Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader KM Shaji on January 16 came up with a social media post providing an explanation for his controversial comments against the LGBTQ community. He had called them a ‘shame’ on society and the ‘worst sorts of people.’
The contentious Muslim leader made these remarks on January 15, while speaking at a memorial service for the late E. Ahmad, a Muslim League veteran who served as Union Minister of State for External Affairs in Manmohan Singh’s Congress-led UPA government.
In a Facebook message posted on Monday, the leader said that the word LGBTQ sounds something important, but those are uncouth local activities. He said the sexual preferences of lesbians, gays and bisexuals are unnatural and the ‘+’ includes paedophiles, incestophiles, necrophiles and zoophiles. “They are the worst humans. They are projecting it as colourful, but the term itself is dangerous, it creates anarchy in society. Deciding one’s gender after growing up is just silly,” he said.
“It is also a matter of faith. No believer in the world will accept this. When you hear LGBTQ, it sounds like something serious, but it’s not. Those who practice it are the worst kind of people, even this term is dangerous. There are many ways to solve this hormonal disorder including counselling,” Shaji further added.
The Muslim leader further accused the state administration of seeking to undermine religious groups’ ‘beliefs and culture’ by instilling ‘gender confusion’. “When you hear LGBTQ, don’t think it is something very big. It is an ugly business. Those who indulge in this are promoting homosexuality. Now, attempts are on to give some colour to this,” Shaji said. “Even the usage of the word LGBTQ is dangerous. The people behind this campaign are trying to create chaos in society,” he added.
“There are many methods, including counselling, to treat it. It is foolish to say that gender should be decided only after the person becomes a major. It is equally dangerous to let people decide their gender,” he said. “Males and females are the beauty of nature. India stands out in the world because of the charm of this diversity of colors. This difference is beauty. Humans are not the only living thing in the world that has gender. There are male and female plants,” he added.
Shaji’s party, the Indian Union Muslim League, is Congress’s main coalition partner in Kerala. KM Shaji, who is a notable face of the Muslim League, is on the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau’s radar (VACB). He is accused of accepting a bribe of 25 lakhs from the administration of an aided school in Azhikode in 2014 in exchange for allowing additional Plus Two courses. Shaji’s home was seized as part of the money laundering investigation and charges that he has amassed riches disproportionate to his known sources of income.
According to the reports, the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau recovered undocumented cash of Rs 47.35 lakhs, 60 sovereigns of jewelry, 475 kg of gold ornaments, and foreign currency from several nations from his property in Kozhikode during a raid in April 2021.
The leader was also charged with criminal misconduct by a public worker under Section 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act and attachment and forfeiture of property under Section 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act (Amendment) Act.
The VACB noted in its preliminary report to the Vigilance Court that Shaji had amassed an additional income of Rs 1.4 crore during the previous nine years. In the 2021 state assembly elections, Shaji, who stood as a part of the Congress-led UDF, lost from Azhikode constituency in Kannur, with LDF candidate K V Sumesh wresting the seat.
Further his win in the 2016 assembly elections was ruled null and unlawful by the Kerala High Court in 2018. The court affirmed accusations on Shaji that he engaged in flagrant sectarian mobilisation to defeat LDF candidate Nikesh Kumar. He was forbidden from contesting elections for six years and was directed to pay Nikesh Kumar Rs 50,000 as a fee. The Supreme Court of India, however, stayed the ruling. Shaji is at present the president of the Muslim Youth League.
On January 15, it was reported that Union Minister Nitin Gadkari’s office had received death threats from a man identifying himself as a member of ‘Dawood Ibrahim’ gang. As per reports, the man was found to be an inmate of the Hindalga prison in Karnataka’s Belgavi.
Accused is a man namely, Jayesh Kantank, he was given capital punishment in a murder case and is serving his term in Belgaum (Belagavi) jail. He allegedly made the call from jail: Amitesh Kumar, Commissioner of Police, Nagpur City on Nitin Gadkari’s office receiving threat calls pic.twitter.com/mHsCxrROGN
Nagpur city police commissioner Amitesh Kumar revealed that the accused person had made the call from the jail itself. The man named Jayesh Kantank, is a death row inmate and was given capital punishment in a murder case.
