On Tuesday, March 21, MoS Home Nityanand Rai informed the Lok Sabha that in the year 2022, and in 2023 so far, 23 individuals have been listed as ‘terrorists’ under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), 1967. The minister further added that the names of the 23 individuals have been added to the 4th schedule of the Act.
23 individuals have been designated as terrorists under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act; 1967 during 2022 and till date, and their names have been added in the Fourth Schedule of the Act: MoS Home Nityanand Rai to Lok Sabha during Budget session of Parliament pic.twitter.com/KdQpreOucv
As per the list provided by MoS Nityanand Rai, there are several Islamic terrorists and 2 Khalistani terrorists.
The names of the terrorists include Hafiz Talha Saeed, Sheikh Sajad, Habibullah Malik, Mohammad Amin Khubaib, and Arbaz Ahmed Mir from the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Mohiuddin Aurangzeb Alamgir, Ali Kashif Jan, and Ashiq Ahmed Nengru from the Jaish-e-Mohammad, Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar from the JKLF, Arjumand Gulzar Dar from the Al Badr, Imtiaz Ahmed Kandoo, Showkat Ahmed Sheikh, Bashit Ahmed Reshi, Bashir Ahmed Pir, Irshad Ahmed, and Dr Asif Maqbool Dar from the Hizb Ul Mujahideen, Rafiq Nai, and Sheikh Jameel Ur Rehman from the Tehreek Ul Mujahideen, Zafar Iqbal from HUJI, Bilal Ahmed Beig from JKIF, and Aijaz Ahmed Ahanger alias Abu Usman Al Kashmiri from the Al Qaeda.
The 2 Khalistani terrorists listed in 2022 under UAPA are Arshdeep Singh Gill from the KTF and Harwinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda from Babbar Khalsa International.
Last week, the MoS Home Nityanand Rai informed the Rajya Sabha that in 2023 so far, 4 terrorist organisations have been listed under the First Schedule of the UAPA.
The names of the 4 organisations are The Resistance Front(TRF), Peoples Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), Jammu and Kashmir Gaznavi Force (JKGF), and the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF).
While the TRF is the recent proxy of the LeT, the PAFF is a proxy for the JeM. The JKGF surfaced recently in 2020 and is comprised of former LeT, JeM, HUJI, and TUM terrorists.
The KTF, which surfaced in 2011, is an offshoot of the Babbar Khalsa, the minister informed the Parliament.
In Total, 54 individual terrorists and 44 organisations have been listed under the Fourth and First Schedule of the UAPA, the government told the parliament.
As the hunt for Khalistan supporter Amritpal Singh is still underway, a team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has reportedly reached Punjab on Tuesday. Media reports have quoted sources as saying that the NIA is seeking details and documents related to the Amrit Pal’s Singh case from the Punjab police and may take over the case from today (Tuesday).
Punjab Police are currently looking into the matter. Amritpal is currently on the run, and it is being speculated that he might have fled abroad.
As #AmritpalSingh, the self-styled Sikh preacher and head of ‘Waris Punjab De’, continues to evade police, #NIA may take over the case on Tuesday, sources said. pic.twitter.com/97t3m3JfFS
“There are possibilities that NIA might take over the matter. There is a terror link connected to Pakistan’s ISI and therefore the Ministry of Home Affairs can decide to transfer the case,” media has quoted sources as saying.
Notably, the involvement of NIA comes after Amritpal Singh’s alleged ISI link came to the fore during the investigation by the Punjab police.
“Going by the circumstances, it seems that ISI is involved and there is foreign funding as well. The bulletproof jackets and rifles that have been recovered and the gate (of the house) of the chief (Amritpal Singh) had AKF written on them. There was an attempt to form a Jathebandi called ‘Anandpur Khalsa Fauj,” Sukhchain Singh Gill, IGP Punjab said.
However, as of now, there is no official confirmation from the NIA or the Punjab police on his matter.
It is worth noting here that, as of now, multiple agencies are looking into the matter. Reportedly, the Central government has also asked Border Security Force (BSF) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) to remain alert on the border to foil any escape attempt by the radical leader, the search for whom has entered the fourth day on Tuesday.
Speaking over the matter, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Tuesday stated that strict punishment will be taken against miscreants who tried to spoil the environment of Punjab with the help of foreign power. “In the last few days, some elements were talking to spoil the environment of Punjab with the help of foreign powers & were giving hateful speeches. Action has been taken against them and they have been arrested and strict punishment will be given to them,” he added.
In last few days, some elements were talking to spoil the environment of Punjab with the help of foreign powers & were giving hateful speeches. Action has been taken against them and they have been arrested and strict punishment will be given to them: Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann on… https://t.co/TwK3UgVgzkpic.twitter.com/1j2lK5YxeM
Amritpal Singh’s driver and uncle surrender, Punjab police nab his 114 aides
While Amritpal Singh remains still at large, Punjab police have apprehended at least 114 aides to the Waris Punjab De chief, as well as 10 weapons and four automobiles.
OpIndia further reported that on the intervening night of March 19 and March 20, pro-Khalistani separatist leader Amritpal Singh’s uncle Harjit Singh and driver Harpreet Singh surrendered before the Deputy Inspector General of Police (Border Range) Narendra Bhargav at 1:30 AM. At the time of the chase on March 18, Harjit Singh was allegedly driving the Mercedez car with Amritpal Singh. The car has also been recovered. Amritpal Singh, however, is still at large.
