On February 11, the president of the Apni Party, Altaf Bukhari, said his party would not allow non-locals to settle in Jammu and Kashmir. He also criticised the ongoing anti-encroachment drive by the administration to take control of the government land.
He claimed his party would reverse all the “anti-people” decisions made by the administration once his party came to power. “The administration has no right to displace people from their land. If we form the next government, we will reverse anti-people decisions of the administration like stopping the darbar move practice and anti-encroachment drives,” he added.
Speaking at a function organised to welcome PDP leader from Samba Sanny Sangral to join Apni Party at its Gandhi Nagar headquarters, the former minister said, “We will not allow the non-locals to settle in Jammu and Kashmir. The land in J&K belongs to the people of the erstwhile state.” He further said, “It does not matter how much security they provide to them [non-locals]. No non-locals can live on our land. This land belongs to us. The people of Jammu and Kashmir own this land. If they think they can bring people to settle here on the cleared land, we will not sit idle. We will fight for the land and not allow any non-local to settle here.”
#BreakingNews: J&K demolition drive row; Apni Party President Altaf Bukhari criticizes the move and said ‘won’t allow non-locals to settle in J&K’@TejinderSsodhi with more details
Giving an example of Delhi, he added the administration had no other option but to regularise the unauthorised colonies. He said, “Even the government in Delhi has regularised such colonies from time to time, but it seems they do not understand the issues of the poor people.”
Bukhari blamed Bharatiya Janata Party for delaying the elections in the Union Territory.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be covering over 10800 km and participating in 10 public meetings between February 10 and February 13, reportedThe Times of India.
On Friday (February 10), the 72 year old PM travelled to Lucknow from the National Capital and attended the inauguration of the Uttar Pradesh Global Investors Summit. He then flew to Mumbai, flagged off the Mumbai-Solapur and Mumbai- Sainagar Shirdi Vande Bharat Express trains from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.
PM Modi also inaugurated the Vakola-Kurla and MTNL-LBS elevated corridor arms on Santacruz-Chembur Link Road and 2 vehicular underpasses at Kurar and Malad. It must be mentioned that Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections are scheduled to be held later this year.
The Indian Prime Minister also inaugurated the new campus of Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah, an educational institute of the Dawoodi Bohra community, in Marol in Mumbai. Thereafter he flew back to Delhi and covered 2700 km in this process.
On Saturday (February 11), PM Modi headed to the poll-bound Northeastern State of Tripura and addressed two public meetings in Radhakishorepur and Ambassa. He covered 3000 km on that day.
On Sunday (February 12), the Indian Prime Minister will kick off year-long celebrations for the 200th birth anniversary of Dayanand Saraswati at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in the National Capital.
He will then head out to Dausa in Rajasthan and lay the foundation stone of road projects worth more than ₹18100 crores. He will also inaugurate the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway (first completed section) of the Sohna-Dausa stretch.
Later in the day, PM Modi will reach Bengaluru and thus cover 1750 km in this process. On Monday (February 13), he will inaugurate Aero India 2023 in the city and then address a public rally in Tripura’s capital city, Agartala. He will then head back to Delhi and cover 3350 km on the day.
Thus, PM Modi will cover 10 public meetings, launch development initiatives and travel over 10800 km within just 90 hours.
A photograph of three men holding ‘pilot licence’ with a picture of helicopter embossed on certificate has gone viral on social media. The three bare-footed men wearing traditional Afghani attire can be seen holding certificates in their hands while sitting in an office. The photograph surfaced on February 7, when a journalist from Afghanistan, Kabul Khan, shared it on Twitter. He wrote, “Congratulation and good luck to Surgol, Torkhan and Hefzahullah, three pilots of the Taliban Air Force who graduated from a training course. They look great and ready for the Mission.”
Kabul Khan, a journalist from Afghanistan, congratulated the ‘pilots’. Source: Twitter
He added, “No question they look like a Soldier and ready for the Mission.”
