Ahead of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly elections, Congress president DK Shivakumar threw currency notes on people during a rally on Tuesday. The party had organized the ‘Praja Dhwani Yatra’ in Srirangapatna ahead of the elections. The Congress president was seen throwing Rs 500 currency notes on the artists near Bevinahalli in Mandya district during the Yatra.
According to the reports, Shivakumar is a candidate for the chief minister position if Congress wins the next election. The Congress leader participated in a chariot procession and climbed atop a bus to grab currency notes before throwing them on people as a part of the procession.
The video of the incident went viral over the internet in which the leader could be seen throwing cash and waving at the people near Bevinahalli in Mandya district during the Yatra. The other party leaders meanwhile could be seen waving the party flags at the rally.
#WATCH | Karnataka Congress Chief DK Shivakumar was seen throwing Rs 500 currency notes on the artists near Bevinahalli in Mandya district during the ‘Praja Dhwani Yatra’ organized by Congress in Srirangapatna. (28.03) pic.twitter.com/aF2Lf0pksi
Shivakumar, a Vokkaliga, has already requested support from the Vokkaliga community, which is a significant voting group in the ancient Mysuru or southern Karnataka area. Mandya is a JD(S) stronghold, and the local party gained all seven seats in the district in the 2018 Assembly elections.
If the Congress party wins the next elections in May, Siddaramaiah, and Shivakumar both are the main aspirants for the chief ministerial post. The two now compete for political superiority as a result of this.
Legislative Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in Karnataka before May 2023 to elect all 224 members of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. The Election Commission is likely to announce dates for the 2023 Karnataka assembly election at 11.30 am today.
Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) has written to CIDCO seeking action against illegal dargah on the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) land near the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport. In its letter to CIDCO, HJS termed the illegal structure as a threat to national security. A delegation would meet CIDCO officials on March 29 to demand immediate action against such illegal structures in the city.
While congratulating the Maharashtra government on taking swift action on an illegal mazar near Mahim, National Spokesperson of HJS Ramesh Shinde pointed out that it was not the only illegal structure of that kind in the city. The letter read, “are similar kinds of illegal structures mushrooming as Dargah, Mazars on Govt land.”
Talking about the encroachment upon the hill at Pargaon village, Panvel, Shinde mentioned that the encroachment on government land started around 15 years ago. It has taken the shape of a dargah that poses “a national security threat as this “illegal” structure is adjacent to the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport,” he added.
The illegal structure covers around one acre of land. It has five-six rooms with tin shed roofs. He wrote, “Knowing the strategic importance of Mumbai, the economic capital of India, it poses a high-security threat. Many organisations have written to the police and CIDCO to act immediately against the illegal shrine. “The City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) has acquired land adjoining the airport”, as per information published in newspapers, the planning agency CIDCO had already served notice to remove the illegal structure. But still there is no actual action taken by any authorities.”
He further informed CIDCO about a possible plan to “gift” the encroached land with an illegal structure to the Waqf Board that would deem it Waqf property. As per the law laid down during the creation of the Waqf Board, once a property is declared Waqf Property, it will always be a Waqf Property despite the legalities. Not to forget, it took the central government over many years to take back 123 properties in New Delhi from Waqf Board that were “gifted” handed over by the UPA government.
Speaking to OpIndia, Shinde said, “It has become a norm to build an illegal structure at locations that have strategic importance. This illegal structure is on the government land close to the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport and thus poses a threat to National Security. If you remember, there were claims about Mahim’s recently demolished illegal structure that it was a 600-year-old dargah. Interestingly, it was not there in the 2018 satellite photographs. How can a “600-year-old dargah” popup after 2018 at such a location?”
Mahim illegal structure demolition
On March 23, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) demolished the illegal construction around the Mazar that has illegally come up off the Mahim coast in Mumbai. Several of the BMC officers gathered at the spot this morning and surveyed the area. The corporation has also deployed bulldozers to pull down the illegal construction around the Mazar. The action was taken after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray threatened to build a Ganesh temple next to the illegal structure if immediate action was not taken. After the demolition, MNS launched a full-fledged campaign against such illegal structures.
The case of 123 properties in Delhi
In February 2023, the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs posted notices outside 123 properties in Delhi, stating that they are no longer considered properties of the Delhi Waqf Board.
