Days after Islamists unleashed violence in the Nuh district of Haryana, the BJP-led State government cracked down on the illegal encroachments of over 200 rioters on Thursday (August 3).
While adopting Yogi Adityanath’s signature bulldozer system, the local administration in Tauru in Nuh bulldozed 250 houses of illegal immigrants. Reportedly, many of them were part of the recent rioting in the Mewat region.
The encroachments had cropped up on Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) land in the past 4 years and were mostly inhabited by illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.
The demolition drive was carried out on Thursday (August 3) by the Nuh district authorities in the presence of a heavy police force. Citing sources, The Tribunereported that the majority of the rioters lived in the shanties that were demolished.
The police identified the rioters and their houses using CCTV footage and videos on social media. A similar drive will also be carried out at Nalhar village, where Islamists attacked a Shobha yatra on July 31, 2023.
While speaking about the matter, SP (Nuh) Varun Singla stated, “Demolition was carried out by relevant agencies and we provided police support.” Officer on Special Duty to Additional Director General of Police Mamta Singh, Narender Birjaniya, added, “We have carried out demolitions and principally, these structures were illegal. You cannot have an illegal structure and use it to hamper law and order.”
Earlier, gau rakshak Bittu Bajrangi had demanded Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath-style bulldozer action against the miscreants. He opined that the miscreants involved in Nuh violence should be killed in an encounter.
“They killed our officers, they killed Ram bhakts. What was their fault? Should we not take Shri Ram’s name in this country? We had taken out a peaceful yatra, with our women and children,” he had said.
Nuh Shobha Yatra attack
On Monday (July 31), tensions gripped several parts of Haryana when stones were pelted at the Jalabhishek Shobha yatra in the Muslim-majority region of Mewat. The procession was taken out to mark the auspicious occasion of Shravan Somwar.
In several videos of the clashes, a mob charging in a hostile way at the yatris could be heard raising “Allahu Akbar” and indulging in riotous activities. 6 people have been killed so far.
To stop the spread of misinformation and rumours, internet services were suspended in the region. Following the violence at Nuh, VHP president, Alok Kumar issued a video statement urging the police and administration to quickly rescue the devotees stuck at several locations including Nuh temples, chowk, and near the police station. He stressed that the yatra is an annual affair and this year it was targeted in a pre-planned and organised attack.
Meanwhile, the Union government deployed 20 companies (about 2000 personnel) of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to bring the law and order situation under control. It is worth noting that Haryana’s Mewat has been under the spotlight for the last few years for the increase in terror activities, cow smuggling, and forced conversions.
A man has been arrested by the Delhi Police on charges of killing his friend and disposing of the body in a city drain in the Dwarka neighborhood. The deceased is identified as 32-year-old Yogesh Kumar who was shot dead by a 27-year-old MBA student Shashank Singh.
Yogesh Kumar resided in the Madangir neighborhood of south Delhi with his wife, 2-year-old daughter, and parents. He was an unemployed graphic designer looking for work, according to his spouse. He reportedly rejected the culprit’s attempts for sexual favours.
The victim had gone missing on 9 July in south Delhi and his body was discovered on 2 August. The case’s inquiry commenced when his father reported him missing to the Ambedkar Nagar police station on 10 July. The complaint stated that his son left for a job interview but never returned. In addition, he revealed that he received a call demanding Rs 20 lakh in ransom in exchange for his release.
The police took notice of the complaint and opened a probe to find him. A kidnapping for ransom case was filed under section 364A of the Indian Penal Code. The ransom was eventually lowered to Rs 15 lakh and the accused gave the complainant directions to Palika Bazar in Connaught Place and gate number 2 of the Great India Place (GIP) Mall in Noida.
Both attempts to trade the money for the victim, however, were unsuccessful because the caller did not appear at either location. Deputy Commissioner of Police South, Chandan Chowdhary informed that further investigations disclosed the ransom calls originated in Supaul, Bihar and the caller’s location was Noida. This act was done to mislead the investigation. CCTV footage from the Plaza Mall in Dwarka Sector-16 offered a crucial lead throughout the probe.
