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Congress, which now wants to ban Bajrang Dal, withdrew cases against 1600 PFI terrorists, allied with SDPI and gambled with national security

अनुपम कुमार सिंह
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Congress, which now wants to ban Bajrang Dal, withdrew cases against 1600 PFI terrorists, allied with SDPI and gambled with national security

The political tactics of the Congress party which include gambling with the national security and minority appeasement are well known now. The party also has played a major role in assisting the banned radical Islamic terrorist organization, Popular Front of India (PFI) to spread its network across the nation. The Modi-led government banned the PFI in September 2022. The organization has made all the plans to make India an Islamic nation by the year 2047 when the country would complete 100 years of its independence.

Now, the Congress party wants to impose a ban on Hindu organizations like Bajrang Dal. The Congress party in its manifesto released ahead of the Karnataka Assembly Elections, clearly mentioned that it wanted to outlaw groups like PFI and Bajrang Dal. It stated that it is dedicated to taking a resolute and unwavering stance against people and groups who ‘incite enmity among communities on the basis of caste and religion’.

Notably, the Congress happened to compare the Bajrang Dal with the PFI which has time and again been involved in anti-India activities. However, to date ‘Bajrang Dal’ has neither been named in any anti-national activity nor has it done anything against national security. The organization works to provide security to Hindus and raises its voices against the suffering of Hindus. In such a situation, promising to ban ‘Bajrang Dal’ on the very birthplace of Bajrang Bali describes the anti-Hindu mentality of the Congress party.

The Congress while in power at the Centre had also tried to create a divide in the Hindu religion by trying to give recognition to the Lingayat community as a separate religion. The Lingayat community worships Lord Shiva. It has always been the endeavour of the Congress party to weaken the Hindus and polarize the anti-Hindu votes in their favour by doing Muslim appeasement.

Congress had withdrawn cases filed on 1600 PFI members

The PFI was given a huge opportunity to grow in the state of Karnataka when the Congress was in power. The Congress remained in power in the state from May 2013 to May 2018 when Siddaramaiah was the Chief Minister. Further, the party continued to remain in the power for next year as HD Kumaraswamy of JDS became the Chief Minister. The Congress was part of the ruling coalition then. In these six years, the PFI grabbed the massive opportunity to spread its network in the state. Also, in the year 2015, Siddaramaiah’s government in Karnataka decided to withdraw all the cases against 1600 PFI terrorists.

The decision taken by Congress was dangerous. The NIA officials during the raids on the PFI, recovered weapons, anti-national literature, guns, and what not but Congress then withdrew all the cases against 1600 PFI terrorists. This was not a case of short-sightedness but of deliberate appeasement and gambling with the country’s security for votes. Today, by comparing this organization with ‘Bajrang Dal’, Congress is doing the same thing while it is in opposition.

Apart from PFI, cases were also withdrawn against the members of ‘The Karnataka Forum for Dignity (KFD)’. Both these organizations were born out of SIMI, which was formed in April 1977 in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. It was a terrorist organization, whose people later formed ‘Indian Mujahideen’. The organization’s name appeared in bomb blasts from Jaipur, Allahabad, Delhi, Pune, Patna and Bodh Gaya to Hyderabad. Several SIMI members became part of PFI after it was banned.

As far as KFD is concerned, its name has cropped up in incidents ranging from communal riots in Mysore to the IISC Bangalore firing. This organization was directly accused of killing two students in a college in Mysore. These incidents are said to have happened before the formation of Siddaramaiah’s government in the state. TB Jayachandra, who was than Law Minister of Karnataka, defended the decision to withdraw the case, saying that they were peaceful people who had gathered only to protest, but their names were unnecessarily put in the charge sheet.

Without any investigation, the Minister declared that the accused were part of the mob and that they had no hand in the violence. Then the BJP opposed the decision to withdraw 175 cases out of 1600 PFI workers, saying that all this is being done at the cost of the country’s security. The party had alleged that the allegations against these organizations were being ignored, which would further increase communal tension in the state. The allegations and charges against the members were not minor but included riots in several areas including Mysore and Shivamogga.

In October 2022, the BJP again started a campaign to remind the public of this decision, stating that the Congress government had taken this decision against the opinion of the then DGP and Secretary of the Law Department. Congress general secretary Venugopal then gave a statement that there is no question of banning PFI. The decision was taken after Congress MLA Tanveer Sait wrote a letter to the government demanding the withdrawal of the cases.

‘Deal’ with PFI, problem with ‘Bajrang Dal’: Congress’ Jihadi mentality

The Congress had also struck a secret deal with the PFI and its student wing SDPI on several seats, under which they did not field candidates against the Congress in the 2018 assembly elections. Compared to Kerala and Tamil Nadu, PFI was spreading rapidly in Karnataka and it had also made a hitlist for killing big faces of Hindu religion. RSS leaders were their target. An entire community hall in Puttur was converted into an arms warehouse, which was also seized by the NIA later in the raids.