The said properties include mosques, dargahs, and a cemetery. Before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, these properties were given to the Delhi Waqf Board by the Congress-led UPA government. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad raised concerns about the prominent locations of these properties and approached the court.
Two committees were formed to hear from the affected parties, including a 1-member committee and a 2-member committee comprising a former judge of the Delhi High Court and a retired SDM.
The 2-member committee’s report stated that the Delhi Waqf Board had been given the opportunity to present its case but had not done so within the prescribed time. As a result, the Board was absolved of all matters relating to the 123 properties.
In 2014, the Central government exercised its powers under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act of 2013 to denotify 123 properties from the land acquisition process. The said properties were to be handed over to the Delhi Waqf Board.
OpIndia’s detailed reports on the matter can be seen here.
A video clip from Richard Dawkin’s recent interview with Piers Morgan has been going viral. In that clip, Dawkins is asked to comment about Islamic terrorism and he simply refuses to. The interview was aired on March 21.
The specific discussion happens from 31 minutes onwards in the video above.
PM: You have been accused of being an Islamophobe. Are you an Islamophobe?
RD: I am not an Islamophobe. What I am phobic of is clitoridectomy (female genital mutilation), of throwing gay people off buildings, banning dance and music and fun in general. That’s different from being an Islamophobe. Muslims are the biggest victim of Islamism.
PM: Yes they are. Recently there has been a big debate about allowing this ISIS bride Shamima Begum to come back into our country. Do you have a view on that?
RD: I would rather not say.
PM: You would rather not speak about it?
RD: I haven’t studied enough.
PM: Well, she was married to an ISIS fighter. She was young, 15 years old when she went out there. The debate is about whether she was groomed to be a part of a terror group when she was in Syria, and as such, we should show mercy and allow her back in the country.
RD: I am not gonna say about that.
PM: Are you worried about it (Islamic terrorism)? Do you get threats because of the positions you have taken?
RD: No.
PM: You saw what happened to Salman Rushdie. Didn’t send a shudder for you?
RD: *Shakes head*, mumbles “no”
PM: You said no, you don’t want to talk about it?
RD: Yes.
PM: That’s interesting in itself. So there are areas you would rather not talk about.
RD: Yes. I should have said that before we started.
PM: I think it is sad that you can’t. I don’t think there should be anything that should be off-limits to people like you. The whole point of the world’s smartest thinkers is to be able to have a free and open debate. I don’t think you do. Because people used murderous retribution to threaten free speech.
RD: I am a passionate believer in free speech.
PM: Should there ever be a limit to free speech?
RD: Inside the limit of violence.
After Dawkin’s refusal to speak about Islamic terrorism and its threats against free speech, Piers Morgan then changes the topic to free speech, free thinkers and Oxford University, leading to a discussion about Dawkin’s personal favourite thinkers.
Dawkins is generally regarded as one of the most fearless and open thinkers of our time. His books on evolutionary biology and humanity’s quest to find answers for our existence are extremely popular. He is one of the ‘Four Horsemen’ of Neo-atheism, along with Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, and Daniel Dennett. They are termed so because of their views towards the ‘pointlessness’ of religion.
Dawkin’s sudden choice to rather be silent than speak about Islamic terrorism has shocked many on social media.
A heartbreaking scene. @piersmorgan is interviewing @RichardDawkins, one of the most influential minds alive today, and he shuts down. He won’t even comment on Salman Rushdie. This is where terrorism leads, as Piers points out. This is how it works. pic.twitter.com/Ci8ZcUQtiz
— Yasmine Mohammed ? ياسمين محمد (@YasMohammedxx) March 28, 2023
People termed Dawkin’s silence as an example of how Islamic terrorism operates because it manages to threaten even the wisest minds to shut up to ensure one’s own safety.
One social media user commented that Dawkins silence is what de facto blasphemy laws lead to.
Richard Dawkins avoids questions on Islam. I don’t blame him but this is where de facto blasphemy laws get you. Logical conclusion on the attacks on Rushdie, Charlie Hebdo, Samuel Paty, the teacher in Batley etc pic.twitter.com/5eYkgte8ii
Another user said Dawkins’ behaviour is similar to a witness being silenced with threats of violence.