It confirmed that Yogesh Kumar left a Swift car after buying a pizza with another person. The cops tracked down the offender after spotting a distinctive mark and word on the gasoline tank lid of the vehicle. After examining the technical evidence, police learned that he had last been seen with his friend Shashank Singh, and as a result, the latter was arrested.
Shashank Singh was located in east Delhi’s New Ashok Nagar. Police unveiled, “In the early hours of Wednesday, we picked up the suspect from his home. He first tried to mislead us, but later confessed to the crime.”
The murder confession
Shashank Singh admitted under questioning that he and the deceased were initially acquainted at a party in Delhi and had since started meeting for work-related reasons. He was helping the latter who was out of job to find employment. They met on 9 July in Moolchand and the perpetrator then took him to a remote area in Dwarka Sector 14. He had called Yogesh Kumar to schedule an alleged job interview and told him to bring his resume with him.
The DCP mentioned, “Both were searching for jobs and became friends after meeting at a party. The two would also attend LGBTQ parties, and the accused asked the victim to give him his resume to help him find a job.”
Afterward, an argument over a request for sexual favors resulted in him fatally shooting the other individual after which he put the dead body in a suitcase and discarded it in a sewer not far from Dwarka Sector-14B. He cleaned the automobile and dumped blood-stained car sheets, the murder weapon, and other items into the Yamuna River in an effort to hide his traces.
He bought a bogus SIM card and dialed the relatives of the dead man for ransom in an effort to sabotage the inquiry. It was also found that he had purchased the pistol from an acquaintance in Noida so that he could impress people at social functions. Yogesh Kumar’s family eventually contacted the police after they searched for him and received ransom calls.
The distraught mother even remembered their final conversation before he went out to meet his supposed friend. She cried, “He left with his resume at 10.30 am. I called him around 12.40 pm to ask if he had lunch. His phone was switched off.” His brother accused, “The police told us that he was an adult and would eventually return home. If they had searched for him properly, he could have been saved.”
However, according to the police, Yogesh Kumar was murdered the day he left his home. They maintained that he and his friend had met in Moolchand, travelled to Dwarka, purchased pizza and beer, and then arrived at a quiet area in Sector 14 of the vicinity. The senior official proclaimed, “When he realized that the disappearance has become a police case, the accused made ransom calls to the victim’s family.”
Another police official, not wishing to be named, has reportedly said, “The accused held a grudge against the victim over seeking sexual favours. The accused, who was carrying a gun with him, shot the victim dead. There was the angle of sexual demands in the murder. But who was pressuring who is yet to be ascertained.”
The first call was made on the evening of July 14, the official elaborated, “The caller demanded Rs 20 lakh, but the victim’s father negotiated for Rs 15 lakh. In the subsequent calls, the caller would disconnect before the family could seek evidence that the victim was alive.”
Yogesh Kumar’s two ATM cards were used to withdraw Rs 27,000 on 12 July in Noida, according to her. He was fully disguised, wearing both a mask and a helmet.
On Thursday, August 3, an Eritrea theme cultural festival organised in a Stockholm suburb turned into a war zone after thousands of anti-Eritrea government protestors stormed the event. The incident left more than 50 people injured, out of which, eight are said to be seriously injured. About 100 people were detained by the Swedish police.
Monu Manesar is active in Sweden too.
Muslim migrants attacked an Eritrean festival in Järvafältet, Stockholm.
Over a thousand muslim migrants clashed, stoned each other & police#Sweden#Stockholm
A significant police presence is still at the scene and investigations are underway, media has quoted Swedish police spokesperson Daniel Wikdahl as telling The Associated Press. He added that “between 100 and 200 people have been detained.”
The riots broke out after thousands of anti-Eritrea government protestors who were holding a protest nearby broke through a police barrier and stormed the Eritrean pro-government festival being held in Jaervafaeltet in Stockholm. The protestors tore down festival tents and used tent spikes as weapons against police. They also pelted stones at the people participating in the cultural event and the police.
A group of Eritreans also blocked the E 18 road toward Oslo. Public transportation was halted in the nearby Rinkeby district.