The Congress party which until yesterday used to deal with PFI and protect its members from the law, today is associating its name with PFI to defame ‘Bajrang Dal’. VHP has termed it as the Jihadi mentality of the party. Rahul Gandhi also had earlier said that Hindu organizations are more dangerous than the terrorists who had launched an attack on Mumbai in 2008. His party leader Digvijay Singh had termed the Mumbai attack as a conspiracy of the RSS.

This shows how deeply the Congress has sunk into its anti-Hindu mentality. The makers of ‘Ghazwa-e-Hind’ are being compared to those who are engaged in the task of keeping society safe from Islamic fundamentalist ideology. PFI was spread in 17 states and the entire credit of this goes to the jihadi mentality of the Congress. The Congress, which calls ‘Bajrang Dal’ a terrorist organization without proof, should speak over the facts. It has been repeatedly been showing through such tactics that it is Rahul Gandhi’s party anyway.

Did Rana Ayyub speak at United Nations General Assembly? Not really. Here is what really happened

OpIndia Staff
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Did Rana Ayyub speak at United Nations General Assembly? Not really. Here is what really happened

On Tuesday (May 2), ‘journalist’ Rana Ayyub, who is a veteran propagandist peddling fictitious Muslim victimhood and fake news, took to Twitter to claim that she would be speaking at the United Nations General Assembly later in the day.

In a tweet (archive), she said, “Good Morning from the UN General Assembly. I will be speaking at 3 pm Eastern time. Democracy, journalism, free speech.”

The Washington Post columnist shrewdly gave the impression that she was somehow invited as a ‘speaker’ to address the diplomats of member-States at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

Screengrab of the tweet by Rana Ayyub

As expected, her supporters descended on Ayyub’s Twitter timeline to congratulate the ‘journalist’ on her massive feat. “Rana you’re an inspiration. Keep good going. Love from Pakistan” wrote one user.

DailyO columnist, Arshad Khan, tweeted, ” Good morning Rana Ayyub…Thank you for sharing your speaking engagement at the UN General Assembly. It’s great to see leaders like you advocating for democracy, journalism, and free speech.”

“These are crucial pillars of a healthy society and must be protected at all costs. I encourage everyone to tune in at 3 pm eastern time to hear your insights on these important topics. Keep up the great work!” he further claimed.

“May god give you strength to speak load and clear,” another user wrote.

One Rafath said, “A voice a real value if it is given a platform like this to, wish you all the best. Right time and right platform to a right voice to raise further.”

What is the Truth?

While it is true that Rana Ayyub was indeed invited to speak at the United Nations General Assembly Hall, it must be mentioned that the event was not organised by the United Nations.

Ayyub was one of the dozen speakers, who was invited by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), to celebrate the 30th anniversary of World Press Freedom Day.

As per the programme itinerary, the ‘journalist’ was part of a panel of 4 individuals including Sergiy Tomilenko (the President of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine), Liliane Landor (the Director of the BBC World Service) and Jose Zamora (the Chief communications and impact officer at Exile).

Screengrab of the UNESCO programme itinerary

The time allotted for the session was just 50 minutes. Contrary to the tweet of Rana Ayyub on Tuesday (May 2), the programme was not an exclusive event meant only for her to address the delegates (as evident from the image below).

“Good Morning from the UN General Assembly. I will be speaking at 3 pm Eastern time. Democracy, journalism, free speech,” The Washington Post columnist had posted.

Those who were present at the programme ranged from human rights advocates, press freedom activists, media leaders and journalists but not ambassadors or diplomats of Nation States.

Rana Ayyub during a panel discussion at UN General Assembly Hall

Although the event was organised at the Hall of the United Nations General Assembly, it was not hosted by the United Nations (an important aspect that Rana Ayyub cunningly avoided mentioning in her tweet.)

In another tweet posted on May 1, Rana Ayyub deliberately chose to omit the fact that she would be speaking as a part of a panel guest.

“Will speak about journalism, democracy and all that is urgent and important for the times we live in,” The Washington Post columnist wrote, suggesting that she is a keynote speaker of sorts at the event.

It must be mentioned that Rana Ayyub’s book on the 2002 Gujarat riots, which finds a mention in her speaker profile, has been junked by none other than the Supreme Court of India.

A habitual fake news peddler, Ayyub is now facing a probe for donation fraud. She had solicited money from the public in the name of Covid relief work but deposited it in her personal bank account and that of her family members.

Despite such dwindling credibility, she has been platformed by the likes of UNESCO to amplify her lies and half-truths before a global audience.

No home, no water: How Pakistani Hindu refugees are living in abysmal conditions in harsh summer after their houses got demolished in Jodhpur

OpIndia Staff
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No home, no water: How Pakistani Hindu refugees are living in abysmal conditions in harsh summer after their houses got demolished in Jodhpur

On April 24, Jodhpur Development Authority bulldozed the houses of Pakistani Hindus in Chokha village. While the migrant Hindus helplessly tried to save the roof on their heads, the administration continued the demolition and put their life at risk in the scorching summer heat. The Hindus have maintained they bought the land before building houses, but the administration claimed they had encroached on the land.