The photograph was also shared by Haroon Mobarez, General of the Ministry of Interior Commander of the 8th Brigade. He wrote, “The newly graduated Taliban pilots from a training centre. Their documents show that they have become pilots in the operational helicopter section. If, God forbid, when they fly, they will shoot from above any living thing they see on the ground.” (The tweet was translated from Persian to English using Google Translate.)
Haroon said they were granted certificate in ‘operational helicopter section’. Source: Twitter
The same image was also shared by journalist Asaad Sam Handa.
The photograph started a meme fest on the social media platform. Saffron Sripathi questioned if they will “fly” the plane or “blow” the plane.
#Taliban gives their first three flight pilot certificates to these three men. Who wants to catch the filght? Ye plane udayenge ya udayenge? pic.twitter.com/WWpQTupE4w
OpIndia could not independently verify the authenticity of the claims and the photograph. As of now, there are no reports of ‘pilot licence’ certificate handed out by the Taliban in Afghanistan. OpIndia tried Google reverse image search but could not find anything concrete regarding the same. Further, if the image is indeed true, no details about their training or ‘mission’ is available let.
Turkish authorities on Saturday arrested 48 people for looting after a powerful earthquake hit Turkey, reported state media. The suspects were held in eight different provinces as part of investigations into looting after Monday’s 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit the region, news agency Anadolu said. The tremor and its aftershocks killed more than 25,000 people in Turkey and Syria.
Prosecutors can now detain people for an extra three days from four days previously for looting crimes as part of extended powers under the state of emergency, according to a decree published in the official gazette.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had earlier vowed Turkey would crack down on looters.
“We’ve announced a state of emergency,” he said during a visit to the quake-affected province of Diyarbakir.
“This means that, from now on, people involved in looting or kidnapping should know that the state’s firm hand is on their backs,” Erdogan said.
Erdogan on Tuesday had announced a three-month state of emergency in the 10 provinces in southeastern Turkey impacted by the tremor.
Meanwhile, the death toll from the devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria earlier this week surpassed 25,000 on Saturday, reported CNN.
In Turkey, the number of people killed has risen to 21,848, according to Turkish President.
Speaking in the southeastern city of Sanliurfa on Saturday, Erdogan added that 80,104 people had been injured.
In Syria, the total number of deaths stands at 3,553, including 2,166 in rebel-held areas in the northwest, according to the White Helmets civil defense group.
There have been 1,387 deaths in government-controlled parts of Syria, according to Syrian state media.
The total number of injured people in Syria across all affected territories stands at 5,273, with 2,326 in government-controlled areas and 2,950 in the rebel-held areas, reported CNN.
Notably, Germany has also suspended rescue and relief work at the site of a deadly earthquake in Turkey due to security concerns, following a similar move by Austria earlier Saturday, reported CNN.
The German Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) stopped its rescue operations due to a change in the security situation in the Hatay region, the organization said in a statement Saturday.
It had been operating with International Search and Rescue (ISAR) Germany, in coordination with Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD).
“In the last few hours, the security situation in the Hatay region has apparently changed. There are increasing reports of clashes between different groups. The search and rescue teams of ISAR Germany and THW will therefore remain in the joint base camp for the time being. ISAR and THW will resume their work as soon as AFAD deems the situation to be safe,” read the statement.
The Austrian Army also cited security risks in suspending its operations, reported CNN.
The Austrian Army has suspended rescue operations in Turkey due to an “increasingly difficult security situation,” according to the Austrian Forces Disaster Relief Unit (AFDRU).
“The expected success of saving a life bears no reasonable relation to the security risk. There is increasing aggression between groups in Turkey,” Lieutenant Colonel Pierre Kugelweis of the AFDRU said in a statement Saturday.
“There was no attack on us Austrians. We’re all fine … The mood among the helpers is good, given the circumstances … We would like to help, but the circumstances are what they are,” Kugelweis continued.