Videos from the scene showed cars and at least one tent on fire, sending large clouds of black smoke into the air.
Over a thousand migrants stormed an Eritrean festival in Stockholm on Thursday afternoon, throwing stones, setting fire to a marquee, and using tent poles as weapons.
A police spokesman told local media channel SVT that three police officers were also injured in the violence. The police have launched investigations into violent riots, arson and serious sabotaging of the emergency services, he added.
Sweden is home to tens of thousands of Eritrean immigrants. According to Swedish media, the festival celebrating Eritrea’s cultural history is held annually since the 1990s, but it has drawn criticism for supposedly acting as a publicity stunt and a source of income for the African country’s government.
Protester Michael Kobrab told Swedish television station TV4, “This is not a festival, they are teaching their children hate speech.”
Meanwhile, a festival participant, Emanuel Asmalash, also spoke to TV4 and accused the protesters of being “terrorists” from Ethiopia.
Eritrea is one of the most oppressive nations in the world. The two major religions in Eritrea are Christianity and Islam. Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki has been in power since the nation won independence from Ethiopia some 30 years ago, without having ever held an election.
Eritrea is sometimes dubbed the ‘North Korea of Africa’ because of its ultra-repressive regime. The Eritrean Defense Forces were responsible for widespread and serious human rights abuses, including execution, rape, and torture of civilians. Independent media have been banned since 2001 in the country.
In 2014, Human Rights Watch called Eritrea “among the most closed countries in the world” and pointed to “indefinite military service, torture, arbitrary detention, and severe restrictions on freedoms of expression, association, and religion.
Hundreds of thousands of Eritreans have left their country, fleeing religious persecution, arbitrary arrests and indefinite national service, considered forced labour by human rights organisations.
On 31st July, unbridled violence was unleashed against Hindu devotees, participating in a Jalabhishek Shobha Yatra organised by VHP in Nuh of Mewat, Haryana. A Muslim mob went on a rampage pelting stones, shooting and murdering Hindu devotees in a pre-planned assault against Hindu devotees. An example of the brutality unleashed was what happened to Abhishek, a Hindu devotee who was first shot by the Muslim mob, then, his throat was slit open and as if that was not enough, the mob next crushed his head with a large stone.
After the one-sided unbridled violence, the usual suspects – Islamists and Leftists – started their attempt to shield Islamists by first claiming that it was the Hindus who “provoked” violence and when that trope fell flat, claiming that it was the Hindus who initiated the violence.
Their first assertion was that it was the “presence” of Monu Manesar in the Shobha Yatra that provoked violence. When it was proved that Monu Manesar was not present at the procession, they changed their tune to claim that it was a video released by Monu Manesar that provoked immediate violence. After that, when proof started emerging of the violence being a pre-planned campaign, the narrative shifted to claiming that it was the Hindus who initiated the violence and that no violence was perpetrated by the Muslim mob at all.
One of the people at the forefront of running that narrative was fake news peddler and professional dog whistler Mohammad Zubair, the co-founder of AltNews.
Zubair posted a video where a man in a white shirt could be seen shooting towards the mountains from the premises of the temple where Hindus were stuck in a hostage-like situation. The Hindu devotees who came under attack had run to hide in the temple and could not leave because Jihadis were baying for their blood outside. It is evidenced in the FIRs that a portion of the premises of the temple was also damaged in the Jihadi violence.
EXCLUSIVE: You See the guy shooting from inside Nalhar Shiv Temple in police presence? #MewatAttack There are many 'Activists' in T-shirt which has 'Bajrang Dal Sonipat Haryana' written on it. Who's the guy shooting? Thread ? pic.twitter.com/9OKks8mz34
Publishing this video, there are several other posts on the timeline of Zubair that extend support to the Mewati Jihadis who unleashed violence against Hindus and even claim that the violence was initiated by the Hindus.
There was another tweet that Zubair had retweeted and then undid the RT when his lie was caught. It essentially said that there are videos of Hindus shooting, but none of the Muslims shooting from the mountain side and there unless there is video evidence of the same, it is lie that Muslims were the aggressors.