Merely days after the issue was highlighted in the media, reports have emerged showing that inmates inside Ramanagara jail in Karnataka are using Instagram. Pictures of a birthday celebration of an inmate inside the Ramanagara jail have gone viral.
Days after @nitin_gadkari Ji received death threat from imprisoned man from Belagavi Jail,
A number of people have taken to social media to comment over the lax security measures inside prisons, and the rampant usage of phones and the internet by convicts to carry on their criminal activities.
As per reports, a case has been lodged against some inmates inside the Ramanagara Jail in Karnataka after their photos celebrating a birthday party surfaced on Instagram. History sheeted Kiran alias Tamate Kiran had apparently celebrated his birthday with a big cake and festivities with fellow inmates in the Ramanagara Jail on January 14.
After the photos went viral on social media, a team led by SP Santhosh Babu and DSP Mohan Kumar raided the jail cells and seized 2 smartphones.
In September 2022 too, another prisoner was found celebrating his birthday inside the same jail and sharing photos on Instagram.
On Saturday, 14 January, a phone call was made to Nitin Gadkari’s office in Nagpur, threatening the minister’s life. The caller, identifying himself as a member of the D-gang, had demanded Rs 100 crores and stated that the minister’s life will be in jeopardy if the demand is not met.
Barcelona and Spain legend Gerard Pique and Pop icon Shakira were seemingly the ideal couple, before the very public fallout after Shakira caught Pique cheating on her. The Colombian superstar split from Pique in the summer of 2022 after she caught him cheating.
There were all sorts of speculations about how Shakira caught Pique cheating on her, and it has now been revealed that it was all over a jar of jam.
Shakira caught Piqué cheating on her after returning home to find her strawberry jam eaten. Suspicion was aroused as he apparently doesn’t like strawberry jam.
Shakira discovered Pique has been unfaithful because her jar of strawberry jam was eaten in her absence, while Pique is known to never eat jam as he hates it. Shakira, who was away promoting her music, immediately suspected someone else was at home once she found some of her jam eaten.
Shakira and Pique met when Pique appeared in a music video for “Waka Waka” song ahead of the World Cup in South Africa in 2010. From 2011 to 2022, they were a couple. Seemingly, an ideal couple. They also have two kids together.
Shakira even put her career on hold as she moved to Barcelona to be next to Pique as he continued following his career at the legendary football club. The duo even share the same birthday, albeit 10 years apart.
Following their separation, Shakira released a single with Rauw Alejandro titled “Te Felicito”, which was apparently her release for the heartbreak suffered at the hands of Pique. The lyrics, translated to English, are, “To make you whole. I broke myself in pieces. I was warned, but I didn’t take heed. Don’t tell me you’re sorry. I know you well and I know you’re lying.”
Shakira also released a song titled Shakira Bzrp Music Sessions 53, in which she said, “I was out of your league, which is why you’re with someone just like you. You swapped a Ferrari for a [Renault] Twingo, You swapped a Rolex for a Casio”.
In response, Pique mocked her indirectly by first claiming that a Casio is for a lifetime as he entered into a partnership with them, and also drove up in a Renault Twingo at an event.
Meanwhile, after spending nearly a decade in Barcelona to be closer to Gerard Pique, Shakira is now moving to Miami, Florida, with her kids, where her mother stays.
It was at this time that the Mughal Sultanate was being established in Delhi, and several Islamic empires were making inroads in southern India as well. During this period, one such empire that flourished was the Vijayanagara empire, which stopped the spread of Islamic invaders in South India. Krishnadevaraya was the greatest and most famous emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire. He took the empire to its zenith and is therefore regarded as an icon by the people of India.
Apart from being a great patron of art and literature, he was an extremely skilled warrior. He himself led his troops to victory in numerous battles. Before moving ahead, let us first introduce you to the Vijayanagara Empire and Krishnadevaraya.
In 1505, Emperor Vira Narasimha established the Tuluva dynasty. He rose to power by ousting the Saluva dynasty. This was the time when the Bahmani dynasty was rising in power. These three major Islamic sultanates- Bahmani, Golconda, and Bijapur, did not even want to see Vijayanagara. Apart from these, Vira Narasimharaya also defeated the Muslim Sultans of Ahmednagar and Bidar.