23-year-old Ramchandra Bhil is one of the migrant Hindus who escaped from Pakistan and reached India with the hope of a better future around four months ago. He was living in the Sanghar district of Sindh province in Pakistan. He came to India on a passenger visa. However, they have got a long-term visa to stay in India.

He walked for days before reaching Chokha village in district Jodhpur of Congress-ruled Rajasthan. He spent around Rs 70,000, his life savings, to buy a small piece of land to build a house and start living there. However, he and his fellow migrant Hindus from Pakistan are homeless with only a cot roof over their head.

These migrants escaped life full of atrocities and reached India with hope in their hearts, but their lives became worse after the bulldozers razed down their houses. They are now forced to live in temporary structures to save themselves from scorching heat. The children are unable to get food for one time, let alone water. Not to forget, the administration also demolished the only well that was saving them from thirst. Torn tarpaulins, empty utensils and their belonging scattered around was the scene after the so-called ant-encroachment drive.

Following the action taken by the administration, Swarajya magazine’s journalist Swati Goyal Sharma went to inquire about their condition. Ramchandra Bhil told her that he and his wife built the house with their lifetime earnings, and it has been razed down. They are forced to live under a cot-made roof in the scorching heat. They are forced to fetch water from far away as the well has been demolished too.

Mahna Ram Bhil, another migrant living at the site, came to India in 2013. He was also living in the Sindh province of Pakistan. He and his family now walk for several kilometres to fetch food and water. Speaking to Swati, he questioned where his family would go if they were not allowed to stay there. He urged the government to allow them to build a house.

Notably, other migrants are also hoping to rebuild their houses at the exact location. One of the enders, Chauthram, spoke to Swati and informed her about the scarcity of water. He said the migrant Hindus do not have water for drinking and other chores.

As per Swarajya’s report, while the houses of Hindus were razed down, the houses of Muslims still stand strong. The Pakistani migrant Hindus are forced to live in temporary tents made of bamboo and tarpaulin. During the demolition drive, one of the migrants, identified as Bhagchand Bhil, was arrested as he allegedly tried to instigate the people there. People are angry over his arrest. They questioned, “What was his mistake? He came here to have a better life. Was it his fault?”

When Swati was talking to the migrants, a Muslim identified as Furqan Khan Silawat from the nearby Muslim community came. He said, “We feel for these migrants. Did the Modi government bring the CAA bill only to create animosity between the two communities [Hindus and Muslims]? Why has he not given them a place to stay?” He introduced himself as a member of the minority wing of the Congress party.

Notably, a few years ago, the Rajasthan government allowed 1,700 plots to Pakistani Hindus in Chokha Gangana. However, to avail of the land, the Hindus must get citizenship of India. Most of the residents there came to India in 2013, but they could not avail of citizenship to date. Speaking to Swarajya, Dehraj Bhil, one of the migrants, said, “We keep going to the office and submitting our documents repeatedly. One day, it will happen, and we will have a permanent house.”

Not to forget, the government of India brought Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019 to help such migrants. Those who came on or before December 31, 2014, would have benefitted from it. However, due to the misinformation and propaganda against the Act, there were violent protests nationwide. The propagandists claimed CAA was discriminatory to Muslims in India. However, Indian Muslims cannot get affected by CAA as they are already citizens of the country. Moreover, if a Muslim wants to take citizenship in India, he or she can follow the process under the law.

Following the anti-CAA protests and the Covid-19 pandemic, the Act could not be implemented. The centre is yet to frame rules. In a statement, Home Minister Amit Shah assured CAA would be implemented after the pandemic. In January this year, the centre extended the framing of rules for the seventh time for six months.

Communist SFI protests against screening of The Kerala Story in JNU, says it is ‘propaganda’ to hurt ‘secular ethos’

OpIndia Staff
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Communist SFI protests against screening of The Kerala Story in JNU, says it is ‘propaganda’ to hurt ‘secular ethos’

The much-awaited film The Kerala Story has created a buzz before its scheduled release on May 5. On Tuesday, May 2, the film was screened at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) amidst protests by the leftists. The screening of The Kerala Story was organized by Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). 

A tweet by ABVP JNU informing about the screening read, “Vivekananda Vichar Manch presents a premiere screening of “THE KERALA STORY” uncovering the reality of ‘Love Jihad’- forceful conversion, women trafficking & women exploitation on 2nd May 2023 at Auditorium-1, Convention Center, Jawaharlal Nehru University.”

According to the media reports, the screening of the Adah Sharma starrer was held by ABVP at 4 pm on Tuesday on the JNU premises. Meanwhile, the Student Federation of India (SFI) protested against the screening of The Kerala Story. It is notable that SFI is the student wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). 

