Ukraine has taken down Soviet-era signs from a hilltop monument in Kyiv and replaced the hammer-and-sickle symbol with a trident coat of arms, CNN reported.
Kyiv this week changed the Soviet hammer and sickle sign to a trident, the Ukrainian coat of arms, on the shield of the Motherland Monument, which dominates the skyline of the capital.
“We believe that this change will be the beginning of a new stage in the revival of our culture and identity, the final rejection of Soviet and Russian symbols and narratives,” the Ukrainian culture ministry said. The week-long operation to dismantle the Russian insignia was finished on August 6, according to the ministry.
This comes in the midst of a conflict when the country has struggled to define its cultural identity in the face of Russian aggression, CNN reported.
The monument, a 102-meter-tall monolith that dominates its surroundings, is made of steel. The woman clutching the sword and the shield bearing the Soviet hammer and sickle was shown in the 1979-built monument.
It was emphasised on Sunday by the Russian Foreign Ministry that “mother cannot be renamed,” as per CNN.
Using the Russian spelling of Kiev, Maria Zakharova, the ministry’s spokeswoman, wrote on Telegram, “In Kyiv, a trident was installed atop the monument Motherland.”
As part of its pre-war attempts to do away with outdated Soviet designations and forge a stronger sense of national identity, the Ukrainian government launched a push to change the name of the city from Russian Kiev to Ukrainian Kyiv.
“This is the whole essence of the Kiev regime and the cyborgs led by it. Mother cannot be renamed. She is one. And the only thing you can do with it is to love. And they don’t know how.”
A major driving force behind the war has continued to be Putin’s goal to undercut Ukrainian national identity and autonomy, according to CNN.
Putin claimed Ukraine had no right to exist as a sovereign nation when the Kremlin began its invasion in February 2022, referring to the eastern region as “ancient Russian lands.”
Over the past year, shelling from Moscow has destroyed key architectural landmarks in Ukraine, most recently in the mediaeval city centre of Odesa, which UNESCO designated a World Heritage Site in response to the prospect of an invasion by Russia.
Recently, Kyiv has seen significant development. The 816-meter-long Moscow Bridge, which spans the Dnieper River, was renamed the Northern Bridge in 2018, CNN reported.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
Member of Parliament in Rajya Sabha from the Trinamool Congress, Derek O’Brien has been suspended for the entire Monsoon session of the Parliament on Tuesday “for unruly behavior unbecoming of a Member of Rajya Sabha.”
The suspension came after a motion was moved by Union Minister Piyush Goyal against O’Brien “for continuously disrupting the proceedings of the House, disobeying the Chair and continuously and wilfully creating a disturbance in the House.”
TMC MP in Rajya Sabha Derek O'Brien suspended for the remainder of the current Parliament session "for unruly behaviour unbecoming of a Member of Rajya Sabha."
The TMC MP lost his cool even as he stood up to raise the point of order. O’Brien demanded a discussion on Manipur and pointed fingers at the Speaker during his aggressive address. Following this, Speaker Jagdeep Dhankhar lambasted the TMC leader and asked O’Brien to take his seat but to no avail. The Speaker then rose from his chair and asked Derek O’Brien to leave the House.
Amid a din, a motion was moved by Minister Piyush Goyal followed by the suspension. Just yesterday, on 7th August, the Speaker had lashed out at Derek O’Brien for “engaging in theatrics.” The TMC MP had equated the Prime Minister and Home Minister to a “Washing Machine.”
“This is not the way to engage in this kind of theatrics. Are you in the process of ridiculing constitutional functionalism by equating them with a washing machine?” the Speaker said.
Even yesterday, after completion of his allotted time, when Chairman of the house asked the next MP to speak, O' Brien got agitated and shouted. Chairman called his name and said his behaviour was the most unnoble in the house. Calling his behaviour 'theatrics', he warned that O'… pic.twitter.com/C7qiRvLdSp
O’Brien continued to speak even when his time was clocked following which the Speaker rose from his chair and said, “Mr Derek O’Brien is named by me. I name Mr Derek O’Brien to leave the House immediately. I name him. This is the most ignoble conduct and mischievous conduct…no one expects a member like you to get into this mode.”
He then took to his chair and added, “Mr Derek O’Brien your conduct in the House has become most ignoble and this has become your habit. And you are doing it as a part of your strategy. And you think you will enjoy publicity outside?”
Speaker Jagdeep Dhankhar said that he has taken a strong note of O’Brien’s conduct. “Already you are facing proceedings because your demeanour was ignoble, your demeanour does not justify the position you hold. You are required to exemplify your conduct and this is what you do.”
After a fresh probe was initiated into the 1989 murder case of Kashmiri Pandit judge Neelkanth Ganjoo, his family has said that it is “a little too late” and they don’t want “wounds to be scraped again.”
On Monday, the State Investigation Agency (SIA) in Jammu and Kashmir initiated a fresh investigation into the 1989 murder of retired judge Neelkanth Ganjoo, marking a significant step towards seeking justice for the long-standing case.
“It’s too little too late after 34 years of the incident. Now we don’t want our wounds to be scraped again,” SK Ganjoo, the son of the slain former judge told ANI.
