A day after Congress MP (Wayanad) Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from the Lok Sabha following his conviction in a criminal defamation case, a petition has now been filed before the Supreme Court seeking such automatic disqualifications of elected representatives as ‘illegal.’
According to the legal website, Bar and Bench, the petitioner has challenged the constitutional validity of Section 8(3) of the Representatives of People’s Act, 1951.
The legislation, in question, clearly states, “A person convicted of any offence and sentenced to imprisonment for not less than two years…shall be disqualified from the date of such conviction and shall continue to be disqualified for a further period of six years since his release.”
#BREAKING Plea filed in #SupremeCourtOfIndia challenges the constitutional validity of Section 8(3) of the Representatives of People’s Act.
Plea says automatic disqualification of People‟s representatives of elected legislative bodies, after conviction is illegal pic.twitter.com/x7CyZtiU7m
“That the Petitioner herein is a Ph.D. Scholar and is a Social Activist having worked with organizations in the area of education, rights of young people and public health, who seeks to challenge the automatic disqualification of People’s representatives of elected legislative bodies, upon being convicted of any offence and sentenced to imprisonment for not less than two years as per Chapter III, S. 8 (3) of the Representatives of the People Act, 1951 (hereinafter referred to as “the 1951 Act”), and declare the same as ultra vires of the Constitution of India, 1950 since the same is in stark contradiction to sub- section (1) of the Section 8, Section 8A, 9, 9A, 10 and 10A and 11 of the 1951 Act, thereby restrains the members from freely discharging their duties casted upon them by the voter’s of their respective constituency, which is against the principles of democracy.“
The Background of the Case
On Thursday (March 23), Rahul Gandhi was convicted and sentenced to two years in jail by the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate in Surat for his defamatory comments against people with the ‘Modi surname’ in a speech in 2019.
A criminal defamation case was filed by Gujarat BJP leader Purnesh Modi after Rahul Gandhi in an election rally had asked why everyone with the Modi surname is a thief, mentioning Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi and Narendra Modi.
Apart from the current disqualification, Rahul Gandhi will also not be able to contest the next general election, and also perhaps the 2029 elections, if the conviction is not overturned by a higher court. According to the law, the disqualification will continue for six years after release from jail.
On Friday, March 24, 2023, the Lok Sabha secretariat notified the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from the lower House of the parliament after the Waynad MP was convicted. The Congress leader was sentenced to two years in jail by the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate in Surat on March 23 for his defamatory comments against people with the Modi surname in a speech in 2019. Now, the Election Commission will have to soon announce the by-poll for the Wayanad constituency if Rahul Gandhi fails to get relief in higher courts.
Citing sources, India Todayreported that the Election Commission may announce by-elections in Wayanad in the month of April. Notably, Rahul Gandhi will not be able to run for office for eight years after being convicted and stands disqualified unless a higher court stays or overturns his conviction and sentence.
According to Section 151A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, a bye-election for filling any vacancy shall be held within a period of six months from the date of the occurrence of the vacancy. With the stipulation that nothing in this section will apply if (a) a member’s remaining term in relation to a vacancy is less than one year, or (b) the Election Commission certifies, after consulting with the Central Government, that it will be difficult to hold the bye-election within the specified time period.
Meanwhile, along with losing his membership in the Lower House, Rahul is likely to forfeit the perks and advantages of being a member of parliament after being found ineligible. The Congress leader will be given a month to vacate his official bungalow at 12 Tuglaq Road in New Delhi.
Rahul Gandhi will also no longer be eligible for a number of perks that are available to all Members of Parliament. This includes a monthly constituency allowance of Rs 70,000 and a salary of Rs 1,00,000. Each MP is also entitled to a monthly office expenditure payment of Rs 60,000, which includes Rs 40,000 in secretarial support.