Police alleged Amritpal escaped during the chase
On March 18, Punjab Police and central agencies launched a massive crackdown on Amritpal Singh. 78 of his associates were arrested during the first day of the operation. The police intercepted a three-SUV convoy of Amritpal Singh outside his paternal village. Two of the SUVs were stopped, and seven associates of Singh were arrested. Singh managed to escape, and the chase continued for around 25 KMs, after which he ditched the vehicle and escaped. His other car and phone were recovered on March 19. On the second day of the operation, 21 of his supporters were detained near Boaprai Kalan, Jalandhar, after they tried to stage a protest. Amritpal Singh was still on the run when this report was published.
Alt News co-founder Mohd Zubair on Tuesday happened to laugh at the incidence of the public hanging of Hindu rulers by the British. In a tweet shared on March 21, he said that the Maruthu Brothers (Maruthu Pandiyar), rulers of the Sivaganga kingdom fought with the Britishers and were publicly hanged to death at Tirupputhur fort by the British in 1801. He used the laughing emojis while sharing it.
The incident occurred when the Alt news co-founder shared a tweet targeting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka for sharing the ‘wrong’ posters for the welcome of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said that the party had used portraits of the Maruthu brothers and claimed that they were images of Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda who are believed to have killed Islamist tyrant and erstwhile Mysuru ruler Tipu Sultan.
Screenshot from Twitter
Zubair also meanwhile, blatantly termed Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda as fictional characters and said that the party was re-writing history by escalating confusion between Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda and Maruthu Brothers. He also shared an old tweet by Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai in which the latter could be seen bowing to the Maruthu Pandiyar brother’s portrait. He further mocked Karnataka BJP leader CT Ravi saying that K Annamalai had failed to teach proper history to him.
Karnataka Minister & film producer Munirathna @MunirathnaMLA later made a U-turn & said he decided against making the film titled Uri Gowda-Nanje Gowda. Not sure if he still know that images used are of Maruthu Pandiyar brothers. ? pic.twitter.com/z0QsRPa4sm
As reported earlier, controversy erupted in Karnataka after the BJP workers installed arch gateways to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the inauguration event of the Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway in Mandya on Sunday. The Karnataka BJP workers had erected an arch hailing Vokkaliga chieftains Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda. This, however, was replaced with that of late Vokkaliga seer Sri Balagangadharanatha Swamiji after outrage erupted.
The controversy also erupted after the film production studio owned by the state Horticulture Minister Munirathna planned to make a biopic on Vokkaliga chieftains Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda, the killers of Islamist tyrant and erstwhile Mysuru ruler Tipu Sultan. The movie is based on legends in the old Mysuru belt which state that Tipu Sultan was killed by the two Vokkaliga chieftains, Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda.
However, several historians dispute the claim made by some locals of the former Mysuru belt that Tipu was killed by the two Vokkaliga chieftains rather than the British. Congress and JDS also claimed that Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda never existed and they are fictional characters. However, the BJP opines otherwise, saying that they were real, and there is historical evidence to prove it.
JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy accused the BJP of “misleading” Vokkaligas by employing ‘fictional’ characters and claiming they were responsible for killing Tipu Sultan. He also claimed that there are ongoing attempts to defame the community. According to him, this is a part of the BJP’s “hidden agenda,” which includes a smear campaign to “insult and politically eliminate” Vokkaligas.
ಕಲ್ಪಿತಕಥೆ, ಸುಳ್ಳುಗಳಿಂದಲೇ ಜನರ ಮನಸ್ಸಿನಲ್ಲಿ ವಿಷಬೀಜ ಬಿತ್ತಿ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕವನ್ನು ಅಲ್ಲೋಲಕಲ್ಲೋಲ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿರುವ ಬಿಜೆಪಿ ವಕ್ರದೃಷ್ಟಿ ಸದ್ಯಕ್ಕೆ ಒಕ್ಕಲಿಗರ ಮೇಲೆ ಬಿದ್ದಿದೆ.ಸ್ವಾಭಿಮಾನಿ ಒಕ್ಕಲಿಗರನ್ನು ಹೇಗಾದರೂ ಹಳ್ಳ ಹಿಡಿಸಲೆಬೇಕೆಂಬ ಹಿಡೆನ್ ಅಜೆಂಡಾ @BJP4Karnataka ಗೆ ಇರುವುದಂತೂ ಸತ್ಯ.1/11#ಒಕ್ಕಲಿಗರ_ಮೇಲೆ_ಬಿಜೆಪಿ_ವಕ್ರದೃಷ್ಟಿpic.twitter.com/dnJZgHRqub
— ಹೆಚ್.ಡಿ.ಕುಮಾರಸ್ವಾಮಿ | H.D.Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) March 17, 2023
Calling Tipu Sultan a freedom fighter, he alleged that BJP is portraying the Vokkaligas as killers of a freedom fighter. “The BJP is trying to sow seeds of poison through lies and myth, and it has turned its attention on Vokkaligas. This is a hidden agenda by the BJP to insult Vokkaligas through a smear campaign. By attempting to make a film on Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda, attempts are being made to rob the Vokkaliga pride on the silver screen,” he tweeted.