Samrat Krishnadevaraya was Vira Narasimha’s younger half-brother. After the death of his elder brother, he took over the reign of the Vijayanagar Empire in 1509. Krishnadevaraya’s rule is remembered as a glorious chapter in the history of the Vijayanagara Empire.
The feudatories of Vijayanagara had revolted and were acting like independent monarchs at the time. The Gajapatis ruled Odisha. The Portuguese dominated marine trade. Krishnadevaraya used politics, diplomacy, and war tactics to handle all the challenges.
Krishnadevaraya’s war against the Bahmani Sultanate
One of the main aspects of the Vijayanagara Empire’s history was the regular conflicts with the Bahmani rulers, primarily over the Raichur-Tungabhadra Doab region. Though the Bahmani kingdom, the first independent Muslim kingdom of the Deccan region, had split up into five separate states, namely, Bijapur, Golkonda, Bidar, Berar, and Ahmednagar, the sultans of these kingdoms used to organize annual jihad against Vijayanagar.
It was a back-and-forth struggle, with the Vijayanagara kings winning at times and the Bahmani Sultans at others. The frequent clashes with the Bahmani Sultans had not only ruined significant areas of the Doab region but also resulted in indiscriminate killings and temple destruction.
The Bahmanis played heinous tactics like frequent raids, complete plunder of the Vijayanagara region, destruction of Hindu temples, and slaughtering Hindus.
The first thing Sri Krishnadevaraya did after ascending to the throne was to put an end to the regular looting and raiding by the Bahmanis.
At that time there was no unity among the Islamic kingdoms around Vijayanagara and most of them used to fight with each other.
At the Battle of Diwani, Krishnadevaraya routed the marauding Bahmani army of Bijapur and pursued the Bahmani Sultan, Yusuf Adil Shah. Yusuf Adil Shah, the retreating Bijapur monarch, was defeated and slain at Kovilkonda, dealing a crushing blow to the Bijapur army.
Following the fall of Bijapur, emperor Krishnadevaraya focused his attention on the other Bahmani kingdoms. His next target was the Gulbarga region, which was ruled by Yusuf Adil Shah, who held the Bahmani Sultan Mahmud Shah captive.
Krishnadevaraya conquered Bijapur, freeing the Sultan of Bahmani- Mahmud Shah and restoring him to the throne, earning him the title ‘Yavan Rajya Pratishtapanacharya’ (establisher of the Yavana kingdom.)
Following this, he defeated Qasim Barid and captured Bidar.
Suppression of internal revolts
The next step was to subdue the feudatories and the Gajapatis of Odisha so that the supremacy of the Vijayanagara Empire could be ascertained.
The feudatories like the Velamas of Bhuvanagiri and the Heunas of Ummattur were defeated and brought under control. Krishnadevaraya fought the Heuna chief Gangaraja in a battle on the banks of the Kaveri and defeated him. Gangaraja committed suicide by drowning himself in the river and his entire kingdom was annexed and became a part of the Srirangapatna province in 1512.
Samrat Krishnadevaraya then turned to Odisha to fight the Gajapatis who were growing at an alarming rate. They had previously defeated Saluva Narasimharaya and were hostile towards the Vijayanagara Empire. They had the entire Odisha and large parts of the Andhra-Telangana region under their control. Krishnadevaraya knew that he had to fight and defeat them to consolidate his position.
In 1512, he laid siege to the fortress of Udayagiri. There the war went on for 5 years (1513-18). A total of five campaigns were launched against them by the Gajapatis but every attempt made by the Gajapati ruler Prataparudra to stop the invading and devastating Vijayanagara forces was easily nullified by the invincible Vijayanagara forces who were being personally led by their great king. After the final campaign, Prataparudra surrendered to Krishnadevaraya and gave his daughter Annapurna Devi’s hand in marriage to the Vijayanagara emperor.
A treaty was signed which made the Krishna river the boundary between the two empires. Krishnadevaraya through his Kalinga campaign had consolidated his position as the most powerful king in the region. The Gajapatis were no longer a threat to the Vijayanagara Empire.