Along with this, the Congress scion will also lose his travel allowances, which include a free, non-transferable first class AC or executive class train pass, one first class and one-second class fare, one and a quarter of the member’s airfare, and a Rs 16 per km allowance for road travel.
Notably, Rahul Gandhi was convicted and sentenced to two years in jail by the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate in Surat on Thursday for his defamatory comments against people with the Modi surname in a speech in 2019. A criminal defamation case was filed by Gujarat BJP leader Purnesh Modi after Rahul Gandhi in an election rally had asked why everyone with Modi surname is a thief, mentioning Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, and Narendra Modi.
An audio clip purportedly belonging to Harjeet Singh, the uncle of fugitive Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh, expressing his willingness to surrender has gone viral on social media.
As per reports, the audio was recorded prior to his arrest and eventual transfer to Dibrugarh jail in Assam. Harjeet Singh could be heard talking to another fugitive, Papalpreet Singh, and arguing that surrender was the best option.
“Since we can’t run anymore, and there are cameras everywhere, it is best to surrender,” he had said while urging his nephew Amritpal Singh to surrender as well.
Harjeet Singh told his aide that he would surrender in a day or two’s time. “If the police catch us tomorrow, it will be a huge insult. Let us surrender in front of the police like warriors. Let’s invite the media,” he was heard saying.
“We can’t run for long. There are cameras everywhere. That’s why I request you. Bhai Sahib (Amritpal) must be with you. He will also listen to you,” he emphasised after realising that the Punjab police were closing in on them.
Uncle of Amritpal Singh worked in Punjab police
Reportedly, one of the uncles of Amritpal Singh, namely, Sukhchain Singh (now retired) served as an inspector with the Punjab police. The fugitive pro-Khalistani leader and his uncle Harjeet Singh reportedly received inputs from Sukhchain Singh about the functioning of the police.
It is believed that Amritpal Singh was able to evade the police due to his familiarity with their workings, a claim that Sukhchain Singh has since denied.
“The authorities deployed a huge force against Amritpal to arrest him. This shows that he’s already in police custody. How can someone, who is carrying only country-made weapons, escape from the police, which have all sorts of automatic arms?” he asked.
Sukhchain Singh added, “Amritpal was going around freely everywhere, including our place in Jallupur Khera village. He went to gurdwara every day. It is not difficult for the police to arrest him from here.”
Two aides of Amritpal Singh booked for extortion, criminal intimidation
Meanwhile, Amritpal Singh and his two unidentified associates have been booked on charges of extortion and criminal intimidation by the Bilga police. The complaint was filed by Gurmit Kaur, the wife of ‘granthi’ Sukhwinder Singh.
On March 18 this year, three masked people barged inside the gurdwara Singh Sabha in Sheikhupur village and locked Kaur’s family in a room at gunpoint. Kaur’s son, identified as Parwan Singh, recognised Amritpal Singh, who forcibly took away his motorcycle, shawl, and turban.
The ‘Waris Punjab De’ leader then directed Parwan to help them cross the Sutlej river and intimidated them into silence. According to Parwan, Amritpal Singh dialed one of his aides to bring a scooter after his motorcycle developed a technical snag.
The pro-Khaliatani leader then asked the son of the ‘granthi’ to leave his motorcycle at Darapur canal before helping them reach the Sutlej via Meonwal village.
According to Bilga police Station House Officer (SHO) Mohindar Pal, the trio has been booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 386, 342, 506, and 34 of the IPC and Sections 25, 27, 54, and 59 of the Arms Act.
After the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) demolished the illegal Mahim mazar, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has demanded the demolition of an alleged illegal dargah in Panvel.
MNS asserted that the encroachment onto the hill began 15 years ago and that the “dargah” is a threat to national security because it is close to the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport. The party also raised a banner demanding that the State Government demolish the dargah.
The poster put up by MNS (Image via TV9 Marathi)
According to Yogesh Chille, president and spokesperson for MNS Panvel city, “About one acre of land was encroached upon at a hill in Pargaon village, and a dargah was built. There are additional five or six rooms with tin shed roofs. The City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) has acquired land adjacent to the airport”, he said.
