diversification, India is likely to weather this storm and emerge stronger.
In yet another embarrassment for US President Donald Trump, who is on a tariff imposing spree, Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said that he will not call Trump to negotiate with him. Silva said that Trump is not interested in negotiation as it would be akin to “humiliation”.
Lula added that he would rather speak to Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This comes as Trump’s tariffs against Brazil increased to 50 per cent.
“I’m not going to call Trump to negotiate anything, because he doesn’t want to talk. But rest assured, I will call Trump to invite him to come to the COP, because I want to know what he thinks about the climate issue. I’ll have the courtesy to call him. I’ll call him, Xi Jinping, I’ll call Prime Minister Modi, I’ll call. I just won’t call Putin, because Putin can’t travel right now. But I will call many Presidents,” he said on 5th August.
‘I’m NOT going to call Trump to negotiate’ – Lula
Brazilian Prez. says Trump has no interest in talking
“The day my intuition says Trump is ready to talk, I won’t hesitate to call him. But today my intuition says he doesn’t want to talk. And I won’t humiliate myself,” Lula said in an interview.
The statement comes as Trump said that he would impose a 50 per cent tariff on Brazilian goods. Trump on July 30 signed executive actions on Wednesday imposing a 50% tariff on Brazil, a 50% tariff on certain copper products and suspending a tax perk for all countries that allowed cheap packages to fly into the US dutyfree.
Earlier in the month of July, Trump in a letter threatened the hefty tariff if Brazil did not end its trial against right-wing former president, Jair Bolsonaro. He accused the Brazilian government of “serious human rights abuses that have undermined the rule of law in Brazil.” The new tariff on Brazil appeared to be spurred by non-economic matters. Bolsonaro bragged about his closeness with Trump. He is facing trial for allegedly attempting to stage a coup against Lula. Trump has publicly objected to that proceeding, and his order alleged Bolsonaro’s prosecution was “politically motivated.”
“The Order finds that the Government of Brazil’s politically motivated persecution, intimidation, harassment, censorship, and prosecution of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and thousands of his supporters are serious human rights abuses that have undermined the rule of law in Brazil,” the order read.
Lula expresses confidence in BRICS
President Lula also expressed confidence in BRICS and said that “There is no coordination among the BRICS yet, but there will be.”
The Brazilian President’s strong remarks have left Trump embarrased, again. Trump’s attempts to weaponise tariffs and use it as arm-twisting tactic against sovereign nations has not yielded any positive results for the US.
On 6th August, the Indian government issued a statement after Donald Trump issuedan Executive Order slapping additional tariff of 25% on India for continued purchase of Russian oil. With the earlier announced tariff of 25%, this brings total tariff imposed on products imported by US to India to 50%.
The statement issued by the ministry of external affairs said that the Indian government reiterates that these actions are unfair, unjustified and unreasonable. The MEA spokesperson said, “We have already made clear our position on these issues, including the fact that our imports are based on market factors and done with the overall objective of ensuring the energy security of 1.4 billion people of India. It is therefore extremely unfortunate that the US should choose to impose additional tariffs on India for actions that several other countries are also taking in their own national interest.”
The MEA statement added that India will take all actions necessary to protect its national interests.
Last month, Trump had announced new trade penalties on India, including a 25 per cent tariff on almost all Indian imports, effective from 1st August. Trump also expressed his frustration over India being a top buyer of Russian military equipment and energy.
The US President published a post on Truth Social on 1st August, calling Indian and Russian economies ‘dead’ and complaining about India imposing “the highest tariffs in the world”. He also blamed these tariffs for the low trade volume between the two countries.
However, OpIndia reported earlier how the US itself has been continues to trade with Russia in various sectors. Even three years after Russia invaded Ukraine, the United States has not fully cut off its trade ties with Moscow. The US has imported more than $24.5 billion worth of Russian goods since January 2022. This year alone, it bought $1.27 billion worth of fertilisers, $624 million in uranium and plutonium, and nearly $878 million in palladium.
Import of non-ferrous metals such as palladium and aluminium were valued at $876.5 million for the period January to November in 2024. Inorganic chemicals made up $683 million, followed by power-generating machinery at $79 million and cork and wood manufacturers at approximately $64 million. Other commodities included nuclear reactors and machinery worth $80.81 million, prepared animal feed, iron and steel, and oil seeds, although these contributed smaller shares to the overall imports.
Ironically, when asked about US imports from Russia despite the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, Trump said that he does not known anything about it.
