As the Lok Sabha elections are scheduled to be held in 2024, the India Today-CVoter Mood of the Nation survey indicated on Thursday that India’s citizens appear to be content with the performance of the Narendra Modi-led NDA administration. According to the poll, if the Lok Sabha elections were conducted today, the Bharatiya Janata Party would win 284 seats.
The survey stated that the Modi government’s approval ratings had gone up a notch, from 56 per cent in August 2022 to 67 per cent in January 2023. The study also indicated that the percentage of individuals unsatisfied with the government had reduced from 32 per cent in August last year to 18 per cent, demonstrating that the NDA administration has defeated anti-incumbency despite being in power for more than eight years.
Image Source- India Today
The poll was conducted by India Today CVoter Mood of the Nation between December 15, 2022, to January 15, 2023, results of which revealed that the Indian citizens were more than happy with the current government and that if the elections were conducted today, the BJP would win 284 seats. Meanwhile, if polls were scheduled today, the Congress party would win 191 seats.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity has not waned. According to the study, 72 per cent of interviewees were pleased with Prime Minister Modi’s efforts. According to the January edition of the Mood of the Nation survey, the Narendra Modi-led NDA administration has beaten anti-incumbency despite inflation, the Covid-19 outbreak, and foreign threats from China.
After nine years in power, 67 percent of respondents believed the performance of the government in January 2023 was satisfactory. Since August 2022, as mentioned above, the figures have increased by 11 percent.
The study further revealed that around 20 percent of respondents said the NDA’s greatest success was dealing with the Covid-19 outbreak, while 14 percent thought it was repealing Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir. Meanwhile, 12 percent of those polled said the construction of Ram Mandir was the most significant achievement of the current administration.
Image source- India Today
When asked what the NDA government’s greatest failure was, 25 percent answered it was rising prices, while 17 percent said it was the failure to combat unemployment. The handling of the Covid-19 outbreak, according to 8 percent of respondents, was the NDA government’s greatest disaster.
India Today conducted the poll in collaboration with C-Voter to assess the current political mood of the country. For this study, a total of 1,40,917 people were examined and their responses were well evaluated. Notably, despite Congress’ stringent efforts including the recent Bharat Jodo Yatra to keep the party and its politics going, the survey says that if the Lok Sabha polls were scheduled to be held today, the Congress party would win only 191 seats and that BJP would win 284 seats.
The controversy over the Shahrukh Khan starrer Pathaan movie has taken a dangerous turn after it was reported that Islamists in Indore had raised the murderous “sar tan se juda” slogan in several places. VHP National Spokesperson Vinod Bansal had taken to Twitter to share two videos where the murderous slogans could be heard.
While the first video was captured outside the Badwali Chowki, the second occurred outside the Khajrana Police Station in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore. In both videos, Muslim men, including young children, can be heard shouting “Gustakh-e-Rasool ki Ek hi saza, sar tan se Juda, sar tan se Juda” (call for the beheading of those who allegedly disrespect Prophet Muhammad) and “Allah ho Akbar” slogans.
Background of the controversy
On Wednesday morning, Hindu activists protested in several locations against the Shahrukh Khan starrer Pathaan movie. In one such protest, the activists reached Inox Theatre at Sapna Sangeeta Road and urged people not to watch the movie. They reportedly even sang Hanuman Chalisa in the theatre as a mark of protest. A few activists also gathered outside Kastur theatre under Chhatripura police station.
Reportedly, at the protest by Hindu activists, some Hindus raised slogans against Prophet Mohammad. The offended Muslim community at the location then met Commissioner of Police Harinarayanachari Mishra and lodged a complaint against the Hindu activists who were allegedly raising these slogans.
The Muslim community, staying true to tradition, started raising Sar Tan Se Juda slogans in several parts of Indore demanding action against the Hindu activists. Reportedly, Muslims reached the Chandan Nagar police station and raised the murderous slogan in front of the police station, a video of which had gone viral as well.
In a video shared by Vinod Bansal, Muslims could be seen raising the slogan in front of Khajrana police station.
Chhatripura police station in-charge Pawan Singhal said, “A protest was organised by an organisation in the premises of Kastur Talkies against Pathaan. During the protest, an unidentified person raised an objectionable slogan, following which some members of a community approached the police.” Based on the complaint lodged, a case was registered against some unidentified persons under Section 505 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Reportedly, after the purported slogan against Mohammad was raised, the Muslim community started protesting outside the Chandan Nagar police station. Thereafter, police officials pacified the protestors and informed them that since the incident had occurred in the Chhatripura police station, the FIR would also be registered there. The protestors then reportedly went and protested at the Chhatripura police station where an FIR was registered.