SFI issued a statement and said, “The SFI-JNU unit strongly opposes and denounces the screening of this propaganda film as it would tarnish the fabric of the secular ethos.”

In a Tuesday morning tweet, SFI called The Kerala Story an RSS propaganda and claimed that the film is an attempt by the Sangh Parivar to polarise society by propagating ‘Islamophobia’.

It is notable that The Kerala Story—written and directed by Sudipto Sen is based on the true stories of thousands of girls from Kerala who were converted to Islam and sent to Syria to become ISIS terrorists and sex slaves.

Supreme Court refuses to stay the release of The Kerala Story 

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to entertain a plea seeking a stay on the release of the film The Kerala Story. A bench comprising Justices KM Joseph and BV Nagarathna observed that “there are various kinds of hate speeches. This movie has been cleared and certified by the board. If you want to contest the movie’s release, you should challenge the certification in High Court or an appropriate forum.”

Notably, senior advocate Kapil Sibal and advocate Nizam Pasha had told the Supreme Court bench that this film is a “worst kind of hate speech” and an “audio-visual propaganda”.

The Kerala Story gets an ‘A’ certificate

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), commonly referred to as the censor board, has awarded the movie Kerala Story an ‘A’ certificate. CBFC has reportedly ordered the makers to delete and/or tweak ten scenes from the film that included an interview with a former Kerala Chief Minister who is supposed to be the Communist leader VS Achuthanandan.

Nepal is already a Hindu nation in principle, if India becomes a Hindu nation, it will positively impact the world: What Former Chief Justice of Nepal said

OpIndia Staff
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Nepal is already a Hindu nation in principle, if India becomes a Hindu nation, it will positively impact the world: What Former Chief Justice of Nepal said

On May 1, former Chief Justice of Nepal Gopal Paranjali advocated making India a Hindu nation. He said if India becomes a Hindu nation, it will positively impact the whole world.

Former CJN Paranjali visited temples in Govardhan, Mathura, with a delegation from Nepal. Prominent members of Pashupatinath Vikas Kosh Kathmandu Arjun Prasad Vastola and ten other people were part of the delegation.

Following their visit to the temples, Paranjali also met Shri Adya Shankaracharya Ashram and sought blessings from Peehadhishwar Swami Adhokshajanand Devtritha of Govardhanpuri.

During a discussion on Indo-Nepal relations, he mentioned that Nepal is already a Hindu nation in principle. In such a situation, if India also becomes a Hindu nation, it will positively impact the whole world. He added that it would make 178 crore Hindus worldwide feel proud and increase their self-confidence.

Arjun Prasad Vastola, who was part of the delegation, said that over 2500 years ago, Adya Shankaracharya established the Vedic Sanatan Culture that was destroyed by the heretics. Now once again, everyone will be benefited from the thoughts of Shankaracharya.

Vastola added that there are countries for Christians, Muslims and Buddhists Jews have a country for themselves. In such a situation, the world’s most populous country, India, should be declared a Hindu nation. Calling India a divine country, he added that the knowledge stream has always flowed here. Declaring India a Hindu nation would increase the self-confidence of Sanatanis worldwide, and it will be for the betterment of the world.

Notably, Nepal became a ‘secular’ country in 2008 after the success of the people’s movement of 2006, which led to the abolishment of the monarchy. Hinduism is the largest religion in Nepal. There have been calls to make Nepal a Hindu nation again. In February 2023, the former King of Nepal, Gyanendra Shah, joined the campaign to reinstate the country as Hindu Kingdom.

Operation Kaveri: 12th flight carrying 230 Indian evacuees from Sudan departs from Jeddah for Mumbai

ANI
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Operation Kaveri: 12th flight carrying 230 Indian evacuees from Sudan departs from Jeddah for Mumbai

Under ‘Operation Kaveri’, the 12th flight carrying 231 stranded Indian evacuees, departed from Jeddah on a Mumbai-bound flight. 

“12th outbound flight departs from Jeddah. 231 passengers are heading to Mumbai,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted on Wednesday. Earlier, on Tuesday night, 328 more Indians landed at the New Delhi International Airport from strife-torn Sudan. Nearly 3,000 stranded Indians have reached India till now. 

“328 more passengers have landed in New Delhi. #OperationKaveri moving steadily forward as around 3000 have reached India now,” External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted. 

Committed to ensuring that no Indian national is left behind in Sudan, India started Operation Kaveri on April 24 and deployed its military planes and warships in the war-torn country. 

Earlier on Tuesday, another ‘Operation Kaveri’ flight carrying 231 Indian evacuees reached Gujarat’s Ahmedabad on Tuesday from Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah, Jaishankar said. 

“Another #OperationKaveri flight lands in Ahmedabad. 231 more passengers have reached home safely,” the EAM tweeted. Under Operation Kaveri, the 10th flight carrying Indian nationals left Jeddah earlier on Tuesday. 