Rejecting the claims of the JD(S) and Congress on the issue, senior BJP leader and Union Minister of State (MoS) Shobha Karandlaje said that Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda were real, and there were historical references about them. She said that they fought Tipu to safeguard the family of Mysuru Maharajas and to protect the state, and their names are mentioned in folk plays and ballads. BJP general secretary C.T. Ravi also said that the characters of Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda are historical truth.
Reportedly, Karnataka Horticulture Minister and movie producer Munirathna announced on Monday that he would drop the idea of producing the movie on Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda. This is after the production of the movie was met with strong opposition from the Vokkaligara Sangha who stated that two of the seers from their community would lead agitation if the idea was not dropped.
Munirathna then met with Adichunchanagiri seer Nirmalananda Swami, the religious leader of the Vokkaliga community, and revealed that he had chosen to halt the project in response to threats and resistance from the Vokkaliga community and the opposition parties. Making a movie, according to Munirathna, wasn’t difficult, but it was important to make sure that no community’s feelings were offended. He continued by saying that Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda were disputable figures.
Nirmalananda Swami of Adichunchanagiri Mahasamsthana Mutt calling out propaganda of BJP Leaders in Karnataka for trying to polarise before elections. pic.twitter.com/DBdZSxmxml
“Any history that has not been recorded by contemporaries of those times, will be subject to dispute. It’s not right to focus on this issue alone,” Nirmalananda Swami suggested. Zubair claimed that Munirathna had also used the portraits of Maruthu Brothers and had confused them with ‘fictional’ characters of the Gowda brothers. He laughed at the fact that these two Hindu rulers were hanged by the Britishers in 1801.
Zubair, who shared the edited clip of former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma and led to escalation of massive worldwide controversy revolving around Prophet Mohammad, was jailed earlier by Delhi Police for mocking Hindu Gods and Goddesses. He was charged with section 153, 295 of the Indian Penal Code for deliberately insulting religion with the intent to cause a riot.
It is noteworthy that many Muslims and so-called secularists celebrate the Islamic king Tipu Sultan as a freedom fighter. While it is true that Tipu sided with the French and fought with the British to save his kingdom, he was an Islamic tyrant who inflicted unspeakable tortures on Hindus. He engaged in massacres and forced conversions of thousands of Hindus.
Star Hockey player Rani Rampal has created history as she becomes the first-ever women’s hockey player to have a stadium named after her. Indian Railways’ Modern Coach Factory (MCF) in Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh, has renamed the hockey stadium as ‘Rani’s Girls Hockey Turf’.
Rani Rampal was present at the inauguration of the stadium along with other staff members. She shared the update via her social media accounts.
Taking to Twitter, Rani said, “Words seem too less to express my happiness and gratitude as I share that the MCF Raebareli has renamed the hockey stadium to ‘Rani’s Girls Hockey Turf’ to honour my contribution to hockey”.
Words seem too less to express my happiness and gratitude as I share that the MCF Raebareli has renamed the hockey stadium to “Rani’s Girls Hockey Turf “to honour my contribution to hockey. pic.twitter.com/sSt59EwDJA
Thanking MCF Rae Bareli, she further added, “Thank you so much once again @cpro_mcfrbl for this lifetime recognition. I am sure this will inspire young girls to take up hockey as a sports career.”
Thank you so much once again @cpro_mcfrbl for this lifetime recognition. I am sure this will inspire young girls to take up hockey as a sports career. https://t.co/cAFtFW32yK
28-year-old Rani Rampal was born in the factory that produces women’s hockey players in droves, the town of Shahbad in the Kurukshetra district of Haryana. She was coached by Dronacharya awardee Baldev Singh during her early years.
Rani made her senior debut when she was just 14 years old, making her the youngest player in the team. She has represented India 250 times, also serving as the captain in the past when she led India to the Asian Games silver medal in the 2018 Games. Rani Rampal was also the flag bearer of the Indian contingent at the closing ceremony of those games.
Karan Thapar wants India to make the visa regime for Pakistanis easy and smooth. His arguments in favour of this are not only weak but are faulty, flimsy, hollow, impotent, inept and superficial. Let’s look at what Karan Thapar’s arguments are.
Proud democracies should distribute visas
Karan Thapar in his recent Hindustan Times article says that India is “nasty” toward Pakistanis. He goes on to say that India takes pride in being the world’s largest democracy and therefore we should be more lenient to Pakistanis in granting visas. He cites his own example to point out that the Pakistanis don’t treat us with the same “nastiness”. What he fails to realise or deliberately ignores is the fact that an easy visa regime for Pakistanis would almost invariably translate into more Khalistan-like problems for India. In fact, in the same newspaper, there is an article about ISI supporting Amritpal Singh. Karan’s unenviable eye for detail compels him to ignore this overt fact.
Should our neighbour’s behaviour determine ours?
Karan’s second argument is actually a case for India to showcase its magnanimity and benevolence toward Pakistan ignoring or overlooking its terror plans for India. Karan says ” Should we allow our neighbour’s behaviour to set the standard for our own?” Ironically, Karan goes on to cite Akhand Bharat or Greater India, the idea of an undivided India—which is the object of ridicule of the left ecosystem and Karan’s ideological compatriots—to describe Pakistanis as former fellow countrymen, conveniently omitting that it was the fanatic Muslims who were responsible for the partition of India and the creation of Pakistan and Bangladesh.