He further added that according to his information, the planning agency had already served notice to remove the illegal structure. “We have written to the police and CIDCO to take action against the illegal shrine immediately”, he said.
It is notable that the illegal structure in Mahim was demolished after MNS chief Raj Thackeray played a clip in his Gudi Padwa address and exposed that an ‘illegal dargah’ has come up off the Mahim coast in Mumbai. He demanded the removal of the illegal structure and said that if it is not demolished immediately, then his party would construct a huge Ganpati temple at the same place.
Taking to Twitter on Friday, Raj Thackeray thanked the Maharashtra government and BMC for their prompt action after he raised the issue. “Jai Maharashtra, Sasneh! In the Gudipadwa meeting of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, I showed the video of the unauthorized shrine built in the sea of Mahim in Mumbai, the unauthorized mosque built without permission in the Hindu settlement of Kupwad in Sangli, and many were shocked. I thank and congratulate Chief Minister Shri Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister/Home Minister Shri. Devendra Fadnavis, Mumbai Police Commissioner Mr. Vivek Phansalkar, Mumbai Municipal Commissioner Mr. Iqbal Chehel, Sangli Municipal Commissioner, Collector, and other administrative officers and the employees,” Thackeray tweeted.
Moreover, Thackeray also urged Hindus to be careful as such illegal encroachments according to him are not just encroachments but an attack on religious places.
सस्नेह जय महाराष्ट्र!
धर्मांध मुस्लिमांनी मुंबईत माहीमच्या समुद्रात बांधलेल्या अनधिकृत मजारीची, सांगलीत कुपवाडच्या हिंदू वस्तीत परवानगी नसताना अतिक्रमण करून बांधलेल्या अनधिकृत मशिदीची दृश्य मी महाराष्ट्र नवनिर्माण सेनेच्या गुढीपाडवा मेळाव्यात व्हिडिओद्वारे दाखवली आणि अनेकांना… pic.twitter.com/84q0mshbuM
“Such encroachments are going on all over the state before our eyes, please note that this is not just an encroachment but an attack on religious places, if no timely measures are taken, this may cause us trouble in the future. Therefore, every Hindu brother, including the government and administration, must be careful! Thank you!”, the MNS chief added in his tweet written in Marathi.
On March 25, 2023, Charlene Downes would have turned 34. She was 14 when she suddenly went missing from her hometown of Blackpool in Lancashire on November 1st, 2003. Downes was feared to be groomed by Muslim gangs and murdered. Her body was allegedly minced into pieces and served as kebabs to customers at a takeaway restaurant in the area.
It is noteworthy that the Lancashire police, probing the case, initially treated Charlene’s disappearance as a runaway teenager but it soon became clear something more sinister had happened to the girl. The police confirmed that Charlene may have been linked to grooming gangs in Blackpool and said that they discovered at least 60 minor girls had been sexually groomed at takeaways in the city.
They arrested two accused Ilyad Albattikh and Mohammed Reveshi, who were later acquitted by the court due to lack of evidence. Lancashire police were chastised for their inept handling of the case.
This heinouscase which remains unsolvedto this day, served as a wake-up call to how Muslim grooming gangs continue to operate with impunity in the North of England, with the rapists remaining at large, essentially because police are too afraid of backlash for mentioning the ethnic origins of the Muslim male perpetrators.
Charlene Downes (source: dailymail.co.uk)
The timeline of the case
As per media reports, on November 1, 2003, at around 3.35 pm, Charlene was seen on CCTV crossing the road in the town centre.
At 7.15 p.m., her mother kissed Charlene after running into her, and her daughter stated she was heading to the arcade but would not be late. She met her friend and they went to the Carousel bar on North Pier.
At 9.03 pm Charlene was allegedly spotted on CCTV outside a Blackpool bar with a woman wearing a black coat.
