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Questions that Karnataka govt, especially Priyank Kharge, need to answer about the Swawalambi Sarathi scheme and the FIR against Sudhir Chaudhury

Nupur J Sharma
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Questions that Karnataka govt, especially Priyank Kharge, need to answer about the Swawalambi Sarathi scheme and the FIR against Sudhir Chaudhury

On the 8th of September 2023, a fresh controversy surrounded the Congress government in Karnataka. BJP leaders Tejasvi Surya and Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar took to Twitter to post a screenshot of a newspaper ad which spoke about the Swawalambi Sarathi scheme by the Karnataka government which was meant specifically for the minority communities. It appears that the advertisement was not placed by the govt but by a private organisation called AR-Raheem Trust.

As soon as Rajeev Chandrasekhar posted the newspaper clipping and questioning the Karnataka government about a scheme which is specifically for the minorities only, Mohammad Zubair of AltNews, who is in the habit of spreading misinformation and painting a target on people’s backs, attempted to “fact check” the minister.

As per an advertisement attached by the minister in his tweet, a subsidy of 50% of the vehicle’s value with a maximum of 50% is being offered to religious minorities to purchase Auto Rikshwas, Taxis and Goods vehicles. The Swavalambi Sarathi Scheme was launched by Karnataka Housing and Minorities Welfare Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan last month. 

Taking to X, Minister Chandrashekhar said that the scheme is meant exclusively for the non-Hindus keeping even the financially deprived Hindu communities out of it. The union minister said that it is a brazen discrimination and violation of Article 14 of the Constitution from a party that goes abroad and talks of Bharat’s constitution being under threat. He called it “State sponsored Conversion inducement”.

He called the scheme an ‘example of shameless, lazy, appeasement politics of bribing certain communities by Rahul Gandhi’s Congress in Karnataka.’

In the aftermath of this tweet by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, several media outlets covered the scheme and the minister’s criticism of it on the 8th of September itself. On the morning of 12th of September, Priyank Kharge, Congress minister in the Karnataka government, tweeted threatening legal action against Sudhir Choudhary – the AajTak anchor – for covering the news of the Swawalambi Sarathi Scheme and how it was only notified for minorities, not SC/STs or OBCs.

At 11:36 PM on the 12th of September, Mohammad Zubair, who Priyank Kharge calls “chief’, was the first to tweet that an FIR had been filed against Sudhir Chaudhury.

On the 8th of September itself, when Rajeev Chandrashekhar tweeted about the scheme and criticised it, Mohammad Zubair, who works in an official capacity with the Karnataka government, specifically Priyank Kharge, attempted to fact-check the news with misinformation. OpIndia covered the story extensively and listed the misinformation which was spread by Mohammad Zubair.

Zubair had claimed the following on the 8th of September:

  1. The scheme Swawalambi Sarathi Scheme was available to minorities, SC/STs and OBCs – he attached the screenshot of an innocuous, privately run website trying to pass it off as official government guidelines.
  2. That similar schemes were there during the BJP govt’s tenure and that the Congress was merely continuing those schemes – he used selective screenshots from the official handles of the Minority Welfare Department, leaving out a tweet where in 2022, they had admitted that the scheme had been put on hold.
  3. This would mean that the Congress government had repackaged and restarted the scheme after it was put on hold by the BJP – a fact that Zubair did not bother mentioning.

OpIndia found:

  1. The website of the Minority Welfare Department of the Karnataka government specifically mentioned that to be eligible for this scheme, one would have to belong to a religious minority community.
  2. The scheme was open for registration on the Minority Welfare Department of Karnataka website.
  3. There was no similar notification on the Social Welfare Department website or anywhere else.
  4. There was no notification for the scheme to be applicable to SC/STs and OBCs on any of the websites.
  5. OpIndia spoke to the Social Welfare Department and we were categorically told that the scheme is only valid for those belonging to the minority community, not SC/STs.
  6. AajTak confirmed from the Ambedkar Development Corporation. They said that the scheme was currently only valid for minorities and they were discussing how they could make it available for SC/STs and OBCs.
  7. During the Karnataka budget after coming to power, the Congress govt had said that this scheme would be made available for SC/STs, but no notification to that effect was issued – registration had only been made live for minorities.

OpIndia’s report on the misinformation spread by Mohammad Zubair and the FIR against Sudhir Choudhury can be read here.

While all of this was in the public domain, there was still an FIR filed against AajTak’s Sudhir Choudhury for covering a news merely asking questions.

What needs to be especially noted here is that had the Congress government announced a scheme specifically for the minority community, these questions would not have been raised. The fact remains that the Congress govt announced in its budget that the scheme would be implemented for SC/STs, OBCs and Minorities, however, when it came to implementation, it only notified it for minorities and not SC/STs and OBCs.

It is pertinent to note that after the tweet by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, only on the 11th of September did the Karnataka Govt issue a notification extending the scheme to OBCs. Interestingly, this notification has still not been uploaded to any govt website yet. Also, there is no SC/ST notification yet either – if there is one, it has not been uploaded on any govt website.

This notification which has been obtained by OpIndia was passed only 3 full days after the tweet by Rajeev Chandrasekhar and on the very day that Sudhir Choudhury did his report.

Given these developments, the Congress government and especially Priyank Kharge need to answer several questions.