India refuses to break ties with Russia, PM Modi might visit China for SCO Summit
Besides calling out America’s hypocrisy, India is bolstering ties with Russia, giving a clear message that India cannot be arm-twisted into abandoning its allies at Trump’s whims. When Trump was signing excutive order imposing additional 25 per cent tariff against India, India and Russia signed protocol to deepen industrial and technological cooperation on 6th August.
Meanwhile, reports say that Prime Minister Modi will be visiting China later this month for the SCO Summit. PM Modi’s first such visit to China in the last seven years, indicates a shift in wind. India and China have their own set of issues to resolve, be it China’s aggression at LAC, backing of terror sponsor Pakistan, or blocking India’s actions in the UNSC, however, when it comes to protecting national interests and sovereignty against Western hegemony, the two countries seem ready to cooperate.
With India, Brazil and China refusing to bow down before Trump in the ongoing ‘game of tariffs’, the loudmouth US President’s efforts to ‘punish’ BRICS nations, only serving as a unifier.
India and Russia on Wednesday convened the 11th Session of their Working Group on Modernisation and Industrial Cooperation at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi, under the framework of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation.
Focus on industrial modernisation
The Indian delegation was led by Amardeep Singh Bhatia, Secretary of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), while the Russian side was headed by Alexey Gruzdev, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade. The session reviewed progress since the 10th meeting and examined ways to boost cooperation across multiple sectors, including mining, fertilisers, modernisation, and railway transport.
Aerospace and advanced technologies
Among the most significant discussions were joint projects in aerospace science and technology. Plans include setting up a modernised wind tunnel facility, producing small aircraft piston engines, and developing carbon fibre technology. Both countries also explored collaborations in additive manufacturing, 3D printing, and rare earth and critical minerals extraction. Underground coal gasification and modern industrial infrastructure were identified as further areas of partnership.
Expanding sectoral engagement
The two sides welcomed opportunities for deeper engagement in aluminium, fertilisers, and railway transport. Technology transfer and capacity building in mining, along with industrial and domestic waste management, also featured prominently.
Protocol signed to reaffirm ties
The session concluded with the signing of the official Protocol, reaffirming India and Russia’s strategic commitment to strengthening economic and industrial ties. Around 80 delegates, including senior officials, experts, and industry representatives, participated in the session.
Defence cooperation in focus
In a parallel development, Russia’s Deputy Defence Minister Colonel General Aleksandr Fomin met Indian Ambassador Vinay Kumar in Moscow. According to the Russian Defence Ministry, the meeting focused on bilateral defence cooperation and underscored the “particularly privileged strategic partnership” between the two nations. The Ministry described the talks as having taken place in a warm and friendly atmosphere, reflecting the longstanding nature of Russia-India relations.
“The Indian economy is doing very well and is contributing more to global growth than the US,” said Sanjay Malhotra, the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), hitting out against US President Donald Trump, who recently called the Indian economy ‘dead’. Addressing the media at the RBI’s headquarter in Delhi, Malhotra also said that India with its supposedly ‘dead’ economy contributing more to global growth at this point than the United States.
“We are contributing about 18%, which is more than the US where the contribution is expected to be much less – about 11% or something. We are doing very well and we will continue to improve further,” the RBI governor said.
He added India is expected to grow 6.5%, as against the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF’s) estimate of about 3% global growth in 2025.
Malhotra noted that India has historically grown at an average annual growth rate of 7.8% and that the country’s aspirational growth rate should be higher than the 6.5% the RBI projected for FY25.
Addressing the tariff threats by Donald Trump over India buying Russian oil, the RBI governor said, “We don’t see a major impact of US tariffs on the Indian economy unless there is a retaliatory tariff. We are hopeful that we will have an amicable solution.”
The RBI governor’s strong statement schooling Trump over his skewed understanding of a ‘dead economy’, comes after the US President published a post on Truth Social on 1st August, , where he not only mocked India’s economy but also questioned its trade practices.
“I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care,” Trump posted, taking a jibe at both New Delhi and Moscow. He complained about India imposing “the highest tariffs in the world” and blamed it for the low trade volume between the two countries.
Before this, Trump had announced new trade penalties on India, including a 25 per cent tariff on almost all Indian imports, effective from 1st August. Trump also expressed his frustration over India being a top buyer of Russian military equipment and energy.