It is pertinent to note that only after there was backlash for this argument and video was also posted, did Zubair undid his RT. There was no apology or retraction offered by him.
The video of Ashok Baba, a VHP worker and lawyer, firing a weapon from the premises of the temple was used to claim that it was the Hindus who initiated the violence. However, that is untrue. Several FIRs, including those by a Muslim magistrate, prove that the violence was initiated by the Jihadis. There is specific mention in the FIR that the Muslim mob was firing from the mountain side and there is video evidence of the same.
Essentially, it is the Muslim mob which surrounded the Hindus and started firing from the mountainous region. The firing by Hindus was only in self-defence. One has to ask that if Hindus were the ones who started the violence, why would they be pointing the gun towards the mountains and firing while trying to save their lives hiding in a temple? Besides the logical fallacy, one also has to recognise the dangers of the narrative peddled by the likes of Zubair – victims of mob violence would not be standing with a camera trying to capture Jihadis firing at them – rather – they would be trying to save their lives, especially when hundreds of women and children were also held hostage in the Temple by a mob firing and pelting stones outside.
There has now been a statement issued by Ashok Baba as well, who was seen in that video firing a gun towards the mountains.
Ashok Baba says that the rifle he was using was his own and is a licensed weapon. He says that in several cases, he is the witness and has helped catch several criminals with a prize on the head, owing to the complaints that he has filed. It is because of his work and the threats that come with it has he got a weapon which was licensed by the government after threat perception was proven.
He further says that he had to fire in desperation because there were several Hindus, including thousands of women and children, who were trapped in the Temple with the mob firing several rounds at them towards the Temple. IG Mamata Singh, he says, had also come there with 15-20 police officials and she is witness that 50-100 rounds of shots were taken at them at the same time. He says that one person also got a gunshot wound in the Jihadi firing. He says that because of this, he had to fire in the air to stop the Jihadis from attacking. He further says that there were several people in the mountains who were firing constantly.
It is pertinent to note that some of the Hindu devotees were carrying weapons for the purpose of Shastra puja. That has also been used by the Islamists to blame Hindus after they came under attack by Islamists.
Interestingly, Mamata Singh led the police squad that saved the 2500–3000 Hindus who were trapped in a hostage situation at the Nalhar temple on the fateful day.
In a video shared on Twitter by India TV, the IPS officer recounted how the Islamists, armed with stones and sophisticated weapons, carried out the planned attack on the Hindu devotees who had reached there to take part in the Jalabhishek Yatra on the auspicious Monday of the Shravan month.
Describing the situation in Nuh on the day the violence happened to be extremely critical, the IPS officer said that when she reached there she was told that there were 2500 to 3000 people who were trapped in the Nalhar Temple.
Further explaining the challenges the police faced while trying to save the Hindus trapped in the Nalhar Temple, Mamata Singh recalled how large-scale firing continued to happen from the hills surrounding the temple on three sides. The IPS officer added that though police were present there in large numbers they were hugely outnumbered by the rioters.
“In a situation like this, it was no less than a challenge for the police to free the trapped Hindu devotees, which included several women, small children and the aged. Since the rioters kept spraying bullets from all three sides, we asked our policemen to use retaliatory firing so that we could get cover which would, in turn, help us enter the Temple and free the trapped devotees,” recalled ADGP Mamata Singh.
Continuing to divulge more details of the mayhem unleashed by Islamists in the Nuh district during the rally, the IPS officer said, “Even when it was about to get dark, the shooting continued. The rioters were deliberately firing in the direction where they spotted people gathered in greater numbers rather than targeting a specific individual in order to cause the most damage. Going by the severity of the situation, we realised that we would have to evacuate the devotees in small groups.”
“I first led the women out of the temple. They were all petrified. In such a situation, we had to pacify them, assure them that they would be safe as well as make sure that they were safely evacuated. It was a mammoth task,” Mamata Singh said, adding that she had to lead the devotees through the fields since the size and scale of the arson on all the roads leading to the temples was so huge that those routes could not be used.