The United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Sudan has warned that the humanitarian crisis in the country is turning into a “full flown catastrophe” and that the risk of spillover into neighbouring countries was worrisome. 

“It has been more than two weeks of devastating fighting in Sudan, a conflict that is turning Sudan’s humanitarian crisis into a full-blown catastrophe,” Abdou Dieng, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in the country, told a briefing of member states via video link. 

Fighting is underway in Khartoum as the UN warns that Sudan is at a humanitarian “breaking point”. Rival military forces accuse each other of new violations of a ceasefire that they had just agreed to extend as their devastating conflict enters a third week. 

Sudan continues to face bloodshed as a result of clashes between the army and paramilitary forces. Earlier, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Sunday said that nearly 2300 evacuee Indians have reached the country. 

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Shah Rukh Khan, Byju’s staffer ordered to compensate IAS aspirant for ‘fraudulent behaviour’ and ‘unfair trade practices’: Details

OpIndia Staff
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Shah Rukh Khan, Byju’s staffer ordered to compensate IAS aspirant for ‘fraudulent behaviour’ and ‘unfair trade practices’: Details

An order was issued by the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Indore, Madhya Pradesh on April 26th, 2023, against ed-tech company Byju’s staffer and Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan. The order was in response to a complaint filed by a woman who enrolled in Byju’s coaching program to prepare for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) exam, alleging “fraudulent behaviour” and “unfair trade practice.”

On Wednesday, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission ordered Byju’s ed-tech employee and Shah Rukh Khan to pay a sum of money to Priyanka Dixit, who had enrolled in Byju’s coaching program to prepare for the IAS exam. The commission directed the defendants to return the fees of Rs. 1.08 lakhs that Dixit had paid at the time of admission in 2021, along with 12% annual interest. Additionally, they were ordered to pay Dixit Rs. 5,000 for litigation costs and Rs. 50,000 as compensation for financial and mental suffering. The commission specified that the local manager of Byju’s and Shah Rukh Khan are equally liable for the payment, jointly or severally.

The commission said in the order, “Since the respondents (Byju’s manager and actor Shah Rukh Khan) remained absent even after notices were served in the case and no reply was submitted on their behalf, unilateral action was taken against them.”

The commission’s order further said, “The woman complainant was encouraged to take admission in Byju’s coaching (course) by placing false and misleading online advertisements on behalf of the opposition parties. No coaching facility was provided after receiving the fee and despite the assurance of refund of the amount, the fee was not refunded, which in itself is fraudulent behaviour and shows unfair trade practice.”

Priyanka Dixit filed a complaint and named Shah Rukh Khan as one of the respondents, alleging that she was influenced by the advertisement issued on January 13, 2021, and enrolled in Byju’s coaching course to prepare for the Union Public Service Commission’s civic exams. Dixit claimed that the company promised her coaching by competent teachers and that her classes would commence on January 14, 2021, which did not happen. As a result, she requested a refund of her fees and admission cancellation on January 27, 2021. Despite repeated requests for a refund, the company failed to comply, according to Dixit’s complaint.

According to Priyanka Dixit’s lawyer, Suresh Kanga, the Consumer Protection Act permits individuals to lodge a complaint against a company for service-related errors, as well as against those who advertise on behalf of the company. He said, “We filed a complaint against Byju’s and Khan under these provisions as Khan featured in the advertisement of the company, which prompted my client to take admission in the said coach course.”

Ed-tech start-up Byju’s has repeatedly been in such news in the recent past. On Saturday, 29th April 2023, the Enforcement Directorate raided three premises of Byju Raveendran, the founder, and CEO of ed-tech startup BYJUs. ED took this action under the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). The raids were conducted at the premises of Byju Raveendran and his company Think and Learn Pvt Ltd.

ED in a release said searches on Byju’s also revealed that the company received foreign direct investment to the tune of Rs 28,000 crore (approximately) during the period from 2011 to 2023. Byju’s legal team spokesperson said in a statement after this raid, “We have been completely transparent with the authorities and have provided them with all the information they have requested. We have nothing but the utmost confidence in the integrity of our operations, and we are committed to upholding the highest standards of compliance and ethics.”

Earlier, on Friday, March 24, the educational technology behemoth BYJUs drew flak on social media for sharing a distorted map of India which showed Jammu and Kashmir as a separate country and parts of Ladakh as China on the map. Even before that, in December 2022, the apex child rights body National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) summoned BYJUs CEO Byju Raveendran over allegations that it is indulging in malpractices to lure parents and children to buy their courses.

Appeasement politics, targeting Hindu groups, and redundant poll promises: Congress manifesto for Karnataka elections seems like a recipe for disaster

Siddhi Somani
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Appeasement politics, targeting Hindu groups, and redundant poll promises: Congress manifesto for Karnataka elections seems like a recipe for disaster

The Congress announced its electoral manifesto for the Karnataka assembly poll on Tuesday, with a strong emphasis on female and young voters. The leaders who released the manifesto included Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Karnataka Congress Chief DK Shivakumar, and senior politician Siddaramaiah.