Late in the night on Wednesday, the police then arrested 4 Hindu activists who purportedly raised the slogan that offended the Muslims.
No arrests made so far of those shouting murderous Sar Tan Se Juda slogans, VHP issues statement
According to information with OpIndia, the Indore police have not arrested any Muslim man yet for raising the Sar Tan Se Juda slogan, which has led to actual murders and violence against Hindus in the past. After the slogans were raised, VHP released a statement about the incident where far more shocking revelations were made.
According to VHP, while the slogans were being raised, Muslims were identifying Hindus by the religious symbols they might be wearing on their person and were attacking them. According to VHP, some were physically assaulted while others were even attacked with knives. There are also several death threats which are being issued on social media and the VHP suspects that this matter could be violently escalated by the Islamists.
The VHP in their press note said that on the 25th of January, one Aijaz and his friends forcefully entered the house of one Hindu activist, Prakash’s father’s house and vandalised the property. Prakash had filed a report with the Chandan Nagar police station but no action was taken and no arrests were made by the Indore police.
The VHP statement further said that the 4 Hindu activists who were arrested, were arrested after the Muslims hatched a conspiracy against them. One of those who have been arrested, Tannu Sharma, VHP said is especially on target since he has been working against Love Jihad in the past few months. Further, a few months ago, Tannu Sharma had started a campaign against the land mafia that had occupied land next to the Chandan Nagar airport. He had also filed a police complaint in the case. Seeing him succeed in his campaigns, the land mafia and the Jihadis hatched a conspiracy against him.
The VHP has demanded that Tannu Sharma be given security by the Indore police and ensure the safety of the others arrested in the case as well.
4 audio clips that call for the killing on Hindu activists
Vishwa Hindu Parishad has also submitted to the police 4 audio clips that are now circulating on WhatsApp where a Muslim man can be seen abusing Hindus and demanding for the head of Tannu Sharma.
In the audio, the Muslim man can be heard calling on other Muslims to find Tannu Sharma so he can be killed. In one of the audios, the Muslim man says that he would not have given the call for murder if it was not a question of Islam, but now that Prophet Mohammad has been named, these Hindu activists should be found and killed.
In another audio, the Muslim man is heard making a call for “sar tan se juda” against those Hindu activists who have been arrested.
On social media as well, a hashtag against Tannu Sharma has been seen trending where Muslims have made calls for his arrest and his beheading. Congress politicians, AIMIM politicians and so-called Muslim journalists and portals came together to put a target on the back of Hindu activists.
Millat Times and its “journalists” were at the forefront of stoking trouble.
फिल्म पठान का विरोध करने के दौरान इंदौर में भगवा शर्पसंदों ने प्रोफेट मोहम्मद की शान में गुस्ताखी की जिसके बाद वहां के मुसलमानों ने पुलिस में शिकायत दर्ज कर फौरन गिरफ्तारी और FIR की मांग की है।#Arrest_Tannu_Sharma_Bajrang_Dalpic.twitter.com/S1SymKn7cT
‘Journalists’ and media leak images of Hindu activists, paint a target on their back
Muslim centric media portal, Siasat Times was the first to splash the images of the 4 Hindu activists arrested on their news report. The images of the 4 was used as a featured image by the portal, painting a target on their back.
Featured image by Siasat.com
Another handle, Sameer Khan, who claims to be an actor and a writer also tweeted the image of the 4 Hindu activists arrested.
Screenshot of the tweet
Mohammad Zubair, the out-on-bail co-founder of AltNews, who had also endangered the life of Nupur Sharma, retweeted another self-proclaimed Muslim journalist who had tweeted out the images of the Hindu activists.
Screenshot of the tweet
“Gustakh-e-Rasool ki Ek hi saza, sar tan se Juda, sar tan se Juda”, which translates to “There is only one punishment for being disrespectful to Rasool (Prophet Muhammad), their head separated from their torso, their head separated from the torso”, an Islamist clarion call, has become a staple feature of violent protests that have, in the name of blasphemy, erupted in almost every corner of the country.