It is, therefore, evident that the version of events of Ashok Baba is accurate, given that they have been corroborated by police officer Mamata Singh who was present at the Nalhar temple where this video was taken. Therefore, the assertions by Islamists that it was the Hindus who initiated the violence and that nobody was firing from the mountains are inaccurate, designed to shift blame from the Islamist mobs which attacked Hindu devotees.
Ever since an Islamist mob in Nuh caused violence by attacking Hindu devotees on 31st July, misinformation, fake news, and propaganda have been peddled by a certain section of the mainstream media through biased coverage. One such journalist is Rajdeep Sardesai whose interview with top cop Mamata Singh, ADP Law & Order, Haryana has been doing rounds on social media for all the wrong reasons.
Clips of the original 6:49 minute video have been shared online highlighting his narrative-building line of questioning. Essentially, going by his questions, Sardesai has in his mind already decided that the Bajrang Dal is responsible for Nuh violence.
At 4:24 minutes into the interview clip uploaded by India Today on YouTube, Sardesai asks, “There are two narratives flowing; one is that the Bajrang Dal was inciting creating a situation in Nuh ahead of this yatra which led to retaliation by the Muslim mob; the other is that Muslim groups in Nuh who are well armed, who are waiting for an opportunity to strike against some of the those who in the name of Gau Rakshak have been spreading hate and violence in the area. Which is right? Who is responsible according to you? Who threw the first stone? Who is responsible for this violence mam?”
Notice how he carefully paints a picture before getting to the very important yet basic question showing that in his world, the accused has been decided, held guilty and got a verdict. Instead, he conveniently ignore the fact that the pre-planned violence was perpetrated by an Islamist mob, and blames Bajrang Dal for the same, both ways.
Moreover, in Rajdeep’s world, the attack on Hindu devotees by Islamists is not attack or violence but a mere “retaliation to Bajrang Dal.” Then just as you think he is following with a slight course correction to sound balanced, he again blames the Gau Rakshaks (cow vigilantes) as the reason for the attack by the armed Muslim mobs. He nearly justifies the armed Muslim mob insinuating that they were armed only to attack Gau Rakshaks who deserve it because they have been spreading hate and violence in the area.
At the beginning of the original video, Rajdeep seems to be too focused on the Hindu devotees being armed, which was in fact in self-defense given how Islamists were pelting stones and firing bullets from all sides as per the top cop. But the mob attack finds rare to no mention throughout his video. Suffice to say the interview was an excuse to paint a false picture in an attempt to implicate the Hindus and make his claims look true with a top cop live on one side of the screen and treated visuals of only saffron-clad Hindu devotees on the other side as Sardesai kept using words like ‘violent and hateful Gau Rakshaks’, ‘Bajrang Dal creating a situation’, ‘yatra led to retaliation by Muslims’, etc.
Twitter users have called out Rajdeep Sardesai for his anti-Hindu and pro-Islamist coverage of and stand in the Nuh violence in a clear attempt to whitewash the Islamist mob’s crimes.
As per @sardesairajdeep, there are only two theories around Nuh attack on Hindus: 1. Bajrang Dal instigated Mewatis and they retaliated 2. Mewatis were waiting to strike back against hate spread by gau rakshaks
Moreover, Sardesai continued to insinuate that the violence was not one-sided but a random Hindu-Muslim clash with “both sides armed” even as he did so while shielding Islamists and blaming Hindus for the same. But his Hindu-hating campaign is not limited to one video. In the 11:30 minute long video clip of a new debate, Rajdeep in his very first question establishes that Hindus were responsible for the violence. “Who do you hold responsible? Militant Hindu groups like Bajrang Dal or the local Muslim mobs that had assembled in Nuh? Who is responsible? Who do you think is behind this?”
Rajdeep calls Bajrang Dal who were saving lives of Hindus as 'Militant Hindu Group' and people who killed police and Hindus as 'Local Muslim Mobs'.
His choice of the words “Militant Hindu groups like Bajrang Dal” suggests that Sardesai still dreams of the utopian “saffron terror” conspiracy theory to just somehow come true so that his lies and propaganda are vindicated.