In the midst of the Odisha conflict, the Sultan of Golconda attacked the Emperor, knowing he was preoccupied. Emperor Krishnadevaraya, on the other hand, sent his army to combat him and re-conquered the provinces he had captured.
Similarly, the Sultan of Bijapur, Adil Shah, took advantage of the situation and recaptured the Raichur doab, which had been the source of the Vijayanagara and Bahamani Sultanates’ fierce hostility. Krishnadevaraya vowed to put an end to the Raichur dispute once and for all. In 1520, he launched an assault to recover Raichur. What ensued was the fierce battle of Raichur, in which the Vijayanagara forces led by Krishnadevaraya attacked the Bijapur forces fervently leaving the Bijapur forces utterly devastated.
The Bijapur forces were greatly outnumbered and were compelled to surrender the fortress of Raichur. Krishnadevaraya destructed Gulbarga, the Capital of Bijapur. The Sultan himself escaped by the skin of his teeth with the help of his bodyguard Asada Khan. This way, Raichur was captured and the mission had been accomplished. After this glorious victory, Krishnadevaraya returned to his capital. By conquering all three Muslim sultanates, he went on to establish the supremacy of Vijayanagara.
The Battle of Raichur is in fact, considered one of the most crucial and tough battles in Samrat Krishnadevaraya’s reign.
Apart from his unbeatable military expeditions, Krishnadevaraya was also a great poet, who composed a book called ‘Amukta Malyad’ in Telugu and also wrote a book named ‘Jambavati Kalyanam’.
Statue of Emperor Krishnadevaraya (Source: Ancient Origins)
Krishnadevaraya- an astute diplomat
Besides, he was also an astute diplomat. During his reign, the Portuguese arrived on the west coast of India. The emperor established good relations with the foreigners and encouraged trade between them and his subjects when Goa became the headquarters of the Portuguese State of India in 1510.
Krishnadevaraya obtained firearms and Arabian horses from Portuguese traders, which boosted the empire’s military might giving it an edge over the Islamic Sultanates. Furthermore, the emperor was able to use the Portuguese engineering experience to upgrade the water supply system in Vijayanagara, the empire’s capital.
Krishnadevaraya got numerous temples built during his regime
Samrat Krishnadevaraya patronised all religious factions and was a devotee of Lord Venkateshwara of Tirupati, and images of Krishnadevaraya and his two queens standing with folded hands can still be found at the Tirupati temple.
Statue of Krishnadevaraya at Tirumala, Tirupati
Krishnadevaraya was also a prolific craftsman, as seen by the numerous temples erected during his rule. The Hazara Rama Temple and the Vittalaswami Temple, both in the empire’s capital, are accredited to this emperor. He also constructed Hampi’s Virupaksha temple. After the success of his expedition in the east, he had the Krishnaswamy temple built.
Apart from building temples, the emperor also made generous donations to them. For instance, a jewel-studded golden sword and diamond-studded crowns were donated to the Venkateswara Temple in Tirumala. Emperor Krishnadevaraya also made huge donations to the Sundareswari and Meenakshi temples located in Madurai.
The Vitthalswami temple, where Rukmini and Panduranga are worshipped, is regarded as Emperor Krishnadevaraya’s most significant gift to Hindu religion and art. He built it with the help of Saint Vyasraj’s inspiration. He had gopurams built in various temples throughout South India. Today, Hampi is derelict and bears witness to Islamic atrocities, but history has it, that it was so developed during the reign of Emperor Krishnadevaraya that foreign visitors compared it to Rome.
He also had a massive granite idol of Lord Narasimha built. Krishna Bhatt created this 6.7-meter-tall idol. The idol, however, was severely damaged at the Battle of Talkota in 1565. Samrat Krishnadevaraya had a strong belief in the Tirupati temple. He also made significant contributions to the temples there. He not only constructed temples, but also many gardens, ponds, and dams. Many development projects were undertaken to assist farmers.
Around 500 years old, believed to be the original Crown of Bhagwan Venkateshwara Swami of Tirupati, donated by Vijayanagara King Sri Krishnadevaraya. pic.twitter.com/MY2tv4kuvy
Samrat Krishnadevaraya’s contribution to literature
Krishnadevaraya was also a patron of the arts, especially literature. In fact, Krishnadevaraya’s reign is regarded as the golden age of Telugu literature. The emperor is known to have been a patron to poets of various languages, including Sanskrit, Telugu, Tamil, and Kannada. There were many poets and scholars in his court. In fact, many playwrights from India and abroad used to often visit his kingdom.