  1. The issue was raised by Rajeev Chandrasekhar on the 8th of September. At the time this issue was raised, there was clearly no notification in the public domain which extended this scheme to SC/STs and OBCs. The notification extending it to OBCs was only passed on the 11th of September, a full 3 days after the issue was raised. Why did the Congress govt not pass this notification earlier?
  2. If a notification was passed on the 11th of September extending this scheme to OBCs, why has it not been passed for SC/STs yet – as was promised in the budget?
  3. If it has been passed, why has it not been uploaded to any government website or made public by Karnataka govt?
  4. The notification extending it to OBCs was clearly passed as a damage control measure after the issue was raised by Rajeev Chandrasekhar. In that case, the story was accurate and there was no misinformation that had been spread either by Rajeev Chandrasekhar or by the media. If that is the case, Mohammad Zubair, who works officially with the Karnataka govt as informed by Priyank Kharge himself, had spread misinformation calling this as fake news, based on an innocuous, inauthentic website. Will Priyank Kharge then rethink his association with ‘Chief’ Mohammad Zubair?
  5. Since Mohammad Zubair was himself spreading misinformation in an effort to fact-check Rajeev Chandrasekhar, will the Karnataka government now file an FIR against Mohammad Zubair, whom Priyank Kharge calls “chief”?
  6. The FIR was filed only against Sudhir Choudhury for his AajTak show. The AajTak show aired on the 11th of September – the very day that the notification was issued by the govt. Did the Congress govt wait till some media organisation covered this news after they secretly passed this notification so they could make that media house/journalist/anchor into a scapegoat?
  7. Mohammad Zubair also tried to discredit the news by using selective screenshots of the responses by the minority department in 2022 to claim that the scheme was active during the BJP tenure as well. While the scheme was indeed active, it had been halted in 2022 – a screenshot that Zubair selectively refused to publish. Since Priyank Kharge claims that his “fact-checking unit”, which Zubair is a part of, is non-partisan, will it be taking action against Zubair for spreading misinformation?

The Karnataka government and Mohammad Zubair have clearly used the malicious FIR against Sudhir Choudhury to discredit accurate news which was published on the 8th of September. Essentially, the news published on the 8th of September was accurate and continues to be accurate since no notification for the SC/ST community has been notified yet. After the news got traction, the Karnataka govt stealthily notified the scheme for OBCs 3 days after the news. It refused to make it public and when Sudhir Choudhury covered the news, they filed an FIR against him so they could then use the FIR to claim that all news, since the 8th, about this scheme, was fake news.

There appears to be a clear nexus between Priyank Kharge and Mohammad Zubair of AltNews, to spread half-baked ‘fact-checks’ in order to discredit adverse news against Congress and then launch a witch-hunt against those journalists and activists who don’t agree with them politically or publish authentic news that does not suit their political ends.

The modus operandi seems simple – First, Mohammad Zubair uses selective screenshots and half-truths to “fact-check” the news which does not sit well with Congress. Based on that “fact-check”, which is actually misinformation, Priyank Kharge jumps into action and starts threatening people with legal action. Thereafter, FIRs are filed against the individual to intimidate them, thereby discrediting the news completely and ensuring that others who might talk about the news are silenced. There seems to be a lot that the Congress party, the Karnataka govt and especially Priyank Kharge need to answer. While one is not surprised that Congress is taking the help of Islamists and their sympathisers to seemingly indulge in a political witchhunt and silence those who speak up against them, the impunity with which dissidents are being silenced certainly makes one wonder what the tropes about “pyaar ki kheti’ were all about.

Private School Principal in Goa suspended for taking students to Mosque under the pretext of workshop, students were asked to offer Namaz, wear hijab

OpIndia Staff
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Private School Principal in Goa suspended for taking students to Mosque under the pretext of workshop, students were asked to offer Namaz, wear hijab

The principal of a private school named the Keshav Smriti Higher Secondary School in Goa who took students to a mosque in Dabolim on the pretext of a school workshop, has been suspended. The principal is accused of making the students offer namaz in the mosque and do other Islamic activities. Hindu organizations raised objections over the incident and said that one organization linked to the banned Islamist, terrorist organization, Popular Front of India (PFI) was behind organizing the event of calling school students to the mosque.

The members of the Hindu organization stated that the program was part of a plot to brainwash young children and carry out religious conversions.

The State Education Department has also taken cognizance of the event and has sought answers from the school management on this incident that is said to have happened on Saturday, September 9. The incident took place involving Class 11 students of the school in Alto-Dabolim.

According to reports, on Monday (11 September 2023), Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) lodged a police complaint against Shankar Gaonkar, the principal of the private school named Keshav Smriti Higher Secondary. The complaint mentioned that Shankar had taken the students with him to Masjid-E-Noor in Dabolim.

The program was organized at the Mosque by Jamaat-e-Islami Hind. As per the VHP members, the organizer of the event has links to the PFI. It is alleged that in this program the students were not only made to offer Namaz, but also the girl students were pressurized to wear hijab. However, the girl students refused to wear the hijab.

According to the complaint, several Maulanas delivered speeches in the program held in the mosque. Around 22 students were brought to the Mosque under the pretext of some workshop. Apart from Keshav Smriti School, students from a government school had also been invited to the event held in the mosque. The program organized was named ‘Masjid Open for All’ (Masjid is open to all). Hindu organizations further have also revealed that the now-suspended Principal, Shankar Gaonkar, is involved in anti-national activities. They also reiterated that the organizer of the said program is associated with PFI.

Upon becoming aware of the event, Shailesh Jhingade, Director of the Directorate of Education, requested an explanation from the school administration. Principal Shankar Gaonkar has been suspended, according to the school’s managing president, Pandurang Korganokar. He has also apologized to Hindu organizations claiming that the intention of the school behind taking the students to the Mosque was not ill.