The answer is a big “Yes”. Why should India not be vigilant when Pakistan and Pakistanis have a terror history of 70+ years? Why should not India learn from its past mistakes of indulging Pakistan and receiving a betrayal in response to our magnanimity? A nation that does not learn from its history, is condemned to repeat it. Does Karan Thapar want India to underwent a social upheaval currently witnessed in Pakistan or does he wish India to face another partition and the attendant wave of violence it triggers?
Usman Khwaja and his Pakistani connection
Usman Khwaja is an Australian cricketer of Pakistani origin. He was born in Pakistan and later moved to Australia, and now he has dual citizenship. Karan says that it’s petty, spiteful and belittling of ourselves that we didn’t give an easy Visa to Khwaja because of his Pakistani origin. While the case for Usman Khwaja seems legitimate, it cannot be ignored that prior to 2014 India witnessed many terror attacks and Pakistani ISI’s involvement in these attacks was very evident. India has a right to pursue its self-interest and keeping the Visa regime tight for Pakistanis helps keep a check on terrorism in India.
David Coleman Headley was an American citizen of Pakistani descent. He visited India on a legal Visa several times and planned the terror attack of 26/11. He is currently serving life imprisonment in an American jail. This single incident is enough to tighten the Visa regime for Pakistanis.
India has lost lakhs of lives to terrorism since 1947, Pakistan sponsored terrorism is the biggest issue for our security forces. Should we be naive enough to let our guard down just because we want to please a section of the Indian media which is Islamophile?
Karan’s historical dalliance with Pakistan and his favourable bias toward Pakistanis
Karan Thapar, who is a news presenter with The Wire, attended Islamabad Security Dialogue via video conferencing a year ago. The discussion titled ‘Navigating disinformation and discourse in the information age’ was an attempt to discuss the impact of disinformation and fake news on the current political structure of South Asia.
During the discussion, which was attended by members of several think tanks from Pakistan, Thapar ranted against the Modi government and referred to the Hindu God Hanuman as ‘Humayun’, the second emperor of the Mughal dynasty.
Mosharraf Zaidi, founder of the think tank Tabadlab, moderated the session. He asked Thapar about his views on how the people of India are being misled by the politicians, particularly Hindutva leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the RSS and the BJP. He pointed out that such leaders being in power is, in a sense, a collective failure of ‘secular, enlightened, progressive India’.
Agreeing with his thoughts, Thapar said that since PM Modi came to power, the “problem” was on the rise and the alleged crisis is at its peak today. He said, “I’m not saying that it’s all going to go higher but compared to the situation of 2014, the situation today is considerably worse than most people imagine.” He had alleged that BJP was deliberately instigating Hindus, which comprise 80% of the population, in the name of religion. “People are very religious. Religions pervade their life, their thinking, their relationship, and their psychology very close to them, and that tends to be the case in countries where economic development is limited.
He further alleged that BJP knows where to scratch and open old wounds, such as the partition that happened in 1947. In that process, they demonised another religion.
Hindu residents from areas like Manekwadi, Devbag, Anantwadi, Gita chowk, Pragji Dave Sheri in Bhavnagar have demanded that the Disturbed Areas Act be implemented to prevent the demography change in the area. They joined the march led by Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) unit of Bhavnagar and presented a memorandum to the district collector to implement the Act.
The local Hindus allege that some people belonging to Muslim community have purchased houses in these areas initially at a very high rate and then once the prices of the areas fell, they have usurped remaining houses owned by Hindu residents are very low prices.
This is not the first time Bhavnagar residents have demanded implementation of Disturbed Areas Act to prevent demography change. Earlier in January, over 5,000 Hindus took to streets to demand the same and had submitted a memorandum to the Collector.
What is Disturbed Areas Act
District Administration, to maintain communal harmony and peace, could declare certain areas as ‘Disturbed Areas’ which are susceptible to demography change. The transfer of immovable property in these areas would require an elaborate procedure. The seller, in the application, must mention that the seller is selling the property of their own free will.
Disturbed Areas Act is often wrongly interpreted as it applicable where at least one party between buyer and seller is either Hindu or Muslim. The thing is, any such transactions in such areas would require following due process. This is to preserve the religious and community value and identity of the areas which are susceptible to demographic change.
On Monday, March 20, the Government of India told the Lok Sabha that the Income Tax department has seized total assets worth Rs 8832.92 crores in the search and seizure action conducted by it in the last eight financial years, i.e from 2014-2015 to 2021-2022.
Pankaj Chaudhary, the state minister for finance, made the statement in Parliament while responding to queries from Dr Vishnu Prasad M.K and T.R.V.S Ramesh.
“Whenever any instance of unaccounted/black money comes to notice, the Income Tax department takes appropriate actions as per the provisions of the Income-Tax Act, 1961. Such actions include conducting searches and surveys, assessment of income, levy of tax, imposition of penalty, launching of prosecution, etc,” the government told the LS on Monday.
The state minister for finance further asserted that tax demand of a total of Rs 13,566 crore has been raised under the Black Money Act in the last four financial years, starting from 2018-19. The demand was raised in 349 cases since the law was enacted in 2015.
