Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar resigned from the post of party president on Tuesday and announced a committee to select a new president. The committee met at the NCP’s state office in Mumbai on May 5. Sharad Pawar’s resignation has been unanimously rejected by this committee. Prafulla Patel proposed to reject the resignation. All members of the committee unanimously approved the motion.
After the meeting, the committee announced the decision at a press conference. Prafulla Patel said, “We had no idea that Sharad Pawar would announce his decision at the event. Everyone expressed their feelings when we met at Yashwantrao Chavan Auditorium. Even after that, other senior party leaders met Sharad Pawar. I have been requesting Sharad Pawar since then. I told him that the country, the state and the party need you.”
Prafulla Patel further said, “Sharad Pawar decided to resign without taking anyone into confidence. After this, the committee appointed by him met him repeatedly and today met him and passed a resolution on this. According to this, Sharad Pawar had considered resigning from the post of national president. That resignation is being unanimously rejected. We also request him to continue as president.”
Prafulla Patel added, “We will meet Sharad Pawar and apprise him of the decision taken by the committee. We have not given any timeline for how long he should be president. We had unanimously elected him as the national president a few days ago.”
On May 3, a video went viral on social media where former sprinter and Indian Olympics Association’s chief PT Usha was seen being heckled by protesters at Jantar Mantar. The woman who heckled PT Usha was later seen crying with the protesting wrestlers in the night. She has been identified as Sudesh Goyat, a career protestor who was seen at almost every protest that made national and international headlines.
Can't believe IOA president legend athlete PT Usha is being humiliated like this. Protester wrestlers won't achieve anything out of this. Why media is not covering this?pic.twitter.com/N2n7SfM9hc
In the video, Goyat points the finger at PT Usha and says, “But you have disrespected women”. When someone asked her not to disrespect her, she said, “Why not? When she got medals, we respected her. Now she is disrespecting those who got medals…” and then she went inaudible in the video.
OpIndia decided to dig into her career as a professional protester. During the recent protest, she is being widely covered by several media outlets for two reasons. First, she is a popular face in protests. Second, she is the wife of an Army veteran.
In a 23-minute long video by National Dastak dedicated to Goyat’s thoughts on the wrestler’s protest, she claimed that the administration cut the electricity supply. Interestingly, it was earlier reported that the administration does not provide electricity to any protesters at the site. They have to arrange their own generator. She further claimed that the wrestlers are not seeking Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s resignation but are protesting to get justice for the athletes who were allegedly harassed. However, one of the demands that wrestlers have put forward is the resignation of Singh.
She further claimed no one questioned when only one state brought medals to the wrestling tournaments. Notably, WFI changed the selection process in 2021 to ensure other states get a chance in qualification rounds for the international tournaments. It is allegedly one of the reasons that the wrestlers of Haryana are not happy with Singh’s leadership at WFI. Recently, in a statement in front of the media, Vinesh Phogat clearly stated the wrestlers protesting would not compete in nationals and would prefer to compete in the Olympics directly.
In a recent interview with The Janta Live, she claimed the government sent PT Usha as part of its conspiracy to end the protests. When it did not work, they attacked the wrestlers at night. Her claims do not add up with the series of events that happened last night. There were clear instructions from the Police that no one could enter the protest site at night. However, AAP leader Somnath Bharti brought cots at around 11 PM. When he was stopped, a scuffle broke down between wrestlers and police. Later, DCW chairperson Swati Mahiwal also reached the spot after 12:30 AM, but the police detained her. When she refused to leave, female police personnel gently picked her up and put her in the van and made sure she did not get hurt during the process.
Notably, Goyat was seen crying when Vinesh Phogat gave a statement to the press after the scuffle between wrestlers and police.
VIDEO | "The way they have made us suffer, I would not want any athlete to win a medal for the country," says wrestler Vinesh Phogat. pic.twitter.com/EpSk6dc3ZL
Goyat claimed the Pulwama attack happened inside Army Cantt
In an interview with The Janta Live on April 26, Goyat made a bizarre claim that the Pulwama attack happened inside Army Cantt. She accused the government of conspiring the attack that resulted in the death of 40 soldiers. However, her claims are false, as the attack occurred on a National Highway from where the convoy carrying the soldiers passed.
Essentially, Goyat used the wrestlers’ protest to lie about the Pulwama Attack and also shift blame from Pakistan to Indian govt.