That’s a man who has been threatened into silence, I’ve seen it too many times with intimidated witnesses, etc. That’s not a criticism of him – it’s all too understandable – but your comment is spot-on. Control of language & behaviour is the goal of every oppressor.
— The Owl Of Minerva. ?? ?? ?? (@NeilView) March 28, 2023
“If the UK government were more committed to defending free speech by protecting public intellectuals, grammar school teachers, or autistic teenage boys from violence….then maybe this wouldn’t be our fate”, tweeted Yasmine Mohammad, an anti-hijab activist and author from the UK.
The day was March 29, 1971. The Pakistani military junta had launched its infamous ‘Operation Searchlight’ to clamp down on Bengali nationalists in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). Dhirendranath Datta, the 84-year-old freedom fighter, became the target of the onslaught against the Bengali community.
He was arrested along with his son, Dilipkumar Datta, from his residence in the Comilla district by the Pakistan army. The duo was taken to the Mainamati Cantonment where they were tortured to death. Their bodily remains were disposed of in such a manner that they were never found.
The name of Dhirendranath Datta, who died such a tragic death for his nation at the hands of the barbaric Pakistan military, still remains unknown to the Bengali community and the people of the Indian subcontinent at large.
India’s independence and contribution to the Bengali Language movement
Born on November 2 in 1886, Datta fought for India’s independence from British rule. He participated in agitation against the Partition of Bengal (1905), the Non-Cooperation movement (1920-1922) and the Quit India movement (1942-1945).
He was arrested several times for his anti-British stance. A lawyer by occupation, Dhirendranath Datta devoted his time and energy to social welfarism (including relief work during the devastating Bengal famine of 1943).
In 1937, he joined politics and became a member of the Bengal Legislative Council. Although he opposed Partition along religious lines, Dhirendranath Datta refused to flee East Pakistan after India’s Independence.
Dhirendranath Datta on the right, image via Archives/ The Daily Star
Instead, he was elected to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan to frame the Constitution of Pakistan. The defining moment of his political career came on February 25, 1948, when he proposed the use of Bengali at par with Urdu and English in the Assembly.
Dhirendranath Datta thus became the first East Pakistani to openly advocate for the acknowledgement of the Bengali identity and inclusion of the Bengali language as a medium of instruction in the Pakistani Constituent Assembly.
However, his motion was turned down both by then CM of East Bengal, Khwaja Nazimuddin, and the Prime Minister of Pakistan Liaquat Ali Khan. This resulted in widespread resentment among the students and intellectuals of East Pakistan and culminated in the Bengali Language movement.
Political analyst Syed Badrul Ahsan wrote in BDNews24, “…Not a single Muslim Bengali politician could call forth the courage to support Datta on that day. Not one Muslim politician rose in that chamber to support Datta, to speak for their land.”
“They remembered they were Muslims but conveniently forgot that they were Bengalis first and foremost. Their loyalty to the Muslim League proved to be deeper than their concern for their language and for their distinctive cultural heritage.”
Dhirendranath Datta in a group photo with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, image via BD News 24
A month later on March 21, 1948, Muhammad Ali Jinnah announced in Dhaka that only Urdu would be the official language of Pakistan. “Let me make it very clear to you, it is no doubt that the state language of Pakistan is going to be Urdu and no other language,” he remarked.
“Anyone who tries to mislead you is really the enemy of Pakistan. Without one state language, no nation can remain tied up solidly together and function. Look at the history of other countries. Therefore so far as the state language is concerned, Pakistan’s language should be Urdu,” Jinnah had emphasised.
The historic speech of Dhirendranath Datta at the Pakistan Constituent Assembly
Some of the excerpts of the historic proposition of Dhirendranath Datta in the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan on February 25, 1948, are reproduced below:
“I know, Sir, that Bangla is a provincial language, but so far our state is concerned, it is the language of the majority of the People of the state.
So although it is a provincial language, as it is a language of the majority of the people of the state and it stands on a different footing, therefore. Out of six crores and ninety lakhs of people inhabiting this State, 4 crores and 40 lakhs of people speak the Bangla language.
So, Sir, what should be the State language of the State? The State language of the state should be the language which is used by the majority of the people of the State, and for that, Sir, I consider that Bangla language is a lingua franca of our State.