Further, the minister said that 648 disclosures involving undisclosed foreign assets worth Rs 4146 crores were made in the one-time three months compliance window, which closed on 30th September 2015, under the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015. The amount collected by way of tax and penalty in such cases was about Rs 2476 crore.
Positive impact of demonetisation on the level of tax compliance in the country: Govt in Lok Sabha
Another question raised in the Lower House on Monday was if demonetisation, announced by the Modi government on 8 November 2016, had assisted the government in identifying unaccounted money in the country, as well as the quantity and information of those having an unaccounted income.
In a reply to the aforementioned question, Pankaj Chaudhary, the state minister for finance, said that from November 2016 to March 2017, the Income-tax Department conducted search and seizure operations in 900 groups, resulting in the seizure of Rs 900 crores, including Rs 636 crores in cash and admission of undisclosed income of about Rs 7961 crores.
The government further stated that the increase in net direct tax revenues of 18% in the fiscal year 2017-18 over the fiscal year 2016-17, the greatest in the previous seven fiscal years, demonstrated the positive impact of demonetisation on the level of tax compliance in the country.
The fact that the Personal Income-tax (PIT) Advance Tax collections increased by 23.4% and PIT Self-Assessment Tax collections increased by 29.2% in FY 2017-18 compared to FY 2016-17, corroborated the assertion that demonetisation and the subsequent use of bank deposit data by the Income Tax Department had a significant impact on voluntary tax payments by non-corporate / individual taxpayers, said the state minister for finance.
He further revealed that for the fiscal year 2017-18, the number of Income Tax Returns (ITRs) filed with the Income-tax Department increased by 25%. It was the highest rate in the previous five years.
Further, during the fiscal year 2017-18, the number of returns submitted by corporate taxpayers increased by 17.2%. It was more than five times the growth rate of 3% in the fiscal year 2016-17 and 3.5% in the fiscal year 2015-16, Chaudhary confirmed.
Regarding the investigations conducted by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) and Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA), the minister stated that a number of cases under PMLA were recorded during the period of demonetisation and thereafter, relating to the acquisition of unaccounted demonetized currencies. FEMA cases have also been investigated in which cross-border transactions/forex transactions were observed.
Under the PMLA, investigations have been launched in eight cases in which 107 people were discovered to be involved in the generation, acquisition, and/or projection of undeclared money. In these cases, criminal proceeds totalling Rs 191.68 crores have been attached/seized, and 05 accused have been arrested. In these cases, 13 Prosecution Complaints (PCs) and 07 Supplemental PCs have been filed, he said.
Similarly, under FEMA regulations, investigations have been launched in 10 cases against 19 people, with currency totalling Rs 2.99 crores seized. Furthermore, eight Show Cause Notices were issued, with 05 of them being adjudicated. During the adjudication, a penalty of Rs 1.61 crores was levied. Furthermore, seized currency totalling Rs 77.81 lakhs has been ordered to be confiscated throughout the adjudication process.
No instructions have been given to banks for not filling Rs 2000 notes in ATMs
Replying to a question on whether the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has put restrictions on banks to disburse currency notes of Rs. 2000 denomination through ATMs, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in the Parliament on Monday that the government has not issued any instructions to banks on whether to load ATMs with Rs 2000 notes or not.
“No instructions have been given to banks for not filling Rs 2000 notes in Automated Teller Machines (ATMs). Banks make their own assessment of the amount and denominational requirements for ATMs on the basis of past usage, consumer requirement, seasonal trend, etc,” said Nirmala Sitharaman told the Lok Sabha.
She further stated, citing RBI annual reports, that the indent for the supply of Rs 2000 denomination banknotes has not been placed from 2019-20 onwards. Following the demonetisation of the old Rs 500 notes and Rs 1,000 bills in 2016, the government and RBI introduced Rs 2,000 notes into the system.
No such information or data is available. As per the Annual Reports of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the total value of Rs 500 and Rs 2000 denomination banknotes in circulation as of end-March 2017 and as of end-March 2022 was Rs 9.512 lakh crore and Rs 27.057 lakh crore.
On March 21, Mo Dhaliwal of the Poetic Justice Foundation urged Barbadian singer and actress Rihanna to speak up for Punjab. In a tweet, he wrote, “Hey Rihanna, Punjab needs you. Civil liberties suspended. Human rights violated. Communication blocked.”
Rihanna had tweeted her followers to speak up during farmer protests against now-repealed agriculture laws. Later, it was revealed her tweet was part of a toolkit that Mo Dhaliwal of PJF and some Indian “activists”, including Disha Ravi, Nikita Jacob and others, created. Dhaliwal is a pro-Khalistani Canadian resident. Apart from Rihanna, former pornstar Mia Khalifa and dubious environment activist Greta Thunberg tweeted in favour of farmer protests. It was Greta who accidentally revealed the toolkit exposing Mo Dhaliwal and others.
Mo Dhaliwal tagged Rihanna to speak up for Punjab. Source: Twitter
Replying to his tweet, Twitter user BadGa1Kiki asked how much money he would pay Rihanna for speaking up. Dhaliwal said, “As much as she wants”.
Mo Dhaliwal said he was willing to pay anything to Rihanna to tweet for Punjab. Source: Twitter
Who is Mo Dhaliwal, and why does his tweet to Rihanna matters?