Suspended Gaonkar meanwhile has also clarified the allegations leveled against him. He has described it as an action done to foster communal peace. “On the invitation of the Student Islamic Organisation of India (SIO), a visit to a mosque in Dabolim was organized to promote communal harmony. Students of a government school from Baina had also been invited. A total of 21 students from our school, including three girl students and a teacher, were taken to the mosque. Students were shown where the prayers were conducted and entry-exit areas at the mosque. Some students may have covered their heads out of respect. The claim that students were forced to wear hijab or perform rituals is false,” he was quoted as saying.

“In the past also, we have organized visits of students to temples, churches, and mosques. Children from all faiths study at the school. Some students from another school had also visited the mosque. I do not know why I have been suspended,” he added.

The event was organized by Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, the parent body of the Student Islamic Organisation of India (SIO). Asif Hussain, the Goa President of this organization, stated that students visit the Noor Masjid of their own free will. According to Asif, the students were shown the part of the mosque where prayers are offered. He admitted that the students were offered sweets in the Mosque but called the allegation of forcing the children to attend the event as baseless.  

“A workshop had been organized for students at Masjid-E-Noor in Dabolim as part of our routine initiatives to promote communal harmony and for a better understanding between communities. Such events at the mosque have been an annual feature and often students visit of their own accord. The school students were shown the area where prayers are conducted and they were given sweets. All these claims of religious conversion are baseless,” he said.

The VHP members stated that the program was part of a plot to brainwash young children and carry out religious conversions. “The principal did not inform parents of the students or seek their permission for the workshop. We have been informed that at least two students had refused to go, but they were taken forcibly. Some photos of school children performing rituals at the mosque and wearing hijab have been circulating on social media. We have lodged a complaint with the police,” he said.

Ghaziabad rabies death: Accused woman yet to show vaccination documents for all her pets, locals scared of stray dogs as victim family awaits justice

OpIndia Staff
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Ghaziabad rabies death: Accused woman yet to show vaccination documents for all her pets, locals scared of stray dogs as victim family awaits justice

On 4 September, in a tragic incident in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad, a 14-year-old boy identified as Shahvez lost his life after exhibiting symptoms consistent with rabies. The deceased boy had been bitten by a dog around one and a half months prior to his demise. However, as per reports, the boy didn’t inform about the dog bite at home and failed to take the anti-rabies vaccine, as a result, the family was completely unaware of his deteriorating health.  

This tragic incident came to public attention only after a heart-wrenching video surfaced online in the first week of September. In the video, the boy is seen in agonizing pain and distress in the embrace of his hapless father. The video was reportedly recorded four hours prior to Shahvez’s death in a hospital.

After the tragic death of their child, the family filed a complaint against Sunita and other residents of Charan Singh Colony, Ghaziabad, alleging that their dog had bitten the child. On 5 September, a case was lodged at Vijay Nagar Police Station (FIR number 696) under IPC sections 289 (negligent conduct with respect to an animal) and 304-A (causing death by negligence) on the basis of Matlub Ahmed, a relative of deceased kid Shahvez. Sunita, Aakash, Shivani, and another woman named Rashi were named as accused in the FIR.

Swarajya report highlights stray dog menace in the area and updates on the police investigation

As per a Swarajya Magazine ground report by Swati Goel Sharma, the victim Shavez’s house is located in the ‘masjid wali Gali in Charan Singh colony. The house comes under the jurisdiction of the Vijay Nagar police station. However, the house has been locked and the family has gone to their native place.

Street dogs in the colony pose risk specially to kids (Image Source – Swarajya)

In the street, it was clear that the residents were fearful of a substantial population of stray dogs. After getting information from neigbours, the Swarajya team visited a nearby junk shop owned by a relative of the deceased boy named Matlub Ahmed, who filed an FIR in this matter.

Details and claims made in the FIR

Ahmed identified himself as the uncle (chacha) of Shahvez’s father Yaqoob. He told Swarajya that the grieving family had temporarily shifted to their ancestral home in Bulandshahr. The tragic loss greatly affected the family, and the team learned that Shahvez’s grandfather, Mehboob, who is the elder brother of Ahmed, had suffered a stroke two nights ago.  

Matlub Ahmed – Grandfather who lodged a complaint in this case. (Image Source – Swarajya)

A day after Shahvez’s death, Ahmed lodged a police complaint in which he stated that about a month ago, Shahvez was attacked by a dog owned by a local resident named Sunita. 

When the child’s family confronted Sunita and her children Aakash and Shivani, they were assured that all their dogs were vaccinated. Sunita reassured them that there was nothing to fear and that nothing would happen to the child.

After receiving reassurance from Sunita’s family, which later turned out to be incorrect, the child’s parents stopped worrying about the dog bite. However, a month later, the child started showing symptoms consistent with rabies. His mouth started drooling, he started to bark like a dog, and began fearing water. 

FIR copy (Image Credit – Swati Goel Sharma’s X handle )

The family immediately rushed Shahvez to a hospital, where doctors informed the parents that their kid could not be saved. The doctor added that it was best for the family to stay away from him. The infection happened to spread so fast that he could not breathe properly and suffered a painful death on Monday (4 September).

In the meantime, Yakub, the father of the boy, is said to have consulted 4-5 doctors and took him to several hospitals in Delhi and Bulandshahr to save his son’s life. He couldn’t receive any help as the rabies virus has a 100% fatality rate. 