OpIndia scrolled through the social media accounts of Goyat. We found that whenever a protest found its way into the national and international media, Goyat became part of it.
She was actively involved in the farmer’s protest. In a video during the protests, she claimed women are not considered farmers. It is notable that the government has worked extensively for the women indulged in farming. The government of India had instructed states and other implementing agencies to incur at least 30% of expenditure on women.
Schemes like Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP) are proving to be beneficiaries for women in farming. Despite such schemes, protesters like Goyat often use different platforms to make unsubstantial claims.
Twitter user Total_woke_ pointed out that Goyat has been seen in every possible anti-Modi protest. She allegedly abused Hindus and even supported Khalistanis.
She is found at every anti Modi protest, abusing Hindus, defending Khalistanis, supporting jehadis, the usual dhanda of professional protestors. No wonder Time magazine, covered her ? pic.twitter.com/W9d99BeUax
She also found her way to Time magazine. Time wrote, “A gender-rights activist from Haryana, Sudesh Goyat, has been at the Tikri protest site since the very beginning, helping mobilize women and organize for January 18 to be recognized as Women Farmers Day. “Women work equally in the fields with the men. It’s only right they should be here to protest,” she says. “The awareness among women about their own power has never been higher than now.”
There have been countless instances where Goyat rushed to participate in the ongoing protests. She started her journey as a professional protester during the One Rank One Pension protests and, since then, continued to be part of any and every protest where she could get some media coverage.
The second round of protests by wrestlers in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar began about almost two weeks ago, and Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat has been in the spotlight ever since. Earlier in the day, a video of her claiming supremacy of the Khap Panchayat over institutions like the SC went viral on social media. Now, another clip of the player is going viral and netizens are offended by it due to one particularly entitled comment she made in it.
In the clip shared by @Newsumindia, Vinesh Phogat is heard telling a journalist that they had thought that people would believe them because they are such big players but they are being asked to give proof of their allegations..
They started to ask for proof…we thought we are big players, people will believe us: Vinesh Phogat pic.twitter.com/oIsJsfubfq
The clip from her interview with the British Broadcaster BBC from the protest site. In the interview, she talks about a variety of issues ranging from their demands from the government to the problems they are facing while protesting at Jantar Mantar. She is also heard levelling some serious allegations against Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur during her chat with the BBC journalist.
However, while talking about the sexual harassment allegations they have levelled against Wrestling Federation Of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, Vinesh Phogat, at around 10.10-minutes into the interview is heard lamenting, “We thought we are such big players that people will believe us, but they started to ask for proof.”
The Indian wrestler’s comment was met with disapproval by several social media users, who instantly called her out for her arrogance and sense of entitlement.
Wah! Proof of their sense of entitlement isn't needed at least. Bade khiladi hein to aapki baat maan li jaae. Aap chahe jispe jo ilzaam laga den! ? ?
“So big players are above law .. they are both the judge and jury!! standard operating processes doesn’t apply to them .. they are the law themselves,” questioned an irked Twitter user Tom Kat.
So big players are above law .. they are both the judge and jury!! standard operating processes doesn’t apply to them .. they are the law themselves ..
“Even @narendramodi was subjucted to inquries & counter intelligence units had to give proofs for his involvement. Being big shots players won’t help u to bypass such process. The politicians standing with u & u guys allowing them to stand with u guys is not helping your cause. Accused is getting traction for nullify your allegations. Time for having faith in judiciary. Better keep ur dignity intact & have faith in judiciary,” Twitter user @imerahul wrote while replying to the same video clip shared by another Twitter user BALA.
Even @narendramodi was subjucted to inquries & counter intelligence units had to give proofs for his involvement. Being big shots players won't help u to bypass such process. The politicians standing with u & u guys allowing them to stand with u guys is not helping your cause.…
Besides, in the interview with BBC, Vinesh Phogat was also heard levelling some serious allegations against the Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur.
Phogat alleged that she met Sports Minister Anurag Thakur and told him about all their concerns, including the claim of sexual abuse. But, she alleged that Singh found out about the complaint because of a ‘leak’ from the sports ministry.