In February 2021, it was reported by The Print that sources believed Skyrocket, a PR firm where Khalistani Mo Dhaliwal is a director, paid $2.5 million to pop star Rihanna to tweet in favour of the farmer protests. In Indian currency, that is well over Rs.18 crores.
Mo Dhaliwal is the Founder and Director of Strategy at Skyrocket. He co-founded the Poetic Justice Foundation. He is a Khalistan supporter and has openly supported Khalistan. In September, when the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, a leading Canadian think tank based out of Ottawa, released a study on Pakistan’s role in nourishing Khalistani extremism, Dhaliwal used his NGOs platform to support Khalistan. Jagmeet Singh, the Canadian lawmaker, was also reportedly involved in the Tweet by Rihanna.
His associate Anita Lal, Community Relations Specialist at Windmill Microlending, co-founded PJF. She is the Executive Director of PJF. She is a Canadian resident and a Khalistan supporter.
They ran a campaign titled ‘Global Day of Action’ during farmer protests that went back as far as January 3, 2021. The group provided taglines, hashtags, tweet formats, posters, media kits, printable artwork and much more for the people who wanted to support them in the campaign. These images/posters were shared on PJF’s and the ‘Ask India Why’ campaign’s social media pages. These images/posters were available in vector format. The maximum size that one can print is 10ft x 20ft. Here are four examples of such posters.
The group identified several key target regions to spread their propaganda. Top among them was Canada, the USA, the UK, and Australia, where Sikhs and Punjabis prefer to study, work and settle down. Other target regions included Kenya, Denmark, Italy, Malaysia, Singapore, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. They also urged them to spread the material they provided among Sangat of Regional Organizations (Sangat is often used for a group of people attending religious or cultural gatherings). Using such groups, they aimed to spread their propaganda among the masses using social media and mainstream or vernacular media.
There was a subtle mention of support from Pakistan as well. The campaign was strongly backed by misinformation.
Crackdown on Amritpal Singh
On March 18, Punjab Police and central agencies launched a massive crackdown on pro-Khalistan separatist leader Amritpal Singh. So far, over 110 associates of Singh have been arrested. However, he is still on the run. Internet was suspended on March 18 for one day, but the suspension was extended for two more days. Internet services were resumed in some areas of Punjab on March 21.
Police have alleged that Singh was in contact with ISI and received funds from Pakistan. Furthermore, it has been reported that Singh was creating a private army in the guise of an anti-drug drive and de-addiction centre. Following the crackdown, official Indian Government establishments in London and San Francisco were attacked.
Since Punjab Police started the massive crackdown on pro-Khalistan separatist leader Amritpal Singh, he has been projected as a saviour on social media platforms. In fact, the mother of controversial singer and Congress leader late Sidhu Moosewala also praised him for the so-called anti-drug drives he was running in Punjab. In her address at an event on Moosewala’s death anniversary, she said, “On one hand, gangsters are signing death warrants while in prison. On the other hand, they [government] are trying to frame Amritpal Singh, who brought people closer to Sikhism and taught them to stay away from drugs.”
Many social media users are laying down a narrative that the idea behind the crackdown on Amritpal is his anti-drug drive in the state.
For example, Twitter user Aman Singh wrote, “IT cell people must understand who Amritpal Singh is and why all politicians across all parties joined hands against him. Tomorrow your kids & families can also be victims of this drug menace supported by these political parties, stand with him instead of being against him.”
He shared a video clip where a Sikh man praising Amritpal said, “A mother came to me asking for help for putting her son in a rehabilitation centre. When I asked her to put her wherever she wanted, and I would pay, she said no, send him to Amritpal. There is hope in mothers in Punjab.” He further added mothers do not trust the leaders in Punjab as they know the reverse would happen. “Do we really need to define his [Amritpal] character? Do we need to tell what position he holds among the masses?”
IT cell people must understand who is Amritpal Singh and why all politicians across all parties joined hands against him. Tomorrow your kids & families can also be victim of this drug menace supported by these political parties, stand with him instead being against. pic.twitter.com/OYr5UASFyy
Similarly, many such tweets and videos are circulated on social media platforms painting Amritpal as some crusader against the drug menace in Punjab. Twitter user Simran shared a video where five Sikhs narrated how they used to take drugs but stopped after joining Amritpal. All of them were carrying weapons.
Simran Kaur shared a video of Sikhs explaining how they were addicts. Source: Twitter
Twitter user Gurpreet shared a video of a Sikh youth asking what Amritpal did wrong. He claimed he stopped taking drugs after Amritpal baptised him.
Gurpreet shared a video of a former drug addict asking what Amritpal did wrong. Source: Twitter
Twitter user Baljinder shared a video of a youth seeking help from Amritpal to leave rugs.
Baljinder shared a video of a youth from Punjab seeking help from Amritpal to stop taking drugs. Source: Twitter
Daljeet shared a video of Amritpal guiding youth to leave drugs.
Saljeet Singh shared a video of the de-addiction drive by Amritpal. Source: Twitter
Prabh claimed Amritpal worked against drugs and genocide and preached the way of Sikh Gurus.
Prabh Sekhon said Amritpal worked against drugs. Source: Twitter
Vikky said Singh was in politics to stop corruption, drugs and gangs.