After the child’s death, the family again confronted Sunita but she dismissed the matter. In the FIR, Ahmed further added that Sunita (one of the accused in this case) domesticates around six to seven dogs which he claimed are not vaccinated. These dogs often bark at children as they are in need of food. As per the FIR, Rashi, who identifies herself as an animal welfare advocate, opposes any attempt to relocate these street dogs from the area.

Speaking to Swarajya, Ahmed mentioned that Sunita lives four streets away, and after the dog bite incident, the child referred to her as the ‘aunty who keeps dogs’ when speaking to his mother.

During the interaction, he painted a painful picture of Shahvez’s condition in the week leading to his demise. According to him, the child grew increasingly fearful of both light and water which are known symptoms of rabies.

On 3rd September, the family had to rush him to six different hospitals in a single day, as per the report. Despite their frantic efforts to seek medical help in both Delhi and Bulandshahr, they were unable to save his life.

The victim’s family was accused of ‘molestation’ by the accused Sunia’s family

The grief-stricken family was aghast when allegations of molestation were levelled by the accused, lamented Danish Khan who is an uncle (chacha) of the boy, as per the Swarajya. 

Khan added that Sunita and other women in her family gave statements to news channels that men in “masjid wali gali” molest women from other colonies.

He claimed that Mehboob, the deceased boy’s grandfather, suffered a stroke when he saw the allegations on a news channel a few days ago. According to him, the allegations of molestation and the pain of the boy’s demise were a double shock which was too much for the old man to bear.  

Another relative Mahir told Swarajya that the boy’s family had moved to Ghaziabad from Sikandrabad town of Bulandshahr only two years ago to seek better opportunities.

The deceased boy Shahvez was a student of Class VIII and he is survived by three sisters and a younger brother.

Facts of the case

Following the incident, the Ghaziabad Police took to X to issue a statement stating that the boy had been bitten around two months ago. They added that the boy hid this crucial detail from his parents. By the time symptoms of rabies began to manifest, it proved to be too late for effective medical intervention. They added that the accused were being questioned.

Initial Police Statement on Ghaziabad Rabies death case (Image Source – Police Commissionarate Ghaziabad’s X handle)

Accused family fails to show vaccination records for all their dogs

When Swarajya approached the family who has been named in this case, they declined to comment. Two female family members refused to reveal their identities and asserted that they had already presented vaccination documents for their pets to local authorities and had nothing more to say.

However, they argued that there were a lot of stray dogs in the area, and there was no evidence that it was their dog that had bitten the boy.

According to media reports, the Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation had issued a notice to the accused family to check for vaccination records of the canine following the demise of the child. 

Speaking to The Indian Express, GMC Deputy Chief Veterinary, Anuj Kumar Singh said that a team visited the family and checked the dogs’ vaccination records. 

The officials found that the family had three pet dogs of the Pomeranian breed and they did provide the vaccination proof for these three dogs. However, they had also domesticated dogs of Indian breeds and had not shared the details of their registration.

In his conversation with Indian Express, Singh said, “It is not clear which dog bit the child. WHO guidelines state that in case of rabies, the victim dies within a few days. However, in this case, the family said that the boy was bitten by the dog around 45 days before. The dogs are physically fine. We can know the actual cause of death after proper probe.”

While the investigation is still ongoing, the fear of stray dogs and unvaccinated domesticated animals has not only alarmed the local residents but has also raised concerns across Ghaziabad and the entire nation. 

The local residents told Swarajya’s ground reporting team that stray dogs had become a menace in the area. They alleged that certain families fed stray dogs and are responsible for the rising population of these canines in the locality. 

Several locals in the area took Sunita’s name and claimed that she has six to seven dogs. A local vendor named Lalu shared a similar concern adding that the residents were constantly scared of the canine population in the area that “terrorises outsiders”.

The menace of stray dogs is such that Ghaziabad saw an alarming 25 dog bite incidents in just a day (Saturday 9 September), according to a local Hindi daily Hindustan. 

India: The ‘world leader’ in Rabies deaths

Rabies is a preventable viral disease most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. The RABV virus infection is the root of the ailment. The virus infects the central nervous system of mammals which ultimately results in brain disease and death. It causes encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) in humans and other mammals. 

According to doctors, rabies is incurable. However, if the infected person gets a dose of PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) within 24 hours, it could potentially save his life. 

The number of human deaths globally due to dog-mediated rabies is estimated to be 59,000 annually. India is responsible for 36% of rabies-related deaths worldwide, according to the statistics of the World Health Organisation. Moreover, India is responsible for 65% of the such fatalities in South-East Asia. The National Rabies Control Programme recorded 6644 medically suspected cases and fatalities of rabies between 2012 and 2022.

The unexpected increase in rabies infections in India is a serious public health issue that needs urgent intervention. 

‘Prime Minister Modi is doing the right thing’: Russian President Vladimir Putin lauds ‘Make in India’

OpIndia Staff
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‘Prime Minister Modi is doing the right thing’: Russian President Vladimir Putin lauds ‘Make in India’

Russian President Vladimir Putin lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ policy while speaking at the 8th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Russia’s port town of Vladivostok. He noted that Russia should “learn from India” and that PM Modi was “doing just the right thing” by encouraging Indians to use products made in India and promoting the programme.

He stated, “You know, we did not have domestically made cars then (in the 1990s) but we do now. It is true that they look more modest than Mercedes or Audi cars, which we bought in vast amounts in the 1990s, but this is not an issue. I think that we should learn from many of our partners, for example, India,” to a query regarding Russian-manufactured cars.

He mentioned that domestically manufactured automobiles should be used and countries like India have already set examples through their policies under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. “They are focused on the manufacture and use of Indian-made vehicles. I think that Prime Minister Modi is doing the right thing in promoting the Make in India programme. He is right.”