Before SC, Khap Panchayat decides: Vinesh Phogat
Earlier in the day, Vinesh Phogat stirred a controversy after she claimed supremacy of the Khap Panchayat over other institutions. The video of her making the remark went viral on social media. It was initially shared on Twitter on Thursday (May 4) by a social media influencer named Ravi Bhadoria. In the video, the Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat was heard saying, “Our elders, who represent the Khap Panchayat, have been making decisions before the High Court and the Supreme Court.”
बात सिर्फ बृजभूषण शरण सिंह जी की होती तब भी ठीक था, हमें पता था वो अकेले भी निपट लेंगे। लेकिन तुमने तो विपक्ष की गोद में बैठकर मोदी-योगी पूरी भाजपा और सरकार के खिलाफ ही मोर्चा खोल दिया… उड़ता तीर ले लिया मित्र अब भुगतना पड़ेगा। @BajrangPuniapic.twitter.com/8ZKRi9gPWD
“So whatever the Khap Panchayat decides, we will adhere to it,” she announced. The attempt by the Indian wrestler to suggest that Khap Panchayat can somehow have the same binding, legal jurisprudence as the higher courts went on to stir a controversy.
Wrestler Vinesh Phogat suspended temporarily for indiscipline at Tokyo Olympics
It may be recalled that in 2021, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) had temporarily suspended Vinesh Phogat on charges of indiscipline during the Tokyo Olympics. Vinesh Phogat had time till August 16 to reply to the notice. The notice mentioned indiscipline on three counts.
Vinesh Phogat had reportedly refused to stay at the Games Village, train with other Indian athletes and also did not wear the official sponsors of the Indian Contingent and chose to wear Nike instead. She crashed out of the Tokyo Olympics during the quarterfinals.
Vinesh Phogat had trained in Hungary with coach Woller Akos and had travelled to Tokyo from there. She also reportedly resorted to a ruckus when she was allotted a room near Indian athletes, claiming that she may get infected by the Coronavirus since the other three had travelled to Tokyo from India.
The Background of the Controversy
On April 23, ace wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia launched a second round of protests against Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, alleging he sexually harassed hundreds of female wrestlers.
The first round of protests took place in January this year. It was called off after Sports Minister Anurag Thakur formed a committee to investigate the matter.Following the fresh wrestlers protest, Delhi Police filed FIRs against Singh based on the complaints of seven athletes.
The entry of politicians in the protests and slogans like ‘Modi teri kabar khudegi’ have raised concerns over the actual motive behind the protests. In other news, the AAP-led Delhi government has announced that Punia will be appointed as chief sports advisor. Currently, he is an employee at Indian Railways.
On Thursday (May 4), the images of the sprawling mansion of AAP chief ‘aam admi’ Arvind Kejriwal went viral on social media.
As per a report by Times Now, the mansion is located at 6 Flagstaff Road in the Civil Lines area of the National Capital. Dubbed as the ‘Sheesh Mehal’ of the Delhi Chief Minister, it is spread across a 13000 square feet area.
Mansion of Arvind Kejriwal, image via Twitter/ Manjinder Singh Sirsa
Besides, the residence has a 399 square feet lawn area and is equipped with all modern facilities imaginable. Times Now reported that Arvind Kejriwal stays with his family on the first floor. The ground floor has a large meeting hall and a visitor’s room.
Mansion of Arvind Kejriwal, image via Twitter/ Manjinder Singh Sirsa
The bungalow is spacious with state-of-the-art interior design, flooring and high grade furniture.
Mansion of Arvind Kejriwal, image via Twitter/ Manjinder Singh Sirsa
Mansion of Arvind Kejriwal, image via Twitter/ Manjinder Singh Sirsa
In videos that have now surfaced on social media, it can be seen that the residence of Arvind Kejriwal has automatic motion-sensing doors in all rooms.
While speaking about the matter, BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, “This palace-like bungalow that you are seeing is Arvind Kejriwal’s Sheesh Mahal. This is the same Arvind Kejriwal who used to say naively that he only wants a house of two or three rooms.”
“…See its drawing room, see its corridor, see this house from outside, the two storey house, it looks like a palace of a king. Arvind Kejriwal now has a photo of your house too. Will you lie now that you live in a small house?” he added.