Taking to Truth Social, Donald Trump posted on 30th July, “Remember, while India is our friend, we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their Tariffs are far too high, among the highest in the World, and they have the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary Trade Barriers of any Country. Also, they have always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia’s largest buyer of ENERGY, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to STOP THE KILLING IN UKRAINE – ALL THINGS NOT GOOD! INDIA WILL THEREFORE BE PAYING A TARIFF OF 25%, PLUS A PENALTY FOR THE ABOVE, STARTING ON AUGUST 1st. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. MAGA!”
In addition to imposing a 25 per cent tariff and calling India’s economy ‘dead’, Trump has issued a fresh threat of imposing a ‘substantial tariff’ on India for “fuelling the Russian war machine.”
Rahul Gandhi endorsed Trump’s ‘dead economy’ jibe, even as numbers tell India’s economic game is strong
While Indian social media welcomed Trump’s tariffs with hilarious memes, market responded with strong NIFTY and SENSEX points, government reiterated that it will always prioritise national interest and not succumb to any pressure, PM Modi indirectly responded with giving the mantra of “Swadeshi” to Indian people, a section of the political opposition gleefully cheered when Trump made his irresponsible, outrageous and divorced-from-reality remarks.
In this vein, Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition (LoP), shamelessly endorsed Trump’s unwarranted criticism of India’s economy. Days after provoking Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha to publicly refute Trump’s claim of brokering an India-Pakistan ceasefire during Operation Sindoor, Gandhi said he was “glad” the US President had “stated a fact” by calling the Indian economy “dead.”
“Yes, he is right. Everybody knows this except the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister. The Indian economy is dead. I’m glad President Trump has stated a fact… BJP has finished the economy to help Adani,” Gandhi told the media on 31st July.
Last month, Rahul Gandhi stood up in the Lok Sabha to speak on Operation Sindoor. Displaying sheer lack of respect for Indian sovereignty, and understanding for foreign policy and diplomacy, Gandhi dared PM Modi to call former U.S. President Donald Trump a “liar” on the floor of Parliament. Just to score political points against the BJP-led government, the Congress leader laid a trap to solicit an emotional, probably aggressive response from PM Modi against Trump and his ‘I stopped India-Pakistan war’ rhetoric.
Despite the backlash, the Congress leader is behaving like a foreign agent, more so a stooge, and is provoking Donald Trump to use the ‘Adani Card’ against India.
“India, please understand: The reason PM Modi cannot stand up to President Trump despite his repeated threats is the ongoing U.S. investigation into Adani. One threat is to expose the financial links between Modi, AA, and Russian oil deals. Modi’s hands are tied,” Gandhi wrote on X on 6th August.
India, please understand:
The reason PM Modi cannot stand up to President Trump despite his repeated threats is the ongoing U.S. investigation into Adani.
One threat is to expose the financial links between Modi, AA, and Russian oil deals.
Not to forget, Rahul Gandhi has for long been pushing a baseless narrative linking PM Modi and businessman Gautam Adani, alleging a nexus of corruption. After the Hindenburg report came out in 2023, Rahul Gandhi used the report to attack Prime Minister Modi by alleging that he gave undue favours to the company. The now-defunct US-based short-seller had published another hit job against Adani Group; however, an expert committee constituted by the Supreme Court found no regulatory failure. The court refused to order an SIT probe on the allegations made by short-seller Hindenburg.
In March last year, the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York decided to investigate whether the conglomerate, along with its founder Gautam Adani, may have engaged in bribery.
Now despite, there being no proven illegal activity on the part of Adani Group or there being any involvement of PM Modi in these matters, Rahul Gandhi has once again proved himself a useful idiot, by provoking Trump to use the Adani card. Gandhi is instigating Trump to ‘expose’ supposed financial links between Modi, Adani, and Russian oil, even as it essentially amounts inviting foreign interference in India’s domestic policy.
Apparently, the Gandhi scion is resorting to desperate, even near-treasonous measures to secure a political comeback after suffering back-to-back defeats in general and many state elections since 2014.
Rahul Gandhi is aiding Trump’s pressure tactics against India, which refused to bow down to sign a half-baked trade deal that heavily favours American interests and undermines Indian interests. Negotiations were ongoing, and a waiver could have been on the cards had India agreed to allow unrestricted access to U.S. agricultural products and dilute its protective framework for domestic industries. India, however, upholding its interests, did not.
Trump’s tirade against India comes at a time when the two countries are negotiating a major trade deal. A deal that Trump has repeatedly claimed to have been the reason why India halted Operation Sindoor in May in the aftermath of a Pakistan-backed jihadist terror attack in Pahalgam in April this year.