Such violent Islamist protests have so far claimed the lives of many Hindus. Most notable cases include the murder of Mahashay Rajpal (killed in the 1920s for publishing Rangeela Rasool), Kamlesh Tiwari (killed in 2019 for alleged derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammed), Kanhaiya Lal (killed in 2022 for supporting Nupur Sharma), Umesh Kolhe (killed 2022 for supporting Nupur Sharma), Kishan Bharwad (Killed in 2022 for publishing a visual image of Prophet Muhammad), Harsha (killed in February 2022 for his fierce stand against wearing the Burqa at college campuses) and many others.
In the case of Nupur Sharma, it was Mohammad Zubair who had first tweeted an edited clip of hers from a TV debate, which led to Islamists across the globe making beheading and rape threats against her. So much so, that Nupur Sharma will probably never be able to lead a normal life after her life was endangered and fanatic Muslims vowed to murder her for her comments where she merely quoted what the Islamic texts say. The very same lobby now seems to be active to endanger the lives of 4 more Hindu activists, whose images are now being shared with the claim that they insulted Prophet Mohammad. With the Indore police arresting the Hindu activists and not the Islamists who raised the murderous slogans, the lives of the Hindu activists seem to have been endangered further.
Given the murderous history of the slogan and how it has led to violence and beheadings, it is unfathomable that elements like Mohammad Zubair and other Islamists are unaware of the ramifications of sharing the images of Hindu activists on social media. One can only assume that the intention of sharing these images is that of painting a target on their back.
A stray dog allegedly went on a biting spree and attacked more than 80 people in Bihar’s Arrah, officials said on Friday.
According to locals, more than 80 people reached the district hospital in Arrah with dog bite cases. Locals alleged that all of them were attacked by the same dog.
“Around 80 people have come to the district hospital in Arrah with cases of dog bites. Among the patients, 10-12 are children. First aid is given to the patients, ” Dr Navneet Kumar Chaudhary, a doctor at the hospital said.
The stray dog was allegedly beaten to death after the matter came to light. “Locals in the Dudh Katora locality of the city beat up the dog to death with sticks and rods on Thursday night,” said sources.
“The Rabies-infected dog had created terror in different localities of Arrah city,” locals claimed.
According to officials, a team from the local civic body was sent to catch the dog.
“Before the team could reach, around 12 o’clock in the night, locals beat the dog to death,” District Officer Rajkumar said.
About 110 to 120 people in all these localities, including children, old men and women, were bitten and injured. Some were seriously injured and admitted to hospital.
After several patients started arriving at Ara Sadar Hospital, the health administration was also alerted.
“Around 86 people were given rabies injections in Ara Sadar Hospital on Thursday,” said officials.
Kaushal Dubey, the manager of the Arrah Sadar Hospital, said, “Despite the fact that it was a holiday in view of Republic Day, yet on the orders of the District Officer, the camp was opened in the Sadar Hospital premises.”
“It was found that 86 people have been given rabies injections. This camp will continue tomorrow as well. Those who are left can come tomorrow and take the injection,” he added.
(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 High Court recently ordered the Delhi government to make sure that the employees of Maharishi Valmiki Hospital receive their wages by February 8 after observing the ‘sorry state of affairs’.
A single judge bench of Justice Rekha Palli directed the AAP government to clear the salaries of the hospital workers in an interim order while hearing a plea filed by nine men, working as nursing orderlies at the Delhi government-run Maharishi Valmiki Hospital. The petitioners informed the court in their plea that they have not been paid wages since April 12 last year.
The workmen’s current petitions “depict a very sorry state of affairs, where they have not been paid any wages since April 12, 2022, only due to the files moving back and forth between two departments of the Govt. of NCT of Delhi,” the High Court stated in its order dated January 24.
The workers’ counsel asserted that they were forced to move to the High Court since the Labour Court had “adjourned the matter at the hospital’s repeated requests” instead of ordering the hospital to pay their wages.
When Justice Palli scheduled the case for hearing on February 8, she issued a warning that the Delhi Government’s secretary of finance “will remain present in court” if the workers’ wages were not paid by the next hearing date.
On Tuesday, Chhattisgarh BJP’s state Secretary Prabal Pratap Singh Judev performed ‘ghar wapsi’ of around 1100 people and brought them back to Sanatan Dharma by washing their feet with the holy Gangajal. The incident happened in Basna region of the state where around 1100 Christians (believed to be converted) returned to Hinduism on January 24.