15 लाख रुपया की टॉयलेट सीट 8 लाख रुपये का परदा 1.5 करोड़ रुपये के वियतनाम से मंगवाए गए मार्बल
45 करोड़ रुपया के शीश महल में रहने वाले अरविंद केजरीवाल जी से बड़ा झूठा और कट्टर बेईमान कोई नहीं होगा pic.twitter.com/Q4Aoi5OIhK
Arvind Kejriwal splurged ₹45 crores on his mansion
A recent investigation by Times Now Navbharat found that the official bungalow of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in Civil Lines was renovated at a cost of almost Rs 45 crore.
The report, termed “Operation Sheesh Mahal,” said that Rs 44.78 crore of taxpayer funds were utilised for the renovations, raising questions about the Aam Aadmi Party’s commitment to promoting austerity.
The channel obtained documents that indicate the curtains at Arvind Kejriwal’s residence were priced at around Rs 5-8 lakh per piece. According to the documents, 23 curtains were approved for installation at the residence of Delhi CM and AAP national convenor, with a total cost of Rs 97 lakhs.
Imported from Vietnam, the marble used for the renovation of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s residence cost around Rs 3 crores. The flooring was done using ‘Deor Pearl Marble’, known for its superior quality. Additionally, Rs 21,60,000 was spent on the chemical adhesive used to fix the marble.
The documents also reveal that a sum of Rs 40 lakhs was spent on installing six almirahs at the official residence of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.
In 2013, Arvind Kejriwal stated that he and his AAP ministers would not occupy the government-provided bungalows and instead opt for smaller government flats. Ten years on, the lofty promises and claims made by him appear nothing but political grandstanding.
On Friday, the illegal links to the banned documentary on PM Modi named ‘India: The Modi Question’ aired by BBC in January this year were removed by Internet Archive after a defamation suit was filed by Jharkhand BJP leader Binay Kumar Singh. Wikipedia still carries the defunct link connecting to Internet Archive and the BBC link also exists.
At the time of writing this report, Wikipedia still carried the defunct link of Internet Archive with the BBC documentary on PM Modi. Thought it was marked “dead link”.
Wikipedia links of sources
The BBC links by Wikipedia still works and the documentary is still available on it which is to say that it is not a dead link.
When one clicks on the link of Internet Archive, one is taking to the website which says that the content has been removed.
Content removed from Internet Archive
Singh, who is also associated with RSS and VHP, filed a defamation suit against the BBC, Wikimedia Foundation and Internet Archive over the documentary this week. He had said in the plea that though the documentary is banned by the Indian government, links to the same were illegally being made available by BBC through Wikipedia and Internet Archive.
As reported earlier, Additional District Judge Ruchika Singla of Rohini Courts has issued the summons to the defendants and listed the case for hearing on May 11. The court has given 30 days to the defendants to file written replies to the suit. The suit states that the allegations made in the documentary against the RSS and Vishwa Hindu Parishad are motivated by malicious intent to defame the organizations and their members or volunteers.
The plaintiff, Binay Kumar Singh tweeted and said that the illegal links to the outlawed documentary had been removed. “This is a big moral victory. Wikipedia has removed the link to Internet Archive related to the banned documentary (both parts) titled, India: The Modi question,” he said. “No one is allowed to disrespect the law of the land in India. BBC’s bias against India is no secret,” he tweeted further.
A big moral victory ✌️ No one is allowed to disrespect the law of the land in India. BBC’s bias against India is no secret.
Binay Kumar Singh, who is also an author, researcher and TV panellist, said in the suit that he had to suffer defamation due to the defamation caused to the organisations, the RSS, VHP and BJP, with which he is associated, over the documentary which has been already banned by the Central government. The valuation of the suit which has been filed through Advocate Mukesh Sharma is Rs 10 lakh.
“The allegations made against the RSS and VHP are motivated by a malicious intent to defame the organizations and its millions of members/ volunteers. Such unfounded allegations are not only baseless but also have the potential to damage the reputation and image of the RSS, VHP and its millions of members/volunteers, who have committed themselves to uphold the cultural, social and national values of India,” the suit said.
According to the suit, Singh on April 13 this year was called by one of his friends who criticized him and expressed dismay over his association with the RSS. Singh said that his friend called him after watching the controversial documentary which has directly held RSS and VHP responsible for the widespread and systematic rape of Muslim women, purging of Muslims from Hindu areas and mass murder of thousands of Muslims in Gujarat.
Singh then researched to discover that the two parts of the already-banned documentary were still available on Wikipedia and the Internet Archive. However, the links have now been removed and declared as ‘dead links’ by the Wikipedia and the Internet Archive.