Meanwhile, former Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister, Kavinder Gupta, has welcomed the probe, stating, “It is good that he (Neelkanth Ganjoo) will get justice. The BJP government had already said that such things should be investigated. This was a conspiracy… The people should cooperate in this so that the conspiracy can be exposed… I appreciate the move.”
Reacting to the reopening of the probe into the over three-decades case, Kashmiri Pandit writer and political activist Agnishekar said, “Genocide has happened to Kashmiri Pandits. This is one big thing, justice should be done for Neelkanth Ganjoo, who was reportedly killed by Yasin Malik, leader of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF).
“For 34 years, we have been talking about investigation a probe a SIT. 1500 Kashmiri Pandits have been killed. Now we welcome this news of investigation after 34 years.”
“It was a selective killing, kill one and scare ten. Neelkanth Ganjoo was a reputed personality,” Agnishekhar said.
The SIT of Jammu and Kashmir Police has appealed to the public to come forward and share accounts of events to unearth the larger conspiracy behind the murder.
The incident occurred over 30 years ago, when Ganjoo, a Sessions and District Court judge, was shot dead by militants in Srinagar on November 4, 1989.
Three militants surrounded Ganjoo as he was in the Hari Singh Street market and shot him dead near the Srinagar High Court.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
In a horrific case from Uttar Pradesh, a 20-year-old girl named Afreen was brutally beaten by her father and her brother for being in a relationship with a Hindu boy. The girl’s father identified as Niyamat Ullah, and her brother Haider Ali killed her and then buried her in a nearby piece of land.
As per the initial reports, the incident is said to have taken place on August 4 in the Tikawwar village of Amethi’s Piparpura region. The girl, studying in class 12, was in a relationship with a boy named Sarvesh Sharma. Her relationship with the boy was not acceptable at home and the girl was warned several times by her father and her brother.
The girl, however, was caught in the main market area of the village by Niyamat Ullah and Haider Ali while she had gone there to meet the boy. She was then beaten up by the father-son duo in the market, the video of which was shared on social media by one user.
The duo could be seen in the video dragging the girl and slapping her in the presence of other people in the market.
Reportedly, Amethi police took cognisance of the event and called everyone to the police station for inquiry. They were later sent home only after the girl’s mother was called to the police station.
संदर्भित प्रकरण में थाना पीपरपुर पर अभियोग पंजीकृत कर आवश्यक विधिक कार्यवाही की जा रही है ।
According to the sources, the girl was then brutally beaten by her father and brother resulting in her death. She was later buried in a nearby piece of land on August 5. The neighbours, and other relatives of the family, were told that the girl was ill and that she died due to lack of treatment.
The video of the father-son duo beating the girl kept on making the rounds over social media, after which the police were again asked to look into the case. On investigation, the police discovered that the duo had told lied about the girl’s illness and had buried her after killing her.
The police also recovered the dead body of the girl and sent it for post-mortem, the report of which are still awaited.
OpIndia obtained the FIR copy of the case in which it has been mentioned that the girl was brutally beaten by her father and her brother after which she was taken to the hospital where she died. “Niyamat Ullah and Haider Ali assaulted the girl after which she became unconscious. The girl was then taken to the hospital by her parents where she succumbed to her injuries,” the FIR reads.
FIR copy obtained by OpIndia
OpIndia also talked to local Piparpur police station SHO Sandeep Rai who confirmed that the case is an honour killing case. The Police said that case u/s 304 has been filed against Niyamat Ullah and his son Haider Ali. However, no arrest has yet been made in the case.
While talking to OpIndia, Rai confirmed that the boy whom the girl loved belonged to the Hindu religion and that he was from another village. “The girl was beaten due to her relationship with a Hindu boy. We have recovered her dead body and sent it for post-mortem. FIR has been registered against the father-son duo but the arrest will only be made after the post-mortem reports are out,” SHO Rai said.
The section imposed by the Police against Niyamat Ullah, and his son Haider Ali is 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code. Further investigations are underway. Police action is expected after post-mortem reports are obtained.
On Monday, August 7, the Jammu and Kashmir State Investigation Agency (SIA) reopened the murder case of retired Judge Neelkanth Ganjoo, almost 34 years after the Kashmiri Pandit fell prey to the rising Islamic Jihad due to which a huge conflict erupted in Kashmir, forcing the great majority of Hindus to flee the valley.
According to reports, the SIA has sought information from the general public to unearth the larger criminal conspiracy behind the killing of the retired Judge.
“In order to unearth the larger criminal conspiracy behind the murder of Retired Judge, Neelkanth Ganjoo three decades ago, the State Investigation Agency (SIA) has appealed to all persons familiar with facts or circumstances of this murder case to come forward and share any account of events which has a direct or indirect bearing on the investigation of the instant case,” ANI quoted SIA as stating.
In order to unearth the larger criminal conspiracy behind the murder of Retired Judge, Neelkanth Ganjoo three decades ago, the State Investigation Agency (SIA) has appealed all persons familiar with facts or circumstances of this murder case to come forward and share any account…
The agency has released email IDs with numbers to share information. It has assured that the identity of those who come up with any sort of information would be kept secret. Also, those giving relevant information will be suitably rewarded. The public has been asked to contact 8899004976 or email [email protected] for any information related to this murder case.
The murder of Judge Neelkanth Ganjoo
Between 1966 to 1968, Judge Ganjoo presided over the trial of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) co-founder Maqbool Bhat as a sessions court judge.