“We keep our rescue and recovery forces ready. We are ready for further operations,” Kugelweis added, stating that a scheduled return to Austria for Thursday remains in place.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) reported on Saturday that about 1,200 square metres of government land were reclaimed during an “anti-encroachment drive” in the Mehrauli Archaeological Park region on Friday. It said that the drive was carried out amid heavy police security.
The DDA, which continued demolitions in Delhi’s Mehrauli neighbourhood for the second day on Saturday as part of its anti-encroachment campaign, added that the drive will continue. Meanwhile, the AAP government in Delhi has taken advantage of the situation to engage in petty politics and criticise the BJP, which controls the urban body.
“During the demolition programme on 10.02.2023, approximately 1200 sq m of government/DDA land has been reclaimed from the encroachers so far, and the exercise is on to reclaim the rest of the encroached government land for its rightful use by all citizens as a park,” the urban body said.
The action was taken as part of a demolition drive that will continue till March 9, officials said on Friday.
The DDA is looking into several three-to-four-story constructions that have sprouted up illegally in the Mehrauli Archeological Park region. The landowner had reportedly been given prior notice regarding the demolition.
Responding to allegations that the demolition drive was carried out in defiance of Delhi High Court orders, the urban body clarified that it will continue its anti-encroachment drive in Mehrauli because the Delhi High Court did not mention stopping demolitions in “all the plots” in its status-quo order.
“Court has not mentioned all the plots, so will return tomorrow to continue the demolition of those houses,” DDA was quoted by news agency ANI. It was referring to the Delhi high court’s order to maintain the status quo on 400 jhuggis of a slum colony in the area, as verified by the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB).
The DDA launched the campaign on February 10 in collaboration with the Delhi Police to remove encroachment from the DDA’s land at Ladha Sarai hamlet, which is part of Mehrauli Archaeological Park.
This park is home to approximately 55 monuments that are protected by the ASI, Delhi’s state archaeological agency, and the DDA, according to a statement issued by the authority on Saturday.
Previously, a demolition order dated December 12, 2022, was plastered on the walls of the illegal structures in the area, along with markings that read, “encroachers to demolish all unauthorised construction from the land in question within 10 days.”
AAP Govt in Delhi plays petty politics over Mehrauli’s anti-encroachment drive
While the DDA continues its crackdown on illegal encroachments, the Arvind Kejriwal government in Delhi has begun politicising the matter.
The AAP government stated on Saturday that it will not allow the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to carry out its anti-encroachment drive in Mehrauli. It accused the Bharatiya Janata Party, under which the DDA operates, of exacting vengeance on the people of Delhi for its defeat in the MCD elections.
AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak said, “Right from this morning, the BJP is busy destroying the entire area of Mehrauli. Many videos have come from Mehrauli where people are crying and begging in front of police and the BJP to stop this atrocity.”
“When our MLAs Naresh Yadav and Somnath Bharti tried to go and find a solution, they were put in jail, and our councillor Rekha was also detained,” he said.
Despite knowing that the DDA is taking action on unlawful encroachments, the AAP politician, in continuation to his theatrics, invoked the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and linked it to the BJP’s ‘atrocities.’ He accused it of “replicating” what the British did during colonial rule.
Pathak said during the revolt of 1857, those Indians who supported the revolutionaries, were hanged and their homes were demolished; today, the BJP is doing the same in Delhi. “Aam Aadmi Party opposes this, no matter what happens, we will not allow a single slum to be demolished,” Pathak, who is the party’s MCD in-charge, added.