A poor cultivator, who has got his son, Sir, as a student in the Dhaka University and who wants to send money to him, goes to a village Post Office and he asked for a money order form, finds that the money order form is printed in Urdu language. He can not send the money order but shall have to rush to a distant town and have this money order form translated for him and then the money order, Sir, that is necessary for his boy can be sent.
These are the difficulties experienced by the Common man of our State. The language of the state should be such which can be understood by all. The common man numbering four crores and forty million feels that the proceedings of this Assembly which is their mother of parliaments is being conducted in an alien language.
So, Sir, I know I am voicing the sentiments of the vast millions of our State and therefore, Bangla should not be treated as a Provincial Language.It should be treated as the language of the State. And therefore, Sir, I suggest that after the word ‘English’, the words ‘Bangla’ be inserted in Rule 29.“
The struggle for Bengali and a forgotten legacy
Dhirendranath Datta played a pivotal role in representing the aspirations of the Bengalis living in East Pakistan. Following his historic address at the Constituent Assembly, the Urdu-loving Pakistanis attempted both Arabisation and even Romanisation of the Bengali language.
Faced with resistance, the Pakistani government outlawed public rallies and meetings. This resulted in the infamous 21 February 1952 incident during which several students of Dhaka University were gunned. The day is now recognised as “UNESCO International Mother Language Day” (IMLD).
In 1954, Datta expressed his discontentment against the high-handedness of the West Pakistani government by moving an adjournment motion against the imposition of Governor’s Rule in East Pakistan.
Family photo of Dhirendranath Datta, image via BD News24
He continued his political career under Ataur Rahman Khan and served as the Minister of Health and Social Welfare in the East Pakistani government between 1956 and 1958.
In 1960, he was handed an Elective Bodies Disqualification Order (EBDO), two years after martial law was declared in Pakistan. Dhirendranath Datta was placed under house arrest during the Indo-Pakistan war of 1965.
Although he retired from active politics soon after, he continued to uphold the spirit of Bengali nationalism and maintained good relations with prominent Bengali leaders.
The dilapidated condition of the house of Dhirendranath Datta, image via Dhaka Tribune
On March 29, 1971, he along with his son Dilipkumar Datta was forcibly disappeared by the West Pakistani army and killed at the Mainamati Cantonment. He was 84 at the time of his death.
While he was not alive to witness East Pakistan’s Independence and the formation of present-day Bangladesh, his contribution to the Bengali language movement has been immense.
However, his legacy has been forgotten by the citizens of Bangladesh. Today, his ancestral house in Comilla lies in tatters. In 2010, it was declared that the residence of Dhirendranath Datta would be converted into a museum but no progress has been made so far on that front.
In his memory, granddaughter Aroma Datta said, “He (Dhirendranath Datta) was a secular person and peace-loving person. He used to read books of all religions. He advocated religious harmony. He always dreamt of living in a secular country. ”
Operation Searchlight and the atrocities committed by Pakistani Army
The story began in 1970. In the General elections held on December 7 that year, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman of the Awami League secured a huge majority (167 seats) in the provincial legislature in East Pakistan.
With constant interference in the affairs of East Pakistan by its Islamic counterpart, Rahman had begun demanding greater regional autonomy. This was just within 13 years of the Partition of the Indian subcontinent when Muslims sought a separate country of their own.
Although united by the common Faith, the resentment between West and East Pakistan towards each other continued to grow. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), who won the most seats in West Pakistan in the 1970 elections, was opposed to the demands of Rahman.
He had threatened to boycott the Assembly and sought the dissolution of the provincial legislature in East Pakistan if PPP was not included in the government. Miffed over the denial of power and autonomy to East Pakistan, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman called the civil disobedience movement, on March 7, 1971.
Bhutto feared civil war and President Yahya Khan, therefore, declared martial law and ordered the arrest of Rahman and other leaders. In order to contain the civil and political unrest, the Pakistan army launched Operation Searchlight on March 26, 1971.
Rahman, disillusioned by the high-handedness of West Pakistan, had already called for independence from West Pakistan. The Pakistani soldiers launched their attack on the Bengali population in Rajararbagh and Peelkhana area.