Ironically, Trump never forgets to call India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi his and the USA’s ‘friend’ every time he hyphenates India, the world’s fourth-largest economy, one of the fastest-growing economies and the failed state of Pakistan, the ‘Islamic republic, which literally breathes on an IMF loan ventilator. Trump makes tall claims of using trade deals as leverage to stop the India-Pakistan conflict; however, the loudmouth US President has failed to strike a deal with India till now.
Probably, India’s loud and clear statement that no foreign leader, not even the self-declared ‘ceasefire specialist’, mediated ceasefire between India and Pakistan, has irked Trump, reflecting in his sudden tariff and ‘penalty’ imposition against his ‘friend’ India.
In fact, a lack of a Indo-US trade deal to this day, not only confirms that no such offer by the US President played any role in India-Pakistan arriving at ceasefire understanding, but also that Trump had no say in India deciding to heed Pakistan’s desperate plea to halt Operation Sindoor.
While Trump boasts of being a decisive peacemaker in the Indo-Pak conflict and leveraging the prospect of a trade deal, if trade alone could stop wars, his trade offers would have ended the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Despite Trump’s earlier claims of ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict within hours, the two countries continue to fight, reducing his boastful statements to a joke.
Now, probably, to deflect attention from his own failure to halt the Russia-Ukraine war with ‘trade’, Trump is targeting India with his senseless rhetoric, tariffs and penalties.
Trump vilifies India for having trade ties with Russia, but claims to not even know that US continues to import non-essential items from Russia: Is India trading with ‘bad Putin’ and US with ‘good Putin’?
President Trump’s delusion and hypocrisy stretch beyond measure when he makes the audacious attempt at ‘punishing’ India with tariffs and penalties for trade ties with Russia, while the US itself continues to do trade with the country.
While the US may have cut its Russian crude oil imports from Russia due to sanctions, it continues to trade with Russia in various sectors. Even three years after Russia invaded Ukraine, the United States has not fully cut off its trade ties with Moscow. The US has imported more than $24.5 billion worth of Russian goods since January 2022. This year alone, it bought $1.27 billion worth of fertilisers, $624 million in uranium and plutonium, and nearly $878 million in palladium.
Import of non-ferrous metals such as palladium and aluminium were valued at $876.5 million for the period January to November in 2024. Inorganic chemicals made up $683 million, followed by power-generating machinery at $79 million and cork and wood manufacturers at approximately $64 million.
Other commodities included nuclear reactors and machinery worth $80.81 million, prepared animal feed, iron and steel, and oil seeds, although these contributed smaller shares to the overall imports.
The US government’s own data indicates that U.S. exports in goods to Russia fell to $528.3 million in 2024, while imports were worth an amount phenomenally higher. In the year 2023, the U.S. exports to Russia stood at around $598.8 million. Despite Russia enjoying a massive surplus and being involved in war with Ukraine, there was never really a hiatus in the Russia-US trade.
Ironically, while Trump is upset with India for its trade ties with Russia, he claims not to even be aware of the massive trade partnership the US continues to have with Russia. Trump said that he didn’t know the United States was still doing business with Russia, even as he criticised India for continuing to import oil from Russia.
“I don’t know anything about it. We will have to check it out, and we will get back to you,” he told an ANI reporter on 5th August during a media interaction.
#WATCH | Responding to ANI's question on US imports of Russian Uranium, chemical fertilisers while criticising their (Indian) energy imports', US President Donald Trump says, "I don't know anything about it. I have to check…"
Either Trump is actually unaware of the trading ties and the scale of the same his country has with Russia, or he is embarrassed to admit, while he accuses India of ‘fuelling’, what he calls Russian ‘war machine’, it is the US doing the same. In fact, the US, on one hand, is fuelling the Russian war on Ukraine by continuing trade with Kremlin, on the other, it is fuelling Ukrainian war on Russia, by providing military and financial aid to Kyiv.
Trump’s hypocrisy has been called out by the Indian government as well. In a strong statement, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs pointed out that India started importing oil from Russia because traditional supplies were diverted to Europe after the outbreak of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. At that time, the United States actively encouraged such imports from India for strengthening the stability of global energy markets. The MEA also gave the statistics of the trading ties the United States and the European Union continue to have with Russia, while NATO backs Ukraine.