DDA ग़लत डिमार्केशन करके लोगों के घरों को डेमोलिशन कर रही है। आदरणीय @attorneybharti जी ने डिमार्केशन को चैलेंज कर रखा है और इसके लिए मंत्री @kgahlot जी ने डिमार्केशन के लिए आज 4 बजे मीटिंग भी बुलाई हुई है लेकिन DDA महरौली के लोगों के साथ अन्याय कर रही है Encl-Minister’s Notice pic.twitter.com/WtdqSmmvly
A Hindu youth in Bangladesh has been sentenced to 5 years in jail by a court for alleged blasphemy. Paritosh Sarkar, accused of making blasphemous comments on Facebook, has also been fined 30,000 Taka by the Rangpur Cyber Tribunal. Sarkar was convicted under Digital Security Act by judge Abdul Majid Roy of the tribunal on Wednesday.
Paritosh Sarkar has been awarded a sentence of a total of 11 years in jail, as he has been awarded four sentences of one year, two years, three years and five years. However, the sentences will run concurrently, therefore he will need to stay in jail for 5 years. Prosecution Counsel Ruhul Amin Talukdar said that Paritosh has been convicted for hurting religious sentiments.
Poritosh was sentenced under section 31(1) of the Digital Security Act which criminalises the publication of anything that “creates enmity, hatred or hostility among different classes or communities of the society, or destroys communal harmony”.
Paritosh Sarkar had allegedly posted an image on Facebook in October 2021, which was deemed blasphemous by Muslims. Following the image posted on the social media platform was spotted by Islamists, his village was attacked by a mob, and the entire village was burned down on 17 October 2021. The incident took place in Bara Karimpur Hindu village of Ramnathpur union in Pirganj upazila of Rangpur district. The mob was mobilised by making announcements on the mosque loudspeakers.
Alleging that the Facebook post by Paritosh Sarkar insulted the religious feeling of Muslims, a large number of Islamists had arrived at his house at the village on 17 October 2021. However, the police arrived on time, and controlled the mob. While police were able to protect the house, the mob diverted their anger to the entire village, and launched a massive attack.
An entire fishing village of Hindus was burned down by Islamists, as over 60 houses of Hindus were torched in the attack. Before torching the houses, the Islamists had vandalised the village, and looted the houses, taking away valuables, livestock and other items. Hindu temples in the village were vandalised, with the idols broken down. The house of Paritosh was also later vandalised and the cowshed was torched as the police was overpowered by the mob.
The villages fled to the nearby paddy fields when their village was being burned down. Police had to resort to firing in the air and firing rubber bullets to control the mob, and the situation was brought under control by the night with the arrival of additional forces. Paritosh and his family also fled from the village.
After the incident, cases were lodged not only for the attack on the village, but also against Paritosh Sarkar for allegedly triggering the riot. He was a class 10 student at that time, and was aged around 15-16 years. He was arrested by police after some days from Joypurhat, where he along with his family was staying at the house of a relative.
Paritosh was denied bail several times, and he was kept in solitary confinement for several months during the trial. However, the prison authorities had told his lawyer and family that he was kept separated for his safety. He was finally granted bail on May 9, 2022, but earlier this month he was again sent to jail by the court ahead of delivering the verdict.
Police have claimed that after the arrest, Paritosh Sarkar confessed to committing blasphemy, and that he was 19-years-old at that time. However, Paritosh and his family maintains that he didn’t posted the image, and his phone was broken beyond repair at that time. They said that there is no evidence that he had posted the image.
However, the court rejected these arguments and convicted him of “hurting the religious sentiments”. His lawyer said that they will move the High Court against the verdict.
While Paritosh has been convicted and sentenced for the Facebook post, nobody has been convicted so far for the attack on the Hindu village. Around 150 people have been booked in the case, and the trials in three cases registered for the incident are still going on. While 72 people are on the run, 74 accused in the case of the attack on the village have been granted bail, and they are roaming free. Those who are on bail include village mosque’s moazzem Rabiul Islam, who made the calls from the mosque loudspeaker for people to gather, Saikat Mandal who masterminded the violence, and Ujjal Hasan, who had taken a screenshot of the ‘blasphemous’ Facebook post and spread it.