In August 1968, he sentenced Maqbool Bhat to death for the murder of police constable Amar Chand in 1966.
The Supreme Court upheld the verdict in 1982. Two years later, after JKLF terrorists in Britain murdered diplomat Ravindra Mhatre, the death sentence against Maqbool Bhat was carried out at Tihar Jail.
Five years later, on November 4, 1989, three Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) terrorists shot High Court Judge Neelkanth Ganjoo in broad daylight when he was in Hari Singh Street market near the high court in Srinagar. Judge Ganjoo was brutally murdered for his involvement in the Amar Chand murder trial. As a sessions court judge, he had given the death sentence to the terrorist Maqbool Bhat in August 1968.
On the fateful day, the retired judge had gone to Jammu & Kashmir Bank’s branch located on Hari Singh Street Market in Srinagar. The terrorists fired several shots from close range, and he died on the spot. After his murder, an announcement was made on Radio Kashmir, “Unknown assailants gunned down a former Sessions Judge in Maharaj Bazaar, Srinagar.”
The death of Judge Ganjoo was the second murder of a prominent Kashmiri Pandit within a few weeks. Earlier, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Tika Lal Taploo was murdered in September. Tika Lal Taploo was the first causality of the so-called ‘Azad Kashmir’ movement that finally led to the exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits from the valley.
Who was Maqbool Bhat?
Maqbool Bhat was a Kashmiri terrorist who co-founded National Liberation Front (NFL). It was a military wing linked to ‘Azad Kashmir Plebiscite Front’. NFL was a precursor to the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front, a banned terrorist organization Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Bhat carried out terrorist operations in Jammu and Kashmir. He was tried and convicted for the death of two officials. Bhat was hanged to death on February 11, 1984, in Tihar Jail, Delhi.
Bhat was born on February 18, 1938, in the present-day Kupwara district. During his college days, he was associated with Mirza Afzal Beg’s Plebiscite Front. In August 1958, following the arrest of Shiekh Abdullah (father of Farooq Abdullah), Bhat left for Pakistan, where he joined Peshawar University and did MA in Urdu Literature. In 1965 he joined Azad Kashmir Plebiscite Front as publicity secretary.
With an oath to ‘liberate’ Kashmir, he, along with Amanullah Khan, established an underground armed wing of AKPF and called it National Liberation Front (NFL). He was responsible for the overall coordination of the group.
Bhat’s terror outfit was accused of kidnapping and killing CID officer Amar Chand in the valley and Indian diplomat Ravindra Mahatre in the United Kingdom. He was also accused of being involved in the hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane named Ganga. The hijackers had demanded the release of 36 NFL terrorists and took the plane to Lahore. However, the passengers were released, and no demands were fulfilled.
Bhat was tried for sabotage and murder. He was convicted and awarded death sentence in September 1968 by then-Session Court Judge Neelkanth Ganjoo. After his multiple petitions were rejected, Bhat was hanged to death on February 11, 1984.
On Saturday (August 5), Hindu activist and former Oxford University Student Union President, Rashmi Samant, took to Twitter to announce the launch of her new book ‘A Hindu in Oxford,’ only to be attacked by a vicious ecosystem of leftists, Islamists, Congress and Pakistanis.
In a tweet, she narrated how her election as the first Indian female President of Oxford SU turned into a ‘distressing nightmare of bullying, harassment, & threats’. “It was declared that “Oxford students are not ready for a Hindu President”, compelling me to step down from my rightfully elected position,” she added.
Rashmi Samant informed that she was recently intimidated by the Karnataka police after speaking out against the Udupi washroom case, wherein Hindu women were secretly recorded by their Muslim classmates.
What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger!
At 22 years of age, as the first Indian Female President of the Oxford University Students Union, my historic election victory rapidly transformed into a distressing nightmare of bullying, harassment, & threats. It was declared that… pic.twitter.com/yWcoUYM9C4
“Over time, I’ve come to realize that this is part of a universal playbook used for centuries to gaslight historically oppressed communities and perpetuate institutional discrimination, with Hindus being among the timeless victims. Be it in the UK, Udupi, or any corner of the world,” she said.
Rashmi Samant emphasised, “Over time, I’ve come to realize that this is part of a universal playbook used for centuries to gaslight historically oppressed communities and perpetuate institutional discrimination, with Hindus being among the timeless victims. Be it in the UK, Udupi, or any corner of the world.”
The former Oxford SU President announced that all proceeds of the book would be used to help Hindus fight the unfair societal consequences, starting with the young girls of #Udupi.
Rashmi Samant and her harassment at Oxford University in 2021
Rashmi Samant was hounded by leftists and anti-Hindu propagandists after becoming the first female Indian elect of Oxford University Student’s Union on February 11, 2021. She was forced to resign within days after being abused, bullied and targeted over her views against British colonisation.
In a coordinated attack, her old social media posts were dredged up, accusing her of being racist, anti-semitic, Islamophobic, and transphobic. Besides this, Rashmi was also targeted for being a Hindu.
One of the faculty members in Oxford – Dr Abhijit Sarkar had even dragged Rashmi’s parents into the controversy, attacking them for having a Lord Shri Ram display picture on their social media accounts while claiming that Rashmi’s student council elections were funded by Prime Minister Modi.