On Thursday, 03rd August, fresh incidents of violence surfaced in Manipur. In 2 separate incidents, a police armory was looted, and a police official from the Manipur Rifles was killed.
As per reports, the armoury loot incident was reported from Bishnupur. A mob broke into a police armoury and looted sophisticated weapons. An AK assault rifle, 3 Ghatak series assault rifles, 195 self-loading rifles, five MP-5 guns, 16 9mm pistols, 25 bulletproof jackets, 21 carbines, 124 hand grenades, and over 19,000 bullets of various calibers have been looted by armed miscreants.
Manipur: In a fresh incident of arms looting, a mob broke into a police armoury and looted weapons, including AK and 'Ghatak' series of assault rifles, and over 19,000 bullets of various calibre.
The incident happened at the battalion headquarters of the 2nd India Reserve…
PTI reported that the incident happened at the battalion headquarters of the 2nd India Reserve Battalion (IRB), located at Naranseina, in the Bishnupur district.
As per reports, the armoury loot incident is not the first or standalone. Since the current series of violence and riots between the Kuki and Meitei communities began in the state, multiple police armouries have been looted across the state.
More than 4000 weapons and lakhs of bullets have been looted by the violent mobs. So far, only 1600 weapons have been recovered.
In the current arms loot case, the FIR filed by the police said, “A large number of armed miscreants came in over 45-50 light vehicles and over 500 persons on foot. Together the mob stormed into the IRB armoury by overpowering the guards at the entry gate. They broke 2 doors and stormed into the armoury.”
All attempts by the police to stop the large mob reportedly failed. The police have stated that they fired over 327 rounds of ammunition, and tear gas shells but they were unable to control the mob.
As per reports, about 12 km away from the armoury loot incident, another large group of people, mostly women, had clashed with the Rapid Action Force (RAF) to disrupt a mass burial of over 35 Kuki-Zo persons. Bricks and wooden logs were hurled at the RAF personnel.
The said land where the burial was about to take place, is reportedly conflicted. It is a government-notified land that Kukis claim belongs to the Churachandpur district and the Meiteis say belongs to the Bishnupur district. After the Home Ministry’s intervention and discussion with tribal leaders, the burial was called off.
In a separate incident, Manipur Rifles personnel T Rishi was brutally shot in the head by armed miscreants from the hills. He succumbed to his injuries. The incident occurred in Kourtuk, near the Imphal West-Kangpokpi border. After the murder of the policeman, curfew relaxations allowed in the area have been withdrawn.
More than 150 people have been killed and over 54,000 people have been displaced since the ethnic violence began between the Kuki and Meitei communities in Manipur.
A detailed article on the Meitei-Kuki conflict and underlying issues can be read here.
Days after Islamists ran riots in the Nuh (Mewat region) district of Haryana, a Muslim sarpanch and an eyewitness informed that several rioters, who indulged in violence and vandalism, came from Rajasthan and other areas.
Rafiq, the President of the Sarpanch Association of Nuh, told India Today, “There were 5-6-7 boys from my village alone (who participated in the riots).” The assertion by Rafiq is in line with reports, which suggested that Islamists came in drives to the Nuh region to carry out riots.
He conceded that the rioters came to carry out attacks and fled the scene. “They were between 18 and 25 of age. Two-three of them are involved in looting and five to seven in rioting.”
While speaking about the matter, a Nuh localite named Irfan told India Today, “7-8 pickup vans came from Rajasthan and some people came in from Rajasthan and Ferozepur Jhirkha (Haryana).”
“When they came, the fighting erupted. They (Islamist mob) crashed their vehicle into the yatra at the T-point. It was only that the fighting started,” he added.
While the role of Islamists in Nuh violence is ascertained, it is unlikely that such large-scale violence could have been orchestrated by a few rioters from Rajasthan and Ferozepur Jhirkha without the involvement of local Muslims.
It is possible that Rafiq and Imran are trying to save locals who may have been involved in the rioting. Even if their statement was aimed at saving local Muslims, it is a confirmation that Muslims unleashed violence on Hindus. This is in contravention to the attempts by the likes of Zubair, who had been trying to downplay the role of Muslims in the Nuh violence.