Pakistan’s economic woes appear to have no end. In a fresh blow to the already starving population, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif-led ruling coalition has decided to significantly increase tax rates, for a desperately needed financial bailout package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The stringent terms stated by IMF have compelled the government to take this action, adding to the already significant burden on the Pakistani people.
Despite ongoing discussions with the international financial organization, Pakistan has not yet been able to persuade IMF to grant it a loan. The bailout package meeting on Thursday drew to a close without coming to a decision.
IMF Pakistan Mission Chief Nathan Porter released a statement after the meeting highlighting IMF’s concerns. “Key priorities include strengthening the fiscal position with permanent revenue measures and reduction in untargeted subsidies, while scaling up social protection to help the most vulnerable and those affected by the floods; allowing the exchange rate to be market determined to gradually eliminate the foreign exchange shortage; and enhancing energy provision by preventing further accumulation of circular debt and ensuring the viability of the energy sector. Virtual discussions will continue in the coming days.”
Muhammad Ishaq Dar, the finance minister of Pakistan, on the other side, stated that the meeting was ‘nothing unusual’. He said, “This is the standard procedure that is followed in every program.”
Ishaq Dar insisted that the discussions with the IMF came to a successful conclusion. Dar also announced that additional taxes totaling $170 billion would be levied by the government. The goal of the additional taxes is to resuscitate the bailout package.
According to Dar, who was speaking to the media, the Pakistani government has received the IMF’s draft Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies (MEFP). He emphasized that the previous Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan had signed off on the tariffs that the government would impose.
“This is an old agreement that was first suspended and then delayed,” Dar claimed.
The discussions with the IMF mission reportedly lasted ten days, as per the Pakistan finance minister. During this, the oil and gas industries, and the financial and monetary components have been discussed.
He revealed that ministers, representatives from various departments, and the State Bank of Pakistan were all present for the discussions. Dar stated that reforms in the energy industry would be put into effect.
Ishaq Dar contended that Pakistan would benefit from the reforms suggested by the IMF. These measures are necessary for Pakistan, he stressed. Dar added that PM Shehbaz Sharif has promised to implement these changes speedily to the IMF. On Friday morning, the document was delivered to the government.
The government subsequently gave in to nearly all of the IMF’s demands in exchange for securing the MEFP and the staff-level agreement. There is general agreement to impose new taxes, raise loan rates and electricity costs dramatically, and leave the US dollar to market forces.
Each agreed-upon step would be an additional burden for the majority of Pakistanis because of the enormity of the financial downturn. Pakistan and the IMF will now hold a second virtual meeting on Monday.
Reportedly, Pakistan will take additional revenue measures equal to 1.4% of the size of its GDP, or about Rs 700 billion to attain a tax collection target of around Rs 6 trillion in the next fiscal year under the International Monetary Fund accord.
Retired Supreme Court Judge Madan Lokur has said that there should be more activism on the part of the Supreme Court on the issue of personal liberty, PTI has reported. Justice Lokur was speaking at the award ceremony of the India chapter of the International Press Institute (IPI-India).
Speaking at the occasion, Justice Lokur said, “Personal liberty is the most cherished aspect of our fundamental rights. And there is an obligation on the State to protect our personal liberty, not to deprive us of our personal liberty.”
He also said that the courts should step in if there is any violation of fundamental rights in the eyes of the courts, and advocated for more activism on the part of the Supreme Court in such cases.
Justice Lokur said that the quality of journalism in India has improved, however, he expressed his unhappiness over the “assault” on freedom of the press.
The retired judge also voiced his concern over the debunking of India-specific reports prepared by foreign agencies. He said, “We get information from some agency outside. They come out with a report on a particular topic but it gets debunked for a variety of reasons. One (reason) could be the methodology used by the organization, other that not enough research has been done, sometimes it is just castigated as being anti-national.”