They put Mujibur Rahman behind bars and ambushed the Dhaka university, resulting in the death of 9 teachers and 200 students in Iqbal Hal. Similarly, the Pakistan army continued with its barbaric attacks on civilians in Old Dhaka, Tejgaon, Indira Road, Mirpur, Kalabagan and other places.
On the same night, several people in Chittagong were shot dead by army personnel. National newspapers, including, Daily Ittefaq, the Daily Sangbad were shut down and their offices were set ablaze, resulting in the death of several media personnel.
Mass graves were dug out and hastily bulldozed. An estimated 700 people were burnt to death in Dhaka. Similarly, they set fire to the houses of slum dwellers, fired bullets at those running away to save their lives, razed a Kali Mandir and also destroyed the Central Shaheed Minar.
It is believed that around 10,000-35,000 Bengalis were killed by the Pakistan army under Operation Searchlight while the death toll increased to over 3 lakhs in the months to follow. “Thanks to God that Pakistan could have been saved,” Bhutto had famously remarked.
The genocide against the Bengali population intensified. In the following months, around 4 lakh Bengali women were raped by the Pakistan army while a majority of the victims were Hindus.
The situation worsened, forcing neighbouring India to step in to prevent the further continuation of genocide. In 14 days, Pakistani forces under AK Niazi signed the Instrument of surrender and thus a new nation of Bangladesh was born.
While Bangladesh has tried and hanged several war criminals, Pakistan continues to dispute the 1971 genocide, far from being apologetic about the heinous crimes.
On March 28, propagandist Radio Mirchi RJ Sayema quoted the Millat Times tweet that claimed activists of Hindu organisations, including Bajrang Dal, raised anti-Muslim slogans and pelted stones at a mosque in the village Tala of Jamvaramgarh in Jaipur. In her tweet, Sayema wrote, “Islamophobia rampant in India. Stone pelting on people praying is deplorable. Worse, no action will be taken on these goons.”
RJ Sayema spread fake news about attack on Hindu rally. Source: Twitter
Her tweet came two days after the incident where bike rally carried out by Hindus for celebrating new year was attacked, contrary to what Millat Times claimed. On March 26, despite police deployment, a Muslim mob attacked the rally which was carried out on the occasion of the Hindu New Year at the village Tala of Jamvaramgarh in Jaipur. An additional police force was called to control the mob.
On March 28, around six hours before Sayema’s tweet, Jaipur Rural Police published a tweet about its action against the stone pelters. The police said twelve people, Nadim Khan, Shahrukh, Shadeen Khan, Farukh Khan, Saddam Khan, Sikandar, Irfan Khan, Salman Khan, Irfan Khan, Ehsan Khan, Fahrukh Khan, and Mohammad Shaukat, were arrested.
The bike rally called Hindu Ranbheri Rally is taken out every year on the occasion of the Hindu New Year. It started at around 10.15 AM from Khel Maidan Chandwaji. According to the planned rally route, it was to go through Chandwaji, Pilwa, Chandawas, Tala village, Rajpura, Bachyawas, Shyampura, Tala Johra, Dantala Gujran, Dantala Meena, Bilod and Toda, before concluding at Todeshwar Mahadev Temple.
When it reached Tala around 3 PM, a mob attacked it and pelted stones at the rally. However, the rally went ahead despite the attack. Some people who were unable to flee were left behind as the mob kept pelting stones at them. A video of the same has surfaced, which shows that most people in the mob were wearing skullcaps.
RJ Sayema has a history of fake news and Islamist propaganda posts
This is not the first time RJ Sayema published fake news or a propaganda post. In December 2022, Sayema was schooled on Twitter after she claimed that ‘as per Islam, every nice person will go to heaven’. Netizens quoted Islamic scriptures and sermons by Muslim ‘scholars’ to highlight how the self-proclaimed expert on Islam, RJ Sayema, lacks knowledge about her own religion and that only Muslims are destined to go to heaven.
In July 2022, four Muslim youths were arrested over namaz inside Lulu Mall in Lucknow. Sayema was one of the media persons who spread fake news. Sayema quoted Khabeer’s tweet and promoted the misinformation that Hindu men posed as Muslims to offer namaz inside the mall.
Cantonment police in Thiruvananthapuram has registered a case against BJP’s Kerala unit president, K Surendran after the latter courted controversy by making alleged derogatory remarks against women CPI(M) leaders.