Vikkycingh said Amritpal was against corruption, drugs and gangs. Source: Twitter
The drug problem in Punjab
Drug addiction is a major issue in Punjab. Large quantities of drugs get smuggled into the state from neighbouring states and Pakistan ruining generations after generations. According to a report by India Today from December 2022, around 190 cases of drug overdose deaths were reported from March 2022 to December 2022. In Bathinda, a district that topped the chart, 31 such cases were reported, followed by Tarn Taran and Ferozepur with 24 and 21 deaths, respectively. No district is untouched by the drug menace in Punjab.
Quoting Kirti Kisan Union president Nirbhay Singh, India today reported the possible involvement of police officials in drug trafficking. Nirbhay said, “Half of the police officials are drug addicts. What can be expected from tainted police officers? When the police are selling the drugs themselves, how can the menace be controlled? Police officials involved in drug smuggling and peddling have kept their own agents in villages who sell drugs without any fear.”
In September last year, several videos of drug addicts in Punjab surfaced on social media. Interestingly, those videos surfaced right on the time when Amritpal was about to officially take over Waris Punjab De.
The rise of cults in the guise of de-addiction in Punjab
The drug problem is deeply rooted in the state to a level that self-proclaimed Godmen like Ram Rahim used it to form a cult-type following. His organisation is running several de-addiction centres under Dera Sacha Sauda. Similarly, Radha Soami Dera Beas, Dera Baba Jagmail Singh, and others are running de-addiction centres. Several NGOs in Punjab are also indulged in similar activities. Despite so many efforts, the addiction problem has seen a steep rise in the state.
The connection between drugs, Khalistan and Pakistan
In September 2020, OpIndia reported Pakistan’s vicious narco-terrorism plan in India and its connection to the Khalistan movement. Narco-terrorism as a word was first used in the 1980s in the US when drug smugglers in Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, Nicaragua, and other Central Americans started using the illegal trade as a profession. Their impact on the economy in the region was so deep that they virtually ran the parallel government. The US became the largest consumer of the produced drugs, and the country is still struggling with the problem.
Siegfried O. Wolf, in ‘Pakistan’s bigger plans of narco-terrorism, said that in the last years, it had established smuggling networks across India, especially in the Kashmir Valley. The network helps in a steady supply of weapons and narcotics. After the major terrorist attacks in Uri and Pulwama, India increased security measures that resulted in the suspension of traditional smuggling routes. Pakistan shifted its concentration to other land-based trafficking routes via Punjab and Gujarat. Border Security forces seized several consignments on the India-Pakistan border that contained weapons and narcotics.
The drug problem in the state can be tracked to the time of insurgency in Punjab. There has been an increase in such cases in recent times. Some notable cases help explore the connection between Pakistan’s ISI and Khalistan Movement. Several cases, including 532 KG of heroin seized on the Attari border in June 2019, were linked to terrorist outfits.
In July 2019, there were reports that Pakistan-based Khalistani terrorists smuggled drugs into India to fuel terror activities in Punjab. The report mentioned three instances linked to Paramjit Singh Panjwar, chief of Khalistan Commando Force, a terrorist organisation based in Lahore since 1994.
The security agencies and media reports have already established the link between Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) and Pakistan. Recently, Punjab Police said Amritpal Singh was also linked to ISI. His treasurer was receiving funds from Pakistan, as per the Police.
Bhindranwale and Amritpal’s de-addiction drive
In the late 1980s, one of the issues that Bhindranwale picked was the drug problem among youth. He lured families to follow him to get the addicts out of the drug problem. When he started preaching Sikhism across Punjab and urged the youth to get baptized, the state had a drug problem. He raised his voice against drugs, smoking, and other social evils including dowry and atrocities against women. It worked for Bhindranwale, and it is serving Amritpal Singh in the same way. When Singh started his state-wide march codename Khalsa Vaheer, he called upon the youth to leave drugs. Being a good orator and the name of Bhindranwale worked well among the hopeless families in Punjab, and many addicts started to reach his village centre.
As per the reports, Singh used his de-addiction centre as a front for recruiting youth for his Khalistan movement.
On Monday, medical professionals in Jaipur protested the Rajasthan government’s planned Right to Health Bill. After the police failed to disperse the crowds of demonstrators who had gathered to surround the state Assembly, they escalated to lathi-charging the protestors.
The doctors said that the cops tore their clothing to pieces and mistreated the female doctors. More than 2,400 owners of private hospitals across the state protested on the streets on Monday. At first, doctors, health professionals, and hospital administrators met at the Jaipur Medical Association auditorium at SMS Hospital to voice their objections to the Draft Bill. At about midday, the physicians departed the SMS Hospital and arrived at Statue Circle in front of Central Park.
However, at approximately 1:00 pm, the police stopped the protesters close to Statue Circle, causing a confrontation between the two sides. Reportedly, the doctors alleged that the police engaged in a physical altercation with them, but the police claimed that the protesters had become violent owing to which they had to resort to the lathi charge.
#WATCH | Rajasthan police lathi-charge private hospital doctors and managers who were protesting against the ‘Rajasthan Right to Health Bill’, in Jaipur pic.twitter.com/4cVVD6cZC6
On Monday, the Joint Action Committee, which had previously endorsed the Bill a few days earlier, also took part in the demonstration. The committee was formed by the doctors’ unions. The protesters said that the Bill does not contain the proposals they made. The Right to Health Bill aims to grant Rajasthani citizens the ability to get free medical care at hospitals, clinics, and laboratories, including private facilities.