The Russian President voiced, “We have (Russian-made) automobiles, and we must use them, this is absolutely fine. This will not lead to any infringements of our World Trade Organization (WTO) obligations, absolutely not. It will concern state purchases. We must create a certain chain regarding what cars different classes of officials can drive so that they will use domestically-made cars. You probably know about the proposals to continue buying these cars. It would be easy to do because the logistics are streamlined.”

He also spoke on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and observed that there was nothing in the major project which was announced on the sidelines of the G20 leaders’ summit in New Delhi that could hinder Russia and he only saw it benefiting the country. He also pointed out that he doesn’t understand the association of the USA with it.

The former KGB official proclaimed, “First, this project has been discussed for a long time, maybe for the past several years. Truth be told, the Americans joined it at the last minute. But I do not really see why they would want to be part of it, except maybe in terms of some business interest. In the meantime, the additional traffic of goods along this corridor will be in fact an addition to our North–South project. We do not see anything here that could harm us in any way.”

He observed, “The North–South corridor goes to the Persian Gulf and then to India. If there is another route, I believe it includes Israel, we will be able to reach the Mediterranean through the Black Sea and use this corridor. I do not know, the colleagues who presented this project need to consider it carefully. This is only a memorandum of intent so far.”

He conveyed that the economy of the project should be “thoroughly calculated” and asserted, “Cargo shipment volumes are growing every year, and I think that the more such routes the better.”

President Putin and Make in India

Notably, this isn’t the first time President Vladimir Putin has praised the Modi government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative. He emphasised the importance of providing support tools for Russian companies to market their products much more effectively by articulating their mission, the value of the good and a sense of positive emotion and pride among Russians regarding the products made in Russia while addressing the audience at an event organised by Russia’s Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI) in June.

He used Prime Minister Narendra Modi as an example and stressed how the impact of his ‘Make In India’ plan which was introduced a number of years ago, on the Indian economy has been significant. He highlighted, “Our friends in India and our great friend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, launched the ‘Make in India’ initiative several years ago. It has had a truly impressive effect on the Indian economy. It would do no harm to emulate what is working well, even if it was not us but our friends who created it.”

“A lot has been done under the leadership of PM Modi. He is a patriot of his country. His idea of ‘Make in India’ matters both economically and in ethics. Future belongs to India, it can also be proud of the fact that it’s the largest democracy in the world,” he remarked in his annual address to the Valdai Discussion Club, a Moscow-based think tank in October 2022.

He complimented India’s independent foreign policy and commented that India’s transformation from a British colony to a modern state was “tremendous.” He added that the country’s 1.5 billion people and visible development results deserve everyone’s respect and admiration.

DMK MLA tells female students to speak against Sanatan Dharma, Tamil Nadu college complies initially but later withdraws diktat after outrage

OpIndia Staff
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DMK MLA tells female students to speak against Sanatan Dharma, Tamil Nadu college complies initially but later withdraws diktat after outrage

On Monday (September 11), a Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MLA from Thiuvarur, K. Poondi Kalaivanan, courted controversy for asking female students of a college to speak at an anti-Sanatan Dharma event.

The controversial event is being held on Friday (September 15) on the occasion of the birth anniversary of CN Annadurai, the founder of DMK. The letter, addressed to the principal of Thiru.Vi.Ka Govt.Arts College, went viral on social media on Wednesday (September 13).

“We call our country Mother India. Feminism has been belittled by the Sanatana Vadis who have infiltrated our country. It was only after the conquest of Dravida that women rose. For example, women got the right to vote, the right to wear a blouse, the right to property, and the right to education,” K. Poondi Kalaivanan said.

“Today, when the Sanatanaists are trying to re-impose the system of clan education through new educational policies, the young leader of our Dravidian movement has declared that they will uproot Sanatana,” he added.

“Our youth wing leader Udhayanidhi has hinted that they will uproot Sanatana dharma. Therefore, I cordially invite the girl students to share their deep thoughts “against Sanatana Dharma” during the conference on Anna’s birthday, 15th September at 03.00 pm in Kattur, Kalainjar Kottam.” the DMK MLA concluded.

While speaking about the matter, BJP National Secretary, Satya Kumar Y, said, “The Tamil Nadu government’s actions, influenced by Thiruvarur #DMK MLA Poondi Kalaivanan have crossed all the limits. They’re now pressuring girl students to discuss topics against #SanathanDharm.”

“Mocking and abusing 80% of population’s religion has become their hobby but they won’t get ever successful in their dirty motives!” he emphasised. On Tuesday (September 12), the principal of the Thiru.Vi.Ka Govt.Arts College issued a circular to the effect.

“We welcome the students of this college to share their thoughts on Sanatana at 03.00 pm on Anna’s birthday, September 15, Kattur, Kalainjar Kottam,” it said.

Following outrage on social media, the administration of the the Thiru.Vi.Ka Govt.Arts College withdrew its contentious circular.

The Background of the Controversy

The development came days after Udhayanidhi Stalin stirred the hornet’s nest by comparing the Hindu civilisational religious philosophy with ‘malaria’ and ‘dengue.’

On September 2, the DMK leader claimed, “Mosquitoes, dengue, flu, malaria, corona – we should not oppose these things. They’ve to be eradicated completely.”

“The same is the case with Santanam (Hinduism). Our first work should be to abolish/eradicate Sanatanam instead of opposing it. So, my appreciation to you all for giving an apt title to the meeting,” he stated. 