Samrat Krishnadevaraya reigned Vijayanagara for two decades. Domingo Peas, a Portuguese horse trader, resided in his kingdom during his rule. He has written numerous things about him, demonstrating the great personality and impact of Emperor Krishnadevaraya. Foreign visitors to Vijayanagar, such as Paes, Nunez, and Barbosa, praised his administration’s efficiency and the people’s prosperity during his reign.
According to what the Portuguese merchant wrote about him, he was extremely fit. He used to get up early and work out for several hours. He used to ride horses and practice sword fighting. His demeanour was such that anybody who came to meet him was inspired and impressed.
Samrat Krishnadevaraya was as sympathetic and caring towards his soldiers and countrymen as much as he was unyielding towards his enemies. History has it that he personally commanded his army against opponents on the battlefield, demonstrating incredible resourcefulness in overcoming hurdles in his path. During the siege of Udayagiri fort, he had stones and rocks blasted to create a passage broader and easier for his troops’ movement. Even in the face of extreme peril, he displayed extraordinary bravery. For example, during the siege of Raichur, when the first line of defence was breached by enemy artillery fire, Krishnadevaraya, in command of the second line, remained firm and pushed his men to fight without regard for their deaths. His warriors fought bravely and won the battle as a result of his call.
Krishnadevaraya loved and cared for his men and at the end of a battle used to go to the battlefield looking for the wounded, making arrangements to pick them up and get them treated.
Krishnadevaraya was also well-known for his kindness. Every year during Vasantotsava, he presented gifts to the poets. He completed the Tulapurushapradhana several times and weighed himself against gold and pearls that were eventually donated. He gave gifts to his ministers and officers on various occasions. Historians believe that Krishnadevaraya had made Thimmarasa (his guru) sit on a mat and bathed him in gold and precious stones after the Kalinga battle.
On Tuesday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath declared monetary assistance of Rs 5 lakh each for the kins of four persons from Ghazipur district who died in the Nepal plane crash. He also offered condolences to the grieving families of these individuals.
“CM Yogi Adityanath has instructed to provide Rs 5 lakh of monetary assistance to the kins of all the deceased persons from Ghazipur district who lost their lives in the Nepal plane crash. CM Yogi Adityanath said that he himself will bear the expenses of taking all the dead bodies to the homes of their dependents,” the Chief Minister’s Office tweeted on January 17.
CM श्री @myogiadityanath जी महाराज ने नेपाल में हुई विमान दुर्घटना में जनपद गाजीपुर के सभी दिवंगतों के आश्रितों को ₹05-05 लाख सहायता राशि प्रदान करने के निर्देश दिए हैं।
महाराज जी ने कहा है कि सभी पार्थिव शरीरों को आश्रितों के घर तक पहुंचाने का खर्च भी @UPGovt स्वयं वहन करेगी। https://t.co/fq2kcn59cC
Earlier on January 15, the Chief Minister had paid humble tributes to the people who died in the tragic incident and had tweeted, “The plane crash in Nepal is very sad. Humble tribute to all the people who died in this, including the Indian citizens! My condolences are with the bereaved families. May Lord Shri Ram grant place to the departed souls in His holy feet and speedy recovery to the injured.”
उत्तर प्रदेश के काल-कवलित हुए लोगों के पार्थिव शरीर को राज्य में लाने की व्यवस्था करने के लिए अधिकारियों को विदेश मंत्रालय से समन्वय करने हेतु निर्देश दिए गए हैं।
He had also instructed the officials to coordinate with the Ministry of External Affairs to make arrangements to bring the mortal remains of the deceased people of Uttar Pradesh to the state. On Sunday, an ATR-72 passenger plane crashed near Pokhara, Nepal. District Magistrate Aryaka Akhauri confirmed that Ghazipur’s four youngsters, Abhishek Khushwaha, Sonu Jaiswal, Vishal Sharma, and Anil Kumar Rajbhar, were killed in the Nepal crash.