The major announcements include 200 units of free electricity for every home, 2,000 rupees for each woman who is the family head as part of the Gruha Lakshmi initiative, and a stipend of 3,000 rupees for unemployed graduates for a period of two years.

Congress, meanwhile, made a false equivalence in its manifesto, vowing to ban Bajrang Dal on the lines of Islamist group PFI. It stated that it is dedicated to taking a resolute and unwavering stance against people and groups who ‘incite enmity among communities on the basis of caste and religion’. This is after the Centre last year imposed ban on the radical Islamic terrorist organization named the Popular Front of India (PFI).

“We believe that law and Constitution is sacrosanct and can not be violated by individuals and organisations like Bajrang Dal, PFI or others promoting enmity or hatred, whether among majority or minority communities. We will take decisive action as per law including imposing a ban on any such organisations,” read the party manifesto.

Hindu organizations slam Congress for comparing Bajrang Dal to PFI

Hindu organisations slammed the grand old party for making such unconscionable remarks in its poll manifesto and comparing Bajrang Dal to the PFI. Vinod Bansal, the national spokesperson of Vishva Hindu Parishad said that he was not completely surprised though as the remarks made by Congress were completely in sync with the party’s “Jihadi mindset.”

He further denounced the Congress for repeatedly seeking to humiliate Hindus in an effort to placate and pacify Islamists. He asserted that Congress had a track record of supporting jihadis and sheltering Islamist terrorists.

The VHP leader claimed that equating Bajrang Dal with PFI is the final nail in Congress’s coffin. “By making such reckless comments in the poll manifesto, the party has penned its own death warrant”, he said.

Old Pension Scheme may lead the state to bankruptcy

The Congress manifesto also promised Rs 5000 allowance for policemen on night duty, setting up of social harmony panels at panchayat level, free transport for women in state buses and establish 63 Kannada language and culture centres. The Congress has also promised setting up a dedicated fund of Rs 2,000 crore to modernise all the existing courts of the state. However, amongst these, one of the crucial promises made by the Congress remains extending the Old Pension Scheme which was discontinued on April 1, 2004 and replaced with the National Pension Scheme (NPS).

Notably, opposition-ruled states like Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Punjab, and Chhattisgarh have already reverted to the Old Pension Scheme and now it has emerged as a key poll issue ahead of the Karnataka assembly elections as well. But this might not be a feasible promise as the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) forced the state to bear the entire burden of the pensions.

NPS was developed to encourage people to participate in equity markets and rapidly expanding companies as well as to lessen the financial load on the federal government and the states. Parties with a short-term outlook, however, are keen to embrace the OPS’s guaranteed income since it is a potent instrument for winning over voters.

Everyone who works for the government would undoubtedly welcome the return of the OPS because they will have lifetime of income security. In addition, Dearness Allowance (DA), which is not paid under the NPS, would be paid by the government.

Reverting to OPS may win the support of government employees, but doing so now poses a danger to the states’ electoral prospects as they run the risk of going bankrupt while funding this scheme.

Gruh Jyoti: Congress’ duplicity of offering free units of electricity while hiking tariff rates

One of the much-touted schemes launched by the Congress party was granting 200 units of free electricity to all the houses. However, in Himachal Pradesh, the Congress-led state government hiked 86 paise per unit in power tariff for the financial year 2023-24 after promising free units of electricity. 

Gruh Lakshmi: Rs 2,000 each month for every woman head of the family

The Congress government has announced Gruh Lakshmi, promising Rs 2,000 per month to every woman head of the family. However, the poll sop is a superfluous measure aimed at wooing voters, given that existing schemes provide far more benefits than Rs 2,000 promised by the Congress party. For instance, the incumbent Karnataka govt is providing Rs 1,000 per head per month to landless labourers through DBT. In addition, the govt is also working towards enhancing the lives of women through schemes like Jal Jeevan Mission, Ujjwala Scheme, Mathrupoorna, and Aarogya Prushti schemes, which not only cover basic amenities to sustain a livelihood but also provide intangible and qualitative benefits that are far more beneficial than Rs 2,000 offered to woman head of every family. 

Anna Bhagya: The sham promise of providing BPL families with 10 Kg of food grains of their choice

Another insincere promise made by Congress in their manifesto is Anna Bhagya, which includes providing 10 kgs of free grains of their choice for every member of the BPL families. The scheme, however, is tainted by past instances when fake beneficiaries were allowed to misuse the benefits of the scheme. It also must be noted that BJP-led government at the Centre instituted PM Garib Kalyan Yojana, which benefitted close to 4 crores beneficiaries in Karnataka during the coronavirus outbreak.