Later, he went on a tirade against the Hindu civilisational religious philosophy on social media. While taking to X (formerly Twitter), Udhayanidhi Stalin wrote, “Sanatan Dharma is a principle that divides people in the name of caste and religion.”

“Uprooting Sanatan Dharma is upholding humanity and human equality…I spoke on behalf of the oppressed & marginalized, who suffer due to the Sanatan Dharma. I spoke on behalf of the oppressed & marginalized, who suffer due to the Sanatan Dharma,” he reiterated his sinister plan.

Tamil Nadu Congress leader Karti Chidambaram also extended his support to Stalin on Saturday (September 2). “Sanatan Dharma is nothing but code for a Caste Hierarchical Society. All those batting for it are hankering for the Good Ole Days! Caste is the Curse of India,” he went on a vitriolic rant against the Hindu civilisational religious philosophy.

On September 3 morning, he posted another tweet defending DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin. “There was no call for “Genocide” against anyone, this is a mischievous spin,” Karti Chidambaram claimed.

Tamil Nadu Congress spokesperson and General Secretary Lakshmi Ramachandran also courted controversy for equating Hinduism (Sanatan Dharma) with hate-mongering.

Later, Communist Party of India (CPI) leader D Raja refused to acknowledge Sanatan Dharma as a religious philosophy and blamed it for propagating inequality and patriarchy.

Loan documents must be released within 30 days of full repayment, ₹5,000 penalty per day for delay: RBI announces major benefit for borrowers

OpIndia Staff
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Loan documents must be released within 30 days of full repayment, ₹5,000 penalty per day for delay: RBI announces major benefit for borrowers

In a big relief for borrowers, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) informed that banks and Non-Banking Financial Corporations (NBFC) have to release documents of properties and collateral mandatorily within 30 days of settling a loan. If the lenders, known as Regulated Entities (REs), fail to do so, they will have to pay ₹5,000 per day for any each day beyond the 30 day period. Along with that, the RBI has also offered some other reprives to the borrowers.

The central bank said that while the lenders are required to release all movable / immovable property documents upon receiving full repayment and closure of loan account, many banks and NBFCs are not complying with the regulations and not releasing the documents long after a loan has been repaid in full.

The official notification issued on 13 September states, “In terms of the guidelines on Fair Practices Code issued to various Regulated Entities (REs) since 2003, REs are required to release all movable/immovable property documents upon receiving full repayment and closure of loan account. However, it has been observed that the REs follow divergent practices in the release of such movable/immovable property documents leading to customer grievances and disputes.”

The central bank issued a set of directions to address the problems faced by the borrowers and to encourage responsible lending behaviour among the REs. “The REs shall release all the original movable/immovable property documents and remove charges registered with any registry within a period of 30 days after full repayment/ settlement of the loan account.”

The RBI also announced the a fine of ₹5,000 per day in case of delay in returning the property docyments, if the lender is responsible for such delay. The notification states, “in case of delay in releasing of original movable / immovable property documents or failing to file charge satisfaction form with relevant registry beyond 30 days after full repayment/ settlement of loan, the RE shall communicate to the borrower reasons for such delay. In case where the delay is attributable to the RE, it shall compensate the borrower at the rate of ₹5,000/- for each day of delay.

The RBI also directed that the borrowers will need not come to the original branch for collection of the documents, and will have the option of collecting them from any branch of the concernbed entity. The notificaton stated, “The borrower shall be given the option of collecting the original movable/immovable property documents either from the banking outlet/branch where the loan account was serviced or any other office of the RE where the documents are available, as per her/his preference. The timeline and place of return of original movable/immovable property documents will be mentioned in the loan sanction letters issued on or after the effective date.”

As per the RBI regulation, the REs shall have a well-defined mechanism for returning original movable/immovable property documents to the legal heirs in order to meet the contingent event of the death of the sole borrower or joint borrowers. Such a procedure must be made available to customers on the REs’ website together with other similar rules and procedures.

Furthermore, the REs must help the borrower obtain duplicate or certified copies of the movable or immovable property documents and bear the associated costs in addition to paying compensation as stated above in the event of loss or damage to the original movable or immovable property documents, in whole or in part. “However, in such cases, an additional time of 30 days will be available to the REs to complete this procedure and the delayed period penalty will be calculated thereafter (i.e., after a total period of 60 days).”

It added, “The compensation provided under these directions shall be without prejudice to the rights of a borrower to get any other compensation as per any applicable law.”

These instructions are ordered to be followed in every situation where the release of original documents pertaining to properties is due on or after 1 December of this year. The release conveyed, “The above Directions are issued under sections 21, 35A and 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, sections 45JA and 45L of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, and section 30A of the National Housing Bank Act, 1987.”

The official document was addressed to All Commercial Banks (including Small Finance Banks and Regional Rural Banks, excluding Payments Banks), All Local Area Banks, All Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks, All State Co-operative Banks and District Central Co-operative Banks, All NBFCs (including HFCs) and All Asset Reconstruction Companies by Santosh Kumar Panigrahy, Chief General Manager.

How the announcement will benefit the common public

The aforementioned measures are going to offer a massive relief to the general public who take loans to purchase movable and immovable properties like houses and vehicles. This will help borrowers who are homeowners as well as for collateral-based financing for things like vehicles, securities and other goods. Housing finance businesses are also covered because it applies to NBFCs as well.

Now, the banks and NBFCs would not be able to string homeowners for a long time by claiming that they lost/couldn’t find the necessary documents or would return them after 6 months, etc. especially when one has transferred home loans (need to repay the last lender to transfer a loan) and make it difficult to shift.