Justice Lokur’s biased report on Delhi riots
The Delhi Riots that saw Delhi burn in 2020 became the battleground of narratives, where truth was the ultimate casualty. From the time the violence erupted, the Left-Islamist nexus has been trying its best to skew facts in favor of the aggressors and claim that it was pre-meditated violence by the Hindu community against the Muslim community. The facts, however, are far from it. A “Citizen’s report” released by a committee headed by retired Justice Madan B Lokur, analyzing the Delhi anti-Hindu riots, furthered the same narrative by cherry-picking facts and distorting the truth.
In addition to Justice Lokur, the ‘committee’ which released the report titled “Uncertain Justice: A Citizen’s Committee Report on the North East Delhi Violence 2020”, comprised former Chief Justice of the Madras and Delhi High Courts A P Shah; former judge of the Delhi High Court R S Sodhi; former judge of the Patna High Court Anjana Prakash; and former Home Secretary G K Pillai.
The report said that the Muslim community was grappling with fears of losing their citizenship due to the compounding effect of CAA and nationwide NRC. In the entire report, the Justices refused to mention who was fuelling the misinformation regarding CAA and NRC that fuelled that supposed fear of the Muslim community.
The report failed to mention who started the violence and more importantly, the violence that preceded the Delhi anti-Hindu Riots. Complete breakdown of the report and the fallacies within can be read here.
The interesting history of Justice Madan Lokur
Justice Lokur was one of the four judges who had held a press conference against then CJI Dipak Misra in 2018. Now, he is a non-resident judge at the Supreme Court of Fiji. The most interesting development, however, came when as a member of CHRI, he signed a statement along with other so-called ’eminent citizens’ against the process of NRC and detention centers for illegal migrants.
The statement read, “As concerned citizens, we look to the Supreme Court to reaffirm India’s constitutional and international obligations to rights on sensitive issues. That is why we are disappointed by recent statements by the Chief Justice of India on a complex matter relating to illegal detention and deportation, without heeding India’s own constitutional and international obligations.”
“While advocating greater detention of suspected ‘foreigners’, the Chief Justice brushed aside the Assam Chief Secretary with a stinging admonition for proposing a methodology for the release of a handful of foreign prisoners who had been in detention beyond their term of sentence for illegal entry. This was especially of concern for the case concerned the willful violation of the human rights of hundreds of detainees who were languishing in what the court itself accepts are “inhuman conditions”. We regard these remarks as unfortunate,” it added.
However, as a Justice in the Supreme Court, Justice Lokur reprimanded the government of Assam for not speeding up the construction of detention centers.
Justice Lokur was also an executive member of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) earlier, an activist group that allegedly received funding even from the US state department. He was a member of the CHRI when he made the remarks disagreeing with India’s Citizenship Amendment Act.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday launched an attack against Congress and said that it strengthens anti-national elements and can never protect the State.
“Congress had released 1,700 members of the Popular Front of India (PFI), while the BJP government under PM Modi’s leadership banned and shut it permanently. Congress party strengthens anti-national elements, and it can never protect ‘Karnataka’,” Shah said during his visit to the coastal region of poll-bound Karnataka.
Amit Shah was speaking at the golden jubilee celebrations of the Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Co-operative Limited (Campco) in Puttur town in Dakshina Kannada district.
“Today I have come to Puttur. This is a very holy land. Religious Traditions, Cultural Traditions It is found within the district of the undivided Dakshina Kannada,” said Shah.
Shah said that he decided to take part in the golden jubilee celebrations of Campco after he witnessed the steady growth of this multi-state cooperative.
“When I received the invitation, I used to think about whether to participate or not, but after witnessing the progress of Campco, then I as the Cooperation Minister of this country, decided to definitely go to this multi-state cooperative and support their efforts,” he added.
Remembering BJP idealogue on his 55th death anniversary he said that the BJP government follows the footprints of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya.
Batting for his party, Shah said that only the BJP government can ensure the security of Karnataka.
“There is Kerala near you (Karnataka). I don’t want to say much. If you want to keep Karnataka safe, only BJP can do this. Only a BJP govt in Karnataka, under the leadership of PM Modi, can do this,” he said.