As reported earlier, there were 72 passengers onboard, including 10 foreign nationals, two infants and four crew members. Pokhara is believed to be the most dangerous airport in the world. Around 71 people were reported dead in the incident.
The plane went down between the old airport and Pokhara International Airport. The unfortunate tragedy occurred in Pokhara, which is surrounded by towering mountains and where the weather changes in a very short time. The plane crashed about 10 seconds before it was about to land.
On Wednesday, the BBC issued a public apology after pornographic sounds were overheard on air during live broadcasts of an FA Cup match. The incident occurred when sounds interrupted former England striker Gary Lineker’s report of Wolverhampton Wanderers vs. Liverpool at Molineux Stadium.
According to the reports, the sounds were supposedly generated by a cell phone hidden in the studio by a prankster. “We apologize to any viewers offended during the live coverage of the football this evening,” the BBC stated in a statement.
Following the event, Gary Lineker tweeted a photo of a cell phone, stating that it was “taped to the back of the set” inside the stadium. He tried to chuckle it off as he hosted the show in a studio at Wolverhampton’s Molineux Stadium with experts Paul Ince and Danny Murphy.
Well, we found this taped to the back of the set. As sabotage goes it was quite amusing. ??? pic.twitter.com/ikUhBJ38Je
“Somebody’s sending something on someone’s phone, I think,” he remarked as he cut to colleague and fellow former England striker Alan Shearer on the commentary gantry. “I’m not sure if you heard it at home,” he added. He happened to share the tweet when the match started. “Well, we found this taped to the back of the set. As sabotage goes it was quite amusing,” the tweet read.
Lineker subsequently said on BBC Two’s Newsnight that he originally assumed a video had been delivered to one of the panelists’ phones. But it was “too loud,” he added, and that’s when he realised it was all a joke. When asked how loud the sound effect was in the studio, the broadcaster stated he couldn’t hear what anybody was saying in his ear, which made it “quite difficult” to continue with the pre-match build-up. Lineker still saw the humour in it, calling it a ‘good’ prank, and wondered why the BBC issued an apology.
“If you told me this morning that tonight I’d be on Newsnight talking about a porn scandal. I would have been terrified,” he added laughing. The event was extensively posted on social media on Tuesday evening, and it did not go missed by viewers. Later, Daniel Jarvis, a YouTube prankster, claimed responsibility for the act, uploading a video on Twitter that looked to show him at Molineux.
Reports mention that Jarvis was handed a suspended sentence in October after being convicted of aggravated trespass for colliding with England batsman Jonny Bairstow while storming the Oval pitch in south London during a Test match.
He received an eight-week jail term suspended for two years and was barred from attending any athletic event in England or Wales for two years. He was also barred from travelling overseas for a year and ordered to participate in rehabilitation activities.
The last two Saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib are currently onboard an unscheduled flight from Kabul in Afghanistan to Delhi, India.
#WATCH | Kabul:A non-scheduled Kam Air flight, organised by Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee Amritsar,to arrive in Delhi from Kabul today. Last 2 Saroop of Sri Guru Granth Sahib onboard with 3 members of Afghan Sikh community: Puneet Singh Chandhok, Pres Indian World Forum pic.twitter.com/A6rumtCQdd
This flight was organised by Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee in Amritsar and the Saroops are accompanied by three members of Afghan Sikh community. Fearing persecution, the copies of Guru Granth Sahib have been flown in from Afghanistan after Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021. Since then, many Afghan residents, especially those of minority community, have been evacuated to India.
These two Saroops could not be transported to India last year because of the restrictions imposed by the Islamist regime of Taliban.
On January 17, after getting massively trolled for her cringe Bharat Jodo Yatra “rap song”, Congress supporter Anam Ali released a new video hitting out at the “trollers”. After watching her video, some conspiracy theorists believe that the rap song was released not to praise Rahul Gandhi but to torture Congress for not replying to her tweets where she raised grievances related to her missing answer sheets.
Anam said, “This is a message for the trollers. My name is Anam Ali, and I am from Raipur Chattisgarh. What I wrote for Rahul Gandhi can neither be a speech nor a song. It is Bharat Jodo Yatra rap. I have repeatedly said in my videos that neither I am a technical singer or a technical rapper. I have never said anything wrong against anyone. It is you who do such things. Do something constructive. Why are you abusing me?”