Yuva Nidhi: Wooing voters with unfulfilled poll promises

In 2004, Congress managed to hoodwink voters by promising compensation to unemployed youth in the country, when it had vowed to provide Rs 500 to unemployed graduates but failed in implementjng it. Close to two decades later, Congress seems to bank on short public memory as it announced to provide Rs 3,000 for two years for the unemployed graduates and Rs 1,500 for two years to unemployed diploma holders.

Need review of Peace Committee like ‘Social Harmony Panels’

The Congress party also promised to establish social harmony committee at the panchyat levels to ensure communal harmony in every gram panchayat of the district. The function of these committees is to discuss ways to maintain peace and tranquillity in the area. Similar peace committees formed by the Congress earlier have initiated in the past to pacify the riots but ended up creating more chaos.

For instance, during the anti-CAA protests, peace committee members reached the Shaheen Bagh area in Delhi where a pistol was brandished in the air. Video went viral, and the Lutyens media tried to blame BJP leader Anurag Thakur for the incident.

Interestingly, during the investigation, the Police found that the pistol was registered to one Mohammad Luqmaan Chaudhary, who was part of the peace committee delegation. In a statement to India Today later, Luqmaan alleged that he was unaware he was carrying a weapon. He said that he had gone to the protest site “peacefully” to urge the protesters to give way to the ambulance and emergency vehicles.

Also, a peace committee meeting was held days after Jamia Milia Islamia after stones were pelted at security forces during anti-CAA protests. How these peace committees actually help in maintaining peace should be questioned. In 2008, the then-Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta explained to the Chief Secretary recommending guidelines on Communal Harmony as referred to in accordance with an order issued on October 22, 1997. At that time, the Janata Dal-led government was at the centre under Inder Kumar Gujarat as Prime Minister, with Congress’s support from the outside.

“Every town identified as communally sensitive should have a Peace Committee consisting of prominent citizens of all communities, representatives of political parties, Public representative, Office bearers of prominent associations/union. Communal forces and anti-social elements should not be included in the Committee. At the time of apprehension of communal tension, meetings of the Peace Committee should always be called to discuss all matters relating to the communal tension. Efforts should be made to enlist the support of the members of the Committee for persuading the members of different communities to find an amicable settlement of the cause of tension and to defuse the situation,” the letter read.

Although the rules were made clear that communal forces and anti-social elements should not attend such meetings, a member of one of these meetings was discovered in possession of a gun, and the left-leaning media jumped to conclusions to downplay the crime.

The guidelines further suggested, “Women are the most affected group in communal tensions or riots. They can be effective in helping to defuse the communal tension and to prevent riots. As such, they should get fair representation in the membership of the Peace Committees/Integration Committee/Tripartite Committees.” Since the Delhi riots of 2020 made it clear how women were used as a shield by the anti-social and communal elements, this particular section of the guidelines needs to be reviewed.

The formation of the social harmony panels as promised by the Congress party in its manifesto ahead of the Karnataka elections today seems to be the similar plot. The Congress party meanwhile reiterated that the all the ‘anti-people’ laws passed by the BJP government in the last one year would be repealed if it comes to power in the upcoming state assembly elections. The party also stated that it would implement the Right to Information Act and enact Karnataka Whistleblowers Protection Act.

Appeasing minorities ahead of elections

The Congress also announced a slew of promises for the minority community and alleged that the ruling BJP was indulging into minority bashing for political polarization to grab power. “Equality before law and protection under the constitution is the rightful due of all, including Religious and Linguistic Minorities. Sadly, ruling government is indulging in minority bashing for political polarization to grab power. The Congress Party is committed to the welfare of all citizens and groups, including minorities, as per the Constitution of India. Accordingly, the allocation of funds for the minority welfare—Muslim, Christian, Jain, Buddhists and others, would be increased to Rs. 10,000 crores,” the manifesto read.

It has also promised to provide pre-matric scholarships to students of minorities, adequate financial provisions for the maintenance and upgradation of Religious/pilgrim Centres of Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and other minority faiths and appoint Kannada Teachers in the Government and Aided Urdu, and Arabic Schools and to help modernizing Madarasas.

The Congress also pledges to establish Diwan Mirza Ismail center for competitive exams at Mysuru university for Minorities and give financial assistance. It’s not new that the party has been favoring and appeasing Muslims ahead of the elections. Earlier, it had said that it would restore the 4% Muslim reservation if it comes to power in the state.

This is after the Basavaraj Bommai Government last month decided to scrap 4% quota for Muslims and increased the SC reservation for Vokkaligas and Lingayats instead. Vokkaligas and Lingayats are the two major dominant communities of Karnataka.

Rreferring to this, Home Minister Amit Shah had said last week that the BJP never believed in ‘religion-based reservation.’ The former BJP chief additionally poked the Congress for its position that the quota will be reinstated if it were to win the State’s Assembly elections on May 10 and come to power. “There was a religion-based reservation of 4% for Muslims. Without falling for the vote bank politics, the BJP government abolished the Muslim reservation,” he said while addressing a public meeting at Terdal last week.