Honored to perform #Gherwapsi of 1100 folks back to Sanatan dharma in Basna ( Chhattisgarh).
According to Judev, the people who participated in the Ghar Wapsi were quoted saying that they had lost their way and had become victims of conversion years back. Around 1100 people from 325 families noted that they have realized their mistake and intended to embrace Hinduism again. The oath to embrace Hinduism was administered by Kathavachak Pandit Himanshu Krishna Maharaj.
Honored to perform #Gherwapsi of 1100 folks back to Sanatan dharma in Basna ( Chhattisgarh).
The video of the incident was shared by Chhattisgarh BJP’s state Secretary Prabal Pratap Singh Judev in which he could be seen washing the feet of around 1100 people with Gangajal and welcoming them back to Hinduism. “Honored to perform Ghar wapsi of 1100 folks back to Sanatan dharma in Basna (Chhattisgarh). There is pure beauty in our roots. Our religion is the traditions of our ancestors. Embrace it! Welcome home,” he tweeted.
“It is a bigger and more important task to save Hindus and stop them from converting to other faiths. Whenever Hindus have been divided, the Hindu population has declined. Let us respect our ancestors. Hindutva is a symbol of nationalism, so let us join hands to create a Hindu Rashtra”, he added.
Judev has been conducting such ‘ghar wapsi’ campaigns across the state. He brought back 1,250 people in the Mahasamund district to Hinduism in March of last year. Also in the year 2021, he conducted a ‘ghar wapsi’ campaign to revert around 400 families to Hinduism.
Earlier in an exclusive interview with OpIndia, Judev had said that conversion takes place massively in the tribal areas of Chhattisgarh. “Christian missionaries continue to convert gullible poor Hindu people by luring them, making deals in the name of service, insulting our Hindu gods and goddesses. They brainwash Hindus,” he said.
He stated that these missionaries took advantage of the coronavirus epidemic and converted people on a massively large scale. He also alleged that conversion mostly happens in Congress-ruled states as the party somehow helps these missionaries in accomplishing their motive. “They are running it like an industry for which the funds are coming from Italy. Their policy is clear. Promote appeasement. Let the conversion happen. Convert converts into vote bank and rule. This is the reason for the misery of the Hindus in the entire country wherever Congress ruled,” he had said.
On Thursday, a green-coloured ensign hoisted on the rooftop of a house in the Madhubani Sipahi Tola area in Purnea, Bihar, on the occasion of the 74th Republic Day stirred outrage after locals alleged it to be Pakistan’s flag.
Several news reports claimed that a Pakistani flag was raised at a house in Purnia on the occasion of India’s 74th Republic Day.
According to the CNN news18 report, the flag was hoisted on the house of Muslim people identified as Mohammed Ashfaq and Rihana Parveen. When asked, the duo said the flag was hoisted by one of their relatives, Mubarakdeen Hussain, and his son. The police took cognizance of the event and reached the spot for investigation.
The police were informed by local residents who strongly opposed the incident. “We reached the suspect’s house after getting the information. The flag has been removed. The matter has been discussed with SDO Purnea. Appropriate action will be taken,” said Pawan Chowdhary, SHO Madhubani.
The police reportedly questioned Mubarakdeen Hussain, who said that his family didn’t know it was a Pakistani flag and hoisted it without their knowledge. The flag was taken down after the police ordered the family to do so and launched an investigation into the matter. However, no arrests have been made in the case.
Bihar | A Pakistani flag was hoisted in the Madhubani Sipahi Tola area in Purnea
We reached the suspect’s house after getting the information. The flag has been removed. The matter has been discussed with SDO Purnea. Action will be taken: Pawan Chowdhary, SHO Madhubani pic.twitter.com/xKLeN748Wl
Police claims it was a religious flag and not Pakistani flag
However, according to the police, the flag was not Pakistan’s flag but a religious flag. SP Aamir Jawaid rubbished the news reports saying that no such flag was hoisted as reported by several news media. The police further added that the religious flag was hoisted at a house which is located adjacent to the local mosque.
“A team was dispatched to the village after receiving the information, but upon investigation, it was determined that the flag in question was a religious flag that had been placed there about a month ago. We are currently working to identify those who spread the rumours,” the SDPO informed TOI.