Speaking about her grievance about missing answer sheets, Anam said, “You can search about me on Google. I am a ‘Hindu Law Gold Medalist’. When Ravi Shankar University lost my answer sheets, and I got parts of it from RTI, I came to know it was not even checked. As my family is a Congress supporter, I have raised the matter tagging Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders, but no one replied. Even then, I found Bharat Jodo Yatra positive.”
Hitting out at India TV for negatively portraying her in their report, she said, “I wrote four lines, but you all started trolling me. I want to say to India TV that you are an old reputed media channel. Still, you wrote such an irresponsible news report and trolled me. If you want to write something, at least talk to me first. How can you write something on your own? You should have sisters and daughters. Think before trolling someone.”
She also expressed her dismay as “trollers” allegedly had a problem with her being “Ambedkarite”. She said, “You have an issue with me as I am Ambedkarwadi. You also have an issue with me being a Muslim. But I do not have any hate in my heart for you. You have a small brain. Be a little wise.”
She thanked her fans for liking the rap and said, “I would like to thank whoever praised my Bharat Jodo Yatra rap. Thank you very much. Thank you again.”
Anam Ali ran pillar to post after being declared failed
In 2019, it was reported that ‘gold medalist’ student Anam Ali had to run pillar and post for over three years to get justice after the college declared her she failed in her LLB final semester. She alleged her answer sheets were wrongly evaluated and urged the Chief Minister to intervene. She added that when she finally managed to find some of her answer sheets after filing for RTI, she had discovered that they had not been checked.
‘The rap song by Anam Ali made Dhinchak Pooja bearable’, say netizens
On Tuesday, a Congress supporter and social media user named Anam Ali released a ‘rap song’ praising Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the Bharat Jodo Yatra led by him. Ali also urged the viewers to share the video and make it reach Rahul Gandhi. However, the rap seemed so torturous that netizens could not stop hailing self-proclaimed rap artist Dhinchak Pooja, who was once upon a time criticized for terming her so-called art as rap music.
The netizens mocked Anam as she literally read out paragraphs in no rhythm in a prose-like manner which she termed was a rap. She described the Bharat Jodo Yatra and its journey and also read out the profile of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
On January 17, an image of the class 10 test paper from West Bengal School sparked controversy. In the question paper, the students were asked to mark ‘Azad Kashmir’, a phrase used by Pakistan and its allies for Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), in the map. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) marked its protest against the said question and called it a ‘Jihadi Conspiracy’. The question was printedon page 132 of the test paper.
1.1 The #MamataGovt is a supporter of the separatist forces
Check the Marked Section of History Question Paper on page 132 in Madhyamik Test Paper 2023. Students have been asked to identify the part of Pakistan occupied Kashmir as Azad Kashmir. pic.twitter.com/1c2npeR0Um
The question paper was part of an exercise book for a Bengali-medium school identified as Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Vidyamandir, Malda, for Madhyamik aspirants. Besides ‘Azad Kashmir’, the paper asked the students to mark where MK Gandhi first took the Satyagraha movement and where the Chittagong battle took place, among others.
Union Minister of State (MoS) for Education Subhas Sarkar said he would examine the matter and take an appropriate decision. He said, “It should not happen. The paper-setter is anti-national and inspiring terrorism. State’s Education Minister should write to him, and this test paper cell should be shut immediately. We will examine this and take a decision.”
It shouldn’t happen.The paper-setter is anti-national&inspiring terrorism. State’s Edu Min should write to him&this test paper cell should be shut immediately. We’ll examine this&take a decision: Dr Subhas Sarkar, MoS Education on ‘Azad Kashmir’ question in WB school paper(17.01) pic.twitter.com/n0fCYR5RYQ
BJP leader Rahul Sinha said, “A high-level probe must be ordered. This incident proves that the state government promotes jihadi thoughts to appease its vote bank.” BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh also called out Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in the state and said, “It not just supports jihadi elements but also tries to influence the minds of the schoolchildren”.
BJP State President Dr Sukanta Majumdar said, “Students have been asked to mark the Azad Kashmir in WB Madhyamik exam paper. Does CM Mamata Banerjee endorse such views? This is the worst kind of appeasement by the TMC govt. This is condemnable. Strict action should be taken against the people who did this.”