Surendran, while addressing a party function in Thrissur on Sunday had purportedly said that women leaders in CPI(M), which leads the LDF government in the state, have become “fat” after “looting” the people. “They have looted cash and became fat like poothana (demoness) and they are mocking the women of Kerala,” the BJP leader said.
The police have registered the case under sections 354 (a) and 509 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on the complaint of CPIM leader CS Sujatha.
Surendran’s remark has created a political row with the leader of the opposition VD Satheesan condemning his statement.
“UDF is condemning his remarks. Surendran should withdraw the statements and apologize. Not just women from a political party, but no woman should be insulted like that. It involves body shaming, it is a politically incorrect remark. This cannot be accepted in a state like Kerala. Either he should apologize or a case should be registered against him,” Satheesan said.
Kerala tourism minister PA Muhammad Riyas has also hit out at the BJP leader saying that Surendran’s party should introspect. “People show their own culture and standards through their statements. Their organisation should introspect. Body shaming is something that is being discussed nationally. The party should look into it,” Riyas said.
Meanwhile, Kerala health minister Veena George alleged that Surendran attitude is to see women only as bodies.
“The remarks made by K Surendran are condemnable. Surendran has humiliated not only the women workers of CPIM but all the women. Surendranath’s attitude is to see women only as bodies. Political workers should stand as examples for society. It is not the right way to make political criticism using the example of women’s bodies,” Veena George said.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
Greek authorities foiled a terrorist attack against Jewish and Israeli targets in the country and arrested two Pakistanis over an alleged plot, The Wall Street Journal reported citing officials.
The Greek police anti-terrorist division and the country’s intelligence services dismantled a terrorist network. According to Greek police, the terrorist network was planning attacks in Greece and aimed “to cause the loss of life of innocent citizens but also to undermine the sense of security in the country,” as per The Wall Street Journal report.
Greek police said two foreigners were arrested and that the target was of “high symbolism.” Greece’s Public Order Minister Takis Theodorikakos identified the two foreigners as Pakistanis, according to the news report.
Theodorikakos further said that the mastermind behind the operation was a Pakistani residing in Iran. A person familiar with the probe revealed that the target was a Jewish restaurant.
According to Greek police, the members of the network had chosen the target of the alleged plot, had planned it and received instructions. The Greek police said that the network was looking to recruit more people for executing their mission. An investigation regarding the matter is being carried out.
Israeli intelligence service Mossad helped Greek authorities in discovering the alleged terror network and identified the link to Iran, The Wall Street Journal reported citing the statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office.
The statement reads, “The investigation revealed that the infrastructure that operated in Greece is part of an extensive Iranian network run from Iran and spanning many countries,” as per the news report.
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen took to his official Twitter handle to thank the Greek government and intelligence for thwarting the terrorist attack against the Jewish and Israeli terrorists.
He tweeted, “I want to thank the Greek government and the Greek intelligence and security services for thwarting the terrorist attack against Jewish and Israeli targets. Terrorism is a common enemy, and the fight against it is our top priority.”
In another tweet, Cohen wrote, “The government of the Ayatollahs in Tehran exports terrorism to the Middle East and the entire world, and only with a firm and joint stand will we be able to stop the terrorist activities of the Iranian regime.”
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
On March 27, a video of social media influencer Prapti Elizabeth went viral on Twitter in which she was insulting the Jain community. The video was shared by Twitter user Aditya Nayak who wrote, “All vegetarian men, especially Jains, should thank their Gods that this two-bit rice bag has rejected them.”
All vegetarian men especially Jains should thank their Gods that this two bit ricebag has rejected them pic.twitter.com/4cKNYAlxCy
In the December 15 video on Instagram, she said, “Just when you though men couldn’t disappoint you any further, boom! Vegetarian men [laughs histerically]. Here one really cute 6-feet tall guy asked me out, and I got to know that he was JAIN. Man! I tell you, my lady boner died [laughs histerically]. And then this Jain cutie goes, “meet me”. I am like, ‘I don’t return favours I don’t get. I ain’t doing that. I sincerely hope all you veggie men find your kind, but I ain’t it. Sorry for the loss.” It is unclear if she was trying to be funny or abusive in the video. Some comments on social media pointed out she laughs like a character from a TV serial.