The Union Home Ministry imposed a ban on the Popular Front of India in September, last year for “terror links”.
Along with PFI, the ban is also imposed on its fronts, including Rehab India Foundation (RIF). Campus Front of India (CFI), All India Imams Council (AIIC), National Confederation of Human Rights Organization (NCHRO), National Women’s Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala as an “unlawful association”.
The notification clearly mentioned that the ban has been imposed against PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts for “indulging in unlawful activities, which are prejudicial to the integrity, sovereignty and security of the country and have the potential of disturbing public peace and communal harmony of the country and supporting militancy in the country.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
On February 2 this year, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) filed a charge sheet against 5 Islamists associated with the banned outfit, Popular Front of India (PFI).
They were arrested during nationwide raids for their involvement in unlawful activities and conspiring against the nation. One of the Islamists arrested by the Maharashtra ATS was Iqbal Khan.
Iqbal Khan operated Twitter using the handle @khaniqbal129, where he would post tweets in support of the now-banned outfit Popular Front of India besides threatening Hindus with violence.
Screengrab of the chargesheet filed by the Maharashtra ATS
“RSS/BJP is just working for the Brahmanical dominance in India which is a threat to democracy and a threat to every common citizen of India, it will be objected,” Khan expressed his visceral hatred against the Hindu community.
RSS/BJP is just working for the Brahmanical dominance in India which is a threat to democracy and a threat to every common citizen of India, it will be objected. #PFIJhukegaNahi
In another tweet, he claimed that ‘custodial violence’ by law-enforcement authorities is a norm for marginalised communities and an exception for Savarnas (supposedly upper-caste Hindus).
While dehumanising the Hindus as ‘saffron terrorists,’ the PFI extremist wrote, “The stronghold of this bloody game is Nagpur (RSS training centre) where every day a new saffron terrorist is born.”
“Today the Indian people need to say that the mullahs who come to bite will also be cut. We need to create such confidence, otherwise the morale of the oppressor will go on increasing,” he openly threatened violence against the Hindu community.
Screengrab of the tweets by Iqbal Khan
While intimidating Hindus, he wrote, “The politics of shed the blood of Muslims and rule in India is going on. Be careful before your number comes.”
Iqbal Khan was also seen using social media to provoke the Muslim community to avenge the Ram Janmabhoomi judgment. In a tweet in July of last year, he dubbed the historical course correction as ‘injustice done against Muslims.’
He had also turned around the events of the Ram Navami violence in Karauli to paint the Hindu community as the perpetrators. On April 2, 2022, Islamists pelted stones at a Hindu bike rally in the Hatwara Bazaar area of Karauli.
More than a dozen shops and three bikes were set on fire. Reportedly, 43 people, including policemen, were injured in the mob attack while the rally was celebrating ‘Nav Samvatsar’ passed through a Muslim-dominated area.
Iqbal Khan also dedicated his time on social media to create panic and trigger mass hysteria about the so-called ‘subversion of Indian democracy’ by the BJP.
“Indian constitution has given the right to object to any anti-people government policies but RSS/BJP wants to snatch it from the common people. #PFIJhukegaNahi,” he said in one tweet.
Indian constitution has given the right to object to any anti-people government policies but RSS/BJP wants to snatch it from the common people. #PFIJhukegaNahi
“If you are a Muslim, it does matter whether you are a journalist or political leader, any time any false case is enough to target you. Where is justice and rule of law? #BiharPoliceKaJhoot #IndiaWithPFI,” Khan claimed in another tweet.
If you are a Muslim, it does matter whether you are a journalist or political leader, any time any false case is enough to target you. Where is justice and rule of law? #BiharPoliceKaJhoot#IndiaWithPFI
When Iqbal Khan peddled distorted political narratives
Iqbal Khan also tried to shield his radical co-religionists, namely, Mohammad Riyaz and Mohammad Gaus, as members of the Sangh Parivar and BJP. “Indian Muslims expressed their protest democratically. Two people who committed Udaipur murder are linked to Sangh Parivar,” he had falsely alleged.
