On Wednesday (13 September), the Governor of Assam formed a committee to draft appropriate legislation for banning Polygamy and other related issues in the state. The major decision taken towards ending polygamy was conveyed by an official notification issued by the government of Assam.
Assam governor appoints a panel to draft legislation to end polygamy in the state. The panel will be drafting its proposed legislation within a span of 45 days.
According to the notification, apart from polygamy, the committee will also draft legislations on matters like inter-religious marriage by false identity and the role of Kaji in the matter of child marriage among others.
The government notification states, “The Governor of Assam is pleased to constitute a Committee to draft an appropriate legislation for banning Polygamy and other related issues such as tackling inter-religious marriage by false identity, the role of Kaji in the matter of child marriage, etc. with the following members with immediate effect.”
The committee will be headed by Devajit Saikia who is the Advocate General of Assam and other appointed members of the committee include –
1. G.P. Singh – IPS, Director General of Police, Assam
2. Nalin Kohli – Senior Additional Advocate General, Assam
5. Biswajit Pegu – IAS, Secretary, Home and Political, Department, Assam – Member Secretary
According to the National Family Health Survey-5, around 2.4% of the marriages in Assam are polygynous. The state has the widest gap between Hindu and Muslim women admitting to being in such a marriage.
Earlier, the state Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that by December 2023 the state will witness the end of polygamy.
During an interaction with the media in Silchar, CM Sarma said, “The draft is under preparation, and by December Assam will see the end of polygamy and another round of arrest the state will see after September 15 on child marriages.”
In line with his announcement, the state government earlier formed an expert committee to look into this matter. In its report, the committee stated that the state assembly has the legislative competence to enact a law prohibiting polygamy in the state.
This was informed by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma after the four-member committee led by Justice (Retired) Rumi Phookan handed over the report of the committee to him.
The committee was formed in May 2023 and it included Advocate General Debajit Saikia, Additional Advocate General Nalin Kohli, and lawyer Nekibur Zaman as its other members.
Although the CM stated that his government is considering whether to introduce the bill in the upcoming autumn session in September or the Budget session next year, he confirmed that the bill will be finalised this year itself.
A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin in Mumbai over his remarks insulting Sanatana Dharma on 2 September. The FIR, registered by the Mira Road police, was filed under Sections 153A and 295A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
A BJP delegation in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday (12 September) handed over a memorandum to the police demanding registration of an FIR against the DMK leader for his remarks. On 2 September, the son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin addressed the “Eradicate Sanatan Conference” in Chennai. He not only likened Sanatana Dharma to mosquitoes, dengue, flu, malaria, and coronavirus but also called for its eradication.
The hateful statement sparked nationwide outrage. Sources reportedly said that Prime Minister Modi asked his ministers to counter the Opposition’s narrative on Sanatana Dharma with facts.
Udhayanidhi was backed by I.N.D.I alliance leaders including the Congress. Earlier, an FIR was filed in Uttar Pradesh against the son of Tamil Nadu CM for his disparaging remarks about Sanatana Dharma.
Udhayanidhi Stalin through his statement has given a free run to the leaders of his Hindu-hating party who are on a spree to insult the Hindu faith.
On Monday (11 September), 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.
On 6th September, DMK MP A Raja added fuel to the controversy by saying that Udayanidhi was soft while commenting on Sanatan Dharma and added it should have been compared to HIV and social stigmas.
Again on 6th September, DMK leader Constantine Ravindran was heard saying that “no one is educated in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar because of Sanatana Dharma”. “They are brainless. They don’t have rational thinking about life,” said the DMK spokesperson.
The European Union has launched an anti-subsidy inquiry into the Electric Vehicles (EVs) coming from China. The announcement was made by the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during her State of the Union speech in Strasbourg, France.
Asserting that the EV sector is a “crucial industry for the clean economy with a huge potential for Europe, Ursula von der Leyen said that global markets are flooded with cheaper Chinese electric cars and huge state subsidies are provided to keep their price artificially low.
“This is distorting our market. And as we do not accept this from the inside, we do not accept this from the outside. So I can announce today that the Commission is launching an anti-subsidy investigation into electric vehicles coming from China,” the European Commission President said.
She added that “Europe is open to competition but not to a race to the bottom. We must defend ourselves against unfair practices.” The decision was met with applause from the EU Parliament.
Notably, of the new EVs sold in Europe this year, eight per cent were reportedly made by Chinese brands. This is a two per cent rise from 2022 and four per cent from 2021. The shares of Chinese EV producers have dropped after the EU announcement.
The decision was welcomed by France which has helmed the demand for the inquiry into Chinese EVs. French Europe Minister Laurence Boon said the move was important to protect the bloc’s market.
Leyen further underlined how European markets are bearing the brunt of unfair trade practices. “Competition is only true as long as it is fair. Too often, our companies are excluded from foreign markets or are victims of predatory practices. They are often undercut by competitors benefitting from huge state subsidies.”
She pointed out how the European solar industry has suffered owing to China’s unfair trade practices. This comes a day after the solar industry in Europe warned of bankruptcies over Chinese imports and sought a €100 million bailout.
“We have not forgotten how China’s unfair trade practices affected our solar industry. Many young businesses were pushed out by heavily subsidised Chinese competitors. Pioneering companies had to file for bankruptcy. Promising talents went searching for fortune abroad,” von der Leyen said.
SolarPower Europe, a group comprising solar sector industrialists, wrote to the European Commission on 11th September raising the red flag that soaring stockpiles and “fierce competition” among Chinese manufacturers to gain market share in EU had pushed down the prices of solar modules by over a quarter since the start of this year.