He had even accused Rashmi of being Islamophobic by alleging that she came from coastal Karnataka, which the faculty member termed as “a bastion of Islamophobic far-right forces”.
Following the controversy, netizens from across the world demanded the dismissal of Hinduphobic faculty AbhijitSarkar and trended the hashtag ‘#DismissAbhijitSarkar’ on Twitter. The Union External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar also raised the matter in the Upper House of Parliament.
Joint Statement by the Oxford India Society, Oxford Hindu Society & Oxford South Asian Society to Address the Recent Coverage of the Ex-SU President-Elect
In March 2021, the Oxford Hindu Society, Oxford South Asian and the Oxford India Society attacked Rashmi Samant and insinuated that her resignation was not motivated by racism or Hinduphobia.
In July 2021, an internal investigation conducted by Oxford University vindicated her and confirmed that Samant was indeed a victim of bullying and vilification.
The trolling and Hinduphobia after book launch
Two days after Rashmi Samant announced her book launch, propagandists targeted the ex-Oxford SU President and attempted to discredit the Hinduphobic treatment meted out to her on Monday (August 7).
Anvee Bhutani, who works for the BBC and has been accused by Hindu activists of being politically biased, claimed, “When Rashmi resigned, I ran, was elected, and served a successful term as an Indian Hindu President of Oxford University Students Union.”
She further alleged, “Racism exists in Oxford, but Rashmi was not bullied because of her race, religion, or nationality. This novel propagates a false narrative.”
When Rashmi resigned, I ran, was elected, and served a successful term as an Indian Hindu President of Oxford University Students Union.
Racism exists in Oxford, but Rashmi was not bullied because of her race, religion, or nationality. This novel propagates a false narrative. https://t.co/V8YqG3nGWH
It is pertinent to note that Anvee Bhutani has a declared bias against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She has in the past targeted Rashmi Samant while calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “fascist”.
Ex-SU president elect defends the imprisonment of protesting farmers by a fascist government, calling it democracy. This is alongside taking no responsibility nor exuding any remorse for her actions, and rather, being fixated on her self-proclaimed good intent. https://t.co/Rq2fNKfUUi
She had also extended support to the violent farmers’ protest and asked for UK political parties to meddle in India’s internal affairs.
Okay cool, now do more for the farmers protest in India.
You wrote a response to @sikhs4labour’s letter on 4th February claiming “Labour, through our shadow foreign office team, will continue to pressure government to speak out.”
Karnataka Congress leader, Aishwarya Mahadev, brazened it out, “I really hope your fake goddamn victimhood gets you somewhere! Somewhere far far away from here! Oxford didn’t think they needed you, we don’t either. Yuck!”
I really hope your fake goddamn victimhood gets you somewhere! Somewhere far far away from here!
Arif Ayyub, who has a history of peddling anti-India propaganda, tweeted, “The lies in her post have been fact-checked by Twitter. It all adds up. Her propagandist outrage over a video prank, later playing victim and now promoting a deceitful book. @RashmiDVS is a symptom of a diseased majoritarian society that profits from lies, deceit and propaganda.”
The lies in her post have been fact checked by Twitter. It all adds up. Her propagandist outrage over a video prank, later playing victim and now promoting a deceitful book. @RashmiDVS is a symptom of a diseased majoritarian society that profits from lies, deceit and propaganda. https://t.co/CvZurRyJGt
Caste baiters also targeted Rashmi Samanat in an attempt to bash the Brahmin community. “It’s hilarious how Brahmins, who have been oppressors in this country for centuries, are desperately trying to merge their identity (conveniently & only on occasions) into a larger made-up Hindu identity and presenting themselves as members of “historically oppressed communities,” claimed Revolutionary Memes for Bahujan Teens.
It's hilarious how Brahmins, who have been oppressors in this country for centuries, are desperately trying to merge their identity (conveniently & only on occasions) into a larger made-up Hindu identity and presenting themselves as members of "historically oppressed communities" https://t.co/0cGiOP5hoG
— Revolutionary Memes For Bahujan Teens (@RMBT_tweets) August 6, 2023
Pakistani handles also joined the discussion and used the opportunity to berate both Indians and the Hindu community. One Fatima Tassadiq went on a deranged rant and claimed that the book ‘A Hindu in Oxford’ is an example of upper caste, right-wing majoritarian politics.
An excellent example of how a) vocab of decolonisation/ indigeneity/social justice is used in service of right wing majoritarian politics in postcolonial states & b) UC/upper class desis unproblematically appropriate POC/migrant subject position in elite academic spaces abroad. https://t.co/DIpaPe7TEq
“Great book for tips on how powerholding hate spreading Hindu Indians play victim to ‘ racism’ while further perpetuating hate against other communities elsewhere and in their homeland. What a journey of ‘oppression’. Nominate for best fiction book already,” tweeted another Pakistani user.
Great book for tips on how powerholding hate spreading Hindu Indians play victim to ‘ racism’ while further perpetuating hate against other communities elsewhere and in their homeland. What a journey of ‘oppression’. Nominate for best fiction book already https://t.co/25AvvN5fJB
Soon after, the anti-Hindu propagandists vandalised the ‘Community Notes’ section of Rashmi Samant’s tweet to falsely allege that the harassment of the ex-Oxford SU was not a manifestation of her Indian and Hindu identity.