Indian Muslims expressed their protest democratically. Two people who committed Udaipur murder are linked to Sangh Parivar. Investigate the MRM plan to create communal conflicts #UdaipurMRMconspiracy
In one of his tweets, the PFI extremist also raked up the issue of allowing ‘hijab’ in government-run colleges in India. “This is the face of Hindutva that Muslims are being discriminated again. They are only asking for their fundamental right,” he had claimed.
When it comes to the question of personal liberty, it is very much protected in India. The issue that arose out of the Karnataka hijab row was that of the uniform dress code. In secular institutions, the school administration has the right to determine whether religious clothing can be permitted within its premises.
The Karnataka High Court observed that the Hijab is not an essential practice in Islam (and more of a choice) and uniform (for all) is a reasonable restriction on the Right to Freedom of Religion.
The same girls, who wish to wear hijabs, can freely do so in public. They are restricted only within the confines of educational institutes, where the concept of uniform exists. This also applies to students belonging to other religions (provided that the practice is not essential in their Faith).
This is the face of Hindutva that Muslims are being discriminated again,
They are only asking for their fundamental right”, Muslim female students barred by Udupi government college from entering classroom for wearing Hijab.#HijabIsOurRight
When Lakshadweep administrator Praful K Patel floated a number of proposals to promote the islands as a tourist destination at par with the Maldives, it received strong opposition from Islamists. Iqbal Khan was one of them who wanted to push Lakshadweep into the jaws of Islamic radicalisation.
लोगों का शांति से रहना उन्हें पसंद नहीं है। ये वो लोग हैं जो अवाम के बीच सांप्रदायिकता फैलाकर उन्हें विभाजित कर रहे हैं। पहले इन्होंने कश्मीर को निशाना बनाया, अब वे लक्षद्वीप को निशाना बना रहे हैं, अगली बारी हमारी होगी। #WeWithLakshadweep
He also tried to mainstream the false allegations surrounding the ‘rape’ of the Hathras victim (although both forensic and medical reports dismissed allegations of sexual assault) and stir sympathy for Siddique Kappan, who was arrested on October 5, 2020, while trying to enter Hathras with a fake ID.
In its affidavit to the Supreme court, the Uttar Pradesh government informed that Kappan was using the garb of journalism to create a caste divide and law & order disturbance in the State.
The Uttar Pradesh government had submitted a copy of a front-page story by Kappan in Thejas, dating back to November 30, 2011, wherein he claimed that Al-Qaeda terrorist Osama bin Laden was a ‘martyr’.
A peace-loving, justice-oriented, passionate journalist of India is in Jail for more than 669 days. His Crime? He tried reporting a rape incident in Hathras, in Yogi’s UP. #ReleaseSiddiqueKappan
There were four objectionable videos found in the internal storage of his phone. One of the videos was a demonstration of how to use a glass bottle as a bomb by filling it with petrol, closing it with a waste cloth, and lighting up the cloth.
Another video showed how Muslim women are trained in combat techniques like Karate and lathi sticks. In the third video, a maulana was seen delivering a provoking speech.
In the fourth video, Maulana Ahmed Nadvi was seen delivering a speech that was provoking enough to create a rift between the two communities. In his speech, he was showing objectionable video clips to listeners and incited them to join PFI to fight against Hindus and the government of India.
Iqbal Khan also extended his unwavering support for the likes of Siddharth Vadarajan of The Wire and MeToo accused Vinod Dua, not to forget deceased Urban Naxal Stan Swamy.
He also followed Arfa Khanum Sherwani, Abhisar Sharma, Rana Ayyub, SDPI, Asaduddin Owaisi, Rahul Gandhi, Kunal Kamra, and Prashant Bhushan on Twitter.