“It’s pretty severe,” CEO of SolarPower Europe Walburga Hemetsberger reportedly said.
China’s debt trap strategy and exploitative trade practices have prompted some severe reactions from the West which is a stakeholder in key Chinese projects in the bloc.
The same was reflected rather massively when Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reportedly hinted at leaving the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Meanwhile, President of the European People’s Party (EPP), Mandred Weber welcomed the probe announced by von der Leyen saying, “We want a European Green Deal, not a Chinese one. We don’t want to see Chinese electric vehicles benefiting from our ambitious climate approach”.
On Wednesday, September 13, the Supreme Court declared that it wouldn’t interfere in the ban on the production, sale, storage, and utilization of all types of firecrackers in Delhi during this Diwali season. The ban has been re-imposed by the Delhi government.
A bench comprised of Justices AS Bopanna and MM Sundresh indicated that some different ways to celebrate Deiwali should be adopted. This is after BJP Lok Sabha MP Manoj Tiwari stated before the court that the ban had been re-imposed despite the court allowing the bursting of green firecrackers.
“There are many states imposing complete ban despite the orders of this court,” counsel representing Tiwari argued. The court responded to this by saying, “Locally if there is a ban, there is a ban. We will not interfere. You can find other ways to celebrate.”
A writ petition had been filed by Tiwari challenging the ban on firecrackers imposed by the Delhi government ahead of Diwali 2022. The court had back then also declined to interfere in the ban. “Spend on sweets. Let people breathe clean air,” the Court was quoted as saying.
The court happened to reiterate its stand today saying, “Where the government has banned firecrackers, it means a complete ban. People’s health is important. If you want to burst firecrackers, go to states where there is no ban.”
The counsel meanwhile argued that his client being an MP was responsible towards his constituents and that the court had allowed the bursting of green firecrackers. “You should make the people understand that they should not burst firecrackers. You should not burst firecrackers during victory processions after elections. There are other ways of celebrating the victory,” the Court then added.
This is a couple of days after the Delhi government on September 11, declared a full ban on the manufacture, storage, sale, and bursting of firecrackers in the national capital to tackle high pollution levels during the winter months.
The broad regulation, which includes a prohibition on the sale of firecrackers online, arrives just in time for the holiday season. During the previous two years, a similar blanket restriction had been imposed. However, there have been instances of people setting off firecrackers during the Diwali celebrations.
The issue of a ban on firecrackers appears every year ahead of Diwali, blaming the Hindu festival for the grave air pollution faced by Delhi and neighboring areas during the fall season. Every year Diwali is targeted despite studies showing that the festival’s contribution to air pollution is negligible and temporary, while the major causes are stubble burning by farmers in nearby states, vehicles and construction activities, weather patterns, and the geographical location of the area.
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.’
Heres another example of shameless, lazy, appeasement politics of bribing certain communities by Rahuls Cong in #Karnataka
Buy a vehicle for Rs 6L, using 50% subsidy, sell it the next day for Rs 5L. Cool profit of Rs 2L.
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:
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.
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.
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:
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.
The scheme was open for registration on the Minority Welfare Department of Karnataka website.
There was no similar notification on the Social Welfare Department website or anywhere else.
There was no notification for the scheme to be applicable to SC/STs and OBCs on any of the websites.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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?
If it has been passed, why has it not been uploaded to any government website or made public by Karnataka govt?
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?
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”?
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?
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.
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.
Shankar Gaonkar Principal of HSS based in Dabolim suspended for allegedly taking students to Islamic workshop at a Masjid & making Girl students wear Hijab; workshop organised by Islamic students org & not as per Edu Dept circular; VHP terms workshop 'School Jihad'#principalpic.twitter.com/expb8j7wwJ
“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.
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.
A most heart-wrenching case. This child, Shahbaz, was bitten by a neighbour’s dog a month ago. He didn’t tell anyone and applied haldi on wound. Within weeks, he started showing symptoms of rabies like fearing water and light. He eventually passed away pic.twitter.com/AFdMH2DGyy
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.
थाना विजयनगर क्षेत्रान्तर्गत एक 14 वर्षीय बच्चे की कुत्ते के काटने के कारण हुए इन्फेक्शन से उपचार के दौरान हुई मृत्यु के सम्बन्ध में एसीपी कोतवाली नगर की बाइट-@Uppolicepic.twitter.com/IeVPokogOL
— POLICE COMMISSIONERATE GHAZIABAD (@ghaziabadpolice) September 5, 2023
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.
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.”
#WATCH | On driving Russian-made cars, Russian President Vladimir Putin says, "…I guess in this regard, we should learn from many partners of ours, namely our partners in India. They are mostly focusing on production and use of the cars and vessels produced in India. And in… pic.twitter.com/Mloawwm20M
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.
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.
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… pic.twitter.com/Piq7CnZyBk
“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.
BREAKING || சனாதன எதிர்ப்பு பேச்சு போட்டி திடீர் வாபஸ் காரணம் ஏன்? | Sanathanam speech competition withdrawn
— News Tamil 24×7 | நியூஸ் தமிழ் 24×7 (@NewsTamilTV24x7) September 13, 2023
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.
I never called for the genocide of people who are following Sanatan Dharma. Sanatan Dharma is a principle that divides people in the name of caste and religion. Uprooting Sanatan Dharma is upholding humanity and human equality.
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.
Sanathana 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
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.
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.
This is HUGE! RBI says banks and NBFCs have to release documents of properties and collateral mandatorily within 30 days! * Have to remove encumberance within 30 days, and return docs * Docs can be returned from any branch, not just home branch of customer * Loan docs must… pic.twitter.com/VuLioLpuV5
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.