Screengrab of the Community notes
Response by Rashmi Samant
While reacting to the trolling and attempts to discredit Hinduphobia at Oxford, Rashmi Samant tweeted, “Context is written by people who use X and know how to weaponise systems in the war of setting narratives that whitewash real crimes. If it’s reported enough as unhelpful, it gets taken down.”
She pointed out that the Oxford India Society, Oxford Hindu Society and Oxford South Asian Societies are student clubs that were run by Hinduphobes such as Abhijit Sarkar.
“Unfortunately, they get the full attention of mainstream media and systems just like some of milords favourite children we know in India. PS : two of these above societies were not even registered with the University in 2021 when the statement was made (even I can claim to be Oxford Anything club and put out a statement),” she added.
Context is written by people who use X and know how to weaponise systems in the war of setting narratives that whitewash real crimes. If its reported enough as unhelpful, it gets taken down.
The Oxford India Society, Oxford Hindu Society and Oxford South Asian Societies are… https://t.co/Bw0l6uLdQc
Rashmi Samant said, “No amount of bullying in the past could stop me from speaking out against the bullies and faculty who openly challenged my practising Hindu” identity. They can’t now.”
“Peak cancel culture is how everyone in the ecosystem of novel narratives and diabolical accusations has written off the book without even the amount of references, proof and correspondences shared in the book sure goes beyond calling them out,” she concluded.
On Monday, the 7th of August, a large delegation of Tigra Mahapanchayat submitted a memorandum to Gurugram Deputy Commissioner (DC) Nishant Kumar Yadav and Police Commissioner claiming that the youths arrested in the alleged Gurugram Sector 57 attack are innocent. The members of the Mahapanchayat also demanded their immediate release asserting that they have been falsely implicated in this case. There was violence in Gurugram after Hindus came under attack by Nuh and Islamists unleashed violence against the Jalabhishek yatra in Mewat.
The Mahapanchayat has given the district administration an ultimatum of 7 days to release the Hindu youths arrested by the Gurugram police and warned that if the youths, who are innocent according to them, are not released, a ‘major decision’ will be taken.
A day earlier, on 6 August, a Mahapanchayat was organised in Haryana’s Tigra village to protest against the arrests of four youths from the Hindu community in connection with the alleged Gurugram Sector 57 attack on the intervening night of 31st July and 1st August.
People from many adjoining villages took part in the Mahapanchayat and demanded a fair investigation into the whole matter. Subsequently, a committee of 101 members was formed to monitor the developments closely. Today, these same members have submitted a memorandum to the DC and Police Commissioner seeking the immediate release of the innocent Hindu youths.
During the gathering, the panchayat also called for the removal of the Anjuman mosque in Gurgaon’s Sector 57, citing its location in a predominantly Hindu area.
Mahesh Dayma, the outgoing councillor of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram stated that a memorandum regarding the release of these innocent Hindu youths will also be given to all MLAs and ministers.
After getting the memorandum, Gurugram Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav assured the delegation that no innocent person would be arrested. Along with this, he also said that strict action will be taken against whoever is guilty.
Claiming that things have become normal in Gurugram, the Deputy Commissioner appealed to the people not to get involved in any kind of rumours and to maintain the peace.
The case pertains to an alleged attack on an under-construction, disputed mosque in Sushant Lok Phase-III in Sector 57 of Gurugram. Identified as the Anjuman Imam Masjid, it was allegedly burnt by a group of 70-80 people. During the incident, the imam of the ‘mosque’ was allegedly killed while another person was injured. They were later rushed to the hospital. Subsequently, the police arrested four individuals in connection with the case.
However, it was later found out that the so-called Anjuman Masjid was a disputed structure. The disputed structure is reportedly built on ‘government-allocated land’ in the New Gurugram area. Its construction was stopped by the courts on several occasions.
According to the Sushant Lok Extension Residents Welfare Association, the land was originally earmarked for the construction of a police station as per the demand of the local residents. Whereas, the Chairman of the Haryana Anjuman Charitable Trust, Aslam Khan, claimed that the Om Prakash Chautala-led-Haryana government allocated the land for the ‘mosque’ in 2002.
Over the years, several petitions, including Public Interest Litigations (PILs) were filed to stop the construction of the ‘mosque’, including one by the Malibu Towne Residents Welfare Association and a resident of Malibu Towne named Mukesh Bhanont.
Nuh Jalabhishek Yatra Attack
On 31st July, violence broke out in Haryana’s Nuh district during the ‘Brij Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra,’ which was organized by Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal. The death toll from the clashes has now reached 6, including two personnel from the Haryana home guard. The deputy commissioner urged people to stay indoors, venture outside only for essential tasks, and disregard any circulating rumours.
Vehicles were burnt and stones pelted at the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s Jalabhishek Yatra as Islamists unleashed violence against thousands of Hindus in the Muslim-dominated region of Nuh, Mewat in Haryana.
On August 6, leftist activist and Supreme Court advocate Prashant Bhushan who has a history of spreading fake and misleading information shared a video of a father-daughter duo singing an old Bollywood melody claiming that the two were from Manipur. He further claimed that the two were from two different communities, Kuki and Meiti who are at the core of the ongoing unrest.