Islamic flag hoisted in a madarsa on Republic Day
Earlier, a similar incident was reported from Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh where an Islamic flag was hoisted in a madarsa on the occasion of the 74th Republic Day. The accused persons said that hoisting the tricolour and celebrating national festivals was not allowed in Islam. The police arrested Hafiz Mohammad Sohraab and Mohammad Tafsil Tabrez Mijammudin Rizwan in the case.
After claiming that Delhi LG VK Saxena mocked democracy by refusing to meet, CM Arvind Kejriwal has now refused to attend the meeting. The CM has asked the LG to reschedule the meeting due to his ‘commitments in Punjab’.
On Thursday, January 26, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal asked Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena to postpone their meeting scheduled for Friday. Citing his Punjab visit, CM Kejriwal said he can’t attend the meeting with LG Saxena at Raj Niwas at 4 pm.
As per an official statement from the Chief Minister’s office, CM Kejriwal asked LG Saxena to reschedule their meeting as he will be in Punjab on Friday. “Thank you, LG Sahab. I am going to Punjab tomorrow. We are requesting you to give us time for some other day,” an official statement read.
This comes after Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor Vinay Kumar Saxena invited CM Arvind Kejriwal and his cabinet ministers along with any of the 10 MLAs for a weekly meeting at 4 PM on Friday at Raj Niwas. The Chief Minister and the Lieutenant Governor hold a weekly meeting every Friday at 4 pm. But this week, the LG also invited the cabinet ministers of the Delhi government and 10 MLAs for the meeting. The LG Secretariat also asked the CM to send the list of legislators who would accompany him.
The LG invited the ministers and MLAs after the Delhi CM had demanded to meet him along with all his MLAs earlier this month. On January 16, CM Arvind Kejriwal along with his MLAs had marched from Delhi Assembly to Raj Niwas demanding to meet the LG.
LG Saxena had initially agreed to meet the protesting CM, however, he had also said that it will not be possible for him to host 70-80 MLAs at such short notice. After that, the Delhi CM sought time from the LG to for the meeting along with MLAs on January 21. When the LG said the meeting on 21 January was also not possible, the CM sought an appointment at any other convenient date. Accordingly, the LG had invited CM with cabinet ministers and any of the 10 MLAs to meet him on 27 January. But now the Delhi CM wants to reschedule the meeting.
It is notable that Arvind Kejriwal will be joining Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann in inaugurating 400 Mohalla Clinics in Amritsar.
‘Delhi LG mocked democracy by refusing to meet us…’
When the LG refused to meet all the MLAs on January 16, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) accused LG Saxena of “mocking democracy”.
AAP’s Atishi Marlena had said, “Delhi’s elected Chief Minister and MLAs had demanded to meet the ‘unelected’ Centrally nominated LG, but it is a matter of extreme shame that the LG Saxena declined to give time to the elected representatives. By refusing to meet with the Chief Minister and MLAs who the public has repeatedly elected to office, the LG is blatantly mocking democracy.”
CM Kejriwal and LG Saxena have been at loggerheads as the AAP has alleged that Saxena had twice rejected the Delhi government’s proposal to send Delhi school teachers to Finland for training.
The Lieutenant Governor has however, denied scrapping the Delhi government plan, and said, “Any statement, on the contrary, is deliberately misleading and mischievously motivated. The government has been advised to evaluate the proposal in totality and record the cost-benefit analysis in terms of impact on quality of education being provided to students, to assess the effectiveness of various foreign training programmes for teachers in the past.”
This, however, is not the first time that Kejriwal has complained about the Delhi LG allegedly refusing to meet him. Earlier this month, Kejriwal had claimed that LG was not giving him an appointment to meet. LG office had back then dismissed Kejriwal’s allegations saying that the Delhi CM was doing ‘theatrics’.
He hadn’t had time for a meeting in the past three months, but the day after the LG sends a letter to reschedule the meeting, he wants to perform theatrics and drama. LG has prior meetings and plans. “He cannot schedule a meeting as soon as the CM requests and demands it,” an official had stated.
Notably, Lieutenant Governor Saxena had then invited Kejriwal for a meeting to discuss governance issues in Delhi.
According to the Delhi LG, the chief minister met with him on a regular basis until October 2022. He later admitted that he was unable to do so as he was occupied with the assembly and municipal elections.
Apparently, the mockery of democracy as claimed by the Aam Aadmi Party happens only when LG Saxena does not meet the Delhi CM, however, it is a matter of ‘commitment’ when Arvind Kejriwal is unable to meet the LG owing to his electoral and other commitments.