Violence in Nuh
On Monday (July 31), tensions gripped several parts of Haryana when stones were pelted at the Jalabhishek Shobha yatra in the Muslim-majority region of Mewat. The procession was taken out to mark the auspicious occasion of Shravan Somwar.
In several videos of the clashes, a mob charging in a hostile way at the yatris ccould be heard raising “Allahu Akbar” and indulging in riotous activities. 6 people have been killed so far.
To stop the spread of misinformation and rumours, internet services were suspended in the region. Following the violence at Nuh, VHP president, Alok Kumar issued a video statement urging the police and administration to quickly rescue the devotees stuck at several locations including Nuh temples, chowk, and near the police station. He stressed that the yatra is an annual affair and this year it was targeted in a pre-planned and organised attack.
Meanwhile, the Union government deployed 20 companies (about 2000 personnel) of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to bring the law and order situation under control. It is worth noting that Haryana’s Mewat has been under the spotlight for the last few years for the increase in terror activities, cow smuggling, and forced conversions.
Nearly 200 rain related-deaths were reported and 31 people went missing during the past 41 days since the onset of the monsoon in Himachal Pradesh, the state disaster management authority said.
Out of 199 deaths, 57 were due to landslides and flash floods while 142 people died due to road accidents during the monsoon period.
“So far 199 people have died in the monsoon due to various reasons. In which 57 people have lost their lives due to landslides and flash floods. 142 people have lost their lives due to road accidents or other reasons. In Himachal Pradesh, 31 people are missing and 229 people are injured,” state disaster management authority.
The Principal Secretary of disaster management of the state government said that the loss of lives is increasing with each day as the state is recovering from rain and floods. He said that the estimates of damages to infrastructure due to rains are increasing each day.
As per data, the estimated loss during the same period to infrastructure stood at 6563. 58 crores.
The rain-triggered flash floods have damaged 774 houses in the state while 7317 houses have been partially damaged. 254 shops and 2337 cow sheds have been damaged. The state witnessed 79 landslides and 53 flash flood incidents in the state, as per the data.
As per the data, nearly 300 roads are closed in the state. 274 electricity and 42 water supply schemes are still disrupted. The state disaster management authority on Thursday sounded alert amid the heavy rain warning issued by the Indian meteorological department during the next two days in the state.
Meanwhile, the tourism industry in Shimla faces a devastating blow as the Kalka-Shimla four-lane National Highway 5 in Solan district got washed away in a landslide. Hopes were high for a tourism revival, but this disaster has raised concerns about the future of businesses in the state capital.
Mohinder Seth, President Himachal Pradesh Tourism Stakeholders Association said on Wednesday that after recovering from the recent rain and floods, hopes were high for tourist visits in September and October. However, with the road damage, tourists have halted their trips due to fear of flash floods and landslides.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) [India], August 4 (ANI): A team of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on Friday morning arrived at the Gyanvapi structure premises adjacent to Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi and started a scientific survey of the complex amid tight security.
Allahabad High Court on Thursday allowed the Archaeological Survey of India to conduct a survey of the Allahabad High Court dismissed Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee’s plea, challenging the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) survey of the mosque complex, adjacent to Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi.
“All people (including ASI officials) have reached there. The survey has started. We are also going inside,” Subhash Nandan Chaturvedi, Advocate representing the Hindu side on the Gyanvapi case told ANI.
The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee had challenged the Varanasi District Judge’s July 21 order.
On July 21, Varanasi district judge AK Vishvesha ordered the ASI survey of the Gyanvapi complex on an application moved by four Hindu women on May 16, 2023.
The order of the district judge, however, excluded the Wuzu Khana (ablution pond area) of the complex, which has been sealed on the order of the top court.
Earlier, the Allahabad High Court asked the ASI to not start the survey of Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi as the hearing on the matter was underway after Supreme Court put on hold till 5 pm July 26 a detailed scientific survey by the ASI to determine if the mosque located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi was built upon a temple.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
With the objective of increasing the manufacturing of electronic devices in the country, the union government has announced restrictions on the import of such items. In a notification dated 3rd August issued by The Directorate General of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the govt restricted the import of laptops, tablets, other personal computers and servers with immediate effect.