The controversial documentary was banned by the government on January 24 this year. However, the jurisdiction of this ban is limited in India, and the two-part documentary is legally available outside India. The case is slated to be heard next on May 11, 2023.
On Thursday, May 4, Calcutta High Court ordered an interim stay on Visva Bharati University’s eviction notice to ‘economist’ Amartya Sen on a portion of land he is reportedly holding illegally. Amartya Sen petitioned the Calcutta High Court for relief after the university issued an order directing the petitioner to vacate 0.13 acres (5,500 sq ft) of land at his ancestral Santiniketan residence by May 6, even though an appeal for a stay on possible eviction was set for hearing on May 15, 2023, at a court in Suri in West Bengal’s Birbhum district.
The plea was heard at the High Court by a bench led by Justice Bibhas Ranjan De. It granted an interim stay of proceedings till the case is heard by a lower court in Birbhum. In his plea, the economist claimed that in October 1943, Visva-Bharati general secretary Rathindranath Tagore gave his father, Ashutosh Sen, 1.38 acres of land for a 99-year lease.
The notice to vacate the land allegedly occupied by Sen illegally was issued by Joint Registrar Asish Mahato.
“More or less 13 decimals occupied unauthorized by Sri Amartya Kumar Sen in the north-west corner of Visva-Bharati plot no 201, ie LR plot no 1900/2487 (having a total area of 1.38 acres) in LR Khatian no 270 Corresponding to R.S plot no 1900/2487 & further corresponding to Part of C.S,” the notice stated.
It further stated that Amartya Sen can only lawfully occupy 1.25 acres of land only, as lessee (for the residual period of lease) in the scheduled premises. He does not have the authority to occupy 1.38 acres of land on the scheduled premises. In response to this, Sen stated that the proper authorities should be notified to stop the university from abusing its power in an arbitrary manner.
Following the Visva-Bharati notice, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee directed her party leaders to stage a sit-in in front of Sen’s house if Visva-Bharati attempted to evict Sen.
On Friday, the Khalistani supporters attacked another Hindu temple in Western Sydney’s Rosehill suburb of Australia. The supporters vandalized the BAPS Swaminarayan temple and wrote “Declare Modi Terrorist (BBC)” on the walls of the temple. Meanwhile, a Khalistan flag could also be seen hanging on the gate of the said temple.
This comes almost two months after the Khalistani vandalized the historic Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple in Carrum Downs and wrote anti-Hindu and anti-India slogans on the walls near the temple in Australia’s Melbourne.
According to the Australia Today report, the BAPS Swaminarayan temple was attacked early on Friday morning and the attack came to the fore after one of the daily visitors of the temple reached the temple for offering prayers. The temple management was then informed who further informed the Police about the incident.
The BAPS Swaminarayan temple of Western Sydney’s Rosehill suburb has been vandalised by Khalistan supporters. In the early hours of Friday morning, temple management found the front wall of the temple vandalised with graffiti & a Khalistan flag hanging on the gate, reports…
The NSW Police officers have reached the spot and are investigating the matter. They have also been provided with the CCTV footage by the temple management for investigation.
Earlier on January 17, the supporter had attacked the historic Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple in Carrum Downs and had written ‘Target Modi’, ‘Modi Hitler’, and ‘Hindustan Murdabad’ on the walls next to the temple. Reportedly, Australia has seen four separate anti-Hindu attacks on Temples initiated by pro-Khalistani elements living in the country in the last 4-5 months.
On March 4, Shree Laxmi Narayan Temple in Brisbane’s Burbank suburb was vandalised with anti-Hindu and anti-India graffiti defacing its walls. According to local media reports, the vandalism was carried out by pro-Khalistani supporters. The miscreants wrote anti-Hindu, anti-India and pro-Khalistani slogans on the walls near the temple during the vandalization.
On February 16 a Kali Mata temple received a warning against holding a Bhajan program. A woman priest of a Kali Mata temple in the northern suburbs of Melbourne in Australia received threats from Khalistani terrorists for organizing a Bhajan program of Indian singer Kanhiya Mittal.
On January 23 a similar attack by Khalistani elements took place at the Hare Krishna Temple located at Albert Park in Melbourne city of Australia. The temple served as the centre of the Bhakti Yoga movement in Melbourne and is run by the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). As per reports, temple walls were defaced with anti-India slogans of ‘Khalistan Zindabad’ and ‘Hindustan Murdabad.’ The miscreants had also hailed slain Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale as a martyr.