“How lovely and melodious. We are Humans first. Rest is notional. One of them is a Kuki and the other is Meitei from Sizzling Manipur. The beauty of diversity and Love,” Bhushan said.
Later many of the leftists and Congress-supporting heads amplified the video and claimed that both the singers are Manipuri and one of them belongs to the Kuki community while the other one belongs to the Meiti community.
“If those who matter had stepped in when possible, wouldn’t there have been a much more lovely melody such as this? Can things be redeemed at this late stage? Almost impossible is the general PERCEPTION in social media grapevines. Those forces who started pouring aviation fuel into the fire and look on as the fires of hatred continue to burn, their generations will have to bear the burdens of their sins,” read the post, which has garnered over 29,000 views,” said a tweet posted by Prem M Kurien which garnered 29k views.
Screenshot from Twitter
Also, one Col Amit Kumar shared the video and said that the two were from Manipur. He further appealed to the state residents and said, “Don’t get instigated by any political or religious heads. Just maintain peace and secure each other.”
Someone shared this beautiful message with wrong facts.. No problems I'm ready to take the troll.. let it go for #peace
— Col Amit Kumar ??INDIAN COMRADES ?? (@ColAmitkumar) August 5, 2023
Bhushan spread fake information, girl in the video confirms she is singing with her father
However, the claims made by leftist activist and Supreme Court advocate Prashant Bhushan and other Congress functionaries got exposed after the girl in the video seen singing wrote a Facebook post saying that she was singing with her father in the video and that they were not from Manipur.
“We can confirm that the individuals in the video are Shekinah Mukhiya and her father, Vikash Mukhiya. It is important to note that we are not from Manipur and have no association with the Kuki or Meitei communities,” she said.
She also pressed that the claims made in relation to the video were unquestionably ‘false’ and that the viral tweet contains misinformation or disinformation that is circulating on social media.
After the Facebook post clarifying the truth by the girl herself singing in the video, Congress supporter (as per his Twitter bio) Prem M Kurien happened to delete the tweet and Col Amit Kumar acknowledged that the beautiful song was being spread with wrong facts. But Prashant Bhushan who keeps on spreading misinformation and fake news from time to time failed to accept the false claims he spread along with the video which still exists on his Twitter page.
Shekinah is from Dekradun, Uttarakhand; not from Manipur
Shekinah Mukhiya is a professional singer from Dehradun, Uttarakhand. The girl and her musical skills got attention after she appeared in a popular TV reality show named ‘The Voice India Kids’ 5 years ago. Her enchanting voice got appreciated on the stage which probably helped her become a professional singer today.
Mukhiya also has a YouTube channel that has more than 126k subscribers. As per her YouTube history, the video that is going viral on social media with false claims was posted by her on May 25 this year. The caption of the video confirmed that she was singing with her father, Vikas Mukhiya in the video.
The Father of the girl Vikas Mukhiya was reached for a special comment on this issue. However, he seemed unavailable at the time of writing this report. The report will be updated once we hear from the concerned.
Screenshot from the Shekinah’s YouTube channel
The ongoing unrest in the state of Manipur continues to rage. While there are concerns about law and order in the state, several fake news and misinformation spread through social media handles for political benefits can possibly ruin the situation.
Ongoing unrest in Manipur
As reported earlier, the ongoing violence in Manipur erupted after a rally by the All Tribal Students Union of Manipur (ATSUM) on May 3 in protest against the proposed inclusion of people belonging to the Meitei community in the list of Scheduled Tribes (STs).
While the tribal groups have been opposing the demand of the Meitei community’s demand for ST status for years, the recent protests and violence were triggered by a Manipur High Court order on 27 March, directing the Manipur state government to submit recommendations to the union government for the inclusion of Meitei in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list. The court had issued the order after several petitions filed by Meitei activists seeking the said direction.
The high court also criticized the state government for dragging the issue for over 10 years. The demands by Meities started with a memorandum submitted to the governor in November 2012 by the Scheduled Tribes Demand Committee of Manipur Valley (STDCM). The committee then met Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh in December 2012 with the demand and then met prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh in July 2013 with the demand. However, the PM then asked them to discuss the matter with the state cabinet.
The recent violence however got massive attention after the horrifying viral video of women being paraded naked surfaced from Manipur. The video sent shock waves across the country attracting demands of strict punishment against such heinous crimes. The perpetrators were later arrested by the state police.
The leftist media portal, Newsclick exchanged communications with the controversial US millionaire Neville Roy Singham, who is on the payroll of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), to peddle a Chinese narrative in India as reported by Times Now. Times Now reported that it has accessed some of the emails that the duo exchanged with each other.
Reportedly, on the 6th of January, 2021 at 5:09 PM, Singham sent an email to many individuals in which Newsclick Editor-in-Chief Prabir Purkayastha was one among those many receivers.
One of the purported emails read, “I think we missed the dotted line between India and China to the (left of Bhutan)”, while seemingly discussing issues about the India-China border dispute. It adds, “Clearly China and India will have to have two maps inside their countries.”
Along with an attached controversial map that peddles the Chinese agenda, the email goes on to say, “Here is a map from Diplomat where China claims Arunachal Pradesh.”