Following this announcement, some social media users, who seem to believe in Rahul Gandhi’s allegation that everything that the Modi government does is done to benefit some industrialists, started to peddle a conspiracy theory on social media. They tried to link with the recent launch of JioBook by Reliance Retail, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries, which was announced on 31st July.
One such tweet by ‘financial influencer’ Neha Nagar said, “Aug. 1: Jio launched their laptop “Jiobook” at 16,499 Aug. 3: Govt restricted the import of laptops, tablets, and computers. Aap chronology samajhiye”. It is notable that Neha Nagar was recognised as a Cultural Brand Ambassador by the Union Ministry of Culture in August last year.
Aug. 1: Jio launched their laptop "Jiobook" at 16,499
Aug. 3: Govt restricted the import of laptops, tablets, and computers.
Similar tweets were posted by many others, essentially claiming that the import of laptops and other devices has been restricted to benefit Reliance Industries as it will mean an increase in the sale of made-in-India devices.
Event : Reliance Jio launched its Jio-Book 3 days ago
Action : The Modi government restricts imports of laptops of foreign brands.
These social media users assumed that JioBook is made in India, and therefore it will benefit from the recent decision. One Twitter user claimed that govt of India is not even hiding its alleged support for JioBook.
You cannot make this up. India restricting import of laptops, tablets and PCs the same week as JioBook goes on sale. They aren't even hiding it, are they?
In a bid to accuse the Modi government of taking the decision to benefit Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance, these social media users, many of whom are related to the finance sector, missed a crucial detail. And that is, JioBook will be one of the products affected by the restriction on imports, and therefore the Reliance group company will be negatively impacted.
This is because JioBook is not made in India, it is actually made in China. The restriction will mostly impact China, as most electronic devices are made in China.
Screenshot from Amazon
The Amazon page for JioBook shows that the device is made by Chinese company Hunan Greatwall Computer System Co. Ltd at its plant in Zhuzhou in Hunan Province. Other e-commerce sites selling the device, including Reliance Digital, also mention the same data, that it is made by Hunan Greatwall in China. Gadgetnow lists Reliance Retail as the importer of JioBook.
This means that decision to restrict the import of computers will also impact JioBook. Moreover, while the govt order gives exemptions to laptops and other computers for specific purposes, like R&D, testing, product development etc, it is unlikely that JioBooks will be imported by anyone for these purposes.
The order issued on 3rd August restricts the import of laptops, tablets, all-in-one personal computers, and ultra-small factor computers and servers.
It is notable that JioBook is not a full-fledged computer, it is an Android device, like the Google Chromebook. The JioBook runs JioOS, an Android fork. It runs on a Mediatek Processor, not Intel or AMD, and has specifications much lower than standard laptops. Such Android based computers are mostly used for web-based applications and content consumption, and they are not replacements for full-fledged computers that run Windows, macOS or Linux.
Therefore, after imported computers become unavailable in India, it will not result in an increase in sales of JioBook, even if it is made in India. This will benefit companies that already make computes in India, including both Indian companies and MNCs. It is notable that several global majors like Dell, HP, Acer, Lenovo etc already manufacture laptops and other computers in India, either in their own factories or through contract manufacturers. The restriction will mean that these companies will have to increase their Indian production to cater to the local market, while companies without made-in-India products will be impacted.
Reliance will have to find an Indian manufacturer for JioBook, and till then they can’t sell the devices, perhaps apart from the stock already imported. The company already gets Jio Phones made in India, which was also initially made in China. But essentially, while most computer manufacturers make some of their products in India and their business will continue, JioBook business will stop until they are started to be made in India. Setting up a line for JioBook by a manufacturer in India may take some time.
This means JioBook will be one of the worst affected products of the govt decision to restrict imports, it is not getting any benefits as alleged by many.
Another major company to be affected will be Apple, as it does not make Macbooks and iPads in India, only iPhones are manufactured in India.