Police released CCTV footage of Charlene (circled) walking in the seaside town (Source: dailymail.co.uk)
Charlene’s family reported her missing on November 2 after she failed to return home.
But, it wasn’t until 2006 that police informed Charlene’s family that she had been murdered and that the case was no longer a missing person investigation.
Days later, the Police announced a major breakthrough in the case. They said that they arrested a 51-year-old man who lived in Blackpool at the time of Charlene’s disappearance. A Lancashire Police spokesman said, that “the man, aged 51, who lived in Blackpool at the time of Charlene’s disappearance, is currently in custody.”
Subsequently, in May 2007, two men namely Ilyad Albattikh and Mohammed Reveshi were tried in court. Albattikh for Downes’ murder, the Mohammed Reveshi for helping to dispose of her body, but the court failed to reach a verdict.
However, the 2007 murder trial was called off due to police mistakes, and the IPCC watchdog decided that the killer may never be located.
A retrial was scheduled in April 2008. At the time of the trial, the court was told the fast food shop owner had “joked” that Charlene Downes had been chopped up and put into kebabs that were sold to the public. However, due to reservations about the evidence produced by Lancashire Constabulary, the accused were acquitted and also paid almost £250,000 each in compensation.
After receiving strong criticism for failing to thoroughly investigate the case, Lancashire police revived the inquiry in 2016 and discovered new CCTV footage showing Charlene walking with her sister Rebecca on the day she vanished. On the 13th anniversary of her disappearance in November, the CCTV footage was finally made public.
Parents of Charlene Downes accuse Lancashire police of mishandling the case
In 2017, her parents, Karen and Robert, vowed to sue Lancashire Police after learning crucial CCTV footage of her last movements was sat in archives for 12 years. The CCTV footage showed Charlene walking with her sister Rebecca on the day she vanished.
The parents lamented that if the footage had been available sooner than the 2007 murder trial, which resulted in the acquittal of Funny Boys kebab worker Ilyad Albattikh for murder and Mohammed Reveshi for disposal of Charlene’s body owing to police error, things could have turned out differently.
“It is unbelievable that they have had that footage all those years and never used it. It is an absolute disgrace and an insult to the memory of my dead daughter. Maybe If the CCTV was shown at the time I could have got justice years ago and put Charlene to rest but now my pain continues,” the aggrieved mother fumed.
“And instead of helping me, the police add to it as they never tell me anything and seem determined to keep me in the dark,” she added.
Karen had asserted that she is taking civil action against Lancashire Police and is seeking damages and a public apology over their handling of the investigation.
The horrifying case garnered a lot of media attention. Despite a lengthy and complex investigation, numerous media appeals and a £100,000 reward offered, the Lancashire police until now, found no trace of Charlene. It also said that there is no suggestion that the arrests of the two Blackpool men are directly connected to Charlene’s murder.
The Lancashire police had said that investigation into the case revealed that she was amongst the many children who were groomed by Muslim gangs operating near the location where she was last seen in November 2003.
In 2011, officers investigating Charlene’s case discovered that at least 60 schoolgirls were groomed for sex by employees of takeaway eateries in Blackpool.
The police thought the case to be like the Rochdale child abuse incident, where they were groomed in exchange for food, drink, and cigarettes. They suspected Charlene was one of the victims too.
A Crimewatch appeal was issued in 2014, and the police announced a £100,000 prize for information.
Lancashire Police detained two men on suspicion of previous sex offences – but not specifically against Charlene – on June 27 2016, as part of their investigation into Charlene’s murder.
Lancashire Police officers have taken over 4,800 witness accounts and explored 10,500 lines of enquiry, yet the case remains unresolved.
The investigation into her case is one of Lancashire Police’s largest and longest-running investigations. Nearly 20 years on, though the UK’s Lancashire police are still no closer to solving her murder, the case has definitely drawn the attention of authorities towards the wider issue of child sexual exploitation by Muslim grooming gangs operating in the region and various others in the United Kingdom.