The purported email exchanges were seemingly a part of Chinese dictation to leftist media portals in the likes of Newsclick to parrot the Chinese line, irrespective of the fact that it violates and impinges on national interest or goes against our stated sovereign boundaries.
The allegation against Newsclick of peddling a Chinese narrative at the behest of US millionaire Neville Roy Singham stems from the fact that there is a transactional history between Newsclick and several organisations linked with Singham. It is alleged that Newsclick clandestinely received huge tranches of money from Singham who is doing the bidding for CCP throughout the world in lieu of money from the Xi Jinping regime.
NYT report exposes wide Chinese web that extends even in India
Although the allegation that Newsclick received unaccounted money from foreign sources and was indulging in financial irregularities among other criminalities – these were unearthed after ED raids on the news portal – the issue recently came back to the limelight after an expose by the New York Times.
Evidently, on Saturday (August 5), The New York Times published a detailed article, revealing the ties of an American businessman with the Chinese government and his financial support to the Indian leftist propaganda outlet named NewsClick.
According to the US-based newspaper, a millionaire named Neville Roy Singham is funding several news publications across the world (including India) to peddle Chinese propaganda.
“In New Delhi, corporate filings show, Mr. Singham’s network financed a news site, NewsClick, that sprinkled its coverage with Chinese government talking points. “China’s history continues to inspire the working classes,” one video said,” noted The New York Times.
News Click received ‘unaccounted’ foreign funding to the tunes of several crores
Earlier, on February 9, 2021, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided the home of News Click founder and Editor-in-Chief Prabir Purkayastha.
According to the sources in ED, NewsClick had received ₹10 crores under Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from an American company. Interestingly, its founder Purkayastha had no idea why the American company had transferred the money to his company’s account. He could not give any proof of work that he had done for the particular company.
Further investigation revealed that another US-based company gave NewsClick ₹20 crores and marked it as ‘Export Remittance’. The money was transferred because NewsClick had uploaded content on a portal named People’s Dispatch.
Moreover, it was revealed that Purkayastha also took ₹1.5 crore rupees in the name of maintenance. Interestingly, he had hired a ninth-class pass electrician for maintenance at his office. The money he took was without any documentation, which made it impossible for him to explain the transaction to ED.
Later, in July 2021, the ED informed that the investigation into the money laundering case against ‘NewsClick’ had revealed that the promoters of the media outlet received nearly ₹38 crores from entities, which might be associated with the Communist Party of China.
An officer probing the money laundering case revealed that NewsClick had financial dealings with a Sri Lankan-Cuban-based businessman named Neville Roy Singham, who allegedly funnelled Rs 38 crore to PPK Newsclick Studio Pvt Ltd between 2018 and 2021 from abroad.
As stated recently in the New York Times extensive report, the ED officials, who had traced the money flow of the media outlet, also had said that Singham is associated with the propaganda arm of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
On 7th August, a bizarre situation sprung up in Rajya Sabha when five Members of Parliament (MPs) accused Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha of forging their signatures and not taking consent for giving their names for a select committee to scrutinise the now-passed National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023.
When deputy chairman of the house Harivansh Narayan Singh announced the names Raghav Chadha had given for the Select Committee, five MPs, including Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) S Phangnon Konyak, Narhari Amin and Sudhanshu Trivedi, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) MP M Thambidurai and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Sasmit Patra said their consent was not taken before their names were included. All five of them demanded to move a Privilege Motion against him.
Replying to the allegations, Chadha claimed, “No signature is needed. When I get a notice, I will reply to it.”
#WATCH | Let a notice be given & I will respond to it. No signature (of MPs) is needed…says AAP MP Raghav Chadha. pic.twitter.com/XAClUkUkUO
There was a video of Congress MP Jairam Ramesh furiously discussing something with Raghav Chadha immediately after the issue was raised in the house. It is being speculated that the Congress party, AAP’s ally from the I.N.D.I.A. bloc, itself is not pleased with what Chadha is accused of doing.
However, Congress MP Shakti Singh Gohil came out in support of Chadha and said, “There is a law that if I am moving (the proposal to send Delhi NCT Amendment Bill to Select Committee), there is no compulsion to take consent of the member who has to be in the Committee. If the member does not want to be on the Committee, their name will be removed automatically. There is no provision to take the signature of any member whose name has been mentioned in the proposal.”
#WATCH | Delhi: Congress MP Shakti Singh Gohil says "…There is a law that if I am moving (the proposal to send Delhi NCT Amendment Bill to Select Committee), there is no compulsion to take consent of the member who has to be in the Committee. If the member does not want to be… pic.twitter.com/6BvvNOEqBQ
While Chadha and AAP’s allies are claiming no signature is required and therefore, Raghav Chadha did nothing against the rules, the rules of Rajya Sabha indicate otherwise.
Chapter IX of the ‘Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States (Rajya Sabha)’ [PDF] deals with Legislation. Clause 2 of Rule 72 under sub-section (c) of Chapter IX reads, “No member shall be appointed to a Select Committee if he is not willing to serve on the Committee. The mover shall ascertain whether a member proposed to be named by him is willing to serve on the Committee.”