On January 12, the Hindu community living in Melbourne woke up to a shock as the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir, located in the northern suburb of Mill Park, Melbourne, was vandalised by Khalistani attackers. The walls of the temple were defaced by spray painting anti-India and anti-Narendra Modi slogans.
Notably, PM Modi had taken cognizance of the event and had raised the issue in front of Australian PM Anthony Albanese, who was on a visit to India on March 10. He had said that the Indian community was worried about the attacks. PM Albanese then assured that the safety of the Indian community would be a priority for him.
Also, the Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement condemning the attack on the Indian community by the extremist Khalistani groups in Australia. The MEA had urged the local authorities to launch an investigation into the case and punish the perpetrators.
Amidst the ongoing protests by wrestlers at Jantar Mantar, a video of Vinesh Phogat claiming supremacy of the Khap Panchayat over other institutions is going viral on social media.
The video was initially shared on Twitter on Thursday (May 4) by a social media influencer named Ravi Bhadoria. In the video, the Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat was heard saying, “Our elders, who represent the Khap Panchayat, have been making decisions before the High Court and the Supreme Court.”
“So whatever the Khap Panchayat decides, we will adhere to it,” she announced. The attempt by the Indian wrestler to suggest that Khap Panchayat can somehow have the same binding, legal jurisprudence as the higher courts has now stirred a controversy.
बात सिर्फ बृजभूषण शरण सिंह जी की होती तब भी ठीक था, हमें पता था वो अकेले भी निपट लेंगे। लेकिन तुमने तो विपक्ष की गोद में बैठकर मोदी-योगी पूरी भाजपा और सरकार के खिलाफ ही मोर्चा खोल दिया… उड़ता तीर ले लिया मित्र अब भुगतना पड़ेगा। @BajrangPuniapic.twitter.com/8ZKRi9gPWD
In a longer version of the video, Vinesh Phogat was heard saying that she respects the decision of the Supreme Court and is exploring all legal options. After she said this, she went on to talk about the Khap and elders making the decision before the Supreme Court, which they will adhere to.
On Thursday (May 4), the Supreme Court wrapped up the petition filed by three women wrestlers after considering the fact that the Delhi Police has registered an FIR against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over alleged sexual harassment.
The bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justice PS Narsimsha, and Justice JB Pardiwala stated that the plea had been filed by the wrestlers seeking registration of an FIR against Singh. It noted that the purpose of the plea had been served with Delhi Police registering an FIR in the case.
Meanwhile, the Khap Panchayat has vowed to join the demonstration of the protesting wrestlers from May 7, 2023. Last month, the members of the Khap from Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh threatened to call a bandh (strike) if the demands of the protestors are not met.
“All khap leaders held a meeting and decided to wait for the Supreme Court’s decision before chalking out their further course of action,” the coordinator of Sarv Khap Panchayat Om Prakash Dhankar had said.
It must be mentioned that Khap Panchayats have often been in the news for the wrong reasons, including attempts to declare inter-caste marriages between consenting adults ‘illegal’ and involvement in honour killings.
The Background of the Controversy
On April 23, ace wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia launched a second round of protests against Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, alleging he sexually harassed hundreds of female wrestlers.
The first round of protests took place in January this year. It was called off after Sports Minister Anurag Thakur formed a committee to investigate the matter.Following the fresh wrestlers protest, Delhi Police filed FIRs against Singh based on the complaints of seven athletes.
The entry of politicians in the protests and slogans like ‘Modi teri kabar khudegi’ have raised concerns over the actual motive behind the protests. In other news, the AAP-led Delhi government has announced that Punia will be appointed as chief sports advisor. Currently, he is an employee at Indian Railways.
For a long time, historians and school History textbooks dubbed Islamic tyrant Tipu Sultan as a ‘freedom fighter’. However, Tipu Sultan, whose birth anniversary was commemorated by the Congress government, was notorious for slaughtering Hindus and destroying temples. A film on the 18th-century Sultan of Mysore’s true representation, which was littered with religious zealotry and radicalism, is also in the making. This film is being presented by ‘Eros International’.