Tamil Nadu BJP chief terms Congress’s move as “appeasement politics”

Further, the Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai referred to the Congress’s move as “appeasement politics” hours after the party unveiled its Karnataka election manifesto, which included pledges to outlaw the Hindu nationalist group Bajrang Dal and repeal “unjust” laws enacted by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

“They are equating Bajrang Dal to the banned Islamic outfit Popular Front of India (PFI). They are doing appeasement politics. After the release of their manifesto, it is clear that Congress is going to lose big time on May 10. There is nothing progressive in the manifesto,” he said.

Legislative Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in Karnataka on May 10, 2023 to elect all 224 members of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. The votes will be counted and the results will be declared on May 13, 2023.

Pakistan: People turn to ‘lizard oil’ for enhancing sexual stamina amid ban on viagra

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan: People turn to ‘lizard oil’ for enhancing sexual stamina amid ban on viagra

In spite of viagra being outlawed in Pakistan, males looking to increase their sexual activity still choose a fake “aphrodisiac.” In Rawalpindi’s Raja Bazar, oil extracted from an Indian spiny-tailed lizard is on sale as a treatment for impotence. However, no scientific proof exists to support the claim that it enhances performance in bed.

The lizards, which can grow up to 60 cm (24 inches) in length as adults, are caught as they come out from their underground living spaces to enjoy the sunshine in Punjab and Sindh provinces’ fields. The ‘magical’ oil is actually freshly extracted lizard fat, marinated in scorpion oil and seasoned with a pungent red spice – or Sanda tael. It is being widely sold in Pakistan after a ban was imposed on Viagra.

According to reports, the sellers first catch these lizards by laying a web of fishing wire snares on the plateaus. Then they immediately kill the lizards to ensure that the quick reptile does not escape. Its innards are then cooked on a crude gas hob. The oil is sold in the black market. It looks cola coloured with the whiff of the burnt frying pan. And most importantly, it does not have any scientific backing.

Pakistani men are buying this quack medicine to increase their sexual potency. The claims made by sellers are weird. The experiences shared by users are weirder than these claims. A 40-year-old seller says while selling this oil, “You just apply five drops over the affected area and massage. It does magic in terms of promoting sexual stamina. It is a solution to bring joy and happiness. It makes the users strong like steel. It will make your wife happy. Buy it try it.” On the other hand, a 62-year-old user of this oil said that it really works like a miracle. He also vividly described his sexual performance.

This allegedly multipurpose oil is also used for joint aches, back pain, sciatica, and hair fall. The sellers also claim that they have customers from Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Sharjah, Malaysia and several African countries.

Pakistan is a country that has a religiously driven society where having many babies is socially expected, and infertility is heavily stigmatised. As Viagra is termed illegal in Pakistan, people are widely using this quackery treatment for sexual dysfunction problems.

Uttarakhand: Bajrang Dal worker Arvind shot dead in Ramnagar in Uttarakhand; Azam, Rizwan, Irfan, Sabir detained

OpIndia Staff
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Uttarakhand: Bajrang Dal worker Arvind shot dead in Ramnagar in Uttarakhand; Azam, Rizwan, Irfan, Sabir detained

On Sunday, April 30, an unidentified attacker shot and killed Bajrang Dal worker Arvind, also known as Pappi Sagar, in Ramnagar. According to reports, a group of individuals called him and opened fire on him at a distance of 250 metres from his house. The family members of the deceased protested at the Ramnagar Hospital and demanded the immediate arrest of the murderers. 

The police said that they obtained information regarding the young man’s deceased body lying on the side of Chorpani Road. The young man was later identified as 27-year-old Lutabarh resident Arvind alias Pappi Sagar s/o Chhatrapal. Police brought the corpse to Ramnagar Hospital, where the young man’s family started protesting and demanding the arrest of the unidentified suspects.

The deceased’s brother, Chandan Sagar, formally complained about the incident. Following the complaint, the police started looking for the accused and are carrying out additional inquiries. Ten specialized teams have also been created by the police to start a search effort to find the murderers.

So far police have detained four Muslim youth on suspicion. The suspects in this murder have been identified as Azam s/o Rafi, age 20, Rizwan alias Sukha, age 24, Irfan s/o Iqrar Hussain, age 18, and Sabir alias Puncher, age 18, all of Lutabad Ramnagar, district Nainital.

According to Harbans Singh, SP City, “The murder report has been filed. Police are raiding in search of the accused. Four people have been detained and are being interrogated. Soon the murderers will be identified and arrested.” 

According to reports, the residence of Bajrang Dal worker Arvind was also attacked in February, causing injuries to his mother and sister. The deceased also filed a case against the seven suspects, but the police did not act on the complaint. SSP Pankaj Bhatt has taken disciplinary action against female constable Manisha Singh and Ramnagar Kotwali-based Dhela police station chief Ravindra Rana for their incompetence in this case.

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