While borrowers are allowed to shift their loan to a different lender during the tenure of the loan, the original lender tend to block or delay such transfers by delaying the release of the documents and also by not removing the hypothecation on the property bought using the loan.

With this new regulation, borrowers would be be able to switch to a different lender easily if another lender offers you a More affordable loan. When a borrower wants to move the loan do different lender after getting a better deal like reduced inertest or better terms, the borrower needs to collect the the relevant documents from the original lender and submmit the same with the new lender. The original lender also needs to release the hypothecation on the property purchased using the loan money, so that the new lender can hypothecate it.

It is notable that RBI had already banned penalties on foreclosure/prepayment of loans. Delaying releasing documents was the only way NBFCs and banks could engage in dubious behaviour, which will come to an end with this new circular.

Borrowers also require the property documents after the full repayment of a loan for various reasons, and in such cases also this regulation will come as a mojot relief.

Delhi: Shahrukh brutally stabs two men in Khadda colony over a minor dispute, Kamal Kishore dead, Shivam critical

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi: Shahrukh brutally stabs two men in Khadda colony over a minor dispute, Kamal Kishore dead, Shivam critical

In a dreadful incident reported from the Khadda Colony area of Delhi, a 23-year-old man was brutally stabbed to death by an individual who has been identified as Shahrukh, 22, son of Farooq. As per the initial investigation by the police, the accused murdered the victim after engaging in a minor dispute with him and his brother.

According to the reports, the deceased person has been identified as Kamal Kishore while the injured individual has been identified as Shivam Sharma, 18. The accused stabbed both the men near Arpan Puliya, B-Block Khadda Colony after which they were taken to the Apollo Hospital in Delhi.

The elder of the two, Kamal was declared dead at the hospital while the other victim, Shivam is undergoing treatment. He is said to have attained critical injuries on his body after being brutally attacked by the accused.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (southeast) Rajesh Deo confirmed the event and said that both victims persons were residents of Khadda colony and the accused is a resident of the Khadda colony too.

The police have apprehended the accused and have booked him under the section of murder (302) of the Indian Penal Code. The police said that the accused and the victim persons knew each other very well and had engaged in a minor dispute following which the accused stabbed the two men.

“A case of murder has been registered. Further legal action will be taken,” he said.

Logistics company Blue Dart rebrands its Dart Plus service to Bharat Dart “to serve the diverse needs of Bharat”

OpIndia Staff
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Logistics company Blue Dart rebrands its Dart Plus service to Bharat Dart “to serve the diverse needs of Bharat”

Blue Dart has announced the rebranding of its Dart Plus service to Bharat Dart. A press release by the company read, “Blue Dart Express Limited, South Asia’s premier express air and integrated transportation & distribution logistics company, unveiled its newly revamped service, formerly known as Dart Plus, as Bharat Dart. This strategic transformation marks a momentous milestone in Blue Dart’s ongoing journey, underscoring its unwavering commitment to serving the diverse needs of Bharat.”

The logistics company known for its courier services further stated the reason behind rebranding. It said, “Blue Dart’s decision to rebrand this service stems from an extensive discovery and research process aimed at aligning itself to the evolving needs of its customers.”

The release also read, “Blue Dart Express Limited invites all stakeholders and customers to join on this transformative journey as the company continues to connect Bharat to the world and the world to Bharat.”

The development comes three days after India was represented as Bharat at the New Delhi G20 Summit on 9-10 September. The dinner invitations by President Droupadi Murmu to the G20 heads of state also used the name Bharat.

On 8 September, the United Nations announced that it would update India’s name to Bharat in its records once New Delhi fulfills the necessary formalities.

Managing Director of Blue Dart, Balfour Manuel said India’s vision of ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’ aligns with Blue Dart’s approach. “During India’s recent G20 Presidency, the need to harmonize growth, efficiency, and resilience aas one large family was brought forth. The government’s vision of ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future,’ which underscores unity and purpose, aligns seamlessly with Blue Dart’s forward-thinking approach, cementing its position as a trailblazer in the logistics industry.”

Manuel added, “This rebranding represents an exciting transformation for us as we continue to serve the length and breadth of the country. Bharat Dart is the first step in a new and exciting chapter for our company and our nation.”

Pablo Ciano, CEO of DHL eCommerce, Blue Dart’s partner company said its vision harmonizes with the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative. “As India approaches its centenary year in 2047, the focus on e-commerce and logistics has become paramount,” Ciano said.

While the Opposition and its ecosystem are finding India’s ascent as Bharat tough to digest, the world has welcomed the historic change.

Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra General Secretary shares images of remains of ancient Hindu temple discovered at the Ram Mandir site

Paurush Gupta
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Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra General Secretary shares images of remains of ancient Hindu temple discovered at the Ram Mandir site

As the construction of the grand Ram Mandir in Ayodhya progresses, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra’s General Secretary of Champat Rai on 12 September shared images of remains of an ancient temple discovered at the Ram Janmabhoomi during excavation. These ancient remains include several idols and pillars.

Taking to X, Rai said, “Remains of an ancient temple found during excavation at Shri Ram Janmabhoomi. It includes many statues and pillars.”

Several parts of idols carved out of large stones and pillars can be seen in the picture shared by Rai who is also the international vice president of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).

However, from the tweet, it is not clear if the discovery is from any recent excavation, or if they were found earlier during excavation and Champata Rai chose to share the images now. It is notable that the construction of the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir is almost completed, and it is unlikely that any major excavation is going on there at present. It is possible that the remains of the ancient Hindu temple seen in the image were found during the ASI survey before the disputed site was handed over to Hindus, or during excavation for laying the foundation of the grand temple.