Students have been asked to mark the Azad Kashmir in WB Madhyamik exam paper.
This is worst kind of appeasement by TMC govt. This is condemnable . Strict action should be taken against the people who did this. pic.twitter.com/9NjG9qmhTi
On the contrary, the state government called it a mistake. TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh termed the allegations levelled by BJP as baseless. He said, “If someone has set such a question, he has done wrong. We don’t support such acts. The TMC is a secular party which does not believe in appeasing any particular community. Sarkar has made a baseless comment against our party.”
The headmaster of the school Swami Tapahara Nanda claimed that they “tried to put forth an aspect of history”. He said, “There is no negative thought behind it. Only a historical fact has been stated. We follow the ideals of Swami Vivekananda and try to instil nationalism and patriotism among students.”
Calling it a goof-up, West Bengal Board of Secondary Education President Ramanuj Ganguly said that an autonomous body publishes the test papers. He said, “We published a compilation of question papers provided by various schools. In one such question paper, this mistake was identified.”
“A probe is being conducted, and stern action will be initiated against editorial team members entrusted with proof-reading the papers. While speaking to the news agency PTI, those involved in the mistake will not be spared,” he added.
The Taliban on Tuesday publicly flogged nine convicted of robbery and “sodomy” in Ahmad Shahi Stadium in Kandahar.
“The Supreme Court said in a statement that nine people were punished in Ahmad Shahi Stadium in Kandahar on Tuesday on charges of robbery and ‘sodomy'”, tweeted Tolo News. Local authorities and Kandahar residents were in attendance during the lashing. The spokesman for the provincial governor, Haji Zaid, said the convicts were lashed 35-39 times.
Meanwhile, former Policy Advisor to Minister for Afghan Resettlement & Minister for Refugees in the UK, Shabnam Nasimi said that the Taliban have reportedly cut off the hands of four people in a football stadium in Kandahar.
“The Taliban have reportedly cut off the hands of 4 people in a football stadium in Kandahar today, accused of theft, in front of spectators. People are being lashed, amputated & executed in Afghanistan, without fair trial and due process. This is a human rights violation,” she tweeted.
Despite international condemnation, the Taliban has resumed the flogging and the public execution of criminals following a decree by the hard-liners’ supreme leader.
UN experts are deeply aggrieved about a public execution and that flogging has resumed in Afghanistan and call on the de facto authorities to halt immediately all forms of severe, cruel and degrading forms of punishments.
They said in a statement, “Since November 18, 2022, the de facto authorities have reportedly carried out floggings of over 100 individuals, both women and men, in several provinces including Takhar, Logar, Laghman, Parwan and Kabul. Each was given between 20 and 100 lashes for alleged crimes including theft, ‘illegitimate’ relationships or violating social behaviour codes. While the criminalisation of relationships outside of wedlock seems gender-neutral, in practice, punishment is overwhelmingly directed against women and girls. The flogging has been carried out in stadiums in the presence of officials and members of the public.”
On December 7, 2022, the Taliban publicly executed a man in Farah city, Farah province, in what appears to be the first public execution since seizing power in August 2021.
“Senior de facto officials, including the Deputy Prime Minister and Chief Justice, were in attendance. The application of these punishments began after the Supreme Leader on November 13, 2022 ordered the judiciary to implement Hudood (crimes against God) and Qisas (retribution in kind) punishments across the country,” added the statement.
Public floggings and executions violate universal principles prohibiting torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Afghanistan is a State party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, which prohibits torture, or other cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment. The public spectacle of these punishments makes them especially distasteful and undignified.
“We are additionally raising doubts about the fairness of the trials preceding these punishments, which appear not to satisfy basic fair trial guarantees. International human rights law prohibits the implementation of such cruel sentences, especially the death penalty, following trials that apparently do not offer the required fair trial guarantees,” added the statement.
It called on the de facto authorities to immediately establish a moratorium on the death penalty, prohibit flogging and other physical punishments that constitute torture, or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and guarantee a fair trial and due process in accordance with international standards. At all times, no matter the status of a person, they are entitled to dignity and respect.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