On Thursday, January 26, a video went viral wherein a Muslim teacher at a primary school in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh was seen refusing to sing the national anthem and offer floral tributes to pictures of Bharat Mata and Goddess Saraswati. The incident occurred during the Republic Day and Saraswati Puja celebrations at a school in the Lakhtoi village, which falls within the jurisdiction of the Iglas police station in Aligarh.
Hasmuddin reportedly told other teachers that his religion enables him to bow his head only before Allah and that he would not sing paeans to any other entity. In the video doing the rounds on social media, other teachers can be seen trying to persuade Hasmuddin to follow the rituals.
Hasmuddin initially excuses himself by claiming to be ill, but when others push him, he admits that it is against his religion.
Fellow teachers in the video explained to Hasmuddin how his conduct was unbecoming for a teacher. They explained to him how they also attend Muslim-related programmes and pay respect, to which Hasmuddin responded that this is not taught in his religion. “We do not submit to anyone. We merely submit to Allah,” Hasmuddin responded. The persons present there, then tell Hasmuddin that it is in accordance with the constitution. “When you have come here, at least offer flowers to Mother India,” the other academics encouraged Hasmuddin, who does so after much persuading.
According to the school’s headmaster, Rajendra Kumar, Hasamuddin was sitting on one side even during the flag hoisting. When several people asked him to offer flowers, he refused, claiming he had a stomach ache. He later offered flowers after much coaxing.
After the video went viral, officials from the Police Department and the Basic Education Department launched a probe into the matter. “The Block Education Officer has been alerted about the viral video,” said Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA) Satyendra Singh, adding that it has been revealed that a teacher named Hasmuddin has barred students from singing the national anthem or offering flowers to the Pictures of Goddess Saraswati and Bharat Mata. “This is being confirmed. If the information is found to be true, action will be taken against him,” Singh added.
Meanwhile, defending his actions, Hasmudding said, “I was feeling ill. I was unwell for the past three days and my nose was bleeding. That’s why I sat there after taking my medication. My stomach was hurting. That’s why, when Master Sahib arrived, I told him that I have stomach pain.”
He further justified, “when some people surround someone, he/she starts feeling pressurised and is forced to say something like this.” He stated that he has no objection to offering flowers to Maa Saraswati’s idol and that he can do it later also.
Hours after conservative group ‘Project Veritas’ published a sting operation wherein Pfizer director Jordan Walker was heard claiming that the pharmaceutical company was “mutating” the Covid-19 virus strains, US Senator (Florida) Marco Rubio wrote a stinging letter to Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla.
In a letter dated Thursday (January 26), Rubio said, “An investigative report suggests that Pfizer may be conducting gain-of-function research, which it dubs “directed evolution” research to mutate the SARS-CoV-2 virus to create additional, more potent variants and vaccines to combat future variants.”
“This type of research, similar to gain-of-function research, has long been controversial, and is suspected to be the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he pointed out.
Senator Marco Rubio said, “Whether it’s gain of function research, or selected structure mutations through directed evolution, as Mr Walker claimed would occur, any effort to make a virus more transmittable and deadlier is careless and dangerous,”
“Further, Mr Walker stated that Pfizer is willing to engage in this dangerous research because COVID and its variants are ‘a cash cow’ for the company and regulators will go easy on their efforts because a significant percentage of government officials aim to work for Pfizer and other biopharmaceutical companies and do not want to compromise their future job prospects,” he questioned.
US Senator quizzes Pfizer CEO
In a bid to hold Pfizer accountable for its actions and promote transparency, Rubio asked 6 critical questions to the pharmaceutical company. They are as follows:
1. What efforts is Pfizer currently, or planning to, engage in to mutate the SARS-CoV-2 virus?
2. Does Pfizer intend to continue mutating the SARS-CoV-2 virus through gain-of-function, or directed evolution research, with the purpose of creating new vaccines before the variant is present in the greater population?
3. Has Pfizer engaged with federal officials regarding their plans to oversee this research? Please provide the names and agencies for these individuals.
4. What steps has Pfizer taken to ensure the mutated virus does not leak from the laboratory and infect the greater population?
5. Has Pfizer engaged with other biopharmaceutical companies to collaborate on this research effort? Please list the entities that you have been in contact with.
6. Will you commit to halting any future research that mutates the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine as substantial evidence has indicated that similar dangerous research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology very likely led to the initial emergence and global spread of the virus?