Earlier on Tuesday (12 September), the South Korean Ambassador in India, Chang Jae-Bok highlighted the importance of the Ram Mandir in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya and said that the country would like to be part of its inauguration ceremony.

He emphasised that Ayodhya is important to South Korea historically and culturally. As per Korean legends, an Indian princess from the kingdom of Ayodhya had traveled to Korea to marry their prince.

“In one history book, it was mentioned that the Princess was from Ayodhya. So, Ayodhya is of importance to South Korea as well. The central government or the state government should plan the Ram Temple inauguration on a larger scale and we would attend the event if the government issues an invitation,” the ambassador reiterated.

Regarding the inauguration ceremony, the Vedic priests from Varanasi have suggested Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust to hold five-day rituals starting from 17 January for the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla. According to them, the final installation ceremony of Ram Lalla’s idol at the temple sanctum-sanctorum in Ayodhya can be held on January 21/ 22, 2024.

Meanwhile, the preparation for the construction and subsequent consecration of Ram Lalla is going on in full swing. Earlier, on 5 September, UP CM Yogi Adityanath met PM Modi to brief him about development works in Ayodhya for the inauguration of the grand Ram Mandir.

As per media reports, during the meeting UP CM Yogi Adityanath was expected to invite PM Modi to the inauguration ceremony of the Ram Mandir. 

It is pertinent to note that the tentative inaugural dates have been kept around 21-23 January and these dates have been reportedly conveyed to the Prime Minister. 

Regarding the dates, the trust’s General Secretary Rai said, “The consecration ceremony of Ram Janmabhoomi will take place in the third week of January next year. Three dates, 21, 22, and 23 of January have been fixed for the consecration ceremony. We will invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the ceremony which will also be attended by prominent sadhus and other dignitaries.”

In the last week of January 2024, ‘Ramlalla Pran Pratishta Mahotsav‘ will take place in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. Ramlalla will be placed in the temple on the ground floor, which is expected to be ready by the end of this year. Around 5 lakh devotees are expected to visit Ayodhya for the festivities.

On its part, VHP has identified over one thousand major temples in the country where live streaming will be done during the inauguration ceremony.

‘Communist’ China celebrates and supports its private sector, while their ideological children in India are still stuck in the 1940s

OpIndia Staff
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‘Communist’ China celebrates and supports its private sector, while their ideological children in India are still stuck in the 1940s

On 13 September, ‘communist’ China released a list of the top 500 Chinese private companies celebrating their success. In an official report, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, which is a national body serving the private sector, said the top 500 private companies recorded total revenue of USD 5.46 trillion (38.83 trillion yuan), which was 3.94 per cent year-on-year growth.

E-commerce Company JD led the list with 1.05 trillion yuan in revenue, followed by Alibaba Group Holding with 864.53 billion yuan in revenue. Third on the list was the Hengli Group, which is an oil and coal enterprise. The company recorded revenue of 611.75 billion yuan.

Interestingly, the controversial Chinese tech company Huawei Technologies would have topped the 2022 list in R&D investment with over 100 billion yuan but did not participate in the ranking. Tencent Holdings, which owns WeChat, topped the list in R&D investment with 61.4 billion yuan, followed by Alibaba and Baidu Inc.

China to form a new bureau to support the private sector

While China is celebrating “private sector” success, a WSJ report from 4th September suggested that the communist government of China vowed to create a new government body to support the private sector. The new bureau under the National Development and Reform Commission would be tasked to monitor the private sector economy and establish channels for regional communication between the government and the private sector.

Reportedly, economists believe that Beijing failed to do enough to push an economic recovery and a bigger, broader package of stimulus measures was needed to restore the confidence among the general public and private sector.

Notably, the investment in the private sector saw a downfall of 0.5 per cent in the first seven months of 2023. The drop was 0.2 per cent in 2022 during the same period.

Indian communists’ love for China but hate for private sector

While communist China is celebrating its private sector and wants it to flourish, the communist parties of India have often shown a different approach. Notably, China’s progress is well celebrated among the communist circle in India.

In 2021, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury, Communist Party of India (CPI) leader D Raja and others attended an event organised by the Chinese Embassy to mark 100 years of the Communist Party of China. In 2015, Yechury told The Hindu during his meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping that the Communist Party of China (CPC) highly valued its relations with the CPI(M).

However, when it comes to progressive politics and supporting Indian businesses, the likes of Yechury and D Raja often attack Indian business houses like Adani Group and Reliance Industries (Mukesh Ambani-owned) to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is interesting to see while communists in India work day and night against the private sector, their ideological fathers of China are working extensively to help the private sector grow in their country.

So much so there are hundreds, if not thousands, of Indian companies that get their products built in China. Had they tried to do the same in India, it would not be an exaggeration to expect a communist party-backed union or NGO to build a narrative against it.

For those who are unaware, back in the 1970s, China’s communist party decided to grow the private sector. In the 1980s, there was a substantial decrease in the government’s control over businesses.

According to an article in Matthews Asia, the author noted in 1984, there were hardly any private companies, and everything worked for the state. However, almost 90 per cent of the urban population is employed in small, privately owned entrepreneurial firms. While domestic private companies accounted for only 5 per cent of total exports in 2001, it rose to over 50 per cent by 2020. The private companies in China account for over 70 per cent of the technological innovations.

The government cannot provide substantial growth on its own. It required robust support from the private sector. However, communist China’s ideological children in India still live in the 1940s era of communism and want the private sector to die a slow, painful death.

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