In the announcement video of the upcoming film “Tipu”, it is shown how Tipu Sultan destroyed 8000 temples and 27 churches, converted 4 million Hindus to Islam, and forced them to eat beef. One lakh Hindus were imprisoned. Over 2000 Brahmin families were wiped out in Calicut. His war cry of Jihad started in 1783. The 50-second video concludes with burning temples in the backdrop and a portrait of Tipu Sultan in the foreground, his face marred with soot.
The film “Tipu” is co-produced by Rashmi Sharma and Sandeep is directed by Pawan Sharma. It is notable that Sandeep Sharma is also producing the biopic of freedom fighter Veer Savarkar titled “Swatantrya Veer Savarkar” with actor Randeep Hooda playing the titular role. Moreover, Sandeep Sharma is also producing former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s biopic “Atal” with actor Pankaj Tripathi in the lead role.
The film “Tipu” will be released in Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam. Rajat Sethi, a political analyst and author who studied at Harvard and IIT Kharagpur handled the film’s research. During the Assam assembly elections, Sethi also worked for the BJP.
Speaking about the film and its story, director Pawan Sharma said, “Whatever we are taught in schools about Tipu Sultan is gross misinformation. I was absolutely shaken and disillusioned after knowing Tipu’s reality as a bigoted king. I am daring to show a brutal reality that was manipulated to make him a warrior hero.”
Meanwhile, Rajat Sethi said that “the admiration and adulation of Tipur Sultan are overrated, while his brutalities are concealed in our textbooks.”
Controversies do not seem to end with the protests by wrestlers at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. After politicians made a beeline to the protest venue for their political benefits and ‘Modi Teri Kabar Khudegi’ slogans were raised, now any-India ‘Azadi’ slogans were raised in the venue on 4th May 2023. A group of Muslims and other self-styled activists appeared at the protest venue and raised various slogans against PM Modi, RSS, and BJP in the name of supporting the wrestlers who are protesting at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.
According to a report by Khabar India, a group of Muslims and other self-styled activists appeared at the protest site in the afternoon and raised Azadi slogans, and slogans against PM Modi, RSS, and BJP. The protestors alleged that Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh is the culprit and the BJP government is sacking him. The protestors demanded the arrest of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and alleged that the Delhi police are working under the pressure of the central government.
The protestors newly joining the wrestlers today included many students and youths including hijab-clad young Muslim girls. Along with various placards, an apparently scripted list of slogans written on paper was also seen with the protestors. Some of them also used mobile phones to read out the slogans.
The sloganeers also mentioned the so-called Muslim victims of mob lynching including Mohammad Akhalaq and Junaid Khan. Salman Abbasi – one of the Muslims supporting the wrestlers said that there is unrest in the minds of Muslims in India. He said that the whole Muslim community is against the government in this protest and supports the wrestlers. He said that Beti Bachao and Beti Padhao is just a slogan for BJP. “They do not save girls and they do not educate girls. See what they have done in Madhya Pradesh. If a person from another party does anything, they put the entire IT cell after him. We hope for justice from the courts and Allah”, he said. He also added that if any Muslim in the country raises his voice for justice, he is likely to be jailed under this regime.
Another protestor said, “They are asking why are we asking for freedom. We are asking for freedom which means Azadi. Why a wrestler like Vinesh Phogat has to suffer? She is a diamond of the country.”
The wrestlers who have levelled allegations of sexual harassment against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is also a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Uttar Pradesh, are protesting at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar since 23 April.
The scuffle yesterday is said to have broken after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) politician and an MLA from Malviya Nagar, Somnath Bharti arrived at Jantar Mantar with folding beds for the wrestlers without any permission. The Delhi Police spotted Bharti and said that he did not have permission to see the wrestler, given that in the evening, no outsiders were allowed inside the barricade.
After a few minutes, the wrestlers also got involved and the Police detained Bharati and his supporters who arrived at the spot. The matter further escalated as the wrestlers claimed that the Delhi Police were drunk and they misbehaved with the wrestlers. The police, according to the wrestlers, also caused injuries to Dushyant Phogat and other wrestlers. Now, Azadi slogans are raised at the wrestlers’ protest.
It is notable that similar slogans were raised by protestors in many protests in the past. Anti-CAA protests, Shaheen Bagh protests, farmers’ protests, and various other protests in JNU are known for these Azadi slogans. Now, these sloganeers have also joined the wrestlers’ protests.