Inquiry finds over 1,000 children were groomed by Muslim gangs and authorities looked away due to ‘racial unease’
Notably, in July 2022, an independent inquiry into Telford sexual exploitation case revealed how authorities looked away in the matter where over 1,000 children were groomed by Muslim gangs just because of racial unease. The report found that the key agencies investigating the matter dismissed child exploitation as “child prostitution.” They blamed the children for the situation and not the perpetrators.
The independent chair that investigated the case submitted the report on July 12, in which they concluded that the investigating agencies were nervous about the race of the accused and did not investigate the case properly. They added that the youth workers and teachers were discouraged from reporting the offences and exploitation of children. The steps were taken by the authorities to ignore the matter resulted in the exploitation of the children for years.
As per reports, there had been a widespread grooming nexus in the town since 1989. The independent chair found that the men would approach girls while being disguised as taxi drivers or food delivery drivers. Then they would pursue them to be their ‘girlfriend.’ These men would give the girls lifts. They would buy alcohol and cigarettes for them and later pursue them to indulge in sexual activities. The children were made to believe that everything that happened was normal.
A video of the Hanuman Chalisa recital at a cafe in Gurugram recently went viral. In the video, a group of youngsters could be heard reciting Hanuman Chalisa in a musical manner at a cafe with drums, guitars, and other musical instruments.
This cafe named ‘Cake Desire’ is in the Sector 22 market of Gurugram and is owned by Vivek Gulati. Spiritual jamming is his brainchild, and he is leading the youth associated with it.
In a conversation with OpIndia, 40-year-old Gulati described his success as the grace of Hanuman ji. Hanuman Chalisa is also the caller tune on his number. According to Gulati, his caller has been Hanuman Chalisa for the last 10 years.
Cafe owner Vivek Gulati and the artists associated with ‘Artist Chowk’
Originally from Ghaziabad, Vivek Gulati moved to Gurugram about 20 years ago to set up a business of his own. Talking about his business struggles, Vivek Gulati said that after shifting from Ghaziabad, he sold flowers in Gurugram for a long time. He opened a bakery shop 5 years ago. However, during the Covid lockdown, it had to be shut down. After Coronavirus, when the situation became normal, he opened the cafe. “Today I have 3 cafes in Gurugram. All are because of the grace of Hanuman ji”, Gulati said.
The viral video of Hanuman Chalisa is from Tuesday, March 14. Vivek Gulati said that the recital started in the cafe two weeks ago on Tuesday. There are about 50 youths associated with him. These are artists who are struggling for big opportunities in their careers. Their group has been named ‘Artist Chowk’. The artists associated with it are all from Delhi NCR.
#WATCH | Haryana: Spiritual jamming by youths outside a cafe in Gurugram.
Vivek Gulati said that customers coming to the cafe also feel relaxed when they listen to Hanuman Chalisa recitations. He has completely dedicated the Tuesday music sessions to Lord Hanuman. Spiritual jamming takes place from around 7 pm to 9:30 pm on Tuesdays. Vivek Gulati is also planning to travel from Ayodhya to Rameswaram with youngsters associated with spiritual jamming.
On 24th March 2023, the Public Works Department of the AAP govt in Delhi demolished the stairs outside the under-construction headquarters of the Congress party in Delhi, saying that it was encroaching on a footpath. This has come hours after Congress MP Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from his Lok Sabha membership owing to his conviction in a case of criminal defamation by a court in Surat.
A bulldozer arrived at the under-construction congress headquarters on Deendayal Upadhyay Road and demolished the stairs. PWD officials said that it was found that the stairs were encroaching on the footpath towards the Deendayal Upadhyay Road.