Source: Rajya Sabha/Sansad.in
The last sentence of the clause which says that the “mover shall ascertain whether a member proposed to be named by him is willing to serve on the committee” essentially makes it incumbent upon Raghav Chadha to take consent from the members he is naming in the motion. It is not evident that this rule was broken by the AAP leader since the MPs themselves said that their consent had not been taken prior to the motion being moved.
That means any member who wants to refer a proposed bill to a Select Committee under Rule 70(2)(b) for amendments, he or she gives names of the members to be included in the Committee. The member cannot give names of the member(s) unwilling to serve on the Committee, which means prior permission or consent is required. It is the mover’s duty to ascertain whether a member proposed to be named is willing to serve on the Committee.
MPs reaction to the controversy
MPs reacted sharply to the controversy. AIADMK MP M Thambidurai said he has given a letter to the Chairman of the house referring to the Privilege Committee over the issue. BJD MP Sasmit Patra has also submitted his complaint.
BJP MP Narhari Amin said, “Raghav Chadha included my name in Select Committee. He did not talk to me, I did not give consent for this. He has done wrong. I have not given my signature…”
#WATCH | BJP MP Narhari Amin alleging that his name included in proposed select committee on Delhi Services Bill
"Raghav Chadha included my name in Select Committee. He did not talk to me, I did not give consent for this. He has done wrong. I have not given my signature…" pic.twitter.com/zoVSy3d8kh
BJD MP Dr Sasmit Patra said, “At the time when resolutions were being moved in the House (during the discussion on the Delhi Services bill), I heard that my name was mentioned in a resolution that Raghav Chadha moved. Without taking my prior consent my name can’t be put in the resolution. I hope the Chairman of the House will take action. I have made a complaint. Obviously, this is a matter of privilege. All of us have filed our respective complaints.”
#WATCH | At the time when resolutions were being moved in the House (during the discussion on the Delhi Services bill), I heard that my name was mentioned in a resolution that was moved by Raghav Chadha. Without taking my prior consent my name can't be put in the resolution. I… pic.twitter.com/6ne2RsQPiM
AIADMK MP M Thambidurai said, “I have given a letter to the Rajya Sabha Chairman referring to the Privilege Committee as to how my name is included in the motion, as I had not signed any document. Therefore, someone may have forged my signature.”
#WATCH | I have given a letter to the Rajya Sabha Chairman referring to the Privilege Committee as to how my name is included in the motion, as I had not signed any document. Therefore, someone may have forged my signature: AIADMK MP M Thambidurai alleges his fake signature on… pic.twitter.com/OD3uSmvIuM
Senior Advocate and BJP MP Mahesh Jethmalani said, “It’s a question of breach of privilege. This should be investigated and whoever is responsible should be dismissed from the house.”
#WATCH | Mahesh Jethmalani – senior advocate & RS MP, speaks on the allegation of the four MPs claiming that their names were mentioned on the proposal to send the Delhi NCR Amendment Bill to the Select Committee without their consent. This motion was moved by AAP MP Raghav… pic.twitter.com/GUd8JotFYV
Union Minister V Muraleedharan said, “It’s a very serious issue that the AAP leader who submitted the select committee notice included names of members from the ruling party BJP and BJD as well as AIADMK who did not give their consent. It’s equal to forging their signatures. The concerned members have given letters to the Chairman (Rajya Sabha).”
#WATCH | "It's a very serious issue that the AAP leader who submitted the select committee notice included names of members from the ruling party BJP and BJD as well as AIADMK who did not give their consent. It's equal to forging their signatures. The concerned members have given… pic.twitter.com/zINn55eslU
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said, “In my six years as a minister or the 30-40 years that I’ve been watching Parliament and covering it as a civil servant, I’ve never seen something like this happen…This should be seriously enquired.”
#WATCH | Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, speaks on the allegation of the five MPs claiming that their names were mentioned on the proposal to send the Delhi NCT Amendment Bill to the Select Committee without their consent. This motion was moved by AAP MP Raghav Chadha.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said, “I want to ask Congress if they are supporting people (AAP) who are forging. Strict disciplinary action will be taken against this. A motion will be moved against the member. Union Home Minister has given a detailed answer on the bill.”
#WATCH | Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, speaks on the allegation of five MPs claiming that their names were mentioned on the proposal to send Delhi NCT Amendment Bill to Select Committee without their consent. This motion was moved by AAP MP Raghav Chadha
BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri said, “This is forgery. It is very unfortunate that they have proposed a motion in Parliament with fake signatures. Those five MPs said that they will go to the Privileges Committee regarding this.”
#WATCH | BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri, speaks on the allegation of five MPs claiming that their names were mentioned on the proposal moved by AAP MP Raghav Chadha to send Delhi NCT Amendment Bill to the Select Committee without their consent.
YSRCP MP Vijay Sai Reddy said, “Raghav Chadha has made certain comments and we have countered those comments. Whenever a resolution has to be moved, he has to consult the members whose names are included in it, but Raghav Chadha without consulting the members, has included their names and one of our party members’ names has also been included without consulting the member. So, some of the members including our party member have decided to move the Privilege Motion against Raghav Chadha.”
#WATCH | YSRCP MP Vijay Sai Reddy says "…Raghav Chadha has made certain comments and we have countered those comments. Whenever a resolution has to be moved, he has to consult the members whose names are included in it, but Raghav Chadha without consulting the members, has… pic.twitter.com/W8HlDy33l6