Both Twitter and Instagram users disliked her abusing the Jain community and called her out. Twitter user Aditi wrote, “Peta should promote this video instead of their regular stuff.. I am sure 97% people will leave non veg just by seeing this video.”
Peta should promote this video instead of their regular stuff..
Twitter user Saloni said, “average ricebag, mocking people for their religious beliefs. mocking a Jain for their eating habits is like mocking a Muslim for offering namaz 5 times a day. but the latter would be offensive ofc. tbh, it was a W for the Jain guy. how can people call this cringe “content”?”
average ricebag, mocking people for their religious beliefs. mocking a Jain for their eating habits is like mocking a Muslim for offering namaz 5 times a day. but the latter would be offensive ofc. tbh, it was a W for the Jain guy. how can people call this cringe “content”? pic.twitter.com/M5gzeyA2US
Instagram user Vyshnavi said, “literal disgust for this reel. Let’s say someone called you un-womanly for eating meat – you would cancel them then and there. This isn’t funny man.”
Source: Instagram
Who is Elizabeth?
Prapti B Elizabeth is a social media influencer who works at Times Internet as a producer. She has been with the Times Internet for over three years. She started her career as a research assistant in 2014 and later worked for Bluegape for a year from August 2016. Later she joined Scoop Whoop, her “big break” in the industry. She worked briefly with MensXP and then joined India Today Group, where she worked for over 5.5 years before joining Times Internet. She worked as an actress in a Malayalam film named Jan.E.Man, which was released in 2021.
Source: LinkedIn
Career as a social media influencer
Know for her humorous (?) takes on different issues and day-to-day life, Elizabeth has over 230,000 followers on Instagram, where she puts most of her content. As she has a large fan base, brands like Uber, Karagiri Ethnics, Ajio, Britannia and many others have collaborated with her for paid promotions of their products and services.
In a recent story, Elizabeth mocked those who called her out for abusing the Jain community. She said, “When you find content on Instagram that you do not like, and you go leave a comment or share it with people, you know what happens? The engagement goes up for that particular content. You might hate the person. But you are increasing the attention they will get. So eat your chicken. Get your protein because otherwise, you are just doing stupid sh*t like this, yaar!”
Screenshot of the story where she mocked people who called her out. Source: Instagram
Elizabeth also has a history of mocking people based on caste and financial status. For example, she published a video shaming the Government of India for announcing quota for society’s Economic Weaker Section (EWS).
On Tuesday, March 28, a rumour went viral on social media that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has deleted all his tweets attacking Veer Savarkar. Notably, Rahul Gandhi has already been disqualified as a member of parliament and been asked to vacate his official government bungalow over his comments on the “Modi” community.
Following his conviction and sentencing in the case where he defamed “Modi” surname, Rahul Gandhi said that he will not apologise as he is a Gandhi, and not a Savarkar, taking a dig at Indian freedom fighter Veer Savarkar.
After Rahul Gandhi’s needless attack at Veer Savarkar, his grandson threatened Rahul Gandhi with a lawsuit if he doesn’t apologise for his comments on Savarkar. Following that statement from Savarkar’s grandson, news went viral on social media that Rahul Gandhi has deleted all his tweets on Veer Savarkar.
Several prominent social media handles shared that Rahul Gandhi has deleted all his tweets mentioning Veer Savarkar.
In fact, the images shown below went viral online as several social media users took these to imply that Rahul Gandhi has indeed deleted all his tweets on Savarkar.
However, when OpIndia checked online through Social Blade, we found out that Rahul Gandhi has not deleted any tweet in the last two days, the period when online claims say he deleted his tweets on Savarkar. Even if you check the cached tweets of Rahul Gandhi’s Twitter account, you can not find anything on Veer Savarkar that has been deleted from his Twitter account.