Dr. Vijay Kapoor, secretary of the Private Hospitals and Nursing Home Society commented on the issue and stated that the protest would continue until the government withdraws the bill. “The doctors held a meeting on the issue on Sunday during which it was decided to conduct a protest march to the state assembly. This is an indefinite statewide ‘bandh’ and it will continue until the government withdraws the bill,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Police action was criticized by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) which said that the police bandobast was not enough to match the crowds of doctors at the rally. “There were no women police at all and amidst the pushing and jostling between the doctors and police, several women doctors were injured. The police unpreparedness is shown by the fact that no water cannons are seen, which is the drill before the use of lathi to push back the crowd. When the rally and route were announced, the Jaipur police should have tried to talk to the doctors rather than engage in pushing, jostling, and lathis,” it was quoted.
The PUCL also urged the doctors to withdraw the protest claiming that the group of leaders from the joint action committee had met with the administration and government representatives and almost every disagreement was resolved. “It is surprising that suddenly the doctors change their mind and come against the Bill. It is also surprising that a section of the government doctors decided to wear black bands to oppose the Bill,” PULC said.
The Right to Health Bill, 2022
The Right to Health Bill, which seeks to guarantee citizens’ legal rights and entitlements to the finest healthcare, was one of the poll pledges made by Congress for the 2018 state elections. From the bill’s introduction in the assembly in September 2022, it has encountered opposition, among other things because it mandates free emergency care. The present budget session has not yet resulted in its passage.
The citizens of Rajasthan under the bill can have following rights-
Avail free outdoor and indoor patient department services, medicines, and diagnostics in public health institutions,
Emergency treatment and care at all health care providers, without any delay waiting for prepayment or police clearance,
Receive information about the nature and cause of illness, results, complications and cost of treatment, and access related records, 4. Informed consent before specific tests or treatments,
Confidentiality and privacy in treatments at all health care establishments,
Referral transport,
Safe and quality health care, and
Grievance redressal.
State Health Minister Prasadi Lal Meena had said in September last year that the Bill was introduced to enhance the effectiveness and implementation of the Rajasthan Model of Public Health. “The state government has decided to bring in legislation to safeguard the right to health so that the rights of residents may be ensured. The Bill ascertains the duties of residents and also provides for a grievance redressal mechanism. Provisions are made in it to establish the state health authority and the district health authority which are entrusted with the functions essential to achieve the purposes of the Bill,” he was quoted back then.
Obligations on the private sector may violate their right to carry out business
The protesting doctors on the other hand have stated that the bill fails to define ’emergency’ while it promises free emergency treatment. They also have raised concern over the payment or reimbursement model as per the bill. The doctors have to pay the staff, nurses and also have to look after the maintenance of the medical tools and equipments. “If we go on treating patients free of cost, who is going to reimburse the amount?” pondered one Dr Aggrawal from Tonk.
The Bill nowhere specifies if the state will reimburse private clinical establishments for providing such free services. This may violate Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to practice any profession or carry on any occupation, trade, or business.
Grievance redressal mechanism may violate the right to privacy
Further, the formation of a district health authority and a state health authority, both of which would be composed of public representatives, is the main source of concern for the doctors. As per the bill, a web portal and helpline center will be established for filing complaints on denial of services and infringement of rights. The accused in dispute will have 24 hours to reply to the complaint. If a complaint is not handled within the aforementioned time range, the District Health Authority will take it up. It shall take the necessary measures and post the action taken report on the website within 30 days. A patient’s medical records could also be included in the action taken report, depending on the nature of the complaint.
No information is provided in the Bill on who else except the complainant would have access to the report on the website. In medical situations, this can violate the patient’s right to privacy.
The Bill also states that no civil court shall have jurisdiction to consider any action or process concerning any subject which the State Health Authority or District Health Authority, as the case may be, established under this Act, is empowered by or under this Act to resolve.
This indicates that the courts lack jurisdiction. Doctors worry that the members of the district health authority, who must include three pradhans and zilla pramukhs, may harass, threaten, or blackmail them.
Joint Action Committee earlier endorsed the bill
It is worth noting that several civil society groups questioned the doctor’s opposition to the bill in February this year. They said that the doctors were trying to prevent a Bill which is a crucial constitutional right. Reports suggest that the opposition cannot afford to publicly criticize the Bill as the government has been attempting to communicate to the 34-member Joint Action Committee (JAC). The JAC has been created by various medical associations such as the Indian Medical Association (IMA)-Rajasthan chapter and the United Private Clinics and Hospitals Association of Rajasthan (UPCHAR) which is a representative body of over 1,000 private hospitals.
The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) also urged the doctors to withdraw the protest claiming that the group of leaders from the joint action committee had met with the administration and government representatives and almost every disagreement was resolved.
The private doctors during the protest sought withdrawal of the bill. The state police resorted to the lathi charge and also misbehaved with the women medics. Almost 300 private hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes in Kota remained closed for outdoor patients, emergency services, and new admissions as a result of the closure of private institutions, causing a 40% increase in patient volume at the government-run MBS Hospital in Kota.