Public Works Department today conducted an anti-encroachment drive at the under-construction new headquarter of the Congress party on DDU Marg in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/6qA4Q7rvpe
“A PWD survey revealed that the stairs were encroaching a footpath, thus necessitating the demolition,” the PWD official who accompanied the demolition team said.
According to photos, the demolished stairs led to a small single-story house in front of the main building, probably meant for security or similar purpose, and they were not connected to the main 6-story building. It can be clearly seen that the 5-step stairs were built on the footpath. After the removal of the stairs in front of the structure, it will difficult to access the small structure from the road, and they will have to make changes to it to make it accessible.
It is notable that although located on Deen Dayal Upadhyay Road, the main entrance of the Congress headquarters, named Indira Gandhi Bhawan, is on Kotla Road on the opposite side. The new Congress office will have two gates, which open on the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg on the south and the Kotla Road on the north. However, the party has decided to make the Kotla Road entrance its main gate, which will also serve as the official address of the party, even though it is narrower than the DDU road. Apparently, this has been done to avoid getting associated with the road named after the RSS ideologue, and also to have a different address than the BJP headquarters.
At present, the Congress has its headquarters at a government bungalow on 29 Akbar Road in Delhi. The grand old party was allotted land on DDU Road in 2019 to build a permanent headquarters, but the construction was started much later, and it has not been completed yet. The party has been issued several notices to vacate the govt house and move to the allotted permanent location. At Present, BJP and AAP have their headquarters on Deendayal Upadhyay Road.
The BJP headquarter was inaugurated by PM Modi in February 2018. Prior to this, the party’s headquarter was located at a govt bungalow at 11 Ashoka Road.
Rahul Gandhi’s Lok Sabha membership has been disqualified today. He was convicted by a Surat court in Gujarat in a defamation case. He was sentenced to 2 years. Rahul Gandhi was an MP from Wayanad. Now, a bulldozer action is also taken at the under-construction Congress headquarters.
This is not the first time that an anti-encroachment drive is conducted at a political party’s office. Earlier, a bulldozer action was taken at the Aam Aadmi Party office on Deendayal Upadhyay Road. The only difference is that the party itself had removed the illegal construction. In fact, the new office of AAP and Congress is situated adjacent to each other. A few days ago, the Aam Aadmi Party demolished the porta cabin on the footpath outside the office after a notice was received from PWD.
On Friday, March 24, a video went viral wherein a knife-wielding man can be seen randomly stabbing people at a residential building. According to reports, the incident happened around 3.30 pm at Parvati Mansion on Grant Road.
The accused reportedly stabbed as many as five of his neighbours leaving them critically injured. The injured were rushed to the HN Reliance Hospital and the Nair Hospital. Two victims, a husband-wife duo identified as Jayendra and Neela Mistry have reportedly succumbed to their injuries, while the other three are undergoing treatment.
The police arrested the accused under IPC section 302 (murder) and launched an investigation into the case.
Viral | 54 year Chetan Gala created terror by going on rampage attacking people with a knife at Parvati Mansion building near Grant Road station in Mumbai. 5 people injured in the attack have been admitted to HN Reliance Hospital & Nair Hospital. Gala has been taken in custody. pic.twitter.com/DmRvmE4oQf
“The incident took place at the Parvati Mansion building in the DB Marg area, the police were informed about the matter and rushed to the spot. At least five people sustained injuries in his attack and were rushed to a nearby hospital for medical treatment,” Midday quoted an official as saying.
According to the police, the man’s family members had left him, and he suspected that his neighbours had instigated them.
He had been mentally disturbed ever since, and on Friday, upon spotting his neighbours, he went to his house, picked up a knife and allegedly attacked five persons from neighbouring families, the police added.
On Friday, the Supreme Court of India granted interim protection to the Christian community organization which has been accused of practising forceful religious conversion in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The defendant’s advocate held that the community members were being issued death threats and that no police or local administration was issuing protection to the community.