Jordan Walker and ‘Project Veritas’ sting operation
‘Project Veritas’, a conservative group known for undercover stories, had set up a date with Pfizer Director Jordan Walker and quizzed him about the vaccine developed by the pharmaceutical company. The video was released on January 26, 2023.
Without realising that he was being recorded the whole time, Jordan Walker made damming revelations about the work undertaken by Pfizer and the lack of ethical checks and balances within the company.
He casually said that Pfizer was considering mutating the Covid-19 virus to develop a new version of the vaccines. “You have to be very controlled to make sure that this virus that you mutate doesn’t create something that just goes everywhere,” the Pfizer Director said.
BREAKING: @Pfizer Exploring “Mutating” COVID-19 Virus For New Vaccines
“Don’t tell anyone this…There is a risk…have to be very controlled to make sure this virus you mutate doesn’t create something…the way that the virus started in Wuhan, to be honest.”#DirectedEvolutionpic.twitter.com/xaRvlD5qTo
He also accepted that the pandemic has been a ‘cash cow’ for Pfizer and will continue to remain so in days to come. “Yeah, it would be perfect,” Walker said on the idea of the pharma company making money from new Covid-19 vaccines.
Jordan Walker also said that Pfizer has been a ‘revolving door’ for government employees who are in charge of reviewing drugs and how they later join the same pharma company.
“Because if the regulators who review our drugs, you know that once they stop being a regulator, they want to go work for the company…they are not going to be harsh on the company where they’re getting their job,” he added.
It is notable here that over the recent months, there have been a significant amount of details that indicate towards the possibility that the Covid-19 pandemic was a result of a ‘lab leak’ from the BSL4 research facility at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China, where a number of scientists, funded by USA’s Ecohealth Alliance, were engaged in ‘gain of function’ research of the SARS CoV-2 virus.
India has issued notice to Pakistan for modification of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) of September 1960 after Islamabad’s actions adversely impinged the provisions of the treaty, according to sources.
The notice was conveyed on January 25 through respective Commissioners for Indus Waters as per Article XII (3) of the IWT. The objective of the notice for modification, according to sources, is to provide Pakistan with an opportunity to enter into intergovernmental negotiations within 90 days to rectify the material breach of the IWT. This process would also update IWT to incorporate the lessons learned over the last 62 years.
India has always been a responsible partner in implementing the IWT. Pakistan’s actions, however, have encroached on the provisions of IWT and their implementation and forced India to issue an appropriate notice for modification of IWT, sources said.
In 2015, Pakistan requested for the appointment of a Neutral Expert to examine its technical objections to India’s Kishenganga and Ratle Hydro Electric Projects (HEPs). In 2016, Pakistan unilaterally retracted this request and proposed that a Court of Arbitration adjudicate its objections.
According to sources, this action by Pakistan is a breach of the graded mechanism of dispute settlement envisaged by Article IX of IWT. India thus made a separate request for the matter to be referred to a Neutral Expert.
The initiation of two simultaneous processes on the same questions and the potential of their inconsistent or contradictory outcomes creates an unprecedented and legally untenable situation, which risks endangering IWT itself. The World Bank acknowledged this itself in 2016, and took a decision to “pause” the initiation of two parallel processes and requested India and Pakistan to seek an amicable way out, sources say.
Pakistan, despite repeated efforts by India to find a mutually agreeable way forward, has refused to discuss the issue during the five meetings of the Permanent Indus Commission from 2017 to 2022.
The World Bank at Pakistan’s continued insistence initiated actions on both the Neutral Expert and Court of Arbitration processes. Such parallel consideration of the same issues is not covered under any provision of IWT.
The World Bank in October 2022, made appointments in two separate processes requested by India and Pakistan in relation to the Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric power plants.
It appointed a chairman of the Court of Arbitration and a neutral expert “in line with its responsibilities” under the Indus Waters Treaty.
A World Bank release said that the two countries disagree over whether the technical design features of the two hydroelectric plants contravene the Treaty.
It said Pakistan asked the World Bank to facilitate the establishment of a Court of Arbitration to consider its concerns about the designs of the two hydroelectric power projects, while India asked for the appointment of a Neutral Expert to consider similar concerns over the two projects.
Michel Lino was appointed as the Neutral Expert and Sean Murphy was appointed as Chairman of the Court of Arbitration. They will carry out their duties in their individual capacity as subject matter experts and independently of any other appointments they may currently hold, the release said.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