However, when OpIndia checked stats on SocialBlade – a website that archives and documents data related to popular social media accounts – we found out that Rahul Gandhi has not deleted any tweet in the last two days, the period when online claims say he deleted his tweets on Savarkar. As one can see in the screenshot below, there is no change in the total number of tweets on 28th March. When OpIndia checked the total number of tweets by Rahul Gandhi at time of publishing this report, it was 6786, which is the same as recorded by SocialBlade, confirming that Rahul Gandhi hasn’t deleted any tweet at the time of publishing this report.
screenshot of Rahul Gandhi’s Twitter account
Not just SocialBlade, OpIndia checked in Google Cache too if Rahul Gandhi might have tweeted anything about Savarkar in the past, but no such cache pages appeared. Thus one can safely concluded that Rahul Gandhi hadn’t tweeted anything about Savarkar in past, and that’s why people are unable to find such tweets, which has led them to assume that Rahul Gandhi has deleted those tweets.
In fact, you can’t find any single tweet from Rahul Gandhi’s Twitter account on Veer Savarkar at all, whether deleted or not.
From all the evidence available, it seems like Rahul Gandhi hasn’t deleted any tweet on Veer Savarkar, what is more likely is that he never even tweeted on Veer Savarkar, and that is why people can’t find any results now through their searches.
Rahul Gandhi’s maternal great-grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru signing a “mercy bond”
On September 22, 1923, India’s first Prime Minister, and Rahul Gandhi’s great-grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru, was arrested alongside K Santanam and AT Gidwani for defying British orders and entering the then princely State of Nabha. The British police had arrested several Akalis, who had launched a demonstration in Jaitu in Nabha, on September 14 of that year. They had demanded the reinstatement of Raja Ripdudaman Singh in the Princely State, after he was exiled by the British to Dehradun.
On learning about the incident, Nehru, Santanam, and Gidwani boarded a train to Muktsar and then rode on horseback along with the Akalis to Jaitu. They were immediately handcuffed and lodged in a small cell at the Jaitu police station. The trio was then shifted to Nabha on September 22 morning and locked in district jail. Despite the police offering Nehru immediate release if he deserted his plans of ‘Satyagraha’, a defiant Nehru did not budge. He was arrested soon after.
It was here that the Satyagrahi in Nehru began to wear out. According to Santanam, the cell was small and the roof was covered in mud. No arrangements were made for new clothing, or shower. Nehru poignantly recounted the experience in his Autobiography where he said, “All this time, till the forenoon of next day, when we were finally delivered up at Nabha Gaol, the joint handcuff and the heavy chain kept us company. Neither of us could move at all without the other’s cooperation. To be handcuffed to another day and for a whole night and part of a day is not an experience I would like to repeat.”
A desperate Motilal Nehru had to reach out to the Viceroy to learn about the whereabouts of his son Jawaharlal Nehru. “…The authorities of the Nabha jail suddenly changed their attitude and arrangements were made for our bathing. Our clothes were given to us and friends from outside were allowed to send fruits and other eatables,” Santanam had recalled the change after Motilal Nehru’s intervention.
Motilal Nehru then deputed lawyer K D Malviya, who later became a Cabinet Minister after India’s independence. And surprisingly, Nehru’s sentence was suspended on the same evening. In the words of Professor Chaman Lal, he said, “Nehru was released from the Nabha jail only after he signed a bond that he would never enter the princely state again.” The former Prime Minister knew the case could be later used against him on a later date and therefore wanted to permanently quash it.
At least 39 people were killed and 29 others were injured in a fire that broke out at a government-run migration facility in northern Mexico on Monday night, authorities said, The New York Times reported.
The fire broke out at the National Migration Institute in Ciudad Juarez, a border city across from El Paso, Texas, shortly before 10 pm in the facility’s accommodation area, read a statement by the institute, according to The New York Times. Officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
They, however, said that they had lodged a complaint so that government authorities can open an investigation, read the statement further.
Television footage showed a swarm of police cars, ambulances and other emergency vehicles in the area.
According to several news outlets, personnel from the institute had been cracking down on migrants in the city earlier in the day, and there had been tension at the institute between migrants and the staff.
Ciudad Juarez is one of the border communities in Mexico where migrants from Cuba, Central America and elsewhere wait as they try to enter the United States.
In December, the United States Supreme Court said that pandemic-era health measures that restricted migration at the southern border would remain in place for now. That measure, known as Title 42, has allowed migrants who might otherwise qualify for asylum to be swiftly expelled at the border, according to The New York Times.
The court’s ruling delayed the potential for a large increase in unlawful crossings into the U.S. from Mexico. But the measure is scheduled to expire in early May.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