The court was hearing the anticipatory bail plea filed by Broadwell chairman Dr Samuel Mathew in the case of forceful religious conversion at the Broadwell Christian Hospital Society in Fatehpur District of Uttar Pradesh. The bench chaired by CJI DY Chandrachud assured protection and directed the UP government against coercive action against the petitioner.
Senior Advocate Dushyant Dave, appearing for the Broadwell Christian Hospital Society, warned the court that things were going out of control for the Christians. He also pointed to a video in which he claimed someone was openly advocating the killing of Christians.
“What is happening is that things are going out of control. A Christian missionary sent me a video where a gentleman is telling me openly to kill Christians. Magistrate has recorded it and yet remand given, not protected by police and not by the subordinate judiciary. Your lordships can alone save us. these forcible conversion cases…some word from you needed,” Dave said.
In addition to giving notice to the state of Uttar Pradesh, the CJI reassured Dave that the Court would treat the situation seriously. The Court also mandated a moratorium on coercive measures taken against the petitioner. “We are here and that is why we are entertaining all this. Issue notice to the state of Uttar Pradesh. Stay on coercive action against the petitioner,” the Court said.
90 Hindus were being converted at church which manages the hospital
The Kotwali police station filed a First Information Report (FIR) on January 23 of this year accusing the defendants and others of practising and propagating forceful religious conversions. According to the reports, the FIR was registered based on the complaints filed by the members of Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad.
The accused at the hospital including its chairman Dr Samuel Mathew and clerk Parminder Singh were booked under Sections 420 (Dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 467 (Forgery of valuable security, will), 468 (Forgery for purpose of cheating), 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation), 120-B (Party to a criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and Sections 3 (Prohibition of conversion from one religion to another by misrepresentation, force, etc.) and 5(1) (Punishment for contravention of section 3) of Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act.
The hospital authorities meanwhile claimed that the hospital had been shut down as a result of continuous police raids at the facility and in the rooms of staff members who were staying there. Due to suspicions of conversion, the employees including the physicians and nurses alleged that they were subjected to ongoing harassment by Hindutva sympathizers and the police.
Reports mention that the hospital was sent two notices under Section 91 of CrPC (summons to produce documents or other things) amid the investigation. One notice was sent in December last year and the other one was sent in January this year.
The saga began in April last year when the church located 10 minutes distance from the Hospital had hosted a gathering allegedly for converting the non-Christians to Christianity. Around 90 Hindus were being forcefully converted in the church in Fatehpur’s Hariharganj area. The VHP took cognizance of the event and lodged 7 FIRs against the church authorities. They stated that the Hindus were being allured and coerced into conversion. Later the Police booked around 56 people in the case and arrested around 41 by November last year.
Church and hospital have connections with the notorious NGO world Vision whose FCRA licence was suspended by govt
At present, out of 56, 36 have attained anticipatory bills and 15 are still serving imprisonment. Reports mention that the hospital in question is managed by the Evangelical Church of India (ECI) and both have connections with the global Christian charity organization named World Vision India (WVI). Reportedly, the reminder notices were put up by the police outside the church and on the walls of the WVI.
It is important to note that the Ministry of Home Affairs(MHA) in November 2022 suspended the FCRA license of the notorious Christian NGO World Vision India (WVI). According to the reports, the NGO had received funds for ‘religious’ purposes which contradicted the actual purposes declared in their application to the MHA.
FCRA License of ‘World Vision India’ has been suspended by the Government of India.
Earlier, we filed multiple complaints against World Vision India for: 1. Violating its own objectives by utilizing FCRA money for religious activities and + https://t.co/E8EZnNQufEpic.twitter.com/hPhTL4B13t
Non-Christian patients were provided with free groceries, cycle, confirmed Police
Kotwali police station SHO Amit Kumar Mishra confirmed the case and revealed that the hospital authorities were providing free groceries and cycles to the patients at the hospital. “The hospital has a license for the treatment of patients and administering vaccines, not for distributing goats, cycles, and kirana (grocery) items. Hospital officials admitted that they gave these items to 16 people in different villages of Fatehpur. We have taken a list from them in writing. They have people associated with their mission working in every block, and most of them are Dalits and the poor,” he said.