India’s statement not only received global praise, but also backing from Russia, which called Trump’s tariff threats “illegal”.
In contrast to Donald Trump’s ‘dead economy’ rhetoric, global financial assessments paint a far more resilient picture of India’s economy. According to the latest report by Morgan Stanley’s Global Investment Committee, India is expected to remain the fastest-growing economy in its global coverage. The report forecasts India’s real GDP growth at 5.9% in 2025 and 6.4% in 2026, far ahead of the US (1.0%) and China (4.0%).
“India remains the fastest growing economy in our coverage,” the committee noted, highlighting the country’s robust domestic demand, structural reforms, and investment momentum. In fact, while the global economy is projected to slow down, from 3.5% in 2024 to just 2.5% in 2025, India is expected to outperform significantly.
While Trump may satisfy his ego by calling Indian economy ‘dead’, levy tariffs and penalties, receive indirect support from a section of India’s political opposition acting like the fifth column, Indian economy continues to grow, India continues to uphold its national interests, maintain ties with its allies, and not submit to the whims of a hypocrite and full of himself bully.
A 22-year-old seer, who had been living in a mutt in Chamarajanagar in Karnataka, left the mutt on Monday (4th August), after locals found out about his Muslim identity. The seer named Nijalinga Swamy had arrived at the Gurumalleshwara Shakha mutt located in Gundulpet taluka six weeks ago. His Muslim identity was exposed last week after a devotee saw his photos wearing a skull cap and holding a beer in his hand.
The expose occurred after a local devotee requested the seer to lend him his spare mobile phone as his phone had stopped working. The seer, who had two mobile phones, gave the devotee his older phone. When the devotee went through the phone, he saw the seer’s pictures wearing a skull cap and holding a beer. The devotees swiftly informed the other devotees of the mutt, who were shocked to hear the information.
Soon the devotees confronted him about his Muslim identity, the seer admitted that he was a Muslim before joining the Lingayat sect. His Aadhaar Card also mentioned his birth name, Mohammad Nisar. He clarified that the pictures were from the time before he became a Lingayat. He said that he had not drunk beer since he converted. However, the devotees, who felt betrayed for keeping them in the dark, asked him to step down.
The seer claimed a became a Lingayat five years ago
Nijalinga Swamy was born a Muslim named Mohammad Nisar in Yadgir district. As per reports, he was influenced by the teachings of Lingayat social reformer Basavanna. He is said to have taken his vows five years ago, at the age of 17. Nisar said that he was inclined towards Basavanna since childhood, and this worried his Muslim parents, who sent him to a madrassa. “At a very young age, I was attracted towards Basavanna and his ideas. I used to perform puja just like any Lingayat. My parents were frightened, and they sent me to a madrassa to study. It gave me another dimension, and at the age of 17, I took deeksha (initiation) to become a Lingayat,” the seer told Indian Express.
Nisar expressed his resolution to continue to follow Basavanna’s ideology. Another Lingayat mutt in Rane Bennur (Haveri district) has reportedly given him shelter. “I left my parents and Islam only because I believe in Basavanna’s ideology. I will continue to do so, and nobody can stop me from doing that. A lot of seers and people from the Lingayat community have come to my support. In fact, another Lingayat mutt in Rane Bennur (Haveri district) has given me shelter now. I will continue to follow Basavanna and his ideas,” Swamy said. He said that some people have levelled false accusations of financial misappropriation against him after his past identity was revealed. “I will not give up, but will live the rest of my life to propagate Basavanna’s ideas,” he asserted.
Nisar said his well-wishers advised him to conceal his Muslim identity
After taking deeksha from his Guru, Nisar became a Lingayat. He started following Lingayat rituals at a mutt in Basavakalyan, Bidar. An Australia-based philanthropist named Mahadev Prasad had donated land to build a mutt in Chamarajanagar district’s Chowdahalli, on which the Gurumalleshwara Shakha mutt was established. Mohammad Nisar, who had become Nijalinga Swamy and was following Lingayat rituals at a mutt in Basavakalyan, Bidar, after taking diksha from his Guru, was appointed at the Gurumalleshwara Shakha mutt. He said that his Guru suggested his name for appointment at the mutt. He added that some well-wishers advised him not to reveal his past Muslim identity and work for the betterment of the mutt.
In a similar case in 2020, a 33-year-old former autorickshaw driver Diwan Sharief Rahimsab Mulla took deeksha and became the fourth Muslim to head a Lingayat mutt in 300 years.