It is believed that the hospital authorities allured non-Christians from nearby villages as well including Asalpur, Hariyapur, Manipur, Dhundera, Jindapur, Dudua Colony, Sangaon and Brahman Tara.
The accused hospital termed it a ‘charity’
The hospital chairman claimed that providing people with ‘required’ help is part of their charitable activities. “They (police) have interpreted this as an allurement for conversions, which is a completely wrong interpretation. Under the program, a pair of goats are given to the poor villagers for earning a livelihood. Cycles are given so that they can open small shops,” he was quoted.
The SC, however, on Friday granted interim protection to the accused persons and held that the community members were being issued death threats and that no police or local administration was issuing protection to the community.
After his conviction and sentencing in a 2019 defamation case by a Gujarat court, India’s parliament disqualified Congress senior leader and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha on Friday. Following Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification, the Indian opposition needed a PM candidate to counter the incumbent Narendra Modi. OpIndia managed to get their secret cameras inside that meeting and recorded the conversation that took place.
What follows below is the transcript of that conversation.
Mallikarjun Kharge– We have gathered here today because Rahul Gandhi ji is no longer with us
Sonia Gandhi– Areyyyyyy
Kharge– Oh Sorry Madam, I meant, he is no longer an MP and we need to find an alternative PM candidate for the united opposition
Arvind Kejriwal– PM candidate should be a well educated engineering graduate
KCR– I was the only one who was preparing for this day. I even changed my party’s name from TRS to BRS in preparation for this day, so I think the answer is obvious.
Uddhav Thackeray– Yes, the answer is obvious, I sacrificed my party and party symbol to show that I can be the next Manmohan Singh, surely I get the chance?
Akhilesh Yadav– Papa ka sapna that ki wo ek din PM banein, ab papa nahi rahe to kam se kam unke bete ko PM bana ke unki aatma ko shaanti dein?
Sharad Pawar– Beta Akhilesh tumhare papa ka sapna THA, mera sapna to abhi bhi HAI, aur tumhare papa se pehle ka sapna hai
Stalin– Pawar Sir, please no Hindi
Sharad Pawar– Abey Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, PM is PM in every language, don’t pretend like you don’t understand
Arvind Kejriwal– PM candidate should be a well educated engineering graduate
Tejashwi Yadav– Jab se papa bimaar hain, public sympathy hamare saath hai to hum….
Sharad Pawar– Arey tumhare aur Akhilesh ke papa, where is Supriya, wo batayegi apne papa ke baare me
Stalin– Please, no Hindi
Arvind Kejriwal– PM candidate should be a well educated engineering graduate.
Mamata Banerjee– Nobody here mentioned my name, everyone here is a communist!
Sitaram Yechury– Thats right Mamata, one place we still have the majority!
Arvind Kejriwal– PM candidate should be a well educated engineering graduate.
Pinarayi Vijayan– Anyone can be PM as long as they have a liberal policy towards gold smuggling.
Arvind Kejriwal– PM candidate should be a well educated engineering graduate.
Sonia Gandhi- So everyone wants to be a PM candidate, guess this meeting was useless. Anyway, we will revisit this after a few months. Ok, bye for now
Kharge– Bye Ma’am
KCR– Bye Ma’am
Uddhav– Bye Ma’am
Akhilesh– Bye Ma’am
Tejashvi– Bye Ma’am
Sharad Pawar– Bye Ma’am
Mamata Banerjee– Bye Ma’am
Sitaram Yechury– Bye Ma’am
Arvind Kejriwal– PM candidate should be a well educated engineering graduate
Stalin- Ma’am please speak in English, I don’t understand Hindi
